September 14, 2016 Kscope

September • 13 • 2016

Volume 54 • Issue 48 UAB’s Official Student Newspaper

#freeuab parking?

Dalia Mogahed on Islamaphobia p. 3 Success stories from summer research p.14

2 EDITORIAL

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016

Dear readers, I’m very excited to share this issue with you. I have been incredibly proud of the hard work that my staff has put into producing a good paper for you, readers, over the course of these past few weeks. It’s rough with school starting back, but there is no victory without a fight.

For this issue, I have put together a piece about the parking problem on campus.

Although we didn’t secure the photos for the spread until the day of production, luckily (for us), the lots were still crowded, even on a Sunday afternoon. You don’t have to read a newspaper to know that overcrowding of parking spaces is an issue, but here’s your one-stop-shop for both sides of the matter. I was pleased to see the Kaleidoscope Facebook page serve as a platform for the exchange of ideas and thoughts between students and employees of UAB about the matter — many of the comments from this discussion were used in the article. If your comment didn’t make it in, it isn’t because your points are as valid, but because we simply ran out of space! This is a topic that everyone has an opinion on, of course.

I’d like to see the Kaleidoscope’s social media platforms serve as forums in the future. We put our articles on social media not only to inform our readers but also to open up conversations about the subjects that matter to the UAB community.

In this issue, we investigate the gentrification of Avondale, another front in the gentrification/revitalization debate that one of our opinion columnists addressed last week in an article that is online now — check it out if you haven’t already seen it! Aside from the thoughts of the community members that we included in the article, I’d love to see more people talking about the socioeconomic and racial stratification happening right outside of campus.

Aside from that, we’ve got a piece about the success stories of some accomplished young women who are conducting research at UAB, opinions about Jill Stein of the Green Party and Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers and an interview with a former advisor to President Obama, Dalia Mogahed, who is scheduled to speak at UAB about the negative effects that Islamophobia has on people from all walks of life. As we prepare for November’s election, I’d love to see students and employees alike discuss the issues related to the state of our nation, our government and our world. Stein and Kaepernick are completely different people who stand for completely different things but, nonetheless, both are dissatisfied with our country. Just like parking, I know everyone has an opinion on both of these people and the concepts they represent.

STAFF Sarah Faulkner editor@insideuab.com Tamara Imam managing@insideuab.com Corey Bright art@insideuab.com Tessa Case news@insideuab.com Surabhi Rao features@insideuab.com Ian Keel photos@insideuab.com Mark Linn copy@insideuab.com Dabney Bragg socialmedia@insideuab.com Loren Gilbert online@insideuab.com Melvin Griffin Jared Chestnut Mark Linn Chad Freeman Marie Sutton info@insideuab.com Patrick Johnson plj3@uab.edu

Editor-in-Chief Managing & Sports Editor Head Illustrator News & Science Editor Features & Opinions Editor Photography Editor Copy Editor Social Media Editor Online Editor Distribution Team

Advisor Production Manager

Let the Kaleidoscope be your platform to sound off on. We’re reading what the UAB community has to say and I hope you are too.

With love,

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NEWS

3 Former adviser to Obama speaks out about Islamophobia Tessa Case News Editor news@insideuab.com

publications who are openly hostile to the community? We are fed hate and bigotry on a daily basis and it is toxic to every American. Anti-Muslim sentiment in America doesn’t actually follow terrorist attacks, it follows elections.

It spiked during the 2008 and 2012 election cycles among Republicans and again now.

alia Mogahed, a former adviser D to President Obama and current director of research at the Institute for

Social Policy and Understanding, will be the speaker for “Islamophobia: A Threat To All,” hosted by the Birmingham Islamic Society on Thursday, Sept. 15 at the Student Hill Center ballroom. The speech will address how Islamophobia affects all members of society.

The Kaleidoscope spoke with Mogahed about her stances on the issue as a preview for the upcoming presentation.

How do you think Islamophobia affects maturing young women and men? How can college campuses address this?

It impacts everyone. Islamophobia is built on fear and fear makes people more accepting of authoritarianism, conformity and prejudice. These are the most corrosive elements to the very foundation of our democracy, a rational and well informed citizenry. College campuses present a unique opportunity to reach out and get to know people who seem different from you, and to learn about different ways of thinking, different faiths and to work together for a better future for our country.

How is Islamophobia unique in the South? What does this mean for a diverse campus like UAB that has both Muslims and extremely “sheltered,” Southern, white people?

I don’t know that Islamophobia is unique in the South. Studies show that 80 percent of national news coverage about Islam and Muslims is negative so the entire country is exposed to a toxic diet of anti-Muslim messages. College is a unique opportunity to get to know people who you may not have been around in high school and may not be around again once you join the job force and I hope Muslims and those of other faiths and no faith take this opportunity to build relationships of understanding.

Can you parallel the sentiments towards Muslims to the sentiments toward Jews during the WWII era?

How is Islamophobia manifested differently from culture to culture? And then country to country?

In the U.S., Islamophobia has many dimensions. There is individual Islamophobia between people and there is also institutionalized Islamophobia carried out in bias policies. One reinforces the other. The more the public hates and pretends to “fear” Muslims, the more government has license to abuse and violate the rights of Muslim citizens.

The more the government targets Muslims, the more the public feels Muslims must be a suspect community to hate and fear. We need to address both individual and institutionalized Islamophobia at the same time. In the U.S., anti-Muslim prejudice is mostly framed in “security” terms. In Europe, in addition to this, an additional “cultural” layer exists where Muslims are seen as a threat to “European values.” Europe generally is a continent undergoing a massive identity crisis and seeks to define itself, not by who it is, but by who it is not, in this case by defining itself as “not Muslim.” Muslims in Europe remind the dominant culture that their colonial project resulted in death and destruction but not the winning over of hearts and minds. To many in Europe, the fact that there are still people who choose to live according to their

Dalia Mogahed will deliver a talk on how fearing Islam is harmful to all.

faith, while still being fully European, is a problem. The need to extinguish anyone who doesn’t conform to the dominant culture of Europe, especially in a place like France, is unique to the continent and less prevalent in America, thank God. For example, a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision ruled in favor of a Muslim woman’s right to wear hijab (the religiously mandated head and body cover) while in France, the law favors the State’s ability to violate a Muslim woman’s religious liberty in grade school, in government jobs and now even on the beach.

What kind of socioeconomic impacts does Islamophobia have?

Islamophobia disproportionately targets the most vulnerable — the poor, young people and women. It is linked to depression and anxiety among Muslim young people. It hurts

Photo courtesy of Mogahed’s Facebook

people’s chances of employment. It hurts Muslim civil liberties. It results in Muslim kids getting bullied twice as often as other kids, often times by their own teacher. And that’s only how it impacts Muslims. I hope to explain in my talk how Islamophobia impacts every single American: Muslims, Christians, Jews and everyone else.

Fear kills freedom and Islamophobia is a threat to our democracy.

What trends have you seen in the media regarding Islamophobia? Do you see a difference between the ways major publications handle it?

Have you seen any differences since the 2016 presidential election campaigns began?

As I stated, TV news media coverage of Islam and Muslims is 80 percent negative. One study found that the so-called “liberal” New York Times portrays Islam worse than cancer and cocaine. So what of other

I would draw a parallel to the sentiment towards Japanese Americans during WWII, and Catholics during the turn of the century. In both cases, these groups were said to be un-American and disloyal. Public sentiment and policy targeted them unfairly. Now we regret this, or at least most people do. I hope we can learn from our history and not repeat it. But, it is important to also draw lessons from others. The first step in genocide is dehumanization. This is happening every day toward Muslims and other people of color in our media and we need to challenge this. Everyone has a responsibility to speak up.

How do we get local Islamic organizations into public discourse?

Everyone has a responsibility and Muslim organizations should step up into public discourse. Other people can help by reaching out and being inclusive.

What role do young people have in changing this?

Young people must first educate themselves about different religions and cultures. Young people should build coalitions for a more inclusive, stronger America. We can end bigotry with this generation but it will take courage and compassion.

4 NEWS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

PARADiGM brings opportunities to disadvantaged students Connor McDonald Contributor theconmcdon@uab.edu

U

AB offers a program designed to introduce students from disadvantaged and underrepresented minority backgrounds to potential careers as physician-scientists.

According to their website, PARADiGM, the Preparation for Graduate and Medical Education program, is a summer program funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and offered by UAB for outstanding sophomores and juniors from diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds.

It allows participants to work alongside UAB faculty on mentored research projects and participate in clinical experiences to allow them to experience a career firsthand in the field.

At the start of the program, participants are assigned an eightweek laboratory research project based on their indicated research interests. Participants also attend a seminar series of informal lectures of scientific ethics, scientific and medical careers and current research programs at UAB as well as a summer class “Modeling Human Disease.”

The program, which offers the opportunity of two summers of research, allows participants to learn about careers in academic medical centers by shadowing clinician-investigators

in their clinics as well as on inpatient rounds. After the first summer of the program, students will write an abstract and be part of a poster presentation at UAB to present their research. Later in November, participants attend the national Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students meeting to present their research again, network and learn more about potential future careers. Participants also receive instruction in essay writing, Medical College Admissions Test preparation and other crucial career skills.

“Medicine is like a doorway, whatever you want to do, you can find it in medicine – education, clinical work, administration, research – you just have to find your niche,” said Maria Onatunde, a former participant in the PARADiGM program.

“I was interested in becoming a physician, but beyond that, I felt that there was a niche that I had to find.”

After taking a chemistry lab where students were given a problem to solve with no step-by-step instructions, Onatunde said she realized she loved the problem-solving aspect of research.

“I wanted to find a way to meld that into my future career. That’s when I found out about the career as a physicianscientist,” Onatunde said.

Onatunde said the program included Tuesday lunch meetings

to discuss their research, Wednesday classes for the MCAT, Thursday classes for research basics and Friday morning talks with physician-scientists and other professionals they could learn from. She also said that on top of that, at least half a day, once a week, is spent shadowing a physician-scientist.

“Most of what you do depends on the person you are with or the lab you are in. The average amount of time in lab per week was 40 hours, but some people in the program spend more time,” Onatunde said. “It really depends on your PI’s requirements for you.”

Onatunde strongly encouraged others to apply, saying that they would not regret it.

She also stressed that the program should be entered with goals.

“There are so many opportunities at UAB that you can take advantage of as part of this program.

The program directors will go out of their way to help you make it happen,” Onatunde said. “Be a stranger to your comfort zone. Magic happens outside of it, I promise.”

The program ultimately aims to provide undergraduates an understanding and an appreciation of the biomedical research process to encourage them to pursue careers studying patients and their diseases.

To find out more and how to apply, visit uab. edu/medicine/paradigm

Maria Onatunde presents her research at the UAB Summer Expo 2016 poster presentation.

Photo courtesy of Onatunde

NEWS 5

Students team up to build a brighter, sustainable future Mark Linn Copy Editor copy@insideuab.com

AB has been selected as one of 16 U teams to participate in the biennial Solar Decathlon competition, which is

hosted by the Department of Energy and seeks to create an affordable and efficient house powered solely by solar energy.

UAB is partnering with the University of Alabama in Huntsville and Calhoun Community College to compete with other colleges from across the country and the world. Other competitors include the University of California at Berkeley and HU University of Applied Science Utrecht in the Netherlands.

The first competition was held in 2002 and then in 2005 and every two years thereafter. Teams work to “design, build and operate solarpowered houses that are affordable, energy-efficient and attractive,” according to the Department of Energy’s website.

“Solar power leverages an abundant, sustainable resource we all know and love — the sun,” said Christy Green, a senior in mechanical engineering, working on the project. “Fossil fuels are a finite resource that release harmful emissions into our atmosphere and it is important that we consider sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels moving forward.”

Green first learned about the project through her undergraduate research with Hessam Taherian, Ph.D., the faculty adviser for the Solar Decathlon from the School of Engineering.

“I heard about the Decathlon in the early stages of the application process and knew it was something I wanted to be involved in because it aligns with my research interests,” Green said.

The decathlon competition consists of ten contests, designed to gauge how well the houses perform with typical household tasks such as cooking, using a dishwasher and maintaining standard refrigerator and freezer temperatures.

Other criteria include maintaining a comfortable room temperature range and operating a TV and computer.

Houses will also be judged by experts in the fields of architecture and engineering on criteria such as design inspiration and aesthetics.

Another aspect of the design is that each house must be suited for the local climate – and for Alabama that means a design with tornado safety in mind.

The house will include at least one room with tornado-proof walls made from material design by the School of Engineering’s Material Processing and Applications Development center.

Green said that the Solar Decathlon

UAB’s solar decathlon team, a small portion pictured here, will compete to create an entirely solar-powered home.

competition is important in raising public awareness about solar energy and dispelling misconceptions about it.

“I think there’s an idea out there that homes using only solar power have to be lacking in some creature comforts,” Green said. “This house will demonstrate that innovative design can create an energy efficient, solarpowered home that is both comfortable and stylish.”

Green’s work will be focused on the mechanical systems of the project, which will also serve as one of the requirements for her graduation.

“I’m a mechanical engineering major and I will be part of one of two teams working on a specific component of the house for my senior design project,” Green said. “So, I’m pretty invested in the project; completing my degree depends on it.”

Green is currently working on designs for air-conditioning and temperature control applications for the house.

“This week, I will choose between designing a motorized air-flow control for efficiency in air-conditioning applications and designing an energy-efficient regenerative air dehumidification system,” Green said.

I’m torn between the two.”

One of the biggest challenges of the project will be actually taking it to the

competition. The house will be built on the UAB campus, then disassembled and shipped to Denver in October 2017.

The UAB Decathlon team is currently working on a modular design that can make the journey and the best way to transport it.

Another challenge for the Decathlon team is raising enough funds for the project. The team is reaching out to members of the community for donations and will be hosting a series of fundraisers over the next several months. One upcoming fundraising event is Ten Percent Tuesday at Rojo, which will be hosted on Nov. 1 from 5-10:00 p.m, and 10 percent of sales from patrons identifying themselves as Solar Decathlon supporters will be donated to the team.

Once the competition is over, the house will return to UAB and will be permanently re-assembled on campus for the purposes of sustainability research as well as raising public awareness.

“Transporting the house successfully will be one of the biggest challenges the team faces,” said Nina Morgan, a member of the Decathlon team who works on communications logistics and helps promote the team and competition. “The competition will be in Denver, Colorado so we have to

Photo courtesy of Christy Green

figure out how to efficiently move a house from Alabama to Denver,” Morgan said. “The house will first be built here. Nearer to the time of the competition, it will have to be taken apart and sent to the competition site in Colorado. After the house arrives, the team will build the house again so that it can be viewed and judged. Finally, the house will be shipped back to UAB where its resting place will be in the new microgrid site on campus.”

The team is currently considering moving the house by rail or with a commercial flatbed truck.

It is not too late for students interested in joining the Solar Decathlon team to participate.

“By signing up as members of the Energy Efficiency & Sustainability Club on BSync, students will get e-mails about upcoming Solar Decathlon meetings where we will discuss opportunities for involvement,” Green said. “We have something for all majors.”

You can find out more about the project or help contribute to the fundraising campaign at uab.edu/ solardecathlon.

6 NEWS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016

Avondale Park was given a $2.88 million facelift in 2011, followed by a series of new restaurants and other businesses opening.

Photo by Ian Keel

Avondale growth prompts mixed reactions Destiny Hosmer Contributor drhosmer@uab.edu

O

ver the past five years, Avondale has experienced an increase of what some call revitalization, but others worry it may be gentrification.

In 2011, Avondale Park was given a $2.88 million facelift, and within that same year, Avondale Brewing Company moved in on 41st Street South. Since then, the area has seen a resurgence in young professionals and entrepreneurs. Avondale was dubbed “Birmingham’s next great neighborhood” by Southern Living in 2013.

With new, local establishments popping up in the area such as Post Office Pies, Wasabi Juan’s, Saturn, Melt and others, Avondale has become an increasingly appealing location for outsiders.

One result of the increasing popularity of Avondale is rising housing and rental prices.

According to Zillow.com, the median sale price per square foot in Avondale increased from $116 to $151 between July 2014 and June 2016. Zillow.com also

predicts that home values within the 35222 zip code will increase 4.2 percent next year, compared to a 3.5 percent increase for Birmingham as a whole, and home values in that zipcode have increased 6 percent in the past year.

Rent prices have seen an increase as well, as certain monthly rental costs have increased as much as $500 since 2013, according to Zillow.

One resident, who did not wish to be named, experienced what she perceived to be the gentrification of Avondale firsthand when the monthly rent of her apartment one block from Avondale Park became too expensive and she had to relocate to Homewood.

“When I first rented it was $350 per month with no utilities included,” she said.

The renter said she moved into the apartment sometime between 2011-2012 and the rent increased each year that she lived there.

“I understand the economic benefits of the gentrification, but it makes me worry about my neighbors that I know wouldn’t

have the slight bit extra to get a place somewhere else and would probably end up some place much worse,” she said. “The people that have already been pushed out by higher rents and destruction of living places still have to go somewhere. Now it’s probably further from any services or support they had.”

Demetric Mitchell, a political science major at UAB, said the changes occurring in Avondale have both positive and negative consequences.

“Coincidentally, one of my church members who lived in Crestwood had to move because of rising housing prices contributed by the regentrification of the Avondale area that stretched into the Crestwood area,” Mitchell said.

“He and his wife were property owners in the Crestwood community for 13 years.”

In contrast, Mitchell said that the actions of the business owners and entrepreneurs not only caused profitable gains on their behalf, but also raised the property values of the communities surrounding the Avondale area.

“It is important that we realize that these same actions could have been taken by the homeowners and residents of Avondale,” Mitchell said.

Nyesha Black, Ph.D., a visiting assistant professor at UAB’s Department of Sociology, said that gentrification is deeply rooted in history, and the solution is not to push lowerincome residents away.

“A lot of this is constructed by government policies at the federal level. There was a certain segment of the population that was able to take advantage of the capital, and now we’re seeing the dividends generations later,” she said. “I think we have to be very conscious of not repeating the same mistakes because what we will see, again, is people who are lower-income being pushed further away from opportunity.”

“I don’t know if it’s about doing it the right way or not doing it the right way, it’s about doing it.” Pamela King, an assistant professor at UAB’s Department of History and an active historic preservationist, said when asked if gentrification in Avondale was happening the “right” way. “The

fact that it is quick, though, gives it so much appeal. You’ve got 15 to 20 new eateries suddenly, and it’s just got so much allure because of that, which seems like a positive thing. So I don’t know if it’s doing it right or wrong, it’s just going along for the ride.”

Chris Biga, Ph.D., a teaching associate professor at UAB’s Department of Sociology, said that first thing to realize when going into a community such as Avondale is that there was a community there first.

“Whatever is going on in Avondale, it wasn’t a blank slate.

In any type of social change, history was there beforehand.

You can’t come in thinking ‘I’m going to save you,’” he said.

“Instead, you come in knowing that there was something already there, and when you come in you’re the one joining that community. You can be part of change, but it’s not a blank slate.”

Editor’s Note: To read The Kaleidoscope’s opinions article on the subject from last week’s issue, visit uab. edu/studentmedia/kaleidoscope/ opinion/770-greying-line-betweenrevitalized-gentrified

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016

SPORTS 7

‘SOCCER FOR A CURE’

Men’s soccer falls to Tulsa in annual classic Trinity Dix Contributor tri915@uab.edu

T

he UAB men’s soccer team lost to the Tulsa Golden Hurricane 1-0 on Friday, Sept. 9, falling to a 1-2-2 record.

With 10 seconds remaining in the game, the Blazers were close to the goal, but not close enough to score and tie up the game.

“I was disappointed with the result,” said head coach Mike Getman. “I thought our team played very hard during the game [...] Oftentimes, it’s one play on either side that makes a difference.”

According to Getman and Joe Kuzminsky, the goalkeeper and team captain, the Blazers played strong during the first half of the game, yet they missed multiple chances to score a goal.

“It’s unfortunate that we couldn’t get a couple of goals in the first half and really put the game away early,” said Kuzminsky. “But I think overall we’re doing real well this season, and it’ll get better from here.”

When asked which areas the team needed to improve on, Getman and Kuzminsky disagreed, with Getman saying focus and Kuzminsky saying offense. However, they both agreed on one thing: “to get the ball in the back of the net.”

“I think it’s really a matter of just being focused for the full 90 minutes and keeping our energy up for the full 90 minutes,” Getman said. “Overall, it was a good performance. This is our second loss, so obviously not every game has gone the way we wanted.”

“I think defensively this year, we’ve been pretty solid,” Kuzminsky said.

“The only thing I can change for that is to make sure that we clear the ball out and not give second chances to other teams, and offensively, we just need to take our chances.”

During the first half of the game, Kuzminsky – who in 2014 was ranked second in Conference USA, caught the ball more than four times during the game, and in the second half, he caught two more with the exception of that one shot that resulted in UAB’s loss.

Freshman forward Massimo Ferrin prepares to take a shot on goal in the game against Tulsa.

No. 10 left midfielder, Henrique Sposito fooled the Tulsa player by moving the ball as the player slid, attempted and failed to kick the ball away from the UAB team’s grasp.

Later in the first half, No. 14 left midfielder David Valverde had to be let out of the game due to an injury gained during the play, thus No. 22 Chase Rushing substituted. In the second-half, No. 15 Mathieu Laurent blocked a shot aiming for the goal and knocked it out of bounds.

Friday was the second game of the 19th “Soccer for a Cure” Classic, a tournament hosted annually by UAB in an effort to raise money to support people currently fighting cancer.

The Blazers will take face conference foe Marshall Thundering Herd on Friday, Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. at BBVA Compass Field.

Photo by Ian Keel

8 Overcrowding leads to outcry from lack of available spaces on campus Sarah Faulkner Editor-in-Chief editor@insideuab.com s the debut of the school year comes A to a close, many students, faculty and staff are speaking out about our

campus’s overcrowded parking lots.

With 79.5 percent of all undergraduate students commuting to campus, according to a data set compiled by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness for the 2014-2015 school year, many have difficulty finding parking spots. Long walks to class from remote parking lots coupled with Alabama’s customary 90+ degree temperatures has drawn criticism to UAB Parking and Transportation.

André Davis, the director of Parking and Transportation Services, was a guest speaker at the most recent Undergraduate Student Government Association senate meeting on Sept. 6.

Davis began with a brief update on the current state of parking at UAB, adding that the first few weeks of classes are always hectic.

“We are working on our first indepth study to look at our campus and to figure out things we can do better and what we are doing well,” Davis said.

“Recommendations will be published sometime in early January.”

Fernando Colunga, the president of USGA, will serve on the committee that will be work with the national consulting firm alongside Haley Kendrick, the president of the graduate student government. “[The problems with parking on campus are] lack of parking spots for all of our students with parking permits, lack of reliable transportation via the Blazer Express from remote parking lots to the center of campus, lack of accurate way of informing students know how many spots are available in decks and lots,” Colunga said. “In my opinion, the most important problem is the lack in funds for the Parking and Transportation Department, because they are an auxiliary department. All the money they get to work with is from the sale of parking permits and parking tickets.”

USGA Executive Vice President Kevin Lee presided over the forum. When he spoke with the Kaleidoscope, he also mentioned the problems related to overcrowding on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

“One problem that not a lot of people look at is how classes have been

scheduled heavily on Tuesday and Thursday the past two years,” Lee said.

“During peak hours near noon, you’ll be lucky to find a spot after half an hour of driving around.”

Currently, the Department of Parking and Transportation Services manages more than 80 off-street parking facilities with approximately 17,000 individual spaces, according to Davis. As of Fall 2015, since the official numbers for the 2016 enrollment have yet to be calculated, there are 18,333 total individuals enrolled at UAB as students between both the undergraduate and graduate programs.

This number accounts for both full and part-time students. However, there are an additional 20,785 members of the UAB work force, such as administrative, faculty, professional non-faculty, secretarial and service maintenance employees.

When the number of available parking spaces is compared to the number of working or enrolled individuals who need to park near campus, there is a parking space provided by UAB for approximately 70 percent of the combined student, faculty and staff populations.

Despite that, it is unlikely that the entirety of these people would be on campus at the same time and that all of them own a parking pass that allows them to park on campus. Street parking, which is managed by the city of Birmingham, is also available — for a price.

However, for the approximately 7,000 students that have already paid for a parking pass for the fall semester, many do not want to spend the extra money on a parking meter for a street spot.

“I am frustrated that we pay for parking but there somehow still manages to be no free spaces,” said Tammy Falcon, a photography student.

“I cannot tell you how many cars I have seen parked in a city spot on the street with a UAB parking tag on their mirror but they have paid the meter simply because there is no where to park.”

Julia Pham, a biomedical sciences major, formerly lived on campus but now commutes to class. Since her move, she has learned about the “commuter’s struggle.”

“I’m wondering why I have to pay $130 for a parking pass yet there are cops guarding the parking decks and the lots are full by 8 [a.m.],” Pham said.

On-campus residents, who even as freshmen are allowed to keep their cars on campus, also have difficulty with the parking situation. Julie Blankenship spoke for her on-campus resident

‘There’s at UA

The Lot 15 parking spaces are some of the first to fill up on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

daughter, Carley Blankenship, when she said that dorm parking is also “terrible.”

“My daughter lives in New Freshman [Residence Hall] and finding a parking place is horrible. Something needs to be done,” Blankenship said. “There are maybe 10 or 12 parking spots at the dorm ... then they have to go [two] blocks behind [the] dorm to [a] parking deck where everyone else can park.”

Parking woes are not limited to just students. Faculty and staff also have experienced problems related to parking. Instead of paying for the $130 annual Lot 15 parking pass, employees can apply for either faculty (Lot 16) or remote parking.

According to the UAB and Parking transportation website, the cost for passes to faculty parking lots range from $25 to $50 per month depending on the individual’s employee status.

Additionally, faculty and staff with non-remote parking passes are allowed

to park in commuter student parking spaces.

Jennifer Spears, a UAB alumna who works at the Department of Ophthalmology in Volker Hall, said that she knows multiple people who pay $11 a month to park at remote parking lots on the western edge of campus, from which they can take a shuttle that operates on a fixed route to a location closer to where they need to be. Spears said they do this not because they do not want to pay the $50 per month charge, but because they cannot get approved for anything closer.

“Those stuck in remote parking have to arrive 30-plus minutes early to catch a bus to get to work and have [to wait] that same time when they are trying to leave,” Spears said. “As a staff member who does have access to decent parking and has personally not had issues, I do wonder if my deck is really full or if [UAB Parking and Transportation] has

9

parking AB?’ Many students accrue tickets throughout the semester from both UAB and the city of Birmihgham.

not updated their list of deck users to remove people who have transferred, moved or left UAB. Not that there is a ton of space in my deck, but it doesn’t

Photo by Ian Keel

Photo by Patrick Johnson

ever seem to be completely full. I would guess there is at least one floor that is always empty and other spaces here and there.”

For those who do not want to walk the entire distance between their parking space and their class, the Blazer Express bus route is an option.

However, Lee says that there is a need for the UAB community to push for increased efficiency of the bus system, among other factors related to parking and transportation, in order to improve the current situation. “[If] I remember correctly, André Davis, the director of parking, said we spend about $1.7-1.8 million a year on the Blazer Express. I personally don’t use the Blazer Express or know of any students that do on a regular basis,” Lee said. “I don’t know how the logistics of the Blazer Express looks, but a large portion of students don’t like parking in “edge” lots that don’t feel safe and having to take a bus in a big circle before arriving at their car just to begin their commute home. One positive I do like about the Blazer Express is that it can be utilized for other UAB events like the shopping shuttle or the Honors College Retreat.”

The director of Parking and Transportation said that his department will work to improve the Blazer Express system in the future, though it will not completely fix the parking problem.

Students have called for first year freshmen residents to not be allowed to park their cars on campus as a remedy for the overcrowding issue.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I truly believe that [freshmen] shouldn’t be allowed to have cars on campus,” said Kacey Slagle, an occupational therapy student. “Other schools do it.

Why not UAB? I cannot tell you how many times I lost my car freshman year because I forgot where I parked it.

Unless that freshman can prove they have a job, I really don’t think they need to have a car on campus taking up parking.”

Lee, however, said that forbidding first year freshmen students from parking on campus would cut them off from opportunities to explore Birmingham during times when they are not as busy with school work, something that he liked about UAB’s current policies compared to requirements for freshmen at other schools, like at the University of Alabama.

“However, with the biggest incoming freshmen class ever, there has been a large increase in ‘07’ pass parking in the 16th Street deck with little to no increase of parking elsewhere, and I see that as a problem,” he said.

Others have called for additional parking decks or lots to be constructed around campus, especially since the new Collat School of Business building is scheduled to be built over the Lot 15 across from the University Boulevard Office Building.

“How long would it take to build a deck? And have they started? Right.

But then again, the decks aren’t even safe as is, so if you do magically get a spot, you’ve got that too,” said Spencer Porch, a health care management and public health major, as part of a discussion about parking on Facebook.

“I don’t mind parking remotely if there is a reliable, convenient bus system to make up for that. But instead, if you rely on the Blazer Express, good luck.

Too long between stops that don’t make sense, they don’t go into easy places where people live [...] sometimes they don’t even show up... Something has to change. Why aren’t we shifting residents into these remote lots instead? They aren’t driving to class everyday.”

Building a parking deck would not be an immediate solution, however.

Though he personally would like to see the construction of a parking deck, Lee recognized that it is not currently a feasible option.

“It is not that easy to just build a parking deck,” Davis said during the Senate meeting, pointing out that a parking deck is a “30 million dollar investment.” “It is a huge expenditure.

We are trying to bring more parking but we are trying to figure out a better way to solve the problem. We have kept parking rates steady for eight years, but we have to find a better way at this rate.

We have to consider parking in order for our overall success.”

Gunter Wisdom, who graduated this summer, believes that UAB is doing nothing to solve the problem.

“As much money as we all pay them, you know they can afford to buy property and build a few more parking decks or lots,” Wisdom said. “UAB isn’t broke.”

Many students are dealing with the parking issue by commuting to campus much earlier than their classes begin in order to secure a spot for the day.

“Having to arrive earlier than 7 [a.m.] just to secure a spot is ridiculous, especially with how much we are paying. Today I had a later class and didn’t want to come as early, so I pulled into campus at 7:35 a.m. and all of the lots on the graduate side of campus were full except for the very last gravel lot about four to five blocks away from an actual classroom building,” said Danielle Dawkins, a physical therapy student. “Not to mention that there is a gravel lot that says ‘No Parking - $100 Fine’ behind the new dorm right in between two [Lot 15s.] Why have they not done something with that? I love UAB but I despise the parking.”

For now, Davis suggests students to consider alternative modes of transportation to get to and from class.

“Thinking that you will find parking directly next to your building will not happen,” Davis said.

10 OPINIONS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 , 2016

Kaepernick: A statement for free speech Elizabeth Earwood Contributor eearwood@uab.edu

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uring a NFL pre-season game, Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers quarterback, sat down during the performance of our national anthem.

He soon altered his behavior by kneeling during the national anthem in later games. Other athletes, including Seattle Reign FC’s Megan Rapinoe, followed suit. While Kaepernick claims this move was to draw attention to oppression and police brutality, this message seems to be getting lost in his chosen medium.

In an interview with ESPN, Kaepernick discussed his intentions behind this action.

“The message is that we have a lot of issues in this country that we need to deal with. We have a lot of people that are oppressed,” Kaepernick said. “We have a lot of people that aren’t treated equally, aren’t given equal opportunities.

Police brutality is a huge thing that needs to be addressed. There are a lot of issues that need to be talked about, need

selling, and some commentators are praising him for entering the discussion on equality.

While these are honorable messages, sitting for the national anthem seems to have done little to change these issues to which he refers. In fact, most of the discussion surrounding this situation is about the fact that he has a right to sit for the national anthem if he chooses, not about how police brutality needs to end.

Because we are talking of free speech, it would be dangerous to say that Kaepernick was not Illustration by Corey Bright allowed to sit; in fact no one is disputing this. The First to be brought to life, Amendment guarantees our right to and we need to fix those.” free speech. But, just because something He further declared that he will be is lawful does not mean it is beneficial. partnering with organizations who Kaepernick’s choice to sit for the national are working to increase equality and anthem has no specific ramifications decrease policy brutality. towards decreasing police brutality and He promises to donate one million expanding equality. And so, his intended dollars to such organizations. message was lost in the medium.

Following these statements, there is no Though everyone does not agree on his doubt Kaepernick has gained significant actions, most everyone is glad to have attention. CBS Sports reported that a conversation about free speech — a Kaepernick’s jersey is among the top

great hallmark of the American tradition.

Furthermore, I cannot help but mention my disappointment that someone who has amassed over $100 million by playing a game he enjoys, is finally willing to give up just one million. If Kaepernick really does want to make a difference, millions of dollars and the platform as a star athlete could be an effective starting point. Instead, sitting for the national anthem has started a discussion on free speech and earned him many interviews with the media. This is not a clear demonstration of his sincere concern for the problems in America.

The equality to which Kaepernick is referring is not the sort that is likely to change with disrespectful boycotts.

Rather, it is one that is created by individuals befriending those in his community no matter who they are or what they look like. For example, UAB's diverse student population gives us all an opportunity to be friends with many different people. Let us be a part of an excellent, diverse UAB community, for this is the message that we must find in Colin Kaepernick’s expression.

Jill Stein’s chances as strong as her pseudoscience Aaron Stuber Contributor abstuber@uab.edu

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ith one of the most divisive presidential elections about to commence, many voters are looking for third party options that do not include the human robot, Hillary Clinton, and the billionaire who paid to roll in Cheetos dust, Donald Trump.

After the cut of Bernie Sanders from the Democratic ticket, one third party candidate who has picked up some of the bloodlust from his defeat is the Green Party’s Jill Stein. Stein has shown keen interest in the Sanders campaign, and has even invited him to run on the Green ticket; however, Sanders denied her request, knowing that his presence on the Green ticket would divide the vote of the Democratic Party. As such, this has left the spotlight on Jill Stein, who hopes to enchant the “Bernie or Bust” crowd with promises of carrying on Sanders’ “political revolution.”

While many feel an anti-establishment politician is going to make a difference

this election cycle, it is still important to keep our options in perspective, and while Stein may be able to pick up votes from some of the more extreme Sanders voters, she is not the solution that left-leaning voters need or should feel comfortable with wanting.

Even though Stein is a Harvardtrained physician, her platform is immediately weakened by her interest in pseudoscience. To the educated voter, her stances are more than likely offputting, especially to the scientifically literate. She has voiced the same skepticism that many anti-vaccination fanatics share, which is vaccine regulatory agencies in the U.S. should not be fully trusted. So, if any of you premedicine students are worried about not getting into Harvard, do not worry — you will probably be saved from the chance to learn that vaccines are “scary” (I feel the need to note here that they are not. For the love of God, do not believe everything you read on the internet).

Additionally, Stein has voiced concern

in 1998 to show a link between autism and the MMR vaccine, and he subsequently lost his license to practice medicine.

Aside from the homeopathic, pseudoscience stance Stein’s party has taken in recent years, one must also note other core Illustration by Corey Bright issues her platform addresses. for the use of GMO’s Many of the stances, ranging and has placed it as an from free college tuition, increased issue in her platform. minimum wage, health care as a right, Unfortunately for rights for the LGBTQIA+ community some of you, most and a push for green energy are all food has been platform stances that are already genetically modified to include diseasebeing undertaken by Democratic party prevention in plants, to incorporate nominee, Hillary Clinton. While it is additional nutrition in food (see vitamin predicted that Stein will show up on A production in rice) and allow for 47 state ballots, she has a long way easier breeding and cultivation of the to go before she can actually make crop. So, while Stein uses her Harvard a difference in the political sphere. degree to put fear in her constituents, As of right now she is polling far you should really ask yourself if she is below Clinton, Trump and even the the champion the left needs — many Libertarian candidate, Gary Johnson. So of whom are strong proponents of for those of you thinking Stein will be scientific literacy. If you are still in a viable candidate, let me just say: that doubt, just remember it was a doctor would mean there is a lot of work that Andrew Wakefield who published needs to be done in the next 60 days. fraudulent (emphasis on: not real) data

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016

FEATURES 11

ART SHOWCASE BY FOURTEEN76

Rattlesnake Battalion to sink fangs g into DISCO Rattlesnake Battalion draws its influence from early 2000s punk and ska bands such as Bomb the Music Industry and Titus Andronicus.

Sarah Faulkner Editor-in-Chief editor@insideuab.com

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his Saturday night, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m., local pop-punk band Rattlesnake Battalion plans to make some noise at their upcoming performance at the Desert Island Supply Co. for the Fourteen76 art showcase of local artists, including UAB current and former students.

The band is composed of UAB students James Moss, Christian Hulvey and Blake Smith, as well as a fourth member, Liam Herb, who attends the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and played with the group over the summer. The band has had shows at DISCO and the High Note Lounge following its conception in January.

The members, who grew up and attended school together in the Chelsea area, played music together before they formed Rattlesnake Battalion.

“I met Blake in middle school through our fourth member and auxiliary percussionist Liam,” said Hulvey, a “tentative” music technology major who

primarily serves as a bassist for the band. “They played in a band together at that time where Blake played guitar and did vocals. I eventually formed a one time band with Blake called Thunder Badger in eighth grade and we played [at] the school’s dance. I’m pretty sure I met James the night we played that dance, and we became good friends throughout high school. James and I had talked about playing music together for a while, and decided to start a band earlier this year.”

According to Moss, a guitarist and a vocalist, he and Smith met each other through marching band, in which he played trumpet and Smith, their current drummer and a vocalist, was a percussionist.

While ideally Smith can switch over to playing guitar and doing vocals once the band finds a new drummer, Moss hopes to incorporate the trumpet in music produced by Rattlesnake Battalion in the future.

Using animals for the band’s name, like Smith and Hulvey did for their middle school band, is something that continued

WANT TO GO?

WHAT: Rattlesnake Battalion show WHERE: Desert Island Supply Co. WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 17, 7 p.m.

COST: $5 with complementary drinks into the member’s university years, when the group of friends decided to form a band together.

Though Hulvey said that the band name represents to them what they call “the mixed bag” of friends that the members are, they described the conception of their current band’s name as being spontaneous.

“I like animals names, and I’m pretty sure I just blurted the name out at one practice and it stuck ever since; we are a battalion of rattlesnakes,” Hulvey said. “An alternate name is RatSnakeBatLion.”

“We were gonna use the name Limp Bizkit but apparently that has already been taken,” said Moss, who is currently taking a hiatus from pursuing a music technology degree to work full time.

The lyrics, written by Moss and Smith, tackle issues like relationships and personal problems. Moss said that he

Photo from a video by Mateo Montoya

draws influence from the punk and ska music he listened to while growing up, like Bomb the Music Industry and Titus Andronicus, which were both punk bands active in the early 2000s. “[Our music is] loud and silly and energetic,” Moss said. “I’d say our theme is ‘Drake and Josh.’ [...] I just always thought playing songs and acting goofy was fun as hell so that’s what I try to do.”

“We all have kind of different things that we want out of music, but decided to make music together mostly because we’re good friends,” Hulvey said.

In light of their “Drake and Josh” theme, the band played the “Drake and Josh” theme song while playing a show with Whirlybird at Disco. They opened with it again during their performance at the High Note lounge. Hulvey recounted the show with Whirlybird as being one of their favorite shows.

“Most all of the shows at DISCO were some of my favorites, but we had Liam on synth at that one and I

remember a lot of my friends being there, which is always really fun,” Hulvey said.

While he said that all of his experiences at DISCO have been “tight,” Moss described his favorite experience, the band’s first show at “some dude’s house,” as the most fun for him to play.

“It was just really silly having like 40 people crammed into this tiny living room,” Moss said.

“I didn’t really know if people would enjoy the set but it was very fun playing for so many friends for the first time and people seemed to enjoy it.”

Besides from taking to the stage at DISCO again, Moss and Hulvey are working on producing music that they can potentially distribute as CDs in the future. Those who are interested in sampling the music Rattlesnake Battalion has already released are encouraged to either come to the art showcase on Saturday at DISCO or to watch the video, shot by Mateo Montoya of fourteen76, of their performance with the musicians Joyboy and Black Hole Kids on Youtube.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016

FEATURES 13

CHEAP(ISH) EATS

Coffee to soothe the bougie soul and dates back to the 1930s, but offers flexibility in usage. My espresso was made with this, and it was impressive in comparison to the machines that are used at mainstream stores, but the taste was so mediocre in comparison to the description that I could not get myself to like it.

Burell apparently had the same idea as me about the store.

“I’m tired of the pretentious side of the coffee industry,” Burell said. “This shop lends itself to people that are pretentious. The menu is very accurate. [It] is kind of off-putting, and I want coffee to be as

Surabhi Rao Features Editor features@ insideuab.com

R

evelator Coffee Company is the kind of place that I truly wish I liked, because of the unique atmosphere and interesting conversation.

In one word, my initial impression of the place was confusion.

I was confused by the sheer volume of people, particularly UAB students, walking in and out to spend a minimum of three dollars to buy good-looking coffee. I was confused by the menu, which looked like a shortanswer exam because it provided so little information.

Current store manager Blake Burell helped explain the menu.

“Let’s say that coffee in general equates to shoes,” Burell said. “What we offer as a shoe store is a really nice selection of leather boots. It’s like a leather boot shop, so it’s really nice. If you come in looking for sneakers, that’s not really what we do.”

Still, I sat in this “highquality” coffee shop for a mere two hours and saw a wide variety of people walk through, many of whom definitely did not qualify as the coffee fanatics that the barista believed could benefit from being here.

I spent $4.95 on a mocha that looked as if it came straight off of a Pinterest board, but tasted bitter and lacking in chocolate. I love coffee, but the coffee itself was not up to par with the description provided by Burell. Revelator rotates

approachable as we make it. There’s this thing about coffee where the hardest challenge we face is education... Coffee is moving so fast that you have to be a fanatic to keep up with it, and people are fanatics.”

Other customers had quite positive reviews, such as Yona Andrews, a junior in international studies.

“I heard about this place two weeks ago and have been coming here every Sunday,” Andrews said. “My friend created a bucket list for all the cool coffee shops she wanted to visit in Birmingham.

It’s really relaxing. I like the environment. Places

like Starbucks are a little bit crowded, but a place like this I can get lost in my studies when I just want to get off campus.

Being at UAB, everything is on the Southside, and sometimes students want to experience the Northside but things other than the nightlife don’t bring you over here, and that’s what Revelator does.“ Despite the disappointing coffee, I would say that this place is definitely one to visit during your stay in Birmingham, as you will surely be intrigued.

we get out what you put in,

Blake Burell, store manager of Revelator Coffee Company.

its coffee beans and uses beans only from a single origin. For the next few months, the coffee company will be using Lafila from a farm in Costa Rica. Last month, it was from a place in Guatemala. I could say that I got a slight sense of the taste he described with precision, but I am not sure that I got the high-end experience described.

“I understand that this specific shop is not for everyone,” Burell said.

“What we specialize in here is a higher-quality product, when it comes to just pure coffee, and that’s because we put a lot of our resources toward developing it.”

In addition to the mocha, I received a sample

Photo by Surabhi Rao

espresso that tasted like typical black coffee and did not offer the alluring smell that someone would expect in a coffee shop.

In fact, the whole place smelled as sterile as it looked.

Walker Blackston, who has worked as a barista at Revelator three months, believes in the expressed goals of the coffee shop.

“Depending on what you’re going for, the Starbucks market is for quantity,” Blackston said.

“And we focus more on details and quality.”

The Birmingham branch is one of seven coffee shops now, and the franchise is still expanding in the Southeast region.

The machines they use include the Chem-Ex brewer, which is primitive

put that recycling in the right bin.

Open for drop-offs Mondays 6:30-9:30am 3:00-6:00pm 620 11th Street South (205) 996-9043

14 FEATURES

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016

CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT: Courtney Walker, Dana Pham and Remy Meir.

Photos by Surabhi Rao

Summer research success stories

Wallace Goldin Contributor wsgoldin@uab.edu

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tudents have the opportunity to become a part of a groundbreaking research with faculty members as well as to lead their own studies, and can gain academic credit both ways. UAB has a tradition of enabling and encouraging undergraduate research, and it has become a staple of presentations during student recruitment season.

This provides a dynamic of cooperation and individual competition that is found in careers in research and graduate programs alike, but that is not necessarily expected in undergraduate academia.

Dana Pham, a senior chemistry major, recently returned from a summer spent at Johns Hopkins University studying Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome, a rare genetic condition that results in the rapid appearance of aging in early childhood.

Here in Birmingham, Pham conducts research on the immunological aspect of Type 1 Diabetes, and has presented her findings at several expos.

Pham admits that participating in research as an undergraduate is not without its challenges, though.

“The main challenge that I have faced in performing research as an undergraduate student is learning to manage time,” Pham said. “Many experiments require that I collect data at certain times, and I often have to work late nights or come in early in the morning to perform these experiments.”

However, according to Pham the time commitment is definitely worthwhile.

“Sometimes it can be a handful,” Pham said. However, seeing good results after all the time and hard work is the most rewarding aspect.”

After graduation, Pham plans to have her research published and apply to medical school in the summer of 2017.

She plans on continuing with research only after she receives her medical degree as a physician researcher.

As a senior neuroscience major, Courtney Walker also participates in research in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology to study human brain tissue obtained from deceased human schizophrenia subjects.

Her lab’s primary focus is in determining if there are any structural differences in the cells of the brains of schizophrenia patients and those not diagnosed with the condition.

When Walker was named a recipient of the Goldwater Scholarship last year, she became the 21st recipient of this prestigious award for the university and one of only 252 recipients nationally.

She also participated in the Neuroscience Summer Research Academy this year, where she was granted a stipend to continue her research here at UAB.

Walker is currently applying to graduate school in pursuit of a Ph.D. in neuroscience.

She hopes to continue research on mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression, schizophrenia and suicide.

“There is still so much we don’t know about these conditions, and I hope to be able to fill in these gaps,” Walker said.

Remy Meir, another member of UAB’s undergraduate neuroscience program, performs her research on the addictive properties of opioids.

The junior from Auburn uses mice to test the addictive nature of morphine when combined with a muscle relaxer called Baclofen. Her goal is to create a protocol that heightens the pain relieving properties of opioids while decreasing the rate of addiction.

Meir has been awarded multiple scholarships for her research, including a scholarship to participate in the Honors Neuroscience Research Academy this past summer and the Patsy W. Collat Endowed

Scholarship for outstanding female neuroscience majors.

She also placed second in UAB’s summer research expo.

For Meir, conducting research was a new concept when she came to UAB. “Coming to terms with the fact that I may not always get the results I expected is definitely something I had to get used to,” Meir said.

Meir plans to attend graduate school to receive her Ph.D. in neuroscience. She hopes to continue her research in drug addiction as well as teach at the collegiate level.

“I believe that asking questions and finding answers is important, but it is also important to inspire future generations to have the same deep curiosity about the world,” Meir said.

Editor’s note: The Office of Undergraduate Research specializes in placing students in research labs across campus. Students can contact program administrator Gareth Jones at ghjones@uab.edu or visit Heritage Hall 527 for information on how to get involved with research.

CALENDAR Sept. 13 - 19 TUESDAY Girls Who Code

Homewood Library 4-6 p.m.

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY Nonprofit Panel HSC Ballroom A 12-2 p.m.

The first Alabama chapter of Girls Who Code meets every Tuesday. The program aims to empower girls who are interested in the computer science field.

An opportunity to meet professionals in the nonprofit sector.

Come find out how to get a nonprofit job, what to expect and the pros and cons of nonprofit work.

Birmingham 101

MSA Smoothie Social

HSC Ballroom 6-8 p.m.

Series that aims to highlight the history of Birmingham’s neighborhoods through the lens of local high schools.

First panel will feature West End High.

UAB Commons Plaza 12:30-3 p.m.

Come get a free smoothie on The Green with UAB’s Muslim Student Association. A variety of flavors and options will be available.

WHAT’S UP 15 FRIDAY

Trucks by the Tracks

Rev. Robert B. Jones

8-11:30 a.m.

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

Flee from the undead for a good cause. The second annual Zombie Run 5k will benefit The American Cancer Society.

Railroad Park’s annual fundraiser, featuring food trucks from Cullman to Montgomery as well as local music talent and outdoor activities.

Reverend Robert B. Jones brings his 20+ years of music, humor and storytelling in act that explores the early African American culture that came before the blues.

Preserve Jazz Over the Mountain Music Festival

Women’s Candidate Forum

GG.Friday: Dragon’s Zombie Run 5k Den Edition Warehouse 31

Come by and learn about opportunities to earn credit towards your degree while studying in another country.

A special edition of GoodGame.Friday, the entire evening will be dragonthemed, so bring your dragon-related games.

“Islamophobia: A Threat to All”

R. Kelly: The Buffet Tour 2016

Hill Student Center 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

HSC Ballroom 7-9 p.m.

Dalia Mogahed, a former adviser to President Obama, will give a talk pertaining to how Islamophobia is harmful to all.

Heritage Hall 6-11:59 p.m.

BJCC 8 p.m.

The R&B superstar will be joined by a live band and dancers and playing some songs for the first time live.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

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SUNDAY

SATURDAY

Contact “Maid 2 Serve” at (205)356-2124 or email wisewoman911@gmail.com — Twin beds complete. $199 and up. Dressers/mirrors and chest of drawers. 205-910-0512.

The Preserve, Hoover 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Ninth annual jazz fest featuring Grammy nominated contemporary jazz guitarist Chieli Minucci, among others. Tickets available online.

B’ham Public Library Central Branch 10 a.m.

Orchestral Splendor

The Wynfrey Hotel 3 p.m.

Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra 7 p.m.

Hosted by CAIRAlabama, inviting women of all ages to share and listen to women who are making a difference, including state representatives and candidates.

Debuting Christopher Theofandis’ tone poem “Dreamtime Ancestors” for orchestra. Come at 6 p.m. and meet the composer in the Choral Opera Room.