LIFESTYLES
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Column: If you love the comic, don’t see the movie
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Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Matthes’ cycle lifts Tide basketball to 11-4 win over Nicholls State
Serving the University of Alabama since 1894
Vol. 115, Issue 93
LARRY LANGFORD LECTURE
SGA | VP OF STUDENT AFFAIRS
Mayor talks race, media and poltics
Valeska, Creel fight for VP spot
By Danielle Drago Senior Staff Reporter Surgery could not keep Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford from speaking out against the media in his lecture on campus Monday night. Despite undergoing a procedure only two hours prior, Langford ventured to Tuscaloosa to deliver his lecture, titled “Race, Politics and the Media in the Age of Obama,” which covered an extensive amount of topics from media’s role in society to the realities of being a black American to raising children. The event was hosted by the Capstone Association of Black Journalists in partnership with the Society of Professional Journalists. Langford’s discontent with the media was evident by the first line he uttered. “I’m just going to go ahead and tell you that I am not a big fan of the media. I’ve had the opportunity to be in the media, so I have seen it from both sides. The media shapes our lives and what we do. I’m not a big fan of the media because the media has a way of telling stories — not how the story is but how they want to tell the story,” he said. Langford, a former TV reporter, said he was particularly disappointed with the devolution of reporters on TV. “You can tell that [TV
“I loved when George Wallace was governor. At least you always knew where you stood.” -Larry Langford, mayor of Birmingham reporters] put their own spin on their stories,” Langford said. In addition, Langford said the media’s flaw is its need to dramatize stories. “You don’t need to sensationalize three murders. The media needs to stop trying to sensationalize,” he said. Langford pointed to his city’s newspaper, the Birmingham News, as an example of slanted media. “The worst thing to happen to Birmingham is the Birmingham News. The philosophy of that paper is just anti-city,” he said. Politics, specifically partisanship, also irked the Birmingham mayor, a Democrat. “Ain’t a dime’s worth of difference between Democrats and Republicans,” he said. While on the subject of politics, Langford detailed his plans to obtain stimulus dollars by bypassing the state of Alabama, who said would not receive any money from the president’s
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president for student affairs includes a number of responsibilities, including managing In the election for vice presi- the needs of students concerndent for student affairs, Tyler ing athletic events, entertainValeska — a sophomore major- ment, student organizations ing in English and political sci- and more. “[Student Affairs] is responence — faces off against Austin Creel — a junior in New College sible for reaching directly out specializing in education poli- to the student body to gauge cy. The position of vice See ELECTION, page 2
By Drew Taylor Senior Staff Reporter A week ago, Jeff Drexler, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army, was ending his four-month tour of Iraq, heading home to Tuscaloosa. After flying in from Fort Benning, Ga., Drexler had not been in Tuscaloosa for an hour when he stopped by to see the groundbreaking ceremony of the new Temple Emanu-El building on Tuesday. “I’m thrilled about the progress the Temple is making,” Drexler said. Drexler, who has been a member of Temple Emanu-El since 2006, said he came to the Temple just as it was making its residency at Capstone Church on University Boulevard. “It’s important for the Jewish community to have their own place to worship,” Drexler said. The ceremony began with the Temple Religious School Children singing “Shalom Chaverim,” a Hebrew greeting meaning “Hello Friends.” Rabbi Steven Jacobs followed the song with a shehechiyanu, or prayer of thanks for a special day, commenting on how far the church has come in such a short time. “This, indeed, is an historic moment for all of us,” Jacobs
See TEMPLE, page 2
Our View: Our pick for VP of student affairs .4
By Josh Veazey Senior Staff Reporter
Lifestyles: Eating disorder awareness week ......8 Sports: Basketball preview ................. 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
Tyler Valeska
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Sophomore majoring in English and poltical science
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SGA Senator, member of University fellows, Blackburn Institute
Austin Creel
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Junior, New College specializing in education policy
• Member of Blount Undergraduate Initiative
By Drew Taylor Senior Staff Reporter
A packed Ferguson Center Ballroom observed as Kendra Key, a junior majoring in political science, and Steven Oliver, a junior majoring in biology, commenced in the first of four debates Monday. All 11 students running for SGA executive council were in attendance. Eli Gold, better known as the “Voice of the Crimson Tide,” served as the moderator for the debate, which lasted a little more than an hour. Each candidate was allowed two minutes to make an opening statement. Students submitted all questions for the candidates last week. When asked what the SGA president would do to
combat an expanding University quickly approaching 28,000 students, Key said she would like to implement group discussions to keep the student body connected with the SGA. “It’s important to maintain a small-community feel with a committee like this,” Key said. When asked the same question, Oliver agreed with Key, discussing how, despite the growing student population, the University still maintains a personal setting in the classroom. “I’ve never felt like a number here at the University,” Oliver said. When asked how the SGA president-elect would deal with rising tuition costs and if he or she would reconsider the
See DEBATE, page 6
Students embark on 40-day Lent journey
Key, Oliver announce their candidacies ......3
National: Mardi Gras parade viewers shot .7
Candidate Breakdown
Temple Emanu-El Candidates battle it breaks ground out in first two debates
Motivations both secular and devout
Blackburn hosts disability discussion ................2
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By Victor Luckerson Senior Staff Reporter
See MAYOR, page 6
CW| Jerrod W Seaton “Weʼre three fries short of a Happy Meal in this state,” Langford said, criticizing Alabamaʼs resistance to legal gambling, alcohol sales on Sundays and the hypocrisy of the church.
CW | Marion R Walding
Tyler Valeska, left, and Ausitn Creel, right, are battling for SGA vice president for students affairs.
She’s been an atheist since high school, but every spring, Madison Langston, a sophomore majoring in religious studies, participates in Lent, the Christian ritual of self-discipline that leads up to Easter. “I want to practice self-control,” Langston said. “Whether you’re religious or not, everyone needs a ritual for discipline. Religions are good at that, but they haven’t cornered the market.” Langston plans to go 40 days without soft drinks, fast food or meat. “I see religion as simply a
power apparatus,” Langston said. “But this particular thing is good for anyone in a practical way. I just want to prove to myself that I can do it.” Lent traditionally occurs for 40 days leading up to Easter, calculated differently by various sects, and begins with Ash Wednesday. Participants usually restrict their diet, perform various acts of charity and deprive themselves of something they desire, such as caffeine or alcohol, symbolic of Jesus’ fasting and being tempted by Satan in the book of Matthew. “Lent is 40 days of preparation for the Easter season. It’s a time of fasting, alms giving and sacrificing,” said the Rev. Holloway, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi University Parish. “It’s somewhat of a journey when we go into the ‘desert’ and reflect upon our lives.” Holloway said he thinks nonreligious people can take
something out of Lent, especially if they reflect on their own life and relationships with others. “[Lent] is a personal choice — a lot of times, it depends on what’s going on in their lives,” Holloway said. “I always encourage people to do more during the Lent season. Spend more time in prayer, spend more time serving others and spend more time just reaching out in love to others.” Lynette Shedd, a junior majoring in human development, is giving up any food she has to go out to eat, in order to save money and eat healthier. “I don’t know a lot about Lent, just because I grew up Baptist, and obviously it’s not something they do. But it’s an easy time to make a goal — when other people are giving up other things, it’s easier for me to stick to giving up something like that,” Shedd said. “And the only way for me to keep goals is
through Christ. He’s the reason I set goals in the first place.” Alexandra Bruce, a junior majoring in public relations who has decided to give up alcohol, said she also grew up Baptist — without Lent. However, her Lent will be a particularly spiritual one. “This is more of a personal decision that I think is going to help my relationship with God,” Bruce said. “There are a lot of other positive things, too. I think that my grades are going to get better, and I’ll probably lose weight, too. But the majority of it has to do with that spiritual relationship.” Bruce said she has tried Lent and failed to make it through in previous years, but this year, she has been planning for it for three months, and said she plans to take it much more
See LENT, page 6