the crimson white
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The Crimson White is a student-created publication that aims to inform, entertain the University of Alabama and surrounding Tuscaloosa, Ala. areas.TRANSCRIPT
Tuesday, September 27, 2011 Serving the University of Alabama since 1894 Vol. 118, Issue 29
LIFESTYLESSPORTSSPORTS55 88Manhattan Film Festival
comes to Bama Theatre
Tide readys for trip Tide readys for trip to The Swampto The Swamp
Plea
se recy
cle this paper • Please recycle this paper•
P.O. Box 870170 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 Newsroom: 348-6144 | Fax: 348-8036 | Advertising: 348-7845 | Classifi eds: 348-7355
Letters, op-eds: [email protected] Press releases, announcements: [email protected]
Briefs ........................2
Opinions ...................4
Lifestyles ....................5
WEATHER todayINSIDE today’s paperSports .......................8
Puzzles ......................7
Classifieds .................7
Chance ofT-storms
83º/58ºWednesday 85º/59ºPartly Cloudy
By Alexandra EllsworthStaff Reporter
Twenty-seven art and cul-tural organizations will gather on Tuesday at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater from 4 to 7 p.m. for Community Arts Conversations.
Organized by The Arts and Humanities Council of Tuscaloosa, Community Arts Conversations intends to intro-duce local cultural organizations to the public and provide infor-mation about them and their staff on a personal level.
“It’s been planned for a while to bring all the organizations together at one venue to meet the public they serve,” said Kevin Ledgewood, publicist for the arts council.
Each organization is a member organization of the arts council, and will have a table on the stage at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater. Guests can walk around to check out the displays and talk to mem-bers of the groups.
Members of the community may be familiar with many of the groups that will be present, but community members may have never had the chance to meet the performers, artists and the people behind the events, Ledgewood said.
“Students spend so much time on campus, and this is just a good chance to introduce the community to the student body,”
Ledgewood said. “Sometimes, campus can be really isolating from the rest of the community, so I think students can especially benefit from this.”
There will also be give-aways; various groups will offer reduced ticket prices and T-shirts throughout the event. All participating groups will have creative displays such as demonstrations or performances. By William Evans
and Jon ChapinThe Crimson White
Students for a Democratic Society, a left-wing student organization, will protest legislation passed by the state House of Representatives that targets illegal immigrants at noon on Sept. 28 at the Ferguson Promenade. “House Bill 56 is a hateful and racist law,” said Laura Langley, president of SDS, in an emailed statement. “If this law goes into effect, our state will be cat-apulted back 50 years into the decades of Jim Crow laws. I’m protesting the Anti-Immigration Law because I believe in Martin Luther King Jr.’s words writ-ten from the Birmingham jail: ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice every-where.’” House Bill 56, signed into law by Gov. Robert Bentley, contains punitive mea-sures that would revoke the business
licenses of employers that knowingly hire illegal immigrants and would also make it a felony for illegal immigrants to register to vote. Also, local law enforcement officers are allowed to request proof of immigra-tion status during stops for traffic vio-lations if there is reasonable suspicion that the person is an illegal immigrant. “HB 56 undoubtedly targets people with brown skin,” Langley said. “So if you think that it’s unethical for police officers to arrest and detain someone just because they are Latino, even if that person is a legal citizen of this country but happened to have left their driver’s
license at home one day, then you should not support this law.” Rep. John Merrill, R-Tuscaloosa, who co-sponsored HB 56, said the bill is not racist but merely enforces federal immi-gration law. “The purpose of this bill and the rea-son I supported it is because it requires everybody to be treated the same,” he said. “Anybody who wants to come to Alabama, we want them to come, but they must come the right way. There are prescribed methods and they must be followed.
SDS to protest controversial bill
Organizations unite to involve public in artsGroups look to introduce local cultural organizations to public
• The Arts Council• Alabama Art Kitchen• Barber Shop Harmony Society• Children’s Hands on Museum• Kentuck Museum Association• Northwest Alabama Arts Council• Paul R. Jones Gallery• Paul W. Bryant Museum• Prentice Concert ChoraleFor more participating groups, see page 5
Participating Groups
See ARTS, page 5
House Bill 56 comes under fi re due to its handling of immigration laws “If this law goes into effect, our state will be catapulted back 50 years into
the decades of Jim Crow laws.”
— Laura Langleypresident of SDS
“Anybody who wants to come to Alabama, we want them to come, but
they must come the right way.”
— Representative John MerrillR-Tuscaloosa
See SDS, page 2
See YONDER, page 5
Stephen Swinson, who was sworn into offi ce on Friday afternoon after the resigna-tion of former SGA president Grant Cochran, addresses members of the SGA executive council Mon-day night.
CW | Drew Hoover
Swinson hopes for clean slate After the presidential resignation, Swinson aims for easy transition
By Will TuckerAssistant Managing Editor
The first business day of the Stephen Swinson admin-istration, according to the new president, was hectic as the Student Government Assosiation attempted to move on with regular business after the resignation of former SGA President Grant Cochran.
Swinson, formerly the SGA executive vice president, was sworn in as SGA president at
7:33 p.m. Friday, immediately after Cochran’s resignation. Cochran resigned Friday amid allegations of irregularities in the selection process for First Year Council, a subject Swinson said he couldn’t com-ment on.
“Currently, it’s under inves-tigation by the University, so it’s not an SGA investigation,” he said. “The [SGA] Attorney General found some irregu-
larities, reported it to the University, and at that point it’s out of our hands.”
Swinson said his main goal right now, in the midst of lingering questions about Cochran’s resignation, is to start over with a clean slate — a process that can start, he said, by bringing in new per-spectives to SGA.
See SWINSON, page 2
By Caroline HiottContributing Writer
Yonder Mountain String Band will be playing at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater with Widespread Panic this Friday. Yonder plays neo-bluegrass that has, in the past year, brought out over 250,000 fans.
The members of the band all began individually exploring music from different roots, yet none of the four grew up listening to bluegrass. Adam Aijala (guitar and vocals) said he went through several different musical genres, lov-ing everything from metal to the Beatles. Other influences include Bob Dylan, Neil Young and
The Grateful Dead.Aijala said now their music
strives for an “unorthodox approach to bluegrass,”
including drums, an element few bluegrass band have.
Bluegrass group comes to amphitheater
Submitted PhotoYonder Mountain String Band will be the opening act Friday in the Tuscaloosa Amphitheatre. They offer a new approach to bluegrass.
• What: Yonder Mountain String Band, a unique approach to bluegrass music
• Where: Tuscaloosa Amphitheater
• When: Friday, opening act for Widespread Panic
• Cost: $42
IF YOU GO ...
By Stephen Walkerand Chuck MatulaThe Crimson White
Some UA students may be unaware of the wide range of legal services provided by the School of Law’s legal clinics here at the Capstone.
The law school’s seven dif-ferent clinics provide stu-dents with practically every type of representation that they could need during their college career. And it is all done free of charge.
Although other schools across the nation have similar programs that assist students with legal matters, many require students to pay a sig-nificant amount if they use the services.
Legal assistance provided by the clinics of the UA School of Law is completely free, thanks to annual funding from the Student Government Association.
According to the School of Law, the first law clinic at the University was started in 1970, but was later terminated when it lost its grant from the state. It was reopened years later when the University found an alternate source of funding.
“The Civil Law Clinic has existed for more than 35 years,” said Anne Hornsby, associate dean for Clinical Programs at the School of Law.
The clinics provide an opportunity for law students to gain experience and grow as lawyers while helping stu-dents with legal issues.
“Students from the law school represent our clients in court,” Hornsby said. “Each case is supervised by a staff attorney to make sure it’s done correctly. The law clinics are very unique in that they are an academic program that also extends services to stu-dents of the University.”
Law school offers free legal services for Bama students
• Law School offers seven different types of clinics
• Legal assistance pro-vided by the clinics of the UA School of Law is completely free
FAST FACTS
See LAW, page 3
“The number one goal right now is to make sure that
the student body has confi -dence in their student gov-ernment representatives.”
— Stephen SwinsonSGA president
GO
GO
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Page 2• Tuesday,September 27, 2011
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WEDNESDAYWhat: Close to Home: Artist Book and Prints by Bill Hall & Amy Pirkle
Where: Sella-Granata Gal-lery, Woods Hall
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
What: HCA Documentary Film Series presents “Grey Gardens”
Where: Ferguson Theater
When: 7 p.m.
What: Purgatorio, tickets cost $10
Where: Allen Bales Theatre
When: 7:30 p.m.
LUNCH
Pork Cutlet with Onion GravyScalloped PotatoesSteamed PeasNachosRoasted Red Peppers over LinguineFarfalle Pasta with Broccoli & Riccotta (Vegetarian)
BURKELUNCH
Barbecue BrisketSteamed CauliflowerVegetable MedleyKosher Hot Dog StationSweet Roasted PotatoesPeppers Stuffed with Black Beans (Vegetarian)
FRESH FOODLUNCH
Roast BeefCarrot, Corn, & Onion RiceSauteed Squash & ZucchiniSpaghettiCream of Asparagus SoupPotato Pancakes (Vegetarian)
BRYANTLUNCH
Baked CodJerk Chicken with Orzo and Roasted Red Pepper SauceKC Classic Barbecue PorkMargherita PizzaJerk Chicken SoupVegetable Nachos (Vegetarian)
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The National Weather Service will be holding a Basic Storm Spotter class for Tuscaloosa today in Bryant Conference Center. The class is free and no registration is required. The class will cover severe, vio-lent and unusual weather, and will discuss such topics as tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, downbursts,
flooding and other severe weather common in Alabama. Participants will also have the opportunity to sign up to be storm spotters to report unusual weather phenom-enon to the Tuscaloosa EMA and the National Weather Service. The class is scheduled to take place from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
Storm Spotter class to be held today Alabama Social Work Hall of Fame Class of 2011 selected Four retired professionals were recently inducted into the Alabama Social Work Hall of Fame. Dr. Susan G. Barfoot, of the Central Alabama Veterans Healthcare System; Dr. Raymond O. Sumrall, professor emeritus in the UA School of Social Work and former director of the
Youth Services Institute; James E. Ware, of the Dallas County Department of Human Resources, and Dr. Shelley Wyckoff, Alabama A&M University were all inducted into the Hall of Fame at a recent luncheon hosted by the University of Alabama School of Social Work.
THURSDAYWhat: Homegrown Alabama Farmers Market
Where: Canterbury Episcopal Chapel
When: 3 to 6 p.m.
What: Rose Gladney Lecture on Justice and Social Change featuring environmental justice scholar Cheryl Fish
Where: Gorgas Library Room 205
When: 7 p.m.
What: Purgatorio, tickets cost $10
Where: Allen Bales Theatre
When: 7:30 p.m.
Muslim students guilty of disrupting Israeli’s speech
SOCIAL MEDIA WEEK IN REVIEW
Track the popular campus Twitter hashtags #uachat and #uatweet through last week.
TODAYWhat: Purgatorio, tickets cost $10
Where: Allen Bales Theatre
When: 7:30 p.m.
What: ‘Philosophy Today’ lec-ture series with Jeff McMahan
Where: 205 Smith Hall
When: 7:30 p.m.
What: National Weather Service SKYWARN Spotter Training
Where: Sellers Auditorium, Bryant Conference Center
When: 6:30 to 9 p.m.
From MCT Campus
After more than two days of deliberation, an Orange County jury on Friday found 10 Muslim students guilty of two misde-meanors to conspire and then disrupt a February 2010 speech at the University of California, Irvine, last year by the Israeli ambassador to the United States. There was crying as the ver-dict was read in Superior Court Judge Peter J. Wilson’s court-room. The students showed no
visible emotion, although they hugged each afterward. Some stormed out. In a case that garnered nation-al attention over free-speech rights, the trial centered on con-flicting views of who was being censored. Prosecutors argued that Ambassador Michael Oren was “shut down” when his speech was interrupted by stu-dents who took turns shouting preplanned phrases in a crowded UC Irvine ballroom. Six defense attorneys argued
that the students, seven from UC Irvine and three from UC Riverside, were only following the norm of other college pro-tests and were being singled out.A guilty verdict, the defense had said during the trial, could chill student activism and the free exchange of ideas at colleges nationwide. University administrators disciplined some of the students involved and suspended the campus Muslim Student Union, whose members participated
in the protest, for an academic quarter. The group is still on pro-bation. The case also has drawn the attention of a wide range of groups, including Muslim and Jewish organizations and civil libertarians. The trial began Sept. 7. Erwin Chemerinsky, the dean of UC Irvine’s Law School, has said that although freedom of speech is not an absolute right, university sanctions were enough for the students.
However, he also added that he believes criminal sanctions go too far. Chemerinsky told the Los Angeles Times last week that “it makes no sense” to use such resources. “It’s so minor.” Charges against one defen-dant were tentatively dismissed pending completion of 40 hours of community service at a local soup kitchen. The other 10 went on trial Sept. 11 before packed, and at times noisy, crowds in the courtroom.
SDSContinued from page 1
“If the federal government was doing its job, we wouldn’t have to have the immigration bill. If you want to come to work, you must have a work visa. If you want to become a citizen, then there are procedures that must be followed.” The procedures in HB 56 crack down on a number of services that could be rendered to illegal immigrants. The bill requires public schools to determine the immi-gration status of all students and to publish figures on the number of immigrants, legal and illegal, that are enrolled and the costs associated with educating them. The bill also makes it illegal to rent housing to or transport ille-gal immigrants. Cliff Sims, president of College Republicans, said in an emailed statement that citizens should not have to pay for local benefits and services that illegal immi-grants can enjoy without paying for them in the form of taxes. The federal government’s fail-ure to enforce immigration law provides a justification for the state of Alabama to take action, he said. “The federal government has failed our country when it comes to immigration,” he said. “We need a better system by which people can enter our country legally and become productive members of our society. But Alabama cannot be expected to sit idly by and allow the Federal Justice Department to keep us
from enforcing our laws.” Joseph Smith, a constitutional law professor in the political science department, said in an emailed statement that HB 56 has been challenged in court by the U.S. Department of Justice because the Constitution, under the Supremacy Clause, gives the power to regulate immigration to the federal government. “From the point of view of the national government, it is as if Alabama wanted to have its own foreign policy,” he said. “Police suspicion is likely to be based on things like the ethnicity, skin color or accent of the person being stopped. If this is how it works in practice, then people will be selected for questioning on the basis of factors that are illegitimate.” The large popular upris-ing against the bill, includ-ing Hispanic interest groups, religious leaders and demon-strators, indicate the bill does not represent the majority of Alabamians, Langley said. “The state of Alabama does not look like the white male poli-ticians who sit in Montgomery, creating and signing horrific bills like HB 56 without much regard to how it will actually affect their constituents,” she said. “The state of Alabama looks like the 5-year-old child who has no idea what the words ‘illegal’ or ‘undocumented’ mean, but who will no longer be able to attend her local public elementary school because her family is fearful of HB 56’s man-date that the school be made aware of their child’s immigra-tion status at enrollment.”
“The number one goal right now is to make sure that the student body has confidence in their student government representatives,” he said. “One way we can do that is by bring-ing more people from different corners of campus, and have a little more diversity. That’s something I seek.”
That diversity could come with appointments to a new president’s advisory board composed of five to seven stu-dents, Swinson said. To find those students, Swinson said he plans on asking students whom they look to for leader-ship and asking administrators which students can provide insight on certain topics, like tornado relief.
‘Tornado recovery…I don’t feel like SGA has done enough so far,” Swinson said. “We’re going to up that effort, and so maybe one of my advisors would have a lot of insight as to how we can help that effort.”
Swinson also said that improving communication with the legislative branch of SGA is a priority.
“I think there’s always an opportunity for communication to get better no matter what,” Speaker of the Senate Ryan Flamerich said. “Going for-ward, we’re going to announce some changes in terms of how the two branches communicate with each other.”
Swinson said his relationship with Flamerich has been pro-
ductive so far.“I’ve had talks with Speaker
Flamerich and they’ve been positive talks,” he said. “I’ve had talks with senators, and they’ve all been positive talks. The way I look at it…this is a clean slate. We’re focused on moving forward.”
Ultimately, Swinson said his experience in the SGA would help him lead the administra-tion through the current chal-lenges.
“This is my fourth year in SGA,” he said. “I have a lot of experience. I know what works, I know what doesn’t…if there are skeptics out there, I’m confident we can prove them wrong.”
Swinson ran unopposed last year for the position of executive vice president, but stressed that he was elected
by the whole student body toserve the whole student body.
“When I ran I was preparedto serve under either [CoresaNancy Hogan] or under Grant[Cochran]. I ran for ExecutiveVP, and I was excited aboutthe opportunity to work withGrant,” he said.
“Let me show you that I’mgoing to make a real effortand make a real change here.You’re going to see throughthe next couple weeks, thenext couple months, that thisis a sincere SGA that is out toreally improve relations amongdifferent groups on campus. AllI ask is that you give me time,”he said.
Swinson said he would intro-duce a full plan for his adminis-tration on Thursday night dur-ing the State of the Universityaddress.
SWINSONContinued from page 1
CW | Drew HooverStephen Swinson addresses the Executive Council about how he plans to move forward as SGA president.
The Crimson White NEWS Tuesday, September 27, 2011 3
LAWContinued from page 1
According to Hornsby, law students provide thousands of hours of legal services to students needing advice about a variety of different legal issues.
“We handle all sorts of civil matters,” she said. “We see a lot of landlord-tenant disputes, automobile issues, identity theft, and other civil cases. We have also set up companies and corporations for students, and helped secure patents and copyrights.”
The clinics also provide some legal assistance for students who are charged with minor criminal offenses.
Although the clinics had humble beginnings with little funding and less-than-ade-quate office space, they’ve since expanded to a new 11,500 square foot state-of-the-art law office. The new office space is located next to the School
of Law and across a parking lot form the Sewell Thomas Stadium, off Bryant Drive.
“Together, the students in the school’s six law clinics provide approximately 15,000 hours of free legal assistance each year to needy individuals and organizations; clinic facul-ty and staff provide over 10,000 hours of additional assis-tance,” according to the clinic’s website. “Annually, over 1,500 individuals and organizations are aided by law clinic pro-gram students and staff.”
To increase privacy, the law clinic provides private cli-ent parking just feet from the clinic’s entrance. According to Hornsby, this allows clients to slip in and out discreetly.
“Lawyer-client confidentiali-ty is very important to us,” she said. “That’s why we are set up in this location. We want our clients to be able to discreetly come to our offices and receive the legal assistance they need while keeping the matter private.”
Although the law clinics are not usually in full operation during the summer, the need for legal assistance after the deadly tornados earlier this year caused the clinics to stay open throughout the summer.
“After the April 27 tornadoes, we opened an emergency law clinic to provide services over the summer to victims of the storm,” she said. “The pro-gram was called the Tornado Relief Assistance Program, or TRAP.”
Students in need of legal assistance should call (205) 348-4960 and make an appoint-ment, Hornsby said. On the first visit, a pair of law stu-dents interviews each client. That information will be used to determine if the clinics can help the client with their legal issues.
“I think it’s important for people to realize that this real-ly is a law firm and when they come to us, their problems are being taken seriously,” Hornsby said.
By Adrienne BurchContributing Writer
Disaster relief organization Samaritan’s Purse will be in Tuscaloosa for up to two years helping to rebuild the city in the aftermath of the April 27 tornado.
Samaritan’s Purse is a Christian-based volunteer organization that is centered on the story of the Good Samaritan from the Bible, which presents the idea that it is God’s desire for people to help those in need wherever they are found.
The group arrived in Tuscaloosa shortly after the April 27 tornado and began helping to clear debris and rebuild throughout the city. They were there for immedi-ate relief and now they have initiated a plan for an extend-ed stay in Tuscaloosa to aid in the long-term rebuilding pro-cess.
“Our goal is to rebuild any-where from 20 to 30 homes from the ground up in the Tuscaloosa area,” said Erinn Ford, representative for the Samaritan’s Purse headquar-ters in Tuscaloosa.
They began this potentially two-year project on July 29 when the first wave of volun-teers arrived in Tuscaloosa. Ford said they are currently focusing on the Alberta City and Holt areas that were hit hard.
Samaritan’s Purse brings in around 20 volunteers from across the United States to work on each project. However, they have plenty of
opportunities for local stu-dents and Tuscaloosa resi-dents to get involved.
“There will soon be a Samaritan’s Purse banner that will be displayed in different places throughout the city that people can point their Droid or smart phone at and be able to look at what the ongoing proj-ect is about,” Ford said.
Some students, like senior Karly Wilson, who volun-teered with Samaritan’s Purse immediately after the storm, feel the organization is an ideal organization to get involved with to help with tor-nado relief.
“I really enjoyed working with Samaritan’s Purse,” she said. “My most memorable times were spending time talking, listening to and pray-
ing with the homeowners who we were working for.”
Wilson worked with Samaritan’s Purse for a week following the storm and rec-ommends any student who wants to help with tornado relief to get involved with theorganization.
“Samaritan’s Purse wanted to make sure [the homeown-ers] were cared for personally, not just materially,” Wilson said.
If anyone is interested in vol-unteering with Samaritan’s Purse as they continue their two-year stay in Tuscaloosa, contact the organization directly via email at [email protected].
Jasmine Cannon contribut-ed to this article.
Group plans tornado relief projectSamaritan’s Purse plans to rebuild homes over next two years in an extended-stay effort to help after April 27 tornado disaster
CW | Kelsey SteinResidents of Forest Lake welcome relief efforts after the April 27 tornado. Samaritanʼs Purse will continue their efforts.
By Caroline MurrayStaff Reporter
Students will have the oppor-tunity to discuss the new Alabama immigration bill, the April 27 tornado and how both of these events have affected the Hispanic and Latino com-munity with other community members Thursday evening. Crossroads Community Center’s monthly Community Conversation event, which will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Crossroads Lounge, Room 232 in the Ferguson Center, is focusing on these topics in light of Hispanic Heritage Month. Brice Miller, assistant direc-tor of Crossroads, said the top-ics are important for everyone to consider. “The people who are helping clean up our city are the exact same people being targeted,” Miller said. “What are we to turn blind to? I don’t remember too many law enforcement offi-cials standing on front lawns carding people doing roof-ing jobs after the tornado, yet these people are the ones being pulled over.” Beverly Hawk, director of Crossroads, said Community Conversations is about being able to speak openly about issues such as these with a diverse group of people. “We all experienced that day together,” Hawk said. “Community Conversations is the opportunity to be heard, and to give the gift of listening to your neighbors.” Oniska Blevins, Crossroads’ intern, said the dialogue would give students the opportunity to actively fight cultural stereo-types. “When you learn about different people and
different stereotypes, you fight stereotypes,” Blevins said. “Stereotypes and negative stigmas come from fear of the unknown. Branching out and learning allows you to not only appreciate these cultures, but also to change your perspec-tive.” Miller said this unique oppor-tunity to learn is what makes Community Conversations so powerful. “This is an opportunity for the whole person to be edu-cated,” Miller said. “When you go into Biology 101, you know what you’re getting. But in situ-ations like this, when you learn from things you didn’t think you would, you learn the most.” Hawk said this deep learn-ing is what brings communities
together. “Community Conversations hosts conversations that build community, the conversations that come from the heart,” Hawk said. “It can be tempting to avoid these conversations sometimes but we never do here. We have those deep, rich conversations that build com-munity.” Miller asked that students come into these deep conversa-tions with an open mind. “Come with a blank slate,” Miller said. That can be one of the most beautiful aspects of learning.” Miller also said that students should recognize the power they hold. “I want students to under-stand their voice, and the power of their voice in the context of social justice and social change,” Miller said. “Understand we’re all a part of the larger community.” Blevins agreed many stu-dents have untapped power. “Accepting diversity can change the world,” Blevins said. All students, faculty and community members are invit-ed to attend. Free refreshments will be served.
• What: Crossroads Community Conversations
• Where: Room 232 in the Ferguson Center
• When: Thursday, 5:30
• Cost: Free
IF YOU GO ...
Crossroads to discuss immigration, tornado
Students will have the opportuni-tyto discuss issues pertaining to the his-panic and Latino com-munities at Crossroads Community Center.
Submitted Photo
By Ashanka KumariContributing Writer
Stephen Swinson, newly appointed President of the Student Government Association, said the SGA must be focused on moving forward and working together to serve the student body in his address to the SGA Senate last night. Swinson was sworn in as the new SGA President immediately after former SGA President Grant Cochran’s resignation Friday. “[Cochran] felt that he would be a distraction to the progress within SGA and he did not want to hinder our effort to serve students,” Swinson said. Swinson said the SGA should be proud of the way they smoothly transitioned but must concen-trate on the future because as a student govern-ment, their main focus is to represent the student body in the best way. “The students we represent are too important,” Swinson said. “We must go on from this moment with a clean slate, one team, one SGA, three pis-tons within an engine that implements real prog-ress for students on campus.” Swinson said that he felt that each branch of the SGA was entitled to an equal share of the blame. “This term in office has by far been the most turbulent I have experienced in my four years serving the student body, and I agree with members of the legislative branch that argue it is because we as a whole have lost our focus,” he said. On Thursday, Swinson will reveal his plan dur-
ing his State of the University Address. “Our goals are not feasible without cooperation between branches and a true dedication from each member of SGA, no matter what role they play in serving the student body,” Swinson said. “Again, the blame falls equally on the executive branch and I sincerely apologize for any ill relations that hindered our ability to fulfill our primary mis-sion.” Ryan Flamerich said that the process of electing a new Vice President of the Executive Board of the SGA would be implemented soon. The process will involve a 10-day application period where the SGA will approve the final selection. In other news, Bill 47-11 was presented during the meeting. According to the SGA Constitution, the bill must be presented at a Special Session. SGA Senator Tyler Evans presented the goal of establishing a new 2011-2012 budget. Mark David Kennedy, vice president for Financial Affairs, further elaborated that funding was increased to Academic Affairs among other groups. “We are trying to make our financial statements more clear and concise,” Kennedy said.
Swinson Speaks at Special SessionThe newly appointed SGA president preaches progress to Senate
“Our goals are not feasible without coopera-tion between branches and a true dedication from each member of SGA, no matter what role they play in serving the student body.”
— Stephen Swinson
OPIN
ION
S
Tuesday, September 27, 2011Editor • Tray [email protected]
Page 4
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“Iʼm sad to see this. I know Grant and I know he is a great
leader. The fact that he takes responsibil-ity for someone in his administration mak-ing a bad decision shows he has char-acter. And the fact that he resigned for the good of the SGA speaks very highly of him. Maybe one day the campus can get over the issues of race and/or greek/
non-greek [divides]. I wish Grant well in
his future endeavors and hope that Mr. Swinson can lead the SGA to get on
with what is best for the whole UA com-
munity.”
— msbama82003,in response to “SGA
President Grant Cochran resigns”
YOUR VIEW { }
Last week, in a strange homage to the Reformation, Wesley Vaughn nailed his “22 Theses” to the already cluttered walls of the opin-ions page. In it, he essentially criticized the UA administration by presenting them as beholden to outside influences, disconnected from the stu-dent body and unconcerned about its interests. While the University has many issues to fix and has ignored many opportunities to do so, it is dif-ficult to believe Vaughn’s implicit assertion that the administration is entirely unreceptive to the student body, especially in regards to its vision for campus growth. Regardless, the fact that this accusation is prevalent far beyond The Crimson White indi-cates that the administration might have a prob-lem communicating to the student body about this vision and the sweeping changes accompa-nying it. Ironically enough, their overreliance on safe public relations statements has created its own set of problems. For starters, they seem to ignore the fact that high school seniors care about a completely dif-ferent set of issues than currently enrolled stu-dents. As such, the marketing points that have been so effective in appealing to and recruiting new students, such as the rise in average GPA and ACT scores, the number of new buildings on cam-pus, and the records that have been set with pres-tige scholarship recipients, completely miss the mark when they are used to sell campus vision to enrolled students. The long-term benefits of increasing University prestige, which translates into a higher value for UA diplomas, and interested applicants, who increase competitiveness, are applicable to all students. The simple fact remains, though, that when a new face comes to campus, he or she is faced with a lack of parking spaces within a mile of classes, an excessively long line at the Ferguson Center, a shortage of on-campus hous-ing space for upperclassmen and a host of other problems. The administration can tout its National Merit Scholar recruitment to enrolled students all they want; however, they are marketing it to the wrong crowd in the face of these tangible problems. In fact, doing so only creates the unfortunate per-ception in the minds of some students that the administration neither understands nor cares about their daily problems. To clarify, I find this pessimistic view to be simply false. For the most part, my experience at UA has been nothing short of wonderful and I am proud to be a part of the Crimson Tide. Additionally, my limited interactions with UA administrators have led me to believe that they genuinely care about student issues. Nevertheless, the perception exists and it will persist if the University continues to fear saying anything unpopular. The University needs to directly reach out to students and honestly explain their vision to them in a way that actually connects. The safe PR statements currently issued create more contro-versy than they avoid. While I cannot speak for all students, it might be beneficial to look beyond UA’s record number of USA Today Academic All-Americans and answer a few more pertinent questions: Is parking acceptable in its current state as a systematic problem doomed to persist or a tem-porary product of growing pains that will be fixed with the development of the Bryce property? Will housing become more limited with the contin-ued demolition of residence halls or experience a net gain because of new housing? How will the campus vision, especially in regards to the rapid student body growth, affect our collegiate experi-ence? Even though these questions appear to be short-sighted and may have disappointing answers, simply providing a direct and honest response to them can be a key to opening up a dialogue that concerned students can appreciate. We can never hope to progress if we are limited to a back and forth between people that do not understand each other’s reasoning. As the coverage of greek integration and Student Organization Seating demonstrate, issues that place the administration in difficult positions will persist on this campus; however, the University should not subject itself to new points of disagreement simply because of a lack of genuine communication.
John Brinkerhoff is a sophomore majoring in political science and communication studies. His column runs biweekly on Mondays.
by Jake Gray@jagray55
Throughout the past month, The Crimson White has put an extra emphasis on the Student Organization Seating selection process. Many students saw a system with several flaws, and did their absolute best to correct it. Unfortunately, the system has been flawed for years. It will take much more than a few personal initiatives from individuals in order to correct it. But there are a lot of great things about Student Organization Seating that are seldom brought up on these pages. Its biggest merit is the massive incentive it gives all organizations. Many members are told through-out their college career that their involvement around campus can help their organization’s block seating resume. Student organiza-tion leaders know that the success of their philanthropy events go a long way in moving them closer to front row, thus creating a more active and giving student body. It is sad that it requires that much incentive for people to be productive members of society, but it is a fact of life. Sometimes people need an extra motivation to give back, and having good seats is, more often than not, that moti-vation. It has been noted many times that a new incentive program must be put in place for student organizations, yet none have sur-faced.
The process also gives all stu-dents a motivation to get more involved on campus. While only a few non-greek organizations are currently in the seating area, any organization can apply. By taking the time to join an organization, attend its weekly meetings, and participate in any major events, a member should be able to reap the benefits that come with joining that particular organization. While there are many good things about the entire student organization seating process, there are still many faults. There is no set code or guideline for the process, and the general percep-tion of it stinks of corruption. A plan needs to be set in place now in order to save Student Organization Seating. In order for this process to go on any longer, it will take an entire revamping of the application process. The process must be codi-fied. The current process is time consuming and controversial. It affects almost every student at every home football game. Yet, for whatever reason, it is nowhere in the SGA Code of Laws. This tradi-tional system, that has been cor-rupted time and time again, can-not be expected to improve with-out proper guidelines. There must be a committee that will research the system and write a code for the procedure. They must engage all students in a dis-cussion to revamp the process. What parts of the current sys-tem aren’t fair? What other SEC schools have blocked sections, and
how do they do it? Members of this committee have to be diverse, and the opinions of students from all corners of the UA campus must be included in their research. The application process needs to begin in the spring. Putting together an application that con-tains every individual member’s accomplishments in the past year is a very time-consuming process. It takes weeks of collecting data and checking for authenticity. The time between move-in dates and the first football game is sim-ply not long enough. If the forms are due in May, the committee has all summer to grade the forms and assign the sections. Many people have called for the end of Student Organization Seating. They have claimed it to be too big of a nuisance for the administration, or that it is simply an unfair system. I believe, under responsible leadership, that the SGA is very capable of making a more transparent system. The process is an incredible way to help all organizations strive to be their best. The football team drives this university, and there is no better tool to motivate the students than dictating where they can view this championship-caliber team. There are dozens of student leaders who genuinely want to improve this campus. They simply need a process that can facilitate that change.
Jake Gray is a senior majoring in journalism and economics. His column runs on Tuesdays.
by Justin Bond Austin Gaddis’s Sept. 15 op-ed piece on the liberal war against fiscal respon-sibility, jobs, and soda troubled me because of its obvious bias. It is not the conservative bias with which I take issue — arguing for your opinion is, after all, the point of an editorial. What startled me so much was Mr. Gaddis’s overwhelming bias against facts. I have taken the liberty of high-lighting his arguments’ inaccuracies so that The Crimson White’s reader-ship may develop an informed opinion on the subjects the article in question explored. First, while the economic stimu-lus of 2009 may not have been univer-sally popular, the data undergirding its success in moderating the effects of the recession on unemployment is unequivocal. The Congressional Budget
Office estimates that the stimulus cre-ated or saved between 1.3 and 3.6 mil-lion jobs, Moody’s Corp. estimates that it created or saved 2.5 million jobs, Macroeconomic Advisers approximates it created or saved 2.3 million jobs, and PolitiFact always rates any argument claiming the stimulus didn’t create jobs with a “Pants on Fire.” So sorry, Mr. Gaddis, but your characterization of the stimulus as a failure at job creation is incorrect. Second, Mr. Gaddis attempts to cast doubt on the fact that sugary soft drinks can cause weight gain. He claims the science behind this notion is “shady, at best” and quotes a “nutritionist” who dismissed the idea of sugar being stored as fat as absurd. It doesn’t take a biology major to realize this is untrue, and a quick search yielded mountains of peer-reviewed articles proclaiming soda intake is a significant predictor for
obesity and weight gain. Considering the negative effects of excessive soft drink consumption and its ubiquity, why would Mr. Gaddis attempt to portray the use of taxpayer funds to curb this epidemic as villain-ous? Here are some actual facts in which Mr. Gaddis may be interested: the CDC’s campaign to combat the obesity epidemic was funded by $230 million tax dollars. This represents such a small portion of our country’s expenditures last year that its percentage of the bud-get must be expressed in scientific nota-tion. We may be funding this, but in all like-lihood the wallets of average Americans don’t even feel it. One thing we all could feel, however, is the lower health insur-ance costs that could potentially result from the CDC’s program. It is no secret that with obesity comes significantly
increased risk for diabetes, heart dis-ease, and many other costly ailments. If this enterprise is even a little suc-cessful and obesity rates slow, everyone (even you, Mr. Gaddis) might reap the benefits of lower health insurance costs brought about by a healthier, less obese population. We set dangerous precedents for the integrity of news when journal-ists can fly in the face of evidence and facts to spout opinions that are clearly ill formed. I would encourage the CW’s editorial staff to embrace the ease of access to information our generation has been lucky enough to enjoy and but-tress their opinions with some respect-able sources. And no, Mr. Gaddis, FOX News doesn’t count.
Justin Bond is a junior majoring in electrical engineering and physics.
by Patrick Crowley
In the present, students wear overly casual attire that does indeed send the wrong message to profes-sors and classmates. I have a modest proposal for this sartorial problem. I say, for every pair of norts and over-sized tee-shirts that girls wear, they must donate used, nice clothes to Africa. If they are only willing to wear Lilly Pulitzer on Saturday, maybe they should give Lilly away to someone who will wear it every-day.Furthermore, for every odd-pat-terned neon sports bra that is worn,
they should just go without a ripped shirt so everyone will clearly see it. Ostensibly, they wear weird sports bras only to show off how fetch and cute the bra is. Why wear a tank-top like a shirt when you can lose the top, be more comfortable, and still have all the eyes on you? As for the gentlemen of the Capstone, how careless are you when you wear that Polo T-shirt with knee-length Bermudas? Get with the program, men. The only proper way to go to class is with a wife-beater and dirty underwear. If a male student fails to wear a nice and
ironed wife-beater, he must donate one of his wrinkly pocket shirts. Just imagine Dr. Witt’s face when every girl has her belly button show-ing and the impressive accomplish-ment that the school provided cloth-ing for every person in Africa. At that point, Alabama would be ranked No. 1 by US News and World Report and the University would no longer have to throw around sta-tistics like a hyperactive kid who just read his first Guinness Book of World Records.
Patrick Crowley is a sophomore majoring in math.
A modest proposal for campus attire
S.O.S. has positives for students
Gaddis showed bias against facts in column on taxes
Communication key to understanding
by John Brinkerhoff@JohnBrinkerhoff
MCT Campus
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
“Itʼs awesome peo-ple are recognizing Mallet for how awe-some they are! Iʼm not a Malleteer, but I visited once to just get an idea of who
they are, and theyʼre really a great group
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- Haley Herfurth, in response to “Mallet As-
sembly: a family”
(web comments)
By Lauren FergusonStaff Reporter
The Actor’s Charitable Theatre will be showcasing their rendition of “Chicago” this Friday through Sunday at The Bama Theatre. Director Joey Lay said Actor’s Charitable Theatre tries to have a wide variety of productions each season, with at least one well-known musi-cal. “‘Chicago’ is a classic that hasn’t been done in Tuscaloosa in about 10 years,” Lay said. “It’s a great produc-tion with lots of dancing.” The musical is set during the prohibition era of the 1920s and follows main char-acter Roxie Hart as she seeks fame, fortune and her own vaudeville act. Lay has worked to cre-ate a more modern version of “Chicago” by incorporat-ing unique elements with the 1920s style. “It’s impossible to have all 1920s costumes,” he said. “We
LIFESTYLES
TUESDAY
LIFESTYLESthis week
Page 5 • Tuesday, September 27, 2011Editor • Stephanie
• Manhattan Short Film Festival: The Bama Theatre, 7:30 p.m.
‘Chicago’ comes to the Bama Theatre
Yonder Moun-tain String Band will
perform with Widespread Panic at the
amphitheater this Friday.
Tobin Voggesser
• What: “Chicago”
• Where: Bama Theatre
• When: Friday, Satur-day, and Sunday
• Cost: $13 for student tickets, $15 for seniors and $17 for adult tickets
IF YOU GO ... “The audience will be surprised, impressed and entertained with the attention to details in the choreography. It will bring fl avor and style to Tuscaloosa.”
— Alicia Lay
are trying to create a nod to 1920s couture. We don’t come out in flapper dresses, but rather twenties hairstyles with a twist and sexier and more provocative costumes.” Choreographer Alicia Lay used the 1920s influence and style of Bob Fosse, a famous American musical theatre choreographer, for inspiration in the dance numbers. “After everyone learned the music and signing, every rehearsal after that was a dance rehearsal,” she said. “We anticipated that [“Chicago”] would be a very stylistic show, so we did an intensive workshop to learn the style before starting rehearsals.” In addition to the complex
dancing, a 20-foot runway will extend into the audience seat-ing to allow cast members and dancers to be more interac-tive with the audience. “The audience will be sur-prised, impressed and enter-tained with the attention to details in the choreography,” she said. “It will bring flavor and style to Tuscaloosa.” Open auditions are held six to eight weeks prior to each show. “Chicago” has a cast of 28 members with a vari-ety of students from Stillman College, Shelton State Community College, UA and local high schools. Miller Coop, a junior major-ing in telecommunication and film, will be playing the role of Fred Casley, Roxie’s lover, as
well as a member of the cho-rus. “I enjoy the interactions with the cast members from the community and not just UA students,” Coop said. “The performance aspects, crowd reactions and entertainment are the best parts.” Director Joey Lay will also be performing a lead role in the play. “There is really good cama-raderie among the cast,” Joey Lay said. “I am glad I get to do it with them. It’s a different show with different content for Tuscaloosa to experience and for us to share with the audience.” Actor’s Charitable Theatre was started in December of 2008 as a theatre company that partners with local chari-ties to donate 33 percent of performance proceeds to the charity. The company per-forms six to nine shows per season and selects a different charity for each show. Tuscaloosa’s King’s Home will be partnered with the “Chicago” performance and
will have a table set up out-side the theatre with addition-al information on the charity. Friday’s showing will be at 7:30 p.m., Saturday’s at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday’s at 2 p.m. Student tickets are $13, senior tickets are $15 and adult tickets are $17. Group rates are available for par-ties of 10 or more and can be bought online. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (205) 393-2800 or visit theactonline.com.
The Kentuck Museum Association will have a simple display set up with informa-tion about volunteer opportu-nities, festivals and ways peo-ple can get involved. They may have a computer set up with a slideshow of pictures, posters and brochures with informa-tion and a ticket giveaway.
Jan Pruitt, executive direc-tor of Kentuck, said she thought the Community Arts Conversations event was a good way for students to see some of the community art.
“Sometimes it is hard to
ARTSContinued from page 1
They described their goals as a band as presenting, “some-
thing unique because we never try to be someone else.” They have created a sound no other band can boast; an original and liberal taste of traditional music. The band consists of
Aijala (guitar, vocals), Ben Kaufmann (bass, vocals), Jeff Austin (mandolin, vocals) and Dave Johnston (banjo, vocals).
Bess Troiano, a sophomore majoring in phycology, said,
YONDERContinued from page 1
grasp what is going on around you,” Pruitt said. “Having a lot of great stuff in one place can help people a get a sense of art, particularly the University students that are new to the area.”
Discounted pricing for upcoming events will also be offered by individual groups according to their specific activities, and tours of the amphitheater will also be available to patrons during the event.
For more information about The Arts Council or The Bama Theatre, visit tuscarts.org or call (205) 758-5195 for further information about Community Arts Conversations.
• Shelton State Community College• Slash Pine Press• Stillman College• The Actor’s Charitable Theatre• The Alabama Blues Project• The University of Ala-bama - Dept. of Theatre and Dance• The University of Ala-bama Press• Theatre Tuscaloosa• Tuscaloosa Children’s Theatre
• Tuscaloosa Community Dancer’s• Tuscaloosa County Pres-ervation Society• Tuscaloosa Museum of Arts: Home of thr Westervelt Collection• Tuscaloosa Public Library• Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra• University of Alabama Creative Campus• University of Alabama School of Music• West Alabama Quilter’s Guild
PARTICIPATING GROUPS
“both Widespread and Yonder are really great talented bands that strayed from the main-stream sounds. They really know how to play. You can tell they have been inspired by so many types of music and they combine it to make their own sound.”
Paste Magazine said the band has “found a formula that works; take rootsy bluegrass influences, add in some rock ‘n’ roll, and seek out an adven-turous audience.”
This week, that adventurous audience is in Tuscaloosa and tickets are sold out.
Yonder has played with Widespread Panic a half a dozen times or so.
They played in Tuscaloosa last year and Aijala said, “we love Tuscaloosa, it was really cool; Alabama is always good to us anyway.”
They will play a completely different set than they played last year, playing music from their new albino “The Show” and will showcase material that will be released in 2012. They have played with iconic bands like Dave Mathews Band and at festivals all over the nation including Telluride Bluegrass Fest ival , Summerfest , Bonnaroo, Rothbury and All Good. They sell out top historic venues like The Fillmore, Best Buy Theater and Red Rocks Amphitheater.
Heather Saad, a sophomore majoring in marketing, said, “having this type of music and this talented of artists is essential to the music life of Tuscaloosa. Especially after the tornado, it is so important that we be seen as a place that desires to have music like this.”
They are excited to be back and said they were “really stoked to see everyone and be back again”. They said they are “very fortunate because there are so many people out
there doing it. We took this opportunity and have never taken it for granted”.
The band is hosting a music festival, Harvest Fest, Oct.13 to 16, for 7500 fans. This festival will highlight numerous art-ists including Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Peter Rowan, Bill Kreuztmann of Grateful Dead and Todd Snider.
“This is something that can surely not to be missed,” Saad said.
6 Tuesday, September 27, 2011 LIFESTYLES The Crimson White
By Alex CohenSenior Staff Reporter
This week, more than 100,000 people will unite to judge recent works of filmmakers from around the world. Audiences will gather in more than 200 cities, linking six continents as they cast their votes. Two of those venues are located in Alabama. One is less than two miles from campus. Tonight, the Bama Theatre will host the 13th annual Manhattan Short Film Festival. The screening is the seventh installment of the Bama Art House Fall Film Series, which kicked off in mid August. General admission is $7, stu-dents and seniors pay $6, and Arts Council members pay $5. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show will start at 7:30. As the audience trickles into the theatre, they will also have the opportunity to view “Land of Oz,” a film highlighting Oz Music store by local filmmaker John Hannah.
By Isabela Morales
Armed with a flame gun, an axe and an unshakeable con-viction in the rightness of his cause, the 16th President of the United States stands ready to fight for the nation his fathers brought forth four score and seven years ago—a nation free from the tyranny of vampires. In the grand tradition of com-pletely making things up and then pretending you have his-torical documentation, author Seth Grahame-Smith brings us his latest masterpiece (and I use the term very, very broadly), “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.” The history is atrocious; the explanations are reductive; and suspension of disbelief while reading is patently impossible. But isn’t that the case for all conspira-cy theories? And I guarantee you’ve never heard anything
COLUMN | BOOKS
Abraham Lincoln hunts vampires in new bookAuthor revisits Civil War and adds vampires to plot, gives “Honest” Abe a fl ame gun and axe
Tuscaloosa joins the world in Manhattan fi lm festival
hachettebookgroup.com
the Jane Austen canon were outraged. Fan fiction writers quailed at the thought that Mr. Darcy, the object of their ardent affections, might be undead! Book critics, wiping misty tears of frustration from their horn-rimmed glasses, bemoaned the public’s abysmal literary taste (or lack thereof). Voltaire and Mark Twain rolled over in their graves, and then, realizing that the novel was about zombies after all, thought better of it. I mean, the book wasn’t even satire! But readers enjoy an iconoclast, and shattering Jane Austen fans’ smug propriety was undoubtedly part of the appeal. “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” seems to cause a simi-lar sort of furor, a riotous mix of anger and enthusiasm. And with the title so refreshingly transparent, I don’t even need to include a plot summary to
• What: Manhattan Short Film Festival
• Where: The Bama Theatre
• When: Tonight at 7:30 p.m.
• Cost: $6 for students
IF YOU GO ...
• “The McSweeney’s Joke Book of Book Jokes” by McSwee-ney’s
• “Android Karenina” by Leo Tolstoy and Ben Winters
• “The Zombie Survival Guide” by Max Brooks
READERS MIGHT ALSO LIKE…
The Manhattan Short Film Festival began in 1998 as a local festival in New York City. While it’s always had entries from around the world, strong inter-national support did not come until 2001. News crews from Italy, England and Australia among other countries were in New York for weeks covering the tragedy of Sept. 11. During
the Manhattan Short, which began 12 days after 9/11, those same crews found a chance to cover their nations’ own film-makers. The press helped the festival to flourish. “We were really in the right place at the wrong time,” said Nicholas Mason, founder and director of the Manhattan Short. “It snowballed from there.”
“Snowballed” may be an understatement. What began on one screen on the side of a truck in Manhattan’s Little Italy has grown to include over 800 screens across the globe. One aspect that helped spark the program’s popularity was that the audience voted for the win-ner. Before branching out to include audience voting in 2004, the Manhattan Short relied on actors, directors and other experts for opinions. Mason believes their current method of choosing the winner is more appropriate. “The general public are the people that drive the industry—the people who pay to see the film,” Mason said. “They follow their favorite artists and project them to a higher plane.” Tuscaloosa’s general public will join the world in viewing the 10 short films that have been labeled this year’s final-ists. Chosen from a pool of 598 entries from 48 countries, the 10 finalists constitute what Mason calls “the next generation of filmmakers.” This praise is not
manhattanshort.com“The Legend of Beaver Dam,” directed by Jerome Sable
a stretch. Past winners have gone on to receive Academy Award nominations, and one has won. Chris Wedge’s film “Bunny” won the Manhattan Short in 1998 and won the Oscar months later. Wedge built on his suc-cess, directing “Ice Age” and “Robots” in the years that fol-lowed. Both feature films were multi-million dollar endeavors. After viewing the 10 shorts, each member of the audience at the Bama will be handed a bal-lot and asked to vote for the film he or she deems the best. Votes
from hundreds of venues will be tallied, and the results will be posted online on Sunday, Oct. 2, at 10 p.m. Mason said he’s particularly excited to see youth participa-tion in the festival increase. Tuscaloosa is just one example of many college towns screen-ing the films this week. Mason believes students are the right demographic to help further the cause of global unity. “This festival is amazing because there are so many cul-tures and so many races judg-ing it,” Mason said. “I’m glad students are a part of it—I don’t think we’re aware of how pow-erful college students can be.” David Allgood, manager of the Bama Theatre, also feels students can benefit from the international occasion. “Students will be able to give their input as they’re exposed to other cultures and means of expression,” Allgood said. “It’s an opportunity for anyone in the Tuscaloosa area to be part of a worldwide film community for one night.”
Incident by Bank: Director Ruben Ostlund
Dik: Director Christopher Stollery
Mak: Director Geraldine Zosso
I Love Luci: Director Colin Kennedy
The Legend of Beaver Dam: Director Jerome Sable
Sexting: Director Neil Labute
The Forest: Director Kárpáti György Mór
A Doctor’s Job: Director Julio Ramos
David and Goliath: Director George Zaverdas
Martyr Friday: Director Abu Bakr Shawky
Note: Labute and Zaverdas are American directors
LIST OF FILMS:
like this one before. Grahame-Smith made waves some years ago with the publi-cation of “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.” Protectors of
explain why. Elementary school social studies teachers taught us that “Honest” Abe Lincoln was born in a log cabin somewhere in backwoods Kentucky. In American popular mythology, he epitomizes the everyman who rose to the highest position of power in the land (contem-poraries might have given the
honor to Andrew Jackson, but that whole Trail of Tears thing has understandably disillu-sioned modern Americans). Grahame-Smith tells us Lincoln was traumatized as a child by the death of his mother at the hands of rapacious vam-pires. American civ professors emphasize the complexity of causes leading up to the Civil War. Grahame-Smith informs us that it was little more than Lincoln’s fanatic fight against vampire slaveholders. And all this on the basis of a “lost jour-nal” that somehow fell into his possession, along with a hand-ful of doctored photos scattered throughout the novel. As a history major, I find the idea repulsive. But this book isn’t meant to be taken seri-ously. It isn’t meant to be an enduring classic. And, unless I have seriously overestimated the American public, there
isn’t going to be a “DaVinci Code” debacle like we saw in 2003. Like he did with Jane Austen in “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,” Grahame-Smithis parodying the conventions ofbiography itself. Hey, maybe this is satire after all. Most of the humor of the novel comes from the ridic-ulous juxtaposition of an absurd plot with Grahame-Smith’s staid, stuffy, David McCullough-esque writingstyle. He doesn’t break charac-ter for so much as a sentence, and halfway through readers might find themselves accept-ing Abe Lincoln’s flame gun as an accessory as natural as his stovepipe hat. Ultimately, I’m ambiva-lent about “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.” But I will say one thing in its favor: at least the vampires don’t sparkle.
manhattanshort.com“I Love Luci,” directed by Colin Kennedy
“David and Goliath,” directed by George Zaverdas
manhattan-short.com
“Sexting,” directed by Neil LaBute
manhattanshort.com
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Today’s Birthday (09/27/11). Don’t forget what you’ve learned, but don’t get stuck in the past, either. Changes can be bittersweet. Invent a future that you’d be delighted to live. Then share that vision with your social connections. They show the way, once they know what you want.Aries (March 21-April 19) -- Today is an 8 -- Talk it over with your team to work out strategy and schedule. Work in private, and delegate what you can. Do the research before making long-term decisions.Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is an 8 -- Com-munication outlets may not favor a revolution today. Postpone risk-taking (especially romantic and financial). A word from you helps a loved one. Move up a level.Gemini (May 21-June 21) -- Today is a 7 -- Love is smiling down upon you, sprouting new tendrils of creativity, sprinkling you with magical magnetic attraction. Unpredictable changes could disrupt, so play it cool.Cancer (June 22-July 22) -- Today is a 7 -- If you feel chained or captive to an obligation, give up resistance. It only makes the imprisonment persist. Instead, relax into the confines and finish the job to be truly free.Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Put it in writing, even if you have to use a paper napkin. Take an inventory of your wealth, and you’ll discover the answer you were looking for. No gam-bling allowed.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is a 9 -- You could be tempted to take a big chance, but think it over well. One thing ends and another begins. Don’t go against your core values, no matter what. Watch your feet.Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is a 9 -- You’re ready to inspire and teach by example for the
next couple of days. You jump over the hurdles with grace, like an Olympic athlete. You’ve got confidence and power.Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Today is a 7 -- Procrasti-nate later. You’re under some pressure, and it’s best to be occupied, rather than preoccupied. Take short meditation breaks to stay focused.Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is an 8 -- Friends could help you clean up a mess. Discover your boundaries, and let others support you in expanding them. Say “thank you,” and offer to do the same.Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is an 8 -- There really is no way to prepare for the unexpected. Sometimes blind faith is necessary. Angels guide your actions. Take on a tough job. Get help, if you need it.Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is a 6 -- It’s adventure time. Summon up your courage to battle a dragon and rescue a prince or princess. Challenges feed you and make you stronger. You have what it takes.Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is a 6 -- There’s a decision to make, and you may find all kinds of distractions. It may even get uncomfortable. In the end, trust your instincts.
C&IS Technical Student Assistant - 0806067. Provides desktop support, hardware/software installation, multime-dia andcomputer imaging support. Applicants must have experience with hardware/software installation, configuration andtroubleshooting of both Mac and PC platforms. Must be available to work some nights and on Sundays. Job close date: 10/14/2011.
CC&E Publications Student Assistant - 0806066. Assists with creating and editing templates, publishing works and interactivedocuments as directed by faculty/staff of the UA Civil, Construction & Engi-neering Department. Must be proficient with AdobePro, and have experience creating forms in Adobe. Must have experience creating and editing templates, creating forms, andwith desktop publishing. Job close date: 9/28/2011.
Systems Student Assistant - 0805407. Applicants must have ADVANCED computer/software experience; Deep Freeze,Terminal, ARD, DeployStudio, Insight, Symantec Ghost, Registry and Group Policy editing, general image construc-tion, networktroubleshooting a plus. Must have mini-mum 2.25 GPA, and be able to work some late nights, early mornings and occasionalweekends. Job close date: 9/23/2011..
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By Morgan Upton Contributing Writer
The University of Alabama volleyball team returns to Foster Auditorium Wednesday, Sept. 28, to square off against Southeastern Conference foe Ole Miss. After defeating Georgia on Sunday, Alabama picked up its first SEC victory of the season, and its first SEC road victory in two years. Head coach Ed Allen’s squad looks to pick up another victory at home. “We’ve played two SEC match-es in Foster and it’s an incredible environment to play in,” he said. “First of all, we’re very excited to be able to be back in our home court and have the support that we have, because clearly our fans are providing a seventh man advantage for us. We’re excited about trying to give our fans a brand of volleyball they’ll
be pleased with.” After Sunday’s victory, Alabama was back at 0.500 with a 7-7 record. The Tide will have a small break from travelling, with its next three matches at home. Out of the 14 matches Alabama has competed in, the team has only played five at home. Allen said the lack of trav-eling is a welcome change. “We’re excited about having the opportunity to stay at home and not having the wear and tear of what traveling creates,” Allen said. After gaining its first SEC win, the Tide hopes to build off the weekend’s success. But Ole Miss will be tough competition. Both squads are 1-3 in league play, but the Rebels have yet to gain a road victory. Alabama will need a solid performance to defeat Ole Miss. The Rebels have been a clean ball-handling team this season,
averaging only one serve recep-tion error per set. “We’re excited about playing a team that consistently com-petes at the top of the Western division,” Allen said. Junior Kayla Fitterer will once again have her hands full facing Ole Miss’s outside hitter Allegra Wells, who has 124 kills on the season. Ole Miss’s team is well bal-anced, with multiple standout players. The Tide will need a tough defensive standing to put away the Rebels, something Allen has continuously ham-mered into his team’s head. One of the Tide’s disadvan-tages is the youth of the team. Nine out of the Tide’s 13 play-ers are underclassmen, while Ole Miss only has seven under-classmen out of 15. Allen stated that with such an inexperienced team, each practice and match is important to becoming one unit.
By Miranda MurphySports Reporter
Women’s soccer head coach Todd Bramble never thought his career path would allow him to coach the sport he loved growing up, but that is exactly what he is doing at the University of Alabama. Bramble grew up in Atlanta and began playing soccer around the age of nine. “It quickly became my sport of choice,” Bramble said. “With youth sports, it’s the environment you get in. I fell into being a yearlong soc-cer player and didn’t bounce
O. P. Galt IVSports Reporter
@OPGaltIV
The Alabama Crimson Tide football team began prac-tice this week in preparation for Saturday’s game in “The Swamp” against the Florida Gators. With all of the speed Florida presents, head coach Nick Saban spoke about the importance of players mak-ing sure they focus on making themselves better and having consistency in the way they play. “I think the focus for the players should be, ‘what can I do to be a better player,’” Saban said, “‘and what do I need to do to help myself be a more con-sistent player, play smarter, as well as make my unit more effective by more consistency’ and everybody doing their job together so that we don’t have any negative plays, bad plays, missed assignments, things that we control.”
SPO
RTS
Page 8 • Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Editor • Tony Tsoukalascrimsonwhitesports@
gmail.com
WEDNESDAY
SATURDAY
FRIDAY
• Women’s Volleyball vs Mississippi: 7 p.m.
• Women’s Volleyball vs Mississippi State: 7 p.m.
•Women’s Soccer vs Mississippi State at Starkville: 7 p.m.
• Track & Field, Cross Country Greater Louisville Classic: 8:30 a.m.• Football vs Florida: 8 p.m.• Women’s Tennis vs TBD at Los Angeles: TBA• Men’s Tennis: All day
SPORTS this week
SUNDAY
•Women’s Soccer vs Mississippi at Oxford: 1 p.m.• Men’s Tennis at Atlanta: All Day• Women’s Tennis vs TBD at Los Angeles: TBA
FOOTBALL
Tide begins preparations for Swamp battle
CW | Margo SmithTight end coach Bobby Williams watches players run through drills during Monday’s practice.
VOLLEYBALL
Crimson Tide returns to Foster to face Ole Miss
SOCCER
Todd Bramble refl ects on coaching career at Alabama
CW | Margo SmithSophomore Shelbi Goode goes for a kill during Saturday night’s game against Texas State.
Photo by Jeri A. GulsbyCoach Todd Bramble walks on the fi eld during a practice with the women’s soccer team.
Saban’s staff at LSU in 2001 as a linebacker coach and rose to defensive coordina-tor for the 2002 season, where he remained until the end of the 2004 season. He left LSU to be the defensive coordina-tor for Coach Saban’s Miami Dolphins for the 2005 sea-son, his only season with the Dolphins, and returned to the college game in 2006 and has since coached at the college level.
“Will is a good coach because he is a great teacher,” Saban said. “He is a really hard worker. He’s got about as much passion and enthusiasm as anybody that you are ever going to be around and he relates well with the players. I think the players sort of feed off of his passion and enthu-siasm in terms of the way he coaches and what he does. He believes in the fundamen-tals – discipline, hard work,
Saban on facing former assistant Saban will see a famil-iar face wearing a headset across the field on Saturday when the Crimson Tide team faces Florida head coach Will Muschamp and his Gators in “The Swamp.” Coach Muschamp joined Coach
commitment – those types of things that I think are sort of fundamental to being suc-cessful and he’s always done a great job.”
Alabama faces off against Ole Miss on Wednesday at Foster
Auditorium at 7 p.m.
“College is supposed to be the best four years of your life. This is a sport that they love, so I don’t ever want it to become so intense that the emotions of winning and losing override the enjoyment of the experience and what they’re taking from it.”
— Todd Bramble, women’s soccer head coach
around season to season play-ing other sports.” During his summers, Bramble said he would work at soccer camps. He received his first coaching job through a contact he made while at one of the camps. Bramble began his coaching career as an assistant men’s coach at Brown University. He coached men’s soccer for eight years. He began his women’s soccer coach-ing career as head coach at
Clemson University and came to the University of Alabama in 2008. “I think coaching women suits my personality,” Bramble said. “The approach when you coach males or females has to be different. I can’t ever see myself going back and coach-ing on the men’s side.” Bramble said his favorite memory so far was during his first season, when his team played at the Southeastern Conference Tournament. “That was an important milestone at the time,” Bramble said. “We’re eager to get back there.”
Bramble said he wants his team to not only play well, but also enjoy their college career. “College is supposed to be the best four years of your life,” Bramble said. “This is a sport that they love, so I don’t ever want it to become so intense that the emotions of winning and losing override the enjoyment of the experi-ence and what they’re taking from it.” Sophomore Molly Atherton
said Bramble takes the time to get to know the players on his team. “He’s great,” Atherton said. “He’s always there to tell me what to do better and what I need to work on. He knows what to say and when to say it.” Freshman Theresa Wolfkeil
said Bramble is very passion-ate about the sport and his team. “He will think of things that I’ll never think of in a million years,” Wolfkeil said. “He will fight for us and that’s what I love.” Bramble said his goal is to help make the team and the
program reach its full poten-tial. “I want to make this a nationally competitive pro-gram that sustains success on a yearly basis,” Bramble said. “We want to get this team to a championship caliber level where we’re competing for conference championships.”
Florida speed presents challenges The Alabama defense will be tested this Saturday by Florida’s two speedster run-
ning backs, Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps. Rainey has rushed for over 100 yards in each of the Gators last three games, and Demps is a track star who spent his summer running sprints in Europe. Alabama redshirt junior linebacker Dont’a Hightower spoke on the speed Florida has in its offense. “Those guys from Florida are arguably one of the fast-est teams in the country, but hopefully we will be able to contain those guys and keep those guys running east and west instead of north and south,” Hightower said. “It’s going to be a really good game. It’s always a good game when Alabama and Florida come out.”
Injury Report Coach Saban talked about the injury status of sopho-more linebacker C. J. Mosley and sophomore running back Eddie Lacy. “From an injuries stand-point, C. J. Mosley probably will not practice today and will be out for a couple days for sure, and probably is ques-tionable for this game, at this point,” Saban said. “Eddie Lacy will probably not do much today. But, he should progress as the week goes on and should be OK for the game.”