UAB’S OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER
VOLUME 57, ISSUE 9
How to recover from midterms
Modern day slavery just down the road
Students share how they unwound from all-nighters and midterms and had fun during their spring break vacations. Read more on Page 2.
UAB Professor and The WellHouse discuss sex trafficking through the I-20/59 corridor and its effect on Birmingham. Read more on Page 4.
The
Kaleidoscope BIRMINGHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT
Crime rates spur big actions Violence Reduction Initiative to hold gang members more accountable Tamara Imam Branding and Outreach Manager If you’ve lived in Birmingham for any length of time, you’ve probably noticed the upward trend in revitalization. From new restaurants and breweries to brightly
colored murals on formerly abandoned city walls, the magic is quickly coming back to the city. However, what hasn’t seemed to catch up with the growth of the city is a reduction in crime, particularly violent crime. As of March 9, Birmingham has seen 23
homicides this year. And with a video circulating of a woman escaping the trunk of her kidnapper’s car at an Avondale gas station just last Thursday, crime has been a hot-button topic in the city. Jeffery Walker, Ph.D., the chair of the Department of Justice Sciences says that the
answer to where crime in Birmingham stems from is not as simple as one would think. “That is about a 10,000 page answer,” Walker said. “I am teaching a semester-long class now that barely scratches the surface of why. It is a lot about economics,
a culture of disadvantage, a punitive orientation toward crime, urban structure and a bunch of other things.” Walker says that although violent crime, including assault, shootings and murder, is steady or declining in some parts of the city, other parts of Birmingham are more dangerous than they
See VRI, Page 8
ADDICTION
BIRMINGHAM CITY LIFE
'We have a huge drug problem' API seeks to help addicts through recovery Wallace Golding Community Reporter
PHOTOS BY IAN KEEL/PHOTO EDITOR The Pizitz Food Hall currently rooms 12 food stations and two full-service restaurants. In addition to traditional dishes such as hamburgers and hot dogs, there are a variety of other culinary experiences available for customers to explore. Ethiopian, Israeli and Hawaiian are just some of the cuisines that are represented, with more to come. BELOW: After a 17-year renovation process, the brand new food hall officially opened its doors on Thursday, March 16.
Meeting under the clock Food Hall reopens after two decades Kristina Balciunaite Asst. Branding and Outreach Manager After a 17-year renovation process, the brand new Pizitz Food Hall officially opened its doors on Thursday, March 16. The Pizitz opened in 1923 as a department store. At its peak in the 1960s, the building was the hotspot of downtown Birmingham, but it eventually went out of business in 1986. Mayor William Bell, Principal of Bayer Properties David L. Silverstein
and the Pizitz family were among the people who gathered to welcome the new venue in the presence of the Birmingham community. “The vision of this location, it changed over time. This building is taken on a new life that
will last for generations,” Bell said. “Today we stand here to recognize that it’s come back alive.” To kick-start the opening Pizitz hosted “Grand Opening Concerts” both Thursday and Friday night, with performers from the local commu-
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nity. Silverstein said he hopes that the building will mirror the effects Railroad Park and the McWane Science Center have on the community by bringing people together and creating a warm and
See PIZITZ, Page 8
Megan Lamneck, a graduate of Samford University and a Prevention Support Specialist at the Birmingham-based Addiction Prevention Coalition, spent her childhood with an alcoholic father, witnessing how substance abuse changed her family and their relationship. Lamneck’s father, a member of the armed services, returned from Iraq suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder. “I can remember him sitting in our basement for days just drinking,” Lamneck Lamneck said. “It got to the point where my parents got divorced. He ultimately died of an overdose from taking pills and drinking alcohol.” Danny Molloy, a native of Boston and the Brand Ambassador at the APC, spent 15 years as a heroin and OxyContin abuser before taking a bus Molloy nearly 1,200 miles to Bessemer’s Foundry Ministries, a non-profit organization that aims to provide counseling and aid to addicts and former inmates.
See APC, Page 8
INSIDE OPINION
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CAMPUS
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COMMUNITY
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SPORTS
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Campus
Page 2 March 21, 2017
SPRING BREAK 2017
‘Thing that kept me together’ Students take off to alleviate semester’s stress Sufia Alam Campus Reporter Following the stress of all-nighters, over caffeination and midterms, UAB students were afforded the opportunity to kick back and relax during spring break. Mitch Whitlock, Rachel Rafferty and Juwariyah Wright tell all about their mid-semester vacations. Mitch Whitlock Whitlock, junior in information systems, planned his break on an exact schedule. He worked the first half of his break at Ocean’s restaurant in order to save up extra money to enjoy the rest of his break. After finishing up his work week on Wednesday, Whitlock drove to Mobile, his hometown, to spend time with family and then packed his bags again to spend the rest of his break at Orange Beach. “Going to the beach this time of year is always fun because you can catch a lot of different schools at the same time,” Whitlock said. “I’ll catch my buddies from Auburn, Tuscaloosa and maybe Alabama.” Being able to meet with his group allows Whitlock to complete his yearly tradition: a little friendly competition. “First, we always start the day going down to Mikee’s [restaurant],” he said. “We eat from the all you can eat buffet until we get kicked out, which happens every year. After that, we go hang around The Wharf for a few hours and maybe spend time on the Ferris wheel.” The Wharf, a mixture of outlet malls, restaurants and concert venues was also the spot Whitlock chose to cook himself and his friends dinner.
she said. Rafferty said she has worked 35 to Afterward, the group decided to drive 40 hours each week at the Grandview back to the beach. Medical Center during the spring “From here on out, I only have semester while also being enrolled in one goal: to get messed up as much as 15 credit hours. One of the things she possible,” Whitlock said. was looking forward to most during The evening finished with a her break was spending time series of popular drinking with her niece, Ryanne and games, including channephew, Owen. Origideliers, flip cup and nally from Ashford, waterfall, which she said the threeWhitlock describes hour drive doesn’t as perfect to play afford her the on the beach. opportunity visit However, these her family often. festivities occaGrayton Beach sionally turn into is unique in that it some permanent allows vacationers consequences. with permits to stay Whitlock got his in their Jeeps or first tattoo on his trucks while enjoybuttock during the ing their surroundPHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY RACHEL RAFFERTY 2016 spring break. Rachel Rafferty, right, relaxes at the beach with a ings, and Rafferty The tattoo, a cursive, friend in Grayton Beach, Fla. For more photos of said this was another peach font, was the spring break fun, visit uabkscope.com. one of her favorite year of his birth. He parts of her vacation. mentioned that the end of the night “First you have to put her in fourmight have resulted in a similar inciwheel drive, back it up and then bring dence. her right by the water,” she said. “I can Arriving back to campus on have my cooler, my surfboard, boogie Sunday, however, Whitlock took full board, everything I need in one spot advantage of the “recovery day” by without having to walk back to my preparing for the week and finishing Jeep.” homework before heading back to Rafferty passed her time on the classes. ocean by paddle boarding, a combination of surfing and kayaking that Rachel Rafferty is becoming increasingly popular in Rafferty, junior in public health, oceans, lakes and rivers. used her spring break as a week of “It’s very relaxing, and you forget total relaxation by catching up with how far you’ve paddled until you’re family at their beach house in Grayton almost a mile away,” Rafferty said. Beach, Fla. “It’s so nice just to enjoy the warm air “After pulling two all nighters and paddle for as long as you want because of midterms, and finishing my to.” 40 hour shift for the past two weeks this is definitely something I needed,” Juwariyah Wright
Wright, freshman in nursing, took a turn that many might not have expected. Opting for cooler temperatures in the form of a blizzard, she abandoned the typical tradition of going to the beach and spent her break in New York City with her twin sister, Jameelah, and her grandmother. Originally from the Upper West Side, Wright spent her break bundled in her warmest clothes in preparation for the snow in her hometown neighborhood. She said her main goal for the break was not only to eat as much as possible but to also spend time with family and friends. Wright’s favorite part of her break was attending the Broadway Musical, Miss Saigon, a love story set during the Vietnam War that she described as heart-breaking but perfect. While on Broadway, Wright also continued her favorite tradition with her sister by hitting up her favorite sushi and bubble tea restaurant, Asuka Sushi. Wright and her sister finished up their evening and their tradition by visiting the Chelsea Pier. “I love [that] place, because it’s super relaxing,” she said. “Watching the sunset and sunrise from this spot was actually my favorite part of the trip.” Wright also described meeting an individual that she befriended online through a K-pop forum. The new friend, from N.J., met with Wright in Philadelphia for the first time. She returned to campus on Sunday, allowing herself a day to recharge and prepare herself to get back to her school routine. “After seven tests in two weeks, spring break was probably the thing that kept me together,” she said. Sufia Alam can be reached at sufiaalam@uab.edu.
Meet your new USGA president Mokashi to better access to feminine hygiene products, organize buses to council meetings Anthony Roney Online Reporter Congratulations are in order for the newly elected Undergraduate Student Government Association President Mugdha Mokashi. The junior neuroscience major won the election for president. She plans to bring both elements of realism and optimism to her presidency. “There’s a lot of things to fix and there’s a lot of things that sound really great, but I’m going to try to stick with the most feasible things first and then move forward,” Mokashi said. “I’m trying to take it one step at a time, I’d rather we not go really gungho and propose really ridiculous things yet and just work with what we have and just build up.” Mokashi said that some of the issues that can be solved easily include bringing free feminine hygiene products to UAB bathrooms. She said that since they are already in the process of passing this bill, then her presidency will focus on that first. Another idea she wants to implement is having a bus that shuttles students to city council meetings. “A lot of us settle here after we’re said and done,” Mokashi said. “If you’re working at the UAB Hospital or you’re working at UAB Student Affairs, then you should be invested in the community you spend time with.” However, Mokashi plans to bring more substantial changes to the university in the future as well. She explained how her presidency will be completely transparent and informative with the student body in many ways. In addition to just being outright honest on emails and Facebook, Mokashi plans to bring back history and combine it with the future. “Our great president, Franklin
Delano Roosevelt, had fireside chats where he would talk on the radio to people just casually about what was going on,” Mokashi said. “I would love to do a fireside Snapchat story where me and Siddhu could have access to one Snapchat account and before we meet with administrators, we could put it on a story and just say, ‘Hey, this is what we are doing.’” Mokashi also said that she wants to begin efforts to centralize all of UAB’s services electronically. She said the website, B-Sync is the closest thing to a centralized system, but it is nowhere near where she would like it to be. Mokashi strongly encourages students to email or Facebook message their thoughts or concerns with her. She said that she loved receiving emails from students. Another important factor in her presidency that Mokashi said was that is vital that students should apply for executive cabinet positions in USGA. “I had no experience when I came to college and I literally just showed up, applied, got it and since then, my trajectory has just been upward and just been good for me,” Mokashi said. “If you liked literally anything I had to say or if you hated anything I had to say and you want to change it, you should apply anyways.” To celebrate her victory, Mokashi didn’t throw a party or go out the next day. She actually lobbied for gay rights in Montgomery the next day instead. “It will be time to celebrate once I see the council as a whole after runoffs and I get to start meeting with people and making those first connections,” Mokashi said. Anthony Roney can be reached at roney16@uab.edu.
GENERAL MANAGER OF
BlazeRadio
opinion Spring 2017 Chandler Jones Editor-in-Chief editor@insideuab.com
Tessa Case Managing Editor managing@insideuab.com
Surabhi Rao Community Editor community @insideuab.com
Jack Ryan Sports Editor sports@insideuab.com
Ian Keel Photo Editor photos@insideuab.com
Tamara Imam Branding and Outreach Manager online@insideuab.com
Emily Cox-Oldham Assistant Photo Editor xander93@uab.edu
Kristina Balciunaite Assistant Branding and Outreach Manager asstonline@insideuab.com
Page 3 March 21, 2017
ENVIRONMENT
Realities of climate change Connor McDonald Opinions Columnist
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limate change is real. Man-made emissions contributing to climate change is a scientifically proven fact. It’s hard to believe you can have an opinion on something being true or not, but I guess it takes a special kind of ignorance to deny climate change. This past week President Donald Trump revealed his plans to slash the EPA in his upcoming budget. This, in combination with his appointment of a climate change denier, Scott Pruitt, to the head of the agency, is the one-two punch to knockout the future of environmental progress. Time is running short on climate change, and we can’t afford to continue doing nothing about it. Here are the facts: According to NASA, 97 percent of climate scientists believe global warming is directly caused by greenhouse gas emissions. These greenhouse gases are causing a gradual warming in Earth’s average temperature, which is leading to a change in climate worldwide. Its future
impact looms ahead of human old ecosystems would only progress and is concerning for worsen other issues caused by many different reasons. climate change which raisFrom an agricultural stand- es a moral issue. Is it fair to point, according to the EPA, rob future generations of the climate change spells wonders and beauty of disaster for the future. nature? As climate changes, so From an economic too do the areas where standpoint, when busicrops can grow. A trend nesses create greenhouse of increasing temperagases and pollute the tures could potentially environment, they are disrupt world agriculMcDonald creating costs for others ture by decreasing the to pay later down the total amount of farmland line. Effectively, businesses are available for crop production, subsidizing their costs when possibly leading to famine, they pollute by not cleaning war and chaos. up their own waste. From a purely conservaAccording to the EPA, tional standpoint, climate electricity production through change has already been docu- the burning of fossil fuels mented to drive the extinction contributed to 30 percent of of species like the Bramble greenhouse gas emissions in Cay melomys, the first mam2014. Transportation contribmal to be driven to extinction uted 26 percent, and industry as a consequence of climate contributed 21 percent of change. The rate of extinction greenhouse gas emissions is predicted to increase by 20 through not only the usage to 30 percent, according to of fossil, but also through the Intergovernmental Panel chemical reactions necessary on Climate Change Fourth to produce goods from raw Assessment Report, which will materials. This is entirely outpace the rate of speciation. unfair to everyone else, who The effect would be reduced have the share the cost of the biodiversity leading to a pollution. Luckily, we can use decrease in potential biologithis to our advantage. cal knowledge. Furthermore, By creating a tax on busithe destabilization of eons nesses for their pollution, like
a carbon tax, you can create economic incentives to drive the economy toward eliminating factors that contribute to climate change. The idea is that if you lower taxes on businesses and then create a new tax on their pollution to make up for the revenue lost by lowering taxes, businesses will be incentivized to move toward cleaner energy and other environmentally friendly practices to lower their overall taxes. Regardless of your political beliefs, reducing the factors that contribute to climate change benefit everyone. For the left, it effectively eliminates issues related to climate change, and for the right it lowers taxes. There are also no justifiable arguments against creating a cleaner environment for everyone. So why don’t more people support this idea? I firmly believe that’s from a lack of awareness and nothing else. We need a solution to climate change more and more quickly every single day, and we don’t have much time to keep squabbling about it left. Connor McDonald can be reached at conmcdon@uab.edu.
Sufia Alam Campus Reporter sufia@uab.edu
EDITORIAL BOARD
Wallace Golding Community Reporter wsgoldin@uab.edu
Trinity Dix Sports Reporter tri915@uab.edu
Connor Gentry Sports Reporter gcgentry@uab.edu
Anthony Roney Online Reporter sufia@uab.edu
Chris St. John Opinions Columnist cstjohn@uab.edu
Connor McDonald Opinions Columnist theconmcdon@uab.edu
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The Kaleidoscope functions as a memeber of UAB Student Media in association with UABTV, BlazeRadio and Aura. Website: UAB.edu/kscope Twitter @UABkscope Facebook facebook.com/uabkscope/ Instagram instagram.com/ uabkscope/ The Kaleidoscope is produced in the office of UAB Student Media. Suite 130 Hill Student Center 1400 University Blvd. Birmingham, 35233 (205) 934-3354
Starving the artistic side of UAB Chris St. John Opinions Columnist
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truly enjoy being a student at UAB, but what really gets on my nerves is that there are not many food options on the east side of campus. The Commons and the Hill Student Center are the main places to eat. Sure, we have Zime in the School of Engineering, but during lunch time that becomes preternaturally busy because it is the closest, and best option, on that side of campus. Subway and World of Wings are a bit of walk, but a possible option. It is a 15-minute walk from the Commons on the Green to the Humanities building. I have to leave 20 minutes early so I can make it on time, across campus, to my class. A down side to the Commons is it is one price for everything. Now, that would
be good if I was going there to only reason I can think of is eat a meal, but what if I just the west side has the nursing wanted a bowl of cereal in the and medical schools, and they morning? Ten dollars is too bring in more revenue than much for that. Hill Student those of us seeking a degree in Center only has three dining the arts. options, plus the past couple It feels classist to me. Are of weeks, Full Moon Barbewe English, music and theater cue’s card read has been malmajors not worthy to have functioning which backs plenty of places to eat up the line even more. throughout the day? Furthermore, I can’t use Maybe this issue will my One Card. be rectified with the A few of my profesnew area’s building. sors and students in my I went to the StarHumanities classes agree bucks in the Mervyn H. that this food desert St. John Sterne Library and was situation is a problem, disappointed because especially on days with bad they were out of stock on weather. I am in no mood to some items. learn anything if I have to For example, the other walk a hundred yards, one day they were out of honey. side of campus to the other, Honey! How is that possible? in the summer’s soul sucking You’re Starbucks. One of your heat or in the wet chill of main ingredients is honey. winter. These items are a must for It just doesn’t make any any coffee shop. Who forgets sense why there aren’t more to order honey? options for people to eat on Sodexo, a food services and the east side of campus. The facilities management compa-
ny headquartered in Paris, has the contract to feed the people at UAB. Maybe we should petition them to start building something on the east side of campus. Food trucks would be an awesome way to alleviate this issue This would bring in money into that side of campus. Outdoor sports are played on that side of campus as well. People coming to either a softball, baseball or soccer games could purchase a ticket, get some good food and that would put extra money in the university’s pocket. I believe this is something USGA should be fighting for. We want more options to eat at on the east side of campus. Join the revolution and contact your student government official. Together, we can cook up change. Chris St. John can be reached at cstjohn@uab.edu and on Twitter @cstjohn416.
community MODERN-DAY SLAVERY
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March 21, 2017
CITY COUNCIL
Late start, resulting delays Funding for Urban League tabled for next week’s meeting Surabhi Rao Community Editor
PHOTO BY IAN KEEL/ PHOTO EDITOR Off Interstates 20 and 65, human traffickers and their “trafickees” move quietly and inconspicuously from city to city, many of them traversing hundreds of miles of asphalt each day.
Magic city trafficked Area highways allow for sex-trade prevalence, atrocity Alabama was the Wallace Golding 39th state to officialCommunity Reporter More than 150 years after President Abraham Lincoln’s delivery of the Emancipation Proclamation, a modern-day form of slavery still plagues our nation, directly affecting Birmingham and central Alabama. Human trafficking, specifically sex trafficking and prostitution, is the second largest form of organized crime in the United States, falling shortly behind the illicit drug trade. The industry is estimated to accrue its affiliates nearly $32 billion this year in the U.S. alone and more than $110 billion worldwide. Here at home, amidst the bustle of Interstates 20 and 65, human traffickers and their “trafickees” move quietly and inconspicuously from city to city, many of them traversing hundreds of miles of asphalt each day. Birmingham is the perfect storm for this industry: a large population, a wide-ranging interstate highway system and a close proximity to Atlanta, a city that consistently ranks in the top five for the trade. These factors contribute to why Birmingham sees such a large presence of trafficking within its city limits. There are generally two schools of thought regarding the best way to eliminate the sex trafficking industry: one being an abolitionist approach that outlaws the industry entirely and the other being a call to legalize it. Both approaches have their advantages and disadvantages, but the truth is that neither of them are plausible enough to totally end this slavery. At least that is what Rob Blanton, Ph.D., a professor in the UAB Department of Government and a scholar in the fields of human rights and trafficking, believes. “Abolitionism will never work, and legalization will only work if it is perfectly implemented,” Blanton said. “There is no clear cut solution. It really is what will be the least bad option.”
ly outlaw trafficking with the passage of a bill in 2010. The state also passed the Safe Harbor Act in May 2016, which prohibits courts from prosecuting minors engaged in sex trafficking, instead making state officials go after those responsible for the minor’s enslavement as well as those soliciting the minor. Additionally, the law carries harsher penalties for those soliciting prostitution, upgrading fines to $500 for each offense and reclassifying the third offense as a class C felony. Conviction after the third offense can lead to two to twenty years imprisonment in addition to a fine up to $5,000. These laws, however, have a few issues as far as funding is concerned. “No reasonable person would dispute the need for this type of legislation, but they are incredibly expensive to enforce,” Blanton said. “Here, you run into state-funding issues. We have to move money from something else, like education or health, to fund the enforcement of these laws.” For example, Alabama has generally neglected supporting victims of sex trafficking after their rescue, and it has fallen on non-profit organizations to bear to bulk of the burden. More often than not, these nonprofits are also faithbased organizations. Their classifications as such is much more conducive to immediate effects given that there are fewer strings attached than if the state government were to intervene. One such organization, The WellHouse, is located immediately off I-20 in Leeds and offers a refuge for human trafficking victims. The organization works closely with the FBI and local law enforcement to maintain a crisis line for trafficking victims 24-hours-a-day and they have rescued victims in 25 states. “The restoration process, the healing process can take a lifetime,” said, Ashley
Anderson, the organization’s development director, spoke directly to their role in the recovery of victims. “We can help them with job skills, life skills, schooling, but the important part is therapy and counseling. They stay with us while they recover, and we aid that recovery.” Both empirical evidence and victim accounts suggest that becoming a victim has more to do with vulnerability than a specific socioeconomic background. “This is not only the poverty stricken,” Anderson said. “It’s very much the women who are most vulnerable whether that be the girl who suffered years of childhood sexual abuse or one that has been in foster care.” Blanton echoed this sentiment. He also catered to the female pronoun when discussing trafficking victims. “Runaways, members of the LGBTQ community, drug addicts, undocumented immigrants all are target victims for sex trafficking,” Blanton said. “They are the most vulnerable and the most susceptible.” Even with increased awareness of victims and the industry, however, many states, like Alabama, have been slow to implement strategies to combat the issue. Currently, the Hoover Police Department is the only agency in Alabama to report trafficking and prostitution statistics to the FBI. When compared to states like Tennessee, where every major department reports this data, the juxtaposing viewpoints regarding the severity of the problem become apparent. Anderson attributes this to stigmas surrounding the prostitution industry. “I don’t think it’s complete ignorance anymore,” Anderson said. “They know it exists. What we need to do is educate that, for many, becoming a prostitute or a sex slave is not a choice. No one says they want to grow up and do that. We have to stop turning a blind eye.” Wallace Golding can be reached at wsgoldin@uab.edu and on Twitter @WGolding_4.
After a late start, City Council debated the implications of a resolution to “pay the Urban League Committee an amount not to exceed $220,000.00 for a term of one (1) year” and settled on a two week delay. According to their website, the Birmingham Urban League is part of a national effort to promote “civic participation, financial literacy and real-world education.” In practice, the organization is a long-standing one that works to remove any disparities that various ethnic and racial groups face in all facets of society. As of now, goals include $170,000 specifically designed for the civic engagement division, as well as $50,000 towards expansion of job efforts. The Urban League has flagship efforts to help individuals obtain their GED, connect graduates with jobs and provide soft-skills training. William Barnes has worked for the Birmingham Urban League for two years and now serves as the CEO and president. “We’re confident that the city of
Birmingham will continue to help us,” Barnes said. “Sometimes it’s a little disappointing that there are delays, but I feel very strongly that the city will support us.” During discussion of the resolution, a few councilors expressed concern over new leadership with relation to large-scale funding. Barnes said the city always gives the Urban League money that it has appropriated and it would shock him if this resolution does not pass in 2 weeks. “This is not a huge increase from $87,000 to $307,000 to the Urban League,” Barnes said. “It’s a full division that’s being created with a majority of those funds.” After Councilor President Pro Tempore Steven Hoyt expressed concern that Barnes was newly elected, Councilor Jay Roberson of District 7 commented on the relevance of the discussion. “I think that’s what sets Birmingham back,” Roberson said. “When we’ve got people that earn their stripes, go through the process… I’m just tired of this…This funding is for the Birmingham Urban League, not for Mr. Barnes… We’ve got to support our own and help uplift our own.” Nonetheless, the resolution was delayed by two weeks. Surabhi Rao can be reached community@insideuab.com and on Twitter @Cityrao17.
Humans of Birmingham Surabhi Rao Community Editor
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’ve worked at about five different gas stations in Birmingham over the past 15 years. It’s good. It’s easy for me. Sometimes, I am an Uber driver. Whenever I have a few hours of time, I do that. I work here for about 40 hours, five nights a week from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. I sleep and take rest during the day... Luckily, I came to America after winning a lottery for a visa. Four years later, I went back to Punjab, Pakistan and was married and brought my family here... Sometimes people try to steal beer or candy. We catch them. The police come and tell them they are banned from this place. Especially during New Year’s and Christmas, you have to be careful...Every country has different cultures. I stay here and work here. I like America. I thank God.”
— Qasim Ali, employee of Chevron gas station on 14th Street South
sports
Page 5 March 21, 2017
SOFTBALL
Tales from the outfield grass: JoJo Fallen No. 1 reflects on long career at UAB Connor Gentry Sports Reporter
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oanna ‘JoJo’ Fallen steps into the batter’s box. The pitcher gets her signals and throws the ball. Fallen swings the bat and launches the ball over the fence in left field for a home run. As she touches home plate, she is greeted by her teammates who pat her on the helmet. Fallen is a senior outfielder for UAB’s Softball team. Fallen has played in at least 45 games per season for the Blazers since she arrived in Birmingham. “I think the thing I’m looking forward to most is our Conference Tournament because we came in second place last year,” Fallen said. “We are really looking forward to getting back into it and winning that championship game. My experience has been really great at UAB so far. I chose to go to school here when I was 15 so it was big decision at an early age, but it has been the right one.” Fallen attended Prattville High School and graduated with a 4.1 GPA as well as accumulating awards in both academics and athletics. She was named the 2012 Prattville High School Offensive Player of the Year, a four-time Alabama High School Sports Association All-Metro team, 2012 Alabama High School Athletic Directors and Coaches Association North-South All-Star. While playing for Prattville, she accumulated 26 home runs, led the team to two state championships and two third-place finishes nationally. “I started playing softball when I was 5, but before that I did ballet
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY MICHAEL WADE/UAB SPORTS UAB senior outfielder Joanna Falled waits in the batter’s box for a pitch against the University of Alabama.
and I did not like that,” Fallen said. “My parents actually signed me up for softball when I was 5, and they almost didn’t put me back in the next year because I played in the outfield and was picking the grass and chasing butterflies. The second year they signed me up, I was put on the pitcher’s mound and it just kind of went from there.” Fallen arrived at UAB in 2014 and has been a major contributor since day one. She has made appearances in 154 games as a Blazer and has started in 111 of those games. “When I came to UAB I kind of stayed [as a] utility player,” Fallen said. “I played third base and second base some, but once I started playing left field, that’s where I made myself at home.”
As a freshman she was named to the Conference-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll and received the league’s Academic Medal. She had her best game as a freshman against the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with three RBIs, a double and a home run to propel the Blazers into the next round of the NCAA Athens Regional. Her sophomore season, Fallen batted second in the order in 40 of the 50 games she appeared. She finished the season with a 0.303 batting average, four home runs and 26 runs batted in. She was named to the 2015 Second Team All-Conference-USA Team, the C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll and the C-USA All-Academic Team. Fallen’s junior season found her starting in all 59 of the Blazers’ games.
During her junior campaign she batted with a 0.352 average, accumulated 62 hits, scored 31 runs, recorded 27 RBIs, led the team with 14 doubles, 20 multi-hit games and seven multi-RBI games. She, again, shined off the field being named to the C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll, the C-USA All-Academic Team and awarded the C-USA Spring Spirit of Service award. “I just love this school,” Fallen said. “I think Birmingham is great and that the team here is great. I think the engineering school here is great, too.” Fallen will graduate in April 2018 with a degree in civil engineering. Connor Gentry can be reached at zcgentry@uab.edu and on Twitter @zcgentry.
Bring us your: Plastic bottles Aluminum cans Paper & Flat Cardboard *No Liquids or Foods* Learn more about our mission at www.uab.edu/recycle.
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The Kaleidoscope
March 21, 2017
SOFTBALL
Reflection from the hot corner O OT PH
S RT PO S AB /U DE A LW AE ICH M Y DB TE U B RI NT CO
Fernandez credits family for her decision to come to Birmingham Trinity Dix Sports Reporter
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enior infielder Danii Fernandez is up to bat. After swinging the bat a few times, she steps into the batter’s box. The pitcher fires the softball, and Fernandez swings. She slaps the ball into left field and gets a run batted in for the UAB Softball team.
Originating from Florida, Fernandez is the middle child with two brothers — one older and one younger. She and her brothers grew up in a sports family, all of which had something to do with softball or baseball. “My Mom played softball when she was growing up,” Fernandez said. “Now, my mom and
dad both play slow-pitched softball, so it just kind of happened. My older brother is a baseball player.” According to UABSports.com, Fernandez played softball in high school at the Seminole Ridge High School. During her time at the school, she earned the Sun Sentinel Palm Beach “Large Schools” Player of the Year Award. When her senior year began closing in, she knew she wanted to go to a college where she would have a family feel as she did growing up in Loxahatchee, Fla. That was exactly the reason why she decided on attending UAB to study and play ball. “I wanted a far-from-home thing in Alabama, and Florida is about 13 hours [drive] to go home,” Fernandez said. “So I wanted somewhere that had the family aspect. I knew that I was going to be comfortable, safe and in a good environment.” In her first year at UAB, Fernandez took her place as the third baseman for UAB Softball. At the
end of that 2014-2015 year, she had the fourth-most hits on the team during the season. Fernandez protects third base, what is known as the hot corner as many balls rocket of the bat towards the left corner of the infield. She had made only three errors and owned a 0.975 fielding percentage. Starting this season in the Paradise Classic of Honolulu on Feb. 9 and 10, she accounted for three assists in both games against the Sacramento State College Hornets and the Boise State University Broncos. Despite the team’s slow start to the season, Fernandez still keeps her head up and waits for Conference-USA plays to come around. “We have our ups and downs, but we’re super excited for Conference play and what’s going to turn out for them,” Fernandez said. Fernandez is set to graduate in Fall 2017. After graduation, she is planning on either attending graduate school to be a psychiatric nurse practitioner or to work for the Veterans Affair. Trinity Dix can be reached at tri915@uab.edu.
BASEBALL
Blazingham: Meet your Blazers Whitlock locked and loaded for new season Trinity Dix Sports Reporter
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ophomore right-handed pitcher Garrett Whitlock stands on the mound. He looks at the Creighton University Bluejay batter. With a deep breath, he lifts his leg, reels his arm back and pitches the ball at 74 mph. The pitch freezes the batter, and Whitlock records a strikeout. Born to two criminal justice workers, Whitlock is a Southern boy from Snellville, Ga. Growing up, he enjoyed competition and playing baseball. His love affair with baseball began when he was young because of what he and his Mom would do. He recalled that his mom - a former forensic scientist who is now a sign-language interpreter - would take him out into the backyard and play a form of baseball with him. She threw a big, old, plastic ball-looking object, and he would hit it with an orange baseball bat. According to UABsports.com, Whitlock began his baseball career at Providence Christian High School under Coach Adam Cantrell. During his time there, he had an earned run average of 0.56 while going 6-2 on the mound, a school record. Near the end of his senior year at his high school, Whitlock decided to sign with the Blazers. He chose UAB because of the coaching staff, and because he especially loves UAB Assistant Coach
Josh Hopper and UAB Baseball Head Coach Brian Shoop. “We’re a God-honoring first program, and that was huge to me,” Whitlock said. “I love that, and the brotherhood we have here is just amazing.” Ever since he joined the Blazers, Whitlock has pitched for the baseball program. In his first year alone, he had a 3.00 ERA with a 4-5 record, which was the second-most win on the team. Entering this season, Whitlock has gotten the Blazers off to a strong start with a winning record. In the first game of the series against the Bluejays, he pitched in eight innings, struck out six batters and only allowed five hits. “We got a winning record, so that’s big,” Whitlock said. “I think confidence plays into it going into Conference, so I think that’ll help us.” As of March 8, Whitlock has pitched for 25.1 innings. In those innings, he only allowed 13 hits, two runs and two hits overall. He recorded 19 strikeouts in his first four starts while holding opponents to a batting average of just 0.139. He is unsure about his future, but after graduation, he looks to seek out a job in marketing, but he said he would enjoy being a minor league general manager or a college pitching coach. He doesn’t mind following his parents’ footsteps, either, by working in the criminal justice field. Trinity Dix can be reached at tri915@uab.edu.
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY KAMP FENDER/ UAB ATHLETICS UAB sophomore right-handed pitcher Garrett Whitlock prepares to throw a pitch.
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY KAMP FENDER/ UAB ATHLETICS UAB red-shirt sophomore Brewer Hicklen prepares to swing his bat during the game against Creighton University.
Bat on fire: Hicklen looking to propel UAB Connor Gentry Sports Reporter
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thletes are usually lucky to receive a scholarship to play for a Division I school due to the number of high school athletes in the nation. Of those that do play for a Division I school, even fewer play two sports for their school. However, for UAB Baseball’s Brewer Hicklen, this rarity turned into a reality. Hicklen played both football and baseball for his alma mater, Huntsville High School. During his career at Huntsville, Hicklen was a standout quarterback, a team captain and was named to the National High School Invitational All-Tournament Team. “I have always liked the Braves because they are a backyard team,” Hicklen said. “However, I really like Big Papi and I am a big [Boston] Red Sox fan. My uncle actually surprised me and flew me up to Boston for a game at Wrigley [Field] with him.” Now that he is at UAB, Hicklen plays as a wide-receiver for UAB’s Football team as well as an outfielder for UAB’s Baseball team. “In 2014 in the fall, I really missed football and not being able to play was tough to watch, “ Hicklen said. “I went to some games and felt like I could still compete with them. When the program got shut down I felt like it was God saying that it wasn’t for me. Once it came back I felt like it was an opportunity.” Hicklen redshirted his freshman year at UAB. However, even though
he did not hit the field that season, he hit the books and was named to the Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll. During his redshirt freshman campaign, Hicklen led the team with 38 walks, 37 runs, 22 steals and four triples. He only committed one error while playing in centerfield, the fewest of any player at UAB who appeared in 20 or more games, for a fielding percentage of 0.993. Hicklen started all 55 games that season and was named to the Conference-USA All-Freshman Team, only the 14th player in school history to do so. Hicklen was again named to the Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll. Entering the 2017 season, Hicklen was listed as the seventh-best prospect and fourth-best outfielder in all of Conference-USA. He is also, after just one season with the team, 16 stolen bases shy of breaking into the top ten in school history at UAB. The UAB Baseball team was picked to finish No. 9 in Conference-USA but has started out the season better than many expected with several big wins against teams like Creighton University. “Hopefully over the next few weeks we can pick up some big wins heading into conference play,” said Hicklen. “We can build up some momentum then. Our offense is right on the verge of breaking out. Anytime you have the pitching staff that we have, it’s a big boost of confidence for the offense.” Catch Hicklen in action this weekend against the Florida Atlantic University Owls. Connor Gentry can be reached at zcgentry@uab.edu and on Twitter @zcgentry.
March 21, 2017
The Kaleidoscope
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VRI
From Page 1 were in the past. Overall, he says, violent crime is up city-wide. “[It just] depends on where you live,” he said. According to Sergeant Bryan Shelton with the Birmingham Police Department, Part I crimes, which the Uniform Crime Reporting division of the FBI categorizes as both violent and property crimes, have been steadily decreasing — down 23 percent over the past 10 years. However, between 2015 and 2016, homicides in the city have increased by 17 percent. Shelton says that increase is largely attributed to domestic violence homicides. “Ultimately we cannot put a police officer on every corner or in every single household,” Shelton said. “What we have in communities most times, are socioeconomic issues that have a residual effect that police are
PHOTOS BY IAN KEEL/PHOTO EDITOR In response to heightened crime in the city, BPD has employed what it calls the Violence Reduction Initiative. The initiative aims to reduce group violence by holding street groups or gangs accountable for the actions of their members.
responding to. Even though we have some of the best trained officers, they are not fully equipped to deal with issues of poverty, mental illness or unemployment...
Truth be told, very, very few people are killed casually walking down the street in Birmingham. What we typically see are people engaged in risky behaviors with risky
people.” In response to heightened crime in the city, BPD has employed what it calls the Violence Reduction Initiative, or VRI. The initiative
aims to reduce group violence by holding street groups or gangs accountable for the actions of their members. “We have 70 people who have signed on to the program from various groups through the city,” Shelton said. “Those individuals since coming on board with the program have yet to be rearrested or killed.” In addition to these efforts, Walker believes that revitalization should help reduce crime over time. “The revitalization helps a lot; particularly economically,” he said. “The city and nonprofit groups are also doing a tremendous amount of work in Avondale and Woodlawn. I am a part of a City effort on two grant proposals to add even more programs and support in both Avondale and Woodlawn.” Tamara Imam can be reached at online@insideuab.com and on Twitter @uabkscope.
Pizitz From Page 1
CONTRIBUTED BY ADDICTION PREVENTION COALITION Along with working with schools and students, the Addiction Prevention Coalition also focuses on the community, holding events such as the recent End Heroin Bham event, which an estimated 4,000 attended.
APC
From Page 1 “I had hit my bottom to be completely honest,” Molloy said about his decision to admit himself to The Foundry. “I was desperate. I was either going to die or I was going to change; there was no continuing.” At the helm of the APC sits these two heroes, who have personally seen how addiction affects families and communities. The organization works to educate high school students and adults on the harms of substance abuse and the preventative measures they can take to ensure that they do not fall victim to a problem that continuously permeates every crevice of society. The organization has a large presence in over fifteen area high schools ranging from those serving citizens of a lower socioeconomic status to the wealthiest families in the region. These two work to first connect with a teacher, counselor or principal who will sponsor a student organization for their respective school. They then have this administrator recommend student leaders who are a good fit to carry out the mission of the APC and have a passion for the issue. “The teachers and counselors are our direct line to the school,” Lamneck said. “But the student leaders are the ones that truly help us get a pulse of what forms of substance abuse are occurring in the school.” The APC does not carry out a “cookie-cutter” approach to each school. They make it a point to note that each school has its own issues. “What sets us apart from other organizations is that we don’t bring in people who try to scare these kids,” Molloy said. “My story is scary in itself, and this is a natural fear, but we don’t manufacture this fear. Not every kid that smokes a joint is going to be a heroin addict.” This does not mean that the or-
ganization is nonchalant about their presence in these schools, however. Molloy and Lamneck focus on asking the tough questions. “We want to make sure that these kids understand the risks involved in just ‘trying’ something,” Lamneck said. “We have to ask these kids what makes them different; how do you, specifically, know that if you smoke, you won’t become addicted to pills?” The organization’s reach is not limited to local schools. They also focus on the community, holding events such as the recent End Heroin Bham event, which an estimated 4,000 attended. Even with the non-profit’s efforts, the problem of substance abuse still exists in Birmingham and central Alabama, and it continues to grow daily. “We haven’t caught up to the problem,” Molloy said. “We have a huge drug problem and not enough beds. We don’t have what we need to help people.” This issue is largely attributed to a lack of governmental funding for preventative organizations like the APC as well as for rehabilitation facilities. An estimated 122,000 people in central Alabama need help, but the government, whether state or federal, only provides partial funding for facilities to treat 11,000 in the region. Additionally, insurance structures do not pay for more than 28 days of rehabilitation services each year. “In my rehab experiences, there’s this little saying that we all joked around with,” Molloy said. “You walk into the woods for 15 years, but the insurance companies think you can walk out in 28 days.” Students interested in volunteering with the Addiction Prevention Coalition should contact Danny Molly at danny@apcbham.org. Wallace Golding can be reached at wsgoldin@uab.edu and on Twitter @WGolding_4.
welcoming atmosphere in the city. “I hope this project is going to add to the quality of life in our community,” Silverstein said. “Birmingham is open for business.” In 2000, Bayer Properties bought the property from the Pizitz family in hopes of reviving the building and restoring the area to its old atmosphere, according to Silverstein. Their team researched the building’s history by talking to former employees and customers that remember the old Pizitz in its glory days. “It was fascinating to hear how this building and the Pizitz family were part of the fabric of this community for so many years,” Silverstein said. Instead of a ribbon cutting, a surprise object was revealed to the public. During the renovation process, an antique clock, that must have belonged to the building, was discovered. To mark the official reopening of the Pizitz, Silverstein and Bell removed the drape from the antique clock and welcomed the Birmingham community members to “meet under the clock.” “The energy and the redevelopment that’s happening is amazing,” said Managing Director of Trufund Financial Services Norm Davis. “I think this is just the next step of the continuing improvement of downtown Birmingham.” The food hall currently rooms 12 food stations and two full-service restaurants. In addition to traditional dishes such as hamburgers and hot dogs, there are a variety of other culinary experiences available for customers to explore. Ethiopian, Israeli and
Hawaiian are just some of the cuisines that are represented, with more to come. There is also one stall dedicated solely to allow chefs to showcase food-trends from the culinary world. In addition to the food hall, the building contains a large parking deck, office spaces and 143 family apartments. There are more prospects in the future of the building, such as the Sidewalk Cinema which will showcase firstrun independent films, opening late summer of 2017. “I really feel that Downtown Birmingham is the core of vibrancy in the city,” said Margaret Porter, McWane Science Center board member. “It is a renaissance for Birmingham. Now, it’s a great place to come and have a culinary experience. We need to build on the momentum.” Kristina Balciunaite can be reached at asst. online@insideuab.com and on Twitter @ KscopeKristina.
PHOTO BY KRISTINA BALCIUNAITE/ASSISTANT BRANDING AND OUTREACH MANAGER Mayor William Bell, Principal of Bayer Properties David L. Silverstein and the Pizitz family were among the people who gathered to welcome the new venue in the presence of the Birmingham community. BELOW: In 2000, Bayer Properties bought the property from the Pizitz family in hopes of reviving the building and restoring the area to its old atmosphere, according to Silverstein. Their team researched the building’s history by talking to former employees and customers that remember the old Pizitz in its glory days.
PHOTO BY IAN KEEL/PHOTO EDITOR
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The Kaleidoscope
March 21, 2017
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