WEDNESDAY APRIL 9, 2014 VOLUME 120 ISSUE 112 Serving The University of Alabama since 1894
NEWS | TAXES
HOW TO: Tax Returns
Retrieve your W-2s and any additional tax documents.
W-2
Free File
Find out if your parents are claiming you on their taxes.
includes chat feature
IRS2GO app for iPhone and Android
Determine how straightforward or complicated your taxes are. Digital Services
Research free tax preparation services.
Interactive Tax Assistant provides responses for tax law questions
Data Retrieval Tool
Q&A
helps transfer FAFSA data to IRS Website
In-Person Services
FAFSA
SaveFirst
Check to see if you qualify for educational credits or deductions.
free tax services
IRS Office free if you make under $52,000 a year
Double-check your information before submitting it to the IRS. CW | Belle Newby; App logo obtained from iTunes App Store
TODAYON CAMPUS Campus exhibition WHAT: Katherine Bradford: The Golden Age of Exploration Exhibition WHEN: 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. WHERE: Sarah Moody Gallery of Art, Garland Hall
Many resources available to help with tax filing confusion By Taylor Manning | Staff Reporter Do not be alarmed by students running with stacks of paperwork, sighing apprehensively or carrying several No. 2 pencils. With only six days until the deadline to file taxes, students should keep a few things in mind as they hurry to round up their tax returns. Dan Boone, a spokesman with the Internal Revenue Service for Alabama and Tennessee, said filers have access to
Housing fair WHAT: Off-Campus Housing Fair WHEN: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. WHERE: Ferguson Center main floor
Campus lecture WHAT: ‘Home Sweet Home,’ a Civil War Lecture by Megan Kate Nelson WHEN: 6-7:30 p.m. WHERE: 205 Gorgas Library
a number of handy tools on the IRS website, including the web-based Free File program. “Anybody with income under $58,000 can do their own taxes using the software online for free,” Boone said. “The tax software is very intuitive, especially if you’re a person who does your banking or shopping online, which a lot of people do nowadays.” He recommended Free File for students who have W-2 income from a job and relatively uncomplicated tax information, such as a small amount of bank interest. Other resources include the fairly new IRS2Go mobile app for iPhone and Android
devices and the Data Retrieval Tool, which allow students to request their tax return records when applying for financial aid. Boone said some of the IRS software contains a chat feature, where filers who have technical issues can ask questions and interact with representatives from the software company itself. Additionally, the Interactive Tax Assistant tool answers questions regarding tax law by guiding users through a quick interview process. According to a recent press release from the IRS, a greater number of people are showing an interest in filing their SEE TAXES PAGE 7
NEWS | SGA
SGA offers new integration resolution Reintroduced legislation in support of Greek diversity
Learn Spanish WHAT: Spanish Scrabble with prizes WHEN: 6:30 p.m. WHERE: 203 B.B. Comer Hall
By Andy McWhorter | Assistant News Editor Student Government Association President Hamilton Bloom proposed a resolution supporting the continued integration of the Greek community at a special session of the 2014-15 Student Senate held Tuesday night. The resolution was the only piece of legislation proposed at the meeting, which was otherwise devoted to nominations for speaker of the senate and secretary of the senate. A resolution calling for the integration of the Greek system was proposed at the final session of the 2013-14 SGA Senate, but it was sent to committee. The resolution died with the end of the term.
Theater and dance WHAT: ‘The Birthday Party’ WHEN: 7:30 p.m. WHERE: Allen Bales Theatre
Raising awareness WHAT: Sleep Out on the Quad WHEN: 8-11 p.m. WHERE: Ferguson Center Plaza
$5500
Students find aid as tax day looms
SEE SGA PAGE 7
$6200
CW | Lindsey Leonard Executive Vice President Chris Willis and Parliamentarian Greg Poole lead a special session about the integration of the Greek community.
$6950
INSIDE briefs 2 opinions 4 culture 8 sports 13 puzzles 15 classifieds 15
$9500
www.shirtshop.biz Downtown 205-752-6931 525 Greensboro Ave.
CONTACT email editor@cw.ua.edu website cw.ua.edu
Wednesday April 9, 2014
CAMPUSBRIEFS Rain delays baseball game Due to rain, No. 9 Alabama baseball team’s Tuesday night game versus UAB has been postponed to Wednesday at 6:05 p.m. Compiled by Kelly Ward
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SCENEON CAMPUS
Garage sale benefits literacy Leadership Tuscaloosa will partner with several other local organizations to hold a large garage sale benefiting multiple literacy programs in West Alabama on Saturday, April 19. The Bargain for Books Garage Sale will include all the traditional items that are found at the average yard sale, including electronics, hardware, clothing, books, movies, sporting goods, furniture, appliances and more. All proceeds from the sale will go toward three organizations working to promote literacy in the area. These organizations are the Black Warrior Council of the Boy Scouts of America, the Tuscaloosa YMCA and Tuscaloosa’s One Place. Leadership Tuscaloosa is an intensive leadership program sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama. The nine-month program admits 40 participants from across the spectrum of Tuscaloosa society and from every part of the greater Tuscaloosa area. The participants attend a series of classes and events designed to inform and improve leadership skills to take back to their communities. The Bargain for Books Garage Sale is accepting donations at the Downtown Tuscaloosa YMCA between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. April 14-18. For more information about donating, contact Ed Martin at ed.martin@scouting.org. Any donated items that are not sold will be donated to local charities. Free food and beverages will be available at the sale, which will take place on April 19 from 6 a.m. to noon at the downtown Tuscaloosa YMCA. For more information on the sale, visit bargainsforbooks.com or contact Casey Johnson at cjohnson2@dchsystem.com. Compiled by Mark Hammontree
P.O. Box 870170 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 Newsroom: 348-6144 | Fax: 348-8036 Advertising: 348-7845 Classifieds: 348-7355
CW | Lindsey Leonard Ceramics instructor Meredith Randall opened up the studio on campus for students to work on class projects. Students Victoria Heift and Sarah Saee sit at pottery wheels in concentration.
FRIDAY
THURSDAY
TODAY WHAT: Off-Campus Housing Fair WHEN: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. WHERE: Ferguson Center main floor WHAT: Spanish Scrabble with Prizes WHEN: 6:30 p.m. WHERE: 203 B.B. Comer Hall WHAT: “The Birthday Party” WHEN: 7:30 p.m. WHERE: Allen Bales Theatre
WHAT: Blend Days Lunch WHEN: 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. WHERE: Ferguson Center Dining Area
WHAT: International Coffee Hour WHEN: 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. WHERE: 121 B.B. Comer
WHAT: ALLELE Lecture: Lawrence Krauss, “A Universe from Nothing: Cosmic Evolution, Natural Selection, and How to Get Something from Nothing” WHEN: 7:30 p.m. WHERE: Biology Building Auditorium
WHAT: Ancient Melodies Concert WHEN: Noon WHERE: Moody Concert Hall WHAT: University Programs Movie Series: “300” WHEN: 6 p.m. WHERE: Check in at Ferg, take buses to Cobb Theatres
WHAT: Healing the Wounded Heart Exhibit WHEN: All day WHERE: Law Center Lobby
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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 in room 1014, Student Media Building, 414 Campus Drive East. The advertising mailing address is P.O. Box 870170, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487. The Crimson White (USPS 138020) is published four times weekly when classes are in session during Fall and Spring Semester except for the Monday after Spring Break and the Monday after Thanksgiving, and once a week when school is in session for the summer. Marked calendar provided. The Crimson White is provided for free up to three issues. Any other papers are $1.00. The subscription rate for The Crimson White is $125 per year. Checks should be made payable to The University of Alabama and sent to: The Crimson White Subscription Department, P.O. Box 870170, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487. The Crimson White is entered as periodical postage at Tuscaloosa, AL 35401. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Crimson White, P.O. Box 870170, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487. All material contained herein, except advertising or where indicated otherwise, is Copyright © 2014 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.
BURKE LUNCH
Batter Fried Chicken Buffalo Chicken Sandwich Baked Macaroni and Cheese Fresh Collard Greens
LAKESIDE DINNER
Sweet and Sour Pork Cilantro-Lime Rice Grilled Green Beans Steamed Squash Veggie Bean Burger
LUNCH
Steak Chicken and Swiss Sandwich Baked Potato Bar Carrots Broccoli
DINNER
Buffalo Meatloaf Chicken, Bacon and Ranch Panini Sausage Pizza Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes
FRESH FOOD LUNCH
Hot Open-Faced Roast Beef Sandwich Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes Broccoli Grilled Eggplant Pizza
OPENRECORDS REQUESTS
IN THENEWS
“Every citizen has a right to inspect and take a copy of any public writing of this state, except as otherwise expressly provided by statute.”
Survey finds gaming is social activity
From statute 36.12.40 of the Code of Alabama
“The term ‘public records’ shall include all written, typed or printed books, papers, letters, documents and maps made or received in pursuance of law by the public officers of the state, counties, municipalities and other subdivisions of government in the transactions of public business and shall also include any record authorized to be made by any law of this state belonging or pertaining to any court of record or any other public record authorized by law or any paper, pleading, exhibit or other writing filed with, in or by any such court, office or officer.” From statute 41.13.1 of the Code of Alabama
WHAT WE REQUESTED: List of applicants considered for vice chancellor of government relations, email correspondence between Judy Bonner and Robert Witt correlated to ‘vice chancellor for government relations’ and ‘Jo Bonner’ between April 1 and July 31, 2013. WHO REQUESTED IT: Lauren Ferguson FROM WHOM WE REQUESTED IT: Kellee Reinhart, vice chancellor for System Relations WHEN WE REQUESTED IT: Feb. 10, 2014 STATUS: March 5, 2014, response from Reinhart: “There are no public records that are responsive to your request. I can confirm that Congressman Bonner was interviewed on May 3, 2013.” WHAT WE REQUESTED: Documents pertaining to the murder investigation of Paula Lee Ellis, including the names of investigating officers; incident reports; police reports; correspondence regarding the investigation between UAPD and the Tuscaloosa Police Department, Northport Police Department, Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Department and the Alabama Bureau of Investigation; any correspondence regarding the conveyance of evidence and any photographs related to the investigation. WHO REQUESTED IT: Lauren Ferguson FROM WHOM WE REQUESTED IT: UA Media Relations on behalf of UAPD WHEN WE REQUESTED IT: March 18, 2014 STATUS: Pending
From MCT Campus New research finds that online social behavior isn’t replacing offline social behavior in the gaming community. Instead, online gaming is expanding players’ social lives. The study was done by researchers at North Carolina State University, York University and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. “Gamers aren’t the antisocial basement-dwellers we see in pop culture stereotypes, they’re highly social people,” said Nick Taylor, an assistant professor of communication at N.C. State and lead author of a paper on the study. “This won’t be a surprise to the gaming community, but it’s worth telling everyone else. Loners are the outliers in gaming, not the norm.” Researchers traveled to more than 20 public gaming events in Canada and the United Kingdom, from 2,500-player events held in convention centers to 20-player events held in bars. The researchers observed the behavior of thousands of players, and had 378 players take an in-depth survey, with a focus on players of massively multiplayer online role-playing games such as “EVE Online” and “World of Warcraft.” The researchers found that gaming was only one aspect of social behavior at the gaming events. “We found that gamers were often exhibiting many social behaviors at once: watching games, talking, drinking and chatting online,” Taylor said. “Gaming didn’t eliminate social interaction; it supplemented it. This was true regardless of which games players were playing, and whether a player’s behavior in the online game was altruistic.” The researchers also found that gamers didn’t distinguish between the time they spent playing games and the time they spent watching other people play games. “It all fell under the category of gaming, which they view as a social activity,” Taylor said. Taylor notes that this work focused on Western gaming communities and he’s interested in studying the relationship between social behaviors and gaming in other cultures. The paper, “Public Displays of Play: Studying Online Games in Physical Settings,” is published online in the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. The paper was co-authored by Jennifer Jenson and Barry Dilouya of York University, and Suzanne de Castell of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. The work was supported by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory.
p.3 Mark Hammontree | Editor newsdesk@cw.ua.edu
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
NEWSIN BRIEF Project Health extends applications Project Health has extended the deadline for University of Alabama students to apply to be interns to 3 p.m. Thursday. Intern positions are available for three roles within Project Health: health advocate intern, health hut intern and health ambassador intern. Interns typically work a minimum of five hours a week as part of a 75-hour semester-long commitment. For more information and applications, visit projecthealth.ua.edu/apply. Compiled by Mark Hammontree
UA alumnus leads Atlanta’s major law firm By Austin Frederick | Contributing Writer
Located on the strip · 1218 University Blvd. 205-752-2990 · www.locker-room.biz
Three years ago, 150 employees of a company in Atlanta went to the National Labor Relations Board with the intent of having an election to bring in the Teamsters Union, which represents a diverse group of bluecollar and professional workers in the public and private sectors. The company sought out the help of attorney John Wymer III. Wymer, a University of Alabama graduate, not only represented the company, but also helped set up programs that provided more communication between the company and the employees. Although the union lost the election, the employees told Wymer that he had changed the way they did business and the way they communicated with each other. Wymer is a labor and employment attorney based out of Atlanta, currently leading the city’s office of one of the country’s oldest and most successful law firms, Sherman & Howard. “I help people achieve legal compliance,” Wymer said. “There are thousands of laws that they have to deal with. I help them comply with these laws so that they don’t get fined or have to pay large damage fees. Also, so that they treat their employees right.” In 2013, Wymer was chosen to head
Submitted UA graduate John Wymer III leads the Atlanta office of Sherman & Howard.
Rocky Mountain region firm, Sherman & Howard LLC’s first office in the Southeast. Wymer represents many companies and businesses, ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies throughout the U.S., to help deal with their employees. Wymer graduated from the University with a bachelor’s degree in 1971 before earning his Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1974. Over the course of a 40 year career, Wymer has served as lead counsel in over 70 reported labor and employment law cases. Since 1995, Wymer has been included in the annual publication, Best Lawyers in America, in the area of labor and employment law and was ranked in the “Top 10 Attorneys in Georgia” by Atlanta Magazine from 2008 to 2010. Wymer is a contributing editor of multiple journals and has authored numerous articles for various publications. “John helps his clients by providing practical, accurate and insightful advice,” Bryan Stillwagon, an associate at Sherman & Howard, said. “Additionally, John bases his advice on 40 years of experience, which means there’s a good chance he not only knows the answer to the client’s question, but also had a client with the same question in the past. This results
in a great cost savings to the client because they’re not paying for a novice attorney to spend hours researching the issue.” For Wymer, however, law is about more than just winning cases. On top of being an attorney, Wymer was also the chairman of the board for Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta. Big Brothers, Big Sisters is a mentoring program for young kids to find good role models. The mentors are called “Bigs” and the kids are called “Littles”. Wymer said that during board meetings, they would bring in a “Big” and a “Little” and during one particular meeting, Wymer asked the Little how the program had changed his life. “The ‘Little’ said, ‘I want to open up my own business, just like my big brother,’” Wymer said. “It almost made me cry. That’s the whole purpose of this program - to have role models that kids can really look up to instead of drug dealers and not-so-good role models.” Stillwagon said Wymer has helped many people across the country, giving aid to employers who need legal help and helping companies re-evaluate the way they do business. “John is a caring person,” Stillwagon said. “He cares about his clients, not only their legal issues, but also their business and their family.”
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p.4 John Brinkerhoff | Editor letters@cw.ua.edu
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
MCT Campus
COLUMN | STUDENT HOUSING
COLUMN | INTERNET
New housing trends should help students Think before you post to the Internet By Leigh Terry | Staff Columnist
The new motto of Tuscaloosa seems to be “bigger is better.” This translates to bigger dorms, bigger houses, bigger apartment complexes and bigger rental costs. Much bigger rental costs. For your 4-bedroom, 4-bathroom apartment with modern kitchen appliances and, for many, pool and gym access, you can expect to pay between $565 and $725. For this exorbitant expense, you can expect to live in a house or apartment with paper-thin walls that was built practically overnight, and you can count yourself lucky if your landlord is responsive to maintenance requests. Why should they care? For the past several years The University of Alabama has experienced so much growth in its student population, particularly from more affluent out-of-state students, that landlords have little to no incentive to treat their tenants well, because they are replaceable. “If you don’t like the unit, I have 10 calls a day from people trying to lease it from me,” is an often-used pressure tactic. Sadly, up until this year, they have been right. If you want to live remotely near campus, it has been their way or the highway. Literally, if you do not like their offer, you will have to move out to the fringes to find cheaper options, and good luck finding a friend to room with
Leigh Terry you there. However, the times are changing for owners of rental properties in Tuscaloosa. Signing leases in September and October used to be a given for renters. This terrible timeline caused incoming freshmen to scramble to find tolerable roommates within their second month on campus and to pray they don’t have a change of heart later on. Now this practice is turning into a renter’s mistyeyed dream. Overbuilding is forcing the price of prime properties ever downward. I am sure many of you have watched with glee as apartment complexes have been forced to offer better deals including “utilities-included” rental costs and large signing rebates. Students, know that you have more
bargaining power in your leasing decisions than in years past. If a landlord tells you, “Nothing will be left in April,” they are wrong, and you can walk away. If a landlord tells you, “$725 is a great deal; everyone else is paying more this year,” they are wrong, and you can walk away. Negotiate for what you want and take control of your living situation. While this news may seem like cause for celebration for all, think again. If this market correction continues to its logical economical conclusion, complexes will close, leaving many students and residents out of work and overwhelming the city with vacant properties. As those from large metropolises can attest, vacant properties are prime targets for vandalism, illegal operations and other public health and safety menaces. To the city, I applaud the steps that Mayor Maddox’s Student Rental Housing Task Force has taken to reduce the incentives to build new units, but more is needed. If we are to avoid the bursting of a municipal housing bubble (oddly, while housing prices across the country are rising), steps must be taken to restrain overzealous speculative building while enabling young residents to have positive rental experiences during college. Leigh Terry is a sophomore majoring in economics. Her column runs biweekly.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR | PETS
Animal abandonment a problem in college Every August when we come back to Tuscaloosa from our summer breaks, we are excited to see our friends that we have missed dearly, and we are excited to begin a new semester. As each academic year begins, a growing number of new students are moving to Tuscaloosa to take classes at the Capstone. This period of intense change often reminds students how much they miss their pets from home and, subsequently, leads students to adopt new pets in order to help ease into the transition. As several studies have shown, having a pet in college is in many ways a good idea. Data reveals that students with furry friends tend to perform better academically and live healthier lifestyles. Adopting a pet is also good for the community, as it opens up room in local animal shelters. Unfortunately, though, there is a dark side to the culture of college students adopting pets, which becomes most apparent around the late spring and early summer months. Although animal abandonment has been and will always
be an issue, animal shelters in college towns see a rise in animal abandonment during the warmer months, when students go home for the summer break. Frequently, University students choose to leave town without their precious pets. Many students believe that the pet they have left behind will be picked up and delivered to an animal shelter where someone else can adopt it. Sadly, this is not the reality of the situation. Many shelters nationwide euthanize animals in large numbers simply because they do not have the money, space or resources to care for so many animals. Even pets that are “adoptable” are regularly put down in order to free up space for newer arrivals at shelters. Pets become parts of our family the moment we bring them into our homes, and pets have an unconditional love for their owners. We should not care for them during the nine months that we are at school and then suddenly leave them behind when we can go home. Our
EDITORIAL BOARD Mazie Bryant editor-in-chief Lauren Ferguson managing editor Katherine Owen production editor
Anna Waters visuals editor Christopher Edmunds chief copy editor John Brinkerhoff opinion editor
pets did not ask to be euthanized, do not deserve to be euthanized and should be protected from euthanasia if at all possible. When we adopt animals, we promise to provide them with love and care for the rest of their lives, and we should do everything within our power to prevent them from being returned to a shelter and euthanized. It is our hope that through community efforts, students will become more educated on what happens when they leave their pets behind. Be a responsible pet parent, and if you realize that you cannot care for your pet anymore, look for non-kill animal rescues rather than releasing your pets on the street or giving them to a kill shelter. With your help, we can put an end to the problem of animal abandonment in our community and help save our beloved pets from euthanasia. Katie Davis and Katie Gianturco are seniors majoring in communication studies.
By John Speer | Senior Staff Columnist As a columnist, I must be a glutton for punishment; otherwise, I would have learned long ago to stop reading the comments posted online in response to columns. More often than not, these comments are uninformed, asinine and vulgar. I’ve witnessed John Speer a parade of the stupid, the racist, the sexist and, worst of all, the professional (barely) troll. Yet, none are more odious than “Dropping Facts,” and all those who would follow his example. Unfortunately, I can no longer stand silent as this commenter and others like him hold intelligence hostage and negotiate for the triumph of inanity. We are unfortunately blessed to live in a political era that encourages and nurtures sincere ignorance. Many believe, based on a survey of their own experience, that because their opinions are genuine, their convictions carry the authority of truth. Moreover, we give leave to every dunce who mistakenly believes he possesses the satiric ability of Stephen Colbert. This is not the case. We are not entitled to our opinions, and trumpeting your certainty in the face of new information and alternate perspectives does not demonstrate strength – just obstinate stupidity. Furthermore, trivializing the importance of issues does not make you clever, only sad. The Internet has forever altered public discourse. Every individual with a brain of feathers and the heart of lead takes courage to post his views online. Those with regrettable ideas no longer have to put their name or face to public scrutiny when they chose to share their thoughts. All that is required is a computer an Internet connection, and a feeble mind. Because ideas can spread with such ease and have the instantaneous power to reach millions in seconds, it is severely incumbent upon us all to use this power responsibly and soberly. Many of us derive our opinions from our intuitions and feelings, but it is time to place more stock in deliberative judgment. Before you respond to that article or that news report online, remember that much of it is designed to elicit the exact response you provide. Most news reports are salacious and manipulative by intent. The inflammatory makes news and stirs feelings – not the mind. Consider the media culture in which we exist. When we feed on a steady diet of misinformation from Sean Hannity and Rachel Maddow, we risk a dangerous malnutrition of the mind. Thus, I must implore all our commenters not to be in such a rush to compress the most words into the smallest ideas known to man, but instead reflect and consider the possibility that you don’t know what you are talking about. You probably do not have the information to reason accurately, and your own experience does not render you an expert on every situation that happens to catch media attention. More importantly, consider strongly (before you post) whether or not you want the entire world to know you missed the end-of-season sale in the cerebral department. John Speer is a graduate student in secondary education. His column runs weekly.
WE WELCOME YOUR OPINIONS
Last Week’s Poll: : Do you plan on attending any festivals this year?
Letters to the editor must contain fewer than 300 words and guest columns less than 800. Send submissions to letters@ cw.ua.edu. Submissions must include the author’s name, year, major and daytime phone number. Phone numbers are for verification and will not be published. Students should also include their year in school and major. The Crimson White reserves the right to edit all guest columns and letters to the editor.
(Yes: 53%) (No: 47%) This Week’s Poll: Do you agree with SGA Election Board’s decision to give VP for Student Affairs Stephen Keller 75 hours of community service after he was found guilty of violating election rules? cw.ua.edu/poll
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Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Ferg to expand food court to add Wendy’s, Auntie Anne’s Pretzels
NEW FERGDINING OPTIONS: SUBWAY WENDY’S
By Kailey McCarthy | Contributing Writer
TOPIO’S PIZZA & PASTA PANDA EXPRESS
AUNTIE ANNE’S PRETZELS
NEW LOCATION OF FRESH FOOD
CW Staff
The Ferguson Center is expanding and renovating to accommodate the increasing number of students at The University of Alabama. With the Ferguson Center closed for Summer 2014, students should expect the Fresh Food Company to relocate to a new location, allowing for the construction of new eateries in place of its former location. Cathy Andreen, director of media relations, said the new location of the Fresh Food Company will be a standalone building on Margaret Drive next to Rodger’s Library, and the space currently occupied by Fresh Food in the Ferguson Center will become an expanded wing of the food court. “The vacated space will allow the food court to expand to meet the customer demands and population growth,” Andreen said. “With the Ferguson Center being closed for construction during summer 2014, it is the perfect opportunity to incorporate the vacated Fresh Food Company space into an expanded and enhanced food court. The new food court will include Wendy’s, a full service Chick-fil-A restaurant, Panda Express, expanded Subway, Topio’s Pizza & Pasta and Auntie Anne’s Pretzels. We anticipate seating for 800 in the new food court.” With the number of students who decide to come to The University of Alabama growing every year, moving the Fresh Food location to a standalone building will allow the dining hall to serve more students, she said. “It will be centrally located in relation to the residence halls, Science and Engineering Complex, Crimson Ride Hub, and areas of future growth on the Bryce property,” Andreen said. “The new Fresh Food Company will include all of the cuisine styles
With more eatery choices, students will have more options, hopefully diminishing lines a sizable amount. — Park Mahathey
found in the current facility, but seating will be doubled to provide accommodation for about 550 customers.” Many students are eagerly awaiting the completion of the rennovation and construction of the new dining hall. Park Mahathey, a freshman majoring in communication studies, said he thinks the renovation is necessary for the University’s growing community and that the new construction will be a great addition to the Ferg. “This new renovation will give students more choices and allow more room for seating,” Mahathey said. “With more eatery choices, students will have more options, hopefully diminishing lines a sizable amount. Also, with a new stand alone Fresh Foods, there will be much more room for students to eat, study and socialize. It may also be a closer walk than the Ferg for some students.” Hilary Buchanan, a freshman majoring in nursing, said the new food court has the potential to benefit the Ferguson Center in more ways than one. “First, moving the Fresh Foods will allow for more seating in the Ferg, which will come in handy at such a big school,” Buchanan said. “We will be getting several new and appealing places that will encourage more people to eat at the Ferg, which could be beneficial financially and for facilities in the Ferg such as the SUPe Store.”
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Bonner reviews UA progress By Chandler Wright | Assistant News Editor Judy Bonner, University of Alabama president, spoke to faculty and staff on Tuesday about the accomplishments of the 2013-14 school year alongside Faculty Senate President Steve Miller, newly inaugurated SGA President Hamilton Bloom and others. Bonner opened her remarks with a reference TO the 50th anniversary of the integration of the Capstone, marked by the enrollment of Vivian Malone and James Hood, in 1963 in addition to praising the University’s traditionally white greek system for continuing this integration 50 years later this fall, when 23 black women accepted bids to sororities in the National Panhellenic Council. “In the weeks that followed the end of sorority recruitment at the beginning of this academic year, our Greek students have once again provided leadership,” Bonner said. “All sororities participated in the continuous open bidding process and reached out to a diverse group of perspective new members. Now, 15, of the 18 Panhellenic sororities have AfricanAmerican members.” Miller’s faculty senate report also touched on the challenges the senate faced in the past year upon allegations of incidences of racism in the Greek system, pointing to the creation of the Senate Task Force for Excellence in Equity, Inclusion & Citizenship, intended to “to continue the momentum engendered by this unique opportunity, but mindful that the next steps will require deliberation, study, concrete proposals and action,” according to the Faculty Senate website. “The Greek desegregation issue came up, all of which really cuts to the heart of the faculty. You may ask, ‘why? it’s a student thing.’ As I said at our last faculty senate meeting, my students are my kids. We feel that way,” Miller said. “These are our folks, and we want to take care of them. We want every student to have a leg up here at The University of Alabama, everyone to be treated equally. With this, we create the task force.” In his discussion on behalf of SGA, Bloom also pointed to the strides his
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We want every student to have a leg up here at The University of Alabama, everyone to be treated equally. — Steve Miller administration is planning on making toward fostering inclusivity and encouraging diversity on campus, introducing the diversity caucus. “In years past, presidents have campaigned on [diversity issues]. However, our administration has concrete policies to make sure SGA is a diverse place,” Bloom said. “That idea is what I call the diversity caucus.” He briefly outlined the ways in which his administration plans to reach out to each student organization affiliated with the SOURCE and allow them the opportunity to participate in bimonthly meetings to discuss the issues each organization is having on campus. “Those organizations will then compile their list of concerns, and those concerns will be given to the executive branch of the student government association,” Bloom said. “This way, the Student Government Association will be able to create policy and initiatives to fix the problems that all students are having on this campus.” Bonner also gave out a series of faculty and staff awards, opening with the presentation the Vergil Parks McKinley Sr. Awards, the E. Roger Sayers Endowed Distinguished Service Award and the Dr. Minnie C. Miles Endowed Excellence Award. Rhonda Dillard, staff in the department of facilities services, and Sea Talantis, program coordinator in the department of professional development and conference services, were both honored by President Bonner with a Vergil Parks McKinley Sr. Award. “Sea worked closely with the team planning the national outreach
scholarship conference that was held on our campus in September 2012,” Bonner said. “Her leadership and professionalism helped create a positive and memorial experience for the more than 600 participants who came from around the world to participate in this conference. Rhonda is an outstanding ambassador for the facilities department and the University. She volunteers at the Gorgas library on game days in the fall, and she works extra duty hours during study week and examinations, in addition to carrying on her regular responsibilities.” The remaining two endowed awards were awarded to Marcia HayMcCutcheon, chair of the department of communicative disorders and Tim Dillard, College of Arts and Science registrar. Hay-McCutcheon was awarded the E. Roger Sayers Endowed Distinguished Service Award recognizes extraordinary service to the University of Alabama, named for longtime University president Roger Sayers. “Marcia possesses the perfect mix of personality and professionalism. She consistently displays effective decision making skills, a collaborative approach and unparalleled support for faculty and staff,” Bonner said. “Students in the department love taking her classes, not only for how much they learn, but also for her teaching style, which creates a comfortable atmosphere for students to ask questions and actively participate in lectures.” Dillard received the Dr. Minnie C. Miles Endowed Excellence Award, which honors non-faculty administrative employees, who have performed “in an exemplary manner, exceeded expectation set for their position and fostered the mission of the University.” “Over the course of his career, he has taught courses, representing the college on a variety of standing committees, and solved more complex problems for students than you can find in most textbooks,” Bonner said. CW | Austin Bigoney “The faculty trust him, the advising staff look up to him and the students President Judy Bonner addressed campus changes over the past year to University faculty and staff Tuesday. succeed largely because of him.”
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Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Public speaking students compete in Speak-Off By Katie Shepherd | Contributing Writer It seems to be a rite of attending college to, at some point, face a large crowd of your peers as a result of an assigned speech or presentation. Many dread speaking in front of other people, but others relish the excitement. “I truly believe that public speaking is one of the most important skills you can have,” Alexa Chilcutt, professor of communication studies, said Tuesday night at the annual Public Speaking Speak-Off. Six contestants competed in Morgan Auditorium Tuesday night for the Oscar Newton Public Speaking Award. The group consisted of four freshmen and two sophomores, speaking on topics ranging from homelessness to the life of Will Smith. These six students, all currently taking Chilcutt’s public speaking class, initially competed against 24 other students in the preliminary round in order to qualify to compete in Tuesday’s final round.
Each of the speakers were expected to present their informative topic in five to seven minutes. The winners were decided upon by the judging panel, including Mark Nelson, vice president of student affairs and vice provost, Beth Bennett, department chair of communication studies, and Angela Billings, a professor in the department of communication studies. The first-place winner of the event, Steven Tice, a freshman majoring in advertising and marketing, focused his speech on the origin and success of the popular video streaming site Netflix. “It is cool to be able to represent the class you’re in,” Tice said of being chosen from his class to try out for the event. Tice received $200 for winning and will be honored by having his name etched in a plaque. The second-place winner, Savannah Gardner, a sophomore majoring in communicative disorders and speech pathology, drew the audience’s attention to the importance of knowing how
IRS reports filing taxes online becoming increasingly popular TAXES FROM PAGE 1
taxes online. The organization expects a seven-percent decrease this year in paper filing. “The IRS website is a very good resource,” Boone said. “One interesting thing is that the last time we pulled the statistics, 91 percent of all returns nationwide had been filed electronically. Very few people do paper tax returns anymore because the software is so easy to use, and for most people, it’s free.” Students in particular should coordinate with their parents, who may claim them as dependents. They should also keep in mind several potential education benefits and deductions such as the American Opportunity Tax Credit, which applies to undergraduate students, and the Lifetime Learning Credit for graduate students. The IRS maintains offices in cities throughout Alabama, including Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, where people can file their
CW | Lindsey Leonard Steven Tice, first- place winner of the Speak-Off event, spoke about the origin, success and popularity of Netflix. to communicate with people with disabilities. The third-place winner, Dylan Walker, a freshman majoring in
taxes for free. In order to qualify for this service, participants must make under $52,000 per year, which applies to most students, Boone said. “You can also search for free help sites, either using the app or our website,” he added. “As good as tax software is nowadays, most people find that they don’t need a preparer, especially if their return is fairly simple.” The local nonprofit organization Impact Alabama also offers free tax preparation through its SaveFirst initiative. The program targets working families and individuals in the low-income bracket, whose tax returns are prepared by trained college, graduate and law students. This year, Impact Alabama implemented three SaveFirst sites in Birmingham and two in Tuscaloosa. Delisa Baldwin, a junior majoring in accounting at The University of Alabama, volunteered at SaveFirst in 2013 and again this year. “I’ve seen a good amount of students, being that it is a free tax service,” Baldwin said. “Students usually don’t make a great amount
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journalism, focused her speech on the problem of homelessness in America. Elayna Walker, a freshman
of money anyway, so when they do their taxes, they only get back what the federal government has taken out. They can’t afford to pay for tax services elsewhere.” Filing taxes often makes students nervous, she said. Those who don’t know much about tax laws sometimes think they owe money to the government, when in actuality they may get a refund. Students who use SaveFirst are comforted by receiving assistance from someone in person. “A lot of people don’t understand tax lingo,” Baldwin said. “I think that with anything [you are] unfamiliar with, when you have someone who’s there and trained to help you, it calms your nerves.” Baldwin said many students wait until the last minute to file their taxes because they are either afraid or don’t know where to go to file them. As a result, they file after the deadline or sometimes not at all. Shane Stinson, an assistant professor in Culverhouse School of Accountancy, said filers often make mistakes during this last-minute rush. Students may not have to file a tax return if they earn below a certain threshold of
majoring in human development, said each of the speakers chose a topic that was important to them. Walker said she used the opportunity to inform the audience about her religion, Mormonism. “We are able to inform about a topic that we can talk about and that is personal to us,” Walker said. Another contestant, Paige McRae, a freshman majoring in exercise science, whose topic was her hometown of Buffalo, New York, explained the importance of the Speak-Off to her personally. “I’ve talked to people before, and I’m a dancer, so I’ve been on stage, but never together,” McRae said. “If I can stand up here and do this, it is one more hurdle I’ve gotten over.” However, the success of these students means far more than just a monetary prize or a name on a plaque. Chilcutt said public speaking is a skill that will take students far in life. “It’s a huge accomplishment,” Chilcutt said. “Public speaking is the one skill that is going to get you hired.”
income, an attractive option for those who are anxious about filing, Stinson said. According to the IRS website, most people younger than 65 who have a gross income less than $10,000 are not required to file a return. “The flip side of that is if they’re working part time, and an employer is already taking taxes out of their pay and sending it to the government,” he said. “If they don’t file a return, then they’ll never get any kind of refund back. They leave money on the table.” Students who are dependents or do not have a job may also consider not filing at all. However, filing a tax return is almost always to a student’s benefit, he said. Stinson added that, even when working with a tax professional, the individual filer is ultimately responsible for any information submitted to the IRS. “You tend to hear horror stories about IRS audits and things like that, and there’s a legal aura about [filing taxes] that can give people a lot of fear,” Stinson said. “As long as you’re making the effort to do the right thing and to be accurate in your reporting, it’s not such a bad thing.”
First SGA staff meeting barely meets quorum minimum of 32 SGA FROM PAGE 1
Mackenzie Brown, director of media relations for the SGA, said Bloom felt the issue needed to be addressed at the first opportunity. “The Senate needed to meet once to nominate a Speaker and [once] to vote, so they needed to host a session anyway,” Brown said in an emailed statement. “SGA President Hamilton Bloom decided that this resolution needed to be introduced at the first available meeting.” Bloom’s new resolution differs from the old in several ways. While the old resolution devoted two clauses to the positive qualities of Greek organizations, Bloom’s version uses six to enumerate the Greek community’s contributions, including their higher-than-average GPA, philanthropic efforts and and fraternal bonds. Bloom’s resolution was also not as explicitly critical of Greek organizations on campus. The old resolution claimed some Greek organizations are portrayed as having membership defined by race and that there remains a stigma surrounding the University’s legacy of segregation. Bloom’s version mentioned that several organizations have taken steps to expand their diversity in recruiting new members. The resolution then commended those organizations and called for the continuing integration of the Greek community. Katie Smith, a former senator for the College of Arts and Sciences who presented the previous version of the resolution, said while she supported the resolution, she felt hesitant about the motivation behind it. “Of course I support it, because I want integration, I want this campus to move forward, I want equality for all,” Smith said. “I don’t think the Greek senators expected all the negative media that came our way two weeks ago. And that’s the only reason I think they’ve reintroduced this.” In an emailed statement, Bloom commended the steps the University and Greek system have made, but said there is still a long way to go. “I specifically commend the students who have worked for Greek integration in the past,” Bloom said. “I believe the resolution introduced tonight is a great solution. My administration and I are dedicated to seeing and encouraging results in the integration of both fraternities and sororities, and I believe the resolution introduced tonight, in addition to the Diversity Caucus which will be introduced soon, are incredible first steps.” Smith said she believes the new resolution will only pass because the Machine will tell people to vote for it. “I think the fact that Hamilton reintroduced this shows that the Machine controls SGA,” Smith said. “It will most likely pass with Hamilton, a Machine candidate, versus me, someone who has gone against the system.”
CW | Lindsey Leonard Nominee for speaker of the senate for the College of Arts and Sciences, Branden Greenberg, spoke at the SGA staff meeting Tuesday. Following Bloom’s reading of the resolution, the floor was opened to non-debatable technical questions. The new resolution was then sent to committee, whose membership will be determined by Executive Vice President Chris Willis. Fourteen of the 47 senators were either absent or represented by a proxy at the meeting. At least 32 senators are required to be present for a quorum, the minimum number allowed to vote on legislation. John Beck, a senator for the College of Education; Olivia Gobble, a senator for the College of Arts and Sciences; James Gresham, a senator from the College of Social Work; Taylor Lawhon, a senator for the College of Arts and Science; Rebecca Rose Lutonsky, a senator for the Graduate School and Bill Sanders, a senator for the College of Engineering, were all absent from the meeting and did not send proxies. “Quorum is, I believe, 32 senators, so if we don’t have quorum – it means basically a sufficient number – you don’t have quorum it means that we cannot hold any business whatsoever, we would have to immediately adjourn,” Greg Poole, parliamentarian of the SGA Senate, said. “Actually, we have exactly the number we need with 33.” Nominees for speaker of the senate are Branden Greenberg, a senator for the College of Arts and Sciences, and Caleb Lundy, a senator for the College of Engineering. Nominees for secretary of the senate are Erynn Williams, a senator for the College of Arts and Science; Gracie Willingham, a senator for the Culverhouse College of Commerce, and Caroline Morrison, a senator for Culverhouse who was represented by a proxy at the meeting. The next SGA Senate meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the AIME Building, Room 110.
p.8 Abbey Crain | Editor culture@cw.ua.edu
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Performance tech weeks a balancing act During week before showtime, UATD works around the clock to perfect details By Laura Testino | Contributing Writer
Repertory Dance Theatre and Dance Alabama! concert since her freshman year and stage manBehind every stage performance is a sequence aged Dance Collection last fall. of decisions, cooperating to create a specific atmo“I definitely think tech week is the most stresssphere for the audience to enter. Each of these ful,” she said. “That’s when you realize, ‘Okay, decisions, which often come down to the specific this isn’t going to work.’ You have to pick the angle of a light or arm movement, are rehearsed order of the show, and they don’t want dancers and controlled until they become second nature dancing back to back, so there’s a huge dilemma for the cast and crew. with being in multiple pieces.” These countless hours of rehearsal often culAs a stage manager, Higginbotham’s performinate with tech week, the week before the show mance experience has helped her to avoid probopens, which is used to perfect every action of lems with calling cues for lights and sound. every person involved in the performance. “Sometimes the cues that the choreographers Clay Duncan, a junior majoring in theater, said give me are difficult to read on paper, but they’re he sees tech week as a vital piece of the rehearsal not difficult to feel,” she said. “So being able to process that helps to transform the show from feel the music like a performer helps me call the an idea to an entire production. As a stage man- cues more successfully, not always perfect.” ager, his greatest responsibility McKenzie Pope, a senior is communicating between the majoring in dance, has perdirector, designers, producers formed in multiple UATD dance and the cast and crew in order to This week is your week to concerts. She said she believes ensure the show runs smoothly the time-consuming aspect of make sure that you have as the artistic vision is delivered tech weeks contribute to makto the audience. everything under control and ing them the most stressful “[Tech week] is incredibly weeks of the semester. everything is right. important,” he said. “There are Pope typically arrives for so many different facets to the rehearsal around 4:30 p.m. and theater, so many different artmay have to stay as late as 10 — Natalie Nichols ists coming together and being p.m. This leads her to work on collaborative, that you have to academics late into the night, have that time to make sure that which can be especially difficult everything fits together and that there are not when tech and show weeks fall around midterms. issues. It’s a way to fine tune everything.” However, she said the final result is worth the Duncan said he has been involved in theater nights of little sleep. since his childhood and made the transition to “I love putting the show together,” she said. working behind the scenes as a teenager. He has “Production is actually one of my favorite parts been a stage manager and an assistant stage about performing, seeing it all come together on manager for both theater and dance shows at the stage with costumes and lighting. I think it’s just University. He said experience has taught him the idea that you’re here for such a long period of being prepared is the best route to success. time [that becomes stressful].” “I don’t think of things that happen during tech Time management has been a key aspect of week as being catastrophes,” he said. “You’re transitioning to collegiate life for Matt Gabbard, always going to have issues that pop up during a freshman majoring in musical theater. Gabbard tech week. If you’re prepared for them properly, has been involved in four UATD theater producthen they never become catastrophes. I’m expect- tions this school year, once as a soundboard opering things to go wrong during tech week; that’s ator and three times as an actor, affording him why we have tech week.” different tech week experiences. Tech week presents its fair share of challeng“When you’re in a show, you’re just running es as a performer and as a stage manager for the show every night, and you’re pretty much Emily Higginbotham, a junior majoring in dance. just doing the same thing you’ve been doing Higginbotham has performed in every Alabama the whole time through the rehearsal process,
CW | Austin Bigoney UATD gets ready for their production of Urinetown with sound checks and late night rehersal. but with the lights and the sound added in,” Gabbard said. “When you’re a soundboard operator, during tech week you’re learning what you need to do.” Natalie Nichols, a junior majoring in theater, said she believes preparation through the rehearsal process makes learning cues over tech week a much less daunting task. Nichols has worked as an assistant stage manager for previous UATD shows and was a stage manager for three shows this year. “The more that you prepare, and the more that everything else is put together, and the more that everything else is ready, the more prepared that you will be to get all of those cues and to start integrating all of that into your process,” she said. “You just have to be calm, and you have to just know that this week is your week. This week is your week to make sure that you have everything under control and everything is right. And if something goes wrong, you call ‘hold’ and you go back and fix it.” Lyndell McDonald, a technical supervisor at the University, has been working behind the scenes for nearly 20 years and has worked on
multiple UATD shows, specifically many dance concerts, since 2005. In addition to preparation, McDonald said the cooperation between everyone involved in the show dampens the stresses of tech week. “The most important thing is just great collaboration as a whole, and then people being allowed to have their own vision for the work themselves,” McDonald said. He said he applies this principle when he acts as the light designer for a show. “I’m trying to make [the performers] look better or enhance the choreographer’s vision, and making sure they are always in their light is extremely important,” he said. Bringing together these multiple artistic visions presents the opportunity for more error, and stress levels have the potential to skyrocket as these ideas come together during tech week. Duncan and Nichols said they believe that preparation and trust can aid in debunking the conception that tech week has to be intimidating. “I think it’s all a balancing act of trust in the theater,” Nichols said. “We all have to make sure that we’re all doing our jobs.”
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Wednesday, April 9, 2014
COLUMN | MUSIC
Leon Russell’s perfect croak worth the journey By Jordan Cissell
CW | Lindsey Leonard The School of Law’s halls are lined with heart-shaped creations decorated by sexual assault victims.
Art supports sexual assault victims By Margaret Wilbourne | Contributing Writer Sexual assault is often as much a psychological attack as it is a physical one, and talking or expressing feelings can be extremely difficult for victims. For the 12th year running, the University’s Women’s Resource Center is helping to make the first step toward closure a little easier through the Healing the Wounded Heart project, on exhibit now. Participants are given wooden hearts and encouraged to use them in an artistic way to represent their process of healing said Wanda Burton, the Peer Education Coordinator of the WRC. “The hearts are created by survivors of sexual assault and those concerned about the issue of sexual assault,” Burton said. “Some of them were in spaces of healing while others were in spaces of hurt when they created the hearts.” Each heart is different and can be customized by the artists. “Some of the hearts have additions that make them 3-D while
others have taken pieces of the heart away. They use a variety of different materials that express how they feel in the moment,” Burton said. Burton said the WRC hosts the exhibit in hopes that viewers will take something from the display other than an appreciation of the artist’s abilities. “Our goal is to display the range of perspectives so that people can see what happens after sexual assault,” Burton said. “Other victims can know that they are not alone and that there are services on campus to help deal with this issue.” Allyson Azar, a junior majoring in music, said she was drawn to the exhibit because of the subject matter. “Being a woman, it always hits hard when you hear about stories of sexual assault,” she said. Azar said the visual aspect of the display made the subject seem more relatable as a viewer. “Seeing the exhibit gave me a more real sense [of sexual assault] than seeing something on the news, because then you just think to yourself, ‘That’s ter-
rible,’” she said, “but when that heart is in front of you, that makes it all the more real, makes you more empathetic.” Azar said the unique way to frame the stories of victims, as opposed to a lecture, appealed to her. “I think it’s interesting how artwork [is used by victims] to open up and channel their pain,” Azar said. “Some don’t use all the pieces of the heart, and that’s a really neat way to show how they’re still broken about everything.” Azar said she recommends viewing the exhibit to friends, in order to spread the word about victims of sexual assault. “I think it’s a good idea for everyone to be more knowledgeable on the topic and learn about these victims, especially if they’re a victim who feels like they can’t make peace with themselves,” Azar said. “It’s a perfect opportunity to learn about people who’ve gone through similar situations and struggles.” The Healing the Wounded Heart exhibit is on display in the School of Law through April 29.
Don’t worry – age hasn’t improved Leon Russell’s voice one bit. On new record “Life Journey” – his 37th solo studio effort, not to mention the hundreds of other artists’ albums on which he’s appeared as a session man – Leon’s idiosyncratic rasp slurs with all the reckless abandon and gravelly assertion of his early-1970s heyday. It’s never pretty, but it’s often impossible to ignore. Take lead single “Big Lips,” one of two new Russell originals on the record, in which Leon nearmumbles through three straight minutes of up-tempo honky tonk jive. Considering this is the man who penned hauntingly vulnerable “A Song for You” and wordplay-stuffed “Tightrope” earlier in his career, the songwriting’s a bit lacking in creativity – he rhymes “big lips” with “big lips” with “fingertips” with “sweet hips” with “sweet lips.” But he delivers the lines with a growling passion for a good time, and any lyrical simplicity is forgiven when he erupts into one of his trademark Jerry Lee Lewis-cum-Professor Longhair boogie-woogie piano breaks. Toward the track’s conclusion, there’s even a little “bop-bop, bop-bop shadoobee doobee” from the backup singers, just for good measure. “Down in Dixieland,” the other Russell original, takes a slower approach, with a fat New Orleans horn combo flavoring and punctuating the chorus’s downward chord progression. But the remaining 10 tracks are renditions of blues, country, jazz and R&B classics. You’ve heard old standards like
“Georgia on My Mind” and “That Lucky Old Sun” done before, and done well, but don’t write this off as just another platitudinous covers collection: Leon’s got a knack for making things his own. Buttery slide guitar teases over the syncopated drum and bass jaunt of Robert Johnson’s “Come On in My Kitchen,” and Russell croaks like a hop toad after a double dose of expectorant, forcing out each twanged syllable with gutbucket expectation. Hoagy Carmichael’s “Georgia on My Mind” has been done a thousand times before, but Russell’s deft control of phrasing – terse and rugged one line, mellifluous and sustained the next – keeps the track a sincere, if at times meandering, reading. On “That Lucky Old Sun,” another downtempo standout, Russell’s keys and the backup gospel choir filter in and out through the song’s foundation of plaintive steel guitar, skittering snare skiffle and modulating pipe organ. Russell’s yelping melismata on “Fever” are things of Ray Charlesian beauty, and the song bounces along its piano-organ riff at breakneck pace. This album is Russell’s first release since “The Union,” the 2010 collaboration with Elton John that returned Leon to national prominence after decades spent toiling as an anonymous rock ‘n’ roll hasbeen. But while the latter sounded like a record recorded by an aging man, largely keeping to sparse arrangements and contemplative lyrics, “Life Journey” keeps things fun and freewheeling. Now in his 70s, Leon sounds more like he did in the ‘70s than he has in years.
He delivers the lines with a growling passion for a good time.
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Wednesday, April 9, 2014
COLUMN | HEALTH
Healthy snacks help sustain study binges By Bianca Martin The final stretch of the school year is always bittersweet. On the bright side, though, it means summer will be here in just a few weeks and everyone will be able to finally relax. I can already feel the tension leaving my shoulders. But on the other side, the last weeks never go out without vengeance. Final projects, the hardest tests and endless “Me trying to save my grades” memes have taken over. With stress hitting students harder than ever, many are gaining habits that are harmful to their health. Some of us are stress eaters, binge consuming junk food and drinking endless amounts of caffeine to stay awake. Some of us get anxiety and cannot stand to eat at all. Some even resort to Adderall or caffeine pills just to pull an all-nighter. These harmful habits can come with a high price to pay for good grades. But, there are plenty of healthy alternatives for anyone who is dealing with stressful study nights. When working late at night, it is easy to resort to grabbing a bag of chips or a 5-hour Energy shot out of the vending machine. But these choices can actually cause you to become sleepier, as they do not provide lasting energy. Energy drinks and sodas give you a quick sugar rush but will make you crash hard. Of course, water is always the best thing to drink. But also consider adding lemon to your water. It adds flavor and has lasting healthy benefits for your body. Another beverage choice is green tea, which can give you energy to get through studying without filling your body with unnec-
essary sugar. As far as snacks go, fruits, cheeses and nuts provide healthy sugar and protein. Publix and Target offer small, snack-size portions of fruits and cheeses that are great for a night in the library. Trail mix is another option that not only includes nuts and raisins, but also M&Ms, so any chocolate lover can get his or her fix. My personal favorite study snack is making my own Lunchable. Stack a small slice of cheese and a slice of turkey on Ritz crackers, and you have an easy and delicious study meal. Besides food, do not forget to practice other healthy study habits. Of course, the most basic piece of advice is to not wait until the last minute to write that paper or study for that test. We all know things come up, and sometimes we have no choice but to push things back. But if you do only have one night to finish your assignment or fit as much information into your brain as possible, make sure to take breaks. Studies say that taking breaks every hour can help you retain information much better than cramming for four hours straight. Take 15 minutes every hour to give your brain a break. Finally, make sure to exercise. I know that when school has taken over your life, it seems impossible to fit in time for a workout. But exercise does reduce stress and releases endorphins. You do not have to spend an hour at the gym. A quick run can recharge your brain and body so you will be able to function even better when studying. Another good exercise is yoga, which is quite a stress reliever and can release tension you carry around.
Photo Courtesy of Susan Brown Eat a Peach, a Birmingham area band, pays tribute to classic rock band The Allman Brothers.
Cover group revives rock ‘n’ roll By Kinsey Haynes | Contributing Writer Where there is a group who simply loves classic rock ‘n’ roll bands, there is another group waiting to pay homage. That is where Birmingham tribute band Eat a Peach started – with their love for The Allman Brothers. Picking the band’s name did not pose much of a challenge for the group, guitarist Will Cash said. Several ideas were thrown around and Eat a Peach was one of the few options that was not already taken. “Eat a Peach” is the the third album by The Allman Brothers Band, released in 1972 after the death of founding member Duane Allman. “It’s not so much that the particular album was significant, as much as we just liked the name in and of itself,” guitarist Matt Casey said. Although each member is involved in different original projects, Cash said Eat a Peach remains strictly a cover project. “We try to capture the 1970s Allman Brothers Band via the 1971 ‘Live at the Fillmore’ album,” Peyton Grant, singer and keyboard player, said. “We try to keep that vibe the whole time.”
PLAN TO GO WHAT: Eat a Peach WHEN: Friday, 10 p.m. WHERE: Innisfree One of the highest compliments the band received was from a man who has seen The Allman Brothers close to 10 times a year since they started in 1969. Casey said the Eat a Peach show was the best show the man had seen since 1971. “We played in Birmingham last month, and there was a man, maybe 50 [or] 60, who said he actually saw [The Allman Brothers Band] in the 1970s and said we were better at sounding like them than the current line-up,” Grant said. Cash, Grant and Casey all have differing opinions when it comes to which songs are their favorite to play. Cash’s favorite is “Whipping Post” from the band’s debut album. “It’s got everything a rock song needs: guitar riffs, guitar harmony, great lyrics and strong dynamics,” Cash said. Grant’s favorite song to sing was
“Whipping Post,” but recently it changed to “Not My Cross To Bear,” also from their debut. He said he thinks it is incredible that Gregg Allman could sing with such fervor when he was just 19 years old. Casey, though, said “Statesboro Blues” is the song that brings him the most joy on stage. “I love the Duane Allman slide stuff, but I also really like the openended jam stuff too,” he said. People of all ages attend Eat a Peach shows. “From dementia-ridden old timers to fake ID-wielding tweens,” Casey said. “It really does vary.” A typical show for the band consists of having a good time, concentrating on the music and looking for Casey’s dad in the crowd, who makes regular appearances at local shows. All the band members agree that Eat a Peach is about community, fun and a love and respect for The Allman Brothers Band. “If you can’t obsess about a band, there’s not a point in really listening to them,” Grant said. Eat a Peach will play at Innisfree Irish Pub downtown on Friday. The show will start at 10 p.m., and there is no cover.
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
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Amateur theater group to present farce in Ferg By Dylan Walker | Staff Reporter
PLAN TO GO
Four couples at an upscale New York dinner party hardly makes for an interesting evening. WHAT: “Rumors: A Farce” Add a bullet wound, missing hostess, suicide WHEN: April 11-12 at 7 p.m. conspiracy, police and a slew of other complicaWHERE: Ferguson Center Theater tions, though, and you have “Rumors: A Farce,” a play by Neil Simon. The College of Engineering Does Amateur “The group started about five or six years Radical Theater will bring this intricate play to the Ferguson Theater stage this weekend. ago as a very small group of people who wantJaclyn Schillinger, a freshman majoring in ed to get together and do plays,” Morris said. physics and a cast member in the show, said “After Get on Board Day in 2012 and our show the play is a lighthearted comedy. Based on the the following spring, more and more people got theme of rumors and deception, the play takes involved.” CDA is open to all majors, giving anyone an a comedic, rather than educational, approach. “It’s primarily a farce, so it’s not really about opportunity to perform. CDA treasurer Connor learning a lesson,” Schillinger said. “It’s a Smith said the founders were all engineering majors, so the group is housed under the College comedy.” Jackson Morris, a sophomore majoring in of Engineering and advised by Kevin Whitaker, aerospace engineering and CDA president, said associate dean for academic programs. “The original mission of the group was to this play marks new territory for the 10 performers in “Rumors: A Farce.” The show will be provide theatrical opportunities to engineers and STEM majors,” Smith said. CDA’s first time performing in “The school supports us by prothe Ferguson Theater, whereas viding H.M. Comer 126, where all previous productions have we practice and performed all been held in a classroom in H.M. of our shows leading up to this Comer Hall. one.” “This time we wanted to step The Ferguson Theater will it up and do something a little open “Rumors: A Farce” to bigger. This is the biggest cast a larger audience and give I think the group’s ever done in CDA actors a raised stage for their history,” Morris said. “We — Connor Smith performance. Schillinger said have returners from our last this excites the cast, instead of show and three or four more intimidating it. people who were in the group “I personally have quite a to perform with us for the first good deal of theater experience time.” Current CDA members were drawn to the from back in high school, so I’m more used to organization for its atmosphere and the theat- performing on a raised stage,” Schillinger said. rical opportunities it provides for non-theater “This will be more comfortable for me.” In the future, CDA wants to continue expandmajors. Jessie Swift, a sophomore majoring in accounting and finance and CDA vice presi- ing membership and attendance. Morris said he wants to perform more shows while serving dent, joined the group her freshman year. “It was Get on Board Day my freshman as president to give more performers their time year, and I saw everyone having so much fun. on stage. “More shows can get lots more people I thought, ‘This is so cool,’” Swift said. “I did theater in high school, and I didn’t think I could involved and active in the group,” Smith said. do anything theater related again, and now I get “It’s a good experience for lots of people. Theater is a very good mental stimulant; we all my opportunity.” The same Get on Board Day that attracted want to be here.” CDA will perform “Rumors: A Farce” April Swift brought in 20 other interested students to auditions, including Morris and current CDA 11 and 12 at 7 p.m. in the Ferguson Theater. Tickets are $7. cast members.
More shows can get lots more people involved.
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CW | Lindsey Leonard Engineering students perform at a dress rehersal their rendition of “Rumors: A Farce.”
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Wednesday, April 9, 2014
SUMMER IN NEW YORK CITY Summer internships the perfect opportunity to explore local cuisine, museums
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SUMMER INTERNSHIPS | NEW YORK CITY
As the year winds down and exams approach, some students look forward to summer internships. New York City is the mecca of dream urban internships, but while you’re there it’s easy to get caught up checking off tourist hot-spots. But along with Central Park, Time Square and the Metropolitan Museum of Art lie endless weekend walking opportunities, heightened food experiences and people-watching galore. We’ve put together a list of six places you should not miss while you don’t get paid this summer doing grunt work and sweating out your weight each day in the subway.
Photo Courtesy of Emmie Aldridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Photos Courtesy of Emmie Aldridge
Williamsburg
Walking the one mile across the bridge is worth it. Catch a glimpse of the Manhattan skyline at sunset. (Because it’s hot, really hot. And your tennis shoes will melt into the bridge if you go during the day.) Once on the Brooklyn side, take a right and walk down toward the East River. The Brooklyn Bridge Park lines the river, and the sidewalks are perfect for running, sunset-watching, bench-sitting and people-watching with friends.
Head across the Brooklyn Bridge to the Williamsburg neigborhood of Brooklyn on any Saturday during the summer to search through droves of merchants selling their handmade wares, vintage finds and re-purposed decor. You could very well spend all afternoon perusing through the tents, but if you get done before lunch trek back to the bridge for Smorgasboard, a collection of nearly 100 food vendors. Brooklyn Flea Market: Kent Ave & N 7th St., Brooklyn, NY 11249 Smorgasboard: 320 Furman Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Photo Courtesy of Emmie Aldridge
Food There is no way to experience even a minute percentage of the New York City food scene when there for only one summer. But Zerve food tours are one way to taste a variety of restaurants while learning the history behind the niche neighborhoods. They run about $50 per person, but the experience is worth it. Visit zerve.com/FoodTours/GVTour.
CW | Mazie Bryant
Museums
Photo Courtesy of Emmie Aldridge
The Met is definitely a must-see while in the city, but there are also plenty of other art museums that are great for rainy days or days when the heat emanating from the concrete is just too much for your gladiator sandals. The Cloisters, a branch of the Met in Upper Manhattan, displays mostly medieval architecture and art. The Museum of Modern Art and The Guggenheim also offer a fair share of free cultural fun to better your happy hour small talk. The Cloisters: 99 Margaret Corbin Dr., Fort Tryon Park New York, NY 10040 MoMA: 11 West 53 St., New York, NY 10019 The Guggenheim: 1071 5th Ave., New York, NY 10128
CW | Mazie Bryant
Bars For every church in the Southeast, there are twice as many bars in the North. The East Village is chock-full of bars aimed toward the young professional crowd. They even have a Grey Lady for when you get homesick. The bar at Bryant Park on 42nd Street is also a fun atmosphere for drinks after work.
CW | Mazie Bryant
Beaches While missing out on family trips to the Gulf Coast is not a reason to forgo a summer in New York, it’s hard to imagine a summer spent sans bikini at least once. Take the subway trek down to Coney Island for a once-in-a-lifetime beach experience. The water is cold and the sand littered, but the hot dogs and people-watching are worth it. Plus, you can spend time at the historic amusement park, which has been featured in many movies. If you can find a ride to out to Jones Beach on Long Island or, better yet, manage a free stay with a coworker in the Hamptons, take it. They’re both a bit of a step up from Coney Island.
p.13 Charlie Potter | Editor sports@cw.ua.edu
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
FOOTBALL
CW | Austin Bigoney Crimson Tide football players, several of whom have been out for injuries, perform at Alabama’s second Pro Day. The 2014 NFL draft begins on May 8.
Sunseri, Kouandjio, Steen shine on Pro Day By Kelly Ward | Assistant Sports Editor Former Alabama safety Vinnie Sunseri was a little nervous when he woke up before Alabama’s second Pro Day. “I felt like I was going into my first football game since Oct. 19,” Sunseri said. “No sleep, waking up nervous. I went through my football routine. Woke up, took a shower. Studied all my starts on my 40 just like I was about to go into a football game.” He said he ran times ranging from 4:48 to 4:52, which is where he wanted to be five months out of surgery. Despite missing the last five games due to a knee injury, Sunseri said he feels like his film from the 2013 season
was what it needed to be. “I got a chance to play at safety,” Sunseri said. “I felt really comfortable back there and I was able to make a couple of plays at the beginning of the season. I was an All-American before I got hurt, so I felt I had a great film. I feel like I’m ready to take that next step. I feel like I’m mature enough. I feel like the coaches in the NFL see that.” Sunseri said his draft grade is from fourth round to free agent. Former left tackle Cyrus Kouandjio looked at the pro day as a way to improve his stats from the NFL Combine. “I felt great,” Kouandjio said. “I felt smooth. I felt loose. I came out here, and it
looked good.” At the combine, he had a 27.5-inch vertical, according to NFL.com. He said it’s now 31 inches. “It’s much different. My favorite part about it was my vert,” Kouandjio said. “The way I trained, I just did the best I could each week. I didn’t record my times or my measurements or anything like that. I just did as hard as I could, and I just waited until today to see what I had.” He said he is going to work out for Tampa Bay next. After missing the NFL Combine and the first pro day due to a shoulder injury, former right guard Anthony Steen said he just
started training again six or seven days ago. “I hope they all understand I haven’t done anything in 16, 17 weeks and understand that I did my best out there, and hopefully they liked what they saw,” Steen said. Even though he hasn’t been able to train, he said he doesn’t think his current status will hurt him too much with the NFL scouts. “It really hasn’t been that tough,” Steen said. “I know a lot of guys out there are looking for a guard, both positions left and right, and center. I just tell them I can do that and I can snap, too. I’ve just been trying to focus on getting back in shape to where I was so I can show them that I can do that.” The 2014 NFL Draft starts on May 8.
MEN’S TENNIS
COLUMN | NCAA
Tide to host final match of season
NCAA, athletes must compromise on football unions
By Kayla Montgomery | Contributing Writer In its final matches of the regular season, the No. 33 Alabama men’s tennis team will take the court at the Alabama Tennis Stadium this weekend, facing No. 9 Georgia Friday at 5 p.m. and No. 21 Tennessee Sunday at 1 p.m. Both Tennessee and Georgia have finished their respective home seasons, with Tennessee currently sitting at 4-6 in the SEC and Georgia boasting a 9-1 SEC record. “Both are very good teams,” said Alabama coach George Husack. “They’re very strong opponents in the SEC, so I expect their best for this last weekend.” This final regular season weekend in Tuscaloosa will be the last of his career for captain Daniil Proskura, the lone Crimson Tide senior. “It’s sad,” Proskura said. “It was a quick four seasons for me. I feel like time has gone by so fast, but I’m really excited for this last weekend to play Georgia and Tennessee, some of the best tennis schools in the SEC.” Proskura also said big wins this senior season, most notably victories over Kentucky and Vanderbilt, showed that the young team is full of potential and capable of competing with top caliber teams. “This season showed that everything is possible,” Proskura said. “If we were a little more solid, or sometimes a little more lucky, we could be in the top of the SEC this year.
UA Athletics Daniil Proskura will finish his career as the tennis team’s captain this weekend. It’s important to believe in yourself, believe in the tennis you play, and compete for every point.” Following its final home weekend, the Crimson Tide will enter the SEC Championship tournament hosted at Vanderbilt. Seeds 12 and 13 will serve up the first match of the tournament April 16, with the first full day of matches to follow April 17.
Seeding for the tournament will be assigned based off of SEC records. Coach Husack said the team hopes to compete each day of the tournament throughout finals, and, to do so, fitness is a top priority. “In terms of preparation, we want to be fit, because we have to play matches back to back,” Husack said. “It’s four days of matches. Secondly, we want to peak and get better with each match in the tournament.” In previous action, Alabama lost a road match against Texas A&M 4-0 on April 4, dropping the Crimson Tide to 4-6 in the SEC. Although Texas A&M secured the doubles point to open the match with Aggie wins on courts two and three, Alabama came away with an impressive upset victory on court one. The No. 22-ranked doubles pair Proskura and sophomore Becker O’Shaughnessey defeated A&M doubles pair Jackson Withrow and Junior Ore, who ranked second in the nation at the time, 8-7(6). Proskura said that to him, the match wasn’t as much of an upset as it was made out to be, as he and O’Shaughnessey have the potential to be one of the top teams in the nation, as well. “It’s all numbers,” Proskura said. “I feel like we can be one of the best teams in the nation. Sometimes it’s luck; sometimes we’re better in that important point. It was a great win and gives us a lot of confidence, but I wouldn’t say it was a complete upset.”
WOMEN’S TENNIS
Team strives for shot at top SEC position By Elliott Propes | Contributing Writer The No. 9 Alabama women’s tennis team is having one if its best regular seasons in school history. After sweeping last weekend against No. 10 Texas A&M and Missouri, Alabama has a 18-3 record (10-1 SEC). The Crimson Tide will be playing its final weekend of the regular season against No. 8 Georgia and Tennessee. “We’ll be ready,” coach Jenny Mainz said. “I think the team’s excited. I mean, we are in contention for first and we’ve worked hard to get there.” Alabama is not thinking about what it’s accomplished, though. The team is focused at the task at hand. At Tuesday’s practice, large speakers were blaring UGA fight songs and crowd noises, and the players had to play and communicate with each other while these speakers were on max volume. “We are in prep mode, just trying to get ready for the energy and the crowd at Georgia,” Mainz said. “They are intense. They are engaging. It’s a vibrant crowd.” Mainz said Georgia is arguably the toughest road opponent in the SEC because of the crowd and band that will be at the courts. “It kind of gets you in the mindset, and getting used to communicating with your partner in doubles, and just being used to it,” senior Mary Anne Daines said. “When it’s
UA Athletics Danielle Speilmannn celebrates with her partner after a play. outdoors, you don’t expect it to be that loud, but they do a really good job of that.” Not only is the match a top-10 matchup, but Alabama and UGA are tied with Vanderbilt atop the SEC standings with a 10-1 record. The winner of the match between UGA and Alabama will be in consideration for the top seed in the SEC tournament. Vanderbilt holds a tiebreaker over both schools and will claim the top seed if it wins its last two matches. Vanderbilt will have get through No. 11 Florida and South Carolina first. “It will be interesting to see how
everything shakes out Sunday,” Mainz said. Alabama will also be playing Tennessee on Sunday, which hasn’t been as successful as the Tide; it has an 11-10 record (5-6 SEC). If the Crimson Tide wins, it will have a chance at the No. 1 seed. “We just got out of meeting, and Jenny said its about how were going to finish. We’ve had a lot of success this season, so a lot of emphasis is on this weekend,” sophomore Maya Jansen said. “I think we’ve prepared ourselves well to be successful this weekend.”
By Matthew Wilson Last month, talk of student athletes unionizing swept across the media. A National Labor Relations Board director ruled that college football players at Northwestern could form unions. If it stands, such a precedent could change the athletic departments of many universities and the business model for the NCAA. There have been many debates on whether student athletes should be paid. People on both sides argue their positions while ignoring flaws in their own stance. The current system is by no means perfect, as athletes lack the right to control their likenesses, while the alternative would come with its own host of problems such as potential inequality among large and small universities. Whatever stance people take on that issue will likely inform their view on the unionization of the NCAA. Some view it as the first steps in righting a flawed system, while others liken it to an apocalyptic doom that will change college sports as we know it. Both sides offer two extremes of Both sides offer two extremes the situation, and perhaps by taking a of the situation, and perhaps by more neutral positaking a more neutral position, tion, a solution can a solution can be found. be found. Student athletes want their voices heard. They want to be able to vocalize their opinions and have more liberties than under the current model of the NCAA. Their desire for change has led them to take a more extreme approach to the problem. With the possibility of a union sweeping across college sports, perhaps the NCAA will be more willing to make changes. Would a union be bad for college sports? The answer to this question seems to be yes. The unionization of college athletes into “university employees” would raise more problems and concerns than it would settle. The difference between being a student and being an employee would blur, creating an awkward situation for all. If athletes went on strike, what would that mean for their college classes? What happens to scholarships if student athletes are on salary? Would they need scholarships? Could they be fired, and if so, what would that mean for their status on campus? All these questions would create a bureaucratic nightmare. Fighting an extreme with an extreme would lead to more problems down the road. The best course of action is to follow up with the principles which this country was founded upon. Cooperation is the only way. The NCAA and the student athletes must find some common ground. Neither side is completely right, so a compromise is necessary. Perhaps the threat of unionization has finally made the NCAA see that some changes need to be made and a solution for both parties can be created.
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Wednesday, April 9, 2014
COLUMN | ATHLETICS
SOFTBALL
Kaila Hunt finishes career at UA Alabama Athletics stacks up against NHL, NBA teams
By Kelly Ward | Assistant Sports Editor As her career at Alabama winds down, senior infielder Kaila Hunt has a great deal of success to look back on, but it’s not the legacy she wants. Last year, she was named an NFCA second team All-American and a Capital One CoSIDA Academic All-American. The same year, Hunt led the team in home runs and RBIs, with 15 and 60 each, respectively. When she was a sophomore, she garnered NFCA second team All-American honors and Capital One CoSIDA Academic All-District honors while leading the SEC with 21 home runs and 77 RBIs. That year, the softball team won its first national championship. As a freshman, she was named to the SEC All-Freshman team, the SEC FirstYear Academic Honor Roll and the NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete list. However, all of this is not what she wants to be remembered for. “Honestly, I just want to be known as a good teammate, because when it comes down to it, numbers really don’t mean anything,” Hunt said. “I mean, they’re on a paper, but at the end of the day, I want my teammates to be my best friends in 20 years, and that’s what I want to be known as.” She may go down in the record books anyway. Hunt is second in career RBIs with 203. Former Crimson Tide pitcher and utility player Charlotte Morgan owns the top spot with a distant 264. Hunt is currently in third place in career home runs with 55. Past greats Kelly Kretschman and Morgan hold first and second with 60 and 58 home runs, respectively. Hunt has the chance to knock off two-time Olympian Kretschman who owns nearly every career offensive record. There are only a few career offensive records that Kretschman doesn’t top off or place on the top 10 list. “It is humbling, and it is cool to be mentioned with people who are like Kelly Kretschman and Charlotte Morgan, but at the end of the day, it’s about developing relationships with those 17 other people in there,” Hunt said. Hunt has been a model of consistency in her time at Alabama. Her career batting average is just under .335, and she is hitting .365 in her senior season. She leads the
7
By Caroline Gazzara
CW File Senior infielder Kaila Hunt ends a successful career with the Tide’s softball team after earning several awards and titles. No. 3 Alabama softball team in home runs with nine. “I think as a three-hole hitter for Alabama, everybody’s going to pitch you the toughest on the team,” Alabama coach Patrick Murphy said. “And I think she’s got that in her head right now that that’s her role, that’s her job, and the pitcher, whenever she gets up to bat, she’s going to throw the best pitches so she’s got to realize that and then sit back and take what they give her.” On Saturday, Hunt went 4-for-6 in the doubleheader against Arkansas. She hit 3-for-3 in the first game. Her last at-bat of the day ended in a lineout to right field, but Murphy wasn’t concerned. “She’s been doing that too,” Murphy said. “She’s been getting a lot of change ups and just putting the ball in play. And for the three-hole, that’s who I want to be the most consistent.” She isn’t just a consistent hitter; she’s a
PLAN TO GO WHAT: No. 3 Alabama vs. UAB WHEN: Wednesday, 6:05 p.m. WHERE: Rhoads Stadium consistent leader, too. Sophomore utility player Leona Lafaele said Hunt is not only a great player, but also a great person, who wants everyone to do well. “When I mess up on the field, the first person I go to is Hunt, and I’m like, ‘Hunt, man, I’m so anxious. What do I do?’ and she always has the answer,” Lafaele said. “And she’s calm. She knows what she has. She’s not cocky. I mean, she could be cocky. She’s one of the best players ever, but I mean, she’s just a team player. And I love, genuinely love playing for her, Jackie [Traina], our senior class. They’re a great bunch of girls.”
10
Alabama teams ranked IN TOP
NO. 1 MEN’S GOLF
NO. 4 GYMNASTICS
HIGHLIGHT: Between 2013 and 2014,
HIGHLIGHT: Head coach Sarah Patterson earned her 1,000th win April 5 at the NCAA Regional Championship in Seattle. She is the second coach in collegiate gymnastics to reach that milestone and is the fastest to it, earning the win in the 12th meet of her 36th season. The win in Seattle was a NCAA-best 29th regional championship win.
men’s golf team won 11 consecutive tournaments. On March 4, the team finished one shot shy of the leader at the SMU Querencia Cabo Collegiate.
NO. 3 SOFTBALL HIGHLIGHT: Head coach Patrick
Murphy earned his 800th career win at Alabama on Feb. 22.
NO. 9 BASEBALL HIGHLIGHT: Junior left-hander Jon
Keller threw a complete game to sweep then-No. 9 Ole Miss on March 30. Alabama was ranked No. 30 at the time.
NO. 9 WOMEN’S GOLF HIGHLIGHT: Women’s golf team tied
for fifth at the Sugar Bowl Invitational in New Orleans on Feb. 25.
NO. 9 WOMEN’S TENNIS HIGHLIGHT: Women’s tennis team won 11 straight matches from Feb. 25 until it lost to then-No. 10 Vanderbilt on March 28.
NO. 9 MEN’S TRACK & FIELD HIGHLIGHT: In the outdoor season, the men’s team won 11 events and finished first at the Crimson Tide Invite on April 5. Compiled by Kelly Ward
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APRIL 10
2014
On Monday, Yahoo Sports reported that The University of Alabama Athletics earned more money than every NHL team and 25 NBA teams. “Shocking” may be the first term that comes to mind, but what is really interesting is that this isn’t all that uncommon. According to Bleacher Report in October 2013 the University’s sports programs earned $143.1 million last year. Yahoo Sports took it a step further and compared it to the professionals. Not only does Alabama make more money than the NHL and most NBA teams, but also Texas makes more than Alabama. And whether it’s loyal fans or just a lot of ticket sales, making more money than professional sports seems to be a trend. I can’t say that’s good or bad. In fact, I find it interesting. As a lover of all things Alabama, it makes me proud that our school is so powerful that it doesn’t just make a ton of money, it makes more money than the professionals. However, it is crazy to see colleges earn more than a good portion of professional sports. Of all the 30 teams in the NHL, not one has stacked up against the powerful Alabama. According to hockeybuzz.com, the NHL has found it difficult to turn a profit for many years. It doesn’t seem fair to compare a struggling league to a thriving college athletics department, so why do we? It’s simple. As humans we like to see statistics, data and facts. We like to see all the logistics. We like to see good things, and we like to downplay the negative things. But comparing the two – or three if we want to factor in basketball – seems a little bit odd, in my opinion. Though some may not find it odd to compare collegiate football to the NHL, comparing a struggling program to a successful one doesn’t seem fair. They are different programs that function under different sets of rules. So why do we care about this? Why does it mean something to those of us at the University? We like to know when we succeed and are doing great things. I’m not saying that it’s bad to brag about the athletic department’s successes, but I don’t see the point in comparing two different things. It’s like comparing apples and oranges; they’re both good in their own right but don’t really line up with each other. Maybe it’s not “shocking.” It is, however, still fascinating that Alabama earned more money than 55 professional teams.
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Wednesday, April 9, 2014
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HOUSING Downtown Loft Extra nice loft, downtown. 2 bed/1 bath, roof deck. (205)752-9020-or-(205)657-3900 3br/2ba House for Rent 611 25th St E. only one set of tenants. Built in safe room, optional alarm system. Crimson Choice Enrolled Property. No pets. Call Candice at ZAP, 205-3452686 Email candice@zapfoto.com Hackberry Place Apartments 1 Bedroom / 1 Bathroom Apartment Leasing for Fall 2014 1 mile from campus Quiet location, perfect for grad students! No Pets. Call: 205-7521277 Email crissy@tiderentals.com Efficiency Unit On-Campus Cobblestone Court Apartments next door to Publix. Water and garbage included in rent. No Pets. Call 205-752-1277. Email crissy@tiderentals.com 1 Bedroom Units - Walking Distance to UA Campus Audubon Manor Efficiency or 1 Bedroom Apartment Walking distance to class On-site laundry. No Pets. Call 205-752-1277 Email crissy@tiderentals.com Rentals 1 Bedrm apts near stadium furnished, some utilities $695/$795/ mo; 3 Bedrm near VA, Lake Cabin $750/mo. 535-4573.
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JOBS Help Wanted Student Help Wanted, J & P Construction Co., Inc. is hiring for local student help to do light maintenance duties inside and outside, yard work, must be able to operate a tractor & be able to haul trailers, running errands, etc. Must be willing to work at a steady pace, have a clean driving record and a clean drug test will also be required. We will work around your school schedule. Please fax your resume to the following number: 205-345-6652. Thanks Email acrowe@jandpconstruction.com
2300 McFarland Blvd East (205) 758-2213
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HOROSCOPES Today’s Birthday (04/09/14). It’s a lovely year for magnificent adventures. Spend time on detailed plans, and set launch dates for after 5/20. Put energy into your home, friendships and partnerships this spring. Pretty up the place and throw parties. After summer, the real fun begins. A personal revelation in October leads to new freedom. Study and learn. Shared resources grow. Nurture happiness. To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. Aries (March 21-April 19) -- Today is a 7 -- Now you’re cooking. Meditate on the desired flavors. Add spices as you slowly raise the heat. Sip something delicious while another’s enthusiasm infuses you. Let yourself get riled up. Get others involved. Your team adds crucial supporting elements. Coordinate efforts like a dance. Taurus (April 20-May 20) -Today is a 6 -- There’s more work ahead. Passions rise, and could boil over if left untended. Consider a friend’s suggestion. Your team’s hot... provide leadership for balance. They’re backing you, so provide the same support. Blow off steam together. Clean up a mess at home and relax. Gemini (May 21-June 20) -- Today is a 7 -- Explore new territory today and tomorrow. Follow the money trail, and hit gold. A person of higher status can assist. Maintain your best behavior, and keep your schedule. Don’t dive into deep water until you can swim. Suddenly, it all makes sense. Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Today is a 7 -- A new profitable opportunity arises before another project’s done. Make plans without taking action yet. Set goals with a partner, and solicit feedback. Do the reading. Follow through on previous obligations before changing directions, and send thank you notes to contributors. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- The Moon’s in your sign, favorably aspecting warrior Mars. You’ve got the power. Physical exercise works wonders and builds energy. A hunch could be quite profitable... check the data before compromising. You’re in the spotlight, rehearsed and ready. Play with finesse and style. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is a 7 -- Get organized with your plans today and tomorrow to man-
age your deadlines. Travel later. Contemplate your next move. Clarify your direction, and chart out the logistics. Review priorities, and handle previous commitments before taking on new ones. Handle chores to keep systems functioning well. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is a 7 -- Play with your community today and tomorrow. Focus on partnership, and do what you promised. Together, anything’s possible. Hold meetings, schmooze, and go to parties (or throw one). It’s surprising what can be accomplished when people collaborate. Soak up the applause. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -Today is an 8 -- Consider new opportunities over the next two days. Discuss them with a partner. Review your resources, and restock if needed. There’s a test or challenge ahead, and a boost in status with success. Provide leadership, and schedule actions. Keep your cool, and love triumphs. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -Today is an 8 -- Today and tomorrow include expansion. Plan a trip, widen your territory, and broaden the focus of your studies. Travel and fun are favored. What do you want to learn? Emotional energy enhances an opportunity. Work to fulfill a passion. Light a fire under someone. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is an 8 -- The tempo’s upbeat, and you’re jamming. Find an area to increase efficiency, and save energy. Trust a hunch. You’re gaining respect. Okay, now you can buy toys. Get a romantic surprise for your sweetie, and a little something for yourself. It’s the mood that matters. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -Today is an 8 -- Devote energy to a partnership today and tomorrow. Reignite common passions, and don’t unveil your secret power yet. Provide well for your family and invest in your home. Exert yourself physically. Create something of value. Savor the fruits of your efforts together. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -Today is a 7 -- The pace jumps with high energy today and tomorrow. Take care to avoid accidents. Throw some money at a problem. You’re busy with creative projects... take one step at a time. Sort through feelings as they arise (rather than stuffing them). Release with physical exercise.
www.shirtshop.biz Downtown 205-752-6931 525 Greensboro Ave.
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Gordon Miller Realty -2 & 3 bedroom homes -Fall leases! -Fenced in yards -Pet friendly -Use of swimming pools -2 minutes from campus -On the Crimson Ride route
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