february 9, 2012 issue

12
Volume 80 No. 19 February 9, 2012 www.FlorAla.net Student newspaper of the University of North Alabama The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) has given UNA’s stu- dent speech code policy a rating of yellow. Yellow lighted universities have at least one policy that could encourage “admin- istrative abuse and arbitrary application,” according to the organization’s website, thefire.org. The FIRE rates schools based on how much their policies could prohibit free speech guaranteed by the First Amend- ment. UNA President Dr. Bill Cale said The FIRE’s rating comes down to a difference in opinion. “The FIRE is entitled to their opinion, of course, and it is one with which we are aware,” he said. “However, their conclu- sion is one with which UNA dis- agrees. “We have vetted our speech policy through our legal coun- sel and only adopted that code after being comfortable that we did not violate the First Amend- ment.” The university speech codes only serve to maintain a safe ha- ven for students, Cale said. “Our approach to speech, as with other matters, is to insure that UNA provides a learning environment that is free from harassment and behaviors that disrupt our educational purpose,” he said. “This is a position that is defensible even as it protects First Amendment rights.” The university’s speech codes are produced in the office of Vice President for Student Affairs David Shields. “When we wrote our policy, we put it through our legal counsel and looked at Supreme Court cases as well as some of the best existing policies,” he said. “We’ve gotten a letter from FIRE ev- ery year telling us about our rating.” Shields said the codes serve to maintain a civil free speech environment. “A university is a place of open inquiry and discourse,” he said. “It’s a place to look at different points of view and engage in critical thinking—but in a civil way. We want free speech, but we can’t have speech that puts people in direct harm.” One part of the speech codes that the FIRE takes issue with is the university’s In- ternet usage policy, which prohibits “abu- sive, obscene, or threatening messages by use of computing facilities and services.” Even in the digital world, the university is simply trying to maintain a safe environ- ment for students, Shields said. “Social media has become so ingrained in the way we do things that it has taken the responsibility out of communication,” he said. “I don’t monitor anything online unless it is brought to my attention. Some- times what is said on social media sites can spill into the realm of the institution.” The biggest challenge is making civil- photo by BARRY MINOR I Staff Photographer Yellow light: FIRE rates UNAʼs speech codes Although Alabama has only recently seen seasonal influenza cases on the local level, health officials still urge the general public to take precautions against the flu. The Shoals area is seeing a late start to the flu season, but people should be careful, said Dr. Marlon Flor- ida, emergency department phy- sician at Shoals Hospital. The flu vac- cination is one of the best ways to keep from getting the flu, Florida said. “The real flu typically lasts from about five to six weeks,” Florida said. “You stand the chance of missing work and classes.” Although the flu vaccine does have side ef- fects, Florida said the real flu symptoms are much worse than the shot. He said the side ef- fects are typically like flu symptoms, just not as severe, and the most common side effect is a sore injection site. Florida said the flu vaccination typically takes two weeks to become fully effective. The flu shot caries three strains of flu in small amounts that are injected into the body, he added. photo illustration by KAYLA SLOAN I Staff Photographer Officials say students should take adequate precautions against flu No flu cases have been reported to the UNA Health and Wellness Cen- ter this year, but officials advise students to pro- tect themselves against the virus. With non-committal weather, vi- sions of cars hovering like vultures for the best spot behind the GUC and pro- fessors that may or may not have class, sometimes killing that nagging alarm clock and skipping class for sleep may seem like the best option. An alternative to the traditional clas- room setting is the online classroom of- fered through the distance learning pro- gram. Thomas Beane, a nontraditional student, prefers online classes because they give him freedom to work on his own time. “I enjoy online because I can work on my hours,” he said. “It makes it easy for me to take care of my family obliga- tions. The problem is, if you don’t stay on top of it, you can be behind before you ever realize.” Beane said online classes are not al- ways better than traditional courses. He said, however, that online classes take discipline and regular attendance is still important. “With online classes, you need to create a schedule,” he said. “Do read- ings as if they were a lecture. If you don’t have and keep a schedule, that’s when you fall behind.” English professor Dr. Cynthia Burk- head agrees. “I do not believe one is better than the other,” she said. “They are differ- ent. It takes a lot of discipline to take an online course. If you’re taking an online class, you’re going to have a different role as a student.” While the role of the student chang- es, so does the role of the professor, according to Coordinator of Distance Traditional vs. online Traditional vs. online photo by DARRICK DAWKINS I Staff Photographer Student Kevin Clark passes out on his desk during class. UNA professors and students have diverse opinions on the topic of traditional and nontraditional classes and whether certain learning environments are better. Campus community weighs in on whether online classes affect learning To view UNAʼs FIRE rating, visit the website at thefire.org/spotlight/ codes/34.html LEARN MORE:

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Check the latest issue of the Flor-Ala for information on traditional vs. online classes and the students that still fall asleep during them, the upcoming flu season, UNA's free speech policy, and more.

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: February 9, 2012 Issue

Volume 80 No. 19February 9, 2012 www.FlorAla.net Student newspaper of the University of North Alabama

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) has given UNA’s stu-dent speech code policy a rating of yellow. Yellow lighted universities have at least one policy that could encourage “admin-istrative abuse and arbitrary application,” according to the organization’s website, thefi re.org.

The FIRE rates schools based on how much their policies could prohibit free speech guaranteed by the First Amend-

ment.UNA President Dr. Bill Cale

said The FIRE’s rating comes down to a difference in opinion.

“The FIRE is entitled to their opinion, of course, and it is one with which we are aware,” he said. “However, their conclu-sion is one with which UNA dis-agrees.

“We have vetted our speech policy through our legal coun-sel and only adopted that code after being comfortable that we did not violate the First Amend-ment.”

The university speech codes only serve to maintain a safe ha-ven for students, Cale said.

“Our approach to speech, as with other matters, is to insure that UNA provides a learning environment that is free from harassment and behaviors

that disrupt our educational purpose,” he said. “This is a position that is defensible

even as it protects First Amendment rights.”

The university’s speech codes are produced in the offi ce of Vice President for Student Affairs David Shields.

“When we wrote our policy, we put it through our legal counsel and looked at Supreme Court cases as well as some of the best existing policies,” he said. “We’ve gotten a letter from FIRE ev-ery year telling us about our rating.”

Shields said the codes serve to maintain a civil free

speech environment.“A university is a place of open inquiry

and discourse,” he said. “It’s a place to look at different points of view and engage in critical thinking—but in a civil way. We want free speech, but we can’t have speech that puts people in direct harm.”

One part of the speech codes that the FIRE takes issue with is the university’s In-ternet usage policy, which prohibits “abu-sive, obscene, or threatening messages by use of computing facilities and services.”

Even in the digital world, the university is simply trying to maintain a safe environ-ment for students, Shields said.

“Social media has become so ingrained in the way we do things that it has taken the responsibility out of communication,” he said. “I don’t monitor anything online unless it is brought to my attention. Some-times what is said on social media sites can spill into the realm of the institution.”

The biggest challenge is making civil-

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Yellow light: FIRE rates UNAʼs speech codes

Although Alabama has only recently seen seasonal infl uenza cases on the local level, health offi cials still urge the general public to take precautions against the fl u.

The Shoals area is seeing a late start to the fl u season, but people should be careful, said Dr. Marlon Flor-ida, emergency department phy-sician at Shoals Hospital.

The fl u vac-cination is one of the best ways to keep from getting the fl u, Florida said.

“The real fl u typically lasts from about fi ve to six weeks,” Florida said. “You stand the chance of missing work and classes.”

Although the fl u vaccine does have side ef-fects, Florida said the real fl u symptoms are much worse than the shot. He said the side ef-fects are typically like fl u symptoms, just not as severe, and the most common side effect is a sore injection site.

Florida said the fl u vaccination typically takes two weeks to become fully effective. The fl u shot caries three strains of fl u in small amounts that are injected into the body, he added.

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Officials say students should take adequate precautions against flu

No fl u cases have been reported to the UNA Health and Wellness Cen-ter this year, but offi cials advise students to pro-tect themselves against the virus.

With non-committal weather, vi-sions of cars hovering like vultures for the best spot behind the GUC and pro-fessors that may or may not have class, sometimes killing that nagging alarm clock and skipping class for sleep may seem like the best option.

An alternative to the traditional clas-room setting is the online classroom of-fered through the distance learning pro-gram. Thomas Beane, a nontraditional student, prefers online classes because

they give him freedom to work on his own time.

“I enjoy online because I can work on my hours,” he said. “It makes it easy for me to take care of my family obliga-tions. The problem is, if you don’t stay on top of it, you can be behind before you ever realize.”

Beane said online classes are not al-ways better than traditional courses. He said, however, that online classes take discipline and regular attendance is still important.

“With online classes, you need to create a schedule,” he said. “Do read-

ings as if they were a lecture. If you don’t have and keep a schedule, that’s when you fall behind.”

English professor Dr. Cynthia Burk-head agrees.

“I do not believe one is better than the other,” she said. “They are differ-ent. It takes a lot of discipline to take an online course. If you’re taking an online class, you’re going to have a different role as a student.”

While the role of the student chang-es, so does the role of the professor, according to Coordinator of Distance

Traditional vs. onlineTraditional vs. online

photo by DARRICK DAWKINS I Staff PhotographerStudent Kevin Clark passes out on his desk during class. UNA professors and students have diverse opinions on the topic of traditional and nontraditional classes and whether certain learning environments are better.

Campus community weighs in on whether online classes affect learning

To view UNAʼs FIRE rating, visit the website at thefire.org/spotlight/

codes/34.html

LEARN MORE:

Page 2: February 9, 2012 Issue

Page 2 News Thursday, February 9, 2012 • The Flor-Ala

News BriefsAcademic success forum to take place on campus

As part of this year’s Black History Month activities, the Black Faculty and Staff Association is sponsoring its sec-ond-annual educational forum. “Paths to Academic Success” will be held Feb. 13 at 6 p.m. in the GUC Performance Center.

The forum is intended to encourage those who are considering pursuing a college degree and those who are cur-rently attending college. The event will provide a perspective from successful college graduates and will emphasize the value of a college degree in today’s society.

For more information, contact Dr. Lisa Minor at 256-765-4498 or email her at [email protected].

News Briefs are compiled by News Editor Josh Skaggs. Email [email protected] to have your event featured in this section.

onlinewww.florala.net

-Delta Chi hosts snow partyBlythe Steelman, Staff Writer

Check out our website onThursday after the SGA meet-ing for an update on the spring festival.

These stories and more online!

Follow us on Twitter

at @UNAFlorAla

and on Facebook

to get breaking news

from The Flor-Ala.

SGA Senate transfers $31k to UPC

SGA Senate passed a resolution last week to transfer $31,000 to the University Program Council to help fund the spring concert. The funding was approved without a formal announcement of who the artists performing at the concert will be, said SGA President Ralph Akalonu.

The funds approved by Senate would be taken from the student recreation fee charge account that was given to SGA after the purchase of the Florence Golf and Coun-try Club fell through last year. The country club was not purchased because of confl icts between the city and university.

Akalonu signed the resolution into law Monday morning. The additional $31,000 would take the original live acts budget from $65,000 to $97,000.

“As SGA President, I fully support the measure by the Senate and have decided to sign the resolution into law,” Akalonu said in a statement Monday. “Thus far, the art-ists mentioned by the live acts chairperson of UPC are still under consideration and are not yet guaranteed. Therefore, the resolu-tion passed by the SGA Senate was merely to provide additional resources for UPC to have a successful spring concert.”

Senator Mary-Francis Wilson an-nounced that she knew who the artist was and said the act was recording artist Keri Hilson. She said she had received prior approval to research on this subject and searched for the artist with information that

UPC presented to them the week before.In addition to Keri Hilson, senators

brought up another recording artist that could be brought to the concert. Need to Breathe, a Christian band, was discussed in the meeting by multiple senators.

Wilson said she did not feel comfortable giving the $31,000 for the acts.

“Just to speak for myself, I cannot sup-port $31,000 for Keri Hilson,” Wilson said.

Treasurer John Ledgewood asked that the names of the artists be kept private within the Senate meeting, but according to the Alabama Open Meetings Act, every-thing discussed in a regular meeting of the Senate branch regarding the expenditure of public funds is open record.

No members of the SGA Executive Council denied that the artists were Keri Hilson and Need to Breathe.

According to Akalonu, the resolution was just approving that there would be two main acts, instead of just one.

Senator Denise O’Donnell agreed with Wilson, and questioned UPC Live Acts Chair Walter Hartley on whether students would really support Hilson, or even know who she is.

“I feel like if we don’t give him, or al-locate this to him, the concert will be even worse (than last year),” said Senator David Petty.

Petty said Senate should contribute and ensure that the concert is a success.

Akalonu would not verify that Keri Hil-son and Need to Breathe were the spring concert acts after the Senate meeting.

Stay with The Flor-Ala as this story de-velops.

Extra funds to be spent on spring concert acts

file photo by ASHTON LANCE I Staff Photographer

Lee Brice, country music artist and co-headliner of last year’s spring festival, performs in Flowers Hall May 4, 2011. UPC paid Brice and country band Gloriana to headline the festival.

Yearbook plans senior photo shoot Friday

The Diorama, UNA’s yearbook,will be shooting senior photos Feb. 10 in the GUC pit from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Friday will be the last day for seniors to get their photos taken to be included in this year’s yearbook, which is sched-uled to be released in April.

For more information, contact Di-orama Executive Editor Amber Waldrep at [email protected] or call the Offi ce of Student Media at 256-765-4296.

Although only seven women have served as SGA president at UNA since 1933, many students see a change on the horizon as more women step up to serve in higher positions within campus govern-ment.

Laura Giles, sophomore and chief of staff for SGA Senate, said many women

don’t go out for executive positions in SGA because government and politics are most often dominated by men.

“I think a lot of people, even in the U.S. system, think it’s easier for a man to take on these roles because it’s always been that way in leadership,” she said. “With wom-en’s rights, it’s made it easier for people in the United States and at UNA to see more women taking on leadership roles.”

Women make up 52 percent of colle-giate student governments across the coun-try, but only 43 percent of women go on to serve in presidential roles, according to data gathered by the American Student Govern-ment Association of approximately 5,100 institutions. At this time, women make up 17 percent of U.S. Congress and 22 percent of state legislatures.

Tammy Jacques, director of student en-gagement and adviser of SGA, said the ex-ecutive council of Senate has been mostly even between male and female representa-tives since she began advising the group in 2006.

Right now, two female UNA students serve in executive roles in Senate, Jacques said. Since 2006, the only time when Senate wasn’t equally represented between men and women was during the 2008-2009 year when no females served on the council.

Women consist of 55 percent of the overall UNA enrollment—which is approx-imately 7,100 students. Jacques said she believes more women will take on execu-tive positions in SGA in the future since the population of women is so large on campus.

“We haven’t really looked at it yet (as to why so few women run for executive posi-tions), but we need to start looking at it and why more women are not running for these roles,” she said.

Launched in 2010, the Elect Her Initia-tive through the American Association of University Women has worked to empower and train women from high school to col-lege to occupy political leadership roles on campus.

The initiative is making its way across the U.S. and has already touched ground in Alabama after offi cials made a stop in Tus-caloosa Feb. 4 to train young women for student government.

Emily McCann, junior and vice presi-dent of Senate, said there are nine women who occupy a total of 20 senator roles within Senate. She said SGA is diverse at UNA, with male, female, multiracial and international student representatives within the group.

“Women are a large part of the popula-tion at UNA, and it’s only right that women are involved (in student government),” she said. “They should represent our constitu-ents in SGA and in our government. I be-lieve we will continue to see more of a rise in women as it only takes one person to get the ball rolling.”

UNA alumna Michelle Rupe Eubanks served as SGA president on campus from 1995-1996. She said her role may have set

photo by DARRICK DAWKINS I Staff Photographer

SGA Vice President of Senate Emily Mc-Cann addresses the Senate last week in their weekly meeting.

Initiative aims to increase female involvement in SGA

Page 3: February 9, 2012 Issue

Page 3Thursday, February 9, 2012 • The Flor-Ala NewsGoing downtown

Department of Entertainment Industry makes move to Tombigbee Street

UNA President Bill Cale signed an agreement with Noiseblock Music Group Feb. 3 to lease space for the Department of Entertainment Industry for fi ve-year in-crements and fi rst option to purchase the property if it is sold. The studio—located on the corner of Tombigbee Street and Pine Street—will welcome the department and its students Aug. 1, Cale said.

The lease for the more than 9,000 square foot space will cost the department $5,500 a month.

The lease will commence June 1—when the department will begin renovating the space to fi t its needs—but the studio should be ready to hold classes by next Au-gust, said Dr. John Thornell, provost and

vice president for academic affairs.“This will be an opportunity for stu-

dents to embrace the entertainment indus-try from start to fi nish,” he said. “They will have access to the full range of hands-on experience. They don’t currently have ac-cess to that type of space.”

The space will be renovated to include a keynote room for live performances hosted by entertainment industry students.

“The space we’re renting is a long rect-angle, but it will eventually be L-shaped when we combine with the keynote room directly adjacent,” said Dr. Bob Garfrerick, chair of the department.

Grammy winner and owner and opera-tor of Noiseblock Music Group Gary Baker said having access to a studio and keynote room for live performances will benefi t the students of the department.

“There’s no substitute for playing live

in this business,” he said. “This will give us opportunities to fi lm or critique shows. That’s what we’re here for.

“The only way I see to be successful in music in the future will be to have great live shows and people pay to come see you.”

Garfrerick said he thinks students will be excited about the move from the depart-ment’s current location in the GUC.

“Since 1993 we’ve operated out of what is, essentially, a small offi ce suite with ac-cess to a small studio,” he said. “We’ve had no control over any singular classroom.”

Parking probably won’t be a problem for students at the off-campus site, Garfre-rick said.

“UNA has spaces in the parking deck just one block away,” he said. “And the lo-cation is even close enough for students to

photo by SHANNON WELLS I University Photographer

Department of Entertainment Industry Chair Dr. Bob Garfrerick, Gary Baker, Provost Dr. John Thornell, Vice President for Business Affairs Steven Smith and UNA President Bill Cale sign the lease for the new home of the entertainment industry department.

President Cale discusses Kilbyʼs future with parents

Actors get opportunityto perform atprestigious festival

UNA’s production of “Master Harold … and the Boys” was invited last week to perform and compete at Daytona State Col-lege at the 2012 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. The prestigious festival hosts the best theater productions from across the country.

This is the fi rst time a play from UNA has been asked to compete in the festival, and the results for the competition won’t be released for several weeks.

Professor Charlton James is the director for the play and said the cast and crew have accomplished a lot this year.

“When we started, our goal was to be invited to the KCACTF, and everybody committed to the show,” he said. “We have a wonderful group.”

“ M a s t e r H a r o l d … a n d the Boys” is a one-act play by Athol Fugard. The play is set in 1950 South Africa and ex-plores themes of racial in-equality and hope for a dif-ferent way of thinking via the re la t ionships between Mas-ter Harold and his mother’s tea shop work-ers, Willie and Sam. UNA stu-dents Spencer Cantrell, Kelvin Jones and Michael Bald-win portrayed the character roles.

This is Baldwin’s fourth time being in-vited to the festival, but his fi rst with a full production. He said this invitation was a landmark event for the department and is confi dent the play will be well received.

“All the productions are very good,” he said. “We feel complimented to be asked to compete against them.”

He said he is grateful to UNA for the grant they received to be able to travel to Florida and said the convention has been eye-opening and exactly what theater stu-dents need.

The production crew members are also excited about the invite.

“It’s really amazing to be here with our fi rst production at KCACTF,” said Luke Hunter, an entertainment industry technol-ogy major and sound operator for the play. “You are making connections along the way.”

The benefi ts of performing at this fes-tival include networking possibilities, but also the chance for UNA students to win scholarships, internships, grants, and awards for actors, directors, playwrights, designers, stage managers, and critics at both regional and national levels.

If UNA’s “Master Harold…and the Boys” places at the regional level, the students will travel to Washington, DC to accept awards and perform at the national level.

”When we started, our goal was to be

invited to the KCACTF and everybody com-mited to the show.”

-Charlton James

UNA President Bill Cale met with par-ents and students Tuesday night at Kilby School’s Parent Teacher Organization meeting to discuss the future of Kilby Lab-oratory School.

Cale dispersed a letter to parents and answered questions from them about the future of the lab school.

“I know that every parent of a child at Kilby School, along with many others in our community, is concerned about the school’s future and how any changes might get accomplished,” Cale said in a letter to parents. “The university is examining the serious fi nancial issue facing Kilby and seeking to determine the best course of ac-tion for the school, its relationship to the university and it’s fi nancial future.”

The university has subsidized nearly $1 million to Kilby in the past, Cale said.

Cale told parents that they may not agree with him, but the reason for his pro-gram review is to ensure that Kilby is cen-tral to UNA’s mission.

“I want to open by telling you that I am extremely proud of Kilby School,” Cale

said. “This is one fi ne school and I want you to know that I understand that.”

Kilby Laboratory school has been the topic at many of UNA’s administration meetings as well as at the December board of trustees meeting, after Cale asked the Strategic Planning and Budget Study Com-mittee to look further into whether Kilby was central to the university’s mission.

The university has set up a review com-mittee, headed by Dr. Thomas Calhoun, as-sociate vice president for academic affairs, to examine facts and evaluate alternatives for what is best for UNA and Kilby, Cale said.

Kilby PTO President Carole Maynard said the school and its PTO are working to ensure that Kilby is an effective laboratory school for UNA.

“We just need to build on (the relation-ship between the lab school and UNA),” Maynard said. “I think it is just a lack of knowing what’s available for us (at Kilby) and for UNA.”

Maynard told parents that two UNA professors are conducting a study on lab-oratory schools and how to make them better. Drs. Lisa Clayton and Katherine Kinney will be traveling to MODEL Labo-

ratory School at Eastern Kentucky Univer-sity to conduct research on how to better the lab school experience at UNA, she said.

photo by KAYLA SLOAN I Staff Photographer

UNA President Dr. Bill Cale speaks to parents of children at Kilby Laboratory School Feb. 7.

Page 4: February 9, 2012 Issue

Page 4ViewpointsThursday, February 9, 2012 • The Flor-Ala

I do not consider myself a prude, but UNA, calm down please! My virginal eyes cannot take any more of your sexual innu-endo on campus. I thought moving to Florence from Seattle to attend

school would mean I would be leaving the sexually “progressive and liberated.” Was I wrong. Today, the average student at UNA is inundated with all kind of innuendos and crass

displays pawned off as art!While on my daily jog around Florence

last week, I was joined unintentionally by two new running partners. These gents, while in their late 60s, do not stop running and wear the

shortest of shorts with fragmented pieces of fabric they call ‘shirts’ to cover their nips.

While on the run, I couldn’t help but stare at our campus’ Shakespearean statues. Jeez! Juliet, put a sweater on. What are you trying to do, cut glass? Do not even get me started on Romeo and the butt floss he calls tights.

Post jog, I felt a bit short of breath. It could have been a cold or the 67 miles my running partners insisted on. Regardless, I needed some professional medical assistance. After my scoot on my Razor scooter over to the infirmary, I soon regretted my visit. What with all the intru-sive questions on my “s.e.x.” life, I needed an inhaler to calm myself down. To cap off this uncomfortable visit, I was not amused by the “Brown Bag Special” at the exit. There is noth-ing fun about that “Lifestyle!”

I had had enough of this day’s dirty images. This onslaught of uncomfortable and personal questions needed to come to an end. I needed to unwind.

Arguably, one of the most beautiful and tranquil activities on campus is to enjoy our proud mascots frolicking amongst their habitat.

Watching these animals untouched by the dirtiness and perversions of the outside world is humbling. Nothing is more majestic than watching as Leo playfully rubs his mane against Una and shows affection to his ... Oh! Come on, Leo, that’s your sister! Someone grab a hose; they’re at it again.

Editor’s Note:This fictional humor column is the intel-

lectual property of Humor Columnist Mack Cornwell and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Flor-Ala staff.

Lion support knows no bounds

When you think of UNA athlet-ics, I would be willing to bet you the first sport that comes to your mind is foot-ball. Why would you not think about the football team that has won three Division II championships and has established itself as one of the top programs in the land?

And—as you can see when August comes rolling around—stu-dents get amped up about UNA football.

When I became the sports edi-tor for The Flor-Ala, I knew Lion pride for football was the highest of any sport here. When this year’s football team played a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup against Delta State, the atmosphere for that game was electric and support was through the roof. It couldn’t get any better.

At that point, I thought to myself, UNA football has no comparison to other sports when it comes to Lion pride. I figured once football season was over those same fans that came out and filled Braly Stadium would not return again until September.

As basketball season started up, the fan support for both the men’s and women’s basketball teams was pretty good for the most part, but it was not at the same intensity level as

football was. Then the big matchup against our rival No. 12 UAH came up, and I was eager to see if the crowds of fall would return to cheer on the basketball teams as much as they had for Lion football.

As the first half of the men’s game flew by, I stopped taking notes for the game coverage and started to look around at all the fans with their white shirts on cheering and scream-ing for a big upset, and Flowers Hall was filled to capacity.

The energy in the building was so high; it reminded me so much of that epic game in football season. Even though the Lions lost the nail-biter, fans went up to the players and told them how much they appreciated their playing efforts.

After seeing the turnout of fans for that game, it made me realize Lion pride isn’t just for football; it’s for basketball as well. Seeing the support for those sports made me think UNA would come out and support the Lions in every sport we play.

As the baseball, softball and tennis seasons begin, I’m looking forward to seeing that next epic game and the Lion pride in full force cheering the team to victory.

To contact Tommy, call 256-765-5018 or you can follow him on Twitter at @FlorAlaSports.

Student newspaper of the University of North Alabama

LUCY BERRYEXECUTIVE EDITOR

JOSH SKAGGSNEWS/MANAGING EDITOR

ANDY THIGPENLIFE EDITOR

TOMMY BOLTONSPORTS EDITOR ALEX LINDLEY

COPY/OPINIONS EDITOR JORDAN BRADLEY

ONLINE EDITORDEVIN KENNAMER

AD MANAGERSAVANNAH COMER

GRAPHIC ARTISTJULIANN LOSEY

CIRCULATION MGRMALISA McCLURE

CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHERKAYLA SLOANBARRY MINOR

DARRICK DAWKINSSTAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS

REBECCA WALKERADVISER

EDITORIAL BOARD: LUCY BERRY

ALEX LINDLEY

The Flor-Ala welcomes and encourages Letters to the Editor.• The deadline for submitting letters is 10 a.m. Monday, the week of publication.• Letters must not exceed 400 words. • Letters must be accompa-nied by the writer’s name, mailing address, phone number and email.• The Flor-Ala prefers to publish your letters exactly as written, but reserves the right to reject slanderous or libelous material.• The publication of any let-ter is left to the discretion of the Editorial Board.• Priority is given to letters critical of The Flor-Ala, or written in direct response to an editorial, a column, or a news story.• When the editors deem it necessary for ease of understanding or to clarify facts, an Editor’s Note may accompany a letter.• Address correspondence to The Flor-Ala. UNA Box 5300, Florence, AL 35632.Email: [email protected]. Letters may also be submit-ted through our website at florala.net.• Phone: 256-765-4364

Letters Policy

Copyright © 2011The Flor-AlaAll rights reserved.First copy free.Additional copies $1 each.

Sexual imagery on campus disturbs me

Have your own cartoons? Want to be published? Send us your stuff at fl [email protected]!

Cartoon of the Week

Congrats to Staff Writer Lauren Estes for being named Writer of the Week for The Flor-Ala. Also, great job to Chief

Photographer Malisa McClure for having Photo of the Week in the last edition of The Flor-Ala.

SHOUTOUT!

Letter to the EditorTo UNA Students,

On Thursday Feb. 2, the SGA Senate voted in favor of Reso-lution 12-02 to provide the University Program Council with the sum of $31,000 for the spring concert. The resolution was to provide additional funds for the spring concert and not for a specifi c artist(s). UPC has been working since the fall of 2011 to secure an artist(s) for the spring concert. The council even set up a poll on social media with suggestions to determine what kind of artist(s) students would like to see in order to have a transparent process. The students who responded to the poll voted for two artists (Wale and Sara Bareilles). Due to price and scheduling differences, a deal could not be made. However, that has not deterred UPC from searching for other artist(s) that students can enjoy for a spring concert. This search has meant that in order to bring a diverse group of artist(s) to cater to UNA students, additional resources will be needed to do so. Thus far, the artists mentioned by the live acts chairperson of UPC are still under consideration and are not yet guaranteed. Therefore, the resolution passed by Senate was merely to provide additional resources for UPC to have a suc-cessful spring concert. As SGA president I fully support the measure and have de-cided to sign the resolution into law. I will forward the resolu-tion along with a letter to Dr. Steve Smith, vice president of fi nancial affairs, requesting that the approved money be made available for UPC use. Once again, I would like to reiterate the artists for the 2012 spring concert have not been fi nalized and encourage students to engage in this process by attending UPC weekly meetings Mondays at 3:30 p.m. in GUC 200. For any further questions, please contact me at [email protected] or SGA Vice President for UPC Will Riley at [email protected].

Sincerely,Ralph Akalonu, SGA President

Humor Column

Page 5: February 9, 2012 Issue

Life Page 5Thursday, February 9, 2011 • The Flor-Ala

The never-ending debate of fi lm VS. digital photography has reappeared on the docket since Kodak, one of the largest fi lm camera producers in the U.S., recently an-nounced it will stop production on reload-able 35 mm fi lm cameras in an attempt to bail out of bankruptcy.

The company will shift toward digital cameras and production of fi lm cameras in emerging countries, such as China, India and those in Eastern Europe.

UNA’s photography curriculum has fi rm roots in fi lm, ensuring all photography majors have a sure-footed knowledge of

shooting with fi lm cameras and being able to develop fi lm from negatives.

“I am most comfortable with fi lm,” said Jennifer Newton, a current photogra-phy major at UNA. “I like the fl exibility I have with fi lm compared with digital. It’s enjoyable to me and more hands on. I feel it is a labor of love with fi lm.”

Some people fi nd digital photography more user-friendly.

“I think digital has killed photogra-phy, in a sense, as an industry,” said John Phillips, a recent photography graduate of UNA. “Film photography is really a won-derful art form, but at this point it is almost obsolete for my current line of work.”

Philips currently works doing sports

photography and fi nds using digital cam-eras easier.

Professor Wayne Sides does not prefer one to the other.

“With art, you choose your weapon,” he said. “To compare digital to fi lm is like comparing acrylic paint to oil paint. You can get a similar result with both, but it de-pends on the intended outcome.”

He said he has noticed a trend of stu-dents raised on digital photography more interested in fi lm.

“I like (fi lm) because it slows people down,” Sides said. “It makes them think about their work as something precious and sacred. I want my students to know how they got that picture instead of just snap-

ping and clicking with digital.”He said fi lm still has the upper hand

when it comes to being able to produce larger-sized pictures. He also said it is much cheaper to use because digital cameras are constantly becoming obsolete as technol-ogy advances.

He said digital cameras produce fast results, making them ideal for commercial photography such as events, newspapers and anything where deadlines are fast.

While Kodak has stopped production in the U.S., the future of fi lm is still unclear.

“Hollywood is using fi lm to this day,” Sides said. “Is this how it is going to be in fi ve years? We have no idea.”

FilmFilm

Digitaligitaloror

photos by KAYLA SLOAN I Staff Photographer

Jennifer Newton inspects negatives on a light table before starting the printing process. Methods of photo develop-ment are constantly debated in the photography fi eld. Newton prefers the labor of fi lm photography to the digital solution.

Different formats of negatives hang in the fi lm drying room before the photographer decides whether or not they will be printed.

Photo developing methods remain hot topic in photography field

I will admit that I am no connoisseur of fi ne dining, but I know a good restaurant when I see one. My fi rst reaction to City Hardware, located next door to Ricatoni’s Italian Grill, was that the dining experience was going to be pleasant and much like any other nice restaurant in Florence. There was a decent-sized crowd when I entered the establishment, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

However, after being seated (and at a dirty table, nonetheless), it became clear that my experience with City Hardware was going to be anything but pleasant.

City Hardware hosts an impressive se-lection of food, beer, wine, cocktails and other beverages. The menu, though, is al-most overwhelming with its expansive list of options. Starters include choices such as spinach and artichoke dip or crab cakes, while the entrée list boasts meals such as

bacon-wrapped meatloaf and pecan-crusted grouper.

For those looking for simpler options, City Hardware also offers a unique range of burgers, salads and fl atbreads.

While I looked at the menu, I asked for a glass of water. After asking my server twice, my drink fi nally arrived (about four and a half minutes before my food did).

I chose to try the California burger, which comes with avocado, Applewood-smoked bacon, caramelized onions, Dijon horseradish, aged cheddar and greens on a brioche bun, as well as a side of fries.

When my food arrived, I took one look at the burger on the plate in front of me (if you could call it a burger) and was instantly disgusted by the poor appearance and obvi-ous lack of time that the restaurant took to put my order together. I believe my four-year-old cousin could have made a burger look less sloppy and more appealing.

As far as taste goes, the California burger was not terrible, but it defi nitely

was not worth the nine dol-lars I paid for it. The fries were lukewarm and tasted like they had been sitting in the kitchen all afternoon long.

The dessert was the only saving grace for this terrible din-ing experience. I went with the spiced apple bread pudding, expecting it to be as horrendous as the rest of my meal, and was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be quite the opposite. I have been try-ing to make the perfect spiced apple bread pudding for years, but nothing I have ever made even comes close to what I had at City Hardware.

Overall, the service was mediocre and the food was entirely too expensive for what it was. After including a tip, my meal came out to be $18 and some change. At the end of the day, because the atmosphere was enjoyable and the dessert left me want-ing their recipe for spiced apple bread pud-ding, I give City Hardware two out fi ve stars.

photo by BARRY MINOR I Staff Photographer

Review: New downtown restaurant City Hardware needs more work

Rhiannon Clark bartends at City Hardware in downtown Florence. The restaurant has only been open for three weeks and has been subject to mixed reviews.

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Page 6: February 9, 2012 Issue

Page 6 Thursday, February 9, 2012 • The Flor-AlaImages

Student Mike Broman, a brother of Alpha Tau Omega, portrays Tinkerbell in the group’s rendition of “Lost Boys” at Step Sing.

Left to right, students Justin Graveman and Brett McCoy perform Kappa Sigma’s “Last Rodeo.”

A little more Step Sing.. By Malisa McClure - Chief Photographer - [email protected] When I shot Step Sing last Saturday night, I ended up with about 700 photos on my memory card. It hardly seems possible to shoot that many photos in one night, but it’s easy to do at an event with so much excitement. The photos I turned in to go along with the story were, of course, the

best photos—the typical, energetic, smiley photos. In other words, I turned in what the editors and gen-eral public want

to see. However, with 700 pho-tos, there were a few jewels that

didn’t quite make the cut. Here, I have taken those photos and put them together for your viewing pleasure. These are the photos you wouldn’t usually see —the candid, the creative, and the just plain silly photos. So please, prop your feet up and enjoy!

The sisters of Phi Mu perform behind a prop at Step Sing.

From left to right, Adrian Caruthers, Marcus Vincent, Jessica Collingwood and Jerry Saylor of the Gay-Straight Alliance per-form at Step Sing.

Students Jacob Winkles and Dane Trelles of Al-pha Tau Omega hold the victory trophy.

Members of the crowd watch Alpha Gamma Delta perform during Step Sing.

Student James Co-chran plays the part of Peter Pan during Alpha Tau Omega’s performance of “Lost Boys” at Step Sing.

From left to right, Pat-rick Yadao, Jerry Saylor and Adrian Caruthers of Gay-Straight Alliance per-form during Step Sing.

Interested in shoot-ing photos for The

Flor-Ala? Email Malisa McClure at

[email protected].

View more from this photo series at our website florala.net.

Page 7: February 9, 2012 Issue

Feature Page 7Thursday, February 9, 2011 • The Flor-Ala

Learning Brenda Wilson. She said online learning might be more benefi cial than traditional styles if the professor uses it correctly.

“It depends on the professor,” Wilson said. “Online classes are as different as each in-class experi-ence. If the professor engages the class and is passionate about online learning and not just dragged into it, then they could give you a better experience than in class.”

Regardless of the classroom set-ting, Wilson also said attendance is a vital part of academic success.

“If you don’t understand the material, your grade will suffer,” she said. “There’s only one way to understand the material: come to

class.”Burkhead said more motiva-

tion is needed while taking online courses.

“If (students) don’t take advan-tage of all the resources I have for them, their success will be the same as a student who doesn’t come to a traditional class,” Burkhead said. “In many ways, online learning re-quires more discipline.”

Dr. Daniel Hallock, chair of management and marketing, said hybrid classes are the most effi cient combination of traditional and on-line classroom settings.

“According to most profes-sional research, (hybrid classes) are seen to be the most effective,” Hal-

lock said.Hybrid classes are classes

where the students only come once or twice a week to meet with the in-structor. The majority of the work-load is done online, which means a longer snooze time.

While the idea is relatively new to UNA, Hallock said there will be a dramatic increase in hybrid class-es in the coming years.

“There’s a big change happen-ing,” he said. “We’ve always been told that face-to-face is the only way to educate and the best way to educate. That might not always be the case.”

photo by BARRY MINOR I Staff Photographer

UNA students may fi nd it unnecessary to spend much time on campus in the future as learning environments change. Of-fi cials said hybrid classes are the future of UNA and that there will be an increase in the number of hybrid courses offered.

“Certain parts of your im-mune system are trained to look for proteins, bacteria, etc.,” Flor-ida said. “When they fi nd that, they work with other parts of your immune system to make an antibody to destroy it. Your body sees that, and thinks it’s the real fl u. That’s why you get the symp-toms.”

The fl u vaccine is training your body to attack the fl u virus, Florida said.

The UNA Health and Well-ness Center treats students with fl u as well.

“We haven’t had any fl u yet this year,” said Peggy Bergeron, clinical nurse at UNA’s health and wellness center. “We still have the fl u shot, (and students) can get them for free.”

Bergeron said that students

with symptoms such as cough, achy body and high fever should come to the clinic for medical treatment as soon as possible.

The Health and Wellness Center will alert the student body if a positive fl u case is found on campus, Bergeron said.

In the state, Jefferson and Colbert counties have seen cas-es of the fl u this year, Bergeron said.

“We still have a couple hun-dred shots left, so come on in,” said Cindy Wood, executive di-rector of the Health and Wellness Center.

“(We are seeing a) slow start; we don’t know if it will be a slow season,” Wood said. “It hasn’t started yet.”

The Health and Wellness Center has performed fl u tests

on students this year, and they all have come back negative.

Students like Graduate Stu-dent Allie Peterson do not feel that the shot works.

“The year that swine fl u was bad, I came down with (the swine fl u) right after,” Peterson said.

Peterson said she experi-enced bad side effects from the vaccination.

“I just don’t get them,” she said. “Everyone in my family gets them, though.”

Carolyn Thomas, a senior exercise science major, said she gets the fl u shot every year.

“My parents make me,” she said. “My dad is a doctor, so I always get them.”

The only side effect Thomas said she experienced was a sore injection site.

photo by MALISA MCCLURE I Chief Photographer

Offi cials at the UNA Health and Wellness Center said they have administered fl u shots many times this year, but they have all come back negative.

ity and free speech meet, said Chair of the Department of Com-munications Dr. Gregory Pitts.

“In college, you’ve got people who have never met anyone with a point of view that’s decidedly different from theirs,” he said. “That can lead to confl ict. In a way, the policies are there to pro-tect speech rights.”

College is a time for stu-dents to engage with their First Amendment rights and learn about them, Pitts said.

“The goal is for students to fi nd themselves engaging with

o t h -er people,” he said. “When we exchange ideas, that’s how we learn.”

Pitts said he is impressed with UNA’s rating—especially that one item stating UNA’s commit-ment to free expression in the code was green lighted.

“I’m impressed with the site and what UNA has done,” he said. “(UNA) has been forthright in working toward a campus with free speech and expression and civil responsibility. Many institu-tions around the state received red ratings.”

Shields said the speech codes were written with good intentions.

“Our goal is to make sure we have healthy discourse on cam-pus,” he said. “We want to put students out into the world as edu-cated citizens.”

The FIRE serves a good pur-pose, Shields said.

“FIRE is simply saying that limiting speech in any way is a slippery slope,” he said. “It’s a short walk from monitoring to in-fringing to silencing.”

To view UNA’s case on The FIRE’s website, go to http://the-fi re.org/spotlight/codes/34.html

Selma author visits UNA campus, recollects Civil Rights Movement

photo by MALISA MCCLURE I Chief Photographer

Author Richie Jean Sherrod Jackson discusses her experi-ence with Martin Luther King, Jr. during the 1965 Civil Rights campaign and Selma to Montgomery march Feb. 6.

HELP WANTED:Interested in applying for a position with The Flor-Ala next year? You can apply on-line through LionJobs or send your cover

letter, resume, three work samples and list of references to [email protected] by Feb.

17 to be considered. Interviews will be held Feb. 24 and March 2. For more info, email

Lucy Berry at [email protected].

Page 8: February 9, 2012 Issue

J. “Playing in the regional tournament last year in the big game against Hard-ing.”

UNA sports offi cials, coaches, and players are speaking out about an issue important to the success of athletics of the university: the issue of scheduling games. Diffi -culty scheduling games is a recur-ring theme throughout the De-partment of Athletics, said coach offi cials.

“Scheduling is an issue for our university,” said Terry Fowler, head coach of women’s basketball. “In the six years I have been at UNA, scheduling has been a big issue.”

Scheduling this next year for women’s basketball has been eas-ier due to a two-year scheduling contract that has fi lled game slots, Fowler said. Usually, though, Fowler said scheduling games can be diffi cult because of the lack of options in UNA’s conference.

Mark Linder, director of ath-letics, said the Gulf South Confer-ence may be the reason why it is hard to schedule athletic events.

“I think it comes down to right now (having) so few conference members,” Linder said.

Linder said a move to Division I athletics would open up options

of teams that are in UNA’s range of travel.

Fowler said an invitation to a D-I conference would change the scheduling playing fi eld. It still all depends on the conference en-tered, though.

Fowler said many games he must schedule now involve hav-ing to travel large distances, which can cause some students to get be-hind in academics or feel fatigued. But going on the road is just a part of college athletics, Fowler said.

“If we want to make it happen, we can make it happen,” he said.

Stephanie Radecki, UNA head volleyball coach, has also had trouble scheduling games. She said if she could change one thing about the scheduling issue at UNA, she would want to be in a position where she could schedule more home games for her team.

“I think a lot of schools and programs struggle with want-ing to play schools out of their region,” she said. “Last fall, we missed more classes because of travel than in a long time. Obvi-ously, travel causes our budget to be pulled a little tighter and our student athletes to miss more class.”

Head baseball coach Mike Keehn also said scheduling games

is a challenge. He said the travel his team must undergo helps pre-pare the young men for playoff travel, but it can have some nega-tive eff ects.

“Th e biggest trouble we have is being able to fi nd enough Di-vision II games,” Keehn said. “I think it takes its toll when we have to take those long trips. Too much of anything can wear you down.”

Soccer player and freshman Chelsea Rial said she would like to see a few changes in her game schedule.

“I think the universities that we would like to play but don’t get to are Lynn University and Florida Southern,” she said.

Rial said this is because of the four games her team lost last year. Lynn University and Florida Southern were two of their losses.

Rial said she and her team would love the opportunity to re-deem themselves by beating such teams, but they don’t get chance because they are not on the up-coming schedule.

L: What has been your favor-ite UNA memory so far?

L: Tell the readers about your family; do you have any siblings?

J: “I have a brother, Ben, who is 16 and plays base-ball too, and my mother’s name is Linda.”

L: Is there a par-ticular baseball

player or team you follow/really enjoy watching?

J: “Albert Pujols, and he plays for the Cardinals.”

L: Speaking of your faith, do you go to church locally?

J: “I do. I go to High-land Bap-tist.”

L: If someone was to turn on your car radio right now, what would they hear playing?

J: “A Linkin’ Park CD.”

L: Burger King or McDonald’s?

J: “McDonald’s because it’s cheaper.”

One of UNA’s 13 returning lettermen for the baseball team for the 2012 season is the sec-ond team All-GSC fi rst baseman Josh Cyr.

Page 8 Thursday, February 9, 2011 • The Flor-AlaSportsPlayer of the Player of the

WeekWeek

Jasmine HorneJasmine HorneHometown: Sheffi eldHometown: Sheffi eldMajor: Exercise ScienceMajor: Exercise SciencePosition: GuardPosition: GuardStats: Horne avereaged 19.5 ppg Stats: Horne avereaged 19.5 ppg last week. She also had a gamelast week. She also had a gamehigh 24 points against West high 24 points against West Alabama.Alabama.

Week At A Week At A GlanceGlance

Men’s BasketballMen’s BasketballWhen: Thursday, 7 p.m.

Saturday, 7 p.m.

Where: Home

Who: West Florida

Valdosta State

Women’s BasketballWomen’s BasketballWhen: Thursday, 5 p.m.

Saturday, 5 p.m.

Where: Away

Who: West Florida

Valdosta State

SaturdSaturd

WhWh

Who: WWho: W

WhWWWW en: ThursdWhen: Thursd

SaturSatur

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Who: WWho: W

ValVal

Baseball BaseballWhen: Saturday, 1 p.m. (DH)When: Saturday, 1 p.m. (DH)

Sunday, 1 p.m.Sunday, 1 p.m.

Where: Home

Who: Ouachita Baptist

Where: HoWhere: Ho

WhWWWWWWWWWWWWW o: Ouachita BapWho: Ouachita Bap

g ging.”gg

L:What has been your favor-

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L: Tell the readers about your family; do you have any y y

ssssssssssssssssssssssssiblings?y

J: “I have a brother, Ben, who is

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someone was to your car radio right

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Linkin’ Park CD.”

urger King or ld’s?gg

cDonald’s t’s cheaper.”

Fans expect big things from Cyr this season

L. What are some of the individual goals you’ve set for yourself this season that will help your team as a whole?

J. “I want to bat .350, hit 10 or so homeruns I guess, but of course we want to make it to the GSC tournament, to regionals and eventually to the National Champi-onship.”

L: On a non-seri-ous note, if a producer decided to make a movie about your life, who would they cast to play your character in the movie?

J: “I guess, ‘Th e Rock’ … Dwayne Johnson ... I think he looks like me.”

J: “Will Ferrell. I think he is funnier than Adam Sandler is. I love ‘Step Brothers’.”

L: Tell the readers a little about where you’re from; where did you graduate high school?

J: “I’m from Huntsville; I graduated from West Minis-ter Christian Academy.”

L: What is your game-day routine? What do you do be-fore you play?

J: “I take some swings, get my mind right and get ready to play the game. I don’t really listen to music before a game. I pray before I play.”

L: Do you have a role model that you have looked up to over the years that has encour-

aged you?

J: “I would say my dad, John

Cyr, because he works hard in ev-erything he does

and also puts his faith fi rst.”

L: What is your favorite game-day food/pregame meal?

J: “I’d have to say waffl es and eggs, but as for the meal aft er a win, a big steak, I guess from Texas Roadhouse.”

L: Speaking of ac-tors, Adam Sandler or Will Ferrell?

photo by KAYLA

SLOAN I Staff Photographer

Coaches, athletes face scheduling problems

photo by KAYLA SLOAN I Staff Photographer

UNA’s Pride of Dixie band plays during the homecoming game last fall. Due to scheduling problems, homecoming games will be differ-ent every year.

Page 9: February 9, 2012 Issue

Th e debate on whether or not sports aff ect students’ grades has been a topic of interest among students for years. Some be-lieve athletics have a positive eff ect on stu-dents, teaching them to be responsible with their time and grades. However, others be-lieve sports are the reason why some student athletes have lower grades.

“Being involved in sports helps students learn to prioritize,” said Brice Bishop, UNA men’s and women’s tennis coach. “School comes fi rst. My athletes have always been pretty self-motivated when it comes down to their grades.”

According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association and UNA’s athletic de-partment, student athletes must maintain a cumulative grade point average to sustain their eligibility for college sports.

“Student athletes are required to pass 24 credit hours per academic year,” said Todd Vardaman, assistant athletic director and director of NCAA compliance. “At the point they reach their fi ft h full-time semester, they must declare a major and be placed on a check sheet. Th e student athlete must then earn at least 24 hours toward that degree and maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA.”

Students who fail to meet the required GPA or seem to be slipping academically have to take study hall hours if they want to continue playing a sport. All student ath-letes in their fi rst semester at UNA must also take study hall hours. A student who does not maintain a cumulative GPA will become academically ineligible and will not be able

to participate during games. Athletics help students by teaching them

time management, work ethics and re-sponsibility, according to many players and coaches on campus.

“I oft en notice that players do better aca-demically in season than out of season,” said Bobby Champagne, head men’s basketball coach. “Th ey learn many skills, the main one being time management.”

Th e coaches are involved with their stu-dent athletes on and off the fi eld.

“My coaches are always keeping up with my grades as well as my test dates,” said Shel-by Goodman, a UNA soft ball player with a 4.0 GPA. “When I’m not playing soft ball, I am most oft en found studying in the library.”

Many players may undergo frustrations and issues through-out their athletic career; however, offi cials said it is important that player guidelines are followed considering that student athletes are held to a higher expectation by their athletic directors, as well as fellow students.

Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach Daniel Presel said student athletes have more of a micro-scope zoomed on them in terms of reputation than normal students. He also said that it is rare for mis-conducts to occur and is fortunate of the well-disciplined students in the athletic program.

“College athletes are diff er-ent from high school athletes,” he said. “Th ey should already know that it comes down to doing the right thing.”

A typical mishap would be a player showing up late to class in which the entire team would have to do running drills.

“We want our team to work together as a whole, so it is neces-sary that they are held accountable for an individual player’s actions,” Presel said.

Any other bad incident in-volving the player would result in a strike. A dismissal may also be given if the misdemeanor is done

more than once. Presel believes that most ath-

letic transgressions derive from miscommunications that can be resolved.

Although freshman and stu-dent athlete Kaseema Ashbourne has had her share of mishaps throughout her women’s basket-ball career, she has learned to grow and resolve what frustrations she has outside of the basketball court. Th roughout her entire athletic ca-reer, Ashbourne only had two in-cidents that would be classifi ed as player misconducts.

“Th ey were merely misunder-standings,” Ashbourne said. “I re-gret them but in a way, they were just obstacles that I have already overcame.”

Coming from a private school, Ashbourne said she would not be one to get into much trouble. However, she does recall the con-sequences of her recent miscon-duct back in September of 2011.

“It just an issue between me and my fellow teammate in our dorm,” Ashbourne said. “Aft er our mishap, Residence Life contacted our coaches about the situation.”

Ashbourne and her teammate had to do 10 hours of community service, which consisted of play-ing games with the elderly in a re-hab facility.

“I still had fun doing it.” Ash-bourne said.

Both also had to run extra

drills demanded by their coaches. “My coaches are like our sec-

ond parents,” Ashbourne said. “So they were a bit disappointed in us because they want us to keep in mind to that we have to work to-gether as a team.

Presel said that everyone has to be held accountable for what they do.

“It is vital for players to do the right thing,” Presel said. “If they were to do something that would be considered wrong, it would af-fect if not anything else, their per-formance in the game.”

Ashbourne thinks many ath-letes should think before they take action.

“It aff ects more than just your-self,” Ashbourne said. “It aff ects your family as well the people the people around you.”

Sports Page 9Thursday, February 9, 2011 • The Flor-Ala

Student athletes held to higher standards

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The UNA football team runs out onto the fi eld during a game last year. The football and other athletic teams have high aca-demic and character standards, according to offi cials.

Be sure to follow @FloralaSports on Twitter for live updates during UNA sporting events.

Coaches monitor player academics

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Head coach Terry Fowler gives his play-ers instructions during a game.

Page 10: February 9, 2012 Issue

Page 10Thursday, February 9, 2012 • The Flor-Ala News

ATO takes home Step Sing title

photos by MALISA MCCLURE I Chief Photographer

The brothers of Alpha Tau Omega (above) hoist their trophy in the air after their win at Step Sing 2012. Sisters of Alpha Gamma Delta (below) take their time sing-ing during their routine.

The brothers of Alpha Tau Omega took home the title of overall champion at Step Sing 2012 last Friday night.

In addition to their overall win, ATO was also named the men’s division fi rst place winner, followed by the brothers of Kappa Sigma.

The women’s division winner went to Alpha Gamma Delta and was followed in second place by Phi Mu.

This year’s newest additions to Step Sing, the Honors Program and the Gay-Straight Alliance, both took home awards for placing fi rst and second in the co-ed division.

Administrators, SGA meet with students for ideasSGA continues to make student ideas a

possibility through Ideas to Action by in-teracting with students and learning about their concerns at UNA.

As part of the Ideas to Action program, SGA members as well as other UNA repre-sentatives come to a public place or event once every month to sit down and chat with students in a casual environment.

“We basically plan our Ideas to Action around SGA events,” said Laura Giles, SGA chief of staff.

Last Tuesday, David Shields, vice pres-ident of student affairs, and SGA President Ralph Akalonu met with students at Towers Cafeteria to discuss topics on campus.

“We’ll just talk about anything,” Shields said. “There have been nights when we’ve had suggestions about improving campus life, and others where we talk about some of the students’ favorite topics.”

Students use the opportunity to speak to the two representatives for student affairs about their deepest concerns and notewor-thy thoughts to improve the UNA campus in an environment that is comfortable for students.

“We usually get good perspectives from people when we do this,” Akalonu said.

Shields and Akalonu sat at a table at the far end of the cafeteria and were soon joined by six to seven students who addressed is-sues such as parking, coin machines, new building projects and framing new classes.

After obtaining these ideas, Akalonu meets with Giles—who promotes the Ideas to Action campaign—to discuss the things students have said and later presents them to the SGA and the University Program

Council.“Me and (Akalonu) go through all of the

ideas that are presented to us and decide on which ones that Senate can help us with,” Giles said. “We do present the ideas to SGA and members of UPC.”

Desiree Alexander, one of the students present at the table last week, used the op-portunity to suggest a bus route around the nearby churches for students who attend late-night Bible studies.

“My friend and I were walking back from the Well when we thought of it,” Alex-ander said. “We were talking about bring-ing it up to SGA.”

Another student, Charles Wilson, sug-gested having courses for those who may

consider dance for a major.“I see some schools with classes like

dance and choreography,” Wilson said. “I think it would be interesting to have that here.”

Akalonu and Giles expressed other ways students can present their ideas to SGA be-sides waiting for a public event, such as at-tending the SGA meetings, which Akalonu said are open to all students, or to email at SGA’s directory on UNA’s home page.

“On the UNA homepage, students can fi nd SGA in the directory and fi nd me and email me their thoughts,” Giles said.

Giles sees benefi ts coming from Ideas to Action by making students aware that SGA cares about what they think.

photo by MALISA MCCLURE I Chief Photographer

UNA students Desiree Alexander, Amanda Langdon, Vice President for Student Af-fairs David Shields and student Bianca Hernandez share ideas over dinner. Shields and SGA President Ralph Akalonu meet with students monthly to get their ideas.

to walk. We’re even looking at the possibil-ity of having buses stop on that corner.”

Cale said the particular location of the move is signifi cant to the university’s goals.

“We’re delighted that the university will have a formal and sustaining presence in downtown Florence,” he said.

Garfrerick said the move was a perfect storm of variables coming together.

“The students need more hands-on ex-perience, and UNA wants a downtown presence,” he said. “This studio will allow us to do some things for profi t and others just to enrich the community, because that’s what universities do. I don’t know of an agreement quite like this one in the state.”

an example for two other women who served as SGA president after her.

“They saw an opportunity for them-selves to take on a role on campus that maybe they hadn’t envisioned themselves in prior to that,” she said.

Eubanks said she hopes to see more im-provement at UNA with students branching out for untapped resources and fostering future student leaders.

“It’s all about having a sense of worth and a sense of self value,” she said. “Just because you’re not a man doesn’t mean you can’t have an opinion on Division I athletics. Just because you’re not a boy doesn’t mean you can’t discuss tuition hikes. (Women) have to see that their voices are just as valid and just as important to be heard than ever. They just have to fi nd a sense of ownership for that voice and do it.”

Page 11: February 9, 2012 Issue

Life Page 11Thursday, February 9, 2011 • The Flor-Ala

Check out what’s coming up this weekend in the Shoals.

Friday, Feb. 10th

Saturday, Feb. 11th

Fonetic! On the Rocks 9:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 9thGabe Allen and Friends On the Rocks 9:30 p.m.

Tosha Hill, Angela Hacker & James LeBlanc Swampers Bar & Grille 9 p.m. - midnight

FATSO!!! On the Rocks 9:30 p.m.

Workin’ for the Weekend

Spencer Murphy Swampers Bar & Grille 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Scott Boyer and MC Thurman of The Decoys DP’s 8 p.m. - midnight

Tom Evanchuck DP’s 9 p.m. - 1:30 a.m.

Steve Vic and Mitch Mann DP’s 6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Monkey Wal DP’s 9 p.m. - 1 a.m.

Shoals area musicians will gather on Feb. 12 at 2 p.m. at Norton Auditorium to musically spread the love just in time for Valentine’s Day.

The annual Big Band Blowout show-cases the UNA Studio Jazz Band and special guests Shoals Area Big Band per-forming swing and jazz hits, both classic and contemporary.

“Last year, they moved the Big Band Blowout to February; it was originally around Veteran’s Day,” said Callie Hen-derson, clarinetist in the UNA Studio Jazz Band. “I think the idea of moving it had something to do with a ‘near Valen-tine’s Day’ concert.”

This year’s program is entitled “Songs for Swinging Lovers,” featur-ing hit love songs from big band swing legends like Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw and more.

“The Studio Jazz Band is playing songs with titles such as ‘Cute,’ ‘Lov-er’ and a wonderful arrangement of the

‘Porgy and Bess’ collection,” Henderson said. “I’m pretty sure the ‘Summertime’ section of ‘Porgy and Bess’ is my abso-lute favorite. It has a wonderful big band sound for the theme, and it’ll rock your world.”

New to the program this year is the addition of the UNA Jazz Band. Though the Studio Jazz band has a wider variety of instruments, the Jazz Band is a more traditionally arranged group with saxo-phones, brass, bass, piano and percus-sion.

The Jazz Band includes vocalist Hol-li Jacobs, who will be performing songs such as “Alright, Okay, You Win” by Ray Charles and “Love Will Keep Us Togeth-er” by the Captain & Tennille.

“Holli is a great vocalist and a great musician,” said UNA Band Director Dr. Lloyd Jones. “She started out in the Stu-dio Jazz Band as a saxophonist and then auditioned for the vocalist position. She has done a wonderful job, and I know the audience will enjoy her interpretation of these great songs.”

Proceeds for the event go to the UNA band scholarship fund, a way for the pub-lic to help the program keep delivering quality entertainment in the future.

“I’m a huge fan of the songs we’re playing,” said Michael Carter, baritone saxophonist in the UNA Jazz Band and Studio Jazz Band. “I’d be hard-pressed to even cite one in particular as my favorite. All the tunes are pretty high quality.”

“Iʼm pretty sure the ʻSummertimeʼ section of ʻPorgy and Bessʼ is my

absolute favorite.”-Callie Henderson

Studio jazz band prepares to woo with ʻSongs for Swinging Loversʼ

Barry Billings Swampers Bar & Grille 8 p.m. - 11 p.m.

Dylan LeBlanc JD’s 8 p.m. - 11 p.m.

Dave Gallagher Swampers Bar & Grille 9 p.m. - midnight

SCM Electrix with Guano Island JD’s 9 p.m. - midnight

Macbeth Norton Auditorium 7 p.m. $10

Page 12: February 9, 2012 Issue

Page 12 February 9, 2012 • The Flor-Ala

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