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Thursday, September 15, 2011

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Serving the University of Alabama since 1894

Vol. 118, Issue 23

Witt defends traditional greek system

By Stephen Nathaniel Dethrage Special Projects Reporter sndethrage@crimson.ua.edu When asked whether it was important for black students to be admitted into traditionally white sororities, UA President Robert Witt said Wednesday that greek organizations should be free to determine who they do or do not accept into their numbers.

“Approximately 25 percent of our student body participates in the greek system at UA,” Witt said in an e-mailed statement. “[This] includes traditionally African-American, traditionally white and multicultural sororities and fraternities. As independent

Organized Seating: Previously General Student Admission, Annexed for Block Seating

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“Number one, we’re not dealing with a large pool [of black women]. Number two, the first African-Americans who are accepted are going to be subjected to a lot of media pressure.”

Was 4400 seats.

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promote diversity,” Witt said in a 2003 interview with The Crimson White.

“After talking with [Panhellenic President] Heather Schacht and [SGA President] Katie Boyd, I was convinced that the sororities were making a good-faith effort at diversity.”

Witt said he was optimistic about diversity in the greek system but cau— President Robert Witt tioned everyone involved. He said they needed to have realistic expectations President Witt was a supporter of the about black students joining sororidesegregation of the campus frater- ties, saying greek integration would nities and sororities. In August 2003, be difficult for two main reasons.

Witt reversed a policy that former UA “Number one, we’re not dealing with President Andrew Sorensen imple- a large pool [of black women],” Witt mented that held the events of rush said. “Number two, the first Africanweek until after classes started.

“Sorensen changed the policy to See RUSH, page 3

“The University offers a wide range of options for students to become involved on campus. I encourage all students to take advantage of the • The Crimson White is many academic, social and volunexploring the historically teer opportunities available at the segregated greek system and its University during their time on camimpact on the University pus.”

Witt offered this response to five •Look for more on this topic in questions fielded to him regarding his comments on integration in 2003, the next week’s CW importance of a desegregated greek society, the administration’s role in racial integration in fraternities and social organizations, it is appropriate sororities and more. that all our sororities and fraterniEight years ago, with the lack of ties – traditionally African-American, racial integration in the University’s traditionally white and multicultural greek system making headlines far– determine their membership. ther and farther away from campus,

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By Stephen Nathaniel Dethrage Special Projects Reporter sndethrage@crimson.ua.edu

Newly Admitted Moved Block Seating Position Was Not Moved

CW | Evan Szczepanski

Remains General Admission (2 Rows)

University expands block seating In order to accommodate more student organizations, more seats have been added to the section

By Tray Smith Opinions Editor ralphlesliesmith@gmail.com The University has decided to expand Student Organization Seating into section S-3 of the lower bowl of Bryant-Denny Stadium, reserving 33 of 35 rows previously open to all student ticketholders.

At a meeting of the Student Organization Seating Committee on Tuesday night, members voted on a revised seating chart that will take effect for the North Texas game this Saturday. The chart reduces general admission seating by an estimated total of 580 seats

“I think I’d probably still sit there. If they want to kick me out, they can.”

— Megan St. John, senior, nursing and, as a result, places almost all student seating behind the south end zone in the block seating program.

“Because of the significant amount of miscommunication about the procedures, and after being asked to review the initial decision by the SOS committee and several student groups who were impacted by

the committee’s decision, I agreed to a one-time, non-precedent-setting addition of seats,” said Mark Nelson, University of Alabama vice president for Student Affairs. The decision brings the number of seats reserved for Student Organization Seating to an estimated 5,000 seats, over a third of lower bowl student seating.

Megan St. John, a senior majoring in nursing who sat in section S-3 for every game she attended last season, had planned to do so again this year and said she is saddened to learn the area will now be used for block seating.

“That truly does break my heart,”

she said. “I’m not surprised that they took it into block seating, I figured it was only a matter of time before they took it away. I am disappointed, because I think that section allows non-greek students to sit in a more optimal viewing area.

But at the same time, I think I’d probably still sit there. If they want to kick me out, they can.”

Before the first home game against Kent State two weeks ago, administration officials had planned to issue citations for Student Non-academic Misconduct (SNAM) to students who sat in an

See SEATING, page 7

15th Street still on the long road to recovery

By Hailey Grace Allen Staff Reporter Making its way from Rosedale Court to Alberta City and then on to Holt, the April 27 tornado tore through Tuscaloosa and ripped out its heart, claiming the lives of more than 50 residents.

Of all of the ravaged communities, the damage on 15th Street was some of the most devastating for the many UA students who lived there.

This section of ground zero appeared on the cover of major newspapers across the state, and videos of the devastation aired on national and worldwide news channels. le this

See RECOVERY, page 6

CW | Katie Bennett

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Please

P.O. Box 870170 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 Newsroom: 348-6144 | Fax: 348-8036 | Advertising: 348-7845 | Classifieds: 348-7355 Letters, op-eds: letters@cw.ua.edu Press releases, announcements: news@cw.ua.edu

See STERLING, page 6

NAACP protests Shepherd Bend mine in letter to administration

By Jared Downing Contributing Writer

Coal mining on the Black Warrior River faces a new attack.

The Birmingham NAACP sent a letter signed by 22 environmental organizations Tuesday imploring President Robert Witt and UA to halt creation of a coal mine on the Shepherd Bend portion of the Black Warrior River.

The Alabama Department of Environmental Management granted a permit for the Shepherd Bend mine in mid-August, despite protests from environmental groups and grassroots campaigns that claimed the mining

INSIDE today’s paper

er •

Plea s

yc rec

Cleanup continues off of 15th Street five months after the April 27 tornado.

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Today, the residents, business owners and private organizations are still working to clean the debris and begin moving forward with plans to rebuild the destroyed areas of their street.

Sharon Cosby, case manager at Temporary Emergency Services off 15th Street, said the number of people requiring assistance lessens by the day.

“We’re looking more toward long-term recovery efforts now,” Cosby said. “We’ve been impressed by how quickly this area was able to recover, but we know that there is still more work to be done.”

The management at Sterling Crimson, both locally and corporately, said they have spent the last several days listening to and beginning to address questions and concerns regarding security at their apartments in the wake of the fatal shooting “As of today, we do of University of not know what the full Alabama grad stucircumstances of this dent Harry James tragedy are, and the Johnson. facts of the situation Whit Stephens, the leasing manare still evolving.” ager for the Tuscaloosa apart— Mark Foraker, ments, said he Sterling Crimson official and his team have spent most of their time on the phone since Johnson was shot early Sunday morning, and he has pitched every idea they found beneficial to their corporate offices

Briefs ........................2

Lifestyles.................. 13

Opinions ...................4

Puzzles.................... 15

Sports ..................... 10

Classifieds ............... 15

See MINING, page 2

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recognition of our academic programs,” said UA President Robert E. Witt. “The quality of our students and our faculty and staff has never been higher.” This new benchmark comes as welcome news after Alabama’s less-than-stellar positions in Princeton Review’s recent college rankings.

In U.S. News and World Report’s recently released “Best Colleges of 2012” ranking, The University of Alabama was ranked 31st among public universities and 75th among public universities. Last year’s ranking was 34th, making this year’s rankings the university’s highest ever.

“Once again, we are pleased with this national

School of Law Civic Clinic offers free legal assistance for students

Military, Cowboy, and Boots 3VJH[LK TPSLZ WHZ[ YP]LY VU 4J-HYSHUK )S]K 5VY[O PU [OL =LZ[H]PH :OVWWVUN *LU[LY

The University of Alabama School of Law Civic Clinic will provide students with free

assistance for legal matters such as landlord-tenant disputes, other housing issues, automobile accidents, insurance matters, property matters, contract issues, consumer prob-

lems and even some municipal violations. The Civic Clinic will also assist victims of the April tornado. Call (205) 348-4960 to find out more and make an appointment.

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San Diego State University opens surfing research center

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No, it will not lead to a degree in cowabunga studies.

But the Center for Surf Research, launching this month at San Diego State, will study the impact of surf tourism, particularly on coastal communities in the less-developed world.

The goal, said Jess Ponting, professor in the sustainable tourism program, is to teach surfers about the social, cultural and environmental costs of surfing.

Greg Woods 348-8054 Tori Hall 348-6153 Rob Clark 348-4367 Will DeShazo 348-8041 Jessica West 348-8054 Ben Gordon 348-8042 Lauren Gallas 348-8042 Coleman Richards Special Projects Account Rep The Crimson White is the community newspaper of The University of Alabama.

The Crimson White is an editorially free newspaper produced by students.

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could pollute a nearby drinking water intake for the city of Birmingham.

Approval from UA, which holds rights to the land, is one of the only hurdles left to clear.

“As the major owner of the land and minerals of Shepherd Bend, they can essentially stop the mining process,” said Charles Scribner, executive director of Black Warrior Riverkeeper.

“Protecting the environment is one of the pillars of our platform,” said the Rev. Anthony Johnson, community relations director of the NAACP’s Birmingham chapter. “We see it as another form of oppression. People don’t have a choice but to use the water.”

Ac c o r d i n g to the Birmingham Water Works Board, the water intake in question lies within 1,000 feet of the site of the proposed mine and supplies drinking water to 200,000 people in the city of Birmingham.

The permit granted by the ADEM clears Shepherd Bend LLC, owned by the Drummond Company, to mine an area of

American surfing tourism affects 120 countries worldwide and is a $7 billion a year industry, according to the Surf Industry Manufacturers Assocation.

“Surfers take great care of the oceans,” Ponting said. “But they don’t always think about the rest of their surroundings.”

A trip to Peru to study surf tourism culture is set for this winter.

It all starts with a symposium on campus Sept. 17: “The Audacity of Stoke.”

1,773 acres. Without support from UA, though, the mine would be limited to a 36-acre tract.

Johnson believes it is the University’s responsibility to facilitate discussion between the Drummond Company and those who oppose the mine.

“What we are calling for is a meeting for both sides,” he said.

The letter, sent by Johnson, reads, “The NAACP strongly believes ‘clean’ is a civil right … we are prepared to draw broader attention to this problem through peaceful demonstrations on all three UA-system campuses, letter/ petition campaigns and public rallies.”

“We want the opposition to know that we work with people who vote,” Johnson said.

“We want to encourage legislators and people who give to the school.”

Though the University has yet to decide the fate of Shepherd Bend, Scribner has faith in Witt and UA’s interest in the public good.

“Because UA controls so much of the land and minerals,” he said, “and because they have so much responsibility to the public, I’m confident that they will do the right thing.”

The Crimson White

NEWS

Online classes: For better or worse Web courses allow worldwide access, but some on-campus students are forced to enroll

By Jasmine Cannon Senior Staff Reporter jmcannon@crimson.ua.edu

About 400 online courses are available to University of Alabama students. These courses contribute to the large number of distance learning students and provide an alternative to the typical classroom setting. Nevertheless, opposing reactions arise when oncampus students are required to take courses online. “The courses we facilitate are for distance learning students, not necessarily on-campus students; however, a lot of them do take them,� said Rebecca Pow,

WITT

Continued from page 1

Americans who are accepted are going to be subjected to a lot of media pressure.�

In spite of these obstacles, President Witt said he was optimistic that a multicultural student would be accepted into a traditionally white sorority or fraternity that year.

He was right. In 2003, Carla Ferguson, a black student, was offered membership in the Gamma Phi Beta sorority.

With Ferguson’s admittance, attention on the matter flared and then died down. It seemed as if Gamma Phi Beta had made the first step toward integration.

However, segregation has remained a staple for many of the University’s sororities since that time. Last month, eight years after Ferguson seemed to have opened the door for racial integration in the University’s greek society, a handful of black girls, such as freshman Sherles Durham, rushed Alabama’s traditionally white sororities in the largest rush in the nation. They all were dropped from recruitment by every sorority.

associate dean in the College of Continuing Studies. “Our goal is to develop from a distance learning perspective. We want to help in students’ process of getting their degree.�

Pow said each department determines whether or not the courses are required. There are departments on campus that have mandatory classes that are solely available online.

Journalism, advertising and public relations students are required to take the online based JN 150, a mechanics of writing course.

Wilson Lowrey is the creator and professor of the course. “I think there are ways to

“I don’t think the greek system is inherently racist, but it does not look good that most fraternities and sororities have no African-American members. It would be great if our greek system was integrated.� — Clark Midkiff, Faculty Senate president

the issue of segregation of traditionally white fraternities and sororities did not die in 2003 and is still a major problem and a taint on the University’s image. “I don’t think the greek system is inherently racist,�

Midkiff said, “but it does not look good that most fraternities and sororities have no African-American members. “It would be great if our greek system was integrated,� he added. “It’s something that can be used by people who dislike the University as a means of painting a bad picture.�

He explained that other universities, when they were seeking to recruit a minority student of particular interest and talent, could easily point to Alabama’s lack of racial integration, particularly in its greek system, and scare away potential students from an environment that seems unwelcoming. “The situation needs to In April 2011, Faculty Senate President Clark Midkiff said improve,� Midkiff said. “I

—

try to get around that problem of a lack of face time,� he said. “Some things absolutely don’t lend themselves to [being online], and some things I think can. I think 150 is something that can be taught that way. I understand it’s difficult for some.�

One of the major complaints about the course is that it is online. The lack of resources and manpower available to teach the course in a classroom has given students the chance to explore online classes. “We teach about 600 or 700 students every year, so we don’t have the space or the faculty to teach something like

don’t think most of these people are any more racist than your average Alabama student, but they certainly are not political activists, by any means, against racism. “There probably have been one or two people that have said things like ‘the University owns the land that those fraternity and sorority houses are built upon. We should kick them off campus if they don’t become integrated,’� Midkiff said. “But that was not ever the majority opinion of the Faculty Senate. “I don’t think it’s productive to demand anything from them,� he said. “I think the administration would prefer that this issue not be exaggerated, and I appreciate that, because this can be used to embarrass us, but I do think the administration and Student Affairs need to do something, somehow, to encourage greeks to be more friendly to having AfricanAmerican members.�

Midkiff mentioned the

that,� Lowrey said. “It’s one credit, and students can take it as many times as they want.

The goal is to try to hammer home some basics before they get into their writing classes.�

Khristie Stauffer, a senior majoring in public relations, has taken JN 150 and is currently enrolled in an online business course, MKT 300.

Stauffer did not like the journalism class being online.

She says she opted for the online course because of the number of hours she’s taking and the flexibility it offers The College of Commerce and Business Administration has a general business degree delay of rush week until classes start, the policy that President Sorenson implemented and President Witt reversed in 2003. “What they did, for example, at Ole Miss, is they did away with the rush before school starts,� Midkiff said. “Because rush before school starts makes girls loyal first to their sorority, and then later, as they become students, to the University itself, and it should be flip-flopped. “The Ole Miss system, with its rebel flag and its rebel mascot, is obviously one of the old Southern schools,�

Midkiff said. “And they are, I think, considerably more integrated that we are. “My personal belief on this matter is that it never works when you force people to do things against their wishes,�

Midkiff said. “What you have to do is change their wishes.

Somehow — and I don’t know how — but somehow, the University and everybody else that’s interested needs to point out to these fraternities and sororities that it would be good if they were more open to all members of the campus community. “Somehow, we need to all be friends,� Midkiff said. “And maybe, sometimes, more than friends — brothers.�

Thursday, September 15, 2011 program available entirely online. GBA 300, a business communications course, is the only online-based course that on-campus GBA students are required to complete. Jennifer Humber, academic advisor and coordinator in the college, said the lecture part of the course is online, while students come on campus for the lab portion. “GBA 300 is a writing course, so the lecture is pretty straightforward,� she said.

Any business course that is required for general business majors, such as MGT 300, are offered for registration online.

FI 400 and EC 400 are the two other courses that are only offered online. Humber says many students opt to take FI 302 online, although it’s available on campus.

She suggested having a big

3

lecture class and possibly splitting the class in labs once or twice a week with graduate students as teachers.

Lowrey mentions the possibility of providing assistance through graduate assistants and suggests students set aside time each week for the course. He opens his office for students from the beginning of the year, has multiple help sessions throughout the year and has video demonstrations. The department is doing an evaluation of JN 150 this semester. “Online courses are not by any stretch of the imagination easier than oncampus classes,� Humber said. “The difference is you have to be dedicated to sitting down and dedicating the time. You have to be dedicated to take online classes.�

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OPINIONS

Fear, hope, and reunification after 9/11

By Caitlyn Hearn

MCT CAMPUS

Thursday, September 15, 2011 Editor • Tray Smith letters@cw.ua.edu Page 4

{ YOUR VIEW } (WEB COMMENTS) IN RESPONSE TO, “BARRIERS STILL STAND IN SORORITY RUSH PROCESS” “How to change? Easy.

Encourage your sorority to recruit black women. At Mississippi College, most local fraternities and sororities had black members. It wasnʼt that big of an issue. Itʼs pretty sad when Mississippi, of all places, is 50 years ahead of you in race relations.”

- David DeMedicis

“In 2007, my chapter, Lambda Zeta of Delta Sigma Theta (a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council) at the University of Alabama accepted a white female in the sorority, as well as other NPHC sororities in years past and current. Those barriers are being crossed all across the United States.”

- “Liberty”

What constitutes hazing, anyway?

By Tray Smith @ralphlsmith A column in the Monday edition of The Crimson White titled “Don’t haze me, bro” linked a lawsuit against the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity with other rumored acts of hazing on campus to paint a picture of a greek system and a university ripe with disrespect for other human beings.

“The idea that a student organization…can so openly flout the antihazing policy and the University doesn’t so much as bat an eye is disgusting,” the author wrote.

The University’s anti-hazing policy “includes any act which inflicts extreme physical, emotional, or psychological pressure or injury on an individual or which purposely demeans, degrades or disgraces an individual.”

That policy does not take into account individuals who want to participate in new member education programs on their own initiative. Anytime a student is asked to do something in order to become a part of an organization, he or she has a choice: do it, and become a member of the group, or don’t do it, and leave the group. If they ever experience extreme pressure that could legitimately endanger their health and safety, they should probably leave the group.

It is true that in 2008, some ignorant, cruel soul told someone to sit on a torched chair. It is also true that an equally ignorant soul sat on it.

Like politicians on the national level who blame banks for giving loans to people who wound up unable to repay them, there are those on campus who always blame organizations for individual mishaps. It is always an institution’s fault, never an individual’s responsibility.

If college should teach us anything, though, it is that we, as individuals, are responsible for our actions. Not ten Pikes at a swap. Not the members of a

Victor Luckerson Editor Jonathan Reed Managing Editor Tray Smith Opinions Editor Adam Greene Chief Copy Editor

WE WELCOME YOUR OPINIONS Letters to the editor must be less than 300 words and guest columns less than 800.

Send submissions to letters@ cw.ua.edu. Submissions must include the author’s name, year, major and daytime phone number. Phone numbers are for verification and will not be published.

Students should also include their year in school and major. For more information, call 348-6144. The CW reserves the right to edit all submissions.

fraternity who host a party at which we choose to overindulge in alcohol.

The columnist went on to say that he “was served and consumed alcohol inside multiple fraternity houses at the ripe old age of 18. Hell, that was the reason we went to fraternity parties in the first place.”

That self-incriminating admission of hypocrisy is admirable, but it renders the rest of the argument meaningless. Some students may go to fraternity parties as minors to try to get alcohol, but the vast majority of people who actually join fraternities are there to meet other people and take an active part in student life on our campus.

Overall, our greek system does a remarkable job of taking pledges and introducing them to other students, allowing them to enjoy college in a controlled and disciplined atmosphere. A lot of students want to drink and party when they come to college. In the greek system, they can do so at events with security present, designated drivers available, and upperclassmen on hand to watch out for their well being.

New members in the greek community are also required to attend study halls and encouraged to get involved on campus, maintaining discipline and structure in the lives of newly liberated college students.

Occasionally, accidents do happen. Unfortunately, greek students don’t always live up to their expectations. Sometimes, pledges are put in inappropriate situations.

Sometimes, students drink too much.

In most cases, the individuals responsible are disciplined by their chapter, as is appropriate. The overwhelming majority of greeks don’t condone irresponsible behavior, either. That is why the greek

system has mechanisms in place to punish people for wrongdoing and provide security, which most of campus does not.

Fraternities and sororities are registered student organizations and should rightfully be held to a high standard of conduct. But the greek community at large should not be blamed when one student has a bad experience at a fraternity house.

The University isn’t faultless.

Instead of refusing to comment on a major issue affecting a major student organization, the administration could use this as a teachable moment.

Currently, UA officials stress that there is no tolerance for hazing.

This creates the false expectation among some students and parents that joining a student organization isn’t challenging. Sometimes, it is.

The University should be honest about the fact that different organizations have different membership requirements, but there are enough organizations on campus that every student should be able to find a group where they feel comfortable.

We should never be cruel or disrespectful to our new students on campus. But it isn’t a lot to ask that they take some responsibility for their own actions, and that the University do a better job of preparing them for the realities of student life.

It isn’t a lot to ask that we all work together to resolve the realities of alcohol abuse on our campus instead of turning it into another wedge issue that will only further divide our student body.

Tray Smith is the opinions editor of The Crimson White. His column runs on Thursdays.

Caitlyn Hearn is a sophomore majoring in communicative disorders.

Taxpayer money shouldn’t be used against business

By Austin Gaddis @austingaddis

EDITORIAL BOARD

“Anytime a student is asked to do something in order to become a part of an organization, he or she has a choice: do it, and become a member of the group, or don’t do it, and leave the group..”

Sept. 11, 2001 started off as a beautiful, crisp autumn day in New York City. It soon turned into one of the darkest days America has seen.

I was in my fourth grade classroom with my best friend, Nicole, and the class was introduced to our science teacher, Ms. D. All of a sudden, four or five of my classmates’ names were called to the office over the P.A. Because I was in New York City, they refused to turn on the televisions and let us see the towers coming down, as other schools in New Jersey and upstate New York had. They told us that many students were missing their forms for physicals and had to go get them.

As soon as my name was called, I knew something was wrong. As a fourth grader, the worst thing that could happen was scraping a knee or losing a basketball game, but this time was different. I had a feeling in my stomach that told me this wasn’t right.

As I walked past all of the parents in the lobby, I couldn’t understand. I turned to the assistant accompanying me to the office and said “Ms. Z, I didn’t know I had a doctor’s appointment.” She turned to me and said, “Don’t worry honey, it’s going to be okay.”

When I met my mom, she was pale. It frightened me to see her like this, and I thought maybe she had to go to the doctor. My mom put me in the car, and for the first time, the radio was off and it was silent. We went to a gas station, and when we finished getting gas the attendant said, “God bless America.”

I asked mom what was going on and asked if everything was okay. She told me, “It’ll be okay; we have to go pick up Bridget from school now.”

Before Bridget could get home, I heard the awful news. Two planes hit the towers, and my neighbor’s husband was dead. All I thought of was daddy. My dad was in the NYPD Bomb Squad at the time and was on duty as a first responder.

We didn’t hear from him for a few days.

As the day progressed, I saw classmates and heard horrible stories. I thought, “Please God, keep Daddy safe.”

I will never forget the first time I saw my father after that. Covered in ash and sweat, he walked through the front door, and I melted. He kissed me on the forehead and told me he loved me.

Well, fast-forward ten years, and here I am at the University of Alabama. Since that day, he has told me stories. I found out his best friend and partner who was standing with him, Claude Richards, was killed trying to run as the second tower came down. Luckily, my dad ran into a church with our Bomb Squad dog. They survived, and then it was time to help and find people. My uncle who worked in ESU hid under an ambulance and thankfully, he also survived.

It has been difficult for me to be so far away on this anniversary, because I know if there is anything my dad would want at this time, it is to be with my mom, Bridget, and me. Each year following the attacks, I would write a note telling him how strong I thought he was and how much I loved him.

I’d put it in his wallet for him to see before he went to work on the 11th each year. I still let him know via texts. If there is one thing my dad has taught me through all of this, it is to never quit when things get tough.

He could have walked away from the NYPD Sept. 12, but he didn’t. He stuck it out until this past July, when he officially retired.

When discussing September 11th, it’s undeniable that just about every person I know had someone they knew who was involved that day, either as a victim or a responder. For me, it didn’t take six degrees of separation, just one.

If we learned anything as a nation, it’s that we can come together in a time of despair and assist those who need help.

When President Obama introduced his economic stimulus, the main focus was to create jobs for our country as the economy cratered further into a recession.

The Recovery Act pumped over $787 billion into our economy and, by Obama’s own admission and job numbers from the Department of Labor, it failed.

There are many reasons for this failure, but a possible factor could ultimately be at the hands of taxpayers.

Cities across the country are using federal stimulus dollars from the Recovery Act — by loan of the taxpayers — to fund campaigns aimed at reducing obesity, but they are targeting American companies in the process.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an agency under the Department of Health and Human Services, launched the anti-obesity pro-

gram called Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) and has used hundreds of millions of dollars in Recovery Act funding to pay for the project.

The most blatant example of wasteful federal spending has occurred in New York City, where our tax dollars are being used to cripple American soda companies.

New York City received $31 million to launch “Pouring on the Pounds,” a program that features grotesque anti-obesity advertisements throughout the city.

One advertisement features a glob of human fat coming from a soda bottle into a glass asking, “Are you pouring on the pounds?” and then states “Don’t drink yourself fat.”

A video for the campaign states “Drinking 1 can of soda per day can make you 10 pounds fatter a year. Don’t drink yourself FAT.” The science behind the claims seems to be shady, at best. In emails that were

released to the public, the city’s health commissioner, Dr. Thomas A. Farley, displayed an obvious bias in the messaging of the ad campaign after overruling three of his expert staff members.

After being overruled by Farley, the city’s chief nutritionist called the idea of soda turning into fat “absurd.”

“What people fear is getting fat,” Farley wrote in his defense. He said the campaign needed to be graphic in order to motivate New Yorkers to change their habits.

But, all the wasteful spending of tax dollars intended for job creation has already claimed its first victims — American companies that are being targeted by the negative ads against their products.

Earlier this year, Pepsi Beverage Company in Baltimore was forced to stop its operations after a new city tax on soda was implemented.

The liberal war on soda companies has extended into

31 cities across the nation, and the strides being taken to highlight the negative effects of soda continue to become more bizarre than previously.

Just last month, federal officials rejected New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposal to prevent the city’s food stamp users from being allowed to buy soda with them.

We should all be outraged at the gross misuse of our tax dollars by liberals who are cutting jobs instead of creating them, and forcing businesses, whom the government relies on to create jobs, to close their doors just for the sake of progressive ideology.

With unemployment rates remaining high and stagnant, the fear of a double dip recession is again dominating conversations from Wall Street to main street America.

Our country’s financial uncertainty and polarized politics have been major issues for the past few weeks as the debt ceiling crisis developed

into a political showdown.

A large contributor to the debt can be traced back to Obama’s failed stimulus and obvious disregard for real spending reform.

As a consequence, our credit rating was decreased by Standard & Poor’s, our stock market has still not recovered and world markets are now facing challenges, as well.

Because of all this uncertainty, it seems unimaginable that our tax dollars would be used to contribute to our country’s two most crippling issues — debt and unemployment.

Our government should use remaining federal stimulus money to invest in infrastructure, education and programs that benefit our communities without harming American companies and job creation.

Austin Gaddis is a junior majoring in public relations and communication studies.

His column runs biweekly on Thursdays.

The Crimson White

NEWS

Thursday, September 15, 2011

5

From the rubble come Capstone Heroes Students recognized and awarded for exemplary service after April 27

By Alyssa Locklar Senior Staff Reporter arlocklar@crimson.ua.edu In the aftermath of the April 27 tornado, the University of Alabama set out to find individuals who surpassed expectations and truly made a difference on the road to recovery in Tuscaloosa. In their search, two students’ efforts were determined worthy of the Capstone Heroes Award: Amanda Phillips and Charlie Stimpson.

“The University of Alabama has a number of students who deserved the opportunity to be Capstone Heroes,” said Lowell Davis, assistant dean of students. “We have students who play active roles in the Tuscaloosa community, as well as within the University.

However, we wanted students who went above and beyond the call of duty when it came to assisting with the tornado.”

Davis said the award winners were chosen through nomination. Students, faculty, parents and community members could go online and nominate people. After that, a panel went through every nomination and chose the winners.

Sparking a donation frenzy Although Phillips did not stay in Tuscaloosa more than 48 hours immediately following the storm, she was determined to do whatever she could in the time she had.

“After talking to my mom, we made the decision that I would stay as long as the University continued with classes and do what I could to help out,” she said. “I was raised in a servant home, so it just seemed natural to me to help out.

“Late afternoon on Thursday, the University announced it would close, but I was so tired, my mom and I decided I would get a good night’s sleep and then hit the road to McKinney, Tex. During the ten-hour drive home, all I could think was, ‘How could I leave a place that

Submitted photo Amanda Phillips of McKinney, Tex. recieved the Capstone Heroes Award. in their yards, we stopped and

“We wanted to brighten the handed out gift cards to them. day of those that were af- We wanted to brighten the day of those that were affected by fected by this disaster” — Amanda Phillips

I now call home without doing more?’ It was so hard for me to walk away from a place that I love so much when it was hurting so much.”

Phillips said when she returned to McKinney, she knew she had to do something more. After getting support from her parents, she began to get the word out about hosting a donation drive at her home. She said the response was unbelievable and she could never have imagined so many people stepping up to help with the cause.

In the end, Phillips’ efforts resulted in more than $1,000 being donated to the relief effort and almost $1,000 in gift cards, in addition to a truckload of donated items. She explained that upon her return to Tuscaloosa, she passed out the donated gift cards.

“Then, we drove around to see all the damage,” Phillips said. “As we did, every time we saw a family or people working

this disaster.”

Davis said Phillips had showed everyone just how much one person could accomplish.

“It truly says that you cannot underestimate the power of one,” Davis said. “Imagine if 10 people had done the work that Amanda Phillips did.

Who knows where the city of Tuscaloosa would be in terms of tornado relief? It really speaks to her character and how her parents raised her and the influence her parents had on her to give back and make a difference, no matter how difficult the task.”

A first responder offers aid Along with donations, the Tuscaloosa community could not have begun the road to recovery without the men and women who donated their time, talent, and strength. Student recipient Stimpson went out almost immediately following the tornado to give the assistance he was trained for in the Army ROTC. After they were given per-

mission to leave the safety of campus, Stimpson and several other members of the ROTC went out into the devastation.

“A friend of mine had just gotten married, and he and his wife lived right behind Krispy Kreme, so we immediately went to see if she was ok,” Stimpson said. “We went straight there and ran pretty much the entire way to where his house used to be. After we made sure she was ok, we met up with the police and firefighters and said, ‘Hey, what do you need us to do? We want to help.” I was a medic.

Submitted photo I was trained to do this. We Charlie Stimpson, member of the Army ROTC, insisted the Cappretty much went door-to-door stone Heroes Award go to the ROTC as a whole. and got everybody to DCH or to Best Buy because they were expecting another tornado.”

“It speaks even higher of Charlie’s character that we wanted to recognize him, but he said he didn’t want the award,” Davis said. “He had said that the award was really the ROTC’s award. He insisted that this award was not his alone. He wanted a group to be recognized and not just him as an individual, and I think that says a lot about what kind of person he is.”

“I didn’t want to accept the award because, the way I saw it, I have been trained to go out and help people,” Stimpson said. “It was my job. So, if I was going to accept it, I wanted to shine a good light on the ROTC program. It’s a great program, and it teaches you to serve something other than yourself.

I didn’t think I really deserved an award, but I wanted people to know that it wasn’t just me out there.”

Stimpson said that through the disaster of the April 27 tornado, he hopes the people of Tuscaloosa remember what they are capable of.

“We came together as a city and as the University of Alabama,” Stimpson said. “And I hope people remember that. I want people to remember that they should always choose to make the good choice. It would be too easy to just walk away.”

6

Thursday, September 15, 2011

NEWS

The Crimson White

TCF welcomes new professor Faculty, students happy with the experiences Bruce brings

By Jessica Ruffin Contributing Writer New telecommunications and film professor Mike Bruce said he learned the meaning behind the saying “everything happens for a reason” when he was a junior in high school.

“My interest, when I was in high school, was photography, and I accidently discovered TV production,” said Bruce, recalling a college tour that made him change his entire career path.

“The tour guide told me that the university was starting a new major in telecommunications and was building a new broadcasting facility,” Bruce said. “I left campus that day with plans to major in video production.”

Bruce, an Oklahoma City

STERLING Continued from page 1

in Texas.

“However,” Stephens said, “we do not make the final decisions. Our corporate offices do that.”

Mark Foraker, president and apartment manager of the corporate offices, called Dinersten Companies, said they were hearing these requests and working to implement additional security in light of the shooting.

“We are very sad to report that a University of Alabama graduate student, James Harry Johnson, was found deceased

native, came to the University to teach sports broadcasting classes.

His decision to come here was partially influenced by his friendships within the TCF department already. Professor Pamela Tran is a longtime friend of Bruce’s and is happy to have someone with such experience in the department.

“The field of sports broadcasting is expanding daily in direc-

tions that provide lots of jobs, but in areas you might not be aware of,” Tran said. “That’s why I am so excited about having Michael Bruce on our team; he is ahead of the curve in terms of knowing the skills the students will need and the jobs they can get with those skills.”

Prior to his arrival at Alabama, Bruce also taught broadcast journalism at Oklahoma Baptist University for 13 years.

“The biggest difference is the size of the department and the number of students,” Bruce said. “The enthusiasm for learning and growing among students is the same.”

Bruce graduated from The University of Oklahoma, where he studied journalism with a focus in broadcasting. He went on to obtain a master’s degree in

broadcast management and is currently working on his Ph.D. After college, Bruce began to work in the specific field of sports broadcasting after a friend asked him to help out with the production of a local basketball game in Oklahoma City. From there, his career in the field took off.

“Over the next few years, I began to be hired more often as a freelance producer, director, and technical director of live televised sporting events [high school, college, and professional],” Bruce said.

“He’s very laid back, which I really like, since we’re under a lot of pressure to get stuff done before graduation,” said Zac Sewell, one of his students. “He seems really knowledgeable in the sports field.”

on our property early Sunday morning,” Foraker said. “While Mr. Johnson was not a resident of Sterling Crimson, it is likely that many of you may have known him and our thoughts and prayers go out to Mr. Johnson’s family as well as to all of you who did know him.”

Foraker went on to detail the new security precautions that the corporate offices are planning to implement in light of Johnson’s death.

He said the apartment’s three patrol officers, who are also Tuscaloosa Police Department Officers, would begin conducting their patrols in uniform as opposed to plain clothes, that the TPD would begin giving les-

sons to residents about being aware of their surroundings and staying safe on campus and the TPD has agreed to increase regular patrols of the area.

In response to several resident allegations that security at the apartments has been dangerously lax, Foraker said initial reviews of the security systems showed the controlled access gates in the area of the shooting were fully operational at the time, but they are continuing to examine maintenance records to see if there were reports of equipment problems at the time of the incident.

When asked if the shooting would affect rates at Sterling Crimson, or if a program would

be implemented to allow residents worried about their security to terminate the lease, Foraker said it was too soon to know how they would handle the business side of things.

It is much too early to speculate on any of the effects of this event on business operations, Foraker said.

“As of today, we do not know what the full circumstances of this tragedy are, and the facts of the situation are still evolving,” he said. “Until last weekend, we were not aware of any instances of violence at Sterling Crimson Place.”

Foraker asked everyone to remember that no one can guarantee anyone’s personal safety.

Honors College book club starts second year of leisurely reading

By Meg Cole Contributing Writer

• Current Book: “The

At times, college can seem as if it is all about books; textbooks, that is. With all the reading assigned by professors, students may feel like the only literature they get to read is in the form of textbooks, rather than the books they love.

Students who loved to read in high school might go months without reading something fun.

That’s how some students from the Honors College Assembly, including Kaycee McFalls, felt last year.

“We wanted to bring back leisure reading,” McFalls said.

They decided to do something about it, and got together to form the Honors College Book Club, founded by the Honors College Assembly.

“Amongst the students, there was a real desire to combine learning and academics with informal hangouts and recreation,” said Michael Forst, founder of the club.

The club chooses books as a group based on members’ various interests. They then read the assigned book on their own time and gather at a local restaurant to discuss the reading.

“We are a very diverse group of students who read everything from science fiction to autobiographies,” McFalls said.

“Our book list reflects that. We try to read a little bit of everything.”

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Students said they like the open-minded environment during discussions.

“I feel, in college, we are told to read a literary work, and then the professor tells us what to think about it,” club member Cobie Caples said. “In book club, we actually get to discuss our different interpretations of the novels. Everyone’s opinion is heard. It’s a very fair and open-minded environment.”

In the past year, the club has gone to Surin, Crimson Café, Epiphany and several other area restaurants, McFalls said.

At a typical meeting, they enjoy dinner, dessert or both. After eating, they discuss what they are reading, and anything else they find interesting.

The book club’s next meeting is today at a member’s house. They are currently reading “The Magician” by Lev Grossman. Interested students should contact Kaycee McFalls with questions at klmcfalls@ crimson.ua.edu

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The Crimson White

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Thursday, September 15, 2011

7

Student groups provide early involvement for freshmen

By Alyssa Locklar and Sydney Newman The Crimson White Freshmen have far more opportunities to get involved on campus than just attending class and football games.

Until 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept.

19, the UA First Year Council selection committee is accepting applications. The FYC is an opportunity for first-year students to have a clear voice in the Student Government Association.

In the past, FYC has been responsible for multiple contributions around the UA campus. The FYC brought Redbox to campus, created the University of Alabama mobile

SEATING Continued from page 1

organization’s reserved block. Because block seating is not mentioned in the Code of Student Conduct, and the University has no policy authorizing its existence, the SNAMs were to be given for not following the instructions of faculty members.

However, when asked if SNAMs would be issued to students who continue to sit in section S-3, Nelson said, “Once again, we will call on our students to be courteous, to demonstrate good sportsmanship and to fully cooperate with University officials.”

As a result of the expansion, the Student Bar Association, MBA Program, Physiology Club, Alpha Kappa Lambda and Phi Sigma Kappa will all receive block seating. The groups applied for seating last month, but their applications were discarded without being reviewed by the seating committee.

“The groups had incomplete applications,” said SGA communications director Seth Morrow.

“But per a directive from the Division of Student Affairs, the committee met again to allocate seats to the five groups.”

Will Pylant, an SGA senator and committee member, said he is satisfied with the plan.

“On Tuesday, we passed a

FYC. “First Year Councilors raise awareness and assist with events such as Hands on Tuscaloosa, Beat Auburn Beat • What: First Year Hunger and Higher Education Council Day. First Year Councilors are really able to choose any proj• When: Monday, Sept. ect they would like to see tack19 at 5 p.m. led and make it happen.”

By becoming a member of • Applications: AvailFYC, students can take ideas able online at sga.ua.edu and make them realities, because they are offered the tools and resources that aren’t application and created more always available to students, crosswalks. especially as freshmen.

“FYC has participated in an “First Year Council is an advising help hotline so stu- excellent way for freshmen dents can call with any ques- to get involved on campus,” tions they have during the said Katie O’Laughlin, SGA advising process,” said Sara press secretary. “FYC allows Lavender, SGA Director of freshmen to use SGA’s many

DEADLINE

map that is fair to all parties concerned,” he said.

Morrow agreed, saying the SGA is excited that more groups received seating this year than last year.

SGA press secretary Katie O’Laughlin said a review of block seating is being planned.

“In the coming weeks, a task force will be created to draft a proposal for the future of Student Organization Seating,” she said.

O’Laughlin said the review team will include members from each branch of SGA and a chairman appointed by the Dean of Students’ Office.

“I have asked for clear objectives and procedures to be developed, and I understand that SGA President Grant Cochran has also asked for the same thing,” Nelson said.

“While I believe it is important for the SGA to lead the effort to clarify our objectives and procedures related to the current SOS structure, I also believe it is important to understand the various options available to us in light of the growing demand for SOS. As such, I have asked the [Campus and Student Life Standing Committee] to research best practices from across the country and to submit a report by the end of this semester.”

Hailey Grace Allen and Elisabeth Garcia contributed to this report.

“The idea behind our office is to offer programs and resources that provide the tools for students to build the foundation of their Capstone experience.”

— Litsa Orben, First Year Experience coordinator resources to implement projects and programs that benefit the freshman class.”

The FYC will be an active participator in many SGA meetings, projects and decisions.

“Beginning in October, FYC will meet every Monday night as a legislative body,”

Lavender said.

Applications are available online at sga.ua.edu and can be turned in to the SGA office, Room 231 in the Ferguson Center.

Another opportunity for freshmen who are beginning their first semester at UA is a new program from the Division of Student Affairs called First Year Experience.

“The idea behind our office is to offer programs and resources that provide the tools for students to build the foundation of their Capstone experience,” said Litsa Orben, First Year Experience coordinator.

The FYE has two main focuses: inside the classroom and outside the classroom.

The opportunities to advance the experience inside the classroom include Freshman Learning Communities, Living-Learning Communities, Compass Courses and Freshman Seminars.

“Freshman Seminars at The University of Alabama seek to engage first-year students in meaningful relationships with their peers, faculty, and/or the campus community,” according to a statement on the Freshmen Seminars’ website.

For more information about the First Year Experience and the events involved, visit www. fye.ua.edu.

Also, visit the FYE Facebook page and follow them on Twitter @FYEatUA.

Group leaders voice frustration with block seating

By Melissa Brown Staff Reporter mbrown104@crimson.ua.edu SGA senators and student organization heads gathered Wednesday night to discuss their opinions, experiences and grievances with block seating and the application process.

The Student Organization Seating Opinion Forum was organized and monitored by the SOURCE. Michael Forst, Director of Outreach for the SOURCE, said an email was sent to all updated student groups as an open invitation.

“As an advocate for all student groups, the SOURCE is committed to ensuring [their] voices are heard and valued throughout the Student Organizational Seating process,” Forst said.

Robert Herron, President of UA’s Exercise Physiology Club, started the discussion.

According to Herron, they worked hard to get their block seating application turned in on time – and never received an answer.

“The process was a little last minute. We turned in our application — never heard anything back. We found out we didn’t get it via The Crimson White,” Herron said. “We finally got a response saying that our appli-

cation wasn’t even reviewed because a signature was missing somewhere.”

An SGA official later called Herron at 10 p.m. the Friday before kickoff and informed him the club would have seating after all. Herron says when he arrived at the game, the club had eight seats allotted in the upper deck.

“We may have missed something [on the application], but we probably will never know.

We’ve asked for a copy to look it over but haven’t received it,” Herron said.

Sarah Hughes, President of the Honors College Assembly, also ran into a problem with signatures on her SOS application. Needing GPA information on their members for the application, the HCA sent out a survey for members to fill out.

“We were told by one of the committee members that the time stamp on their surveys could be used as a legitimate signature,” Hughes said. “We sent it out to 600 students, including incoming freshmen.

On Thursday afternoon, we got a call that digital signatures wouldn’t be accepted.”

Hughes was told two days before the first home game that

HCA would have to obtain written signatures from all members or they would lose their block seating.

“We scrambled to do that Thursday night and all day Friday. I sent out an e-mail to everyone saying we won’t get seating if you don’t come sign,” Hughes said.

HCA was able to obtain enough signatures and was eventually allotted 280 seats, which Hughes said she was pleased with and believes an organization the size of HCA deserves.

However, she believes they would not have been able to get the amount of signatures they needed without HCA’s specific infrastructure and that SGA should have accepted the initial digital signatures.

“I understand that if we didn’t have the infrastructure in place to contact our members, it could have been a disaster,” Hughes said. “By Alabama state law, digital signatures are accepted as regular signatures.”

Both organization heads believe the application process needs to be reorganized, in addition to set rules and regulations being put in place.

“I think the application process needs to be something put together before students leave in the spring. Why not meet in April? Let us know well before the season starts, so people can make plans,” Herron said.

He was careful to note that he understands that the SOS application process is complicated, and that some people are going to come away angry, but that changes are still needed.

“You can’t make everyone happy. But some things are so easily taken care of. If I was not involved at this at all and looking at this objectively, I’d still think it was messed up,” he said. “Some of the backlash was vicious and stupid, but the perception of the issue is embarrassing. If everyone thinks it’s crooked, it’s going to always be viewed like that — unless you put the process out in the open.”

Hughes agreed.

“Rules should be given out when the application is given out – the committee should be clear on them, and the organizations should be clear on them,” she said. “There has to be something regulating this process, or else you can just make up something.”

8 Thursday, September 15, 2011

NEWS

The Crimson White

Despite resources, many students don’t ‘finish in four’

By Alyssa Locklar Senior Staff Reporter Only 38 percent of full-time students who began pursuing a bachelor’s degree at The University of Alabama in the fall of 2004 completed their degree in four years, according to the United States Department of Education Institute of Education Statistics.

Another 67 percent completed their degree in six years.

The percentages are based on completion within 150 percent of “normal time.”

At UA, students are assigned advisers to assist and guide them with organizing their schedules each semester. They are also offered course suggestion packets within their colleges and have access to a program called DegreeWorks that allows students to personalize their four-year plans according to their specific catalogue, minor, major and completed courses.

So, why is it that after four years, only 38 percent of the incoming class of 2004 was able to earn a degree? One student believes that it originates from the student work ethic and specific circumstances.

“Obviously, if you don’t study and don’t go to class, you aren’t going to pass,” said Alison Landry, a senior majoring in criminal justice and psychology. “If you don’t pass your classes, you are going to have to take them again, and at some point you are going to get behind. Of course, there are times where classes are too full, and other

circumstances can be taken into account. But no one ever said college was going to be easy.”

Landry went on to explain how the University has supplied her the necessary tools to stay on course to graduate in three and a half years.

“I love DegreeWorks,” Landry said. “It was really helpful for me to make sure that I was going to be able to graduate when I wanted to.

The only issue I ever had was that DegreeWorks doesn’t recognize certain aspects of New College and, therefore, said I am not ready to graduate, even though I am.”

Mike Duffy, a senior majoring in business, said he transferred to UA with 40 credit hours. And even though he had completed those hours, they would be almost useless in pursuing his degree at UA. “Almost all of those hours only counted as elective hours, so I pretty much had to start college over after transferring,” he said. “I have had to take 12-15 hours each semester, which is a big change from my previous college, which only required nine-12 hours.”

Duffy explained that although starting from scratch was a setback, he was provided with plenty of help to keep his next four years in order.

“I’m in the business school,” Duffy said. “My regular adviser has been great each semester at designing my schedule and recommending classes. There have been several instances in which he added me to a

class that was already full so I wouldn’t fall behind. Overall, my experience with the advisers in the business school has been excellent.”

Some colleges within the University, such as the College of Education, go so far as to reserve seats in classes for upperclassmen so they do not have to worry about not getting into the classes they need to stay on schedule.

“In my three years, I have really experienced a great relationship with the faculty,” said Tori Klamberg, a senior majoring in elementary education. “Teachers and advisers are very helpful. They really try to help you graduate in four years. However, once you are a sophomore in the college, they block off your classes so you take them by section. Each person has a place reserved, so you never have to worry about getting in.”

Even with all of the positive reinforcements provided by UA, as well as many other colleges across the country, one study still finds that graduation rates nationwide are not always steady.

According to a project of the American Enterprise Institute in June 2009, Diplomas and Dropouts, there is a dramatic range of graduation rates in the higher education system throughout the United States.

The study reports on over 1,300 various schools and their fulltime six-year graduation rate, also know as a SRK graduation rate.

The study explains that

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Obviously, if you don’t study and don’t go to class, you aren’t going to pass.

— Alison Landry overall, fewer than 60 percent of students who attend and graduate from four-year colleges do so within six years. Specifically, they report that The University of Alabama had a 65 percent SRK graduation rate, while the state average was a 42.9 percent.

Looking around the Southeastern Conference, the study reported University of Arkansas with a 58 percent SRK graduation rate, University of Florida with an 81 percent SRK graduation rate, University of Georgia with a 77 percent SRK graduation rate and Louisiana

State University with a 60 percent SRK graduation rate.

Although the study reports on the various SRK graduation rates, they do not make any suggestions as to whether the rates are good or bad. This is because they cannot speak to how difficult it is to obtain a diploma at each institution based on difficulty or demand. However, the report does make an argument against low graduation rates.

“In general, however, we would argue that low graduation rates are an important indicator that a given school may not be serving the needs

of its degree-seeking students,” said the study. “When schools that admit similar students have vastly different graduations rates, consumers should wonder what this implies about institutional practices and quality.”

“When compared to their high-performing peer institutions, it is difficult to argue that the schools in the bottom end of the graduation rate distribution are doing enough to help their students successfully complete a degree.”

The study says that students still have responsibilities and should be held accountable for their schoolwork and completing their degree. They also take into account that some students cannot complete their degree for financial as well as personal circumstances.

Judge to talk U.S. Constitution

By Ashanka Kumari and Nick Jamroz The Crimson White In honor of Constitution Day, Federal District Court Judge Lynn Hughes will give a lecture on the Constitution and the role it has played on our nation Friday at 3 p.m. in the Ferguson Center Theater. “[Students can expect to hear] another perspective on the Constitution from a judge who works with the Constitution every day as part of his job, has thought a lot about the Constitution and has advised other countries on their constitutions,” said Joseph Smith, associate professor of political science.

The lecture, “Our Unfinished Revolution” is sponsored by the University’s department of political science. Hughes will answer questions after the lecture.

President Ronald Reagan appointed Hughes to the federal branch in Houston in 1985.

Before this, he served as a trial

judge in Texas for six years and was also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and director of the World Affairs Council of Houston.

Constitution Day commemorates the signing of our Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787 and recognizes the accomplishments of the men who wrote the document while reminding Americans to reflect on their liberty.

As another part of Constitution Day, the Bill of Rights Institute is partnering with the National Constitution Center to provide resources for Constitution Day, the National Constitution Center’s website stated.

Students can tune in to “Constitution Hall Pass,” a free webcast which will allow teachers and students to learn more about this historic day while chatting live with the National Constitution Center’s education staff.

This year’s episode, “Constitution Hall Pass: Freedom of Expression” will bring the

IF YOU GO ...

• What: “Our Unfinished Revolution” lecture by Federal District Court Judge Lynn Hughes • Where: Ferguson Center Theater

• When: Friday at 3 p.m.

story of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights to life and will celebrate artists, writers and musicians throughout history who have implemented their right to free expression, according to the website.

The episode will be available on the Center’s website on Friday with a live chat from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST. For more information on Constitution Day, visit the Bill of Rights Institute website at www. billofrightsinstitute.org or the National Constitution Center at www.constitutioncenter.org.

9 Thursday, September 15, 2011

The Crimson White

The Crimson White

10

SPORTS

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Happy Valley lives up to its name for Tide fans

By Tony Tsoukalas Sports Editor Perhaps the name Happy Valley should have given it away.

After all, I wasn’t traveling to Death Valley or The Swamp.

From the students on campus to historic Old Main and Beaver Stadium, State College, Penn., is filled with one thing: class.

The Penn State campus has to be one of the prettiest in the nation, with a mixture of old and modern buildings. Being away from a big city, you still get that college town feel, and Penn State pride radiates throughout the town. Surrounding the campus are the lush beautiful hills of Mt. Nittany. Students cannot ask for a more beautiful setting as they maneuver their way around campus. Sitting in the press box of Beaver Stadium, you are just as amazed by the raucous student section as you are the picturesque backdrop that engulfs the stadium.

Of course, my trip was centered around football, so the highlight of my Penn State experience was at legendary Beaver Stadium where the Nittany Lions play. Beaver Stadium is actually bigger than BryantDenny, however, you really can’t

CW | John Michael Simpson Students from the Penn State vs. Alabama football game watch on as the two teams play. Penn State fans showed their support for their team by organizing a “Whiteout” in the stands. tell the difference between the 7,000 or so extra seats at Penn State. What you can notice is the age of the old stadium. However, this only adds character to the

viewing experience.

Upon entering the press box, I noticed how old the stadium was. Penn State’s student section is notoriously loud, and

when the Lions stopped the Crimson Tide on its first possession, the box literally shook.

At that moment I could only imagine how it sounded to AJ

McCarron and the rest of the Tide offense.

The game atmosphere was simply electric. I knew seeing a Penn State white-out was going to be a special experience, but actually seeing the crowd decked out in all white with white shakers waved all in unison was the coolest football experience I have ever witnessed. The atmosphere stayed electric most of the game, despite Alabama gaining control early. To sum it up, saying that football passion is only southern is a lie.

Penn State fans’ passion can only be matched by the class that they showed Alabama fans.

After the game, I walked around campus in an Alabama shirt and not once was I harassed by a fan. Penn State fans know football, and they knew enough to respect the game that was played that day. The only thing heard from Penn State fans were congratulations and how much they appreciated the opportunity to see two traditional powerhouses go up against each other.

In fact, the only person to give me a hard time was Penn State backup quarterback Paul Jones.

Late that night at a McDonald’s, Jones informed me that I do nothing for the team and

therefore meant nothing to my university. The former prized recruit and I share that in common, due to the fact that since enrolling into Penn State, he has been kept off the team due to academic ineligibility. Perhaps on top of focusing on his studies, Jones should also take note of the class exuded by his fellow classmates.

I would be remiss if I forgot to mention how well I ate at Penn State. The food there was absolutely the best. I started off with a sandwich at Are You Hungry, a late night sandwich shop that puts nearly anything you can imagine on a sandwich.

Then I had some of the best ice cream of my life at the Berkey Creamery where I tried the historic Paterno Peach flavored ice cream. I even got a chance to visit The Diner and get my hands on a famous grilled sticky.

I wouldn’t be surprised if by the end of my trip I came back a good five pounds heavier.

Writing this column, I realize how much I am going to miss Penn State. It was an experience I will never forget and one that I hope to be able to do again.

To our host Joe McIntyre and the rest of my new Penn State friends: We are… Penn State!

SOCCER

Defense brings Tide win against UAB

By Miranda Murphy Sports reporter mjmurphy2@crimson.ua.edu The Alabama women’s soccer team will finish their non-conference games this Sunday against Morehead State University.

Morehead State University currently has the same record as the Tide, 4-2-1. The team has been the Ohio Valley Conference Champions for the past three years.

“They’re a good team from a solid conference,” Willis said. “We are just trying to stay with our game and our course. We just want to finish non-conference games with a win.”

Head coach Todd Bramble said the Tide is resting and focusing on getting better in their time off before Sunday’s game.

“This is a week with such a long break in between games that we’re trying to get a lot of

work in. It’s our last big push that we can make before conference play,” Bramble said.

Willis said she thinks the break will have a positive outcome on the way the team will play Sunday.

“I think the break is a good thing in the long run,” Willis said. “We kind of get beat up in the preseason and all the non-conference games. Once you get into the season, it’s quick and nonstop. It’s nice to get in a break before it heats

up.”

Bramble said while the team is going to be prepared for Morehead State University, they will not discuss their opponent much.

“We learned a lesson in San Diego,” Bramble said. “We overemphasized how good San Diego was, and it took us out of our game.”

Defense proved to be a strong area for the Tide in their last victory, when the team defeated the UAB

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the way through.”

The team recorded their third shutout of the season Friday, moving the team’s record to 4-2-1.

“We’re really hard to score on,” Bramble said. “We’re going to have to find creative ways to get goals, but defensively, we are a really solid team.”

The Tide will play Morehead State University on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Alabama Soccer Stadium.

Blazers 1-0.

“It was a good, solid win after a hard weekend in San Diego,” junior Ashley Willis said. “It was nice to get back here and get a win in.”

Willis scored her first career goal in the second half, after a rebound from junior Kaitlyn Smith.

“We had talked about trying to capitalize on rebounds coming off the goalkeeper and the goalpost,” Bramble said.

“Ashley continued her run all

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SPORTS

Thursday, September 15, 2011

MEN’S GOLF

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

Team driving for improvement Hamrick sees potential in team’s young talent, chemistry

By O. P. Galt IV Sports Reporter @OPGaltIV The Alabama men’s golf team tees off this week in the Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational at the Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Ill. After success last week in the Carpet Capital Collegiate, which saw Alabama freshman golfer Justin Thomas win in his collegiate debut, the Crimson Tide gets set for another challenging weekend on the par-70 Olympia Fields course that will play 7,205 yards long.

Senior golfer and team captain Hunter Hamrick noted that, even though the team lost golfers to graduation and turning professional, he thinks the chemistry of this year’s team is “coming along really well.”

“We’ve got two freshmen in, and they are both really good players and great guys to have on the team,” Hamrick said, referencing freshmen Justin Thomas and Tom Lovelady.

“I’ve been real impressed with both of them. I’ve played a lot with Justin over the past couple of years in amateur golf, playing practice rounds and tournaments with him.

So, I knew what to expect of him, and I knew he was going to step in and have no problem competing at this level, and that’s what I think you’ll see

and I expect to see. He’s a toplevel amateur, a really good player,” Hamrick said.

Hamrick also noted how he has been impressed with the play of Lovelady, who shot 71-71 to open the tournament at 2-under but shot a 76 on the final day of play this past weekend in his collegiate debut.

“He’s impressed me,” Hamrick said. “I played with him the other day in qualifying, and Justin finished one in the qualifier, and Tom finished two. So, they beat all of us.

They are both great players, and I think you’ll see a lot out of them all year.”

Since head coach Jay Seawell took over the program, the Tide has consistently been in the rankings, spending much of the time at or near the top.

“I think we have handled it fine and great throughout the regular season,” Hamrick said. “We’ve won tournaments every year I’ve been here. But we really haven’t done anything in the postseason. We’ve got a regional win, but that’s more of a qualifier for the big thing. I guess as far as handling things in the postseason, we haven’t done as well as we need to do. Hopefully, we can change that up, whether it’s through our mental outlook — I think we got to go into it that way, because I know we have the physical skills. We show that throughout the year,

Senior Hunter Hamrick follows through a shot during last season.

Hamrick and the Tide will compete in the Olympia Fields/ Fighting Illini Invitational in Olympia Fields, Ill. UA Athletics

every year. So, I guess we will learn from experience from the past few years, and hopefully we can take that into the postseason.”

As team captain, Hamrick doesn’t shy away from the goals the team has set for this year.

“We’ve always been up there as one of the best teams in the nation, and we’re just trying to get a national championship,” Hamrick said. “I think that’s our goal every year, an SEC Championship and a National Championship.

That’s what we set the bar at.”

Tide looks to build on success After successful start to season in Georgia, Tide looks ahead

By Tyler Hanes Contributing Writer The Alabama women’s cross country team is traveling to Nashville, Tenn., this Saturday to compete in the Commodore Classic.

The 5-kilometer race is hosted by the Vanderbilt Commodores and will be held at Percy Warner Park in downtown Nashville. The Crimson Tide will compete in this event and two more before the SEC championships begin in Knoxville, Tenn. on Oct. 31.

Sarah Gilmore, a senior from Grove Hill, Ala., said these next few events are important.

“They further develop our skills for the conference meets down the road,” Gilmore said.

Gilmore said that although these events are the championship events and may not seem as important to win to people outside the team, “We are still working hard

and not letting up in our training.”

The team finished second to Georgia in the Georgia Invitational on Sept. 3.

Katlyn Will was the top finisher for the Tide, finishing eighth with a time of 18:22.50.

Following Will were Andrea Torske, Kelsey Johnson, Leigh Gilmore and Sarah Gilmore, who finished 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th, respectively.

“We have done very well so far, with our second place finish at Georgia,” Gilmore said. “We have a lot of veteran leaders, with four seniors and two juniors.”

The team also has several underclassmen who hope to make an impact this year.

With this mixture of veterans and underclassmen, this year’s women’s cross country team looks ready to take on the challenges of the difficult season and seems poised to take a top spot in the SEC.

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

Tide readies for Commodore Classic Senior Andrew Kirwa runs in a meet last season. Kirwa will look to lead the Tide in the Commodore Classic in Nashville, Tenn.

By Chad Troyan Contributing Writer The Alabama men’s cross country team has been training hard since placing third at last week’s Georgia Invitational.

The men will travel to Nashville, Tenn., to compete in the Commodore Classic this Saturday. Just like the Georgia Invitational, the Crimson Tide will run eight kilometers and will continue to run this distance all the way through regionals.

Unlike other sports where having a strong start is important, cross country tends to focus more on strong finishes.

While performing well in early meets always helps, assistant coach Adam Tribble has most of his focus on a strong finish.

“Right now, we’re racing with tired legs,” Tribble said. “We’re just training now. We want to have our best performances toward the end when it’s closer to the postseason.”

When it comes to training and getting the runners ready to compete in races, Tribble assured that it is a lot more than just a jog through the park.

“There is more involved than just running,” Tribble said.

“Along with weights, we have a lot of drills we run. We also try to vary how much we run and how hard we run it.”

In terms of how big of a meet this will be, Tribble categorized it as “low-key,” as there will be no ranked teams at the meet. Alabama will be joined by schools such as Vanderbilt, Alabama A&M, Chattanooga and Lipscomb, none of which are ranked in the NCAA’s top 30 rankings. With this meet not hosting any top 30 teams, this could be a meet that allows the Tide to improve upon their already solid third place finish at their last meet.

Senior Nathan Corder, who

UA Athletics finished 50th at the Georgia Invitational, believes that in order to place better at the meet, they will have to have a better, closer pack time than they did at their last meet.

“Our pack time was more spread out at the last meet,” Corder said. “We want to get them closer together in order to prevent other schools from slipping in.”

Alabama’s men’s runners placed first, 12th, 21st, 37th, 40th, 42nd, 50th and 99th at the Georgia Invitational, illustrating the wide range of difference in their placing and how important it is to finish closer together.

Corder explained that even after weeks of tiring training, he still is able to push through the pain in his legs and focus on the race at hand.

“We have a whole different set of gear just for meets,” Corder said. “So, when we put our special gear on, we represent our school, and we make sure we drop any ‘weight,’ including whatever thoughts are running through our minds.”

In the end, no matter what meet it is, the goal remains the same to Corder and the rest of the team.

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12 Thursday, September 15, 2011

SPORTS

The Crimson White

FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK

Bama prepares to face Mean Green rushing attack

By Brett Hudson Senior Sports reporter bvhudson@crimson.ua.edu Alabama head football coach Nick Saban led a physical practice yesterday as the Crimson Tide prepares for a match-up against North Texas, the last non-conference game before Alabama opens up the conference schedule against Arkansas.

Although North Texas may not have as much talent as other teams Alabama will face this season, the coaching staff hasn’t let up in practice.

“As coaches, we never are satisfied with what we get out of our players,” Saban said. “It’s been a little hot, and it’s been hard to push them through the past few days, but we’re trying to get it right.”

Saban praises Depriest, Sunseri

True freshmen Trey Depriest and Vinnie Sunseri have made an impact for the Tide this season but not in the role they grew accustomed to last season in high school. Both have seen significant time in the special teams units.

This immediate impact could be attributed to the fact that both players graduated from high school early and enrolled in January, which gave each of them an entire semester in the football program before the rest of their recruiting class came to campus in the summer.

“I think it’s beneficial to guys to be here and go to school for a semester and get acclimated to it a little bit,” Saban said. “Going through the offseason programs gives them a lot more opportunity to learn.

There’s less adjustments to make in the fall and summer.”

Saban realizes the strain that it puts on some players.

“I’m not one to advocate for that or to try to talk kids into

“[T]hey have a different kind of offense, and it’s going to be a challenge for us to stop what he does.

We have to prepare for this team the same way we prepare for every team.”

—Nick Saban coming to school in January,” Saban said. “I think it’s up to every individual. If you want to finish your senior year, if you want to play basketball, if you want to play baseball, if you want to go to your senior prom, you should do those things. I enjoyed doing all of those things.”

Alabama prepares for Dunbar In the upcoming North Texas game, the Tide defense will have to find a way to stop Mean Green running back Lance Dunbar.

Dunbar has been a big producer for North Texas for the past two seasons, running for more than 1,000 yards in each of them, 1,378 in 2009 and 1,553 in 2010.

Dunbar ran for 17 touchdowns in 2009 and 13 touchdowns in 2010.

Even with Dunbar’s potential, the Tide isn’t doing anything special on defense this week to stop him.

“We do the same thing we do every week,” Saban said.

“Everyone we play can run the ball. He’s really good at it, and they have a different kind of offense, and it’s going to be a challenge for us to stop what he does. We have to prepare for this team the same way we prepare for every team.”

There have been some practice adjustments, though.

“Obviously, we run more in practice, especially out of certain formations,” Saban said. “It’s a unique attack that they have, and it’s going to be difficult to defend.”

You know what they say about giant bronzed feet...

The Tideʼs offense — including offensive lineman D.J. Fluker (above) and running back Eddie Lacy (far left) — goes through drills in yesterdayʼs practice in order to be ready to stop the North Texas offense this Saturday.

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The Crimson White

13

LIFESTYLES

Thursday, September 15, 2011

COLUMN | CULTURE

Overly casual attire sends wrong message to professors, classmates

By Katherine McClellan

A Basiliasaurous skeleton replica is suspended from the ceiling of Smith Hall

CW| Mitchell O. Hughes

Museum hosts first College Night Smith Hall stays open late to offer music, food and unique exhibits

By Katrina Sharpe Contributing Writer

If you’ve ever ventured into Smith Hall, you’ve probably noticed the giant skeleton of a Basiliasaurous hanging from the ceiling. Many people think it’s the original, although it’s actually a replica. (Many people also think it belongs to a dinosaur, though it actually belongs to a whale native to Alabama.) Why a replica?

On the original skeleton, one vertebrate weighs anywhere from 50-70 lbs, and with the skeleton being almost 70 feet long, the original would bring down the ceiling in an instant.

The Alabama Museum of Natural History, located on the University of Alabama campus in Smith Hall, is hosting its first ever College Night this Monday, Sept. 19 from 6-9 p.m. to give students the opportunity to meet other students and learn about the history of the museum. The event will take place in Smith Hall and is free for all students.

There will be music, refreshments and exhibits on display.

“Our goal is to introduce or re-introduce the museum

IF YOU GO ...

• What: College Night feat. music and refreshments

• Where: Smith Hall • When: Monday from 6-9 p.m.

• Cost: Free to students, many of whom might otherwise never come to the museum throughout all their years at the University,” said Amanda Epsy-Brown, education outreach coordinator for the museum. “We want to share this with students because we feel like it is a treasure that belongs to them.”

The Alabama Museum of Natural History is one of the oldest in the nation. The museum itself has been around for more than 100 years and is actually older than the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., if you count its collec-

tions that date from the 1830s.

The museum also holds functions such as weddings, parties and receptions, and its coordinators want it to be a place where campus organizations can hold their meetings.

“It’s a great place to hang out,” Epsy-Brown said. “It’s peaceful.”

The collections came about beginning in the 1800s. The museum’s namesake, a geology professor at the University, took his students on field trips. What they found while they were out made up the very beginnings of the collections. “[The collection] is massive. ... [Smith Hall] is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to our collections,” said naturalist Todd Hester. “We literally have millions in archive.”

The rest of the special collections can be found in Mary Harmon Bryant Hall.

A meteorite, known as the Hodges Meteorite, resides in the University’s museum as well. It is famous for being the only meteorite to have struck a human being. It struck Ann Elizabeth Hodges in the 1950s here in Alabama. They cut a

sliver off to examine it, and that sliver can be found in The Smithsonian.

“We’re famous in that we have a sliver in The Smithsonian,” Hester said.

For students interested in getting involved, the geology department hires student workers to help the department.

“Our programs are unique and fun. You learn something, and you don’t know that you’re learning,” Hester said.

Other ways to get involved include expeditions, weeklong outings, volunteer work and internships. Expeditions include activities such as canoeing and kayaking, and the weeklong outings include digs and more. For additional information, visit amnh. ua.edu.

“Many of the students who attend The University of Alabama come from out of state and don’t know ‘Alabama the Beautiful,’” Hester said.

This department wants to change that and to show Alabama’s beauty.

“We want students to come through the door and enjoy,” Epsy-Brown said.

In the not-so-distant past, students wore real clothes.

Now, seafoam green, bright pink, neon orange and white are everywhere. I’m not talking about Nike Tempo shorts, but the atrocious tank tops that have become a staple in the college girl’s uniform.

I understand the desire to remain cool in this weather.

Having nothing clinging to your sides would be nice.

Especially with that sweatinducing book bag mashed up against your back. But this doesn’t excuse you from attending class fully clothed.

As college students, we utilize our right to dress comfortably often. Despite many professors’ and students’ comments about Nike Tempos, so what if they’ve become the stereotypical outfit? At least they are a fair substitute for khaki shorts — and far cooler in this weather. A bit more slovenly, but they clothe the same amount.

However, these tank tops versus regular t-shirts — there is no comparison. A t-shirt says casual, while a tank top screams, ‘I’m incapable of dressing myself.’ With armpit holes down to your elbows, you leave your entire bra and stomach exposed. Do you honestly think this is acceptable for class? Think again.

Have you ever wondered if your professor, or even some of your classmates, might be offended by your lack of clothing? I didn’t sign up to see what color undergarments my classmates chose.

Clothing communicates a message, whether we intend it to or not. T-shirts and shorts aren’t criminal, but establish-

ing a baseline of such extreme casualness is problematic.

While some might think that ditching the giant tank tops and running shorts postgraduation will be simple, our dressing habits have lowered our standards of appropriate dress in general.

This isn’t exclusive to girls.

For men, the need to iron one’s khakis or polo diminishes, and having matching dress socks becomes trivial. After all, you’ve been wearing a wrinkled t-shirt, a pair of athletic shorts or stained khakis, and a baseball hat for years, so a button-up and long pants that mirror a crinkled piece of paper seem like an enormous upgrade.

Of course, everyone has those days that merit wrinkled clothes, a baseball hat or an oversized t-shirt, but what about those students who live in these clothes? Who thinks it is odd to see a student wearing adult clothes to class? Life post-college demands real clothes, and this transition will be difficult for many.

When I walk into class and see a room full of tank-top-clad and oversized-t-shirt-wearing students, I will look around for ones who have showered.

I’ll look for the ones whose clothes show at least some indication of concern or care about their appearance. Like it or not, your outfit communicates a message. It says, ‘I don’t care what I look like.’ So wear whatever you like in the confines of your own home, at the beach or while you work out. But everyone else would prefer you shower before class and avoid those tank tops so we don’t have to stare at your fuschia polka-dotted sports bra.

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14 Thursday, July 1, 2011

SPORTS

The Crimson White

Actor portrays “Bear” Bryant in play Theatre Tuscaloosa’s play “Bear Country” highlights life of Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant

By Nathan Proctor Contributing Writer

Former Alabama football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant will come to life on stage this weekend in the form of “Bear Country,” a play that takes audiences through pivotal events of Bryant’s life, up to the end of his coaching career. Produced

by Theatre Tuscaloosa and penned by playwright Michael Vigilant, “Bear Country” will be held at Shelton State’s BeanBrown Theatre several nights each week until Oct. 2.

Vigilant wrote the play as part of the Alabama Shakespeare Festival’s Southern Writers Project. After a three-year process of research, reading about Bryant’s life and interviewing family, friends and former players, rehearsal began in 2008 for its first run.

According to Vigilant, the play’s overarching message is found in the coach’s quote, “Five to seven plays from each game make the differences, whether you win or lose.”

“I wanted to pick five to seven [moments] of Coach Bryant’s life and make them the play,” Vigilant said. “We see these pivotal moments in his life and how he developed into the person he was.”

Bryant is played by returning actor Rodney Clark, who brings us through moments such as Bryant’s first discovery of football while listening to the 1926 Rose Bowl with his uncle, as well as his playing against Tennessee on a broken leg and his decision not to leave Alabama for a job with the Miami Dolphins. Younger

versions of Bryant and those around him are played by the cast’s other three members.

Vigilant recalled his nerves on opening night of their first production in 2009 but said warm reviews and exceptional turnout both thrilled and relieved him.

“I have to admit, I’ve written a lot of plays and been at a lot of opening nights,” Vigilant said. “But I don’t think I quite understood the magnitude of what Coach Bryant means to Alabama.”

According to the playwright, every player he interviewed shared the sentiment that Coach Bryant was not just a coach, but a figure who gave them the drive and guidance to help them succeed on and off the field. “[Coach Bryant’s] probably a lot more than you think he was,” Vigilant said. “I’m always pleased to see people rising to their feet at the end of a production [of Bear Country], and I know it isn’t just for the performance, but it’s celebrating the tremendous legacy of Coach Bryant.”

Clark, a member of the company since 1995, was apprehensive at first about taking the role of Coach Bryant.

“I grew up in Alabama. I was an Alabama fan, went to school here. I watched him on TV,” Clark said. “The thought of screwing it up and having everyone in Alabama after [me] was frightening.”

However, as the script became more and more appealing and his schedule aligned, Clark accepted. Clark said he immediately began digging into

YouTube videos of the coach and figuring out just how he sounded, looked and responded to certain issues at the end of his career.

“I haven’t been to an [Alabama football] game in a long time,” Clark said. “I went to the opening game this year, and I was in tears. Seeing that video introduction [featuring Coach Bryant], it brought to my mind how important it is to represent this man properly and how much he meant to the state of Alabama.

Eventually, he captured the “mellow” and “warm” aspect of Bryant with his signature deep accent, bringing it into a theatrical form.

Not only is Clark revisiting his role as Coach Bryant, but he is also taking on the character alongside three new cast members. Clark said that, while balancing being an actor and a director can be tricky, and new actors make the production very new, the play’s central direction remains the same. “[Bear Country’s] really in great praise of an iconic figure who has been loved in this area for so long,” Clark said. “It’s a good way to learn a lot of things about [Coach Bryant], about his personality, and something about his person.”

The next performance of Bear Country will take place tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Bean-Brown Theatre. The run will continue until its final performance on Oct. 2 at 2 p.m. For more show times and ticket information, visit theatretusc.com.

Submitted Photos Rodney Clark, Alabama Alumnus, plays Paul “Bear” Bryant in “Bear Country.”

COLUMN | HEALTH

College students must focus on getting a good night’s sleep demonstrates the importance of sleep in memorization. Those in the study who received a sufficient quantity of sleep possessed the ability to recall information more readily than those who did not, especially texts exemplifying emotion.

Another saying when it comes to making a decision, “Go sleep on it,” has some truth to it as well. Decisionmaking seems more effective when done on a good night’s rest, as was concluded in a REM Sleep and Learning study led by Dr. Robert Stickgold at Harvard Medical School. What if you don’t get enough sleep one night? Simply take a nap.

In a napping study, a 20-minute nap proved to serve as a reboot button for the brain, increasing work and mental efficiency.

Sleep deprivation is associated with obesity.

I don’t know about you, but when I stay up late, I become tempted by the sugary and

chance of having a stroke. The hormones generated after a few sleepless nights can result in high cholesterol and blood pressure.

Aggression results from diminutive amounts of snooze.

Everyone has been there at some point, where you don’t get enough sleep and you can’t help but snap at anyone who crosses your path. A lack of sleep can leave even the nicest of people agitated and moody.

Careful who you mess with; you never know if they acquired the necessary amount of sleep the night before.

Indeed, finding time for repose when there’s a long to-do list running through your head is difficult, but keep in mind the significance of what a good night’s sleep can do for you. Do yourself a favor before that huge exam, before your next big decision or at least for all the innocent people you may encounter that day: go get at least eight hours of z’s.

fattening sirens of my candy drawer, beckoning for me at two in the morning to raid it and enlarge my derriere (yes, I have a special drawer in my house designated for all things sweet and holy – no judgment ,please and thank you).

The behavior previously described, in which I partake regularly, can lead to a consistent weight gain. By squandering time better spent sleeping, the body is not given the opportunity to recuperate and recover from the day’s activities.

Depriving oneself of sleep can also lead to the development of diabetes, the disease which is, in some cases, correlated to obesity.

Little sleep increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.

According to a study published in the European Heart Journal, those of us who partake in six or fewer hours of sleep regularly are 48 percent more likely to develop heart disease with a 15 percent

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A study on REM (rapid eye movement) sleep at the University of Bamberg

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As college students, we are all too familiar with running off only a few treasured hours of sleep. With a busy fall semester ahead, sleep seems more like a joke than a reality. No one has time for the recommended seven to nine hours of siesta. There are more important things to accomplish, such as studying or, in my case, procrastinating.

Naps will suffice after classes, but they pale in comparison to a full eight to 10 consecutive hours of sleep. Whether a lack of sleep is due to studying, sleeping disorders, random activities to delay the inevitable chore called studying, or (my personal favorite) a night

of good old-fashioned rendezvousing on The Strip, college students are the most prevalent group of people who suffer from sleep deprivation.

What many of us don’t realize is the importance of sleep and the effects of obtaining fewer than seven hours of it. Yes, we all look like zombies straight out of “Dawn of the Dead” walking across the Quad on our way to class in the mornings, clutching our Starbucks coffees for dear life, but is it really normal, or even healthy for that matter, to run on little sleep?

Lack of adequate rest can inhibit brain productivity.

College students, having to learn and all, need that doctorrecommended seven to nine

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TO ORDER VISIT: tuscaloosastormbook.com Or visit The Tuscaloosa News office during regular business hours 315 28TH AVENUE |

DOWNTOWN TUSCALOOSA

15

The Crimson White

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Notices HONOR STUDENTS Phi Sigma Theta National Honor Society is seeking motivated students to establish a campus chapter. Contact: Director@PhiSigmaTheta.org NCAALEAKS Know Something We Should? ncaaleaks.com PRIVATE PILOT LESSONS Earn your private pilot certi¿cate at the Tuscaloosa Airport. 205-2722231 or email crimsonaviation@gmail.com

CAMPUS 3-4 Bedroom Houses for Rent. $800 per month. Fall 2011. Walking Distance.

Please call 752-1277.

Lease & deposit required. No pets.

Apartment For Rent CAMPUS- Behind the University Strip. Small Ef¿ciency Apartments. $300-350/ mo. Utilities included. Lease and deposit required. No pets.

Call 752-1277.

WILLOW WYCK 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath, perfect for roommates, ¿ve minutes from Campus.

Move-In Special. Preleasing Available. 3919690 UNIQUE DOWNTOWN LOFT 3BR2BA $1650/ mo. hardwood Àoors, brick walls, skylight, roof deck 2BR1BA Downtown Northport. Huge Deck! $1000/ mo. 7529020/657-3900 CAMPUS 3 BLOCKS away 1 bedroom apartments, Hackberry Place. $400-$425. Water and garbage included. Lease and deposit required. No pets. Call 752-1277

Visit us online at cw.ua.edu

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House For Rent

Follow us on For Sale facebook.com/ TheCrimsonWhite

HORSES FOR SALE or lease. TWH and App. Call 393-5663.

Buy or sell your bike using The Crimson White

Help Wanted !BARTENDING! $300/ day potential, no experience necessary. Training courses available.

(800)965-6520 Ext214.

ALL BLOOD TYPES NEEDED Southern Blood Services, Inc. 205-759-4007 COME WORK WITH us at the hip and relaxing Opus Restaurant. Hostess needed Thursday ñ Saturday evenings. $10 per hour. Email resume to theopusrestaurant@ gmail.com EARN $1000-$3200 A month to drive our brand new cars with ads. www.

FreeCarJobs.com GUYS! MAKE $1500 IN ONE DAY Top Male Adult Website is casting athletic males 18-28 now for video work. Email newmodel@tntmodelscouts.com NEWK’S EXPRESS CAFE 205 University Blvd. Now taking applications for cashiers.

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Today’s Birthday (09/15/11). Spend less than you earn this year to keep a steady forward progress. Financial growth looks likely, and it may take discipline. Look before you leap, and research major decisions. Change brings excitement. New love enters the stage.

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19) -- Today is a 9 -- Venus enters Libra for the next 225 days. In general, love, beauty and art will flower. Simple appreciation of quality satisfies.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is an 8 -- The finer things in life call to you, but you should resist spending impulsively. Create a plan to attain your desire permanently. You’ve got the power.

Gemini (May 21-June 21) -- Today is a 7 -- You may want to talk about beauty and romance, but consider your words carefully. Be respectful as you stand up for a passionate cause. Make a strategic plan.

Cancer (June 22-July 22) -- Today is a 7 -- Words of justice stir you to action.

Some chaos at work and on the roads makes staying close to home a good idea. Share a meal with someone interesting.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is a 7 -There’s a test or a challenge ahead. Try doing something you’ve never done before, if the answer’s not obvious.

Don’t try to pay everyone’s way. They want to contribute.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is a 7 -Find a way to make your personal anxieties productive. Use nervous energy to get the dishes washed. There’s always something to learn. Express yourself Mankl]Zr through art or science.

L^im^f[^k *.ma Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- You may want to win every argument today, but choose your battles well and save energy for those worth fighting.

Mh ieZ\^ rhnk Z]3 It’s a balancing act, especially where love is concerned. ,-1&0,..

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Today is an \p\eZllf`k 8 -- You can’t be in two places at the same time, no matter how hard you try.

9`fZbe'\hf The closest approximation is to teach someone the job you love less, and hand it over to them.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is ppp'\p'nZ'^]n a 7 -- You’re very attractive now (in spite of yourself ). Focus on a passion. You appreciate loveliness. Write some poetry, Lmn]^gm kZm^3 especially if you don’t know how. ',.(i^k phk]( Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is a 9 -- Use creative energy to make your i^k ]Zr home work for you. Small changes in !Fbg' */ phk]l% - kngl" decoration go a long way for your selfesteem. A new low-energy light bulb saves money, which adds up quickly.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is an *The Crimson 8 -- Focus on fine-tuning your place for White places the next couple of days. Make sure your these ads in nest is in order and that you’re comgood faith. fortable with where everything is. This We are not provides peace. responsible for Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is fraudulent an 8 -- Get in communication with the advertising.* people that need to hear from you (you know who they are). They’ll be glad, and you benefit from the conversation.

It lightens your spirit.

Visit:

www.cw.ua.edu Student Graphic Artist - 0805999.

Assistant needed to provide copyediting, graphic layout and design support for Administrative Services. Applicants must have working knowledge of InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, CS4, and other Macintosh desktop publishing software. Must have basic layout, design and copyediting skills. Job close date: 9/16/2011.

SLIS IT Support Student Assistant – 0806010. Assistant needed for IT support for the School of Library and Information Studies.

Applicants must have experience with various content management systems and be proficient with modern web languages (Dreamweaver, PHP, CSS, etc) and computer hardware/software installation, configuration and troubleshooting. Job close date: 9/23/2011. eTech Web Development Student Assistant - 0806017. Assistant needed for development and production of Web applications for Office of eTech. Applicants must be proficient with PHP and MySQL web platforms, and fluent in modern web languages, including HTML, CSS, Javascript, etc. Applicants must have 2.25 cumulative GPA or higher to be considered. Job close date: 9/ 23/2011.

For more details and to apply to these and other student assistant job opportunities, go to http://jobs. ua.edu/, then click ‘Student Assistant’.

Scene

What are you watching this fall?

NBC RETURNING SHOWS

the

Tuesday, Sept. 20, 9 p.m. - Parenthood Wendesday, Sept. 21, 8 p.m. - Harry’s Law Thursday, Sept. 22, 8 p.m. - The Office

FOX RETURNING SHOWS Tuesday, Sept. 20, 7 p.m. - Glee Thursday, Sept. 15, 7 p.m. - Bones Friday, Sept. 22, 8 p.m. - Fringe Sunday, Sept. 25, 8 p.m. - Family Guy

ABC RETURING SHOWS Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 19-20, 7 p.m. - Dancing With the Stars Tuesday, Sept. 20, 9 p.m. - Body of Proof Wednesday, Sept. 21, 8 p.m. - Modern Family Sunday, Sept. 25, 8 p.m. - Desperate Housewives (The Final Season)

LIFESTYLES Page 16• Thursday, September 15, 2011 Editor • Stephanie Brumfield lifestyles@cw.ua.edu

LIFESTYLES this weekend

CBS RETURNING SHOWS Monday, Sept. 19, 8 p.m. - Two and a Half Men Tuesday, Sept. 20, 7 p.m. - NCIS Wednesday, Sept. 21, 8 p.m. - Criminal Minds Thursday, Sept. 22, 7 p.m. - The Big Bang Theory

Series Premieres

THURSDAY • Homegrown Alabama Farmers Market: Canterbury Episcopal Chapel, 3 p.m.

•Bear Country presented by Theatre Tuscaloosa: BeanBrown Theatre, 7:30 p.m.

•Giants and Toys: Green Bar

FRIDAY • The Grenadines, The Cancers, Street Violence: Green Bar •Bear Country presented by Theatre Tuscaloosa: BeanBrown Theatre, 7:30 p.m.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 20, 8 P.M. - NEW GIRL SERIES PREMIERE

MONDAY, SEPT. 19, 8:30 P.M. - 2 BROKE GIRLS

Starring: Zooey Deschanel, Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield, Lamore Morris and Hannah Simone

Starring: Beth Behrs, Kat Dennings, Jonathan Kite, Garrett Morris and Mathew Moy

Plot: In this new comedy series, Jess Day (Zooey Deschanel) moves into a new apartment with three single guys after going through a bad break-up.

Plot: Carolina, a privileged girl suddenly forced to work for a living, and Max, who has been working for a living her whole life, devise a plan to turn Carolina’s cupcake making talent into a business, they just have to wait enough tables to raise the money first.

WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY, SEPT. 21 AND 22, 7 P.M. - THE X FACTOR Starring: Judges L.A. Reid, Nicole Scherzinger, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell Plot: Originally a reality program at the top spot for U.K. television programming, the X Factor has now made its way to the States. Former American Idol judges Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul join forces with Nicole Scherziner and Antonio “L.A.” Reid to critique contestants who compete in front of live audiences for a $5 million recording contract with Sony Music.

Starring: Poppy Montgomery, Dylan Walsh, Michael Gaston, Kevin Rankin and Daya Vaidya Plot: Former police detective Carrie has a rare condition that allows her to remember every detail of every day except the day her sister was murdered. When she starts working on the homocide, unit she uses it as an opportunity to solve the mystery of her sister’s death and the one day she can’t remember.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 29, 7:30 P.M. - HOW TO BE A GENTLEMAN Starring: David Hornsby, Kevin Dillon, Dave Foley, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Rhys Darby and Nancy Lenehan

SATURDAY

Plot: Andrew, a refined etiquette columnist, is forced to hire an unrefined personal trainer, Bert, as a sort of life coach in order to help him become more like a “real man.”

• Steamboat Bill: Green Bar •Bear Country presented by Theatre Tuscaloosa: BeanBrown Theatre, 7:30 p.m.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 20, 9 P.M - UNFORGETTABLE

FRIDAY, SEPT. 23, 7 P.M. - A GIFTED MAN Starring: Patrick Wilson, Jennifer Ehle, Margo Martindale and Pablo Schreiber

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 21, 9 P.M. - REVENGE Starring: Emily VanCamp, Madeleine Stowe, Henry Czerny, Josh Bowman, Christa Allen, Gabriel Mann, Nick Wechler, Connor Paolo and Ashley Madekwe

Plot: Michael, a materialistic but exceptional doctor, has his life turned upside down when he starts to see the ghost of his idealistic, saintlike ex-wife.

Plot: Emily is back in her hometown of the Hamptons but no one from her past seems to remember her. Her plan for moving back is to avenge the murder of her father’s death and make everyone involved pay.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 22, 7 P.M. - CHARLIE’S ANGELS Starring: Annie Ilonzeh, Minka Kelly, Rachael Taylor and Ramon Rodriguez Plot: ABC’s take on the 1970s hit television series has three new angels, Kate Prince, Eve and Abby Sampson, helping Charlie fight crime. Kate and Abby have been a team for years but they’ll have to trust Eve to also have their back.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 25, 9 P.M. - PAN AM Starring: Christina Ricci, Michael Mosley, Mike Vogel, Margor Robbie, Katrine Vanasse and Kelli Garner Plot: In the 1963 world of Pan Am, the pilots and the stewardesses are seen as living a glamour but sometimes juggling their personal life with their professional can get a little bit complicated when they are always supposed to be the picture of luxury and class.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 28, 7:30 P.M. - SUBURGATORY Starring: Jeremy Sisto and Jane Levy Plot: Single-father George decides to move his daughter and himself from New York City into the suburbs after finding condoms on her nightstand. Now Tessa has to find a way to adjust to neighborhood-life after spending her life in the big city.

MONDAY, SEPT. 19, 7 P.M. - THE PLAYBOY CLUB

Starring: Chad Hodge, Brian Grazer, Francie Calfo, Jason Burns, Dick Rosenzweig and Ian Biederman

Plot: Set in Chicago in the 1960s, this new drama examines the Playboy Club and its effect on American culture. Nick Dalton, an attorney with ties to the mob, rescues the newest Playboy bunny Maureen after she accidentally kills a member of the Bianchi family.

WEDNESDAYS, 7 P.M. - UP ALL NIGHT Starring: Christina Appelgate, Maya Rudolph, Will Arnett, Nick Cannon Plot: Created by the producers of “Saturday Night Life” and “30 Rock,” Christina Appelgate stars as Reagan Brinkley, a working professional and new mom with a stay-at-home husband.