01.27.11

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Thursday, January 27, 2011

Serving the University of Alabama since 1894

Local ad banned by Fox

Vol. 117, Issue 74

Park nice or pay the price

Super Bowl TV spot filmed on campus pulled for religious message By Amanda Sams Senior Staff Reporter alsams1@crimson.ua.edu Tim Tebow dared to write the reference of well-known Bible verse John 3:16 on his eye black before the 2009 BCS National Championship Game as a testament to his faith. The Gators’ star quarterback was able to do what common people aren’t allowed to — air a biblical message on national network television — with millions of people watching. Executive Director of Fixed Point Foundation Larry Taunton said he put a great deal of thought into what he would want to tell more than 100 million viewers during a 30-second Super Bowl commercial if given the opportunity. “As a Christian, my thought was I want to put out a message of hope,” Taunton said. “I didn’t want to push a political agenda or sell a product. I definitely want to say something that encourages people.” Extensive fundraising commenced, and Taunton’s “Message of Hope,” centered on the Bible verse John 3:16, was filmed at Bryant-Denny Stadium. He soon learned, however, the commercial would not appear on national television during the Super Bowl on Feb. 6. “Fox Sports said they would not air it because they deemed it too controversial,” Taunton said. “I was stunned because the commercial is so tame. The text does not appear on the television screen, and no one reads John 3:16 aloud.” The commercial depicts a multitude of fans watching a football game, and one player is tackled. The familiar Bible verse is sketched in his eye black, and a couple of fans are struck with the idea to actually look up the verse for the first time. The commercial then refers viewers to a website, LookUp316, that explains the verse in detail, Taunton said. “The fact that the commercial gives you the freedom to look up the verse if you want to makes it your prerogative,” said Katie Naughton, a sophomore majoring in communication studies. “I’m kind of tired

See SUPER BOWL, page 3

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DOUBLE PARKING: $50

NO PARKING SPACE: $50

Currently, the executive vice president of the Student Government Association is tasked with overseeing the SGA’s legislative branch – both the Senate and FirstYear Council. If the student body passes a proposed new constitution Feb. 1, this executive position would have entirely new responsibilities, and the legislative branch would have the power to govern itself. The new constitution would create a Speaker of the Senate, someone elected by senators to lead the legislative branch. The responsibility of the executive vice president would change to overseeing and assisting the other vice presidents – student affairs, financial affairs, academic affairs and external affairs – in carrying out their programs and initiatives. “The executive vice president is essentially

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PARKING IN HANDICAP SPACE: $250 (FIRST OFFENSE)

$500 (SECOND OFFENSE)

IMPROPER ZONE: $50

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PARKING ON YELLOW CURB: $50

PARKING IN FACULTY IN RESIDENCE SPACE: $250 AND TOW

[

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PARKING ON GRASS: $50

]

Source: bamaparking.ua.edu By Jennie Kushner Senior Staff Reporter jfkushner@bama.ua.edu

longer than they should,” he said. “One of the most abused parking spaces is the timespecific spot. “The more 30-minute spots Currently, there are 103 30-minute parking spaces on added results in reducing parkcampus to service the 30,000 ing spots for individuals that have that zone as their desigplus student population. Chris D’Esposito, assistant nated area,” he said. Tickets for parking in the director of parking operations, said the time-specific spots time-specific spots are $25, compared to the $50 citation encourage misuse. “The problem when you add for improper zone parking, a lot of 30-minute parking is people will park illegally or See PARKING, page 2

Reform would reinvent role of executive vice president By Jonathan Reed Managing Editor jonathanreedcw@gmail.com

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EXCEEDING TIME LIMIT: $25

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SGA CONSTITUTION

CURRENT CONSTITUTION President Executive VP Senate

Cabinet

OTHER VIOLATIONS • Improperly Affixed Permit: $25 • Improper Use of a Permit: $50 • Use of a Lost/Stolen Permit: $100 • Use of a deactivated permit by original purchaser: $25 and a wheel lock removed at no cost • Use of a deactivated permit by someone other than original purchaser: $125 minimum, $100 wheel lock fee

Housing sponsors first-ever Bama Idol By SoRelle Wyckoff Contributing Writer

Bama Idol, a singing competition put on by Housing and Residential Communities, is currently in the audiThe title of the “first-ever Bama Idol” tion stage of the competition. The overall is up for grabs for those who think winner will receive an iPad. Like American Idol, there is an audithey’ve got what it takes to win. Students living in on-campus resi- tion round and a finale night. The top dence halls were e-mailed the list of ten competitors from the audition round audition times and dates for each residential building last week. See IDOL, page 10 Stephen Keogh, a freshman majoring in telecommunication and film, auditions for the first Bama Idol competition in the Ridgecrest South atrium on Jan. 25. From left to right, Alex Ludvik, Susanna Payton and Ambrey Auten judge the event.

Vice Presidents

PROPOSED CONSTITUTION President Executive VP

Speaker of the Senate Cabinet

Senate

Vice Presidents

CW | Lea Hanna Bertram

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P.O. Box 870170 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 Newsroom: 348-6144 | Fax: 348-8036 | Advertising: 348-7845 | Classifieds: 348-7355 Letters, op-eds: letters@cw.ua.edu Press releases, announcements: news@cw.ua.edu

Briefs ........................2

Lifestyles.................. 10

Opinions ...................4

Puzzles.................... 13

Sports .......................8

Classifieds ............... 13

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ON THE GO Page 2• Thursday, January 27, 2011

EDITORIAL • Victor Luckerson, editor-in-chief, editor@cw.ua.edu • Jonathan Reed, managing editor, jonathanreedcw@gmail.com • Brandee Easter, print production editor • Daniel Roth, multimedia editor • Will Tucker, news editor, newsdesk@cw.ua.edu • Kelsey Stein, lifestyles editor • Jason Galloway, sports editor • Tray Smith, opinions editor • Adam Greene, chief copy editor • Emily Johnson, design editor • Brian Pohuski, graphics editor • Drew Hoover, photo editor • Brian Connell, web editor • Marion Steinberg, community manager

ADVERTISING • Dana Andrzejewski, Advertising Manager, 348-8995, cwadmanager@gmail.com

ON THE MENU

ON THE CALENDAR

LAKESIDE

What: The Robert Milton

Today Series Looks at ‘The Philosophical Challenges of Global Gender Justice’ with Dr. Alison M. Jaggar, professor of philosophy and women and gender studies at The University of Colorado at Boulder Where: 205 Smith Hall When: 7:30 p.m.

BRYANT

featuring Hovhannes Alanakyan, violoncello Where: Moody Recital Hall When: 7:30 p.m.

FRESH FOOD

Continued from page 1

• Drew Gunn, Advertising Coordinator, 348-8044

the chief of staff of the vice presidents,” said Ian Sams, SGA • Hallett Ogburn, Territory communications director and Manager, 348-2598 a member of the Constitution • Emily Frost, National Advertising/ Revision Committee. “They are Classifieds, 348-8042 going to be more directly work• Jessica West, Zone 3, 348-8735 ing with the vice presidents on their projects in a collaborative • Brittany Key, Zone 4, 348-8054 way, rather than in a competi• Robert Clark, Zone 5, 348-2670 tive way.” • Emily Richards, Zone 6, 348Many of the responsibilities 6876 the executive vice president • Amy Ramsey, Zone 7, 348-8742 would take over currently fall under the role of the chief of • Elizabeth Howell, Zone 8, 348staff, Sams said. The change 6153 would allow the chief of staff • Caleb Hall, Creative Services Manager, 348-8042

What: In recognition of

What: Student Recital

Buttermilk-Fried Chicken Herb Roasted Potatoes Fried Breaded Okra Squash Medley White Rice Stewed Tomatoes and Okra (vegetarian)

REFORM

When: 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.

What: UA Philosophy

Beef Pot Roast Chicken & Broccoli with Mushroom Mexican Beef Fajitas Cauliflower Four Tomato Basil Penne (vegetarian)

D’Esposito said. Zone parking is enforced from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m MondayFriday. This means students, as well as faculty and staff, must park in a legal parking space within their designated area. After 6 p.m., zone enforcement is suspended. However, safety violations are always enforced as well as specific areas that are signed for 24-hour enforcement. “After 6 p.m., we are considered an open campus so if a student is parked between two white lines, they are fine,” Direction of Transportation Services Ronnie Robertson said. “If a car is parked illegally, like in a handicap space, they can still receive a citation.” Robertson said money from

Jaggar hosts a colloquium on the subject, “Addressing transnational Gender Injustice: Rethinking Some Fundamental Assumptions of Western Political Philosophy” Where: 354 ten Hoor Hall

When: 5 - 6:30 p.m.

BBQ Smoked Turkey Leg Cornbread Dressing Seasoned Carrots Spinach Vegetarian Fajita (vegetarian) Fresh Foods Buttermilk-Fried Chicken Herb Roasted Potatoes

Continued from page 1

What: Dr. Alison M.

Young Memorial Lecture Inaugural Address by Dr. Vincent Odamtten: “The Pleasures of Influence and Reciprocity” Where: 205 Gorgas Library

BURKE

PARKING

FRIDAY

TODAY

Lunch Chicken Fried Pork Chop with Onion Gravy Sweet Potato Casserole Macaroni and Cheese Peas with Mushrooms and Red Peppers Stir- Fried Asian Beef Linguine with Roasted Red Peppers (vegetarian)

parking tickets goes back to the general fund of transportation services. The department is not state funded. “[Parking ticket money] supports parking and transit, repairing roads to make them accessible to transit and buses, repaving and construction of roadways, construction of parking lots, our salaries, equipment that we use, cone barricades, trucks, vests, clothes and boots,” he said. Construction on University roads like Hackberry Lane and Campus Drive is funded by transportation services, not the government, Robertson said. Transit signs on campus are also paid for by transportation services. Despite the high ticketing prices, D’Esposito said he feels the pricing is fair. “We instill in our parking monitors that they are not issuing a parking ticket to a to manage the president’s staff, not the entire SGA. The new constitution would also place the executive vice president entirely within the executive branch. “One of the challenges for the person who holds that office is that you’re part of the executive branch, but you’re also trying to lead the legislative branch,” said Nicole Bohannon, the current SGA executive vice president. Bohannon said the responsibilities of the position can be confusing, but the new constitution simplifies and streamlines the job expectations. “It will allow the person in

Women in Prison Awareness Week, the WRC is taking up to 40 students on a day trip to Tutwiler women’s prison in Wetumpka, AL. Students may sign up at the WRC table at Spring Get On Board Day January 19 or by calling the center at 348-5040. Where: Vans will depart from the Women’s Resource Center When: 10:15 - 4 p.m.

SATURDAY What: UA’s Alabama Museum of Natural History will host a screening of Ghost Bird, the critically acclaimed documentary by Scott Crocker - admission is free and open to the public Where: 205 of Smith Hall When: 10 a.m. What: ABXY Gaming Network and Creative Campus hosts Pixel Con Where: Ferguson Theatre When: All day event

SATURDAY What: Student Recital featuring Chris Thomas, Piano

Where: Moody Recital Hall When: 8:00 p.m.

Submit your events to calendar@cw.ua.edu

bad person, but rather you are protecting the rights of the person who is supposed to park there,” he said. D’Esposito said the transportation department employs 12 daytime parking monitors who supervise specific areas of campus. These areas are within walking range. “We ask them to hit every parking lot between two and five times a day,” D’Esposito said. Two additional parking monitors work the evening hours. D’Esposito said University Police monitor the lots after midnight. “Safety violations are in effect 24-7,” he said. Transportation Services, a division of auxiliary services, spends several million dollars per year in total expenses. D’Esposito said an average parking spot in a surface lot cost $3,000 to $5,000 to build.

Spots in parking decks cost close to $13,000 to $16,000 to construct. Robertson said adding additional parking is a challenge for the University because the campus is bordered by the city of Tuscaloosa on three sides and the Black Warrior River on the fourth. “We can only build up or down due to the land restrictions,” he said. “If there is extra land, it would be better used for an academic building rather than additional parking.” The total number of parking spaces on campus is 20,116. D’Esposito said that number is supportive to the number of students. “We don’t always have convenient parking that people want,” he said. I wish we could have the ability to allow everyone to park near class or near their residential hall. We just don’t have the land to

do so.” D’Esposito said he sees the prices of parking passes rising in the future. “You will find out with anything, prices will go up based on the needs. Things do not stay the same price,” he said. “We cannot keep a flat rate price as the prices of our vendors go up.” The exact numbers of future parking passes are currently unknown” he said. “I don’t have the numbers of the prices” he said, it has to be approved by the University.” Robertson said UA parking prices are competitive with other Southeastern Conference schools of comparable size. D’Esposito said the department likes to let people know where their money is going. The costs of projects are listed on their website at bamaparking.ua.edu.

Changes to language of the Constitution: Executive Branch ROLE OF EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT (ARTICLE IV, SECTION 7) CURRENT: “Preside over PROPOSED: “Preside over the Senate prior to the election the Student Senate and of the Speaker of the Senate by the members of the Senate… attend regularly scheduled Preside over meetings of the Senate for ceremonies of the meetings of the Senate.” SGA through status as a member ex-officio of the Senate.” ELIGIBILITY OF EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT CANDIDATES (ARTICLE IV, SECTION 3) CURRENT: No specific requirement.

PROPOSED: “Candidates for Executive Vice President must be rising seniors with undergraduate graduation scheduled during the academic year of the conclusion of their term of office.”

PRESIDENT’S POWER OF LINE-ITEM VETO (ARTICLE IV, SECTION 5) The Crimson White is the community newspaper of The University of Alabama. The Crimson White is an editorially free newspaper produced by students. The University of Alabama cannot influence editorial decisions and editorial opinions are those of the editorial board and do not represent the official opinions of the University. Advertising offices of The Crimson White are on the first floor, Student Publications Building, 923 University Blvd. The advertising mailing address is P.O. Box 2389, Tuscaloosa, AL 35403-2389. The Crimson White (USPS 138020) is published four times weekly when classes are in session during Fall and Spring Semester except for the Monday after Spring Break and the Monday after Thanksgiving, and once a week when school is in session for the summer. Marked calendar provided. The Crimson White is provided for free up to three issues. Any other papers are $1.00. The subscription rate for The Crimson White is $125 per year. Checks should be made payable to The University of Alabama and sent to: The Crimson White Subscription Department, P.O. Box 2389, Tuscaloosa, AL 354032389. The Crimson White is entered as periodical postage at Tuscaloosa, AL 35401. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Crimson White, P.O. Box 2389, Tuscaloosa, AL 35403-2389. All material contained herein, except advertising or where indicated otherwise, is Copyright © 2010 by The Crimson White and protected under the “Work Made for Hire” and “Periodical Publication” categories of the U.S. copyright laws. Material herein may not be reprinted without the expressed, written permission of The Crimson White.

CURRENT: “[The SGA President shall] exercise line-item veto power as he or she sees fit over all bills passed by the Student Senate. A line-item shall be the smallest point in a subsection.”

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my position to focus on projects and executive work,” Bohannon said. “It will also strengthen the Senate because they’ll have more ownership in their own leadership. The Speaker of the Senate will have the ability to focus more on the Senate’s agenda, rather than being split between two branches.” The executive vice president would also have a new election requirement. Students running for the position must be rising seniors, and any student who holds the position and does not graduate would be ineligible for future executive SGA offices. This provision was designed to ensure cooperation between the executive vice president and the other vice presidents, Sams said. “It’s not going to be someone who’s trying to use that position as a launching pad to another office,” he said. “They’re going to be able to focus on having the most efficient and effective SGA as possible.” Bohannon said the senior

PROPOSED: The SGA President shall not possess the right to exercise a lineitem veto over all Acts of Senate and Bills of Law passed by the Senate.

requirement will also ensure that the executive vice president is someone with significant SGA experience who can aid the other vice presidents. The executive vice president will also serve as the ceremonial leader of the Senate for special events and will cast a vote in the Senate in the case of a tie. Former responsibilities of the executive vice president, such as assembling committees and calling special sessions, would fall to the Speaker. The new autonomy of the Senate would allow the legislative branch to pursue its own agenda if it chooses, without functioning under the executive branch, said SGA Senator Ryan Flamerich. “There is much more ability for there to be friction between the executive and legislative branches, considering that the legislative branch was in the executive branch before,” he said. The proposed constitution would also remove the lineitem veto power of the SGA

president, in which the president can veto one part of a Senate bill or act and keep other parts. “We didn’t like that the president could just unilaterally ax portions of bills or acts that he or she doesn’t like,” Sams said. “It’s good for the process. It’s good for collaboration between two branches to not have a line-item veto and encourage compromise between the two branches.” All of these reforms work toward a goal to create a more balanced system of government, ,Sams said. “One of our goals in setting this out was to strengthen the legislative branch by taking them and giving them an independence from the executive branch that I don’t think we’ve ever had,” he said. “Of course, there may be hiccups along the way, but I think in the long run that’s a better system if we’re going to actually be a student government instead of just a student organization.”

The Crimson White

NEWS

Thursday, January 27, 2011

3

Philosopher to discuss gender By Hailey Grace Allen Contributing Writer

The University’s department of philosophy will continue its Philosophy Today series tonight at 7:30 in Smith Hall Room 205. Alison Jaggar, a professor of philosophy at the University of Colorado-Boulder and an expert in gender philosophy, will present the philosophical challenges of global gender justice to UA students and faculty and members of the Tuscaloosa community. Scott Hestevold, the

philosophy department chair at the University, said the series, which began in the fall of 2010, has drawn a diverse crowd. “The goal [of this series] is to bring in prominent philosophers to give public talks on controversial or provocative topics,� Hestevold said. “We want the series to be non-technical and accessible to those outside the philosophy discipline.� Hestevold said so far the lectures have brought out a respectable crowd, and tonight’s lecture promises to be no different.

Rekha Nath, a professor of philosophy, said the department is excited to host Jaggar. “Professor Jaggar is a dynamic speaker who will present us with a confronting portrayal of the gendered aspects of global poverty,� Nath said. “I expect for many students this will be a unique opportunity to see how deeper philosophical questions concerning our moral obligations to others have translated into a large-scale empirical project to achieve a better understanding of the lives of the world’s poor.� Nath said Jaggar’s

public talk “The Feminization of Global Poverty: How Can Philosophy Help?� will appeal to a wide range of members of the University as well as to the broader community. Currently, Jaggar is working on a project that seeks to account for the ways in which women are uniquely affected by poverty. “In addition to discussing this project, Jaggar also will talk about the responsibility that Western feminists have in the face of global injustice suffered by women and how traditional political philosophy must

be reworked to meaningfully address transnational gender injustice,� Nath said. The series will continue in February with its final speaker of the year. Hestevold came up with the idea of the Philosophy Today series when he assumed the chairmanship in 2007. Hestevold said that without the support of the University’s Dean of Arts and Sciences Robert Olin, and a grant from Louis Perry of La Jolla, Calif., this series would not be possible.

IF YOU GO ... • What: Philosophy Today lecture featuring Allison Jaggar: ‘The Philosophical Challenges of Global Gender Justice’

• Where: 205 Smith Hall

• When: Tonight at 7:30

Lecture to honor late English professor By Jasmine Cannon Contributing Writer

the mind and in his work that was scholarly, but had really significant social implications. I was delighted that our chair thought of this as a fitting way to honor him and to celebrate his life and his work.� Catherine Davies, chair of

the English department, said in an e-mailed statement, “We were broken-hearted at the loss of Dr. Young last year, and it seems like a very appropriate response to create an annual lecture that will perpetuate, in this new format, Dr. Young’s gift for teaching about literature in relation to complex ideas of race and social class. Our intent with the lecture series is to engage students (both undergraduate and graduate), faculty, and also interested members of the community with speakers who will help them to understand how literature, through the lens of African American literary and cultural theory, can illuminate their own lives in a social context.� Dr. Vincent Odamtten will

be the speaker of the lecture, which is titled “The Pleasures of Influence and Reciprocity.� “We thought it would be a nice way to begin this lecture series to have the first year feature a speaker who actually knew [Young] and played such a critical role in his scholarly life,� Manora said. “We’re really delighted to have Dr. Odamtten join us because he is that person.� Odamtten is an English professor at Hamilton College in New York, Young’s home state and where he earned his college degrees. Odamtten was one of Young’s professors and mentors during his studies. “I am absolutely thrilled. Robert [Young] was a dear student, colleague and friend who loved what he did and

did it well,� Odamtten said in an emailed statement. “I am very happy that his colleagues, friends and UA has recognized his contribution to the field by this singular honor. I am humbled to be the inaugural speaker at this occasion, especially since Professor Young was an exceptional teacher and scholar. Ultimately, I hope that I might convey a sense of what he meant to me, however opaquely.� Young came to the University in 1997 and began teaching courses in African-American literature and literary theory. From 2004-2007 he served as a Distinguished Teaching Fellow. The English department is hosting the lecture, which is also sponsored by The College

of Arts and Sciences, the Arts and Sciences Diversity Committee, the Office of Community Affairs, the department of gender and race studies and New College. “I can only hope that my presentation will be the first of many more to come, and that some of the many students whom Professor Young has taught might also be invited to give future Robert Milton Young Memorial Lectures,� Odamtten said. Manora and Davies both hope to broaden the honoring of Young in the future with something such as a miniature conference. There will be a book signing and reception following the lecture. The event is open to the public.

the University’s religious studies department. “The slogan read, ‘No matter where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here in this church.’ The commercial was banned by all the major networks, who consistently said it went against their charters to promote religion.� Trost said on one level, the networks are being consistent with their policy, and on another level he can see where the commercial can be considered controversial. “Controversy may not be obvious if you are a follower of Jesus Christ and see it as a message of hope,� Trost said. “However, the ad is controversial in the way it treats people of other faiths. What about Muslims, Jews, Hindus and atheists? That particular verse excludes all of those groups from God’s love.� The station has a good case for denying the commercial, he said. He said he believes local stations not held to the same standards as national networks will have fewer issues with the commercial. “The Governor Bentley example falls in the same category, regarding when he made those comments about only sharing brotherhood with followers of Christ,� Trost said. “A huge proportion of Alabamians are born-again Baptists, and they understood what he was trying to say and did not fault him for criticizing other religions. However,

those who do not believe in Christ’s narrative may feel implicated and criticized for not believing the same way.� Students have mixed reactions about Fox Sports’ decision not to air the commercial. “Legally speaking, they have the right not to air it, but personally I do not agree with it,� said Laken Romine, a freshman majoring in public relations. “Most of the commercials on air are secular and don’t have strong moral or Christian values. In my opinion there should be equal representation.� Rachel Steed, a sophomore majoring in psychology, said things that deal with Christianity can oftentimes be seen as controversial. “If it deals with another religion, it’s just being tolerant,� Steed said. “It would make more sense if it was a blanket idea instead of targeting Christianity.� University of Alabama Atheists and Agnostics President Timothy Keele said he was not personally offended by the nature of this particular commercial, but he understands and supports Fox’s reasoning in censoring it. “For a Christian advertisement, it is tame — not attempting to be inflammatory, nor outwardly proselytizing,� Keele said. “On the other hand, I think there is a slew of highly offensive Christian advertisements out there — ranging

from the unintentional slights toward nonbelievers embedded in political ads and political speeches such as Governor Bentley’s, to the blatant ‘heathens shall burn in hell’ variety. While I do not think that any of these should be stifled outright because we live in a society that justly believes in freedom of information and

opinion, I am glad to see that Fox itself is considering if such advertising is wise.� Keele said the non-Christian portion of the population is rapidly growing and beginning to have a strong political voice. “I doubt Fox would have been so accommodating were this not the Super Bowl itself, but the Fox of 10 years ago

would have aired it unquestioningly,� Keele said. “I am also glad that Fox is at least trying not to be offensive, albeit not with the utmost skill. Censorship is not required for a mature dialogue; moderation is.�

IF YOU GO ...

The first Dr. Robert Milton Young Memorial Lecture in African American Literary and Cultural Theory will be tonight at 5 in Room 205 of Gorgas Library. The lecture will honor Young, who passed away last year. The event is intended to be annual. “[The idea of the lecture series] came out of a conversation that Catherine Davies and I were having right after Robert Young passed away about how to honor him and how best to do that,� said Yolanda Manora, associate professor in the English department. “It seemed absolutely appropriate to recognize this man who was so fiercely engaged in the life of

SUPER BOWL Continued from page 1

of our society trying not to offend anyone. I think it’s a really good way to spark people’s interest and plant a seed without hitting them over the head with the Bible.� Taunton said the commercial will still be aired throughout the state of Alabama, but he is surprised Fox Sports refuses to broadcast the commercial, based on some of the other content the network airs. “I was just sitting there trying to watch a football game last weekend with my 12-yearold daughter, and a commercial comes on for this horror movie, ‘The Rite,’ � Taunton said. “She was very troubled by the frightening and disturbing images that came onto the screen. If I’d tried to put a commercial up with some naked women, [Fox Sports] probably would have allowed that.�

The controversy of Christ Others believe Fox Sports is just following protocol by not allowing the commercial to be aired due to its biblical content. “I once did a study of an advertising campaign by the United Church of Christ denomination in the North,� said Theodore Trost, chair of

• What: First annual Robert Milton Young Memorial Lecture featuring Dr. Vincent Odamtten.

• Where: Gorgas Library Room 205

• When: Tonight at 5

Reava Vaughters contributed to this report.

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OPINIONS

SGA CONSTITUTION

New constitution fulfills promise By Ryan Sprinkle

MCT Campus

UA freshmen totally unnecessary

Thursday, January 27, 2011 Editor • Tray Smith letters@cw.ua.edu Page 4

OF THE} {TWEETWEEK

REACTIONS TO OBAMA’S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS

“Iʼd like to see that citizens understand whatʼs in the [health care] bill for themselves and not depend on a biased politician for info.” -@mackcamm Malcolm Cammeron, junior, marketing

“I was pleasantly surprised that he addressed the tax code. It needs simplifying and shortening BIG TIME.” -@almorrison88 Lane Morrison, senior, civil engineering

EDITORIAL BOARD Victor Luckerson Editor Jonathan Reed Managing Editor Tray Smith Opinions Editor Adam Greene Chief Copy Editor

WE WELCOME YOUR OPINIONS Letters to the editor must be less than 300 words and guest columns less than 800. Send submissions to letters@ cw.ua.edu. Submissions must include the author’s name, year, major and daytime phone number. Phone numbers are for verification and will not be published. Students should also include their year in school and major. For more information, call 348-6144. The CW reserves the right to edit all submissions.

By John Davis

Last week two students presented well thought out and wellintended articles regarding mandatory freshman housing and mandatory freshman meal plans. Gregory Poole pointed out that the inflation rate of living in a dorm was actually higher than that of annual rent inflation, and that an increased student population forced the University to create more dorms that were even more expensive. In the second article, John Brinkerhoff stated that the meal plan associated with the Freshman Year Experience is completely unreasonable and, in no uncertain terms, a waste. First, I’d like to commend both Mr. Poole and Mr. Brinkerhoff on taking the time to voice their opinions in the student forum that is the Crimson White’s Opinions page. Seldom do the people who complain actually take the time to express their displeasure so publicly, so those that do should be lauded. With that in mind, though, I feel the pair of campus reformers did not take their respective stances far enough; that is, to the natural conclusion that addresses the root of the problem: the constant enrollment of a freshmen class. I realize a large majority of readers just groaned and rolled their eyes, and I totally agree! This is an obvious statement, and something that at this point in UA history probably doesn’t need to be elaborated on. I’m going to anyway, because I’m a champion of all people, not just the majority. It’s not like the city of Tuscaloosa doesn’t agree – just take a moment and think about all the things an 18-year-old can do around town.

Not much, is there? At least, not much that matters - I don’t really care that they can go hang out at Best Buy. Why admit students into the University if they can’t even enjoy all the extracurricular activities that people actually attend college for? I can already hear the dissenters: “But what about tuition and the freshman meal plan and the money made off housing? You can’t exploit freshmen that aren’t enrolled.” I’ll address these concerns one by one as to avoid confusion. First, let’s talk about tuition. It’s a little known fact that two-thirds of a freshman’s tuition is directed towards repairing the vandalism and destruction of his or her freshmen dorm. Think about it – why does a junior college cost so much less than a four-year university? It’s because there are no housing facilities to repair every other day from residents kicking in a wall mere hours after it was repaired. As for the “Freshman Year Experience” meal plan…actually I don’t have anything for that; a 160 meal minimum is a total racket. I already addressed housing to a degree in regards to tuition, but I’ll elaborate further to show the potential boost to housing profits by eliminating the freshman class. Basically, the more recent freshman dorms are of a higher quality than most efficiency apartments. I know this because parents have literally told me, “This unit is better than the efficiency apartment I lived in when I was young and single.” Here’s my proposal: cease the freshman-only policy of these north campus dorms, and rent them out as low-cost housing to Tuscaloosa citizens as luxury efficiency apartments. I’m pretty

sure that’s a non-existent segment within local housing at the moment, so think of the boom in business when people who are too affluent for efficiency apartments want to show off their wealth without fully committing to an actual apartment or house. Providing a service to the community while making a profit – what a wonderful feeling! Now, perhaps the most important and contentious point to address in all of this is the prospect of eliminating a freshman recruiting class for athletics. To address this, I’m going to ask you to do something that is very difficult for most; namely, think of Auburn. Cam Newton did not attend Auburn University as a freshman. Instead, he attended the University of Florida and a junior college before transferring and ultimately winning the Heisman Trophy and a national championship. Well, he didn’t do much of anything at Florida, so we can safely assume that attending a junior college is what made him the college football powerhouse he turned out to be. Under my plan, all Crimson Tide recruits will attend Blinn College for at least one year. It’ll be like a farm system – anyone who doesn’t pan out will simply be denied enrollment, while each and every year the Crimson Tide athletic teams will sport a full roster of JUCO transfers. I know that some of you feel this plan isn’t extreme enough, but we must show moderation and empathy for those affected. And for those who are curious: no, I was never a freshman. Ever. John Davis is a junior majoring in uncreative writing.

Open Internet means more innovation By Michael Patrick It seems more than ever that the issue of net neutrality has been thrust into the spotlight over the past few months. In light of the second lawsuit filed against the FCC’s new open Internet order, people are questioning net neutrality. Currently we connect to the Internet through pipes and cables owned by cable and Internet services like Comcast, AT&T and Verizon. But as of right now these companies are not allowed to mess with what is accessed within these pipes. This creates an Internet where everyone gets the same speed and quality to whatever site they wish to visit; however, Internet providers wish to create “fast lanes” where they give priority to web pages of companies that have paid them large sums of money. That would force sites that were not able to or did not pay these Internet providers into a slower lane. Some providers want to go as far as to block certain sites of their competition, which is what we are seeing currently in the war between Comcast and Netflix. Comcast late last year threatened to cut off Level 3, the service that streams Netflix movies, if they did not pay an excessive levy. Net neutrality would stop this sort of iron-fisted monopoly that Comcast is trying to create. But this is not the only example of Comcast abusing their power. Timothy Karr of the Huffington Post reported that after a customer was unable to make changes to his Comcast account, he altered his modem in order to “actually receive the services he was being

President Obama has been a champion of net neutrality because he realizes the importance of people creating companies like Google and Facebook charged for.” After his experience the customer wrote a blog detailing the event. To which Comcast responded by demanding that the blog be deleted and the site censor itself. Online-activist Phil Dampier responded saying, “When cable giants like Comcast trample all over free speech (and their paying customers), it teaches a valuable lesson [about] why giving them a chance to grow even larger through a merger with NBCUniversal is a dangerous mistake.” Without net neutrality Internet innovation will become a thing of the past. The FCC’s open Internet order does stop Internet providers from blocking legal sites for any reason; however, it does allow providers to charge sites and provide them with faster access. The decision has brought criticism from the left where people argue that the FCC did not go far enough with mobile web, which is pretty much lawless at this point. It has also brought criticism from the right where they argue that it’s just another excuse to expand federal power. Barack Obama reacted to the ruling saying, “Today’s decision will help preserve the free and open nature of the Internet while encouraging innovation, protecting consumer choice, and defending free speech. Throughout this process, parties on all sides of this issue – from consumer groups to

technology companies to broadband providers – came together to make their voices heard. This decision is an important component of our overall strategy to advance American innovation, economic growth and job creation. As a candidate for president, I pledged to preserve the freedom and openness that have allowed the Internet to become a transformative and powerful platform for speech and expression. That’s a pledge I’ll continue to keep as President. As technology and the market continue to evolve at a rapid pace, my administration will remain vigilant and see to it that innovation is allowed to flourish, that consumers are protected from abuse, and that the democratic spirit of the Internet remains intact.” President Obama has been a champion of net neutrality because he realizes the importance of people creating companies like Google and Facebook, which is already hard enough without having to fork out more money just to make it onto the web. Republicans, on the other hand, refuse to see the hypocrisy ring in their denouncement of the FCC’s ruling and their cry for innovation and job creation. In the world of technology, an open Internet is how the latter happens. Michael Patrick is a junior majoring in political science. His column runs biweekly on Thursdays.

On Tuesday, you will have the opportunity to vote on a new SGA constitution. This constitution reflects over 300 hours of work from a dedicated group of students who sought the advice of their fellow students and many administrators across campus. This constitution renews student self-government and provides opportunities for all students. For the record, I have been an independent for two years and an IFC greek student for two years. I hold no campus political affiliation. This diverse background is one of the reasons that SGA President James Fowler asked me to chair the Constitution Revision Committee. From the first CRC meeting in late August until the proposed constitution was submitted to the SGA Senate in early January, all of the CRC’s decisions were guided on four over-arching ideals: accountability, functionality, inclusivity, and transparency. As a nonpartisan committee, composed of three greek students, three independent students and myself, the CRC constantly returned to these four ideals when discussing changes to the SGA constitution. The CRC developed consensus decisions. As ideas were proposed for the new SGA constitution, the committee’s rules required that all members agree on any changes before the ideas were included. The composition of the CRC sometimes made reaching this consensus difficult, but the committee worked together, crafting a document that reflects their deliberation and reason. The new SGA constitution incorporates ideas originally found on this editorial page. While we did not uniformly adopt them all, these ideas sparked constructive conversations within the committee, showing us all that any student with a voice can truly effect change in their student government. The CRC also sought input from every corner of campus. Throughout the fall semester, I met personally with leaders from organizations like the Panhellenic Association, National Pan-Hellenic Council, NAACP, Residence Hall Association, Mallet Assembly and many other student groups to seek their opinions. Using these outstanding students as an advisory board, the proposed constitution reflects many of the ideas they shared with our committee. Our SGA is among the best—if not the best—student governments in the Southeastern Conference. If you do not believe me, just compare our SGA to our counterparts at other universities. The new SGA constitution maintains the strongest elements of our SGA’s traditions, which have driven it to excel. I was a student last year when “Pasadena-gate” erupted. I was angry, too. When James Fowler ran for office last spring, he promised to have the most accountable, inclusive, and transparent student government that this campus has ever seen. This constitution will codify that promise. This constitution will create a post-Pasadena student government, modernizing the SGA and providing the accountable and transparent student government students demand. This new constitution offers our campus the chance to renew student self-government. With this constitutional referendum, we have the opportunity to create a student government that is accountable, functional, inclusive, and transparent. Do not waste this opportunity. Together, we can provide opportunities to all of campus. I ask for your “Yes” vote on Feb. 1. Ryan Sprinkle is a senior majoring in economics and the SGA attorney general and chair of the Constitution Revision Committee.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Only you can help honor societies By Richard Cockrum

With the deadline to apply for honor societies approaching quickly (Feb. 6 @ honorsocieties.ua.edu), I’ve been asked by many of my younger friends about which ones are the best and if any of them are even worth the effort of applying in the first place. Ultimately it depends on what you want out of your membership. Are you just looking for something with national recognition and few or no requirements after induction? Would you like to be involved in community service opportunities or network with other campus leaders or professionals? Decide what matters to you and only choose those that match; it is unnecessary to join all of them. Most groups sound very similar on paper, so my best advice is to either ask a friend who is already a member or e-mail an officer of that group. There is a large population on this campus who feel that honor societies are a waste of money, have undue reverence, fail to accomplish anything tangible, or all of the above. While that may be true for some, it is certainly not a fair assessment of all. There are three main areas where honor societies provide the most value – scholarships, service and networking. Most societies have a national organization that grants graduate scholarships. These usually range from $500 to $10,000, and even some up to $40,000. Golden Key, Mortar Board and Phi Kappa Phi all have such opportunities. Beyond a focus on academics, most societies claim in some way to focus on service, but here is my advice: you get out of it what you put in. For example, The Anderson Society, with its Homecoming T-Shirt fundraiser, requires a substantial commitment from its members (though it is also the only society without dues), but it will also provide $6,184 to Tuscaloosa charities this year. Lambda Sigma is also known for a traditionally service-focused agenda. Finally, honor societies are great opportunities to network, either with current students or professionals in your future career. Major-based societies like Alpha Kappa Psi (business) and Tau Beta Pi (engineering) usually have this emphasis. Do you think honor societies accomplish what they should for students? My answer is that they are held back by a need for an energetic and optimistic membership – something only you can provide.

Richard Cockrum is a senior majoring in biochemistry with a minor in computer-based honors and the president of the Anderson Society.

The Crimson White

Wednesday, January 27, 2011

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Thursday, January 27, 2011

NEWS

The Crimson White

Panhellenic Association elects councilors By Katherine Martin Staff Reporter klmartin@crimson.ua.edu

The Alabama Panhellenic Association announced 11 new members who will serve on the Executive Council for 2011, said Olivia Hanceri, director of public relations for the organization. The Alabama Panhellenic Association is the largest women’s organization and the governing body of 17 sororities on campus, according to the group’s webpage.

The council was chosen through an application and interview process, Hanceri said. “We are governing a constantly growing community, which provides us with everchanging challenges,” she said. “Our goal as an executive council is to create a functioning relationship between the members of the greek community, as well as create transparency within our community for the Tuscaloosa area as well as the University.” Ashley Getwan, president

of the executive council, said her job is to oversee roles and work closely with faculty and different organizations on campus and represent Panhellenic in those. “I want to take a page from SGA’s book and be more transparent with our finances and keep people more aware with what’s going on so they can speak on it,” Getwan said. Getwan said she would like to continue to work with the National Pan-Hellenic Council and its president, Teddy Phillips.

Strive for five helps faculty stay in shape By Jennie Kushner Senior Staff Reporter jfkushner@bama.ua.edu The fourth annual Strive for Five wellness program kicked off Wednesday. The Office of Health Promotion and Wellness introduced the program, designed specifically for UA faculty and staff, in 2007, director Rebecca Kelly said. The program provides individuals and teams of two to five people with the information, support and resources they need to make lifestyle improvements that promote better health and wellbeing, Kelly said. “Strive for Five focuses on five key initiatives for health improvement,” she said. “Using the team approach, participants are encouraged to select two lifestyle behaviors to improve on over the two-month period.” The five components of the program include eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day, drink five or more cups of water per day, take five or more mindful minutes for relaxation, exercise five days and 30 or more minutes per day, and lose five pounds of body weight or maintain your current weight. Kelly said on average there are about 800 participants each year. The goal this year is to maintain or surpass that number. “Last fall, we substituted the Crimson Couch to 5K event for Strive for Five, so this will serve as the fourth year we are offering the program,” she said. Students are happy to see teachers focusing on their health. “I think it is great to see teachers, our elders, focus on living a healthy lifestyle,” said Callie Thompson, a freshman

majoring in interior design. “Despite their age, it is great to look into the community and see teachers working to promote a healthy lifestyle.” This year, group exercise training sessions are offered to help walkers and runners who hope to participate in the 5K or just increase overall fitness levels, Kelly said. “There will also be ‘Five Lunch and Learn’ presentations with topics that focus on our Five Health Improvement goals,” she said. “In addition, yoga sessions will be offered in Russell Hall on Fridays, beginning in February. We are also working with local vendors on a Strive for $5 lunch menu. “To provide additional incentives for teams of four who wish to lose weight, we are also partnering with Scale Back Alabama so that participants may enjoy its financial incentives,” she said. The program includes a kickoff event, twice-monthly checkins, two once-a-month followup check-ins (April and May) and an assortment of activities throughout the program. All components of the program are free for faculty and staff. Clay Neels, a sophomore majoring in education, said he believes the program sets a good example. “Teachers who are participating in Strive for Five are setting a good example for their fellow students and fellow faculty members,” Neels said. “Having teachers participate in this program motivates me to live a healthier lifestyle.” Kelly said participants can come by the Offie of Health Promotion and Wellness in Room 321 of Russell Hall even on days the program is not delivered. “Strive for Five is a program for UA faculty and staff and

their spouses on occasion,” Kelly said.” “Teams will include a graduate student to encourage participation from within an office area.” Individuals should confirm their appointments. “Additionally, the University had wonderful resources of health that include University Recreation programs and facilities as well as the University Medical Center’s registered dietitians and faculty staff clinic,” Kelly said. In the past, participants have seen success. “For those who chose to lose weight as their health improvement goal, approximately 49 percent reported losing one to five pounds, and 27 percent reported losing six or more pounds in the two-month period,” Kelly said. “We encourage a safe weight loss of five to 10 pounds over the semester.” She said participants enjoy several incentives along the way. “In addition to the progress checks, free calendars, fruit and water bottle, we also offer a program T-shirt,” she said. “New this year is an additional reward of five $100 achievement awards for individuals that achieve their goals.”

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Last year, the groups worked together for Greek Week and Homecoming. As communications director, Hanceri said she hopes to increase communication with The Crimson White, The Tuscaloosa News and University media relations in order to decrease the barrier between the greek community and the University as a whole. Erin O’Connor, director of judicial affairs, said she will work with UA Judicial Affairs to help with the progress of the judicial board.

O’Connor said she also plans on making some revisions to the recruitment rules that will provide that recruitment sanctions involve community service. “My goals are to provide the Judicial Board with an educational and enjoyable experience,” O’Connor said. “I plan to provide a safe environment for both potential new members and sorority members.” Hallie Majure Phillips, assistant director of judicial affairs, helped select members of the judicial board that

helps with fall recruitment. “I am confident that we have selected a great group of women who will contribute to a successful and fair 2011 recruitment,” Phillips said. Kat Gillan, assistant director of greek affairs, said they are very happy with the group of women who have been selected to serve on the Executive Council. “We’ve got an excellent group of women who have all shown leadership prior to being a part of Panhellenic,” Gillan said.

Ph.D. grad rate beats norm By Charles Scarborough Staff Reporter cjscarborough@gmail.com Last Week’s Kiplinger 2011 Best Public Institution value rankings revealed the University’s four-year graduation rate of 38 percent. The University’s sixyear graduation rate, although not ideal, is still above the national average, according to UA Executive Vice President and Provost Judy Bonner. “The University of Alabama’s six-year graduation rate is above the national average for doctoral institutions, which is 53 percent,” Bonner said. “We are working diligently to continue to improve our graduation rates without going to some of the measures that are taken at the University of Virginia and the University of Florida,” she said. “The University of Virginia and the University of Florida have taken much stronger steps to

ensure that students graduate in four years,” Bonner said. “UVA expects students to take full class loads and graduate in four years including summers. It takes special permission to continue past the 9th semester.” According to Bonner, Florida uses a system called Universal Tracking, which monitors students’ progress toward graduation. If a student is “off track,” a hold is placed on the student’s registration and they have to see an adviser. If students are “off track” for two semesters, they must change to a more appropriate major. “UA has semester-bysemester academic plans in the Undergraduate Catalog that enable students to graduate in four years,” Bonner said. “And we have now implemented Degree Works that shows students exactly how the courses they have taken apply to degree requirements.” “Ap p r ox i m at e ly 6,700 undergraduates have already

individualized an academic plan in DegreeWorks,” Bonner said. Bonner said DegreeWorks has already helped students with academic planning, and the figures will improve once more students utilize it. “I think DegreeWorks will be a great tool when more students are using it,” said Lori Barstow, academic adviser for the business school. “It’s still relatively new and we still have a pretty decent amount of students that have not accessed it,” she said. Barstow said she believes DegreeWorks can become a tool that will help solve the retention rate problem if more students would use it. “I know in the business school, for example, we have DegreeWorks required as part of our classes,” she said. “I encourage students to use DegreeWorks as a tool with their adviser, but not in place of their adviser. It can be a helpful tool in conjunction with a face-to-face conversation.”

Symposium to encourage undergraduate research By Bethany Blair Staff Reporter bablair1@crimson.ua.edu The College of Arts and Sciences is hosting a series of workshops aimed at increasing undergraduate involvement in professors’ research projects. The symposium, which will be held Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays in Lloyd Hall and the Ferguson Center until March 9, will feature presentations, question-and-answer sessions and panels to help students take the first steps toward research participation and also get those currently involved more deeply immersed in their projects, according to a press release. Ann Webb, director of undergraduate research in the College of Arts and Sciences, said she hopes the stereotypes surrounding research don’t deter students across campus from attending. “I think undergraduate research is a vitally important part of educating students,” Webb said. “Typically, you see law students, grad students or pre-med students doing research, but that’s not at the top of my list. Any student in any field is encouraged to participate.” Although student participation is both needed and encouraged, Webb said there is a window of time where students will benefit the most from research. “I think we need to involve more sophomores in research projects,” Webb said. “A group of students ending their freshman or sophomore years would be ideal because there is time for them to become involved for as long as possible. So they’ll have two to three years to work in their selected field.” The best way for students to

begin their research endeavors is to attend the workshops, connect with the right people and take those first steps, Webb said. “The workshops have become more of an idea about how to get involved in research, ways to define projects and specific fields students are interested in,” she said. “I hope they serve as facilitators to help students find their interests and connect with the appropriate faculty to carry out that research.” In order to help students find the appropriate faculty member, Webb said she hopes to launch a website to better help undergraduates navigate their research opportunities. The website will list new faculty members, help students hone in on their interests and provide opportunities to apply for research positions with those professors. However, partnerships between professors and students don’t stop at the College of Arts and Sciences. Karl Hamner, director of scholarly affairs in the College of Nursing, said undergraduate research in nursing and social work is vastly prominent and diverse. “Research in nursing is centered around anything from the HIV/AIDS stigma in rural African men to diabetes self management using technology,” Hamner said. “But most students are focused on community-based health issues. This means students involved would focus on keeping Alabama healthy with a concentration on rural health. “For social work, we have a lot of undergrads involved in researching issues ranging from supporting caregivers of adult mentally ill and [studying] how to cope with the role of caregiv-

er, to properly assessing mental health and substance abuse for kids entering correctional institutions,” he said. In the department of astronomy and physics, research also covers a broad spectrum, but the ways in which students can conduct it are also numerous, said Stan Jones, former chair of the department. “A good number do participate and some start right as freshmen doing real lab work or competing in competitions as far away as Japan,” Jones said. “We have a requirement for the degree that the student take a senior lab. But when I was chair, most of the students opted to do individual research with a faculty member instead of the course. The course was all these canned, outdated experiments whereas with a faculty member, they’re actually doing experiments that are relevant to the current technology.” Jones said a hands-on approach to learning is the best way to prepare students for reallife situations. “People always say you learn by doing, not by listening,” Jones said. “Research is really the purest way of doing things and, for that reason, I find students learn a lot through it. Even in rather complicated research labs, students catch on really fast. We tend to think they need a lot of complicated courses before they can contribute to the labs, but that’s not the case. They’re not just sitting around taking up space.” For more information on the workshops, and how to become involved in undergraduate research, visit the University’s Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity website at osp. ua.edu.

The Crimson White

NEWS

Thursday, January 27, 2011

7

SGA to supply suits to those in need By Brittney Knox Staff Reporter bsknox@crimson.ua.edu

There are many things necessary for a successful interview. There’s a good resume, the ability to answer the questions and evident drive from the applicant, but one worry the Student Government Association aims to take away from this list is business attire. The SGA launched the “Suiting your needs� campaign that will give students the opportunity to go to the dean of students office if they are in need of business attire

and need to try on suits. The student then will be able to select the one that fits him or her best. “The idea of starting a business attire program at UA stemmed from SGA’s eagerness to truly reach out to students and help those in need have all the advantages that other students might have,� said Stephen Swinson, vice president of student affairs. The dean of students office informed the SGA about the need some students have for business attire, Swinson said. “In my capacity at the University, I interact with many different students who

have different needs,� said Lowell Davis, assistant dean of students. “When the SGA talked about a service project that would assist students in this manner, I was immediately excited.� Swinson said the SGA is currently in the process of getting the word out there about the program. “I am confident that after working with several UA departments on this initiative, we will successfully have a steady supply of business apparel for our students,� he said. The creation of this program took a few months with

the collaborative efforts of the SGA and dean of students office. In an honors college course, students had a similar idea as a class project as well. “The SGA looks forward to working with these students in an effort to ensure the program gets off and running quickly so we can start ‘suiting’ our fellow students’ needs,� Swinson said. The SGA encourages all students, faculty, staff, administrators and members of the Tuscaloosa community to donate male and female business apparel. Those who donate professional attire will receive a tax deduction.

The drop-off for the attire is in Room 231 in the Ferguson center. Those who want to make financial contributions should make checks out to UA and drop them off in the dean of students office in the Ferguson Center. “UA can now ensure that our students will have everything they need in order to interview for a job with a Fortune 500 company or attend a university function where business attire is required,� Davis said. “What better way can we touch the lives of our students?�

After 50 years of being a member of the American As s o c i at i o n for the Advancement of Science, Richard A. Diehl, UA archaeologist, has been named an AAAS Fellow. There were 503 AAAS members who were elected as Fellows in December for their contribution to science and technology, according to the official website aaas.org. “I was surprised, shocked and very pleased,� Diehl said. “It makes me feel good to know that people take the work that I’ve done seriously. I kind of knew that, but this is a good affirmation of it and I appreciate it very much. The other Fellows in the AAAS are people that I respect very much. To be in that group is an honor, it really is. I’m very happy about it.� Diehl specializes in Mesoamerica, Mexico and Central America, and he started extensive research toward the end of his

u n d e r g r a d u at e c a r e e r. Serving as a field director on an archaeological project through Yale University, Diehl helped to discover 13 Olmec monuments. “One of the most spectacular discoveries I ever made was an Olmec colossal head,â€? Diehl said. “When I was working at Tula my project was designed to excavate houses that just ordinary people lived in. I think that’s one of the major contributions that we’ve made, trying to figure out how ordinary people lived in ancient cities.â€? Michael Murphy, archaeology department chair, said, “Along the way Diehl has developed into one of the world’s foremost authorities on the Olmec civilization and he’s also done great work on the Toltec and on this big site called Teotihuacan, which is one of the premiere archaeological sites in the world,â€? he said. “He’s basically regarded as one of the top authorities on the Olmec particularly‌ he has served as consultant

inferior for the National Museum of Art and the Metropolitan museum of art, it doesn’t get more prestigious than that,� Murphy said. Diehl later published a book titled The Olmecs: America’s First Civilization about the Olmec. As reported in Research Magazine, Diehl was one of four scholars who chose the Olmec artifacts that were moved from Mexico to the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. for an exhibit he co-coordinated. Diehl’s work has not been overlooked and his peers have acknowledged his efforts with the ranking of Fellow. Following the official presentation of the honor, Diehl will be one of four AAAS Fellows at the University and one of 22 statewide. “Essentially, what the AAAS does is recognize great achievement in scientific scholarship. Dick was one of eight out of 20,000 certified anthropologists who won the honor. He’s done a lot for the

University of Alabama not just in terms of his scholarship,� Murphy said. Fellows can be nominated three different ways: by the Steering Groups of the Associations 24 sections, by three Fellows who are current AAAS members with two sponsors unaffiliated with the nominee’s institutions, or by the Chief Executive Officer. Diehl completed all of his educational endeavors in his home state of Pennsylvania at Penn State University. After a career as a professor at the University of Missouri, Diehl became chair of the anthropology department at the University. After years of holding esteemed positions at numerous locations, Diehl retired from the University in 2006. He currently teaches one class a year, while staying involved in other archaeological endeavors. Diehl and the other new Fellows will be presented with an official certificate and a gold and blue rosette pin on Feb. 19 during the 2011 AAAS Annual Meeting in D.C.

• Donate suits and clothing in Ferguson Center Room 231

• Donate money at the Dean of Students OfďŹ ce in the Ferguson Center.

• All donations are tax deductible.

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SPORTS

SWIMMING AND DIVING

Tide swims in different directions

Page 8 • Thursday, January 27, 2011 Editor • Jason Galloway crimsonwhitesports@ gmail.com

SPORTS

this weekend SATURDAY • Men’s Basketball vs LSU: 7:00 p.m. • Gymnastics vs LSU, Nebraska, Missouri: 7:30 p.m., Fort Worth, Texas • Men’s Tennis vs Rice: 10:00 a.m., Austin, Texas

By Chad Troyan Contributing Writer

No. 26 Florida State. Despite the women’s struggles, freshman diver Paige McCleary still takes pride in the men’s success. “It fuels a fire under us,� McCleary said. “It makes us want to be successful.� McCleary also acknowledged that the team’s record does enter their minds at times. “Divers [factor] into scoring,� McCleary said. “It makes

Based on each Crimson Tide swim team’s meet results, one may think that there is no way they can be so closely related. They have the same coach, swim at the same facility and go to the same meets throughout the season, but that is where their similarities end. The No. 16 men’s team will be entering its next meet with an impressive unde“We’re swimming well against our opponents, f e a t e d but our sport is based on time, not wins and record of losses.� 7 wins and 0 losses, —Eric McIlquham including a season-opening 133-110 victory over in-state rival and current No. 3 Auburn. The men have also beaten teams such as No. 21 LSU, No. 28 Kentucky and now No. 20 Florida State. On the other hand, the women enter their next meet with a record of 0 wins and 7 losses. So what has been behind the men’s success this season? Senior Denes Zubcsek said he believes this year’s team has been more united than teams in the past years. “We all have the same goal,� he said. The men’s team has made sure to not lose track of their season goals despite their success this season. “We think of every meet as a new meet,� Zubcsek said. “We take it a meet at a time. We don’t think about how many wins or losses we have.� Even though the numbers do not seem good on the women’s side, the quality of competition should be equally considered. The women have had close losses to No. 10 Tennessee and now

CW | Jonathan Norris Members of the women’s swimming and diving team cheer on the rest of the squad. The men’s team is having one of its best seasons ever while the women’s team is struggling.

us want to score more.� After a disappointing start, one could expect to see a change in how the women came out and swam. According to McCleary, they would be right. “After the first couple meets, I think our drive changed,� McCleary said. “I think our drive is a little more now. We want to score more.� Despite the extreme difference in record, head coach Eric McIlquham does not seem to be fazed at all. “Every meet is against a top-25 team,� McIlquham said. “We’re swimming well against our opponents, but our sport is based on time, not wins and losses.� McIlquham also emphasized how, despite the sub-par performance by the women’s team, they will be sticking to the same approach to every meet. “There is going to be no different approach,� McIlquham said. “Each hand is different. Our focus is on end of the year.�

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The Crimson White

SPORTS

Thursday, January 27, 2011

MEN’S TENNIS

9

International recruiting lands 5 players By Bobby Thompson Contributing Writer

The Alabama men’s tennis team is home to five players – half of the team’s roster – from all over the world. Jarryd Botha, Daniil Proskura, Vikram Reddy, Carlos Taborga and Michael Thompson are the Tide’s foreign players. International recruiting is a large part of head coach Billy Pate’s job. “Recruiting has changed over the last few years,” Pate said. “Because the game has become more competitive and everyone has more resources, international recruiting has become essential to building a team.” Pate uses every available resource to help find recruits. He consults the ranking list for all the juniors in the world on a weekly basis. Events like the U.S. Open and the Orange Bowl also help land recruits for the Tide. “Our mission is to get the best players we can with our scholarships,” Pate said. “That means we have to look all over the world for the best player we can get.” Worldwide, tennis is the second-most popular sport, behind soccer. Therefore, many of Europe’s best athletes are playing tennis. Pate travels to Europe once a year to look for potential players. While there, he goes to events and

makes home visits to potential recruits. “My trips overseas are important,” Pate said. “The amount of competition in Europe today creates great tennis players.

“It is important to be aggressive with the best recruits. One selling point that helps land big recruits from foreign countries is that in the States they can go to school and play tennis.”

lucky enough to have training facilities that are comparable to some of the countries’ Olympic facilities.” The players who do come to the University have a variety of reasons for committing. “I came to the University of Alabama because the University offers a good tennis team, good coaches and a good education,” said freshman Daniil Proskura, who is from Tallinn, Estonia. For the international players on the team, adjusting to the United States is not a problem. “Most of the players we get are used to traveling on international flights,” Pate said. “By the time they come over to the U.S., the adjustment is pretty smooth.” Even though most foreign players are used to traveling, staying away from home for so long can be challenging. “When I first came to America, it was a bit of a culture shock,” said sophomore Jarryd Botha, who is from Cape Town, South Africa, “but my CW| Thomas Lewallen teammates supported me and helped me adjust quickly.” Both Botha and Proskura Left: Freshman Daniil Proskura, from Tallinn, Estonia, returns a said they hoped Alabama was ball during practice Wednesday. not the end of their tennis Right: Junior Vikram Reddy, from Andhra Pradesh, India, folcareers. lows through on a swing during Wednesdayʼs practice. “I do hope to play profesIn Europe, playing sports chance to develop their game sionally,” Proskura said, “but and going to school is not as before jumping into the pro cir- it is important to me that I focus on my school work and common as it is in the United cuit. “Another selling point is our get a good job if I can’t play States. Playing at a major university gives the players a facilities,” Pate said. “We are professionally.”

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

SEC difficulty overwhelms Tide By Brett Hudson Contributing Writer The Alabama women’s basketball team has had some major difficulties with the heightened importance and difficulty of the Southeastern Conference, losing all seven contests since SEC play began. The scoring differential for the seven games is 506361, leaving the Crimson Tide with an average margin of defeat of 20.7 points per game. The losses have often been attributed to subpar shooting performances from a team that had an electrifying fastbreak attack throughout nonconference play. “Shooting the basketball is a confidence issue,” Hudson said. “We’re getting some of the same shots we got earlier, we just aren’t as confident as we were earlier and we’re not making those shots anymore.” The confidence loss experienced in SEC play could be traced back to that fast-paced style of basketball. “We’re not getting as many transition opportunities as we have in the past,” Hudson said. “When the competition got tougher, it got harder to go in the fast break as easily as we did earlier. Those easy fast-break baskets are

confidence-building.” Senior Tierney Jenkins has also noticed the fast-paced offense of the Tide being utilized less often. “We’re not getting as many steals,” Jenkins said. “Those steals used to be good ways to start running the fast break, and now it’s hard to start it up so easily without those steals.” The tougher competition has clearly affected the Tide’s style, but it has had mental effects, too. “I think it could be shellshock for some people,” Jenkins said. “It’s like coming from high school to college, that’s how the difference in competition is. It’s the SEC.” As for fixing the slump, no one has the perfect answer. That doesn’t mean the Tide is going to give up. “We’re super, super determined to get through this,” Jenkins said. “We’ve been looking at things, and if we win 8 or 9 of our last 10, we can still play in the postseason, so we’re not giving up. The freshmen are coming in before practice and doing extra shooting. We’re not going to quit.” The hard work and determination to make the comeback are there, and now Hudson is

focused on the mental aspect of basketball. “This streak has made them question themselves,” Hudson said. “They’re asking themselves if they’re in the perfect position or whatever it may be. We just got to play basketball. We’re overthinking, and that’s getting us behind.” It is that overthinking that Hudson said defies the very basic concepts of the game of basketball. “That’s not how basketball is supposed to be played,” Hudson said. “Basketball is supposed to be a game of reaction. Running up and down the court, reacting to things that happen and doing the best you can to react to what goes on around you. If we get back to that, we can do better.” Alabama (11-9, 0-7 SEC) will try to right the ship against the Florida Gators (12-9, 2-5 SEC) today in Gainesville. “We went to Gainesville last year and beat them,” Jenkins said. “We did this last year. We can definitely go in and win this game.” If the Tide is unsuccessful today, they have a chance to exact revenge against the Gators on Feb. 13, when Florida visits Alabama in its first game in its new home, Foster Auditorium.

CW | Margo Smith Head coach Wendell Hudson talks to his players before the start of the second half of Thursday nightʼs game against Georgia.

MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD

James runs to greatness in early career By Mike Albanese Contributing writer Alabama sophomore track and field star Kirani James’ career is still in its early stages. However, his young career has become one filled with medals, accolades and world records. From 2007-2009, James won gold in the 400 meters at the CARIFTA Games as well as gold in the 200 meters during the 2008 CARIFTA Games. In 2009, his first event in the under-20 division, he broke Usain Bolt’s record time in 400 meters by .9 seconds with a time of 45.45. In 2009, he became the first athlete to complete a 200/400-meter double gold during the 2009 World Youth Championships, as well as winning gold in the 400 meters in the Pan American Junior Championships. All of these achievements,

Kirani James as well as his world-best time in the 200-meter, have been accomplished before his 19th birthday. Even with all these achievements, he carries himself with a calmness that shows as his preparation for races is simple. “I go out there and try to perform and not think about winning,” James said. “I just think about running fast. As long as you run fast, your time will be good enough to win the

SEC or NCAA.” Last year he received humbling news from his native country of Grenada, as he was chosen as the country’s Sportsman of the Year. “It wasn’t a huge surprise to me, but it was very overwhelming to see they’ve seen what I’m doing and appreciate what I do,” James said. “It’s very overwhelming. It’s an honor.” Ja m e s ’ j o u r n ey to Tuscaloosa started in his hometown of Gouyave, which is the third-largest fishing town in Grenada. With a population of 4,378, it has been labeled the “action city” due to its festivals, social events, carnivals and glittering night life. As a child growing up in Gouyave, James was heavily influenced by sports. He said at the age of 13 he became involved in basketball, softball and eventually track and

field, which became his specialty. While being recruited by head coach Harvey Glance and during his first encounters with the rest of the track and field squad, he knew this was a place where he felt he belonged. “Coach Glance was a major reason why I came to Alabama,” James said. “I like it here. I like Coach Glance. I like my teammates. I like Coach Glance’s personality and my teammates and how they treated me. They treated me like a normal person. I feel very comfortable here.” Even though he may be comfortable within the track, he admits he is still adapting to the collegiate setting, as well as the cooler climate than that of Grenada, which has an average year-round temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit. James is not only impressive on the track but off it as

I go out there and try to perform and not think about winning. I just think about running fast. As long as you run fast, your time will be good enough to win the SEC or NCAA. — Kirani James well. According to Glance, James’s off-the-field attributes can lead him to success on a grand stage in the near future. “The great thing about Kirani is that he brings all the great things about being an Olympian,” Glance said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he is in a final of an Olympic games or the finals of a World Championship.” He added that James is committed to being the best he can be in the classroom as well as on the track. Also, his dedication and focus are second to none. “He’s willing to make sac-

rifices and give things up to make sure he achieves greatness,” Glance said. “He’s very focused as to where he wants to be and go in life. His main focus and dream is to run fast.” Glance said the dedication, focus, commitment and “educated mind” that James has will benefit him moving forward. He added that he tells athletes it’s easier to know where you’re going when you know where you want to go. However, in the case for James, an athlete who knows where he wants to go and how to get there, the sky is the limit.

10

Thursday, January 27, 2011

LIFESTYLES

The Crimson White

Band combines bluegrass with rock By Alex Cohen Staff Reporter accohen@crimson.ua.edu

IF YOU GO ... • What: Yonder

David Allgood, manager of the Bama Theatre, said he has been looking for ways to increase the student audience at his venue. Last week, the Bama hosted Old Crow Medicine Show and experienced a surge of youthful participation. “They were rowdy but nonviolent for Old Crow,� Allgood said. “We were nearly at capacity, and it looks like it will be a similar crowd [tonight].� Tonight at 8:30, the Bama Theatre will host Yonder Mountain String Band. The band

Mountain String Band

• Where: Bama Theatre • When: 8:30 p.m. • Cost: $20 at the door, $17.50 at tickety.com from Nederland, Colo., consists of banjoist Dave Johnston, mandolinist Jeff Austin, bassist Ben Kaufmann and guitarist Adam Aijala. They have released five studio albums as well as many live recordings.

Rusty Pate of jambandnews. net said, “Trying to pin Yonder Mountain String Band into one musical genre can be a daunting task.â€? On paper, the band may seem like any other jam-oriented bluegrass band. After all, their sets are typically riddled with different string instruments and folksy vocals. But “bluegrassâ€? falls short in providing a truly collective definition. “In the beginning there was bluegrass,â€? Kaufmann said. “Then there was a second generation who deviated from the norm. Then a third. We’re in the fourth‌ maybe ‘new’ grass.â€? While Kaufmann does not particularly like the term “newâ€?

grass, he does contend that his new sound has many old influences. “We are incorporating the music we listened to when we were kids, mainly classic rock,� Kaufmann said. “Others would be Grateful Dead, Billy Joel and Tom Petty.� From their humble beginnings as four musicians in a living room, YMSB has spent the last twelve years building a reputation and fan base. Kaufmann said he believes taking this bluegrass/underground route to fame has been instrumental in maintaining their following. “I imagine that the experience is different for a band who

IDOL

Webb. “This is the first year for Bama Idol, and we are really excited,� Webb said. “There is a tone of support and interest, and we are so thankful for the great feedback we have been receiving.� Because the competition is still in the audition round, the number of students competing is unknown, but Glenn and Webb encouraged students to continue to audition. “We have had many students express interest in auditioning,� Glenn said. The judges of the competition will also be members of the Housing and Residential community. “Our judges vary by community,� Webb said. And while the finale judges are still being decided, Webb promises familiarity. “Each finale judge is very well-known in the housing community,� she said. Whether you choose to compete in Bama Idol or not, the finale show still promises entertainment, Webb said. “We put a lot of effort into the finale night, and it will be just as exciting for the audience as it is for those who are involved in the event,� Webb said. “So far we have seen and

Continued from page 1

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will compete in the finale, and by audience vote via text message, the winner will be determined. The finale night will take place on Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. in the Ferguson Center Ballroom, with free admission. Bama Idol came from a brainstormed idea between Jenn Glenn, the programming and civic leadership coordinator for Housing and Residential Communities, and Sara Webb, a senior majoring in political science and the programming assistant for Housing and Residential Communities. The two worked together to create a program to unite the Housing and Residential community. “It is our hope and goal to create a more connected campus,� Webb said. “We hope that with campus-wide programs like Bama Idol, students will gain a sense of involvement and create new acquaintances with those who they may otherwise not meet.� The combination of the Fox show “American Idol� and UA students has been successful so far, according to Glenn and

suddenly has a number one hit,� Kaufmann said. “[After twelve years of hard work] the fans who like us are extremely loyal and will listen to anything new.� Having experienced the hard road, Kaufmann is quick to dish out advice for aspiring bands and musicians. The bassist said musicians should be prepared to devote their energy to music. It is also important to stay openminded, as music can lead to unexpected places. “I never could have guessed that I was going to be in a bluegrass band,� Kaufmann said. If practice isn’t your thing, Kaufmann offers more lighthearted approaches. “It makes your life a lot easier

if you are a hot blonde girl with big tits,� he said. “It helps if you have an Irish accent. Or you could just cultivate a sense of mystery.� Yonder Mountain String Band last played in Tuscaloosa in 2007. After more than three years away, the band is looking forward to another night in a college town. “There’s a unique energy that you only get when you gather experimental young people,� Kaufmann said. “And there’s nothing like being in the South.� Attendance is $20 at the door or $17.50 before the show at ticketfly.com. Doors will open at 7:30, and the band will play two different sets.

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The Crimson White

11

LIFESTYLES

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Printing press artist Amos Paul Kennedy holds workshop

CW | Drew Hoover Internationally known printing press artist Amos Paul Kennedy led a print workshop on campus Wednesday. Kennedy, a Gordo, Ala., folk artist, primarily creates posters with social, political and racial themes.

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Thursday, January 27, 2011

PIXELCON Continued from page 14

event,” Kilgore said. “The only thing you could be charged for is if you want to enter a gaming tournament or the raffle. Part of that money goes to the charity as well. The rest of it goes to a pot for the winners of the tournament.” “It’s tough to make it free but we got generous funding from all of our partners including the SGA and the HRC, who made it possible,” Smelley said. Kilgore advised students to register early. “We expect a lot of people for the on-site registration so there may be a slightly longer line,” Kilgore said. “Last year there were equal numbers of people who signed up for pre-registration as those who were at on-site registration.” Last year PixelCon had approximately 450 attendees. This year 300 people have already registered, and twice that number are expected to register on-site, Smelley said.

LIFESTYLES

Food will also be available for attendees, with parts of the Ferguson Food Court remaining open as well as Subway and Starbucks. “It’s a great chance to interact with the community and school and different people from different states,” Smelley said. “It gives a nice social setting and makes you appreciate what goes into gaming.” Kilgore said there are people registered from Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi and all over Alabama. “It’s a great event,” Abernathy said. “Students should come and see how big the gaming community is. It’s a great group.” “I definitely think that students would enjoy it,” Kilgore said. “You can come in and there is a wide spectrum of types of games — Table-Top Gaming and Crimson Castle is also working with us. It’s a great place to hang out and have a study break. People who are into the music or the art will find things that they like too.” Colin Whitworth, a senior and a member of the Creative

Campus team for the event, said the PixelCon team has put a lot of hard work into the event. “The PixelCon team has literally been working on this all year,” Whitworth said. “I think the most outstanding thing that has happened is the massive amount of networking that has gone into making this event special. There has been communication with several prominent developers and companies.” Whitworth encouraged students who may not even be heavy gamers to still check out the event. “As for me, as a person who is in touch with my geeky side, but not quite a veteran gamer, I enjoy people-watching and generally enjoying the community,” Whitworth said. “In the end, whether you want to see the people, hear the music, or throw down on a Nintendo Wii, you should really be there. This is more than a game night – if you’re not a gamer it’s more of an immersion into a new world, and it’s not something to be missed.”

LIFESTYLES in brief

The Crimson White

REVIEW | FOOD

Tuscaloosa’s taste of Thailand By Avery Driggers

sleek eatery with an extensive menu, is situated across the On University Boulevard at street from the locally owned the very edge of The Strip lie and exceedingly authentic Tuscaloosa’s two Thai restau- Ruan Thai. Now I know there are plenrants that happen to be, quite literally, a stone’s throw from ty of you out there with very each other. Surin of Thailand, a strong opinions on the subject

– you’ve picked your side and you’re sticking to it. But for those who are still on the fence or don’t even have an opinion at all, here’s a look at what both restaurants have to offer.

Surin of Thailand A goddess statue and tranquil waterfall greet me upon entering Surin, hinting at the overall contemporary and sophisticated atmosphere of the place. A blackboard lets me know that I’ve already missed happy hour (half off appetizers and $2 off martinis) which is from 5 to 6:30 p.m., but if I’m still hungry later tonight I can check out their midnight sushi deals, starting at 11 p.m., Thursday through Saturday. For now I’ll stick to their regular menu, and there’s certainly a lot to choose from. Surin offers large drink and sushi menus, Thai favorites like Chicken Masaman and Pad Thai, and more Americanized dishes for any hesitant diners. Well, to be honest, the whole menu is pretty Americanized. The sauce on my Pad Thai is extremely

sweet and the yellow curry tastes like it’s got more half-and-half in it than coconut milk, but the food is not un-enjoyable. You may end up spending $15 to $20 for your meal, but the service is friendly and attentive, the menu offers lots of options and the atmosphere is great if you want a nice dinner without having to break the bank. Bottom line: Not the most authentic Thai fare, but good menu selection and sophisticated atmosphere make Surin a great spot for group dinners and date nights.

Art Kitchen seeks submissions for lovethemed art show The Alabama Art Kitchen is currently accepting submissions for a juried art show called “LOVE.” Local artists are welcome to submit up to two artworks of any medium that somehow incorporate the theme of the show. The deadline for submissions is Monday, Jan. 31. To enter, artists must fill out the submission form, which can be found at alabamaartkitchen. wordpress.com, and then bring the artwork to the Alabama Art Kitchen on either Sunday afternoon, Jan. 30 from noon to 2, or on Monday, Jan. 31 from 3 to 5 p.m. There is no cost to submit, but accepted applicants will need to pay a $10 juror fee before the opening of the show on Feb. 3. For more information, contact the Alabama Art Kitchen at alabamaartkitchen@gmail.com.

ADVANCE LEASING FOR SUMMER & FALL

Ruan Thai Ruan Thai used to be mistaken for a house before owners Sasievan Yeager and her husband put a dining patio out front, but since everything that comes out of their kitchen is homemade, being mistaken for a home wasn’t such a stretch. Ruan Thai has a reputation around town amongst locals and students-in-the-know for having the most authentic Thai food in Tuscaloosa, and possibly in Alabama. I sat down and talked with Sasievan, who is originally from Bangkok, and she told me how she brought all of her family’s recipes with her when she came to the United States. Ruan Thai’s chefs and many of the wait staff have been with the Yeagers since 1991, when Ruan Thai was The Thai House, so it really is a family affair. The restaurant may be plain to look at on the inside, but the food more than makes up for it. Everything – and I mean

EVERYTHING – is made by hand, including all dipping sauces and ice creams, and it makes a difference. The crab angels were light and delicate and the sauce that came with them was so good that I unashamedly got my spoon and ate it straight. The curry is soupier than some diners may like, but I found it to be rich without being heavy and a perfect companion for rice. Entrees are around $10 and are even cheaper during happy hour, which is every day from 5 to 7 p.m. Ruan Thai will also be introducing sushi to their menu on Feb. 6. Bottom line: It may not be anything fancy to look at, but since it boasts the most authentic Asian food in town, it doesn’t need to be.

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NEW 1&2BR APTS Gated Community! Now Signing Leases for Fall 2011! Only $429/mo. $ffordable Student Living $t Its Best! 205-4699339 HARBROOKE DOWNS: 1 & 2 bdrm units avail for IMMED occupancy$550 and $650 includes water and washer/dryer. For more information, contact Candace at 205345-4494 HARBROOKE DOWNS leasing for Fall 2011! Moving fast, one and two bedroom units avail starting at $550, includes water and washer/dryer. For more information or to schedule to see a unit, contact Candace at (205)345-4494. STADIUM APTS leasing 1 bdrm apts for immed occupancy on month to month only, $350 mo. For more information, contact Candace at (205)345-1810.

$tudent $pecial: Move your own home in now and receive up to $1,000 moving assistance Rv Lots for Rent Homes for Sale WoodVillage 205-758-9553 woodvillagemhp.com

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2 BR, 2 B$, washer/ dryer, pool, tennis courts, Bent Tree $pts.- close to U$. Free 1 month rent & free local move! $629/ mo - Call 7929610 SUBLET AVAILABLE FEB. Stone Creek; 2 br/2 ba; washer & dryer included. Will pay application fee; serious inquiries only. (205)394-1758 HUNGRY? SHORT ON CASH?? Get FREE FOOD COUPONS sent directly to your cell phone! Just text “HUNGRY� to 41411 for Tuscaloosa area special offers, discounts and coupons at local restaurants, bars and clubs

Condos NEW YORK STYLE 2 bedroom lofts. Downtown. Ideal for students. NOW LE$SING. Call RESCO at (205) 752-2202.

cw.ua.edu

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PRIVATE PILOT LESSONS Earn your private pilot certiÂżcate at the Tuscaloosa $irport. 205-272-2231 or email joshnwakefield@gmail. com

Spring Break

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SPRING BREAK Panama City Beach - $mbassador Beach Condos right on the beach, full kitchens, patio/balcony, 18 and older. abccondo@bellsouth.com or 800-338-2515

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Help Wanted !BARTENDING! $300/ day potential, no experience necessary. Training available. (800)9656520 Ext214. EARN $1000-$3200 A month to drive our brand new cars with ads placed on them. www. $dCarDriver.com EASYRIDER PEDICAB EasyRider, LLC is NOW HIRING pedicab drivers (bike taxi). $pplication @ www.easyridercabs. com. (205)344-1691 PART-TIME SALES Have you seen the cool handles on board the Crimson Ride shuttles? High Five $dvertising is looking for students to sell advertising on the handles. Please send your resume to Gregg Brogden- gregg@h5advertising.com STUDENTPAYOUTS. COM Paid Survey Takers needed in Tuscaloosa. 100% FREE to join! Click on Surveys.

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Today’s birthday (01/27/11). Give up the idea of “starving artist.� There are plenty of successful creatives in the world, and some of them make billions of dollars. Don’t measure your success by the balance of your checking account, but by the joy in your heart, your contribution to others and your peace of mind. Aries (March 21-April 19) -- Today is a 7 -- Be confident in following your instincts. They’re pointing you in the right direction, and you know it. This supports a previous plan. Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is a 6 -- You have big ideas and limited time. Don’t distract others with your enthusiasm. Share what’s so exciting over dinner, when they can listen. Gemini (May 21-June 21) -- Today is a 7 -- You wish you could ease into changes, but they may be abrupt. At least check how deep the water is before diving in. Everything works out perfectly. Cancer (June 22-July 22) -- Today is an 8 -- The changes you have in mind provide fortunate circumstances for family and social contacts. Do the groundwork yourself, and ask for assistance later. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- If you rush too fast to complete something, you may hurt yourself. Communicate the need for extra time. Take a deep breath, focus on the task at hand and take it slow.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is a 6 -- Reorganize your space to accommodate individual needs. Let each person choose decorating colors or new arMankl]Zr rangements. A little paint goes a long way. CZgnZkr +0 Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is a 6 -You want to make significant changes, and a partner offers creative suggesMh ieZ\^ rhnk Z]3 tions. The first step may seem painful, but stress relaxes as you move. ,-1&0,.. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Today is a \p\eZllf`k 6 -- Old habits die hard, but today’s a good day to change things up. You may 9`fZbe'\hf feel some stress but see future opportunities everywhere. Dive in! Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is a 7 -- An emotional release leaves you ppp'\p'nZ'^]n feeling cleansed by the tide. Put a great new idea into practice as soon as you Lmn]^gm kZm^3 can. The results are virtually immediate. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today ',.(i^k phk]( is a 7 -- Team members need to draw i^k ]Zr creative threads together to finalize a project. If someone else takes charge, !Fbg' */ phk]l% - kngl" that works better for you. Relieve stress with treats. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is an 8 -- A personal habit could get in *The Crimson the way of creative communication. White places You don’t need to come up with all the these ads in ideas yourself. Group members congood faith. tribute. We are not Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is a responsible for 7 -- Later in the day you feel fulfilled. fraudulent Change was managed with little stress, advertising.* and new opportunities open as a result. Stay in the flow.

Visit:

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the

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A Pixel’s Worth

LIFESTYLES Page 14 • Thursday, January 27, 2011 Editor • Kelsey Stein kmstein@crimson.ua.edu

Flicks

to catch

COBB HOLLYWOOD 16 • Gants (R) • No Strings Attached (R) • The Dilemma (PG-13) • The Green Hornet (3D) (PG-13) • Season of the Witch (PG-13) • Little Fockers (PG-13) • True Grit (PG-13) • The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader 3D (PG) • Black Swan (R) • Tangled (R)

Night

life

THURSDAY • Tony Brook: Galletes • Casey Donahew Band: The Dixie • Darius Goes West: 7 p.m.,

Canterbury Episcopal Chapel Student Center

Yonder Mountain String Band: 8:30 p.m., Bama Theatre

FRIDAY • Deep South Dread: Top Shelf • Perpetual Groove: The Dixie

SATURDAY • Screening of “Ghost Bird:” 10 a.m., 205 Smith Hall • Midget Wrestling: 6 p.m., Harry’s rry’s Bar

• The he Tuscaloosa Goslabi Challenge: llenge: 8 p.m., Little Willie’s llie’s

SUNDAY • Anointed Brown Sisters: 5 p.m., m., Bama Theatre

Tournaments Tournam Tourna Super Smash Bros. Brawl Call of Duty: Black Ops Halo: Reach Super Street Fighter IV

Gaming Rooms

Special Events

Free-play gaming room

--Pokemon Pokemon Gym

The Score game room

Zombie Walk (led by Sean Hoade) --Zombie

Replay’s Retro game station

Up ‘Til Dawn Raffle for St. Jude --Up

Tabletop gaming

Video game music concert featuring: PixelCon --Video Ensemble, Kadesh and the Perfect Strangers, Subject to Change A Capella group, Nozomi Daiko Japanese Drumming Ensemble

Kids activity room Art Gallery Portable Gaming meetups

By Karissa Bursch Senior Staff Reporter kabursch@crimson.ua.edu When is the busiest time for the Ferguson Center? Is it noon on a weekday when you can hardly find a table for lunch? It always appears as though hundreds of students are walking in and out of the Ferg at that time. However, this Saturday, that record may be beaten. This Saturday from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m., the Ferguson Center will potentially be filled with more than 500 PixelCon attendees. PixelCon is a gaming convention hosted at the University, which celebrated its inaugural year last year. David Kilgore, a senior majoring in communication studies, and one of three or four main planners for the event, said the ABXY Gaming Network was planning to do a similar event in five years but the convention was able to happen for the first time last year. The convention is a joint project between ABXY and Creative Campus. The convention will offer a wide spectrum of events for different gaming interests. Kilgore called it a “deconstruction of the video game community.” “We have art in the art gallery, we have a concert, video game tournaments, a cosplay contest, free play areas that are both children-oriented and college-age-oriented and there is also a raffle benefitting Up Till Dawn at St. Jude’s Hospital,” Kilgore said.

Erin Smelley, a senior majoring in advertising and a main planner for the event, said that there is a variety of different media in the art gallery which is all video game inspired. Kelli Abernathy, a senior majoring in finance and another planner of the event, said the raffle prizes include games, posters and other gaming memorabilia and that 100 percent of the proceeds will go toward the charity. “There is also a zombie walk,” Smelley said. “Sean Hoade, the former University professor who also did this for his class, will be running it. [Attendees] will dress up and walk around like zombies. Anybody can join in.” Other events include an area where Lego has set up a large amount of Legos for attendees to play with as well as a showcasing of the new Lego Universe game, Smelley said. Stuart Jeff, a game designer for BigHugeGames, will also have a panel discussion on how to get into the video game development industry. There is also the possibility that G4’s “Attack of the Show” is going to send cameras to viewers who will be attending PixelCon, Smelley said. These viewers will do coverage of the event for G4 and then G4 may air it on national television or put it up online. Registration is free and open to the public and everybody is able to pre-register online or at the door. “It is a completely free

See PIXELCON, page 12

Schedule of Events Events Registration Opening Ceremony Zombie Walk 1st Pokemon Group Dragon Quest Meetup 2nd Pokemon Group Peace Walker/Dissidia Meetup Concert Pokemon Finals Cosplay Contest Closing/Prizes/Raffle/Thanks

Location Outside Ballroom Ballroom Entire 3rd Floor RM 309 RM 309 RM 309 RM 309 Ballroom RM 309 Ballroom Ballroom

Time 10:00-6:00 11:00-11:15 11:15-12:00 2:00-3:30 2:00-3:30 3:30-4:45 3:30-4:45 5:00-6:30 6:30-8:30 8:30-9:30 9:30-10:00

Panels Gaming VS Media Trivia, I Choose You Are Zombies Here to Stay? Cosplay: Dress to Impress Max Your HP Gaming for Dummies DIY Conventions Sexuality, Society, and Gaming

Forum Forum RM 307 Forum Forum Forum Forum Forum

12:00-12:50 1:00-1:50 1:00-1:50 2:00-2:50 3:00-3:50 4:00-4:50 6:30-7:20 7:30-8:20

Tournaments: Super p Smash Bros Brawl Call of Duty y Halo Street Super Stree et Fighter IV

RM 301 B RM 301 A RM 307 RM 307

11:00-3:00 2:00-4:45 6:30-8:30 6:30-8:30

Events: All Day Even nts: Room Free-Play Game G The Score G Game Room Vending Replay’s Retro Re etro Gaming Station Gaming Tabletop Ga aming Activity Kids Activit ty Room Food Court

RM 300 Mortar Board Room Heritage Room (Back of Ballroom) Heritage Room and Ballroom Ballroom (Next to Tabletop) Center of Ballroom RM 313 North Side of 2nd Floor

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