September 19, 2016 Kscope

September • 20 • 2016

Volume 55 • Issue 49 UAB’s Official Student Newspaper

FAll 2016 Student EnrollmeNT BREAKS RECORDS

Student Film Exposes Modern Day Slavery in Birmingham p. 3 Fourteen76 Art Show Exhibits former, current student art p.14

2 EDITORIAL

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016

Dear readers, This semester, we welcomed the largest freshmen class in UAB history, with the largest enrollment numbers from out of state of all time. For many of you, this may not appear to be very significant, other than the fact that lines at Starbucks are longer and there is less parking than usual — I get it, these are drawbacks. Sure, it’ll go down in documentation managed by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness & Analysis. But what does it really mean for us?

As someone born and raised in the suburbs of Birmingham, I often worry about how I will be received when I pursue fellowships at graduate schools outside of the Southeast.

My father, bless his heart, told me everyone at the Architectural Association of London looked down on him due to his origin and thought of him as stupid because his accent was attached to, in their mind, the backwards, illiterate South, despite his prior obtainment of a bachelor’s degree at UAB and a master’s degree at Tulane.

Putting UAB, and thus Birmingham, on the map gives us, fellow students, an edge that we didn’t necessarily have before, especially for students who weren’t enrolled in our School of Medicine or School of Nursing. If UAB as an institution and Birmingham as a city are relevant and attractive to students from all over the country – all over the WORLD – then maybe the students coming from Birmingham won’t be the victims of stereotyping that negatively affects their future educational attainment.

STAFF Sarah Faulkner editor@insideuab.com Tamara Imam managing@insideuab.com Corey Bright art@insideuab.com Tessa Case news@insideuab.com Surabhi Rao features@insideuab.com Ian Keel photos@insideuab.com Mark Linn copy@insideuab.com

This issue, we talk about topics that hit natives close to home. I hope that out-of-state students enjoy learning about what is happening in Birmingham, too. We discuss human trafficking in the southeast, the legacies of Birmingham natives and we even have included a letter from a former student who spoke out about potential generalization of southern white people.

Dabney Bragg socialmedia@insideuab.com

On that last note, I apologize to Jacob Laurel about how he took the framing of the question to Dalia Mogahed. As a southern white person from a relatively homogenous community (I’m fairly sure there is only one non-white family among the dozens of white families in my neighborhood), I understand how it feels to be generalized as sheltered – which is ultimately why that question ran, as it intended to highlight the opinions that the rest of the world has about us (hence the quotation marks.) This is a well-known pre-conceived notion of southerners, which I think UAB is trying to break, by giving us the opportunity to experience a broad range of cultures and by celebrating the coming together of diverse groups of people under one institution.

Melvin Griffin Jared Chestnut Chad Freeman

Loren Gilbert online@insideuab.com

Marie Sutton info@insideuab.com Patrick Johnson plj3@uab.edu

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

Advisor Production Manager

There are UAB graduates everywhere. There are current UAB students from everywhere.

In the future, I hope to be able to say “Go Blazers” on a crowded New York subway and hear it said back.

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

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR

To the staff of the Kaleidoscope, the UAB Student Media and the UAB Office of Inclusion, ello, I’m writing to express my disapproval for the choice of H language used in the UAB Student

Media interview with Ms. Dalia Mogahed.

I just want to make it clear that this has nothing to do with me disliking the choice of speaker. I’ve even watched several of Ms. Mogahed’s TED talks before and can appreciate her insights.

Rather my concern is with the staff of the UAB Student Media for using terms such as “extremely ‘sheltered’, southern, white people.”

This is not about defending one group over another, rather my point is that to label an ethnic group (southern white people) as “extremely ‘sheltered’” is itself a form of stereotyping.

I can agree that in the past, southern whites have done more than their fair share of prejudice, but does that mean that the entire group is “sheltered?” Is it fair for you to juxtapose the entire group with multicultural Muslims (whom I respect greatly), as if you’re implying that “‘sheltered’ southern white people” are completely opposite?

Because I personally have known many “‘sheltered,’ southern, white people” who were among the kindest human beings I’ve ever met and whom deeply care about social justice and making sure minorities aren’t discriminated against.

These “‘sheltered,’ southern white people” may have lived in a small, rural, Alabama town their whole life, as have their ancestors for generations, but does that automatically mean that they can’t have moral values such as valuing diversity or inclusion? I think that if you are going to try and make the argument that people shouldn’t stereotype one particular ethnic group (in the interview’s case, MuslimAmericans), then you shouldn’t do the same, otherwise you are no different than what you fight against.

I’m not going to rant and say how bad or terrible or ridiculous this is, rather I’m writing this for a different purpose.

I’m writing because the UAB I remember was one where ALL groups could get along and the people who spoke for the university (like the Student Media) understood this and would never have stereotyped one group (i.e. whites) to make another group (i.e. Muslims) look better. I thought that UAB was a place where everyone was equal and where the students understood the golden rule

of “treat others how you want to be treated.” If you want to be treated without prejudice, then why do you treat another group (even if they are white) with stereotyping and sweeping, exaggerated generalizations?

I was actually looking forward to going to this event, but because of the climate that has been created by this language, I will no longer be attending.

I’ve spoken with many other students who were equally offended and who also won’t be attending because of this. It’s a shame because the very people you are trying to reach are the people you are actively stereotyping, and thus they may not feel comfortable from the environment you’ve created.

Martin Luther King Jr. (who is among one of my greatest heroes) once said, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

By creating such an environment, you’ve silenced your “extremely ‘sheltered,’ southern white” friends, who value diversity and multiculturalism just as much as you do. I thought UAB and the Student Media were better than this, but I guess I was wrong.

Regards, Jacob Laurel Editor’s Note: This Letter to the Editor references an interview with Dalia Mogahed, former advisor to President Barack Obama, that ran in Sept. 13’s issue of The Kaliedoscope. To read the interview, follow this link: uab.edu/studentmedia/kaleidoscope/ news/785-former-advisor-to-obama-speaksout-about-islamophobia

4 NEWS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016

USGA extends loan program to part-time students All degree-seeking undergrads can soon apply for up to $500 in emergency funds, originally reserved for those studying full-time Destiny Hosmer Staff Writer drhosmer@uab.edu

P

art-time undergraduate students are now eligible to apply for the Andrew M. Sands Memorial Emergency Student Loan Program following an amendment to the Undergraduate Student Government Association Code of Laws on Tuesday, Sept. 6.

The Emergency Student Loan Program, sponsored

by USGA, is designed to help undergraduate students in need receive financial assistance for common

expenses such as tuition and fees, textbooks, housing, utilities, title payments, medical expenses or emergency travel expenses.

The loan program previously stipulated that applicants must be considered full-time students at UAB to be eligible for the loan, which means they must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours each semester.

According to the recent amendment, students applying for the ESLP must be enrolled in a minimum of one credit hour each semester.

Akash Vakharia, the USGA

vice president of finance and the author of the amendment, said that this will surely benefit part-time students who were previously ineligible.

“Specifically, I disagreed with these [previous] requirements because full-time is considered as 12 hours, even during the summer semester, and a student who is facing financial hardship would likely not be able to afford taking 12 credit hours during the summer semester when scholarships and grants are more difficult to obtain in the first place,” Vakharia said.

Laura Jane Crocker, a senator for the College of Arts and Sciences, said that although a decrease in the required credit hours was necessary, she was initially hesitant of dropping the

requirement to one credit hour right away.

“I believe a gradual drop would have been more beneficial in helping us to understand how this amendment would affect the influx of applicants,” Crocker said.

Crocker said that despite this, she stands by the decision of her fellow senators, who voted to unanimously pass the decision.

“During the discussion of this amendment, I believe Senator Asutosh Nanda phrased it best when he said that USGA stands for Undergraduate Student Government Association and not Full-Time Undergraduate Student Government Association,” Vakharia said.

“And therefore, we should represent all undergraduate students equally.”

The maximum amount of an Emergency Student Loan is $500 and depends upon the circumstances of the student’s case.

Additional requirements include meeting with the ESLP coordinator, providing proof of need such as a bank statement or other proof of income and a bill or letter of delinquency proving need for assistance.

The student is responsible for repaying the loan to Student Financial Services within 60 days. If the student does not repay the loan in time, a hold will be placed on their student account, which will not 76251 allow the student to register for classes or graduate.

For more information on the ESLP, visit uab.edu/usga/ services/eslp or contact usga@ uab.edu or (205) 934-8020.

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NEWS 5 BIRMINGHAM 101

Panel discusses history of city neighborhoods Connor McDonald Contributor theconmcdon@uab.edu

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he Birmingham 101 series aims to highlight the legacies of Birmingham’s neighborhoods through the lens of the local high schools, which mirror the urban environment that they are built within.

The series, which is presented by UAB and organized by Student Involvement and Leadership, will highlight two schools per semester by hosting panel discussions with graduates of the featured school from each decade, starting with the 1960s to now, or when the school closed if it is no longer open. The next panel discussion is to be held in November.

“One of the reasons we’re doing this program is that you normally hear about the 1960s and Birmingham, which was a very pivotal time in Birmingham, but a lot happened in the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s, in those eras, too,” said David Dada, coordinator of leadership and service for UAB Student Involvement and Leadership.

The first event in the series was held on Tuesday, Sept. 13, in the UAB Hill Student Center Ballroom and focused on Birmingham’s West End High School. A reception at 6 p.m. kicked off the event in a room featuring portraits of famous alumni with information about who they are and what he or she accomplished.

Yearbooks from West End were also on display for the audience to browse through while a short documentary about the school played on a projector overhead.

A panel followed at 7 p.m. featuring eight West End alumni. The panelists, whom had graduation years ranging from 1951 to 2005, all had ties to either the city or UAB and were asked a series of questions by a host. After the panel, members of Student Involvement and Leadership asked questions that they had gathered from audience members for panelists to respond in a question-andanswer session.

Panelists included university President Ray Watts, M.D., Dean of the School of Education Deborah Voltz, Ph.D., former university President Claude Bennett, M.D. and former UAB basketball player Barry Bearden, among others.

Questions touched on topics such as

takeaways that panelists had from West End, the reputation of the school when they attended and how it affected them later in life, the experience of being one of the first high schools in Birmingham to integrate and the importance of the community in education.

“I think it’s so important for an institution like UAB that has grown up in this community, and is still relatively young but is a powerful force for good, to have a direct relationship with our neighborhoods and help give our young people of all backgrounds an opportunity to get a world class education,” Watts said when asked about what UAB’s role in the community should be. “It’ll change their lives, it’ll change their families’ lives, and if they stay in their communities, it’ll change their communities and the way of Birmingham’s future is very dependent on us at UAB and our engagement.”

When asked the same question, former university president Claude Bennett, M.D., talked about whether UAB is an urban university or a university in an urban setting and the implications of both designations are things that should be taken very seriously.

“The fact is, UAB is, and must be, both.

We have a blended mission. We must be both in and of Birmingham,” Bennett said.

Audience members ranged from students to faculty to community members who attended West End High School. At many times throughout the panel and question-and-answer sessions, panelists and audience members asked each other if they remembered certain faculty members and teachers at West End and shared stories about them, often joking back and forth.

According to the website, the aim of the panel discussion is to focus on the developmental experiences that each panelist had while attending West End High School, in addition to the development of the West End neighborhood itself. The overarching goal is to give students more insight on the areas they provide service opportunities in order to provide a deeper sense of meaning to the experience.

Panelists at the first Birmingham 101 series discussed West End High School’s legacy.

Photo by Ian Keel

6 NEWS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016

Student film highlights regional human trafficking Mark Linn Copy Editor copy@insideuab.com

O

n Thursday, Sept. 15, African American Studies major and Honors College student Carlon Harris screened his documentary in Heritage Hall on the growing problem of human trafficking in Birmingham.

Harris’s documentary was a part of a required thesis for African American Studies honors students. He said that he picked human trafficking as a topic to help bring awareness to the problem.

“I chose human trafficking because no one really knows about it and one of our primary goals for this documentary was to educate people and also stir up the conversation about human trafficking, because it is such a new human rights issue and a lot of people don’t know about it,” Harris said.

The documentary screening was followed by a short panel discussion that included Helen Smith, an FBI specialist on human trafficking and Robert Blanton, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Government who teaches a course on human trafficking.

To combat and to bring awareness to the problem of human trafficking in Alabama, the city of Birmingham partnered with the Department

of Homeland Security’s Blue Campaign in January as part of National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

“People call it a black market, because much of it is unseen and if you don’t know what to look for you really don’t necessarily know what’s going on,” Harris said.

The Blue Campaign partners with law enforcement, government and private organizations to educate the public to recognize and report human trafficking, as well as to provide training to law enforcement and others to increase detection, according to the campaign’s website.

Campaign materials were posted at transportation hubs throughout the city as well as distributed to public safety personnel.

Harris said that one of the things that surprised him are the identities of the victims of human trafficking, and the misconception that all human trafficking is part of the sex trade.

“I came into it, [and] you know, you talk about the sex trade, especially in other countries, you automatically assume, ‘oh it’s just dealing with a woman or a young girl,’”

Harris said. “But it affects women, men, young boys and girls as well.”

The documentary was introduced by Kathryn Morgan, Ph.D., the director of the African American Studies program and Associate Professor of Criminal Justice,

We’re living in changing times, and on college campuses we have to be cognizant of our surroundings and cognizant of the people that we interact with.

- Catherine Morgan, P.h.D.

who advised Harris on his thesis.

“We’re living in changing times, and on college campuses we have to be cognizant of our surroundings and cognizant of the people that we interact with,” Morgan said. “Because that

was probably one of the most alarming things to me, was that this happened to this victim on a college campus.”

Harris hopes that the documentary will help bring awareness to the problem of human trafficking in the Birmingham area.

“I really hope that they walk away seeing the severity of the problem. And not thinking that it’s an issue that we can skate over,” Harris said.

“Because it’s affecting our children, it’s affecting the economy, it’s affecting a lot of aspects of life and the livelihood of everyone around us. That’s one thing I want them to take away from it, and I also sort of want to clear up some misconceptions.”

Human trafficking is a major problem in the U.S. that has just recently come to the attention of the general public. Forty percent of what have been identified as major hubs for trafficking are located in the Southeast, according to the Wellhouse, a Leeds-based shelter that offers assistance to women victims of human trafficking.

“I feel that Mr. Harris did an excellent job at making us aware that it does exist,” said Smith, a victim specialist with the Birmingham office of the

FBI. “Because I think for years that people didn’t really think that it was here in Birmingham.

But it was for reasons that they didn’t think that. And one of them was that the victims don’t self-identify as being victims.

And so if you’re not going to say you’re a victim we’re not going to say you’re a victim.

So I think that if anything that they would know that it does exist. It’s here and it is a problem.”

Alabama has had a human trafficking law since 2010.

Before that, any violations had to be prosecuted under federal law. This year, the Alabama State House and Senate passed HB433, The Safe Harbor Act, which seeks to protect children engaging in prostitution while increasing penalties on those convicted of promoting prostitution.

“Let’s just say it’s more prevalent than the general community will admit,” Smith said. “OK, so basically as far as saying that it’s not a problem, it is a problem. But it goes so undetected, one reason [for that] is the victims don’t selfidentify, [and] say that they are victims. So when you’ve got someone saying that, ‘oh, he didn’t force me, he didn’t coerce me. I volunteered to do this. This is something I wanted to do,’ then it makes it look as if it’s not really a problem. And it really is.”

SPORTS 7 WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Blazers top Troy but stumble in tournament Trinity Dix Contributor tri915@uab.edu

team a point and catching them up. There were several instances when the Blazers were close to he UAB women’s giving the point to Troy, volleyball team was but they saved the ball victorious over rival Troy at least three times and in a 3-2 win over the returned it to the Trojans.

Trojans on Tuesday, Sept.

“Every time we come 13, but stumbled in the out, we gain more and second annual Fight Like Hal Memorial Invitational, more confidence,” said Messersmith. “This match losing all three games. was certainly a nice way In Tuesday night’s game, the to start our Blazers won week.”

CURRENT the first set Despite the RECORD 25-21, but by win, though, the second Messersmith and third sets, said the OVERALL: 7-8 the Trojans CONFERENCE: 0-0 team still HOME: 3-5 turned the has room for AWAY: 0-2 game around improvement.

NEUTRAL: 4-1 and took the “We just lead over UAB *As of Sept. 18 need to 2-1. Troy took continue the second set improving on 25-19 and the third set everything,” Messersmith 25-21. said. “Passing and serving At the end of the are the two areas that we fourth set, the Blazers’ probably need to spend defense worked together on tomorrow to be ready and brought the team for the weekend.” back on its feet, winning Over the weekend, UAB 25-20 and tying up hosted the second annual the game 2-2 before securing the match in the final set.

“We played well tonight,” said head coach Kerry Messersmith. “We had our ups and downs, but all in all, I think the kids fought hard, and that’s a big deal for us.

They’re learning how to win.”

In the first set, UAB standout No. 5 Erika Zembyla – the opposite hitter and non-starter for the team – spiked the ball back to the Trojans and down to the ground, earning the

T

Junior middle blocker Petra Silic blocks a hit in Tuesday’s game against Troy. BELOW, LEFT: No. 33 Haley Jared prepares to spike the ball.

Fight Like Hal Memorial Tournament to honor the late assistant volleyball coach Hal Messersmith.

Messersmith’s wife Kerry is currently the team’s head coach.

The Blazers suffered three defeats in the invitational, conceding 3-1 to the UL Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns on Thursday, Sept.

15, 3-1 to the Memphis Tigers 3-1 and 3-0 UT Martin Skyhawks on Friday, Sept. 16.

The Blazers are set to open conference play against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders in Bartow Arena on Friday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m.

Photos by Ian Keel

8

FALL 2016 ENROLLMENT EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS Tessa Case // News Editor // news@insideuab.com

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his academic year holds a record number of enrolled students for UAB, including the largest freshman class in history.

According to a press release from UAB Media Relations, record recruitment and retention rates has bolstered the number of students up by 1,202, reaching a record number of 19,535 enrolled students for the fall 2016 semester. This is a 6.56 percent increase from Fall 2015, with a 24.7 percent increase to the freshman class alone. Retention rate increased 3.1 percent, which Barnes said has not occurred in 12 years.

“Coming into this position last July, we had to make some decisions,” Bradley Barnes, the vice provost for enrollment management, said.

“We had to review where we are and where we want to be. That’s when President Ray Watts set the goal of having 20,000 students enrolled by 2018.”

Barnes said the record exceeded his expectations. When reviewing the number of students enrolled and retained last year, he said UAB was not where it wanted to be with either category. In order to combat this, UAB implemented several programs to fill in what Barnes described as the gap between the experience students were receiving inside the classroom and the resources available to them outside of the classroom. These programs include exploratory advising for undeclared majors, creating an office specifically devoted to retention, having all freshman live on campus and other programs such as Blazing Start.

Blazing Start, an enrollment initiative, will give area high school graduates greater access to UAB and financial resources and connects them to appropriate support services to facilitate academic success,

9

I think that UAB is in one of the most exciting eras in its history, and that [students] are a part of something special and they should all be proud to be Blazers.

- Bradley Barnes, vice provost of enrollment management

according to Jim Bakken in an article from UAB News. The scholarship available to participants is up to $10,500 over the course of four years for any high school graduate of Birmingham city schools who enrolls at UAB the fall immediately following their graduation. Barnes said participation has increased from 28 to 92 students from Fall 2015 to the current year, and has an 86 percent retention rate, which is higher than the overall university rate.

“If they bring in that retention rate, they will boost our retention rates overall,” Barnes said.

Other changes include reformatting the way scholarships are delivered to be more competitive, Barnes said. In order for a student to receive full tuition, the required ACT score has dropped from 32 to 30. According to Barnes, 90 more students were able to receive the scholarship, and he believes this can also help increase retention rates by taking the stress off of students who might have otherwise had to find a job or two in order to pay for college.

“Opening up scholarships to the top end allows us to let in students who may not have the best ACT or SAT scores, but have the GPA, the work ethic and the commitment to be successful,” Barnes said.

Out of state and international enrollment has

increased by 13.7 percent and 18.6 percent over the last year, respectively, according to the press release. Four new out-of-state recruiters have been working in California, Georgia, Tennessee and Texas in addition to the out-ofstate recruiter who has already been working in northern Chicago. The majority of out-ofstate students come from Georgia, Tennessee, Texas and Florida, despite not having a recruiter in Florida.

International student enrollment has increased with the introduction of the INTO program and the fact that most international students enroll in STEM majors, according to Barnes.

“I talk about the medical school, and it’s okay to not be interested in the medical school,” Barnes said. “But if I had one way to brand UAB, it would be the interdisciplinary options available because of the medical school.”

These programs include, but are not limited to, biomedical engineering, a degree that only UAB offers in the state of Alabama, as well as the nation’s top dual master in public health and an MBA in public health, Barnes said. Other options available to STEM students who may not want to work in the medical field include Early Teach, a program designed for STEM students who want to teach at the secondary level.

“Building our team strategically has been effective,” Barnes said in the press release. “We are also bringing guidance counselors to campus, getting great results with our recruitment materials and expanding opportunities for students to earn scholarships.”

Students, such as Juhi Shah, a biomedical sciences major and Trailblazer, are very excited for the future of UAB. “I believe UAB has accommodated to the largest freshman class to ever enter

this UAB family,” she said. “Our growth as a university doesn’t just stop at the addition of majors or new buildings, we are ever growing in diversity in every aspect at this university.”

UAB is one of the most diverse universities in the nation, and has been recognized by the Princeton review for diversity, according to the press release. Students of minorities represent 37.8 percent of students, with 43.7 percent of the freshman class being a minority. The population is also 21.4 percent black and 61.1 percent female. Students enrolled also now represent 105 countries.

“I think that UAB is in one of the most exciting eras in its history, and that [students] are a part of something special and they should all be proud to be Blazers,” Barnes said. “The more we can keep this out there in front of them, the more we can keep the momentum going.”

10 OPINIONS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 , 2016

‘That’s okay, I’ll let the anaphylaxis kill me’ Aaron Stuber Opinions Columnist abstuber@uab.edu

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Illustration by Corey Bright

or many college-aged students, the cost of prescription drugs does not cross their minds, as many either do not buy them themselves or they do not need them. But for others, increasing drug prices pose a major problem.

The most recent drug price-hike scandal includes that of EpiPen. Simply put, the price of the world-famous springloaded epinephrine autoinjector increased from approximately $100 in 2008 to around $650 today. Why is the EpiPen so expensive?

If the cost has nothing to do with the epinephrine, which is no longer patented, that costs about $1.30 to produce a single

dose, then what could it be?

One unfortunate issue with many customers requesting EpiPen is there is not a “generic” version to the drug.

I use the term generic loosely, because epinephrine actually is “generic,” but the springloaded mechanism that is in the EpiPen is patent-protected.

So why is this distinction important? With current Alabama pharmacy laws, your pharmacist cannot substitute EpiPen for other epinephrine auto-injectors because they are not deemed “bioequivalent” to EpiPen. With the drug’s rampant market hold and name recognition, many physicians actually may not be aware of other epinephrine auto-injectors on the market, and convincing them to write a prescription for those can be a daunting task, especially when they do not feel knowledgeable about the alternatives. Additionally,

EpiPen’s major competitor, Auvi-Q, was pulled from the market about a year ago because it did not deliver the correct amount of medication it advertised. This has given EpiPen free reign on the market with no other major brands in competition.

While major drug corporations are coming into the spotlight for their unethical price hikes (see: sociopath Martin Shkreli on Daraprim), it comes as no surprise that each passing year more and more patients have to forgo life-saving medications. While companies offer drug-discount cards, many of these do not completely cover the cost of the medication, even when one is fully insured (I’m sure there is a way to blame Obama for this, just like how Bush did Hurricane Katrina, but I can’t see it because I don’t have vision insurance — whoops).

For those of you out there fighting your way, good luck paying your premium and your drug co-pay. The $25.82 million salary of Heather Bresch, the CEO of Mylan, the pharmaceutical company behind EpiPen, thanks you for your business. Just note, if you are lucky enough to attend that highfalutin party on Bresch’s yacht with the crab cake Hors d’Oeuvres that you just happen to be deathly allergic to, just say, “that’s okay. I’ll let the anaphylaxis kill me.” Because, let’s be honest, you were probably going to die of starvation from the crippling debt that buying an EpiPen would put you in anyway. Maybe you’d be lucky and your death would be enough of a protest to convince drug company CEOs that their multi-million dollar salaries are a bit much.

Election turns news channels into drama series Kym Payne Contributor kympayne@uab.edu

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he phrase “you can’t make this stuff up” has crossed the minds of anyone who is breathing. There is a new reality show hit series titled “Presidential Campaign 2016,” and it has had a week of award winning moments following the Commander in Chief Forum with Matt Lauer. The abrupt exit of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton at the 9/11 memorial ceremony has stirred concern over her health and her capacity to serve as president. The loud echoes of her statement “basket of deplorables” directed at half of Trump supporters has rallied the internal loyalty of members adhering to the label. Clinton may have been in the spotlight, but Trump managed to stay in the conversation of controversy. During the above mentioned forum, Trump was asked about his tweet on sexual assault in the military. He affirmed his continued belief, “26,000 unreported sexual assaults in the military – only

238 convictions.

What did these geniuses expect when they put men and women together?” As much as I wish it were true, our front running presidential candidates are NOT reading from a script.

Illustrations by Corey Bright We all know that we choose a candidate that is speaking the language that we identify with; indeed, we cast a vote for the candidate who possesses the skills, values and experience that we deem necessary to successfully execute the position he or she is vying for. We tend to support candidates that reflect what our individual life experiences have taught us about how society should operate. Every area of our society is directly affected, in one form or another, by government.

If there is an area that we disapprove of, it is necessary to peacefully express our concerns; likewise, it is necessary

as a citizen and politician to hear the concerns of the opposing view. It is literally a politician’s responsibility to listen to the voice of the public.

Listening, when done properly and without judgement, usually results in the ability to cooperate for the common good. So when a voter expresses concern over security or civil liberties, our candidates should listen and serve. Not necessarily comply with every request, but at the least avoid disregarding expression from the people that ultimately provide their paycheck.

What does the expression of the voter say about us as a nation? For one thing, the varied expressions should tell us that we are a huge country spaced in both ideology and in geography. Is that bad? No. It simply means we have lived in and observed a society that has shaped our views. It also means

that a skill that would be beneficial as Commander in Chief would be creating the possibility for unity. Now, I know you’re thinking “my candidate wants unity.” If I am not mistaken, the rhetoric we are hearing is, “We need to come together as a nation and not let the other party divide us!”

One word: contradiction. Both parties speak this language of “us” and “them” while falsifying their intent to unite.

In the meantime, we as one nation have a responsibility as well. If our representatives are unable to unite, let us teach them.

So what is deplorable? It is understandable for politicians to view particular behavior as inexcusable.

They deserve the mercy that comes with being human and having their own life experience that has shaped their views. However, it is deplorable for presidential candidates to cross the line and attack voters. In this campaign, we are seeing this from both parties.

Perhaps as a nation, we can influence change from the bottom up from the inside out.

FEATURES 11

R. Kelly brings Buffet of sounds

Rattlesnake Battalion to sink fangs into DISCO Thousands of people attend R. Kelly’s concert in the BJCC, as it was rescheduled from an original date in April 2016. BELOW: Opening act welcomes R. Kelly to the stage.

R&B artist performed both new, old hits to nostalgic community members Surabhi Rao Features Editor features@insideuab.com

R

. Kelly’s rescheduled concert brought thousands of people to the BJCC on Friday, Sept. 16.

The renowned hip-hop and R&B artist stopped in Birmingham as a part of his Buffet Tour 2016, showcasing a few of his latest hits with a sprinkle of what people call his “old favorites.”

R. Kelly opened with a few words that had the crowd cheering.

“I’m a grown a— man... come backstage after and f— with me if you want to, come smoke w— if you want to, get drunk if you want to, and come back to my hotel - if you want to” he said.

He followed these words with a rendition to “I’m Loving You Tonight,” drawing out the words, emphasizing his vocals and substituting the word “loving” for “f—g.”

Amongst the primarily middle-aged, African American crowd, there were a few UAB students.

Senior mechanical engineering major James Deloach came to the concert with his girlfriend Channing Haynes, who identified herself as a huge fan of R. Kelly and R&B in general.

As one of the few Caucasians at the event, they made up the minority of the concert audience.

“I don’t feel out of place.

Everyone here is here for the music. Even the people sitting next to us are welcoming,” Haynes said.

“R. Kelly’s music doesn’t apply to certain demographics. He’s trying to come into this year, and because of his past he will always be relevant.

He has a free pass. He has die-hard fans,” Deloach said. “I like his music but I don’t like him as a person.

He has a history of being a pedophile. He married Alia when she was fifteen and he was thirty.”

“Four words to describe R. Kelly would be ‘King of R&B,’” Haynes said.

A graduate student enrolled in the Masters of Science in Health Administration and Masters in Business Administration programs at UAB, Kashondra Smith had a few positive words about the concert.

“I’m a huge fan of R. Kelly. I grew up listening to him, and I came here to hear the old songs,” she said. “I’m glad he got to Birmingham and I can see

the way that it has brought our community together. I wish they would do more things like this and I wish UAB were more involved.”

Another student at UAB, Kelsey Maclin, attended the concert because the rescheduling moved the concert off of finals week.

“I have been listening to R. Kelly since I was born.

A few of my favorites are Sex Me, Honey Love and Happy People. It was an amazing concert. It was my first time seeing him. I love how he did a lot of crowd interaction. I’ve never seen a star that close. He walked down to the back and sang ‘Born Like The River.’”

“There were two old men up front having a dance battle and that was so cute.

Everybody was interacting and friendly,” Maclin said.

Photos by Spencer Portis

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016

FEATURES 13

RED PLANET REVIEW

De La Soul appeals to young souls of the ‘90s Jared Chestnut Staff Writer redc@uab.edu

W

e find strange times in 2016 as a society that is rapidly becoming more and more obsessed with nostalgia for the ‘90s.

Nickelodeon is bringing back shows from their golden age, remakes of the decade’s classic films are becoming dime a dozen and you can find cans of Surge and cases of Ecto Cooler at your local Walmart. The whole aesthetic is coming back into style as fast as Hammer Pants and Lisa Frank, and may well flame out just as quickly.

This is where we find a group of legends in the hip hop scene New York’s De La Soul.

At their apex, the trio of Maseo, Dave and Posdnuos were at the helm of conscious, socially-aware hip-hop that addressed many of the racially charged issues of the time, and fought the pessimism and wariness levelled against the African American community. In recent years, they are better known for making waves for their work on Gorillaz albums, for giving away their back catalogue free and for Maseo’s progeny, Tre Mason, making his mark as one of Auburn University’s best running backs of the last decade.

It was not until the announcement was made that “and the Anonymous Nobody” was being funded and recorded as a Kickstarter project with a supporting cast from all

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

over the musical world that it became clear: this was not just some sort of cash in for all the ‘90s love, no power play for holding on to past relevance and fame, but a statement to be made to the modern era: don’t call it a comeback, De La’s been here for years.

Immediately, it is clear that Anonymous Nobody is a throwback to a bygone era of hip-hop, with a spoken word monologue by singer/poet/actress/ Renaissance woman Jill Scott kicking off the album, backed by a string section. Snoop Dogg feature “Pain” feels like a 1993 West Coast/East Coast dream collaboration that never made its way out of the studio, with backing vocals and a bassline that feels ripped out of time.

“Memory of,” a track featuring UK songstress Estelle (of “American Boy” fame), evokes a soul and takes the album in a very poignant, string and brass heavy direction. There is even

a skit or two peppered throughout the album.

While so much of the album feels like De La trading in what they’ve done since the early ‘90s, it doesn’t feel like a tired retread, but masters of their craft doing what comes so naturally.

Features by the Talking Heads’ David Byrne, Usher, Little Dragon, 2 Chainz and Gorillaz mastermind/frequent De La assist character Damon Albarn complete the shift into some sort of a new face of De La Soul: One that mixes in various genres and references to Starbucks with their bars.

Anonymous Nobody seems to be a bit more than just a clever album title, as the contributions from each collaborator tends to give the album so many different identities and styles it may well suffer from split personality disorder, with little buffer between, say, the new wave urgency of “Snoopies,” the sequencer constructed lo-fi bedroom producer

jam “Whoodeeni,” and “Drawn’s” cocktail of plucked strings and

Yukimi Nagano’s sultry “on the rocks” vocal stylings. While it’s a lot of fun to ride along on all the detours through the minds of Plug One, Two and Three, it’s tough to really key in on one core persona for the album.

The album closes with “Exodus,” a bit on the nose for its intents and purposes, but otherwise a heartfelt outro that calls to mind emotions and memories built on thirty years of dedication to the craft via an open letter to inspire the future generation of beatniks and hip hop heads.

All in all, “and the Anonymous Nobody,” while nothing game-

changing, is a fun listen front to back, and shows off a De La that exists in two times: one who is unafraid to use their past to anchor a sound that is unlike anything else in hip hop right now, yet refuses to stay stuck in a far-gone time and forges ahead with a cadre of friends and collaborators.

While there has been better work from other artists this summer and better De La albums, the return of De La Soul is still worth taking notice of, particularly if this is their swan song. If this is the passing of a torch, it’s one that should shine on in the hands of whoever steps up to claim it.

we get out what you put in,

put that recycling in the right bin.

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

14 FEATURES

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016

ART SHOWCASE BY FOURTEEN76

Former, current students star in local exhibit

DISCO presents a one-night show for area creatives Jordan McGill Contributor jmcgill@uab.edu

A

t the Desert Island Supply Co. near campus, an art show exhibiting the works of UAB students was in full swing on Saturday, Sept.

17 complete with music and refreshments.

The show was put on by a locally run magazine called Fourteen76, with music provided by the Limbs and the Rattlesnake Battalion.

Their goal, according to Will Norris who helped start up the magazine, was to promote local Birmingham artists along with their artwork.

“We’re just trying to represent all the people who aren’t professional but just love art, and UAB has a lot of those people,” Norris said.

“Really, my goal for all this is just for people to meet everybody. For people to meet people in Birmingham, to see all the art and everything, but also just to meet people.”

Fourteen76 covers more than just artwork.

While the primary community involved with the magazine is local amateur artists, it accepts and promotes work from many different disciplines.

“We’re going to be a magazine that dabbles in everything. Our local art, food reviews, album and music reviews,” Norris said. “We’re going to do fashion once we get

Fourteen76 covers more than just artwork. While the primary community involved with the magazine is local non-professional artists, it accepts and promotes work from many different disciplines.

some more friends in the fashion area.”

Alyssa Hope, a UAB alumna who graduated this year, was one of the many artists who had her work on display and was happy with what she got out of the Art Department on campus.

“I think they really push individuality and they promote an environment that’s easy

and comfortable,” Hope said. “The professors are really good about making sure that we’re able to use our voices instead of just attaching our name to something we might think is popular just to get by. They’re really good about making sure that we’re getting everything we can out of the experience.”

All of the artists at the show were being featured

by Fourteen76 on their website and are a part of a very small, tightknit, Birmingham artist community. Hope and Tarpley have helped make fliers and advertised on social media sites such as Facebook for the event and the magazine, and, according to Tarpley, “making a Facebook

event really makes a difference in spreading the word.”

“When I’ve taken classes there definitely I’ve seen so many different styles and seen so many different ways of working, and teachers pushing students to follow different paths in the way they work,” said Reins Tarpley, a sophomore art studio major.

Photo courtesy of Jordan McGill

Some of the pieces on display at the show took hours, others only about 30 minutes, and from prints to paintings there was something there for people of multiple disciplines.

More information on future events and artwork can be found on Fourteen76’s website, Fourteen76.com.

CALENDAR Sept. 20 - 26 TUESDAY Resume Writing Workshop HSC 318 5-6 p.m.

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY That Don’t Fly Kick-off

Student Media Mixer HSC 130 3-6 p.m.

Blazer Hall RLC 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Career & Professional Development is hosting a resumewriting workshop to help you learn how to create a compelling resume that tells your story.

A UAB initiative to end interpersonal violence on campus.

There will be free t-shirts, giveaways, activities and a community resource fair.

Pain, Hope, Questions and Community

“Cesar Chavez”

HSC Ballroom 7-9 p.m.

Jamie Tworkowski, the founder of To Write Love on Her Arms, will speak at an event that is free and open to the public. Doors open at 6:15 p.m.

HSC Alumni Theater 6:30-8:30 p.m.

The Spanish and Latin American Film Club at UAB presents “Cesar Chavez.”

English subtitles are included so that all students, even those that don’t speak Spanish, can enjoy it.

Want to learn more about how to get involved with student media? Come by our office and enjoy food, music and a chance to meet our staff.

Pray the Devil Back to Hell Screening HSC Alumni Theater 3:30 p.m.

A free film screening of this documentary, which highlights the work of Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee in preparation for her lecture on Sept. 29.

FRIDAY JJ Grey & Mofro

Avondale Brewing Company 7 p.m.

St. Jude 5k Walk/Run Railroad Park 7-10 a.m.

SUNDAY Breakin’ Bread Sloss Furnaces 1-5 p.m.

JJ Grey & Mofro, is a Southern rock/soul/ funk/blues jam band from Jacksonville, FL. Tickets available at huka.com.

Featuring local food, beer, wine and live entertainment.

Experience unlimited samples of signature dishes from the finest local restaurants the Magic City has to offer.

BANDALOOP

Marvel City Soul Music Festival

PikaZOO

Alys Stephens Center 8-9 p.m.

ASC’s 20th season starts off with a free show by dance company BANDALOOP. This indoor/outdoor show will take place in the Jemison Concert Hall and outside in the Engel Plaza.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

CLASSIFIEDS

Kaleidoscope publishes every Tuesday when classes are in session.

Phone: 205.934.3354 Email: masutton@uab.edu Deadlines: Please place your ads by the Thursday prior to publication no later than 4p.m.

Personal Maid Service- Basic house cleaning. Honest, dependable, licensed, bonded, flexible scheduling, competitive & local. Very professional with “NO”criminal background.

LEGAL

SATURDAY

Join supporters for the annual St. Jude Walk/Run to End Childhood Cancer in Birmingham to raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

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

LEGAL NOTICE — The Kaleidoscope, and its online affiliates, reserves the right to refuse any advertisement at its sole discretion.

WHAT’S UP 15

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

Carver Park, Bessemer 1-2 p.m.

The “Feel Good Music Tour” featuring Dru Hill, Willie Clayton and comedian Sir Walt-Host.

Tickets available at 6starentgroup.tix. com.

Birmingham Zoo 4-7 p.m.

B’ham Zoo’s second Pokemon Go event.

Enjoy three hours of lures at the Zoo’s 29 Pokestops and battle at the Zoo’s two gyms. $5 for admission and $1 for train rides.

MONDAY Debate Watch Party: Democrats Chez Lulu 7 p.m.

Join Hillary Clinton supporters at Chez Lulu. Enjoy unique craft cocktails and beer while watching the two candidates square off in the first presidential debate.

Debate Watch Party: GOP 1401 Montgomery Hwy, Vestavia Hills 7 p.m.

Bring a dish to share and your tailgate chair. Prior to the debate there will be a meeting of the Alabama Minority GOP.