Thursday, October 18, 2012 Serving the University of Alabama since 1894 Vol. 119, Issue 41

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Briefs ........................2

Opinions ...................4

Culture ...................... 7

WEATHER todayINSIDE

today’s paperSports ..................... 10

Puzzles ......................9

Classifieds ................ 9

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CULTURE PAGE 7

Located in Smith hall, the Museum of Natural History has exhibits that change throughout the year.

ALABAMA MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

FRIDAYLawn Decorations and

Paint the Town Red Judging at 1 p.m.

Art Contest Judging at 1 p.m.

People’s Choice Award Competition

Pep Rally/Bonfireon The Quad

at 7 p.m.

TUESDAYCrimson Chalk

Challenge

Can Formation andJudging

Basketball Tournament at the Rec Center

MONDAYPaint theTown Red

Bowling Tournament at Bama Bowl

SUNDAY24th annual Roll Tide Run

Crimson Kickoff Power Puff

football competition

SATURDAYHomecoming

Parade

Alabama vs.

Mississippi State

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

Dodgeball Competitionat the Rec Center

Choreography Contest

By Adrienne BurchStaff Reporter

Next week The University of Alabama campus will transform. From ornate lawn decorations adorning sorority row and painted store fronts along the Strip to a towering bonfire Friday night on the Quad, this year’s Homecoming Week’s theme, “Timeless Traditions,” will

come alive.Homecoming Week begins

Sunday, Oct. 21 and con-cludes Saturday, Oct. 27 withthe Alabama football gameagainst Mississippi StateUniversity. The theme waschosen to honor the fournational championships wonby the Crimson Tide thispast year, a timeless tradi-tion of our own, said AbbyGrace Brown, executivedirector for Homecoming2012.

Lawn decorations, painted store fronts will return starting MondayNEWS | HOMECOMING WEEK

Alabama safety Vinnie Sunseri is 6 feet tall and weighs 215

pounds. At that size, there’s just not much that can shake him up. But the defensive leader is venturing into unfa-miliar territory as he pre-pares to square off against the Volunteers Saturday. He will be facing what may be his biggest challenge to date – a game that

pits him against his own father. The University’s last line-

backers coach Sal Sunseri was named as the University of Tennessee’s new defensive coordinator on Jan. 14, just four days after Alabama won its 14th national champion-ship. Since then, the Alabama-Tennessee rivalry has become a lot more personal for both Sunseris.

“Hard. Hard, hard, hard,” Vinnie said. “It’s very, very tough.”

Saturday’s game will mark the first time in Vinnie’s life in which he’ll play against his dad, and although the two won’t directly be competing against each other, Vinnie said it won’t make the game any easier.

By Morgan ReamesContributing Writer

“You think U won’t challenge Shaq to a dunk contest… and you wouldn’t have four drinks ago.”

This catchphrase is imprinted on a T-shirt former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal wears in a clip from the public service announce-ment with the LessThanUThink campaign.

The PSA, directed by University of Alabama students, will be unveiled at a red carpet event at Innisfree Irish Pub and Grill Thursday, Oct. 18 from 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.

The premiere will feature a Hollywood-style red carpet and life-sized Shaq cutout so attendees can get their pictures taken next to the 7-foot-tall basketball player. There will also be prize drawings and free merchandise giveaways leading up to the launch of the PSA at 10:18 p.m.

Throughout the week, LTUT has hosted various events to get students talking. They set up activities such as Frisbees on the Quad, Trivia Night at the Houndstooth and “Happy Hour at the Rec,” a dunk con-test with an information table explaining the amount of exercise needed to burn off calories from different alcoholic drinks.

LTUT is an award-winning campaign led by UA students designed to address binge drinking among college-age students. The statewide campaign was first released on Alabama’s campus in fall of 2010. UA pub-lic relations and advertising students have worked with the Student Health Center Department of Health Promotion and Wellness as well as the Capstone Agency, a student public relations firm, to make the campaign successful.

“The part that stands out the most about their campaign are the posters they put around campus, and the University’s sup-port for it,” Sam Osier, a senior majoring in advertising, said.

That it takes “LessThanUThink” to have fun without the overconsumption of alco-hol is one of the many slogans with seri-ous messages used to inform students of the social and physical consequences of binge drinking in hopes they will change unhealthy drinking habits.

“Almost everyone I know binge drinks,” Osier said. “I think it’s a serious problem, but students don’t really take it seriously until it affects them.”

According to a report by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health found on the Century Council website, 40 percent of today’s college students engage in binge drinking. One in seven students report hav-ing more than 10 drinks in a row, which can be dangerous and even lethal.

Shaq’s PSA to premiere at Innisfree

NEWS | LESS THAN U THINK NEWS | STUDENT GOVERNMENT

By Colby Leopard and Melissa BrownCW Staff

Hip-hop record-ing artist B.o.B

will headline the Student Government

Association’s RAGE fund-raising concert on Thursday,

Nov. 8 at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater.

“Fifty-six percent of ticket sales go to the SGA schol-arship endowment fund,” Meagan Bryant, SGA press secretary, said. “The other 44 percent goes to facility and Ticketmaster fees.”

Tickets will go on sale at 8 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 18, through myBama. UA stu-dents, faculty and staff can purchase a ticket for $25 and up to two additional tickets for guests for $30 each.

According to an SGA press release, UA community members will only have one opportunity to purchase tick-ets, so they must purchase all desired tickets at once.

After students and faculty purchase their tickets, they will have to print a receipt to show at the Amphitheater gate. Bryant said all tickets are general admission. Once inside, attendees will choose whether they sit or stand.

In addition to B.o.B., the SGA will announce a per-former to open the show. Bryant said the opener will be a national-level act, and the SGA hopes to make the announcement later this week or early next week.

Bryant said the approxi-mately 7,600 concert tickets are available exclusively to the UA community.

The Crimson Ride will provide transportation for students from campus to the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater on the night of the event. Buses will provide pick-up and drop-off services at Lakeside Dining Hall, Tutwiler Hall and the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater.

B.o.B to headline RAGE concert

CW | Whitney Hendrix

CW Fi

le

SGA signs hip-hop artist for Nov. 8 show

Student-directed video promotes anti-binge drinking message

Theme honors four 2012 championships

SEE RAGE PAGE 3SEE LTUT PAGE 5

SEE HOMECOMING PAGE 6

SEE SUNSERIS PAGE 2

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

ONLINE ON THE CALENDAR

Submit your events to calendar@cw.ua.edu

LUNCH

Beef BurritoFarfalle & Sausage Alfredo

BakeRoasted Pork LoinChicken TendersGarden BurgerYellow RiceSouthwest Garbanzo Bean

Cakes (Vegetarian)

BURKELUNCH

SteakTuna Salad SandwichPasta with MeatballsSteamed BroccoliSweet Potato FriesSplit Pea SoupCapri Blend Vegetables

(Vegetarian)

FRESH FOODLUNCH

Buttermilk Fried ChickenChicken & Andoulle GumboBeefy Macaroni & Cheese BakeSeasoned CornMashed PotatoesSeasoned RiceSun-Dried Tomato Mushroom

Risotto (Vegetarian)

BRYANTLUNCH

Chicken Basil CiabattaCountry Shepherd’s PieTeriyaki with Pork &

VegetablesSnap Peas with Roasted Red

PeppersFive-Bean SoupHome-Style Baked Ziti

(Vegetarian)

ON THE MENU

DINNER

Grilled BBQ TurkeyHamburgerFettuccine AlfredoSteamed BroccoliGarlic Mashed PotatoesOatmeal CookiesCapri Vegetable Blend

(Vegetarian)

LAKESIDE

FRIDAY

What: Faces of Violence

Where: Ferguson Center Room 360

When: 2 - 3:30 p.m.

What: ‘Dance Alabama!’

Where: Morgan Hall Auditorium

When: 5:30 p.m.

What: Donny Macaslin Quartet

Where: Moody Music Building

When: 7:30 p.m.

TODAY

What: Homegrown Alabama Farmers Market

Where: Canterbury Episcopal Chapel

When: 3 - 6 p.m.

What: ‘Our Stories Remember:’ A Breast Can-cer Lecture

Where: Gorgas Library 205

When: 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.

What: Nachos for Needy

Where: Delta Zeta House

When: 11 p.m. - 2 a.m.

SATURDAY

What: Moundville’s Saturday in the Park

Where: Moundville Archaeological Park

When: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

What: ‘Side Man’

Where: Marian Gallaway Theatre

When: 7:30 p.m.

What: The Doctors and The Lawyers

Where: The Booth

When: 10 p.m.

ON THE RADAR

GO

GO

Page 2• Thursday, October 18, 2012

ON

TH

E

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MCT Campus

MOUNT VERNON, Iowa — Picking up where their conten-tious debate left off, President Barack Obama and challenger Mitt Romney battled Wednesday for the support of female voters, underscoring their potentially decisive role in settling the fierce-ly competitive race.

Buoyed by a much-improved performance Tuesday night, Obama traveled to the swing state of Iowa, where he renewed his attacks on Romney for pro-posing an end to federal fund-ing for Planned Parenthood, and again touted legislation he signed making it easier for women to sue for job discrimination.

“When Gov. Romney was asked about it, his campaign said, ‘We’ll get back to you,’” Obama said of the legislation, repeat-ing a line from the debate. “That shouldn’t be a complicated ques-tion: Equal pay for equal work.”

Romney stumped in Virginia, another battleground, where he suggested women had borne the brunt of hardship during an Obama tenure marked by

economic anxiety.“Why is it that there are

3.6 million more women in poverty today than when the president took office?” Romney demanded during a stop at Tidewater Community College in Chesapeake. “This president has failed America’s women. They’ve suffered.”

Women have been a key con-stituency for Obama, and their enthusiastic backing is vital to his re-election hopes. The presi-dent has counted on a strong showing among women to off-set Romney’s edge among men. Generally, Obama has been stron-gest among younger and single women, while Romney has been most popular among older and married women.

After Romney’s commanding debate performance two weeks ago in Denver, polls found many women giving the Massachusetts governor a second look.

“People, especially women, have heard all this negative adver-tisement against Gov. Romney,” said Rich Beeson, political direc-tor of his campaign. “They saw Gov. Romney in the debate and

saw an unfiltered view of his plans — what he would do — and I think it resonated.”

That accounted for some of the gains Romney had made in opinion polling, which encour-aged Republicans and prompted Obama and his Democratic allies to redouble their courtship of women.

Even as Romney focused his remarks Wednesday on the econ-omy, his campaign launched a new TV spot that sought to reas-sure women — especially more moderate women — about his positions on contraception and abortion.

In the ad, a woman states her concern that Romney opposes all abortions as well as contracep-tion, but says that after research she learned he does not oppose contraception “at all” and allows for abortion in the cases of rape, incest or to spare the life of the mother.

“I’m more concerned about the debt our children will be left with,” she concludes. “I voted for President Obama last time. We just can’t afford four more years.”

The ad marked a significant departure for Romney, not least because the ad refers to abor-tion as a form of contraception, a notion that infuriates evan-gelical and social conservatives, whom Romney heavily courted during the primary season. As it began airing, a USA Today/Gallup poll was released show-ing that in 12 key swing states, women named abortion as their most important issue. It was twice as important as jobs, the prime issue cited by men.

Obama, Romney fi ght for female vote

“Probably about 10 minutes after the Missouri game it kind of hit me,” Vinnie said. “I was sitting there and I was like, ‘Wow. I’ve got to play against my dad this week. This is tough.’”

Sal echoed his son’s thoughts on the game.

“I didn’t imagine it would be this hard,” Sal said in an interview with Knoxville reporters. “But we’re both going to be professionals about it, do what we have to do and go out there and be able to play our best football.”

All throughout the season, even with the game looming in the distance, Vinnie said he didn’t avoid talking with his father, even on the topic of football.

“He kind of watches me during games and just kind of helps me out,” Vinnie said. “He still coaches me. He can’t help it.”

Despite the tense atmo-sphere this week, the father and son haven’t foregone their conversations with one another. Vinnie said he’d been in contact with his father Sunday, but said the two broke tradition and shied away from talking about football.

“I just told him I love him,” Vinnie said. “We just try to talk about how he’s doing, how mom’s doing, how the family’s doing.”

Indeed, the two aren’t the only ones who’ve been affect-ed by the upcoming game. Vinnie said he expected everyone in his family – cous-ins, aunts, uncles and god-parents – to attend.

“I feel like there’s gonna be a lot of orange and red this weekend being worn in the household,” Vinnie said.

Still, there will be one nota-bly empty seat in Knoxville Saturday. Roxann Sunseri, Sal’s wife and Vinnie’s moth-er will probably watch the game at home. Both men said this week has been espe-cially hard on her, since she’s caught between the two.

“You just talk about me and my son, but for her, she’s trying to be a wife and then she’s trying to be a mother,” Sal said. “So she’s trying to be strong, trying to be sup-portive both ways, but it’s tough.”

Indeed, Vinnie said he knew it would be tough on his mother earlier this year when he and Sal managed to make it to Pittsburgh during a mutual bye week to watch his older brother Tino play quarterback for the Panthers.

“I had never witnessed it before, but she is … she becomes a wreck,” Vinnie said. “She’s emotional, she – oh, my gosh – she just wishes the best for us at all times. She’s so passionate and loves us all so much.”

And, at the end of it all, even with the heated rival-ry between Alabama and Tennessee, Vinnie said he didn’t expect the victor between him and his dad to make it too unbearable for the other.

“This is just a football game,” Vinnie said. “This isn’t anything I would want to put into his face, or if they are able to do something against us it’s something that he wouldn’t want to rub in our face. It’s competition, but at the end of the day, we’re family. That’s the strongest thing.”

SUNSERIS FROM PAGE 1

Father, son face off for 1st time Saturday

Parkview center 758-1222

BAMA’S WINNING MARGIN IS YOUR DISCOUNT!

If Bama wins by 30 points, then your discount is 30%...

If Bama wins by 12 points, then your discount is 12%...

OFF OF EVERYTHING IN THE STORE! (Excludes “Sale” items)

WIN LIKE BAMA!

Minimum discount is 5% and maximum is 30% . (SUNDAY ONLY)

Editor | Melissa Brownnewsdesk@cw.ua.edu

Thursday, October 18, 2012NEWSNEWS

OPINION

CULTURE

SPORTS

Page 3

By Molly OlmsteadContributing Writer

The Women’s Resource Center will use every form of the spoken word Thursday to give a voice to the personal stories of breast cancer sur-vivors, activists and patients’ families.

Paige Miller, the coordinator for Campus Violence Programs for the Women’s Resource Center, said the event, called “Our Stories Remember,”

will target those who have personally been impacted by breast cancer.

“The intention is to raise awareness about breast can-cer but also to allow people to come together to honor survivors and loved ones who have been affected by breast cancer,” she said.

The event will feature Reanae McNeal, a perfor-mance artist and social activist who tours nationally and inter-nationally to give lectures.

McNeal will give a nontraditional lecture involv-ing stories, songs, poetry and chants. She will emphasize the different ways breast cancer impacts diverse women and will inform attendees how to become activists for breast cancer awareness.

McNeal’s lectures speak out against violence against women and various related social issues. They often incor-porate her other creative out-lets, which include plays, oral

histories, stories, performance poetry and music.

“Her presentations and per-formances engage the audi-ence,” Miller said. “Sometimes she asks the audience to respond. It’s a more emotional connection … more than just having someone stand there and give you statistics and information.”

The lecture is a part of recognizing Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the most common cancer in women

apart from skin cancer and a relevant issue to many on campus.

“It definitely has affected faculty and staff,” Miller said. “There are survivors that work on campus, and many times it affects students’ moth-ers or grandmothers.”

The Women’s Resource Center will host McNeal again on Friday, Oct. 19, for a lecture titled “Faces of Violence,” which focuses on domestic violence.

“Our Stories Remember” will be held at 3:30 p.m. in Gorgas Library 205 and is open to everyone.

Activist to speak at ‘Our Stories Remember’

IF YOU GO...• What: “Our Stories

Remember”

• When: 3:30 p.m.

• Where: Gorgas 205

By Tori LinvilleContributing Writer

Students can now know their professors on a more personal level through a new University of Alabama pro-gram that includes a one-on-one lunch session.

Out 2 Lunch was designed by the Office of Student Affairs’ First Year Experience and Bama Dining to foster interactions between faculty or staff members and stu-dents.

The program encourages new students and transfers to get to know University employees and their pro-fessors by treating them to lunch at a Bama Dining

facility using a guest meal provided on their meal plan. After spending time with their faculty member of choice, stu-dents can fill out an assess-ment of the lunch found on the FYE web-site, and the meal is then refunded.

If they aren’t up for a full meal, students can choose to grab a quick coffee at Starbucks or even a smooth-ie at the Student Rec Center using Dining Dollars, which would also be refunded. The

student can determine the atmosphere based on the tone of the venue they choose.

Phillips Thomas, the coor-dinator for Student Affairs’ programs, said Out 2 Lunch serves as a helpful ice-breaker, of which students should take full advantage.

“We know it’s i n t i m i d a t i n g for students to

approach this person who’s like a stranger at the front of the classroom,” Thomas said. “The Out 2 Lunch program gives students the chance to

ask questions outside of class and allows them to receive feedback and advice.”

By setting up a meeting, students can gain advice and a sense of assurance about lecture and class, the college experience as a whole, and future career paths by famil-iarizing themselves with peo-ple who have the tools to help them, Thomas said.

“Studies show that stu-dents in their first year that interact with teachers have more classroom confidence and are more plugged in [to the University],” she said.

Will Jackson, a sophomore majoring in marketing, par-ticipated in a lunch at the Ferguson Center with his art

professor and quickly had his questions answered.

“The Out 2 Lunch pro-gram was beneficial because now I see that teacher and I see teachers that know her, so I go into a class and they already know who I am,” Jackson said. “It’s great because the process is break-ing down boundaries of new students, and it’s a way to know who the person at the front of the classroom is.”

George Brown, the execu-tive director of University Recreation and the assis-tant to the vice president of Student Affairs, believes a student’s ability to know fac-ulty members on a personal level is an important aspect

of the program.“I was immediately sold on

the program because I think it demystifies the aura of what a faculty or staff mem-ber can be,” Brown said. “It really puts the student and faculty in a situation where there is a genuine opportuni-ty to talk about learning and career development, and I’m really excited about it.”

For those who are unde-cided about Out 2 Lunch, the program offers a recom-mended list of go-to faculty members to help tailor the experience to the student. The list is available in the Office of Student Affairs in Mary Burke Hall and can be seen online later this month.

Students can take faculty members ‘Out 2 Lunch’

By Ashley TrippStaff Reporter

Which Wich Superior Sandwiches will soon find a home in Tuscaloosa, opening downtown at the Boulevard Lofts Apartment complex on University Boulevard in mid-December.

Owner Lee Henderson said he is very grateful and excited about the opportunity to bring Which Wich to Tuscaloosa.

“I have followed the brand in its recent years, and after experiencing a loss of business during the tornado a couple of years ago, it reinvigorated me more so to pursue bringing it to Tuscaloosa,” Henderson said. “I feel Which Wich is a perfect fit for Tuscaloosa.”

Known for its creative order-ing system, Vibe community,

and more than 50 customizable “wiches,” Which Wich attracts all customers, including weight watchers and vegetarians.

“We want our customers to feel like guests, not customers,” Henderson said.

When people walk into Which Wich, Henderson wants them to be taken back to the ‘old days’ of brown-bag school lunches, along with feeling the “Vibes” that the store presents.

In placing an order, guests first grab a brown bag with a preprinted menu and pick their “wich” category.

“It’s really fun to go to Which Wich because you get to write your order on your bag,” Katie Bayless, a junior majoring in chemical engineering, said.

Guests choose what bread, cheese, spreads and veggies they would like on their “wich.”

They may also purchase extras such as shakes, chips, cookies and drinks. After eating, guests can grab a Sharpie, doodle on the back of their bags and hang their masterpieces on the com-munity wall.

Henderson said Jeff Sinelli, found-er of Which Wich, wants guests to be able to express themselves, feel a sense of com-munity and be a part of the overall Vibe community.

“We think that our overall vibe will entice our guests to want to use our dining room to study, catch up on emails or just sit back and enjoy our ban-quet seating options that will be available,” Henderson said.

Many University of Alabama students are familiar with Which Wich from their home town.

Hannah King, a junior major-ing in dance, is looking forward to having another place to dine-

in and hang out.“I first dis-

covered Which Wich in my home town in Alpharetta, Ga., and am looking forward to having it in Tuscaloosa,” King said.

In addition, Which Wich will

be considering Bama Cash as a part of its operations once opened.

“Our goal is to provide our guests with the perfect ‘wich’ experience,” Henderson said.

Which Wich set to open in Tuscaloosa

“It’s great because the process is breaking down boundaries

of new students, and it’s a way to know who the person at the

front of the classroom is.

— Will Jackson

“We want our customers to feel like guests, not

customers.

— Lee Henderson

Though B.o.B. and his opener will be the main acts of the RAGE event, the SGA will also host a Battle of the Bands con-test on Tuesday, Nov. 6 to select a local or student band to open the concert.

Local and student bands were invited to provide a demo to the SGA, who will select three bands to perform at the Jupiter on Nov. 6. The winner, decided by the audience via Twitter, will have the opportunity to open for B.o.B at the main concert.

Local band The Doctors and The Lawyers, made up of five UA students,

provided a demo to the SGA and hopes to be selected for the Battle of the Bands.

The band has nearly a dozen original songs, but also plays covers rang-ing from Eric Clapton to The Black Keys. Chris Wilhelm, the band’s lead guitarist and backup vocalist, said they sub-mitted a demo because it seemed like a good oppor-tunity to play in front of a lot of students.

“SGA has created an awesome opportunity for student musicians through the Battle of the Bands,” Wilhelm said. “We would love to get to participate in an event like this with so many Alabama students, and it would be so cool to open for a band like B.o.B at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater.”

RAGE FROM PAGE 1

B.o.B. to headline amphitheater show

Editor | SoRelle Wyckoffletters@cw.ua.edu

Thursday, October 18, 2012OPINIONSNEWS

OPINION

CULTURE

SPORTS

Page 4

EDITORIAL BOARDWill Tucker Editor-in-Chief

Ashley Chaffin Managing EditorStephen Dethrage Production

EditorMackenzie Brown Visuals Editor

Tray Smith Online EditorAlex Clark Community ManagerAshanka Kumari Chief Copy

EditorSoRelle Wyckoff Opinions Editor

GOT AN OPINION?Submit a guest column (no more

than 800 words) or a letter to the editor to letters@cw.ua.edu

GOT A STORY IDEA?cw.ua.edu/submit-your-idea

TWEET AT US@TheCrimsonWhite

The Crimson White reserves the right to edit all guest columns and

letters to the editor.

Change ahead for greek communityBy Tray SmithOnline Editor

Greeks seem to be going through a rough patch lately.

A prank war between two fraternities led to both of their houses being vandalized and resulted in both hav-ing their social privileges and block seating suspended. Pledgeship was suspended while emails alleging alco-hol abuse and hazing swirled through cyberspace. Four greek students have been hospitalized for alcohol poi-soning, twice the number of alcohol-induced hospital-izations experienced by the rest of the student body.

We’ve all seen this before: an onslaught of bad pub-licity that damages the greek community but eventu-ally subsides, allowing normal business to resume.

With each episode, though, a little piece of greekdom is lost. A subtle acknowledgement that, while this too will pass, things won’t be this way forever. We are liv-ing on borrowed time, determined to indulge in our tra-ditions until the clock runs out.

That clock would still be ticking if, 10 years ago, The University of Alabama had not decided to transform itself from a state university to an institution with national reach. That is precisely what the University decided, though, so the clock is ticking much faster.

This year’s pledge class, for instance, seems feistier than most, sending emails and sharing their stories with reporters. It is surprising we haven’t seen more of this before now.

Bringing new students with different backgrounds into lasting institutions will inevitably force those insti-tutions to change, possibly in profound ways. These students don’t have the same perspectives, biases and family heritages that earlier generations of students had.

Students who do come from those backgrounds are less committed to tiring traditions than their parents and grandparents were and are being influenced by peers from across the country.

The resulting tension is predictable but positive. These are growing pains, symbolic of a rising univer-sity where students are questioning the way things are and have been with an eye on where things are going. These are good problems to have.

Even the pledge who recounted his experiences with hazing in Tuesday’s Crimson White said pledges are reluctant to drop because they fear being “black-balled by the larg-est greek system in America.” There is nothing for them to fear about being alienated from such a system unless they really want to be a part of it.

The pledges do want to be a part of it, though, because there is a lot to gain from being a part of the greek community. Indeed, there is a lot to gain from being a pledge.

Pledgeship forces new students to structure their schedules and discipline themselves, connects them to opportunities on campus, and introduces them to hundreds of new students at social events. Eventual membership opens even more venues for service and leadership. The greek community as a whole facili-tates lasting friendships and provides experiences that define collegiate life for a lot of students.

This context does not excuse brutal hazing, but it underscores the nature of the two-way relationship between organizations and their pledges, whose com-mitment and responsibility helps them individually and the organization as a whole.

Greek leaders and administrators must figure out how to preserve that relationship while protecting the dignity and well-being of new members.

In this effort, public information and conversation is their ally. Public testimonials of hazing in the greek community will give potential new members more information to base their decisions on in the future.

Students appalled by reports of hazing will join orga-nizations that don’t haze, and students unconcerned by the reports will not be surprised when they find themselves being challenged in pledgeship. As the clock keeps ticking, the groups that manage the two-way relationship most effectively will be the most suc-cessful.

Sharing this story with the public is not just an appropriate role for the media; it is the media’s duty.

The Crimson White has risen to that responsibility, not to make the greek community look good or bad, but simply to report the news. Before Sept. 26, The Crimson White’s articles about the greek community were overwhelmingly positive, and included, among others, “UA’s sorority recruitment largest in nation, expected to grow,” “Greeks raise money for Ronald McDonald House at ‘Wings of Hope,’” and “Chapter houses upgraded.” The Crimson White doesn’t decide how the greek community is portrayed to the public, it portrays it as it is.

Today, greeks are concerned and anxious, but even in the bad news, we see the story of a community that is slowly evolving and adapting into something that will endure long past its worst traditions, something that will outlive the clock.

As that happens, there will be many more good sto-ries in the future.

Tray Smith is the online editor of The Crimson White. His column runs on Thursdays.

“The Crimson White doesn’t decide how the greek com-munity is portrayed to the public, it portrays it as it is.

MCT Campus

Tuesday’s presidential debate raises stakes even higherBy Sophia FazalStaff Columnist

As we move even fur-ther into election season, things start to get a little out of control. A total of three debates have passed with only one left to go. The stakes are high, and time is of the essence.

The expectations for Tuesday’s presidential debate were very differ-ent from the first face-off that occurred between Democratic President Barack Obama and Republican candidate Gov. Mitt Romney.

As USA Today put it, Obama got a “second chance” to show the nation what he was made of Tuesday night.

Prior to the debate that occurred on Oct. 3 between Obama and Romney, Democrats had the mind set that this election was in the bag. However, Romney’s per-formance echoed like gun-shots around the world.

Obama seemed anx-ious, disconnected and even dazed while Romney proved to the country that

he and fellow Republicans were taking a solid stance that demanded yet anoth-er change in the system.

Similarly, the same shock and awe occurred during the vice-presi-dential debate that took place on Oct. 11 between D e m o c r at i c Vi c e -President Joe Biden and Republican vice-presi-dential candidate Paul Ryan just weeks ago.

Biden was abrasive yet tactful, not the usual approach for a defend-ing candidate; he led the Democrats in a small vic-tory, and more important-ly, swept Ryan and fellow Republicans tastefully under the rug.

So, the real fight to watch was last night. Obama’s advisors had assured the press that he would be more “aggres-sive” and “energetic,” traits that should’ve been highly insisted upon in his first debate against Romney. Sure enough, Obama pulled through. Obama’s apathetic atti-tude was more than per-tinent on Oct. 3, but last night he was confident,

concise and to the point.“We haven’t heard from

the governor any specif-ics beyond Big Bird and eliminating funding for Planned Parenthood in terms of how he pays for it,” Obama said.

Now Romney is another story. The wind behind Romney’s back seems to be an increase in the ref-erendum. The Republican poll increase started just after the debate on Oct. 3. Since then it has trans-formed Romney from being the sole Republican candidate to “an accept-able alternative to inde-pendents,” according to what GOP pollster Whit Ayres told CNN just a few nights ago. This is not only a win for Republicans, but a clear wake up call to Democrats.

However, last night was another turn in the wind, and not a good one. Romney seemed to be lost when it came to a debate forum, as if he was that kid in the back of the classroom that no one wanted to call on - ever. He was stumbling through rebuttals, loosing speak-

ing time, and racking up some rudeness points with last night’s female moderator. To top it off, he ranted about his “binder full of women,” which was used to fill his cabinet as governor of Massachusetts. When realistically, women don’t even seem to be the big contrib-utors in any of Romney’s endeavors, b u s i n e s s or political, a c c o r d i n g to a story by The New Yorker.

“When do you gradu-ate?” Romney asked a student that asked his first question. “When you come out in 2014, I presume I’m going to be president. I’m going to make sure you get a job,” Romney said to him.

And presumably, Romney started his night strong, and this bold statement could’ve been truth by the end of the debate. However, he’s going to have to bite his

tongue when watching the polls for the next few days after last night’s per-formance.

So what’s to come? With only one debate to go between the two candi-dates, Oct. 22 will be one hell of a fight to watch at Lynn University in Boca

Raton, Fla. The debate will focus on U.S. for-eign policy. R o m n e y has numer-ously ques-t i o n e d O b a m a ’ s foreign pol-icy, despite

failing to stick to facts when doing so. Obama, on the other hand, has only just proved his country that he’s still in this fight. We continue to watch the political seesaw, ever wondering, will this be enough for his re-election to office, or will the elec-tion bring a GOP victor?

Sophia Fazal is a senior majoring in anthropol-ogy. Her column runs biweekly.

By Nathan JamesStaff Columnist

The University of Alabama is, on the whole, very strict in its enforce-ment of the law. Bikes that are not locked to bike racks are tagged and sometimes impounded. Cars that are parked illegally are fre-quently ticketed for hun-dreds of dollars by cam-pus police. Frequent room inspections by resident advisors ensure that stu-dents keep their dormito-ries up to University stan-dards. Students convicted of domestic violence on campus face a mandatory prison sentence.

There is only one group that is largely overlooked by University police and administrators in their enforcement of the law.

That group is greeks.Earlier this month, The

Crimson White ran an article about a fraternity pledge’s experiences with hazing. The article detailed ways in which initiates are physically violated, ver-bally abused and threat-ened with reprisal if they report on their mis-treatment.

On that note, the a r t i c l e d e s c r i b e d V i c e President for Student Affairs Mark Nelson’s response to hazing, which appears to be largely unenforced, and in no way includes the prosecution of those responsible for

abusing pledges. Dean of Students Tim Hebson has promoted self-reporting as a means to combat hazing, but ignored the threat of blackballing or other repri-sal against greeks who self-report.

T h i s isn’t even ap p r o a c h -ing the issue of rampant u n d e r a g e d r i n k i n g on cam-pus. Last year, four of six cases of alcohol

poisoning that resulted in hospitalization were greek students. This statistic fails to account for the number of greek students who suf-fer alcohol poisoning but, again, fail to report it for

fear of their brothers’ or sisters’ response. And yet, University officials con-tinue to turn a blind eye to the problem. Nelson even claimed earlier this year no greeks were hospitalized last year for alcohol poison-ing.

Why are greek trans-gressions ignored, even condoned, while even minor violations by unaffil-iated students are met with uncompromising resolve? I’m hesitant to suggest it, but we should consider the possibility that it’s for financial reasons.

Think about it. The University makes money whenever it gives parking tickets, which is to say all the time. Requiring students to keep their dormitories clean protects an important recruitment asset that

allows the University to bring in out-of-state students. But prosecut-ing greeks, who make up roughly one-third of the student body, would impair recruitment and hinder the University’s current policy of expansion.

It’s easy to condemn greeks who participate in hazing. But we should also condemn University officials who hold a double standard when it comes to safety and the law. Turning a blind eye to certain trans-gressions may help the University’s bottom line, but it also undermines our moral integrity in ways that matter far more.

Nathan James is a sopho-more majoring in public relations. His column runs on Thursdays.

Administration must stop turning blind eye to greeks

Why vote? Because problems won’t magically go awayBy Amber PattersonStaff Columnist

Yesterday I received my voter registration card in the mail, and I’m pretty excited. This will be my first time voting in a presi-dential election, and this time the outcome could actually have an effect on me and my future.

I know it is has been said over and over again why voting is important, and it has been approached from every angle. We have heard why women, African

Americans and youth should vote, and the conse-quences of what will hap-pen if we fail to vote. With all that being said, I will spare you the angled rea-sons why voting is impor-tant and simply argue: It is common sense.

Since elementary school, we have been taught that if we see a problem or feel strongly about an issue, we should voice our opinion. Then we should fix it or figure out a way to obtain a solution. We have also learned about the system

of democracy since middle school. With all this knowl-edge, there is no reason why every person 18 and older shouldn’t be regis-tered to vote.

The problems we see in our nation are not just going to magically go away. It is not okay to just sit there and pray the out-come is in your favor, based on the rest of the nation’s decision. It is not a lottery, and you cannot just spin the wheel and hope you hit the jackpot.

The common excuse I

hear from those who do not want to vote or just choose not to vote is that neither of the candidates satisfy what they feel should make a president. Sorry, but this excuse holds no clout. No candi-date is going to match up exactly with your values because we are all differ-ent. At least try to find what you are looking for in one of the candidates, and do not write them off so swiftly.

If you do the research and still do not find any

results, then use the write-in option. I know these barely get any consider-ation, but at least you are exercising your right to vote, which is valuable. It does not matter who you vote for, please just do. Make your voice heard, even if you are not the majority. Vote for the sim-ple sake of common sense.

Amber Patterson is a sophomore majoring in marketing and public rela-tions. Her column runs on Thursdays.

“With only one debate to go between the two candidates, Oct. 22 will be one hell of a

fi ght to watchat Lynn Univer-sity in Boca Raton, Fla.

“Why are greek transgres-sions ignored, even con-doned, while even minor violations by unaffi liated students are met with un-

compromising resolve?

By John McPhailContributing Writer

Lowes has donated $400,000 to Habitat for Humanity to build five new homes in the tornado-rav-aged areas of Tuscaloosa.

Habitat for Humanity, an organization that provides housing for those in need, has been heavily involved in rebuilding the Tuscaloosa community after the devas-tation of the April 27, 2011 tornado. Of the five homes set to be built from Lowes’ donation, four will go up on 7th Street East and anoth-er on 18th Avenue East in Alberta, a community in Tuscaloosa that saw some of the worst destruction.

“Habitat for Humanity of Tuscaloosa’s goal is to help

improve the lives of the peo-ple affected by the storm,” Heather Poe, office manager of HFH of Tuscaloosa, said.

Many resi-dents applied for the organi-zation’s hous-ing, but only five were cho-sen as recipi-ents. Jessie Hill was chosen as the recipient of the house on 18th Avenue East, whose walls were raised Monday. Khyla Colvin, Brenda Anthony, Sonya Moore and Jackie Booker are the recip-ients of the houses on 7th Street East, and the founda-tions have been laid on all four of the houses. All five

houses are scheduled to be finished by January 2013.

Habitat for Humanity will hold the mortgage on these

homes for 30 years with zero percent inter-est. Therefore, the home-owners will have a more a f f o r d a b l e payment plan than a conven-tional mort-gage, which the Financial

Forecast Center has set at 3.5 percent as of September 2012.

All of the new Habitat for Humanity houses are being built entirely by vol-unteers. The construction staff consists of five mem-

bers. Additionally, Lowes staff members are donating their free time to help with the construction, and many local churches and business have also offered help and sponsorship.

“Lowes’ goal is very much to show presence in the community by support both throughout our stores and throughout our staff,” Matt Harbison, district commer-cial account specialist for Lowes, said. “I have had the pleasure of being able to meet these families, and I can tell you they are very

happy to have Habitat and Lowes helping them.”

It is the goal of the two companies to provide a soundly constructed, ener-gy efficient home for their recipients. The builders are following new codes implemented by Energy Star, a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, which helps cut down the utility cost for homeowners.

Lowes’ donation has con-tinued an ongoing effort to help the community. Habitat

for Humanity has previously constructed 19 homes in the aftermath of the tornado.

“Coach Nick Saban’s foundation, Nick’s Kids, has just completed their 14th home as part of their 14-for-14 program, while four other homes have been built by the partnership of the Major League Baseball and State Farm All Star Build Foundation,” Poe said.

Habitat for Humanity has recently acquired 30 new lots on Juanita Drive in Alberta to continue their building program.

NEWS OPINION CULTURE SPORTS Thursday, October 18, 2012 | Page 5

By Colby LeopardStaff Reporter

For students interested in knowing where Quidditch on the Quad is this year, the Honors College Assembly has your answer.

“We are moving Quidditch on the Quad to the spring semester this year for a

number of reasons, but most importantly among those rea-sons are so we can stay on the Quad,” Olivia West, a senior majoring in studio art, said.

West is HCA’s vice president of special events and is oversee-ing this year’s Quidditch on the Quad. This is the first year HCA will be responsible for Quidditch on the Quad, taking over from

Creative Campus.“Quidditch on the Quad has

been wonderful and fun in years past,” West said. “It brings the whole student body together and gives us something to look forward to participating in every year. All of the things that Creative Campus has done, the good things that make Quidditch great, are going to

Lowes donates $400,000 to local Habitat for Humanity

Quidditch on the Quad to return in Spring 2013stay the same.”

West said HCA will be making a few changes to Quidditch this year to make the event even bet-ter than it has been before. As a former Creative Campus intern, West said she knows the things that have made Quidditch great in the past, as well as what areas can be improved.

“I know moving Quidditch to the spring prolongs the wait, but we feel that having a big sport-ing event like this in the spring will give us something to look forward to, and it also helps avoid having to compete for the Quad during the football season in the fall,” West said. “Other than moving to the spring, I’m really excited about some of the ideas the leadership team in HCA are coming up with for Quidditch. I don’t want to give away too much right now, but you can expect to be see-ing some of these ideas being put in to action by the end of the month.”

HCA director of public rela-tions Daniel Connors has begun working on Quidditch’s strong advertising movement and is excited to unveil some of the things he has been work-

ing on. Connors, a senior from Enterprise, Ala., said students can expect a Quidditch promo-tional video very soon.

“The first thing we’re going to do is release a teaser to get stu-dents excited about Quidditch being in the spring,” Connors said. “With football season being so hectic and such a big deal at Alabama, I think every-one will benefit from Quidditch happening in the spring. We just have to help with the wait.”

Kirkland Back, a Creative Campus intern and HCA’s direc-tor of arts awareness, said this year’s Quidditch tournament will be bigger than it has ever been before.

Back said the anticipa-tion of Quidditch draws stu-

dents to the University from across the country.

“In its third year, Quidditch is going to be absolutely humon-gous,” he said. “It is so expected by people this year. There are a lot of people that literally came to the University with the sole intent of playing Quidditch. I hear freshmen talking all the time about how they came to UA because it’s awesome and we have Quidditch.”

West said Quidditch on the Quad’s purpose is to give UA students something fun to look forward to and enjoy every year.

“It is so exciting for people to have something so immersive and on such a grand scale hap-pen here on our campus,” she said. “It brings something that you only read about in your physical life and allows you to interact in a way you would never have thought possible. You can play on a Quidditch team, you hear the theme song play-ing from Denny Chimes, you can walk down Diagon Alley, you can see actors playing out scenes from the books and movies. You really lose yourself in this Harry Potter world.”

CW | Mitchell Hughes

The second annual Quidditch on the Quad tournament in progress.

“I know moving Quidditch to the spring prolongs the wait, but we feel that having a big sporting event like this in the spring will

give us something to look forward to...

— Olivia West

Shaq united with the Century Council in their efforts to put a stop to col-lege-age binge drinking. The Century Council is a nation-al nonprofit organization founded in 1991 by alcohol distillers who aid in combat-ing the issues of underage drinking, as well as drunken driving.

When the members of LTUT discovered Shaq’s partnership with the Century Council, one of their primary funding orga-nizations, Yvonne Tauton, director of media relations for LTUT, said they became

determined to get him to the University to help with the campaign.

“It is a challenge to get stu-dents to engage in the con-versation about the issue of anti-binge drinking,” Tauton said. “By bringing a celebrity with the recognition of Shaq into the communications, it will help us grab attention. Hopefully, students will see the message and forward it to their friends.”

The PSA has taken six months to complete, along with a lot of planning and preparation, Tauton said.

“On the day of the shoot, Shaq showed up around 2 p.m. and worked intent-ly with the TCF and APR students for about four hours on Friday, April 6,” Tauton said. “In addition to

creating the ad, he was will-ing to meet with local media for about an hour. We cre-ated a shirt for him (size 4X) with one of our cam-paign slogans, and he wore it all day long. He was just a delight to work with.”

The first LTUT bar initia-tive was hosted at Innisfree, a supportive partner of the campaign, in 2010. Osier said he likes the idea of host-ing the anti-binge drinking event at a bar to show stu-dents the message isn’t to stop drinking, but to drink in moderation.

“I think it’s a good idea to have it at Innisfree, or any bar, because it’s a good way to get people aware of the campaign, and you can still drink and have a good time,” Osier said.

LTUT FROM PAGE 1

After 6 months, Shaq alcohol PSA debuts

“Habitat for Humanity of Tuscaloosa’s goal is to help improve the lives of people

affected by the storm.

— Heather Poe

Albert Brewer, Del Marsh panelists for Alabama’s 1st ‘Town Hall Experience’

By Sarah RobinsonContributing Writer

Government off ic ials will help The University of Alabama Honors College launch its new program, Town Hall Experience, on Thursday, Oct. 18, in Farrah Hall.

Former Gov. Albert Brewer and President Pro Tempore of the State Senate Del Marsh are panelists for the first Town Hall Experience.

The program, led by former director of the Alabama Law

Institute Bob McCurley and 10 Honors College students, gives participants a platform to discuss issues facing the state and nation.

UA student organizations and faculty members nomi-nated students to participate. After checking each nomi-nee’s resume, the Honors College selected 55 students to be a part of the first forum.

The forum will begin with an open discussion between participants and panelists about constitutional

reform in Alabama. Brewer and Marsh will share their thoughts and solutions on the issue.

Participants will then break

With grant, UA leads way in computer scienceNEWS OPINION CULTURE SPORTSPage 6 | Thursday, October 18, 2012

National Science Foundation provides grant to help high school teachers improve students’ educationBy Jon VincentContributing Writer

Inspired by Alabama state students’ poor performance on computer science-based exams, a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation will allow high school teachers across the state to work with University of Alabama students and fac-ulty to provide higher-quality instruction.

In 2011, only 100 computer science advanced placement exams were taken throughout the state and 46 percent of stu-dents scored a one or a two.

Jeff Gray, associate profes-sor of computer science at the University, feels the issue lies in unfair expectations of high school teachers.

“Applying the current AP training model for new com-puter science teachers is

similar to asking a teacher with no mathematics back-ground to initiate a new calculus AP course with just one week of training,” Gray said. “This situation would seem absurd to most admin-istrators, but it is the com-mon expectation for promot-ing new AP computer science courses.”

However, Gray has a plan. This coming summer, he’ll begin offering teachers from across the state the opportuni-ty for computer science train-ing and one-on-two mentoring from “teacher leaders,” who have already had success in their computer science class-es.

By year three, the program is proposed to have created 50 computer science teachers and have led to 1,350 more stu-dents taking computer science classes around the state.

Gray’s plan is made possible by a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation, along with a partnership with the Alabama Department of Education and A+ College Ready. A+ College Ready leads a statewide effort to improve AP test scores across Alabama.

The grant will also allow the University to offer high school students the opportunity to attend computer science sum-mer camps, weekend study sessions in the weeks leading up to the AP test in May and a state competition.

Beyond high school stu-dents, students at the University will also have the opportunity to learn and help.

“The grant has funding to support many UA students over the course of three years,” Gray said. “Primarily, there is full-time support for a PhD student who will assist in the planning and design of course materials that will be shared with the high school teachers.

“Additionally, there are sev-eral positions each year for undergraduates to assist with the project. We would like

to fund undergraduates not only in computer science, but also in secondary math and science education to form a team that shares and learns from each other. In particu-lar, the pre-service education students will be equipped with the knowledge to then teach this course in the high schools where they are later employed.”

Derek Duncan, a freshman majoring in electrical engi-neering, is excited about this prospect.

“The AP Computer Science Exam changed the way I approach problems by making me look at the step by step pro-cess in addition to looking at the big picture,” Duncan said. “This helped me greatly in classes such as statistics and calculus, where math becomes more than A plus B equals C. I challenge high school stu-

dents to take the class, and I would love to be there with them when they learned.”

Gray is currently also work-ing with College Board and the University of Wisconsin to develop course materials for a new computer science prin-ciples AP test.

“For the past decade, Alabama has been near the bottom of participation in the current Computer Science AP Exam,” Gray said. “The poten-tial for impact that this new grant offers is the chance for Alabama to emerge as one of the nationwide leaders in the new AP exam that is being planned by the College Board [to be released in 2015]. This grant will provide the fund-ing needed to train nearly 50 high school teachers across the state in computer science at a more rigorous level than currently offered.”

“The AP Computer Science Exam changed the way I approach problems by making me look at the step by step process in addition to looking at the big picture. I challenge high school students to take the class,

and I would love to be there with them when they learned.

— Derek Duncan

Honors College program begins Thursday, Oct. 18 in Farrah Hallup into groups, where group leaders will inform the stu-dents about the issue, and they will discuss it among themselves.

After discussion, the groups will present their ideas to the audience.

Honors College students Lauren Hardison, Harrison Martin and David Wilson will be coordinating the event. Wilson said the class is excit-ed to have Brewer and Marsh as panelists.

“We are so pleased to have legends at the forum,” Wilson said.

Hardison said she hopes the big names will attract press because she thinks the forum is going to produce some tan-gible results.

“Its very important for stu-dents to be informed about something that is so pertinent to them as they grow into voting age and they are able to vote on things like this,” Hardison said.

The new Honors College program will have forums biweekly.

The first Town Hall Experience will be Thursday, Oct. 18, in the Moot Courtroom in Farrah Hall at 6 p.m.

“It’s very important for students to be informed about something that is so pertinent to them as they grow into voting age and they are able to vote

on things like this.

— Lauren Hardison

Brown said this year will be special because the undefeated Crimson Tide is going up against another undefeated opponent.

“It adds a level of competitive-ness and excitement to the game, especially because we have a stigma of playing easier teams for Homecoming,” Brown said.

Brown said this year the Homecoming committee has dedicated itself to implementing more opportunities for inclusive-ness for many small campus groups and individual students across campus in Homecoming festivities. These festivities kick off Sunday, Oct. 21, with the annu-al Roll Tide Run. Registration and check-in will be at the rear of Gorgas Library at noon, and the race begins at 1 p.m.

Paint the Town Red, an event where students representing dif-ferent organizations across cam-pus paint storefronts through-out Tuscaloosa in the theme of Homecoming, will take place Monday, Oct. 22 from 1 to 4 p.m.

Homecoming Queen elec-tions will be held Tuesday, Oct. 23, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m, when students can vote on myBama. The winner will be crowned at halftime of the Mississippi State game on Saturday.

Lissa Handley-Tyson, a candi-date for this year’s Homecoming Queen, said she has enjoyed her four years at the Capstone more than she could have ever imag-ined, and Homecoming is just another aspect that she loves

about Alabama. She said she is most looking forward to the cho-reography competition and step show.

“I have never been the best dancer, so I love watching people that can,” Handley-Tyson said.

A new event added to this year’s Homecoming fes-tivities is the Crimson Chalk Challenge, which will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 23 from 1 to 4 p.m. Organizations will compete to design and decorate a piece of cement on the Quad with chalk. The competition will be judged similarly to the lawn decorating and art competitions.

The annual Homecoming pep rally and bonfire will be held Friday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m. on the Quad.

Katie Welpott, senior direc-tor of communications for Homecoming, said she is most excited about the pep rally on Friday night because they will be honoring the Million Dollar Band on their centennial year and announcing the winners for the week’s many competitions.

The Homecoming parade will be held Saturday, Oct. 27, from downtown Tuscaloosa to the University campus.

Grand Marshals for the event will be Alabama softball head coach, Patrick Murphy; Alabama gymnastics head coach, Sarah Patterson; and head coach of the Alabama women’s golf team, Mic Potter. These coaches are being honored for their teams’ national championship titles.

Homecoming has been a tra-dition at the Capstone for over 90 years, and it is a great way to unite the campus, Welpott said.

“Homecoming should serve to help build pride in being a stu-dent at Alabama and for years to come once becoming an alum-nus,” Welpott said. For a full list of Homecoming 2012 events, go to homecoming.ua.edu.

HOMECOMING FROM PAGE 1

Homecoming looks to be more inclusive

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Editor | Lauren Fergusonculture@cw.ua.edu

Thursday, October 18, 2012CULTURENEWS

OPINION

CULTURE

SPORTS

Page 7

By Buddy Acker

Two video games, “Dishonored” and “XCOM: Enemy Unknown” released last week. I want to play both of them. I mean, I really want to play both of them. I want to buy both of them. The thing is, my pockets aren’t exactly over-flowing with cash. And while I would love to spend what I do have entirely on games, I’m

attending college and just can’t.Luckily, cheap or free games

do exist, and some of them are really good – sometimes even great. Just the other day I completed “The Walking Dead: Episode Four, Around Every Corner.” It only costs 400 Microsoft points – that amounts to about $5 – on Xbox Live and is in my opinion a worthwhile experience. I’ve invested about $20 in “The Walking

Dead” games so far, and as a whole they’ve been some of the best gaming experiences I’ve had all year. It’s a very choice-driven game, and I think it nails what it sets out to accomplish.

Cheaper still is a great Xbox Live indie game called “Gateways.” It only costs 80 Microsoft points – about $1 – and it’s a wonderful tribute to the 8-bit era of gaming and

Portal. It’s filled with brilliant gam*e design and clever puz-zles. It’s not the longest game ever or anything, but it’s cer-tainly worth more than a dol-lar; it’s a much better game than “Resident Evil 6,” which I foolishly paid $60 for and was immensely disappointed by. I would recommend Gateways to anyone.

Kongregate.com offers sev-eral free titles for gamers

to sink their teeth into. Last week I completed a charming game called “Super Adventure Pals,” which fans of the Mario or Zelda games should enjoy. I recently played through “Deep Sleep,” a horror game about a person attempting to wake up from what they assume to be a nightmare. It’s inventive and, more importantly, scary.

The point I’m trying to make is there is an alternative

for people who love playing games but can’t afford every Triple-A title that hits shelves. Gaming should not be defined by price, but by how much enjoyment a gamer gets out of it. Some of the best games I’ve ever played have been low-cost or even free. While I’ll definitely continue to buy and play $60 games, I’ll always be on the lookout for fun, cheap experiences.

On a budget, cheap online games offer worthwhile gaming experiences

On-campus museum offers always-changing exhibitsBy Nathan ProctorStaff Reporter

The monumental stature of The University of Alabama’s towering structures assign a his-torical and museum-like quality to many campus buildings. Often lost in this shuffle of brick and mortar is the Alabama Museum of Natural History housed within the unimposing Smith Hall.

“For the most part, unless a student takes a class here, they have little idea about the muse-um,” director Randy Mecredy said. “I want students to know it’s more than just a building.”

Constructed in 1907 as a part of the geological survey of Alabama, the museum aims to represent the natural history of the state through a combination of research, education, outreach and active specimen collection, he said.

Acting on its nominal func-tion, the museum displays rotat-ing exhibits of specimens from the times of dinosaurs, coal and ice age. The collections are as varied as the replica Basilosaurus hanging from the ceiling to the Hodges meteorite, the only documented case of a meteorite

striking a person.“What we have on exhibit is

only a fraction of what’s held in collection,” Mecredy said. “We try to create exhibits that are intriguing to a general audience, gives them a taste of science and makes them want to learn more.”

With a vast and ever-growing collection of artifacts in storage, some dating back to the muse-um’s founding, he said the selec-tion process is rarely easy. He recalled their recent completion of a geology exhibit where they decided to pull from a few intro-ductory native elements and minerals and branch into a few more elements while highlight-ing their applied and scientific significance.

“Otherwise, it’s just a rock,” Mecredy said. “You put some sci-ence behind it and some practi-cal everyday use as well, and it gives some meaning to it.”

Considered an outreach unit within academic affairs, the museum has been tied to the University since its beginning. Today, Mecredy said, they sup-port a variety of academic units on campus through teaching and instruction.

He cited the museum’s use by

introductory geology classrooms and art classes who spend weeks finding inspiration from within the museum. Writing classes base their writings on exhibits, and a variety of other sciences make use of their resources. A majority of the museum’s staff also acts as adjunct professors on campus.

“When I became director six years ago, that was the one thing I implemented,” Mecredy said. “I wanted to be as closely embedded in the academic units as possible.”

Education and outreach direc-tor Amanda Espy-Brown said her personal goal was have every UA student visit the museum before they graduate. She said Smith Hall’s relatively inconspicuous exterior and minimal amount of parking has limited their pub-lic exposure to students and locals alike.

However, the museum has increased its efforts to provide programs and events geared specifically to college students, Brown said.

“Natural History with The Experts,” for example, invites experts from a variety of scientific fields to display their

knowledge to guests for free before home football games. In the coming semester, the muse-um will host a college night, fam-ily night, ghost story themed “A Haunting at the Museum” night, and a Christmas open house.

Lanesha Childress, a sopho-more majoring in art, had lit-tle idea a museum existed on campus until wandering into

the hall on an exploratory walk with friends. Since her discovery, she began a work-study with the museum, working on Museum Mondays and Kids Corner, two light-hearted, experiment-filled programs for young children.

“I love it,” Childress said. “It really gives them more knowl-edge about our history while putting a smile on their face.”

Free of charge to students,Brown said even non-sciencemajors can find something ofinterest in the museum.

“We really do have thingsfrom within the museum and inour collections that are not onlyunique to Alabama, but artifactsthat are unique to the world,” shesaid.

CW |Cora LindholmA replica Basilosaurus skeleton on display in Smith Hall

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Page 8 | Thursday, October 18, 2012 NEWS OPINION CULTURE SPORTS

By Asher Elbein

Superheroes have had a tough time on television recently. “Heroes” dissolved into an incoherent mess, “Smallville” battled dimin-ishing returns, and the less said about “The Cape,” the better. With just a few epi-sodes, however, the CW’s new “Arrow” manages to establish itself as a decent, if unexceptional, show.

Oliver Queen, million-aire playboy and Starling City’s favored son, has sur-vived for five years on a desolate island before his rescue. Forced to watch his father and lover die in a violent shipwreck, the man who returns to

civilization is not the boy who left. He’s picked up some new things: commit-ment to justice, catlike agility and deadly pro-ficiency with a bow and arrow. Armed with a list of names and a new vigi-lante identity, Queen is going to bring down the criminals ruling his city, even if that means killing them. “Arrow” owes a huge debt to Christopher Nolan’s “Batman Begins,” both in structure and aesthetic. Besides the obvious story similarities – a rich playboy turned vigilante, dead par-ent, grim demeanor – the show apes the industrial cinematography and pound-ing score of Nolan’s trilogy.

It also cribs enough specific detail to make clear just on whose cape tail “Arrow” is riding. Structurally, copy-ing Nolan is a smart choice. Unlike “Smallville,” Queen is costumed and established by the middle of the first episode, and periodic flash-backs to his time stranded helpfully sketch in back-sto-ry. A schizophrenic streak lurks under the gritty

veneer, however. Half of the premiere sets up the soap-style love triangles and dramas within the support-ing cast, positioning pretty people close to each other and watching what hap-pens. Queen’s best friend and ex-girlfriend, Tommy Merlyn and Dinah Lance, both feel like characters who’ve wandered into the wrong show. But there’s a

hidden upside to this, and it lies in Stephen Amell’s performance as Queen. With cold eyes and a flat affect, Amell conveys a charac-ter who broke and remade himself into something ter-rifying. Watching Queen try to pass as his former self is unsettling, and there are times when the veneer cracks to reveal the predator underneath. The mixture of elements adds a touch of menace to an other-wise cliche setup; the rest of the cast may be distracted by romantic pursuits, but Queen is playing a much deadlier game. Unfortunately, the writing in “Arrow” is hit or miss. Ignoring the classic

rule of “show, don’t tell,” the first episode bulges with tedious exposition and dialogue. Characters declaim their motivations to each other in ways no real person has ever done, and it lends a jarring note to what is otherwise an effectively structured and paced show. For the most part, “Arrow” has much to recommend it. It offers up the requisite tights and fights from which its fel-low shows have shied away and sets itself apart by jumping into the action immediately. It’s not an original superhero show by any means, but it’s competent, and these days that’s a rare thing indeed.

THEATRE REVIEW

By Jared Downing

For a story about jazz, The University of Alabama’s current show “Side Man” is pretty glum.

And for a show about ‘50s swingers, the narrator is kind of a dweeb. His name is Cliff Glimmer (Jacob Valleroy). He wears ‘80s dad jeans and sneakers and talks about his jazz-playing father and his cool-cat band-mates like a college stu-dent prepping his girlfriend to meet his embarrassing parents.

But we get the sense from the beginning that there isn’t much of a place anymore for Gene Glimmer (Chris Bellinger), a freelance trumpeter who

spends his Saturday nights in the Sinatra era blowing for whatever band needs a spare horn. Through a series of flashbacks, Cliff walks us through his father’s three-decade staccato of hard liquor, seedy nightclubs and all-night jam sessions that gives way to welfare lines and a broken home as the Jazz Age fades out from under him.

Gene and his pals live for the next gig and spend their time discussing how to game the unemployment desk. Gene leaves his steadily declining wife Terry (Abby Jones) to absorb the fallout. Playwright Warren Leight’s semi-biographical script – Gene is based on his own father – is a tribute to the

devil-may-care jazz epoch and a tragic portrait of a husband who can’t change with the times and a wife who can’t handle it.

We never see Gene or his buddies actually perform, but Leight’s dialogue jumps like a fast number. Gene’s ensem-ble sports Cooper Kennard, Michael Luwoye and Jeff Horger, the University’s venerable masters of the art of snark, but they have trouble finding a shared rhythm. Leight’s raunchy

jabs and chops-bustin’ is halting where it should be slick, and much of it happens in a living room that sits up and away from the audience on what looks like a nightclub stage; it’s neat idea but does no favors for the energy. The script has a tricky rhythm and the show does its best, but it can’t give off the real spark of the genre. What Cliff shows us in those early years was doomed from the start. More than a homage, Leight’s is

a human story of loneli-ness, faded dreams and lost passion. The decades turn Terry from a fiery-yet-naïve young woman into a suicidal alcoholic, a transformation Jones makes magnificently subtle. As his gigs dry up, Gene becomes so detached he can’t even remember to eat without writing it down. But Bellinger always manag-es to hold onto a stale shadow of passion; he shows us a man who doesn’t refuse to accept the life around him, but simply can’t.

The entire cast pulls it off beautifully. The slowly fading dream, the forgot-ten passion, and the last tatters of the spirit of a fiery age hang, distinctly, on everyone: the band, Carrie

Poh’s cocktail waitress Patsy and even, to an extent, Valleroy’s Cliff. I haven’t seen anything like it here.

In one scene, Gene and his bandmates, now at the dusk of their careers, sit around an old recorder and listen to a trumpet player’s lastperformance, the night before he died. There’s jumps and howls, and director Stacy Alley asks us to join the old musicians as they lose themselves in the music. It’s disappointing that “Side Man” never quite manages to cast the same spell, but in the end, this a story about people, not music, and while you may not feel the spirit of jazz music, you can at least feel its loss.

Jazz story ‘Side Man’ a little off-beat, ‘can’t give off real spark of the genre’

CW’s ‘Arrow’ pulls from Nolan’s ‘Batman Begins’ in both structure, aesthetic“

Characters declaim their motivations to each other in ways no real person has ever done, and it lends a jarring note to what is otherwise an effec-

tively structured and paced show.

“ The entire cast pulls it off beautifully. The slowly fading dream, the forgotten passion, and the last tatters of the spirit of a fi ery age hang,

distinctly, on everyone.

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By David MarshburnContributing Writer

As The University of Alabama men’s tennis team embarks on its journey to the indoor national champi-onships, only one test stands between the team and quali-fication.

The Crimson Tide begins play Thursday in the USTA/ITA Southern Regional Championships at Auburn University. Collegiate athletes from Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana will compete over five days. Winners of the

singles and doubles brackets advance to the indoor nation-al championships in Flushing, N.Y., at the site of the U.S. Open.

Eight players from Alabama will compete in the 128-man singles bracket and will later pair up to play in the 64-team doubles draw. After a strong showing at the Tom Fallon Invitational, the Tide is rid-ing a wave of momentum into Auburn.

“Our first day wasn’t great, but we kept getting better as the tournament went along,” said assistant coach Ryler

DeHeart. “It’s always two steps forward and one step back, but we’re getting better, and I’ve seen a lot of improve-ment.”

Of the six wins recorded on the last day of the tour-nament, freshman Becker O’Shaughnessey and senior Jarryd Botha each chalked up a singles victory against Michigan State. The two play-ers, who also teamed up for a doubles win against Michigan, will join forces this week in Auburn.

“[We] kept improving as the tournament pro-

gressed,” O’Shaughnessey said. “We brought a lot of intensity and fight into our game, which helped us win more easily.”

With plenty of time remain-ing in the season, the team is focused on fitness, strength and endurance. In order to prevail this weekend, the Tide will have to maintain consis-tency throughout the five-day tournament.

“I need to learn how to handle any situation I’m in,” Botha said. “I just need to stay as solid as I can, no matter what I can and can’t control.”

Since the top teams from three states will compete in the southern regionals, the Tide will get its first taste of what some of the stron-gest SEC teams have to offer. With everyone contending for a chance to clinch a spot in the national championships, Alabama expects to face the best of every opponent.

“Our guys are hungry and willing to work hard,” DeHeart said. “They’ve always been ready for a challenge, and I hope they’re prepared for an even bigger challenge coming up this weekend.”

Alabama ready for tough test at southern regionalsMEN’S TENNIS

By Charlie PotterContributing Writer

The Alabama rowing team will look to build off its hot start when it travels to Cambridge, Mass., this weekend to compete in the 48th annual Head of the Charles Regatta. The Crimson Tide crew team will participate in the Women’s Club Eight race that will begin Saturday, Oct. 20, at 1:35 p.m. EST.

The Tide started the 2012-13 season with a bang as its “A” boat won the Championship 8+ race at the Chattanooga Head Race for the first time and defeated SEC rival Tennessee.

Head coach Larry Davis said the season-opening win will be beneficial to his team moving forward, but it can’t get compla-cent over the victory.

“I think it will give them a lot of confidence to show that we can go up against a very good team like Tennessee and perform well against them,” he said. “I would hope it doesn’t give us overconfidence because we’re just sort of starting things, and there’s still a lot of stuff we can do to get faster and be a stronger team.”

Davis said one way to combat overconfidence is always to take things one step at a time. He

brought up Nick Saban’s famous method, the process, and how teams can’t look ahead or over-look an opponent.

“There’s always that next step,” Davis said. “If you get complacent, if you think you’ve got it made, that’s when somebody comes up and surprises you.”

The main points of focus for the Tide at the prestigious New England regatta are to keep gaining speed and avoid colli-sions and traffic.

“Ultimately, that’s what’s going to determine things,” Davis said. “It’s not whether you win a medal or not, but we need

to make the boat go faster. If we do that, the results are going to come.”

Teams from all across the country and the world will be competing in the venerable race, which will congest the course and make it difficult to navigate.

Davis compared the traffic jams to NASCAR, say-ing that a driver can have a fast car, but if he or she gets caught up in an acci-dent, the driver won’t receive

the results that he or she was expecting. But the Tide is expecting great results this

weekend.“It’s a great

opportunity to go out and say, ‘Hey, we’re from Alabama, and we know what we’re doing,’” Davis said. “It’s a chance to represent the school, and that’s something for motivation.”

The Women’s Club Eight race is offered for teams that haven’t won a gold medal in prior

years. The Tide will be com-peting against teams like Yale and Tennessee to claim its first championship at the internation-al regatta.

“I don’t like to say this, but I expect us to medal,” Davis said. “We don’t know the competition, we don’t know what’s going to go on, but if we’re able to do what I’ve seen us do at this point in time, and we avoid those collisions or traffic jams that you’re going to see on the Head of the Charles, I think we obviously have a good chance of medaling, and if we really, really, really nail it down, I think we have a chance of going for gold.”

Rowing team travels to Mass. for Head of the Charles Regatta WOMEN’S ROWING

NEWS OPINION CULTURE SPORTS Thursday, October 18, 2012 | Page 9

“...It’s not whether you win a medal or not, but we

need to make the boat go faster. If we do that, the

results are going to come.

— Larry Davis

UA Athletics

confidence. Though Florida is ranked No. 1 in the SEC East, both Florida and Alabama have nearly identical styles of play. Bramble believes this will make for an even matchup.

“There are a lot of teams in the league that’ll play the ball in their backline to their frontline or try to get it over your back-line,” Bramble said. “For us and Florida, we both like to build the ball out the back and play the ball through the midfield on the ground. It’s a lot more of a technical game where there’s every player on the field. Every position on both teams is going to be really good on the ball and really comfortable under pres-sure with the ball and their feet.”

The losses against Mississippi State and Missouri aren’t stop-ping the team from being opti-mistic about this next game. Sophomore midfielder Theresa Diederich is confident, even

after a loss against Missouri that came in the last two minutes.

“I think that we’ve had a rough few weekends, but I think we’re ready to come out and win,” Diederich said. “I think that coming off of Missouri will help us.”

This season, Alabama has out-shot its opponents with an aver-age ratio of 3-to-1, while Florida’s ratio is just over 2-to-1. Despite many attempts, coach Bramble said the Tide is having a hard time finding the back of the net.

“For some reason we are finding it really hard to get that

second goal or get that third goal or get that goal that’s going to be enough to break the spirit of the other team for us to put the game away,” he said.

Senior defender Ashley Willis is preparing for a tough game against the Gators.

“Florida is just a very, very good team,” Willis said. “We have to give them a lot of credit. They’re very technical and very fast and physical, but they are beatable. It’ll be a good, hard game.”

Being back at home for a con-secutive week after four games on the road is helping Alabama focus on the task at hand.

“Going on the road for so long earlier in the season kind of just wears and tears on you, but being back on our field, I feel like we need to protect our field,” Willis said. “There’s going to be more adrenaline, more excite-ment going in.”

The Tide plans to use skill and strategy to challenge Florida. Bramble said there isn’t a “magical formula” to beating the Gators, but tactics and a fair share of the ball will be key.

“It’s going to be interesting and attractive for the fans to watch because it’s the two teams in the league that play the most similar styles,” Bramble said. “So it’s going to be a real skillful game.”

Page 10 | Thursday, October 18, 2012 NEWS OPINION CULTURE SPORTS

Bramble confi dent Tide can beat No. 1 FloridaSOCCER

WOMEN’S TENNIS

By Caroline GazzaraContributing Writer

After two devastating losses at home against Mississippi State and Missouri, Alabama soccer is ready to face the

University of Florida at home this Friday night. The Crimson Tide believes the similar strate-gies of both teams will come into play.

Head coach Todd Bramble isn’t holding back his

IF YOU GO• What: Alabama vs.

Florida

• When: Friday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m.

• Where: Alabama Soccer Field

Bama women to host 2012 USTA/ITA regional championshipsBy Manal YousifContributing Writer

The University of Alabama women’s tennis team will host the 2012 USTA/ITA Southern Regional Championship Oct. 19-22.

Winners of the singles and doubles earn automatic berths to the Indoor National Championships in New York at the U.S. Open. Even though the Crimson Tide is at home, head coach Jenny Mainz said the team will not get too comfortable.

“Early September everyone is knocking the rust off, but now everyone is starting to fine tune, and you’re starting to see some really good tennis,” Mainz said. “I want to see us

continue to get better. I feel like we made a lot of headway this fall.”

Mainz also said she is encour-aged by her team’s improve-ment from week to week and match to match. Alabama has been led by junior Mary Anne Macfarlane.

Macfarlane earned auto-matic entry into the National Indoor Championships by defeating fourth-ranked Cristina Sanchez-Quintanar of Texas A&M at the Riviera/ITA All-American singles back draw finals.

This will be the junior’s third-straight appearance at the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships, which take place in November. Macfarlane is the first partici-

pant to make the field of 32 that will meet at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. Her motivation for this coming tournament is to keep her teammates focused and work on staying aggressive.

“I just want us to play our best and implement what we do well,” Macfarlane said.

Macfarlane will be accom-panied again by senior team-mate Alexa Guarachi in dou-bles. Based on their preseason rankings, they were selected to compete together in early October at the All-American Championships in California, which was Guarachi’s first tournament since a foot injury she sustained this summer.

Guarachi has bounced back

and is one of the main lead-ers for the Tide. Guarachi’s experience helps the team, as she is no stranger to the USTA/ITA Southern Regional Championships. Guarachi has played in this tournament since her freshman year, winning the doubles crown as a sopho-more with former teammate Courtney McLane in 2010.

Guarachi and Macfarlane teamed up in 2011 to win the doubles crown and look to make a strong title defense over the weekend.

“I just want to go out there and play to my best ability and play how I have been playing with Alabama,” Guarachi said.

The four-day event will begin Friday, Oct. 19 and conclude Monday, Oct. 22.

“We’ve had a rough few weekends, but I think we’re ready to come out and win.

— Theresa Diederich

UA AthleticsWinners of the singles and doubles matches at the Championships will advance to the Indoor National Championships in New York.

CW FileThe UA soccer team will play the University of Florida Friday Oct. 19.