The Crimson White - 2/4/09

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LIFESTYLES

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‘Pineapple Express’ high on hilarity

Wednesday, Feburary 4, 2009

SPORTS 6

8

UA Paintball gains national recognition

Oscar front-runner deserving of hype

Serving the University of Alabama since 1894

Vol. 115, Issue 81

FOOTBALL

UA introduces stadium expansion plan By Ryan Wright Assistant Sports Editor Director of Athletics Mal Moore announced Tuesday that the University is planning an $80 million expansion to the south end zone of Bryant-Denny Stadium. The project, which would round out the upper deck, would add 9,000 seats and 36 skyboxes, bringing the stadium’s capacity to roughly 101,000. With an ever-increasing waiting list for football tickets, Moore cited the increased demand as a reason for the expansion. “Interest in our football program is at an all-time high,” Moore said. “We have had an unbelievable demand for tickets in the past couple of years. We have over 10,000 on the waiting list for tickets. You have to figure that each of these would buy two, possibly three, possibly four tickets. This says that we could actually

use 30,000-35,000 additional seats.” The waiting list exceeds 10,000 for those who have no tickets at all. In addition, some 3,000 current ticket holders have expressed interest in purchasing extra tickets. Plans have not been finalized, but according to a University release, the new upper deck seating will be used to accommodate students, staff amd faculty members, TIDE PRIDE members and former UA lettermen. “We need more seats for our students,” Moore said. “The President has grown the University. We’ve broken enrollment records for five straight years. There’s more demand, more need for student tickets, so this is another reason why we need to build this stadium.” The University has already received commitments for 25 of the 36 skyboxes,

See STADIUM, page 7

Fast facts • 8,500 Upper Deck seats

• 1,700 South Zone Club seats

• 36 Sky Boxes • 2 Corner Jumbotrons

• Completion projected for 2010 season

• Athletic department not to recieve funds from state or UA

UA Athletics An artistʼs rendering of the stadiumʼs south endzone after expansion.

Java for thought Coffee addiction grips students By Danielle Drago Senior Staff Reporter Long lines to the coffee counter and triple espresso shots are nothing new to college campuses, but excessive caffeine consumption can take its toll on students. The average 8 oz. cup of coffee has about 145 milligrams of caffeine, while the average 1.5 oz. shot of espresso has 77 milligrams. However, most

beverages at coffee shops contain much more than that serving size; for instance a Starbucks Venti contains 20 oz. Large amounts of caffeine, however, do not hinder students from enjoying their favorite pick-me-up. “I drink four to six cups [of coffee] a day,” said David Brown, a sophomore majoring

See JAVA, page 2

Israeli journalist lectures students on Middle East By Christy Roach Staff Reporter Students will be able to gain a deeper understanding of the Israeli-Arab conflict on Thursday at the Ferguson Center. Khaled Abu Toameh will speak to students on the issues facing that area of the Middle East. The Committee for Accuracy in the Middle East Reporting in America is hosting Toameh. He will speak from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Mortar Board Room Ferguson Center.

UA weather

TODAY

Cody Smith, a fellow for CAMERA, said he thinks the University needs to be more educated on issues in the Middle East. “Most information we get is distorted by the media or word of mouth,” Smith said. Smith said they wanted to have someone speak to students about working in the Middle East. He said the lecture is open to all students and faculty members who are interested in conflicts

Reporter leaves technology behind for a day; gathers insight from professors By Victor Luckerson Staff Reporter On Monday Mon I became a ghost. Not in the Casper sense or anything — I just turned my cell phone off, slid my laptop under my bed and found myself suddenly cut off from the world. This is the story of sud that peculiar day, aided by some insight from UA professors, on the ways technology affects our society.

8 a.m. “In our culture, the 18-34 market has been affected much more dramatically by mobile media than has any other age group,” communications professor Jennings Bryant said. No kidding. From the moment I opened my eyes, my day without technology was different. I had to stumble over to the blaring alarm clock and beat it into submission since I couldn’t use my typical cell phone alarm. My pocket felt woefully light as I trudged to class. I imagined my poor LG Scoop sitting in my

See DARK, page 3

CW | Norman Huynh David Potter, a senior majoring in horn performance, uses his cell phone to browse the Internet for orchestra audition requirements.

Anti-Machine flyers appear on campus

See LECTURE, page 3

INSIDE Today’s paper

Capstone Creed Week starts today .............2 Opinions: Homosexuals deserve equality ......4

Clear

40º/18º

Thursday

47º/25º

Friday

61º/38º

Clear Clear

By Karissa Bursch Staff Reporter

Sports: UA Paintball team on the rise ...............6 Football: Signing day finally here ..............7 ʻSlumdogʼ proves to be one of yearʼs best ....8 ABC approves licence for new Booth ...........web

P.O. Box 870170 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 Newsroom: 348-6144 | Fax: 348-4116 | Advertising: 348-7845 | Classifieds: 348-7355 Letters, op-eds: letters@cw.ua.edu Press releases, announcements: news@cw.ua.edu

Gorgas to host climate lecture

CW | Marion R Walding Students walk past a bulletin board with orange flyers concerning the Machine, a coalition of traditionally white fraternities and sororities that is said to control campus politics at the University. These flyers appeared in several different areas of campus Tuesday morning. The flyers contain no other information regarding any reasons for their sudden appearance, and were seen in the Ferguson Center, Reese Phifer Hall, ten Hoor Hall and Rowand-Johnson Hall.

Following the environmental trend of many of the University’s recent events, the University will have its first teach-in on climate change Thursday in Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library from 10 a.m. till 4 p.m. The teach-in will be comprised of a variety of professors who will lecture on climate change in different contexts. There will be topics ranging from campus energy savings, a lecture given by Robert Martin, an energy engineer, to state and local initiatives for climate change, a lecture given by Tuscaloosa’s Mayor Walt Maddox, according to the

See CLIMATE, page 2

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WEDNESDAY • Capstone Creed Week — Through Feb. 11, kickoff at 11 a.m., Ferguson Plaza

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

• Capstone Creed Week presents Faculty/Staff vs. Students Quiz Bowl — 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Ferguson Plaza

• Capstone Creed Week presents “No Officials” Dodgeball Tournament — 6 to 10 p.m., Student Recreation Center

• UA School of Music presents the Alabama Wind Ensemble — 7:30 p.m., Moody Music Building Concert Hall

• Artrageous Riverfront Arts Tour — 5 to 9 p.m.

Wednesday February 4, 2009

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Send announcements and campus news to cwnews@sa.ua.edu

Applications for Outstanding Senior Award now available Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society is sponsoring the Outstanding Senior Award, which rewards up to two senior students who have made extraordinary contributions to the University or the Tuscaloosa community through his or her academic and extracurricular activities. The application for the award can be found at honorsocieties.ua.edu/awards.htm. The application is due Feb. 16 by 4 p.m. For further information, please contact Benton Atchison at bentonatchison@gmail.com.

QUOTE OF THE DAY “Some coffee drinkers have a higher tolerance for its stimulating effect than others. On average, three to four cups are consumed per day by 110,000 U.S. coffee drinkers.” — Ralph Lane, a professor with the department of human nutrition, in the article “Java for thought”

BIRTHDAYS Sally Callaway, junior majoring in nursing We want to list your birthday here. Send your name, birthdate, year and major to cwnews@sa.ua.edu. Put “birthday” in the subject line. And look for birthday greetings from us on your special day.

THIS DAY IN AMERICAN HISTORY 1861: Delegates from six states that had recently seceded from the Union meet in Montgomery to establish the Confederate States of America. Four days later this provisional Confederate Congress, comprising representatives of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina, organized the Confederacy with the adoption of a provisional constitution. Source: Alabama State Archives

THE CRIMSON WHITE EDITORIAL • Corey Craft, editor-in-chief, craft@cw.ua.edu, 348-8049 • Phil Owen, managing editor, owen@cw.ua.edu, 348-6146 • James Jaillet, production editor • Breckan Duckworth, design editor • Robert Bozeman, assistant design editor • Marion Walding, photo editor • RF Rains, assistant photo editor • Kelli Abernathy, chief copy editor • Paul Thompson, opinions editor • Dave Folk, news editor • Brett Bralley, news editor • Ryan Mazer, lifestyles editor • CJ McCormick, assistant lifestyles editor • Greg Ostendorf, sports editor • Ryan Wright, assistant sports editor • Eric McHargue, graphics editor • Andrew Richardson, Web editor

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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 weekly June, July and August, and is published four times a week September through April except for spring break, Thanksgiving, Labor Day and the months of May and December. 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 35403-2389. 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 © 2008 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.

Capstone Week to focus on Creed By Amy Castleberry Contributing Writer Capstone Creed Week, a week dedicated to the ideals of the Capstone Creed, is in its fourth year of collaborative events promoting academic integrity and responsibility on campus. This year’s theme, “Crimson is Integrity: Celebrating the Capstone Creed,” is an important message to SGA vice president for academic affairs Brandon Clark. “What we want to do is foster a culture of positive academic integrity and generate a feeling of responsibility academically on campus,” Clark said. Clark said the SGA and Academic Honors Council will kick off the first event of Capstone Creed Week tomorrow at the Ferguson Plaza in front of the water fountain. The groups will host speakers including SGA president Cason Kirby and Academic Honor Council president Todd Raines. “I consider this whole week to be very much a collaborative effort,” Raines said. Raines said each day of Capstone Creed Week breaks down the Capstone Creed line by line and utilizes the creed as a reigning theme for each day. “We want all of the events to generate communication and a sense of community between

JAVA

Continued from page 1 An excessive consumption of caffeine can lead to drawbacks, as Brown has discovered. “Honestly, I drink so much, mostly, because if I don’t, I get withdrawals. I get nauseous and [have] headaches,” he said. Students also cite the necessity of staying focused in class as a reason drinking large quantities of coffee. “I probably drink more than I should, but it gets me through class,” said Courtney Belcher, a freshman majoring in international business. Late night study sessions also prompt students to drink coffee. “I drink coffee mainly at night to study. It helps me stay awake,” said Kelly Michelle Lewis, a sophomore majoring in marketing. Belcher also said coffee was beneficial when preparing for tests. “I’m almost always drinking coffee when studying really hard,” she said. Emily Sanderson, a freshman majoring in human development hadn’t started drinking coffee until she started attending college and studying. “I still only drink one cup of coffee a day, if that, but it helps me in class,” she said. The point at which coffee drinking becomes excessive is relative to the individual, according to Ralph Lane, a

students on campus,” Raines said. The kickoff event, complete with free Denny Dogs provided by SGA, will be followed by the Academic Honor Council’s roundtable discussion on business ethics in 121 Bidgood Hall at 1 p.m. The kickoff event prefaces a week of events to follow. Thursday’s events will focus on the phrase found in the creed, “I will pursue knowledge,” according to a press release provided by Director of student involvement Corrie Harris, students will be able to challenge faculty and staff members to an intellectual quiz bowl tournament at the Ferguson Center at 11 a.m. In addition, the Center for Teaching and Learning and the Graduate Student Association will host information tables in the Ferguson Center detailing study tips and graduate school options. “This is the first time Capstone Creed Week will be celebrated simultaneously with Academic Integrity Week,” Harris said. “It’s a great way for all of our sponsors and students to get involved and interact with one another.” According to the release, Friday’s events will focus on the creed’s phrase, “I will act with fairness, honesty and respect.” Crossroads Community Center along with several student professor with the Department of Human Nutrition. “Some coffee drinkers have a higher tolerance for its stimulating effect than others. On average, three to four cups are consumed per day by 110,000 U.S. coffee drinkers,” he said. Although reports by major health organizations regarding the effects of coffee and caffeine are contradictory, most experts agree that excessive caffeine intake can cause major health problems. “Excessive caffeine intake may cause anxiety, restlessness, gastrointestinal problems, sleeplessness, irritability, headaches or abnormal heart rhythms,” said Lori Greene, the University’s registered dietician. Despite these effects, the good news for coffee drinkers is that there are hidden benefits to their daily cup. “With coffee drinking, the positive outweighs the negative. According to recent research studies, drinking one to three cups per day will substantially lower one’s risk of Type II diabetes and the more coffee one drinks, the lower the risk. Coffee drinkers also have a lower incidence of developing Parkinson’s disease, colon cancer, gallstones and dental caries than non-coffee drinkers,” Lane said. Although the effects of coffee can be beneficial, dietary problems can accompany the overly sugary coffee drinks served at many coffee shops. “You also have to remember

organizations will host a “First Friday” event. A dodgeball tournament in the Student Recreation Center will end the night’s events; however, it will be played with no referees. Students will be expected to play with integrity and be respectful towards one another. The week will continue on Monday according to the release with a focus on the phrase, “I will foster civic responsibility.” The Community Service Center will host campus-wide volunteer events throughout the day, followed by a party for volunteers in the Campus Programs Lounge at the Ferguson Center at 5 p.m. At 7 p.m., the Blackburn Institute, Freshmen Forum and the National Council of Negro Women will hold a discussion titled “What is Civic Engagement?” in the Ferguson Forum. On Tuesday, the final phrase of the Creed, “I will strive for excellence” will host a roundtable discussion about juicycampus. com at 11 a.m. in the Ferguson Forum. “This will be an interesting discussion focusing on the question, whether it is ethical to post on Web sites such as these,” Raines said. Immediately after the juicycampus.com discussion, students, staff and faculty members can have a roundtable discussion that a lot of the coffee that students are drinking comes with a lot of calories. So an excessive intake of coffee or coffee beverages may not only give you unwanted side effects that I mentioned above but it is also not good for your waistline,” Greene said. A coffee addiction can hurt students’ wallets in addition to their bodies. With coffee prices steadily increasing on and off campus, it is common to see a four or five dollar cup of coffee. “I wish it was cheaper. I definitely spend all my Dining Dollars on coffee,” Lewis said. However, brewing coffee on your own can save a considerable amount of cash, Brown said. “I rarely go to Starbucks and don’t really spend a lot of money on coffee. I usually make my own,” Brown said. For those who can’t think of a day without a cup of coffee, the good news is that in moderation, coffee is healthy. “It is best to have a moderate amount of coffee just like any other food or beverage. A moderate intake of coffee would be two to three cups,” she said. A good alternative to coffee is non-caffeinated sodas or antioxidant-rich tea, but for most coffee drinkers, it just wouldn’t do, Lane said. “There’s nothing more satisfying to a coffee-drinker than the aroma and taste of an excellent cup of coffee brewed from high quality coffee beans,” he said.

about facebook.com and whether the screening of profiles by employers is ethical or not, Raines said. The day will end with the Capstone Hero Award. “This award recognizes an individual or group’s dedication to the Capstone Creed,” said Harris. The ceremony and reception will be held at 4 p.m. in Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library. Finally, UA football head coach Nick Saban will end the week by speaking on the importance of integrity on and off the football field. “This is our final event but we wanted to approach it with as much enthusiasm as the others,” Raines said. “It touches on and reiterates the values of the week.” Saban will speak Wednesday, Feb. 11 in the Ferguson Ballroom at about 11:45 a.m. The event is free-of-charge although students will have to reserve their spot at crimsonartstickets.com. “We’ve put a lot of time and promotion into this week,” Raines said. “I know all of the sponsors are excited about the events and would encourage everyone to come and support our efforts. We hope the week will instill the values and morals of the Capstone Creed in people throughout the course of the year.”

CLIMATE Continued from page 1

event’s Facebook page. Justinn Trott, a sophomore in New College, coordinated the event after she learned about a teach-in at a conference she attended. Trott attended the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability and Higher Education conference, and she said she got the idea from discussing a professor who had come up with such an event previously. Trott said she took the idea of a teach-in and manipulated it to fit the University and its students. The original teach-in was set to last 100 days. Trott said that she had to change it to fit in just one day. The reason for the teach-in was because it would be a good way to introduce climate change discussion on campus since it can sometimes be an untouchable or unremembered issue, Trott said. “Our motto is to try to appeal outside the environmental realm,” Trott said. “We’re trying to make it logical and artsy. Everyone is different so you to try and slant things a certain way to appeal to them.” Trott said she made sure there were many different topics that a variety of students could get interested in. She said she made sure to include the science of climate change, the business of climate change, campus initiatives, human impact and local government involvement. “This is a really good event,” Trott said. “It’s taken a lot to get all of these professors together.” Daniel Marbury, the president of the Alabama Environmental Council and a junior majoring in musical composition, said one of the reasons for students to come to the teach-in is to show support for the act of faculty members coming together in one communal event. “It’s important as students to show our support to professors,” Marbury said. “We can show them we have a collective voice and encourage them to do more events like this. I think we students are more connected than the faculty are just because they are so busy and can get caught up in their departments. [The teach-in] is a way to stimulate interconnection between departments.” The teach-in will be in 205 Gorgas Library and students are welcome to walk in and out as they please, Trott said. “I feel like a lot of people argue whether [climate change] is real or not,” Trott said. “But what’s important than that is that we need to step back and realize we are not the only creatures on this earth. As college students we need to take responsibility for our actions.”

The Crimson White

NEWS

DARK Continued from page 1

false sense of knowledge in that regard. There are many useful online sources out there, but it’s also easy to lose a sense of discovery and inquiry that can lead dorm sending calls to voiceto important resources.” mail and holding text messagThere is a lot of knowledge and es in purgatory. I was pretty recorded history tucked away in surprised to make it to Reese dusty books and fragile rolls of Phifer before Denny Chimes microfilm. Each day any inforgot going—maybe because I mation that can’t be found with didn’t waste five minutes that a simple Google search feels morning checking the weather, like more and more of a hassle. e-mail or Facebook. Where is this path leading us? “We are becoming a society that is focused on instant grati9 a.m. fication,” psychology professor Dr. Rosanna Guadagno said. Class started. My friend sitting next to me was whirling 10 a.m. away on his laptop, tempting me. For anyone who’s grown As soon as the professor disup with computers it’s virtually missed class, everybody whipped effortless to gather any nugget out their cell phones. Though of information. I wondered what I’ve noticed this before, it was it was like when people actually especially obvious on Monday had to use a little elbow grease as I cast an envious eye on those to gain knowledge. wonderful electronic trinkets. “A student or anyone might “I’m always amazed how many disregard looking for informa- college students walk out of class tion (like books) that is not and immediately start talking to online,” said Dr. Janis Edwards, Mom or their high school bud, associate professor in the ignoring the potential of chatting department of communication with their classmates (including studies. “Technology gives a the possibility of making new

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

friends with common interests),” Bryant said. “Texting to a relatively small but intimate group of significant others has essentially redefined what we mean by ‘community’ today for those heavy users of mobile media.”

on it in the midst of writing this article. Why? “There is a lot of ‘personality factor’ [i.e., individual differences] involved here,” Bryant said. “Do you read People magazine or Entertainment Weekly? If so, you’re apt to get very much ‘into’ social networking.” 12:30 p.m. Huh. Perhaps this characterization will convince me to use I returned to my dorm after Facebook less. lunch. On any other day I’d sling I finished my reading assignoff my bookbag and boot up my ment for English just before computer to check my e-mail class started. On a regular day and Facebook. Instead I had a I would have inevitably wasted moment of stupefaction in which five (or fifteen or thirty) minutes I was at a loss for what to do with on the computer and not finmy life. It was just a moment, ished. Sometimes technology is though. I remembered I had too good a friend. English homework. “Many people spend an 4:30 p.m. immense amount of time on Facebook building virtual comWalking back to my dorm munities,” Bryant said. “In some from English, I began to feel ways, this is a huge waste of very acutely invisible. I passed time, but it does provide a lot of dozens of people, of course, but satisfaction to some people.” I didn’t know them and many of What is the “satisfaction” that them were off in their own little Facebook provides? It’s hard cellular worlds anyway. to quantify. Facebook is a voyI thought about how faceeuristic, mindless timesink that to-face interactions, even with can fulfill all its practical use in friends, have to be predicated about five minutes each day. Yet with a cursory phone call or I spent ten distracted minutes text message. Just showing up

at someone’s front door is pretty strange. Everything has to be scheduled, even if only five minutes beforehand. Lacking the tools necessary for such scheduling, I dipped into the Ferguson Center and grabbed Chick-Fil-A for dinner.

8:30 p.m. I picked up my phone and looked at it for about twenty seconds. Not kidding. I really like the tactile feeling of the keyboard sliding out. “If you define addiction conservatively, very little technology-assisted social networking meets the criteria of addiction,” Bryant said. “If you use ‘addiction’ more loosely (i.e., I miss it if it isn’t there and it causes me ‘pain’), then [people can be addicted to Facebook or cell phones].” Maybe I looked at it for thirty seconds.

10:30 p.m.

3

ting people to watch a movie or looking up rappers’ real names on Wikipedia. It was a quiet day, though, and not just because I had to turn my iPod off too. I felt detached personally from my friends and intellectually from the vast amounts of information that are always at our fingertips. But if everyone was forced to be detached in this way, people would have to develop new (or rather, old) social constructs to live their lives. Things like planning ahead, having conversations in person and maintaining a fair amount of privacy would likely become the norms of society. “In some ways, interaction is more intimate [through cell phones and computers], especially if you add social networking sites to the mix because many people self-disclose tremendous detail in this way,” Bryant said. “In other ways, cell phones can’t approximate face-to-face interaction.”

8:30 a.m., Tuesday

22 e-mails and several missed I actually got a lot of work done on Monday, probably more text messages. I was very, very than I would have if I’d been tex- glad to have my toys back.

Senate approves tax break for new car buyers The Associated Press

the heart of Obama’s economic recovery plan and is subject to change or even elimination as the measure makes its way toward final passage. Democratic leaders have pledged to have the bill ready for his signature by mid-month, and in a round of network television interviews, the president underscored the urgency. He told CNN that even three months ago, most economists would not have predicted the economy was “in as bad of a situation as we are in right now.” He also spoke out against efforts to require the use of domestic steel in construction projects envisioned in the bill, telling Fox News, “we can’t send a protectionist message.” The stimulus bill remains a work in progress, following last week’s party-line vote in the House and an Oval Office meeting on Monday in which Obama and Democratic leaders discussed ways to reach across party lines. In a series of skirmishes during the day, the Senate turned back a proposal to add $25 billion for public works projects

and voted to remove a tax break for movie producers. Both moves were engineered by Republicans who are critical of the bill’s size and voice skepticism of its ability to create jobs. But several hours later, without explanation, GOP conservatives abruptly dropped their opposition to a $6.5 billion increase in research funding for the politically popular National Institutes of Health. Even so, Democratic leaders conceded they may soon be obliged to cut billions of dollars from the measure. “It goes without saying if it’s going to pass in the Senate, it has to be bipartisan,” said Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the second-ranking Democratic leader, adding that rank-and-file lawmakers in both parties want the bill’s cost reduced. One Democrat, Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska, said he hoped for reductions “in the tens of billions of dollars.” The developments unfolded as more companies announced job layoffs — including 5,800 at PNC Financial Services Group. In another sign of economic

College has had many issues with Israeli-Arab attitudes, but has been fortunate enough not to have problems at the Capstone. in Israel. He said they did not really Smith said Toameh has have fellows in the South for become a main source of information for many journalists CAMERA, so he applied and visiting the Palestinian ter- got it. ritories. For over 20 years he has covered the Israeli-Arab conflict. Toameh has written for The Jerusalem Post covering Palestinian conflict for five years. His work has also appeared in the Wall Street Journal and on NBC. Toameh lives in Jerusalem but commutes to the Gaza Strip and West Bank to continue his work with the IsraeliArab conflict. Smith said they wanted to host this event to bring more awareness to students about the Middle East. Emory

“It’s an amazing opportunity,” Smith said. Smith will get to travel to Israel because of his work with CAMERA. He said Toameh was highly recommended to CAMERA to speak to students.

WASHINGTON | The Senate voted Tuesday to give a tax break to new car buyers, setting aside bipartisan concerns over the size of an economic stimulus bill with a price tag approaching $900 billion. The 71-26 vote came as President Barack Obama said he lies awake nights worrying about the economy, and signaled opposition to congressional attempts to insert “buy American” provisions into the legislation for fear it would spark a trade war. Sen. Barbara Mikulski led the successful effort to allow many car buyers to claim an income tax deduction for sales taxes paid on new autos and interest payments on car loans. She said the plan would aid the beleaguered automobile industry as well as create jobs at a time the economy is losing them at a rapid rate. “I believe we can help by getting the consumer into the showroom,” she said. The provision was attached to the economic stimulus bill at

LECTURE Continued from page 1

weakness, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation predicted the cost of bank failures will exceed its estimate from last fall and urged lawmakers to more than triple the agency’s line of credit with the Treasury Department to $100 billion from the current $30 billion. Mikulski’s office put the cost of the tax break she sponsored at $11 billion over 10 years. It would apply to the first $49,500 in the price of a new car purchased between last Nov. 12 and Dec. 31, 2009. Individuals with incomes of up to $125,000 and couples earnings as much as $250,000 could qualify, including those who do not itemize their deductions. A couple would save an estimated $1,553 on a new $25,000 car, aides said. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, sought unsuccessfully to derail

the proposal, saying it would size of this bill. The amount is only increase consumer debt just inconceivable to most peoin a time of recession and add- ple.” ing that there were other provisions in the legislation to help the auto industry. But the 71 votes in support were far more than the 60 needed for passage. Earlier, the vote to add $25 billion for new construction on highways, mass transit and water treatment facilities failed 58-38, two short of the 60-vote majority needed for passage. Sens. Dianne Feinstein, DCalif., and Patty Murray, DWash., argued the increase would quickly translate into jobs. “Our highways are jammed. People go to work in gridlock,” 1301 University Blvd. Feinstein said in arguing for the proposal. “On the Strip” But Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., 750-0203 countered, “We can’t add to the

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OPINIONS

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Paul Thompson • Editor

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letters@cw.ua.edu

OUR VIEW

Stadium expansion a welcome addition

MCT Campus

Equality for everyone — even gays Imagine sitting in Waffle House, late at night, with your significant other and some friends. You order some coffee while you read over the menu, even though you already know what you’re going to order. You glance around and joke with your friends about the people sitting around you. Everything seems normal and everyone seems to be having a good time. You decide to lean over and smooch your significant other, for whatever reason. Now imagine that same scenario, except this time when you lay a big one on your sweetie someone starts yelling at you from across the room and eventually someone calls the cops. You’re then the one who is accused of causing a scene and you and your friends are told to leave. Once the cops get there, they verbally attack you and force you to take excessive sobriety tests. Yeah, that sounds like an ideal situation right? All of this happened to some friends of mine this past week, because a girl kissed her girlfriend in Waffle House. Outrageous, I know. Public displays of affection really piss me off, too. Oh wait, I see couples all over campus lounging on each other and eating each other’s faces all the time. Next time I see it I’m going to call the University of Alabama Police Department. I think it’s absurd that two girls or two boys or a boy and a girl, well, that any two people can’t kiss each other without having the cops called on them. I mean it’s just absolutely ridiculous. And don’t

Jessie Landon

know plenty of homosexuals who are devout Christians, but that isn’t very relevant to my point. What I’m saying is that if your religion gives you reason to believe homosexuality is wrong, then don’t be gay. Let other people do what they want and stop butting into their lives. Honestly, it’s none of your business. If you don’t like it, don’t look and let them be. I always hope the stereotype of close-minded Alabamians is truly a stereotype and that there are more civilized people in this beautiful place, but I know that isn’t always a reality. If college students, who are supposedly open-minded people for the most part, can’t handle some same-sex PDA, then what is the rest of the state, and the South for that matter, coming to? If you don’t believe me, search for “Top Gear rednecks in Alabama part 2” on YouTube. Watch the whole thing. I hope that you all will be as mortified as I was when I saw it. We have recently made huge strides in equal rights when it comes to race. I think it is crucial to make similar progress with equal rights with sexuality and every other aspect of life. Yes, I am actually suggesting that we should actually jump on the bandwagon with some of those Yankees and tree-hugging hippies and be more accepting of everyone, no matter how different they might be from you.

dismiss this column just because you think I’m just spouting tired propaganda. This isn’t about political parties and what’s “right” or “wrong.” This is about everyone having an equal opportunity to live life the way he or she wants to live it. The Declaration of Independence reads, “We hold these truths to be selfevident, that all men are created equal.” Basically, that means it’s obvious that everyone is equal. Here in America we have the freedom of speech and press. We have the right to choose whether or not to own a gun or to let our homes be searched without a warrant. Why can’t we have the right to choose whom to kiss or love? Last time I checked, love doesn’t hurt people. Now, growing up in Alabama, I know a lot of you are thinking the Bible says homosexuality isn’t right. That’s fine, because, in the United States, we have the freedom to choose religion. For some Jessie Landon is a junior homosexuals, Christianity majoring in journalism. Her is their religion of choice. I column runs on Wednesdays.

We couldn’t be more excited that the proposal to enlarge Bryant-Denny Stadium has moved into its next step and is being submitted for Board of Trustees approval. UA Athletics, in keeping with longstanding practices, will cover the entire cost of the project without any assistance from the state or even the University. In an economic climate like this one, we are extremely pleased that the proposed expansion will not cause the state or the University any more financial hardship. Already, the Athletic Department has received $12.5 million in commitments for a

majority of the new skyboxes that will be constructed with the expansion. The project itself aims to add about 9,000 seats, bringing the total number to around 101,000, which will make Bryant-Denny one of the largest stadiums in the SEC. Our only concern is for students. With enrollment breaking records every year for the last five, we think more students should be given the opportunity to attend home football games than the current stadium allows. At the very least, we expect the number of student seats to remain proportional to the number we have currently. We would — as many of you would,

too — like to see that proportion increase, however. After all, the reason the University exists is because of the students. All of us, football players included, are here to receive an education and we appreciate the fact that our football team is a major source of entertainment during the fall semester. Given that, we definitely welcome any proposal that adds student seats to the stadium and couldn’t be more pleased with the expansion in a larger sense. Our View is the consensus of The Crimson White’s Editorial Board.

A quest for justice Late last week, word came out of Zimbabwe that Robert Mugabe, the nation’s dictator for more than two decades, and Morgan Tsvangirai, the longtime opposition leader, had yet again forged an agreement to share power after a flawed election last spring. Regardless of whether the agreement holds — and given Mugabe’s pungent lack of character, there is no guarantee that it will — Tsvangirai has proven himself to be a leader of remarkable poise and unwavering courage, traits that together are rarely matched among the world’s statesmen. While far from perfect, Tsvangirai, through his words and deeds, has given his beloved Zimbabwe its best chance for a semblance of justice. Th r e e d ays after Zimbabweans went to the polls last year, I arrived in neighboring South Africa. Picking up a newspaper in Johannesburg, I found a stirring headline: “Mugabe Teeters.” Despite not being on the streets of Harare, I felt like I was hearing a desperate cry for help through exit poll results. A desperate cry for help that soon grew into shrieks of pain as Mugabe supporters, according to the New York Times, “armed with iron bars and sticks, beat up people who had come to cheer for Mr. Tsvangirai.” The Mugabe assault on democracy did not last a day; rather, each day was a part of a broad, fatal reign of state-sponsored terror. Tsvingirai, in a selfless bid to halt the bloodshed, withdrew from the runoff.

Alan Blinder The United States verbally threatened the Mugabe regime in the wake of this most ardent breach of democratic ideals, but the trouble with such an approach is that dictators are anything but ignorant of geopolitics, and they often cling to their power until they breathe their last. An infamous example of such audacity comes from one of the last century’s most repressive dictators, Mao Zedong of China, who watched seventy million of his countrymen die during his tenure. Despite that statistic, one biographer, Jung Chang, writes, “His mind remained lucid to the end, and in it stirred just one thought: himself and his power.” Mugabe might be a sociopathic autocrat, but he is, and always has been, an astute political tactician. He recognized that the United States would do little more than to slap him on the wrist with another round of sanctions. Economic sanctions

do not unnerve dictators who have sent their economies into eleven-figure inflation. It’s not as if the African nations were going to force Mugabe out; the region’s most powerful leader, Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, never seemed to find the desire to find his voice to send his friend, Mugabe, into exile. Enter Morgan Tsvangirai, who went into self-imposed exile after winning a plurality of votes in the first round of elections, but not the majority required to avoid a runoff. He is not as shrewd a strategist as Mugabe and is perhaps a bit naïve, but Tsvangirai has proven his grit and, moreover, his commitment to a just Zimbabwe. He has seen the presidency stolen from him twice, yet he has remained nonviolent and ceded power, seemingly, in an effort to make peace. He has been tried for treason after his nation’s own intelligence service allegedly framed him, but he has not betrayed the ideals that made him a target of the government he sought to change. He has proven himself to be one of the great champions of democracy in Africa and elsewhere. We are in desperate need of leaders who champion the idea of justice. Tsvingarai might not merely be the best hope of his nation, but he might be the voice the world needs to turn to for courageous, altruistic leadership. First, though, we need to help him save Zimbabwe.

Alan Blinder is a freshman majoring in history and journalism. He is a regular contributor to The Crimson White.

The problem with our “F-Word” The unity in community On January 23, the Crimson White published an interesting piece on the evolution of the Ferguson Center, our student union, over the past seventy years. Tucked within the text of the article was the roots of a discussion we are just beginning to have here at the University — a discussion that will become much more important over the next several years. It struck me as unfortunate that since 1974 we students have not actually had a building that we can call a “student union.” Now, I realize this may seem like the least intriguing discussion on campus amidst the busyness of our day-to-day lives, but let’s just think about that word a little deeper for a second — union.

Kendra Key Union. The word is worth repeating because it is so ingrained in the essential American experience. Our Founding Fathers established a fragile union early on with the establishment of the Continental Congress. Thomas Jefferson pointed America

towards “a more perfect union.” In the South alone, hundreds of thousands of people have died over the centuries trying at various times to either tear apart or keep intact various forms of union. The idea of the student union was, for a long time, uniquely Southern. Students could grab a meal, play a game of pool, or chat by the fireplace. Sure, the Ferguson Center serves basically the same purpose (although its name is suggestive of the annoying freckle-faced brother on “Clarissa Explains It All”), but the fact is that there seems to be very little about the Ferguson Center that sparks “unity.” Fresh Food isolates students from their peers simply because they choose to use their meal plans. The pool tables on the basement level are seldom used. The prices in the University Supply Store do nothing but

cause anger and frustration. And, most importantly, there no longer seems to be a small campus feel that the Student Union was established for in the first place. It is certainly a great thing that students are now offered a variety of places to eat and socialize. I would not want to trek all the way from Nott Hall to the Ferguson Center just to grab a sandwich or a cup of coffee, but at the same time I am afraid we may be losing something that makes the University so enticing to prospective students: community. The expanding scope of the campus is creating the sense that Tuscaloosa is a massive urban sprawl. With so many people living off campus — and even those who are on campus can be great distances from each other — it becomes almost impossible for some students to feel like a part of their

university. We are a school based on tradition and one that prides itself on having a close knit UA community. Certainly we all feel it at football games, but what about in our daily lives? By 2010, the University’s student enrollment is expected to surpass 28,000. This is certainly wonderful for our nationwide prestige and image. However, I, like many others, must confess that all of this growth can worry me at times. How can we maintain the quality of life and education we have come to expect and unquestionably deserve while also making room for growth? The answer lies in how we continue to develop and expand buildings such as our beloved Ferguson Center. If we are to maintain a strong sense of unity on campus then we need a student union that inspires one. My favorite movie, Cool

Runnings, suggests, “People are afraid of what’s different.” If we are prepared and develop a plan for growth and cooperation, we don’t have to be afraid. The presence of so many new faces on campus is exciting. The increasing number of international and out-of-state students helps provide a fresh perspective and a better learning experience for all of us. It is our responsibility to make sure we maintain that “small school” feel as we rapidly approach the “big school” size. It is important for us to maintain the best parts of our University even while we are changing. These are certainly issues we all must think about in the coming months and years. As we go forward we must embrace the spirit of community in what we know as our student union.

Kendra Key is a junior majoring in political science. Her column

WE WELCOME YOUR OPINIONS Editorial Board

Corey Craft Editor Phil Owen Managing Editor Kelli Abernathy Chief Copy Editor

James Jaillet Production Editor Breckan Duckworth Design Editor Paul Thompson Opinions Editor

Letters to the editor must be less than 200 words and guest columns less than 500. Send submissions to cwopinions@gmail.com. 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.

The Crimson White

NEWS

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

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Mendelssohn’s 200th Birthday Celebration Left: Jamie Kelton and Frank Barber perform a scene from A Midsummer Nightʼs Dream on Tuesday afternoon. CW | Drew Hoover

Above: Peter Rovit (left), Wesley Baldwin (foreground), and Noel Engebretson (background) play Mendelssohnʼs Piano Trio No. 2 in C minor, Op 66 during A Celebration of Felix Mendelssohnʼs 200th Birthday in Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library Tuesday afternoon. CW | Drew Hoover

Below: Various musicians play Mendelssohnʼs Octet in E-flat Major, Op. 20 Tuesday afternoon. CW | Drew Hoover

Above: Linda Thiele and her sons Daniel and Andrew Thiele get refreshments during the intermission of the celebration. CW | Drew Hoover

Far Left: Edgar Tumajyan, Kit Boulding, Ariana Arcu and Claire “Sookyung” Jeong perform Mendelssohnʼs String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 13. CW | Drew Hoover

Left: The Chorus of Sprites, directed by chorus master William Martin, sings a piece from Mendelssohnʼs Midsummer Nightʼs Dream Music, Op.21 and 61. CW | Drew Hoover

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PAINTBALL

Alabama captures national recognition By Britton Lynn Contributing Writer

After starting competition tournaments only five months ago, the Alabama club paintball team has already found itself ranked among the top competitors this season. Tyler Estes and Joseph Fowler created the team in January 2007 with hopes of getting just enough people to play. Two years later, the team now has 110 recreational members and 11 members on their competitive tournament team. Alabama added the tournament component to their team this fall, after deciding they were ready to go to the next level. Tournament paintball in the Class AA Conference consists of five men’s teams, each at opposite ends of the field. The players try to eliminate the other team by “killing” them, while also stealing the flag in the middle of the field and placing it on the opponent’s base. In tournament paintball, the paintballs are shot no faster than 300 feet per second, and a player is considered “dead”

once he or she has been shot with a paintball. “Most of the time when people see paintball they think, ‘Oh, you just go get guns, go in the woods with your friends and just shoot each other,’ which isn’t what tournament paintball is like at all,” captain Brian Cain said. “Tournament paintball is very organized, very competitive, and it requires a lot of work to be good at it.” After the paintball team finished fifth in their first two competitions at the Tennessee Open in Chattanooga and the Director’s Open in Columbus, Ga., the players’ expectations grew. “We hope to win at least the SEC championship,” Estes said. “We have (the UGA Open) on Feb. 7, and as long as we place fifth or higher in that we will go to the SEC Championship.” Alabama currently sits at No. 22 in the National Collegiate Paintball Association and fifth in the SEC. The key to the Tide’s early success is not just the players’ love of the game, but more so, the commitment they have to each other.

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“Every single person is important; you can’t afford for anyone to be making mistakes,” Cain said. “The difference in any one person being eliminated means a game, a tournament, a season sometimes.” Paintball not only requires teamwork, but it also requires dedication. The paintball team has regular practices on Sundays, speed and agility training on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and tournaments on Saturdays from September until July—when the season ends. The players have developed more than a sense of camaraderie through paintball; they have developed pride in the University. “Beside me meeting a lot of new friends, [the paintball team has] gotten me into more of a love for the university,” Fowler, previously a Mississippi State

fan, said. “Being on the team at the University of Alabama has converted me to an Alabama fan in everything and has made me love the University.” The paintball team will be holding their Inaugural Bama Paintball Open Tournament Feb. 28th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. To enter in the tournament, a three-man team must be formed, along with a $90 entry fee, which includes three full equipment rentals. The proceeds from the tournament will benefit the paintball team’s expenses and will go towards their practice and tournament costs. The fundraiser will take place at Splatzone Paintball in Cottondale. For more information on joining the UA paintball team or participating in their tournament, contact their president, Tyler Estes, at bama_ Paintball@yahoo.com.

Below: Two Alabama paintball players take shots at the opponent while hiding behind barriers.

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Tide’s Lindsey honored UA Athletics

SEC Freshman of the Week on Tuesday by the league office. Taylor Lindsey began her This is her first weekly honor and dual-match career at Alabama seventh overall for the Alabama with a bang as she was selected women’s tennis program. “Taylor put forth a gutsy performance on Sunday to clinch against Georgia State,” head coach Jenny Mainz said. “She did an excellent job of remaining poised and composed under pressure as well as handling the momentum shifts extremely well. Her opponent was persistent and hung on challenging Taylor to finish. I felt confident that Taylor was fit to respond to this test and did an impressive job of executing. This experience will prove especially helpful down the road.” Lindsey played in a trio of matches last weekend against Tulane and Georgia State appearing twice in doubles and once in singles. She and partner Paulina Bigos cruised past the Green Wave duo of Caroline Gerber and Jessica Lange 8-1 in the No. 2 doubles position Friday. The Tide pair came back Sunday with another stellar showing at No. 2 with an 8-2 victory over the Panthers’ Dariana Kozmina and Kiara Powell. Lindsey saved her best performance for last as she clinched the team win for Alabama against Georgia State with a 64, 6-7(6), 7-5 marathon win at the No. 6 singles position. Just when it looked like the Panthers’ Martina Ondrackova was going to walk away with the win, Lindsey dominated the last three games to take the set 7-5. With her three victories last weekend, the Birmingham native improves to 3-0 in doubles matches and 2-0 in singles play.

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The Crimson White

SPORTS

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

WR RUEBEN RANDLE

RB TRENT RICHARDSON

CB DRE KIRKPATRICK

Bastrop, La. Announcing: 12 p.m. Rivals 100: No. 2 List: Alabama LSU Oklahoma

Pensacola, Fla. Anncouncing: 4 p.m. Rivals 100: No. 6 List: Alabama Florida Florida State LSU

Gadsden, Ala. Announcing: 2 p.m. Rivals 100: No. 11 List: Alabama Florida Texas

Rivals.com

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TIMELINE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS WR Patrick Patterson List — Alabama, Ole Miss, Tenn., Southern Miss.

9 a.m.

S Darren Myles List — Alabama, LSU, Tenn., UK

9:30 a.m.

CB/S Janzen Jackson List — LSU, Alabama, Tenn.

ATH Marsalis Teague List — Alabama, Florida, Tenn.

12 p.m.

10 a.m.

ILB Tana Patrick List — Alabama, Auburn, Tenn.

OT Bobby Massie List — Alabama, UGA, UNC, Ole Miss, Miami

2 p.m. WR Kendall Kelly List — Alabama, Clemson, LSU

Others announcing OLB Barkevious Mingo 8:30 a.m., RB Eddie Lacy 11 a.m., OT/DT Brandon Moore 11 a.m.

CW | Eric Mchargue

Chizik, Saban in waiting game for prized prospects

MONTGOMERY | Auburn’s Gene Chizik and Alabama’s Nick Saban have done all the heavy lifting in lining up recruiting classes, leaving them with little to do but wait and hope. Both Chizik and Saban are awaiting official announcements from a number of their top targeted prospects, who won’t tip their hands publicly until Wednesday’s national signing day — when high school players can start signing letters of intent with their college choice — or later. “That’s a little bit

STADIUM Continued from page 1

which require a signed pledge of half a million dollars. As a self-supporting entity, the athletic department will not seek funding from state tax money or the University itself. Moore, who said the plan has been in the works for over a year, will seek approval for the South End Zone addition at the UA System Board of Trustees meeting in Birmingham this week. If approved, the project is expected to be finished by the start of the 2010 season. Pending board approval, construction is projected to begin in spring. The project would unfold in four distinct phases: utility relocation, demolition of existing structure, audio/ visual upgrade and stadium expansion.

unnerving coming down to the wire,” Chizik said Tuesday afternoon. “In most cases even though they do the press conference situation, you usually have a pretty good feel whether it’s you or not. That’s not 100 percent of the time. It can become very nerve-racking as signing day goes on, for sure.” Saban appeared likely to follow up the nation’s top class with another group rated in the top five by some recruiting services and could climb even higher with a strong finish. Alabama was still hoping for pledges from several top national prospects, who aren’t revealing their choice until the afternoon. Those include

Pensacola, Fla., running back Trent Richardson and Gadsden cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick. Richardson has given the Tide a nonbinding verbal commitment but has continued visiting other schools. Rivals.com rates Richardson the No. 2 running back prospect (sixth overall) and Kirkpatrick the top cornerback (No. 11 overall). ESPN.com tabbed Kirkpatrick the fourth-best prospect. Wide receiver Rueben Randle of Bastrop (La.) High is expected to choose between Alabama, Auburn, Oklahoma or LSU. He is rated the secondbest prospect overall by Rivals and considered the consensus

The utility relocation phase will account for storm, sewage and domestic water arrangements for the South End Zone. The demolition stage will include the removal of the South End Zone scoreboard, pavement and abandoned utilities. In the third stage, existing interior audio/visual equipment will be removed and replaced with a new system. A new television distribution system, broadcast cabling and exterior sound systems will be installed. The fourth and final phase will include the construction of 8,500 upper deck seats, 1,700 south zone club seats, an upper concourse with concessions and restrooms, 36 skyboxes, Crimson Tide Foundation offices, Donors Hall of Fame, an outdoor market for food and merchandise and two corner video boards.

If approved, the same architectural firms based out of Birmingham and Kansas City that handled the North End Zone expansion will be hired for the new project. “We’re really just turning this around and building the same look in the south,” Moore said. “So, if you’re standing on the 50-yard line and you look south, you look north, they will be identical. An upper deck, two levels of skyboxes, a Zone … will all be in the south.” While Moore said he is only concerned with the current South End Zone expansions, he did not rule out the prospect of future projects. The expansion will also have a notable effect on the local economy. Each home game generates over $15 million for the Tuscaloosa area, Moore said. The extra seating is expected to boost that number by $1.5 million.

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No. 1 receiver despite playing quarterback as a senior. Generally the top-rated player in Alabama’s class is 6-foot-7, 350-pound offensive tackle D.J. Fluker of Foley High School. Linebacker Nico Johnson of Andalusia has also committed to playing for the Tide. At Auburn, Chizik has had only about six weeks since his hiring to fill out and maintain the class started by former coach Tommy Tuberville’s staff. He also made a run at some of the nation’s top recruits and

attempted to capitalize on relationships built by his new assistant coaches at their former schools. “The reality is that we’re here at Auburn,” Chizik said. “We’re one of the best programs in the country and have been. It would just make sense that we’re going to go after the best players in the country. That’ll never change as long as I’m here. It shouldn’t be any other way. “Obviously if everything checks out as far as character,

grades and everything, we’re not going to take a back seat to anybody.” Chizik’s first class, ranked among the nation’s top 20, figures to be heavy on linemen, running backs and receivers with a couple of quarterbacks. The Tigers are expected to sign quarterback Tyrik Rollison, who was initially recruited by new Auburn assistant Curtis Luper for Oklahoma State. Rivals rates him the nation’s No. 2 dual-threat quarterback.

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LIFESTYLES

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Ryan Mazer • Editor

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MOVIE REVIEW | ‘SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Oscar frontrunner weaves a stirring tale By Peterson Hill Contributing Writer “Slumdog Millionaire� is a cinematic miracle. Every once in a while, a movie comes along that captures you from the first shot until the last credit rolls into black, and then follows you home through the night. Danny Boyle’s juggernaut of the awards season is simple in structure but dynamic in every other way. The movie catapults itself onto the screen, exploding with life and despair while never settling for cheap gimmicks. The construction of the plot isn’t going for any new ground, but Boyle’s direction is sharp and immediate. The movie constantly makes the audience become active with the screen. The Mumbai locations aren’t passive, but wild, beautiful and haunting. The location isn’t just there to serve as a backdrop, but rather becomes the heart and soul of the film. As the city grows around the main character of Jamal, he grows with it. The film chronicles the life of Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), structuring his story around an episode of the Indian “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?�

rottentomatoes.com Danny BoyleĘźs “Slumdog Millionaire,â€? which has been nominated for 10 Academy Awards including best picture, is now playing at the Cobb Hollywood 16. When the film opens, he is being tortured by the police — who don’t believe an uneducated orphan could know the answers to the questions on the show and consequently suspect him of cheating. The film flashes back to his appearance on the show, and as each question is asked, it also flashes back to the experiences of his life that have provided the answers. These

segments of his life are sometimes hilarious while others are dark and very disturbing. I suspect that some of the stories will grow fond in the minds of moviegoers over the years. Most of the questions lead to stories centering on Latika (Freida Pinto), who is the love of his life. They meet at a very young age but are forced apart by circumstance on sev-

eral different occasions. Jamal became interested in “Who Wants to be a Millionaire� because of the thought that Latika might watch. Several of the stories involve his brother, Salim (Madhur Mittal) and focus on their tales as orphans and eventual rise to manhood. But the true heart of the story is the romance between Jamal and Latika. Both of them lead

lives of utter despair; however neither loses sight of the good. Even when all hope is lost for their relationship, the mere thought of the other is enough to get them through. There isn’t a part of me that doubts that this film will build steam over the years. In many respects, it may come to be received like “It’s a Wonderful Life.� Both are exuberant hymns to what it means to be human. Many people subscribe to the belief that happiness only comes from understanding what it means to go through hell. Jamal Malik is the perfect example of someone never losing sight of the good in life. However little there may be, he constantly holds onto it. The most important character is the location. Never has a location seemed more alive — a feeling created by the barefoot children running in the trashridden streets of Mumbai, large skyscrapers overlooking the slums, the glory and beauty of the Taj Mahal and the powerful pull-back of the camera to show the vast expanse of the slums that Jamal inhabits. In no way is this film depressing, though. It may track some darker material at points and show widespread poverty and violence, but this is one of the

most hopeful of all films. There are rarely films this hailed by critics and the general public alike. But “Slumdog Millionaire� is that exception. It is the frontrunner for the Best Picture at the Academy Awards and deserves to be. Rarely do films come that filled with this much life. I guess, sometimes, things are just written.

‘Slumdog Millionaire’ Director: Danny Boyle Starring: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Madhur Mittal, Irrfan Kahn, Prem Anil Kapoor

Runtime: 120 minutes Critic’s rating:

Bottom Line: “Slumdog Millionaire� is a large, boisterous entertainment; a powerful assertion of the human spirit and what it can endure.

Recovery of a traumatized author Ward reects on Katrina in reading, discussion

and Recovery,� today at 4 p.m. in 205 Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library. On Thursday, Ward will be participating as a panelist at Jerry W. Ward Jr. will be giv- a Community Conversation By Tyler Deierhoi ing a public reading of his with Brice Miller, the assisLifestyles Reporter newest book, “The Katrina tant director of the Crossroads Author and scholar Papers: A Journal of Trauma Community Center. The panel focuses on Hurricane Katrina and the events that transThe Student Government Association pired in its wake. Attendees and will be invited to talk about the Office of the Dean of their own experiences with the storm as well as particiStudents pating in thought-provoking honors the memory of conversation with the panel. The Community Conversation Caroline E. Hartramph will take place at noon in 301 with a Denny Chimes memorial tribute Morgan Hall. 2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Ward, a professor of English and African World Studies February 4, 2009 at Dillard University in New Orleans, attended Tougaloo Friends and members of the University College, where he would later community are invited to return to teach after earning gather near the chimes.

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his doctorate and serving a tour of duty in Vietnam. He taught at his alma mater for 32 years before being invited by the Provost of Dillard University to join the faculty. He left Mississippi for New Orleans, where he has been teaching ever since. Ward left for Vicksburg, Mississippi the day before the storm hit. He began writing after discovering that he would not be able to return

“The only way you access all the stories you have in your memory is by taking a tiny plunge.� -Jerry W. Ward Jr.

to New Orleans for at least a month. “I started writing the ‘Katrina Papers’ not having in mind that a book would emerge,� he said. “I said, ‘Well, I’ve got to do something to preclude my going completely mad,’ so I started writing.� He wrote everyday, focusing not on the reports from the media or the stories coming out of the disaster area, but on an evaluation of the individual response to the events. “I wanted to know, ‘How does one behave after being displaced?’� he said. “You’re stranded, not knowing for a very long time whether you have a house or not or how much you’ve lost. I wanted to know what that does to your sense of who you are and where you were before this rupture. It’s an exploration of the human mind over a year’s period.� Ward found the writing therapeutic, letting his mood for the day dictate the substance of what he wrote. The writing was unplanned and came to him as he worked.

The book has no underlying theme or message, though Ward said the work might suggest that despite suffering emotional pain, people can endure. This endurance, he said, comes at a cost. “I suggested to myself that the endurance had to do with irrationality,� he said, describing the effect of his coping method. “I became a bit more eccentric, but that’s not a bad thing.� Ward hopes students who attend the reading will be curious and take away a sense of the importance of language as a power. “Every human being has not one story, but many stories,� he said. “The only way you access all the stories you have in your memory is by taking a tiny plunge.�

If you go... What: Community Conversation panel with Ward and Brice Miller

When: Thursday at noon Where: 301 Morgan Hall What: Author Dr. Jerry W. Ward Jr. reads from his book, “The Katrina Papers: A Journal of Trauma and Recovery.�

When: Today at 4 p.m. Where: 205 Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library

The Crimson White

LIFESTYLES

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

9

INTERVIEW | KELLER WILLIAMS

Williams plays Jupiter tonight By Matt Abbey Contributing Writer

In a jam scene flush with talent, Keller Williams stands out. Self-described as “just another freak on the scene,� he has recently completed a successful tour with his band the W.M.D.’S., and began a solo tour in January. Williams’s unique solo style incorporates an intimate acoustic sound reminiscent of Michael Hedges to a looped dance vibe that gets its roots from the music of Al Jarreau. Keller, who plays tonight at the Jupiter Bar & Grill, spoke with The Crimson White in January about his upcoming solo shows, bluegrass and his past.

CW: You recently preformed on song, written by yourself, for cruise ship music festival Jam a college age kid to listen to that adeptly describes you both Cruise. What was that like? musically and lyrically, what Williams: I have done about would it be? four of those, and they have always been a total blast. I real- Williams: Well, that’s kind ly enjoyed my time on the boat; of tough. The one that people it’s like a floating hippie festival. sing along to the most would There is a lot of time before the be “Freeker by the Speaker.� music starts to just be on vaca- That’s the one that gets the tion and lounge around, just most downloads. being out at sea and looking out to the horizon and seeing noth- CW: What was it like going over ing but water is pretty amaz- to Bob Weir’s (The Grateful ing, and then your surrounded Dead) house to record the by good music. If you’re a big song “Cadillac� on your album, fan, the walls between fan and “Dream?� artist are really crushed, and that is special to be amongst Williams: That was very surthe musicians that you appreci- real. The whole process of that coming about actually took ate, myself included. about a year and half. He is CW: If you had to pick one very kind and generous and

welcoming. I am sure he knew that I was [a] little bit nervous and he definitely was very cool. It was a very pleasurable experience. CW: You can hear Weir’s dog barking in the song. Why did you guys decide to leave him in there? Williams: Bobby wanted a foottapping track. This was after I was gone. He had cork floors in the studio, and felt the sound of flesh on the bottom of his foot sounded really good and he wanted to record that. So he did and the dog was outside the screen door and he started barking. We left it in and it felt really organic and natural and

See WILLIAMS, page 10

billboard.prweb.com Keller Williams, the “one-man jam-band,� plays Jupiter Bar and Grill tonight at 8.

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WILLIAMS Continued from page 9 like home-studio style, which is what it was. I wanted to leave everything that Bobby put into that song. CW: The song eventually won a Jammy for “song of the year,” but I remember listening to it for the first time going, “Is that really a dog?” Williams: It’s very Grateful Dead-y. You know what I mean? There is the record where they are at Radio City Music Hall and the dog walks out on stage. The dog thing to me is very Grateful Dead-scene oriented. CW: When Bill Nershi decided to leave String Cheese, he cited the growing gap between their dance-party/trance style and the their bluegrass roots. Do you find it hard separating these two styles in your own music? Williams: No, I don’t really need to separate it. I think they go well together. Bluegrass and techno is something that is very similar, it’s just different instruments. They both have the “doontz” quality. Spelled d-o-o-nt-z. If you were to say the word “doontz” five times you would have a dance-beat. The “z” part is the downbeat and the “doont” part is kind of the baseline for bluegrass…they are so similar it seems logical to play both parts at the same time. And that is one of the things I love about String Cheese—was their ability to jump from genre to genre.

LIFESTYLES

CW: A lot of people listened to the Grateful Dead’s “Reckoning” and Jerry Garcia’s music with David Grisman and were exposed to bluegrass for the first time. Your album, “Grass,” and performances with the Keels (Jenny and Larry Keel) and Jeff Austin (Yonder Mountain String Band), seem to do the same thing now. Do you see yourself in that same genre, as exposing people to an American musical tradition? Williams: Yeah, well I grew up on bluegrass music and never really went out and bought it. It was always around on the radio or at festivals in my hometown; it was a very bluegrass-friendly area. Once I actually started to purchase the records, I was in the same boat. It was because of “Old & In the Way,” and I guess “Reckoning” came first…[those records] kind of opened my ears to that genre once again, and once that happened I kind of delved into it deeper. And you know, “Old & in The Way?” They were playing songs like “Wild Horses,” and that is a Rolling Stones song. CW: I see your point there, maybe correlating between your Tom Petty covers and [Pink] Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall” on “Grass.” Williams: Sure, and I really want to do a follow-up to that record, maybe dive more into crazy covers, exploring the bluegrass realm without actually playing traditional bluegrass songs. It’s such a cool genre that I love so much.

The Crimson White

Williams: I totally miss them. I have been touring with the band for the past 18 months or so, and I haven’t really done a solo tour like this for a long time. I am really excited to get back at it and play some of this material Williams: The songs are writ- that I have not been playing for a ten and I am going to give myself long time. But there is definitely time to do it. It seems this music an energy that is unrivalled with is so silly in some ways, and I the band that I could nowhere have two kids and I am silly and near reach as a solo act. But I try lighthearted and it seems like a to. perfect fit…the record is going to come with a warning, though: CW: Do you miss the days when “May not be suitable for uptight you were really on your own, parents over forty.” without a crew—when your future was still uncertain, what CW: You incorporate some the songs “Running on Fumes” really random covers into your and “Stinky Green” are about? sets, like C.W. McCall’s “Crispy Critters.” How do you decide to Williams: Oh, yeah. I totally play a cover? miss those days. I think about it all the time. There were defiWilliams: [Laughs] A lot of nitely lots of gigs with no cover times [the songs] choose me, I charge. Lots of little restaurants will be walking around and I will and bars where I was that guy start singing songs and they will in the corner, and sometimes the kind of creep into my psyche, audience, [laughs] or the people but other times they will just be that were there drinking, they songs that I have been listening wouldn’t be paying attention, to. therefore I wouldn’t be paying attention to them. So it was kind CW: Have artists like Ani Difranco or Michael Franti ever of like a paid rehearsal, very low commented to you on your inter- pressure, low stress, there was no worry about tickets being pretation of their songs? sold, because there were no tickWilliams: I met Ani Difranco ets being sold; it was free. like in 1995, and I was covering her songs then. I don’t think CW: That reminds me of one my she really cares one way of the favorite sets. It is from 1994 or other. I definitely pay royalties 1995, and it’s at Phil’s (Phil’s Grill, on the stuff that I have recorded, Virginia Beach, VA). You are about ready to play “Franklin’s though. Tower” and you say, “I will let CW: What is it like going back to you in on a little secret: You’re touring by yourself after playing all drunk and we suck.” with a band for a while? Do you miss those guys? Williams: [Laughs] I must have CW: [Jerry] Garcia and [David] Grisman came out with an album called “Not For Kids Only.” Doc Watson has a kid’s album, too. What motivated you musically to do an album for children?

been playing with someone then.

bummed out?

Williams: I have a song [that I wrote] recently that is coming out on the next solo record that was written in the middle of an ear infection. The pain was just overwhelming. As far as writing Williams: I think there was about love lost and stuff like that, another guy, I can’t remember those songs do exist, but that’s his name, but I remember he one about pain. would come out and play shows with me, and then Donna Rowe CW: You have a song called would sing with me. That’s really “Inhale to the Chief,” which reffunny, it’s probably a pretty clean erences, among other things, the soundboard tape that I recorded previous democratic adminismyself. tration. Do you support Barack Obama with other artists such CW: Yeah, in the set you play a as the Dead? Dave [Matthews] cover, and then in the chorus — and this is like Williams: Sure. Yeah Man. [long 1994 or 1995 — you sing, “Dave is pause] When I think of politics, such a pop god.” I always thought I think of Washington D.C., and that was kind of prophetic, espe- when I think of Washington cially how his career played out. D.C., I think of the Washington Redskins, and next year they Williams: [Laughs] Well, that’s could…go…all…the way. Go when Dave, Dave Matthews, Skins. was blowing up, his songs were on all different kinds of radio CW: Thanks a lot. stations. It wasn’t just on pop radio, it was rock radio. He was Williams: You got it. all over the place. He started out in Charlottesville, so being from Virginia, Dave was, just like you, you said “Dave.” You don’t have to say, “Dave Matthews.” It’s like “Dave,” and everyone would know. Having stars in my eyes What: An Evening with trying to make a living playing music, you definitely looked Keller Williams at Dave like he made it. He has great songs and great arrangeWhen: Tonight at 8 ments. He is where he is for a Where: Jupiter Bar & reason. CW: You were playing with this girl. She sang, “What I am,” by Eddie Brickell. She had like a little djembe or something.

If you go...

CW: Your lyrics are kind of manic-depressive, minus the depressive. Do you ever write songs when you are

Grill

Cost: $20

Blagojevich tells Phoenix confirms he’s walking the hip-hop line Letterman he’s misunderstood built at his home, the two-time Academy Award nominee said Tuesday in an interview to promote what he claims is his final movie, “Two Lovers.” After video hit the Internet last month capturing part of Phoenix’s debut rap performance

at a Las Vegas club, speculation swirled that he was perpetrating an elaborate practical joke. “I don’t know where that comes from,” Phoenix said. “If it comes from people that I’ve had a falling out with, that are [ticked] off at me?”

NEW YORK | Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich tells David Letterman he keeps thinking he’ll wake up and people will realize “this is just one big misunderstanding.” The ousted governor showed up Tuesday for a taping of CBS’ “Late Show with David

Letterman.” He laughed with the audience when Letterman mentioned watching him on several television talk shows. Letterman joked that the more Blagojevich talked and repeated his claims of innocence, the more the host said to himself, “Oh, this guy is

guilty.” The Illinois Senate convicted Blagojevich last week of abuse of power. He also faces federal charges including allegations he tried to profit from selling President Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat.

0802644

LOS ANGELES | Joaquin Phoenix says there’s no hoax about it: He really has given up acting to become a hip-hop musician. Phoenix has been spending his time laying down tracks for a rap album in the recording studio he

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