Blazers subtract 49ers

UAB’S OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER

VOLUME 60, ISSUE 6 PHOTO BY LAKYN SHEPARD/ART EDITOR

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2018

A cultural feast Middle Eastern Food Festival unites city Ceri-Lune Renneboog CityLifestyle Editor cerilune@uab.edu

Blazers subtract 49ers

Read on page 11

Inside: BLAZER NEWS: Students and family unite in Alumni Pinning seremony p.2

CITYLIFESTYLE: Intimate concerts influx Birmingham through Sofar p. 6

OPINION: Brett’s ‘Kavanaughty’ past p.9

For many people, a church is a community, a transgression between a religious house of worship and the greater public. The Saint George Melkite Greek Catholic Church is an example of one of these communities within Birmingham.

37 years ago, the Saint George Melkite Greek Catholic Church launched their first food festival, at the time void of any regional distinction, to celebrate the many different communities and nationalities present at the church according to Jeremy Ritchey, co-chairman of the Middle Eastern food festival alongside his mother.

“We started as a multi-cultural festival and morphed into the Middle Eastern festival about 25 years ago,” Ritchey said.

Jeremy said his father, a deacon at the church, helped to start the festival in 1981, only three years before Jeremy was born. Since then, the festival has grown bigger every year thanks to the support of Birmingham’s community.

Read on page 7

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blazer news Pinning the Blazer legacy FAMILY

Students and alumni come together in a celebration of UAB Lea McMillian Staff Reporter leaamcm@uab.edu

Rebecca Brooks, senior in biomedical engineering, and her father Stacy Brooks said they were excited to be a part of UAB’s third-annual legacy pinning ceremony.

“23 years after graduating from UAB, I am glad to see my daughter following in the same path,” S. Brooks said.

With more than 200 RSVPs, UAB held the annual ceremony on Friday in UAB’s Alumni Theatre.

The event was put in place to honor the parents and students who both attended UAB. When the parents place the legacy pin on their children, they are connecting the gap and allowing for their legacy to continue.

“As we get older, we are building PHOTO BY AMY LAWHON/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER to infinity,” said Mack Ingram, Assistant Parents give their children a legacy pin while taking part in UAB’s third-annual pinning ceremony.

Director of Student Relations at the National Alumni Society. “A lot of peoand father attended and graduated event. ple grow up being Alabama or Auburn from UAB, giving her the legacy pen “It took some convincing to make fans, and these students have grown together at the ceremony. Moore said him go to school in state, but I was up to be Blazers.” that having both of her parents there honored that he took my advice and This event gives parents an made the event even more memoralistened,” said Tina Taylor, Ronald’s opportunity to come back to their ble for her. mother.

University and to connect with their “I am excited to be a part of someIngram said that so far there have children. It allows families to have a thing that shows unity and family,” been around nine hundred families to moment together where they can Moore said. “I have practically grown participate in the ceremony, and UAB reflect on their past at UAB and focus up at UAB, and I am happy to be hopes to have even more participation on their future. able to share the experiences that I’ll as time goes on.

For the students involved, the have here now as a student with my There are some students who event allowed a way for them to thank parents.” have generations of family members their parents for the sacrifices they Ronald Taylor, senior in materials that have attended UAB. There was have made to get them to where they engineering, was extremely happy also wide variety of students ranging are now. to share the moment of the pinning from freshman to seniors.

Marina Moore, freshman in ceremony with his mother and said business, said that both her mother that he was grateful to have her at the

A lot of people grow up to be Alabama or Auburn fans, and these students have grown up to be Blazers.

- Mack Ingram

BLAZER NEWS

TUESDAY, OCT. 2, 2018

PAGE 3

EDUCATION

Students give back to Birmingham Service learning organizaitons allow students to give back

Participants pose for a photo at a charity event for the Ronald McDonald House.

Mallorie Turner Staff Reporter maturn31@uab.edu

Suann Hunter, graduate student in accounting, participated in an advanced accounting course before she graduated UAB in 2017. The course required students to do service learning within the community focusing on the impoverished.

Hunter said what she didn’t realize at the time was that her experience helping a woman with cancer doing her taxes would later help her prepare, in a way, to deal with her experience of cancer with her own mother.

Hunter felt that her being paired with the woman was a sign to appreciate all that she has.

“You have these people who are trying to do the best they can with what they have,” Hunter said. “That definitely helped me just to be more conscious of spending habits and things like that.”

Hunter credits her positive experience doing the service learning to

SaveFirst – Impact AL. As a SaveFirst volunteer, she was required to file taxes for married couples, working teenagers, the elderly and even people her own age.

Founded in 2004, SaveFirst serves low income citizens and families by providing free services for tax preparation and education. The organization recruits college students with the intention of changing their view of those in financial need.

Due to her having a sheltered childhood, Hunter said her experience with SaveFirst was extremely eye-opening as she saw how others lived compared to her life. She hopes to remember her time with the organization as she continues work in her field.

Firehouse Ministries has also

PHOTO COURTESY BY RONALD MCDONALD CHARITIES OF ALABAMA

hosted many UAB students through their service-learning partnership.

The organization fulfills its mission of helping homeless men and families by serving over 120,000 meals each year.

The shelter also hosts 50 to 70 men each night to ensure they have a warm place to stay.

Executive director Anne Wright said that UAB students support the organization daily through service-learning and independent volunteering. She said that a group of occupational therapy students perform service learning at the shelter by doing daily activities and projects with the people there.

Wright said that the interests of these students also align with the goals of the shelter, so they have a mutually reliant relationship.

“You have to truly have a passion

It’s easy to forget how blessed we are and it’s a part of giving back to people who really don’t have anything.

- Anne Wright

for helping people who need the help the most,” Wright said. “It’s easy to forget how blessed we are and it’s a part of giving back to people who really don’t have anything.”

Ronald McDonald House Charities across the world inhabit families of children who have been hospitalized outside of their home city. An operation located near UAB was opened in 2007 and has since been a sanctuary for families weary from medical and financial woes.

Katherine Billmeier, Chief Executive Officer of the Birmingham chapter, said that many service learning students from UAB, usually under social sciences majors, have been of great help in keeping everything running.

“We [the RMHCA] are a limited staff, so it takes a host of volunteers to provide all the services that we do for the families that stay here,” Billmeier said. “And UAB’s volunteers are very much a part of that.”

Billmeier said that she looks forward to upcoming service learning opportunities as well as internships to continue bringing UAB students in to assist the RMHCA.

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BLAZER NEWS

CHARITY

Backpacks filled with kindness Student organization helps the often forgotten homeless communities of Birmingham Lauren Moore Blazer News Editor lrm3@uab.edu

After a work meeting resulted in ample catering leftovers set to be thrown away, Erykah Rowley, president of the Hathor Initiative, said she decided to make plates of food to give to the homeless. Borrowing a wagon from University House and receiving help from some friends, Rowley set out to Railroad Park on May 24, 2018, having no idea of the true journey she was about to embark on.

“In my mind, it was going to be a one-time thing,” Rowley said. “But hearing their stories, about the stuff that they do and how literally one small decision can really impact your life and affect you, it motivated me to continue change.”

Thus, the Hathor Initiative was born. The non-profit organization is dedicated to improving the living conditions and lives of the less fortuPHOTOS BY LAKYN SHEPARD/ART EDITOR nate in Birmingham with a focus on ABOVE: Hathor Initiative members before their charity handout. the homeless. The organization provides first aid, medical resources and OPPOSITE PAGE: Members of the Hathor Initiative distribute backpacks to the homeless at Five Points South, Saturday, Sept. 29. food and clothing to those in need.

Rowley said that she and the other members will often each put $10 focus on a different theme. In the bags included toiletries, snacks, and Five UAB students currently make towards a cause and go to a dollar past, they have done the Pillow in a even clothing items. up the organization, but they are alstore to shop for supplies together.

Package project, where they supThe group then went out to Five ways looking for more members and Taking this approach allows them to plied homeless people with a pillow Points and other areas of downtown people to volunteer. stretch their money so that they can filled with other supplies like water Birmingham to find homeless individ“I’ve always volunteered,” said bottles and baby wipes. uals in need of supplies.

Egypt Lawrence, secretary for the still give the homeless things that Rowley said that a big concern for “I just thought it would be a great Hathor Initiative. “I’m not from here, so they need even when the members many of the homeless is that they do volunteer opportunity at first, but it’s been really great to get involved. themselves are only college stunot have an easy way to carry their after that I was all in,” said Morgan I’m getting exposed to other places.” dents. belongings.

Richardson, public relations officer Long term goals of the organi“It doesn’t take much, it just takes This inspired the group’s most for the Hathor Initiative. “It is so much zation include an official partnership the effort,” Rowley said. “A lot of times recent event, Operation Backpack. bigger to me. The people we help with UAB and being able to start it’s hard for us to leave our bubble.

On Saturday, members of the say getting a bottle of water or a care health initiatives for the homeless, It can be something simple that you group met at Glen Iris Elementary package feels like Christmas to them. providing things like STD screenings do, but you just have to get out there School and assembled bags and I feel like I’ve accomplished somefor free. and try.”

Each month, the group tries to backpacks for the homeless. These thing bigger than myself.”

TUESDAY, OCT. 2, 2018

BLAZER NEWS

I feel like I’ve accomplished something bigger than myself.

- Morgan Richardson

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citylifestyle

NIGHTLIFE

Music up close

Movement seeks to reintroduce intimacy to music

Local band, Mighty Brother, plays a show for an intimate crowd in an Avondale office.

Myles Womack Staff Reporter mjw3@uab.edu Today, live music events have turned into venues with youthful and energetic presences.

Sean Gilder, a muralist, art director and Sofar Sounds Birmingham curator said he wanted to bring the Sofar experience to the Magic City.

Sofar Sounds launched in 2009 in London. (Sofar Sounds was launched in 2009 to reimagine the live event experience) “Founder, Rafe Offer and some friends found themselves increasingly frustrated by the common distractions that plague live events,” Gilder said.

These distractions include the heavy audience noise, distortions in the sound system and the 21st century problem of cell phone light walls interfering with the stage’s horizon.

Offer and friends started Sofar Sounds to create a space that focused purely on performance, music and its artistic expression

without modern distortion.

“As an alternative [to typical venues], they started to host small groups of friends and artists in their living rooms in London,” Gilder said.

“Soon, their friends, and friends-offriends, were doing the same, and the movement grew to cities beyond London.”

Sofar Sounds changes venues with each show. Events are often held in homes or apartments to create a nostalgic and homey vibe. The last Sofar Birmingham events were held in the city’s Faith skate park, an empty office space in Avondale and at a private house in Five Points.

“A lot of our shows are stripped down or minimal versions of the artists’ larger performances,” Gilder said. “This is done to facilitate that intimacy.”

The Sofar team aims to make music accessible to the city. Often, big acts visit the city and citizens are left out due to high-cost tickets. The organization provides the community with cost-effective shows that are designed to harness creativity and community.

Armando Colunga, a graphic designer, recently joined Sofar Bir-

PHOTO COURTESY OF SOFAR SOUNDS BIRMINGHAM

mingham and designs the artwork seen on the Sofar Birmingham Instagram page.

“The artwork foreshadows the venues where the upcoming show will take place. It makes the show even more interactive for our patrons” Colunga said.

Sofar Birmingham functions primarily on a volunteer basis which helps to put on shows through promotion and hosting. One of these volunteers, Ericka Desouza, UAB Alumni, helps to promote the show through her work at Kulture City, an organization that advocates for accessibility in artistic spaces.

“The environment of a Sofar Sounds show is intimate, mellow and mindful, but still super fun,” Desouza said. “Attendees can expect a special show, a unique location and multiple talented artists. The show will make you feel like a part of the community.”

The last show featured musical acts, Marcus Fetch, a Birmingham-based singer-songwriter, Mighty Brother, New Orleans-based indie-rock band and Wild Eyes, a Nashville-based Americana band.

“The bands were so unique but

the show still had a similar theme that reverberated an overarching sound,” Desouza said. “It was incredibly different from any other event I’ve ever attended in Birmingham.”

Gilder said he hoped to create the same Sofar experience in Birmingham that he found in New York City when the movement first began in the early 2010’s. Now, Gilder curates music from all over the world and brings it to Birmingham through Sofar.

“This work feels important,” Gilder said. “Music is meant to bring people closer. Sofar Sounds is an attempt to remind people of that in the figurative and literal sense.”

To volunteer for Sofar, contact Sean Gilder at Birminghamal@ sofarsounds.com. Artists interested in playing a show for Sofar can go to their website at sofarsounds. com/Birmingham-Al and to stay up to date on shows and happenings, follow Sofar on Facebook and Instagram at @sofarbham.

“I have so many fond memories of Sofar Sounds events in New York City and Brooklyn. Bringing Sofar Sounds to Birmingham makes me miss it a little less,” Gilder said.

TUESDAY, OCT. 2, 2018

CITYLIFESTYLE

PAGE 7

Birmingham City Council Highlights Bella Tylicki Staff Reporter btylicki@uab.edu -Alabama Power will install about 100 surveillance cameras across four neighborhoods (Central Park, Ensley, Gate City and Kingston) in the next 90 days as a pilot program to help alleviate crime. “The number one quality of life issue we hear about from our residents is gunfire and violent crime,” said Councilor Hunter Williams, chair of the public safety committee. “There is no PHOTO BY AMY LAWHON/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER hiding from it, and we, as Church members sell traditional pastries to incoming guests. city leadership, certainly world indebted with human while residents from Moun- can’t sit on our hands and to eliminate human traffickdo nothing about it.” trafficking.” tain Brook, Hoover, and ing through alleviating the Ritchey said one of the Avondale pour through the economic desperation that From FRONT -Per Mayor Randall Woodprimary reasons the festival Festival’s drive-thru during causes it. The organization fin’s recommendations, 80 got started so many years the lunch rush hour. sells handmade crafts, The Middle Eastern percent of the City’s $10 ago was due to the church’s “I try to make it to the such as woven teddy bears, Food Festival takes place million surplus for fiscal patronage to charity. 37 festival every year,” said jewelry and embroidered every fall at the Saint year 2018 will be spent Hannah Magnuson, junior handbags. years later, the church is George Melkite Greek on neighborhood reviin Public Health.

“Mainly for “Human trafficking is a able to support more chariCatholic Church, serving talization, infrastructure their pastries. The zalabieh huge economic issue, many ties, both local and internatraditional Middle Eastern (250 road patches, three [Arabic doughnuts] are tional, as the festival grows victims are economically dishes such as falafel, and amazing, and I love knowing miles of sidewalk and up bigger with time. de-stabilized” said Melanie beef kibbeh, and delicious to 15 miles of road paving), The festival draws the proceeds go towards Howard, a booth attendee desserts such as baklawa, technological upgrades great causes.” for Trade for Trafficking. “The crowds from all suburbs of mamoul and burma. for Information ManageBirmingham. UAB students Ritchey said the fesgoal of this organization “The Middle East is ment Services and the can be found intermingling tival takes place over the is to provide economic based on food and hospiLand Bank Authority. The with church members, course of three days in late opportunity to areas of the tality,” Ritchey said, “When remaining 20 percent will September, however, the you see the news today, you be sequestered to a fund. church starts preparing for would never think that. We the immense event months want you to come and give in advanced. 80 to 100 peo- -The City will pay Alaus the opportunity to show ple help in putting the festi- bama State University you our hospitality.” val together each year, with and Alabama A&M to play In addition to offering an people preparing dough for the Magic City Classic at array of tasty food, the fesLegion Field until 2022, enthe festival starting in May. tival also provides a space suring that the $22 million The Middle Eastern for local vendors to sell their annual economic impact food festival has cemented goods and crafts. itself as a tradition within the of the largest HBCU ClasOne of these vendors sic keeps coming back to Birmingham community. includes Trade for TraffickBirmingham. ing, an organization looking

FESTIVAL

The Middle East is based on food and hospitality. We want you to come and give us the opportunity to show you our hospitality.

- Jeremy Ritchey

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CITYLIFESTYLE

SOCIAL ACTIVISM

Victims are hidden in plain sight Local organization leads the frontier to fight human trafficking Bella Tylicki Staff Reporter btylicki@uab.edu According to the Human Trafficking Center, the Southeast accounts for about 40 percent of human trafficking in the U.S. Many authorities on the issue attribute this to Interstate 20, a known corridor of the trade.

The WellHouse is a shelter and restoration center for women who are victims of sex trafficking that takes a holistic approach to rehabilitation, Survivors come to The WellHouse from a variety of channels. Kat Kirkpatrick, marketing supervisor at The WellHouse, said they coordinate with local law enforcement, Homeland Security and the FBI to keep victims out of jail and in a rehab program instead.

Once there, the women are paired with a counselor, social worker and, later, a volunteer mentor to guide their recovery.

The WellHouse is meant to meet their basic needs such as food, housing and healthcare but also to provide education, job training and life skill building that prepare the women to return to independent living.

Tara, and her then 4-year-old son were brought to the shelter on October 15, 2015. Her memory of the day is blurry, but she said she remembers riding inebriated in the back of a transporter’s car, waking up in a new place and feeling safe for the first time in years.

“I just felt kind of in a dream,” Tara said. “It was like a family. It was just good. I didn’t know anything like that existed.”

Tara graduated from the program INFOGRAPHIC BY LAKYN SHEPARD/ several years ago but stays involved ART EDITOR; DATA PROVIDED BY THE with The WellHouse.

WELLHOUSE “My needs were met,” she said.

“Goals were set, and I was able to attain them. I feel like they equipped me in ways I didn’t know were possible.”

Post-graduation, Tara regained full custody of her child, got a job and started school at a local community college.

Following a series of events that left Tara without a family or solid support system. She went into “survival mode” and became addicted to drugs, finding community among other users.

It was in that community that Tara became a target of a “pimp,” a solicitor in the trade.

According to Tara, the flattery was overwhelming and his requests started small. She was made to feel special and “not like the other girls.”

At first, she trafficked drugs – not sex.

Whenever deals went poorly, say she got robbed, Tara was expected to make up the difference. She had no money, so the pimp sold her to “johns,” customers of the sex trade, to cut his losses.

Looking back, Tara said she believes the pimp would intentionally set her up for failure to build that sense of indebtedness. He used her guilt to make her feel like she deserved what was happening to her.

What makes the trade so difficult to escape are the mind games pimps play with their victims, she said.

“They’ll beat you up one night and take you out to a steak dinner the next,” Kirkpatrick said.

Victims are often manipulated into thinking that their pimp is their boyfriend or that he loves them. This is one of several reasons; including drug addiction, shame and guilt and a sense of security; that many survivors, according to Kirkpatrick, relapse seven or eight times before they finally leave the trade.

“You take all the blame, and you feel like you can’t overcome that,” Tara said.

Tara was in and out of the trade for four years before escaping permanently and getting help. A significant

reason she stayed was to keep her son fed and a roof over his head.

This deep and long-term brainwashing is critical to keep women in the trade. They are made to feel like it is a choice, which only makes it harder to leave and stay out.

Robert Blanton, professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration and who teach-

I feel like they equipped me in ways I didn’t know were possible.

-Tara

es a course on human trafficking, said that vulnerability is a common thread among victims.

“Many of the victims are either runaways and/or homeless teenagers or undocumented immigrants,” Blanton said.

According to Tara and Kirkpatrick, victims of human trafficking could be anyone. They could be sitting next to you at Starbucks.

“It’s right under their nose,” Tara said.

There have been recent cases along Highway 280, in Homewood and even in Mountain Brook, which Kirkpatrick said surprises a lot of people.

Tara said a good way to identify victims is to notice girls without cellphones, wallets or personal belongings.

According to Kirkpatrick, the proper, and safest, action to take upon identifying a victim is not to approach her but to get as many details about the situation as possible (i.e. license plate number, location, physical description) and call the police.

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ELECTIONS

opinion

Why minority votes matter Kameryn Thigpen Opinion Columnist cchs2017@uab.edu

I never was really into politics until after Doug Jones ran for Senate and I saw the power of voting especially with people of color. Black voters made up 29 percent of the electorate in Alabama’s special Senate election, according to National Public Radio.

It really got me involved into politics which eventually led me to change my major to political science to push more people to vote and become aware about voting.

On campus, there has been a sense of motivation to get people registered to vote in the upcoming November election. The importance of voting and registering to vote is being stressed on the younger generation as an avenue for their voices to be heard and have a say in their future.

Over the past week UAB has hosted three voter registration drives and plans to host more next month to push for young voters to register to vote for state legislature for the November 6 election.

According to the Pew Research Center, the Millennial generation made up 27 percent of the voting population in 2016. While that number may not seem very high, that is 31 percent of the electoral votes and 24 million young people voted in the 2016 Presidential election.

So the younger generation of voters has much potential to influence legislature in their local and national government. Our issues are changing and we need legislatures who can cater to these issues that affect our city and our lives.

There are many reasons on why young people should vote. It gives them a voice to speak on the issues that will affect in their present and their

future.

“I think young people make up more than a fourth of the voting population because they desire to utilize their voting power,” Morgan Richardson, a sophomore in political science, said. “I think it means that they are proud to use the freedoms they have learned about for so long.”

An advantage that young people have now is that one can become educated on voting and the importance of voting a lot easier with the use of social media.

“Social media is useful in how fast political information flows through media with things like Instagram, CNN, Facebook and Fox News and Millennials will respond to that faster,” Zuri Washington, a sophomore in kinesiology said.

Although all throughout life voting is pushed upon and we are reminded that it is our civic duty to fulfill some are still not convinced.

There are stigmas especially in minority communities that their votes do not matter or choose not to vote.

Some might also say that they are not involved with politics and do not really have time to get educated on the issues.

From my experience, I have heard throughout my life of why should Black peoples should vote because the system does not care them anyway. The system has failed them too many times and see no point in it, and I got involved because this perception stops you from voting and then

puts the people we don’t want in office.

There can be consequences if one does not vote in elections because someone else can decide your future for you and you are missing out on an opportunity to change your country. Simply if you don’t vote you end up with an administration like Donald Trump’s.

There is no room for that, no room for anymore division and corruption, the American people deserve better than that.

“Your American privileges are in vain,” Richardson said. “The democratic process has not lived up to its potential and is therefore partial because it doesn’t represent all the people’s voices and demands.”

To engage young people to vote in this upcoming election, there should be a reminder of what is at stake. We have a chance to change our political climate right now because we are desperate.

Desperate to remove an ailment that is trying to hinder the things that make our country great.

Everywhere you are turning, everyone is telling to vote or get registered to vote, simply because this is a crucial time in America.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY SAVANAH DONALD/STAFF ILLUSTRATOR

TUESDAY, OCT. 2, 2018

OPINION

PAGE 10

SENATE

Bad boys become bad men Parker Rose Opinion Columnist pdrose@uab.edu So far, there have been three women, one of whom has testified in a recent hearing, who have accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting them. The various assaults, respectively, span across Kavanaugh’s days as a student at Georgetown Prep to his time at Yale University.

There are a number of lessons one can glean from the time that the media has spent with Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. One of which being the role which our adolescent/past selves play when our character is put to question.

“Tell me, what boy hasn’t done this in high school?” said former GOP congressional candidate Gina Sosa in an interview with CNBC, referring to Christine Blasey-Ford’s accusation that Kavanaugh trapped her in a bedroom at a party, forced himself on top of her, and failingly attempted to sexually assault her.

Ford stated in her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee last Thursday that she “thought that Brett was accidentally going to kill me.”

If this is true, I hasten to say that Ms. Sosa and I do not inhabit the same universe.

In his own defense, Kavanaugh claimed in an interview with Fox News that “all of us have probably done things we look back on in high school and regret or cringe a bit (about).”

And Kavanaugh has plenty of things which he is entitled to cringe about. Among those being that he is named the Treasurer of the “100 Kegs or Bust” club in his Georgetown Prep yearbook.

Indeed, even as a college student looking back on my high school years, I am able to locate many incidents which I would love to forget or wish I could change.

However, not only have I never sexually assaulted anyone, I am able to admit to and learn from the things I have done wrong. I do not act as though I am an entirely separate person now than I was when I was in high school – I am simply a more mature version. Likewise, Brett Kavanaugh did not magically stop being a teenager who liked to drink and be crude to women when he walked into his confirmation hearing.

And Kavanaugh may have matured and improved a great deal since high school, but the fact that he isn’t even willing to admit his former wrongdoing is a pretty good sign that he hasn’t learned from it.

ILLUSTRATION BY LEISHA CHAMBERS/STAFF ILLUSTRATOR In his own statement before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Kavanaugh refuted all of the evidence which has been presented against his adolescent character. One example of this is how he chose to refute what seems to be a literally black-and-white nod to his character. He is also named a “Renate Alumnus” – which is a reference to a female student at a local all-girls private school named Renate Dolphin, and implies that she was one of his sexual conquests.

He claimed that placing the title of “alumnus” next to a girl’s name in his yearbook was “clumsily intended to show affection, and that she was one of us.”

If only there was an simpler way to prove your friendship to a girl you knew in high school. Like writing a nice note in her yearbook – one that hopefully doesn’t make some childish reference implying that she was one of your sexual conquests. Or literally anything else.

I don’t think that my holding Brett Kavanaugh to the same social standards as anyone else in my life is too much to ask. And I don’t think that it’s too much to ask even despite his adolescence.

Consider the example of the teenagers who survived the Parkland shootings which have been moved to social action and advocacy. I knew many

students in high school who were starting their own social justice groups by the time they were 17 years old. Many freshman here at UAB are heavily involved in campus efforts towards social action and voter registration.

While they may not be the treasurer of an underage drinking club, I would say that they are doing pretty well regardless.

Perhaps it is simply because I do not understand what it is like to be a young person growing up with the level of privilege of someone such as Brett Kavanaugh, that I do not understand the pressures and needs of such an individual, and thus am not in a place to judge his adolescent behavior.

Perhaps it is because I choose to use reasoning and logic when analyzing his diluted arguments as to why he wasn’t, no couldn’t, have been the person who sexually assaulted Christine Blasey Ford. Perhaps it is because we need a long list of women to advocate for Kavanaugh’s feelings towards women because his character does not readily do it for him.

Regardless, I think I speak for many women when I say that the idea of someone such as Brett Kavanaugh having a seat on the highest court in the land makes my stomach turn.

TUESDAY, OCT. 2, 2018

PAGE 11

sports FROM FRONT PAGE UAB dominates Charlotte 49ers Christopher Booz Sports Reporter haiti101@uab.edu

Blazers cruised by Charlotte 49ers in a 28-7 win at Legion Field, on Saturday, Sept. 29. In the first conference game of the season the Blazers scored 14 unanswered points in the first quarter. The Blazers defense held the 49ers to only 23 yards.

Brontae Harris and Tre’ Crawford came through for the Blazer defense.

Harris had an early interception to stop the 49ers from scoring, Crawford had a sack on third down to force the 49ers to a fourth down and no score. A.J Elderly went 3-3 on the first drive for UAB and completed a 35-yard pass to Andre Wilson for a touchdown. Spencer Brown played a key role in the first quarter as he scored with a two-yard touchdown.

In the second quarter, the Blazers added another touchdown to their run, making it a 21-0 going into halftime. In this quarter Jamell Garcia-Williams gained a sack, and took the team lead for solo sacks at 3.0. The third quarter was very slow for the Blazer offence as they failed to score, but the Blazer defense kept the 49ers from scoring. After a slow

third quarter both teams produced a touchdown in the fourth quarter making the score 28-7. The 49ers made a 55-yard drive ending with a 4-yard touchdown by Reynolds.

The Blazers responded with a 2-yard touchdown from Brown with less than five minutes remaining on the clock. The Blazer defense was able to keep the 49ers from scoring for the rest of the quarter.

A.J. Elderly ended the game going 13-for-16 with 214 yards and a rushing touchdown. The Blazer defense held 49ers to 263 yards and two turnovers. Spencer Brown had 18 carries for a total of 68 yards as he led the team with two touchdowns.

The Blazers extended their 2018 season record to 3-1 in regular season play and 1-0 in conference play.

The next game for the Blazers will be Saturday October 6. at Louisiana Tech, in Ruston, LA at 6 p.m. CST. This will be the Blazers second conference game as they go in search of a 2-0 conference play record this season.

PHOTO BY LAKYN SHEPARD/ART EDITOR Xavier Ubosi receives ball and sprints toward the fifth yardline.

TUESDAY, OCT. 2, 2018

PAGE 12

CROSSWORD

Editorial Board

1.

Fall 2018

2.

Kristina Balciunaite Editor-in-Chief kribal@uab.edu

3.

4.

Sufia Alam Managing Editor sufia@uab.edu

5.

6.

Lakyn Shepard Art Editor layshep@uab.edu

7.

1.. Celebration of beer that happens

4. Music company that focuses on

throughtout a fall month, originating

performance intimacy and has just

from Germany.

appeared in Birmingham.

2. Hometown of the team that UAB

5. Annual ceremony that includes

football defeated last Saturday.

alumni, their students and pins.

3. Last name of American attorney,

6. What kind of elections are coming

jurist and former White House Staff

up in November?

Secretary who is currently under

7. The state of lacking a usual or so-

investigation for accused sexual

cial acceptable amount of money or

assault.

material possessions.

Previous issue’s crossword solutions: 1. Junior.

2. Tulane.

3. Infowars.

4. Anatomy.

5. Nike.

6. Bicycle.

7. Jones.

Lauren Moore Blazer News Editor lrm33@uab.edu Ceri-Lune Renneboog CityLifestyle Editor cerilune@uab.edu

EVENT CALENDAR Oktoberfest 2018 Commons on the Green 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Concert: Good Old War Saturn 8 p.m.

STOP THE SPREAD: Free Flu Shots Lister Hill Library Edge of Chaos 4th Floor 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Natalie Zoghby teaches Paints & Pints Good People Brewery 6:30 - 8 p.m.

These Hands Don't Haze Hill Student Center 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Art Crawl 120 19th Street North 5 - 9 p.m.

Greek Festival Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Cathedral Christian Church 10:30 a.m. Saturday 10 p.m.

Movie night & open mic: Mental Health Revelator, Sweet Jon’s Cafe 7 p.m.

Jamz and Jokes ft Yung Joc Workplay 7:30 p.m.

4th Brazilian Day Festival Horizon Church Parking Lot 2345 Columbiana Road 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

ArtPlay Workshop: Candle Making Alys Stephens Center 1 - 3 p.m.

Vulcan AfterTunes with Iron Horse and Will Stewart Vulcan Park and Museum 3 - 6 p.m.

Hop City's 6th Anniversary Festival Hop City Birmingham 12 - 8 p.m.

Coming Out on the Green North Green (University blvd) 11 a.m. 1 p.m.