November • 8 • 2016
Volume 56 • Issue 57 UAB’s Official Student Newspaper
INSIDE THE NEWS:
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Recently-installed solar panels on the roof of the Campus Recreation Center bring sustainability practices to UAB
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Students for Justice in Palestine host Education Under Occupation event to shed light on restricted access to schools in Israel
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Community law enforcement lead panel discussion on police relations with African-Americans in light of heightened national tension
2 EDITORIAL
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016
Dear readers, Today is the day we’ve all been waiting for — largely because most of us couldn’t wait for it to finally be over. Today is election day. Today, among other public offices, we will elect a new President of the United States. It’s an important day, and consequently we have an important and slightly unorthodox issue for you. You’ll notice this paper has two covers: one featuring Hillary Clinton and the other featuring Donald Trump. After today, we’ll know which of the two candidates will have the honor of serving as leader of the free world. Although the surprise will likely be over after today, my staff and I hope you’ll enjoy the paper throughout the week as two of our editors take a page out of Orson Wells’ “War of the Worlds” to give you a satirical spin on what they think the world would look like with Clinton or Trump in the Oval Office. We hope you’ll enjoy the Election Day illustrations created by our Creative Director of Student Media Sarah Faulkner on our dual front covers and in our spread on pages 8 and 9. Either way, the election will usher in a new era — we will either see Trump’s business-forward policies pushed to the forefront of politics or the continued reach of Clinton’s progressive ideals and an extension of the past administration’s liberal policies. And if the former is the case, we will have elected the first female president in our nation’s history — so this election is kind of a big deal. As always, big things are happening on our campus, too. This issue, we bring you a story about a project led by several UAB professors, in which they worked with inmates at a local prison to put on an eight-part radio drama highlighting prison life. In sports news, another basketball season is upon us, as our men’s and women’s teams geared up for one of the toughest non-conference schedules in recent UAB history with a doubleheader exhibition last Thursday in Bartow Arena. UAB continues to push forward and forge a path for progress every day. Our university hosted a public panel on police and community relations to create productive dialogue on an issue of national concern. We also give you a look at the Campus Recreation Center’s new solar panel project, which promises to save energy and cut utility costs at the facility. Exciting things are happening all around our campus, our state and our country. All you have to do is look around.
Go Blazers, and please, go vote!
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 Mark Linn copy@insideuab.com Chandler Jones chanj1@uab.edu Dabney Bragg socialmedia@insideuab.com Loren Gilbert online@insideuab.com Melvin Griffin Jared Chestnut Chad Freeman Marie Sutton info@insideuab.com
Regards,
Tamara Imam
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
Managing Editor
EDITOR’S NOTES: Due to complications with the printing company, we will not run an issue on Wednesday, Nov. 9.
Physical Address Suite 130, Hill Student Center 1400 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35205 Mail HILL 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
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CAMPUS RECREATION CENTER
UAB Sustainability installs a 112-panel system atop of the Rec. center to serve as a focal point in order to promote environmentally friendly practices on campus.
Photo by Amanda Abbett
Solar panels to save $600 monthly on utility costs Mark Linn Copy Editor copy@insideuab.com
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ith newly-installed solar panels, UAB’s Campus Recreation Center now boasts the largest solar-energy system in Birmingham. The 112-panel system was installed as part of an effort by UAB Sustainability to raise awareness of renewable energy and sustainability resources. “It’s a constant struggle to engage students, faculty and staff and the community with sustainability and why it’s important and how to apply a lens of sustainability to your daily life and work,” said Julie Price, Ph.D., coordinator for UAB Sustainability. “So having something like solar panels in a location like the Rec center that’s very visible from so many other buildings on campus and on the mountain we thought would be a good way to open the door to more people to learn about UAB Sustainability and
sustainability overall.” In addition to providing power to the facility, Price hopes that the system will be used for coursework and research by students and faculty. A monitor was installed in the main hallway of the center that displays a live feed of the solar panel system, giving general information on how the system works and how much energy it has generated to meet the building’s electricity needs. “That sort of installation supports the approach of the UAB Facilities division. Their perspective of the campus is to treat it like a living laboratory,” Price said. “So not only are we building and maintaining buildings that are comfortable and safe for people to go to class and do research in but also that provide opportunities for people to learn about green buildings and new technologies.” Since installation, the solar panels have generated approximately 6,451 kilowatt-hours or kWh. For comparison,
in 2015 the average U.S. residential utility customer used 10,812 kWh, about 901 kWh per month, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The power generated by the solar panels at the recreation center represents about 10 percent of total electricity consumption, according to Price. The system saves an estimated $600 per month on utility costs. The Facilities Division is also making use of the solar panels to determine what possible economic impact it could have as part of their utility portfolio, according to a UAB press release. The new solar panels were featured in Birmingham’s first Solar Home Tour. Socalled solar tours, organized nationally by the American Solar Energy Society, showcase green homes and businesses that utilize innovative solutions to sustainability needs. Such tours have taken place in other parts of the state, but 2016 is the first year that the tours have come to Birmingham. Birmingham’s tour, which took place on Oct. 29, included
AEC Recycling, Daystar Construction, Red Mountain Park and several residential homes as well as the recreation center. This is not the first effort to introduce solar power to UAB facilities. In 2008, eight solar panels were installed at the UAB Facilities building to charge electric cars used by its employees. More recently, Sustainability installed charging stations for phones and laptops outside the Hill Student Center. Price hopes that the project will help bring attention to the relatively new UAB Sustainability department and get people to consider how to maintain sustainable resources. “I hope they’ll visit our website and social media feeds and see the definition of sustainability, which is meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs,” Price said. “So how do we do that? It’s not a political idea, it’s really just taking care of the resources that we have.”
4 NEWS
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016
COPS IN THE COMMUNITY
Police panel discuss local, national concerns Destiny Hosmer Staff Writer drhosmer@uab.edu
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he UAB and Birmingham City Police answered questions from the community at a discussion panel on Tuesday, Nov. 1 in light of heightened tension between police and African-Americans across the U.S. The Cops in the Community Discussion Panel was held to identify issues and find solutions amidst the ongoing national dialogue surrounding police and African-Americans. The event was hosted by the UAB National Pan-Hellenic Council, the Black Student Awareness Committee, UAB NAACP, Blazer Male Excellence Network and UAB’s Black Graduate Student
Association. The forum was moderated by Kathryn Morgan, Ph.D., associate professor of justice sciences and director of the African-American Studies program. Morgan said that the most significant problem is the lack of communication between police and the minority community. “Over the years I’ve studied the interactions between the minority community, the college community and the police, and we know that there are problem areas,” Morgan said. “We know that there are concerns that our citizens have, but we also understand that those interactions are rooted in history. They go all the way back to slave patrols, so it is good now to see the dialogue.” The first question the panel, which included four members of the UAB Police Department and one member of the Birmingham City Police
Department, received was: “What are the present police officers’ perspectives on what is going on nationally with the police and black citizens?” Valerie Jackson, commander of hospital police at UAB, said that her brother was killed by police while unarmed when she was five years old, and it is important to remember that police officers are just like everybody else. “That happening to me at such a young age motivated me to go into law enforcement,” Jackson said. “A lot of times when we’re dealing with people on a daily basis they see us in one way, and that is somebody that’s trying to enforce the law. They don’t know our history, they don’t know our background. [...] We have families that we want to go home to.” The panelists were also asked how students can ensure their safety when interacting with campus or Birmingham police, and the consensus of the panel was to be compliant.
“If you are out interacting with a campus officer, he’s going to ask you for basic information just comply with what they’re asking you to do,” said James Grenade, Control Division commander at UAB Police Department. “If at any time you feel that they’re asking you to do something you shouldn’t do, you have the right to request their name, their ID number, and request a supervisor to come out onto the scene.” Grenade said that if you do not feel comfortable with asking these questions on the scene, you can report the incident after by contacting UAB Police. Marvin Atmore, deputy chief of police at UAB’s Police Department, said that the UAB Police want to be easily accessible on campus and in the community. “The old officers used to walk through the neighborhood, [and] at some point we got away from that,” Atmore said. “We want to get back into the public view. We call it community policing. We don’t want you to have to wave us
Four members of the UABPD and one Birmingham City Police officer [not pictured] answer questions about issues and finding solutions to the national tension between officers and African-Americans.
down. Our aim and our goal is to become partners with our students, faculty, and staff.” Branden Joshua Pace, a senior medical social work major and first vice president of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, said that the panelists presented themselves professionally during the forum and he liked that they admitted their problem areas. “Moving forward, experience will dictate a lot of things, but coming away from this tonight I feel more comfortable with who it is that I’ll be expecting to deal with as a student and civilian in the city,” Pace said. If you wish to make a comment, whether positive or negative, about any UAB Police interaction, visit uab.edu/police/ about-us/professional-conduct-complaints/ commenton-anofficerform.
Photo by Marika Gray
NEWS 5
Education under occupation displays Palestinian plight Alice Grissom Contributor ealiceg@uab.edu
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n the shade of the Hill Student Center Amphitheater, Students for Justice in Palestine at UAB held their first annual event, “Education Under Occupation,” on Tuesday, Nov. 1. The event featured traditional Palestinian foods, such as hummus and falafel, which SJP at UAB President Ruaa AbuAishah described as having been culturally appropriated by Israelis in a perceived attack on Palestinian culture. “Education Under Occupation” focused on the plight of Palestinian students during the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. SJP members said that over 500 students were killed in a 50-day conflict between Israeli forces and Hamas, the democratically elected militant group that controls the Gaza Strip. The names of over 40 of the deceased students were ironically listed on graduation caps in their display. “These kids haven’t done anything wrong to deserve the situation they’ve been born into and, as someone who, thank God, lives a very comfortable lifestyle, I feel like it’s our duty to do what we can to help make their lives a little bit easier. I’ve seen first hand how small actions can go a long way so I try to do what I can and being part of SJP is a great way to do that,” SJP treasurer Bayan Karassi said of the display. There were also posters featuring tales and photographs of students being detained, delayed and persecuted at mandatory checkpoints, and photographs of students struggling on their way to school. The International Solidarity Movement, a pro-Palestinian group, described the trials of Palestinian students’ first week of school, including long waits at checkpoints, overcrowded classrooms and exposure to tear gas. Not all students even have the opportunity to make it to the classroom, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund. Their report, cited in an Education Under Occupation handout, said that only an estimated 70 percent of children have access to a primary school, compared to 93 percent for American children. In an interview with rethinkingschools. org, Zakaria Odeh, executive director of the Civic Coalition in East Jerusalem, attributed this phenomenon to the deliberate isolation of Palestinian neighborhoods and the continuation of time-consuming checkpoint practices that often prevent students from even arriving at schools. He also cited the Israeli-controlled materials with which even Palestinian students must be taught. Palestinian students are not the only ones to suffer due to military action, however. Many
Israeli schools are the victims of bombings and other attacks on the part of the Hamascontrolled government, according to the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack. SJP at UAB wants to challenge this educational reality by constantly promoting awareness, according to AbuAishah, who said the group intends to hold at least one more event this semester and others next semester. SJP was encouraged by the turnout, which exceeded their expectations. Over sixty students signed in at the event, with more simply stopping by to learn more. “If those who came to the event learned about Palestine and what its people are going through, or changed their opinion from what the media might have told them, then that would be serving our purpose,” Karassi said. “I guess you could say we just want people to be aware and hear a different perspective about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict rather than relying on the media only.” This marked the first independent event of the newly rejuvenated SJP, an organization dedicated to promoting awareness of Israeli aggressions against Palestinians. AbuAishah, leader of the group since its reorganization in the spring of 2016, works to spread recognition of the cause. Despite the less-than-favorable reputation SJP has on a national scale due to allegations of violence and conflict, AbuAishah said she is determined that SJP at UAB will continue to peaceably spread awareness and educate students on Palestine. She was inspired to relaunch the organization when she moved back to Birmingham after spending a year in the Palestinian territory of Turmus Ayya. “At the time, the political prisoners in administrative detention were becoming vocal and their resistance through hunger strikes deeply affected me,” AbuAishah said. “It was also just things like having to deal with checkpoints and the humiliation that came with all that. Even my American nationality couldn’t help me because I also carried a Palestinian passport.” In addition to being pro-Palestine, SJP at UAB partners with the Social Justice Advocacy Council in events to perpetuate dialogues concerning human rights, or, as AbuAishah put it, to “call out hate crimes.” “SJP’s main purpose as of right now is to raise awareness and shine a light on the Palestinian people who are suffering under the occupation,” Karassi said.
ABOVE: A graduation cap, adorned with the names of Palestinian students who were killed in the 2014 conflict and Handala, a famous symbol depicting a Palestinian refugee child, is displayed. BELOW: SJP also shows images of Palestinian children passing through a military checkpoint to get to school at the “Education Under Occupation” event. Photos by Ian Keel
6 NEWS
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016
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SPORTS 7 UAB BASKETBALL
Men, women victorious in doubleheader exhibition Jack Ryan Staff Writer jackryan@uab.edu
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he UAB women's and men's basketball teams played exhibition games in a doubleheader against Tuskegee University and Lindenwood University, respectively, on Thursday, Nov. 3. The women started the evening by defeating Tuskegee 88-67, followed by the men emerging victorious over Lindenwood 92-69. Women's team With seven true freshmen and a redshirt freshman, this team is relatively young. This showed during the first quarter, when the Blazers were down 12-9 in the first few minutes. "They [Tuskegee] were hitting some shots I was surprised about and it tested us," women's basketball Head Coach Randy Norton said. "We got to play everyone on the roster and as everyone knows we are very young." One of the problems coming out of the gate was rebounding, according to Norton. In the opening of the game, a few rebounds were going off of players or through their hands and landing in Tuskegee's hands for second chances. Norton attributed this to losing Brittany Windborne, who was top five in the nation last year in rebounds and graduated last spring. "This year we don't really have that dominate rebounder, so it is going to have to be a collective effort from all 5 players on the floor to get those rebounds," Norton said. The team, which is being marketed as "Swishingham," shot a mark of 47.1 percent
Senior guard Hakeem Baxter dribbles past a Lindenwood player in Thursday night’s victory against the Lions.
(32-68) while also shooting 41.9 percent (13-31) from 3-point range. However, Norton concedes that his team's tendency to rely on 3-pointers is not ideal. "I told the team, I know you are open, but you cannot live and die by the three," Norton said. "I like the 50 percent rule. If you miss a couple of threes, okay. Now, let's get the ball in the post and get a few
post touches." The highlight of the game was a half court 3-point shot by freshman guard Miyah Barnes. With one second left in the game, Barnes heaved the shot from 47 feet away, solidifying the team's win and earning the play a number four spot on Sportscenter's "Top 10" plays. "It was a very good shot. I was standing right behind her and you could see it was going
Photo by Giani Martin
to go down. Earlier in the game she had another shot like it and it just missed. Miyah will be a very good point guard for us," Norton said. The women play again on Monday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. against Lane College in Bartow Arena. Men's team This team will have one of the toughest non-conference
schedules in recent history for a UAB basketball team, with match-ups against Kansas, Auburn, Memphis and Texas. The exhibition game served as a tune-up, and a line-up setter for first year Head Coach Rob Ehsan. On Thursday night, senior guard Dirk Williams was included in the starting line-up. He went for 22 points and 10-11 shooting, with the one shot he missed being a finger role layup that rolled off of the rim. "It felt good to be back out there in uniform. The last shot, instead of laying it up I tried a finger role and it just slipped out of my hand," Williams said. Lindenwood only made seven shots from inside the 3-point arc; however, they were able to make 16 3-point shots going 1635 from beyond the arc. "One of our things was to have every shot contested. They hit 16 threes, maybe 10 or 11 were contested," Ehsan said. "The other five they got us turned around. They were smaller than us and did a good job of trying to spread us out. I can't think of a team that has shot 35 threes in a forty minute game." This team, which has been labeled as "Blockingham," recorded four blocks in Thursday night's game. Three of those came from true freshman guard Javien Williams. Ehsan made an announcement after the game that junior guard Lewis Sullivan will be taking a redshirt this year. According to Ehsan, he wants to develop Sullivan's talent and set him up to be star player in the last two years of his eligibility. The men will take the court again in Bartow Arena on Friday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. for their first regular season game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
8 ELECTION DAY: WHAT IF CLINTON WINS
The day that progress stood still Imagined by Tessa M. Case // News and Science Editor// news@insideuab.com
H
illary Rodham Clinton was inaugurated president on Jan. 20, 2017. Her platform included a fair tax system, disability rights, racial justice, LGBT rights and equality, early childhood education, infrastructure and a myriad of other promises. I was with her. I had been a student intern with her campaign, and we all had been elated from the evening of Nov. 8, 2016 to the evening of Jan. 20. After the ceremony, I had returned to my messy D.C. apartment. Too joyful and exhausted to care, I had collapsed onto my bed and went to sleep. When I had awoken, it was Jan. 21, 2017, and President Clinton was ready to get to work. It was like we had all collectively agreed to ignore that the House and Senate were both Republican majorities. We were just happy to have overcome Trump. I had gone to work to help organize and clean all the ceremony materials. I had needed to find out which department I would be helping out with since my time with President Clinton had ended, but there had been no time to discuss it. I had finished early and was able to return home. Bored, I had decided to clean my apartment, binge-watch some Netflix and crash early. The next morning was the first time we noticed. I awoke, stretched and grabbed my phone. My calendar notification alerted me to my dad’s birthday. That was strange. Yesterday was my dad’s birthday. I slid my phone to the next screen. Jan. 21, 2017. “What?” I muttered, tossing the clearly possessed phone aside and moving to the living room where my laptop resided. Same thing. Jan. 21, 2017. “This is ridiculous,” I snarled, slamming the screen shut. I closed my eyes, took a breath, counted back
from 10 then stood up. Something caught my attention. My apartment was dirty. I knew I had cleaned it, but there sat my clothes, shoes, papers and trash. To say I ran to the office was an understatement. When I arrived, everyone stood bewildered. The materials, papers, speech copies and press releases that we had put away the day before had not been touched. We all just stood there staring at each other. It was a media storm. Time had stopped in the United States. We thought it was going to be Jan. 21 forever. I couldn’t believe it; I had put in so much time and effort for time to stop moving? I had spent the last year of my life dedicated to changing the world, and the day wasn’t even going to change? I knew my life was over. After several weeks of Jan. 21 and a growing unrest amongst the population, the phenomenon had been figured out. It was discovered after a bill had been passed to investigate the phenomenon, and we all awoke to find it was Jan. 22. Then, just as a test, another bill was pushed through allocating more funds to the research project, and the week progressed to Jan. 23. Time only worked when the legislative body did. Ah-mazing. We had to rely on the legislators to actually do something. All hope was lost. It’s been like that for two years now. However, our calender has only progressed to June 2, 2017. Factories have been shut down, the grocery stores are devoid of people, and there is not a single barista left to make the perfect, fair trade cappuccino I once had every morning. I mean, we all technically still have jobs, but what’s the point of working all day when the day is
just going to start over like nothing ever happened? The rest of the world is still spinning: the EU is a powerhouse, China — the new economic superstar — is soaring uncontested and poor, little U.S. just sits here, begging our president to do something, anything really, to push the days forward. Apparently she lost all ability to motivate after the inaugural address. “Ban all limits on abortion so it can be tomorrow already!” “Repeal Roe v. Wade so we can get through a week!” “Legalize marijuana!” “Trickle down policies!” Facebook polarization rules the day, and our ever-faithful senators and congressional representatives answer to their ever-rational constituents. Then, in a shocking turn of events, nothing continues to happen. The headlines still read, “The day progress stood still” as if this is all some kind of joke. Factories have closed down, no point in trying and their graffiti reads “Will work when Congress does.” In a somewhat sick sense of humor, the growing unemployed population sits on the street corners with signs, “Will write legislation for food.” The world seems devoid of color and energy. Most people don’t bother to come outside anymore. The streets, the shops, the entire country itself seems to be empty. I’m no exception, and, maybe, I’m the worst of all. I’ve given up hope. It’s been almost two months since it has been June 2, yet clocks show no sign of turning. The frustration and confusion have led to even more political gridlock. Clinton is almost never seen. To be fair, not many politicians are seen at all since planning any fundraising events are pointless. This is not what I had signed up for when I accepted my internship. I had signed up for change, for
hope and for a common decency and cooperation with my fellow Americans. When the news talked about this being the most polarized and hate-filled election, I never took it seriously. All elections were like this, weren’t they? Name-calling and dragging people’s personal lives onto national debate floors avoiding any actual policy — that was what all the politicians did, right? There was no coming together. The “nasty women” and “bad hombres” put their tents up on one side of the fence and the silent majority sat at the other. Apparently, even time stopping could not bring people together enough to make some real change. It makes them hate more. One night, the sun had started to set. In a fit of tearful boredom, I cleaned my apartment again. I didn’t do it very often any more, but every now and then the vile virus of optimism shot itself into my veins. I had gotten lucky a few times and had an apartment that I didn’t have to clean for months. It was one of the small ways to fill the time; I didn’t work any more. Everything that I had worked for got snatched away from my hands because some old, white men refused to actually do their jobs. An old, white woman refused to do her job too. Gone were the days of ‘stronger together.’ No more moving forward, literally and figuratively. That morning when I woke up, I grabbed my phone, ready to shoo away the same notifications I had received the last 40 something June 2s. However, they weren’t there. Nothing was there, actually, except the date: June 3, 2017. I leaped from bed, grabbed my laptop and hurried to open the official congressional website. My heart sank. Congress had approved the name change of a post office.
9 ELECTION DAY: WHAT IF TRUMP WINS
When law and order strikes back Imagined by Sarah Faulkner // Creative Director of Student Media // sfaulkn2@uab.edu
D
onald John Trump was inaugurated president on Jan. 20, 2017. His platform included revised immigration policies, increased authority for law enforcement and revisions on gun control laws. These were among other promises that would make America great again. I was working for my father’s multi-million dollar pharmaceuticals business, which he passed on to me after using the money he saved on taxes to retire. Of course I voted for Trump. He always seemed to say what was on my mind. He was straight to the point with his words. So was I. It was something we businessmen had in common. There wasn’t enough time to mince words when there was work to be done. So, in the same vein, Trump didn’t take time to fight the corrupt Congress when he deported the illegals. That was the first executive order he issued. For this reason, the dissenters– the liberals, socialists, democrats and illegals – they all called him a dictator. But he wasn’t. He was just doing what had to be done. “President” was a much more fitting title for him than it had been for anyone else who had preceded him. The last thing the liberal media reported on was the instability of Wall Street and the housing market, especially after Trump monopolized the real estate business. It was shut down for slander and rabble rousing. Let’s be honest: the people signaled that they did not want to deal with liars when they voted against Crooked Hillary. Many of us – the upper crust, the one percent, whatever you’d like to call us (I prefer the hard-working and business-savvy) – moved into units behind our offices. It was safer to not commute, anyway, after the rioters took the street. Police forces could
arrest anyone who appeared to be up to no good. Our businesses were flourishing. We could afford fancy penthouses. Everyone else who hadn’t put in as much work as us moved into smaller compounds on the outskirts of cities. That was seven years ago. Trump won a second term, despite the liberals cried about the election being “rigged,” or blaming the media shutdown for lack of exposure to other candidates. The other options weren’t right for the U.S. like Trump was. I had never seen as much success as I have enjoyed under his presidency. Each morning when I awoke, I was greeted by perfect lighting from the self-adjusting tinted windows in my unit on the top floor of the Manhattan Business Tower. But this morning seemed a bit off. When my alarm sounded to wake me up at 8 a.m., my secretary had not yet been in with my coffee and breakfast, and my curtains were still drawn. I huffed, got out of bed and pulled them open myself, wincing at the brightness of the morning view. I put on an expensive suit, something I ordered from overseas. Trade with other countries was limited because of the tariffs that Trump had imposed. The sky was a bright, clear blue – no clouds or smog. I could see a river in the distance through all of the trees a family of bunnies. I couldn’t remember the last time I actually went outside, and, for a moment it bothered me. There was something so confining about this place. In my youth, I had enjoyed visits to my family’s cabin during the summertime, during which I was not attending school. But, as my father would say, there was no business to do outside, so as far as I was concerned, the view would suffice. The view, after all, was
all part of his unit’s location atop the Manhattan Business Towers. Putting that momentary lapse of common sense behind me, I left my loft and went straight into my office. One of Trump’s best pieces of advice had been to merge the home and office. If any emergencies arose, I would be right there. I entered my office to find that it had not yet been cleaned this morning. The lights were out, but the curtains hung open. My secretary was not at her desk in the room adjacent to mine, either. Maybe it was time to find a new secretary, especially in light of the fact that there were several alerts for missed calls and two voice messages on my business phone. Besides, there are plenty of attractive women that would die to work for my company. I sauntered lazily to the voicemail machine and hit play before sitting down at my desk. The machine recited its usual monologue before telling me that the message was recorded at 6:45 that morning. A nervous voice started stuttering: “Hi, Mr. Vines – I mean, good morning. This is urgent. We need you at the factory right now!” It was a low level manager. I could tell by the caller ID. I clicked the ‘next’ button, annoyed. I didn’t understand why they couldn’t manage their own problems. I had a business to run. The next message was recorded only an hour later, just minutes before I had woken. “I know it’s early Mr. Vines, but there’s been a strike and we don’t know what to do,” the same manager said. “The workers are demanding higher wages. They’re saying it’s nationwide. They’re destroying the factory! Supply will be lost!” So maybe eliminating the federal minimum wage wasn’t our best idea. But why do workers want any more than $5 an hour? Besides, destroying
stock will not help their paychecks. I would have to fire them anyway. I stepped back into my loft to grab my coat when I heard a series of electrical surges. The image I had admired in my window earlier began to glitch, before cutting off. Narrowing my brow, I strode into my office. Immediately afterward, the power shut down entirely, and the lights I had turned on moments earlier turned off. I supposed the power companies joined the strike. The window, a once quaint projection of the woodlands, was now a smog-filled sky with dead trees and a dark green river. Discarded plastic objects bobbed in the polluted water. There were no bunnies, but there was one of my factories being destroyed in the distance by a mob of thugs. “Democrats,” I hissed. “They can’t let anyone have anything nice if they can’t.” I hurried out the door and made my way to the elevator. Other CEOs and presidents of companies peaked their heads out from their offices. Many were rubbing the sleep from their eyes, while others screamed into the receivers of their phones. I crowded in with several other men who lived on the same hall as me. While the elevator made its way down the 50 floors to the ground level, I watched from out of the glass surrounding the lift. The screens over the buildings outside, appropriated for broadcast, lit up to the blaring sounds of a chorus of trumpets as Trump appeared on them, looking stern. “There will be law and order,” he announced, wagging his finger fruitlessly as they threw their signs at his televised face. It was a prerecorded message that had been played many times in the past, especially around the last election day. “There will be law and order.”
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016
OPINIONS 10
ELECTION DAY
Governor Bentley’s words of wisdom Aaron Stuber Opinions Columnist abstuber@uab.edu
Gover nor Be ntley, Il lustrate d by C orey B right
J
ust when you thought the race to the bottom that this year has been was finally ending, our esteemed governor decided he would add to the list. Apparently Alabama education “sucks,” according to Alabama Governor Robert Bentley. At least I can use that as an excuse for my failing GPA. During the Alabama Association of Regional Councils Conference, Bentley’s public remarks were shown on WSFA TV where he said, “our education system in this state sucks. I don’t use that term very much, but let me tell you. I wanna tell you this: When we are 51st on our NAEP scores in 4th grade math in this state... 51st? And we ain’t got but 50 states? That’s pretty sad. And it’s intolerable. And we’re gonna do something about it.” Yet as Alabama continues to be 49th in a nation of 50 states, it seems the only response we can retort with is, “thank God for Mississippi.” Bentley’s proposal for increasing education efficacy in Alabama? The removal of $181 million dollars from the Education Trust Fund. That’s $181,000,000 in case you forgot how many decimal places are in a million (apparently math is really hard for Alabamians since we lost that contest to Mississippi). However, all of the shortcomings in Alabama education cannot solely be blamed on the failing budget alone. Yes, we spend less per student than the national average, according to the National Association of State Budget Officers; but our top third of schools in Alabama actually can compete nationally. The largest shortcoming of educational failure in Alabama is the disproportionate funding allocations to city and suburban schools. In Alabama, 53.3 percent of schools can be classified as rural or town schools, meaning these schools serve student populations as small as 90 per class. When one talks of numbers this low, it is obvious that funding is going to go to more populated schools such as Hoover High School or Baker High School, which have class sizes as large as 600. To combat this, Alabama has released “plan 2020” that sets out a goal to prepare all students to be successful in college, or have success finding a career upon graduation. While Alabama’s graduation rate sits at an unhealthy 75 percent, according to the US Census Bureau, one can’t help but think about the possibilities for students in Alabama. For many who attend rural high schools, one quickly learns that not every person has the desire to go to college, and that is okay. One of the things most pushed in high school was college, and there almost is a lingering sense of guilt if one does not attend. However, the hope of Alabama’s new plan is to end the stigma of trade schools (I’m not even sure why there is one, most trades can earn healthy five and six figure salaries). In the end, one cannot argue that Bentley’s comments have been demoralizing (but when you lead an immoral life, I guess you can’t expect moral comments). Even though education sucks in Alabama, blatantly saying it when you’ve been in office for 20 years to do something about it is obviously not going to fix it. Bentley had that opportunity for the past several budget proposals, and yet here we are — in a failing education system of a tyrant’s own making.
FEATURES
11
DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE
UAB faculty works with correctional facility Professor-led radio show takes education, creativity to the Donaldson inmates
Illustration by Corey Bright
Wallace Goldin Staff Writer wsgoldin@uab.edu
U
AB professors and inmates at a local prison have created a radio drama to shed light on life in a maximum-security prison. Professors from the school of Public Health and College of Arts and Sciences have partnered with the William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility to produce “Corrections”: an eight-part radio drama written and voiced by inmates at the facility. The series was created with the help of UAB faculty Connie Kohler, Ph.D., professor emerita of the School of Public Health, and professors Dennis McLernon and Lee Shackleford, faculty members in the Department of Theatre, who wanted to provide a significant source of disease prevention education while also giving the inmates a creative outlet. The idea first came to Kohler while participating in the Donaldson Lecture Series hosted by the Office of Service Learning. The lecture series, which has been going on for nearly 30 years, allows inmates to attend talks and lectures by UAB faculty from a variety of disciplines. Kohler said that she enjoyed lecturing to the inmates and decided to partner with McLernon and Shackleford on this project. “I had partnered with the [theater] department in previous radio drama projects, and I knew they would be a huge asset,” Kohler said. A group of around 20 inmates was guided by Shackleford for more than a year to produce the series, which was designed to be educational and informative of common health problems in correctional settings while remaining entertaining. “These men were hand-picked by the warden, and I felt privileged to
These men were hand-picked by the warden, and I felt privileged to be invited to work with them. -Lee Eric Shackleford be invited to work with these men,” Shackleford said. “I hope we’ve done them justice and brought their creations to life.” “These men are exposed to disease and disease-spreading practices every day of their incarceration, and they do not have the ability to respond to these threats as you or I would,” Shackleford said. “It is all preventable, as long as the
men know and understand the risks and can take appropriate measures.” The trio also hoped to personify the inmates to the community and dispel stereotypes about inmates. “The end product and their contributions gives the inmates something to feel good about and to share with friends and families,” Kohler said. With the help of WJLD AM 1400, the production is now able to reach an audience totaling 1.15 million people — the entire Birmingham metro area. To reach this audience, Kohler solicited the airtime from the local radio station and proposed to the warden that it be aired. The approval allowed the program’s message on the importance of health education to become much more widespread. This, according to Shackleford, only expanded the purpose of the program. “The original goal was for the narrative created by the inmate writers to educate and encourage their fellow prisoners,” Shackleford said. “Now, a larger audience can be reached. We want
everyone to learn about the risks these men face and what some of them are doing for it.” For Kohler, the project epitomizes UAB’s individual goals: to serve Alabama as a whole, reaching far beyond Birmingham city limits. “UAB strives to be a positive community force in Birmingham and Alabama, so work that is done with this particular segment of the community should be seen as a positive contribution,” Kohler said. The program began airing on Oct. 29. If funds permit, it will continue to be reaired periodically, with a second season to follow. Kohler is working to find a home for the program to be distributed as a podcast. Those interested can listen to the program Saturday mornings at 7:30 a.m.
FEATURES 13 UAB SUSTAINABILITY
Photos by Ian Keel
Time reveals truth under the sea
Silvia Earle, oceanographer, National Geographic Society Explorer-in-Residence and Rosemary and Roger Enrico Chair for Ocean Exploration speaks to an audience of about 150 people last Thursday at the Hill Student Center in a lecture sponsored by Canon Solutions America. Earle’s work can be found in a variety of mediums. She dabbles as an author, lecturer and explorer. Earle’s explorations focus on deep-sea exploring and documenting unique marine life. All of the pictures she showed were amazing. She showed pictures of the ocean floor and the submarine devices she used to get down there. She showed us pictures of salt lakes in the bottom of the ocean and pictures of the many different plants down there. It was surreal. I feel like she made me question why I wasn’t actively try to save the oceans. She was clearly articulated how dire the situation was and gave us real figures to compare how unsustainable our current practices are. — Daniel Reeves, senior in industrial distribution The alarm bells are sounding. The lights are flashing, and it is now time for humanity to do something about this, as in yesterday... When she [showed] this underwater shot of fish in a net, and then pointed out that these fish are, by the thousands, literally being dumped into the fishing troller. They are going to be used for cat food, dog food and even fertilizer and up close with her camera you see these little eyes, looking and making comments like, ‘These are individuals’ — Douglas Fry, Ph.D, chair of Anthropology Department
14 FEATURES
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016
Day of the Dead brings life to Latino culture Jordan McGill Staff Writer jmcgill@uab.edu
O
n Thursday, Nov. 3, students celebrated Dia de los Muertos with an event hosted by the Spanish and Latino Student Association. Dia de los Muertos is a Mexican holiday honoring the dead and celebrating their spiritual journey into the afterlife. The Dia de los Muertos celebration lasted all day with an altar for honoring loved ones set up from 10-4 p.m. and a party with free food and music later that evening. Brianneth Alvarado, president of the Spanish and Latino Student Association (SALSA), helped run and organize the event. Alvarado, a senior who studies kinesiology, said that she thinks that the Day of the Dead celebration will “improve cultural awareness about a different Latin background” for students around campus. “I feel like a lot of students have heard about it in their Spanish class, but they haven’t actually experienced or seen what it’s about,” Alvarado said. “[By] bringing this altar to campus they even get to experience what [the holiday] is.” Students had the opportunity to post notes to their loved ones on the altar in order to honor and remember them. The notes included messages to family members and close friends. Traditional Spanish food was served in the evening, including a special bread for the celebration of the Day of the Dead. “This is a bread that we only have for this event,” Alvarado said. “It is decorated with bones at the top and a little ball which represents the skull. Basically, this bread embodies what the souls are that we’re celebrating.” Alvarado ref lected on the large Latino demographic in Birmingham and what she felt was a lacking representation of the culture on campus. By hosting these celebrations and spreading cultural awareness around campus, she hopes the Latino community will have a greater presence. Vini Fuentes is a junior management major who helped organize the event. He said that he believes it’s important to learn more about new cultures as
SALSA creates a community altar for students to write notes to deceased loved ones with sugar coals and other decorations.
an international student from Mexico. “Hispanics and Latinos are one of the biggest minorities in the United States,” Fuentes said. “I think there’s no harm about learning new cultures and we’re willing to teach others about our culture. I love when people ask me questions about Mexico, about Spanish or [any] questions about my country.” The SALSA organization is an inclusive organization without requirements to join. “Not everybody is strictly Latino or Spanish,” Fuentes said. “You don’t have to be [Hispanic] to be a part of the organization, just like the culture a little bit or be interested in the culture.” Briana Auhing, a sophomore music education major, is a general body member of SALSA and joined
Latina culture is displayed at the Commons plaza.
the organization as a way to stay connected with her cultural heritage. “My dad’s from Ecuador, but there aren’t many places to speak Spanish and really interact with Spanish culture here on campus,” Auhing said. “I think we need to generate more
Photos by Gerrie Lim
interest in the general population even among people who aren’t Hispanic because there aren’t that many people who are Hispanic on campus.” The Day of the Dead gives a unique cultural perspective on death and may allow one to look at the idea of death differently than before. “Death is sort of universal and unites us, and I think it’s important for people to consider another way of looking at death,” Auhing said. “The Americanized version of death is very sad [and] weepy, and the Hispanic view of it is a lot more celebratory [as] you’re celebrating that person’s life and what they’ve done and I think that’s really helpful to cultivate a world perspective.” For more information on SALSA, visit their Facebook page @uabsalsa.
Nov. 8 -14
CALENDAR TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY THURSDAY
ELECTION DAY
“Before the Flood”
HSC Alumni Theater 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Go out and vote!
Documentary about climate change hosted by UAB Sustainable Smart Cities Research Center.
Find your polling place at myinfo.alabamavotes.gov
Election 2016 Listening Party
UAB Brass Chamber Ensemble in concert
Cahaba Brewing Co. 7-10 p.m.
Hulsey Recital Hall 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Bike Registration Day Campus Green 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Come register your bike and receive a free BikeUAB helmet and bike lock.
Birmingham 101 Woodlawn HSC Ballroom 6-8:30 p.m.
Hosted by Public Radio WBHM 90.3 and Cahaba Brewing Company.
Highlighting the legacies of local high schools.
Blazerthon’s Miracle Why Your Parents Thanksgiving Dinner Shouldn’t Pay Blazer RLC for College
Alabama Autumn Skies
7-9 p.m.
Tickets $7. All proceeds go to Children’s of Alabama Hospital.
WHAT’S UP 15
Campbell Hall 405 12 p.m. Part of the “What’s the Big Idea?” discussion series.
Samford University Planetarium 8-9 p.m. Come see the various autumn constellations visible from Alabama.
FRIDAY Veterans Day Parade
Boutwell Auditorium 1:30 p.m.
Men’s Basketball vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff Bartow Arena 7 p.m.
Bartow Arena 1 p.m.
Diwali 2016
UAB’s Alys Stephens Center 6-9 p.m.
SUNDAY Sunday Brunch
Little Savannah Restaurant and Bar 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. This will be the last monthly Sunday brunch for the year.
Lake Purdy Cleanup Day
Lake Purdy Fish & Boat 1-4 p.m.
Outspoken
Sunday Funday
Award-winning country music artist with special guest Jon Pardi.
Stories about LGBTQ life from eight storytellers — six from Alabama and two from Washington D.C.
Featuring games including cornhole, bocce ball and more.
Alabama Theatre 8 p.m.
CLASSIFIEDS
Kaleidoscope publishes every Tuesday when classes are in session. Phone: 205.934.3354 Email: masutton@uab.edu Deadlines: Please place your ads by the Thursday prior to publication no later than 4p.m.
Personal Maid Service- Basic house cleaning. Honest, dependable, licensed, bonded, flexible scheduling, competitive & local. Very professional with “NO”criminal background. 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.
Al’s on 7th 7-9 p.m.
MONDAY Carrie Underwood The BJCC 8 p.m.
The Storyteller Tour — Stories on the Round.
Men’s Basketball vs. Furman Bartow Arena 7 p.m.
Hosted by Birmingham Water Works
Kip Moore
ANNOUNCEMENTS
LEGAL
Volleyball vs. Marshall
Annual celebration hosted by the Indian Cultural Association.
BY PHONE: 205.934.3354 BY EMAIL: masutton@uab.edu ONLINE: www.uab.edu/studentmedia
LEGAL NOTICE — The Kaleidoscope, and its online affiliates, reserves the right to refuse any advertisement at its sole discretion.
SATURDAY
Avondale Brewing Co. 2-5 p.m.
Movie: Inside Islam Hoover Public Library 6-8 p.m.
Documentary to help bring understanding of religious practices of American Muslims.
November • 8 • 2016
Volume 56 • Issue 57 UAB’s Official Student Newspaper
INSIDE FEATURES:
10
Opinion: Alabama governor speaks on the deploring standards of academics in the state
11
Professors partner with local correctional facility to help inmates create a radio drama about prison life
13
Festival celebrations of “Dia de los Muertos” outside The Commons on the Green provide culture, food and fun