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Feburary, Friday 05, 2009
LIFESTYLES
SPORTS
PSP offers fun; challenging rhythm game
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Doubles team works well on and off the court
Serving the University of Alabama since 1894
Vol. 115, Issue 82
Merit Scholar numbers rise University ranked 11th in recruitment By Jessie Gable Staff Reporter UA System
Board to vote on nursing construction By Amanda Peterson Special projects reporter
Along with considering the proposed expansion to Bryant-Denny Stadium, the UA System Board of Trustees is expected to approve construction contracts for
another project that will change the UA campus — the Capstone College of Nursing building. The board meets today and Friday in Birmingham. The
See BOARD, page 2
The University was recently ranked 11th in nation’s public universities in the number of National Merit Scholars it enrolls. In the fall semester of 2008, 83 National Merit Scholars enrolled at the University as freshmen. That number is more than half of the 140 scholars who enrolled at all colleges and universities in the state of Alabama last year, according to a press release from the University. “This ranking once again underscores the University of Alabama’s ability to attract the
best students in the nation,” said UA President Robert E. Witt in the release. “Our freshman class this year includes more than 1,000 students who had a 4.0 or higher grade point average in high school, and one in five freshmen enrolled in Honors College. Clearly, we are growing with quality at the University of Alabama.” The University was ranked 28th among the 2,400 public and private colleges and universities in the United States and second, behind the University of Florida, which has 116 National Merit Scholars enrolled, among public universities in the SEC. Auburn University ranked
eighth among public universities in the SEC by only having 31 National Merit Scholars in the fall recruiting class. The University’s ranking is up from last year when it came in 12th among public universities and 30th overall. “Students of this caliber can attend almost any school and it says a lot about the University’s academic programs that they choose to come here,” said UA spokeswoman Cathy Andreen. In 2008, 464 National Merit Scholar semi-finalists were chosen from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina, according to the National Merit Corp. 20072008 report. Currently, the University has more than 300 National Merit Scholars from Alabama,
Bama finishes National Signing day at No. 1 again
Walking down the aisles at the grocery store, students can expect to see more products labeled as “green” or “eco-friendly.” With stores like Wal-mart, who is one of the forerunners in the push to be green, students shouldn’t expect to see this trend disappearing anytime soon. Wal-Mart’s decision to make their stores environmentally friendly began in 2005 when the leaders of the company realized a lot of people did not like them, said Kristy Reynolds, associate professor of marketing. After a meeting, they decided from then on, everything they were going to do would be good for the environment and for their business, she said. “It has been very good for their business and has helped save their company millions of
UA weather
TODAY
dollars,” Reynolds said. After the meeting, they began using natural lighting and only turning the overhead lights on when necessary. In addition, they began to push their suppliers to use less packaging, she said. “When the packaging is smaller, the boxes are smaller, which means less cardboard is being used,” Reynolds said. “Because the boxes are smaller, they are able to fit more in the trucks used for shipping, which results in less trips being made to deliver these products. It really is a domino effect where everyone saves.” Students looking to purchase “green” products should look at the differences in labeling on the products, she said. Some companies like Clorox and Arm and Hammer have their eco-friendly products marketed as a separate
For more coverage, see The Scene, page 10
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Today’s paper
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Opinions: Practicing what you preach ..............4
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The Associated Press Five-star running back Trent Richardson puts on the houndstooth hat after signing to play at Alabama Wednesday. Richardson was the highest ranked player in the state of Florida.
INSIDE Honors College students to run marathon .......3
Video game review: ʻDJ Max Feverʼ ..............7 Sports: Menʼs tennis...8 Tide softball to open season in Mobile .....9
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
2008 — 83 2007 — 73 2006 — 82 2005 — 72
California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.
By Lindsey Holland Contributing Writer
See GREEN, page 3
Black History Month film festival.....................3
• Number of National Merit Scholars enrolled at the University in the last four years:
Student receives blogger award
Companies go green and save green By Christy Conner Contributing Writer
Fast facts
T.G. Paschal | rivals.com Linebacker Tana Patrick of Stevenson, Ala., chose Alabama over rivals Auburn and Tennessee Wednesday. Patrick and the rest of the Tideʼs class ranked No. 1 on Rivals.com.
Some students that create blogs may wonder if anyone really reads what they post. Life is different for 24year-old Sharon Nichols. She first created her blog, called “Thank You, Ma’am” in her sophomore year of her undergraduate studies. Nichols’ blog has won first place in the student category for the American Bar Association Journal’s “2008 ABA Journal Blawg 100,” the 100 best Web sites by lawyers for lawyers. Out of those 100, five are in the student category. The ABA Journal is a Web site that is read by half of the nation’s one million lawyers every month. “I was really excited,” Nichols said. “The administration here has been really supportive and my readership has gone up since this nomination.” Nichols is in her second year at the University’s Law School. Aaron Latham, spokesman for the UA Law School said he thinks Nichols’s writing is key for a blogging world. “Sharon is a great writer,” Latham said. “Her style, which runs a gannet from playful to point, is suited perfectly for success in the blog world.” Nichols started off writing about current events but said she was always interested in
See AWARD, page 2
Campus leaders to strut their stuff in date auction By Victor Luckerson Staff Reporter Next week, UA men and women will strut down the runway in order to raise scholarship funds. The UA Scholarship Date Auction, cosponsored by the SGA and the National Society of Black Engineers, will be held on Thursday, Feb. 12 at 6:30 p.m. at The Zone located in Bryant-Denny Stadium. Thirty-five to 40 student leaders from various on-campus organizations and athletic teams, including Crimson Tide cornerback Javier Arenas and CW managing editor
Phil Owen, will be auctioned off to the highest bidder for a group dinner date at Desperado’s Steakhouse. Terri Saban will serve as the master of ceremonies for the event. The event kicks off the SGA’s Ideas to Action Program, an initiative to give students a voice in planning campus programs and reforming University policy. The auction idea, conceived by student Kirby Kinney, was chosen from several submissions by a committee of SGA members and Crimson White staff. Admission will be $2 and will include a raffle ticket. Participants will be allowed to
buy as many as nine more raffle tickets for $1 apiece. At the end of the night the proceeds generated from ticket sales and the auction itself will be used to raffle off door prizes and scholarships worth as much as $500. “We are excited to present an opportunity to unite the entire UA campus for the cause of raising awareness for the need of more scholarship money for the students of the state of Alabama,” said Zack Coppens, chief operating officer for Ideas to Action and SGA entertainment director.
See AUCTION, page 2