February 14, 2017 Kscope

UAB’S OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER

VOLUME 57, ISSUE 5

Biker Splat rolls out on campus

Online all week: Sound Edge Festival

A student-led organization has rallied together to bridge the gap between students, faculty and the Birmingham City Council in regard to biker awareness and safety. Read more on Page 2.

Alabama Symphony Orchestra puts on a series of performances exploring the relationship between new age sound experiment and traditional composition. Read more online.

The

Kaleidoscope EDUCATION

Teaching beyond pen and paper

Spectrum of schooling: Hidden curriculum across Birmingham Surabhi Rao Community Editor Despite its recent fame for 11 of 43 failing city schools, Birmingham is filled with schools that are shipping students off to college. From uniforms to school mottos, these students emerge from

BASEBALL

Team ready to knock season out of the park

cies in education across the nation.

a system filled with various goals and ideals that change at each school, producing diverse curriculum across the city. Aside from state standards and core requirements, each school paints a different picture for adolescents to absorb, and the results of those variations can be further compared to the discrepan-

Holy Family Cristo Rey Catholic High School Dr. Griena Davis, director of Counseling Services at Holy Family Cristo Rey Catholic High School, spoke on the emphases placed on religion classes, formation classes, corporate work study program and college preparation. No student pays more than $2,000 to attend, and many are eligible for

a full-tuition scholarship if coming from a zone with a failing school. Located in the heart of Ensley, this school aims to provide the quality of private school education to those that may have disadvantaged backgrounds. The work-study program here is entry-level professional experience to prepare them for real-world job opportunities.

Educators follow standards from the state, Cristo Rey and diocese of Birmingham standards. Students

take a theology class each year and attend mass or a prayer service every Monday.

Still, not all students here are Catholic. Students are required to attend these religious events, but are not required to participate. In fact, about 85 percent of students are not even Catholic. Other faiths are represented, including Islam.

“The emphasis on religion is not the primary focus

See SCHOOLS, Page 9

VALENTINE’S DAY

Coach hopes young starters make big impact Jack Ryan Sports Editor

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n a cold, windy-afternoon in Birmingham, the UAB Baseball team stretched on J.D. Young Memorial Field in preparation for the upcoming baseball season.

UAB opens their season against Big East powerhouse Creighton University on Feb. 17 at Regions Field, home of the Birmingham Barons.

During the first half of the season, UAB will play home games at Regions before the Double-A baseball season starts in April.

“We front-load our home games now because we get Regions when the Barons aren’t there,” said UAB Men’s Baseball Head Coach Brian Shoop. “We are going to play three of our first four weekends at home so that we get to take advantage of that incredible facility. Who would not be thrilled to play in the No. 1 ranked Double-A facility in America. Our crowds are better over there. More teams want to come play.”

UAB debuts a young infield and a young lineup in general. Seventeen of the 21 hitters for UAB are sophomores or freshmen. Sophomore Carter Pharis leads the

See BASEBALL, Page 8

PHOTO BY IAN KEEL/PHOTO EDITOR Kyle Fuller, left, and his girlfriend, Kaila Wood gaze at one another atop the UBOB parking deck. They celebrate their first Valentine’s Day this year.

Love is ablaze Students celebrate all relationships on special holiday Zach Aplin Contributing Writer

V

alentine’s Day has been rumored to have started as early as 470 A.D., according to History.com.

The pagan holiday was eventually rechristened as a Saint-Day and then commercialized as one of the most celebrated days out of the year.

People love celebrating love and friendship on Valentine’s Day. However, Feb. 14 doesn’t just for

people in relationships, but as a day for everyone.

For someone following the traditional route of Valentine’s Day, going out to any fancy restaurant can

See LOVE, Page 9

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH UAB

Fuel for the next light bulb idea Innovation Depot houses 100s of B’ham startups Wallace Golding Community Reporter On First Avenue North, in the heart of Birmingham’s ever-growing arena of startup companies, sits the Innova-

tion Depot, an organization aiming to provide entrepreneurs with the competitive edge they need to attract customers, talent, mentors and funding.

The business incubator

pot encourages this sort of collaboration between city organizations and businesses.

An example of these types of partnership can be found consistently. Ice Box Coffee, which has become a Birming-

currently houses over 100 startup and young companies but has graduated many more since its foundation in 2001. Among these are nearly ten ventures led by UAB students, and the De-

See DEPOT, Page 9

INSIDE CAMPUS

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OPINIONS

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COMMUNITY

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SPORTS

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Campus DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY

Page 2 February 14, 2017

TRANSPORTATION

Darwin Day spotlights joy of science Week celebrates the biologist’s 208th birthday Sufia Alam Online Reporter UAB joined the International Darwin Day celebration of biologist Charles Darwin, whose 208th birthday was on Sunday, Feb.12. Darwin, the infamous scientist, stunned the world with his ideas on concepts such as evolution during his time in the Galapagos Islands.

A series of events was held to highlight his achievements, such as a screening of Godzilla, a science communication session, an art exhibition, along with a lecture series and a poster session.

This year’s guest speaker included NPR science correspondent, Joe Palca. Palca has received many awards for his progressesive views on scientific topics. His honors National Academics Communications Award and the Science-in-Society Award of the National Association of Science Writers.

Palca’s panel was held at the AEIVA building where he discussed the topic of the validity of science in the news.

“Science doesn't fit comfortably into the news format. News is about things that are happening today, things that are or will change people's lives, things that involve life or death. Science is incremental, occurs over long sweeps of time, and in many cases can be safely ignored.”

Palca discussed how science is not always represented in the media correctly because of its contentious and controversial findings.

A few hours after the panel, an art exhibition at Humanities Building was held. The exhibition labeled, “Several Powers” displayed many pictures and paintings themed around Darwin’s concepts of natural selection and evolution.

Students at UAB have also voiced their appreciation for the revolutionary biologist.

“I think Charles Darwin is such an important person because he in way has set the foundation of science when he introduced concepts like evolution and natural selection,” said Huzaifa Amjad, senior in chemistry. “Almost half the classes I’ve taken at UAB have always integrated his achievements into the curriculum.”

Darwin was one of the first scientists of his time to introduce an idea that contradicted many of the set beliefs that existed in all majority religions during his time.

His publication of “Origin of Species” caused him to be excluded from many social circles along with a majority of churches including the Church of England.

“I think of Darwin as possibly the most important scientist of all time, because he literally reshaped the entire structure of science with his findings,” said Samantha Bajha, senior in biology. “Every cure [to] sickness, disease or mutation discovered since then can all be tied back to him and his findings.

UAB conclueded their homage to Darwin Monday, Feb. 13. A lecture, “The Evolution of Peace and War” was held with guest speaker: David H. Dye, Ph.D., professor of archaeology from the University of Memphis.

Sufia Alam can be reached at sufia@uab.edu.

Kaleidoscope Archives Students lock up their bikes onto a rack outside of Blount Hall.

Voice for biker safety New group gears up to advocate for shared roads Anthony Roney Campus Reporter Parker Herring is a freshman at UAB but he has extensive plans for the university and its safety. Herring has created a new club for students dubbed Biker Splat whose mission is to raise awareness for biking safety on the roads of Birmingham.

“It’s the bridge between students and faculty, and students and the city council of Birmingham,” Herring said. “Biking is a very democratic idea: it’s sharing the road with cars and being a part of cars, because, legally, as bikers, we are allowed to share the road with them.”

Herring believes the bike lanes at UAB are virtually non-existent because they are either decrepit or just simply run out of room on the road.

He expressed how this can result in many accidents as well as cause a multitude of students to have anxiety about riding their bikes.

“Riding in numbers, that’s something that I believe brings awareness,” Herring said. “Having community and student bike rides that say, ‘Hey, we’re here.’”

Since UAB is one of the most important ecenomic employeers of the city, Herring believes that if the university can create a voice for biker safety then that would lead to the entire city implementing policies to advocate for biker safety.

“With Biker Splat, I hope to organize students who cycle or who potentially want to cycle, who are afraid to do so to have the courage to cycle,” Herring said. “If they’re already cycling, then to engage with other students, to engage with our city council and to write city council because that’s how policies are made, with local cause and local action.”

As Biker Splat advocates for biking at UAB, Herring also expressed that in turn, biking would advocate for political activism, healthy lifestyles and healthy behavior. In essence, Biker Splat would bring people together.

“There is tremendous potential to enhance our cycling infrastructure within UAB’s campus and throughout downtown,” said James Fowler, director of Planning Design and Construction at UAB. “We have partnered with the City of Birmingham, who owns and maintains the streets through our campus, to look at reallocating roadway space away from cars to have more space available to cyclists, pedestrians, and landscaping.”

Fowler also said that UAB is about to create more bike lanes for the university on 10th Avenue South from 8th Street to 18th Street. They also plan to build and enhance many more

crosswalks and intersections that are which is why Herring started Biker safer for bikers. Fowler said that UAB Splat in the first place. is actually in the process of designing “They could do a better job at detailed projects for these types of promoting the matter,” said Patrick projects. At the moment, the univer- Brock, an undeclared freshman. “For the amount of sity is working people I see ridwith the City of ing bikes, I feel Birmingham to like UAB has a allocate more responsibility to federal fundprovide safety to ing for projbikers.” ects concerning Brock added biker safety. that the uni“We reversity has the ceive more and capabilities to more interest spread more in bicycle inawareness about frastructure. In these kinds of addition to the subjects. bike lanes we He then are planning, referred to the you may have exposure of the already noKid Ink concert ticed the new at the beginning bike racks beof the Fall 2016 ing installed all semester and over campus,” explained if UAB Fowler said.

— Parker Herring created that kind “Those have of attention for been installed biker safety, then in partnership with Julie Price, Ph.D., manager of many more students would be aware UAB Sustainability. About 140 of the of the matter.

Whether driving your car on the new racks have been installed so far and we are adding more all the time.” road or riding your bike in the bike lane next to it, please be aware and The name “Biker Splat” was first be generous with the road. created as a joke catch phrase for Biking is indeed a democratic when Herring would quite literalact, so don’t be a tyrant and take ly almost get killed or hit by a car. as much road as you can. Biker When he took his English 102 class, he had a project that required him to Splat supports and protects these principles and will be planning on express what changes he wanted to reaching out to more students in the see on UAB’s campus. He knew that future.

Biker Splat was the perfect name to For more information about his project about what was then only Biker Splat, contact Parker Herring bike lanes. at 205-527-2044 or email him at According to Herring, in college, students begin self-governing instead bikersplat@gmail.com. of parents providing help. He said Anthony Roney can be reached students cannot afford not to band at roney16@uab.edu. together to protect what is right

“

Biking is a very democratic idea: it’s sharing the road with cars and being a part of cars, because, legally, as bikers, we are allowed to share the road with them.

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

Tessa Case Managing Editor managing@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

Kristina Balciunaite Assistant Branding and Outreach Manager

Page 3

February 14, 2017

NATIONAL POLITICS

Long ties and big lies Connor McDonald Opinions Columnist

D

onald Trump & Co. have been hard-peddling an anti-media narrative that has proven to be insanely successful and popular for the better part of a year and a half now. The success of his campaign launched him into 24/7 media surveillance and the attention of everyone in the nation. Trump has used this spotlight to his advantage by manipulating the mainstream media in such a way that they have no control over him. He takes every position, lies blatantly and dodges almost every question by diverting it to something about himself, and all of this is done seemingly without any shame.

This lack of any accountability from the ‘lamestream’ media mixed with the extreme polarization between it and conservative media has created this 1984-style situation we are in now. Both sides of the argument are incredibly dissimilar,

yet both sides claim to be true.

Terms like ‘alternative facts’ were intentionally used by the Trump team to euphemize the reality of their lies.

One of Trump’s favorite phrases is ‘fake news,’ which he uses in a way that doesn’t make any sense. When his opinion on a media organization goes sour, he begins calling them “fake news” as if his opinion delegitimizes the validity of their statements.

Trump even went as far as to say on Twitter that “any negative polls are fake news” as if that is something that any rational man or woman would also conclude.

This has started to become particularly troublesome since Trump has started labeling real media organizations as fake and illegitimate media organizations as real just because they go along with his lies. Breitbart News Network used to write about race wars, and now their former CEO, Steve Bannon, is on the National Security Coun-

cil. Trump has no regard for ethics or policy so long as you support him, and that kind of behavior is extremely worrisome.

Let’s talk about the Trump team’s greatest hits, though. In a completely called-for temper tantrum thrown by Trump about the size of his inauguration crowd, he enlisted the help of White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer to lie not once, but twice, that his inauguration was the most-attended and watched of all time. The fallout from this incident resulted in the coining of the term “alternative facts”

by Kellyanne Conway, Counselor to the U.S. President.

Also, in case it wasn’t obvious enough, none of this was necessary. No one really cared except for the Trumpster Fire himself.

In another classic “whoops, I lied on national television” moment, Trump and his team were so desperate to have a point about under-reported instances of domestic ter-

rorism that they decided to completely make up an entire slaying. The Bowling Green Massacre was so made-up that no one had ever searched the term before it was spoken by Conway on national television, according to Google Trends.

The bottom line of Trump’s severe lack of regard for the truth or reality is incredibly concerning. Trump lives a privileged life full of yes-men.

Trump pays his way out of problems.

In Trump’s world, he can afford to escape the harshness of reality. That’s not the case anymore, though. Donald Trump is the 45th President of the United States. You cannot be the most powerful man in the world and refuse to live in it. You cannot just lie and cheat your way through the presidency of the United States. It’s going to catch up with him, and it’s not going to be pretty.

Connor McDonald can be reached at conmcdon@uab.edu.

kribal@insideuab.com

Emily Cox-Oldham Assistant Photo Editor ecoxoldham@gmail.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 gcgentry@uab.edu

Sufia Alam Online Reporter sufia@uab.edu

Connor McDonald Opinions Columnist conmcdon@uab.edu

Marie Sutton Advisor masutton@uab.edu

Patrick Johnson Production Manager plj3@uab.edu

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PHOTO BY CHANDLER JONES//EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

SEXUAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Testing outside of the classroom Surabhi Rao Community Editor

I

get it. Sex education is unsexy. Still, I asked multiple students, many of whom were my good friends, about their thoughts on sexually transmitted disease testing.

They all agreed: it is necessary.

We have a social responsibility as sexually active members of the community to be screened and to decrease the spread of diseases. If so many people are ready to accept this, why is it that very few actually go through with it?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, of the 50 states, Alabama is on the top 10 list for most reported cases of chlamydia and gonorrhea.

We are in an environment where it’s completely normal to go home with someone that we meet at a bar or a

party. This is all part of the open-minded atmosphere that I, among others, are so thankful for. A stigmatized environment is not going to get us anywhere we need to be going in college.

Cultural competence is more than a practice, it is a mindset. I would like to think that at UAB, we do a pretty good job of it. Yes, we have a lot of work to do. We don’t live in Cultural Utopia, but I think that Birmingham has come a long way from where it stood during the Civil Rights Movement, and UAB has a lot of great initiatives that push the envelope towards the left. STI testing is one of them. A few weeks ago, there were free, anonymous tests offered to students on The Green. How many students took advantage of this? Not even 75. The cultural relativity that stems from Birmingham’s blue dot

hiding behind the red state of Alabama has eluded us. The knowledge of the importance of STI testing is lacking.

The CDC has released information on the prospect of gonorrhea becoming a serious fear. It won’t always be as simple as bedrest and an antibiotic medication plan. Gonorrhea could soon be immune to all antibiotics. For all intents and purposes, we can consider it to be a smart disease. It has developed resistance over time, and if this specific strain becomes more prevalent, we have an unprecedented, serious situation.

According to the American Sexual Health Association, more than half of all people will have a sexually transmitted infection at some point in their lives. Some estimates suggest that eight years from now, up to 40 percent of all men and 50 percent of all women could have genital herpes, just one of the many STI’s to concern

ourselves with.

Price is not an excuse to avoid STI testing. If you are standing at the Hill Student Center looking toward the north of Birmingham, you may have seen a brown, trapezoidal building two blocks away. That is the Jefferson County Department of Health, who offers testing and comprehensive STI testing for a nominal fee of $5, which includes the cost of medicine for certain infections.

Having control over your sexual health has many levels to it. STD testing is a conversation to have before sex, not after. Next time you hook-up with someone, think about how many people you may actually be hooking up with if that someone has not been STD tested.

Surabhi Rao can be reached at community@insideuab.com and on Twitter at @Cityrao17.

community

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February 14, 2017

CITY COUNCIL

Revitalizing B’ham Business, economy, blight take center stage at open floor Surabhi Rao Community Editor On Feb. 7, the City Council meeting room was lacking in attendance as compared to the previous week’s roaring crowd that gathered to push for the Sanctuary City initiative.

An ordinance was presented to promote a project that will bring vehicles similar to golf carts to the downtown area.

The logic is that civilians can simply go from bar to bar or restaurant to restaurant without having to move their car.

These vehicles will be slow-moving and theoretically reduce the opportunity for drunk-driving. After partnering with traffic engineers, the hope is for these vehicles to charge a small fee and operate on streets that have speed limits lower than 35 miles per hour.

This idea has been taken from a similar project in Nashville. President Pro Tempore Steven Hoyt motioned for this to be further discussed and brought to the council again in four weeks.

A resolution was passed to allocate $50,000 toward the Ballard House to pursue a project to provide the city with varying economic development projects, one of which is gathering and presenting the oral history of the city to promote tourism.

During open floor, a team from the Department of Community Development presented a PowerPoint to speak on the land bank authority being launched to address blight in the city, and how all citizens can take

advantage of it.

John Colon, director of Community Development, was a part of the team that enacted the legislation on the state level that allowed Birmingham to create the land bank authority.

“Blight... contributes to property decline, crime and negative neighborhood perception,” Colon said.

By reducing the amount of properties available and increasing demand, the land bank authority hopes to create a positive domino effect in the city.

This process has multiple levels to it that fall under Mayor William A. Bell’s RISE Initiative. RISE stands for Removing Blight, Increasing Property Values, Strengthening Neighborhoods, and Empowering Residents.

RISE is one of Mayor Bell’s many initiatives to better the communities of Birmingham on a small scale one at a time and create a large impact in this manner.

“This phenomenon that surrounds blight results in additional stressors,” Colon said. “… In ten years we will see a number of structures and properties across the city that are not maintained go down. We will see property values go up dramatically… We hope that we will also be assisting citizens in increasing the wealth of their families.”

Colon stressed the tremendous opportunity that the land bank authority presents, as a lot of property is available for residents to invest in for a $50 administrative fee to control property. These include many with a home on it, which civilians can then venture with.

Surabhi Rao can be reached at community@insideuab.com and on Twitter at @Cityrao17.

CITY OF BIRMINGHAM

Tanks in neighborhoods Violence Reduction Initiative sparks dissent toward police Surabhi Rao Community Editor A group of about 15 African-American residents came to City Council on Jan. 31 to voice their concerns on the Birmingham Violence Reduction Initiative and its negative impacts in certain residential neighborhoods.

Tremont Muhammed, of the Nation of Islam, and a group of supporters came forward during open floor to describe the problems stemming from extreme police force targeting the Black community.

“You have over 40 million Black people here that came over here in the holes of ships and the residue of that is what has us here today,” Muhammad said. “... I’m ashamed to say that I have to come here to say something so simple.

What’s so simple is that tanks and helicopters don’t belong in residential neighborhoods. Is this America or is this Afghanistan? See, we have to make a distinction and realize that it is clear that our lives don’t hold as much value as other people’s lives... Let me ask you a question. What does it do to children psychologically and emotionally to see tanks rolling through a residential neighborhood?”

The Birmingham Violence Reduction Initiative works to stop crime before it happens. Councilor Steven Hoyt, Council President Pro Tempore, joined the BVRI of the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham around five months ago.

“I still think that VRI is a moving animal, if you will, and I think there’s some things that still need to be tweaked,” responded Hoyt. “… I did a call-in with the VRI and I was

really impressed with the way they deal with folks that are either going to prison or going to die… I’m just telling you what I know...”

Other concerns included a lack of communication and accountability of the VRI with the community impacted most by its actions.

The city was called out for allowing misleading rhetoric such as “black-on-black crime,” implying that crime is exclusive to the Black community.

It was asked that certain experts such as Black sociologists, criminologists and psychologists from areas like Ensley should be included in executive decisions and meetings.

Stories of unlawful police brutality were presented to the Council.

On Feb. 4 in the North Birmingham Library, activist Dimitri Muhammad spoke on the issue and started a discussion.

Sister Cindy Muhammad, an attendee at this forum, expressed concerns on the safety of her community.

She felt that no matter what the original accusation, the police find ways to solely implicate African Americans with heinous crimes, sometimes ending in unjust incarcerations and even deaths.

“This is definitely needed because of all the injustice that goes on, and also the fact that oftentimes people become victims because they just aren’t armed with the right information to protect themselves, especially when it comes to legal issues like this, they just aren’t prepared,”Muhammad said. “Lines like this will help explain what individuals can do to protect themselves. This event is about what people can do as a community to be knowledgeable against injustice, because oftentimes people think they need a law degree to protect themselves.”

Surabhi Rao can be reached at community@insideuab.com and on Twitter at @Cityrao17.

Humans of Birmingham Surabhi Rao Community Editor

“I

t’s a humbling experience. Every single day I learn something new about myself, medicine and the world...I think the most important thing that I’ve learned is the value of human life and how precious it is. I think sometimes it can be difficult keeping in context that these are people with hopes, dreams and desires, and sometimes in medicine, with students and residents and attendings, sometimes that kind of gets glossed over...I ran a couple of marathons during medical school. Running is kind of my escape and stress relief.

One of the coolest marathons I ran was in the District of Columbia. It was really cool to get to run around all these buildings and monuments that meant a lot to me...I would say you never know what other people are going through. You don’t know who you cross on the side of the street, who you sit next to or who you pass. Never resist a moment to do something good for someone else.”

— Justin Evans, 4th year medical student

Life and Style

Page 5 February 14, 2017

ALABAMA THEATRE

Getting out of the vipers’ reach New film depicts grittier side of Birmingham life Jason Grover Life & Style Editor For Birmingham’s Line of Fire Films, film-making is almost a civic duty.

With their first budget feature, “Snakes in the Hood,” Line of Fire chose to tell a tale of redemption set in the West End of Birmingham.

“Snakes in the Hood” follows Boss, a notorious murderer and drug lord who decides to change his ways and leave his life of crime behind. The film is the story of Boss’s struggles with the “snakes” that try to hold him back.

“Being from the streets of Birmingham, Alabama one of the most dangerous cities in the country, it wasn’t as easy as he expected it to be,” said director Black Diamond.

Those difficulties often take the form of the snakes referred to in the title, people who would betray you for power and cred.

“The inspiration of this film was to show others that the streets is a two-way road,” Black Diamond said.

“It’s possible to change if you really want to.”

Birmingham rapper Jap Jones wrote the script, served as assistant director, and also

PHOTO COURTESY OF LINE OF FIRE FILMS “Snakes in the Hood” premiers at the Alabama Theatre on Feb. 17. Jap Jones, left, stars, writes and produces in the film. Black Diamond, center, directs.

stars as Boss. Jones represents Dome Call Records and Still Eatin Good Entertainment.

The film’s supporting cast mainly consists of rappers who have collaborated with Jones in the past, either musically or directing or acting in music videos.

The supporting cast includes Measy F as Yay, Bam Bam Carter as Black, Jimmie Smith as Gwap, Willie Madd as Clap, Lovely Starks as Pumpkin, and Kenny Williams as Draino.

Although “Snakes in the Hood” is Line of Fire Films’s first budget film, Black Diamond said the company has almost 10 years combined film-making experience.

Their previous works include music videos, documentaries and musician profiles, as well as some commercial spots for black-owned business such as New Jersey’s Urban Books.

The premier of “Snakes in the Hood” is something of a victory for both Jones and Line of Fire. The film was

CONCERT REVIEW

largely filmed on location in Birmingham, and was in production for a little over a year.

The film is set to premier on Feb. 17 at the Alabama Theatre. A showcase at the historic Birmingham theatre seems likely to increase word of mouth publicity for everyone involved.

In addition, the high-profile premier is a strong statement in a city whose independent film culture that has largely failed to recognize filmmakers like Jones and

Black Diamond and production companies like Line of Fire.

Black Diamond said Line of Fire has not submitted “Snakes in the Hood” to any film festivals, but that they plan to do so in the near future.

“Snakes in the Hood” premiers at the Alabama Theatre on Feb. 17 at 8 P.M. An encore presentation will take place at 10 P.M. Jason Grover can be reached at features@insideuab.com.

2017 SLOSSFEST

Performing ‘Perfomance’ Bonnaroo’s leftovers Parquet Courts play Saturn in support of latest album Jason Grover Life & Style Editor

Savage while Yeaton and Max Savage took personal leave.

“Human Perforrebly guitar rang mance,” their first album out over a wave for Rough Trade Records, of screams and is in many ways the logiapplause. Four unassum- cal next step in the band’s ing figures settled into a artistic progression. disjointed groove, facing Parquet Courts finds a sea of enthusiastically new ways to blend the nodding heads. sometimes-disparate Parquet Courts stoked elements of their sound, the crowd’s enthusiasm somehow taking broad masterfully; at times strides in seemingly oppobring it to cathartic site directions. eruptions moshing Tracks like that pushed the less “Dust” and “One physically inclined Man No City” feato the back and ture lyrics delivered sides of the room. in a dry, almost The Brooklyn conversational combo played manner over spare Grover guitars and repetiSaturn on Feb 10 in support of their most tive rhythms. The sound recent album “Human here is reminiscent of Performance.” post-punk band Talking The indie-rock critical Heads or 90s indie-rockfavorites began their rise ers Pavement. to prominence when their On “Steady On My second album, “Light Up Mind” and the album’s Gold,” was re-released second single “Berlin Got

by What’s Your Rupture?

Blurry,” the band explores Records in 2013. a more melodic, more sin“Light Up Gold” cere almost country-rock was the follow up to the sound. band’s cassette-only debut “Captive of the Sun” “American Specialties.” features a rap delivery It had originally been similar to early Beck. The released on singer/guitarband released the track as ist Andrew Savage’s own an expanded single feaDull Tools Records. turing a verse by rapper Their popularity and college professor Bun increased after the release B, a member of southern of “Sunbathing Animal” rap combo UGK. in 2014, which was The band played a followed by extensive ninety-minute set that touring. was incredibly faithful to 2014 also saw the the sound of their sturelease of “Content Naudio recordings. The set sea,” which was recorded list consisted primarily

by Brown and Andrew of tracks from “Human

T

Performance,” with a sprinkling of the more memorable songs from their earlier albums.

While they delivered an energetic performance overall, they seemed somewhat distant, giving bristly responses to calls from the crowd.

“Why’s your leg not broken?” singer/guitarist Austin Brown said, repeating a question from the crowd before giving a joking but micro-aggressive reply.

“See me outside,” he said ironically.

Still, the audience was quite enthusiastic, with slam dancing breaking out during the more raucous numbers.

Their set climaxed in an expanded version of “One Man No City.”

Before delving into the song’s first verse, Brown broke into a monologue that addressed policies proposed or recently enacted by the Trump administration.

“Pay attention, you guys. It’s important,” he said. “Now more than ever, at least in my lifetime.”

After the band’s energetic closer and stage exit, the venue’s lights and house sound system came up, making it clear they would deliver no encore.

Parquet Courts’ US tour in support of Human Performance wrapped up Feb 13 at the 9:30 club in Washington, D.C. “Human Performance” is available through Rough Trade records.

Jason Grover can be reached at features@insideuab.com.

make a mighty meal

has a radius clause that prohibits artists from playing a show within 300 miles of Bonnaroo Sloss Fest has been one of the for a 60-day window on either more popular and exciting things side of the festival, according to to come out of Birmingham’s Ashley Capps, the founder of revitalization. Every summer, as AC Entertainment and co-foundit rolls around, all anyone can er of Bonnaroo. While this is ever talk about is if they’re going understandable from a business perspective, it makes it harder for or not – a decision that until this festivals like Sloss Fest to get a year was more difficult. truly great lineup when they can In the past two years, one of only use Bonnaroo’s leftovers. my main gripes with Sloss Fest However, that’s all the more has always been their lineup. The reason to celebrate. I really didn’t first two years that they hosted think that Sloss Fest would ever the event, their lineup featured great artists but the selection was get away from their previous format of just trying to appeal to too widespread for most. You as many people as possible may really enjoy two of in the hopes that someone the performers, but you’re might blow some cash in not going to pay $150 to their direction. They played go see them. it smart this year, especially This was a complaint I since I know many people heard from many people. who were starting to lose Each of the first two years they had one rapper, one McDonald interest in it after the first two festivals and weren’t big indie band, one big rock band, etc. It made the selec- excited for it this year at all.

Evidently, they were able to tion feel unoriginal, or, at least, analyze their options and make uninspired. some educated choices. They This year though, they did killed it with their headliners, it. This year’s lineup features and they were able to back them not only a good range of artist up with support from lots of and a more coherent grouping. equally great artists while still Alabama Shakes, Widespread developing a definitive “feel” for Panic, and Sturgill Simpson are the festival. It’s southern, we’re all headlining artists and are all in Alabama, but it’s not totally known for their southern-edge.

Run the Jewels and Vince Staples southern which perfectly fits Birmingham’s glove of being a solid both occupy similar niches in mix of southern, urban and, dare hip hop with their grimy beats I say, modern. and lyrical content. Tycho and So with that, I would like to Odesza are prominent electronic thank the fine organizers of Sloss artists and are joined by groups Fest for putting on what will like Phantogram that also have probably be the most fun weekan electronic style. Other than end within Birmingham city limthat, rock bands fill most of the its in decades. I’m excited about gaps. the festival but, more than that, One of the biggest issues with I’m just excited to be excited for Sloss Fest is its proximity to once this year.

Bonnaroo. AC Entertainment, a music promotion company that Connor McDonald can be is the founder of both Bonnaroo reached at conmcdon@uab.edu. and Sloss Fest amongst others,

Connor McDonald Opinion Columnist

Page 6 |Life & Style

The Kaleidoscope

February 14, 2017

SPOTLIGHT ON: SARAH ELISE OETKEN

ARTWORK COURTESY OF SARAH ELISE OETKEN Oetken wants to educate people on how they use their brain every second of the day, and that when individuals are active there are different parts of the brain at work.

BEHIND THE BRUSH

Sarah Elise Oetken Contributed Report

Name: Sarah Elise Oetken, 19 years old Major: Pre-Neuro-science Art Medium: Painting Favorite color: lavender or light blue Advice for aspiring artists: “Never, give up, whether it is concerning a drawing or even the idea of an art project.”

I

loved reading picture books and comics as a child. So I started to draw my own cartoons and illustrations.

Reading became another hobby of mine, and reading sparked my imagination. I then loved to express my imagination through art and drawings, plus I loved to impress my teachers.

Soon my

classmates kept asking for more and more drawings for themselves, and my passion for art soared. Once subjects in school started to become more difficult, I found myself drawing out diagrams and science material to understand the topics. Drawing and painting became a way for myself to be unique.

The advice I want to give to aspiring artists to never, never give up. Whether it is concerning a drawing or even the idea of a art project.

Art is our way to express ourselves, and we all have different perspectives of art.

Think about Van Gogh. Everyone hated his art but he is now one of the most famous artists. Be yourself in everything you do.

This is how I learn as well. I had to draw out functions to learn how something works so I know other people needed this tool as well. My passion for neuro-science and art is expressed in my art work.

Artist Spotlight is presented by Aura Literary Arts Review. Deadline for the Spring 2017 edition is Feb. 27.

Style profile Name: Bria English Year: Sophomore Major: Bio-materials engineering

Shop this look: English is wearing a striped top from the thrift store, light-washed, distressed jeans from Forever 21 over Adidas Stan Smiths.

Her glasses came from the Schaeffer Eye Center.

Style Inspiration: “I would say style trends from the 70’s to 90’s is wear I get most of my inspiration but someone that inspires me is Rickey Thompson. I’m really digging the stuff Adidas is putting out right now especially their shoe line.”

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

sports

Page 7 February 14, 2017

WOMEN’S TENNIS

UAB serves up new season in the park Coach looks to senior to lead young team Connor Gentry Sports Reporter The UAB Women’s Tennis Team has played four matches thus far this season. The Blazers, currently sitting with a record of 1-3, opened their home schedule against Conference USA opponent, Louisiana Tech, on Saturday, Feb. 4.

The Blazers scheduled the large schools, such as Mississippi State, Alabama and Memphis, for the beginning of the season to build experience.

“This season, I think, is going to be different than the last three where we are starting to build a little bit of a different culture, implementing some different values and I think everyone is really buying in,” said senior Pardis

PHOTO BY EMILY COX-OLDHAM/ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR Freshman Hana Sisirak back hands a ball in a match against Lousiana Tech University.

Kianoush. “Some things we haven’t really had the past few years. Normally we play a few ranked schools… which is intense and it is an experience not all schools get.

You get to play, maybe, your toughest competition right from the get-go so you know what to expect.”

College tennis does not have a large following at most universities, but the

players and coaches want to change that.

“I think people don’t understand how exciting [college tennis] can be,” said UAB Women’s Tennis Head Coach Mark Tjia. “We play one set of doubles on three separate courts at one time and the team that wins two out of three of those doubles gets a point. Then we break for five minutes and come back out

with all six singles matches going. Scores are best out of seven. Doubles count as one point and each singles count as one,” Tjia said.

Tija said conference play was less important for tennis than other sports. Conference USA spreads from Texas to West Virginia. For this reason, the season does not split into conference and nonconference play as it does in football and basketball. “[Tournament seeding] is done solely through your national ranking,” Tjia said.

“So that’s one reason we play a tough schedule: A, to get prepared for the Conference USA Tournament and B, you know, it’s our hope to be ranked nationally. The automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament is based on if you win your Conference Tournament.”

Because of season ending injuries, Tija does not have the luxury of experienced players on the roster. With only one active senior, the Blazers look towards their

younger players and two walk-ons to step up, play well and be leaders.

“We were actually turned into a young team overnight because one of our senior players, who was going to be a real big part of our line-up, injured herself in the fall so she’s done,” Tija said. “That leaves us with only one senior, who is our number one player, and the next oldest are sophomores. We also have two walk-ons who, even though they are a sophomore and a junior in years, you count [them] as a freshman because they have not played Division-I tennis before,” Tjia said.

The Blazers have 10 home matches throughout the spring. All matches are played at George Ward Park and are free to all students and public. Tija said they also offer free pizza between matches.

Connor Gentry can be reached at zcgentry@uab.edu or on Twitter at @zcgentry.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Monarchs conquer UAB in historic loss ODU hands Blazers fifth worst loss at home during the Gene Bartow Classic Connor Gentry Sports Reporter

PHOTO BY IAN KEEL/PHOTO EDITOR UAB senior guard Hakeem Baxter dribbles the ball against the Old Dominion University Monarchs.

Blazers send 49ers packing Lee leads UAB past Charlotte Trinity Dix Sports Reporter On Feb. 9, UAB Men’s Basketball returned to Bartow Arena to face off against the No. 10 Conference USA ranked University of North Carolina at Charlotte 49ers.

After a tough road trip where the Blazers lost two games to the No. 5 C-USA ranked University of Texas at El Paso and No. 9 C-USA ranked University of Texas at San Antonio, UAB needed to move past the losses.

To the Blazers, this win would boost their chance at staying in the top four spots in C-USA standings and earning a bye in the first round of the C-USA Tournament next month.

Going on the court, the Blazers’ strategy was to use their size advantage and score in the paint. Charlotte, on the other hand, averaged 38.1 percent from 3-point range coming into the game. In the first half, the Blazers and the 49ers attempted to create separation using their advantages.

UAB pounded the ball in the paint early in the game

to junior forwards Chris Cokley and William Lee. With three minutes and fifty-five seconds left in the first half, UAB led by ten points.

“I think when everyone prepares for us, they prepare for the big guys first,” said Rob Ehsan, UAB Men’s Basketball Head Coach. “I think that was, in some of their presses, what they were trying to focus on: the rebounding and the keeping us on the inside. I thought we did a good job.

We did take advantage of it.”

During the second half, the Blazers were neckand-neck with the 49ers as the lead stayed in single digits. After senior guard Dirk Williams came off the bench, he extended the lead with three 3-pointers.

With 11 more points from Williams, the Blazers led by 13 points with four minutes and twenty-seven seconds left in the game.

“I started rushing my shots,” Williams said.

“When I sat down on the bench, I had to relax myself.

After I relaxed myself, I had to take time with my shots

and [I] followed through it.”

In total, the Blazers grabbed 48 rebounds against the 49ers’ 26 rebounds. Of these 48, Cokley, Lee, Williams and senior guard and forward Tyler Madison contributed 29 rebounds.

“Tonight, we’ve [rebounded] well, but we had a size advantage,” Ehsan said. “We’re going to have to be very physical and we’re going to have to really do a good job of moving the basketball. We can’t hold the ball. We got to really move it or we’re going to have to make shots against [our opponents].”

UAB held Charlotte down defensively near the end of the second half, stopping them from scoring their average 78 points per game. By the end of the game, UAB outscored Charlotte in paint 52-28, in second chance points 20-5 and in bench production 38-12.

UAB conquered Charlotte and won the game 82-69. This brought UAB’s C-USA record to 8-4 and their overall record to 1510.

Trinity Dix can be reached at tri915@uab.edu.

On a late Saturday evening in February, the UAB Men’s Basketball team competed against the Old Dominion University Monarchs in the Gene Bartow Classic.

The 1981-1982 UAB Men’s Basketball team was recognized at halftime of the game for their Elite Eight run in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

ODU entered the game after a loss to Middle Tennessee State University, while the Blazers looked to continue their home-court conference win streak after defeating the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Old Dominion made the majority of the shots they took. The Monarchs converted 33 of their 50 attempts, good for 66 percent.

Ahmad Caver led ODU led in scoring by tallying 23 points and eight assists on the evening. Caver did most of his damage from beyond the arc, sinking six of his nine attempts from 3-point range.

“They just made tough shots,” said junior forward William Lee. “Tough shots with a hand up. We were outplayed and they wanted it more than us… Tonight was their night. They made tough shots and like everything they threw up was going in the basket. It was crazy, every shot that went in the air went in the basket.”

The Monarchs, as a team, shot better as the game progressed. After converting 60 percent of their shots in the first half, they converted 72 percent of their shots in the first half. The most crucial statistic for Old Dominion was that their bench players combined to make 14 of their 15 shots.

“Their bench players, it’s unbelievable that their bench players only missed one shot for the game,”

said UAB Men’s Basketball Head Coach Rob Ehsan. “I thought in that stretch they got too many drives, too many easy baskets when we needed some stops.”

UAB was able to convert 19 of their 44 shot attempts for 43.2 percent. The Blazers were paced by Lee who scored 26 points, a season high, on seven made shots.

The next highest scorer for UAB was senior guard Hakeem Baxter who tallied nine points. “[Lee] made a couple threes… we needed more guys than just HaHa offensively to play well too,” Ehsan said. “We couldn’t get another guy offensively to get going and get in rhythm.”

After trailing by nine points at halftime, the Blazers fought their way back into the game pulling within four, 49-45, with 13 minutes left in the second half of the game. The Monarchs then went on 12-2 scoring run to extend their lead to 14 points and never looked back.

UAB never led or tied Old Dominion, who led by as many as 27 points, in the game and lost by a final score of 83-62. This was the Blazers’ first conference home loss in 26 games.

“Disappointing performance given the Bartow Classic and all the people we had here tonight,” Ehsan said. “I was very disappointed with the outcome of the game and the way it unfolded. Have to give a lot of credit to ODU. They shot the ball very well. Unfortunately our defense wasn’t good enough in the second half.”

UAB’s Men’s Basketball team returns to action February 16th as they take on the Thundering Herd of Marshall in Huntington, West Virginia.

Connor Gentry can be reached at zcgentry@uab.edu and on Twitter at @zcgentry.

Page 8 |Sports

The Kaleidoscope

February 14, 2017

BEHIND THE DUGOUT

He Shoops, he scores: A coaches story Parking

Trinity Dix Sports Reporter UAB Men’s Baseball Head Coach Brian Shoop believes in maturing his players as great representatives of their university and the city of Birmingham and is honored to be the fourth UAB Baseball coach.

His first coaching job came at Malone University, his alma mater.

After a year at Malone, Mississippi State University contacted him to be their assistant coach. Seven years after that, he continued his coaching career at Birmingham-Southern College as its head coach for the next 17 years.

“UAB used to be our opponent,” Shoop said. “You really saw it in my career with Birmingham-Southern. I think we had a new president come in and certainly do what he did. He switched from Division I to Division III and actually dropped the basketball and baseball programs for a year.”

After BSC’s president brought back the baseball program as a Division III team, Shoop received a call from UAB. He was interviewed by former UAB Baseball Head Coach Watson Brown, who resigned from UAB in 2006.

When Shoop came to UAB in 2007, he was the fourth head coach in the 28-year history of the program. He wanted his guys to be classy young men who represent the institution and the city of Birmingham. Last year, his program was one of 29 schools to get the Academic Excellence Award.

“I’m proud of what’s happening in the academic area,” Shoop said.

“Very few of them will make a living professionally, but they are all learning what outstanding degrees that UAB offers. We’re doing over 300 hours of community services a year. I think our kids are not perfect, but they’re great kids. I’m proud of the kids that represent our university

From Page C1

“

university. Despite this, he feels that the team is nationally competitive.

Under his belt, UAB’s baseball program improved significantly.

In 2012, the Blazers won their second championship and made their Regional debut in the NCAA Tournament on Nov. 2 of that same year. During their 2014-2015 season alone, the Blazers had the highest Relative Power Index finish in its history.

“Of course we do [have room to grow], but as a mid-major, we’re a pretty competitive team,” Shoop said. “In baseball, you’re able to play a national schedule. We open next week against a Big East power. We play Auburn. We play Alabama. We play Georgia. We play seven SEC games. That’s unusual for a UAB sport to do.”

As Shoop enters his 11th season as UAB’s Head Coach, he is able to look people in the eye and say that he is happy where the program is going. However, he will continue to improve the program.

infield as the only returning member to start all 55 games last season for the Blazers. Last year, he batted for a .297 average and had a perfect 7-7 stealing bases according to UABSports.com.

“Carter played at four different positions,” Shoop said. “We are young positionally. That’s not necessarily a bad thing because they are very athletic and talented group that’s going to be together for a while. We are only going to start one or two seniors, so I think it is a group that will continue to get better. I don’t see young as bad.

Our shortstop’s an absolute professional prospect. Our second baseman was the 7A Player of the Year in Alabama at Hewitt-Trussville High School. It’s a good group.”

In the outfield, UAB returns two starters: red-shirt sophomore Brewer Hicklen and senior Riley McCown.

Hicklen led the team in runs scored with 37, and batted for a .286 average. McCown added 23 runs scored and batted .214. The two players combined to help UAB have one of the best outfields in Conference USA. The pair committed just two errors on 233 attempts, according to UABSports. com.

Pitching was down from the previous season. Last year, UAB posted a 4.12 earned run average, good for No. 6 in the conference. They also allowed the most walks in the league at 138 according to C-USA statistics.

“We lost 334 innings off the team the year before either through graduation or the draft,” Shoop said. “We started a true freshman on opening day last year. The good thing is those innings are back and more experienced. You’ll see a better pitching staff than what you saw last year although it’s the same guys.”

Trinity Dix can be reached at tri915@uab.edu.

Jack Ryan can be reached at sports@insideuab. com and on Twitter at @Kscope_sports.

PHOTO BY IAN KEEL/PHOTO EDITOR UAB Men’s Baseball Head Caoch Brian Shoop celebrates 11 seasons at UAB this spring.

We’re doing over 300 hours of community services a year. I think our kids are not perfect, but they’re great kids. I’m proud of the kids that represent our university and our city.

— Brian Shoop and our city.”

Coaching for a program that has been around for 39 years, Shoop knew that they were in their infancy compared to other schools. Because of this, the alumni, fanbase and traditions are rather small for the

February 14, 2017

The Kaleidoscope

Page 9

Love

From Page 1

but it is a byproduct of that,” Hill said.

“We have students scoring perfect ACT scores and they spend most of their days focused on music. I don’t know when the masses are going to figure this out…

The first thing that other schools cut because of funding is the arts. They make these cuts in a mad race to improve academic achievement.”

About 55 to 65 students graduate from ASFA each year, and it is graduating its largest class ever at 70 in 2017.

Students must go through an application process to attend the school, with a different selection process depending on the speciality focus.

“I don’t think its the standards of Alabama so much that are behind as much as it is that way too many students are making it to the finish line that may not have necessarily earned it,” Hill said. “Our state has a regressive tax system. Every year funding for things like schools depend on things like how many Doritos you buy when you go to the grocery store, instead of having a progressive system such as property tax. The point is, I don’t think it’s the standards so much in Alabama schools as the state government doesn’t support education enough in a healthy and consistent way.”

remind their significant other that they are important and doteable. Great restaurants in the Birmingham area offer Valentine’s Day deals such as affordable dinners for two, special desserts for a special someone and live music.

The element of surprise is important in gift giving.

Rebecca Ray, a freshman in psychology, has prepared a special surprise for her boyfriend of one year.

“I needed something that would really surprise him, so I ordered an Airbnb in Chattanooga, Tenn. for two nights,” Ray said. “We are going to go hiking, shopping and treat ourselves to a nice dinner.”

Ray had the advantage of planning ahead, but her advice to those planning last minute is to do something that both partners enjoy.

Valentine’s isn’t all roses and chocolates. Some dissenters feel the holiday is overdramatized.

“It’s excessive,” said Saad Khan, a junior in finance. “I feel like you could just go on a date any night, and it would be equally important.

I feel like putting all your emphasis on one day kind of deteriorates the rest of the action that you are going with, you know?”

An opposition to the established custom of Valentine’s Day is to go out with single gal-pals and make the celebration into Galentine’s Day. The idea of “Gal-entine’s” Day is being widely used this year, especially by Zoe Gage, a freshman in marketing. She encourages those who do not have any plans with significant other’s to celebrate their friends instead.

“I think Valentine’s Day is a cheesy holiday, but I don’t dislike it,” Gage said. “The best part though is going out to dinner with my friends.

Who says your Valentine’s can’t be your best friends?”

Gage likes the idea that Valentine’s Day as a way to celebrate love, romantic and platonic.

Martha Pudner, a sophomore in international studies, said that there is nothing wrong with people who like to be by themselves this Valentine’s Day. Being alone is not something to be ashamed of, but a time to reflect on self-love she said.

“I think as college students, we are much more fluid and less constrained by labels,” Pudner said. “And, I just think it puts unnecessary pressure on relationships.

I think the most rewarding thing you can do this Valentine’s Day is be by yourself.”

Pudner feels that the most important freedom single people have comes on Valentine’s Day. She said that [single people] can do whatever they want without worrying about or pleasing somebody else.

The great thing about Valentine’s Day is that it is no longer just for couples.

The holiday is flexible and can fit to any person’s liking.

The holiday has become a day to look at all different types of relationships involving love, and that is the true meaning for the saint-named day.

“I mean it definitely is a consumer holiday, but you don’t have to tap into that,” said Taylor Dole, a senior in theater performance. “I think it is a day to think about if you are with someone, if you love someone, think about them, focus on them completely... You don’t have to tap into the commercial part of it and it doesn’t have to be on Feb. 14.”

Surabhi Rao can be reached at surrao@uab.edu and on Twitter at @Cityrao17.

Zach Aplin can be reached at zachapli@uab.edu.

PHOTOS BY IAN KEEL/PHOTO EDITOR Innovation Depot began in 2001 as a business incubator. Today, it currently houses 100 startup and young companies. BELOW: These businesses collectively employ 800 people and the facilities include a gameroom, rentable bikes, food market and dining halls in the shared space.

Depot From Page 1

ham staple over the years, got its start at the Innovation Depot and has fostered these types of collaborative principles to expedite its growth.

“Every facet of our business has been impacted directly by our tenure at the Innovation Depot,” Bebe Goodrich, CEO of Ice Box Coffee said.

“Whether it’s a tech company’s CEO introducing us to key accounts, our industry-leading technology emerging from a collaboration with a fellow tenant, Good People Brewery, or entrepreneurial internship placements from students at UAB and Birmingham-Southern, our growth is undoubtedly tied to the Innovation Depot.”

Spaces at the incubator are not limited to consumer product companies, however.

Professional services companies also have a strong presence. One such venture, Knight Eady, a sports marketing and event operations group, has called the Depot home since its inception in 2013.

“The invigorating, collaborative atmosphere and valuable resources available through the Innovation

Depot have been instrumental in helping our company grow and evolve over the past three and a half years,” Michel Eady, Chief Marketing Officer of Knight Eady, said.

David Knight, the CEO of Knight Eady and the other namesake of the company, echoed his partner’s sentiment on the atmosphere of the Depot, and the opportunities it has afforded them.

“I can’t imagine a better place to build a small business than here,” Knight said.

“From the collaboration with other companies to the counsel leaders in the Birmingham corporate community, the Depot has provided us with a place to grow as entrepreneurs.”

Kathleen Hamrick, the Depot’s Director of Marketing and Education, got involved with the incubator

in 2014 after voluntarily leaving her safe, corporate job. For Hamrick, this decision has opened countless doors to advance her career.

“The decision allowed me to work more closely with an early-stage cancer diagnostics company, which is why I had left the corporate world,” Hamrick said.

“But this was also a door to meeting other entrepreneurs and gave me an entry into the world of startups.”

Hamrick’s decision is similar to those many others have made, and because of this the Depot has become a hub for technology and life sciences startups. These businesses collectively employ over 800 people, and this number continues to grow day to day.

As the epicenter for technology in Birmingham, being accepted to grow a business

in the Depot is extremely competitive; even something as seemingly simple as gaining a place in the incubator’s many programs is ambitious.

Of the many programs prospective companies can participate in, the Velocity Accelerator is Alabama’s first full-time program. Funded by a venture philanthropy fund, the organization is backed by many Birmingham community partners, including Regions Bank, Alabama Power, BBVA Compass and UAB. The Innovation Depot also holds regular events for individuals interested in becoming entrepreneurs.

Last year, over 100 events were hosted, encompassing everything from coding workshops to venture capital meetings to educational seminars.

Those interested in the Innovation Depot can contact Kathleen Hamrick directly at kathleen@innovationdepot. org. Students also have the opportunity to get involved via the Entrepreneurship Club at UAB, which partners with the Depot. For more information, contact eclubuab@gmail.com.

Wallace Golding can be reached at wsgoldin@uab.edu and on Twitter at @WGolding_4.

Schools From Page 1

here,” Davis said. “The religious classes are philosophical more than anything.

It’s not like a class with the intent of converting students that go here. It’s just because this is a Christian school that we focus on studying the Bible and expand students’ understanding of all religions… The focus here is college prep. A lot of students enter a grade-level behind their age and we work hard to bring them up to level…”

In 2006, enrollment was low, so the school joined the Cristo Rey network model. There are about 35 schools that fall under Cristo Rey, which was started by a few Jesuit priests in 2004 to introduce a form of schooling for service and rigorous college preparation.

Ninety-four percent of the student population is African-American. Required standardized tests include ASPIRE, pre-ACT, ACT and the PSAT. Thirty percent of the faculty here identify as Catholic. The president of the school, a Catholic priest, acts as a liaison between fundraising and the board of trustees.

Evolution and creationism are both taught, in science and theology classes, respectively.

John Carroll High School Kay Vance, the senior counselor, reflected on the curriculum at John Caroll High. Approximately 33 percent of students are not Catholic, and pay a raised, non-Catholic tuition. Students take theology classes alongside standard classes, attend mass every Wednesday, and Adoration and confessions on the first Friday of every month.

“Our goal is not to convert students, but we are a Catholic school and that is part of our identity...I honestly believe that we love them first,” Vance said.

“Before their vessels to pour knowledge and everything they need to know for college, first and foremost, is that it’s all about the love of God…” Sophomore Sydni Dasart enjoys her time. Dasart is a Catholic and started at the school her first year. Dasart hopes to go to Georgia Tech and become an engineer. She loves her Theology class-

SURABHI RAO/COMMUNITY EDITOR Students at Holy Family Cristo Rey Catholic High School study Latin from Father Robert Crossmyer.

es because of the way teachers break things down, rather than just reading out of books.

“It’s okay here.” Dasart said. “They want you to follow in the light of God… As far as Catholic beliefs, it’s like the best school to come to. A lot of the activities here center around Catholic activities and it’s hard to explain but they want you to follow in the light of God… You are learning both aspects of creationism, Biblically and scientifically, at the same time. I haven’t really learned anything about evolution.”

Alabama School of Fine Arts ASFA is a tuition-free public school that follows state requirements for a diploma, but also offers a speciality diploma. For three hours each afternoon, students attend an intensive speciality class in one of five fine arts areas or a math and science focus class. Students are taught by professionals in their field, as ASFA is not required by law to hire only certified teachers. ASFA is not included in state data because it is listed as a nonstandard school, yet it technically ranks as first or second highest ACT score in the state every year. Director of Curriculum and Administration at ASFA Brad Hill described his school with pride.

“We don’t exist for creating the highest academic achievement here,

Page 10 |

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