January 31, 2017 Kscope by Kaleidoscope UAB

UAB’S OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER

VOLUME 57, ISSUE 3

An evening with Pat Metheny

Homelessness: An unending story

The world-renowned jazz guitarist Pat Metheny alights a Sunday evening audience at the Alys Stephens Center for an intimate performance by the eclectic musician. Read more on Page 10.

Regardless of the afternoon or city, homelessness is a problem in all urban areas. A reporter from the Kaleidoscope ventured out to show the many faces of those affected in Birmingham. Read more on Page 4.

The

Kaleidoscope SPORTS

UAB tackles concussions Partnership with VISIS aims to produce safer football helmets Jack Ryan Sports Editor In the large ballroom of the Hill Student Center, UAB unveiled a new prototype football helmet in coordination with VICIS Incorpo-

CULTURE

Museum openings grant new viewpoint

among football players. This injury occurs from repeated concussions caused from blows to the head sustained during intense football games. CTE is a central issue in contact sports, brought to the forefront of football after former players spoke out against the NFL for not

rated. The new helmet, developed by the Seattle-based VICIS, was a step forward in the ongoing battle against chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain injury that has risen in frequency

The helmet works by taking the force of a hit and spreading the impact energy across the entire helmet, much like a car in a wreck. UAB researched the design with UAB Sports Medicine Concussion Clinic at Children’s of Alabama and UAB’s Vestibular and Oculomotor Research. PHOTO BY IAN KEEL/ PHOTO EDITOR

See VICIS, Page 8

POLITICS

BIRMINGHAM-SHUTTLESWORTH

Court is in Sessions Recapping the state Senator’s nomination

Exhibts display global links and history of travel

Wallace Golding Community Reporter Last Tuesday, two weeks after his first congressional hearings, the Senate Judiciary Committee met to discuss the nomination of Senator Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., as the nation’s next attorney general in one of the most controversial nominations to President Donald Trump’s cabinet. A motion by United States Senator Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the ranking member of the committee, delayed the vote on the nomination by one week, placing it on Jan. 31. After this, the nomination Sessions will go to the U.S. Senate floor where all 100 senators will vote. Feinstein, an opponent of much of Trump’s agenda, linked the voting delay to the Women’s Marches that took place on Jan. 21. “Many, many Americans are deeply concerned about what the future will bring,” Feinstein said in a press statement. “The least we can do is tell them that we’re being as careful as possible in whom we place in charge of making these important decisions.” Sessions, who previously served as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama and as the attorney general of Alabama, has caught a lot of attention,

Pierce Edwards Life & Style Writer Knowledge that will change your world is not only found on campus. UAB students are fortunate enough to reside in a burgeoning city seeking to reinvent itself while remembering and honoring a deep-rooted history and culture. Two new exhibits, the Birmingham Museum of Art’s Third Space and the McWane Center’s Going Places, are providing opportunities Al-Khudhairi to reflect on where we come from and the places we could go. BMA’s Hugh Kaul Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art Wassan Al-Khudhairi produced the Third Space Exhibit, which exemplifies the connection between the Global South and the American South. This show appeals to archaeology and anthropology buffs and any students who studies the social sciences. The connection between places inspired Al-Khudhairi’s Global and American South exhibit.

See MUSUEM, Page 11

ABOVE: PHOTO COURTESY OF CARLOS MONTEZ CHAVERST JR./ AIRPORT PROTEST ORGANIZER On Jan. 29 nearly 2,900 people in Birmingham protested against the recent travel ban. Last Friday, Jan. 27, President Donald Trump signed an executive order prohibiting refugees and visa holders in Syria, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Libya, Somalia and Sudan from entering America in hopes of stemming the entrance of radical Islamic terrorists. Protesters gathered at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport to voice their concerns. “I felt like it was right to do,” Collier Fernekes, a student in comm health & human services and political science, who helped organize the protest said. “Birmingham, like any other major city, needs to be a sanctuary city for people in need. I felt like everyone did a fantastic job of showing the country that we are there for the disenfranchised, and that we will not stand for Trump’s unethical actions. I think these protests can turn into long-term action by people also calling their elected representatives and writing letters. People need to know their voices will be heard.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF COLLIER FERNEKES

See SESSIONS, Page 11

INSIDE CAMPUS

COMMUNITY

| OPINIONS

| SPORTS

LIFE AND STYLE

Campus

Page 2 January 31, 2017

ACTIVE MINDS

‘Changing the conversation’ Group seeks to change attitudes on mental health Sufia Alam Online Reporter “I’ve actually had a close family member commit suicide about ten years ago,” Laken Grissom, a senior in public health, said. “My uncle, he never told anyone he was having a problem. He was completely silent about it. We didn’t even realize until afterward, and it was such an impact on me and my family. This is my personal story, but this tragedy can happen to anyone.” Nearly 1,100 college students completed suicide in 2016, according to Active Minds. Active Minds, a mental health organization on campus, is dedicated to eliminating the stigma and changing the conversation about mental health for college students. The first undergraduate Active Minds organization was founded by Alison Malmon when she was a junior at the University of Pennsylvania. Malmon’s brother, Brian, was dealing with severe issues of psychosis and depression in secret for three years which resulted in his suicide during Malmon’s freshman year. The success of Active Minds eventually expanded to other universities, including UAB. Once at UAB, Active Minds has held many on-campus events in hopes to change the conversation about mental health such as a “Question, Persuade and Refer” training sessions, Positive Protests and Stress Less weeks, all in order to eliminate the stigma that is currently associated with mental health. On Wednesday, Jan. 25, Active Minds held an event on the Green to raise awareness of suicide prevention and for all UAB students to sign the STOP Suicide Pledge. By signing this pledge, students promised to let loved ones and professionals know if they themselves or anyone they know are struggling with suicide and to seek help

PHOTO BY IAN KEEL/PHOTO EDITOR 1,100 butterflies placed into the grass on the Green signify the 1,100 college students who were lost to suicide in 2016. BELOW: Student holds a message to comfort those with mental health issues.

for themselves or their loved The purpose of the event ones immediately. 1,100 was to raise awareness of butterflies were presented on mental health and to let stuthe Green to represent the dents know of their options 1,100 students who complete if they are dealing with any suicide each mental health year. On each issues. butterfly, per“Many sonal messagpeople who es or simple can’t see it, messages of they don’t hope were think it’s real,” written by Brittni Cullifstudents. er, a senior in Along biology and with signing psychology, the pledge, said. “If we Active Minds were to raise also encourawareness aged students that would to address stop a lot — Laken Grissom suicide in more suia different cides.” way. For example, the orActive Minds encourages ganization now encourages those who are dealing with students to refer to the word any mental health issues to “complete” instead of “com- consult their resources such mit” when referring to an as the Student Health and individual who ended their Wellness Center, The National life by suicide. Prevention Lifeline and Crisis “It’s all about changing Center Birmingham. the conversation, and the Sufia Alam can be reached word commit usually implies at sufia@uab.edu and on someone is at fault,” Grissom Twitter at @sufiaalam. said.

“

This is my personal story, but this tragedy can happen to anyone.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY EMILY FARMER/ACTIVE MINDS

UAB HOSPITAL

$6.8M lab increases effectivity of diagnoses Emmanuel Dean Writer The UAB Hospital invested $6.8 million into a new automated clinical lab in the UAB Department of Hospital Labs in efforts to improve the quality and efficiency of laboratory procedures. The UAB clinical laboratory, located at 619 19th St. S., has the vital responsibility of providing data to ensure accurate patient diagnostics are given and at the right time. The tests run in the new lab allow doctors at the hospital to make appropriate data-based diagnostics and customize treatments for the patients. “A patient may have one to an average of three blood tubes per event on an inpatient encounter,” Sherry Polhill, administrative director of UAB Hospital Labs and Respiratory Care, said. The new clinical lab

COURTESY OF UAB IMAGE GALLERY The new clinical lab is always busy, operating 24 hours-a-day, analyzing approximately 5 thousand tubes every night and covering four different hospital locations.

is always busy, operating 24 hours-a-day, analyzing approximately 5 thousand tubes every night and covering four different hospital locations. The laboratory runs nearly 6.8 million tests per year. These tests include lab medicine, urinalysis, hematology, coagulation, special chemistry and more. The automated lab “reads it, scans it and results it” Pohill said. Due to the installation of

new technology in the lab, the laboratorians and technicians supervise the different processes instead of being “hands-on.” “The employees already understood the technology prior,” Polhill said. “There are a few automation ‘line’ experts that are gaining additional training from the vendor for how to specifically manage the line.” Each morning, containers filled with test tubes are brought to the lab from the

UAB Hospital. Once they are taken out of their carriers, they begin their journey through the “maze” of laboratory machines. Each test tube sequentially passes through the different stations being examined, tested and analyzed. After each test tube has completed its course, they are placed into storage for further testing. “The major benefit is that it is standardized and constantly is running at a steady state.” Polhill said. “The automation line will improve standardization, which is expected to improve turnaround time with resulting the lab tests.” The automated lab allows the testing inside to be consistent, which improves the overall quality of the data while keeping the process efficient. “Anytime automation is implemented, results produce a ‘steady-state’ routine format,” Polhill said. “The core lab automation project

now offers consistent standardization of tests continuously being resulted. The randomness of resulting tests prior is different from having specimens being automated. Variables are managed, the automation system drives the workflow.” The automated lab has high expectations and will significantly impact Alabama patient healthcare. “Automation by design is a system that requires less people to operate the equipment,” Polhill said. “The opportunity to innovate and re-purpose talented people to other needed lab businesses has been eventful. Hospital Labs will now be able to start a new Drug Confirmation testing business, a new customer service business for Lab Medicine, and build onto the existing Molecular department for expansion testing.” Emmanuel Dean can be reached at ejdean22@gmail.com

January 31, 2017

The Kaleidoscope

Page 3 |Campus

UAB LECTURE SERIES

‘Breathe, fight, repeat’ Payton Head pays visit to spread word of activism On Monday, Jan. 23., Payton Head, the former student body president at the University of Missouri, came to the Hill Student Center to give a lecture on the importance of inclusion on college campuses. Head is an African-American, LGBTQ rights activist and a self-proclaimed “change-agent.” After one of his Facebook posts went viral, he caught the attention of the media and like-minded people on a national level. Now, he tours cities and holds lectures about his experiences as a queer African-American in today’s society. “We can celebrate the diversity but we also have to be champions of inclusion, too,” Head said. “We’re all coming from different spaces and identities but, at the end of the day, we’re all human beings.” Head also said that just because diversity was visible on college campuses, it still did not mean that everyone was treated the same. He wanted people to do everything that they could to make sure people felt like a part of the community. However, Head said he

believed that it would not be easy to convince people to do this. “I strive to make people uncomfortable because I think that we grow the most when we’re uncomfortable,” Head said. “It challenges every single thing that we believed before.” Head’s opening statements were simple. He greeted the audience with a “hello,” stated his name and explained who he was. However, as the audience prepared to listen in on his lecture, Head asked them to talk to one person they did not know for five minutes. Head intended for the audience to experience a community discussion, instead of a conventional lecture. The opening of Head’s discussion described his first experience with being continually called the N-word. He said this jostled him to become more involved with the university and community by running for student body president at the University of Missouri. He succeeded in this goal and immediately sought for changes in the system. However, nearly the same exact racist incident happened to

PHOTO BY IAN KEEL/PHOTO EDITOR Payton Head speaks to a crowd Monday, Jan. 23 to tell his first-hand account of race-driven hatred.

him again, and that is when he said he needed to speak publicly about it. On Facebook, he described the events that had occurred. He wrote how important it was to stand up against acts and behavior of this nature and to be active in the community. As he read this post aloud, a silence fell over the audience. This was a firsthand account of race-driven hatred. Head told the audience he went to sleep that night and woke up the next morning to find that the Facebook post had gone viral and national news stations had been calling him all morning. Head said

he was surprised to see his post make the news. “Why is this news?” Head said. “… These are the experiences that you don’t read about every day, you don’t hear about every day, but you heard about mine because I was a

student body president. I had a privilege of having a platform in which to speak.” After he posted his comments on Facebook, the student body protested against the University of Missouri’s administration and called

for the resignation of the president and chancellor of the school. These protests continued for months until their goals were achieved. “Breathe. Fight. Repeat,” Head said in response to an audience member’s question of how he dealt with the stress of the protests. Head said that people focus too much on issues at a national level rather than the ones at a local level. He also said the younger generations should start running for office. He expressed how voting for your local members of congress and representatives was just as important as voting for the president. Head viewed the racial problems on college campuses first hand. Now, he is on the road to make every student aware of the problems he experienced in order to prevent them from happening again. Anthony Roney can be reached at roney16@uab.edu.

Congratulations to the

2017 Orientation Leader Team! Orientation Leader Coordinators Nadia Harden Hassan Sadruddin

Orientation Leaders Julia Byrd Hope Colabrese Gavin Gilliland Kenya Harris

Thank you to the 2016 Orientation Leaders!

Justin Jackson Austin Keel Henry Kendrick Rena Lim Jocelyn Lo

Angelin Ponraj Jenna Robie Enrique Romero Faye Yang

community

Page 4

January 31, 2017

POVERTY IN BIRMINGHAM

1128 lack shelter nightly An inside look at a few varying stories of homelessness Surabhi Rao Community Editor

tart at the Redmont Hotel. Round the corner from the valet parking and patio restaurant and walk 200 feet down that same sidewalk. There, meet Tanya Kujath sitting on her jacket on the cement. Kujath sleeps under the bridge nearest to the Citgo skateboard park. She walks to Pathway Inc. everyday to do laundry, eat and mingle with other ladies that seek these services. Kujath moved to Birmingham in August and is one of the 1128 people that experience homelessness on any given night in the city. She’s one of approximately 40 women that use Pathway Inc. “I don’t stay there,” Kujath said. “I go there and take a shower and eat and do laundry about every day. Before I came to Birmingham, I was doing a lot of drugs and drinking. I’ve had different industrial jobs but I’ve mostly had different husbands… It didn’t work. I am married but I don’t claim it. He’s a complete idiot. He tried to kill me with a bottle of alcohol. He’s a junkie and left me for a much younger woman.” Kujath grew up in Florence, went to high school in Waterloo and turned 40 this year. She has six children, two sisters, a mother, a grandmother and a full extended family in Florence. Her children have families of their own, and her sister is currently serving time in a prison in Indiana. She and her best friend, Joy, usually walk to a bridge near Citgo to drink alcohol and smoke. They met through the community of people under this bridge and share their stories and lives with each other now. Drive about two miles north of Ms. Kujath and arrive at Bankhead Towers, where Maxine Waldrop has been staying for the past two years. She qualifies to live here and pays rent through her Social Security disability allowance. Bankhead Towers is located right across the street from the women’s division of the Brother Bryan’s Mission service center, where many come for their social services. Waldrop’s daughter-inlaw went through a recovery program here and now lives at an apartment with a job and a child of her own. Waldrop is 55-years-old with 15 grand children and three children. She describes the community she lives in as dangerous. “It’s a warzone in there,” Waldrop said. “Just like everything out here in the street, there are drugs, prostitution and lots of hoeing around going on in there. Just a few days ago there was a fight and a shot was fired… I used to live in a trailer park in Tinson, but I moved here because I needed cheaper housing. I use Brother Bryan’s for food and everything.” Drive two blocks down from Waldrop and look under the bridge nearest the Brother Bryan’s and Roger Williams will greet you with a smile. Williams has lived

PHOTOS BY SURABHI RAO/COMMUNITY EDITOR Roger Williams lives under a bridge in northeast Birmingham, with donations from passerbys to sustain him. BELOW: Tanya Kujath walks to Pathways, Inc. each day for basic daily amenities.

under that bridge for seven years and lives off of whatever people and passersbys contribute when he goes out onto the streets. He does not seek help in looking for a job or social services because of his poor, ineffective experiences in the past. “Shelters fill up,” Williams said. “Places fill up. I don’t seek help because they fill up, and they offer shortterm help.” Drive farther down past this bridge until Sloth’s Furnace’s large view comes into frame and arrive at Jimmie Hale Mission. This center runs completely on grants and private donations, most of which come from churches. Here, meet Robert. Robert is able to produce strikingly accurate portrait sketches in 20 minutes and studies Psychology. He is also currently a client at this institution. Robert left his family around Christmas to come to Jimmie Hale to partake in a four-month Recovery Program for the second time in seven years. He and about 150 other males are working towards a stable life here by sorting out their issues through opportunities such as chemical dependency classes and a Christian Alcoholics Anonymous 12 Step class. “A pastor recommended this program,” Robert said. “ ... I would say due to personal choices I put myself in a situation where I was not able to continue financially. I was in a place where I became suicidal… I took quite a bit of persuading by

some people who cared for me that there was something for me to live for.” Conrad Baggott, Ph.D., has been a chaplain at Jimmie Hale for five years. He was raised in an orphanage and dedicates his life to God and to the betterment of those he can help at Jimmie Hale. “I am a glorified daddy to 150 alpha males who really need a daddy,” Baggott said. “36 percent of all young people who get in trouble with drugs, sex and alcohol have an absent father from the home. 75 percent of children who get into trouble with this have an emotionally absent father who is

in the home… The average guy here used his first joint at 13. Their brains freeze in time, and they react like 13-year-olds. That’s the level of emotion at this place… You need to hammer substance abuse in your article. That’s the problem.” Kujath, Roger, Waldrop and Robert all look for and require different services from the city and people of Birmingham to make it. The various shelters and funding towards the homeless of Birmingham have made different impacts on their lives to an enormous varying degree. With such a wide range of services and clients across

Birmingham, Point In Time is a project that works to conduct a one-day census to monitor the demographics and statistics each year. 1000 volunteers coordinate this event to report these numbers to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This data can provide information about the trends and various gaps in services. Organizations such as One Roof that receive federal funding partake in this project. One Roof is not a direct service provider in the way that some shelters are. Clients call in, and One Roof offers help through education, advocacy and coordination of social services. There is a lack of 95,000 units of affordable housing in the Birmingham area, which implies that housing is too high compared to the minimum wage. 635 people are experiencing chronic homelessness, most between the ages of 45 and 61, and 504 of whom are African American. On any given night, 540 people seek emergency shelter and 467 seek transitional shelter and 34 require a safe haven. “People can be one flat tire away from losing it all,” Gordon Sullivan, operations coordinator at One Roof said. “Still, the census tells us that between 2005 and 2016, our community partners have reduced homelessness by nearly half.” Surabhi Rao can be reached at surrao@uab.edu and on Twitter @Cityrao17.

January 31, 2017

The Kaleidoscope

Page 5 |Community

CITY COUNCIL

Endangered building breathes new life into Ensley Mayor plans for $40M to Ramsay-McCormack building to bring prosperity to surrounding areas Surabhi Rao Community Editor Spectators filled the Birmingham City Council meeting room to the brim on Tuesday Jan. 24, requiring attendees to bring in extra chairs. The cause: Mayor William Bell invited 30 blue-collar workers to attend his first meeting in the previous three weeks. During the beginning of the openfloor discussion, workers from the City of Birmingham Public Works were called to the front. These individuals specificwwally work for surrounding areas that include Linn Park PHOTO BY IAN KEEL/ PHOTO EDITOR and Kelly Plans to revitalize Ensley through rennovations of Ramsay-McCormack Ingram building and its surrounding area are projected to cost $40 million. Park.

“I know you all are behind the scenes, and no one stops you on the street to say ‘Thank you,’ for your work… To me, ya’ll are the ones that make this city,” Councilor Valerie Abbott of District 3 said. “All the people that work for the city that never get any recognition… You’re the ones who make the city what it is, so thank you.” Bell introduced the idea of revitalizing the Ramsay-McCormack building, located in Ensley. Councilor James Roberson of District 7 proposed a resolution to use $40 million toward this goal. Originally built in 1929, the Ramsay-McCormack building spans ten stories and has been vacant since 1986. Its presence in a neglected area provided the ammunition for the idea to renovate. “Mayor Bell came to us with an announcement for a project to revitalize and renovate [a] very historic building in the Ensley community,” Roberson said. “This building will serve as our Public Safety Center, which will consist of our Birmingham Police Department, fire department and municipal court system. This is a public-private partnership in which new development would also take place on-sight outside of the restoration. Really give a shot in the arm of a part of the city that really hasn’t had much attention in many years.” Roberson described these plans as an effort to produce a positive domino ef-

fect in the area by decreasing crime and increasing employment opportunities. Roberson declined to provide the name of the private entity partnering with the city to pursue this project as of now. Councilor Marcus Lundy of District 9 described the unanimous passing of the resolution as nothing more than a gesture of support for the mayor. He saw this resolution as the first step of many. “We have yet to see a plan,” Lundy said. “There’s no one in city hall that wants to see the Ramsay-McCormack [building] renovated more than me. So I’ll support anything but I’ll support a plan first and foremost. I’m waiting on a plan and I think Judge Graffeo and the folks of Ensley are waiting on a plan.” Jefferson County Circuit Judge Michael Graffeo has ruled that by Feb. 10, this building must be fixed or demolished. “I hope we have our stuff together because I support the idea of the Ramsay-McCormack [building], but the mayor has yet to give the council or this councilor any plan,” Lundy said. Most of the meeting’s other ordinances and resolutions focused on construction in the city. Sixty three items of consent, which are those that the council considers non-controversial, were passed within the first 30 minutes of the meeting. No detailed discussions were needed on these. Surabhi Rao can be reached at surrao@uab.edu and on Twitter @Cityrao17.

BIRMINGHAM OFFICIALS

Raising the gavel: A local judges’ rise to civil office Michael Graffeo shares his story en route to bench Wallace Golding Community Reporter Judge Michael Graffeo spends his days in the offices and courtrooms lining the marble-walled corridors of the Jefferson County Courthouse as a part of Alabama’s tenth Judicial Circuit. As a child of two blue-collar workers, Graffeo was raised in a small community in Ensley. He graduated from John Carroll Catholic High School in 1970. “John Carroll was a tremendous experience for me,” Graffeo said. “Growing up in an Italian-American community, that diversity at John Carroll gave me the best of both worlds. Graffeo, a UAB alumnus and an initial member of the UAB National Alumni Society Board of Directors, graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1979. From 1984 until he assumed the bench in January 2007, he practiced law on his own. Last week marked his tenth anniversary of serving as a judge. During his time at UAB, Graffeo worked as a mail carrier as a means to pay for his education as a full-time student. “At that time, UAB was on a quarter system,” Graffeo said. “I would carry mail until 2 p.m. or 3 p.m. and go to class from 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. until 8 p.m., four nights a week.” Early in his career, Graffeo never really saw himself being on the side of the bench that he is now. “I think some of my friends were taking bets on if I’d even pass the bar [exam], but all I ever wanted to do was practice law as a general practitioner and get into politics,” Graffeo said. “I was fortunate enough, or unfortunate sometimes, to have done both.” In 2006, Graffeo decided to

PHOTO BY WALLACE GOLDING/ COMMUNITY REPORTER Judge Michael Graffeo serves in the tenth Judicial Circuit of Alabama.

run for a judgeship. For him, it all just happened to occur at the right time. “Not to be cliché, but the clouds and the stars aligned,” Graffeo said. “There was an open judgeship hearing only civil matters, which was what my practice was in, and at the time, I thought about it and realized the importance of the position. More every day I realize how important it is.” The goal of the job itself is relatively simple in Graffeo’s eyes, and he strives to ensure that the word of the law is upheld regardless of the situation. “My job is to apply the law in a fair and even manner regardless of what I think about it,” Graffeo said. “I think we have a horrible [state] Constitution, but I have sworn to uphold it and I will uphold it.” Even though he has served a large portion of his career in government, even serving a stint as a city councilman from 1987 to 1989, Graffeo is not unaware of the problems within the system. He speaks to many different issues, but the one he he is most passionate about is the lack of funding allocated to the courts. He believes that it is the state’s unwillingness to tax that is at the root of this issue. “The [state] legislature does not adequately fund the Alabama judicial system,” Graffeo said. “I’m a citizen and a homeowner, where my kids are all

grown and [have] gone through the schools and, even though I don’t have any school-aged children, I’m willing to pay another tenth of a percent on taxes. The problem is that that’s almost unheard of here.” Graffeo has championed allowing law students to gain experience while still in school, offering summer clerkships to law students at Samford University and the University of Alabama. This commitment earned him the Judge Drayton N. James Award in 2009, which is awarded annually to judges that consistently mentor young lawyers. He is also involved with We the People Alabama, an organization that promotes civic competence and responsibility in Alabama’s elementary and secondary schools, and the Birmingham AIDS Outreach. Graffeo, a 38-year veteran of the legal profession, provided a message for those who aspire to be public servants someday. He believes that it is up to each individual to make the world what they want it to be. “It’s not going to get any better unless you get involved,” Graffeo said. “You want to keep the good things, get involved. You want to fix the bad things, get involved.” Wallace Golding can be reached at wsgoldin@uab.edu and on Twitter @WGolding_4.

Humans of Birmingham

“I’m a disabled veteran. I left for Afghanistan in 2008 and came back in 2009 after two tours. I was in Kabul, Afghanistan. [After the accident] my nerves grew an inch a month. They fused. They finally found a doctor in Houston who fixed it so that one tendon controls my whole hand now. All the fingers do work now, but at first my arm just dangled. The best doctor in the world, a tenured professor at Baylor and a doctor from Israel performed the surgery in May of 2011. It’s been a blessing for me and it has been humbling to see the world from a different set of eyes. That is my armor, not chinks in my armor... I’m headed to Jackson to visit my family and coming from Florida. I take $2000 a month from the VA to walk America to keep me humble and learn. I don’t drink or do drugs. I travel to see the country and learn what’s good about it and what’s not good about it. The moral fabric of this country is in disarray. Where I grew up, there was always time to have dinner and sit together at the table. Now you see neither mothers or fathers together, and children are not happy. Hopefully, when this part of my journey is over, I will speak to small or large crowds on it...In my opinion, the closer you are to death, the closer you are to life. Even Nostradamus would take chemicals to get as close to death as possible.”

-Robert Murphy, veteran and traveler

opinion Spring 2017 Chandler Jones Editor-in-Chief editor@insideuab.com

Tessa Case Managing Editor managing@insideuab.com

Kristina Balciunaite Campus Editor campus@insideuab.com

Surabhi Rao Community Editor community @insideuab.com

Jack Ryan Sports Editor sports@insideuab.com

Jason Grover Life and Style Editor features@insideuab.com

Ian Keel Photo Editor photos@insideuab.com

Tamara Imam Branding and Outreach Manager online@insideuab.com

Chris St. John Head Opinions Columnist cstjohn@uab.edu

Anthony Roney Campus Reporter roney16@uab.edu

Wallace Golding Community Reporter wsgoldin@uab.edu

Trinity Dix Sports Reporter tri915@uab.edu

Connor Gentry Sports Reporter

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Education’s logical fallacy

Brian Steele Professor in the Department of History

Chris St. John Head Opinions Columnist

he recent confirmation hearings for Betsy DeVos, President Donald Trump’s pick for Secretary of Education, have people talking about the role of the federal Department of Education, which in my, and other conservatives, minds should be either eliminated or downsized. Really, there is no authority in the Constitution for the federal government to be involved in education, according to the 10th amendment. That amendment states that those powers not mentioned in the Constitution are reserved for the states. If my son and I have a problem with a teacher, I would file a complaint with the principal. If that didn’t work, I would take my grievance to the county and, finally, to the state level, but it would never go past the Alabama State Department of Education. If I file a suit in federal court against a school, after judgement is rendered, the judge would have the FBI carry out the judgement. The ED deals with grants, policy and funding. When bringing up the ED, people bring up student loans. However, if the ED is removed then Pell Grants can be transferred to the Federal Department of Treasury. Student loans are not given out by the government, they are loans given by private banks and backed by the government. Banks loan the money to the school in your name and the government guarantees that you’ll pay it back. Every student should remember signing their soul away when they signed the loan agreement, the long one that states the government will pay the loans back if the student can’t, and then they’ll come after you. This means possibly taking your car, house, furniture or garnishing your wages and your income tax and, maybe, even take your first born. “There is no evidence that quality of education has improved,” Ron Paul, former U.S. Representative for Texas, said in his book “Liberty Defined.” “There is evidence that more people go to college,

Pierce Edwards

Sufia Alam Online Reporter sufia@uab.edu

Connor McDonald Opinion Columnist theconmcdon@uab.edu

Marie Sutton Advisor masutton@uab.edu

Patrick Johnson Production Manager plj3@uab.edu The Kaleidoscope functions as a memeber of UAB Student Media in association with UABTV, BlazeRadio and Aura. Website: uab.edu/studentmedia/ kaleidoscope Twitter @UABkscope Facebook facebook.com/uabkscope/ Instagram instagram.com/ uabkscope/ The Kaleidoscope is produced in the office of UAB Student Media. Suite 130 Hill Student Center 1400 University Blvd. Birmingham, 35233 (205) 934-3354

and that the cost has skyrocketed.” People argue that you have to have student loans because college is so expensive, but ask yourself: why is school so expensive? These government-backed loans are the reason. Banks know they will get their money back from either the student or the government, and they lend the money to people they normally wouldn’t. Thus, schools can charge an extreme amount of money because they know you can afford it thanks to these government-backed loans. Without these student loans, universities would have to act like the businesses they are and compete for attendance and money. The one that offers the most with the least expense to the purchaser will get the business. Perhaps some young people would go to work first, then get an education to further themselves in that field as opposed to joining the large group of people who get degrees they don’t use or end up regretting. Some believe that education reform should try to equalize the states. We have seen this doesn’t work with the No Child Left Behind, and former President Barack Obama’s Every Student Success Act (ESSA). The book “Freakonomics,” written by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, proved that teachers were cheating for their students in Chicago. Federal money is given based on tests and graduation rates and this disbursement incentivized them to make sure their students passed, no matter what. We have been told that education is the way out. Now, obviously, I am in school getting an education, trying to improve myself, using a Pell Grant and student loans, with the intent of going to law school and finding work. I understand the idea of the ED sounds wonderful, and, yes, our education system needs help. However, my question is always the same: why do you think the government is the answer? Let’s get the government out of our schools and give it back to the people.

ic issues in impoverished communities. The ED prevents this by ensuring poorer districts do not fall too far behind affluent districts, but with its dissolution, this would be left to the states. A lack of national education standards plus a lack of economic equality among neighboring communities would almost certainly harm the poor. This combination could lead to an extreme loss of social mobility for the members of these communities. If you are one of the many who believe the ED should be abolished, let me ask you this: Do you trust the state of Alabama with providing you the best education? You may argue that education in Alabama is already almost entirely ran by the state and is generally fine, but the standards in Alabama were set by the ED. Without them, do you think Alabama would have kept up with the rest of the nation? Is Alabama even keeping up with the rest of the nation seeing as we have the 49th worst education system in America? One look at any of the three branches of state government should quickly answer that question for you.

ormer Secretary of State Madeline Albright recently announced her intention to “register as Muslim” if President Donald Trump pursues any executive action or if the Republicans in Congress pass a law to force Muslims to register in a database, something Trump insisted he would endorse during the campaign. Of course, we all ought to so register if any such law passes. But, I think it’s important that we all understand that such a bill or executive order would be so nakedly unconstitutional and such a blatant violation of all our values and traditions that we couldn’t even call ourselves American anymore if it passed. I also happen to believe that the courts would strike such a law down immediately. That said, it’s apparently time for a civics lesson. Perhaps the greatest thing about the United States is freedom of conscience, embodied in the First Amendment to the Constitution (inspired by the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom), which means that our religious convictions and practices have no implications for our civil rights. Or, to put it another way, our civic and political rights are not in any way affected — neither abridged nor enhanced — by what we believe about God or whether we choose to affiliate with a particular church, sect or faith community. This is not a small matter. It is precisely why we don’t kill each other in the streets over our religious differences: because they have no political consequences whatsoever. It doesn’t mean that we agree with each other about matters of faith. But it does mean that we have the civic space to persuade each other, and be persuaded in turn. It means that we never have to choose between our conscience and our patriotism. Unlike many countries in the world that distribute and vary rights on the basis of ethnic, racial or religious characteristics, the United States practices civic nationalism; our rights as citizens are rooted in our citizenship itself. What unites us is our adherence to basic civic values rooted in our Constitution, one of the most fundamental of which is religious freedom. So when Trump vows to register Muslims, all our traditions and laws shout against it. What our laws and traditions see is not Muslims and Christians and agnostics and atheists and Hindus and Jews; our laws and traditions see American citizens enjoying that most American of rights: freedom of conscience. We ought to thank God that we live in a country where this is so; it is not so everywhere and has not been so for most of human history. And where there is no freedom of conscience, there is dissension, violence and war over religion. So, yes, by all means let us all register as Muslim if it comes to that. But before it does, let us fight against any hint of such a registry and denounce it as the deepest kind of violation of all our values and traditions — not to mention our Constitution — as long as there is a United States of America. For without freedom of conscience there might be a United States, but there will no longer be an America. One final note: when Thomas Jefferson wrote the bill for religious freedom and James Madison guided it through the Virginia legislature, its most enthusiastic supporters were evangelical Christians, especially Baptists, whose liberty to practice their faith and to pursue their religious convictions was hampered by the Episcopal establishment. All evangelicals, as the first beneficiaries of freedom of conscience, should, in solidarity with any whose religious liberty is threatened, insist that their senators and representatives reject any move that even remotely bears any resemblance to this suggestion of a registry, and they should march in the streets against it, and go to jail to defend freedom of conscience. Because freedom of conscience is America.

Connor McDonald can be reached at conmcdon@uab.edu

Professor Brian Steele can be reached at bdsteele@uab.edu.

Chris St. John can be reached at cstjohn@uab.edu and on Twitter at @cstjohn416

Education misinformation Connor McDonald Opinion Columnist

xander93@uab.edu

January 17, 2017

OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS

gcgentry@uab.edu

Life and Style Writer

Page 6

he Department of Education has been a long-time adversary of conservatives. Prominent Republicans have been calling for its abolition since it was established by President Jimmy Carter in 1979. Now, with a fully-controlled Republican federal government and the impending confirmation of Betsy DeVos, President Donald Trump’s pick for Secretary of Education, we may soon see its dissolution. The thought process behind its abolition is easy enough to understand. Control of education is mostly given to the states already, so many believe that a federal department is simply wasteful and represents the overreaching hand of government. That said, I would argue that the functions of the ED are critical to equality in American education both socially and fiscally. Primarily, the ED is responsible for the management of federal student aid in the forms of grants and loans. The ED is also key in enforcing civil rights and preventing discrimination in schools. Before the ED was established, girls were commonly not allowed to play sports, and racial discrimination ran rampant. The ED also ensures equal

access to education for the disabled through enforcement of regulations such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. If you’ve payed attention to American history, the states have proven that they cannot be trusted to enforce equality within their schools, so federal oversight is one of the only ways to prevent this. The creation of minimum national school standards is also one of the most important functions of the ED. Along with that, the ED is responsible for collecting consistent data of education performance across the entire nation. If the states were to set these on their own, inconsistencies within different curricula and the methods for collecting data would soon become apparent. Without these standards, school systems from state-to-state would begin to drift apart academically. This could lead to issues where students from a state like Alabama, through no fault of their own, are far behind students from a state like Massachusetts, the leading state in education according to Forbes. This is especially important to consider when you think of college-aged students discovering that they’re a couple years behind where their peers are. In addition, this could lead to even worse system-

sports

Page 7 January 31, 2017

BASKETBALL

Darling leads team to honoary triumph Blazers snag win to bring Blaze a prize on his 21st birthday Trinity Dix Sports Reporter

PHOTO BY IAN KEEL/PHOTO EDITOR UAB and Louisiana Tech University players scuffle Thursday evening at Bartow Arena resulting in players from both teams being ejected from the game.

Ready to rumble UAB bench-clearing scuffle overshadows Blazer victory as ten players left to finish the game Connor Gentry Sports Reporter It may have been a brisk evening outside the friendly confines of UAB’s Bartow Arena, but tempers flared in Thursday night’s UAB Men’s Basketball game against Conference USA rival Louisiana Tech. The first 34 minutes of the contest played as one would expect, but at the six-minute mark, a shooting foul caused a bench-clearing brawl. When the clock struck 6:03, a fight erupted among the two teams. Chris Cokley was fouled while attempting a layup, and UAB’s Hakeem Baxter and Louisiana Tech’s Jacobi Boykins attempted to exchange blows. Baxter and Boykin were both ejected for instigating the fight while all players, coaches and staff members who left the bench were ejected, in accordance with NCAA rules. The game ended with La Tech only having four players on the court, while the Blazers had six. When the final buzzer sounded, UAB emerged victorious with a score of 79-70. “I thought it was a very unfortunate ending to a really good 34 minutes of basketball,” UAB Head Coach Rob Ehsan said. “It

was two of the better teams in Conference USA. I think it’s not a fair representation of our program or [La Tech Head] Coach Konkol’s program in the melee that happened at the end.” As a result of the altercation, Baxter and Boykins were suspended from play in their respective games on Saturday, Jan. 28. No other suspensions were handed down from C-USA. “We have the utmost respect for Louisiana Tech and we apologize for what ensued tonight,” UAB Athletic Director Mark Ingram said in a statement on Twitter after the game. “This is not a representation of either university.” The Blazers started the game with a 7-0 scoring run. La Tech attempted 67 shots throughout the course of the game and were only able to connect on 29 of them for a percentage of 43.3. The most telling statistic for the Bulldogs’ cold-shooting was their 3-point percentage. As a team, they attempted 24 threes while only sinking five of them, shooting at 20.8 percent. The Bulldogs were led by forward Erik McCree, who tallied 16 points and 13 rebounds for the double-double. However, the Blazers harassed McCree defensively for the entirety of the

game, causing the Conference Player of the Year hopeful to commit four turnovers. UAB attempted 58 shots and was able to connect on 29 of them for an even 50 percent. The Blazers were successful from beyond the arc, sinking eight of their 18 attempts for 44.4 percent. Dirk Williams led the team in points with 17 and William Lee boasted 13 points, ten rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks in 33 minutes of playing time. Denzell Watts led the team in 3-point shooting percentage, making three of his four attempts. “From a basketball standpoint, I thought for 34 minutes, we didn’t play great the whole time but we made some big run; we made some big shots; we played confident [and] were able to build a sizable lead down the stretch,” Ehsan said. “ When [Louisiana Tech] went to that zone [defense], I thought Denzell made some big shots. He makes three threes, [Williams] makes one from the corner in that 1-3-1 [zone defense]. I thought that extended our lead. Connor Gentry can be reached at zcgentry@uab.edu and on Twitter @zcgentry.

INTRAMURAL EVENTS

Students jump into competitive sports UAB to offer six activity opportunities for spring semester Jack Ryan Sports Editor The importance of the UAB Campus Recreation Center cannot be understated to students who want to play sports, but may not be a scholar-shipped student athlete. The recreation center houses the operations for the hub of intramural sports. Both basketball and indoor soccer started their seasons all ready. All team sports play Monday-Thursday night and students have the option of the day they want to play on when they register for their sport. When registering, students can sign up with a full team or sign up using a free agency option. Assistant Director of Competitive Sports and Camps Stacey Pettigrew said students should not worry about the competitive level of all sports. “For most of our sports it is an open division for competitiveness,” Pettigrew said. “We see participants

at all skill levels. Some people are just learning the sport while others played in high school and are still pretty competitive with it. We don’t have any requirements on our end so anyone can sign up for any sports.” The season for each sport last about four to five weeks. Teams play in a round-robin style where they face other teams at least once. At the end of the season, there is a tournament to decide the winner for that year. To equal out fairness, rankings are determined by the wins and losses in a season and a sportsmanship score. “We require sportsmanship ratings for every game,” Pettigrew said. “Teams need to make sure they are showing good sportsmanship to each other and the staff. If you don’t keep a good sportsmanship rating by the time the post season comes, you can be left out. We also have mercy rules for all sports if a game gets to an extreme situation. We do not want anyone to get hurt.” People often have questions concerning injury while playing sports. Pettigrew said everyone on staff is trained to deal with injuries and they have their own athletic trainer to assess situations that might need

more attention. “Anytime someone is injured, we stop the game and make sure our staff take care of any immediate needs,” Pettigrew said. “If it is not life threatening, we remove them from the game and our sight coordinators take over while officials resume the game. We have medicine kits at all sites. If someone needs the athletic trainer they encourage the student to follow up with the athletic trainer for rehabilitation.” Pettigrew encouraged anyone on the fence to get in and join a team. She said it is good for making new friends and learning new activities. “I encourage people to look at the free agent option,” Pettigrew said. “It’s a great way to meet people and get involved on campus. You get that competitive edge and can face good competition. It’s also super fun.” Four more sports take place this semester. To check the schedule of events, visit uab.edu/students/ campusrecreation. To register for leagues, visit imleagues.com. Jack Ryan can be reached at sports@insideuab.com and on Twitter @kscope_sports.

UAB’s mascot, Blaze, turned 21 on Saturday, Jan. 28, and the UAB Men’s Basketball Team presented him with a gift: a win against the University of Southern Mississippi’s Golden Eagles in UAB’s ninth Conference-USA game of the season. UAB won the game by 44 points, 87-43, over Southern Miss. The 44-point margin was the largest margin of victory by UAB against a conference opponent in their 37year history of playing Division-I basketball. This win brings the Blazers’ C-USA record to 7-2 and their overall record to 14-8. With La Tech and Marshall losing their games, the Blazers jumped from fourth place to second place in C-USA. Even with senior guard Hakeem Baxter’s suspension following an altercation during Thursday’s game against Louisiana Tech, the Blazers had a hot start in the first half. After senior guard Tosin Mehinti’s four points in the paint, the game swung in UAB’s favor as they took the lead by two points at the 15-minute mark. The pace quickened at the 12-minute mark. With freshman guard Nate Darling’s 3-pointer and a turnover by Southern Miss, UAB left the Golden Eagles behind. By the end of the first half, the Blazers led by 26 points. “I think that [full-court] press, since Conference has started, has gotten much better,” UAB Men’s Basketball Head Coach Rob Ehsan said. “I think it’s just as the games [have] gone by, we’ve gotten comfortable in that press. We’re starting to do a couple of little things out of it that, I think, in different games, based on personnel [and] schemes, have really bothered some people. I thought today it really bothered them. Part of it is [they are] without Price, their point guard, who’s kind of been hurt on and off. We thought that could be an advantage for us. The two ten-second calls and the turnovers, it got them out of sorts, I thought.” The second half began cold for UAB, with Southern Miss attempting to play catch up. Freshman guard Javien Williams brought the heat back with his slam dunk. The Blazers continued to leave the Golden Eagles in the dust with a 30-point lead. Darling took all the opportunities he could get to score points for UAB. Confident in his shooting, Darling scored 18 of his 20 points from his 3-pointers. Overall, he scored his career-best record of 20 points. “The thing is [that] Nate has played this good in practice,” Ehsan said. “You guys just don’t see it. He has really played this well consistently in practice. I think, from the coaching staff, we have just kind of been waiting for this to come out. Tonight, due to our circumstance, he got more minutes, got more opportunities and he took advantage of it. I’m hoping this can carry on into the future.” With Darling, Williams scored in double figures. Before the end of the game, the Blazers left the Golden Eagles trailing by at least 30 points. UAB men’s basketball will play away on Feb. 2 at the University of Texas at El Paso. Their game tips at 9 p.m. Trinity Dix can be reached at tri915@uab.edu.

Page 8 | Sports

The Kaleidoscope

January 31, 2017

FROM THE DESK OF: SPORTS EDITOR

UAB Football rises from the ashes to play football in Fall. We can see it with our own eyes. There is a full schedule of games out, a new facility On Dec. 2, 2014, I stood being built and a brand new outside of the UAB Football team. facility with other students After the program was and a small pep band. A hush shut down, many players ran over the crowd as a stuwere scattered all over the dent read an email sent from country including Indiana, President Ray Watts’ Oklahoma State and office. The words were Georgia. Older players uttered with a finality. were forced to finish UAB football was dead, out their career at these and we could do nothnew homes. ing to stop it. Since then, UAB has Flash forward six had two years of some months as a press of the best recruiting Ryan conference was anSouthside has ever seen. nounced. Blazer fans huddled One of the commits from this around televisions everywhere year, Thomas Johnston, is hoping for good news. Watts the highest-rated recruit UAB announced UAB was taking has landed in its history. UAB steps to reinstate the football has picked up a majority of program. I am not going to recruits from junior college lie, I shed tears as I saw some- transfers as UAB Football thing I helped fight for come Head Coach Bill Clark said back to life. he wanted more experience Just last week, UAB anthis first year back to lead the nounced its 2017 schedule, team. and it’s finally happening. Let’s look ahead to this UAB is returning to the field fall and see if we can get an

Jack Ryan Sports Reporter

VICIS

From Page 1

adequately protecting players and providing necessary care to combat concussions and CTE. UAB researched the design with UAB Sports Medicine Concussion Clinic at Children’s of Alabama and UAB’s Vestibular and Oculomotor Research which identified markers for concussions in the brains of athletes. The UAB School of

Engineering tested the helmets in the school’s laboratory using impact dummies to simulate football players tackling each other. “We are developing new technologies to improve the health, safety and quality of life across our state, nation and world,” UAB President Ray Watts said. “Our talented faculty are pushing the envelope from science and medicine to computer design and engineering.” Kathy Nugent, the

estimate of how this team might fair: UAB will make history on Sept. 2, as they step foot on the turf back at Legion Field as one of the only programs to ever come back from the dead. UAB hosts six home games against Alabama A&M University, Coastal Carolina University, Louisiana Tech University, Middle Tennessee State University, Rice University and University of Texas-El Paso. The Blazers will also play six road games against Ball State University, University of North Texas, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, University of Southern Mississippi, University of Texas San Antonio and University of Florida. Six of the twelve games UAB scheduled are against teams who played in a bowl game last season. The combined record of teams UAB scheduled from last season was 73-77. While that may not sound so impressive, UAB will be traveling to South

executive director for UAB’s Bill L. Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, talked about the technology used in this helmet. She said past helmets were designed and developed to prevent skull fractures. The new helmet, dubbed ZERO1, had an impact-reducing layer that responded to a hit by spreading the force across the helmet much like a car would in a wreck. “It is important to develop new technolo-

Eastern Conference powerhouse, University of Florida. They also play Louisiana Tech University who won the Western Division of Conference USA and beat Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl. This will not be a cakewalk season to get back into football on, but I have no doubt that Clark and the players are hungry to get going. Speaking of Clark, Birmingham owes him a big debt of gratitude. In his first season, he turned a 2-10 team into a 6-6 team. He then went through facing the crying and angry faces of his players as he watched his team be dismantled and spread across the country. He could have left many times but he stayed in Birmingham and has now been rewarded with new facilities, and the potential to have the best season in UAB history. He has said many times he feels at home here and he loves this city. He is doing this

gies to keep our athletes safer,” Nugent said. “From day one, the team has been working to make a helmet based on science and engineering. They have been busy working to make new helmet materials that are designed to help impact reduction so that the athlete is exposed to less risk of brain injury.” VICIS CEO Dave Marver said they are launching the helmet during college football spring practice and NFL

for you, Birmingham. Realistically, UAB could find itself bowl eligible again this year. Alabama A&M and Ball State both had down years, and UAB dominated A&M in 2014. UAB could start 2-0 with a potential for a 3-0 start. Coastal Carolina is moving up to Division I-A football this year after a 10-2 season in the FCS level, but it’s hard to say how that translates. The hardest game comes in the back half of the season as UAB travels to Florida. It would be some kind of David and Goliath moment if UAB pulled this upset off. You never know, early season confidence could build up to this game and help propel UAB to victory. I hope to see everyone pack Legion Field on Sept. 2 as UAB makes the return and I can finally hear David Crane yell “touchdown Blazers.” Jack Ryan can be reached at sports@insideuab.com and on Twitter @kscope_sports

offseason training. He said they are partnering with UAB to help make the sport safe so young kids can be encouraged to participate. “We are so pleased [and] look[ing] forward to this relationship with UAB,” Marver said. “Together, with UAB, we are going to develop some real innovations and breakthroughs in helmet technology.” Tony Dorsett, a running back for the Dallas Cowboys from 19771987 and the Denver

Broncos in 1988, was on hand to speak about the breakthrough in technology. Dorsett shared his experiences of living with CTE. He said he was very impressed with helmet’s design and safety features. While the new helmet can be seen this year on the field, it will continue to be tested for further safety. Jack Ryan can be reached at sports@insideuab.com and on Twitter @kscope_sports.

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Life and Style

Page 9 January 31, 2017

AURA LITERARY ARTS MAGAZINE

Artist Spotlight

ichelle Nguyen is phy five years ago when she a senior studying bought her first camera, an neuroscience and old Nikon D60. She started biology. Acoff with cording to her landscape description in photography the Fall 2016 and eventuAura, she is an ally moved aspiring phyto portraits. sician and a “Phofull-time book tography worm. In her continues to free time, she be a passion enjoys hiking, of mine,” perusing cat Nguyen said. gifs, writing “Although poetry and I want it to taking photos. remain a “Beautiful hobby and things get me not a job, so feelin’ some of I don’t take — Michelle Nguyen way,” Nguyen commissaid. “As an sioned artist, I try to work.” capture this feeling.” Nguyen said she became interested in photogra-

“

Beautiful things get me feelin’ some type of way. As an artist, I try to capture this feeling.

PHOTOS COURESY OF MICHELLE NGUYEN “Wish You Away” is a snapshot from the 2016 Japanese Lantern Ceremony for World Peace in Berkeley, California. Participants decorated lantern shades and released them onto the lake at sunset. BELOW: “Summer Blooms” is a photo of the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge, as seen from Fort Point. Pretty weeds with a backdrop of the bridge on a typical overcast day. LEFT: Nguyen wears a raincoat for a portrait.

Style profile Name: Myia Smiley Year: Sophomore Major: Political Science Shop this look: Smiley wears a green peacoat from Old Navy with white flares from Express over open-toed Jessica Simpson wedges

Style Inspiration: Smiley said her main inspiration is her mother, a native New Yorker, who Smiley said dressed her well from birth. Smiley doesn’t have a favorite store or designer, but prefers to mix and match looks to create something new

Bring us your: Plastic bottles Aluminum cans Paper & Flat Cardboard *No Liquids or Foods* Learn more about our mission at www.uab.edu/recycle.

Page 10 |Section

The Kaleidoscope

January 31, 2017

ALYS ROBINSON STEPHENS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Guitarist seeks Unity with music Ian Keel Photo Editor

usic enthusiasts had the opportunity to witness an intimate performance on the evening of Sunday, Jan. 29 featuring Jazz guitarist Pat Metheny. From millennials to baby boomers, attendees rushed to their seats as the lights dimmed in preparation for “An Evening with Pat Metheny” with featured musicians Antonio Sanchez, Linda Oh and Gwilym Simcock at the Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center. Announcers instructed the audience to refrain from taking photographs and prohibited cell phone use throughout the performance. Instead, they advised attendees to simply live in the moment and enjoy the performance. Metheny emerged looking reminiscent to a mad scientist with wild fuzzy hair donned in a striped white and grey t-shirt. Metheny took a seat center stage. A stagehand promptly appeared wielding a Pikasso 42-string guitar to hand to the seated virtuoso. Metheny opened with a solo performance, after which he was joined by drummer Sanchez, pianist Simcock and bassist Oh. Metheny’s style can be described as jazz with

PHOTO BY IAN KEEL / PHOTO EDITOR Jazz guitarist Pat Metheny performed at the Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center on January 29, 2017.

an extremely experimental influence. Often, people call music genres they don’t recognize as “jazz,” but Metheny takes this genre to the next level. Throughout the night, he cycled through an arsenal of guitars, including his famed Roland G-303 MIDI guitar synthesizer. He uses this guitar to trigger synthesized samples such as a saw wave, instead of a traditional guitar tone.

Musical instrument digital interface, or MIDI, uses different audible notes to trigger corresponding audio samples, which are usually in the same pitch as the origin note. MIDI controllers were introduced in the 80s using a standard keyboard layout, but have since been incorporated into a guitar layout. Metheny has developed this technique for years to add an experimental element

to his music. The band played for 45 minutes before Metheny introduced the members. In lieu of the setlist, Metheny said, “We just played a whole bunch of tunes. We hope you liked ‘em, and we’re just gonna keep right on going.” The entire show was encapsulating, especially with the restrictions on cellphone and camera use. Without their phones, people were

more engaged in the performance, experiencing the music instead of documenting their attendance. Metheny ended the two and a half hour set with a series of duets with each member of the band. The full ensemble returned for a final song before an encore in which Metheny performed a medley of familiar yet improvised tunes. as he ran backstage, the satisfied

crowd stood and headed for the door, only to be stopped by the full band returning once more for a double encore. The band is touring in support of Metheny’s 2016 album “The Unity Sessions.” They are scheduled to play Wednesday Feb. 1 at the Mahaffey Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Fla. Ian Keel can be reached at photos@insideuab.com or on Twitter at @ian_nathaniel.

January 31, 2017

The Kaleidoscope

Page 11

Session

From Page 1

especially from Democrats, for his purportedly racist tendencies. He has been accused of voter discrimination and condemning the rights of African-Americans. Additionally, he has been described as an outspoken opponent of Civil Rights activists and as harboring compassion for the KKK. These allegations led to a bombardment of questions during his congressional hearings. “These are damnably false charges,” Sessions said in his testimony. “I abhor the Klan and what it represents and its hateful ideology.” Sessions has also been accused of calling the NAACP and the ACLU “un-American” and “Communist-inspired,” according to CNN’s online news report. Senator Cory Booker, D-N.J., broke tradition when he testified against Sessions’ nomination on day two of the congressional hearings. Booker admitted that it is, in part, because of Alabama’s role in the Civil Rights Movement that he is able to serve as a senator. “I am literally sitting here because of people – marchers in [Selma,] Alabama and volunteer lawyers in New Jersey – who saw it as their affirmative duty to pursue justice,” Booker said in his testimony. However, he is not convinced of the Alabama senator’s ability to perform the duties of the office. “Senator Sessions has not demonstrated a commitment to a central requirement of the job – to aggressively pursue the congressional mandate of civil rights, equal rights and justice for all,” Booker said. “In fact, at numerous times in his career, he has demonstrated a hostility toward these convictions and has worked to frustrate attempts to advance these ideals.” Congressman John Lewis, D-Ga., also expressed his reservations for Sessions’ nomination. Lewis testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the second day of Sessions’ hearing. “I am here today to raise questions about the nominee for attorney general, because many are concerned that [Trump’s] call for ‘law and order’ means what it meant in Alabama and other parts of the South – where the law was used to violate the rights of the most vulnerable among us,” Lewis said. Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., pressured Sessions on Trump’s ban prohibiting Muslims from entering the United States. Sessions responded by suggesting that he would not allow this to occur. “I have no belief and do not support the idea that Muslims as a religious group should be denied admission to the United States,” Sessions said. “We have great Muslim citizens. They have contributed in so many different ways, and [Americans] are great believers in religious freedom and the right of people to exercise their religious beliefs.” Despite these sweeping allegations, Sessions’ team is optimistic that the Senate will confirm his nomination in the coming weeks. “What came out of this thorough process is a simple truth: Jeff Sessions has a four-decade career in public service dedicated to upholding the rule of law, which is exactly what Americans can count on him to do after he is confirmed with a bipartisan vote as attorney general,” Sarah Flores, a member of Sessions’ press corps said in a statement to the Kaleidoscope. Just as Flores alluded, Sessions’ confirmation is seemingly imminent. Only 50 Senate votes are needed to confirm the senator, and Republicans alone hold 54 seats. Wallace Golding can be reached at wsgoldin@uab.edu and on Twitter @WGolding_4.

PHOTO BY IAN KEEL/PHOTO EDITOR Tiffany Turner and daughter, Mackenzie Turner, test a biplane flight simulator inside McWane Science Center’s new exhibit “Going Places.”

Museum From Page 1

“The Global South is a concept that is not defined by concrete geographical limits, but an idea that places that have a past that defines them have commonalities,” Al-Khudhairi said. “I thought this idea of the Global South could be an interesting way to insert the American South into a global context. And, to try to tease out these ideas using works in the [BMA’s] permanent collection felt like it could be very interesting.” The way the works are assembled tells a bigger story. Third Space captivates it audience, because it opens up dialogue for viewers to discuss what is going on in the world today. “[The exhibit is] an opportunity to challenge the way they think about the world,” Al-Khudhairi said. “In many ways, the exhibition is very much of the moment. It considers ideas that we, as a nation, are thinking about — notions of identity, representation, traditions, migration and so on. There’s a lot of what’s happening in the world today that can be reflected upon in this exhibition.” Al-Khudhairi said that she hopes that audiences will walk away excited about seeing works they have never seen before and feel challenged to think about the American South in a more global way and to see that there is a shared human experience among

places that can be geographically far away. Not only did Al-Khudhairi enjoy the process of creating the exhibit, because he was able to delve into the BMA’s permanent collection and get to know the works of art. The other local exhibit

beyond. “Visitors will learn how the technology behind different modes of transportation works and how transportation shapes our society,” Bob Levine, exhibit project manager at McWane Center, said. “The exhibition should

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[The exhibit is] an opportunity to challenge the way they think about the world. In many ways, the exhibition is very much of the moment. It considers ideas that we, as a nation, are thinking about — notions of identity, representation, traditions, migration and so on. There’s a lot of what’s happening in the world today that can be reflected upon in this exhibition. — Wassan Al-Khudhairi is McWane Center’s Going Places. This show focuses on technology and transportation, so engineers and technophiles should enjoy it. Going Places is a temporary exhibition that celebrates the technology of transportation. It explores the innovative and creative ways humans have learned to travel our planet and

also give visitors a glimpse at the future of human travel… The excitement of Going Places is in watching visitors engage in true, hands-on science learning. From piloting a real airship, riding a recumbent bike or powering a glider with solar energy, Going Places is 100 percent interactive.” Going Places targets all

ages. Levine says children could love the hands-on interactivity while adults could learn about the science and history behind transportation. Going Places centers around the Airship Arena. In it, visitors pilot real, remote-controlled airships through suspended rings. “It is very fun but surprisingly difficult,” Levine said. “It makes you appreciate the real blimp pilots flying over stadiums.” This summer, McWane plans on showcasing Design Zone, a temporary exhibit from the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. “It’s a beautifully designed exhibit that explores the way artists, architects, engineers and musicians use math and science to create amazing things,” Levine said. “The exhibit looks at what it takes to create a video games, lay down a beat as a DJ and design a roller coaster.” The Going Places exhibit and Third Space exhibit offer something for all. No matter what your choice of career or major is, visiting exhibitions is a way to get another person’s perspective on the world. Tap into your inner world while getting a peek into another person’s point of view. Try it; the abyss is not as dark as it seems. You may come away with a flash of genius or at least be inspired. Pierce Edwards can be reached at xander93@uab.edu.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM OF ART Mpangui jimagua (Twin Brothers), 2000, (Cuban, active United States, born 1959), acrylic and conté on canvas with objects, Collection of the Birmingham Museum of Art; Museum purchase with funds provided by the Collectors Circle for Contemporary Art in honor of Pauline Ireland 2000.84a-b © José Bedia

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January 31, 2017

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