July • 5 • 2016
What new things to expect at UAB in Fall 2016
Volume 50 • Issue 44
Joint venture rolls out new treadmill for gait, balanceimpaired patients p. 5 Make a difference with your meal plan p.14
2 EDITORIAL
TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2016
Hi friends, W
elcome to UAB, incoming freshmen! This issue is for you (current freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors, grad students, faculty and staff, I kept you in mind too, don’t worry.) This is an exciting time! Not only for you but also for your families. In this issue, my staff and I hoped to show you and your loved ones what there is to love at UAB: from all the exciting studies and medical technology being developed right across the street to the accomplishments and endeavors of our fellow students, there’s a lot to be proud of. Check it out! I remember my first semester at UAB. I transferred from the University of Montevallo my sophomore year with the help of Lauren Lake, the chair of the Department of Art and Art History, and Jared Ragland, the department’s Visual Media and Outreach Coordinator. I hadn’t made any friends at Montevalloa and wasn’t sure where I was going with my major (art studio with a concentration in graphic design at the time) and, even though I was optimistic coming to UAB, I felt like my experience was going to be similar whether I was a Falcon or a Blazer. Would you be surprised to read that I was wrong? UAB opened up doors to so many opportunities. I love my majors (art history and sociology now) and the direction that my future is going (I’m applying for grad school soon!) My professors feel more like colleagues than mere instructors. There always seems to be something exciting happening at UAB... You only need to look out of your dorm window to see something interesting happening. Keep a copy of the Kaleidoscope with you. We’ll keep you informed of all the people and events that you need to know about. As the first day of classes approach, I’d like all of you to make a plan for what you want to accomplish your first semester at UAB. The sky is the limit! There are plenty of people here willing to help you achieve your goals. Take classes in subjects you’ve always wanted to learn more about (even if they won’t be profitable career-wise), work hard to earn a 4.0 GPA and a coveted spot on the President’s List, undertake a research project in something you’re passionate about. The one thing that I want you to know is that being an underclassmen shouldn’t stop you from trying to do what you want to do. Really, even if you’re not partying all the time, college can be the best time of your life if you do everything in your power to accomplish your goals, no matter how far-fetched they may seem.
STAFF Sarah Faulkner editor@insideuab.com
Editor-in-Chief
Tamara Imam managing@insideuab.com
Managing Editor
Corey Bright art@insideuab.com
Head Illustrator
Tessa Case news@insideuab.com Surabhi Rao features@insideuab.com
News & Science Editor Features & Opinions Editor
Alex Wright sportss@insideuab.com
Sports Editor
Ian Keel photos@insideuab.com
Photography Editor
Mark Linn copy@insideuab.com Jackson Hyde socialmedia@insideuab.com Erica Webb online@insideuab.com Melvin Griffin Alex Jones Mark Linn Sean Duncan Marie Sutton info@insideuab.com
Copy Editor Social Media Editor Online Editor Distribution Team
Advisor
With love,
Physical Address Suite 130, Hill Student Center 1400 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35205 Mail HSC 130, 1720 2nd Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35294-1150 Phone (205) 934-3354 Web UABkscope.com Email editor@insideuab.com
The Kaleidoscope is the official student newspaper of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Unsigned editorials and the opinions of the Kaleidoscope’s columnists do not necessarily reflect the opinions of individual student writers, editors, Kaleidoscope advisers or university administrators. Signed columns and letters reflect the opinion of the writer and serve as expressions of fact and opinion to Kaleidoscope readers. Letter Policy: Letters to Kaleidoscope are always welcome. Unless otherwise directed, all letters will be forwarded to the editor. Letters must be no longer than 200 words and must be typed. A name and a phone number must accompany each letter. Letters will appear at the discretion of the editorial staff and can be sent by mail, fax or electronic mail. All material contained herein, except advertising or where indicated otherwise, is Copyright © 2016 by Kaleidoscope and protected under the U.S. Copyright Laws. Material herein may not be reprinted without the expressed, written permission of the Kaleidoscope.
SOUND OFF 3
Letter to the editor: Harnessing education and non-profit hospitals
Figure 1: Multidimensional and interrelated measures of community health.
Dear Students,
T
he United States, among similar high-income countries, ranks low on many health measures (e.g., infant and maternal mortality). Also, within the US, there are twofold differences in these health measures between whites and AfricanAmericans. Socioeconomic factors, such as education, employment, wealth and family/social support, and personal health behaviors like diet and exercise, unsafe sex and the use of alcohol and tobacco account for 70 percent of these deficits and inequities while health care (e.g. access to care and quality of care) is responsible for only 20 percent. Hence, a larger view of community health includes multidimensional and interrelated measures such as income, employment, education and training, health care, housing, income segregation, neighborhood crime, and civic empowerment and social engagement (see Figure 1). By these measures, I diagnose the city of Birmingham as being in very poor community health. We have powerful therapeutic agents for improving the health of the city of Birmingham. However, they are not used at high enough doses and for sufficient duration. These agents are eds and meds that are anchored in our community by their mission, invested capital, sizeable footprint and fixed assets. Birmingham’s eds and meds include UAB, the UAB health system, Children’s of Alabama and St. Vincent’s Hospital with their vast economic, human and social capital. They have replaced manufacturing to become the largest employer in our community and are the regions’ largest purchaser of goods and services. Birmingham’s downtown is experiencing a commercial and entertainment renaissance extending from Uptown to Southside and east to Avondale and Woodlawn. The time is opportune for the development of new community health initiatives throughout the city of Birmingham. Currently, Birmingham’s eds and meds provide essential health care, social services, employment and university education. Yet many potential roles
Image courtesy of Frank Franklin
for eds and meds for community health are weak and can be initiated, enhanced and expanded. Anchor institutions have the economic potential to leverage their assets and revenues to promote local economic development through such strategies as directing a greater percentage of their purchasing power toward local vendors, hiring a greater percentage of their workforce locally, providing capital for community nonprofits, entrepreneurs and employee-owned firms and developing holistic community schools. The link between anchor institutions and community wealth building is catalyzed by community development financial institutions (CDFIs). Along with the economic development from university purchasing and hiring, anchor institutions provide capital or low-interest loan financing through CDFIs. They provide credit, financial services and low-interest loans for low-income people and communities underserved by mainstream commercial banks and lenders. These economic development services support the start and growth of small businesses and affordable housing. In turn, small business ownership fuels the growth of the local economy. Developing year-round, holistic, community schools open for the whole community has been a major initiative of eds and meds in Cincinnati. In a holistic model, integrated services (e.g. physical and mental health, expanded learning times, parent education, family counseling and social services) support students, families, schools and communities to target student’s academic and non-academic outcomes. Cincinnati Public Schools created Community Learning Centers (CLCs) to strengthen links between schools and communities, support student achievement and revitalize neighborhoods while functioning as hubs where partnerships implement the holistic model. All partnerships must be financially self-sustaining without dependence upon the school budget. Partners include the city school system and health department, United Way, Community Foundation, YMCA, Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati. In
less than a decade, CLCs cost effectively increased high school graduation rates from 51 percent to 83 percent and narrowed the achievement gap between African-American and white students from 14.5 percent to 4.3 percent. Keystones of the eds and meds community health and wealth development model are local procurement, local hiring, providing funding for CDFIs and developing CLCs. Anchor institutions engage in community development because it is good business to expand the social and economic progress of the surrounding community. It is also in their enlightened self-interest. Finally, there are “carrots” such as grants and “sticks” such as IRS requirements under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). As part of ACA, nonprofit hospitals for their federal tax exempt status must perform a community health needs assessment and implement and evaluate a strategy to address community health needs. As ACA expands health insurance coverage, the need for direct financial assistance for patient care as their community contribution may decline. Thus, expanded health insurance coverage permits a potential shift of meds community benefit from direct patient care to community health and wealth building activities. Natural collaborators in our community along with eds and meds are the other types of nonprofit anchor institutions like the Community Foundation, other locally-focused philanthropies, faith-based institutions, cultural institutions such as museums, United Way and community colleges. This collaboration can be facilitated by leadership at our eds and meds. The use of these therapeutic agents by this collaboration can efficiently and effectively heal our poor community health and wealth. Frank A. Franklin, M.D., M.P.H, Ph.D. Professor and Chair, Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health frankln@uab.edu The full version of this article will be available online at uab.edu/studentmedia
NEWS 5
Joint venture rolls out new treadmill for gait, balance-impaired patients Mark Linn Copy Editor copy@insideuab.com
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collaboration between UAB and Southern Research has officially unveiled its first product: a treadmill designed for use in physical therapy of patients with gait or balance impairments. The ResistX treadmill was developed by the Alliance for Innovative Medical Technology, which is a partnership between UAB and Southern Research, a nonprofit institute that conducts research in the development of new drugs and medical devices. “The main goal for AIMTech is to help accelerate the development and commercialization of medical device ideas coming out of the university,” said Robert Hergenrother, Ph.D., the director of AIMTech and a professor of biomedical engineering at UAB. “I’d say the development part, the D of R and D, and the commercialization — kind of getting some additional assistance based on some of the capabilities that Southern Research has.” Much of the funding for the project came from a $164,800 grant from the Alabama Innovation Fund, which is administered by the Alabama Chamber of Commerce and provides funding for promising research conducted in state universities and organizations. The base treadmill was provided by a company called Woodway, which provides high-performance treadmills for physical therapy and athletic settings. The goal of designing ResistX came from the need for a treadmill that could accommodate patients with gait or balance impairments, who often have difficulty using a traditional treadmill, which can be vital for physical therapy treatments. “For many of these patients, unassisted walking would be the most beneficial form of therapy, but due to their conditions, they are unable to walk on the treadmill,” said Ryan Kailey, a UAB Kinesiology student and Physical Therapy Technician at Benchmark Physical Therapy. “While other therapy techniques can help improve them tremendously, the ability to have them walk unassisted in a safe environment would transform therapy, especially in older populations.” With that goal in mind, the treadmill includes safety features such as harnesses and a backstop to prevent the patient from falling or being thrown from the device should they trip or lose their balance. According to Hergenrother, patients might be hesitant to use traditional treadmills to their fullest extent for fear of injury.
“On a typical treadmill, the way you kind of get higher work output is one of two ways, or a combination of them,” Hergenrother said. “You turn up the speed as well as turn up the incline, the angle on that treadmill. And if you can imagine someone with a gait or balance impairment running really fast, and running really fast uphill — is kind of a scary proposition. And so what we’re doing is putting this in sort of less scary environment.” The treadmill was officially unveiled at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine in Boston, which was held May 31 through June 4. Woodway provided the booth space for the project. Hergenrother said that the reaction at the meeting was very positive. “They saw that this was quite a bit different and it was fun to kind of see the gears turning as people were thinking how they might be able to use this with their patient populations,” Hergenrother said. Now that the conference is over, the treadmill has been shipped back to Birmingham, where it will be installed in the office of Chris Hurt, Ph.D., the co-inventor of the treadmill, for further research. On the business side, Hergenrother said that AIMTech plans to follow up with potential commercial partners with the goal of eventually commercializing the ResistX treadmill. One of the more notable aspects of the design process was how quickly AIMTech developed a working prototype of the treadmill, which Hergenrother attributes to the collaboration with the engineering team of Southern Research, the need to secure funding and the deadline to present the treadmill at the American College of Sports Medicine conference. “So part of this was that we had a very hard and fast goal, or deadline that we needed to meet to be able to ship it out to there,” Hergenrother said. “But the other part is getting some of the funding from the Alabama Department of Commerce and then using the Southern Research engineering team to really kind of design this and put it together and having a dedicated group to focus on this project.” According to Hergenrother, the experience developing ResistX will help AIMTech streamline the development process for future projects. “I think we got some good feedback, I think that helped adjust some of our thinking on things and I think help set up a very nice collaboration between Southern Research and UAB in terms of working as a true team to build the product.”
ABOVE: Justus Ortega, Ph.D., (right) from Humboldt State University tests out the ResistX. BELOW: UAB assistant professor of physical therapy Christopher Hurt, Ph.D., (left) presents information about ResistX at the conference of the College of Sports Medicine in Boston. Photos courtesy of Robert Hergenrother
6 NEWS
TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2016
Study focuses on causes of low physical activity in older African-Americans Tessa Case News Editor news@insideuab.com
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Assistant professor Pamela Bowen, Ph.D., is the spearhead of the study.
Photo from UAB News
new study led by UAB assistant professor Pamela Bowen, Ph.D., seeks to understand the reason behind the low level of physical activity amongst older African-Americans in hopes of alleviating it. According to UAB News, the study is funded by the Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Health and the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities: Gulf States Collaborative Center for Health Policy Research, which is a collaboration between UAB, the University of Mississippi and Cooper Green Mercy Health Services clinic. A $330,446 diversity supplement grant will fund the research project, “Promoting Physical Activity among African-Americans through Policy,” for two years. The study will be done in conjunction with the Cooper Green Mercy Health Services clinic and will focus on African-Americans aged 21 years and older as long as they are able to engage in physical activity. The study will be done in three parts. During the first phase, Bowen and her team will analyze policies and procedures to see if they encourage healthcare providers to discuss physical activity. In the second phase, researchers will examine how extensive these policies or procedures are, and finally, in the third phase, Bowen and her team will evaluate the impact of the policy implementation. “I think [lower physical activity] is the result of social or cultural conditions — it’s a socioeconomic thing, I think,” Arthi Reddy, senior neuroscience major, said. “Like, if you don’t have access to gyms or are not aware of the benefits of exercise, you are less likely to make healthy choices. Also, there is a fatalistic attitude for those in a lower socioeconomic standing. They just seem to accept their fate and that things will be a certain way and that there is nothing they can do to prevent or solve their health problems.” Reddy is currently conducting research on prostate cancer, which is biologically more prevalent in African-Americans. “I have found a similar fatalistic attitude in the screening process of prostate cancer screenings,” Reddy said. “There definitely is a correlation between low socioeconomic status, fatalistic attitudes and health problems in African-Americans.”
Brandon Patton, an African-American and a former member of the Blazer Male Excellence Network peer mentoring program, also reflected on the study and provided his opinion on the causes of low physical activity among African-Americans based on his personal experiences. While he works out regularly, Patton said that many other African-Americans are “unaware of the low amount of activity and increase in the amount of illnesses in the community.” “African-Americans have learned to survive with what little means are offered to them,” Patton said in reference to the type of high-fat meals that are often referred to as soul food. “These foods have become something AfricanAmerican regularly intake. This food is a part of our history and something we should be proud about truly, but consistently eating this food is killing us.” Studies indicate that only one-fourth of all Americans engage in regularly physical activity, and that 55.2 percent of African-American adults are considered inactive. This is coupled with research done by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2011 that indicated that 55 percent of AfricanAmericans live in the South. “Many African-Americans in the minority area have to work full time to extended hours to provide for their families,” Patton said. “Once home, they are conditioned that they must rest and relax from a full day of work. This is understandable, but exercise is still needed. As a society, also, American is failing the minority community by putting cheap and unhealthy foods in these areas.” Patton added that many believe it costs more to live healthy versus buying a $1 burger, for instance. He also said that it is a myth that an individual has to spend one to two hours a day in the gym, stating that exercise could be as small as stretching before work. “Waking up and walking the neighborhood could be the exercise and that could possibly take 15 minutes. Continue to stay active,” Patton said. “As a college student I understand that it is hard to make time to be active and go exercise. Staying active does not mean you have to spend two hours in the gym every day. Staying active can easily be running a couple laps a few times a week. Putting down the technology would help also. Learn how to cook. More than anything, increase the possibility of income in the minority area.”
SPORTS 7
Football: Tigers versus Blazers? Alex Jones BlazeRadio General Manager alex96@uab.edu
U
AB football will be returning to the gridiron in 2017, and the program has already released scheduling plans for games against non-conference opponents. Alabama A&M, Ball State, Coastal Carolina and the Florida Gators are all scheduled to compete against the Blazers in the near future. The Blazers are set to play the Gators in the 2017 season, traveling to Gainesville to compete against the 2008 SEC Champions. However, UAB has no non-conference games scheduled for 2019 and only one game, against Coastal Carolina, scheduled for the 2018 season. UAB has played teams from each of the power five conferences — ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and the SEC — competing against teams like Ohio State, LSU and Mississippi State. So which power five school should UAB schedule to play in the future? Why not play a school that is two-and-a-half hours down the road? That’s right. I say the Blazers should
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consider arranging a game against the Auburn Tigers. It only makes sense. The last time the Blazers competed against Auburn in football was in 1996. Led by Head Coach Watson Brown, Blazers lost badly 29-0. This was UAB’s first SEC opponent. The game, amassing over 80,000 people in attendance, was held at Jordan-Hare stadium. The green and gold were huge underdogs coming into the game having not yet finished a season with a winning record under Coach Brown. At this point, UAB has only two recorded win against an SEC school: once against LSU in 2000, when the team was led by Nick Saban, and another against Mississippi State Bulldogs in 2004. Gus Malzahn’s Tigers have finished their non-conference schedule for 2017,
C by tion
however, Alabama State is the only team on Auburn’s non-conference schedule for 2018. According to the Montgomery Advertiser, the game will earn the Alabama State Hornets $515,000, as provided by the Tigers. If Auburn invited the Blazers to play at JordanHare Stadium, there would likely be a multitude of fans that would travel the short distance to watch the Blazers play. In my opinion, the high volume attendance generated by the matchup would be beneficial for both teams,
earning profits and attention for both Auburn and UAB. Auburn already has an athletic history with UAB, playing the Blazers in basketball, most recently in the Blazers’ season opener in 2015. The game drew approximately 1,000 Blazer fans to the Auburn Arena basketball stadium, all of whom came see their team on the road, something that would be easily exceeded if a football game was held between the two schools. Auburn is scheduled to play UAB in Bartow Arena this season and it looks to attract flocks of fans of both teams to Birmingham. With the hype of reinstatement still fresh, if the football teams competed, they would likely draw a larger crowd of Blazer fans. I advise UAB Athletics Director Mark Ingram and Auburn Athletics Director Jay Jacobs, for the diehard fans of southern football and for the fans of a team who is looking to make a statement after being risen from the dead: let’s make this happen.
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8
Fall 2016: What new things to expect at UAB Photo by Ian Keel
Mark Linn Copy Editor copy@insideuab.com
W
hether you’re a brand new student coming to UAB for the first time or simply starting a new year of classes, UAB has many new and upcoming changes in store for you. From outreach efforts by the UAB Alys Stephens Center to a less appealing change of another tuition increase, changes are coming to every corner of campus. Ranging from additional buildings, to renovations, to pre-existing buildings, to changes in tuition and technology, the construction of the new football operations building is not the only new feature to look for moving forward. Here’s all that you need to know about how UAB is evolving:
Image courtesy of UAB News
9 UAB Alys Stephens Center
Tuition hikes
The UAB Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center will be adding a new director of engagement position to its staff, with the aim of increasing outreach to the community, particularly UAB students. “The main reason I added this position when I came [...] was because I saw a gap in what we did for our own university students,” said Anna Thompson, the executive director of ASC. “We have tremendous outreach into the greater community, Jefferson, Shelby, Blount, Birmingham, but we had this hole when we came to serving our own students and we’re a university presenter, that’s what we’re here about.” The director of engagement will be charged with creating a student advisory group, which will help plan social events around things that are happening throughout the performance season, such as Hispanic Heritage Month in September and October and an expanded IndiaFest next April. The Center is also gearing up for the 20th anniversary performance season, which will feature performances such as the Christmas program with the UAB gospel choir and guest Alicia Olatuja, a jazz vocalist who sang at President Obama’s second inauguration.
In June, tuition increases for UAB and the University of Alabama were approved by the UA Board of Trustees. For UAB students, there will be $170 charge per semester for Alabama residents and $444 for nonresidents, representing a 3.5 percent and 4 percent increase, respectively. Jim Bakken, director of UAB Media Relations, cited flat state funding and the costs of new construction as reasons for the increase. “State funding remains relatively flat year-toyear, not keeping pace with increases in mandatory expenses like employee health insurance,” Bakken said. “So it is vital that the institution funds projects and operations necessary to recruit and retain top faculty and staff, and deliver the world-class learning environment our students deserve.” Bakken also pointed to recent additions to the UAB campus as another reason for the increase, such as the new Hill Student Center, Health and Wellness Center and New Freshman Residence Hall, as well as future construction projects such as the upcoming School of Business and Institute for Innovation building as well as renovations and expansion of the School of Nursing and plans for a new College of Arts and Sciences building.
Softball stadium expansion
New business / innovation Building
UAB will begin renovations this summer on the softball stadium. The UA Board of Trustees expedited the approval of the nearly $1 million expansion that will include grandstand seating to accommodate over 1,000 people, as well as a newly renovated press box. The additions are expected to be completed in time for the 2017 softball season.
Hire-a-Blazer
Another change students will notice as they return to class in the fall is that DragonTrail Jobs, UAB’s career management and jobs/internship site, has been completely overhauled and is now called HireABlazer, located on the UAB Career and Professional Development website. The new site seeks to be easier to use than its predecessor, as well as allowing for more customizable profiles showcasing a student’s work history, academic achievements and extracurricular information, which employers can view at the user’s preference. Employers will also have their own profiles that students can view. “So in the past they [the employers] gave us the job, we advertised it to you, you sent us the résumé and we had to make sure it was OK to get to the employer,” said Melissa Whatley, interim director of Career and Professional Development. “Some of that will still happen, but you and the employers can talk directly, if you choose to.” The new platform allows students to search for employers, follow them for employment opportunities and times they might be on campus. Students can also keep track of events like on-campus workshops, employer panels and career fairs. Whatley encouraged both undergraduate and graduate students to use the service, as it is available for use for both. Students can find HireABlazer at www.uab.edu/careerservices/hire-a-blazer
The interface for the new Hire-a-Blazer app.
Image courtesy of Melissa Whatley
New drapes in the Jemison Concert Hall are one new feature at the Alys Stephens Center
Photo courtesy of Shannon Thomason
The tail end of the fall semester will also mark the groundbreaking for the upcoming facility that will house the Collat School of Business and the Bill L. Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. “I think traditionally when people think of about UAB, they think about the medical school,” said Kathy Nugent, Ph.D., the managing director of the Institute for Innovation. “But we’re doing some pretty unbelievable things in the entrepreneurial and innovation side of things. And the school of business is driving a lot of this, but all the other schools are also involved: every school across campus is involved in innovation and entrepreneurship in some way.” The estimated 109,000-square-foot facility will be located on the north side of University Boulevard, between 12th and 13th streets south. The building, which will be four stories in total, will feature traditional elements such as a large auditorium, classrooms and study rooms as well as more innovative features such as breakout rooms for team projects, showrooms, behavioral research labs and a state-of-the-art trading room for UAB’s Green and Gold Fund, an investment portfolio where students act as portfolio managers to buy and sell stocks. “I’m personally looking forward to having a facility that will be a world-class business school that both faculty and staff and students can be proud of,” said Eric Jack, Ph.D., dean of the Collat School of Business. Marketplace bids for the project will open in August and come back in September. Those bids will then be submitted to the UA System Board of Trustees for approval in their November board meeting. Assuming everything goes well, groundbreaking for the facility will happen in late November or December. The estimated construction time is a year and a half, so the planned completion of the building is July 2018.
10 OPINIONS
TUESDAY, JULY 5 2016
Happiness as habit, as told by survivor of marital abuse Kym Payne Contributor kympayne@uab.com
I
vividly remember one thing about May 9- my head was hurting. I was experiencing a traumatic life event that resulted in charges of assault and sodomy for my offender. I survived with 38 bruises, 7 knots on my head, and contusions down my back. Over the years that followed, my womanhood, security, and peace progressively faded. I failed to recognize my own resolve. Determined, I corrected my sick self. I understood that I was processing life through the filter of May 9. In other words, I was agreeing with my offender that I was weak, subservient, and out of control. I chose to pave a new road that led to peace, authority, and happiness. We possess the key to our own happiness. The key looks nothing I survived with 38 bruises, like a winning lottery 7 knots on my head, ticket, attractive partner, and contusions down my or perfect marks on back. Over the years that followed, my womanhood, your term paper. It does not look like the return security, and peace progressively faded. I failed of a loved one, or the to recognize my own resolve. approval of your folks. Technically, according to neurobiologist PatriciaGoldman Rakic, happiness looks like, “a complex schematic organized pattern of signals fired across the neurons and synapses of our frontal cortex,”. Ironically, this web is exactly what unhappiness looks like. In The Neurobiology of Thought, covering the research of Rakic, presents data illustrating that this complex pattern of signals can be redirected to a more desirable pattern. Old thought patterns will not be erased, but they do not have to be used. Happiness can be a conscious decision. Many of us “lose our sanity,” if you will, due to minor incidences such as: road rage, a messy desk, or bad hair days. Then there are those of us who fall into depression or anxiety due to major life pains including: relationship betrayal, physical/sexual assault, and death. Naturally, we create meaning from these experiences. Amherst College professor, Peter Schilling describes this activity as, “neuropathways fill in missing information by using ideas that are already known to us.” The meaning we create reinforce what our environment has taught us, even if it is false or negatively impacting. Neuroscience tells us we can synthesize happiness instead. For example, the classic college student may be overwhelmed with a heavy course/assignment load. College stress could make one resort to activities that release these burdens superficially. As opposed to happiness, these activities appear to equate to running after more suffering. Courage comes when one is able to accept the challenge. Strength comes when you care a heavy load. Courage and strength are friends of happiness and can be acquired by how we consciously choose to view experience.
Illustration by Rachel Hendrix To overcome negative effects of assault and sodomy I consciously assisted my brain in triggering positive neurotransmitters. I replaced insecure and fearful thoughts with positive attributes about my offender. I noted that the offender was victim to his own environment; when violence and aggression are one’s actions, it demonstrates it is what one is familiar with. Moreover, the assault in itself has prepared me to represent women in court. Women know I relate
and I provide security and hope; therefore, I am grateful for the experience. Master identifying all experiences as a potential asset and you will receive the benefits. Many facets of religion and spirituality would consider this the definition of a god or achieved awareness. Notable writer and cartoonist, Ashleigh Brilliant, says, “Due to circumstances beyond my control, I am master of my fate and captain of my soul.”
FEATURES 11
Bailey Barrow: American Advertising Student of the Year Baili Bigham Head Entertainment Columnist bbigham@uab.edu
Where does your inspiration come from?
B
It’s really difficult for me to name a single source. I really love Camille Utterback’s works (especially Flourish); she creates a lot of captivating interactive art. I also love the emotionally-rich watercolor portraits created by a young Italian artist, AgnesCecile. Essentially, anything I see or hear that makes a real emotional or psychological connection with me inspires me to create — I want to give viewers that same experience with my art, even if it might take a while to become that skilled.
ailey Barrow is making her mark after winning one of the Ten Awards under the American Advertising Awards. The Ten Awards focus on celebrating the “behind-the-scenes” work in advertising by recognizing industry professionals in advertising and communications. One of these awards is the American Advertising Student of the Year award, which awards a student who is studying marketing, advertising, journalism or design communications. We talked to Bailey to see how students can go about winning an award like this.
What has been your most challenging art project?
What brought you this award? In March of 2017, graphic design professor Doug Barrett and DAAH (UAB Department of Art and Art History) Chair, Lauren Lake, approached me and another graphic design student, Cima Khademi, and proposed that we attend the a2ru (Alliance for Arts in Research Universities) Emerging Creatives Summit event, which was held at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. We had the amazing opportunity to collaborate with other students rom around the United States and formed teams with the goal of innovating creative projects to make a difference in society. Cima and I teamed up with four other students from different colleges, and brainstormed the idea of an interdisciplinary salon — a gathering place for students of varying disciplines to have the freedom to be messy, to toss around raw ideas and shape them into a concrete plan of action in order to creatively solve local issues. These salons would be arts-focused, but would encourage the sciences and other disciplines to collaborate, because truly, a great solution is birthed not just from one perspective, but from many different ones. Since that life-changing trip to the a2ru Summit, I have been determined to put these arts-centered, collaboration-focused ideas into action on the UAB campus. The arts have so much to offer and deserve a stronger presence on campus. We just recently found out that our team has been awarded $1500 in grant money in order to put our ideas into action on each of our campuses. In order to get an interdisciplinary salon running, I have met with Doug Barrett and Lauren Lake several times, discussing what steps to take, I’ve researched existing arts-centered interdisciplinary collaborative efforts and written a proposal for the project. What I had the opportunity to do in Michigan was awesome, but I honestly think that what really brought me this award is my passion for not only making a change in the local community, but also getting people to realize how important the arts really are.
What does this award mean for you?
It’s truly a blessing to have received this award. I feel like it is going to open up so many other doors for me - I mean, it’s an awesome thing to put on a resume. But really, the great thing about receiving this award is knowing that the passion I have for making a difference isn’t going unnoticed.
Why? I don’t think that there has been one specific project that has been the most challenging; each one has its own challenges. Sometimes, it can be a physical challenge, such as when I created a plexiglass sculpture of a recording of my voice saying three words — “vision,” “vitality” and “virtue” (these three words are the title of this sculpture). When making that project, I realized just how difficult it can be to work with plexiglass if you don’t have access to the right tools, which I didn’t. But then, other projects are more easily executable physically, but require a stretch of the brain to figure out, such as timing in animations or trying to come up with a unique idea when you are having “creator’s-block.”
What has been some of your favorite projects? Why?
Photo courtesy of Bailey Barrow
Can you tell us about your art? I feel so eclectic when it comes to what I like to do artistically. I’m a graphic design major, and I definitely enjoy that, but I honestly enjoy doing just about anything when it comes to making art. What drives me is the idea I have to make a piece — when I have an idea that I can’t get out of my head, I’ll take any artistic route to create it. Specifically, I love the idea of the combination of art and technology — so anything like graphic design, animation, glitch art, video, or even creating a sculpture reminiscent of something into technology is of interest to me. I’m super interested in the idea of using soft circuitry and coding to create art, but I’ve yet to do that. Also, I love incorporating texture and hand drawn elements into many of my pieces — it feels more rich and personal.
My favorite projects tend to be the ones that I can look at the finished piece and know that it is a great representation of who I am or the emotion I aimed to convey. One project I worked on this past spring was a hand drawn animated self-portrait. It was so fun to create and the end result really felt like it represented me stylistically. I also created a brief claymation around that time that was so fun to make— I love working with clay.
Do you have any plans for the near future? New projects? I have plenty of plans! Probably too many, in fact! I’m also hoping to learn more about how I can incorporate circuitry into art. Of course, I’d also like to continue to perfect my skills in graphic design and animation. My ultimate goal is to be able to create art that’s personal and interactive - art that involves the viewer so that they walk away contemplative, having had a tangible art experience. This fall, Cima and I will lead UAB’s first ever interdisciplinary salon, a place for students of differing disciplines to creatively collaborate for the good of the community - a plan our team named the “Arts&” Initiative (the name is representative of the arts and another discipline, such as “Arts & Science”).
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FEATURES 13
Summer activities in the Magic City Tamara Imam Managing Editor managing@insideuab.com
Rotary Trail Nestled in downtown and adorned with a 46-foot sign paying homage to the “Magic City” marking its entrance, the Rotary Trail features a four-block walking, running and biking pathway. When the trail officially opened to the Birmingham community in April of this year, it was only two blocks along 1st Avenue South. According to local radio station WBHM, it will eventually run from 20th Street to 24th Street. The trail is complete with benches, picnic tables and solar-powered cell phone charging stations. Miles Erbe, a senior nursing major, took advantage of the Rotary Trail this summer. “We had gone to eat at one of the many restaurants downtown and then went for a nice walk. Lots of different kinds of people taking advantage of the new downtown scene,” Erbe said. According to Erbe, part of the new trail’s appeal is its usability and accessibility. “I would say that’s it’s a really cool project idea building a park that’s usable in a part of the city that was kind of unusable space,” Erbe said. “It also connects Railroad Park all the way to Sloss Furnaces on the Jones Valley Trail so it’s accessible to a lot of different parts of town, from UAB’s campus to Lakeview, almost.”
The bikes are accessible 24 hours a day and 365 days a year, and members can purchase day passes, week passes or a year-long membership for $75 a year. Zyp also boasts a commitment to sustainability, as its biking and docking stations are charged entirely by solar panels. For Hersh Patel, a senior in the School of Health Professions who hails from a small town, riding Zyp bikes is a unique way to experience Birmingham’s urban scene. “Zyp bikes are a fun way of getting around Birmingham - just make sure you get the electric pedal assist one, it makes going up hills a lot easier,” Patel said. “It’s fun going around Birmingham at night because the roads are emptier and it’s a fun alternative to exercising. I come from a small town in Connecticut so it’s a nice way of experience city life.”
Birmingham Barons Games at Regions Field While the Birmingham Barons, a minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, are certainly not new to the city, their home at Regions Field is one of the more recent downtown Birmingham treasures. Opened to the public during the 2013 season, Regions Field is a popular destination for hardcore Barons lovers, casual fans and baseball novices alike. As baseball season is in full swing, attending Barons games is a celebrated Birmingham summer activity. For the 21 and up crowd, Regions Field hosts “Thirsty Thursdays” every Thursday that the Barons play at home. The park offers $2 soft drink, beer and wine specials. Josh Newcomb, a senior civil engineering major, says he’s been to every Thirsty Thursday at Regions Field for the past three years and has worked at the park for two summers since coming to UAB. “The games are awesome because it is the 3rd nicest minor ballpark in the
nation opening in 2014 and being built for 64 million dollars,” Newcomb said. “I like going because there has never been a time where I have not seen somebody I know at the game. It is walking distance for people who live on campus, they have 50 cent hot dogs on Tuesday’s and it’s a great place to meet new friends or even future employers.” Coyote Drive-in One of the newest of the Birmingham area’s offerings is the Coyote Drive-in movie theater, located at the Outlet Shops of Grand River in Leeds, just outside of Birmingham.. As the largest drive-in theater in Alabama, the Coyote Drive-in features four large screens, a full-service restaurant, bar, and concessions and a miniature golf course — and is petfriendly. The theater is open daily from 5:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. and features the latest releases.
we get out what you put in,
put that recycling in the right bin.
Zyp Bikes It’s been less than a year since the Zyp BikeShare program launched in October, so this must-do Birmingham activity is also quite new. Started by REV Birmingham, the program placed 40 kiosks and around 400 bikes around the city in popular areas such as Pepper Place Market, Sloss Furnaces, the Civil Rights Institute, the UAB Green, Uptown at the BJCC, Railroad Park and Regions Field. Additional stations are sometimes added for special events and Zyp plans to add more permanent stations in the near future, including one at the UAB Hill Student Center, according to its website.
Open for drop-offs Mondays 6:30-9:30am 3:00-6:00pm Illustration by Corey Bright
620 11th Street South (205) 996-9043
14 FEATURES
TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2016
Make a difference with your meal plan Surabhi Rao Features Editor features@insideuab.com
S
enior Suparaja Sridhar has brought humanitarianism to UAB to benefit the student body on a number of levels. She started the organization “Donor to Diner” to help those students that struggle to pay for food. The goal of the meal donation program is to decrease student food insecurity at UAB and put unused meal plans to good use. UAB freshmen who live on campus are required to purchase one of two large meal plans, which often goes to waste when students do not need all the food that they have to purchase. This is where Donor to Diner comes into play. Students can donate meal swipes at the register of The Commons, and this will translate into a meal voucher that other students can use. In addition, there is an ongoing campus food pantry that students can donate to, as well as a local Donor to Diner chapter. Sridhar is a Birmingham native who came to UAB from the Jefferson County International Baccalaureate program. She is majoring in Chemistry and minoring in Spanish. According to Sridhar, “The rampant idea that college students should be living off of Ramen noodles can be detrimental. Students mistake food insecurity as a part of the college experience, and do not realize that there are ways to get help. Our organization works to increase awareness of the problem as well as collect supplies. We started in 2013 and we have now collected close to 1000 meals.” “We all knows what it feels like - a single meal may not feel like a lot to you or me, but to those who don’t have it, one meal can be the difference between a college graduate and a college dropout,” Sridhar said. “That’s why we have this One Meal Initiative, because we have staff members and students that donate one meal and it goes a long way.”
The One Meal Initiative event hosted by Donor to Diner takes meal donations from a student at The Commons. Donor to Diner has been featured on several occasions, including the UAB TedX talk, WBRC Fox 6 News and the Hoover Sun News. The prevalence of this issue actually spans America, with individual schools releasing reports of food insecurity “There are UAB at high rates – 59 students who percent of don’t know where students Western they are getting at Oregon their next meal.” University, 35 - Suparaja percent of students at Sridhar University of California at San Diego and 21 percent at the University of Manoa in Hawaii. Sridhar has had a lot of help and encouragement along the way from Sodexo representatives and a few students on campus that made organization status possible for Donor to Diner. This includes the current Vice President, Tanner Earley and a few others on the executive board- Dana PhamHua and Matt Holderfield. In addition
to these student advocates, the former Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs, Caroline Farley, Jamie Grimes and Melissa Taylor all helped Donor to Diner become what it is today. This year, Tanner Earley will be taking over as president. Earley became involved with the project early on. “Last year, I transferred from a junior college and I had no idea that food insecurity was such a problem at UAB and across the country. Once I volunteered I realized that I really wanted to be a member of this organization and help in any way that I could.Next year, I am
Photos from UAB News
hoping to try to get more organizations involved with D2D, such as the athletic department. I also plan to continue to have our ‘One Meal Initiative’ twice during the school year.” “I think it’s important to help people in our backyard, and I don’t think we should spend all our funds in one place or another,” Sridhar said. “We can’t trivialize a college student’s experience but we also can’t compare them to third world countries. A lot of time things are based on who is able to capture attention. We need to help everyone we can possibly help. It’ll naturally work itself out.”
WHAT’S UP 15
FRIDAY, 07.08-31
FRIDAY, 07.15
The Little Mermaid Dorothy Jemison Day Theater
Wicked Problems Case Competition Ryals Public Health Building 11 a.m. -1 p.m.
Come see the Red Mountain Theatre Company’s rendition of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.” Showtimes throughout July 8-31. Tickets available at redmountaintheatre.org
Bringing together some of the best thinkers from UAB and the community to tackle the toughest problems facing our society. Final presentations to be held July 22 at 3 p.m. at the Edge of Chaos.
FRIDAY, 07.22
SATURDAY, 07.23
Art on the Rocks Birmingham Museum of Art 7 - 11 p.m.
4th Avenue Jazz Festival Historic 4th Avenue District Downtown 12 - 9 p.m.
The 12th season of Art on the Rocks, with three Friday nights of art, music, performances and food. July 22 features alt-rock band The Lonely Biscuits. Tickets are $25 and available at artsbma.org
The 14th annual Taste of 4th Avenue Jazz Festival, with some of the best local, regional and nationally renowned jazz artists. The event will also feature food vendors, local business merchants and even a children’s village. Admission is free.
BY PHONE:205.934.3354 BY EMAIL: masutton@uab.edu ONLINE: www.uab.edu/studentmedia
SATURDAY, 07.09 Paws, Pints and Performances Music and Art Festival Avondale Brewing Company 12 -11 p.m. Come help support the U.S. Animal Law Center for the first Paws, Pints and Performances Music and Art Festival. Guests can enjoy live music, tasty drinks and cute puppies while supporting a good cause.
TUESDAY, 07.12 UAB Family Night with the Birmingham Barons vs. Jacksonville Regions Field 7:05 p.m. UAB faculty, staff and their families are invited to watch the Birmingham Barons face off against the Jacksonville Suns. Tickets avaliable online.
Participants can register online at the School of Public Health website.
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, 07.16-17 Sloss Music & Arts Festival Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark 1 - 11:30 p.m. Second annual Sloss Music and Arts Festival at Sloss Furnaces. Featuring more than 30 incredible musicians on three stages as well as art vendors, poster-makers and hands-on ironpouring demonstrations. Tickets avaliable at slossfest.com/tickets/
SUNDAY, 07.17 Magic City Smash 5 Hill Student Center Ballroom 1- 9 p.m. Smash Club at UAB presents the fifth iteration of UAB’s bi-weekly Super Smash Bros. Melee tournament. Featuring a raffle for a customer controller. Venue fee of $5
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FOR RENT
Very spacious 3 br/1 ba apartment Lots of character, high ceilings and freshly painted. Close to UAB, local amenities in a quiet neighborhood. Ideal for two or three students to share. Nonsmokers preferred and no pets Available June 1. $600 per month plus a $500 damage deposit. House for rent. 5 br/3 ba. Vestavia. $1350 a month. $850 deposit. Call Bill (205) 566-1000
Very spacious 1 bd/1 ba apartment 9-foot ceilings and city views of downtown Birmingham. Close to the UAB. Newly painted and decorated. Non-smokers preferred and no pets. Available June 1. $495 per month and $500 deposit Billing address: 820 30th Street South Apartment 1 Birmingham Alabama 35205 Call Diana for an appointment: (205) 447 0654 Hoover Bluff Park- House for rent. Large master on-suite, Lr/Dr, slate floors, Storage shed, fridge/washer/dryer - $1100 mo. All utilities incl. Please contact Frank Damiani (941) 350- 2612 2512 Flagstone Circle Hoover Al 35226
FOR SALE For sale. 1 br/ 1b condo in Vestavia. Newly remodeled. $62,000. Negotiable. 15311 Lake Sara Drive Tuscaloosa, AL 35406 Contact Teresa Gross: (205) 903-3437