September 15th Issue of Kaleidoscope

TUESDAY

SCOPE

09.15.15

Volume 49|Issue 18

THE PARANORMAL INVESTIGATION CLUB

PG. 8

local restaurants on wheels

PG. 13

PG. 14

EARL SWEATSHIRT

Dear Kaleidoscope Readers, Unexpected things happen. No matter what stage of life you are in, you see this phrase played out again and again. On Friday, I found out that my grandfather passed away and it came as a shock—not that it was an accident, but it just wasn’t on my radar of events to happen in the near future. My grandparents live in North Carolina, so I don’t get to see them that often, but I will always remember the times in the summer where we would drive for what then seemed like an eternity from Alabama to some mysterious state, home to lots of kind and funny people whom I resembled. My grandfather was a printer by trade; he owned an independent printing shop in Raleigh.

Whenever I saw them, I was surrounded by paper--notepads, stationery, etc. My cousins, sister and I would always spend hours doodling and creating on those blank canvases.

Now that I think about it, without those early memories, I may have never learned to love writing or creative expression.

I was in Raleigh this weekend, and because of my departure, this issue could not have been made without the extraordinary hard work of my staff. Most of the students on Kaleidoscope work multiple jobs, take full loads of classes and are involved in their communities in some way.

They do this without complaining, to the point of exhaustion, because that’s what it takes to become a professional writer. We’re not guaranteed a job after graduation and people may scoff at our majors, but at the end of the day we produce content that people love to share and consume. We inform, and we look out for you as a citizen.

In light of my absence during the finalization of our paper, I would especially like to thank Brandon Varner, our Managing Editor, for taking over the production of this issue under such short notice.

This week’s Kaleidoscope’s content is lighter than the previous weeks. We’re not talking about smoking policies or UAB Football Politics. We’re talking about food. Something universally loved and consumed. We hope to deliver news on plans for the fate of food trucks after the Student Center is complete and to give you more insight on how you can start eating food from these transient local businesses.

I hope everyone has a great week!

Go Blazers,

STAFF Casey Marley editor@insideuab.com Brandon Varner managing@insideuab.com Jessica Middleton visuals@insideuab.com Mark Linn news@insideuab.com Sarah Faulkner features@insideuab.com Stephanie Lockhart photos@insideuab.com Anna Sims copyed@insideuab.com

Managing Editor Visual Content Manager News & Sports Editor Features & Opinions Editor Photography Editor Copy Editor

Jackson Hyde socialmedia@insideuab.com

Social Media Editor

Kylie Hicks onlineeditor@insideuab.com

Online Editor

Thomas Baldwin twb712@uab.edu Melvin Griffin Chad Freeman Mark Linn Marie Sutton info@insideuab.com Justin Massey justinpm@insideuab.com

Physical Address Pita Stop Building 1110 12th St. South; Birmingham, AL 35294 Mail PITA, 1720 2nd Ave. S., Birmingham, Ala. 35294-1150 Phone (205) 934-3354 Web UABkscope.com Email editor@insideuab.com

Editor-in-Chief

Head Illustrator 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.

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Material herein may not be reprinted without the expressed, written permission of the Kaleidoscope.

SOUND OFF

Letter to the editor: Student processes, the Undergraduate Student Government Association played an Referendum integral role. It is because of USGA that Garrett Stephens USGA President roryg@uab.edu

U

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UABkscope.com @UABKscope facebook.com/uabkscope

AB is at a tremendous point of transition and progress. As a university, our students, faculty, and staff, have weathered the storm that was the December 2nd decision.

We have come out stronger. We have learned from our mistakes, but more importantly, learned what true power we had when our groups moved towards a goal as one.

After the decision was made, UAB administration made the laudable decision to open the door for discourse and inquiry by chartering the Athletic Assessment Task Force to review the aforementioned decision.

There was also the creation of the Student Life Task Force to assess the overall student life experience at UAB. As a result of these actions, UAB announced the return of football, bowling, and rifle, and created the Vice President of Student Affairs (VPSA) position, respectively. In both of these

there is a VPSA and, in large part, the return of football, bowling, and rifle.

As a body who was elected by and speak for the students, the USGA Senate overwhelmingly passed a resolution that stated that students are willing to take ownership of athletics at UAB and specifically support the return of football, bowling, and rifle.

This show of support comes in the form of a semester fee of $25. That’s right, only $25. Though the Student Government worked tirelessly to represent and lead the student body through the turbulent 2014-2015 academic year, our resolution was taken with a grain of salt.

The student body is now being called upon to solidify its role in the decision-making process by participating in a vote on September 29th and 30th. A strong YES vote on these days is not only a YES for UAB, it is a YES for Birmingham. It is a YES that will show everyone who has watched these trials and triumphs unfold that we are not just a vocal few. We are the Blazer family and we stand as one.

Letter to the Editor: 13,747 Votes for BOT Control of Birmingham, 4,620 Ignored Votes Say Nay

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he BOT, disguised as the Liaison Committee continues its blatant raping, robbing and retarding of Birmingham and the Blazer Nation.

Whatever the title or mission, the BOT is PBJ & the Boys. Deny and challenge this and you will suffer the consequences as did fired UAB Presidents Hill, McCallum, Reynolds and Garrison.

The proposed Mickey Mouse student election is a grammar school level con job.

FACT: The students that do not go to the polls will have voted in support of the BOT at their own demise.

FACT: Should the entire student body vote in favor of UAB, the BOT will simply ignore the results, i.e. the hiring of Jimbo Fisher, FSU coach, had 1,000% support. PBJ & the Boys axed this deal unmercifully.

This election should not take place.

If we are weak and spineless, create a ballot and set up polls, PBJ & the Boys have won. They have won with no votes cast.

My candidate for governor is Rep. Jack Williams. He is the only elected official that steps out front knowing the consequences (See fired presidents above). Our political, social, economic and religious leaders are silent and inactive. They obviously put top priority on satisfying their personal greed and ego. The will of the people and common good, the heart of our free and equal existence is being strangled by PBJ and the Boys. There are constitutional remedies to restore good health.

Dr. Watts, patsy for PBJ & the Boys, issued his rah rah statement last Friday to the “UAB Community & Friends”.

Give me a break! With unmitigated gall, Watts regurgitates like a ChickFil-A cow, the same old status quo cud!

Please remember the elections by these addressees stating “no confidence” which were ignored by the BOT. Watts is conclusive evidence supporting my claim of immoral and criminal activity of PBJ & the Boys.

The Seal of the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees Photo from al.com

In fairness, the answer to our dilemma will come from his creed.

“Knowledge Will Change Your World”. Can anyone deny the deafening silence and absence of our politicians, sans Jack Williams?

As a senior focused on Poly Sci and Government, I know for a fact that the “knowledge”, the know-how for returning control to we the people lies within this school.

I challenge this scholars and students to use their knowledge to create a legitimate and autonomous Birmingham Blazer Nation, free and superior. The status quo, planned mediocrity, has got to go. “A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds.”

T C Cannon Senior School of Social & Behavioral Sciences President of Hail Blazer Club 205-566-1440

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2015

School of Engineering hacks volunteer housing

Ulric Cowley Staff Writer ulriccowley@uab.edu

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he student-led organization Engineers Next Door, the School of Engineering and the School of Public Health hosted a Building Design Hackathon on Sept.

11-13 that benefited the Dominican-based nonprofit, Project Hearts.

The Hackathon is a yearly event that brings together high school and college students to compete by making designs for different projects. This year was the first design Hackathon that END and its students have hosted.

The students were tasked with coming up with a building that will function as a house for volunteers, a community center and a bread and breakfast. They had a specific set of materials and parameters that they had to work within when designing the building for Project Hearts.

END focuses on building sustainable and economic-friendly infrastructures.

They primarily focus on five areas: UAB, Alabama, Birmingham, the Dominican Republic and India.

“Engineers Next Door is a multidisciplinary non-profit organization established to support our local and international communities in need through a multi-disciplinary STEM approach,” said Karen Osburn, director of Engineers Next Door. “The aim of END is to construct opportunities for leadership, unity, and collaboration within various disciplines of engineering.”

Project Hearts is a non-profit organization based out of the Dominican Republic. They focus on helping people

in impoverished areas by improving infrastructure and public health and providing education.

Through their efforts, the organization has improved community, family and individual health for the impoverished people in the country.

Students and professional mentors were spread out into separate groups in the classroom eagerly awaiting the specifics of the project. The mentors were from architectural firms such as Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood; Robins and Morton plus UAB’s School of Engineering.

Osburn spoke first at the podium, then introduced Ruben Ottenwalder, the president of Project Hearts.

Ottenwalder was born in the Dominican Republic and moved to the United States at the age of 16. In the states, he became a Franciscan monk and lived in the United States until he decided he wanted to return to the Dominican Republic to help with poverty relief efforts.

He worked with the poor, growing food, building houses and supplying fresh water for 16 years then formed Project Hearts.

“In 2011 we started the foundation and it has four pillars education, health, economic development, and the spiritual.

We develop the whole person,” said Ottenwalder. “The word I love most is empowering the people.”

Judges for the event were from LIVE Design Group, Project Hearts and the School of Engineering. END and Project Hearts will work together to implement the design of the winning team.

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High school and college students compete to design sustainable housing for volunteers in the Dominican Republic

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Photo by Jessica Zillman

NEWS

UABkscope.com @UABKscope facebook.com/uabkscope

UAB’s new GEAR: GEAR UP provides Grants, Scholarships for those in need Luke Richey Staff Writer lrichey@uab.edu

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chool can be expensive. Books, fees, tuition and room and board all add up to a lot of money. UAB’s School of Education has been awarded a grant that may change that college expense for some sixth and seventh grade students in lower Alabama.

Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) is the U.S. Department of Education’s grant program that funds middle and high schools with high levels of impoverished students.

The grant given to UAB is the first given by the Department of Education to Alabama since GEAR UP’s 1998 conception, and it pays out $49 million lasting until the 2020-2021 academic year.

This grant specifically services 9,300 students across 53 schools and 18 school districts in the Black Belt region of Alabama.

The Black Belt consists of 18 counties stretching from the Mississippi border to Georgia. GEAR UP Alabama adopts a cohort model – the funds follow students in sixth and seventh grades all the way from middle school through their first college years. GEAR UP Alabama supplies initiatives to increase Black Belt student representation in college.

“In my opinion, Alabama education is made up of haves and have-nots,” said Lawrence Tyson, Ph.D.,

Mekial Sherren, an 8th grade pre-algebra student at Gordo High School, holds Photo courtest of UAB News up a sign supporting GEAR UP Alabama

associate professor of Counselor Education at UAB. “There are school systems that have lots of money and school systems who don’t have hardly any.”

Tyson said that GEAR UP levels the playing field for students across the state and provides sustainable programs for the long-term. The grant funds initiatives for highrisk poverty students to prepare for collegiate life and also aids the parents of GEAR UP students to go back and finish their degree. GEAR UP impresses sustainability on the Alabama education model by continuing programs and initiatives even after the grant expires.

In addition to the GEAR UP Alabama program, Tyson partnered with Mark Heinrich, the Chancellor of the Community College System of Alabama, to increase and

ensure postsecondary education for Black Belt sixth and seventhgraders.

Heinrich agreed to provide scholarships to those students who met specific criteria to any community college in the state of Alabama.

Students who have met the requirements will be granted free tuition for at least their first two years of college.

Heinrich also pledged to provide tuition for the parents of GEAR UP students. These scholarships would aid parents in going back to continue their education if they had not been able to finish a degree before having children.

“At least two years of post-high school education waiting for you is the best incentive I can think of for GEAR UP families to become more involved,” said Tyson.

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2015

NEWS

Interview: Moving forward with new Enrollment Management provost Bradley Barnes Sarah Faulkner Features Editor features@insideuab.com

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his summer, UAB saw the appointment of several new administration members, including Bradley Barnes, Ph.D., who started as the new Vice Provost of Enrollment Management on July 15. Barnes has had two months to reflect on his initial experience at UAB, what problems he hopes to address and his hopes for the future.

This last Tuesday, Sept. 8, Kscope met with Barnes to talk about this experience and his plans.

“My initial experience at UAB has been exciting,” said Barnes. “Since day one, everyone that I have met has been energized about the idea of a new philosophy on enrollment and retention. I’ve received support from everyone on campus. This ranges from faculty to the department chairs in the arts and sciences as well as the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences—we’re talking visual arts, theater—all the people who aren’t necessarily the biomedical majors on campus—who are in need of more attention and recognition.”

Barnes, who was the former director of Undergraduate Admissions at University of

Alabama in Tuscaloosa, is coming to UAB at a time of growth for the university.

As noted in a commercial aired by the UA system’s Board of Trustees, UAB has seen more than $1 billion in growth since 2000. As of the Fall 2014 semester, the university had more than 18,000 students enrolled in either its undergraduate or postgraduate programs—an increase of around 12 percent since just 2000.

Although UAB has been growing consecutively throughout the years, Barnes hopes to further increase enrollment through more extensive recruitment throughout the region, as well as approaching the awarding of scholarships in a new way.

“How we approach the enrollment process, how we approach the awarding of student need-based scholarships, all of these things are going to be

reexamined and critiqued so that we’re not setting students up for failure and so that we’re making sure that we’re providing these students the resources they need to be successful,” said Barnes. “Part of the reason I was hired was due to my experience with growing enrollment and increasing retention. The new mindset that needs to be adopted here involves changing how we think about retention and enrollment.”

Acknowledging that the student body is diverse as well as the fact that UAB already has an out-of-state recruiter in Chicago, Barnes hopes to expand the scope of the UAB. “While we’ve experienced a 45 percent growth in the out-of-state student body in the last years, I hope employ additional regional recruiters,” said Barnes. “My long-term approach is to expand UAB’s brand into different areas of the country and broadening the alumni population—these out-ofstate students will eventually graduate and go home and spread the UAB community to their area.”

Following research done by Lee Smith, the executive director of Institutional Effectiveness and Analysis, as well as doing research of his own, Barnes has worked to identify the needs gap for potential students and can now “make sure that the students that fit into the needs-gap and qualify for aid get the money that they need in order to enroll.”

A large element of Barnes’ finalist presentation in May focused on decreasing the over-awarding of scholarships—a touchy subject for many students who are able to attend college solely because of their scholarships. Barnes’ call for concern over students being over-awarded scholarships was primarily due to acknowledgement of the lack of communication between scholarship awarding offices, such as departments who awarded department-based scholarships.

“Previously, when the UAB scholarship office awarded scholarships, they may award someone an academic scholarship of $10,000, but, for example, the Art Department didn’t know that,” said Barnes.

“You have people stacking scholarship upon scholarship for a student that may not need that full amount to enroll,” said Barnes, commenting

Photo courtesy of UAB

on the previous lack of efficiency. “That money could have been redirected to students that need it more. For the first time, we are piloting this program called B-SMART, a scholarship awarding system that allows everyone awarding scholarships to see how much a student is being awarded. This will prevent us from over-awarding, and, therefore, prevent under-awarding of scholarships to those who need it. In the past, some students were getting an excessive amount, while others weren’t getting enough.”

Along with increasing the growth of the UAB community through financially-minded strategies and out-of-state recruitment, Barnes also hopes to decrease its losses. According to him, UAB has been losing around 2,700 students each year, a number that includes, but is unfortunately not limited to, graduating students.

“There are measures that need to be, and are being, put in place to assess why students are leaving and to identify risk factors before students get in trouble,” said Barnes. “We want to slow the attrition rate—that is, the rate that students leave—and we want to increase the retention rates.”

As for Barnes’ future plans, he hopes to focus first on the retention rate from their first fall to the second fall, and then focus on the persistence of students to graduation.

His plans include proposing a Freshman Residency Program, much like the programs already in place at schools like UA in Tuscaloosa, in order to get incoming freshmen better acquainted with the campus and the university as a whole. This is a chance for a departure from the idea of UAB being a “commuter campus.”

“The quickest and surest way of ensuring retention is to require freshmen year to live on campus their first year,” said Barnes. “If we can get UAB to move towards implementing this program, this will lead students to consider UAB their home and will get them more involved on campus.”

In the coming years, Barnes hopes to increase total enrollment to 20,000.

“These are the things I live and breathe on a daily basis,” said Barnes. “When I talk to people on campus about these things, I get a lot of energy back. There’s a lot of excitement here at UAB, and that, and the support, have been really made my experience here at UAB positive.”

SPORTS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2015

Mens’ soccer defeats Gardner-Webb 3-1

Jackson Hyde Social Media Editor socialmedia@insideuab.com

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he UAB Blazers’ Men’s Soccer team won in their match against the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 13, finishing the game 3-1.

Winning this match means that UAB also claims the “Soccer for a Cure” Classic tournament title for the 11th time overall and the 5th time in six seasons, with a final tournament score of 3-3-0.

Beginning the first half of the game, UAB fended off GardnerWebb’s advances as well as made their own, allowing senior Freddy Ruiz to score the first point of the game in the first 15 minutes.

Toward the end of the first half, sophomore Ryan Sullivan scored UAB’s second point.

However, this victory was short-lived when the Blazers fouled shortly after, leading to the referee giving the Bulldogs a corner kick, which they used to quickly secure a point of their own and bring the first half to an end at 2-1, in UAB’s favor.

Starting the second half, UAB again used their solid defense to their advantage; they applied pressure and soon caused Gardner-Webb to foul, awarding UAB a corner kick in the first five minutes.

UAB sophomore Berry Sonnenschein used the free kick to pass the ball to junior Dajani, who

swiftly scored their third point. This decisive goal is Dajani’s third in two games, earning him tournament MVP honors.

“Our forwards have been good all season, but certainly this weekend I thought Friday night Karl Chester had a big time performance, scored a goal and had an assist and had a great game for 90 minutes, said head coach Mike Getman.

“Today, Rami was similar; had a fantastic game from start to finish and finished with three goals.”

UAB was able to hold the score for the remainder of the game, claiming victory.

The Blazers will open Conference USA

play in a home game against the University of South Carolina. The game will take place on Friday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m.

Intramural season kicks off Ashton Cook Contributor features@insideuab.com

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he Campus Recreation Center has begun the fall season for intramurals, offering a chance for UAB students to compete against each other in a variety of sports.

Intramural sports are a collection of recreational sports established inside of a particular organization.

These sports include flag football, outdoor soccer and volleyball.

In addition, there are

sports you might not consider, like billiards, hold’em poker and fantasy football. Sportsrelated events will occur throughout the semester, including a “Madden” tournament and a holiday basketball game.

While competition is considered a large part of sports, intramural sports has focused on building a stronger community within UAB. “Ultimately, intramural sports provide an opportunity for students to still participate in organized, competitive

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activities, while having fun with their friends,” said Stacey Pettigrew, assistant director of competitive sports and camps. “It allows them an opportunity for physical activity, while being social and relieving stress from school and/or work.”

Edie Godwin, a junior who has participated in intramural sports for two years, spoke highly of intramural sports.

“It was nice to have an excuse to get out and participate in something with other people,” said

Photo by Jackson Hyde The Mens’ Soccer team won the “Soccer for a Cure” Class Tournament for the 11th time overall on Sept. 13

Photo by Leonardo Carrubba

Godwin.

Intramural sports create an opportunity for athletes who gave up their school affiliation after high school to find an area for them to exercise their talents, whether those talents be great passes, good card skills or perfect cue-ball shots. While winning is the object, the real fun comes from joining together in an activity that you and your peers enjoy. Sept.

8 marks the beginning of the flag football season.

The games start at 6 p.m. and last until 10 p.m.

These games will occur at the same time, Monday to Thursday for five weeks.

Registration for Intramural Volleyball, Dodgeball and Outdoor Soccer leagues will occur

on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 11:30pm. Schedulles for other intramural events and tournaments can be found at uab.edu/ campusrecreation.

local restaurants on

WHEELS

"As food trucks continue to rise to popularity in Birmingham, they are seeing success on UAB's campus as well."

Four of the local food trucks that will serve Railroad Park-goers at Trucks by the Tracks-- Off the Hook, Cantina on Wheels, Melt, and Saw’s Street n Saturday, Sept. 20 from 11 a.m. to Kitchen--rotate during the week to 5 p.m., downtown Birmingham’s bring their food to campus. The local Railroad Park will hold its fourth annual trucks, as well as the Sodexo-owned Trucks by the Tracks, the park’s sole and operated Jump Asian Express, fundraising event. While Trucks by serve students from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on the Tracks will feature live music, lawn Monday through Friday. games and activities, the event is centered on an up-and-coming Food trucks became a fixture of trend in Birmingham: local restaurants campus dining in the fall of 2013, traveling on wheels. after the demolition of the Hill Tamara Imam Staff Writer timam@uab.edu

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University Center reduced lunchtime As food trucks continue to rise to campus dining options. popularity in Birmingham, they are seeing success on UAB’s campus as well. “The local food trucks were gaining in popularity, so we decided to reach out to a select few to see if we could work out a means for them to be a part of our offerings from 11am-2pm,” said Carolyn Farley, Director of Academic and Student Services Operations .

“The truck community welcomed the opportunity and the students showed their appreciation by becoming loyal followers of the food trucks when they appear on campus. We appreciate that they add to the variety of offerings as well, which is always a good thing.”

JUMP A Sodexo-owned and operated food truck, Jump Asian Express serves familiar westernized Asian foods, such as Hunan chicken and Szechwan vegetables. However, this truck is less popular in comparison to the local trucks. “(Jump) doesn’t have the same taste of other non-truck businesses that sell the same kind of food. I know what it is supposed to taste like, but they missed the target in my opinion,” junior Ellen Grappe said.

“The Asian food truck run by Sodexo is not authentic at all, and the food

quality and portions are very poor,” said sophomore Kayla Hazelwood.

OFF THE HOOK

little overwhelmed with the number of students who came to the truck. It is always so busy but we love it. UAB holds a special place in our hearts for sure.”

“The menu is always changing but we The sole seafood truck on campus, try to have the fan favorites (the classic Off the Hook is the mobile affiliate melt and the buffalo melt) on the truck of Hooked Restaurant in downtown at all times,” Pizitz said.

Birmingham. It serves a range of seafood favorites, from shrimp po’boy CANTINA ON WHEELS to fish ‘n’ chips to shrimp tacos.

“The crab cake sliders and the shrimp po’boy are both pretty good. I eat there just about every time it’s here because it’s close to Heritage Hall,” sophomore Tia Davis said.

SAW’S STREET KITCHEN In addition to its three locations around the Birmingham-metro area, the award-winning barbecue joint Saw’s Street Kitchen travels on wheels to deliver what Paula Deen has named the “Number 1 Best Barbecue” to the city of Birmingham and UAB students.

“I consider the Saw’s truck one of my dearest friends,” junior Henry Degroot said. “I typically get the pulled pork sandwich, but the wings are also delicious when I have time.

I go about one to two times a week, pretty much anytime it’s there and I have lunch.”

MELT

“Rom Mendez, the owner, decided to start a food truck in 2010 and by April 2011, we were rolling on the streets. The only other food truck in Birmingham that moved around daily, at that time, was Spoonfed Grill, owned

by Jason Parkman,” Haruna Takahashi of Cantina on Wheels said.

Takahashi says that while the reputation of the food at the affiliate restaurant Cantina Tortilla Grill spearheaded the truck’s business, Cantina on Wheels’ success comes from its around-theclock hours and its development of its own flare.

“Although people instinctively think we are ‘Mexican’ food, you will not see that label anywhere on our truck or website for a reason. Street food is all about the freedom to wander, both literally and figuratively,” Takahashi said.

Like Melt, Cantina on Wheels is a favorite lunchtime option among students.

“The food tastes good and it seems to be run by authentic owners. That’s a Undoubtedly a favorite on campus, preferable choice for me when choosing Melt offers grilled cheese sandwiches ethnic foods,” Hazelwood said. with a unique, gourmet twist.

“The nachos from the Cantina truck are The story of Melt is special in that it life-affirming,” junior Jessica Vingers began first as a local truck in 2013 added. before it opened a restaurant in Avondale just over a year ago. Paget Pizitz, one of the co-owners of Melt, spoke to Kscope about the truck, which the staff affectionately calls Matilda.

“We were welcomed with open arms by the other food trucks in Birmingham and were thrilled with how many popped up in the following years,” Pizitz said. “When we first started serving students on campus we were, admittedly, a

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2015

Suicide-Awareness: Break the Stigma

Erica Webb Opinions Columnist ewebb1@uab.edu

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’d like to begin with a trigger warning, because I’ll be discussing suicide and depression.

This simply means that some people who have been through these experiences first- or second-hand may not want to read what may remind them of past trauma.

September is nationally known as Suicide Awareness Prevention Month.

America has long been hesitant to discuss these issues and is currently struggling with budgeting for mental health care.

However, this recognition shows a step in the right direction toward eliminating the stigma and silence surrounding mental illness and suicide.

I have friends who suffer from depression and/or have dealt with suicidal thoughts, so the ridiculous and even cruel things I have heard people say about the subject make me furious.

Stereotypes surround suicide that cause people to treat the issue apathetically.

Let’s debunk the most common misconceptions: 1. “Depression isn’t real.” If you believe this, I assume you have never experienced depression and must not believe in science. Depression is

a disorder caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain that affects 1 in 7 Americans, according to the University of California, Berkeley.

Not everyone who is depressed is suicidal, but according to University of California Santa Cruz, suicidal thoughts are a possible sign of depression.

2. “Suicide is selfish.”

The reality is that suicidal people often

academics, finances and building a future career, nearly 1 in 12 have had suicidal thoughts at some point, according to the American College Health Association.

Important warning factors to be aware of in your peers, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, are a sense of purposelessness, withdrawal from what one usually enjoys,, sleep problems and a lack of energy and self-care.

Suicidal people don’t necessarily want to die for the sake of it, rather to bring an end to the pain that they are feeling.

By reaching out to people in need, you show them that others truly care and will support them as they find ways to positively crisiscenterbham.com impact their mental wellbelieve they are a burden being. Get educated to those who love them about and break the and think they are doing stigma surrounding what’s best for everyone. suicide—it could save Trauma and depression someone’s life. may alter a person’s Your mental and perception. emotional health is 3. “If someone intends just as important as to actually do it, they your physical health, won’t talk about it.” False. so don’t feel afraid or UC Berkeley found that embarrassed to reach most people who commit out to people and seek suicide try to reach out professional care. to people beforehand.

UAB’s Student Health This is why it’s so and Wellness Center important to listen with offers counseling compassion and act with services for free, and care if someone decides Birmingham’s Crisis to confide in you.

Center has a 24/7 crisis College students are and suicide hotline with an especially high-risk a highly-trained and group for suicide. With compassionate staff. such high levels of stress Crisis Center: involved in balancing (205) 323-7777

Illustration of children challenging gender norms with toys.

OPINIONS

Illustration by Thomas Baldwin.

[Target]ing Gender Norms T

arget recently Ally Middleton announced its Opinions Columnist decision to remove allym95@uab.edu gender labels from many of its children’s departments after being called out by an angry customer who tweeted a picture of a sign labeled “Building Sets” and “Girls’ Building Sets” with the simple caption “Don’t do this, @Target.”

As expected, this decision is certainly facing heavy backlash.

Both the toy department and the bedding section will no longer have signs specifically for boys or girls, and the pink and blue backdrops on the shelves will be removed as well. This is definitely a step in the right direction when it comes to breaking down gender stereotypes. After all, pink and blue are just colors.

Children should not have to feel ashamed for wanting to play with toys that do not lie within the traditionally accepted toys for their gender. For a second opinion, I talked with UAB Sociology Professor Dr. Adrienne Milner about why people are saying Target’s decision is ruining America.

“I think they’re upset because they’re sexist and maybe homophobic,” said Milner. “They do not want to accept androgyny—they’re used to traditional gender role socialization.”

This tradition, however, probably doesn’t make a little boy feel too great if he wants a doll but has to walk down a pink aisle covered in signs screaming that dolls are meant for girls. How often do you think children stray away from their true interests because it doesn’t fit the old-fashioned mold of what each gender should like?

Similarly, when stores sell engineering kits and microscopes in the boys’ section, it is no wonder young girls are hesitant to aspire to a career in science, technology, engineering or mathematics. Milner pointed out that

we “shouldn’t blame women for not going into these STEM fields.” The fault, instead, lies in the fields themselves and their “non-inclusive and sexist structures.” As a kid, I felt oddly about having to venture into the boys’ section to pick out the science-related toys that I was interested in, but I shouldn’t have had to feel ashamed for not wanting Barbies or ponies or whatever other stereotypical seven-year-old girl toy.

The debate over labeling toys by gender is a much deeper problem than it may appear on the surface. Milner suggests that, as a whole, we will “lose out as a country” by limiting women and not socializing them into STEM fields.

“If we let kids play with whatever toys they want, this helps all children develop to their fullest capabilities,” she said.

In her recent book, Milner cited Judith Owen’s description of a study where 1292 undergraduate students rated 126 toys on what gender they were best suited for. The study found that the toys rated as “strongly gendertyped” seem to be “less supportive of optimal development” than the toys rated as “neutral.”

Unlike their parents and other adults, kids are not interested in the dichotomy society has created between genders.

Kids are interested in the world, and they will develop and discover their preferences on their own without having to be forced in the “right” direction.

Too many of the parents protesting Target might simply be too closedminded and afraid that the preferences their children develop are not going to be the ones they want them to have. It’s only hurting the children and their sense of individuality to be told, essentially, not to live outside of the boundaries deemed acceptable by societal norms.

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Professor Sonja Rieger.

Photo from UAB’s Department of Art and Art History website.

A piece from the Queen on the Nile exhibit.

Photo courtesy of Sonja Rieger.

UAB professor photographs overlooked aspects of Alabama culture Ashley Hazlitt Contributor ahazlitt@uab.edu

N

ext Friday, Sept. 18 through Oct. 17, Beta Pictoris Gallery will premiere Sonja Rieger’s third solo exhibition: Queen on the Nile. Rieger’s new series of photographs taken in Camden, Alabama features many young girls in their Halloween costumes, girls that escape reality for a moment to become princesses, dancers and queens.

Rieger has been interested in photography ever since her father gave her a camera in high school.

She completed her undergraduate degree in Massachusetts and her graduate work at Rutgers where she studied photography and sculpture.

Ultimately she got more involved in photography due to the installation aspect of it.

With her efforts focused on photography, Rieger moved from Massachusetts to Alabama. According to Rieger, Alabama is rich in culture but its culture tends

to be overlooked by the natives because they are so accustomed to it all.

“There’s a real culture here, I photographed the look of Birmingham for a long time and it was just because the history, the culture all that kind of stuff has an impact on how something looks,” said Rieger, when asked about her experience photographing Alabama.

Currently a professor of photography at UAB, Rieger has captured many significant points in Alabama history during her career.

In 1979, Rieger captured images at a Ku Klux Klan rally, on which she said: “I would not say I am humanizing the Klan, but I am putting the whole experience of it—every little detail—out there for the viewer.”

Since then, Rieger has captured everything from The Club, Inc. in Birmingham to portraits of the African American drag queens who competed in the Platinum International New Comers Pageant.

Although Rieger has made a name for herself

through her photographs of urban Southern landscapes illuminated by neon lights, her upcoming exhibit is far from her usual area of expertise.

Featuring young girls from one of the poorest rural parts of the state, Camden, in their Halloween costumes, Queen on the Nile aims to capture the girls’ momentary escape from their harsh reality.

During these brief captured instances of freedom from hardship, the faces seem to convey emotions of happiness, shyness, excitement, yet they all seem to show resilience, audacity and determination.

The intended concept of Rieger’s photographs is to give these individuals ambition for a better future.

“The age group we’re photographing, they’re at that age where they look like they can be anything; their future could go in any direction,” said Rieger.

“One of my core values is that if you photograph someone and really make an elegant portrait, then it may make a difference in their lives.”

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2015

FEATURES

we get out what you put in,

put that recycling in the right bin.

Open for drop-offs Mondays 6:30-9:30am 3:00-6:00pm Earl Sweatshirt performs center stage at Iron City.

Photo by Stephanie Lockhart.

Earl Sweatshirt takes Iron City Jordan Lessley Contributor jel@uab.edu

C

alifornia native and former Odd Future member Earl Sweatshirt took to the Iron City stage on Friday night, Sept. 10, as a part of his “Not Redy 2 Leave” tour and created chaos.

The energy in the room spiked right as he walked in front of the audience and immediately went into “Pre,” the first song off of his sophomore album, Doris. His most recent release, “I Don’t Like Sh*t, I Don’t Go Outside,” is packed with mellow beats and seriously emotional content. While the music was mellow and emotional, however, the show remained high-energy.

The night started out with two opening acts, Remy Banks and NxWorries. By far, California duo NxWorries, consisting of DJ Knowledge and rapper Anderson .Paak, was the most entertaining of the two. Their beats were intricate and their lyrics flowed. NxWorries combines trippy, trance music with relaxed beats, which can best be represented in their new single, “Suede.” It was almost as if he never stopped performing; each song drifted into the next and the crowd stayed connected with .Paak throughout his performance.

Birmingham went wild for Earl Sweatshirt. While on stage, he recounted his last visit to Birmingham from his tour in 2014 after his album Doris was released, and spoke about how “lit” the crowd was.

At his 2014 performance, he repeatedly played the song “We” by Rae Sremmurd, and it was stuck in everyone’s heads as they left the venue.

This time, he repeatedly played “Drinks On Us” by Mike Will Made It, featuring Rae Sremmurd and Future, and the crowd loved it. Sweatshirt stood center stage, thoroughly engaged with the crowd, and had a natural comedic presence.

Sweatshirt’s recorded music is perfectly produced and he has such raw talent, which shines through live. When performing, it is clear to the crowd that he is passionate about what he does and about his fans. On his albums, words seem to effortlessly flow.

Earl Sweatshirt’s performance was so natural—a true expression of who he is. Entertaining the crowd with his humor and with his music seemed like second nature to him. Hands were constantly waving, heads constantly bobbing and bodies constantly swaying.

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Southern Vegan: Peach Crisp You don’t have to be a meat-eater to love the taste of traditional Southern food.

I know how incredibly tough it can be to find meat-free, delicious meals that keep that Southern flare. And being vegan? Unheard of! However, it’s possible to have that traditional home-cooked meal without eating any meat! If you love the taste of southern foods that are meat-free, then this one’s for you. Besides, there’s nothing better than a home-cooked meal.

Nothing compliments a traditional southern meal like a sweet dessert! This simple and delicious peach crisp is easy to make and even easier to enjoy.

Directions: Ingredients: Filling:

6 fresh peaches, roughly chopped or sliced 1/4 cup pure maple syrup or agave 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Crumb topping:

1 1/2 cups walnut halves 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup or agave 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat the oven to 350F. In a large sauce pot over medium heat, combine the peaches, maple syrup or agave, vanilla, and ground cinnamon.

Stir well until the syrup comes to a boil, then allow to simmer until the syrup has thickened a bit and the peaches are fork-tender.

Turn off the heat and allow the pot to sit while you make the crumble.

Follow the steps and find yourself enjoying this classic southern dessert To make the crumble, place the Photo from detoxinista.com walnuts and shredded coconut in the bowl of a large food processor fitted with an S blade. Process until a crumbly texture is formed, then add in the maple syrup, coconut oil, salt, and almond extract. Process again, until a sticky and crumbly mixture is formed.

Pour the peach filling into a 9-inch square baking dish, then sprinkle the crumble over the top evenly.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden, then enjoy!

Brandon’s Music Column: Something for everybody

Brandon Varner Managing Editor managing@insideuab.com

O

ne’s an album, one’s a mixtape.

You get it.

This week’s album is “No Closer to Heaven”

by The Wonder Years, released on Sept. 4.

2015.

The album starts off with “Brothers &,” a fitting intro with a choral refrain and the lead singer chiming in over a great guitar riff. The lyrics for this first song are “we’re not saviors, if we can’t save our brothers.”

That same refrain comes back in the next song as the bridge, framed by a song built on the singer’s hopelessness reflected by the natural world in a cardinal that was maybe too overzealous in his flight.

The album, with a stained-glass Jesus on the cover and lyrics that attack faceless church officials, may

album.

These indictments of complacency sit next to indictments of the American dream, indictments of wasting one’s youth, and more throughout the album.

I would call this a middlePhoto from the Wonder Years’ official website. concept seem like it’s a strongly record. It’s anti-religious work. To not super grandiose in its me, however, the album musical leanings, but the seems to be encouraging lyrics are beautiful and its audience to question dense. That’s not to say everything that they the music is not great, encounter, and not to the lyrics are just really believe in anything incredible. blindly.

Several other outlets The fourth track, have described the Cigarettes and Saints, music as pop punk, has a nice organ intro but it doesn’t sound and is probably the most like pop punk to me. I overtly anti-religious detect traces of Weezer, complacency song on the Deftones, and early

2000’s emo.

The album this week is very dense, so to keep the mixtape section light, we’ve been blessed by our friend Boosie Badazz’s new mixtape “Three Peat.”

The mixtape was released on Sept. 8, and it is only three songs long.

Boosie still holds a special place in the hearts of many fans that were raised on early 2000’s Southern rap. An era that thrived less on subtlety and more on brutality and streamlined lyrical content designed to fit songs that are going to make you excited.

Maybe it was because the album was so condensed, but the profanity and explicit

again, may just seem to be the case because of its short length) but they are good.

Incidentally, my favorite verse on the whole album was the second verse overall, and it wasn’t even from Boosie.

I’m a sucker for rappers that have multiple cellphones, especially in this day and Photo from Boosie Badazz’s Twitter. age. Maybe they both came from lyrical content got to be boost mobile. a little overwhelming.

Fans of his Trill Fam Though I’m not going days may not appreciate to say that the lyrical it as much as the stuff he content is super was making back then, important for me to but fans of more modern enjoy rap like this as stuff like GS9, Que and pure entertainment. It Future will like it. just sort of all comes at you in a wave and you’re supposed to deal with it.

The album is packed with features (which

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2015

FEATURES

Student club offers students the chance to be paranormal investigators Nicholas Jessee Contributor najessee@uab.edu

U

AB has innumerable student organizations that touch on a variety of interests. One such club, which provides an outlet for an interest in the supernatural, is the Paranormal Investigation Club-- the first of its kind at the University.

Started by James Hopkins, the club’s first meeting was Sept. 2, and since then the group has been growing.

Hopkins transferred to UAB from Troy University to finish his degree in Mechanical Engineering. He began looking into clubs to become more involved with UAB and to meet new people. After searching, an idea struck him to form a club that focused on the paranormal around Birmingham.

“I’ve always been intrigued by the paranormal, UFO’s, etc. since I was a kid,” said Hopkins. According to him, these interests sparked his idea to create a club dedicated to seeking out paranormal phenomena in places rumored to be haunted and abandoned.

Birmingham, according to Hopkins, is a prime location to explore these interests.

Hopkins and his members collaborate on where to search for haunted places through research of areas within and around Birmingham. Within an urban setting, the Paranormal Investigation group has already found several areas to possibly explore, including Sloss Furnaces and cemeteries around town. The group requires permission from these abandoned sites before commencing investigations.

Hopkins and his fellow paranormal investigators visited an abandoned bridge nicknamed Cry Baby Bridge on Sept. 6 as their first location of many haunted sites to come.

“I’m thinking the next several places that we go will probably be Pratt Cotton Gin, Bear Creek Swamp and possibly Sloss Furnaces,” Hopkins said.

The Paranormal Investigation Club explores a new haunted area once a week, typically on weekends to avoid conflicts with the members’ class schedules.

To join, interested students may contact Hopkins at 205-746-7049 or email him at james.hopkins10@gmail. com. The club can also be joined via a closed group on Facebook: “Paranormal Investigation Club at UAB.”

Illustration of students partaking in Ghostbusting activities.

Illustration by Thomas Baldwin.

UAB faculty members provide a chance for Birmingham to re-brand Ashton Cook Contributor atcook47@uab.edu

F

Birmingham’s current flag, designed by Mrs. Idyl King Sorsby and officially adopted in 1925, according to the Flags of the World website.

Image from WikiMedia Commons.

ollowing inspiration from last year’s Design Week flag workshop led by visiting artist Aaron Draplin, the Birmingham Flag Project was created in order to reinvent Birmingham’s flag—a project pioneered

by UAB’s own Jared Ragland and Doug Barrett.

The project is designed not only to help create a flag that better represents Birmingham, but also to help those who are interested or are part of art programs to have more opportunities to

practice their designing abilities. For this reason, according to Ragland, Barrett has sent out educational packets to high schools in order to recruit the help of young designers.

Jared Ragland, the visual media and outreach coordinator for the Department of Art and Art History at UAB has been heavily involved in and feels strongly about the project.

“The project is a great exercise to reflect on who Birminghamians are,” says Ragland. In Ragland’s opinion, the project has given a great opportunity to update the image Birminghamians have established for themselves through their flag.

Those who have founded and are continuously working on the Birmingham Flag Project are working toward representing Birmingham with an image they agree suits the essence of the city.

The deadline for applications is Sept. 14, and public judging will last from Sept. 24 to Oct. 18. Any other information is available on the Birmingham Flag Project website, bhmflagproject. com.

“The project is a great exercise to reflect on who Birminghamians are.”

WHATS UP

15

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TUESDAY|09.15

THURSDAY|09.17

Hispanic Heritage Month Kickoff

UAB Creativity/Innovation/ Entrepreneurship Lecture Series

Commons Plaza 11 a.m.- 1 p.m.

Join the Multicultural Council to kick-off Hispanic Heritage Month with music and free food.

Blazer Splash

The Green 4 p.m.- 6 p.m.

Join the UAB Student Alumni Society for the 2nd Annual Blazer Splash. Take part in this water balloon fight and enjoy water shooters, a water slide, free food and music provided by DJ Zeus.

Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts, Hess Family Lecture Hall 6 p.m.

A lecture will be given by artist and color chemist M. Graham, who has been making artists’ color for more than 40 years. Graham will explain the importance of eco-friendly business practices, as well as the quality and composition of artists’ color. This event is free and open to the public.

FRIDAY|09.18 WEDNESDAY|09.16 Alpha Omicron Pi’s Sisters for Soldiers

The Green 10 a.m.- 3 p.m.

AOΠ will be set up on the Green taking donations for care packages that will go to soldiers in Iraq. A complete list of items that may be donated is available on the event’s page. Visit Sisters for Soldiers Collection Days on Facebook.

UAB Volleyball Hal Messersmith Memorial Invitational Bartow Arena The second home tournament of the season will feature UMass Lowell, Ole Miss, Mississippi Valley and Jacksonville State.

The tournament will take place from Friday, Sept. 18 through Saturday, Sept. 19.

SATURDAY|09.19

SUNDAY|09.20

Blazer Fun Run

Trucks by the Tracks

Bell Building Parking Lot 9 a.m.

The two-mile run/walk begins at the Bell Building Parking Lot and winds through the UAB campus, UAB Medical District and Railroad Park. Registration is $10 and you can find the link to register online at www.uab.edu/humanresources/ home/wellness/physical-activityrecreation/blazerfunrun.

UAB Theatre’s New Season Kick-off

Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center 7 p.m.

Theatre UAB will present a free staged reading of “A Butterfly Effect.” A special talkback with the playwright will take place after the reading. Admission is free.

Railroad Park 11 a.m.- 5 p.m.

The 4th Annual Trucks by the Tracks local food truck festival will take place to promote Birmingham pride in local food, local music and the growing downtown districts. The entry fee is $5.

U.S. Women’s Soccer Game

Legion Field 1:30 p.m.

The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team will play Haiti at Legion Field. Advance ticket prices start at $25.

BY PHONE:205.934.3354 BY EMAIL: masutton@uab.edu ONLINE: www.uab.edu/studentmedia

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Kscope is looking for a new Sports and Copy Editor. Must be a UAB Student with applicable knowledge. Contact editor@insideuab.com

Help Wanted Part-Time Position The Alabama Press Association has an opening for a paid, part-time position as tearsheet clerk.

•General office work.

•20 hours per week.

To apply, please contact the APA office.

Email:

tearsheets@alabamapress.org

Phone:

(205) 871-7737

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