October 17, 2017 Kscope

UAB’S OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER

VOLUME 58, ISSUE 7

THINK OF IT AS THRIFT AS A GIFT, IF YOU GET MY DRIFT Thrift stores around Birmingham boast oldies but goodies ranging from apparal to kitchenware.

READ MORE ON PAGE 5.

The

Kaleidoscope CELEBRATING OUR

50th YEAR OF PUBLICATION

FOOTBALL

Over Raided

U

AB faced off against the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders at Legion Field on the evening of Saturday, Oct. 14. The Blue Raiders came into the game with a 3-3, 1-1 record while the Blazers were 3-2, 1-1.

On MTSU’s first drive, the passing offense scored with ease on a 27-yard pass from quarterback John Urzua to running back Brad Anderson. Canon Rooker added the extra point to give the Blue Raiders a 7-0 lead.

On the ensuing drive, UAB running back Donnie Lee helped the Blazers down the field with a first down catch and a 23-yard touchdown run. Nick Vogel added the extra point to tie the game at 7-7.

MTSU would start their next drive at their own 8-yard line after a flag on the kickoff.

Two

plays later, UAB’s Shaq Jones sacked Urzua in the end-zone to give the Blazers a safety and a 9-7 lead with 6:25 left in the first quarter.

After the safety, UAB’s Jonathan Haden returned the kickoff back to the MTSU 37-yard line.

UAB could not take advantage of the field position and failed to convert on fourth down.

MTSU took the ball down the field and kicked a 47-yard field goal to give the Blue Raiders a 10-9 lead.

UAB quarterback A.J. Erdely led the Blazers on the next drive after two long runs of 22 and 32 yards.

Running

back Spencer Brown scored two plays later on an 8-yard run.

Vogel added the extra point and the Blazers regained the lead 16-10.

Urzua and wide receiver Richie James drove MTSU down to the UAB 8-yard line.

The drive was halted by UAB’s Darious Williams’ interception at the goal line.

UAB’s next drive ended in a blocked punt for MTSU. The Blue Raiders carried the blocked punt into the end zone and took the lead 17-16 on an extra point

by Rooker.

“There was so many chances to put your head down, to give in, and that’s what I love about this group, they just keep fighting,” said UAB Football head coach Bill Clark.

UAB answered with a 51-yard run by Spencer Brown and a 19-yard touchdown pass from Erdely to Andre Wilson. UAB attempted a

2-point conversion but the pass landed incomplete. UAB led 22-17 with 5:02 left in the first half.

On the ensuing MTSU drive, the Blue Raiders’ drive stalled after a failed conversion on third and long. Rooker’s 48yard field goal hit off the goal post but went in, cutting the UAB lead to 22-20.

UAB held MTSU and got the ball but didn’t score, at the end of the first half the Blazers led 22-20.

MTSU started with the ball in the second half. MTSU drove down to the UAB red zone but were stopped on third down after the Blazers’ Tevin Crews came up with the sack. On fourth down, Rooker made a 41-yard field goal to put the Blue Raiders up 23-22 with 10:30 left in the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, UAB converted on a third

PHOTO BY IAN KEEL/PHOTO EDITOR

Erdely, Brown combine to make Blazers 4-0 at home

See FOOTBALL, Page 4

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The big idea behind bringAtoB Bella Tylicki Community Reporter At least 100 cities, and counting, are vying for commercial czar Amazon’s attention to land its second headquarters (HQ2). Does Birmingham have a shot?

The Birmingham metro area boasts key assets on Amazon’s checklist such as a population of more than one million, an international airport and a business-friendly atmosphere.

Birmingham’s competitors are dispersed across the U.S. from coast to coast and in five Canadian provinces.

There exists no tangible slate of potential cities for HQ2. For consideration, a city government or econom-

ic development organization must simply respond to Amazon’s request for proposals. Submissions to the RFP may look different for each city according to its assets.

Amazon has not answered, to Birmingham or any other city, with any indication of preference.

Birmingham is pulling out all the stops. Local advertising agency Big Communications is heading the BringAtoB campaign, and they are optimistic.

“While each and every city believes it has what it takes to be a quality fit for HQ2, our city has relentlessly invested in infrastructure and

See ATOB, Page 6

The closed Amazon package outside of the Pizitz Food Hall brings attention to the city’s campaign to bring Amazon’s second headquarters (HQ2) to Birmingham.

PHOTO BY LAKYN SHEPARD/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

OPINIONS Fall 2017 Editorial Board Chandler Jones Editor-in-Chief chanj1@uab.edu

Wallace Golding Managing Editor wsgoldin@uab.edu

Sufia Alam Campus Editor sufia@uab.edu

Kristina Balciunaite Life & Style Editor kribal@uab.edu

Ian Keel Photo Editor iankeel@uab.edu

Connor Gentry Sports Editor zcgentry@uab.edu

Will Harris Asst. Sports Editor

Page 2 October 17, 2017

LEGISLATIVE REFORM

Refusing to jump the gun A cynicism has developed to the cycle of these conversations. Their repetitive nature hree weeks ago, the and lack of impact has caused debate over gun conthem to become a wedge istrol reignited following sue. Everyone has an opinion, the Las Vegas shooting. The but no one will change anyone pattern of dialogue that acelse’s. companies mass shootings has Perhaps this argument has played out since. become self-fulfilling, Why does this because access to guns pattern persist? What continues to be a topic prevents the debate of debate. from ending?

Despite a political “There are more history spanning almost deaths, but they have a century, neither side the right to bear arms,” Greene has made progress. says Robert Boyd, juConcerns over the nior in criminal justice. dangers of “machine guns” Gun control advocates used in assassinations and argue that easy access to firegang violence led to the 1934 arms make attacks possible, National Firearms Act which while opponents counter that briefly restricted access to further legislation infringes automatic and concealable on rights without solving weapons. anything. Despite being The Supreme Court ruled easily explained, the depth of this law unconstitutional in thought supporting both sides 1938, but its brief enforceis immense. ment sparked debate familiar

Elliott Greene Opinion Columnist

T

to modern audiences. This conversation was subdued until assassinations in the Civil Rights Era again brought the topic to the political mainstream.

The Gun Control Act of 1968 passed before being followed by several other bills limiting certain firearms.

These laws have been contested with both sides seeing some victories.

Gun control has not become an accepted social change, unlike many other cultural issues that have been legislated on. Civil rights were ratified without universal support, but modern feelings are unanimous.

Access to firearms has seen similar amounts of political capital spent, but no law or overruling sparks an attitude shift. Even after losing in court, each side retains its passion and continues to campaign.

This makes it very clear that gun rights are not an issue like civil liberties or seatbelts. Simply passing a law will not be enough to discourage opposition or change public perception. If America wants to end this cycle, it must come from the bottom up.

Federal mandate cannot drive the change in public opinion as it does for many other issues. Supporters on both sides are too dedicated to give up, while the issue’s relevance pervades American newscasts.

The debate will not end until one side has become a cultural memory. American society as a whole must shift its stance on firearms to the point that one side no longer exists. No other action could lead to decisive change.

Elliott Greene can be reached at elliottg@uab.edu.

willhrrs@uab.edu

Marie Sutton Advisor masutton@uab.edu

Patrick Johnson Production Manager plj3@uab.edu

ILLUSTRATION BY LEISHA CHAMBERS/ILLUSTRATOR

CORRECTION In Kaleidoscope Volume 58, Issue 6. The front page incorrectly lists Jimenez and Wong as “ the 2017-2017” Mr. and Ms. UAB. Their terms run from Homecoming 2017 to 2018. Furthermore, Wong was incorrectly identified in the first sentence as “her.” The correct pronoun was “his” and was stipulated as such in the remainder of the article.

Letters to the Editor can be submitted to Chandler Jones, Editor-in-Chief, at chanj1@uab.edu.

The Kaleidoscope functions as a memeber of UAB Student Media in association with UABTV, BlazeRadio and Aura.

Website: UAB.edu/kscope Twitter @UABkscope Facebook facebook.com/uabkscope/ Instagram instagram.com/ uabkscope/ The Kaleidoscope is produced in the office of UAB Student Media.

Suite 130 Hill Student Center 1400 University Blvd.

Birmingham, 35233 (205) 934-3354

FINANCES

Credit report rights, responsibilities Stephanie Yates Contributing Columnist

L

et us talk about how the credit bureaus report your credit activities.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act regulates credit bureaus and the use of credit reports. This Act gives you certain rights to the files that the major credit bureaus compile regarding your credit history. There are three major credit bureaus.

They are Equifax (equifax. com), Experian (experian.com) and TransUnion (transunion. com). Here are the Federal Trade Commission’s top 10 things that you need to know about your credit profile.

1. A potential creditor must tell you if they have used information in your file against you. If a potential creditor denies you credit based on information contained in your credit file, the potential creditor must notify you of which bureau they used and which information led them to deny your credit request. You are also entitled to a free copy of your report.

2. You have the right to know what is in your file.

You can access a copy of your credit report from each

of the three credit bureaus at no charge once per year by visiting annualcreditreport. com. It might be helpful if you review your file from one bureau every four months. There is typically little variation in your credit file across bureaus, so if you check a different one every four months you are regularly monitoring your file for accuracy at no cost!

3. You have the right to ask for a credit score. Many creditors base their decisions off credit scores, so it helps to know your score. However, credit bureaus typically charge you for your credit score even if a potential creditor has recently denied your request for credit. Web sites such as Credit Karma (creditkarma.com) and Credit Sesame (creditsesame. com) will you provide you with your credit score at no charge.

4. You have the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information. If you want to “clean up” your credit, consider disputing any derogatory items that you are not sure are accurate. However, be sure that you do not submit multiple, unsubstantiated dispute claims for the same item within a given 30-day period.

This is a deceptive practice known as “jamming” that attempts to overwhelm creditors so that they cannot respond to a dispute claim in a timely manner.

5. Credit bureaus must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete or unverifiable information. In most cases, the credit bureau is required to respond to your dispute within 30 days. If the creditor cannot confirm the information within a timely manner, the credit bureau must remove it from your file. Even after the credit bureau corrects the entry, be sure to check your file periodically to make sure that the correction was permanent.

6.Consumer reporting agencies may not report outdated, negative information.

Credit bureaus must remove accounts sent for collection, accounts charged off, lawsuits and judgments, paid tax liens and most criminal records after seven years. Credit bureaus may report bankruptcies for no more than ten years. However, credit bureaus may report criminal convictions and positive information indefinitely.

7. Access to your file is limited. Only those who have a valid need may access

your credit file. These include potential creditors, landlords, employers and insurers.

8. You must give your consent for credit bureaus to provide reports to employers.

With the exception of the trucking industry, current or potential employers must have your consent to access your credit file.

9. You may opt out of prescreened offers of credit and insurance. These offers must include a toll-free phone number you can call to remove your name from their lists. You may also opt out by dialing 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1888-567-8688).

10. You may seek damages from those who violate your rights. If a credit bureau or someone who accesses your credit file violates the FCRA, you may be able to sue in state or federal court.

Now that you know your rights, you should be better able to make use of the power of credit.

If you have specific questions about managing your money, please send your questions to us at RIFE@uab. edu. You just might see your question answered in the next edition of the Kaleidoscope! Happy budgeting!

CAMPUS 10 IN 10

Page 3 October 17, 2017

STUDENT LIFE

with Hana Habchi Sustainability Coordinator

1)What is your role in the USGA? My role is to collaborate with student organizations to make USGA a voice for sustainability to raise awareness and education.

2)Why is sustainability important?

I’m a strong believer in sustainability. We cannot have a good future without taking care of our actions now. When you have so many students engaged in an organization, you have the biggest chance to bring a lasting change.

3)How do you advocate for sustainability on campus?

My ultimate goal is to create a culture of sustainability.

By creating ‘green RSO’s’ and encouraging each organization to be more active, I believe through these initiatives we can reach the entire student body.

4)How are you involving all student organizations to terms of sustainability?

One new initiative that we would like to introduce is requiring all student run organizations to have an officer specifically for keeping each organization as green as possible. To provide an incentive, we will allocate more money to the organizations who meet our framework standards.

5)How is the USGA working with other UAB programs that deal with sustainability such as UAB Sustainability and UAB Recycling?

USGA actually worked with UAB Recycling over the summer. We worked together to get information to the RA’s to present to their floors on how students can recycle as responsibly as possible. USGA also plans on working with UAB Sustainability’s upcoming events like their farmer’s market that will happen this semester.

6)What are some initiatives USGA wants to implement this semester in terms of sustainability?

USGA will have an event spring semester as an education event teaching all students how to recycle responsibly. For now, our biggest goal is to make UAB as sustainable as possible.

7)How do students reach out to you if they want to bring a specific issue around UAB sustainability to USGA? I think the best way is to reach out to me first. If students have any specific issues they would like to push we can bring these topics to our senate and cabinet.

8)Where is the best place for students to find out more information on sustainability?

The UAB Sustainability’s website and UAB Recycling website is the best place to go.

They have a ton of resources that students often don’t know about. For example, UAB has proper channels for electronic recycling on campus that even I was not aware of until I obtained this position.

9)How would you rate UAB in terms of how sustainable they are as a campus?

I would say a 7.8. We have good foundations but we definitely need to take a few more steps. Student engagement is also an important aspect.

By getting registered student organizations thinking about sustainability regularly, we can accomplish the most change.

10)What is your biggest goal of this semester?

To make recycling more efficient and accessible. I want to make it is such a normal thing on campus that instead of it being seen as an act of good deed it becomes a part of every student’s everyday routine.

PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED BY SCOTT MCLEOD ABOVE: Olivia King receives pin from mother Stacy King and celebrates two generations at UAB. BELOW: Mike Ross speaks about the importance of legacy families.

Alums pass along legacy Generations of Blazers gather for ceremony Lauren Moore Campus Reporter Since its establishment in 1969, UAB has reached an age where second and even third generations of families have to attended the university.

The Legacy Pinning Ceremony, hosted by UAB’s National Alumni Society, provides these families with something to cherish over their shared experiences at UAB. “Through this event, we are able to bring UAB’s past to its present and start new traditions” said Paige Price, assistant director of engagement for Alumni Affairs.

The event takes place once a year around homecoming week and is for students currently enrolled at UAB and either one or both of their parents that also graduated from UAB. “Second generations of students are making memories that will hopefully carry them toward creating a legacy of their own ” said Mike Rowe, president of the National Alumni Society.

Speakers for the ceremony were father and daughter Doug Rigney, Ph.D., and Katie Rigney Roberts, respectively. Rigney met his wife while he was attending UAB in the 80s studying for his Ph.D. in biomedical engineering.

He was later employed as a professor at UAB and, although retired, is still active in the Blazer community.

“UAB is an extension of our family,” said Rigney.

Roberts followed in her father’s footsteps, getting a Master’s Degree in engineering from UAB in 2013.

“I wanted to go where my family went and add to our legacy,” said Roberts.

In addition to Rigney and Roberts, eight other members of their family have attended UAB with 14 degrees received amongst their family in total.

During the ceremony, Parents are invited to place the pin on their child while they recite the pledge. Participants sing the UAB alma mater to close out the event.

“The goal for the students taking part in the ceremony is for them to come back and pin their own child with the same pin someday,” said Price.

Participants were greeted by members of the alumni society and given a pin for the ceremony as they entered the Alumni House.

Pictures of the families were

taken in front of a UAB backdrop along with UAB logo and Blaze the Dragon cutouts to pose with in the pictures.

“This event gives second generation UAB students an opportunity to bridge the past to the present with the lapel pin, making UAB a family tradition,” said Price.

UAB has over 900 legacy families, and about 60 of those families participated in the ceremony.

Lauren Moore can be reached at lm33@uab.edu

SPORTS HOCKEY

Page 4 October 17, 2017

VOLLEYBALL

Not all about the spotlight UAB Hockey player talks about his career on the ice Sarah Oetken Sports Reporter For Ian Maisonville, hockey is in his blood.

The defenseman and left winger from Ontario, Canada is proud to be a UAB Blazer and UAB Ice Hockey Club player.

“I think it’s crazy,” Maisonville said about being recognized on and off campus.

At 3 years old, the UAB defenseman learned to skate in his hometown.

“All you were doing was running around on the ice,” Maisonville said about remembering his skating past.

Maisonville moved to the Birmingham at age 15 and said the transition from Canadian to Alabamaian hockey wasn’t easy. He played his first year of high school after doing travel hockey, but quit after that first year.

“Playing hockey there is much different from playing here,” said Maisonville. “...

I didn’t like it that much. I got frustrated with the team too much.”

Maisonville played pick-up hockey until he met former UAB hockey player Dave Monaco. Monaco approached him at a Habitat for Humanity event and asked him if he wanted to help him create a team.

“He was like, hey do you want to play and I said yeah why not?” Maisonville said.

Maisonville did not play many games last year after a torn ACL in the third game of the season against LSU kept him out of play. Maisonville is happy to be back for UAB this season and has Maisonville one assist on a goal so far.

“It was rough,” said Adil Patel, Maisonville’s teammate. “He is a top-four defensemen and last year he played on the top d-line pair. Losing an anchor on defense so early in the season hurt... yeah he worked on his game this summer [since the injury]. He seems very focused to have a good season.”

Some fun facts about Maisonville is that his favorite NHL team is the Toronto Maple Leafs. His all-time favorite player would be Paul Kariya, a former NHL left wing player that was on several teams.

His favorite memory with UAB Hockey would be the first game the team played together against Mississippi State.

“It was pretty special. We won which was special, but we had ton of people there. I have never played in front of that many people before. Just to see how people came out to support us, it was really cool,” Maisonville said.

When asked about his position Maisonville said that he liked being defenseman.

“I like that isn’t really in the spotlight, like I’m not a flashy player. I don’t have the best stick-handling skills or anything, but it’s really satisfying when you stop a really flashy player,” Maisonville said.

Monaco, the current team advisor and former teammate of Maisonville commented on Maisonville not being a flashy player.

“Ian is certainly a technical and patient player that is able to read and disrupt plays,” said Monaco. “He’s an incredibly agile and technical player, but he’s got tenacity and a love for the game that is unparalleled... I believe that says it all about the type of teammate and person he is.”

“I like that size, it doesn’t feel like a huge campus. It is growing, and the students have a different mentality than other schools,” said Maisonville when he talked about the university. “I feel like the students are more focused on what’s going on around campus.”

He believes that this year the team is building more of a program than forming a team.

“Now it feels like we are playing for something more than just ourselves, we are playing to get UAB Hockey on the map.”

He enjoys UAB student life as a second-year optometry graduate student.

“It’s good, I enjoy it,” Maisonville said.

“Undergraduate was going class to class, but graduate school is more of a professional focus. You are doing stuff that you’ll actually be doing [in the future].”

Sarah Oetken can be reached at sarahoak@uab.edu.

PHOTO BY IAN KEEL/PHOTO EDITOR UAB Volleyball team huddles together to discuss their game plan against WKU.

Tops burn Blazers UAB attempted to top the Hilltoppers Connor Gentry Sports Editor The UAB Volleyball team returned to action at home against the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers.

WKU entered the match as the No. 1 team in the conference with a 19-2, 5-0 record.

The first set began with a quick 2-0 WKU lead, but a service error by the Hilltoppers allowed the lady Blazers to stop WKU’s momentum. Both teams traded points off of kills and errors until the Hilltoppers scored three straight points to lead the lady Blazers 22-13. The lady Blazers tried to rally and scored three points themselves, but ultimately dropped the first set 25-16.

The Hilltoppers led the lady Blazers in kills for the first set 15 to 11. UAB committed six errors to the Hilltoppers’ one. WKU finished the set with a .452 hitting percentage while UAB finished with a .156 hitting percentage.

The second set saw the Hilltoppers cruise to an early 5-0 lead. The lady Blazers responded with a four-point run of their own to cut the WKU lead to just one. The Hilltoppers again scored five straight and led by as many as 12 points. UAB would drop the second set 25-13.

Both teams committed significantly more errors with WKU committing five and the

lady Blazers 11. The Hilltoppers out-killed UAB again 11 to seven. WKU finished the second set with a .154 hitting percentage while the lady Blazers had a -.098 percentage.

In the third set, UAB looked to keep the Hilltoppers from winning the match in straight sets. However, the Hilltoppers had other ideas. UAB was able to keep the deficit to no more than four points until WKU broke the set open with a 21-13 lead.

The lady Blazers rallied to score 18 points in total but would fall 25-18.

UAB out-killed the Hilltoppers 11 to nine in the final set, but also committed 11 errors to WKU’s two. WKU had a .269 hitting percentage while UAB had a .000 hitting percentage for the set.

The lady Blazers were led by senior Petra Silic in kills, with eight, and blocks, with four.

Freshman Shelby Holderfield tallied 27 assists for the Blazers, 26 higher than any other on the team. Redshirt freshman Emma Mitchel and senior Erika Zembyla contributed six and four kills each, respectively.

The Hilltoppers won the match in straight sets, 3-0, and improved their record to 20-2, 6-0 while the Blazers fell to 9-13, 3-4.

The lady Blazers return to action at home Wednesday Oct. 18 at 11:30 a.m. to take on the Florida A&M University Rattlers in a non-conference match-up.

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

The Blazers crowd around Head Coach Bill Clark in celebration after their 25-23 win over the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders on Saturday, Oct. 14 at Legion Field.

PHOTO BY IAN KEEL/PHOTO EDITOR

Football From Page 1

and long with a 37-yard pass to wide receiver Collin Lisa. UAB got down to the Middle Tennessee 13-yard line but Erdely was intercepted on a tipped pass.

The Blazer defense held MTSU and got the ball back.

The Blazer drive was stopped on third down at the MTSU 16-yard line. Vogel added the 33-yard field goal to give UAB the 25-23 lead with 8:16 remaining in the game.

Late in the fourth quarter, as MTSU attempted to drive down the field, Urzua’s pass was intercepted by UAB’s Broderick Thomas.

UAB was stopped on third and short and

punted into the end zone for the touchback.

MTSU started at their own 20-yard line with 29 seconds left.

Three plays later, MTSU threw a short pass to get to their own 46-yard line but failed to get out of bounds.

The clock rolled away and UAB held on to win 25-23.

Erdely completed 16 of his 31 passes for 174

yards and one touchdown. Brown broke his own record for rushing yards in a single game by a freshman with 167 yards and one touchdown.

“Ultimately, this city of Birmingham, they donated, they fought, they marched,” said Shaq Jones. “So no matter what circumstance we get into, we know we are playing for more

than ourselves. We’re playing for this city.”

UAB (4-2, 2-1) will now travel to Charlotte, North Carolina to face the C-USA East’s Charlotte 49ers (0-7, 0-3) on Oct. 21. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. The contest will be broadcast on beIN Sports.

Will Harris can be reached at willhrrs@uab.edu or on Twitter @kscope_sports.

LIFE & STYLE

Page 5 October 17, 2017

CLOTHING

Stylish on a budget

A guide to the most fashionable thrift boutiques in Birmingham Allie Milton Life & Style Reporter Everyone knows that student life can get expensive.

Sometimes it feels like the debt is monstrous, and there just doesn’t seem to be room in the budget for a pair of jeans that costs more than $40. “Thrifting” offers an affordable alternative to traditional clothes shopping that is quickly gaining traction among college students everywhere. It refers to mainly consignment and retail stores that offer inexpensive products and are usually affiliated with charities. And there are plenty of great options in Birmingham.

Lovelady Thrift is a short 15-minute drive away in Irondale. It is well worth the trip, considering the store’s size. Rows of clothes divided into sections such as men, women and children and subdivided into fitness, business

and more fill up the expansive store. The prices range depending on the item, but a nice women’s blazer costs about $4.99 and a sleeveless shirt with a café logo is about $1.99.

“My friends took me here as my first thrift store experience,” said Mary Ann Jimenez, freshman in biomedical sciences. “I was surprised by how tidy and well-kept it was.”

Lovelady not only offers clothes, but books, movies, antiques, beauty supplies and even furniture. Proceeds from sales at Lovelady also go to their charities, which include a shelter for women facing problems like homelessness, abuse, addiction and incarceration.

Goodwill is another well-known area retail store, located just off the interstate on the way to Hoover.

“What our retail stores provide to the community is

A diverse clothing rack in the back part of the Golden Temple.

PHOTOS BY AUSTIN SIMPSON/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Lovelady not only offers clothes, but books, movies, antiques, beauty supplies and even furniture.

a place to shop that has lower cost goods, a chance for an income tax deduction by donating gently used items, and the opportunity to help produce revenue for programs for disabled or disadvantaged citizens in our community that offer them job training, job readiness classes, counseling, and job placement,” said Caroline Thomas, vice president of communications and development at Alabama Goodwill Industries.

Most shirts are priced around $3.99, which also seems to be the price for most other items in the store.

A good number of the simple women’s shirts they have available even still have tags attached, meaning they’ve never been worn. A couple of specialty items, however, have their own prices, such

as an authentic leather jacket.

There is also a multitude of wedding dresses and prom dresses available.

Lesser known is the small selection of clothes the Golden Temple features toward the back of the store. Located in Five Points South, this option is perfect as it’s just a short walk away.

Local artist Karen Graffeo and boutique manager Lisa Hickman run the consignment section in this store. It is stocked with beautiful and extravagant pieces from places as wide-ranging as New York and Italy.

The selection here is not as extensive but makes up for it with the uniqueness of the items. Prices vary based on what article of clothing is of interest, with most items being comparable to prices at

the thrift stores mentioned.

“We go for things that are unique. We know our market here. We have a broad market,” Hickman said. “We have items for every style and type of customer.”

Some items, however, may be a little more expensive.

An elaborately embroidered blazer reminiscent of something that might be seen on a celebrity is selling for around $30. That’s still a great bargain, comparatively.

There are so many novelty items that can be found in thrift stores that cannot be found in any other stores or retail locations. Thrift stores are also more affordable and profits generally go to a good cause.

Allie Milton can be reached at miltona@uab.edu

HEALTH

Get in shape on your bedroom floor Quick, easy exercises that don’t require equipment or the gym Kristina Balciunaite Life & Style Editor

B

eing a student is already time consuming, so incorporating a regular workout routine seems like a mission impossible. Especially if one has no motivation to workout. Many people even dread the idea of exercise, thinking that it is a long and highly demanding task that does not give immediate results. Although exercise is often associated with fitness and beauty culture, it has many other, more important benefits for your health. Just after a week of regular exercise, you will start to notice yourself being less tired and your energy levels getting higher. In fact, regular exercise that provokes sweat and increased heart rate, enlarges the size of the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain that plays an important role in memory and learning. Also, exercise does not need to be difficult or time consuming, as just a simple routine of only 20 minutes can make a big difference.

1. The Warm-up Get moving by doing some jumping jacks, or even just jamming out to a song that lifts you up. This part is meant to just get you active enough to get the blood flowing.

Spend five to seven minutes in this stage, to ensure that you are warm enough for the rest of the exercise.

2. The Core For this step you can do the classic sit-ups, which quite self-explanatory involves you repeatedly sitting up. Although, effective, this exercise is a favorite of few and a dread of many. Which is why there are alternatives, such as the bicycle crunch. This version is, although seemingly more intense, surprisingly easier to perform.

It starts out as a classic crunch, but the difference is to holding your arms bent and lifted above your chest and raising the legs above the ground. Then simply lift up your torso enough for your elbow to reach the opposite knee and alternate.

Continue this for three to five minutes, with a ten second break between every 30 seconds.

4. The Forearms/chest At this point, you are ready for the most intense part of the workout - the plank. Position yourself as if to do a push-up, except you make your elbows instead of your hands carry your upper body weight. Stay in this position for at least one minute. Yes, it will make you sweat and question your decision to work out, but only the first few times. After two or three workout sessions you will start noticing how this exercise becomes easier every time and how are able to endure the plank for longer periods of time.

3. The Legs Squats. Do them. Make sure you lower your bottom at a 90 degree level before going back up. Execute these in sequences of tens, with a small break between every sequence. If it gets to tedious and demanding, mix it up by doing a jump instead of the regular elevation of the body.

Spend about three to five minutes on this exercise.

5. The Cooldown At this point, you are finished with your exercise and this is the time you catch your breath and enjoy the feeling of pride over your physical achievements. While you are still warm, stretch your legs and attempt to grab your toes with your hands. Most people are not able to do this the first time they try, but try to come as close as you can. Again, this will become easier every time you do it. Get creative at this point, stretch whichever part of the body you feel is aching. This will help you reduce soreness that occur after exercise.

COMMUNITY

Page 6 October 17, 2017

Vulcan in a new light Upgrades to the statue and park cast a glow over the city Parker Rose Community Reporter

Red Mountain might shine differently in coming weeks as Vulcan Park’s $4.6 million plan to renovate the northern side of the park and return the spark to the cast iron god continues.

“It’s really starting to take shape” said Morgan Black, Vulcan Park’s director of Marketing and Public Relations.

Black said contractors are working on the LED light installations for the statue. Due to these adjustments, the public may see some interesting variations in lighting over the course of the next few weeks. The team has also made great progress in landscaping.

“The lead contractor has been so great at making sure not to inconvenience staff or park guests,” Black said.

According to Black, this isn’t the first major renovation that Vulcan has undergone in the last 20 years.

In 1999, Vulcan Park was in total disrepair. His arm was hanging on by a

single bolt, and the park was forced to close due to safety hazards.

People from all over Birmingham came together and decided to pitch in. They put their own private funds toward repairing the park – and they succeeded. The park re-opened in 2004.

In the decade since, Birmingham refuses to neglect the statue that oversees the city. Kiwanis Club of Birmingham’s $4.6 million donation proves that. The project better opens up the park to the city, repairing stairwells for guests and alighting “the cast-iron god” himself.

“The original [pitch to the Kiwanis Club] was only around $1.25 million,” Black said. “The Kiwanis Club took it into their own hands and made the project more than anyone could’ve asked for.”

This new renovation

pays homage to that, and shows that there is always progress to be had even in the face of great strides.

The project is figuratively and literally reconnecting Vulcan to downtown Birmingham.

The projects extends outside of Vulcan Park. A 40-mile trail system will connect Red Mountain to downtown to Green Springs Highway.

Black said the project is expected to be complete by December.

Parker Rose can be reached at pdrose@uab.edu or on Twitter @parkeresor.

ATOB From Page 1

technology, especially over the last decade,” said representatives of Big. “We believe our biggest asset is our people, which we are using to create a unifying voice through the BringAtoB campaign.”

BringAtoB is the “brainchild” of Ford Wiles, Big’s Chief Creative Officer. According to Big, Wiles focused on creativity to target Amazon’s values.

To catch the company’s eye, Big installed enormous Amazon packages and interactive Dash Buttons in high-traffic public spaces around town.

The Dash Button is Amazon’s hardware innovation that allows customers to order directly through the touch of a button.

Birmingham’s giant replicas, when pressed, generate unique tweets to @ amazon.

BringAtoB has installed two large Amazon Dash Buttons in the Pizitz Food Hall and the UAB Hill Student Center.

Birmingham wanted to highlight UAB because a qualified workforce and strong educational feeder base are key criteria listed on the RFP.

PHOTO BY LAKYN SHEPARD/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER The Amazon package outside of Railroad Park bringS attention to Birmingham’s case for HQ2. To catch Amazon’s eye, Big installed enormous packages and interactive Dash Buttons in high-traffic public spaces around town.

“Innovative thinking is core to Amazon’s DNA,” said Wiles. “It’s self-evident in everything they do and is made manifest in their pioneering spirit... We’re likeminded in that thinking, too. Innovation, creativity and boldness are all core tenets of our city’s identity.”

According to Big, the public has been incredibly supportive.

“While any effort can be met with skepticism, the community has largely continued to spread positivity for us,”they said. “In fact, the [hashtag] #bringatob has been used 1,059 times since our campaign launch on

Sept. 25.”

The positive response could be largely due to the economic perks HQ2 promises.

HQ2 is expected to directly employ 50,000 people and create an additional 50,000 jobs “as a multiplier to support the Amazon workers,” according to Rick Davis, the Senior Vice President of Economic Development for Birmingham Business Alliance.

According to Davis, the payroll would be $5 billion per year at full employment.

“That kind of money would theoretically drive comprehensive changes in housing, mass transit, retail and transportation infrastructure,” Davis said.

HQ2 would transform not only Birmingham’s economy, but also its identity.

“We would be seen as a technology hub and an innovation center, and our quality of place would reflect that,” said Davis.

The RFP is open until Oct. 19, and any North American city can apply until that deadline. The winner will be announced in 2018.

Bella Tylicki can be reached at btylicki@uab. edu or on Twitter @_belty_.