LIFESTYLES
9
Thursday, November 13, 2008
‘Role Models’ sets comedic example
THE SCENE
12
Bringing the funny from The Corner
Serving the University of Alabama since 1894
Vol. 115, Issue 56
631 students The black book hits the Web get tickets By Danielle Drago Senior Staff Reporter
By Drew Taylor Senior Staff Reporter
tickets, 1,262 seats will be occupied. Members of the Million Approximately 12,240 Dollar Band are also included students applied for SEC in the allocation, Walker said. Championship tickets over the Band members will receive course of two days at Coleman 550 tickets, which include Coliseum, said Doug Walker, space for sound equipment director of media relations and large instruments. The tickets allocated for for UA athletics. Of those students, only 631 were qualified students added to the Million Dollar Band seats add up to to buy tickets. Walker said the 12 percent 1,812 tickets. Walker said the SEC chamof 15,900 tickets given by the SEC will still round out to the pionship was no light matter student allocation of 1,908 tick- and the University took into ets because students have the account many possible ways opportunity to buy two tickets of distribution, in addition for the game. If each student that qualified reserves two See TICKETS, page 2
Rib-Tickling Trio
It’s a scene common enough in college: a couple friends get together and start talking about who they’ve hooked up with. Soon, someone loses track and is reminded: “Wait, do you remember that girl at that party…” and then recollection washes over their mind: “Oh yeah how could I forget that?” This is the typical conversation the Web site www. myblackbook.org was founded on. A couple guys wanted to keep track of their sexual activity and thought the traditional black book that kept track of past hookups was now outdated with the advent of new technology. Founder Robert Ianuale and his friends started gathering ideas by going to a mall and
surveying people. There, they found a staggering two-thirds of people did not keep track of who they had slept with. Therefore, they created the site, which is the first and only completely free online service that helps members keep track of all the details of their sexual histories. It allows people to log their sexual activities and assess their risks for sexually transmitted diseases. All entries to the site are confidential and will not be shared with anyone. “[We] hope that through selftaught education about sexually transmitted diseases, as well as personal assessment through the act of keeping track of their sexual history, that we can make a difference in society and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases,” he said. To utilize MyBlackBook, you must register with a username
The Eta Chi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi hosted its 10th annual “Straight to the Top” forum featuring UA administrators including UA President Robert Witt. The forum seeks to provide students the opportunity to openly discuss pressing campus issues with those who are responsible for the campus policy making. “The individuals who served on the panel were essential for this discussion because it is important for the student voice to be heard to allow the administration to take action,” said event coordinator Joseph Seals, a senior majoring in English. “Students need to know that their opinions matter, even though they may feel that they are just a number.” The SEC Championship ticket allocation process was the first issue that was brought to the nine-member panel. Students
wanted to know why so few students received tickets. Chris Besanceney, the assistant athletic director for Ticketing and Tide Pride, said the University was allotted 15,900 tickets and of that amount 12 percent was set aside for students. He said more than 12,000 students applied for the tickets, and the tickets were awarded based on credit hours. “We’ve implemented the same plan of allocation for all road games,” Besanceney said. “We give them out based on credit hours. Now, maybe, we could have sent an e-mail telling students that if they didn’t have at least 100 hours, they may not want to bother trying.” Besanceney said the students aren’t the only group the University has to consider. ten percent of the tickets went to football lettermen, 5 percent went to faculty and staff members, and 57 percent went to donors. Other sources indicated that, after
Corner Store and JD’s to reopen at the end of the week By Brett Bralley News Editor
UA weather
TODAY
INSIDE Today’s paper
A ʻNeauxʼ way..........3 Beat Auburn Beat Hunger ends Nov. 20...........3
Scattered thunderstorms
72º/54º
Friday
74º/47º
Saturday
56º/34º
Chance of Rain Chance of Rain
Opinions: Ticket system broken.....................4 Opinions: GOP authors its own demise .........5 Sports: Upchurch questionable ............7 Lifestyles: Movie review: “Madagascar”....... 12
P.O. Box 870170 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 Newsroom: 348-6144 | Fax: 348-4116 | Advertising: 348-7845 | Classifieds: 348-7355 Letters, op-eds: letters@cw.ua.edu Press releases, announcements: news@cw.ua.edu
“[MyBlackBook] is a novel idea, but its advocacy is questionable. It’s not effective, because it works on a shame and guilt principle,” said Christy Nyathera McGee, a junior in New College. The purpose of this site, to prevent the spread of STDs, is fulfilled when users access VDnote, which stands for Venereal Disease Notification,
See BOOK, page 2
Tickets, tuition both topics at forum By Jessica Alexander Contributing Writer
Brownʼs Corner delivers laughs with a trio of comedians and open mic on Friday night. See the Scene, on page 12, for more.
and password. From there, you can add new entries, or sexual partners, as well as multiple sessions with each entry. Users can input the person’s name, age and sexual experience, as well as peripheral topics, like hotness rating and nationality. Each session entry includes a time and date, as well as length and type of sexual encounter and whether the activity was protected.
before the football game on Saturday. Hickson said the closing to The Corner Store and JD’s remodel and restock was not Food Market and Deli on Paul due to the recent death of W. Bryant Drive temporarily William Whitehead, manager closed last week due to remod- of the Corner Store. Hickson said management eling and restocking, said Michael Hickson, supervisor decided to close the stores while some students went out of the Corner Store. Hickson said the stores will of town for Alabama’s away reopen at the end of the week game at LSU.
Political poster on faculty’s door defaced By Brett Bralley News Editor An offensive message was written over a political poster on the door of a faculty member’s office Monday, said UA spokeswoman Cathy Andreen. An e-mail was sent out Tuesday afternoon to students and faculty members from Provost Judy Bonner and Vice President of Student Affairs Mark Nelson regarding the defacing of a candidate’s poster Monday night. Andreen said the e-mail was a response to the incident. Andreen had no further information regarding the defacing of the poster but said when the University responds to situations such as this, each situation is individually evaluated by the University. In the e-mail, Bonner and Nelson called the actions “disrespectful and offensive to members of the UA family.” “The University of Alabama finds such behavior totally unacceptable,” Bonner and Nelson said in the e-mail. “Individuals who live, work, teach and study within this community are expected to contribute positively to the environment and to refrain from behaviors that threaten the freedom and respect that every member of our community deserves.”
the 27 percent allocated for students, lettermen and faculty and staff members, 73 percent of the University’s allotted tickets will go to Tide Pride members. Witt said he received several angry emails concerning the issue, and he came upon one that had a good suggestion. One student said the University should track who is actually using their tickets and award post-season tickets to students who attend the games. “I talked to Mal Moore about it, and we are going to take a look at this,” Witt said. “It is electronically do-able.” The president said he also received emails about the number of seats being left empty when students do not sell or donate their tickets. He said they are looking into ways to make sure those tickets do not continue to go to waste. “We are looking into a way to track
See FORUM, page 2
New course on campus focuses on poverty issues By Christy Roach Staff Reporter This year, students have the opportunity to participate in an eight-week course that focuses on poverty issues called SaveFirst poverty. SaveFirst poverty is a one credit-hour course offered from Jan. 9 to March 6. SaveFirst Coordinator Sarah Louise Smith said the course allows students to combine coursework and discussions on poverty issues with service preparing free tax returns at a local site for low-income families. She said discussions in class will focus on issues like perceptions and misperceptions of poverty, race and poverty, and poverty issues in Alabama. Requirements for the course include a six-hour tax training session, passing the IRS certification test and participation in a team that goes around the state assisting other tax preparation sites. Students are also required to perform four hours of service at a local free tax preparation site serving lowincome families. Smith said the course is open to all UA students through UH 400-02 or MGT 491-015. Class will be held in 34 Bidgood Hall on Fridays from 10 to 10:50 a.m. “The goal of the SaveFirst Initiative is to train college, graduate and law students to
offer free tax preparation services, financial literacy information and opportunities for savings and investments to low-income families, especially targeting those eligible for an Earned Income Tax Credit refund,” Smith said. Smith said the initiative exists to make sure lowincome individuals receive the full Earned Income Tax Credit and other credits that they are entitled to so as to encourage long-term financial planning and asset building. “Students will gain a clearer understanding of the issues facing individuals and families living in poverty and some of the policies that address these issues,” Smith said. Smith said students who have never experienced poverty or interacted with anyone close to the poverty line, will find that this course provides an invaluable experience that often serves to get rid of stereotypes they might have about low-income families. SaveFirst will be taught by Stephen Black, the director of the Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility. Black said poverty is the singular moral challenge to our society. He said that this class focuses on the causes and consequences of poverty in the U.S. “As a class, we focus on what
See POVERTY, page 2