TUESDAY
SCOPE
04.05.16
Volume 49|Issue 40
LOST? A comprehensive roadmap of social media updates
Howdy Folks, Things change. That’s what this issue is about. Two of the biggest titans of social media are changing their layout, and thus, some folks may need a new map to appreciate what all you’ll see on that front. Things are changing with UAB Sports as well, as the UAB club ice hockey team played (and won) their very first game ever against Mississippi State last week. That’s something to get hyped about if you’re a fan of Blazer sports from the past, present or future. Sterne Library sees change in the next few months as the INTO initiative renovates a floor of the library to put in a few different new things including an multi-faith room, in which you may see the interfaith council get involved. Check page 11 for more from that group. This newspaper’s handsome editor-in-chief even got involved in the act, writing about two musicians from a local hip hop collective, Socially Awkwrd, LLC. This enclave is out to change the perception of hip hop on a local level, and hopefully to make a big change nationally. With all this change happening on campus and around us, it can be tough to keep track, and this issue is a roadmap to all the things physical and digital that are changing around you. Much like every other paper map, you’re gonna have to unfold it first!
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STAFF Brandon Varner editor@insideuab.com Casey Marley managing@insideuab.com Thomas Baldwin art@insideuab.com Sarah Faulkner news@insideuab.com Jackson Hyde features@insideuab.com Stephanie Lockhart photos@insideuab.com Tamara Imam copyed@insideuab.com Jackson Hyde socialmedia@insideuab.com Melvin Griffin Chad Freeman Mark Linn Jared Chesnutt Jamie Thrasher Marie Sutton info@insideuab.com Justin Massey justinpm@insideuab.com
Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Visual Content Manager News & Science Editor Features & Opinions Editor Photography Editor Copy Editor Social Media Editor Distribution Team
Advisor Production Manager
The Kaleidoscope is the official student newspaper of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Unsigned editorials and the opinions of the Kaleidoscope’s columnists do not necessarily reflect the opinions of individual student writers, editors, Kaleidoscope advisers or university administrators. Signed columns and letters reflect the opinion of the writer and serve as expressions of fact and opinion to Kaleidoscope readers. Letter Policy: Letters to Kaleidoscope are always welcome. Unless otherwise directed, all letters will be forwarded to the editor. Letters must be no longer than 200 words and must be typed. A name and a phone number must accompany each letter. Letters will appear at the discretion of the editorial staff and can be sent by mail, fax or electronic mail. All material contained herein, except advertising or where indicated otherwise, is Copyright © 2016 by Kaleidoscope and protected under the U.S. Copyright Laws. Material herein may not be reprinted without the expressed, written permission of the Kaleidoscope.
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Blaze the Dragon: the mythology J
ohn Maddox, Ph.D., a professor of Spanish at UAB, assigned his Spanish Conversation and Culture students to write myths about Blaze the dragon in Spanish. Aura has provided several of these myths for our Sound Off page this week.
Blaze Hace 200 años había una piedra misteriosa que la gente miraba y tocaba para buena suerte. Por 200 años gente tocaba el huevo que contenía a Blaze pero la gente no sabía que algo estaba adentro. Tampoco sabían que él los sentía y escuchaba sus oraciones. Porque Blaze sintió mucho amor de parte de los humanos mientras estaba en el vientre de su cascarón creció a ser un dragón amable. La mamá de Blaze lo abandonó cuando él apenas era un huevo nuevo. Entonces Blaze nunca conoció a otros dragones malos. Sólo sabía ser amable y ayudar a los humanos. Los humanos no solamente eran los amigos de Blaze pero los consideraba como su familia. Los años pasaron, la gente moría, y Blaze crecía. Mientras crecía Blaze empezó a descubrir sus poderes cual incluían poder echar fuego de su boca y volar. Al principio solamente sacaba suficiente fuego para calentar alrededor del campamento de sus amigos. Y no podía volar más alto que los árboles. Los años pasaron y los poderes de Blaze siguieron creciendo. Un día Blaze se puso muy triste porque tenía miedo de que sus poderes por accidente pudieran herir a sus amigos. Blaze no quería lastimarlos, así que huyó lo más lejos que pudo. En medio de la noche y a miles de millas de distancia, por fin se cansó y se acostó a descansar. Por la primera vez en mucho tiempo estaba seguro de que ningún daño iba a venir a sus amigos. Cuando despertó el próximo día algo lo estaba mirando. Era algo gigantesco. Era algo que se parecía a él. Habló el ente y le aseguró a Blaze que ningún daño de parte de los humanos iba venir sobre él otra vez ni viceversa. Porque apenas había despertado Blaze no puso atención a lo que dijo este ser. Levantándose, la bestia gigante lo agarró y lo abrazó. Ella le dijo que había esperado mucho tiempo por alguien como ella después de que perdió a su bebé. El dragón gigantico dijo que la cuidad de donde vino Blaze era el lugar más feo y malo porque le quitaron a su precioso bebé para hacer sus casas de los cascarones de dragón. Pero el dragón gigantesco contó del cascarón de un bebe dragón que no podía ser quebrado. Dicen que ese huevo era el bebé del dragón rey. El dragón rey era el más grande del mundo, según el dicho. También, según el dicho, este dragón bebé iba ser el salvador de una cuidad de la ira la de amargura. Blaze quedó fascinado con este cuento y quería saber cómo terminaba. Pero el dragón gigantico no quiso terminar el cuento tan pronto. Hizo Blaze esperar hasta que creciera unos años más para saber qué pasó con el dragón salvador. Hizo que Blaze que se quedara porque ella había estado completamente sola por 200 años. Finalmente, decidió que el nuevo dragón estaba suficiente grande para saber cómo terminó el cuento: el dragón que iba a salvar a la cuidad iba a tener que pelear con el ultimo dragón del mundo. Allí se dio cuenta Blaze de que iba tener que pelear con su nueva amiga. Blaze, completamente grande ya, decidió que iba a tener que pelear con su amiga para proteger a la cuidad donde vivía su familia humana. Blaze cumplió su destino y salió ganando.
Two hundred years ago there was a mysterious rock that people would look at and touch for good luck. After 200 years of growing in his egg, Blaze was born. For 200 years people touched this supposed rock that was actually Blaze’s egg. Also, nobody knew that Blaze could actually feel and hear the prayers of those who touched his egg. Blaze with Kscope writer and BlazeRadio DJ, Jared Chesnut. Because Blaze felt so much love from humans while he was in his egg he grew up to be a kind dragon. Blaze’s mom abandoned him when he was a fresh egg. Therefore, Blaze never knew of mean Hace mucho, mucho tiempo en una tierra muy, muy dragons or of dragons in general. He only knew lejana, Pegasus estuvo volando durante la noche to be kind and help humans. Humans were not just encima de la tierra sin forma. De repente, Pegasus Blaze’s friends, he also considered them his family. vio la monstrua del lago Loch Ness cuando ella estaba The years passed, people died and Blaze grew. nadando en el lago. Ella era bellísima y Pegasus bajó While Blaze was growing he began to discover para conocerla. Los dos se enamoraron y unos meses that he has special powers, which included being más tarde ella puso un huevo en el Monte Vesubio. able to breathe fire and fly. At first, he could only Cuando el volcán entró en erupción y cubrió la ciudad breathe enough fire to heat up around his friend’s de Pompeya, la lava ardiente parió al dragón Blaze. camp. Blaze could also not fly past the tree lines El infante Blaze viajó a Noruega donde había at this time. More years passed by and his powers muchos vikingos que tenían una historia larga de luchar kept growing. con los dragones. Blaze tenía mucho miedo porque One day Blaze became really sad because los vikingos querían matarlo. Pero había un vikingo he was afraid that his powers would accidentally joven que no quería luchar contra los dragones y, en hurt his friends. Due to the fact that Blaze did not secreto, se hizo el amigo de Blaze. Blaze aprendió want to hurt his friends he flew as far as he could muchas habilidades del joven como cazar y hablar con from the town. At midnight, and a thousand miles humanos. Su amistad terminó las guerras entre los behind him, he finally got tired and laid down to dragones y los vikingos. rest. For the first time in a long time Blaze was sure Después de 1.200 años en Noruega con los vikingos, that nothing could hurt his friends. When he woke Blaze recibió una carta de aceptación del colegio de up the next day, something was watching him. It Hogwarts. Hogwarts no era un colegio normal porque was something giant. It was something that sort of era un colegio para aprender sobre el arte de magia. looked like him. The strange creature spoke and Blaze dejó su hogar en Noruega y viajó a Inglaterra assured Blaze that the humans could not harm him para asistir a su nuevo colegio. Después de llegar a anymore. Because he had just woken up Blaze Inglaterra Blaze aprendió que era ‘el elegido.’ Este didn’t pay attention to what the creature had said. título significaba que Blaze tenía que salvar el mundo When Blaze was getting up the giant dragon del Señor de la Oscuridad, Voldemort. Después de picked him up and hugged him and told him that siete libros y ocho películas sobre sus aventuras, Blaze she had been waiting a long time to find someone tuvo éxito y venció a Voldemort. like her after losing her baby. The giant dragon Para celebrar sus diecinueve, Blaze vacacionó en said that the town Blaze had come from was the China. Los chinos no sabían nada sobre la magia como meanest and ugliest place of all because they were los ingleses, así que Blaze les enseñó todo lo que él responsible for taking her baby for its egg shell sabía, como el uso de las pirotecnias y la pólvora. A from which they built their houses. The giant dragon los chinos les encantó Blaze y ellos crearon muchos also told of an egg shell of a baby dragon that edificios y estatuas de él. Hoy en día, los chinos could not be broken. It was said that this egg was todavía celebran a Blaze cada año durante desfiles y la the egg of a king dragon. According to what was celebración del Año Nuevo. said the king dragon was once the biggest dragon Después de su vacación en China, Blaze viajó a ever to fly this earth. It was also said that this baby Tierra Media para visitar su primo lejano Smaug. dragon was going to save a town from the wrath of Smaug siempre estaba muy enojado y fiero porque se bitterness. Blaze was fascinated by this story and obsesionaba con el oro que él había escondido en la wanted to hear more. Montaña Solitaria. Desgraciadamente los humanos y However, the giant dragon did not want to finish los enanos también querían el oro y por eso mataron the story so soon. She made Blaze wait a few years a Smaug. Gandalf contó la historia trágica de Smaug to find out what happened to the savior dragon. a Blaze y también dijo que había una ciudad mágica She forced Blaze to stick around because she had que se llamaba Birmingham en el estado de Alabama. been completely alone for 200 years. The giant Blaze estaba muy triste sobre la muerte de su primo dragon finally decided that Blaze was grown pero sabía que su futuro quedaba en la tierra de enough to know how the story ended. The story Birmingham. ended with the giant dragon telling Blaze that the Blaze viajó a Alabama y usó su fuego para dragon that was going to save the town was going ayudar a los trabajadores a crear los metales de las to have to fight the last dragon on earth. That is minas que se encontraban dentro de las montañas when Blaze realized that he was going to have de Birmingham. En el año de 1969 la Universidad to fight his new friend. Blaze, all grown up now, de Alabama en Birmingham fue fundada y Blaze fue decided that he was going to have to fight with his visto mientras volaba sobre la ciudad. Por eso los friend in order to protect the city where his human humanos adoptaron a Blaze como mascota oficial de family lived. Blaze came out winning and fulfilled la universidad. De acuerdo con la leyenda, Blaze va a with destiny. - Stephanie Román regresar sólo cuando los estudiantes más lo necesitan.
Photo by Brandon Varner
Los mitos de origen del dragón Blaze
A long, long time ago in a land far, far away, Pegasus was flying through the night over the formless land. Suddenly, Pegasus saw the Loch Ness Monster swimming in the lake. She was incredibly beautiful and Pegasus flew down to meet her. The two fell in love. A few months later, they laid an egg together in Mount Vesuvius. When the volcano erupted and sent the ash spiraling over the city of Pompeii, Blaze was birthed out of the fiery lava. The infant Blaze traveled to Norway where there were many Vikings that had a long history of fighting the dragons. Blaze was very afraid that the Vikings wanted to kill him too. But, there was a young Viking who did not want to fight the dragons. Secretly, the young Viking boy and Blaze became friends. Blaze learned many skills from the boy like hunting and speaking to humans. Their friendship ended the ageold wars between the humans and the dragons. After 1,200 years in Norway with the Vikings, Blaze received a letter from Hogwarts. Hogwarts was no normal school; it was a school to learn the art of magic. Blaze left his home in Norway and went to England to attend his new school. After arriving to England, Blaze learned that he was the “chosen one.” This title meant that Blaze had to save the world from the Lord of Darkness, Voldemort. After seven books and eight movies about his adventures, he succeeded by defeating the Dark Lord. To celebrate his 19th birthday, Blaze vacationed in China. The Chinese didn’t know magic like the English, so Blaze taught them everything he knew like fireworks and gunpowder. The Chinese loved Blaze and created many statues and building of him. He is still remembered every year in their New Year’s Day Parade. After his vacation in China, Blaze traveled to Middle Earth to visit his distant cousin Smaug. Smaug was not the friendliest cousin; he was almost always angry and fierce because he was obsessed with gold that he had hidden away in the Lonely Mountain. Unfortunately, the humans and the dwarves also wanted the gold. Therefore, they killed Smaug. Gandalf told the tragic story of Smaug to Blaze. Gandalf told him that there was soon to be a Magic City named Birmingham in the State of Alabama. Blaze was very sad about his cousin’s death, but knew his future lie in Birmingham. Blaze traveled to Alabama and used his fire to help the workers create the ores found in the mountains at Birmingham. In 1969, the University of Alabama in Birmingham was founded and Blaze was seen flying over the ceremony. Therefore, they adopted him as the official mascot of UAB. It has been rumored that he will only return when the students of UAB need him most. - John Chancellor and Alex Johnson
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TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2016
NEWS
A presidential dispute: USGA elections continue Pierce Newman Staff Writer pnewman1@uab.edu
play an even larger role on campus. “I have been inspired by seeing the difference that USGA has already made on our campus in the past couple of years and I want to lead the initiative that he Undergraduate Student Government will continue and grow that to better our campus and Association presidential election on Thursday, student life,” he said. March 31 was too close to call, resulting in a runoff Colunga finds his candidacy to be unique in that election to occur on Tuesday, April 5 he want to speak with as many different student between candidates Fernando Colunga organizations as possible to ensure that they have and Sarah Griffin. a voice. He wants to “ensure that I never falsely The other two candidates for USGA assume what the student voice is saying.” president, Chirag Patel and Robert He plans on doing this through empathy James, did not receive a large enough and encouraging anyone who has an idea that percentage of the student vote to make could improve the USGA, and by extension the it to the runoff. undergraduate student body, to speak with The Undergraduate Student him. Government Association at UAB Colunga sees the USGA as the campus’s holds elections for its executive voice, and uses the recent changes in the UAB and senatorial positions each Athletics department as an example, a challenge spring. These positions closely mirror that the last two administrations faced. He that of the U.S. government, believes that the USGA played a large with senators writing and role in allowing student voices passing legislation and the to be heard on whether to executive branch being reinstate the football, bowling tasked with carrying it and rifle teams. According to out. Colunga, he has seen a great According to Colunga, amount of improvement in his motivation for the organization, specifically running for this office in the areas of, “efficiency, is to see USGA grow and transparency, and advocacy,” Fernando Colunga on account of these events. He was prepared for a runoff and was relieved that his name was among the candidates that were put that recycling in the right bin still in the race. “The students running for this position were each qualified in their own, unique ways and no matter the outcome I believe that USGA will be in good hands next year,” Colunga said. Like Colunga, Griffin is heavily focused on making sure that the views of all undergraduate students are able to be voiced. She wants students to feel as if they are a part of any change that is happening on campus, especially through encouraging the attendance of senate meetings. “I really want students to know that they have a 6:30-9:30am seat at the table,” Griffin 3:00-6:00pm said. Some examples of 620 11th Street South (205) 996-9043 issues that she has already
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we get out what you put in,
heard about from fellow student include parking and safety meetings, mental health and sexual assault awareness, a desire for permanent farmers markets and expanding the on-campus recycling systems. ”I believe these ideas will benefit all because these are real concerns from real students,” Griffin said. In addition to mentioning the USGA’s interactions with UAB athletics, Griffin spoke of the “It’s On Us” campaign as an example of what the USGA has taken part in recently. This initiative educated students on mental health and sexual assault and opened up a greater dialogue on the two subjects. Like Colunga, Griffin predicted that there might be a runoff. “Garrett, the current president, called me, along with the other candidates, that night around 7 p.m. and I immediately put the phone on speaker. When he said that I made the run-off, all of us in the room screamed,” Griffin said. “We were all so excited that I get another chance to campaign and let more students know that I want to represent them.” Voting for the USGA presidential runoff election will take place on online on April 5 via Blazernet.
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Open for drop-offs Mondays
Sarah Griffin
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Anxiety and depression are the most common diagnoses at Student Health and Wellness
The Student Health and Wellness center building.
Janvi Jani Staff Writer janvinj@uab.edu
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he two most common illnesses diagnosed at the UAB Student Health and Wellness Center are anxiety and depression. While many students seek treatment at the SHWC, others may not have sought help for their mental health concerns. Melanie Daniel, MSN, RN, is a nurse that has over 30 years of experience in the field of Psychiatric Health and Nursing. She currently teaches Mental Health in Nursing, among other courses at the UAB School of Nursing. “[These diagnoses are] not surprising at all to me, because depression and anxiety are illnesses that go across into the continuum,” Daniel said. “College students tend to have a lot of anxiety and depression because it’s a period of transition. You’re trying to figure out what you want to do in and you may not know yet.” While stress from school can be a factor in triggering anxiety and depression among students, the developmental phase that comes with being an early adult in college can also cause anxiety. “You’re going from being an adolescent to trying to learn to be a responsible adult,” Daniel said. “The society expects you to switch gears really quick, but in real life, it doesn’t happen that way. Just because you
Photo by Casey Marley
turn twenty-one doesn’t mean you’re automatically going to know what you’re going to do.” College is not the only factor causing anxiety and depression among students, according to Daniel. “Society puts a lot of pressure on people of this age, and expects people to just be able to move into the adult role,” Daniel said. “However, not everybody is prepared to do that. It’s a process, and not everybody goes through that process at the same rate, everybody is different. So I think that there is a lot of outside pressure from people.” Despite these consistent pressures, depression and anxiety experienced during college, according to several UAB students, appears to flare up at different stressful times during the semester. “I usually get really anxious during the finals week,” sophomore Hilary Patel said. “UAB has more students on the pre-med track so I do feel that UAB students may feel more stressed and/or depressed with the pressure of meeting those requirements for medical school, in comparison to other school that may not have a lot of those students.” Nursing student Adam Robinson also experiences anxiety before major exams. “Since my first semester in the nursing school program, I developed pretty bad anxiety before major exams, quizzes, or skills validations,” Robinson said. “The anxiety gets so bad that I develop stress ulcers
that make it really hard to eat because I totally lose my appetite. These ulcers always appear within a week of some type of significant exam and disappear about a week after the exam.” There is a reason that many students are being diagnosed with both anxiety and depression. According to Daniel, there is a relationship between the two illnesses. “When you graduate high school, the pressure from the society increases [the] anxiety level, and the key is coping. You’ve got to figure out ways to cope anxiety before it gets out of hand. If you don’t, your anxiety worsens, and your coping strategies start to fail,” Daniel said. “That’s when it goes downhill, and you have self-esteem issues. That leads to depression. If you cannot control your anxiety, your selfesteem goes down, then you start having depressive symptoms.” Although anxiety and depression may be comorbid and feed off of each other during one’s college career, Daniel explained that this may not be permanent. “As a whole, younger people are resilient and can bounce back, they have the ability to bounce back,” Daniel said. “It depends on the factors that caused it to begin with. If the factors that are causing it are eliminated, then the anxiety can go away.”
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TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2016
NEWS
INTO Sterne renovations that promise better studying and multi-faith recognition Mark Linn Staff Writer quiaego@uab.edu
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AB plans to begin work over the summer to renovate the second floor of Sterne Library into a facility for the INTO program, which will include classrooms, office space, study areas and a multifaith room that will be open to all UAB students. INTO University Partnerships is a Britishbased private company that partners with universities to boost international recruitment and provide students recruited through the program with resources such as English classes to help them meet university standards. Construction of the new facility will be completed in phases, with more classrooms added to accommodate the increase of INTO students. Under the current plan, construction of the first phase will begin in June and will be completed in time for the spring 2017 semester. The first group of INTO-recruited students will be enrolled for the upcoming fall semester Mervyn Sterne Library will undergo a series of renovations that will prepare the building for the INTO program. and will be housed in the Provost, Faulkner made several changes with the Smolian International House until renovations in aim of being more accommodating to other faiths. A Sterne are complete. separate entrance was added directly to the prayer One of the key features of the new facility will be area and the rigid screen was replaced by a curtain what has been designated as a multi-faith room for that could be rolled back more easily. Another option students of different beliefs to use as a quiet place for discussed was creating a separate area for other prayer or meditation. The room will be the first space faiths. designed specifically for religious purposes on UAB “The concern there was that you’re segregating campus grounds. the Muslim population from the student population,” The initial plans for the room was presented to UAB Faulkner said. “And you don’t want to do that, by INTO and was designed particularly with the needs especially in Birmingham, with our history of of Muslim students in mind, with rooms for storing segregation.” possessions and washing in preparation for prayer Akhlaque Haque, Ph.D., the faculty advisor for the before entrance to the prayer area, as well as a rigid Muslim Student Association as well as the director screen separating male and female students. This of the Masters of Public Administration program was a point of concern for some members of the UAB at UAB, said that he was excited about the INTO Project Management team tasked with designing the program bringing a diverse range of students to UAB, facility, such as Christopher Faulkner, the architect of particularly from the Middle East and South Asia. record for the renovation. “Having this prayer hall I think - and it’s going to be “The concern that I had was the separation of interfaith, not just for Muslims--I think it’s going give church and state,” Faulkner said. “We’re a public a really flavor to accommodating a diverse group on institution, we’re providing a facility to accommodate campus,” Haque said. for a special faith and so I was worried for UAB that According to Haque, UAB has allowed Muslim there might be some exposure there.” students at UAB to use the Marshall Conference After raising this concern with the Office of the
Photo by Brandon Varner
Center to conduct their Friday prayers for about the past 15 years. That changed last December, when renovation work began on the center to accommodate UAB Athletics with the construction of the new soccer field. Since then, UAB has allowed Muslim students to have a reserved room in the Hill Student Center. Omar Bilbeisi, the president of the Muslim Student Association and a member of the International Mentors program was also glad to hear the news of a multi-faith room at UAB, saying that he had requested one in the past. “I am really glad UAB is working on these changes because I have tried to reach out and request a multifaith room in Sterne many times but to always end up with the same answer that it wasn’t possible,” Bilbeisi said. “This is really exciting news.” Haque said that he had no concerns about the addition of the multi-faith room, as long as student safety and keeping the room clean and quiet for prayer services are taken seriously. “I think UAB adding this to the INTO program is going to be really instrumental. Let’s see what happens, but I think they’re doing the right thing,” Haque said.
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Ice Dawgs melted by Blazers in UAB’s first ever hockey game Tamara Imam
Copy Editor copyed@insideuab.com
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he UAB Ice Hockey Club defeated Mississippi State in its first ever exhibition game at the Pelham Civic Complex and Ice Arena on Saturday, April 2. Admission was free for all attendees. UAB (1-0) came out on top of Mississippi State (2-12 overall, 0-6 in SECHC) in an 11-10 win over the Ice Dawgs. Ryan Kalson, one of the founding members of the club, pulled a hat trick, scoring three goals over the course of the game. Kalson, assisted by his teammate Steven Stevens, scored the first goal in UAB ice hockey history. He also scored the game-winning goal, again assisted by Stevens. As of now, the UAB hockey club is not affiliated with the American Collegiate Hockey Association, the governing body of club and varsity college ice hockey akin to the NCAA. The club hosted an interest meeting last January and become a recognized club sport at UAB as of March 2015, according to the club’s facebook page. However, the club plans to eventually become a part of the ACHA. “Me, Dave Monaco, and a couple others started the club a little over a year ago,” Kalson said. “The game against Mississippi State was to really kick off our program and gain interest so that come next season, we should have a full schedule and be registered with ACHA.” Prior to the inaugural game, the hockey club launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover the cost of funds for “optimal game time, another practice, and hockey socks” and to help “with the start of a 2016-2017 season by helping to reduce dues for all potential players,” according to the club’s GoFundMe site. The hockey club also hosted a percentage night at Hwy 55 Burgers Shakes and Fries. Fifteen percent of the sales went towards uniforms, ice time and hiring officials for the game. Kalson said that donations through the GoFundMe allowed the club to purchase more practice time on the ice and hockey socks for all the members ahead of the first game. For Kalson and other club members who have played hockey throughout their lives, the exhibition game was an opportunity to showcase their talent at the college level in front of a large crowd of Blazer fans. “It was amazing! Especially for the people like me that have played hockey their entire lives then had to stop because we came to college,” Kalson said. “A lot of our The UAB Men’s Hockey Club poses for a group picture.
Ryan Kalson and Luke McCarthy during down time in the exhibition game.
Photo courtesy of Ryan Kalson
players haven’t played competitively in 3-4 years, so for our first time back to have the bleachers filled with fans was amazing. Also, how loud and into the game they were was awesome especially after we won.” With a successful first game under its belt, the club is looking to solidify its plans for the upcoming season. “In the coming weeks we will be having team meetings to start scheduling games and getting everything set up for next season,” Kalson said. The exhibition win is not just important to the team and current students, but meant a lot to long-time Blazer fans as well. “I am so proud of the way those guys played and the way the UAB fans showed up to support them. I think there might be something special in the coming years for UAB hockey,” said Elliot Brindley, a UAB alumnus and #FreeUAB member. “In the meantime, it will be fun watching the UAB hockey club grow in the coming years. Go Blazers.” Photo courtesy of Dave Monaco
LOST? A comprehensive roadmap of social media updates
Casey Marley Managing Editor managing@insideuab.com The photo sharing app known for its filters and “like” significance was to change forever on March 29-- or so the world thought. Instagram announced on March 15 that “in the coming months,” the way the world consumes Instagram would be forever changed. Instead of viewing photos in a chronological order from when they were posted, the new Instagram algorithm would be based on the photos that you frequently like, meaning no more reasons to mass like a friend’s photo because of an unsynced posting and viewing schedule. “The order of photos and videos in your feed will be based on the likelihood you’ll be interested in the content, your relationship with the person posting and the timeliness of the post. As we begin, we’re focusing on optimizing the order — all the posts will still be there, just in a different order,” the official Instagram blog said on March 15, citing that the change came from the statistic that Instagram users miss an average 70 percent of their feeds. On Monday, March 28, a rumor that overtook Instagram prompting accounts to collectively post a “Turn on Notifications” post all with captions similar to “click above to keep up to date” among several varieties. This upcoming change worried many “Instagram famous” users, causing a massive amount of “Turn on Notification” posts that consumed the average user’s Instagram feed for much of Monday, March 28. Even celebrities like Nina Dobrev from “The Vampire Diaries” had a reaction to the change, cursing the Facebook-owned app for changing its algorithm. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Well, the only thing that’s broken now is your relationship with your users. So fix that. @instagram,” she said in a tweet. However, the algorithm shift did not scare all users. Sarah Buckelew, a UAB Digital Media Fellow who runs the Digital Media Instagram page thought that the “Turn on Notifications” post was rather unnecessary.
“If the Instagram feed algorithm feed heavily factors in people’s likes and engagement though, then I would say it seems unlikely that someone whose feed you’re not showing up in would be [interesting] enough to want to follow it,” she said. Once March 29 came to fruition, the perceived Instagram “Doomsday” proved a flop. This rumor was debunked the previous day. According to the New York Times, the new changes to the Instagram algorithm are far from being released to the general public. “Despite the rumors, no feed changes are being implemented right now — we still have weeks, or even months, of testing to go,” an Instagram spokesman said on Twitter. “Currently the test groups are very small. When we roll it out broadly, we will definitely let the community know.” While the change is still imminent as of now, Buckalew does see why the user outrage came about. “I think part of the current appeal of Instagram is actually the novelty that I see different types of content when I go on,” she said. “I think that people already choose what content they’d like to see by following people, I think the Instagram algorithm will limit that choice by taking the posts of who you’re following and then limiting a certain few to appear at the top.” Communication Studies student Jessica Middleton believes that this user outrage in a possible algorithm change shifts beyond photo feed order, but in how people value themselves based on their social media presence. “People care so much about likes because it seem like their posts aren’t important, or they don’t exist if they don’t get likes,” the senior said. “I’ve heard many people say they’ll delete their posts if they don’t get likes, so I guess it’s just about appearances and not wanting your life to look oring by not receiving like... I wouldn’t be surprised if many people deleted their Instagram, or just topped posting as much after the update.”
A guide to navigating Snapchat’s “Chat 2.0” With young social media users’ anxiety rising with the looming thought that Instagram would change forever, Snapchat, the photo/video/messaging app that 19 percent of American teenagers claim is the most important source of their social network according to Adweek actually made some huge . Called Chat 2.0, the update brought in some pretty Facebook Messenger like changes that includes the ability to video chat, send mini videos, voice recording, voice calls and what some would say is most important: stickers. In addition to the chat changes, how users view “stories” or the “public” snaps sent to a user’s friend group also evolved in Chat 2.0. “We’re also introducing Auto-Advance Stories, the fastest way to catch up with your friends,” the official Snapchat blog said. “When you finish a Story, the next one begins automatically — simply swipe to skip ahead, or pull down to exit!” The last phrase of the “Auto-Advance Stories” is the key to escaping the wasted four seconds of Snapchat story you deem “a waste of your time,” or that you are purposefully avoiding for personal reasons. While the new feature will not prevent a Snapchat user from viewing the first clip from a non-selected friend’s story, swiping up will let you exit the new “helpful” feature.
Navigating the new chat feature of the update: 1. Send a sticker Click the Smiley face in the bottom right hand corner, then peruse the quirky virtual stickers. This is perfect when you want a sweeter form of a written sentence or are at a loss for words. 2. Send a gif like video of yourself Hold down the video button until a circular video frame emerges, as soon as the wacky face you make registers, release for a short 1-3 video clip of yourself. 3. How to video chat Remember the video button you pressed to send that short recording of yourself? Tap it once to start video chatting with one of your Snapchat friends. 4. Send an audio clip While it’s easy to accidently embarrassingly record yourself on iMessage, Snapchat saves the embarrassment for the actual clip you send. Hold down the phone button to instantly send a clip, and tap the button once to make a “phone call.”
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TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2016
Gov. Bentley’s actions are costing Alabama jobs, jobs, jobs Rep. Craig Ford Contributor alhousedems@gmail.com ince Governor Bentley’s relationship with Rebekah Mason became public last week, there have been calls for him to resign. Those calls have not come just because of his relationship with Rebekah Mason. Governor Bentley isn’t the first person in Montgomery to do what he did, and he probably won’t be the last. The reason Gov. Bentley should resign is because of the people he hurt, the allegations against him, and the crippling affect he is now having on our ability to recruit jobs to Alabama. What Gov. Bentley did has hurt a lot of people. He has hurt his own family and Rebekah Mason’s family. He has hurt Secretary Spencer Collier and the Collier family, as well as the five law enforcement officers he fired or transferred and their families. He has hurt the members of his cabinet, many of whom fear that if they come forward with what they know
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The state seal of Alabama
they will be fired and disparaged like the governor did to Sec. Collier. But if the rumors are true and a grand jury is being impaneled to investigate the governor, then one good thing will come out of this: the members of the governor’s cabinet and staff will finally be free to speak honestly and under oath without fear of repercussion. Last, but certainly not least, Gov. Bentley has hurt the taxpayers who not only have been embarrassed by the governor’s behavior and will now have to pay the costs of the investigations into the governor’s actions, but are also losing out on jobs and economic development because no business wants to sit down with the governor or any member of his cabinet anymore. Gov. Bentley ran on jobs. His slogan was “Jobs, Jobs, Jobs.” He ran on how he wouldn’t take a salary until the state got full employment. But after 6 years, it’s the governor who has done a job on us! His actions are costing Alabama jobs. There are business owners and leaders of industry who don’t want to sit down with this governor because of the image of corruption that has engulfed the state. We have lost so much opportunity because of this mess. How in the world can we bring anyone else in? What CEO or other corporate group would want to come down here right now? We are competing against Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and other states that are going to use
OPINIONS
all of this against us. The governor has provided our competitors with an unfair advantage, and it is absolutely costing us economically. The governor has lost the confidence of the people, the legislature, and those in the business community worldwide! When Gov. Bentley was campaigning, he said Alabama needs a doctor. But this doctor has put our state on life support! We’re still sick, and our doctor needs a doctor of his own. Earlier this week, it was announced that Rebekah Mason had resigned from the governor’s staff. But would she have ever resigned if they hadn’t gotten caught? Of course not. Her resignation is also too little, too late. It’s a nice, symbolic gesture, but it doesn’t change what the governor has already done, and it doesn’t repair the damage to our state’s reputation. Gov. Bentley has hurt the people of Alabama. He has hurt his own family, and many others. He has been dishonest, lost his credibility, and has likely broken the law. He has lost the confidence of the legislature and the business community, and now it is costing Alabama jobs. A complaint has already been filed with the state’s Ethics Commission, and it has been reported that both the state Attorney General and federal prosecutors are investigating the governor and Mrs. Mason. For the good of the state, it’s time for Governor Bentley to resign.
Blazing Blue: A democratic student’s response to gun control Caleb Carter Contributing Writer cscarter@uab.edu ’m an advocate for common sense gun control because I believe we have a responsibility to provide all citizens with domestic tranquility. The rise of violence within our culture should cause us to become passionate about the need for further restrictions on firearms. It’s a sad reality that more than 30,000 of our fellow Americans have their lives cut short each year as the direct result of guns. I stand with President Obama and the Democratic Party in their efforts to bring this issue into the national conversation; this issue is one that needs to be humanized. There is a general consensus among most Americans that we need to act on gun violence from the federal level, yet there are many in Congress holding up the conversation. Those people claim that enacting these restrictions violates the 2nd Amendment and opens the door to government intrusion. They appeal to the arguments of people like Samuel Adams and Patrick Henry without considering the context of those arguments and their purpose; the historical reasoning behind the 2nd Amendment fits a particular time and place. We live in a world far different than the one in which the Constitution was written, one that requires regulation to further contextualize the right to bear arms. I’m a firm believer in the concept of individual liberty but this doesn’t eliminate our responsibility to our neighbors. The expansion of federal background checks
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is perhaps the most comprehensive step towards eliminating gun violence. The federal government should follow the direction of the many states that have already taken steps to strengthen and expand background checks. These states have seen their gun-related crime drop by almost 50 percent. We must also eliminate loopholes for the purchase of firearms and make sure that dangerous people aren’t allowed to have them. This will go a long way in reducing the tragedies we see on television and in our communities. We can also create common sense safeguards such as fingerprint registration, gun-safety training, and proper gun storage. It’s also time to ban semiautomatic weapons for personal use. The primary purpose of these weapons does not correspond with needs of the common citizen and only poses a danger to our communities; these types of weapons should be reserved for highly trained military and law enforcement. It’s time for the debates to cease and for good people on both sides of the aisle to come together and solve the problem. The wellbeing of our citizens shouldn’t be a polarizing or partisan issue yet there are many on the far-right who are unwilling to listen because the gun lobby holds them hostage. We have the ability to fix this problem and save lives so we need to stop pretending that we can’t. Gun control is not in conflict with the Constitution rather it helps fulfill its purpose to give all people the safety they deserve. Carter, VP of UAB College Democrats. Photo courtesy of Caleb Carter
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Interfaith Coalition brings faith-based discussions to UAB Myah Clinton Staff Writer mkc16@uab.edu he first meeting of the Interfaith Coalition, an informal, student-led program that strives to promote dialogue among the different faiths represented at UAB, was held on Thursday, March 31. Although each faith-based organization on campus contributes equally to the coalition, the first meeting was sponsored by Ukirk at UAB, a Presbyterian campus ministry. According to Caleb Carter, president of Ukirk, the Interfaith Coalition at UAB strives to “eliminate some of the misconceptions” that various faiths might have about each other. The group’s first meeting was informal, with student leaders and members talking and getting acquainted with each other over food and board games. The only structure was when each of the presidents introduced themselves and the beliefs of their respective organizations. The idea for the coalition originated on the ride back from a trip a few of the campus faith leaders took to the Interfaith Youth Core in Atlanta last semester, according to Carter. “We [Carter and Zachary Sanders] were talking about ways to develop interfaith dialogue and cooperation on campus. I really took initiative because one of the founding principles of UKirk is interfaith dialogue and cooperation,” Carter said. “We feel that if you’re called to love and serve your neighbor, you can’t do that unless you know your neighbor.” After working with Student Multicultural and Diversity Programs, Carter formed the Interfaith Coalition. Ukirk at UAB, the Bahai College Club, the Muslim Student Association and Hillel at UAB, a
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Images from Wikimedia Commons
Jewish ministry, currently comprise the coalition. The coalition is open to everyone, religious and nonreligious. Each organization involved had different opinions about how they will contribute to the coalition. Ukirk “really wanted to bring these people together from their respective faith and traditions [...] to unite around social change on campus and in Birmingham,” Carter said. Jeremy Mock, a senior and the president of the Bahai College Club, said the Bahai faith is rooted in the belief in “the oneness of humanity, the oneness of religion [and that] we all worship the same God just with different names.” “I think we still have the tendency to segregate ourselves by group and I think that one of the purposes of the interfaith coalition coming together was to move past that kind of in group mentality. I hope that Bahai can bring a sense of inclusivity and unity and diversity,” Mock said.
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“As one of the many faiths [represented at UAB], we try to connect with each other, just to understand each other more, to know that we’re not the only ones here, and just to basically build the bond and bridges between us for a better future for everyone,” president of the Muslim Student Association Omar Bilbeisi said. Zachary Sanders, who is a senior and the president of Hillel at UAB said he looks forward to participating in community projects next semester. The leaders of each group said that getting to know one another and being respectful will help with tolerance among the religious organizations. According to Carter, interfaith dialogue will help the organizations better impact the UAB and Birmingham communities. Mock agreed on the importance of dialogue. “Whenever you are able to emphasize and understand each other you are able to understand that you are not very dissimilar and that you can work together so the way we’re promoting [tolerance] is by opening a dialogue,” Mock said. “Dialogue where people do not feel disrespected where people feel like they have a platform to disagree respectfully and to agree and I think that’s just something that should be done.” Bilbeisi said the MSA’s plan for tolerance is “based on respect and equality.” “We don’t disrespect someone for what they believe, everyone has their own beliefs,” Bilbeisi said. “We would basically treat people the same way you want to be treated.” Sanders hopes that Hillel will host an “Abraham tent,” where people curious about the Jewish faith can learn more about it.
New study explores patient navigator effect for those with diabetes UAB News News Wire arpope@uab.edu t always helps to have someone to guide people through a tough task or difficult journey, and University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing Assistant Professor Michele Talley, Ph.D., believes that could especially hold true for those facing the challenges of diabetes. With a $30,000 grant from the UAB Center for the Study of Community Health, Talley is testing her hypothesis as part of her work at the Providing Access to Healthcare (PATH) Clinic, which the school supports in partnership with UAB Hospital and Health System. Talley’s study, Michele Talley, Ph.D. Photo from UAB News “Impact of
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Community Health Advisors for Uninsured Adults with Diabetes at PATH,” seeks to determine whether significant improvement in glycemic control—the management of blood sugar levels in a person with diabetes mellitus—can be achieved when regular mentoring is part of the process. “A lot of times, people assume that patients don’t adhere to treatment simply because they don’t want to or they lack the discipline to do it,” Talley said. “I may have been guilty of that myself 10 years ago, but what I have come to realize is that often a lack of knowledge about diabetes is the real issue. The study is being conducted in two phases. The first phase uses two focus groups made up of 10 to 12 participants each recruited from the PATH Clinic and interviewed in a semi-structured setting to determine the diabetes self-care behaviors of interest. “What I have found is that, if you give patients the knowledge and the tools they need, then they are more apt to be adherent. Once patients are educated, they tend to have better outcomes, which is what we hope to accomplish through the community health advisers, or CHAs.” In the second phase, 60 participants will be recruited and divided into an intervention group and a control group. Participants in the intervention group will undergo the usual method of care they receive at the PATH Clinic and will be assigned a CHA
(one CHA for each five participants), while those in the control group will receive the usual method care but no CHA. The CHAs, provided through a partnership with the Deep South Cancer Network, are laypeople from the community whom Talley will train in behaviors identified by the first focus groups. The participants in the intervention group will have regular access to a CHA throughout the 12-week study, including face-to-face meetings in weeks one and 12 and weekly contact by phone in weeks two through 11. During these sessions, the CHAs will educate the participants on the previously identified self-care behaviors. Talley anticipates the study will show the use of CHAs improves compliance with self-care routines, leading to improved levels of hemoglobin A1c — the test that provides an average of a person’s blood sugar level over a 90- to 120-day period—as well as fewer emergency room visits and fewer readmissions after hospital stays. “It’s like exercising or dieting. When you have a partner to go through it with you, it is a whole lot easier,” Talley said. “So maybe having a partner to remind them each week of the things they need to do to take care of themselves will make it easier for patients with diabetes, too.
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TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2016
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Your Myers-Briggs horoscope for April: A focus on orderly people Jackson Hyde Features Editor features@insideuab.com ello Kaleidoscope readers, in your time at UAB and preparing for the professional world, you may have been asked to take a Myers-Briggs Personality Test, this is a scientific approach to understanding what makes you tick by sorting you (and everyone else) into one of 16 distinct personality types. With this popularity of self awareness and how prevalent it is in the workplace, we’ve decided to launch a monthly column that gives each of the 16 personality types a look into themselves and into their future for the upcoming month by using non-astrological pseudoscience. This week, we are offering quasi-insight into the protective and practical personalities. Before reading this column, please take a Myers-Briggs Personality Test and then find your type below to read a totally imagined glance at what is to come for you.
ISFJ
A compassionate ISFJ will help everyone they’re around without asking for much in return. This month, your generosity will lead you to better relationships and possibilities for new friends. Be quick to capitalize on these opportunities, though, as you may begin to feel unwanted if your efforts are not immediately matched. Surround yourself with people who support you. Just because you’re humble doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to be thanked.
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ESTJ
Confident ESTJ, your reliable presence gives friends comfort and stability. You are regarded as a rigid figure of morality and method that people can look up to and emulate. However, your firm belief in tradition may soon let great opportunities slip past you. Adopting a new, better practice only shows that you are sure of what you should do to move forward. Expose yourself to new ideas and use them to grow.
ISTJ
This month promises self-gratification for the dedicated ISTJ. You will use your excellent management skills and knack for handling responsibility to push your endeavors to completion, but you may find yourself being dragged down by a project you refuse to abandon. You may blame yourself for this failure, but know that you have pulled your weight. Get together with a couple friends, play a game and talk about the news to relieve some stress.
ESFJ
Image by Casey Marley
There are few who are able to move up the social ladder as quickly as the sociable ESFJ. Your broad compatibility allows you to relate to almost everyone you meet, but those you are not compatible with may make you feel out of place. 76130 This month, you will be forced out of your comfort zone. Instead of being repulsed, use the opportunity to explore yourself and find diversity to celebrate.
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FEATURES T-Bone’s and microphones: Rap and B’ham UABkscope.com @UABKscope facebook.com/uabkscope
One of the many opening acts at T-Bone’s keeps the crowd going. Brandon Varner Editor-in-Chief editor@insideuab.com
Last Thursday, T-Bone’s in Five Points was giving away free food, which would usually attract a crowd on its own. People were not just there for the food, though surely it helped matters. Many people had come out at 11 p.m. on a Thursday night to show their support for Birmingham’s burgeoning hip hop scene. The unorthodox venue was fitting for the dynamic of a region that has often struggled to set itself apart when it comes to hip hop, except for a couple of outliers. There are people, even on this campus, that are working to change the perception of Birmingham as a city that does not accommodate rappers. The creative allure of this city extends even outside of its borders, attracting people that did not grow up in the sounds and sights of the Magic City, but have nonetheless adapted to its atmosphere. “Being in Birmingham has given me an appreciation for certain musical elements in trap music,” said Terrence Wimberly, a Colorado native and producer. “Since I moved here, I started messing around with 808’s and different hi-hat patterns in my beats. Lately, I’ve been experimenting a lot with bass lines.” Wimberly, and rapper/producer Sage Williams, are both artists that are affiliated with Socially Awkwrd, LLC, a local rap collective that thrives on presenting peculiar perspectives to the public. Williams and Wimberly’s labelmates include Youngblood, a perpetually masked rapper/singer/ producer, and Tony Leon, a Kid Cudiby-way-of-Prince crooner. The label, with such diverse acts on their roster, has been steeped in success recently, with Leon opening for Chance The Rapper-collaborator Kyle in his recent Birmingham performance. Several of their other artists, including Williams, joined even more Birmingham rappers in opening for “Wrist” mastermind Father in his Birmingham debut that almost caved
Photo by Terrence Wimberly
in the floor at the Syndicate Lounge a couple of nights later. Both artists will tell you that the crew’s recent momentum comes from their earnest nature and emotional music. “I just like it to convey emotion no matter what. I want music that makes people feel something,” Williams said. “I never want to be trapped in a box where I can only make one type of music or talk about one group of things. I wanna reinvent myself every chance I get.” Both artists tend to trend towards shifting sonics, trying to evolve as musicians while connecting with their audiences. “I really just want my music to convey happiness and honesty. I want my music to be completely unique,” Wimberly said. “I’m always trying to take what I know about music, and push it forward. I want people to listen to my stuff and think, ‘I’ve never heard anything like this before’.” As UAB students, the artists have to work carefully to balance their schoolwork along with their desire to create. Like many other creatives on campus, sometimes the pressure can get to be a problem. “Dividing my time out between art, music, and school can get really hard for me sometimes. I haven’t been getting a lot of sleep lately, to be honest,” Wimberly said. “But I get through it with the encouraging words of my business partners with our company, Socially Awkwrd LLC. They always tell me you gotta lose sleep to be great, and I wanna be great.” These rappers are only two of those on the vanguard of rewriting the image of Birmingham as one of the world’s official rap capitals. Williams, Wimberly and the rest of the Socially Awkwrd crew are always working on projects to ensure that their voices do not get lost in the shuffle of a shifting landscape. Sage Williams’ album, “Lost,” is available now on Soundcloud and Bandcamp, where you can also find Terrence Wimberly’s instrumental beat tape, “Fruits Basket.”
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Weekly Wellness: Tracking fitness for beginners and beyond Jared Jones Staff Writer jrdjns@uab.edu was gifted with a slate blue Fitbit for my birthday two years ago. I didn’t know much about it; in fact, the only reason I wanted one was because of the unconscious peer influence of my coworkers at a previous job. They all had fitness trackers and I just wanted access to the cool kid tree house. Why did I need to count my steps? Why did I need to track sleep? As with most things, I assumed I’d find the answers after I started. I’ve always had an affinity for technology, and the prospect of marrying technology with fitness seemed like a good idea. After all, the fitness tracker would encourage me to walk more, right? And it did. I spent each day devoting time to getting up, walking around and tackling my daily goal of 10,000 steps until my fitness tracker’s untimely death only days short of a year later. It took me a week to replace it. And what a week it was, walking back and forth on campus with no means of tracking my steps. Did I walk a mile today or did I walk four? I was in fitness purgatory, ignorant to how much effort I was expending each day. Fitness trackers are an excellent way of quantifying your fitness, seeing live results for your efforts. They provide feedback and can send you reminders to get up and get moving – usually by way of a companion app on your smartphone.
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Tracking Your Needs Your fitness tracker should mirror your fitness goals. Most people, myself included, are dazzled by the infinite features on new-age fitness trackers and spend too much on features they won’t use. Do you want a simple tracker for your afternoon walks? Are you an avid runner, cyclist or swimmer that needs something to monitor heart rate? While fitness trackers can’t track every workout (sorry, yogis), most are perfectly capable of making sure you stay up to date on your fitness journey. For the Fitness Fledgling Unless you’re pounding the pavement multiple times a week, a simple tracker is perfect for you. Your best bet is a Fitbit Flex. It’s simple, smart and wirelessly syncs to your phone so you can see your metrics on the device you use most. And if that seems too much for you, I suggest snagging the Fitbit Zip. It clips onto clothing and is unobtrusive and affordable. It also wirelessly syncs to your phone so you’re always equipped with data at your fingertips. For the Endorphin Junkie Heart rate trackers are for you. They are the next step above an everyday tracker, giving you more precise data so you can craft your workout to better meet your fitness goals. Some people like to run or cycle without their phone, in which case look at the Garmin Forerunner 230. It comes with a built-in GPS so you know where you’re going without having to check your phone. It also doubles as a smartwatch, so look out for email and text notifications.
TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2016
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Otherwise, look into an Apple Watch. It’s an entrylevel heart rate tracker that’s fully integrated into iPhone’s HealthKit – a fully immersive fitness data system integrated into the Apple operating system. For the Learner Everyone can benefit from a coach’s guidance on form. Moov NOW is a fitness tracker that provides cues to correct cadence, stride and other important factors in your run, so that way you’re running safely and effectively. Moov NOW offers guidance on a wealth of other sports, so check it out if you’re looking to better your sport. Takeaway Regardless of my recommendations, if you’re interested in buying a fitness tracker, do your homework. Write down your goals and interests and find the tracker that best fits those goals. At the end of the day, your needs are different. Invest your time and money in something that’ll help motivate you to be a better version of yourself. Your couch is better off without you.
Fitness trackers record steps, heartbeats and sleep.
Photo by Ian Keel
BlazeRadio presents: Red Planet Interviews New Kingston
Tahir, Stephen and Courtney of New Kingston.
Photo from Press Junkie PR
Jared Chesnut Staff Writer redc@uab.edu
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ew Kingston, a trio of brothers out of Brooklyn, N.Y. made their way to Birmingham alongside SOJA on April 1 to bring some reggae to the masses. Earlier in the week, Kscope was able to get in touch with Courtney Panton, New Kingston’s drummer and DJ, to pick his brain about everything from the band’s influences and their father Courtney Panton, Sr.’s legacy in reggae to the best food stops on tour.
Red: First off, it’s good to see Birmingham expand musically and open up to artists from many genres. Will this be your first time performing here? Courtney: We’re glad to see and be a part of this expansion. We definitely want to continue coming to Birmingham and the rest of Alabama. This is our second time here in the city and we can’t wait to mash up the stage. R: What’s your image of the city and the South? C: Other than what we see in the media, we haven’t been able to explore and form a lasting image of the city, except for interactions with fans and people we know. Sometimes when you’re on tour, time is very limited so we don’t get to explore certain cities much. R: Any spots on the current tour stand out? Where’s the best food been? C: Our Pittsburg stop was a pretty “madd” one so far but we’re looking for Iron City Birmingham to top that. As for food—still searching. The tour just started and it’s a pretty short run. So we’ve kept it light to this point. R: ”Kingston City” is a solid reggae album, but I’ve also noticed influences drawn from other styles, particularly on “You Are Mine and Can’t Stop a Man.” Were there other bands or sounds that served as an influence while recording the album? C: Our influences come from many different places and naturally it comes out in our own music. As far as direct influences on the “Kingston City” album we just made some music organically and boom, “Kingston City.”
R: With Phife Dawg passing away recently, I guess it makes sense to ask if and how New York acts like A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul and the Beastie Boys played a part in how you grew up, as well as your “education” in reggae. C: Well, A Tribe Called Quest and those groups are a lil far back for most of New Kingston. For us artists like Biggie and Jay-Z were more of an influence. Some of us also grew up in Jamaica. As Jamaicans and Jamaican-Americans, reggae is a part of everyday life for us. It’s in the way we talk and walk and live. Having our pops work so closely with reggae legends and icons gave us a sort of inside scoop on reggae music and sometimes getting mentoring from them. We got our reggae schooling directly by being associated with different artists and working with them. R: What’ve y’all been listening to lately? C: Everything! We listen to all kinds of music. Different genres, different artists from different countries and styles. No music is off limits. R: How would you describe a typical New Kingston show? C: High energy with a “wholeheap” of twists and turns with lyrics and melodies you need to listen to. Someone once said about us “don’t blink when we’re playing because you might miss something.” Big thanks to Courtney Panton and the rest of New Kingston for their time. Their latest album, “Kingston City,” is out now.
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FRIDAY|04.08 TUESDAY|04.05 Active Minds Education Building Room 133 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. Active Minds at UAB is hosting a presentation on how to properly talk to someone who confides in you about a sexual assault experience. Experts from the Title IX office and the Crisis Center will be there to answer questions. Everyone is invited regardless of Active Mind membership.
USGA Runoff Elections
UAB Blazernet All day Log in to Blazernet in order to cast your vote for final two candidates for USGA President: Fernando Colunga and Sarah Griffin.
WEDNESDAY|04.06 AOII’s Smoke Out Arthritis UAB Mini Park 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Sorority AOII will host one of their annual philanthropy event, “Smoke Out Arthritis” at the Mini Park. Barbeque plates can be purchased for $5 and $1 for drinks. Tickets can be purchased at the setup tent or from a sister. “Strike Out” tickets will be pre-sold for $3 at the tent as well. This event benefits the Arthritis and AOII Foundations.
UAB vs. UAH Men’s Tennis UAB Tennis Courts 1 p.m. The UAB Men’s Tennis team will face the UAH Chargers in an afternoon match.
THURSDAY|04.07 Frankie Cosmos The Syndicate Lounge 433 20th St S, Birmingham, Alabama 35233 8 p.m. - 12 p.m. $10 18+ New York DIY indie artist Greta Kline will perform her subtle pop tunes off her critically acclaimed album, Zentropy, named New York Magazine’s #1 Pop album of 2014. Re:Memory Birmingham Museum of Art 2000 Reverend Abraham Woods Jr Blvd. 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Free re:Memory is an art and science instillation that engages local artists and professionals to answer the question: “How do you see memories?”
PMS/BPR Reading and Publication Party Desert Island Supply Co. 5500 1st Ave N 7 p.m. The UAB English department will host a reading of its two main literary journals, PMS and Birmingham Poetry Review at DISCO on Friday night. Both journals will be on sale, and PMS will accept children’s book donations for the Storybook Project at Tutwiler Women’s Prison.
SATURDAY|04.09 Neon Electric
Saturn 200 41st Street S 8 p.m. $5 Birmingham dance party staple, Neon Electric will return to
Saturn on Saturday Night. For $5 Neon Electric goers can dance to 80’s, New Wave, Alternative Dance, Synthpop and more. The party will be broadcasted live on Birmingham Mountain Radio. Rumours: Fleetwood Mac Tribute Iron City 513 22nd St S. 8 p.m. $12-15 Rumors, a Fleetwood Mac Tribute band from Los Angeles will perform at Iron City on Saturday night. Formed in 2012, the tribute recreates the classic rock band from its “hey-day” in 1975-79.
SUNDAY|04.10 Phi Sigma Pi Second Annual Cornhole Tournament UAB Campus Green 2 p.m. Phi Sigma Pi will be hosting a campus wide cornhole tournament on Sunday. The winning team will be rewarded with a cash prize.
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