October 18, 2016 Kscope

October • 18 • 2016

Volume 56 • Issue 53

UAB’s Official Student Newsppa

Photo by Khawla Suhaila

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

4

BIRTH CONTROL:

OUT WEEK:

UAB BANDS:

Exploring the potential correlation between synthetic hormones and depression

Event focuses on past strides and future work to be done for LGBTQ students and community

Marching Blazers perform exhibition, look toward the return of the football program

8

14

2 EDITORIAL

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

Dear readers,

Homecoming Week is here again. Last year’s celebration came on the heels of the announcement of the reinstatement of the football, bowling and rifle programs.

Although we have another full year to go before we’re ready to officially kick off football season once again when we play Alabama A&M at Legion Field, we still have plenty of good reasons to show our pride in our school and the hard work that so many people put into ensuring that these programs not only survived, but have the resources going forward to thrive.

However, the focus of this week’s issue is another week-long celebration in the month of October: Out Week. Even in 2016, the struggle for acceptance and tolerance is ongoing in our society, and many of our LGBTQ+ students have faced discrimination and rejection simply for who they are. Out Week aims to celebrate our differences, while showing that no matter who you are or what you’ve gone through to get here, you’ll find acceptance, love and support. UAB is home.

That isn’t to say that everything is perfect, or that we don’t have more work to do. We’ve come a long way as a society, but we have a long way to go, too. It’s ultimately each of our responsibilities to leave this world a little bit better than the way we found it.

STAFF Sarah Faulkner sfaulkn2@uab.edu Tamara Imam managing@insideuab.com Corey Bright art@insideuab.com Tessa Case news@insideuab.com Surabhi Rao features@insideuab.com Ian Keel photos@insideuab.com

October also means Midnight Madness and the final days before it’s finally basketball season again. To make sure you’ve done your homework before you head to home games in Bartow starting Nov. 3, we’ve got a rundown on what to expect of your men’s and women’s basketball teams based on their performance at the fifth annual “Hoops on the Green.”

Mark Linn copy@insideuab.com

In our news section, we have an in-depth report on a possible link between hormonal birth control and depression. On top of all that, we have an article about how “Move It Mondays” are bringing a little bit of Bollywood to Birmingham.

Dabney Bragg socialmedia@insideuab.com

We’re in the height of election season, and on the political side of things, one of our opinions columnists ruminates on the ruin of the Republicans. Is he right, or just rambling? Can their resignation be reversed? We’ll leave that for our reliable readers to resolve.

Finally, I hope you’ll take the opportunity to go to at least one of the many Homecoming events this week, if you haven’t already, and maybe get yourself a coveted Homecomng t-shirt if you’re lucky. Whether you’re racing a gurney down 13th Street South or stumbling across the soccer field in a three-legged race, Homecoming is an opportunity to have a little fun and celebrate how far we’ve come and how far we’re planning to go.

And as always, send us your comments, letters and tweets. Your fan mail and your hate mail, we’ll take them all, so don’t hesitate to share your thoughts.

Chandler Jones chanj1@uab.edu

Loren Gilbert online@insideuab.com Melvin Griffin Jared Chestnut Chad Freeman Marie Sutton info@insideuab.com Patrick Johnson plj3@uab.edu

Creative Director of Student Media Managing & Sports Editor Head Illustrator News & Science Editor Features & Opinions Editor Photography Editor Copy Editor Visual Content Manager Social Media Editor Online Editor Distribution Team

Advisor Production Manager

Have a great week.

Regards,

Mark Linn Copy Editor

Physical Address Suite 130, Hill Student Center 1400 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35205 Mail HSC 130, 1720 2nd Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35294-1150 Phone (205) 934-3354 Web UABkscope.com Email editor@insideuab.com

The Kaleidoscope is the official student newspaper of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Unsigned editorials and the opinions of the Kaleidoscope’s columnists do not necessarily reflect the opinions of individual student writers, editors, Kaleidoscope advisers or university administrators. Signed columns and letters reflect the opinion of the writer and serve as expressions of fact and opinion to Kaleidoscope readers.

Letter Policy: Letters to Kaleidoscope are always welcome. Unless otherwise directed, all letters will be forwarded to the editor. Letters must be no longer than 200 words and must be typed. A name and a phone number must accompany each letter. Letters will appear at the discretion of the editorial staff and can be sent by mail, fax or electronic mail.

All material contained herein, except advertising or where indicated otherwise, is Copyright © 2016 by Kaleidoscope and protected under the U.S. Copyright Laws.

Material herein may not be reprinted without the expressed, written permission of the Kaleidoscope.

NEWS

3

HOMECOMING WEEK

Homecoming week is anticipating the return of UAB Football in 2017, with the current year’s theme being “Forever Blaze,” pictured here outside Heritage Hall.

Photo by Giani Martin

Students paint the city in green and gold Surabhi Rao Features Editor features@insideuab.com

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aint the Town launched homecoming week festivities on Sunday, Oct. 16 as student organizations spread out across campus and around Birmingham to decorate buildings in green and gold.

In addition to campus buildings, which are decorated annually, students also had the opportunity to paint the windows of businesses across town, such as Chick-fil-A in Five Points and Crowne on Tenth Apartments.

“Paint the Town really sets

the stage because you see it all week. I’m in the band, so we performed yesterday,” said Isabella Mazzei, a junior in the Marching Blazers.

The Student Homecoming Committee organized the event, and 15 student organizations including Fraternity and Sorority Life, registered student organizations and the athletic department together amassed around 70 volunteers who painted the windows of different buildings to showcase school spirit throughout the week.

“Homecoming is always a good time to unify the [organizations] and the board,”

President of the Interfraternity Council Allen Mao said. “It is a good way to do community service and see the campus.

I love that a large portion of homecoming is done by Greek life. Homecoming is a way to highlight the Greek community because we put a lot of work in, and that’s good because we are trying to expand.”

The student organizations first met at BBVA Compass Field at 3 p.m., where they were each assigned a building. Students were required to sign a contract to come back the weekend after homecoming week to take down the paint.

Students were not given specific instructions on what to paint; rather they were given free reign in designing their Blazer-themed artwork.

Although the student painters were given creative freedom in their artwork, the homecoming theme “Forever Blaze” is displayed on several buildings.

This year’s homecoming precedes the first year back for UAB football, and the artwork capitalizes on the anticipation.

“We’re excited. It’s been two years since we haven’t had a football team and this is our way to show how we are because homecoming isn’t homecoming

without a football team,” said Carmen Morris, a member of the Homecoming Committee.

“When planning Paint the Town, at first we were thinking about the fact that less people would come because there isn’t a team. This is kind of a more sentimental thing. It is homecoming because football is coming. We didn’t plan anything much differently than last year because we want it to be sentimental and just let it be.

I love UAB and I have a lot of Blazer pride. What better way to express that pride than to be in the center of Homecoming,” Morris said.

4 NEWS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

THE UNHAPPY Is your hormonal birth PILL: control making you blue?

Destiny Hosmer Staff Writer drhosmer@uab.edu

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new study suggests a link between the use of hormonal birth control and depression, although some experts say that the benefits still outweigh the risks.

Taking hormonal birth control could be correlated with an increased risk for depression as compared to not taking a hormonal contraceptive method, according to an article published in September

by JAMA Psychiatry, a peerreviewed medical journal published by the American Medical Association.

For the study, researchers tracked the health of more than one million Danish women between the ages of 15 and 34 over the course of 14 years. The average age of the participants was 24.

Overall, two percent of all women aged 15 to 34 were diagnosed with depression at a

hospital and 13 percent began taking antidepressants.

The study concludes that the “use of hormonal contraception, especially among adolescents, was associated with subsequent use of antidepressants and a first diagnosis of depression, suggesting depression as a potential adverse effect of hormonal contraceptive use.”

“Depression and other mood disturbances have been suspected to be associated with hormonal contraceptives before this study, but data [was] conf licting,” Kathleen Pridgen, M.D., associate professor and acting medical director at UAB Student Health and Wellness, said.

According to the study, the users of combined oral birth control pills experienced a higher rate of subsequent antidepressant use during the study period than those not using the birth control. Women who used progestin-only birth control pills experienced a 1.3-fold higher rate, those who used the transdermal patch had

This is one of the first lessons of statistics: correlation does not equal causation. Both depression and hormonal contraceptive use are very common in the general population.

- Kathleen Pridgen, M.D.

a two-fold increased risk and those who used the vaginal ring had a 1.5-fold increased risk.

Pridgen said that starting birth control is a personal decision, and all women considering birth control should know about the risks

versus the benefits.

“Results from these types of studies have to be interpreted cautiously,” Pridgen said. “There is a difference between the absolute risk versus the relative risk. For this study, even though the relative risk of depression

associated with contraceptives is higher than with non-users, the absolute, overall risk is still very low. The study only reports the relative risks.”

Pridgen also said that due to the observational nature of this study, the link between depression and hormonal contraception is only an association, not a causation.

“This is one of the first lessons of statistics: correlation does not equal causation. Both depression and hormonal contraceptive use are very common in the general population,” Pridgen said.

The researchers noted that adolescent women seemed more vulnerable to the risk of depression than women ages 20-34 and that further research is needed to examine depression as a potential adverse effect of hormonal contraceptive use.

Although there may be an increased risk of depression among young women taking hormonal birth control, there are numerous risks associated

with early pregnancy as well.

“Overall, the risks associated with an unintended pregnancy, especially in the adolescent population aged 15-19, are quite significant,” Pridgen said. “Epidemiological data tells us that about 10% of women in this age group will become pregnant.”

99 percent of U.S. women between the ages of 15-44 who had ever had sexual intercourse used at least one contraceptive method at some point in their lifetime, including 88 percent who used a highly effective, reversible method, such as birth control pills, an injectable method, a contraceptive patch or an intrauterine device, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health Statistics Report in 2013.

UAB’s Student Health and Wellness Center provides access to both non-hormonal and hormonal contraceptive methods, including Caya diaphragms, male and female condoms, birth control pills, intrauterine devices, contraceptive rings, birth control patches and contraceptive implants.

Pridgen said that if one method does not work for someone, there are plenty of other options to try.

Purnima Janarthanan, a graduate communication management student, said that she prefers to avoid taking pills, but she is open to finding the right birth control option for her.

“I don’t like taking any kind of pill,” Janarthanan said.

“To be more precise, I prefer natural products. I’ve read a lot of articles on side effects caused by different pills and that is the main reason why I don’t prefer pills I’m still in the thought process of narrowing it down to one suitable option for my body.”

Gabrielle Valle, a psychology major, said that she prefers taking oral contraceptives and that it helps to regulate menstrual cycles and control acne. However, she said that women’s health is still a taboo subject.

“As far as contraceptives on UAB’s campus goes, the joke is ‘condoms are handed out like free candy everywhere you go, but you still gotta pay to print,’ which pretty much sums up the readily available knowledge about contraceptives,” Valle said. “It’s not openly advertised to the public because it’s still a taboo and makes people squirm when they hear about periods and pregnancies. The only way you’ll learn about the eight different types of contraception is if you meet with a doctor in private.”

“For many women, hormonal forms of contraception represent the most effective, easily adhered to and easily tolerated way to prevent unintended pregnancy,” Pridgen said.

“I think the results of this study should be discussed, but the association of the risk of depression is still just, one, an association and, two, a small overall risk.”

Students can book an appointment to see a women’s health care provider to discuss any of these options at any time via the patient portal on Blazernet.

Illustration by Corey Bright

NEWS 5

6 NEWS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

BASKETBALL

‘Hoops on the Green’: It’s Blockingham Season Kristina Balciunaite Contributor kribal@uab.edu

I

f you wanted to get a seat at “Hoops on the Green” on Thursday, Oct. 13, getting there an hour early was probably a good idea.

Not only the benches, but The Green itself was packed with an estimated 4,200 students, faculty, alumni and fans who came to a be a part of the official kickoff event for the men’s and women’s basketball teams, according to UABsports. com.

The event began with an introduction of the new and returning players of both teams, each of whom passed through an inflatable Blaze to greet audience members.

“Hoops on the Green,” UAB’s rendition of Midnight Madness, is an annual event on campus celebrating the start of the basketball season.

The event, which is now five years old, was known as “Hoops on the Haasephalt” after former men’s basketball Head Coach Jerod Haase until this year.

Haase was replaced as head coach by Robert Ehsan this season, and the name of the event changed as a result.

Fannita Leggett, a freshman nursing major who attended “Hoops on the Green” with her face and body painted in green and gold, is satisfied with the name change.

“This is the Green,” Leggett said. “Everybody comes to congregate here, so it just seems right that it’s called ‘Hoops on the Green’ this year.”

UAB Cheerleaders put on a show in front of a packed crowd during this year’s “Hoops on the Green,” the official kick-off to UAB’s basketball season. BELOW: The UAB Men’s Basketball team holds up the trophy they won for the 2015-2016 regular season conference title.

Photos by Giani Martin

Freshman psychology major and Golden Girl Jazmin Ford also thought the name change was a good idea.

“I feel that this year the name is catchier,” Ford said. “Last year’s name was a bit complicated towards the end.”

Ford believes that the name change might have brought more students out to participate in the event, as its location is included in the title.

Basketball fans were

also reacquainted with the “Mayor of Blockingham,” junior forward William Lee, who was named the 2016 Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year.

“Today was super fun. I came from a small school that never had giant sporting events like this,” Leggett said. “I really enjoyed it and I can’t wait to be on the front row for all the basketball games.”

Leggett said that she was especially impressed

by the women’s team, who won the 3-point shootout competition against the men’s team.

“I couldn’t wait to see the women’s basketball team, because they don’t get enough praise,” said Ford, also adding her expectations for the men’s team this year. “From what I’ve seen, I’m expecting some pretty awesome dunks. Hopefully they can work on their three pointers.”

Both the men’s and women’s teams kickoff the 2016-17 season on Thursday, Nov. 3 with a doubleheader in Bartow Arena starting at 5 p.m.

SPORTS 7 BASKETBALL

What to expect from the upcoming season in the 3-point contest, going to the final round before losing to Childress. Norton led the team in assists last year with 162 to only 54 turnovers.

UAB added two freshmen during the offseason: Javien Williams (6-4 guard) and Nate Darling (another 6-4 guard) as well as adding Deion Lavender who sat out after transferring last season. Williams led Woodlawn High School to the 2016 sub-regional rounds in the state playoffs while averaging 24.2 points per game. Darling scored 50 points in the Under-17 National Finals for Nova Scotia.

He has the ability to hit threes and drive in the lane. Lavender shot 43 percent from the field in his one season at Southern Illinois University.

Jack Ryan Staff Writer jackryan@uab.edu

T

he fifth annual "Hoops on the Green" held on Thursday, Oct. 13 officially launched the 2016-17 season for the men's and women's basketball teams. The event introduced fans to the new players and to Robert Ehsan, first year head coach for men's basketball.

Here is a breakdown and preview of what to expect from the teams this year: Women's Basketball Randy Norton is in his fourth season as the head coach of the team. He comes into this season with an overall record of 49-44 in his previous three years at UAB. This year will be the first season in which all players on the team were recruited by him and his staff.

This recruiting class includes seven freshmen.

Senior guard and Homewood native Dirk Williams dunks the ball during the dunking contest.

Offense The Blazers will have to make up for the losses of this past year's graduating class.

Chelsee Black finished her career in 16th place for all-time scoring at UAB, the 28th player to eclipse the 1,000 career points mark. Inside, the Blazers lost a prominent rebounder and goal scorer in Brittany Windborne.

To fill some of these scoring roles, Norton will rely on sophomore guard Deanna Kuzmanic, who hit 74 3-pointers last season to put her at sixth all-time in a single season. Her 3-point percentage, .349, was second in the league for freshmen.

The freshman class will also look to fill some of these

roles. Rachael Childress had an outstanding performance in the 3-point contest. In the final round, she hit 12 shots to beat Nick Norton. Another addition, Micah Scheetz, was named Miss Basketball for the state of Tennessee.

On the interior, the freshmen will add some height with Bailee Wolfe, who is coming off of a red-shirt season. Wolfe stands a lengthy 6 foot 3 inches and will have the responsibility of helping to grab rebounds. In high school, she led her team in rebounds per game.

Also added to the roster is Katelynn Thomas from Shades Valley High School. She was ranked as the No. 7 player in the state of Alabama and helped lead Shades Valley to a 6A state championship.

Defense The Blazers led all of Conference USA last season in scoring defense at 57.2 points per game. They held opponents to just 1,774 points in the 2015-16 season, the fourth lowest of any team in UAB history. The Blazers will have to fill the shoes of Brittany Windborne, who had 43 blocks last season.

The added size of the freshmen, two 6-foot players and a 6-foot-2 player, along with Wolfe, will help give the Blazers size inside.

Men's Basketball This season will see the introduction of new Head Coach Robert Ehsan, who was promoted from associate head coach during the off-season when Jerod Haase left UAB

Photo by Giani Martin

to take the head coaching job at Stanford. The Blazers are coming off of a strong, recordbreaking season. Some of those records include having the most wins in a season at 26, the longest consecutive winning streak at 14, 16 C-USA wins and 10 C-USA road wins. The Blazers earned the 2016 C-USA regularseason championship and the school's 12th appearance in the National Invitational Tournament.

Offense The Blazers lost their lone senior, Robert Brown, last season but will retain a majority of the line-up. Brown led the team in 3-point field goal percentage and scoring.

However, Norton is returning.

He had a strong performance

Defense The Blazers will return their main defensive star, dubbed the "Mayor of Blockingham," William Lee. Lee was named the 2016 Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year. He amassed 95 blocked shots last year, the second most all time in UAB's history for a single season.

He averaged 2.9 blocks per game, which put him second in C-USA and eighth overall in the country. He collected a career high eight blocks in the win over FAU. He was also the team's second leading rebounder.

The men's first game is Nov. 3 in Bartow Arena against Lindenwood at 7:30 p.m. The women's first game is also Nov. 3 in Bartow Arena against Tuskegee at 5 p.m.

Editor’s note: All statistics are from UABsports.com.

8 Having [LGBT History Month] here is really important so that students can understand

-Maigen Sullivan, gender and sexuality diversity coordi

Taking pride, m

Out Week brings student body together to reflect on pro

From Staff Reports Photos by Khawla Suhaila, courtesy of Social Justice Advocacy Council

O

ctober is LGBT History Month. The month recognizes the achievements of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people across the United States, a community that has historically faced marginalization and discrimination.

LGBT History Month is relatively new, founded in 1994 by a Missouri high school teacher, Rodney Wilson, who believed that gay and lesbian history should be taught in public schools. Wilson thought October was fitting, since public schools are in session and National Coming Out Day falls on Oct. 11.

The celebration is endorsed by a number of LGBT organizations such as GLAAD, the Human Rights Campaign and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, according to Equality Forum, the nonprofit organization that coordinates LGBT History Month.

At UAB, LGBT History Month includes the annual celebration of Out Week, a weeklong event dedicated to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning students and increasing awareness about resources available to them on campus.

“Having [LGBT History Month] here is really important so that students can understand that UAB is a welcoming and inclusive space for you, no matter your sexuality or gender identity,” said Maigen

Blaze the Dragon greets students at Coming Out on the Green on Monday, Oct. 10, which kicked off the Out Week celebration.

Sullivan, gender and sexuality diversity coordinator for Student Multicultural and Diversity Programs.

According to Sullivan, Out Week, which kicked off Oct. 10 with Coming Out on the Green, encourages acceptance of the LGBTQ population on campus and connects students who might identify similarly

or share experiences.

“We want to make sure that we create a lot of visibility, which is why things like the rainbow flag that we put up on The Green [...] and all the events that we do are really important,” Sullivan said.

“Because that lets folks know that there are people here who are going to be accepting and loving [of]

you no matter what.

Although great strides have been made in the fight for LGBTQ rights, Sullivan said that there are still a ways to go in securing acceptance and protections from discrimination, especially in the state of Alabama, where sexuality and gender identity are not included in non-discrimination laws and

policies, accordin for American Prog “You can still be gay, things like th “And on campus, w to protect [them], for trans students nondiscrimination students who may campus, they don tions based off of sexuality.”

Another problem students face are from their familie “Coming out to perhaps losing tha emotional suppor deal. [Homelessne for queer and tran nationally and for Sullivan said. “I kn ly, each semester, couple of students issues finding hou they’ve come out into a fight with th being able to feel being able to discl ity or gender iden one of the biggest students on camp One thing Sulliv encourage UAB st faculty to do is to pronouns to avoid fellow students an “It can be comp think it’s always b the chance to selfmatter what that i “We already do th ductions, we go ar our name or our m Two new featur been added to Bla

9 that UAB is a welcoming and inclusive space for you, no matter your sexuality or gender

inator for Student Multicultural and Diversity Pro-

making change

ogress and to continue advancements in LGBT acceptance

ng to the Center gress. e fired for being hat,” Sullivan said. we have things like Title IX s and then our n policy, but for y be working off n’t have protecgender and

m some LGBTQ a loss of support es. their parents and at financial and rt is a really big ess] is a huge deal ns students, both r our students,” now, personalI hear from a s who are having using because or they’ve gotten heir parents. So, safe on campus, lose your sexualntity is probably t problems for pus.” van hopes to tudents and identify proper d misgendering nd staff. plicated, but I best to give people f-identify, no is,” Sullivan said. hat in our introround and say major.” res have recently azernet to help in

Students tie-dye UAB Pride t-shirts during Coming Out on the Green. Booths at the event gave attendees a chance to talk to those behind the resources available to them.

that regard. Students now have the option to choose their preferred pronoun (he/she/singular they) and their preferred name.

“But what we need is for students, faculty and staff to use them,” Sullivan said. “A lot of faculty, staff and students aren’t asking people for their pronouns, they’re not respecting them so they’re

misgendering people, and I know that’s a huge issue, particularly for our trans students, being misgendered and misnamed in their classes or their social groups.”

UAB has many resources for LGBTQ students. One is the Student Multicultural and Diversity Programs, which Sullivan encourages students to visit and join.

“I think people should be here all the time,” Sullivan said. “It’s a place for folks to hang out, a place for them to meet other people, to meet our students and to get involved.”

Another resource is the Office of Student Advocacy, Rights and Conduct, to which students can report issues of discrimination, both in person and anonymously online,

according to Sullivan.

However, senior public health student Melodi Stone doesn’t find the reporting system adequate for students who might fear retaliation.

“We still need a single online system for reporting and recording instances of harassment and bias that doesn’t require the targets of the bias to go out of their way to make an appointment and go to SARC,” Stone said. “Students still fear retaliation for calling their professors in on instances of bias or discrimination, and many times those professors are repeat offenders. We want them to be held accountable, and if they have a record of bias incidents the students need to know for their own safety and the community will be able to create opportunities for them to learn and grow.”

Another resource is Student Health and Wellness, which includes an LGBTQ-inclusive sexual health clinic. Health and Wellness also partners with Multicultural and Diversity Programs for BorderTRANS, a student-led support group for trans-identifying students on campus that holds monthly social gatherings.

Other student organizations include MedPride for medical students, GRADient for LGBTQ graduate, professional and postdoctoral students and the Alliance for LGBT Equality, which is an employee-resource group for the university and the UAB Health System.

Other LGBTQ resources can be found on Student Multiculural and Diversity Programs’ website at uab. edu/smdp.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

OPINIONS 10

The fall of the Republican Party Aaron Stuber Opinions Columnist abstuber@uab.edu

A

s Donald Trump’s poll numbers continue to fall against Clinton’s double-digit lead, one can’t help but stop and think about how we got here.

It seems that the inconsolable anger and rage of the Republican followers has poisoned the core values of the GOP during the past few months. I want to be clear. I am not talking about the Republicans who have different beliefs in how tax law should be applied, or who should own guns. I’m talking about the Republicans who get upset when asked to “Press 1 for English,” who believe that grabbing a woman by the pussy is the best way to control her and who think #repealthe19th is a serious option to be considered.

With eight years to try and change the absolute shit-show America has become, many Republicans now hope that 2016 is the year they will be able to take back the White House from the “filthy” Democrats that have held on to it. However, this begs the question: With all that time — eight years to pick your champion — you had to let it be Donald Trump?

Now, don’t misunderstand. From watching the election, it is almost impossible to argue that Trump is a stupid man. Yes, his sentences are small.

They are easy to digest. They’re usually five words maximum. Even Carnegie Mellon published their study that confirmed Trump used the simplest language among any of the candidates running on the stage — GOP, Democrat and Libertarian alike.

But, it is this simple rhetoric Trump uses that has attracted the masses.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 93 million Americans are at a basic literacy level or below. This means that approximately 44 percent of Americans read at an eighth-grade level or below. So one can begin to see how many of the followers of Trump are so desperately, and pitifully, uninformed, even when he says to them that “one of the key problems today is that politics is such a disgrace, good people don’t go into government.” He probably couldn’t be more correct — especially about himself.

Illustration by Corey Bright

He says these words, yet it seems that Trump has a new scandal every week. One would think that even though he has accused Clinton of having debilitating health problems, he would have to be getting pretty damn tired of fighting his own lies by now.

With comments ranging from saying that John McCain is not a war hero because he was captured, to insulting the Khan family, to the leaked tape of him confirming he has sexually abused women, one would think that the party would have abandoned him long before last week. Yet somehow, someone always seems to throw him a rope, and he always finds a way to hang himself with it.

And yet, with all of his faults, the fall of the GOP cannot be placed solely on Trump. The GOP descended once it abandoned its free-market principles.

It declined once it championedlimited government decided that the government should tell people who to marry and what to do with their bodies.

It diminished itself when it started attacking the very constitution it clings onto by making amendments one and two their cynosure, and ignoring three through 27.

With Republicans only winning two of the past six elections, their only hope of realigning Republican politics

rested in George W. Bush’s hands, which unfortunately failed. And just like the 1964 indoctrination of Barry Goldwater (who also received KKK support) politics, so too has Trump rocked the boat to lead with the hatred and fear that eats away at the so-called “silent majority.” Trump’s egregious behavior and his cult-like followers have shown that America truly isn’t as great of a land as the Republicans think — it’s just unfortunate for them that they are the root cause of it.

His words have incited the anger of his followers, and those words almost seem to be a good enough of an excuse for the party’s behavior. There is no compassion in the party anymore.

With some of his followers wishing death upon “stupid liberals,” physically harming protestors at his rallies and reciting the very bible flagrantly and easily ignoring the next minute in their actions. All this has shown that the silent majority has as much misplaced aggression as an overstimulated cat.

As of this week, in a last-ditch effort to save any semblance of their party, we have seen Paul Ryan speak for the GOP and write Trump off. The GOP knows all too well that the most recent scandal of Trump has gone too far. Yet, this withdrawal will probably not be enough.

It is too late. The actions of Trump have

pushed the disenchanted moderates of the party not to vote for him. The only ones remaining are the #neverkillary crowd, and that is going to cost the GOP some “down the ticket” votes.

The GOP knew from the beginning the kind of monster Trump would become, they just didn’t have the power to stop him — which is probably why they are now considering super-delegates as a part of their election process at the RNC. UAB senior Marina Triplett, who identifies as mostly conservative, said it best.

“The RNC should have known not to support Trump in the first place,” Triplett said. “Instead of sticking to the principles that the Republican Party has stood behind for decades, the members of the GOP did whatever they could simply to keep their jobs.”

While many Americans believe that politics is like a football game, it isn’t.

There is no “Team A” or “Team B” or “my team is inherently better than your team.” The question of who can serve as president simply comes down to who would be the best statesman for the nation.

I’m not going to make the argument for Hillary Clinton by saying she is a good person — she inherently isn’t.

Yet, as hindsight shows, she has always taken what is thrown at her. She has conducted herself with dignity in foreign countries, and they respect her for it. She has consistently shown that she supports children, families and small businesses.

And yet, as a Clinton presidency seems to be drawing near, it comes at a time for the GOP to reexamine its values once again. America is changing.

The older members of the party are dying, and, for that reason, it seems that the newer members have forgotten what the party stood for. Just as the Democratic Party has seen a shift to being more moderate, and with more progressive agendas being exemplified

by Bernie Sanders, so too is time for the Republican Party to change.

Only time will answer the question: Can the party of “old-school” values rise to the challenge to create a party that will attract civilized support, or will it continue its descent into madness by just restating the issues that push moderate support away from it?

FEATURES

11

Move It Mondays: Bollywood meets exercise at Rec. Jordan McGill Staff Writer jmcgill@uab.edu

O

n Monday, Oct. 10 at the Campus Recreation Center, student dance instructor and Apsara dance team captain Keshal Patel played traditional Indian music and taught traditional dances to a room of beginners and experts alike.

Patel, a senior nursing student and a founder of the original dance team Rangeela, acted as dance instructor for Monday’s session of Move It Monday, a weekly dance lesson open to the public hosted by the Rangeela dance team and held in the CRC. The difficulty of classes can range from beginner to more intermediate dances, depending on the instructor or dance style.

“We had two hip-hop instructors and theirs was more group-style which could be friendlier for beginners, but we’ve also had a fast paced song which makes it harder,” Patel said. “It all depends on the song the instructor chooses and how they choreograph it.”

The dance instructor’s job is to find songs, choreograph dances to them and choose which parts of the song to dance to, as “there [are] so many layers to music,” according to Patel.

Patel said that she has been dancing since she was 3 years old. Under the guidance of Kruti Dance Academy, she received formal Bharata Natyam Training. She is

Tan Duong, a member of the Rangeela dance team, instructs a workshop centered on hip hop.

currently involved with another dance team called Alabama Apsara, an all-girls Bollywood dance team that started this year.

Patel and the other instructors also pick formations and costumes depending on what kind of feeling they want to bring to the stage.

“If it’s a happy song you’re going to do big energetic moves and if it’s a sad song you do moves where you melt,” Patel said.

According to Patel, Move It Mondays are “an opportunity to learn new dance styles and have fun with it, and it’s a fun way to get exercise.”

“I’ve always had a passion for dancing, and I would just sort of move my body randomly so I’ve decided it’s time to put some names to what I do,” said Kenneth Davis, a freshman and new Rangeela addition.

“I came to this school with no dance experience whatsoever, so being able to take these classes and put more moves in my inventory is a great experience.”

Shreya Malhotra, a freshman neuroscience major, joined the team in order to get involved on campus and help promote Indian traditions in the Birmingham community.

“There’s a lot of unity, it’s a small dance team compared to others,” Malhotra said. “There’s a big Asian community here in general, and especially the Indian community, so I like that we’re getting traditions and diversity into UAB through these dance teams.”

The Rangeela Club, a co-ed Bollywood fusion dance team, has been on campus for four years, since Patel started the team her freshman year, and they plan on participating in the Diwali 2016 show.

“The Diwali show’s celebrating a really big Indian holiday, basically the equivalent of American Christmas,” Malhotra said. “We’re showing the Birmingham community that this is a huge holiday and we’re welcoming everybody to celebrate diversity.”

The show will have many teams performing in celebration of the Hindu festival of lights, which is particularly associated with the goddess of

Photo by Zachary Moseley

prosperity Lakshmi, and is taking place this Nov. 12 at UAB’s Alys Stephens Center.

“It’s really all about passion. We want to share

what we do and what we love, and the next step for us would be community outreach in Birmingham,” said Karan Jani, the artistic director If the team performs well during the Diwali show they plan on signing up for more competitions in future years, and anyone, with any level of experience, is able to try out for the team.

The next Move It Monday will be during Homecoming Week on Monday, Oct. 17. For more information about the Rangeela Club and Move It Mondays check their Facebook page @ uabrangeela.

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FEATURES 13

Eastern travel experience inspires Asiatic art Sarah Faulkner Student Media Creative Director jmcgill@uab.edu

F

rom Cambodia to China, Reins Tarpley, a sophomore art studio major, finds inspiration in the art and architecture she sees while backpacking through Southeast and Far East Asia. Drawing on the stylistic traditions of Balinese sculptors and Japanese woodblock printers, Tarpley combines heavily inked lines with pops of vivid red to create minimalist, contemporary takes on classically Asian imagery. Her art reveals aesthetic roots not only in modern age manga and tattoo art, but also in age-old eastern design traditions.

How did you get started in art?

Growing up, I always opted to take art classes as my elective, but I didn’t think seriously about pursuing art until I was selecting a major at UAB. I think what made me want to reconnect with art was a combination of travel and meeting people in the local art scene of Birmingham.

Which mediums did you use?

I started out initially interested in pen and ink mediums, but at first I didn’t know anything about the different types of paper you can buy, so I would use sharpies on drawing paper and it would look horrible, and the lines would be incredibly blurry from all of the bleeding ink.

But I have some amazing friends who have helped me learn what to buy and

how to use certain tools.

So my lines have cleaned up since it first started, and that’s still something I try to work on all of the time.

Asian art with a lot of those people, as well as a common goal of cleanliness in our work.

How has your travel experience influenced your art?

Where do you see your art going in the future?

Traveling in Thailand and Cambodia and visiting all kinds of Buddhist temples has definitely influenced my attention to detail. I have so much respect for the time and energy that was spent on constructing thousands of Buddhist pagodas and temples in Southeast Asia. Most of the architecture is so crusted in gold that you can’t look straight at it during the daytime. I also admire how everything means something in Asian art. All of the imagery is symbolic, down to the patterns on clothing. Stylistically its made me strive to pay more attention to small details.

I plan to take my art to a larger scale and also branch out to other mediums, specifically watercolor.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

I’m inspired by a lot of old Japanese woodblock prints, so I spend a lot of time looking at works

by Ukiyo-e masters like Kyosai and Hokusai. I am also heavily inspired by a lot of tattoo artists, mostly those who specialize in a Japanese Irezumi style.

Most of these artists directly reference the Ukiyo-e masters as well.

Who are your local inspirations?

As far as local artists go, I’m really interested in the work of Vincent Rizzo, Anna Zoladz, Amy Vaughn, Sara Roberson, Devon McFarland and Neil Jackson. I share a common interest in

Recently, Tarpley showed and sold prints at the Fourteen76 art showcase at Desert Island Supply Co. alongside other student artists. Her Ukiyo-e inspired digital art will be included in AURA Literary Arts Review’s upcoming fall issue.

Tarpley’s work displays the inspiration she draws from her travels and other local artists.

Artwork by Reins Tarpley

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14 FEATURES

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

Marching Blazers bring sound to Magic City Tamara Imam Managing Editor managing@insideuab.com

T

he Marching Blazers performed an exhibition at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 15 as part of the Hoover Invitational Marching Band Festival.

“The Sound of the Magic City,” as the 200 member band is often referred to, is composed of four main components: brass, woodwinds and percussion, and also includes the Blazerettes, the Majorettes, the colorguard and drum majors who perform alongside the band, according to the UAB Bands’ website.

Saturday night’s performance was Hollywood themed, with the Marching Blazers performing songs from famous movies such as “Back to the Future,” “Quantum of Solace,” “The Avengers” and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

The Marching Blazers received a standing ovation following their performance in front of the packed audience at the Hoover Met, which included not only UAB fans, but members of local high school bands who also performed in the festival and their families.

“Last week we performed to an audience of about the same size, but performing last night felt

different,” piccolo player Yulianna Jimenez said of Saturday’s performance. “I haven’t been nervous for a performance this year, but I was nervous last night because the audience we were performing for was so close to home (although I’m from Mississippi, I consider UAB my home). I wanted our performance to impress them, so they would choose UAB and choose to be a part of the band. I’m so grateful that I did.”

Since the loss of the football program in December 2014, the Marching Blazers have spent the nearly two years performing at exhibitions and band festivals in lieu of football games.

Jimenez, who is a sophomore, is one of the

Marching Blazers who joined the band after the football program was cancelled.

“I love performing for an audience that is there for the love of band and music. You can tell in their applause and their faces that they enjoy and appreciate what we’re doing,” Jimenez said.

“One of the biggest differences that comes to mind for me is that we do not have a major limit on how long the show can be and we can make the drill and music a lot more challenging with the limit on performance time constraints,” Logan Harbin, who plays the tuba and is in his fifth year as a Marching Blazer, said.

“For me, it is a lot harder to stay focused and driven

to always push myself to make the show as good as I can with only a 10-15 minute performance once every couple weeks versus. having the football game to play at and do the show along with the couple of exhibitions.”

While Harbin believes that performing at exhibitions “hasn’t been as rewarding” as the traditional half-time performance at football games, Blazerette Stephanie Schodorf, a sophomore from Elmore, said that she came to UAB knowing that she would not be performing at football games for a couple years and that it did not impact her decision to join the Marching Blazers.

“I wasn’t hesitant; UAB

was my first choice, this is where I truly wanted to enjoy my college experience, football or not,” Schodorf said.

Regardless, she is eager to join the football team on the gridiron for halftime performances in 2017.

“We have been working extra hard to get in shape and football-performance ready for next year,” Schodorf said. “I’m excited to get back into the ‘Friday night lights,’ but on Saturday’s, of course... there is no greater feeling than to cheer on your own team and getting the win.”

The Marching Blazers are set to perform at the homecoming Green and Gold scrimmage on Thursday, Oct. 20.

CALENDAR TUESDAY

Green and Gold Games

Oct. 18 -24

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

Campus Green 12-2 p.m.

National Day on Writing

Homecoming Gurney Derby

Sterne Library 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Sterne Library 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Student organizations enter teams to compete in events like obstacle courses and tug-of-war.

Students adorn and race hospital gurneys down 13th Street.

Blazer Showdown

Active Shooter Training

Alys Stephens Center 7-9 p.m.

Groups show off their talent in a skit and dance competion.

Former Alabama Secretary of State Beth Chapman Heritage Hall 102 6:30-8 p.m.

Presented by UAB Police and the Criminal Justice Student Organization.

BBVA Compass Field 7-10:30 p.m.

Blaze the Night

Wicked Movie Wednesday

HSC Alumni Theater 7-9 p.m.

Showing “Lights Out!!”

Popcorn and drinks will be served.

FRIDAY

Homecoming Parade 14th St. S. 12 - 1 p.m.

Groups design their own float and display their Blazer Price driving down University Blvd.

UAB Football Green and Gold Scrimmage

HSC 318 7-8 p.m.

WHAT’S UP 15

UAB Mini Park 9:30-11 p.m.

Groups perform their best rendition of the UAB Fight Song or Blazer Victory.

1501 University Blvd.

8 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Register as an individual or a team for a 5k race or a one mile walk.

Puppaween

Oak Hill Cemetary 7 p.m.

Dog Days of Birmingham 1-4 p.m.

Independent horror and thriller films from around the world.

Carnival for dogs, kids and adults. Costumes encouraged for all.

Scifi and Fantasy Festival

Campground Halloween

Hoover Public Library 7-11 p.m.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

CLASSIFIEDS

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

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Blazer 5K

Underground Horror Filmfest

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SATURDAY

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

Oak Mountain State Park 5 p.m.

All over night camp guests welcome.

SUNDAY

Punk Rock Flea Market

Saturn Birmingham Oct. 22 & 23 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Two days with seven bands and over 50 vendors.

Wild & Scenic Film Festival RMTC Cabaret Theatre 2-6 p.m.

MONDAY

Monday at the Movies: Hocus Pocus Hoover Public Library 2-4 p.m.

Zombie Hunt

Homewood Public Library 6 p.m.

Largest environmental film festival in the U.S.

Jazz in the Park Railroad Park 5:30 p.m.

Palomitas Film Club My American Girls Sterne Library 6 p.m.