Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Serving the University of Alabama since 1894
Vol. 119, Issue 59
NEWS | TUSCALOOSA RIVERWALK
Riverwalk to feature ice rink for holiday season City’s ‘Winter Village’ set for Nov. 26 opening By Anna Waters Lead Designer University of Alabama students may find the Tuscaloosa Riverwalk transformed into a winter wonderland when they return from Thanksgiving, as Tuscaloosa plans to install an ice-skating rink, snow machines and a winter village.
“What we envision is that Tuscaloosa kids won’t have to travel somewhere else to have a Christmas experience,” Wendy Riggs, Tuscaloosa’s public projects committee’s director of arts and entertainment, said. “I think it’s something that is going to be very big. We’ll have no idea how it’s going to affect us, but I believe it will be a fabulous thing for this town.” Holidays on the River’s main attraction will be the
60-by-85-foot ice-skating rink currently under construction where the Queen City Pool used to be, near the Mildred Westervelt Warner Transportation Museum on Jack Warner Parkway. The project is expected to open on Nov. 26 and run until Jan. 6 and accommodate up to 152 skaters at a time. Admission prices for a 90-minute skate session are expected to be set at $10. SEE ICE RINK PAGE 2
IF YOU GO... • What: Holidays on the River • Where: Location of old Queen City Pool • When: Nov. 26 to Jan. 6 • Cost: $5 for Riverwalk, $10 for ice-skating
CW | Mackenzie Brown
NEWS | SORORITY EXPANSION
CW | Cora Lindholm
Delta Delta Delta, Alpha Gamma Delta and Alpha Delta Pi are all in the process of building new houses next to the Delta Gamma house, which was completed this summer.
All sororities plan to expand, relocate Board of Trustees lay out plans for expansion By Colby Leopard Staff Reporter With the University of Alabama entering the construction and designing phases of the sorority expansion master plan, every house on sorority row is slated to
expand or relocate in the next few years. “Delta Gamma is already occupied; others are currently under construction; others are in the early stages of design, and others have not been planned or designed yet,” Cathy Andreen, director of media relations, said. Alpha Gamma Delta, Delta Delta Delta and Alpha Delta Pi are under construction near the already
completed Delta Gamma house. The master plan calls for the demolition of several buildings including the old Delta Delta Delta house, Temple Tutwiler, Barnwell Hall and the HES Design House. This will allow the other sorority houses that are not moving to expand. Cathy Andreen said each sorority house, either new or renovated, will be approximately 40,000
square feet. To fund the construction and renovations, the University is loaning Kappa Delta, Gamma Phi Beta and Alpha Chi Omega sororities approximately $12 million a piece. The University will also grant Alpha Phi $11 million for renovations. The sororities are responsible for paying the loan back to the University within 30 years, Andreen said. After the demolitions, Alpha Chi
Omega will expand their house onto Delta Delta Delta’s former lot. According to the resolution concerning Alpha Chi Omega’s expansion, the Board of Trustees approved a $12 million loan to the sorority for the project. Alpha Chi Omega will use the funds to expand their house to be approximately 40,000 square feet. SEE SORORITY PAGE 2
NEWS | ALUMNI
NEWS | MEDICINAL MARIJUANA
Recent graduate wins big
Legal marijuana in state ‘unlikely’
Rothermich competes on ‘The Price is Right’
State Representative says he advocates for medicinal use, but hearings discouraging
By Mark Blanton Contributing Writer
By Adrienne Burch Staff Reporter
In addition to getting his degree, Phil Rothermich, a recent University of Alabama graduate, can now check “Win ‘The Price is Right’ Showcase Showdown” off his to-do list. Phil Rothermich won approximately $29,000 in prizes during a recent airing of “The Price is Right,” including a grill, clothes, outdoor furniture and a new Hyundai Elantra. Saeed Saleh, a friend of Phil Rothermich who attended the taping of the show with him, said Rothermich was in shock after he won. “He had his hand on his head and was walking up to people at the Grove Mall telling them, ‘I just won a car on ‘The Price is Right!’ No one believed him,” Saleh said. Elizabeth Rothermich, his
Colorado and Washington legalized recreational marijuana on Tuesday, Nov. 6, but the passing of similar legalization in the state of Alabama does not appear likely, at least for the near future. “It is doubtful that broad legislation of marijuana use will occur in the foreseeable future in Alabama,” Joseph Colquitt, Beasley professor of law and a retired Alabama circuit judge, said. “There have been efforts to legalize marijuana for medical use, but even those efforts have been unsuccessful.” While other states are legalizing the recreational use of marijuana, Alabama is still fighting the battle for legalizing marijuana for medical purposes. Medicinal marijuana has been approved in
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mother, said he was ecstatic when he told her about the experience. “He said his adrenaline was pumping so hard that he didn’t think he would be able to sleep for days,” Elizabeth Rothermich said. She said ever since he was young, he had dreamed about
ecycle this p
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Freemantle Media North America/CBS
Recent graduate, Phil Rothermich, won approximately $29,000 in prizes including a new Hyundai Elantra.
INSIDE today’s paper
going on the show and winning the Showcase Showdown. “Phil has watched ‘The Price is Right’ since he was in grade school. He would yell at the contestants on the show, and he loved Bob Barker,” Rothermich said. SEE ROTHERMICH PAGE 2
Briefs ........................2
Sports ..................... 16
Opinions ...................4
Puzzles.................... 15
Culture .................... 10
Classifieds .............. 15
some form in 18 states plus the District of Columbia. Two medicinal marijuana bills have been introduced to the Alabama state legislature in 2012, but both failed to get out of committee. A hearing was held on Nov. 14 to allow advocates and opponents of legalizing medicinal marijuana in Alabama to speak up. One of the primary proponents is Republican State Rep., K.L. Brown. Brown said he first became an advocate of medicinal marijuana use when he saw it help his sister who was suffering from breast cancer 25 years ago. “I have seen so many cases that I just felt like the people could have gotten help,” Brown said. “Many people are just trying to get back into a shape where they can work, and the pain medication they
WEATHER today
Partly cloudy
70º/43º
are on will not allow them to do that.” He said he believes medicinal marijuana could be beneficial to people dealing with medical issues ranging from cancer to HIV/AIDS. However, Brown said he was discouraged by the hearing last week, and he does not feel like the bill has any real chance of passing in the near future. “If you were at the makeup of the health committee and heard the responses we got after the hearing, I doubt it will ever even get out of committee,” he said. Rebecca Howell, a UA assistant professor of criminal justice, said she believes one of the main reasons Alabama will not legalize marijuana use of any sort is because there are still a large number of evangelical Christians and non-Christians who are conservative on social and fiscal issues in the state.
SEE MARIJUANA PAGE 2
Wednesday 72º/48º Partly cloudy
cl e recy this p se
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What: Capstone Quartet Where: Moody Music
Page 2• Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Building Recital Hall
When: 7:30 - 9:30 p.m.
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LAKESIDE LUNCH
DINNER
Creamy Parmesan Cavatappi with Shrimp Catfish Nuggets Crab Bisque Pepperoni Pizza Baked Macaroni & Cheese Peas & Carrots Blackened Tofu Taco Salad (Vegetarian)
Grilled BBQ Pork Chops Chicken Burrito Grilled Ham & Cheese Sandwich Fettuccine Alfredo Corn on the Cobb Baked Macaroni & Cheese Broccoli & Cheddar Spud (Vegetarian)
LUNCH Grilled Jerk Chicken Spaghetti with Meat Sauce Turkey Sandwich Seafood Salad Baked Macaroni & Cheese Steamed Broccoli Vegetable Curry with Jasmine Rice (Vegetarian)
Speaker said approximately 80 sisters will be able to live in the house each year, double the 40 sisters that currently live in the house. The house will be slightly above average in terms of how many people it will house. Andreen said each new or expanded house will be approximately 40,000 square feet, but that most will have between 60 and 70 beds. By comparison, Alicia Browne, director of Housing and Residential Communities said the University approved spending approximately $66 million on Presidential Village, the new student-housing complex on the north side of campus. Presidential Village is capable of housing 971 students, whereas the four sorority houses that had had their expansions approved by the Board of Trustees in
November 2012 will house between 240 and 290 students for approximately $47 million. The Board of Trustees also passed a resolution to provide Kappa Delta sorority with a $12 million loan to fund their house’s expansion. Kirkland Back, a junior Kappa Delta from Gadsden, Ala., said the changes to sorority row come with mixed emotions. “It’s been clear for a while now that everyone was going to have to expand. That’s hard because you lose tradition – you lose the houses where decades of memories have been made,” Back said. “But it’s exciting in that we now have beautiful, new houses to break in. There won’t be a dry eye when the house is torn down, but [Kappa Delta] can’t wait to show everyone the amazing plans we have for our home.”
he said. During the taping, Phil Rothermich was selected to compete on the show. It came as no surprise to Saleh, ROTHERMICH FROM PAGE 1 who has known him since Before the show, Phil second grade. Rothermich said a producer “Knowing Phil for so long, I of the show interviewed him, was not at all surprised that he asking him such questions was chosen,” Saleh said. “The like“Where are you from?” producers wanted a good show and “What do you do?” and there was no one better for “I tried to really have a lot the job that day.” of energy and personality,” Phil Rothermich said the stu-
dio was a very colorful place, adding that it is much smaller than it seems on television. “Being inside felt like seeing Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory,” he said. Overall, Phil Rothermich described his experience at the show as unbelievable. “I would definitely recommend going to the show to everyone; it was a blast and hey, you never know, you might just win,” he said.
Houses keep pace with UA’s growth SORORITY FROM PAGE 1 “The growth on sorority row will allow chapters to have more resources to bigger new member classes, thus making the greek system able to serve more students,” said Susan Speaker, the president of Alpha Chi Omega sorority. “As more and more students are recruited to the University each year, the number of people who go through recruitment increases as well. By adding new chapters to our Panhellenic Association and building or expanding current houses, the greek system is working to compensate for the growth of the University.” With the additions to the Alpha Chi Omega house,
DINNER
Former student won prizes worth $29,000
Will Whitlock 348-8735 Amy Metzler osmspecialprojects2@gmail.com
WIN LIKE BAMA! BAMA’S WINNING MARGIN IS YOUR DISCOUNT! If Bama wins by 12 points, then your discount is 12%... If Bama wins by 30 points, then your discount is 30%... OFF OF EVERYTHING IN THE STORE! (Excludes “Sale” items)
Minimum discount is 5% and maximum is 30% . (SUNDAY ONLY)
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LUNCH
Greek Gyro Smoked Turkey Leg Chicken, Bacon & Pesto Pizza Sofrito Black Beans & Rice Fried Okra Roasted Vegetables Mu Shu Tofu (Vegetarian)
Steak Turkey Chili Spinach, Feta & Ham Pizza Couscous Baked Potato Bar Corn on the Cobb Broccoli (Vegetarian)
Rink should be draw to region in winter
unanimously voted on Nov. 6 to support the project, estimating the cost to be $157,000. The Committee’s arts and entertainment department reassured the City Council that – between sponsorships and revenue – the worst it could do is break even. The Special Projects Committee was very pleased with the development of Holidays on the River and commended Wendy Riggs and the arts and entertainment department for their work. “This is exactly the type of creativity that we were hoping we would get with this department,” councilman Lee Garrison said.
ICE RINK FROM PAGE 1 Because the nearest iceskating rink is 60 miles from Tuscaloosa, the City Council expects the facility to draw crowds from all over West Alabama. “We’re trying to get some more arts into the city,” City Councilman Bob Lundell said. “This is the first time we’ll have an ice rink. [We hope it will] put us on the map as far as a place to go for entertainment.” The City of Tuscaloosa Public Projects Committee
State will not follow others with new laws MARIJUANA FROM PAGE 1
John Wolfrom 348-6875
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“To date, these individuals, Christians and non-Christian conservatives still outnumber those Alabamians who are secular progressives in mindset and action,” Howell said. “Hence, to date, when Alabama has held referendum on medical marijuana, this policy has been voted down by the bulk of voters.” Howell said many people view the medical use of marijuana as a guise that places society on a slippery slope toward the eventual future decriminalization and regulated legalization of marijuana. “This is accomplished by slowly making members of society comfortable with the idea of legislated marijuana use,” she said. Howell also said many voters in Alabama realize the symptoms of illnesses that marijuana can treat can, most times, be dealt with successfully using other legal drugs that have been approved by the Food and
Drug Administration. Colquitt said he also sees many reasons Alabama voters will not legalize marijuana in the state. He said groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving take strong positions against the legalization of drug use because they believe it will exacerbate the problem of impaired driving. While Colorado and Washington legalized recreational marijuana on the state level, there is still question as to the actual effect this will have because marijuana remains illegal on the federal level. So far, federal authorities have been taking a “wait-andsee” approach in Colorado and Washington as those states implement their new laws. “It will be interesting to see in the coming months how the federal government will approach these new state laws,” Howell said. “If there is an actual confrontation, federalism triumphs if the states win out. If the federal government wins out and the states are forced to revert back to full prohibition of marijuana use, federalism loses and big government wins.”
NEWS
OPINION
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Tuesday, November 20, 2012 | Page 3
Thanksgiving hours of on-campus services, dining halls Wednesday 11/21
Thursday 11/22
Friday 11/23
Saturday 11/24
Sunday 11/25
Rec Center
5:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Closed
10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
9 a.m. - 11 a.m.
midnight - noon
Bruno Library
7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Closed
Closed
Closed
1 p.m. - 1 a.m.
Gorgas Library
7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Closed
Closed
Closed
noon - 2 a.m.
Music Library
8:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.
Closed
Closed
Closed
1 p.m. - midnight
Roger’s and McClure
7:45 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Closed
Closed
Closed
1 p.m. - midnight
Ferguson Center
7 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Closed
10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
7 a.m. - 10 p.m.
10 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Chick-fil-A (in the Ferg)
11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Closed
Closed
Closed
Closed
Subway (in the Ferg)
7:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Closed
Closed
Closed
Closed
Stewart’s Corner
Closed
Closed
Closed
Closed
Closed
SUPe Store
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Closed
1 - 5 p.m.
8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Closed
Starbucks
7 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Closed
7 a.m. - 9 p.m.
10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Dunkin’ Donuts
8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Closed
Closed
Closed
8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Buffalo Phil’s
Closed
Closed
Closed
4 p.m. - 2 a.m.
4 p.m. - 2 a.m.
Julia’s Market
Closed
Closed
Closed
10 a.m. - 2 a.m.
10 a.m. - 2 a.m.
Burke Dining Hall
7:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.
noon - 3 p.m.
noon - 3 p.m.
Closed
4:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Bryant Sports Grill
10:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Closed
Closed
Closed
Closed
Fresh Food Co.
Closed
Closed
Closed
Closed
Closed
Lakeside Dining
10:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Closed
Closed
Closed
9 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
CW | Whitney Hendrix
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Sunday 10:00 Worship 11:00 Bible Class & Lunch Monday 7:30 Coffee House & Devo
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NEWS OPINION CULTURE SPORTS
OPINIONS
Page 4 Editor | SoRelle Wyckoff letters@cw.ua.edu Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Affirmative action is a privilege for the unprivileged By Cheyenne Paiva Staff Columnist
MCT Campus
Embrace movement, forget about intended destination By Henry Downes Staff Columnist
I wrote this on an airplane napkin, as my handwriting – jerked and jolted by turbulence – meandered and bounced like an ECG graph or a lie detector. I was trying to keep still, but simply couldn’t stop moving. I stuffed the napkin in my pocket, and all I could salvage when the plane touched down was a torn and smudged outline for a column. Actually, not an outline, but a collection of vaguely connected thoughts which seemed like they had something to say. I was thinking about movement. Do you ever wonder how many people are literally in the air at any given moment, going somewhere? It’s as if there is an entire population of humans suspended thousands of feet in the air, living lives of pure transit. I was moving, too – well, not literally, but I was on a plane that was moving. Then again, the plane was travelling through air that was moving, which was itself
part of the Earth’s axial rotation and orbit, so I guess it’s all relative and nothing was moving. Or everything was. Anyway, it occurred to me that people really are always moving, even when they’re trying to stand still. And as we float by, everything is relentlessly changing, which can be scary. Whether it is seniors scheduling their final semesters of courses or the rest of us staring obsessively at our Degreeworks “progress” meters, it seems like change is hopelessly imminent – which is even scarier. Sometimes change can be abrupt and jarring, while other times it is barely audible – just background noise. Occasionally we directly seek it out, but other times it marches on without our consent. As for me, I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the changes I’ll face next semester when I’ll be traveling and studying in Europe until June. I’ve been particularly struck by the bittersweet realization that I won’t be back in Tuscaloosa for about eight
months after final exams this December – it will be a definite break from my normal rhythms of life, promising both welcome and unwelcome changes. Maybe we can’t stop change – we are simply resigned to live in a state of perpetual motion. But maybe sometimes, if we embrace the turbulence, a lack of perception can become reality long enough for us to forget where it is that we’re going. Maybe that’s why we love Saturdays in the fall so much. Maybe that’s why I get chills every time I watch the videos from this past weekend of people losing their minds on the Strip, with that inevitably catchy song playing in the background: “Home,” by Phillip Phillips. Because although the faces and the names change, we find some constants here, and that’s reassuring. So, if you can stop moving long enough to finish reading this column, I suggest taking some time to appreciate what makes this place so great. For me, it’s being able to see the leaves turn in
early November along the Black Warrior; it’s a bike ride through the vibrant country air on Sanders Ferry Road; it’s all the colors and smells of the Quad on a crisp fall Gameday. It seems in some ways we are frozen in time here, floating in a strange space between what we were, what we are and what we want to be when we grow up. Still, we incessantly hurtle forward; reaching out desperately in a futile attempt to stop the world from spinning under our feet, even as we grasp curiously at tomorrow. I guess I probably think too much about tomorrow. There is so much about Tuscaloosa and ourselves that is moving and changing. But sometimes we can embrace the turbulence; we are able to forget – if only for precious fleeting moments – that we’re all just passing through. And maybe that’s enough. Henry Downes is a sophomore majoring in economics. His column runs on Tuesdays.
Fifty years ago, in the midst of the American civil rights movement, President John F. Kennedy established what we now refer to as affirmative action. Its original purpose was that of non-discrimination, eventually considering factors of race, color, religion, sex and national origin. Now, I am a California liberal. I voted to repeal the death penalty, to legalize marijuana, to label genetically-modified food products and to allow gay marriage – not that you have to wear blue to think progressively. However, I think affirmative action is one of the biggest superficial hypocrisies in modern American thought. But I do not think it should go. I decided to highlight this opinion in the face of recent federal court actions on the subject. Last Thursday, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals turned over Michigan’s ban on affirmative action, and as you read, the Supreme Court is making its decision on the legality of this law in general. I also decided to share this opinion because I may have just fully formed it after years trying to figure it out. Here is the conundrum: I am a first-generation American born to Asian immigrants and a firstgeneration college student attending a university in which I belong to its least-represented demographic. But that scenario in no way epitomized or represented my college application strategy. I did not grow up in a region marked by its lack of cultural diversity. I grew up far from it, literally and figuratively, in a state where Asians dominated college admissions statistics and where my ethnicity probably had a negative affect on my chances toward acceptance. I never planned on affirmative action, never wanted it, never needed it and never used it. But whether or not I was accepted because of affirmative action is irrelevant. That ceases to be the question once you realize the answer President Kennedy was trying to reach. Affirmative action does not make amends for race – it makes amends for privilege. I came from privilege – not that of wealth but that of circumstance. My ancestors chose to come here during a time when the administration paved a way for them to safely do so. They were not mass murdered like the Native Americans, they were not enslaved like African Americans, and they were not ignored like Hispanic Americans. In this regard, I found my privileges brought by chance rather than through any action of my own. Others find the opposite, and that is not fair. To those with equal rights but inferior advantages, here is your due. To those whose lives began 10 steps back, this is your pardon. We have 50 years since President Kennedy’s executive order is evidence that ability still is not just the product of birth, so to those labeled free but who remain out of opportunity’s reach, affirmative action is your privilege and yours alone.
Cheyenne Paiva is a junior majoring in biology. Her column runs biweekly.
Photographing Crimson Tide football team reminder of excitement in exercising By Cora Lindholm CW Staff CLICK. Eddie Lacy just caught a perfect pass. CLICK. AJ McCarron smiles as he collaborates and cheers on his teammates. CLICK. Harrison Jones completes the running drills with perfect agility and strength. The sun beats down hard on the Mal Moore practice field. Sweat beads down every hard-working player’s face, intensity and focus never absent from their frame of mind. As I take photographs for The Crimson White’s sports section, I start to gain a better understanding of what exercising and being healthy is all about. The Alabama football team finds joy in working out because they are truly passionate about their sport. College students have always struggled with balancing school, social life and exercise. Since we are so preoccupied and distracted by everything around us, the “fun” in working out has disappeared. I often find myself forcing a one-or two-hour workout in every other day just because I should, doing my regular,
mundane routine to keep my body fit and not get too lazy. But, quite frankly, it’s really boring. I have lost the passion for exercising. Remember the good ole days when we had recess in elementary school? The playground was our escape. The bell would ring, and I would sigh in relief, so happy I could let my mind rest and my body move after slouching in a cold plastic chair all day. Remember kicking the red, rubber ball and sprinting to all the bases in kickball? Remember ballerina serves, no strings, bubbles and double hits in tetherball? Remember the simple joys of four square? Wall ball? Basketball? Football? The list goes on and on. Now it’s all about isolating ourselves on the treadmills maybe twice a week, zoning out to our iPods. Sometimes, just walking from class to class on campus has to count as a workout. I am definitely guilty of this routine, which is why I am so keen to address the problem and find a solution not only for students in general, but for myself as well. Instead of forcing our groggy
selves to make time to go to the gym, we should discover a more meaningful motivation to stay fit and be healthy. I don’t know about you, but I miss the fun of recess and running around being free to play with my friends outside and have a good time. Therefore, I encourage all of you to find that energy-bound little kid within you and have fun exercising. Don’t let it be a chore or just another check box on your to-do list. Make working out an outlet, something to look forward to. We need mental breaks, or we will go absolutely insane. It’s a win-win situation if we play our cards right. If you find a sport or activity you love to do, time will fly, and you will naturally have an enriching, feel-good workout no 20-minute treadmill run could offer. Now, don’t get me wrong, the treadmills at the gym are fantastic. We have a state-ofthe-art facility of which I hope everyone is taking advantage. I am suggesting switching up your routine every once and a while, trying something new and refreshing to keep you on your toes. So today, why don’t
you round up your dorm floor and set up a game of baseball at the rec fields? Gather up your freshman English class and play Frisbee on the Quad? Start an intramural team with your church or club? Working out is key to success in every aspect of your life. Never cut exercising out of your routine, especially during your college years. You need those extra endorphins to keep you happy and healthy. Look at the success of our Alabama football team – all of our collegiate sports teams for that matter. Fourteen national championships? Soon to be 15? The only way for our players to have such great success is passion for their sport and working out. They add a whole new element to exercising; they put their hearts into it. They have a goal; they have fun. I am inspired by my football team every day. Every time I go to practice to shoot photographs for The Crimson White, I am encouraged to work hard and stay healthy. Roll Tide. Cora Lindholm is a photographer for The Crimson White.
CW | Cora Lindholm
Crimson Tide tight end Harrison Jones.
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Tuesday, November 20, 2012 | Page 5
Impact of social media seen during extreme weather By Lucy Cheseldine Staff Columnist
The British have an obsession with the weather. I remember the six o’clock news at my grandparents’ house. It would be a family affair, all of us sprawled out in front of the television, waiting for a prediction of what tomorrow’s sky was going to look like. We would all comment on what the weather woman had chosen to wear in contrast with the colorful map of the British Isles behind her, and then be hushed into silence as the jury announced the verdict. The weather forecast was a sort of prophesy by which to plan the rest of the week. This would reach its peak around school holidays. Mum would
run in from the kitchen holding a dish cloth and shouting, “Turn it up!” My brother and I would wait anxiously to see the little yellow sunshine appear on the screen. In my first stressful days at university, I would listen to the peaceful radio voice reading the shipping forecast to lull me into slumber. My grandparents even keep a weather book. A large, leather-bound journal stored neatly under their orange 1970s armchair. Every evening, over a glass of wine before dinner, they take out the book and record the weather. Then they look back to see how it compares to the same day last year. It’s a strange subject. When there’s nothing left to say, someone always feels it necessary to talk about
the temperature. Of course, media. This is one of the no matter how many pre- first natural disasters that dictions we broadcast or has shown the power of the recordings we make of it, the connected age. Fire departweather will do exactly as ments used Twitter and it pleases. Nowhere under- Facebook to monitor emerstands that gencies, and more than people were America at able to stay in Cameras and status updates the moment. touch despite are by no means a way to Still in recovfailing power. control or stop the damage ery mode from Not only this, Hurricane but ordinary of a hurricane, but they Sandy, much of citizens were are a way to improve our the East Coast able to capture response and to feed our is lamenton camera the fascination with the natural ing the power destruction wonder of weather. of nature. they were witFlooding and nessing and destruction post it straight have terrorto YouTube. ized a huge chunk of the Despite the risks, hundreds coast and mainland. of citizens flocked to the But the hurricane has also New York shore, clutching brought with it a new way to their iPhones to record a litapproach the weather: social tle piece of history for themselves. This united front was all made possible through the wealth of social networking sites and blogs, which are beginning to shape the revolutions we see happening around the world today. Cameras and status updates are by no means a way to control or stop the damage of a hurricane, but they are a way to improve our response and to feed our fascination with the natural wonder of weather. Now, people are empowered to record the habits of the skies. Obviously, this doesn’t compensate for the loss of lives and livelihoods taken by the hurricane. But perhaps it is all the more comforting to share nature at its most dangerous and find a fragment of consolation in communing over the most universal force on the planet.
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Lucy Cheseldine is an English international student studying English literature. Her column runs on Tuesdays.
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Block seating crowded, chaotic; drunk fans tend to detract from experience One of the things that has always been on my bucket list is sitting in the section behind the field goal at a football game. After the game against Mississippi State, I have officially scratched that off my list, while keeping in mind that it is a place I will never return to. The way the block seating works is each “student organization” applies online and the application is then sent to the Student Government Association. Depending on where the organizations are placed, they could have as many rows as eight or as few as one. I decided it would be fun to sit with my friends from Alpha Kappa Psi, a professional business fraternity, for the Homecoming game. As time went on, I noticed that when it comes to football games, no student organization is more professional than the next. The only thing I enjoyed most from sitting in that section was the fact that I did not have to enter the stadium two hours early to make sure I had a seat. Not only was it overcrowded because the fraternities did not know how to stay in their own sections, but I spent much of my time making sure the drunken “brothers” in front of me didn’t fall back, knocking us into the people behind me. Along with the brothers came
their sorority dates. If I was not making sure the guy in front of me was stable, I was making sure the girls around me had enough walking space in between the bleachers as they threw their hands around, showing off the alcohol they apparently snuck in. Aside from the fact that the smell of alcohol attacked my nose each time someone walked by me, I had no room to move whenever that person was pushing against the crowd. More people than I could count said they were in the wrong section and needed to leave, but of course being polite is too much to ask, so I was pushed into the people next to me numerous times and almost off the bleachers three times. The University needs to have security officers in place in the student sections to protect the students who drink before the games, the people around them. Post-game, I have a sprained wrist. Why? Perhaps because of the strenuous work I did to prevent myself or someone else from falling. University officials need to keep people in their block, and they need to prevent drunken students from pulling the signs off the walls, as had one person I met.
Krista James is a freshman majoring in journalism.
Page 6 | Tuesday, November 20, 2012
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Environmental efforts need to be tackled by both UA’s students, administration By Mary Sellers Shaw Staff Columnist When you think of The University of Alabama, there are several landmarks that come to mind. Denny Chimes, the President’s Mansion, the Gorgas House, and, of course, Bryant-Denny Stadium, the home of our national championship winning
football team. We pride ourselves on being the best, working diligently, and focusing on achieving our goals. And while our athletic goals seem to be being met, other goals on campus sometimes seem to be overshadowed. Our lack of focus on environmental affairs is something that, as we expand as a university, needs to be dealt with. Let’s take the stadium, for example. How many nights have you walked around campus and seen the glow of BryantDenny in the distance? While this makes for a pretty picture, leaving the stadium lights on 24/7 seems incredibly excessive. The lights were even on during the Western Carolina game
this past weekend – do we really need help seeing in the middle of broad daylight? Leaving the lights on in the stadium is not only a waste of our tuition money, but it also is a huge waste of energy. Even just keeping the lights on during Gameday weekends would help decrease our energy consumption while still allowing the excitement seeing the stadium brings. Something else that needs to be given increased attention is recycling on campus. While we do have various recycling receptacles around campus, there is always room for improvement. Recycling bins should be placed next to the dorm trash chutes so students are actively reminded of their choice to recycle. Making recycling more convenient for students will increase our recycled products here on campus.
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Then, there are the dining halls. When you go over to Burke, Fresh Foods or Lakeside Dining, you’re not going to find a typical cafeteria. Instead, you’ll find an all-you-can-eat buffet stocked with every type of food you can imagine. And while this sounds like a college student’s dream, in reality it leads to much more food wasted than necessary. I know every time I go to one of the dining halls, I can never finish eating all the food I put on my plate, and it’s rare that anyone else does either. Not only that, but with freshmen now required to buy an unlimited meal plan, there’s no reason not to get an excess of food and to do so often. When you think about how much food must be wasted
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them in the garbage. At the dining halls, only get what you need to eat and then go back for seconds instead of piling your plate up the first time (this will reduce waste and keep off those pesky extra pounds). If students and the University partner together to make the environment a priority, we can decrease our consumption across the board and lead the way to a cleaner, greener campus. Oh, and when you’re finished reading today’s CW? Go ahead and throw it in the recycling bin, too. Mary Sellers Shaw is a junior majoring in communications and civic engagement. Her column runs biweekly on Tuesdays.
History repeats with secession petitions By Hannah Waid Staff Columnist
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every day, though, it should make us reconsider our policy of more always being better. If we want to continue our growth in national respect, we need to be aware of issues that are important to students. Our generation is increasingly concerned with the environment and living “green,” and the University needs to follow suit. We must remember, however, that this doesn’t all fall on the University. As students, we must do our part as well. Turn off the lights when you leave a room. Make a separate pile of recyclable items when you’re taking out the trash. After your finals are over, recycle your old notebooks and papers instead of throwing
The phrase “We the people” has taken on a whole new meaning recently. President Obama’s administration set up an online petition website with the title “We The People,” where people can create a petition for the White House to review their concerns. Before this year’s election, petitions ranged from issues of legalizing marijuana to a White House beer recipe. When looking at some of the petitions on the “We The People” website, many seem ridiculous. But then again, many bring important values into question. As of Thursday, all 50 states have now created petitions to secede from the United States through the “We The People” online petition website. Some petitions have a significant number of signatures, enough to evoke a response from the White House. Although many are saying these secession petitions should not be taken seriously,
it is still important to note that people have an option and are fighting to be heard. People are making a statement. A statement that they are not happy. There are also those at the other extreme of this opinion, petitioning to revoke the citizenship of and “peacefully deport” those who have signed the secession petitions. How has our country become so divided? A building tension seems to have reached its breaking point with this past election between Gov. Romney and President Obama. Is history repeating itself? Is there a chance that our country will see a divide like it did during the Civil War between the Union and the Confederate States? Slavery was the prominent issue back then that caused the separation, but what is the ultimate cause of today’s desire to secede? Because of the timing of these petitions, many are attributing it to the re-election of President Obama. But perhaps it is not so much his reelection that caused the desire
to secede. Instead, it seems as though people are simply expressing their frustration through a new medium. When thinking seriously about the idea of secession, most states would probably see they could not stand on their own. These petitions are the voices of people who are unhappy with our country today. They are unhappy with issues like the economy. And they are expressing themselves through the extreme form of secession petitions. Obama’s administration claims to attempt to respond to all petitions with more than 25,000 signatures. But whether or not these secession petitions get a response, we as citizens should find another way to deal with frustrations. The answer is not to run. Citizens instead should join together as the true ‘We,’ in “We The People.” Hannah Waid is a junior majoring in English. Her column runs biweekly on Tuesdays.
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Tuesday, November 20, 2012 | Page 7
Not all leases have to be signed by end of fall semester
By Mark Hammontree Contributing Writer As the semester draws to a close, students often spend their time planning their spring schedule, studying for finals and in some cases, getting a jump on next fall’s housing rush. Many UA students have already made decisions and down payments on their housing for a full year from now, whether they sought out a new apartment or house early or signed another lease for their current location. To veterans of the Tuscaloosa housing shuffle, this is simply
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how the game is played, but to others, the process is surprising and nerve-racking. “I had no idea that apartments for next fall were already being filled this October,” said Elizabeth Perkinson, a freshman majoring in English and theatre who is currently living in the Riverside Community. “I didn’t know we were even supposed to have begun thinking about where we’re going to room next year or even who with.” Upperclassmen are no strangers to the housing rush and are among those who have already procured their residential spaces for the 2013-2014
school year. “Last year, I barely got in with the guys I wanted, where we wanted,” junior Jeff Stevens said. “You’ve got to be on top of your game if you want to live somewhere other than one of the dorms.” John Hyde, marketing director for Sealy Realty Company, which leases various apartments in Tuscaloosa, said the early search for housing is a relatively new thing. ‘Two or three years ago, students weren’t looking for apartments until spring break, but since then, especially since the [April 27, 2011] tornadoes, they
have been looking much earlier,” Hyde said. “The tornado tore up a lot of apartments, so students became more worried about finding the exact floor plan they wanted.” Additionally, the area between University Boulevard and 15th Street is considered by many students to be prime real estate. Its proximity to campus, college atmosphere and pedestrianfriendly aspects make the area one of the first to be taken off the real estate market. The leases on these houses are also often much harder to procure, partly due to the practice of handing down leases to friends,
fraternity brothers or sorority sisters. The construction and renovation of apartments and condos around the city, however, has led to a higher availability of housing and less of a need to sign a lease by Christmas, Hyde said. “The earlier you start looking, the better – if you want to find the exact floor plan – but there are still plenty enough in Tuscaloosa for students to find what they want,” Hyde said. Hyde also warned that not everyone prices similarly. Students often do not realize that although dorms and some apartments are priced individu-
ally by student, most apartments and rental houses are priced as a whole, Hyde said. For example, the cost of one apartment may look much more expensive than another, but when the cost is divided among potential roommates, the actual cost would be significantly less. Additionally, utilities are included in dorms and most apartments but are not necessarily included in rent for houses. The housing search can be made easier by planning ahead with regards to location, size and costs, but it may not necessarily mean signing a lease before the Iron Bowl.
Business students to ‘blitz build’ aging home for DCH employee By Alan Alexander Contributing Writer Students and staff from the Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration are partnering with Habitat for Humanity Tuscaloosa and Calvary Baptist Church to raise money and build a new home for a DCH Regional Medical Center employee. Jackie Wright lived with her sister and three nephews in a
two-bedroom house that had been in her family since before she was born. Because her sister suffers from diabetes and battles substance abuse, she has full custody of her nephews, who are 17, 8 and 3 years old. “You would never know because I still go to work and I smile every day,” Wright said. “I tell people y’all see the glory, but you just don’t know the story.” Wright is entering her twenty third year at DCH
Regional Medical Center, but the majority of her income has been spent trying to repair the house where she was born and raised. The house was affected by a number of issues, including a lack of insulation, an unstable foundation and a heating and air system that constantly leaked. Without heat during the night, Wright and her family resorted to sleeping on a single mattress next to the fireplace to keep
warm. “The main reason she couldn’t get out of her situation is because the house was so poorly constructed,” said Emily Howitz, one of three other marketing graduate students working on the project. As part of a project management class, the graduate students are helping organize and promote the campaign. Operating under the slogan “Get Jackie Home for Christmas,” the mission of the project is to have a new home built for Wright and her family in just five days. Known as a blitz build, the construction will last from Dec. 13 to Dec. 18 and cost $70,000. A team of 15 volunteers will work alongside 10 contractors each day to ensure the completion of the house before Dec. 25. Billy Hatmaker, a business professor who teaches project and marketing
management, is also a member at Calvary Baptist Church. Calvary started working with housing projects in Tuscaloosa several years ago and got in touch with Wright through its home repair ministry. “We’ve tried to help keep that house repaired and keep it from leaking for a couple of years now and it just isn’t repairable,” Hatmaker said. “We knew what was going to have to happen.” The house was demolished shortly after receiving confirmation from Habitat Tuscaloosa that the project was a go. Wright and her family now live with an aunt until their new home sees completion. Carson Tinker, a marketing graduate student and the long snapper for UA’s football team, also works on the project. Although he knows the experience gained from participating in this operation looks impressive on a resume, he doesn’t
consider that the most important aspect. “I gain vital career experience working on this project, but the biggest thing for me is being able to make a huge difference in Ms. Jackie’s life by helping her and her family,” Tinker said. The students and member of Calvary have raised $45,000 through donations and offerings but are still short of their goal. A fund raiser with Chickfil-a is planned for Nov. 29, with 10 percent of the proceeds going to the construction of the new home. Donations can also be made online by clicking on the green donate button under the Get Jackie Home for Christmas tab on the Habitat Tuscaloosa website. “This is a godsend,” Wright said. “I have been praying for 22 years and my prayers have finally been answered.”
Page 8 | Tuesday, November 20, 2012
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Jewish students sound off on faith, eating kosher By Ashanka Kumari Chief Copy Editor Many Crimson Tide fans have that one thing they do or wear on Gameday for luck. For one Alabama student, this good luck charm stems from his faith. Ben Flax, a sophomore majoring in religious studies, wears a kippah daily as part of practicing Judaism, but on Gameday, he wears a special one with the Alabama ‘A’ encrusted on the top. “I found it in Jerusalem after we won the championship in 2009,” Flax said. A kippah, also known by the Yiddish term yarmulke, is the Hebrew word for a small, rounded skullcap worn by Orthodox and Conservative Jewish men in the synagogue and at home. “It comes from the Hebrew words meaning ‘acknowledging the angel,’ which is the idea that at all times, I’m making the realization that there is something above me,” Flax, who wears a kippah daily, said. There are three different divisions followers of Judaism fall into: Orthodox, Conservative and Reform. Flax said he identifies with Traditional Conservative Judaism. “I agree with the Conservative movement as it stood in the 1970s,” Flax said. “I’m supposed to pray three times a day, which I try to do, but usually, instead of doing a full recitation, I’ll choose certain ones that I prefer for the day or speak to an event that is going on especially right now where there is lots of stuff going in the Middle East, so I’ll say a prayer for the Israeli defense force and the state of Israel every day.” Amy Ackerman, a sophomore majoring in nonprofit management through the New College, said she identifies as a Reform Jew. “To me, [Reform Judaism]
is the chillest form of Judaism,” Ackerman said. “Practicing my faith to me means attending services during the holidays and having faith in God. I think everyone practices religion differently and no two people are ever going to pray and have faith the same way. Some Conservative and all Orthodox Jews keep kosher. They also might attend Shabbat services every Friday night and Saturday morning, but that is not the case for me.” As a Reform Jew, Ackerman said she chooses not to keep kosher. Flax, on the other hand, said he tries to. “What [keeping kosher] entails is that there are a list of animals I can and cannot eat,” Flax said. “With mammals, it’s any mammal that has split hooves or chews its cud or second stomach. These are herbivores, so cows, goats, sheep, giraffes; these are kosher and can be eaten. However, pigs, horses, dogs – those are not considered kosher animals. When you get to fish, it’s any fish that has fins and scales, so you can have salmon, tilapia, mahi-mahi, but you can’t have catfish or swordfish. Shell fish and reptiles are also a no. There is also a list of birds you cannot have in the Torah.” The Torah is the name of the first five books of the Jewish Bible and defines the principles of Judaism. Flax said although he says his prayers in Hebrew, there are English translations that are used. “A big thing in Judaism I like is that while Hebrew is our language and the language used for a lot of prayers and peaces, it’s not required that it’s the only way,” Flax said. “If you are not comfortable with Hebrew, or don’t read Hebrew and want to read it in English, that’s
CW | Austin Bigoney
Left: Members and guests of Hillel, the University’s Jewish organization, socialize at a student dinner. Right: A Jewish house of worship, Temple Emanu-El, was built just a few years ago on campus next to the Moody Music Building.
CW | Caitlin Trotter
not frowned upon. Or if you bowling and movie nights. courtyard with Hillel, where For more information want to say your prayers in Temple Emanu-El is a com- Jewish families and students about upcoming events at English because you feel munity temple that shares a often gather for prayer.” Hillel, visit hillel.ua.edu. more connected to it, that’s not frowned upon. It’s actually encouraged because you want to get the best connection you can get.” Ackerman said having faith helps her through problems. “I just believe there is a God,” Ackerman said. “Sometimes I pray to God, ask for forgiveness. This does not apply to every Jew, though; it’s just how I connect through my religion.” At The University of Alabama, Jewish students can practice their faith at the Bloom Hillel Student Center located on 9th Street and at the Temple Emanu-El on 4th Avenue. “Hillel was founded at The University of Alabama in 1934 and has been welcoming Jewish students and friends since that time,” Lisa Besnoy, program director at Hillel, said. “Activities range from holiday celebrations, Shabbat dinners and Sunday brunches. We also have social opportunities for Jewish students and their friends to gather at events such as
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Tuesday, November 20, 2012 | Page 9
Campus, city organizations aid student veterans Counseling for many issues, including treatment of post traumatic stress disorder, offered at UA office By Mazie Bryant and Melissa Brown CW Staff The transition into college life is difficult for most students, but The University of Alabama hopes to make the process easier for those students also moving back into civilian life by helping veterans overcome the lasting effects of the traumas of their service. The University’s Office of Military and Veteran Affairs is only a year old, but has already established itself within the top 15 percent of military-friendly universities, offering veterans, active-duty servicemen and dependents relief and assistance in these transitions. “When I came here last September, I knew what I
wanted to establish: a one-stop shop,” Director David Blair said. “Basically, linking veterans with benefits, counseling and the financial aid office.” In August, the office opened its Veterans Center in Room 1 of B.B. Comer Hall, an oasis of sorts that includes several study rooms and a computer lab. “Before I came, there were assets across campus to help servicemen but not in one place,” Blair said. “Now, we have a service center dedicated to veterans, ROTC cadets and our nearly 1,500 dependents.” Grey Westbrook, a 24-yearold junior majoring in advertising, came to the University after serving 15 months in Iraq with the U.S. Army. He said the transition into college was strained because of his different
life experiences. He ultimately found a home within the school’s Campus Veterans Association, the student organization associated with the Office of Military and Veteran Affairs. “It’s really is hard for a 22-year-old to make friends,” Westbrook said. “I mean, you can’t go to frat parties, because you’re too old. The only other place you can go to are bars or student organizations. “It’s difficult. It’s difficult to deal with 18- or 19-year-olds – kids who don’t know what it’s like to work for anything in life. They’re used to studying for tests. Have they ever gotten out and done hard labor? Made sacrifices? Put an effort that will show, other than a sporting event? A lot of these kids don’t understand what I’ve been
through, but the veterans do.” The office also has a relationship with the Tuscaloosa Veteran Affairs Medical Center to service their students with all of the resources offered to the community. Lawanda Vanhorn, a social worker at the VA hospital, also serves as liaison between the center and other organizations – including the University and Shelton State Community College – to more directly define the needs of the students and connect them to assistance. “Whatever the veteran student office needs, we connect them to the veteran hospital, because we want the students to be successful and to graduate on time,” Vanhorn said. “We try to identify their needs and connect them with programs to help. For
example, if a veteran is having trouble quitting smoking, we have support groups for that.” Blair said Vanhorn also links their veteran students who have post-traumatic stress disorder with therapy offered by staff psychologists at the medical center. PTSD is an anxietybased disorder that occurs after an individual is exposed to a traumatic event – such as war, a natural disaster or a car accident – that threatens their sense of safety and well-being, Vanhorn said. “The effects of PTSD are wide-ranging, such as anger, avoidance, isolation, frustration, depression or substance abuse,” Vanhorn said. “What happens is the student veterans at the UA Office of Military and Veteran affairs can come and get an
assessment. It is nothing that is mandatory. We can’t force them into therapy, but there are a lot of options that people don’t know about.” Although all veterans do not develop PTSD, the center offers resources to handle the difficult transition back into civilian life. The center offers several evidence-based therapy sessions, such as cognitive process therapy and prolonged exposure therapy, Vanhorn said. “There is a common misconception that every veteran has PTSD, but that’s not true,” Vanhorn said. “Those with PTSD have to learn to cope with it. We have to ask, ‘What is normal?’ But normalcy is based on the patient. Evidence-based therapy helps individuals go on and live normal lives.”
University Fellows to travel to Cuba for spring break By Rich Robinson Assistant News Editor
The University Fellows Experience, a highly selective group of Honors College students, is planning a trip to Cuba over spring break. Jacqueline Morgan, associate dean for the Honors College, made the announcement of the groundbreaking trip in an email to the University Fellows. “When the University Fellows Experience was founded, an international component during the junior year was listed as a critical element,” Morgan said in the email. “We are now ready to move forward in building that experience into the overall structure of the program.” Morgan also said the trip was just an initial step and
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It’s not every day, you just can’t call your mom and dad and say, ‘Let’s go on a nice family vacation to Cuba. — David Wilson
10 Fellows would be able to go. “We will leave Friday, March 22, return March 31st,” Morgan wrote. “All who are interested are encouraged to apply, but preference will be given to those who have already participated in the Black Belt Experience.” The trip is only open to those already in the University Fellows program. A 1,000 word essay
stating the reasons for why the Fellow would want to travel to Cuba is required and due by Nov. 27. Interviews will then be conducted for the finalists selected from the essay submissions and final selections will be made by December 14th. All travel expenses are covered. David Wilson, a senior majoring in economics, wants to visit Cuba because of a desire to travel abroad, something that many University of Alabama students do. “It’s not every day, you just can’t call your mom and dad and say, ‘Let’s go on a nice family vacation to Cuba,’” Wilson said. “So just to be able to have the opportunity to be able to go is just incredible. I think it will give those of us who are able to go to
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Cuba a very unique perspective into a culture and place that we really don’t know that much about. “I think that will be a very valuable experience for us to know about a culture like Cuba which is a country that is so close to us and so inaccessible to most people.” David Bailey is a senior working on a master’s degree in finance while pursuing an undergraduate degree in finance management. He is also the CEO of Forza Financial and wants to go into the financial services field working with
international investment. Bailey said there is much in common between the Black Belt Experience, a program that teams the Fellows up with community stakeholders in Marion County, Ala., and the upcoming trip to Cuba. “There are a lot of similarities between the problems of poverty and social problems in the Black Belt as there is any other developing nation,” Bailey said. “The idea is to increase the exposure and put the students in different environments and see how other
SGA offers Thanksgiving meal for those staying in Tuscaloosa By Camille Corbett Contributing Writer Students without the luxury of returning home for the Thanksgiving holidays won’t be completely without holiday cheer. The University of Alabama Student Government Association and Bama Dining have worked together to provide a home-for-the-holidays Thanksgiving dinner on Nov. 22 from noon to 3 p.m. at Burke Dining Hall. The meal is open to all students who are not traveling home for Thanksgiving Break, whether or not they have access to a meal plan. The first 50 students to sign up for the meal will get SGA-sponsored meals. The other students will be able to purchase the meal through their meal plans or pay out-of-pocket. Students will also be allowed to take leftovers
home to extend the meal throughout their break. “This is the first year that SGA has partnered with Bama Dining to help the event achieve a greater reach and impact. If it is a success, it could very well become a regular occurrence,” Chase Burnham, SGA director of engagement, said. While this year marks the first SGA partnership in the event, Bama Dining has held the Thanksgiving dinner in years past. However, this year already has the most attendees of any year before. “We are trying a new reservation system this year, and 139 students have responded saying that they will be dining with us on Thursday and Friday this week,” Kristina HoptonJones, director of the University Dining Service, said. “In the past, there have been approximately 30 to 40 students eating at Burke for
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regions address some of the same problems that we face here in Alabama.” Bailey said the other Fellows have all different types of backgrounds and interests and passions. “I’m really interested in finance, international development, community development, how businesses work, so I’m really interested in seeing what type of economic opportunities there are that aren’t being met that need to be met,” Bailey said. “And also seeing first-hand the ramifications of what sanctions cause.”
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the holiday meal.” Students will be served the traditional Thanksgiving fare, such as turkey, stuffing, sweet potato casserole, macaroni and cheese and green beans. This event is an attempt to give students the same food and atmosphere they would have felt if they were at home for the holiday. “We hope that it will provide a place for students to meet and have Thanksgiving dinner together with other students who do not have plans off campus or out of town,” Jones said. The efforts put forth for the event are to make students feel like the University is their home away from home. “Any student who is unable to go home for Thanksgiving will benefit from this opportunity to eat a holiday meal and interact with fellow students,” Burnham said.
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Page 10 Editor | Lauren Ferguson culture@cw.ua.edu Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Students find ways to eat locally year-round Though markets close for cold season, region still offers outlets to purchase local products in winter By Megan Miller Contributing Writer Cities around the United States are seeing a growing trend in local farmers markets where residents can buy food they know is grown in the same state they call home. The trend has led to a new name for participating consumers: a locavore. Such a person is defined as someone interested in eating food that is locally produced and not transported long distances to market. Among the reasons to eat locally grown food, the one that tends to top everyone’s list is that the food is healthier and tastes better than chemically altered and processed foods you may find in a grocery store. It is also better for local economies, as farmers are able to retain their farmland because they are profiting off their products directly. The local food concept is the foundation of Homegrown Alabama, the campus farmers market that is set up on the Canterbury Episcopal Chapel lawn Thursdays from April 12 until Oct. 27 from 3 to 6 p.m. Homegrown Alabama is a student-led group at The University of Alabama that seeks to educate students about the value of local produce, as well as foster partnerships between local farmers and the University. Mo Fiorella, market manager for Homegrown Alabama, said
“
I like to eat vegan because animal rights are important to me, and it makes my body feel so much better. — Casey Ellis
Homegrown tries to make sure nothing sold at the farmers market comes from more than three hours away from Tuscaloosa. “That’s the whole point of our farmers market,” Fiorella said. “The closer farmers get preference, because we want it to count as genuinely local.” Fiorella said it is a common misconception that farmers markets only sell fruits and vegetables, but Homegrown often offers products like goat cheese, jams, jellies, freshly baked bread, cheese straws, pickles, peppers, loose leaf teas, skin care products, cold remedies, beef, pork and eggs. Fiorella said among the most popular student purchased items are pre-made meals, especially for those living in dorms that do not have access to a kitchen to cook their own meals. Also, Fiorella said students buy a lot of pre-made snacks and beverages offered by Chloe’s Cup. “It is a lot of both students and adults that attend the market,” Fiorella said. “There are a lot of non-traditional students, and older students.”
On certain Thursdays Fiorella said the market has live music, kids crafts and extra vendors. “We want to give the allaround experience, not just shopping,” Fiorella said. Brooke Miller, a senior majoring in public relations, likes to buy homemade, organic soaps, flowers and in-season berries from Homegrown Alabama. “I don’t get to go as much as I like because it can be expensive,” Miller said. “Also, I live in the residence halls, so it is a lot harder for me to cook my own food. But I think it is great to support local farmers.” Casey Ellis, a sophomore majoring in international studies, likes to buy vegan food from Manna Grocery. “I like to eat vegan because animal rights are important to me, and it makes my body feel so much better,” Ellis said. Fiorella also noted Manna as an option for local food, as the markets are not able to run year-round. “Manna is the best place for local produce,” Fiorella said. “They have a lot of local products and carry a lot of the same vendors we have at our market.” Fiorella said although Homegrown is closing for the winter, Tuscaloosa River Market will stay open through CW File December and re-open in March, so for locavores, the Homegrown Alabama, the campus farmers market, is located on the Canterbury Episcopal winter hiatus won’t be too long. Chapel lawn Thursdays from April 12 until Oct. 27 from 3-6 p.m.
COLUMN | GAMING
High definition remakes prey on nostalgia, discourage creative productions By Nathan Proctor Nostalgia is powerful but deceiving. Whether of an older generation misty-eyed over memories of Asteroids and Rally-X or a college student with a soft spot for Mario and a blue hedgehog, gamers and their wallets have voiced their attachment to games-gone-by. However, a swarm of high definition remakes are not the way to cater to this market. Though it’s often a pain to boot up old systems or finagle with a PC to run old favorites, I’d prefer this struggle, taking advantage of avenues such as good old
games, or even emulation before shelling out $40-60 for a higher-resolution product. Part of this is on principle, preferring the development of new games and ideas, and it’s also a purity and value proposition. I don’t mean to say that all, or even most, HD remakes are bad. I own a handful and gleefully played through the whole of “Black Mesa Source” (a fan-made remake of the original “Half-Life”) the night of its release. However, the only purchases I’m willing to make of these higher-resolution games are those I’d previously missed, (or free fan-made creations
such as “Black Mesa” or “Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords” restored content modification.) Updated games are generally successful at attracting a new audience to a game or franchise who were too intimidated or disinterested thanks to aging mechanics and graphics. From a business perspective, this potential gain and, excepting complete failure by the developers, an already tested and certain market of buyers makes their re-production of a game a great decision, especially with most creative heavy lifting and asset cre-
ation out of the way. This ploy, however, is wearing out its welcome. Nostalgia and familiarity will move cases off the shelf for a while, but do little to benefit franchise-hungry publishers and over-saturated consumers. As the industry’s aged, a second and possibly far more interesting and successful path taking advantage of nostalgia gamers have been complete remakes. If you want to put a game or franchise’s hooks into gamers and create a revitalized and beloved product, why devote development time and money into an HD product that may well reveal nostal-
gia’s heart-wrenching brother: reality. The gaming landscape is developing quickly and antiquating classics before our eyes. Nostalgia is more often than not a fuzzy jumble of emotions and big ideas, and as a result, the tightened controls and sharpened textures meld into the game we remember within the first few minutes when we’re not continually making side-by-side comparisons. Perhaps as October’s hit “XCOM: Enemy Unknown” brought the acclaimed XCOM franchise back into the limelight through reverence and evolution, not to what might amount to a handful
of patches and modifications in modern games, we’ll see the HD trend die down. Honestly, I’d prefer the growth of neat ideas behind “de-makes” for games like Portal and Halo before seeing another retro game revived. Either way, my holy grail of HD-remakes had existed in Digital Anvil’s Freelancer from nine years ago. I surely would throw down my highand-mighty posturing for some new high-texture ships. But now, as even Freelancer prepares to be rebooted by its spiritual success Star Citizen, I realize it may be time to close the door on high definition.
SOUTHEASTERN CONCERTS BOX
Birmingham
Atlanta Nashville
Memphis
Birmingham, Ala.: • Sunday, Nov. 25 at 8 p.m. - Everclear with Eve 6 at WorkPlay
Atlanta, Ga.: • Wednesday, Nov. 21 at 8 p.m. - Waka Flocka at Tabernacle • Friday, Nov. 23 at 8 p.m. - Martina McBride at Fabulous Fox Theatre
Nashville, Tenn.: • Sunday, Nov. 25 at 7:30 p.m. - Wiz Khalifa at Bridgestone Arena
Memphis, Tenn.: • Wednesday, Nov. 21 at 9 p.m. - 2 Chainz at Minglewood Hall • Sunday, Nov. 25 at 8 p.m. - Old Crow Medicine Show at Minglewood Hall
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Tuesday, November 20, 2012 | Page 11
Tuscaloosa offers a variety local, exotic cuisine By Alexandra Ellsworth Staff Reporter When thinking of Tuscaloosa, exotic cuisine may not be the first thing that comes to many students’ minds. More often, what does come to mind is Alabama football or maybe some good country cooking. But Tuscaloosa does have something to offer for exotic food. If you are looking for something different to do on a date or just a new restaurant to try with friends, these culturally different restaurants provide authentic food with a fun atmosphere. CW | Austin Bigoney
CW | Austin Bigoney
MEDITERRANEAN
INDIAN
Sitar
Hooligan’s
Location: 500 15th St., Tuscaloosa, Ala. Hours: Lunch Buffet: Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.- 2:30 p.m.; Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. Dinner: 5-9:30 p.m. Prices: Entrees from $10-$14 Why you should try it: Sitar, previously Maharaja of India, has been serving Tuscaloosa for many years. The restaurant serves authentic Indian food in a sophisticated, romantic and traditional Indian setting. So for anyone looking to branch out of the typical dinner menu and try traditional Indian food in a restaurant offering a genuine, authentic environment, Sitar is worth visiting.
Location: 1915 University Blvd., Tuscaloosa, Ala. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10:30 a.m.- 11 p.m.; Sunday, 10:30 a.m.- 10 p.m. Prices: Under $10 Why you should try it: Just a quick drive down University Boulevard, Hooligan’s offers casual indoor or outdoor dining with fast service and a diverse menu. They offer traditional Mediterranean gyros, falafel and stuffed grape leaves, but also cheeseburgers and chicken fingers for those occasional picky eaters.
CHINESE
THAI
Mr. Chen’s Authentic Chinese Cooking and Oriental Market
Ruan Thai
Location: 514 14th St., Tuscaloosa, Ala. Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., every day Prices: The lunch specials are under $7 and dinner ranges from $7 to $12. Why you should try it: If you are looking for an alternative to Swen on the Strip, Mr. Chen’s offers authentic Taiwanese and Chinese dishes. It is close by, located off 15th Street, and not only is it a restaurant, but also a market for those looking to purchase exotic ingredients and try some authentic oriental dishes at home.
Location: 1407 University Blvd., Tuscaloosa, Ala. Hours: Lunch: Monday-Friday 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Dinner Monday-Thursday 5-9 p.m., Friday-Saturday 5-10 p.m. Prices: $7-$9 Why you should try it: If delicious Thai food is not enough to draw you in, Ruan Thai’s close proximity to campus and quaint atmosphere should definitely be enticing. Situated in a house converted to a restaurant, diners can sit inside or outside on the patio and enjoy great food at reasonable prices. The restaurant is owned and operated by a family, and Ruan Thai’s chef, Alp, grows her own herbs and peppers for fresh flavors.
Page 12 | Tuesday, November 20, 2012
NEWS
OPINION
CULTURE
SPORTS
Students go organic, aviod chemicals in produce By Courtney Stinson Staff Reporter Organic food used to be nourishment for exclusive groups often called “health nuts� and “tree huggers,� but as the move toward eating organic becomes more mainstream, students are left to weigh the costs and benefits of paying nearly twice as much for organic options. Morgan Phillips, a senior majoring in nutrition, makes a conscious effort to eat healthy, but her concern is the type of food she buys, not how it is produced. “[Organic foods] are important to your health because they do not contain pesticides or any other chemicals that can be harmful to your body,� Phillips said. “But to be honest, I personally do not think there is enough evidence out there yet to say whether organic is so much better than foods that are not.� Whether buying organic or not, eating healthy
can be expensive. To cut costs, Phillips suggests buying canned fruits and vegetables, but making sure they are canned in water instead of juice and rinsing canned foods to remove some sodium content. Even if students do not want to pay organic prices, they can take steps to reduce pesticides in food. The FDA recommends practices like washing produce under running water or a clean scrub-brush and removing the outer leaves of leafy vegetables. They can also spray smooth-skinned produce like apples with a solution of diluted vinegar and water and then rinsing under running water. To ensure the quality of their food, students can also buy from local farmers at outlets like Tuscaloosa River Market or Homegrown Alabama. In travelling, organic food is still as susceptible to bacterial contamination as conventional food, and the environmental impact of
food that has to travel across the country is much greater than food that can be sold locally, which maintains its farm-freshness and has a lower risk of contamination. Because local farmers usually do not charge a premium, even organic food can often be purchased at reduced prices. If you want to go organic without breaking the bank, it is worth knowing which items are worth buying organic and which are not. For example, organic is a label also applied to clothing, body care products and cosmetics, but there is currently no official standard for what makes these items organic, so some of these products are actually loaded with chemicals. Also, there is currently no organic standard for seafood, and fish can be labeled organic despite contaminants such as mercury in the water. Unless a product bears the USDA organic seal, there is no certainty that it actually meets organic standards. In
contrast, crops like apples, spinach and strawberries tend to carry higher levels of chemicals, so organic may be the way to go for these foods. If you are looking for options besides organic food, there are plenty of misleading labels claiming to be “all natural,� but don’t offer entirely natural and organic benefits. However, the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service verifies voluntary labels for meat and poultry. These labels include “free range,� “grass fed� and “no added hormones,� among others. Whether or not it is worth the expense, organic food bears one decided advantage over conventional food – the knowledge of what is not in it. Though the risks of pesticides and antibiotics in food production are not convincing to all, consumers can be assured that their food was not produced using these additives. Paige Bussanich, a senior majoring in psychology and political science, began
Social media popping up in classes By Nathan Proctor Staff Reporter Social media has quickly cemented itself in the day-today, hour-to-hour, and often minute-to-minute lives of college students. However, on The University of Alabama campus, it’s used for more than mindless tweeting and Facebook creeping. “Social media has really expanded our ability to go into forms of education that are just not possible when you see your students twice a week,� Jason DeCaro, associate professor of anthropology, said. DeCaro and many professors around the University’s campus have integrated social media into their classrooms and haveseen the webbased media creep into their fields of study. As the director of instructional technology, DeCaro said his department has embraced social media as a tool to expand the way they communicate with not only their majors and minors, but also to their broader community, including alumni across the world. In the classroom, a variety of blogs and social media groups have facilitated broad study and greater connectivity he said. In DeCaro’s neuroanthropology class, his students are required post to or comment on a open Facebook group devoted to the interest. “It wasn’t that I needed them to get social media experience,� DeCaro said. “It was really that there’s no better place for them to interact with not only other students, but leaders in the community.� He noted the importance of remaining flexible to the trends within social media and the limitations of some
“
It wasn’t that I needed them to get social media experience. It was really that there’s no better place for them to interact with not only other students, but leaders in the community. — Jason DeCaro
students when implementing the tool, but suggested social media is more than a simple means to an end in the department. “For years now, anthropologists have looked at social media as a new social and cultural state,� DeCaro said. “They are recognizing that there is a need to see how this is changing the way we communicate.� Joseph Phelps, chair of the department of advertising and public relations, said the direction of their program of study is a reflection of what’s happening in the field and, as such, social media permeates all of their public relation classes. Phelps said when someone graduates from a program like theirs, they are expected because of their education and their youth to be skilled social media practitioners. This knowledge of social media’s strategic uses often results in two-way mentorship relationships with more established professionals, he said. “It’s important to us that we help students understand however people are communicating,� Phelps said. “That’s what we do [in PR].� Randall Huffaker, an advertising and public relations professor, taught a new special topics class directed toward public relations students for the first time in the
College of Communication and Information Sciences during the fall 2012 semester. “Nowadays, social media is pretty much all PR,� Huffaker said. “It’s now become bread and butter; everybody expects social media.� He said his class focuses more on the practice, rather than the theory, of effective social media usage, acknowledging the ever-changing landscape. “Just teaching it for the first semester I can say, the second semester is going to be completely different,� Huffaker said. He spoke specifically to the growth of social media as a visual and mobile medium in the past year, and stressed the importance of consistency across media and understanding of the conversational and earnest tone effective social media management uses. Huffaker said it’s in the effective application of tone and flexibility that earns “meaningful� likes and follows from their client’s target audience. Naomi Thompson, a senior majoring in psychology, said, like most students, she keeps in touch with her avenues of social media a few times an hour throughout the day. After years of experience between Facebook and Twitter usage throughout high school and college, she began working on the marketing team for the University’s leadership and innovation oriented Creative Campus. In control of the Creative Campus Facebook and Twitter accounts, alongside her fellow marketers, she’s assigned to publicize a variety of their events, as well as any related happenings, photos or links. Thompson
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said nearly 75 percent of their advertising efforts run through social media. “It was something I wanted to try,� Thompson said. “We’re all so attached to social media now, and it always seemed like a good way to spread the word.� Though she has not taken any marketing or public relations classes at the University, she said she has developed a feel for the pulse of social media usage and learned on the job what does and does not work. Currently she said she and the rest of the team sought to step away from the overabundance of Facebook “events� and personalize their online marketing. Thompson said she hopes to use her psychology degree in the educational field and said social media should play a role on campus and in the field. From her experience with Creative Campus, she believed the department should pursue a more active online presence to promote opportunities for research and mentorship that she felt were under-represented to the large population of psychology students. Looking toward her future as an educator, Thompson said social media has worked its way into the psyche of young students. She suggested bringing the realm of social media into the class room, noting a friend who used a Twitter-esque bulletin board to communicate information to her classroom. Additionally, her experience has suggested social media is a landscape worthy of psychological study. “I think using social media tells you a lot about how people work,� Thompson said. “I think [knowing that] may help me with my job.�
MCT Campus
Organic fruits and vegetables are available from multiple venues in Tuscaloosa. buying organic after becoming a vegetarian. For Bussanich, buying organic is the best way to avoid added chemicals and fertilizers in her food. Though organic is more expensive, she mainly finds organic options at Target and shops at Manna Grocery when she has extra money. “These days you never know what is in your food, so organic is the best way to go
in my opinion,� she said. “I think it is worth the cost.� Regardless of whether food is organic, an important element of students’ diets is what they consume, not how it is produced. Until research definitively proves otherwise, the benefits of eating fruits, vegetables, healthy fats and proteins outweighs the potential risks of exposure to chemicals.
COLUMN | HEALTH
To avoid holiday weight gain, limit drinks, go jog By Tricia Vaughan Thanksgiving is the single day of the year notorious for eating until the heart’s content, but the damage that consuming the highly fattening, calorie-laden meal inflicts on a waistline could make any pair of skinny jeans burst at the seams. The American Council on Exercise reports that the average Thanksgiving meal has 3,000 calories, not counting all of the snacks and other meals eaten throughout the day. In total, about 4,500 calories are consumed on Turkey Day alone. With a pound of fat equaling 3,500 calories, it’s easy to say most people walk away from the table at least a pound heavier. What’s more, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found the standard weight gain for Americans during the holiday season is 1 pound. The problem is, that pound is never lost. A pound is accumulated every year during the holiday season over a lifetime. Luckily, there are several ways to evade holiday weight gain. For starters, avoid drinking too many cocktails. It is the season to be merry, but alcoholic beverages can have hundreds of calories in one serving. Eggnog has anywhere from 200 to 400 calories in just one cup. “If your family serves wine during Thanksgiving dinner, try to limit yourself to one glass,� John Petnuch, a senior majoring in kinesiology, said. “A few glasses add up to hundreds of calories. Same with
other types of alcohol.� Staying active is also important when trying to avoid holiday weight gain. Staying active compensates for the extra calories consumed. Try going for a walk after dinner. Jordan Thompson, a senior majoring in political science, shared his secret for not gaining weight over Thanksgiving, while managing to eat everything he wants. “I eat all I want during Thanksgiving, usually multiple helpings,� Thompson said. “This year, I’m staying in shape by working out at Crossfit Innovate and running with my two dogs afterward. I normally watch what I eat to stay healthy, but if you perpetually have a good combination of cardio and weight training, I feel you’ll be fine to eat as much as you want.� Something else to consider before delving into the turkey is portions. One quarter of the plate should contain a protein, another quarter carbohydrates; dedicate the remaining half to fresh veggies. To get a better idea on the appropriate serving size for each type of food, go to WebMD and build a plate. The site shows how much of each food to eat and provides comparative images to measure servings. So instead of busting out the pants with an elastic band or making the etiquette faux pas of unbuttoning your pants at the table, apply these tricks to Thanksgiving celebrations and dodge the hassle of dieting to make up for one day of feasting. Remember, moderation is key, but don’t forget to enjoy the meal.
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Tuesday, November 20, 2012 | Page 13
VOLLEYBALL
Confidence high before matchup with Ole Miss By Caroline Gazzara Contributing Writer Coming off a win against Auburn this past Sunday, the Alabama volleyball team is preparing to go up against Ole Miss Wednesday. The 4-1 win against Auburn heightened the Crimson Tide’s morale. With current standings of 6-12 in the SEC, the Tide plans to take on Ole Miss with confidence and strategy. The team, currently No. 5 in the SEC West, is not nervous about this match against the Rebels. Ole Miss is ranked beneath Alabama, and the Tide feels their young team is no match for it. “We are dealing with a fairly young team with inconsistencies,” head coach Ed Allen said. “We are competing more intelligently at times and competing for longer periods of time.” With inconsistencies comes more confidence. Though the Rebels have won two of their last three more difficult matches, the younger team still has many inconsistencies that the Tide
believes will help it win. Junior libero Christina Arenas has never been more confident about playing Ole Miss. “We want to make sure that we are consistent in building our game because that is what we feel will help us win,” Arenas said. Alabama has proved that it is an all-around faceted team. Both defensively and offensively, the Tide is very capable of overcoming the Rebels. Statistically, Alabama has a .055 percentage over Ole Miss in the SEC and a 0.16 percentage over them overall. Alabama’s ranking over Ole Miss, though confidence boosting, isn’t factoring into the Tide’s mentality. Arenas said in order to win this next match, the team has to focus on themselves and not the Rebels. “[We] want to make sure that we are taking more care of our side of the net more than what’s going on over on the opponents side of the net,” Arenas said. “We’re focusing a lot on our blocking and our defense. We
think that will be our best bet to win more points and [to] win more matches.” The Tide knows the Ole Miss match is one of the key matches it needs to win in order to make it into the postseason. Improving on both sides of the ball is going to be one of the crucial factors Alabama will face. I hope we can continue to improve on both sides of the ball,” Allen said. “Our goal is to improve for the two more matches that we have.” Alabama hopes to win this game in order to keep up its momentum and consistency. “We are looking to continue our consistency and not let up,” Arenas said. “We don’t want to be an up and down team, which is what we are working toward, and we want to be able to keep this momentum going especially ending the season and going into the offseason and next season.” This match, though not defining, will be one of the vital CW | Shannon Auvil components for the Tide’s Junior Kelsey Melito rallies her teammates. Junior Kanesha Burch hits the ball. The Crimson Tide lost to the postseason goals. Texas A&M Aggies three sets to none Sept. 30.
COLUMN
Crimson Tide basketball team makes name for itself By Jasmine Cannon We’re a couple of weeks into basketball season and both the Alabama men’s and women’s basketball teams are undefeated. Has the time finally come for our basketball programs to be considered among the elite? Not yet, but we might just be on the way. The men’s basketball team is sitting on a 4-0 record with impressive wins in New York City at the 2k Sports Classic. The Tide beat Oregon State and Villanova, who are considered among the better teams in the
NCAA every year. The Tide beat Villanova in impressive fashion, 77-55, with help from sophomore Trevor Releford’s 25 points and sophomore Rodney Cooper’s 17 points. It was also Cooper’s threepoint basket with 13 seconds left that propelled the Tide over Oregon State, 65-62. In that game, sophomore Trevor Lacey scored 20 points. It seems as if the Alabama men’s basketball team has developed stronger chemistry and everyone is playing at a high level. Players are sharing the basketball and everyone is
contributing in some way. The Tide’s play has been recognized, and this week Releford was named the Southeastern Conference Player of the Week. The women’s side has also hit a steady stride with its 3-0 record. This year’s team features a few transfers – two coming from Rutgers University – and a freshman class that is expected to contribute as well. The Alabama women have something they haven’t had in a while and that is a lot of players that can contribute in a lot of different ways. Head coach Wendell Hudson has a
new coaching staff and the culture of the team seems to have changed in a good way. People around the conference have started to take notice of Alabama, who leads the SEC in a number of statistical categories. Like Releford, sophomore guard Daisha Simmons was named the Southeastern Conference Player of the Week. It’s still early in the season and a lot of basketball has to be played, but it seems to be a bright day for Alabama’s teams. The next game for the men will be at home against Charleston Southern, but we all
SPORTS IN BRIEF
Alabama’s Trevor Releford and Diasha Simmons were named Southeastern Conference Player of the Week in men’s and women’s basketball, respectively, the league announced Monday. Releford, a 6-foot 195pound point guard from Kansas City, Mo., earned the honor after averaging 18 points, three assists and 1.5 steals in leading the Crimson Tide to the 2k Sports Classic championship with wins over Oregon State and Villanova last
week. For his efforts, Releford was selected as the Most Outstanding Player of the event. In the semifinals against Oregon State, Releford connected on 6-of-10 field goals and recorded 14 points and five assists without a turnover, to lift the Crimson Tide to a 65-62 victory. In the championship game against Villanova, Releford, making his first start of the season, went for a career-high 25 points on 8-of-10, shooting from the floor and an impressive 5-of-5 from three-point
Then SEC play will begin with the first matchup being against Texas A&M on Jan. 3. It’s no secret that the SEC is one of the better leagues when it comes to women’s college basketball, and we will learn how the Tide sizes up against yearly contenders Tennessee, Georgia and Kentucky, whom the Tide shocked last year with a win. Basketball season is still fresh and a lot of people are still thinking about football, but there’s no better time than right now for Alabama basketball to come into its own.
Q&A
Releford, Simmons named SEC Players of the Week for men’s and women’s basketball CW Staff
know the real tests will come in January when conference play begins. The first SEC battle will be in Columbia, Mo., against a really good Missouri team and the schedule continues to heat up with the next few games being against Tennessee, Mississippi State, Texas A&M and the defending champion Kentucky Wildcats. The women faced North Texas last night, and after a string of games against the likes of Virginia, Wisconsin and Wofford, they will head to Hawaii for the Bank of Hawaii Rainbow Wahine Invitational.
range in the 77-55 victory over the Wildcats. Simmons guided the Crimson Tide to a pair of wins last week against Houston and ArkansasPine Bluff. In Tuesday’s game against the Cougars, the Jersey City, N.J., native drained a career-best 22 points, hitting four of her six three-pointers and all six of her free throws. Simmons also had a stellar all-around performance in the win over ArkansasPine Bluff, contributing 10 points, seven steals, five rebounds, five assists and three blocks.
Finebaum on Tigers upset: No chance By Marquavius Burnett Sports Editor Crimson White: How much of a chance, if any, do you give Auburn against Alabama, considering it’s a big rivalry game? Paul Finebaum: Is there a number below zero? Realistically, there is zero chance of this happening. This is the worst Auburn team in our lifetime. CW: You’ve seen a lot of college football nationally and people love to compare rivalries. So how does the Iron Bowl
stack up against some of college football’s greatest rivalries? PF: It is the best. Because of the obvious – the two schools are in the same state. You have that other places, but not with the same intensity. CW: Some say a loss is a good thing and others think losing is never good. Alabama was knocked off by A&M and it looked like the Tide’s title hopes were lost, but now they control their own national championship destiny again. In hindsight,
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was that loss to A&M a good thing, considering it showed both Saban and the players they weren’t invincible? PF: Easy to say now, but the loss will help. Without the A&M loss, the pressure would have been too intense for Alabama against Georgia. CW: I’ve heard you on the show with Pat Dye talking about Gene Chizik and his job security. With his buyout, the 2010 national championship and the last two disappointing seasons taken into
consideration, will Gene Chizik be the head coach of Auburn next season? PF: He will not. Short of the biggest upset in history, Chizik will be fired before dusk on Monday. CW: If everything holds up, the winner of Alabama-Georgia will face Notre Dame in Miami. If Alabama knocks off Georgia, who do you like between Notre Dame and Alabama? PF: I like Alabama in a very tough game. I think Notre Dame will struggle to score on Alabama.
Page 14 | Tuesday, November 20, 2012
NEWS
OPINION
CULTURE
SPORTS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Tide defeats North Texas in triple overtime thriller
CW | Jingyu Wan
The Tide defeated North Texas 88-83 in Foster Auditorium Monday night. By Mary Grace Showfety Staff Reporter Saying it was a nail-biter for the Alabama women’s basketball team Monday night is an understatement. The Crimson Tide took down North Texas 88-83 in Foster Auditorium and needed three overtimes to do it. The Tide was supported by a small but energetic crowd. What it lacked in numbers it made up for in noise, making things that much more challenging for the Mean Green to execute on the
Tide’s home court. Alabama controlled the floor the majority of the game, leading by as many as 15 points in the first half. With just under seven minutes left in the first half, the Tide lost senior guard Meghan Perkins for the remainder of the half and much of the second. After successfully blocking an attempted North Texas layup, Perkins then fell to the ground, holding her knee. Perkins was back on the court near the end of the regulation but returned to the
bench after a brief reappearance. Head coach Wendell Hudson confirmed Perkins’ knee is “structurally sound and will be fine.” Perkins was not the only player out today; three players were suspended for one game only, including Khristin Lee, Briana Hutchen and Alicia Mitcham. The reason for suspension was not revealed by the coaches. The Tide suffered a major lapse near the end of the game, allowing North Texas to tie the game at 61-61 with just 20 seconds remain-
ing and bring the game into overtime. With just under 10 seconds to go in overtime, all hope remained on the shoulders of sophomore and SEC Player of the Week, Daisha Simmons, at the free-throw line. Simmons sunk one and missed the next, leaving the Tide down 69-70. “We played too hard to come down to the last few seconds and lose on a freethrow,” Simmons said. But that was not Simmons’ last chance to keep her team in the game; she returned
to the free-throw line, sunk two, and Alabama and North Texas were on their way to a second period of overtime, tied 71-71. “The big key is that when North Texas took the lead, we did not panic,” Hudson said. The Tide was determined the third overtime would not be like the last two, and with a little extra work, it came out on top. “Jasmine Robinson played the game of the year,” Hudson said. He added Simmons, Kaneisha Horn and Nikki
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Hegstetter to his list of standouts as well. “With 55 minutes of basketball basically playing five people for the whole second half and overtime,” Hudson said. “I think that what it proves to this team is that if you hang in there and keep doing your things, even if you have some adversity, if you keep working hard and make plays – you know we grew up some.” The Tide will be back at it on Sunday, Nov. 25 at 2 p.m. vs. Southeastern Louisiana in Foster Auditorium.
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Tuesday, November 20, 2012 | Page 15
FOOTBALL
Out-of-state players invested in Iron Bowl rivalry By Marc Torrence Assistant Sports Editor As an out-of-state recruit, running back Eddie Lacy wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the Iron Bowl rivalry. It only took one year to fix that. It also took help from instate players like safety Robert Lester and linebacker Nico Johnson. The two said they have to explain the significance of Alabama/Auburn to players not from Alabama. “You get bragging rights for 365 days,� Lester said. “That’s saying a lot. I’ve got friends that this game means a lot to, and if we lose this game, they’re going to have a lot to say to me. “Actually, I have a bet with a friend that I went to high school with every year that if we win, he has to take a picture in Alabama gear, and if we lose, I have to take a
picture in Auburn gear. And I do not like dressing up in orange and blue.� The players currently on Alabama’s roster have experienced both sides of the storied rivalry, including a thrilling comeback win in 2009, the crushing 28-27 loss in 2010, and a 42-14 throttling in 2011. “That really made me understand the rivalry,� Johnson said about the 2010 game. “I don’t have anything to say after 365 days, because if you don’t beat them, those 365 days are going to be bad for you. I understand it more because I’m an in-state guy. You hear all the time, ‘You chose this school over this school.’ It’s a big rivalry.� And despite Auburn being in the midst of its worst season in decades, head coach Nick Saban said the importance of the rivalry cannot be understated. “The Iron Bowl is a big
deal,� he said. “It’s a legendary game that people remember for a long, long time and still talk about games that happened in the past, had huge impacts and effects on the future of what happened. And they’re traditionally very, very tough games. It’s important that we play our best game.� Players react to Saturday’s upsets While many Alabama students and fans celebrated Baylor’s upset of Kansas State and Stanford’s upset of Oregon, players said they were a little more subdued and could even take valuable lessons from the two teams’ losses. “It’s college football; just like last year, crazy things are going to happen,� Lester said. “Crazy things are going to happen next year. The only thing we need to worry
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about right now is to play our football and not worry about what’s going on outside Alabama and handle it the way we need to handle it.� When Lacy was asked what he thought about the upsets, the running back just shrugged his shoulders. “It’s tight,� he said. “We needed it, but it’s not what we need to focus on at the moment.� Saban said he saw the two teams buckle under the pressure of being the top teams in the country, and the pressure can sometimes make a team play timidly. “What I see happening is people get sort of emotionally stressed out relative to their circumstances, which is where they’re ranked, who they’re playing,� Saban said. “And all of a sudden you get tentative and don’t play aggressively, you don’t prepare the same way. You’re
worrying emotionally, which affects your ability to focus and you don’t play as well.� Alabama still looking for one more game in 2013 Despite a report in The Denver Post that Colorado State was close to a deal to play Alabama in 2013 and 2015, Saban said nothing is yet set in stone. “When we sign a contract to play a game, we’ll announce it,� Saban said. “That’s up to our administration. Whenever that happens, I think that’s up to them, it’s not up to me. We’re still looking for a game next year. I will confirm that.� Alabama is slated to play Virginia Tech in Atlanta, Ga., to open the 2013 season, with home dates against Georgia State and Chattanooga outside of the eight-game SEC schedule. The Crimson Tide is looking to add one
more game to complete a 12-game schedule. Former Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain is in his first year as head coach of Colorado State.
Jones, Milliner up for awards Two Alabama players were named finalists for postseason awards at their respective positions. Center Barrett Jones was named a finalist for the Outland Trophy, given to the nation’s top interior offensive lineman. Cornerback Dee Milliner was also named a finalist for the Jim Thorpe award, given to the country’s top defensive back. F i n a l i st s for the Rimmington Award, given to the top center, will be announced on Dec. 1. The award winners will be announced during a televised event Thursday, Dec. 6 on ESPN.
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The Crimson White
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SPORTS
Page 16 Editor | Marquavius Burnett crimsonwhitesports@gmail.com Tuesday, November 20, 2012
FOOTBALL COLUMNS
Sports writers reflect on what they, others give thanks for in college football Why I am thankful for the Baylor Bears, ‘kicking gods,’ ‘fumbling gods,’ our fans
Why Alabama fans should be thankful for Saban, T.J. Yeldon, offensive line, Stanford
By Billy Whyte
By Zac Al-Khateeb
As I woke up on Sunday morning, after my morning prayers to the great “Bear” in the sky, I realized I had much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving after an emotional and turbulent weekend of college football. I am thankful for the Baylor Bears, who became the first team with a losing record in NCAA history to knock off the No. 1 ranked team. To say it was an improbable victory is an understatement, as Baylor’s 117th ranked defense shut down the former Heisman front-runner in Collin Klein. That’s right, the 117th ranked defense shut down arguably the best offensive player in the country. I am thankful for the Stanford Cardinals who, by beating the Oregon Ducks, not only moved our beloved Crimson Tide up in the BCS, but also removed what would have been arguably the Tide’s toughest potential opponent in the national championship game. Instead, Alabama is on course to face Notre Dame – not only the weakest of the three undefeated teams heading into last weekend, but who oddsmaker Danny Sheridan said would currently be 10-point underdogs to the Tide. I am thankful to the kicking gods for favoring Stanford kicker
Jordan Williamson over Oregon kicker Alejandro Maldonado Saturday night. Williamson buried the game-winning 37-yard field goal in overtime, while Maldonado not only missed what would have been the winning field goal in regulation, but also clanged a field goal off the uprights in overtime. Alabama fans should know all too well how much it hurts to be on the losing side of missed field goals. I am also thankful for the fumbling gods for favoring Stanford Saturday night. When Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan fumbled in overtime, it seemed for sure that one of Oregon’s three players in the area would pick up the ball. But somehow, through what seemed like some form of divine intervention, the ball squirted out of the Oregon player’s hands and into the hands of a diving Stanford player. I am thankful for the absolute mediocrity of our two most hated rivals, Auburn and Tennessee. Not only have both teams underperformed to an unbelievably pathetic level this year, but the two teams are combined zero for 14 in SEC play. And both teams are under coaching carousals, with Derek Dooley being fired from Tennessee Sunday and Gene Chizik barely hanging onto his job at Auburn. While watching Alabama win is my great-
est joy in college football, Auburn and Tennessee losing are easily my second and third. I am thankful to be a part of such a passionate and amazing fan base we have here at Alabama. After Kansas State and Stanford lost Saturday night, thousands of students and fans went out to the Strip, screaming, singing and n celchanting in here ebration. There ts were reports of wet floors causing people to slip in s o m e of the dorms a n d apartments because of the number of students who ran through the fountain att the Ferg. Only at Alabama will you see that. And most importantly, I am thankful for our Crimson Tide being back in control of its own destiny in making the national championship game. After a stressful and gloomy week in Tuscaloosa, we can all finally smile again; once more, the road to 15 is within our reach. Regardless of anything I eat during Thanksgiving this week, nothing will taste sweeter than that.
It’s Thanksgiving week, and so in the spirit of the holidays, I believe now would be a good time to take a look at this football season and reflect on what Alabama fans should truly be thankful for this season. Whether it’s players, coaches or even other teams, these are things Alab Alabama should b be thankful for heading into the remainder of the season. Nick Saban This o n e ’ s fa i r ly o bv i o u s . S a b a n has been the singlegr greatest thing ha to happen to the Tide this millennium. In terms of success this year, however, Saban has orchestrated his team to be a legitimate title contender yet again, when this year was supposed to be a rebuilding year of sorts. He’s kept the players’ heads on their shoulders and made sure his team has been ready for each of their opponents week in and week out (mostly). Needless to say, the Tide wouldn’t be here without Saban.
T.J. Yeldon Apart from providing the Alabama fandom exciting glimpses of what could be a future star at Alabama, Yeldon is responsible for the biggest, most important play of the Alabama season thus far. That play came against LSU when Alabama, down 17-14 and with a minute left, dumped the ball off to Yeldon on a screen play. What happened next would work itself into Alabama lore and keep Alabama’s dreams of winning an SEC and national championship alive. The 24-yard reception gave Alabama the permanent 21-17 lead and kept the Tide squarely in the title hunt. The offensive line These guys never get enough credit, but in reality, they’re the single most important unit on this team. These guys protect AJ McCarron and pave the way for running backs Eddie Lacy, T.J. Yeldon and Kenyan Drake. Not to mention the fact they’re über-talented: D.J. Fluker, Chance Warmack and Barrett Jones are arguably among the best linemen in the nation, and Cyrus Kouandjio is proving to be the real deal at left tackle this year. You can’t forget Anthony Steen either, an integral and often-overlooked player in this unit. Together, these guys make all that offensive firepower you see on Saturdays possible.
Baylor Bears A week after Alabama lost to Texas A&M, it looked like the Tide would need another miracle to get back in the national title hunt. Well, Baylor provided that miracle – or at least half of it – by not only beating the No. 1 Kansas State Wildcats, but absolutely embarrassing them, beating them 52-24 in Waco, Texas. The win was all that was needed, but the fact that they whipped the Wildcats so mercilessly essentially put the Wildcats out of the national title picture permanently, while simultaneously moving the Tide one step closer to the national title. And hey, while we’re at it…
Stanford Cardinal …Let’s go ahead and thank the Stanford Cardinal, who provided the second half of that miracle I was talking about earlier. While Bama fans were ecstatically watching the drubbing Baylor was putting on KSU, they were also watching this game between the Cardinal and the vaunted Oregon Ducks in extreme anticipation, hoping the Cardinal could pull out the unbelievable upset and beat the Ducks and their offense in Eugene, Ore. Needless to say, that overtime field goal by the Cardinal elicited a lot of reactions from the Tide faithful around the nation, moving Alabama back into title contention.