SCOPE
TUESDAY
10.06.15 Volume 49|Issue 21 PG. 8
PG. 7
HOMECOMING WEEK 2015
WE VOTED YES!
PG. 11
Dear Kaleidoscope Readers, When has a week not been big at UAB this semester? We’re almost halfway through this term and so far, we’ve heard that UAB is one of the top 150 schools in the world (and top in the state), held a bubble soccer game (innovation at its finest) and have heard rumors that we might be getting a new off campus stadium. Last week, too, was historic nonetheless. On September 29-30, UAB held its first ever student referendum, a vote where students had the choice to raise their fees by $25 in order to support the return of football, bowling and rifle. And students voted yes. While the vote is over, 84 percent of students voluntarily raised their fees to bring back sports they never asked to be killed in the first place. So while we changed our Facebook profile pictures to “Vote Yes” flyers and spread the good news of “give a little” to bring back the teams, please don’t think that this was a student life and athletics “victory”. Although the “Vote Yes” campaign showed an amazing effort of students coming together to support sports that we loved, exhibited amazing leadership from our Student Government Association, I have to admit that I believe that this whole situation should have never happened, and our “victory” is a well-marketed defeat. Think of it this way, a child is eating a candy bar and someone then takes the candy bar away. The child naturally throws a fit. Why not? The person took away something precious to it. Now the child takes money out of its piggybank, hands it to the person who took away the candy in the first place, and says “Can I please have my candy bar back, now?” The candy bar is returned. Is this fair to the child? Not really, and I think my analogy shows that the community and students having to raise money to bring back our team isn’t really fair to us. Today, I read an article from the New York Times that detailed the current football careers of former UAB players and how well many of them are doing. Jake Ganus for example got to play against the University of Alabama on Saturday as a Georgia Bulldog. I’m so happy for all of the UAB football players doing well, but selfishly, the article seemed somewhat depressing. Shouldn’t they have finished up at UAB? While voting to increase our fees was an intelligent solution to a problem, and showcases how students are willing to collectively help each other, why didn’t this fee raise just happen in the first place? If UAB, an Alabama economic power house, was hurting for money why didn’t they just say so and ask for donations to begin with? Why the drama of killing the sports? Let me know what you think. Have a happy Tuesday 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
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NEWS UAB participates in National Preparedness Month UABkscope.com @UABKscope facebook.com/uabkscope
Photo by Cooper Crippen Bill Mayfield showcases digital preparedness tools.
Luke Richey Staff Writer lrichey@uab.edu
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eptember was National Preparedness Month, and UAB took part in the national grassroots PrepareAthon campaign to spread the word about personal emergency preparedness and the use of digitals tools during an emergency situation. “So many people focus on the essentials during a disaster,” said Bill Mayfield, an emergency preparedness coordinator at UAB. “I need food. I need water. But, we haven’t focused
on sources of information during a disaster or emergency. Why not improve your situational awareness in an impending disaster?” Each week in September focused on a different preparedness topic. The first week of September covered winter weather safety, invoking images of 2014’s “Snowpocolypse,” in which a scant few inches of snow brought the city of Birmingham to a virtual halt. The second week covered hurricane and tornado preparedness. Alabama received more EF5 strength tornadoes, the strongest intensity, than any other state since 1966, according to the Storm Prediction Center. The third week dealt with longterm utility outages following an emergency, and the last week focused on digital tools for personal emergency awareness. Such tools include Alabama SAF-T-Net, which automatically gives weather conditions for anywhere in Alabama and shows any severe weather or tornado warnings in the area. The American Red Cross Suite is an allinclusive digital tool that supplies personalized weather alerts and maps, shelter points and a flashlight, alarm
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and strobe light. The app also has a safety button that someone can use to notify their family members and friends on their safety. “People need to make sure to have weather alerts. Also, some type of first aid or medical app. These kinds of apps are good ones to have,” said Mayfield. “Alabama SAF-T-Net, FEMA app and the UAB apps.” Other apps are Disaster Alert, ReUnite and FEMA. Disaster Alert is an app that tracks disasters worldwide. ReUnite is an app that allows people to upload a family profile to the National Library of Medicine database to find a missing family member after an evacuation or disaster. Someone who might have found or saw a family member can contact by “matching” on the ReUnite database. The FEMA app alerts about disasters by text message, mobile alerts and call alerts. UAB’s steps to increase awareness and planning in case of an emergency have been nationally recognized. On Wednesday, Sept. 30, UAB was recognized as a “StormReady” university by the National Weather Service. To be qualified as a StormReady university, the university must sustain a 24-hour warning point and emergency
3 operations center. A university must also have multiple ways to obtain National Weather Service warnings, check on local weather conditions, perform community preparedness programs and have a formal emergency management plan that identifies flooding and treacherous weather. “Our Leadership and Emergency Management Team and Occupation Health Team have been working over the last two years with partners from the National weather Service, FEMA, Jefferson County EMA [Emergency Management Agency] and others to achieve a status of readiness for an emergency like a severe storm of other national disaster,” said UAB President Ray Watts in a press conference. “We have on our campus each day over 40,000 students and employees working together, and in our clinics and hospitals we see over a million patients a year, who bring their families with them. So we know how important safety and security are.” UAB was the eighth university in Alabama to receive the StormReady designation, and joins more than 175 certified universities nationwide.
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015
Paint the Town kicks off
Homecoming ‘15
UAB students decorate the Rec center for homecoming
Kylie Hicks Online Editor online@insideuab.com
A
lthough homecoming is not centered on football this year like it has been in the past, homecoming week started strong this past Sunday, October 4, with a woman’s volleyball game and longtime tradition: Paint the Town. On Sunday, at 3 p.m. different organizations gathered to paint the windows of different buildings across campus to represent Blazer pride. These buildings included Snoozy’s, the Starbucks at Mervyn Sterne Library, the 16th Street Parking Deck, the Commons on the Green and Heritage Hall. “It’s about blazer spirit, it’s about bringing all the students together, coming out to athletic events, making an impact on the community and town today and celebrating being a student,” said Caleb Rotton, Coordinator of Student Activities on the importance of Paint the Town. For the groups participating in the activity, it seemed to be enjoyable to be able to show their Blazer Spirit on the windows on different places on campus. Victoria Lewis, a member of the Alpha Xi Delta sorority who had a window to paint, said that “... it’s fun [to be able to
Photo by Angela Hollowell
participate in this activity].” Students not actively participating in the painting said it had a positive and even uplifting effect on them, nonetheless. “I enjoy seeing it because I’m always interested in seeing the different ways people share their Blazer Spirit and it gets me excited for Homecoming. I know the Blazers have been through alot this past year, but I’m confident that events like this will continue to impact all of us and remind us how much we love this school. We voted yes, now it’s time to prove that we support this school in any way possible. I’m sure Blaze would appreciate it!” said Felix Crutcher, a Junior at UAB. Students can show their blazer pride at other homecoming events this week such as the Green & Gold Games on Tuesday, October 6, Blazer Showdown on Wednesday, October 7 and Hoops on the Haasephalt on Thursday, October 8. The events of homecoming week are sponsored by the University Programs Board and UAB Student Involvement and Leadership.
NEWS
NEWS
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In case you missed it... Janvi Jani Contributor janvinj@uab.edu
International
Sept. 28: The strongest typhoon of the year hit Taiwan, killing at least two people and injuring more than 300 before heading to mainland China, according to CNN. Typhoon Dujuan made landfall late on the night of Sep. 28, pummeling the town of Suao with gusts as strong as 246 kilometers per hour (153 mph). The military evacuated roughly 5,000 people living in vulnerable mountainous areas ahead of the storm’s arrival, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency.
Birmingham
Sept. 29: Gov. Robert Bentley said that Gulf State Park, Oak Mountain State Park and Lake Guntersville
State Park will not be on any list of parks that may close as a result of budget cuts in the state, according to Al.com. Bentley said that cuts to state services such as parks, driver licenses offices and the closing of some National Guard armories would be necessary because the state legislature failed to approve an adequate budget needed to maintain state services.
Fashion
Sept. 29: American designer and creator of the fashion world, Ralph Lauren, steps down as a chief executive, according to the New York Times. He is to be replaced by Stefan Larsson, a former H&M executive and president of Old Navy, Gap’s downmarket brand, which he is credited with reviving.
Science
Sept. 29: New data suggests that liquid water flows on Mars, according to Science News. Seasonal dark streaks etched onto some slopes are coated with salts that need liquid water to form, according to new research published in Nature Geoscience. The presence of liquid water was long suspected by scientists, but was confirmed by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which recorded spectral data showing hydrated salts at four locations on the Red Planet.
Satellite image of Typhoon Dujuan courtesy of NASA
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015
NEWS
UAB says NO MORE to domestic violence
Tamara Imam Staff Writer timam@uab.edu
O
n Wednesday, Sept. 30, Student Advocacy Rights and Conduct teamed up with Gender and Sexuality Diversity, a division of Student Multicultural and Diversity Programs, to host a NO MORE event in the Residence Life Center of Blazer Hall. Launched in 2013, NO MORE is a national symbol and campaign to raise awareness and engage the public in the effort to end domestic violence and sexual assault. According to its website, 12.7 million people are physically abused, raped or stalked by their partners per year. NO MORE is unique in that its signature symbol, a blue “O” is not owned by any singular organization, but can be used by anyone committed to helping end domestic violence and sexual assault.
UAB students who attended the NO MORE event in the RLC had the chance to speak with representatives from various community and campus entities dedicated to raising awareness and helping victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Representatives from the Young Women’s Christian Association of Central Alabama, SafeZone and Student Health and Wellness, the 1917 Clinic and the UAB Police Department all attended the event. Organizers reported that more than 100 students attended the event. Student leaders engaged participants in interactive dialogue about domestic violence, sexual assault and issues surrounding gender and sexuality. The event featured a “Consent Wall,” which prompted participants with the statement “consent is...” and asked them to fill in
the blank on a colorful sheet of paper to post on the wall. Attendees also responded to the prompt “I say no more because...” and had their responses posted on a wall as well as their pictures taken and posted on social media. Melodi Stone, the Outreach and Services lead programmer for Gender and Sexuality Diversity Programs, led conversation through the “What would you do?” Situation Wall. Stone asked participants to read aloud scenarios surrounding domestic violence, sexual assault and gender and sexuality discrimination then choose which campus and community resources listed on the wall they would approach for help. While UAB has held NO MORE events on campus in the past, this year’s event marked the first year that Gender and Sexuality Diversity
Students browse information about the NO MORE domestic violence campaign
Programs has co-hosted it. “There has always been a gender component to the NO MORE Campaign because of Title IX, but today we’re taking a holistic approach to domestic violence and sexual assault issues by including gender and sexuality issues,” Stone said. “Sustainable change needs to come from cultural change from places like us [Gender and Sexuality Diversity Programs]. While Student Advocacy Rights and Conduct handles a lot of the legal side of things, we
Photo by On Sept. 30 several student groups hosted a NO MORE campaign at UAB to encourage students to have conversations about the culture of domestic violence
Photo by Sarah Adkins
interact with students daily so we can bring about cultural change.” After the event, students walked away with informational brochures, candy, t-shirts and other free merchandise from each of the organizations’ tables. “This event helped me become more aware of the resources we have on campus for domestic
Sarah Ad
kins
Photo by Sarah Adkins
violence and sexual assault victims,” student Paris McClendon said. “It was very eye-opening for me because I didn’t know that some of these resources even existed, and I feel like many other students didn’t either.” Gender and Sexuality Diversity Programs encourages students to stop by their office in Rec 190 for more information.
SPORTS
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And the undergrads said...“YES”
The UAB USGA flyer encouraging students to vote yes.
Leonardo Carrubba Sports Editor sports@insideuab.com n a historic decision, the student body of the University of Alabama at Birmingham voted to increase their own tuition in an effort to provide future sustainability and fiscal support for the rifle, bowling and football teams on September 29-30. The vote gave over 4,035 students a chance to show their support for the fastest recovery of a Division I FBS football program in the history of the NCAA. This was also the first time the UAB student body voted on any fee in the history of the university. The increase is expected to generate roughly $700,000 per academic year, according to the Undergraduate Student Government Association. The fee is expected to take effect this fall semester. According to UAB News, 84.1 percent of voters checked the yes box on the virtual ballot and 639 students voted no. “This result sends an encouraging message to the Birmingham community and to our supporters both on and off campus who may also be considering contributions to support success in UAB Athletics,” President Ray Watts said to UAB News. “That is one reason this vote was important. I want to thank our student body for supporting our teams with their vote, and particularly Garrett Stephens and USGA for their leadership in the initiative.” The next step in implementing the vote will be
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From UAB.edu/usga
Mark Ingram, UAB’s Athletic Director, speaks to students at the Commons, encouraging them to vote “yes’.
approval from the UA System Board of Trustees. The vote will be presented to the governing body at the next meeting on Nov. 5-6. How UAB got to this point and student reaction: On Dec. 2, 2014, UAB President Ray Watts announced the shutdown of the three sports programs. After this announcement, Dr. Watts chartered the Athletic Assessment Task Force. The task force then hired College Sports Solutions to assess the situation. In a show of support, the USGA passed Resolution SU-0115 by a vote of 19-3 in an emergency session last May. This resolution proposed a $25 per semester addition to student fees to support the reinstatement of the football, bowling and rifle teams. Dr. Watts announced a reversal of the decision on June 1, 2015. However, in August it was made known to the USGA that the University of Alabama Board of Trustees wanted a student-wide vote in support of the resolution. “From that point on, we worked just to get the vote out,” Stephens said. “This vote not only validates students taking account of their student experience in athletics, but this also validates SGA.” The student body officially voiced their support for the reversal of December’s decision and the affected sports programs; voting took place from 7 a.m. on Sept. 29 to 7 p.m. on Sept. 30. When asked about his perspective as a student, Stephens said he understands why the resolution received such a strong show of support. “As a student, I know firsthand that students do support athletics at
Photo by Justin Massey
UAB,” Stephens said. “I knew from the beginning that we [the student body] would support it wholeheartedly, and our senate reflected that because our senate reflects the student body.” He did however address the minority of students who were against the vote. “I want to tell the students who vote[d] no that we hear them anyway,” he said. “In terms of specific financial struggles, we do have empathy for those students, and we do understand that. And that was something that was heavy on my mind when I was drafting this resolution.” Timothy Alexander, a former UAB football player, a prominent supporter of the “Vote Yes” movement and UAB athletics, says that the strong show of support means a lot to the UAB community. “No other school has had to go through this. No other school had to vote yes then turn around and get a school-wide vote,” Alexander said. “It’s all about UAB and just supporting one another, and this is a great way to say that the UAB students support football, bowling and rifle.” Many students showed their support for the programs by wearing “Vote Yes” campaign stickers today. One of these students, Keytahnie Jones, said the chance to have a vote means a lot. “It’s a great opportunity to stand in history,” said Jones. “We want to have the opportunity to go to a game and cheer on our Blazers.” Last week’s outcome indicates that many other students stand with the rifle, bowling and football programs at UAB and look forward to the opportunity to cheer on their Blazers.
Outweek begins on Oct. 12 with Coming Out on the Green and LGBTQ+ History Month KickOff a celebration of LGBTQ+ I hope that folks who do identities with food and activities not identify as LGBTQ+ hosted by the Gender Sexuality understand the importance of and Diversity Programs along creating spaces for LGBTQ+ with the Student Multicultural people and that we want to and Diversity Programs on the move from being tolerant or Campus Green. On Monday, Oct. accepting to being welcoming 13 the GSU will be sponsoring “A and valuing of all genders Queer Crafternoon”, a way for and sexualities,” said Maigen students to learn about Queer Sullivan, the Coordinator for the history and identity through Gender & Sexuality Diversity arts and crafts. The event will Program. “We also want be held from 4 to 6 p.m. at BEC everyone to know that UAB is 119. Student Multicultural and a place of inclusion for all and Diversity will also be screening that is the standard we want all two queer disabilities films, UAB students, faculty and staff “When I’m Not Alone”, at 6 p.m. to follow.” at Heritage Hall room 106 on the 13th and “Are You a Good What UAB is doing Ally?” from 12 to 3 p.m. on the Following Maigen Sullivan’s Campus Green. Finally on the advice, UAB is celebrating 16th there will be the Queer Film Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Scramble, a short film festival Transgender History Month centered around queer and trans this October. LGBTQ+ student identities. The film scramble will organizations are making sure take place in the Cahaba Room at that the UAB campus will have the New Residence Hall at 6 p. m. many opportunities for students and faculty to celebrate and “Mostly we are doing events learn about LGBTQ+ identities that encourage people to feel and their history. OutWeek also comfortable being themselves takes place during October, on campus, providing education from the 12th to the 16th and around gender and sexuality the Student Multicultural and issues, and creating social and Diversity Programs and the supportive events for LGBTQ+ Gender and Sexuality Union people.” Sullivan said. “Often, are making sure that LGBTQ+ we are exposed to a lot of students and faculty will have negative issues surrounding places and events to celebrate LGBTQ+identities, and that’s their identities. These events important, but I see this month, will also help bring awareness to and especially OutWeek, as a non LGBT students and faculty. time to celebrate who we are and “When I came to UAB as a the amazing things Queer and freshman, I was disappointed Trans people have done.” that I couldn’t really find many organizations or events LGBTQ+ History Month Review for LGBTQIA+ students,” LGBTQ+ History Month was said SafeZone Peer Educator founded in 1994 by history and a member of the Gender teacher Rodney Wilson, with and Sexuality Union, Harris the help of friends and several Mclendon. “Now, as a junior, LGBTQ+ groups. According to it’s great to see the progress The Advocate, a LGBTQ+-interest that this school has made magazine, they thought October for queer students...It’s very to be a good month because it refreshing to see that they are took place during the school trying to go beyond simple year and it was the month that diversity by actually providing the first and second LGBTQ+ more opportunities for queer marches on Washington took students to be involved, be place. National Coming Out Day supported, and find community is on Oct. 11 as well. on campus.” Ulric Cowley Staff Writer ucowley@uab.edu
“
Graphic by Jessica Middleton
What started out as something relatively small and initially met with a lot of backlash has grown considerably in the past 21 years. The LGBTQ+ history month is now acknowledged and celebrated throughout the nation. In 2006 Equality Forum took responsibility for providing content and resources for the month. Their site lgbthistorymonth.com features and celebrates the acheivements of 31 gay, lesbian, transgender, or bisexual individuals. This year they’ve chosen to feature many individuals, such as Jane Addams, the first woman and lesbian to win the Nobel Peace prize, Miriam Ben-Shalom who successfully sued the military and became the first lesbian service member in the U.S. Army and Richard Blanco who was the first Latino, immigrant and openly gay person to be the U.S. inaugural poet. Another individual featured this year is Alabama native Laverne Cox, an LGBTQ+ advocate who became the first openly transgender person to be nominated for an Emmy award.
“I see this month, and especially OutWeek, as a time to celebrate who we are and the amazing things Queer and Trans people have done.� - Maigen Sullivan
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015
OPINIONS
Now Oregon? Wake up, we need gun control. Erica Webb Opinions Columnist ewebb1@uab.edu
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don’t remember having a school shooter drill until high school. Sure, there may have been procedure in place, but before high school, I thought school was a safe space. Who could have such hate for the world that they wanted to take out an innocent population trying to learn to make the world better? The past several years have been a wake up call about gun violence for this generation. According to The Washington Times, the shooting in Oregon last Thursday marked the 142nd mass shooting in the USA since the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012, the tragedy that was supposed to be the last straw with lax gun laws and the violence that entailed. How many more people need to die until we, as Americans, can negotiate the issue? If your main focus in the aftermath of these atrocities is on your personal possessions instead of empathy for the victims and a will to find solutions, then
you might want to check yourself. America has a gun problem much greater than any other country in the world. According to The Independent, the nation has not gone more than eight days without a mass shooting this year alone. President Obama seems to be making a statement on one constantly, and he is obviously fed up with nothing changing; so are the increasing numbers of families affected by mass gun violence. Look, the American government does not want to take every single gun away from every single person to leave us defenseless when they take over with “mind control” or what have you. If that does happen I’ll apologize and buy you a tin foil hat, but guns are so thoroughly ingrained in our culture that I doubt we will ever let them go completely. This idea of government conspiracy is still prevalent when the words “gun control” come up. If you think the National Rifle Association truly represents the average gun owner’s interests with Congress, think again. The real reason
the NRA exists is to support the gun industry itself, which definitely does not want legislation getting in the way of its profits. I know many respectable individuals, including outdoor enthusiasts, who want that pistol under their bed in case someone breaks in. I understand that. I also understand that pride and fear mongering must be set aside for bipartisan negotiation so that guns, especially assault rifles, will not be so readily available for unstable, violent people. When I see people expressing their “freedom” by bringing military-style weapons into public places, all I can think is of how nervous everyone around them must be. The common peace of mind should be more important than obnoxious pride in unnecessary arms. Background checks need to be more thorough and run by unbiased sources. If someone Sources
has a history of criminal and/or mental health issues that result in violence, they should not be able to purchase a gun. These are examples of common ground that Americans should be able to find. We don’t want to be a nation that values property and profits more than human life.
Editor’s note: For this purpose, mass shootings are defined by the FBI as shootings of four or more people.
Violence Policy Center and States United to Present Gun Violence
You’re Nice, But Are You That Nice? Olalekan Dada Opinions Columnist oadada@uab.edu
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was reading an article recently on ABC News’ website about a mom who bought coffee for two ladies who made fun of her appearance while standing in line at Tim Horton’s. Dianne Hoffmeyer, mother of a 22-month-old daughter, overheard the ladies making comments about her hair and size, saying that her hair was “nasty looking” and calling her a “whale.” She began crying (understandably so), because it is painful to be criticized by people, especially if they don’t know you. However, despite these ladies’ behavior, she decided to forego calling them out for their rudeness and opted to pay for their coffee. Why? Because she wanted to set a good example for her daughter. Faith in humanity: restored. In the article, Hoffmeyer went on to say she bought the ladies coffee because her daughter was there, and she wanted her daughter to “know the right thing to do” if she were ever faced with the same issue, which I found interesting. I’m not sure if she was
Illustration by Thomas Baldwin
saying she would want her daughter to buy gummy bears for bullies she may encounter on the playground, but I think Hoffmeyer was simply saying she wanted her daughter to remain kind to people regardless of how they may treat her. This really made me wonder what most people would do in this situation. It’s hard for me to say whether most
people wouldn’t do what she did, because I don’t know “most people.” I do find it hard to believe that buying coffee for people who insult you would be the first thing that comes to mind. I have a strong feeling that the common practice would be to either ignore the rude comments and go on about your day or confront the ladies in an attempt to remind them, and yourself, that
you are strong and can stand up for yourself. I feel like there is nothing stronger than being nice to people when it has been proven that they don’t deserve it. Some people may call that crazy or a waste of time and energy; I call it strength. Ever tried to maintain your cool when someone is insulting you? Do you have that friend who always claims to be unbothered by a circumstance, but they prove the opposite by constantly talking about it? It’s pretty difficult not to let your emotions get the best of you, but Hoffmeyer proved that it is possible. I call it strength because Hoffmeyer taught those ladies something about genuine kindness that day. She taught them that even though she was emotionally affected by their hurtful comments, she would not let those emotions determine how she reacted. She taught them that their rude remarks had no power over her. Primarily, she taught them that if they decide to remain rude, they should probably speak a little softer so the person they are talking about can’t hear them.
MUSIC
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Beach House mesmerizes a sold out Saturn
Casey Marley Editor-in-Chief editor@insideuab.com Man, I could feel it...it was shaking my arm hair,” said a stranger behind me shuffling out Saturn’s concert pit after the sold out Beach House show. Along with a huge drop in temperature, Saturday, Oct. 3 brought the Baltimore area indie-duo to Avondale’s Saturn, a chance for Birmingham’s hipsters to sway and tap along to the band’s glossy sound. The show began Beach House performng at Saturn. with a performance by Jessica Pratt, an L.A. like quality: thoughtful, Native and Stevie Nicks look melancholy and emotional. I alike. Like her doppelgänger, Pratt’s crooning, scratchy voice hadn’t heard of the demureacoustic singer before the brought to mind a “Landslide”
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night’s show, but with fall’s drear already upon us, I will definitely be adding her song, “Game that I play” to my walking to class playlist. In between Pratt and the main act, I spoke to a Beach House fan from Montgomery. He told me that the group had come to Bottletree back in 2012, but that they “sold out in five minutes”. He said he caught them in Atlanta shortly Photo by Casey Marley after the Bottletree let down, and that I should prepare for an amazing show. When Beach House finished up their opening songs, Alex
Scally the lead guitarist, mentioned that sold out Bottletree performance. “It’s been like three and a half years,” he said on their last Magic City visit. Beach Houses’ dreamy, sad pop about love lost and loneliness set the mood for the new fall season. Off their newest album “Depression Cherry,” the band performed “Space Song” to perfectly timed projected snow (or fallout depending on perspective) that began to fall on a gauzy background as Victoria Legrand repeated her lyrics, “fall back into place.” While the whole show provided a dream’s soundtrack, the highlight of the set occurred when they mesmerized the crowd with “Myth” from their “Bloom” album. The crowd collectively swayed as Legrand began with
its opening “drifting in and out.” People mouthed along, holding their arms up to the music, making the song’s line “what comes after this, momentary bliss?” even more poignant. After dedicated cheering and rapid clapping from the crowd concluded the main portion of the show, Beach House returned to the stage for a finale. Before starting, Legrand thanked the crowd and recalled nostalgic memories of Birmingham and the now closed Bottletree Café. “Perseverance is everything. Good job Bottletree. Good job Saturn... I hope that—no it’s a fact— Birmingham will always be a part of our lives.” Beach House’s newest album, “Depression Cherry” is out now and is available on Amazon, iTunes and Sub Pop’s Mega Mart.
Brandon’s Music Column
Brandon Varner Managing Editor managing@insideuab.com n last issue’s music column, I talked about Emancipator’s newest album, “Seven Seas.” Before that, I learned that they were coming to Workplay this past Wednesday, Sept. 30, and decided to go check them out and see what they were all about. It was not what I was expecting. Not in a particularly bad way, it was just a very different experience than the one of listening to the album. The record itself is a more downtempo affair, that was bookended by some interesting and beautiful moments, but dragged a bit in the middle. However, the live show was more raucous and groovebased, and the band that came off as relaxed and occasionally docile had transformed into something more resembling a jam band. The set itself was two hours long and was packed with Emancipator’s fan base which was another surprise. The crowd shifted as the night went on; it seemed like people were there for one act or another, but for the most part there were fans of Emancipator packing out the venue from wall to wall. Festival
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chic attire seemed to be the agreed-upon uniform that night, as their fans all seemed to be in on the idea. These fans were not quite dressed for the mud-caked marathon of Bonnaroo, but were more decked out in the wide brimmed floppy hats and flowyfringed garments of Coachella; the kind of clothes that breathe a bit which may have been a bad choice on that chilly early-fall night. The scent of patchouli hit me before I even hit the block, but I didn’t mind. The venue was positively packed as the night wore on, with smokers out front and drinkers inside shifting their concentrations around in a jovial mitosis, at times drowning out the opening acts in the lobby. As Emancipator took the stage around 9:30 or so, almost everyone was packed into the main stage area, and the smokers and drinkers had disappeared from outside. To the right of the stage, a group of young women with LEDladen hula hoops and gentlemen with light-up poi were putting on a show of their own, illuminating the audience area. The light show that the band themselves brought was pretty impressive, designed
Emanicpator’s “raucous and groove-based” show at Workplay.
by a crew that had recently collaborated with Alabama Shakes. I thought that the lights were certainly a strong point of the set. The band consisted of the Emancipator himself, Douglas Appling, who focused on his laptop or brought out his guitar, depending on the song. He came along with a violinist, who switched to other string instruments throughout the night, a bassist and drummer. The mix was good throughout the night,
though I felt as if there was a little too much emphasis on the low end, which buried the guitar and violin often. There were many disembodied saxophone solos and vocals throughout the performance, but I don’t think the audience minded. As I said earlier, the show lasted two hours, and for a person like myself who did not particularly know too much about the band it was a little bit long. However, all of the fans who came to see the band really appreciated
Photo courtesy of Emancipator
it and kept dancing pretty much the entire time. The fans even called for an encore which tacked on an additional 10-15 minutes. Overall, the music was very groovy and lent itself well to a fun night out. Maybe get a sense for how their live show is going to be before you commit yourself to see them, and bring a friend (much like I did with my friend and colleague Casey Marley).
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015
FEATURES
Put your records on: Vinyl Renaissance Ashley Hazlitt Staff Writer ahazlitt@uab.edu
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ou may have noticed that records are making a comeback. Ever since the advent of CDs and MP3s, vinyl has had a difficult time thriving in the digital age. When vinyl started to become obsolete, most record pressing plants went out of business. However, recently vinyl records sales have increased. Between 2007 and 2013, vinyl record sales increased 517 percent, according to Nielsen SoundScan, a system that tracks the sales of music products. In response to this increase, Cascade Record Pressing Company—one of 21 currently operating vinyl pressing plant in the US—opened near Portland just this May, making it a fairly recent addition compared to companies such as United Record Pressing in Nashville, which opened in 1949, during the heyday of vinyl records. This newfound popularity can be felt not only in Portland and Nashville, but in Birmingham as well. Just a few blocks from UAB,
Birmingham boasts not one, but two record stores: Charlemagne Record Exchange and Renaissance Records, just a few blocks away from each other in Five Points South. “[Vinyl] is more of an art form than any other format,” said Marianne McKay Rosato, the owner of Charlemagne Records, which was founded in 1977. “It’s collectible, and the rarity of some records makes them quite valuable. Not to mention that the sound quality of analog is superior to anything digital.” Vinyl’s comeback can possibly be attributed to Birmingham’s Charlemange Records’ record-crowded interior. the younger generations Tarpley, a freshman. “Slowly I started that are starting to discover their to add new albums that I would find parents’ and even their grandparents’ at record stores in Birmingham and records. Atlanta, but still most of my collection “I first got into vinyl because my mom is old classics, like Fleetwood Mac and gave me a used player she found at a yard sale and some albums she had also Elton John.” As the younger generations continue found at multiple yard sales,” said Reins
to embrace this art form, one day our grandchildren may be playing their grandparents’ records at parties. “I think it’s an ideal way to listen to genres like jazz or rock,” said Tarpley, who usually plays her vinyl collection for special events. “Those types of music sound very clean and crisp on vinyl. But I listen to my vinyls more when I have a lot of downtime and I don’t mind Photo by Brandon Varner endlessly turning the record. Listening to a vinyl over and over again is kind of bad for the record so I make it an occasional thing.” Sarah Faulkner contributed to this article.
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¡Caramba! Fiesta adds flavor to Hispanic Heritage Month
April Oberman Contributor aprildob@uab.edu
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n Saturday, Oct. 3, Linn Park in downtown Birmingham was not only green, but shades of red, orange and yellow. The aromas of Hispanic food encircled the square, and even from blocks away, anyone would know that the annual Fiesta festival was taking place. For the past 13 years, Fiesta transforms Downtown’s Linn Park to share facets of Latino and Hispanic culture with citizens of Birmingham during Hispanic Heritage Month. “The main goal of the event is to fundraise for scholarships not only for Latinos, but also for students in the Birmingham Metro area,” said Freddy Rubio, treasurer of Fiesta. “We have given tens of thousands of dollars over the last 13 years to UAB, Samford and community colleges.” Vendors in booths selling handmade crafts lined the paths of the park, and the main stage blasted salsa music throughout the day. A highlight of Fiesta is its cuisine, and this year was no different. Over 12 local
Hispanic restaurants were represented at the festival. In addition to the wide variety of restaurants, the event is always wellattended by patrons from all walks of life. Each year, Fiesta plans for 5,000 to 10,000 attendees from over 27 different Latin American countries and the people of Birmingham. “I enjoy Fiesta because we bring music, we bring culture, we bring food, and we bring diversity to Birmingham,” said Rubio. “Historically, Birmingham was a white and black town. I think that is no longer the case. I like to see that there are so many countries represented here.” As reported last week in Kscope, UAB gives the community a chance to enhance its understanding of cultures, heritages and identities for students to learn about different cultures, as well as learn about their own during Hispanic Heritage Month. “It is good to be aware of cultures around you, so that you in turn can be respectful of it,” said freshman Mary Fiesta attendees line up for admission outside the festival. Kopp.
Photo by Cooper Crippen
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015
Cheap Eats: Pho Pho Jackson Hyde Social Media Editor socialmedia@insideuab.com
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n this week’s edition of Cheap Eats, we focus on a Vietnamese restaurant with affordable cuisine by the name of Pho Pho. Located in Five Points, this restaurant serves sushi and Vietnamese food like soup and noodles for prices that won’t empty your wallet. Pho Pho easily draws your attention when you’re walking by with its large window display looking into a room with light wood, white walls and a wooden table surrounded by cushions, similar to Japanese-style dining. This is a great way for Pho Pho to advertise its sushi. The other focus of the restaurant is its pho; there
A bowl of Pho Tai Sach.
FEATURES
Photo by Jackson Hyde
are 11 varieties and the most expensive dishes are still only $9. I ordered the Pho Tai Sach, an $8 rice noodle soup with slices of beef, strips of tripe and cilantro that comes with a plate of bean sprouts and mint leaves as garnish. For those who don’t know, tripe is the cooked stomach lining of a cow. If you think that’s gross, it’s not. The Pho Tai Sach’s beef slices were tender and the tripe was chewy and tough, as it should be. The beef absorbed the pho’s flavors really well, and the tripe carried the broth and blended into the noodles to give them more texture. While the substance of the pho was great, the main attraction to any soup is its broth. The meat, noodles and garnishes set
the standards high already, so where the dish really proved itself was in the broth. The Pho Tai Sach had a beef stock that was so clear I could see the bottom of my bowl, and it tasted clean, which is something I have never attributed to beef broth before. On a cold day, the broth warms you up like a good tea, so I’d recommend ordering some pho once the temperature drops. Overall, a trip to Pho Pho is enough to fill you up for dinner, and at $8 you won’t feel guilt toward your bank account afterward. Pho Pho is located at 1025 20th Street South and you can find their menu at phobirmingham.wix.com/ phobirmingham.
Oktoberfest: a German tradition with a Birmingham spin Nicholas Jessee Staff Writer najessee@uab.edu
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he Black Market Bar & Grill hosted its first one day celebration of Oktoberfest on Saturday Oct. 3, 2015 from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m.; the free event presented six patios with varieties of Oktoberfest beers and food specials mainly served to the local community. TVs were set up to show the Alabama and Auburn football games, and many places hosted beer tournaments and games that served special Oktoberfest brews. The beer specials presented were Left Hand Oktoberfest at the Black Market, Blue Pants Oktoberfest at J. Clyde, Abita Oktoberfest featured in Mellow Mushroom, World of Beer’s Straight to Ale Oktoberfest, Ayinger Oktoberfest served at 5 Point Public House Oyster Bar and Straight to Ale Olde Towne Pumpkin from Dave’s Pub. All beers that were served followed the seasonal theme and the German
tradition of Oktoberfest. Along with these beers were food specials, including German pretzels, beer cheese soup, brats with kraut, kasespatzle (German style mac and cheese) and fried sauerkraut balls. The German foods listed were among many other choices on the menus of each restaurant. “Oktoberfest is an event more for the Five Points area. It draws in a great diversity of people and business to the restaurants,” said George Reis, owner and chef of 5 Point Public House Oyster Bar for 15 years. Rebecca Keeton, manager of Black Market, was the main coordinator of Oktoberfest and pitched the idea for the event to other restaurants in Five Points. “Most of the restaurants in the area, including me, helped to push Oktoberfest. I wanted this restaurant to participate and have fun with the event,” Reis said. UAB student Aaron Sellers took part in the festivities this year. “The pumpkin beer has a smooth and Photo by Stephanie Lockhart festive flavor. It was nice to have a change in my day-to-day routine by
going to this,” he said. “I hope to attend more events around Five Points in the future.” Five Points made its Oktoberfest to begin Oct. 3 when, traditionally, the German Oktoberfest ends Oct. 4. Both the beginning and end of Oktoberfest celebrations in Birmingham closely relate to Munich’s. According to ofest.com, the original Oktoberfest took place on Oct. 12, 1810, and was a festival outside the city gates of Munich to celebrate the marriage of Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. Oktoberfest begins in September on the third week and lasts until the first weekend of October. Presently, Munich hosts the largest Oktoberfest in the world. The Five Points celebration was similar to the Munich celebration in that it drew a variety of people from different parts of Birmingham in to celebrate the season.
“It was nice to have a change in my day-to-day routine by going to this.”
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FRIDAY|10.02 Homecoming Parade TUESDAY|09.29 Green and Gold Games
Campus Green 12 p.m. Show your skills in classic field games like the three-legged race and dizzy bat pyramid.
Pops on the Green
Blazer Cookout
UAB Mini Park 12:30 p.m. Free BBQ will be served after the Gurney Derby.
Blazer Showdown
Rast-Blount Quad 7 p.m. Come watch student teams show their homecoming spirit through dance, stomps and skits.
Campus Green 12 p.m. Birmingham’s own Steel City Pops will be providing free pops during the Green and Gold Games.
THURSDAY|10.01
Laverne Cox
Hoops on the Haasephalt
Alys Stephens Center 7:30 p.m. Actress from the hit Netflix show “Orange is the New Black” and transgender activist Laverne Cox presents her topic, “Ain’t I a Woman? My Jouney to Womanhood.”
WEDNESDAY|09.30 Gurney Derby
13th Street South between Univ. Blvd and 10th Avenue 12 p.m. Teams of four will race down 13th street while pushing ‘passengers’ on old hospital gurneys in one of UAB’s most unique Homecoming traditions.
Campus Green 7 p.m. The Men’s and Women’s basketball teams will be introduced to kick off their seasons and the spirit teams will perform on a full-sized basketball court on the Green. Mr. and Ms. UAB winners will be announced.
Through the streets of the UAB Campus 12 p.m. Student organizations, campus departments and organizations from the Birmingham-Metro area will demonstrate their Blazer pride through float displays following the theme of the week: Blazer Strong.
Blazer Spirit Tailgate
South Green 1:15 p.m. After the parade, the UAB Cheerleaders, Golden Girls and Blaze will be on the South Green showing their Blazer pride with grilling, cornhole games and other tailgating activities.
Women’s Soccer vs. Marshall
West Campus Fields 7 p.m. UAB Women’s Soccer will play Marshall University at home.
SATURDAY|10.03 Blazer Village Pre-game Tailgate
West Campus Fields 5 p.m. Students and fans can tailgate before the Men’s Soccer team faces off against FIU.
Men’s Soccer vs. FIU
West Campus Fields 7 p.m. UAB Men’s Soccer will play Florida International University at home.
SUNDAY|10.04 Women’s Soccer vs. Western Kentucky
West Campus Fields 1 p.m. UAB Women’s Soccer will play the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at home.
Blaze the Night and Fight Song Competition
UAB Mini Park 9 p.m. Student groups will perform Fight Song skits followed by a bonfire.
alt- J
Oak Mountain Ampitheatre 8 p.m. British indie-rock band alt-J will bring their Fall Tour to Birmingham.
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