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David L. Grady, PhD Vice President for Student Affairs
EDITOR Jessie Patterson Jones
GRAPHIC DESIGN Christy L. Moody
PHOTOGRAPHY Miriam Brant Jeff Hanson Clinton Horn Jessie Patterson Jones Crosby Thomley
A Message from the Vice President
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Around the Capstone
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Making Their Mark: Student Organizations 8-13 Student Spotlight: Dwyer Freeman
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Staff Spotlight: Rosalind Moore
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Meet Alice: Student Media’s New Magazine 18–21
Learning to Lead: Student Judiciary Board 22-24 2015 Gifts to Student Affairs
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Supporter Spotlight: Arie & Michael Nettles 28-29
ISSUE NO. 11 Capstone is published in the Spring and Fall by UA’s Division of Student Affairs.
Making An Impact: Spring 2016
Address correspondence to: The University of Alabama, Student Affairs Box 870301, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 For address changes, alumni notes, or story ideas, email studentaffairs@ua.edu. The University of Alabama is an equal opportunity educational institution/employer. 2 | CAPSTONE MAGAZINE | STUDENT AFFAIRS
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A MESSAGE FROM THE VICE PRESIDENT
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s I write this letter, the spring semester is winding down and our students are looking forward to the end another year and, for some, graduation and new adventures. It has been an exciting year, in which students continue to become engaged in campus life and their fellow students in new ways. We have seen widespread interest in student engagement this spring with record numbers of students applying for academic honoraries and a record 566 registered student organizations. This past year, UA students have been very engaged in the call for greater recognition of diversity and inclusion on campus, and in February the Intercultural Diversity Center opened in the Riverside Community Center. Students were instrumental in the creation of this center, which will provide programming to foster inclusion and support for the entire UA community. Opportunities for student involvement originate sometimes directly from students, as with the IDC, while others are planned intentionally by our staff. What all initiatives have in common is a wealth of support that encourages and facilitates student engagement and learning. In this issue of Capstone, you will meet staff, parents, and donors who are dedicated to creating meaningful opportunities for
student engagement. From staff member Rosalind Moore who encourages students to pursue their interests, to parents Arie and Michael Nettles, who support student life initiatives through the Student Affairs Leadership Council, there is a wide community that makes possible enriching student experiences. With summer just around the corner, we are getting geared up to welcome thousands of incoming students and their parents to campus during Bama Bound orientation sessions. We are also actively planning for the upcoming year, with a focus on supporting student success. Retention is an important topic within the UA community, and to retain students, they to need to be engaged in academic and campus life and have a sense of belonging to the UA community from day one. This is what we do in the Division of Student Affairs. Thank you for your support of Student Affairs and The University of Alabama. Roll Tide!
David L. Grady, Ph.D. Vice President for Student Affairs SPRING 2016 | 3
AROUND THE
Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity participates in Houses Against Hunger by donating food prepared at their house. Pictured (L to R): Jerry Spector, ZBT house director; Tyler Chestnut, graduate assistant volunteer; Evan Weiner; Keith Stephens; Jeremy Cole; Cameron Bauman; Matt Lesieur; Jonathan Hirsch; Alex Koplin; Julie Elmore; Ethan Fialkow
meetings. The group quickly agreed to help. HOUSES AGAINST HUNGER “Working with the Greek house MAKES IMPACT directors, I was aware of the amount of food that often goes The idea for Houses Against uneaten in some of the Greek Hunger first took root in Julie houses,” Elmore said. “We started Elmore, assistant director of offcampus and Greek housing, during talking about what we could do to a Student Affairs divisional meeting at least be able to provide meals for some of the students in need.” where students from Alabama The program began providing REACH spoke about the struggle meals on Tuesday and Thursday to many students face to pay bills, a few undergraduate students in have food, and put gas in their car Spring 2015. Last fall, the program to get to class. expanded to include students Alabama REACH is a UA in the Graduate Parent Support program that works to empower current and former foster youth, program. Houses Against Hunger provided 60 meals a week with orphans, emancipated minors, wards of the State, and homeless meals going to approximately 46 households, 23 graduate, and 23 youth in an environment that undergraduate students. A total of allows them the freedom to 373 meals were given out to 252 pursue higher education. adults and 143 children. Elmore supervises 13 Greek “You don’t realize what struggles house directors and brought the some of these student parents idea to them during one of their By Clancy Smith
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face until you start working with them,” Elmore said. “One little boy of a student parent made the comment that ‘these are the best chicken tenders I’ve ever had.’ Comments like that and others make you realize that you are making a difference, no matter how small.” Elmore said another student is caring for an elderly parent and receiving the meals freed up time for the student to focus on classwork a few more hours during those days. “Providing a meal once or twice a week, while not much, has helped a number of our students in ways we did not imagine,” she said.
FOOD DRIVE COLLECTS 116,000 POUNDS OF FOOD Beat Auburn Beat Hunger provides both friendly competition and unparalleled assistance to Alabama food banks. Courtney Thomas, director of the Center for Service and Leadership, said the campaign’s top priority is helping those in need. “The idea behind the competition was not to create another arena for either Alabama or Auburn to win, but to utilize the connections that both universities have to battle food insecurity and poverty in the state,” Thomas said. This year’s kick off event was held on Oct. 5, and the last day to donate was Nov. 19. Throughout the drive, program leaders promoted a social media campaign, which focused on sharing food insecurity and poverty statistics to raise awareness. “We also partner with local radio station B101.7 to help raise awareness of the campaign and our events, and we partner with UA Athletics to collect donations at sporting events as well as to
encourage coaches to spread the word about our campaign on social media,” Thomas said. This year, the Beat Auburn Beat Hunger food drive collected 116,370 pounds of food, which equates to approximately 155,160 cans. Over the course of its 21-year history, the program has collected a grand total of 2,670,026 pounds of food, approximately 3,560,034 cans. “As the state’s flagship university, it is our duty to help those in need,” said Thomas. “We also believe that by becoming involved in the community, specifically with Beat Auburn Beat Hunger, our student volunteers will develop empathy, gain exposure to diverse populations, and learn how they can use their passions to develop change in the world.” All food collected by UA goes to the West Alabama Food Bank, which services nine counties in Alabama: Bibb, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Lamar, Marion, Pickens, Sumter, and Tuscaloosa. “We are incredibly grateful for the businesses that helped make a difference in this year’s Beat Auburn Beat Hunger campaign,” Thomas said. “We are currently working with the West Alabama Food Bank to decide on this year’s goal.” SPRING 2016 | 5
BONIFACIO-SAMPLE NAMED NEW FERG DIRECTOR In October 2015, Dana Bonifacio-Sample moved across the country to join UA as director of the Ferguson Student Center. Bonifacio-Sample previously worked in the student union of the University of Alaska Anchorage for four and a half years. “It’s definitely different, but the neat thing about higher education is that the environment of the university is still pretty similar,” said Bonifacio-Sample. Bonifacio-Sample earned a bachelor’s degree in social work from Southern Illinois University, but quickly realized she felt called to work in Student Affairs. She went back to Southern Illinois to pursue a master’s degree in higher education and began working at the SIU student union. “I just fell in love with student unions,” she said. After a few years in Alaska, she started looking for opportunities to work in a student union at a more traditional institution, a little closer to her family in Southern Illinois. “When I was applying here, and then I came on campus, I just fell in love with the university and 6 | CAPSTONE MAGAZINE | STUDENT AFFAIRS
how big it was and the tradition and history,” Bonifacio-Sample said. “It was a good move, and I just fell in love with it once I got here, especially the new facility and the renovations.” In her position, Bonifacio-Sample is responsible for managing and supervising all the different aspects of the Ferguson Student Center, including various programs and services. She said she makes sure to interact with both student workers and students visiting the facility on a daily basis. “I try and make sure that happens every day,” said BonifacioSample. “It kind of re-energizes me. I get a little bogged down with budgets, or whatever else I’m working on, and to go out and talk to the students and reconnect with what we are here for is definitely needed every day.”
HEBERT NAMED NEW FIRST YEAR EXPERIENCE AND PARENT PROGRAMS DIRECTOR To kick off a new year, Ronnie Hebert stepped into the role of First Year Experience and Parent Programs director, after serving for a little over a year as the department’s assistant director. Hebert, a native of New Orleans,
previously attended the University of Southern Mississippi, where he received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in higher education. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I knew I loved working on a college campus and working with college students,” Hebert said. While working at USM, Hebert decided to pursue a doctorate in the Executive EdD program at UA. He made the three-hour commute to attend classes once a month, and jumped at the opportunity to be assistant director of FYE/PP when the position opened up. “It’s definitely been a shorter commute since starting here,” Hebert chuckled. As assistant director, Hebert worked with the parent orientation program, Family Weekend, the Parent Advisory Council, and the Peer Leader mentoring program. He said his new role includes a few new challenges as well. “I do some different things now,” Hebert said. “I still have my hand in all of our programs obviously, but I’ve transitioned into making sure that our staff and our grads are having a positive work experience and feel supported in the work they are doing.” First and foremost, Hebert said he enjoys the chance to guide young students in transition. “When first year students go off to college, there’s this sense of anxiety and nervousness for both students and parents,” Hebert said. “I get a great professional enjoyment out of helping those parents and students find their niche, develop a sense of belonging, and start to develop a sense of identity about who they want to be,
“I hope we have to move again in the future, because if we outgrow this space that would mean we’ve recruited more veterans and are helping more people.” -Alex Bynum
and also helping parents transition to their student now figuring that out on their own.” VETERAN AND MILITARY AFFAIRS OFFICE RELOCATES To provide adequate space for the more than 4,000 students they serve, Veteran and Military Affairs relocated to a new office space in Houser Hall in August 2015. “We started recording the traffic that was coming through to use resources and services and realized we didn’t have the space we needed to effectively cater to all of the students we’re serving,” said Alex Bynum, assistant director of Veteran and Military Affairs. The department relocated from B.B. Comer Hall to the third floor of Houser Hall. The new space provides a library of free textbooks, a computer lab with free printing, study space, and a stress-free space for veterans, service members, dependents, and survivors. “We’ve gotten extremely positive reactions, and the space is being utilized at a higher rate, because there is more space for students to work,” Bynum said.
Veteran and Military Affairs now provides office space to the VA Medical Center and the Vital Program, which assists disabled veterans. The office also offers groups, such as Sitters for Service, a space for weekly meetings. “With this space, we’ve been able to reach across the aisle and help other groups out who needed a physical space,” Bynum said. Bynum said that the move would not have been possible without the help of UA administrators who recognized the need. “This was a real administrative support from the beginning, and we’re thankful to upper administration for making this happen,” Bynum said. “They really did take our growing numbers seriously and react to our needs.” Recently, UA was named No. 2 on the list of most military-friendly colleges by BestColleges.com. Bynum said she is excited about the opportunity to expand the number of students the office serves. “I hope we have to move again in the future, because if we outgrow this space that would mean we’ve recruited more veterans and are helping more people,” Bynum said. SPRING 2016 | 7
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By Jessie Patterson Jones and Clancy Smith From the day prospective students first visit the Capstone, they learn a lot about what The University of Alabama has to offer. They hear of the outstanding academic programs and walk across the lush, wellkept campus grounds. They envision themselves cheering on the Crimson Tide from Bryant-Denny Stadium each fall. And they think of finding the group that will be their key to getting involved and making their mark on campus. With more than 560 registered student organizations, the Office of Student Involvement and The SOURCE serve as home base for much of student life at the Capstone. Student Involvement, a department within Student Affairs, oversees involvement opportunities for student groups. The SOURCE, run by a student board of governors, works to provide all of the resources, support, and recognition a student organization could need. While there are more than a dozen different categories of student organizations, there’s little overlap, which means there should be something for each and every student. And if there isn’t, staff members like Director of Student Involvement 8 | CAPSTONE MAGAZINE | STUDENT AFFAIRS
Rosalind Moore are right there to help a student establish the organization they are looking for. “Our student organization culture is all about innovation. Our students really seek to create opportunities that you just can’t find anywhere else,” Moore said. With campus-wide support from the top down, it’s no wonder student organizations flourish at the Capstone. “Our campus culture is one that wants to breed very autonomous students, and student organizations are a space for that,” Moore said. “They should be completely run, operated, and organized by the students, but you see a lot of support around campus from administrators, faculty, and staff who want to help them reach their goals.” Across campus, more than 600 faculty and staff members serve as advisors to student organizations. “When you look at the level of support that our faculty and staff are giving outside of their regular job duties, you can really tell how much a part of our campus culture student organizations are,” Moore said. Student organizations garner a great deal of
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ACADEMIC ALABAMA FORENSIC COUNCIL Today, the Alabama Forensic Council combines an academic focus, departmental support and student leadership to flourish as a UA student organization. It has a storied history as well. Founded in 1946, the Alabama Forensic Council is the oldest co-curricular organization at UA. The competitive speech and debate program works to promote intellectual discovery, enable professional development, strengthen and
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support at UA because of the opportunities they provide. “Our student organizations allow students a major opportunity to gain real-world soft skills,” Moore said. “Those soft skills are important because they are things that can transfer to any type of profession they are in.” Those skills are what employers say they are looking for in new hires, Moore said. “They want a young fresh mind, but one that communicates effectively with others, that understands the importance of diversity, that has been able to effectively problem solve when issues arrive, and that knows how to produce a product,” Moore said. Whatever it is a student is looking for at the Capstone, they will be sure to find it. And if not, they can find the help to create it.
utilize one’s unique voice, construct democratic messages, engage in interpersonal and rhetorical exploration, and foster community. Throughout the organization’s existence, the team has won 20 national championships and 13 national individual championships. “The AFC has a long legacy of producing excellent discourse on important topics, as well as helping team members become leaders in our communities,” said Hornback, who was named to the 2016 AFA AllAmerican Team as a senior and will help coach the team as a graduate student next year. This year, the team placed sixth at the American Forensic Association’s National Individual Events Tournament in Gainesville, Florida, where they competed against 70 colleges and universities in April. Dr. Robert Imbody, director of forensics, oversees the budget work, coaching assignments, and travel plans. “It’s the students’ show once we get to a tournament,” he said. “They are responsible for so much, including competing at the highest level, qualifying for the national tournament, and representing our college and the University.” Student officers are assigned different roles for the team each year, including recruiting new members, managing team meetings, tackling social media, and planning team functions. “Being an officer puts you in a position of SPRING 2016 | 9
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leadership where other students look up to you,” Hornback said. “When I was a freshman, I looked to the officers on the team to guide me through my speeches, help me improve my skills and help me with school work outside of speech. “Overall, the team really is a collective effort where students learn everything from public speaking skills to time management. Joining the team was, and will be, the best decision I made while in college.”
ADVOCACY STUDENT PARENT ORGANIZATION While many student organizations focus on getting traditional students involved, the Student Parent Organization works to make life easier for student parents so they can accomplish their academic goals. Jennifer 10 | CAPSTONE MAGAZINE | STUDENT AFFAIRS
Humber, a program manager for academic outreach in UA’s College of Continuing Studies, is currently a doctoral student in UA’s higher education administration program. Humber, the parent of children ages 6 and 11, said she came across the Student Parent Organization and felt compelled to be a part of it. “It is overwhelming as a parent to think you can go back to school with kids and a career,” she said. “For me, I knew I had a big mouth and I wanted to help. Student parents are a kind of invisible group, because they don’t spend as much time on campus. Because I’m on campus a lot, I feel like it’s my responsibility to be that voice for other student parents, and to share what they need.” In addition to their advocacy work, the Student Parent Organization works jointly with Sitters For Service and Graduate Parent Support to make day-to-day life easier on student parents. Under the leadership of Cori Perdue, the director of Graduate School Programs, these three groups partner to host familyfriendly events, provide free babysitting, and more to help student parents succeed. “We have more than 1,200 undergraduate and graduate
students who have self-identified as student parents and asked to receive student parent e-newsletters,” Perdue said. “There is no box to check on any form that asks if a student has a child, so it takes a grassroots-type effort like the Student Parent Organization to get more student parents involved.” Perdue estimates there are likely 6,000-8,000 students at UA who have children. “If we provide all the support we can, we know it can impact retention and improve the lives of these students and their families,” Humber said. “When you have events for students to bring their families to, they are so special because student parents don’t have to spend a lot of money, but still get great experiences with their kids. As a student parent juggling so many roles, you miss so many experiences. It’s important for us to give them back some of that.”
PROFESSIONAL VETERANS IN BUSINESS Once a month, members of Veterans in Business come together for either a social event or professional development workshop in hopes of helping veterans and affiliates develop the skills they need to be competitive when re-entering the job market. The Veterans in Business student organization was created in Fall 2014. The organization plays host to a wide range of members, including veterans from all branches of service, guardsmen and reservists, military dependents, and non-military affiliated members. Tyler Hohbach, president of
Veterans in Business, said the organization also provides a sense of community to veterans as they shift gears. “Many veterans struggle with the transition from service to classroom,” Hohbach said. “It is challenging and can leave a person feeling alone, alienated, and lacking a sense of purpose. “This organization provides a social sense of belonging, along with a sense of purpose.” Professional development events typically highlight professionals from the companies that members of Veterans in Business have previously worked for or feature UA Career Center staff members. Members of Veterans in Business have experience in everything from aerospace and defense companies to Wall Street banks. Hohbach said members do a great job of helping one another, especially younger members who aren’t sure how to explain their military service to recruiters in a way that relates to the industry or job they are seeking. “It’s an incredible network to be part of and our members have connections to nearly every industry,” Hohbach said. “Additionally, the experience of our members is so diverse, it makes for a great learning opportunity.”
SERVICE UA DANCE MARATHON Sitting down during the 12-hour University of Alabama Dance Marathon is strictly taboo for participants. The marathon itself is seen as an opportunity to stand for the children who can’t in an effort to raise money for the Children’s of Alabama Hospital in Birmingham. While UADM as an organization is best known for its annual dance marathon, students work year round learning leadership and social skills, raising funds, and interacting with children’s hospital patients and families. “It helps raise awareness for the hospital and terminal illnesses and access to health care,” said Gretchen Moore, advisor to UADM and assistant director of the Center for Service and Leadership. “Many of us don’t think about those things often, and this gives students a chance to learn more about those issues and give back.” The largest event of the year is the marathon itself, which occurs each spring. Some participants in the 12-hour marathon were patients of a children’s hospital themselves. Sophomore Courtney Charland
Each fall and spring, The SOURCE hosts Get on Board Day at the Ferguson Student Center to help students find organizations to get involved with.
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said her experience with a children’s hospital made the event even more special to her. “I was treated at a children’s hospital myself, and I volunteer at one now, so this is a cause that’s really near and dear to my heart,” Charland said. Participants also have the opportunity to hear from other families who are currently depending on a children’s hospital. These testimonials occur at the beginning of each new hour to encourage and inspire marathoners. “It’s nice to hear the families talk and tell what they’ve been through,” Charland said. “It’s really deep and really hits home why we’re there.” Moore said the benefits of the dance marathon reach beyond helping the hospital its patients. She said students benefit as well. “One of our goals is to continue to help students grow and learn leadership skills for when they graduate,” said Moore. “We even had one student receive a marketing internship with a children’s hospital for the summer, so it’s helping students network and have opportunities within these great organizations as well.” Ultimately, the 2016 Dance Marathon raised $211,342.16 for Children’s of Alabama. The funds will go towards Children’s new clinics on the Russell Campus to provide specialized care for patients with spondyloarthritis, plagiocephaly, and primary ciliary dyskinesia.
SERVICE CRIMSON CARNATIONS
As college students, former Girl Scouts have found community with one another through Crimson STUDENT PA RENT
Carnations, an organization designed to allow Girl Scout alumnae to continue their community service and support the Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama. In 2015, the group has partnered with the Society of Women Engineers to host Women in Science Day, where Girl Scouts from across the state learned about science, technology engineering, and mathematics through hands-on activities. This spring, Crimson Carnations hosted the Women’s Career Panel to teach girls about college, careers, and professional development. The group has also bowled, caroled, danced with Girl Scouts to teach the younger girls and help them reach their goals. Due to their engagement with the community, Crimson Carnations received the 2015-2016 Outstanding Outreach Award at the Profiles in Service and Leadership Awards at UA. Former secretary and rising president of Crimson Carnations, Lita Waggoner, said the organization is especially successful in helping young women make the transition from being a Girl Scout to being an adult Girl Scout volunteer. “The members of Crimson Carnations have diverse backgrounds, hometowns, college majors, interests, and life experiences,” Waggoner said. “But we are united in our mission to create girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.” Waggoner said more than one group benefits from this organization. “This organization is not only beneficial to its own members, but to Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama, The University of Alabama, and the outside community,” Waggoner said. “If Crimson Carnations can effectively serve the community and
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inspire girls to pursue higher education, then we are doing a good job.”
MULTICULTURAL BLEND While many organizations focus on service projects, Blend is changing the UA campus and community through sustained dialogue about different issues facing the campus, community, and country. The group, consisting of eight executive board members and roughly 20 active members, meets weekly for Blend Lunches in the Ferguson Student Center food court to discuss their thoughts and opinions about current affairs. The organization’s president, Ibukun Afon, said the discussions provide a healthy way for students to gain perspective on important issues. “Blend is a student organization that empowers and enables everybody to be informed agents of positive change through sustained dialogue,” Afon said. “In order for issues to be solved, we must first address and talk about the issues.” Blend also hosts Blend Night twice each semester, which consists of icebreakers, conversation, and fun activities. The goal to increase diversity awareness and inclusion remains central to the planning of each event. In the future, the Blend executive board members hope to partner with other organizations, colleges, and departments to host Blend Night once each month. “Blend is a team of people that recognize the importance of diversity, social justice, and equity here on UA’s campus and beyond,” Afon said. “We are all excited for the foreseeable and positive change.”
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Our student organizations allow students a major opportunity to gain real-world soft skills. Those soft skills are important because they are things that can transfer to any type of profession they are in. – Rosalind Moore
Director of Student Involvement
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CSL’S ALTERNATIVE BREAK PROGRAM MAKES IMPACT FOR FREEMAN By Jessie Patterson Jones
had been piqued on her college tours, and she said she was excited to find a vibrant program under Dwyer Freeman had a plan. She had always dreamed CSL Director Courtney Chapman Thomas when she of going to a small, private liberal arts school for arrived on campus. college. But the best laid plans – well, they change. “I’ve always had a really deep commitment to Freeman had the opportunity to be a Rotary Youth service, and I love meeting with and learning from Exchange student in Germany while she was going different people,” Freeman said. “I had Googled through the college application process. Originally alternative break programs at UA, found the CSL, and from Haddonfield, New Jersey, Freeman knew then I just kept waiting for applications to open up. she was looking for something different after her That’s how I got involved.” experiences abroad. Freeman traveled with eight other women to Selma, “When I came back home, I thought that since I had Alabama in Fall 2014 for four days over fall break had such a wonderful experience abroad, I wanted for her first alternative break trip. to see if I can get the study abroad experience in “We got to experience a really incredible part of America,” she said. “So, I came down south and American history through different lenses,” Freeman went to The University of Alabama.” said. “We had a really good mix of international and domestic students on the trip, and none of us were Freeman’s interest in alternative break programs 14 | CAPSTONE MAGAZINE | STUDENT AFFAIRS
“We saw someone become aware of and exposed to injustice in the community and not just be sad about it or apathetic about it, but to look at her life and figure out what can she do to make it better.” – Courtney Chapman Thomas, CSL Director from the state of Alabama. It was really cool to get a new perspective.” That trip cemented Freeman’s love of the CSL, Freeman said. She began signing up for the CSL’s volunteer days, along with a spring break service trip to Emerald Isle, North Carolina. On that trip, Freeman and more than 20 UA students worked with a wildlife refuge. After applying to be an assistant team leader at the CSL, Freeman has been going full-speed ahead with service ever since. Freeman returned to UA for her sophomore year and was named the leader of the Selma trip she had taken part in the year before. “When I went to Selma for the first time, I really didn’t know much about our history as Americans,” she said. “I was really interested to be there firsthand and to see it, to speak with the people who led it and who were directly affected by it.” The trip had changed Freeman, and she was excited to share her experiences with another group of students. “It really changed a lot for me,” she said. “I became really passionate about civil rights in America, and how far we have come and how far we have to go. Selma changed so much for me, and I wanted to share that with other students.” Freeman led a group of 12 women from different backgrounds and different states to Selma this fall. “From a 27-year-old law student
who wants to go into civil rights law, to an incoming freshman who had never heard of Selma, it was incredible to be able to put these women together and learn from them,” Freeman said.
This spring break Freeman led a trip with the SEC Compact to Guin, Alabama. The SEC Compact is an alternative break program in which SEC schools commit to all going to one location to serve and impact a community. Freeman served as the student lead for the 25 UA students on the trip. Freeman’s steady growth and leadership has been a dream come true for Thomas, who has led the CSL since 2013. “To see students like Dwyer come into their own is the most rewarding part of what we do in the field,” Thomas said. “We saw someone become aware of and exposed to injustice in the community and not just be sad about it or apathetic about it, but to look at her life and figure out what can she do to make it better.”
Watching Freeman have her “aha” moment and dedicate her life to service has been awesome, Thomas said. Freeman has indeed dedicated her life to service. She is majoring in foreign languages and literature with a concentration in German and minoring in social welfare, along with social innovation and leadership. Her goal is to head to law school when her time at UA is over. “I really want to work to help give everyone equitable access to legal voice, however that winds up defining itself,” Freeman said. “I could be a public defender. I could work for a nonprofit. I could become a history professor. I’m open to all possibilities.” Freeman is thankful UA has provided her with so many opportunities – and that faculty and staff encourage students to take advantage of them. “I love The University of Alabama,” she said. “I come from a place where we deify the Georgetowns, the Colgates, and the Princetons. That was where I was headed. But I realized if I go to a state school – especially one so supported like UA – it could give me so many opportunities. On another college campus, I might not have been able to work here. But at UA, I essentially work for a nonprofit, on my campus, and that’s really cool.” SPRING 2016 | 15
STAFF SPOTLIGHT
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Moore helps students find the spotlight By Jessie Patterson Jones By Jessie Patterson Jones
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o find the center of student life at the Capstone, head to the Ferguson Student Center, which hums with activity throughout weekdays and into weeknights. To find the woman responsible for much of that activity — and more than 500 registered student organizations — head to the center of the third floor. Walk into the Student Involvement office, turn left and head all the way to the back. If Rosalind Moore is at her desk, it’s likely because there is a student in her office. More often than not, she can be found out working with her students or at a meeting advocating for them. Her time at her desk is often after-hours, when the phone stops ringing, meetings aren’t on the calendar, and she’s got a few minutes before she heads to her next student event. As director of student involvement, Moore’s role combines that of innovator, counselor, cheerleader, professor, and coach. She oversees The SOURCE, which serves as the home for all registered student organizations, along with the Co-Curricular Transcript, a
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new and innovative way to track a student’s non-academic involvement. She also serves as the homecoming advisor, presiding over the students who run all of the week’s festivities. Moore is 10 years into her career at the Capstone, and has spent all of her time serving in the Division of Student Affairs. From her start in Housing and Residential Communities to the Dean of Students office, and Fraternity and Sorority Life to Graduate Student Services, there are very few populations Moore hasn’t helped advise or lead. Moore is known as an innovator among students and staff alike. “Her constant answer is pretty much always, ‘Go for it’ if you want to try something,” said Leigh Terry, a May 2016 UA graduate who served as The SOURCE’s director of partnership development and engagement during her senior year. “Having The SOURCE be seen like it is, is entirely a product of her work.” Innovation, Moore says, is her favorite part of the job. “I really enjoy creation of new ideas, whether that be with a group of students or for students,” she said. “Over my time, I’ve had a lot of opportunities to create and implement new things.” Moore’s most recent success story stems from the creation of Involvement Geniuses for The SOURCE. Involvement Geniuses serve as ambassadors for Student Involvement, assist in conducting trainings and workshops, and even meet one-on-one with students to connect them with the involvement opportunities that fit them best. “A lot of times, we have events to reach students, but we also do programs that impact our students,” she said. “Involvement Geniuses is one of those great outreach programs. At the end of the day, anything we can do that can Above: Meredith Bagley with Moore as she receives the 2015-2016 Safe Zone Ally of the Year Award.
create a new experience for students is really important to me.” After growing up in a military household, Moore said she loves working at an institution where tradition is so strong. The opportunity she gets to work with two of UA’s biggest traditions – homecoming and honors week – has been a fun one, she said. “I think honors week really fits nicely with what we do in Student Involvement, because we are all about engaging students in opportunities and honor societies are academic involvement opportunities,” she said. “Students need to aspire to be in clubs, but also to be recognized for the academic work they do.” Homecoming was something Moore said she didn’t know how much she would love until she actually did it. “There’s so much that the students put into homecoming,” she said. “It’s got so much life and transcends generations. It is so rewarding to see it happen – from the parade to the pomping, and know how much work and effort the students have put into it.” In the little time she doesn’t spend working with students, Moore is completing her PhD at UA. She is putting the finishing touches on her dissertation, which focuses on African-American women’s experiences at predominantly white institutions from the perspective of a concept of performativity. It is just another way Moore has continued to learn and seek out the best ways to impact students at the Capstone. A woman with a big personality, she doesn’t do anything halfway. All around Moore’s office, you can find pieces of the things she loves. Certificates, cards, buttons and reminders crowd her desk, bookshelf, and corkboard – and as a selfprofessed shoe lover – there are probably a few extra pairs of great heels stashed under her desk, too. SPRING 2016 | 17
meet a
AND THE UA STUDENTS BEHIND HER
By Clancy Smith lice embodies what every college woman aspires to be. She’s fun, personable, fashionable, and keenly aware of social justice issues. She’s a diverse representation of some of the brightest women at The University of Alabama, women who pour their incredible talents onto the pages between her glossy covers. alice is a magazine, you see, created to inspire college women. She truly is one of a kind.
THE IDEA
The idea for a college women’s magazine emerged from a simple need. “We had to look at new revenue sources and we felt this would make a good revenue source to 18 | CAPSTONE MAGAZINE | STUDENT AFFAIRS
replace the revenue we’ve lost by decreasing the daily printing of the newspaper,” said Paul Wright, director of Student Media. As far as anybody knows, no other college publishes a general women’s magazine. alice forges a new path. “There are lots of magazines out there, but this was really our idea,” Wright said. “What we began to look at was, how we could print a magazine that fit a niche that didn’t exist or we could capitalize on better than someone else could.” The creators aimed to personify the magazine by giving it a name that readers could imagine being their friend: alice. “Part of it was about Alabama and Big Al, but it also wasn’t about those things,” said Mark Mayfield,
the magazine’s editorial advisor and associate director of Student Media. “We said from the start that we didn’t want to make it over the top Alabama. We want women to be able to pick it up on any college campus and for it to be able to resonate.” Similar to Big Al, editors of alice will be able to claim the name forever. “We want the editor of alice to be able to graduate and tell others that she was alice and have them understand what that means,” said Wright. The magazine also provides a much-needed channel through which students have the opportunity to gain experience in a different form of media. “We have a lot of students here who aspire to be in magazines when they leave, and we haven’t really had, up until now, a good vehicle for them to get training on,” Mayfield said. “It’s nice to have this outlet now for them to go and pursue that.” Wright said working on a magazine provides students with transferable skills that they could not have learned working on the newspaper. “How to shoot clothing, food, all the things they shoot for alice and how to style it, and do those types of things are totally new things to us and things they are learning that they wouldn’t have learned from newspaper,” said Wright. “There are skills used in magazine publication that are very different from newspaper.” Long-term goals for the magazine were set in place early. “We really want to see how far this thing can go,” Wright said. “Once we get it established here we plan on reaching out to other colleges in Alabama to see if they would be interested in selling it on their campuses as well.
“But for right now, we’re focusing on creating a presence for alice here at home.”
RECRUITMENT
To gauge student interest in working on the alice staff, the Office of Student Media sent an email to several different colleges, including journalism, fashion merchandising, and nutrition majors. The response was overwhelming. “Every time we talked EMBODIES WHAT to students they were just EVERY COLLEGE WOMAN knocked out,” ASPIRES TO BE. SHE’S said Mayfield. FUN, PERSONABLE, “They really wanted to FASHIONABLE, AND talk about it KEENLY AWARE OF and thought SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES. it would be a great idea.” Suddenly, Student Media welcomed a new host of talent. “They’re not people that would normally work for student media,” Wright said. “In addition to everything else, that’s one of the things we’re really excited about, because we’re reaching out and being able to educate a whole new group of students.” Mayfield said working with students that don’t all come from a journalism background presents its share of new challenges. “One of the interesting things about this is that we’re trying to meet the students where they are,”
ALICE
Students of all majors gain unmatched experience from working on alice magazine. SPRING 2016 | 19
The Spring 2016 alice magazine cover was shot in Rosemary Beach, Florida. Students made the quick trip for a 1-day shoot with advisor Mark Mayfield.
Mayfield said. “Normally, for The Crimson White, the newsroom is here and all the meetings are here, but we’ve had meetings for alice all over campus.” Allison Ingram, co-editorin-chief of alice, is a senior majoring in journalism and marketing. Formerly editorin-chief of the Honor’s College magazine Mosaic, Ingram said the opportunity to work on alice afforded her the rare chance to create something completely new. “I think the most attractive part of alice for me was the flexibility with it,” said Ingram. “You’re not working from previous parameters or constraints or even connotations of what the magazine does, so it’s really up to us what we want the magazine to be.” The free reign given to the alice staff is no fluke. Student Media supervisors trust the students to make the best decisions for the magazine. “While I make sure I am aware of what they are choosing and present in the meetings, the choice of the content is theirs,” said Mayfield. “It’s a student magazine and they do a great job.” Samantha Cupero, fashion merchandising major and market editor for alice, found the chance to work with the new magazine a fun challenge that offered her unbeatable experience for her future career. “I asked how they planned on getting product and what they were trying to do product-wise and styling-wise, and they said they didn’t know,”
Cupero said. “So I said ‘Okay, let’s see what I can do.’”
PRODUCTION
The collaboration of women from a variety of backgrounds and majors provides depth to alice in an attempt to appeal to a diverse group of college women. “It’s definitely fun, because you get a variety of perspectives,” said Ingram. “It’s so fascinating to me how you can put people with five different majors in a room and they’ll look at the same problem from completely different angles.” As market editor, Cupero encountered a different type of challenge as she traveled to local boutiques to explain what alice was and borrow products to be featured in the magazine. “It was definitely challenging the first time around,” Cupero said. “You’re talking to people who, this is their business, this is their baby, and you’re telling them that you want to borrow their clothes without paying for them.” Out of 30 boutiques, six agreed to lend $4,500 worth of clothes and jewelry to the design team for the photography shoots. Cupero said it’s easier to explain alice to business owners now that she can show them the first issue. The amount of boutiques lending clothes for the second issue doubled when Cupero revisited the shops with the magazine. “You really have to create relationships with the
THE COLLABORATION OF
WOMEN FROM A VARIETY OF BACKGROUNDS AND MAJORS PROVIDES DEPTH TO ALICE IN AN ATTEMPT TO APPEAL TO A DIVERSE GROUP OF COLLEGE WOMEN.
owners,” Cupero said. “This time around we’ve formed several relationships where they tell us to come back any time and they’ll get us more product. You can see the progression of it.” Cupero also made a point to showcase work done by fashion design students. “We’re trying to create a sense of community where alice is the core, and people can come to alice as a best friend,” Cupero said. “That’s why I love alice, because I can see her being my best friend, but I can also see her being a best friend to someone completely opposite from me.” Release of the first issue in November 2015 garnered praise from boutique owners, members of the community, faculty, and staff, but most importantly the women of UA. “It’s neat to see the gap it fills,” Ingram said. “It’s hard at this age and moment that we’re in to find a happy medium between what we find on the front page of The Crimson White and what we’re going to see when we’re scrolling through Facebook. “We wanted something that would be somewhere in the middle, where you have the relevancy and the authenticity, but also the pedigree of news, and the engaging content that people want to read.” That’s what alice has become to everyone who knows her, and that’s why she truly is one of a kind. SPRING 2016 | 21
LEARNING TO LEAD STUDENT JUDICIARY BOARD SEEKS TO GUIDE STUDENTS By Clancy Smith
J
ust as a friendly, sometimes forgotten handyman works to keep issues at bay, so the Student Judiciary Board labors quietly in the background of the Student Government Association. The board is comprised of a small squadron of students who work diligently to keep things running smoothly: the chief justice, counselor to the chief justice, 23 associate justices, and three clerks. John Lovett, the advisor for the Student Judiciary, said the student judiciary provides invaluable experience for students and allows for new perspectives that a staff member might not have. “Each semester, the majority of students on Student Judiciary are better all-around students than they were at the beginning of the year,” said Lovett. “Students who come in a bit shy or introverted often find their voice and public confidence in hearing panels.” Each year, students from different walks of campus life develop strong relationships with students they may never have come in contact with otherwise. “It is incredible to watch students of different social 22 | CAPSTONE MAGAZINE | STUDENT AFFAIRS
classes, genders, races, and campus involvement come together for a common purpose and grow as individuals.” Lovett said. Executive meetings occur every Monday night, but the real work happens on Tuesday evenings at student panels. Members of the Student Judiciary Board hear minor conduct and parking cases. The Office of Student Conduct handles the high profile cases that are too sensitive for students to determine. In addition to panels, the judiciary board maintains different committees for education, student involvement, football ticket appeals, student organizational outreach, and more. Board members are also responsible for making sure the documents and rules of the other branches of SGA are in accordance with governing documents. It’s not a glamorous job, but members of the judiciary board aren’t concerned about that. Board members find motivation in their desire to serve students and raise awareness about the policies and procedures of their university.
Chief Justice
AKEISHA YOUNG Akeisha Young knows exactly what is required of every position on the Student Judiciary Board, because she has served in them all. “I think that’s one thing that made me want to become chief justice,” Young said. “So I could experience the whole thing.” Taking on the role of chief justice as a graduate student is rare, but Young said the position ties in perfectly with her criminal justice master’s program and graduate assistantship with the Office of Student Conduct. “I wanted to serve in a way that I could help make sure that our procedures are ready to go before I felt it was time for me to move on from the student judiciary,” Young said. As chief justice, Young meets with administrators, members of SGA, and other board members on
a regular basis. She oversees weekly panels and serves as the deciding vote when necessary. “I have the power to overrule anything if I need to, but I typically don’t like to do that,” Young said. “I listen to everybody’s opinion, then make a decision or get feedback about what would be the best outcome for everybody involved.” Young spends a lot of time doing classroom presentations, where students can ask questions about the judiciary process. “One of the things I’ve seen in this position, and in other things that I’ve done, is that a lot of times students don’t know that we have these resources, or they don’t know about policies or what their rights are as students,” Young said. After her term, Young will focus on completing her master’s degree, then pursue a PhD in social psychology. She originally planned to aim for a job with the FBI, but is now toying with the idea of a career in higher education.
bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at UA. She is now working toward her PhD in educational psychology. Young said being a part of the student judiciary compliments what she wants to accomplish with her research and career. “I love learning about law, policy, and people’s behaviors,” she said. “For my concentration in my PhD program, I want to cross the two disciplines and help at-risk students not repeat some of the mistakes we see on the judiciary.” As counselor to the chief justice, Young is responsible for keeping up with judiciary members’ office hours and serving as a liaison between judiciary members and the Chief Justice. Young sees every role on the board as essential to the main goal: helping students. “Even though they might not see it that way, you are helping students to get the help that they need or at least to educate them on why they shouldn’t be doing what they’re doing,” Young said.
Counselor to the Chief Justice
SHANIKIA YOUNG
Many older sisters serve as an unofficial counselor to their younger siblings, but for Shanikia Young it’s part of the job description. Shanikia Young, a second year board member, is the older sister of Chief Justice Akeisha Young. “It was kind of a learning experience, but also we live together so it’s not like we could escape it,” said Young. “We are working at home and around the clock.” Shanikia earned her first bachelor’s degree in psychology from Columbus State University and recently completed a second
In a recent judiciary meeting, Shanikia was elected to be the new chief justice for the 2016-2017 school year. Her younger sister Akeisha will be passing the title down and helping her sister transition into the new role. SPRING 2016 | 23
you’re going to make some stupid mistakes, but you just try to learn from them,” he said. It is important to Terrell that the Student Judiciary Board continues to raise awareness about campus policies and encourage students to make smart choices. “We really don’t want to see you in our office,” said Terrell. “We’re trying to prevent that, but when we do see you our goal is to get you on a better path. Associate Justice
ERIC TERRELL A junior in chemical engineering, Eric Terrell is serving in his second year as an associate justice, and looks forward to a third. “I was in First Year Council freshman year, and I was looking at going forward in SGA, but I didn’t want to do legislative, that was not where my strengths lie,” Terrell said. “I felt that judicial really fit my temperament more and what I wanted to do on campus.” For the weekly panels, justices rotate between parking ticket panels and conduct panels to gain experience from both. “There’s also a service aspect,” said Terrell. “At any given time, the Office of Student Conduct is running a service project, so it could be that or service hours out in the community somewhere.” As chair of the education committee, Terrell spends time coordinating outreach events, classroom presentations, and tabling events. Terrell also serves as a resident assistant on campus. He said it is easy to empathize with students as a student himself. “When you go through college 24 | CAPSTONE MAGAZINE | STUDENT AFFAIRS
thirty minutes after just catching up with each other.” When panels begin, clerks sit down one-on-one with students to read over paperwork and make sure the student knows their rights and what to expect when meeting with the justices. “I love the people,” Angelo said. “I won’t say I love sanctioning people, because everyone is really scared of that, but reassuring students is the best part.”
Clerk
CATHERINE ANGELO Aspiring healthcare professional Catherine Angelo practices reassuring people in her position as clerk on the Student Judiciary Board. “I first heard about the opportunity last year, and I had friends who said ‘this would be so great for you, because you listen to people and help people make decisions,’” Angelo said. A senior majoring in psychology, Angelo serves as one of three clerks on the board. “I wanted to get more involved in SGA, and I thought this was great because you just interview, you don’t have to campaign,” she said. A surprise bonus of the position presented itself in the form of new friendships. “I got to connect with some sorority sisters I have on the board, but I’ve made so many other friends as well,” Angelo said. “It’s a great way to get to know other people and step outside my bubble. On Tuesday, the clerks get to the office an hour before panels to complete paperwork and set up. “It’s more like I’m meeting with friends for that hour before panels start than it’s serious work, and sometimes we’ll stay
Angelo recently learned that she was accepted into the occupational therapy doctorate program at Nova Southeastern in Tampa, Fla. She said her experience as clerk helped her prepare for a career in helping and comforting people. “I’m good at the reassuring aspect, but I don’t want to have to tell someone what to do to make up for their mistakes,” said Angelo. “I like being the good guy.”
Honoring our 2015 Thank you to our alumni, parents and friends who generously supported the Division of Student Affairs in 2015. Your contributions supported scholarships and expanded student and campus life initiatives. Your gifts enhance learning beyond the classroom. Thanks for your continued support.
$20,000+ American Tank & Vessel, Inc. Ms. Sara J. Finley
$10,000 + Mr. and Mrs. Roy Bailey Mr. and Mrs. William Keith Booth Mortar Board Mr. and Mrs. Thomas L. Patterson PricewaterhouseCoopers Foundation Schwab Charitable Fund Vulcan Materials Company
$5,000+ Mrs. Star K. Bloom ConocoPhillips Company Mr. Ari Deshe Dr. Michael Honan and Dr. Roxanne Travelute Janis Brown & Associates Mr. John Beatty Maxwell, Jr. McAlister’s Corporation Mr. John McGuinness III Mr. and Mrs. Bill Oglesby
$1,000+ Alabama Power Company Mr. Brett Bagley Dr. Norm Baldwin Ms. Jenna Bedsole Dr. Marc Evan Bloomston Mr. and Mrs. John Bolus Mr. J. R. Burch, Jr. Mr. Julian D. Butler Mrs. Mary Cassidy Dr. Cheree Causey Chevron Products Company Mr. and Mrs. Terence Clair Mr. David and Dr. Patricia Clokey Coca-Cola Foundation Mr. H. Ray Cole, Jr. Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham Mr. and Mrs. Wiley Cooper IV Dr. Mark Elbert Cooper Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Corr Mr. John W. Covington III Dr. Kathleen Powers Cramer Cumberland Heights Treatment Center Mr. Milton Davis, Jr. Ms. Katie Dillard Mr. David Donaldson Dr. and Mrs. George J. Douthit, Jr.
Mr. J. David Ellwanger Ernst & Young Foundation Mrs. Wendy Evesque Mr. Glen Hunt Fanelli Mr. and Mrs. John Farrow Mr. Benjamin Limbaugh Foster FRC Fiber Limited Company Mr. and Mrs. Fournier Gale III GMR Marketing LLC Dr. Donald E. Hall Mr. and Mrs. Frank Harrison Mr. Joel Hamner Mr. and Mrs. Edmond Henson, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Mike Hill Mr. and Mrs. Kurt W. Hopper Mr. W. Mike House Dr. Rob Hoyt Dr. Sandral Hullett Mr. and Mrs. Dana Earl Jackson Mr. and Mrs. John Jennings Mrs. Carolyn Vann Jennings Mrs. Ann Karpinski Jones Mr. and Mrs. David P. Jones Mr. Theodore Keefer Ms. Jacky Kimmel Lacy Grice Insurance Agency Mrs. Sarah B. Lee Mr. Coleman Loper Mr. Peter Lowe, Sr. Dr. and Mrs. Michael Maddox
Ms. Joan Malloy Mary and George Herbert Zimmerman Foundation Dr. David Mathews Mr. P. Douglas McCraw Mrs. Louisa Wheeler McEachern, Estate Mr. Ray H. Miller III Mr. Warner O. Moore III National Rifle Association of America Mrs. Sarah Britton Neal Mrs. Marjorie Kay Nix Mr. Leroy Nix Mr. Jonathan David Noland Mr. Alejandro Perez Mrs. Holly Blackburn Piper Mr. Redding Pitt Mr. Oscar Price IV Results LLC Mr. Joe H. Ritch Mr. and Mrs. Robert Rolfe Mr. David Rosen Mrs. Stephanie Teel Robinson Mr. John David Saxon Mr. and Mrs. Dwight Schar Mr. Jeffrey P. Schneider Mr. Walter Sella Sentry Neuromonitoring LLC SetCreative.com Mr. and Mrs. Charles Brian Shipp Mr. and Mrs. F. Don Siegal
SPRING 2016 | 25
Sigma Phi Epsilon AL Beta Mrs. Joan Reichwein Smith The Honorable Lynwood C. Smith, Jr. Ms. Victoria Starks Dr. and Mrs. Michael Stevenson The Honorable Donald Wilburn Stewart Mrs. Lisa Teel Mr. Paul and Dr. Louise Thibodaux Mr. Hubert W. Toole Mr. John Turner, Jr. UBS Financial Services Mrs. Jane Van Eaton Honorable Judson Wells, Sr. W.W. Whitlock Foundation Dr. Jimmy Williams Mr. and Mrs. Len Woodall Mr. and Mrs. Jim Yann Ms. Lynn Slayton Yeldell
$500+ Ms. Susan T. Anderson Mrs. Kathryn R. Bass Beneficial Pest Control Bennett’s Ski School, Inc. Mr. Lynne Berry Ms. Alicia Browne Ms. Danielle Blevins Mr. and Mrs. Michael Boudreaux Mrs. Patricia Brashier Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Britt Mr. and Mrs. John Broda Mr. Kyle Buchanan Mr. and Mrs. Robert Lew Burnette Mr. and Mrs. Michael Bustamante Ms. Jill Capela Ms. Mary Margaret Carroll Mr. Michael Anthony Childress Clair Management, Inc. Ms. Susan E. Collett Mr. and Mrs. Harold Wayne Davenport Mrs. Lois Davidson Mr. Thomas Parks Davis Mr. Bradford Denning Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Ekberg G R Birdwell Construction, LP Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund Halyard Health Mr. and Mrs. Richard Hamm Mr. John Hattner Dr. Tim S. Hebson Mr. Wayne Keegan Ms. Angela Kim Mr. and Mrs. Parks Lee Dr. Holly Morris Luther Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Mason Mr. and Mrs. Bill McCleave Mr. Marion McIntosh Metropolitan Life Foundation Dr. James Mills, Jr. MLE, LLC Ms. Cynthia Moore Monster Energy Company Mr. Bernard Moseby 26 | CAPSTONE MAGAZINE | STUDENT AFFAIRS
Next Generation Consulting Mr. Andres Pena Mr. Richard Phillips Mr. Eric Lloyd Pruitt Mr. and Mrs. Darren Ridley Ms. Kim Day Shacklock Mr. and Mrs. Todd Snodgrass Ms. Donna Wesson Smalley Mr. and Mrs. Cory Starr Dr. Frank Moody Thompson, Jr. Ms. Ashley Warren Toole Mr. John Robert Toole, Jr. Mr. Kevin Turner Mr. Robert R. A. Turner Mrs. Julie Vanier Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Washington Mr. and Mrs. Michael Wiggins Mr. and Mrs. Stantley B. Williams Mr. E. Franklin Woodson, Jr.
$200+ Miss Emily Able Ms. Mona Ables Mrs. Janis Adams Mr. and Mrs. Marc Accetta Ms. Amy Ager Mr. and Mrs. Craig Akridge Alabama Utility Services Mr. David Allen Ms. Stacy Latham Alley Allied Engineered Product Mr. and Mrs. Juan Almeida Mrs. Ashley Anderson Mrs. Katy Arterburn Ms. Caitlin Baggett Mrs. Kara Anne Barger Mrs. Anna Victoria Barclay Mr. Paul Barletta Ms. Tracy Barton Mr. and Mrs. Chris Barnet Ms. Alison M. Beasley Mr. Robert K. Beattie Mr. Robert Beckett Ms. April S. Benetollo Mrs. Nancy Bernardi Mrs. Gloria Blackburn Honorable Joseph Louis Boohaker Ms. Peggy Bourland Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Brown Ms. Carla Broussard Mrs. Dawn C. Brown Ms. Mary Ellen Buddemeyer Mr. and Mrs. J. Bruce Burley Mrs. Gayla Burns Ms. Lizabeth Harden Burns Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Callesen Mr. and Mrs. Campolongo Campus Solutions Marketing Group Mr. Robert Cathcart Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth Cavallari Ms. Kathryn Diane Champion Ms. Judith Caldwell Mr. and Mrs. Clay Canaday Mr. and Mrs. Andy Cernicky
Ms. Janine Chase Ms. Emily Chrisinger Mr. Mike Cimmarrusti Mr. and Mrs. Gary Cloyd Mr. Steve Collins Ms. Caitlin Connors Mrs. Diana Cook Mr. Jerry Ray Cook Mrs. Bonny B. Corley Ms. Constantine Costas Mr. and Mrs. Christi Coster Mrs. Melissa Cross Mrs. Jennifer Curci Ms. Marla Davis Dr. and Mrs. Sinai Davis Mr. Jaime DeDiego Mr. Robert deLost Mr. Donald Dennington Mr. Larry De Respino Mr. and Mrs. Kevin DeSanctis Dr. and Mrs. William Timothy Denton, Sr. Diamond Edge Services Ms. Karin DiVece Ms. Cynthia J. Dollar Mr. David Drake Mrs. Michele Drevenak Mr. Dylan Craig Drinkard Mrs. Carol Boman Duncan Ms. Barbara Dunn Mrs. Jennifer Duffek Dr. John Frederick Dugger Mrs. Pam Dulaney Mrs. Amy Dunlop Mr. and Mrs. F. B. Du Pre Mr. Don Dykstra Egans, Inc.
Dr. Dennis C. Earl Mr. and Mrs. Sam Eddins Mr. Joseph Espy III Mr. Steven Fabbro Mrs. Teresa Faulkner Mr. and Mrs. Johnny Fells, Jr. Mr. James M. Ferguson, Jr. Mrs. Jennifer Fields Mr. and Mrs. Scott Fink Mr. Mark Folsom Mr. John Foster Mr. James Fowler Mrs. Sandra Franks Mrs. Sharon Frederick Mr. and Mrs. Gary W. Freeman, Jr. Miss Kathryn Gallagher Ms. Jessica Medeiros Garrison Mr. and Mrs. Russell Garside Gathright Pierce Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Gatti Mrs. Lynn Gazzara Mr. and Mrs. Panos N. Georgiou Mr. David Gerrits Mrs. Susan Gilbert Mr. and Mrs. Robert Gibson Mrs. Cathy Gilliam Mr. and Mrs. Don Glisson Mr. Jonathan Goode Grace Ministries, Inc. Dr. and Mrs. David L. Grady Mrs. Mary Graves Ms. Martha Matthews Griffith Ms. Laura Grills Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Grisham Gulf-Tex Automation Commander and Mrs. Lee Hallman Mr. John Halpin
Mrs. Dawn Hamm Ms. Jan Hamner Mr. Raymond Hancock Mrs. Pamela Hanson Dr. Sara Anne Hartley Mr. Mitchell Heltman Mrs. Barbara Dicus Hickman Ms. Lorraine Hodge Home Plate Cooking Mr. and Mrs. Jim Horton Mrs. Leah Humphries Mrs. Elizabeth Robinson Hymer Mrs. Callie Incalcatera Mrs. Ann Inge Intergraph Corporation Mr. Gregory D. Irvin Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Jacks Mr. Gregg Jewell Mr. Bud L. Johnson Ms. Ida Mae Johnson Mrs. Terri Joiner Mrs. Ashley Dennis Jones Dr. and Mrs. David Proctor Jones Mr. and Mrs. R. Matthew Jones Mrs. Frani K. Jones Mr. and Mrs. Charles Jordan Mr. Gene Kamena Mrs. Julie Keniuk Dr. Jonathan G. Kentros Mr. Brian Kernan Mr. Michael Klister Mr. Eric Knorr Ms. Dawn Knox Mrs. Bridget Komorowski Ms. April Koonce Ms. Holly Murphy Kreisler Ms. Samantha Beth Kritner Mr. Bernard Krivda Laboratory Corporation of America Mr. and Mrs. Tom Lacey Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Lakin Ms. Suzan LaFountaine Dr. Brandi Lamon-Pinkerton Mr. W.F. Laporte III Miss Haley Lasseter Miss Beth Latham Ms. Kathy Leadingham Mrs. Lori Lee Dr. John Leisgang Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Leonard Mr. Sam Lerner Dr. Nancy Letassy Mr. Jonathan Lewis Mr. and Mrs. William Loughborough Mr. and Mrs. Richard Lozyniak Mr. Joe Major Mr. and Mrs. Steven Makin Mr. and Mrs. James D. Mangie, Jr.
The Marais Group, LLC Ms. Cedella Marley and Mr. Dave Minto Mr. Gordon Martin Mr. and Mrs. John Masingill III Dr. J. Barry Mason Mr. and Mrs. Robert Matthews Ms. Shannah Matthews Mr. David May Mrs. Sherica Mays-Bankhead Mr. and Mrs. Mike Mazur Mrs. Laura Avrett McCormick Mr. and Mrs. Gary McDougle Mr. and Mrs. Grif McKowen The Hon. John Merrill Mrs. Bonnie Meyers Ms. Jennifer Michelsen Mr. Jeff Middleton Mr. and Mrs. Charles T. Millirons, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Larry Mitchell Mr. and Mrs. Brad Moody Mr. Hal Mooty Dr. James Moreau Mr. and Mrs. Doug Morris Mr. Harris V. Morrissette Mr. Robert and Dr. Amy Moses Mrs. Amy Muth Mr. Cameron Myers Ms. Lisa Myers Mr. William T. Myrick Mrs. Candace Medlock Mrs. Chanley Morgan Dr. James Nabors Mr. Michael Stephen McNair Mrs. Carol Mason Nesmith Ms. Elizabeth Netemeyer Mrs. Arie Nettles Ms. Laura Nevels Mr. and Mrs. Ken Nix Mrs. Susan R. Noble Mrs. JoAnn Nolan Mrs. Sandra Ritter Northington Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Nunn Ms. Lisa Oas Dr. Jerry Oldshue O’Neal Investments Mr. and Mrs. Michael O’Neill Mr. Terry Owen and Mrs. Cheryl Cook Mr. and Mrs. J. Bentley Owens III Mr. Joshua Owings Mr. Jeffrey Palmquist Mrs. AnnMarie Parker Dr. Pamela Hughey Parker Dr. Allen S. Parrish Ms. Mary Walker Payne Mr. Jack Pearson Ms. Carla Pennington Mrs. Tina Percy Mrs. Janine Perdomo
Mrs. Pamela Perrino Mrs. Pamela Bucy Pierson Mr. Daryn Pingleton and Mrs. Kathryn Crouse Mr. and Mrs. Robert Poole III Mr. James L. Priester Mrs. Brenda Pruitt Ms. Louise Purcell Mr. and Mrs. Carlos Ramos Dr. Catherine Johnson Randall Mr. and Mrs. Kevin P. Rast Reginald C. Mohun Family Ms. Tere Richardson and Mr. Gary Van Wagnen Mr. Russell Baker Register Mr. Jerry R. Robinson Mrs. Shayla Keough Rumely Mrs. Candace Rutherford Captain Karan Ann Schriver Dr. Richard Robinson and Ms. Joyce Stack Ms. Lee Ann Ryan Mr. Jorge Pecci Saavedra Dr. James Sanderson, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Edwards Sands Mr. and Mrs. Sam Scheidler Mrs. Gina B. Schwarm Ms. Dallas Schwerin Mr. Joshua Scott Mr. Robert Segin Mr. Thomas Shannon Mrs. Barbara Colby Simon Mr. David Christopher Simpson Mr. Aubrey Skinner Mr. Sandy Slocumb Dr. Patricia Sobecky Mr. Sherrill Southerland Mr. Andrew Appling Smith Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Smith Ms. Amy Spearman
St. Mark United Methodist Church Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Stephens, Sr. Dr. and Mrs. Adam Sterritt Ms. E. Anne Hobbs Struble Mrs. Brenda Swinton Dr. Richard Thigpen Mrs. Marly Dukes Thomas Mrs. Denise Thompson Ms. Myra Thompson Ms. Kim Holdbrooks Townsel Dr. Pamela Doyle Tran Mr. John J. Trentacoste Mr. Richard Trueb Mr. Brad Tweed Mr. and Mrs. Ingram Tynes UA Students in Free Enterprise Mr. and Mrs. Michelle Versteeg Ms. Jeanne Waddell Ms. Marianne Wagonhurst Mrs. Karen Waldie Ms. Monica Waldon Mrs. Mary Alice Wallmeyer Mr. Bradley Ward Mrs. Debra T. Watkins Mr. Harold Watson Mrs. Tina Weinberg Mr. H. Thomas Wells, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Wenner Mr. and Mrs. James Whitacre Mr. and Mrs. Bob White Mrs. Jennifer Whitehurst Mrs. Tonya Winkler Mr. and Mrs. Jon Barry Wolf Mr. and Mrs. Ted Wolfe Mr. Robert Woodall Mrs. Margaret Woodruff Ms. Lenora Wulfe Mr. and Mrs. Dan Yancy Ms. Lisa Marie Young Mr. and Mrs. Greg Youra
Thank You for your support
Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and completeness of this list. If we have inadvertently omitted your name or listed you incorrectly, please contact STUDENT AFFAIRS at 205-348-6275 or by email at studentaffairs@ua.edu. A complete list of 2015 donors can be found at sa.ua.edu. SPRING 2016 | 27
SUPPORTER SPOTLIGHT
Creating
FAMILY Nettles balance work, family, and UA support
By Jessie Patterson Jones Sitting together at the kitchen table in their Nashville home, Arie and Michael Nettles may officially have an empty nest, but they are living extremely full lives. Their three daughters are spread across the South pursuing their own dreams, with the youngest, Aidan, completing her junior year at UA. Sabin, a Boston College graduate, is currently pursing her PhD in neuroscience at Washington University in St. Louis. Ana, the oldest, is finishing her last semester of law school at Washington University after earning her undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania. “We just figure out how to do whatever we need to do, which is really an opportunity to keep up with our girls and meet their needs at their stages of life,” Arie said. Michael serves as senior vice president of the Policy Evaluation & Research Center at Educational Testing Service in Princeton, New Jersey. Splitting his time between Princeton and Nashville keeps him on the go. “Michael requires very little sleep. And he stays on Eastern time,” Arie said. “He’s always thinking and working. He’s always been industrious. He got his PhD at 24. He’s just driven that way.” With Arie serving as an associate professor of clinical pediatrics at Vanderbilt’s Monroe Carrell Jr. 28 | CAPSTONE MAGAZINE | STUDENT AFFAIRS
Left: The Nettles’ daughters Sabin, Aidan, and Ana enjoy a game in Bryant-Denny Stadium. Right: Michael and Arie Nettles cheer on the Crimson Tide football team against Tennessee.
Children’s Hospital, it’s obvious the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree with the Nettles’ daughters. Arie splits her time between teaching, clinic work, and serving as the director for the office of inclusion and health. In the midst of family and work commitments, Arie and Michael joined the Student Affairs Leadership Council in 2013 as a way to give back and stay more connected to the Capstone. “We’ve really appreciated it and have seen it as an opportunity to learn more about the University and give some ideas every now and then,” Michael said. From their visits to campus for SALC meetings, the Student Affairs Hall of Fame, and to see Aidan, the Nettles said they have come to embrace all the UA has to offer. “The whole family has fallen in love with The University of Alabama,” Arie said. “We are an Alabama family now. We’ve learned a lot about the history of UA, and it has such a significant history in terms of integration and the trailblazers that were here. We’ve just kind of gotten into it. Our other daughters joke and always ask if we are in Tuscaloosa.”
Aidan is ultimately the one responsible for growing the Alabama family. She was looking to attend a university with an outstanding dance program, and after the University of Tennessee eliminated its program, she started looking at Alabama following a visit to campus for the American Ballet Theater summer intensive in 2009. The dance world began pointing Aidan to UA, selling the strong program and leadership of Cornelius Carter, the director of the dance program. “Since we were both Tennessee grads, Alabama was just not on our radar,” Arie said. “It was all Aidan, and it’s been so much fun.” After Aidan auditioned to join the program, the entire Nettles family was sold. “The auditions were so impressive,” Arie said. “And we heard it straight from Cornelius Carter. He said they are scholars, and that was his expectation. That just sealed it for me.” The Nettles have also gotten to know Alabama football. Arie and Michael came to their first game during the 2015 season – watching the Crimson Tide take on Tennessee.
“We were in the bookstore before the game, and we bought houndstooth hats and started dancing.” Arie said. “Aidan just laughed at us.” Sabin and Ana have even joined Aidan for an Alabama-Auburn game in Tuscaloosa. “Our girls claim Nick Saban as Sabin’s namesake now,” Michael said. “Sabin went to the Alabama game and called to say ‘They were all cheering for me.’” Michael said serving as members of SALC has been a great way for him and Arie to give back to UA while Aidan has been on campus. “We’ve gotten a chance to see the numbers about enrollment, how the trends look, and the changes over time,” he said. “What we’ve been doing is feeding off of that to try to make some suggestions from somebody who isn’t involved in the day to day. Often it helps to have that outside perspective and that’s what we’ve tried to help provide.” “With us being in academia, you can have lot of elitist people come to you about your experiences. And we do put them in their place,” Michael said. “At Alabama, it’s not just athletics. It’s so much more.” SPRING 2016 | 29
Feb. 5, 2016 The Student Recreation Center was one of many campus buildings to glow pink to raise breast cancer awareness during the Alabama Athletics’ Power of Pink week. “University Recreation is proud to be associated with the Power of Pink each year,” URec Executive Director George Brown said. “We enjoy the glow that emanates from the Student Recreation Center in anticipation of the gymnastics meet each year. For our department, the Power of Pink represents a mindset of courage and conviction to battle and never give up in the face of challenges.” Feb. 22, 2015 The Student Government Association’s executive board celebrated an outstanding year coming to a close with their formal group portrait. At the end of the session, they decided to have a little bit of fun. “This hard-working group humored me by finishing off their session with a tongue-in-cheek portrayal of college life with this pose,” Tuscaloosa photographer Crosby Thomley said.
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March 24, 2016 The Career Center wrapped up another great year of career fairs with the Communication Career Fair. This year, the Career Center transitioned to hosting four major career fairs in Coleman Coliseum in order to accommodate the growth of the fairs. It also saw the first Diverse Reverse Career Fair take place as well, which turned the tables on traditional career fairs by having diverse student groups set up tables and recruiters walk around to meet students and learn how to partner with their groups. Overall, nine career fairs were hosted with 715 employers and more than 5,000 students participating.
April 3, 2016 Creative Campus, SGA, and University Programs collaborated to host the Yellowhammer Festival at the Tuscaloosa Rivermarket. This year, through partnerships and planning, roughly 4,000 campus and community members took part in the all-day event. Students worked from August to April to pull off the event. “The collaboration between SGA, Creative Campus, and University Programs has been the most fulfilling experience for me as a student at the Capstone,” said Polly Ricketts, the 2015-2016 SGA executive vice president. “The vision set forth for our SGA administration was to foster collaboration and unity between organizations on campus. There are so many incredible student organizations with vast amounts of resources, and we knew that by combining the annual SGA ‘RAGE’ concert with Yellowhammer, the event would be even more successful and a sustainable initiative for future university students to continue.”
STUDENT AFFAIRS Assessment and Planning Blackburn Institute Career Center C enter for Service and Leadership Counseling Center Dean of Students External Affairs Ferguson Student Center F irst Year Experience and Parent Programs Fraternity and Sorority Life H ousing and Residential Communities Student Care and Well-Being Student Conduct Student Government Association Student Involvement Student Media University Programs University Recreation Veteran and Military Affairs Women and Gender Resource Center FOLLOW US!
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Division of Student Affairs Box 870301 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0301
Telling “Our Stories” 1
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he launch of a new website for Student Affairs
has given us more room than ever to share the stories of our outstanding students. “Capstone 101” stories feature students who are involved in different ways all across our campus. For a fun twist, we’ve also begun to highlight faculty and staff members through “Office
sa.ua.edu
Hours” Q&As. Connect with us online at sa.ua.edu and learn more about these members of the Capstone. 1. Marissa Navarro 2. Susan Fant 3. The Rogers Sisters 4. Tyler Merriweather 5. Shuwen Yue 6. Maury Holliman 7. Jason Black 8. Undre Phillips 9. Walker Jones 10. Lane McLelland 32 | CAPSTONE MAGAZINE | STUDENT AFFAIRS