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SPORTS Men’s, women’s swimming take on Auburn

goes to the movies

Thursday, November 12, 2009

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Serving the University of Alabama since 1894

Vol. 116, Issue 57

Panel Vets honored with reception talks vets By Sean Abdoli Senior Staff Reporter

Experts raise awareness about homeless veterans By Jessica Williams Staff Writer According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, there are an estimated 131,000 homeless veterans, and approximately twice that number experience homelessness over the course of a year. One out of every three homeless people in the U.S. today has worn a uniform to serve this country. In an effort to raise awareness about this issue, the School of Social Work sponsored a panel of expert speakers at the Ferguson Center Theatre Wednesday night. The presenters included James Hall, Scott Martin and David Gray, and the panel focused on the reasons veterans are homeless, the services and resources they need and ways to join the cause and get involved with ending veteran homelessness. Gray, director of the homeless program at the Tuscaloosa Veteran Affairs Medical Center, discussed the innovative programs the VA offers locally. Along with

See FORUM, page 2

CW | Jerrod Seaton Lt. Col. Jim Shaver, professor of military science, and Miriam Fry, College of Arts and Sciences SGA Senator, were among those in attendance at the SGAʼs veteran appreciation reception Wednesday.

As Veterans Day wound down, UA students came together to show their support for the many veterans at the University. On Wednesday night, veterans were honored with a reception in Alston Hall. The reception recognized students, staff and faculty members who have served in the military. The reception was organized by SGA Sen. Miriam Fry and the Campus Veterans Association and marks the end of the three-day celebration of Veterans Appreciation Week. Fry said the reception and Veterans Appreciation Week were organized because she thought veterans should be recognized more. “I feel like they give so much of their time and dedication, and it would be nice for someone to give it back to them,” Fry said. Mark Nelson, UA vice provost, gave a speech at the reception about the importance of recognizing veterans and their accomplishments. “We reap the benefits of all your hard work,” Nelson said. “Thank you for what you have done.” The final speaker at the event was president of the Campus Veterans Association, Ashkan Bayatpour, who is also a student veteran. He spoke about the highs and low of being a veteran in society. Bayatpour said the Campus Veterans Association’s goal was to help veterans.

See RECEPTION, page 2

History majors start career day on campus By Desiree Mahr Staff Writer It is a common misconception that students who are pursuing a degree in history are bound to end up with a career in teaching. However, students and faculty from the UA history department say that belief is a myth they are trying to debunk. For this reason, the national honor society in history, Phi Alpha Theta, and the UA History Club decided to create Career Day, which will be held today in Gorgas Library Room 205 from 3:30 p.m. until 5 p.m.

history majors or minors what sorts of careers are available if you have a history degree,” said Andrew Huebner, assis• What: History major tant professor in history. career fair “Many people think the only thing you can do is teach when • Where: Gorgas 205 there are people who find jobs in government, journalism or • When: 3:30 p.m. to politics.” 5 p.m. Many skills students learn within the history department Students will be able to listen are versatile and can be applied to a group of panelists speak to many jobs, Huebner said. and then answer questions Also, the ability to conduct from the audience about how a extensive research is one of the history degree can be used in a most important skills in any job profession, he said. variety of careers. “History is a lot about “It’s a way to publicize to

IF YOU GO ...

gathering evidence and making arguments based on that evidence,” he said. Due to the state of the economy and uncertainty of what to do with a history degree, Huebner said the event would attract many students. “I think it should be a fairly good turnout. People are worried about what they’re going to do with their degrees, so it’s very relevant,” he said. “I think it’d be good to have this event every fall.” James Mixson, assistant professor in history, said in an e-mail the event will focus more specifically on using a

never too early to begin thinking about how to approach getting your degree.” Andrew Martin, a junior majoring in history and political science, said the event will help students to learn as much as possible about what they can do with their degree upon graduation day. “There will be four to five people from a diversified group on the panel,” he said. “They’re going to have time to tell students how they use their history degree, what their job is like and where their history degree

history degree toward graduate and other professional schools. “Other career paths will be featured as well, like innovative business leaders, educators and representatives of government and public history,” he said. Although many career days target upperclassmen, Thursday’s event will be beneficial for all students, Mixson said. “It is in part geared toward junior and senior majors and minors, but all are welcome,” Mixson said. “Especially for younger majors or minors, it is

See CAREER, page 6

Organizations hold Bama Buddies Outdoor Recreation By Ashley Wallace Staff Writer

and buddy tag. Bama Buddy kits can be bought in the Ferguson Center today and Tuesday through Thursday through 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Students can use cash or Bama Cash to pay for the kits. Richard Cockrum, a junior majoring in chemistry, is working with the project. He said building a Bama Buddy is just like Build-A-Bear but for charity. “Essentially what we are

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our priorities, if we are going to make these, is that they need to be high-quality stuffed animals. The children deserve nothing less.” There are ten different types of stuffed animals varying from penguins to unicorns. To build a Bama Buddy, the student stuffs the animal, inserts the stuffed “heart,” zips up the animal, fills out the birth certificate and Buddy tag and ties the Buddy tag around the stuffed animal’s neck. The student organization’s logo can be placed on the tag, and the other side has room for a personal message to the child. Kristen Stovall, a junior majoring in chemical engineering, is treasurer of the Society

See BUDDIES, page 2

provides services, trips, information By Kelsey Hendrix Staff Reporter UA Outdoor Recreation, a department of the University that works to serve and lead students in outdoor recreation through rentals, trips, and education, is encouraging students, faculty and the Tuscaloosa community to get involved in their last official event of the semester. UAOR will be hosting a bicycle maintenance clinic Tuesday to teach bicycle owners the basics of maintaining their own bicycles. The clinic is designed to help owners

INSIDE today’s paper

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Organizations and individual UA students are invited to help bring joy to children by building Bama Buddies. The Source Board of Governors and the Community Service Center started a new project this fall called Bama Buddies, which are stuffed animals that come in kits to be put together and donated to local charities. Both organizations encourage other UA organizations to purchase kits to give to four local charities. Each kit costs $10. For every kit, $3 will be given to charities along with the stuffed animals. A kit includes an 18-inch, unstuffed animal, stuffing, birth certificate, heart insert

trying to do is unite the campus under a banner of service in a way that’s fun, easy to organize and meaningful,” Cockrum said. The goal this year is to sell 600 kits, he said. If the goal is met, UA organizations will have raised $2,000 for the four charities. So far, they have only met half of their goal. All Buddies will be donated to Tuscaloosa One Place, DCH Pediatrics, the RISE center and Maude Whatley Free Health Clinic. The four charities have requested anywhere from 50 to 300 stuffed animals. The four organizations that purchase the most kits will get the opportunity to deliver the stuffed animals to the charities, Cockrum said. “Some children aren’t going to get nice Christmas presents,” Cockrum said. “One of

P.O. Box 870170 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 Newsroom: 348-6144 | Fax: 348-4116 | Advertising: 348-7845 | Classifieds: 348-7355 Letters, op-eds: letters@cw.ua.edu Press releases, announcements: news@cw.ua.edu

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

Puzzles.................... 11

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

Classifieds ............... 11

Sports .......................7

Arts & Entertainment 12

avoid having to go to shops or the UAOR Bike Shop whenever a small maintenance problem occurs. In addition to the bike shop, UAOR also provides rental services for those looking to rent outdoor equipment for personal use, organized trips for students and adults looking to explore the outdoors with a group, as well as a climbing wall designed for both beginners and advanced climbers alike. “We offer lots of services for people interested in outdoor

See OUTDOOR, page 2

WEATHER today Clear

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NEWS

NEWS in brief CAMPUS | UA club ice hockey team hosts Military Appreciation Night

FORUM

Q&A WITH UA VETERAN

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The UA Frozen Tide — the men’s ice hockey club team — will host Military Appreciation night Friday at 8 p.m. at the Pelham Civic Complex. Any current or retired member of any branch of the military will receive free admission to the game that features the UA Frozen Tide vs. the Florida State University hockey team. The Pelham Civic Complex is located off Interstate 65 at 500 Amphitheater Road in Pelham. Student admission to the game is $4 and general admission is $5. The Frozen Tide is undefeated through their first three regular season games, defeating LSU twice and Emory once. For more information, contact the UA Frozen Tide at info@ bamahockey.net.

CAMPUS | Muslim Student Association holding lecture, dinner Thursday The UA Muslim Student Association is hosting a dinner and lecture Thursday at 6 p.m. in the Heritage Room of the Ferguson Center. The lecture is titled “Jesus in Islam,” and UA students and the Tuscaloosa community are invited. The Muslim Student Association members will serve a complimentary Mediterranean dinner before the lecture.

CAMPUS | RHA presidential elections Friday The election for Residence Hall Association president will be held on Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. via myBama. The candidates for this year’s presidency are Mary Harvey and Andrew Stone.

CAMPUS | ALLELE lectures presents ʻThe Natural History of Moralityʼ The fourth of six speakers from the 2009-10 Alabama Lectures on Life’s Evolution, Robert C. Richardson will present his lecture “The Natural History of Morality” today at 7:30 p.m. in the Biology Auditorium. Richardson is a philosophy professor in the McMicken College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Cincinnati.

CAMPUS | Honors College hosts Pictures of the South The Honors College will be hosting “Pictures of the South” on Wednesday in Nott Hall. “Pictures of the South” is a discussion of the history of race relations in Tuscaloosa and the South. The event will feature presentations by faculty, student commentary and a panel debate.

Send announcements and campus news to cwnews@sa.ua.edu

CAMPUS

this week

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

• Jesus in Islam: 6 p.m. - 8 p.m., Ferguson Center Heritage Room

• Thankful for the Arts: 6 p.m., Ferguson Ballroom

•Alabama Jazz Band and Combo: 7:30 p.m., Moody Music Building For more events, see calendars on Arts & Entertainment and Sports.

Name: Jonathan McConnell Year/major: Second-year law student Branch of the military: U.S. Marine Corp Where were you deployed?: Twice in Iraq

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Q. What is something you want UA students to know about your military service? A. I don’t really care if students know about my military service. What I care about is that they take a moment to think about those serving now. Right now, there are thousands of Americans who are over in Iraq and Afghanistan. The soldiers and Marines on the front lines aren’t getting to enjoy a football game, a hot meal, a cold drink, or a bath for weeks at a time. They may sleep for the first time in days only to be awoken by gunfire or the news that one of their buddy’s patrols just got hit and they are going to be up for another day to go on patrol. Q. How is college life different after your military service? A. College is completely different now. I appreciate life a whole lot more after being in the Marines. You appreciate the small things, like walking outside when it is cold, being cold, yet knowing that you have a warm bed to sleep later that night. You don’t have serious concerns about your safety or those around you.

A. Live their lives to the fullest and appreciate the country that they are living in. Say a prayer for those overseas. I know for a fact that the only reason I am in school here right now is by prayer and the grace of God. Last month, 59 servicemen gave their lives in Afghanistan fighting for the preservation of the American way of life. People serving would give their lives to keep from what is happening in Afghanistan from happening in the U.S. Honor veterans by appreciating the country that you have. This doesn’t have to be some public announcement, merely an attitude or way in which you carry yourself. Regardless of what is happening in our country politically, we still live in the best country in the world.

“We saw our friends around us who were dropping out of school,” Bayatpour said, about friends who were having a hard time readjusting to society. “But it’s not all doom and gloom,” Bayatpour said. There’s a good side to being a veteran.” Bayatpour added that veterans should be proud of their accomplishments. “As veterans, we don’t just lead in war. We lead in society,” Bayatpour said. A short, student-made documentary called “Searching for Normal” was also shown at the reception. The documentary focused on the reintegration of veterans into society after their terms of service end. Elizabeth Jones, a senior majoring in economics, and former UA student Dick Powers created the film last year as part of the Documenting Justice project. Jones said she wanted to

OUTDOOR Continued from page 1

recreation,” said Natalie Jensen, student manager of the rental center. “Throughout the semester, we also keep a calendar of events for students and adults to view, that offers a variety of outdoor activities that people can get involved in.” This semester, UAOR is encouraging students to check out their new gear, including Low Alpine backpacks, Kelty sleeping bags and tents, Marin mountain bags, Necky and Pyranha Kayaks and more. All major trips offered through UAOR during the academic year are open to all students on a first-come-firstserve basis. “Basically, if there’s a trip a student is interested in, they just need to come by our office and fill out a waiver,” Jensen said. “At that point, we will also get contact information and give more details to the student via email as the trip gets closer. “Prices for our trips can vary depending on where the location is and what the group will be doing,” Jensen said. “A good average though for most trips is

BUDDIES Continued from page 1

of Women Engineers, one of the organizations helping with the Bama Buddies project. Stovall said this project was great for her organization because all the supplies are already included. The only thing the organizations have to do is bring their creativity and enthusiasm, she said. “Bama Buddies seemed like the perfect holiday service project that our members could participate in since it is going to put a fun twist on our meetings,”

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The Crimson White is the community newspaper of The University of Alabama. The Crimson White is an editorially free newspaper produced by students. The University of Alabama cannot influence editorial decisions and editorial opinions are those of the editorial board and do not represent the official opinions of the University. Advertising offices of The Crimson White are on the first floor, Student Publications Building, 923 University Blvd. The advertising mailing address is P.O. Box 2389, Tuscaloosa, AL 35403-2389. The Crimson White (USPS 138020) is published four times weekly when classes are in session during Fall and Spring Semester except for the Monday after Spring Break and the Monday after Thanksgiving, and once a week when school is in session for the summer. Marked calendar provided. The Crimson White is provided for free up to three issues. Any other papers are $1.00. The subscription rate for The Crimson White is $125 per year. Checks should be made payable to The University of Alabama and sent to: The Crimson White Subscription Department, P.O. Box 2389, Tuscaloosa, AL 35403-2389. The Crimson White is entered as periodical postage at Tuscaloosa, AL 35401. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Crimson White, P.O. Box 2389, Tuscaloosa, AL 35403-2389. All material contained herein, except advertising or where indicated otherwise, is Copyright © 2009 by The Crimson White and protected under the “Work Made for Hire” and “Periodical Publication” categories of the U.S. copyright laws. Material herein may not be reprinted without the expressed, written permission of The Crimson White.

the 48-bed housing program, the VA of Tuscaloosa provides mental and physical health aids and programs that allow veterans to become well adjusted when re-entering the “real world.” He said these programs need the support of the community to ensure the battle against veteran homelessness is won. “Not one snowflake can make a difference, but when they accumulate they form a snowball that can have tremendous effect,” Gray said. Kelli Rumanek, a coordinator of Homeless Veterans Awareness Week and a junior majoring in social work, said the issue of homelessness does not even come to the majority of peoples’ minds when they think about our nation’s heroes. “Homeless veterans are two words that should not be together,” Rumanek said. Scott Martin, chief of social

RECEPTION

Q. How do you think people should observe Veterans Day?

EDITORIAL

The Crimson White work service at the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center, said the VA has pledged to combat veteran homelessness by establishing a national “zero tolerance” policy for veterans experiencing this dilemma. President Barack Obama has enacted a plan to eliminate homelessness among veterans within five years, and local establishments like the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center are joining in on this pledge. “Integrating back into society is very difficult…we have a goal of giving the individual their independence that is within their capacity,” Martin said. Felita Dawn Dickerson, an Iraq veteran and a recipient of the resources at the VA Medical Center, said the VA allowed her to recognize and address issues that were laying dormant since her service overseas. “The difference for me was that the program was not just a treatment program, they looked at the source of my problems,” Dickerson said. “I was treated by fellow veterans, so they under-

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stood my situation and knew where I was coming from.” The School of Social Work sponsors Homeless Veterans Awareness Week this week to raise awareness of veterans’ issues. All throughout this week events have been set up to donate funds and items to various veterans programs, and these occasions have helped shine a light on an issue most people have not encountered — homeless veterans. UA students can get involved by participating in the Homeless Veterans Awareness Week, volunteering at local homeless coalitions, sending financial donations to local shelters, contacting local elected officials, and becoming aware of the situation. The last two events for this week are “Movie Night” at Little Hall Room 223 at 6 p.m. today and “Sleep Out at Little Hall” from 8 p.m. until 8 a.m. Friday. For more information, e-mail scbeverly@crimson.ua.edu.

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“Talking in class and texting in class. None of that would fly in the military.” — Eddie Harden

change students’ perceptions of veterans and their struggles. “Most of us think their struggles are over when they come home,” Jones said. “But they have many problems, whether it’s small things like being afraid of large crowds, or bigger issues like fitting in with their family members and society.” Many of the veterans at the reception said their military background helped them when it came to attending college. Eddie Harden, a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering, said the discipline he learned in the Marines helped him stay focused on education. “It helped me in the classroom,” Harden said. “Talking in class and texting in class. None of that would fly in the military.” Ben Woodruff, a doctoral

student in finance, agreed. “I’d say it’s easier because the military teaches you a lot of self-control and discipline,” says Woodruff. “Getting out of bed at 8 a.m. to go to class in the rain isn’t so hard.” Thad Jackson, another doctoral student in finance, said the reception was well organized and that he was happy about the recognition. “I think it’s fantastic the university honors veterans and it makes us feel more welcome here,” Jackson said. He added that the University’s recognition of veterans impressed him. “I’ve been to three different universities since I completed my term of service and, undoubtedly, the University of Alabama is the most hospitable to service members,” Jackson said.

between $20 and $40.” Jensen said the last trip for this semester to the Appalachian Trail over the Christmas break is already full, but more trips and major activities will be planned for the spring semester and will be posted online. “We’re not an affiliated club, so anyone is welcome to join and sign-up for anything,” Jensen said. “You don’t have to be signed up for the climbing club or kayak club to get involved.” UAOR had a Naturalist Day Hike planned for Tuesday, Nov. 10, but had to cancel the hike due to inclement weather. Kelly Cannon, UAOR staff member and hike leader, said she is looking for people interested in going on a hike and would like to plan another local hike before the semester ends. Cannon said she has been leading nature hikes for the past six years in Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Wyoming and is very excited about learning all of the hard woods in Alabama. “There is a really big demand for family-friendly activities in the Tuscaloosa community,” Cannon said. “With these hikes, I am hoping to target the hike to children between the

ages of two and 10 and their parents.” The hike would cost $10 per parent but would be free for all children under the age of 12 accompanied by a paying parent. “I would like to plan another afternoon hike so that parents who work and kids who are in school can come join in,” Jensen said. “However, if there’s a demand for a morning hike with kids who are preschool aged and not in school, then I’m really flexible.” Cannon said that ideally, the hike would take place at the Arboretum, off 15th Street by the old University golf course. The group would tour through the green houses, walk down to the pond, go over to the Children’s Garden and organic vegetable gardens and over to the tree plot form, she said. Anyone interested in getting involved in a hike led by Cannon can contact her at mountainnature@gmail.com. For more information about UAOR and the services and activities it offers, visit the office located in the Recreation Center, call 348-7045 or become a fan of UA Outdoor Recreation page on Facebook.

Stovall said. “We have had great feedback about our members participating.” UA students have shown interest in this project. Bama Buddies has a Facebook group with more than 650 members. The project is being supported by various organizations around campus such as Honors College Ambassadors, Golden Key Honor Society and Freshman Forum. More than 40 students have helped put the project together, organizers said. Stovall said SWE plans to devote one of their bi-monthly meetings to the service project. SWE is assisting members with

the cost in hopes of encouraging them to make more animals for the children, she said. The project ends on Nov. 13, and late orders will be accepted during dead week at the Ferg. For more information about purchasing Bama Buddy kits, e-mail projects.thesource@ gmail.com Further information about getting involved with the charities can be found in a brochure included in the Bama Buddy kit. “We can’t always join our hands while doing service, but through Bama Buddies, we can join our hearts and show them that we care,” Cockrum said.

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The Crimson White

NEWS

Thursday, November 12, 2009

3

Students volunteer AAA continues with activities after chalking at adult day care Alabama Atheist and Agnostics establish presence

By Brittney Knox Staff Writer When someone mentions day care, many students may think of being dropped off in the hands of a childcare worker and their mother coming to get them at the end of the day. With Caring Days Adult Day Care, the only difference is the age. Caring Days is an adult day care for clients age 18 and up who have memory disorders. Jamie Key, a junior majoring in social work, began volunteering with Caring Days in late October. She said she was searching on Google for a place to volunteer and decided to choose Caring Days. “I have learned so much from working here,” Key said. “Although the client’s mental capacities have diminished some, they still speak such amazing words of wisdom.” Whenever she leaves, at least one person always thanks her for being there, and Key said that makes it more rewarding. The atmosphere of Caring Days is different from that of a nursing home, she said. There are no beds to lie down, but chairs all around for the clients to take part in various social activities. Caring Days has been in Tuscaloosa for 13 years and has a sister building on the west side of the city called Caring Together, said Janaye Mondy, the activities coordinator. On average, the program has about 25 clients come each day, but there are 46 signed up. “We offer the opportunity to have a half-day service or all day. This is meant to provide respite to other family members,” she said. Mondy said Caring Days’ goal is to develop a social setting and to offer a wide

By Karissa Bursch Staff Reporter

CW | Nhung Walsh At Caring Days, Jamie Key, a volunteer and a junior majoring in social work, visits with Mary Buchanow. variety of activities. “We always do exercises and have one coordinator on each side to make sure that the clients can see how to do the exercise,” she said. “Then we place a volunteer in a place around the circle to encourage the clients.” She said they have several activities for the clients to do, which change on a weekly basis. They have art on Tuesday or Thursdays, and there is music three times a week where a volunteer plays different types of music for clients. “We sometimes play on the piano a religious type of music, and then we play a happy type of music,” she said.

Mondy said they can never have enough help from volunteers because the clients need one-on-one time with someone. “Knowing that you put a smile on their face is a great reward for me,” Mondy said. As for upcoming events, Mondy said Caring Days has several Christmas activities, as well as selling wreaths made by the clients. Key said one of the greatest rewards she gets from being at Caring Days is that it makes her happy. “If think I have made relationships with some of the clients and I plan to volunteer here as long as they will let me,” Key said.

FAST FACTS • Caring Days serves more than 45 people in Tuscaloosa. • Caring Days serves Tuscaloosa residents 18 and older with memory disorders. • Caring Days was founded in 1997. • To volunteer contact Liz Marston at 752-6840

After the first set of Alabama Atheist and Agnostics’ chalkings were erased, the UA campus exploded with reactionary chalking and subsequent erasing. The effects of the chalking continue to affect the group as it now grows and gains members and attention, members of AAA said. As the University’s only atheist or agnostic student organization, AAA continued chalking the campus after the first chalking incident in September as a result of the chalking being erased the first time. Sam Arnold, the president of AAA and a junior majoring in computer engineering, said the event gave their group a lot of publicity within the atheist and agnostic communities. “We were written about in prominent atheist blogs such as Pharyngula and The Friendly Atheist,” Arnold said. “The Facebook group blew up and people from around the world joined. We were also contacted by Alabama Atheists, American Atheists, Freedom from Religion and other groups. They have all been really supportive, offering to give us money and speakers.” Peter Sloan, vice president of AAA and a senior majoring in music composition and philosophy, said the group originally got the idea of chalking because they appreciated the reactionary chalking after Brother Micah came to campus. Sloan said it was not the purpose of the chalking, but the controversy surrounding the chalking was an effective method to reach out to students.

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“I think we got our message out there really effectively and the second time we chalked, it stayed out all week,” Sloan said. “We had been the talk of the town, and the energy was high and people were really excited.” To dispel stereotypes about atheists and agnostics, AAA has tailgated on the Quad for three of Alabama’s home games since the chalking. “Part of what we want to do is disassociate and break social stigmas,” Sloan said. “We figured if people saw college kids out on the Quad, it would show that we are more normal.” Arnold said AAA’s mission has two parts. “We want to create a social hub for secular students,” Arnold said. “We also want to increase awareness and acceptance of nonreligious worldviews in the UA community.” Caitlin McClusky, a sophomore majoring in anthropology and a member of AAA, said she joined to be with people with similar views. “I’ve been agnostic all my life and I’ve been in Alabama all my life, and it’s been pretty hard,” McClusky said. “It’s really important to have something like this in a university setting and have

discourse on this. People need to know it’s okay.” Arnold said AAA is looking to have various speakers come, especially during the spring semester. The speakers will talk on various topics about theory, atheism, science and faith. AAA will have its first speaker on Nov. 15 in Lloyd Auditorium from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., according to the AAA Facebook page. The speaker will be Kevin Kukla, a UA professor of philosophy. Kukla will summarize the history of creationist arguments. The group invites anybody to come to AAA events and meetings, but they want to make sure to create a haven for nonreligious students. “Anyone is welcome to come, but personally I’m interested in finding atheist and agnostic kids who feel isolated and alienated and feel they don’t have a social outlet and group,” Arnold said.

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OPINIONS

OUR VIEW

Thursday, November 12, 2009 Editor • Alan Blinder letters@cw.ua.edu Page 4

{ YOUR VIEW } DOES ALABAMA’S CONSTITUTION NEED TO BE REWRITTEN? “I think so, just because itʼs the longest constitution in the United States, and a lot of the laws are outdated and pointless.” — Ashley Herbert, sophomore, marketing

“We need to reclarify all the clutter thatʼs happened around all the amendments.” — Jesse Skelton, sophomore, undeclared

“If itʼs from 1901, itʼs over a hundred years old. Itʼs definitely outdated, and I think it should be revised.” — Emily Simpson, freshman, psychology

“Yeah, I think they do because itʼs very old, racist and way too long. The longest in the world.” — Adam Murphy, senior, history

EDITORIAL BOARD Amanda Peterson Editor Will Nevin Managing Editor Alan Blinder Opinions 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.

Kennedy makes mistake

Since he arrived on the bench of the Supreme Court of the United S t at e s , Ju st i c e In short: Supreme Anthony Kennedy Court Justice has proven himself Anthony Kentime and again to nedy was out be a mistake of an of line when he appointment. asked to review We will not join a newspaper the chorus of conarticle reporting servative critics on a public adwho have branded dress. Kennedy a traitor for swinging to the left during his time on the court. Kennedy, of course, is free to change his interpretation of American law. Indeed, the Founding Fathers installed constitutional protections for judges so they could be free to rule as they chose under the law. Rather, we take issue with other Kennedy actions, like citing international law and precedent in opinions of the U.S. Supreme Court. Or, more recently, hindering the First Amendment rights of a high school newspaper. On Oct. 28, Kennedy traveled to Manhattan to speak at Dalton, a private high school. The school newspaper, The Daltonian, wanted to cover Kennedy’s speech at a school assembly. After all, it’s not every day that a sitting Supreme Court justice comes to school. Kennedy’s office agreed, but they attached a condition: Daltonian editors would have to submit the article for Kennedy’s approval prior to publication. Left with little choice, the newspaper agreed. They never should have done so, and, more to the point, Kennedy’s office never should have made such a demand. A Supreme Court spokeswoman told The New York Times, “Justice Kennedy does not have a general policy for making such requests.” We’re pleased to learn that infringing upon First Amendment rights is not a favorite pastime for a Supreme Court justice. While Supreme Court justices have a long history of closing their speeches to the news media, we firmly believe that when an event is open to the press, the press should be free to cover it as they so choose. Kennedy’s office said he was trying to prevent errors in his quotes. We freely admit that the media will make mistakes, but we are certain that even major publications make mistakes. And we’re also certain Kennedy knows this. It is difficult to hold degrees from Stanford and Harvard without learning that the media is imperfect. An expert in media law said he felt the Kennedy episode was an incident driven by image control. We agree. Supreme Court watchers, including UA alum Jan Crawford Greenburg, have long reported Kennedy to be conscious of his public image. We don’t object to people cultivating public perception. We object, in the strongest terms, when that cultivation leads to the degradation of the press’ freedom to report on events without interference.

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MCT Campus

Rolling with a subsidy By Jon Reed The recently passed health care bill is not a single-payer system, despite what some people may claim and many would have preferred. Instead, it is a system where the government will help people in need pay for their insurance while they still pay some premiums. The analogy for this isn’t hard to find. It’s all around you — on the Quad you play Frisbee on, in the buildings you take classes in, in the Internet you update your Facebook status with. The University of Alabama is a public university. It is run by the state, not a private entity, and it receives subsidies from the government. All of this is done to reduce costs and make college more affordable as a public interest. Public health insurance operates under the same principle. Cut out corporate profits and CEOs and perhaps throw in some subsidies for those in need, and you have a far more equitable alternative. The great thing is that both of these — the public university and public health care — are not exclusive. You can still attend a private school, and they are often the better alternatives. You only need to look at the list of the top schools in the U.S. and see that people who rate schools prefer private schools. Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and California Institute of Technology are all private, and they all still exist, even in a world with public schools. So if private schools are the better choices, why have public ones? I probably don’t need to explain that to you since you picked

Jon Reed one, but for argument’s sake I’ll say why I picked the University. I got into some of those nice private schools. Why didn’t I go? Easy. Not everyone can afford to pay $50,000 a year to go to school in upstate New York. This is where public schools come in. Those who can afford it or get the right scholarships can go to the private schools, while those who can’t have an option other than being either in a bottomless pit of debt or being uneducated. The idea of a public option is similar. It allows people who can’t afford private health insurance a choice. While we’ll never eliminate the need for health insurance companies in this country (too many people are making too much money taking your money, shaving some off the top and giving it to doctors to ever cede their position of power), the public option allows people access to health care for less without forcing it upon them. There is a big flaw in this comparison, however. Competition — you know, that “invisible hand” that controls the markets and is the basic tenet of capitalism — is a powerful force in colleges, yet sometimes almost nonexistent in health

insurance. Usually one or two health insurance companies dominate the market in a state. In Alabama, it’s BlueCross BlueShield. In the absence of public universities, you could turn down Harvard if Cornell charged less. When it comes to health insurance, you’re at the mercy of one company’s executives. Thanks to public universities, though, people who can’t afford to pay for the Ivy League can still afford the Southeastern Conference. I guess public universities are a little socialist, though. My tax dollars from back home in Ohio go to the public universities there, so I could get angry that I’m not benefitting directly from my tax dollars. But I know it’s for the public good. What some people see as socialism, I see as opportunity. We take for granted how cheap our public universities are compared to private schools. Imagine for a second that maybe, just maybe, we’ll have the same attitude about health insurance in a few years or decades. So if you think the idea of a public option is “socialist”, take a long hard look at yourself. You’re going to a school that’s subsidized by the government, something that, were it created by this Congress, you might decry as socialist. It seems to be working out, though, since public universities have opened up the opportunity for higher education to many more people than would have had the opportunity without it. So next time you find yourself saying “Roll Tide”, maybe you should thank a “socialist.” Jonathan Reed is a sophomore majoring in political science and journalism. His column runs on Thursdays.

Defending against all enemies By Debra Flax On Sept. 11, 2001, the American people suffered the worst terrorist attack ever experienced on U.S. soil. And much like the day John F. Kennedy was shot, everyone knows where they were and what they were doing when the World Trade Center was hit. Millions watched as the lives of about 3,000 people were taken from them by members of Osama bin Laden’s alQaeda. On Nov. 5, we again watched in shock and disgusted awe as developments arose in the mass shooting at Fort Hood, which has claimed its place one of the most detrimental attacks since that illfated Tuesday in 2001. It has also been called the worst soldier-onsoldier violence in U.S. history. Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, an American-born Muslim and Army psychiatrist, opened fire at a processing center, killing 13 and injuring 29 others. While a definite motive is unclear, investigators believe that Hasan lashed out because of his recent deployment orders. Hasan vehemently opposed the American presence in Iraq and Afghanistan. Tuesday night, John Allen Muhammad, the infamous D.C. sniper of 2002, was executed at the Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt, Va. Claiming the lives of 16 innocent and randomly selected people, Muhammad struck fear into the lives of the many gunshy Americans still coping with the first anniversary of the World Trade Center disaster. Timothy McVeigh, a decorated U.S. Army veteran with no

Debra Flax

all enemies, foreign and domestic.” But while we defend, reprimand and condemn, we cannot turn our backs on the men and women who do that every day. They are the ones, both military and civilian, who serve not only our country, but also the people within it. Maj. Kendrick Traylor, an Army National Guardsman and UA ROTC instructor, was at the processing center preparing for his upcoming deployment in December when the shooting began. Traylor assisted fellow soldiers who had been wounded as well as helping those who had not. Similarly, acting on a mixture of instinct and training, civilian police Sgt. Kimberly Munley stopped Hasan’s rampage with four shots into his torso. Shot three times herself, Munley’s first words after the ordeal was over were “Did anyone die?” On Thursday, we honored those who serve and we noted the tragedy of those lost, here and overseas. But beyond that, we must continue to remember the 13, the 168, the 3,000-plus as more than depressing statistics wiped out by spite. Because if we, as Americans, can’t let go of the anguish instilled in us by heartless combatants, we will never fulfill the responsibility we owe to this country and to the men, women and children who have given their lives for it. “Freedom comes at a cost,” Traylor said. “Support those who support freedom.”

motivational ties linked to any Middle Eastern culture, bombed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. His motivations included anti-war feelings he began harboring during his involvement in the Gulf War and the need to seek revenge for the devastating FBI standoffs in Waco, Texas, and Idaho’s Ruby Ridge. Originally intending to only destroy the federal building, McVeigh decided his message would be better received if many people were killed in the explosion. His decision led to the deaths of 168 people and over 680 injuries. “I am sorry these people had to lose their lives,” McVeigh said unremorsefully when placed on death row in 1999. “But that’s the nature of the beast. It’s understood going [into battle] what the human toll will be.” There is no doubt that the actions of these men, crazed executors from all walks of life, terrify beyond belief. However, there is also no reason for us to allow their actions to paralyze our efforts against them. It is our responsibility as U.S. citizens to “support and defend Debra Flax is a sophomore majorthe Constitution and laws of the ing in journalism. Her column United States of America against runs weekly on Thursdays.

Our View is the consensus of The Crimson White’s editorial board.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Alabama fans should show some class By Rhys Malen I am fan of LSU and the LSU-Alabama game was the first away game I had ever attended. I was rather impressed by the pre-game atmosphere around University Drive and the daunting mass that was Bryant-Denny Stadium. As any fan does, we engaged in some fun pre-game verbal jabbing as to who will win by what score and other commonplace mini-arguments. I went into Bryant-Denny Stadium excited to be a part of the whole experience, looking to compare it to the experience inside Tiger Stadium. Although the game didn’t turn out as we would have hoped, I was more disturbed by the actions of the fans, especially by the student body, than the actions on the field. In Tiger Stadium, if an opposing player is injured, you can almost hear a pin-drop as all of the fans look on with concern for the player’s wellbeing. Once the fans see the player coming off the field, everyone claps in support. This, it seems, is not the tradition in Tuscaloosa. I was appalled when the student section began chanting “Roll Tide” and “Ala-bama”, cheering, and turning up to the visiting fans above them yelling epithets and flashing vulgar expressions. The entire student body participated, showing no respect whatsoever while the trainers tended to the injured young man on the field.

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“In Tiger Stadium, if an opposing player is injured, you can almost hear a pin-drop as all of the fans look on with concern for the player’s well-being.” — Rhys Malen

These are young men who are students who play a physical game where injury is a serious threat. I certainly would have expected more from Alabama students. Rhys Malen is from Baton Rouge, La.

The Crimson White

NEWS

Thursday, November 12 2009

5

Professor talks about ‘Washington Experience’ By Jennie Kushner Staff Writer Michael New, a political science professor, outlined five benefits of an internship through “The Washington Experience,” a course that coalesces political learning and experience, to a room of 15 students Wednesday night. The Washington Experience grants three-hour political science course credits to UA students who complete an internship and three five-page papers. “I always tell students you should consider spending time in Washington for three reasons: It’s a great way to learn about politics, it’s a good way to figure out what career path you want to take and thirdly, the summertime in

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“There is always a group out there for someone, whether it’s gun control or health care.” — MIchael New

Washington is an amusement park for interns,” New said. “If you don’t like your internship, after six weeks you are back to the University of Alabama.” The outline covered the topics of academics, internships, housing, finances and the benefits of spending summer 2010 in Washington. New said once admitted into the course, students find their own internship. New said there are seven possible internship types for students: congressional and Senate offices, executive

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branch agencies, advocacy groups, political party organizations, think tanks, lobbing and political media. “About two-thirds of students work for a congressman simply because there are a lot of them,” he told the students. “I strongly encourage you to apply to work with your own congressmen because you always have an inside track with. It is better to apply to congressmen representing districts where your relatives live as well.” New said students applying

for executive branch agencies should apply early and that those internships usually last all summer. He said internships with advocacy groups require an obvious commitment to the issues that a group works with. “There is always a group out there for someone,” he said, “whether it’s gun control or health care.” Students who are registered and active with a political party have a leg up on a possible internship with political party organizations, he said. New also said think tanks are very competitive but are a popular option for students interested in public policy. Lobbying internships require various work responsibilities and compensation, and political media internships require

previous experience as a writer, he said. New, who has been involved with the Washington Experience since 2006, said about 40 students spend their summer in Washington, with 20 students getting credit. This year, he is looking to fill around 35 to 40 spots. “More students were interested last year because of the election,” he said. Most students who live in Washington live in dorms, he said. George Washington University, Georgetown University Law School and Catholic University of America are several safe options, New said, but students are free to find alternative housing. Students who attended the meeting said it was beneficial

and encouraging. “I wanted to get more info for a possible internship in Washington D.C. because I think it would be a great opportunity to work there,” said Jacqueline Shealy, a senior majoring in public relations. “Being up there in that atmosphere, especially being from Alabama, would be a great opportunity.” “Because of this meeting, more students will have the knowledge of internship programs that are potentially life changing,” said Kyle Fox, a sophomore majoring in political science and African American studies. For more information on the Washington Experience or to apply, visit thewashingtonexperience.com.

Official: Obama wants his war options changed By Anne Gearan and Ben Feller The Associated Press WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama does not plan to accept any of the Afghanistan war options presented by his national security team, pushing instead for revisions to clarify how and when U.S. troops would turn over

responsibility to the Afghan government, a senior administration official said Wednesday. That stance comes in the midst of forceful reservations about a possible troop buildup from the U.S. ambassador in Afghanistan, Karl Eikenberry, according to a second top administration official. In strongly worded

classified cables to Washington, Eikenberry said he had misgivings about sending in new troops while there are still so many questions about the leadership of Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Obama is still close to announcing his revamped war strategy — most likely shortly after he returns from a trip to

Asia that ends on Nov. 19. But the president raised questions at a war council meeting Wednesday that could alter the dynamic of both how many additional troops are sent to Afghanistan and what the timeline would be for their presence in the war zone, according to the official, who spoke on condition of

anonymity to discuss Obama’s thinking. The president is considering options that include adding 30,000 or more U.S. forces to take on the Taliban in key areas of Afghanistan and to buy time for the Afghan government’s small and ill-equipped fighting forces to take over. The other three options on the table are

ranges of troop increases, from a relatively small addition of forces to the roughly 40,000 that the top U.S. general in Afghanistan prefers, according to military and other officials. The key sticking points appear to be timelines and mounting questions about the credibility of the Afghan government. Administration officials said Wednesday that Obama wants to make it clear that the U.S. commitment in Afghanistan is not open-ended. The war is now in its ninth year and is claiming U.S. lives at a record pace as military leaders say the Taliban has the upper hand in many parts of the country. Eikenberry, the top U.S. envoy to Kabul, is a prominent voice among those advising Obama, and his sharp dissent is sure to affect the equation. He retired from the Army this year to become one of the few generals in American history to switch directly from soldier to diplomat, and he himself is a recent, former commander of U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

6 Thursday, November 12, 2009

NEWS

Using connections to build your career By Katie Lynne McInnish In preparation for gameday, students call their buddies to ask about leads on tickets. They use Facebook to make plans for tailgating. Some might text a classmate about an after party. If nothing’s stopping people from enjoying Alabama football, then nothing’s stopping them from landing a job or internship. Students don’t think twice about using social media and connections for gameday, and they shouldn’t when it comes to finding a job. According to the UA Career Center, over 60 percent of all jobs are found by networking. Students have a broad business network that includes family, friends, friend’s parents, church, faculty, alumni, corporate presenters at student organizations, as well as recruiters they meet during career events. Recruiters and career consultants at the Career Center give the following five tips for successful job networking. 1. Talk with peers about job searching Casually mention that you’re seeking employment. You never know how one conversation with a friend can lead to another with an employer. Accept all invita-

CAREER Continued from page 1

took them in life. We want them to show the fruits of our labor.� Panelists include Cathy Randall from Randall-Reilly Publishing, George Williamson of the UA Department of History, Christopher Jenks from the Tuscaloosa Magnet School, Steve Donaldson from

tions you receive to meet with networking contacts. One person is all it takes to create a valuable connection in your job search. 2. Introduce yourself at career fairs and employer presentations Going to events and listening to speakers are great, but to get ahead of the curve, engage the attendees. There are plenty of formulas for introductions, thoughtful questions and one-minute pitches. Reduce any chance of awkwardness or intimidation by preparing yourself. 3. (Responsibly) Network on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter Use the social media platform LinkedIn, which is specifically designed as a networking tool for professionals. Loads of employers are using it to recruit, and it’s the perfect way to create a go-to professional account for your job search. If you can’t stand the thought of managing another online account, polish the ones you already have. Nothing is personal when you share it online, so impress employers by having a professional-looking social media presence. It shows maturity and character. 4. Reach out to instructors, advisors and alumni Chat with your professors

about their fields of expertise. Discuss your job hunt and ask for any advice or leads. Many faculty members maintain contacts within their industry, and can connect you with employers. And network with alumni, especially ones who visit classes, organizations and networking events. They’re most likely committed enough to hire UA students. 5. Use available resources The Career Center is one of the most valuable lifelines in your job search because it can connect you with employers visiting campus, inform you about networking events and internship opportunities and help you with everything from resumes to cover letters to mock interviews. Each college has its own career consultant that knows what an industry is looking for in job candidates. CrimsonCareers is the University’s online recruiting management system that allows students to manage multiple job-related documents. Students have 24/7 access to register for career events, search current jobs and internships, find important job links and send online inquiries to a long list of employer contacts. To make an appointment with a career consultant or to create a CrimsonCareers account, call 348-5848 or visit career.ua.edu.

the UA School of Law and Keena Graham from the Alabama State Parks System. Martin said Career Day will offer students information that they normally don’t receive about how to use a history degree to their advantage. “We didn’t see it as something being offered at the time. People had questions, and we felt this was the best way to get

them answered,� he said. As president of the History Club, Martin said he would continue to work with the Career Day committee to make sure the event is held again. “We hope it’ll get bigger as the years go on,� he said. “I can see that this is going to take off, and it’ll definitely be something that will go on for a while. This is only the first of many.�

Mormons throw support behind gay-rights cause By Eric Gorski The Associated Press It looked like a stunning reversal: the same church that helped defeat gay marriage in California standing with gay-rights activists on an antidiscrimination law in its own backyard. On Tuesday night, after a series of clandestine meetings between local gay-rights backers and Mormons in Salt Lake City, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced it would support proposed city laws that would prohibit discrimination against gays in housing and employment. The ordinances passed and history was made: It marked the first time the Salt Lake City-based church had supported gay-rights legislation.

The Mormon church — which continues to suffer a backlash over its support last year of Proposition 8, the measure banning gay marriage in California — emphasized that its latest position in no way contradicts its teachings on homosexuality. But the action is one of the strongest signs yet that even conservative religious groups that oppose same-sex marriage might be willing to support legal protections for gays that fall short of that. At the same time, the church’s position has angered some of its conservative allies on social issues, prompted questions about whether public relations is its real motivation, and put the church on the spot over how far it will go on similar legislation on the state and

federal level. “This is a very good public relations response that has the additional benefit of actually representing the way the current church leadership thinks,� said Armand Mauss, a retired professor at Washington State University and scholar of Mormonism. Some of the church’s conservative allies in the gay marriage battles, however, call it a setback. The two new ordinances make it illegal to fire or evict someone for being gay, bisexual or transgender. Such legislation robs employers and landlords of their rights and gives legal ammunition to judges sympathetic to gay marriage, said Peter Sprigg, senior fellow for policy studies at the conservative Family Research Council.

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Few Americans make end-of-life wishes known By Matt Sedensky The Associated Press FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Lillian Landry always said she wasn’t afraid to die. So when death came last week, the 99-year-old was lying peacefully in a hospice with no needles or tubes. Her final days saw her closest friend at her side and included occasional shots of her favorite whiskey, Canadian Mist. Landry is an exception. Unlike most Americans, she made her end-of-life decisions years ago: no heroic measures to save her and even instructions on the bar where mourners should gather. The health overhaul bill that narrowly passed the House on Saturday includes a provision to nudge more people to confront such choices: It would pay for end-of-life counseling for Medicare patients. Supporters say counseling would give patients more control and free families from tortuous decisions. Critics have warned it could lead to government “death panels.� What few on either side note is that counseling could lead more people to choose less intensive care when they’re dying, and ultimately trim government-funded health bills. Hospice care has grown from about 25,000 patients in 1982, when Congress approved coverage under Medicare, to 1.45 million people in 2008. It’s for patients who have a prognosis of no more than six months — and it ranges from in-home care to stand-alone centers to special wings in hospitals. It does nothing to artificially lengthen or shorten life, focusing mostly on a patient’s comfort. People on Medicare account for the vast majority of U.S. deaths, and care in the last year of life accounts for roughly a quarter of Medicare’s budget. So increased use of

AP Dr. Joel Policzer checks on Walter Norton, in the hospice wing of an Oakland Park, Fla. hospital. Most of PoliczerĘźs patients have made no end-of-life decisions. Democrats in the U.S. House are trying to nudge more Americans to make their end-of-life decisions. hospice could mean sizable savings for the government, particularly if patients enter it sooner. A 2007 study published in the journal Social Science and Medicine found that among Medicare patient deaths, those who used hospice saved taxpayers an average $2,309 over their last year. In some cases, the savings were as much as $7,000, depending on the illness and length of hospice stay. Still, only about 39 percent of Americans who died last year were in hospice. The average patient spent a little more than two months under that care; about a third moved to hospice only in the last week of life. “It’s significantly underutilized. People are referred very late,â€? said Dr. Richard Payne, a Duke University professor who heads the school’s Institute on Care at the End of Life. “Our culture just doesn’t tolerate talking about death and dying. And the minute

you even start talking about having conversations with a doctor, it’s immediately pejoratively labeled as ‘You’re trying to kill me.’� That perception is precisely what got affixed to the counseling measure in the House bill. Even though the legislation specifies counseling wouldn’t force patients to limit efforts to keep them alive, and even with the support of the American Medical Association, AARP and others, suspicion has lingered, encouraged by conservative voices including Sarah Palin. Dr. Jim Small, a Denver pathologist who belongs to the Christian Medical and Dental Associations, said he feared the provision would be twisted into something more intrusive if bureaucrats lay out the details. “It’s incredible micromanagement,� Small said. “End-of-life discussions are part of normal, good patient care, but there’s no reason for it to be in the bill.�

Man Works 84 Straight Days After Using Thera-Gesic ÂŽ

BEXAR COUNTY – Tom W., a carpenter who specializes in building high-end chicken coops, applied Thera-GesicŽ to his sore shoulder and back and worked 84 straight ten-hour days. When asked why he didn’t take a few days off, he painlessly replied: “None of your dang business�

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319B Highway 182 East Starkville, MS 39759 (662) 323-7425 www.rickscafe.net

MEN’S BASKETBALL

From staff reports Alabama men’s basketball head coach Anthony Grant announced the signing of two student athletes to National Letters of Intent for the 2010-11 season. Joining the Crimson Tide next season will be point guard Trevor Releford from Shawnee Mission, Kan., and guard/forward Charles Hankerson Jr. from Miami. “Trevor and Charles Jr. are winners first and foremost,� Grant said in a statement. “They both come from great high school programs and understand what it takes to be successful. I feel like we have addressed some of our needs on the perimeter with the additions of Trevor and Charles Jr.� Releford, a 6-1, 180-pound

Charles Hankerson Jr.

rivals.com

point guard, was tabbed as a four-star prospect by both rivals.com and scout.com. He signs with the Tide as the No. 11 point guard in the 2010 class, according to scout.com, and is ranked in both Web sites’ top100 recruit rankings.

Trevor Releford

rivals.com

As a junior, he led Bishop Miege High School to the 5A state finals and earned first team All-Metro honors from The Kansas City Star. En route to a 21-2 record, he averaged 18.6 points, 6.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game for coach Rick

Zych’s squad. “Trevor will provide ball handling, decision making and a level of toughness and competitiveness from the point guard position,� Grant said. “He understands the game and knows how to make those around him better.� Slam Magazine named Releford the best ball-handling guard in the nation in its “Ultimate High School Floor General� survey. He was also invited to the NBA’s top100 summer camp. His older brother Travis Releford is a sophomore on the University of Kansas basketball team. Hankerson, 6-5, 210 pounds, can play both the guard and forward positions. Named the Miami Herald 6A-5A Player of the Year, Hankerson is rated as a four-star prospect by scout.

com and is the No. 26 prospect at the shooting guard position. He is also rated the No. 47 prospect in the nation by MaxPreps. com. Last season, he averaged 21.6 points and six rebounds per game to lead Coral Reef High School to its first-ever state title. Hankerson scored 27 points with nine rebounds and five assists in the championship game for Gaston “Chachi� Rodriguez’s team that finished the season with a 27-4 record. “Charles Jr. will also provide our team with more skill on the perimeter,� Grant said. “He can play multiple positions and has an innate ability to make the game easier for his teammates. He can score in a variety of ways and brings the versatility that I like to have in our perimeter players.�

Bulldogs’ Dixon provides challenge for Tide By Spencer White Assistant Sports Editor

What still remains, however, is senior halfback Anthony Dixon. “He is a big physical runWhen the Alabama Crimson Tide heads to Starkville, Miss. ner,� Alabama head coach Nick this Saturday, it will be a new- Saban said. “People don’t like look offense for the Mississippi to tackle him because of his State Bulldogs that awaits. size and his downhill style.� Dixon has rushed for 1,001 With rookie head coach Dan Mullen implementing his ver- yards on 182 carries and a sion of the spread formation for Southeastern Conferencethe 2009 season, the days of for- leading nine touchdowns in the mer coach Sylvester Croom’s 2009 season, and trails only the power-I system seem to belong Tide’s Mark Ingram in rushing yards per game, averaging to an age past.

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slightly more than 125 yards on the ground per contest. “When you’ve got a guy who is dynamic as Dixon ‌ they do a lot of different things to get creases for [him] and to get him open space,â€? said senior linebacker Cory Reamer. Neither Alabama nor Saban need to be reminded of what Dixon has done in the past against the Tide. In three career games against Alabama, Dixon has run for 231 yards and a touchdown on 62 carries. More importantly, he is 2-1 against the Tide. “I’ve seen him first-hand a couple of times and he’s given us problems in the past,â€? Saban said. Alabama’s defense is no slouch when it comes to defending the run. Since the Ole Miss game in 2007, when BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushed for 131 yards, the Tide has not surrendered a 100-yard rusher. The Alabama defenders will look to continue that trend in Starkville. “We certainly need to do a good job of tackling and playing our gaps, not letting him get

down the field where he gets country for many, many years.â€? even more difficult to tackle,â€? Saban said. “I think he’s played fantastic. I think they’ve done Other notes a great job with their offense, and they’re doing a really good —Saban said that while senior job running the ball.â€? tight end Colin Peek was still “day-to-day,â€? he expected him to be available for action Saturday. Junior halfback Saban salutes Terry Grant is the lone Tide player who Saban does not veterans expect to play against the Bulldogs as he continues to With the celebration of nurse a muscle strain. Veterans Day on Wednesday —Antoine Caldwell, a 2008 Alland thoughts around the coun- American at center and curtry turned to the men and rent member of the Houston women in uniform around the Texans, visited the Tide’s world, Saban took a moment Wednesday practice. to thank the members of the —Saban mentioned the progarmed forces in his news con- ress that freshman quarterback A.J. McCarron has made ference. “I’d like to send out a special throughout the season, saying thanks to all the people out that McCarron had moved out there who have done so much, of the Tide’s scout team rotamen and women, for serving tion. “He’s done a really good job,â€? our country and protecting our freedom,â€? Saban said. “I Saban said. “He’s very commitcan’t thank them enough, and ted to be a very good player‌ they don’t know how much we he’s one of the three quarterappreciate that‌we really do backs that take reps every appreciate all that the veter- week to get ready to prepare ans have done in serving our for the game.â€?

SEC’s season one of contenders and complaints By John Zenor The Associated Press

teams in the running for this season’s title and huge TV contracts. Boom times for sure. But BIRMINGHAM — The Southeastern Conference is troubled ones, too. The league has been dealing the Rolls-Royce of college 205 University Blvd. football leagues, with the last with seemingly endless questhree national champions, two tions stemming from a string (205)758-2455 of controversial officiating calls in close games involving highly ranked teams. That followed a preseason run-in with national media outlets over a new SEC policy. The in-season issues forced commissioner Mike Slive to make the unusual moves of publicly announcing the suspension of an officiating crew, increasing the penalties for coaches who criticize officials and fining Florida coach 7KXUVGD\ (9,/ 5,&2 Urban Meyer $30,000 for lessthan-inflammatory — though %XVFK %RPEV critical — remarks after the new policy was in place. )ULGD\ =,33< ' ',57< /89 “Has it been difficult? Yes. +DSS\ +RXU %HHUV Has it been painful? Yes,� Slive said this week in an interview 6DWXUGD\ 85, with The Associated Press in +DSS\ +RXU %HHUV his downtown office. “But this league has been a great league 0RQGD\ &223(5 75(17 for 76 years. There have been 0RQGD\ 1LJKW )RRWEDOO different issues at different times. I fully understand the 1DWXUDO /LJKW 3%5 0LOOHU +LJK /LIH disappointment the fans feel 67 when something happens that 7XHVGD\ 85, $&2867,& impacts their team. R] %XG /LJKW %LJ *XOS “My job is to try to keep some perspective, to work for the :HGQHVGD\ '58,' &,7< %$1' best interest of the conference, 7DOO %R\V at least as I see it. I’ve done that for eight years, and I’ll do that as long as I’m here.� While No. 1 Florida and No.

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3 Alabama have been vying for a national championship this season, the guys in the black and white-striped uniforms who have been drawing far more attention to the SEC than Slive would like. Three coaches have been reprimanded for public complaints, and Meyer’s comments cost him the equivalent of about two days’ pay. The latest controversy arose when officials ruled that LSU defensive back Patrick Peterson did not have possession of the ball inbounds on a play that might have been an interception. The instant replay official didn’t find the “indisputable video evidence� needed to overturn the call. Public relations issues started before the season, when the SEC imposed a new media policy to protect rights for its new SEC Digital Network. The league released new guidelines after a protest from four leading media organizations. “In the final analysis, most everyone got what they were looking for, with some exceptions,� Slive said. That was a minor inconvenience compared to the officiating problems. Slive said he, coordinator of officials Rogers Redding and others would meet after the season and assess the causes of officiating mistakes “and make sure that we have the best officiating in the country.�

SPORTS

Tide signs two four-star prospects

Page 7 • Thursday, November 12, 2009 Editor • Jason Galloway crimsonwhitesports@ gmail.com

SPORTS

this weekend THURSDAY • Swimming & Diving vs. Auburn: 2 p.m., Auburn

FRIDAY • Women’s Basketball vs. Tennessee Tech: 5 p.m., Corpus Christi, Texas • Women’s Volleyball vs. Mississippi: 7 p.m., Tuscaloosa

SATURDAY • Men’s Basketball vs. Cornell: 1 p.m., Tuscaloosa • Football vs. Mississippi State: 6 p.m., Starkville, Miss. • Women’s Basketball vs. Air Force or Texas A&M: Corpus Christi, Texas • Men’s Cross Country NCAA South Region Championships: All Day, Tuscaloosa • Women’s Cross Country NCAA South Region Championships: All Day, Tuscaloosa

8 Thursday, November 12, 2009

SPORTS

The Crimson White

WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING

Tide prepared to take on Auburn By Lauren Dunning Staff Writer

One southeastern Conference team down and one more to go for the Alabama women’s swimming and diving team while they round out a busy week in the conference. The Crimson Tide took on LSU Friday, defeating the Tigers 170-130. This was also the first time since the 200405 season that the Tide’s men and women both won the same meet in the same year. Alabama walked away with wins in nine of the 16 events, and the women now lead the series against LSU 6-4-1 since 2000. “It was a good swim for the women’s team,” said head coach Eric McIlquham. “They did a good job of coming together as a group and getting some good races in.” The match up between the Tigers and the Tide resulted in two SEC Athlete of the Week honors for Augustina de Giovanni and Carrie Dragland in swimming and diving respectively. Dragland won both the one-meter and threemeter diving competitions, while de Giovanni placed first in the 100-meter breaststroke, 200-meter breaststroke and 200 IM. Other individual winners include Suzanne Schwee (200meter butterfly), Jenna Gallo (1000-meter freestyle) and Julie Richards (100-meter backstroke). After an injury that kept her on the sidelines for the first part of the season, senior Julie Richards finally got back to competition against LSU. “I was just really excited to get back into the water and race against LSU,” Richards said. Richards said she hopes to continue the momentum of her win and the team’s into Thursday’s race against Auburn. After beating LSU, the Tide women have had less than a

UA Athletics Above: Senior Agustina de Giovanni keeps a slight lead over an LSU swimmer in a breaststroke event in Fridayʼs win over LSU. Right: Junior Lauren Dunn dives in the Tideʼs victory over LSU Friday. Auburn is coming off an impressive national championship year, and the Tide is looking to prove it is ready for • What: Alabama at the challenge of taking on the Auburn Tigers. The Auburn women beat LSU • Where: James E. on Oct. 23, but that has been the Martin Aquatic Center Tigers’ only meet this season, which could prove helpful to an • When: Thursday at 5 Alabama team that has kept a p.m. steady schedule of opponents. Standouts for Auburn in diving are Anna Aguero and week to prepare for in-state Vennie Dentin, both of whom rival and SEC powerhouse scored and placed in last year’s Auburn this week. 2009 SEC Championship and “Everything’s a progres- came close to making it to sion,” McIlquham said. “We’re nationals as freshmen. In swimbuilding off the swims we’ve ming, Olympian Alana Dillette already had, and there’s no is the one to watch in the pool. such thing as a perfect race.” She holds two national records

IF YOU GO ...

in the 50-meter backstroke and 400 free relay. “We’ve been getting a lot better, and in certain places we can definitely beat them, more so than in the past years,” said senior Shannon Van Hoy. Swimmers said the Tide is ready to take on the defending national champions in Auburn’s home pool. Experience and poise is on the Alabama side, and the Tide has proven it can hang with any team. “We only have control over what we can do,” McIlquham said. “We’re going to control our swims and our races.” The Tide will take on its toughest opponent yet Thursday at Auburn’s James E. Martin Aquatics Center at 5 p.m.

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The Crimson White

SPORTS

Thursday, November 12, 2009

9

MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING

Tide ready for defending national champions By Jordan Bannister Staff Writer

After an entire month off from competition, Alabama swept over LSU 166.5-133.5 on Friday. It has been a back-and-forth battle between the Tigers and the Crimson Tide recently, but Alabama took the victory after falling just short of LSU two years in a row. This win puts Alabama at an undefeated 4-0. It wasn’t difficult for the Tide to get amped for its first in-house Southeastern Conference match up of the season, swimmers said. “After the first couple of events, it was such a good atmosphere in here,” said senior Luke Boutwell. “Everybody was really on top of their races.” Both the crowd and the coaches kept the enthusiasm high for the whole team. Boutwell took his events by storm along with fellow AllAmericans Mark Randall (freestyle), Aaron Fleshner (diving) and Catalin Cosma (freestyle). Senior All-American Riley Boulden stood out, picking up big points for Alabama by winning both of his events. “He’s really come a long way UA Athletics from when he started out as Junior Denes Zubcsek competes in a butterfly event against LSU Friday. The undefeated Crimson Tide will try to remain perfect Thursday against Auburn, the defenda freshman,” said head coach ing national champions.

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“Auburn has some incredible swimmers, but if they’re not ready to go, we’re going to stick it to them.” — Daniel Armstrong

Eric McIlquham. “He’s really turned into a go-to guy on the men’s team, so for him to step up and swim the way that he has has been great. We saw that in him as a freshman, and he’s taking the chance to show it here.” “I think I did pretty good, having the team behind me helped me out a lot,” Boulden said. “It was a fun meet, and swimming LSU for the last time

}

helped me win.” Boulden has had a great final season so far, with a streak of wins in Atlanta against the Yellow Jackets and back home in Tuscaloosa against Centenary. Fleshner won both the onemeter and three-meter diving events by a long shot. Flechner’s winning threemeter dive score of 417.15 broke his old record in the Alabama

Aquatic Center from 2006. On the one-meter board he scored 372.60, just a few points from being record-breaking as well. The Tide will face off against the Auburn Tigers Thursday at the James E. Martin Aquatic Center in Auburn. The reigning SEC champions do not intimidate Alabama. “The whole team is really excited; we’re on an event plan that leans toward our favor,” said junior Daniel Armstrong. “Auburn has some incredible swimmers, but if they’re not ready to go, we’re going to stick it to them.” “Auburn’s got a good program and they’ve done a great job, but I like where we are,”

IF YOU GO ... • What: Alabama at Auburn

• Where: James E. Martin Aquatic Center

• When: Thursday at 5 p.m.

McIlquham said. “We’re going to go down there and give it a good run. We match up pretty well, and it’s a shorter event, a 13-event format. We’ve got a shot at more than half of those swims.”

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A&E

The Crimson White

Oher: from poverty to the NFL By Spencer White Assistant Sports Editor Michael Oher was born Michael Jerome Williams Jr. on May 28, 1986, in Memphis, Tenn. Oher’s father, who abandoned him at an early age, was eventually shot, killed and tossed over a bridge, while Oher’s mother was a crack cocaine addict. Due to his family issues, Oher received very little formative attention in his early years. With no permanent address and a lack of guidance from either parents or social workers, he transitioned through 11 different schools in his first nine years of academic education, repeating both the first and second grades. For an 18-month span around the age of 10, Oher attended no school at all. But with a suspect Memphis public school system that saw more trouble in flunking students than in letting them pass, Oher was plodded along until he reached the ninth

grade with a GPA of 0.6. It was at this point, in the summer of 2002, that Tony Henderson, an inner-city man who had allowed the homeless Oher to sleep at his home, gave Briarcrest Christian School Michael’s application along with his own son’s. Oher was allowed into the private school and placed in the special needs program, where the large black kid with no history of academic achievement, in fact a kid who simply appeared to be a blank slate, would sit in classrooms and not only fail tests, but not even attempt them. Oher’s future was uncertain until a chance encounter with Sean Tuohy, a father of two Briarcrest students and prominent member of the community. Tuohy gave Oher a lunch account at the school. When Tuohy’s wife, Leigh Anne, later saw Oher walking in the November Memphis cold with little more than a T-shirt and shorts, hoping to sneak into the basketball facility for the heat, she found him the next day at school and took the

Sandra BullockĘźs character Leigh Anne Touhy talks to Michael Oher, played by Quinton Aaron, in the movie “The Blind Side.â€? rottentomatoes.com 6-foot-4, 344-pound boy by the hand to a clothing store. The Tuohys would later take Oher into their own home, where Leigh Anne arranged for a tutor and character course from Brigham Young University to raise his GPA. In the meantime, Oher found his way onto the football field. Passive and unsure at first, Oher learned to

become a dominant offensive lineman, earning attention from nearly every major southern college. Oher signed a letter of intent with Sean’s alma mater, the University of Mississippi, where he excelled as a fouryear starter at left tackle. On April 25, Michael Oher, college graduate and AllAmerican offensive tackle, was

selected with the 23rd pick of the NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. At his side in New York were the Tuohys, his guardians and family that had taken a troubled child from West Memphis out of the ghetto and into the limelight. Information from the book “The Blind Side.�

COMIC BOOK REVIEW

The past returns to haunt the future By Avery Dame Metro/State Editor

20th Century Boys

The great blessing of childhood fantasies is how rarely they come true. After all, what would our world really be like if evil aliens threatened the planet and only the force standing between us and total annihilation were the imaginations of five young boys, none of whom can spell “laser gun?� It’d be a bit like the world in Naoki Urasawa’s “20th Century Boys,� being released by Viz Media. Kenji Endo, one of the five boys, has not gone on to save the planet — now, the only thing he saves is the ever-precarious economic fate of his convenience store. However, his childhood fantasies return transformed into a pseudo-religious text associated with the growing “Friend� cult. The world will end with the coming of the 21st century, so claims Friend, and only Friend and his followers, using Kenji’s childhood plans, can save it. The group seems innocuous enough, until people begin dying or

• Naoki Urasawa is the author and artist • Vol. 1-5 available • Ongoing Series, Vol.6 in stores Dec. 15 • Viz Media is the publisher disappearing under mysterious circumstances, including a childhood friend who leaves behind one clue, the finger and eyeball logo of their childhood gang. On its surface, “20th Century Boysâ€? seems absurd, but Urasawa’s great strength is realism. He keeps his story grounded in strong characters and broad humor on the pitfalls of childhood and daily life. Kenji isn’t a hero-in-waiting, but a middle-aged man caught in the demands of his job while occasionally waxing nostalgic for his freewheeling college days as a failed rock guitarist. The Friend

cult has the basic elements of an innocuous self-improvement movement, but uplifting rock concerts and rallies hide obsession and fanatical devotion. “20th Century Boys� is one of those works best communicated as a comic, where the ridiculous nature of child Kenji’s 50-foot robot and laser guns can achieve real menace though Urasawa’s realistic artwork. However, Urasawa relaxes his style for humorous scenes. Though “20th Century Boys� seems dark in description, it’s equal parts humor and plot. And Urasawa plots “20th Century Boys� meticulously, and not one panel of the comic is unnecessary. Flashbacks to Kenji’s childhood in the 1970s tie directly into and reinforce current events, but aren’t altered by adult nostalgia. Kenji admits to his own failures as a self-centered young man whose ambitions far overreached his talent. These scenes are interspersed with musical references to the time, and Kenji’s relationship to bands like the Rolling Stones mirrors his own loss. Once powerful

and moving, rock music has become commercialized and no longer speaks to his emotions. Understanding this past is key to understanding “20th Century Boys.� Both Kenji and Friend are men unable to fully leave behind the failures of their youth. But Kenji’s core belief in the heroic values of his childhood, justice and put-

ting others first, allows him to embody an adult version of his own heroic dream. While current shounen series may be full of ninjas in orange tracksuits saving the day, Kenji and those who follow him are real-life embodiments of their old superheroes – troubled, certainly, but driven by values larger than themselves.

Continued from page 12

among other scenes. “I’m in some of the crowd scenes, but you can mostly see me in the signing day scene with Tim McGraw and Sandra Bullock,� Lum said. Lum said she was surprised to discover how “tiny� Sandra Bullock was in person, and she said she always looked taller on the big screen. As one of several students who met McGraw during filming, Lum said she was also surprised when McGraw revealed a juicy detail about his financial life. “I talked to Tim McGraw about Taco Bell,� Lum said. “He measures his money in gorditas.� She said while the hours were difficult for her as well, she enjoyed her summer in show business. “It’s a great summer job,� Lum said. “It’s not like sitting in front of the computer for hours. I’d totally do it again.� Wood said he, too, would do it again, especially given the choice between “The Blind Side� and “New Moon,� which will both be in theaters Nov. 20. “If I had a chance to be in ‘Twilight,’ I’d definitely pick ‘The Blind Side,’� Wood said. “Honestly, I think ‘Blind Side’ will be a better movie with its plot and its drama.� Lum said she had heard good things about “The Blind Side.� “They’re saying it’s going to be as big as, if not bigger, than ‘Remember the Titans,’� Lum said. Hollan said while he was glad to be in the film, he’s not sure if he would do it again, and he’s not too excited to see his performance on the big screen. “I mean, I’m happy that I’m in the film,� Hollan said. “But I have a line, and I really don’t want to hear it.�

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 12 • Thursday, November 12, 2009 Editor • Steven Nalley smnalley@crimson.ua.edu

Flicksto catch

Life on ‘The Blind Side’

ALABAMA STUDENTS GET MOMENTS IN LIMELIGHT By Steven Nalley Arts and Entertainment Editor Every illusion Brian Hollan had about the glamour of show business ended under the weight of a 375-pound stunt double. After several consecutive takes of a football scene where his character gets sacked, Hollan said one of the film’s stars began to worry about his safety. “Sandra Bullock goes up to me, and she says, ‘You need to be careful,’” Hollan said. “I got my ass kicked a lot. I had a trailer, though, so it was worth it.” Hollan, a freshman majoring in marketing with a specialization in finance and real estate, is one of several Alabama students who spent the summer as part of “The Blind Side,” the latest film from “The Rookie” director John Lee Hancock. The students appear alongside Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw and several real-life college football coaches, including Nick Saban. The film, adapted from Michael Lewis’s “The Blind Side: Evolution of A Game,” tells the story of Michael Oher’s rise from homeless boy to AllAmerican and first round NFL draft pick. Before coming to Alabama, Hollan originally planned on playing college football, and he had offers from Kentucky, Georgia Tech and North Carolina, among others. He ultimately gave up college football to concentrate on his studies, but his experience helped him to portray Oher’s football friend, Jay Collis. “In practice, me and Michael Oher go against each other all the time, and I’m a defensive player,” Hollan said. “The scene you’ll probably see me the most in is the board drill.” He said he also appears in a scene with Sandra Bullock and former Tennessee football coach Phil Fulmer, and while Hollan took a beating in some of his scenes, he said “The Blind Side” does have a scene that shows Collis’s more tender side.

COBB HOLLYWOOD 16 • 2012 (PG-13) • Pirate Radio (R) • The Box (R) • Disney’s A Christmas Carol (PG) • Disney’s A Christmas Carol in Disney Digital 3D (PG) • The Fourth Kind (PG-13) • The Men Who Stare at Goats (R) • Michael Jackson’s This Is It (G) • Sawa VI (R) • Law Abiding Citizen (R) • Where the Wild Things Are (PG) • Couples Retreat (PG-13) • Paranormal Activity (R)

Night life THURSDAY • Jupiter Bar & Grill — No Means Yes, doors open at 9:30 p.m. • Harry’s — The Whiskey River Band, 10:30 p.m. • Innisfree — Cooper Trent, 10:30 p.m.

FRIDAY • Little Willie’s — Debbie Bond and the Fabulous Blues Machine, doors open at 7 p.m. • Egan’s Bar — The Electric Deltens and Solartrees, 10:30 p.m. • Innisfree — Excalibur, 10:30 p.m. SATURDAY • Little Willie’s — The Classic Flame, 9 p.m.

• Mellow Mushroom — Miroirs, doors open at 9 p.m. • Egan’s — The Motions an Charmed I’m Sure, 10:30 p.m.

CW | Bethany Martin Justin Wood, Ginger Lum and Brian Hollan all appear in “The Blind Side.”

Saban comes to the big screen By Steven Nalley Nick Saban is no stranger to appearing on television screens across the country, but he hesitated to make his big screen debut. “I don’t do many things like this, and I turned down doing this to start with,” Saban said at a press conference Nov. 4. “I don’t want to say any names, but somebody who’s a very influential person called me and asked me to do it for Michael Oher, for the Tuohy family and all that, so I ended up doing it.” Saban is one of the many college football coaches who portray themselves in “The Blind Side,” coming to theaters Nov. 20. Other current and former Southeastern Conference coaches in the movie include Philip Fulmer, Ed Orgeron, Houston Nutt and Tommy Tuberville. Saban said once he began working with director John Lee Hancock and the other actors, he enjoyed himself. He said Hancock and the actors were willing to both coach him and let him decide how to play a coach.

“I haven’t seen the movie, I don’t know what’s in it, but when I was sitting there doing the recruiting talk, and they had a script, and when I came to the front door, the two or three parts I had, you know, the director was great, and I said, ‘You know, I really wouldn’t say this this way,” Saban said. “‘If I was recruiting a player, this is how I would say it, this is what I’d say.’ He said, ‘Say it however you want to say it.’” He said two of the movie’s stars, Tim McGraw and Sandra Bullock, also helped him. “You talk about professionals in terms of helping people who have no experience in doing these things,” Saban said. “It was very helpful, and it was actually fun.” The film depicts Saban during his LSU years, but Saban said that should not concern his Alabama fans. “It’s a historic thing, so my heart’s here, so nobody has to worry about any of that stuff,” Saban said.

“The other scene [I’m in] is right before the game,” Hollan said. “Michael Oher is getting racially slurred at, and I gave him words of encouragement.” One reason Hollan said he got into the movie was because a friend of his knew the director. Through another friend, he familiarized himself with Oher’s story before shooting, although he didn’t know he was preparing at he time. “My good friend’s dad gave me the book to read before I even knew about the movie,” Hollan said. “It was weird because a week later after that, I was acting in the movie.” Another student who got help from a friend to get into “The Blind Side” is Justin Wood, a junior majoring in media production. While Wood didn’t get the three speaking lines he auditioned for, Wood did get a callback to be an extra. “During the football game, I’m a sideline football player,” Wood said. “You probably won’t see me. You’ll just see a blur. And, during the practices, I was a lacrosse player and track runner.” Wood said the only celebrity he met was Faith Hill, Tim McGraw’s wife, who brought her kids to the set. “She was just sitting on the track, playing with her kids, and we just sat next to her and talked for a while,” Wood said. “She really didn’t mind people just coming up and talking with her. She was playing with the kids. While Wood’s job description didn’t include getting sacked by a stunt double, he said the work was still grueling. “It was about 12- to 14-hour days or nights,” Wood said, “and if you left early, you didn’t get paid.” Like Wood and Hollan, Ginger Lum, a junior majoring in studio art, hails from Atlanta, where the film was shot. While the proximity to the location worked in their collective favor, Lum lived closest to the set, and she said that proximity attracted her to the movie. “I heard it was being filmed, like, a mile from my house,” Lum said. “I just contacted the casting company, and they told me to e-mail them my picture and everything.” Lum, another extra, plays both a student and an athlete in the movie. She said students could see her in a scene where Tim McGraw talks to a coach in a cafeteria,

See SCENE, page 10

Rotten Tomatos Brian Hollan, left, plays Jay Collis, who squares off against Michael Oher, played by Quinton Aaron, in a drill board scene. CW | Aaron Gertler

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