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Wednesday, September 28, 2011 Serving the University of Alabama since 1894 Vol. 118, Issue 30
LIFESTYLES SPORTS88 66‘Purgatorio’
Theater Review Tennis coach teaches
players life lessons
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
Sports .......................6
WEATHER todayINSIDE today’s paperLifestyles ....................8
Puzzles ......................7
Classifieds .................7
Partly cloudy
83º/58ºTuesday 85º/58ºClear
By Hailey Grace AllenStaff Reporter
[email protected] The community of Alberta was one of the areas hit hardest by the April 27 tor-nado. The storm left hundreds of families without homes, business owners without shops and students without a school. But in the wake of tragedy, the community has come together in strength and in courage with the determination to move forward. “One thing I’ll always take with me from that tragic day is the spirit of the people of Alberta,” said Tuscaloosa City Councilman Kip Tyner, a life-long resi-dent of the Alberta community. Tyner said he feels the community has made great strides toward recovery in recent months. “In the days that followed the tornado, we couldn’t even see what needed to be done because of all the damage,” Tyner said. “Our main priority was to remove all the debris and severely damaged structures. I feel that we’ve made a great deal of progress with that goal.” Tyner said there has been tremendous planning by the Tuscaloosa City Council and members of the community.
“The Tuscaloosa Forward Plan shows some incredible and exciting things for Alberta,” Tyner said. “In the 1960s and ‘70s, Alberta was the place to live, it was the place to be. For me, that wasn’t that long ago.” Tyner said he feels confident in the
people’s resilience. “It will be a long road,” Tyner said. “But I think people, especially the locals, know that Alberta will come back, and it will be better than ever.”
Residents hopeful for AlbertaAfter the tornado, plans could make Alberta come back ‘better than ever’
Workers con-tinue to remove debris dam-aged buildings in Alberta. Alberta was one of the parts of Tuscaloosa hit the hardest by the tornado of April 27.
CW | Katherine Martin
See ALBERTA, page 3 See BLACKBURN, page 2
See FACEBOOK, page 8
By Rich RobinsonContributing Writer
Today, the eyes of the legal world will be on U.S. District Judge and University of Alabama graduate Sharon Blackburn. At stake: the fate of House Bill 56, informally known as the “Alabama immi-gration law.” The measure, which was swiftly passed by the Republican-dominated state legislature and signed into law by Gov. Robert Bentley in June, was met with controver-sy. The bill sparked much discourse on campus, with leaders from both College Democrats and College Republicans being well repre-sented. “I find House Bill 56 to be a naked, racist political ploy, and one that will cost Alabama taxpayers millions
to defend in court,” said Michael Fitzmorris, a junior who serves as the vice presi-dent of the Alabama College Democrats. “Alabama isless than 50 years removed from the Civil Rights Era, and would do well to avoid embracing costly, hateful mis-takes of the past.” However many disagree with Fitzmorris and his view of the law.
Judge to rule on immigration law House Bill 56 today
“Various provisions of H.B. 56 confl ict with federal
immigration law and under-mine the federal govern-ment’s careful balance of immigration enforcement priorities and objectives.”
— Department of JusticePress Release
Facebook changed its profi le pictureThe website has altered its look before, but next week’s redesign takes your page to a new level
By Caroline HiottContributing Writer
Facebook continues to be one of the highlight-ing aspects of the social media generation. The website is constantly changing and updating its content to keep up with the fast pace of social media interaction. However, some of the recent changes to Facebook have users experiencing a range of emotions from confused and questioning to excited and ready for the change.
The new design of the webpage, as quoted by The Facebook Blog, is to “surface the most recent and relevant information – in the form of post stories – about you” and to make the site “simpler and cleaner.” However Laura Greene, a sophomore majoring in public relations, said, “I can-not see anything positive to any of the changes, they just seem unnecessary and inconvenient.”
Facebook has separated your life on Facebook into separate months and years from the day you joined until the day you get the new profile. They also encourage you to add previous life events such as baby pictures to make it a more complete timeline of your life.
Timeline:
The new Facebook profile has been made more personalized with the addition of the cover photo at the top of all of the profiles. This picture can be any picture you want it to be and will be visible to everyone who views your page.
Cover Photo:
All the times you’ve ever “checked in” on Facebook, or been “checked in” by a friend, will now be put together on a map of the world. It is also separated into different categories you checked in under such as life events, photos, public places and home and work.
Map:
FACEBOOK DESIGNTHROUGH THE YEARS
2005
2006
2010
2009
GO
GO
The Crimson White is the community newspaper of The University of Alabama. The Crimson White is an editorially free newspaper produced by students.
The University of Alabama cannot influ-ence editorial decisions and editorial opinions are those of the editorial board and do not represent the official opinions of the University.
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The Crimson White (USPS 138020) is published four times weekly when classes are in session during Fall and Spring Semester except for the Monday after Spring Break and the Monday after Thanksgiving, and once a week when school is in session for the summer. Marked calendar provided. The Crimson White is provided for free up to three issues. Any other papers are $1.00. The subscription rate for The Crimson White is $125 per year. Checks should be made payable to The University of Alabama and sent to: The Crimson White Subscription Department, P.O. Box 2389, Tuscaloosa, AL 35403-2389.
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Page 2• Wednesday,September 28, 2011
ONLINE ON THE CALENDAR
Submit your events to [email protected]
TODAYWhat: 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
Grilled Southwest Chipotle ChickenChef Mashed PotatoSteamed Green BeansGreek Antipasta SaladBeef and BroccoliPortobello Sliders
BURKELUNCH
Italian ChickenBaked Potato BarSeasoned Black Eyed-PeasSupreme Popcorn Chicken Wrap Chipotle Cheddar WedgesPolenta with Broccoli and Mushrooms (Vegetarian)
FRESH FOODLUNCH
Roasted Pork LoinMashed Potatoes with Red ScallionsSteamed Green BeansChicken Buffalo FlatbreadCilantro Brown RiceSpanikopta (Vegetarian)
BRYANTLUNCH
Baked MeatballsCountry Fried ChickenKentucky GumboGreen Chile Mashed PotatoesBaked Beans Vegetable Lo Mein (Vegetarian)
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Brittany Key 348-2598Territory Manager
Amy Ramsey 348-7355National Representative
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Victor [email protected]
Jonathan Reedmanaging [email protected]
Will Tuckerassistant managing [email protected]
Amanda Samsnews [email protected]
Malcolm Cammeroncommunity [email protected]
Stephanie Brumfieldlifestyles editor
Tony Tsoukalassports editor
Tray Smithopinions editor
Adam Greenechief copy editor
Kyle Careydesign editor
Evan Szczepanskigraphics editor
Drew Hooverphoto editor
Tyler Cromptonweb editor
Daniel Rothmultimedia editor
ON THE MENU
ON THE RADAR
DINNER
Roasted Turkey Breast with Herb GravyCornbread DressingSweet Potato CasseroleGreek Gyro SandwichSpinach, Feta, Ham PizzaPenne with Marinara (Vegetarian)
LAKESIDE
ON
TH
E
ON CAMPUS
The first benefit to raise money for the Trey Johnson Memorial Fund is being held today from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Johnson was a graduate student in the Operations Management depart-ment who was shot and killed on Sept. 11 near Sterling Crimson Place. This is a come-and-go event catered
by Dreamland BBQ. The cost is $10 a plate, which includes a sandwich, two sides, a dessert and drink. It will be held in the Alston Hall Parlor, which is on the 4th floor of Alston. If you have a picture or want to leave a note for Johnson’s family, please bring them. Donations will be accepted as well.
Trey Johnson Memorial Fund holds first benefit today University to hold discussion of CNN documentary The College of Communication and Information Sciences’ Diversity Forum is partnering with the UA Women’s Resource Center to sponsor a screen-ing of “Latino in America 2: In Her Corner”, a documentary about Marlen Esparza, a young woman from a work-ing-class, Mexican-American family
who will be one of the first women to represent America within boxing in the 2012 Olympics. Following the hour-long documentary, there will be a discussion lead by George Daniels, associate pro-fessor of journalism.
THURSDAYWhat: Engineering Student Interest Day
Where: Bidgood Hall
When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
What: Student Recital featur-ing Dawn Neely, soprano
Where: Moody Music Building
When: 5:30 p.m.
What: Rose Gladney Lecture on Justice and Social Change
Where: Gorgas Library
When: 7 p.m.
Rutgers University’s gender-neutral dormitories get fi rst students
VIDEO: SHAUN ALEXANDER
SPEAKS ON CHRISTIANITY
Former Tide star Shaun Alexander spoke at a Monday night meeting of campus ministry The Huddle at The Zone. The CW also interviewed long snapper Carson Tinker and offensive lineman Barrett Jones about the event.
PHOTO SLIDE-SHOW: ALBERTA
RECOVERY
View photos of the recovery process in Alberta
FRIDAYWhat: 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: Nursing Career Fair
Where: Ferguson Center Ballroom
When: 11 a.m to 2 p.m.
What: Purgatorio, tickets cost $10
Where: Allen Bales Theatre
When: 7:30 p.m.
From MCT Campus
Thirty-three students have moved into so-called gender-neutral dorm rooms at Rutgers University this semester as part of a pilot program that allows them to choose a roommate of any gender. About 60 schools nation-
wide, offer the housing option designed to make students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexu-al, transgender and queer more comfortable. The gender-neutral rooms are available at two dormitories at the university’s Newark, N.J., campus and three residence halls at the flagship campus in
New Brunswick-Piscataway. “We’re the No. 1 diverse school in the country, particu-larly on our campus, and we thought it was time to bring it here,” said Angie Bonilla, inter-im associate dean of housing on the Newark campus. Rutgers officials said gender-neutral housing for upperclass-
men was under discussion for nearly three years but its launch was hastened by the suicide last year of Ridgewood, N.J., native Tyler Clementi, the first-year student who leapt from the George Washington Bridge after his roommate allegedly secretly video-streamed his gay encounter in their room.
In Newark, there are four suites with four rooms that are designated gender-neutral. The university says the concept of gender-neutral housing “goes beyond the assumption that there are two genders: male and female,” and recognizes that there are an “infinite amount” of genders.
“Facts about H.B. 56 have been purposefully misrep-resented in order to gener-ate fear and anger,” said Cliff Sims, the President of the UA College Republicans. “They do this because it is difficult to convince Alabamians that it is somehow unfair to require proof of legal residency from those wishing to receive public benefits, or that that it is some-how discriminatory to require employers to hire only legal, documented workers.” H.B. 56 requires proof of citizenship when renewing or
BLACKBURNContinued from page 1
applying for a driver license and requires all employers to use the ALverify system. ALverify was developed by the Center for Advanced Public Safety at the University of Alabama and allows employ-ers to check the citizenship of its workers against various state databases. This is impor-tant as the law makes it illegal to knowingly hire an undocu-mented immigrant. If imple-mented, the law mandates all public schools to check the immigration status of all stu-dents and criminalizes many activities that could be seen as aiding an alien, such as giving them a ride. After Bentley signed the
bill into law, the Department of Justice quickly filed a law-suit in the Northern District of Alabama, Blackburn’s district. In a statement released to the media, the DOJ expressed its reasoning, “Various provisions of H.B. 56 conflict with federal immigration law and under-mine the federal government’s careful balance of immigration enforcement priorities and objectives.” The statement continues, “While the federal govern-ment values state assistance and cooperation with respect to immigration enforcement, a state cannot set its own immi-gration policy, much less pass laws that conflict with federal
enforcement of the immigra-tion laws.” The Supremacy Clause is found in article six of the Constitution and seems to be the cornerstone of the Department of Justice’s legal argument. It reads, “This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance there-of; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the constitution or laws of any state to the con-trary notwithstanding.” Cody Jones, the College Democrats’ Communications director, said he believes the Department of Justice is right. “Most people take up the constitutionality arguments,” he said. “And from my opin-ion, the argument is certainly strong enough that Alabama is stepping into federal jurisdic-tion and unlawful racial profil-ing, and I believe the judge will rule to that effect.” Sims disagrees with the con-stitutionality argument. “The federal government has failed this country when it comes to immigration and endangered our citizens,” Sims said. “It has willfully relin-quished its right to enforce its immigration law, and now the
Department of Justice is trying to take away Alabama’s right to enforce our own laws. If the federal government won’t do its job and protect us, we must protect ourselves.” The matter that will be decided today is essentially three separate lawsuits in one. The various plaintiffs in the first suit form a class action, made up of the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama, Southern Poverty Law Center, National Immigration Law Center, Asian Law Caucus, Asian American Justice Center and the American Civil Liberties Union. The second suit is between the state and Rev. Henry N. Parsley, the Episcopalian church’s Bishop for the Diocese of Alabama. Parsley and other religious leaders believe the law’s pro-vision about aiding illegal immigrants is cruel and goes against the mission of his faith. The third lawsuit was brought by the Department of Justice. In a statement released after Blackburn postponed the rul-ing, Bentley said, “I look for-ward to the Judge ruling on the merits. We have long needed a tough law against illegal immi-gration in this state, and we now have one. “I will continue to fight at every turn to defend this law against any and all challeng-es.”
The Crimson White NEWS Wednesday, September 28, 2011 3
studentorganization
spotlight
By Elisabeth GarciaContributing Writer
Nonprofit organizations are widespread across the University’s campus, but the Indian Association of Tuscaloosa is much different from the typical club. “We are all together all the time,” said Nischit Kadari, the organization’s president. Kadari, a graduate student in the mechanical engineering
Group helps Indian students adjust Entrants are paired with Indian roommates, with whom they normally room for the remainder of their cam-pus stay. “Most of them just want to stay close to anybody who is from India,” he said. Gaurav Mehta, the associa-tion’s treasurer, said about 10 to 15 students come from India each year. He said entrance has decreased over the years, which may be associated with rising tuition. Mehta came from Bombay, India to get his Ph.D. in civil engineering at the University. Besides helping newcom-ers find accommodations, the association celebrates Indian culture with festivals such as Diwali and Indian
Independence Day, Mehta said. The association makes sure others understand the Indian culture and shows them how good it is, he said. Events they hold share the customs and history of the nation, includ-ing traditional food and dance. Despite the name, the asso-ciation maintains diversity. Mehta said they’ve reached out to other Asians who come to the University and may not be familiar with the customs. Though all three board members have engineering focuses, Mehta said they have people from many majors, ranging from business to sci-ence. Chaganti stressed that the association is not solely for
those from India and is large-ly a learning environment. “We are open to anyone who wants to come and know what’s happening here,” he said. The association also par-ticipates in the Crimson Cricket Club, which competes in championships with other Southern schools. The club incorporates stu-dents from many nations, including Ghana and Trinidad. Kadari said the Indian Association is not a very big community, numbering around 100 students. This contributes to a very tight knit community, howev-er. Though the group does not
meet very often, Mehta said everyone is quick to help each other. He said they keep a mailing list, and everyone is contacted whether somebody wishes to sell a car or celebrate a happy moment in their life. Chaganti said they also have potluck dinners and get-togethers. Seniors leaving the University also address the community with advice to the students staying behind. Though he soon graduates, Kadari said he has bright hopes for the association. “I hope in the future it keeps continuing,” he said, “and that it will really contribute on our behalf to the University.”
program, said he came to the University in 2009 after l e a r n i n g about its top program in a e r o s p a c e engineering.
After being accepted, he contacted the Indian Association via email after locating their website online. They quickly replied and assured him that he would be taken care of, even offering Kadari a temporary apart-ment for the first week. Narendra Chaganti, the association’s webmaster, said these apartments are offered to all incoming students who contact them through email.
Tyner isn’t the only one who shares this hope for Alberta’s future. The teachers and stu-dents of Alberta Elementary School echo Tyner’s confidence and excitement for the commu-nity. But they know all too well just how long the road to recov-ery will be. Stephanie Brogden Faulkner, a fourth grade teacher at Alberta Elementary School and life-long Tuscaloosa resident, got involved with the recovery effort mere hours after the tor-nado struck. On the morning of April 28, Faulkner set out alone in search of students and their families. Before noon, a spontaneous group of teachers formed in front of what used to be Alberta Elementary School. The group was on a mission to find hope among the devastated streets of what used to be neighborhoods. “I will never forget the look on the faces of the people as they began to come out of their houses or wander down the streets. It was a look of fear and despair that is indescribable,” Faulkner said. “I remember us directing people to where they needed to go and even helping a mother of a student gather all the belongings that she could. I think she knew she would most likely never again see what she left behind.” The community and the school have come a long way since those heart-wrenching moments of uncertainty, but they still recognize the task before them. Malachi DuBose, a fifth grade student at Alberta Elementary School, said he now knows what it looks like when friends and
ALBERTAContinued from page 1
support in not only rebuilding the community of Alberta City, but also in seeing that Alberta Elementary School is rebuilt also. “Alberta City was a special place where our students not only went to school, but lived, shopped, worked and even wor-shipped,” she said. “It was the place they called home.” Faulkner said while they are fortunate and grateful to have a temporary school shared with the Tuscaloosa Magnet School, the school is just that: tempo-rary. “We all took pride in our building, but mostly, we took pride in being able to call Alberta Elementary ‘our school,’” she said. “Until we are able to do that again, we have not completed the challenge left behind from the storm that for-ever changed our lives.” DuBose agreed with his
The intersection of Alberta Dr. and University Blvd. on Sept. 27.
CW | Katherine Martin
fourth grade teacher, saying that while he enjoyed his new school, he wished he could go back to the old Alberta. “At our old school, there was more room to spread out. Here, everything is a little bit more crowded,” DuBose said. “But what I miss most is P.E. I loved going outside and having all that room to run around. And I really miss the big trees.”
Little recon-struction has been done to the ef-fected area onthe corner of Univer-sity Blvd. and 23rd Ave. E in Alberta on Sept. 27.
CW | Katherine Martin
neighbors become family. DuBose said his house was “split down the middle” after the tornado but that none of the seven people that crowded into his bathroom were injured. “Right after the tornado, my neighbor that lives next door came running into our house, yelling our names,” he said. “He knew that there were a lot of kids there and wanted to make sure we were all OK.” DuBose and his fam-ily now live in a rental home in Northport but are hopeful to return to Alberta after their home has been repaired. Faulkner was DuBose’s fourth grade reading teacher. She said she believes the role of an educator extends far beyond facilitating learning. “It is my personal philosophy that in order to be a successful teacher, you must first estab-lish a relationship with your students and their families,” Faulkner said. “Along with that comes the emotional bond and sense of responsibility that you feel for each student. At the beginning of every school year, I explain to my students that we’re going to become a family; caring for each other, support-ing each other and always work-ing together.” Faulkner said she believes this time of empathy and sup-port will make a positive impact on the students of Alberta Elementary School, and it will be an impact that lasts a life-time. “From a teacher’s perspec-tive, what I have seen is an entire nation of people, both adults and children, come together to support each other,” Faulkner said. The most important thing to her now is for the Tuscaloosa community to continue to offer
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OPIN
ION
S
Wednesday, September 28, 2011Editor • Tray [email protected]
Page 4
WE WELCOME YOUR OPINIONSLetters to the editor must be less than 300 words and guest columns less than 800. Send submissions to [email protected]. Submissions must include the author’s name, year, major and day-time phone number. Phone numbers are for verification and will not be published. Students should also include their year in school and major. For more information, call 348-6144. The CW reserves the right to edit all submissions.
EDITORIAL BOARD
“Itʼs already been reported why
Cochran resigned. If youʼre going to accuse someone
of being dishonest in a public forum,
at least do the minimal amount of research to make an educated com-
ment on the subject matter.”
— JackWhitman
“SGA president resigns apparently without cause, new
president intent on a clean slate... what are they hid-ing? Swinson can talk about gaining the student bodyʼs
confi dence, but until he is honest
with us, that wonʼt happen.”
— Charles McCullough
YOUR VIEW { }
By Xavier Burgin
I’m a resident advisor on campus. The majority of students have dealt with my kind for at least one year during their time at Alabama. While most free themselves of my administrative tyranny once they’ve finished two semesters, I always have a new batch of doe-eyed fresh-men entering college with this urge for reckless abandonment I will never understand. A few days ago, a couple of rap-scallions were clogging up the hall-way. Since they were impeding on my avenue to walk, I impeded on their conversation. Their talking points were pretty standard – girls, parties, football, how terrible financial aid is, noon in the Ferguson Center and the quan-tum mechanics of neutrinos. Somewhere in the bustle I heard a resident complain about their grades. He wasn’t doing very well. The response to his problem was quite nonchalant. Your grades will pick up. Your freshman semester doesn’t matter. You have three more years to buckle down. Overall, the sentiment seemed to be enjoy now, fix later. That’s when I had to join the dis-cussion. I was flabbergasted, stooped and downright confused. I asked the group as a whole where they got these opinions from.
Some said older students. Others said brothers and sisters. One of the kids said his high school teacher (I truly hope that was a lie). I took a step back and asked if they realized the gravity of their state-ments. Do they honestly realize the severity of the pitfall they are cur-rently building to trap themselves in later? Most of them were confused at this point, so I forced them to sit on the floor and listen. Your first semester as a freshman is your most important semester. That’s not a joke. Don’t let someone tell you otherwise. If they tell you otherwise, they have no grasp on the dynamics of scholastic endeavor, which they should’ve picked up around kin-dergarten. Your GPA is like a girl’s reputation on campus. Everyone says it doesn’t really matter, but they always check just in case. In the real world, no one cares about your GPA if you do your job well, but until you leave college, it will always be a major factor in your collegiate decisions. A GPA can also be your glass ceiling for scholar-ships, internships and your choice on graduate schools. I believe people want substance over fluff, but there is a measuring rod for any position, competition or grant. You may be a qualified indi-vidual, but (more than likely) there
will be someone just as qualified with a stronger GPA. Visualize this example: An admin-istrator is given two resumes that are identical in strength. Both show drive, dedication, passion, and work ethic. This administrator who gov-erns XYZ Scholarship has never met you in person (and most won’t). The only factor separating each resume is a 2.6 GPA and a 3.3 GPA. Who do you think they are going to choose? When is your GPA created? Your first semester freshman year. Let me make this clear. Your GPA for your first semester will probably be the highest overall GPA you have your entire collegiate career. It’s like the difference between a 100 and a 0 on a test averaged into your overall grade. A 100 won’t really bring you up much if you already have a decent grade, but a zero will destroy your grade average. A GPA works similar to this. Getting a good GPA for a semester will boost your average a little, but never much. A bad one will destroy it. It’s possible to make high GPAs each semester. But should students expect to do well in higher-level classes when they’re flunking out of computer science 101?
Xavier Burgin is a junior majoring in interdisciplinary studies and film production.
By Tyler Rigdon
As we approach October, the college football preseason poll begins to shape. Teams such as Notre Dame and Florida State long for a restart, while others, such as Clemson and Baylor, soak in the thoughts of what could be. Meanwhile, LSU, Oklahoma and Alabama play a twisted game of musical chairs, only to tease the nation for what looks to be weeks to come. One month of college football has come and gone. Now, we are left to see who will be the real contenders for a national title. SEC: Everyone knows it is all about Alabama and LSU. Through four games, both teams have looked dominant, but LSU is still given the edge in the polls. LSU boasts the tougher schedule, beating Oregon, Mississippi State and West Virginia on the road, but Oregon looks to be the only legitimate team in that bunch. Mississippi State surrendered 41 points to Auburn, could not fathom the thought of a first down against LSU and was victorious against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs – in over-time. West Virginia can move the ball, but when their defense allows 477 yards to teams like Maryland, one can only imagine what a medi-ocre LSU offense can do paired with a great defense. LSU has one test before playing
Alabama – in the already most-hyped regular season game since Ohio State/Michigan in ‘06. They play Florida, but it will be in the comfy confines of Death Valley. Alabama is the definition of consistency, and the validity of their first four games is to be seen. Penn State has proven that a key area of recruiting is the quarterback position. As for Arkansas, Alabama has been their only legitimate opponent, but the Hogs will be a tough obstacle for anyone they play this year – especially LSU in the Battle for the Golden Boot. Alabama’s true test before LSU lies with Florida as well, but in The Swamp. If they survive, the hype will only keep growing for the early November matchup. As quoted from Sports Illustrated, “The last time Saban and Co. spent a year dwelling over a loss, Tim Tebow ended up weeping on the sideline of the SEC Championship game.” This should trou-ble LSU and potential SEC East victor South Carolina. Nick Saban has been 5-0 in rematches where his team had previously lost while at the University of Alabama. Big 12: This may be one of the last shots at a championship for the Big 12. The con-ference contains two contenders, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. One team will knock off another in their matchup, but it is doubt-ful that either will be playing in the national championship game. Oklahoma State may be a high-octane, speed-trip of a football team; however, their one-two punch of Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon will not get them through the sea-son. “Choklahoma” may beat Oklahoma State. Trust that they will lose to a mid-tier Big 12 team at some point. Big Ten and Pac-12: The Big Ten will most likely be decided this weekend when Wisconsin hosts Nebraska. However, the winner of this game will most likely play the other in the pre-miere of the Big Ten Championship game. Michigan is still undefeated, but they are only as strong as the untied shoes of Denard Robinson. The Pac-12 will be decided by an NBA affair between Stanford and Oregon. Over/under on the points total should be around 130. Dark Horse: My dark horse through the first month of football resides in the ACC bas-ketball conference. Alabama graduate Dabo Swinney and Clemson have reason to believe they are the best team in the state, if not in the country. Although they have yet to unleash a Cam Newton, Clemson reminds me of the Auburn team that surprised the nation last year. Over the last two weeks, they have discovered that they can move the ball and score with ease. It was Auburn’s recipe, and points are a defense’s best friend. If they beat Virginia Tech this weekend, Clemson has a great shot of being undefeated until they play their ‘fun-sized Iron Bowl’ against South Carolina.
Tyler Rigdon is a sophomore majoring in broadcast journalism and economics. His col-umn runs biweekly on Wednesdays.
WEB COMMENTS
Victor Luckerson EditorJonathan Reed Managing Editor
Tray Smith Opinions EditorAdam Greene Chief Copy EditorWill Tucker Assistant Managing
EditorDrew Hoover Photo Editor
What is your GPA really worth?
NCAA footballcontenders that remain throughSeptember
By Mark M. Lanier
As I sit in my office penning this message, it is ten years after the hor-rendous terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. It is just over 150 days since the April 27, 2011 tornadoes that devas-tated Tuscaloosa and surrounding Alabama communities. It is also nine months since Jonathan Reid went to his home in Kingston, Jamaica, to become a member of the Jamaican National Track and Field Team. Sept. 11, 2001, is one of the rare days that should be etched in everyone’s memory. I can vividly recall standing in a large atrium at the University of Central Florida with around 500 stu-dents watching the planes attack our heartland. Despite 500 people being in that small space, you could have heard a pin drop, it was so quiet. That sensation alone was unnerving. I am sure each of you can also recall where you were when the mass media, in real time, graphically displayed the tragic events. On a national scale, the intent of al Qaeda was to damage and hurt the United States. Much as the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, “awakened a sleeping giant,” the 9/11 attacks instead resulted in a tremendous increase in patriotism and devotion to preserving the United States. Many young people flocked to join the military and other national services as a direct result of 9/11. Pat Tillman, for instance, gave up a lucra-tive NFL career to serve in the Armed Forces and was subsequently killed in Afghanistan. The symbolism of attacking on 9/11 was not lost on the first respond-ers, many of whom perished. 9/11 is closely linked to criminal justice since many of our students will be first responders, and many alumni are first responders, either in law enforce-ment or fire rescue. Agencies who investigated the aftermath also relied on many crimi-nal justice majors. Rather than pro-viding a crippling blow to the U.S. ten years later, Osama Bin Laden is dead and al Qaeda is seriously weakened. More importantly, the patriotism ignited by 9/11 persists to this day. On a regional scale, the tornadoes that ravaged the southeastern United
States and Tuscaloosa on April 27, 2011, also ignited a strong sense of community pride and volunteer action. Again, many criminal justice and sociology students and alumni were central players in the rescue and recovery efforts, as well as in the rebuilding of Tuscaloosa. We also had faculty and students who had homes destroyed and lives shattered. However, like 9/11, this tragedy also brought out the best in people. People from around the nation sent donations to Tuscaloosa; even rival football teams such as Kent State and Auburn sent student athletes to help in the immediate aftermath. Donations overwhelmed Tuscaloosa. Students and faculty donated time, housing, services and resources to assist victims. As devastating as the tornadoes were, they, like 9/11, served to remind us all of how fleeting life and stability can be and how much we must trea-sure our loved ones, homes and com-munities. It also brought out the best in University of Alabama students, faculty and staff. Unprecedented accommodations were made by the University of Alabama to assist affected students in every way possible. Many moving memorial events were held, and the Aug. 6 graduation ceremony was the most emotional graduation exercise I have ever experienced. That joy-ous graduation ceremony also had a somber side; five of the six families received posthumous diplomas on behalf of their lost children. It was again unnerving to see how many of our proud graduates were reduced to tears on this day celebrating the cul-mination of their college experience. Jonathan Reid is a sophomore student athlete the University of Alabama. He specializes in the triple and high jumper for the Track and Field team. Despite his youth, he has already cleared 7 feet in the high jump and ranks among the elite field ath-letes in the nation. Jonathan found his way to my office last semester and asked to borrow one of my crimino-logical theory texts. That led to a con-versation about why he would want to read such a relatively dry book. He then explained his reason and
became a symbol, to me, about why students attend the University of Alabama. Jonathan also epitomizes what we want all our student athletes to be. Resources do not permit many visits home to Kingston, Jamaica, so Jonathan was excited to return to his home during summer of 2011. On a personal level, Jonathan experienced unexpected tragedy on his highly anticipated return trip home. His first day home, his favorite uncle was shot and killed. One week later, one of his young student men-tors was also shot and killed near his home. Mourning and contemplation was how Jonathan spent his sum-mer break. Just as the nation as a whole responded to 9/11, and as the Crimson Tide nation (and our friends at Auburn) responded to the torna-does in many positive ways, upon his return to Alabama, Jonathan devoted himself to the study of crime causa-tion. Jonathan is currently research-ing and writing a theoretical paper on the problems and solutions fac-ing Jamaica with regards to the pre-ponderance of violent street crime. That quest is what brought him to my office and attention. It is also why the Capstone is such a great univer-sity. More than anything else, it is the hope, ambitions and abilities of our students that make Alabama great. While everyone is aware of the 9/11 attacks and the tornadoes of April 27, very few people are aware of Jonathan’s personal tragedy. These three events show that trag-edy can strike anyone at any moment. None are immune. How we, as a nation, community and individuals react to tragic events serves to define us. All three events described above brought out the best in those affected. All three also showed how criminal justice and sociology (the study of how large events shape societies and individuals) are increasingly relevant. As we move forward, the focus is on the positive effects that each of these tragedies, at a national, local and per-sonal level, led to.
Mark M. Lanier, Ph.D. is the chair of the University of Alabama Department of Criminal Justice.
Students grow through tragedies
One month of college football has come and gone. Now, we are left to see who will be the real con-tenders for a national title.
IN RESPONSE TO “SWINSON HOPES
FOR A CLEAN SLATE”
The Crimson White NEWS Wednesday, September 28, 2011 5
By Ashanka Kumari Contributing Writer
The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration will build a new national water center on the campus of the University of Alabama, accord-ing to a press release. The NOAA awarded a contract to Triune-Beck, Joint Venture V of Dallas to build the center. The $18,881,500 award will create a one-of-a-kind facility that will combine hydrologi-cal forecasting operations and research under one roof to sup-port field operations, improve joint agency coordination and address emerging stakeholder needs, the press release stated. The Water Center will be a national facility that will serve the entire nation, said Vice President for Research and Vice Provost Joe Benson. “The facility will take advan-tage of the research expertise in water and water resources that exist in the universities within the state and will pro-vide the nation with a seam-less suite of consistent water resource monitoring and fore-casting information,” Benson said. “The Center will make Tuscaloosa a focal point for water science in the nation.”
The project has been in development stages for several years. Construction is slated to start either later this year or early in 2012, with a completion date of 2014, Benson said. Water resources are con-sidered to be one of the most significant challenges facing societies and governments in the 21st century, according to a document submitted by Benson. Managers and deci-sion-makers in water resource divisions need new and more integrated information and services to prepare for uncer-tainty, climate and land-use change and increasing demand on limited resources. The Integrated Water Resources Science and Services consortium (IWRSS) was created by NOAA to help unite water science observa-tion, prediction and manage-ment missions and uniquely assemble the main capabili-ties to meet these objectives, according to the document. “The Center is part of the vision of NOAA’s IWRSS initia-tive which is designed to bring together various federal agen-cies that have complimentary missions related to water sci-ence,” Benson said. The Center is part of NOAA’s
commitment to creating a weather-ready nation, in which the country will be able to pre-pare for and respond to envi-ronmental events that affect safety, health, the environ-ment, economy and homeland security, according to a press release. NOAA is located within the U.S. Department of Commerce and includes the National Weather Service, National Ocean Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Science and Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, Benson said. “The presence of the National Water Center in Tuscaloosa will allow UA fac-ulty and students to work with federal scientists to address issues of mutual interest,” Benson said. “These could include both the scientific and socio-economic aspects of issues such as flood forecast-ing, water quality, water avail-ability, etc. From the stand-point of the community, the Center, when fully staffed, will bring up to 200 professionals to Tuscaloosa, which will have a positive impact on the local economy.”
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NOAA to build water centerThe one-of-a-kind facility will be located on campus when fi nished
Submitted PhotoThis aerial rendering shows where the NOAA water center will be built on-campus.
By Jasmine Cannonand Kyle Borland
The Crimson White
The execution of Georgia resident Troy Davis started much conversation in the South and throughout the nation about the death pen-alty. Davis spent more than 20 years on death row before his execution.
Controversy surrounded the case, as it was believed by many that the accused was actually innocent. Though Davis was the 33rd person exe-cuted this year, he was the one who brought the most atten-tion to the issue of the death penalty.
“I think it’s controversial because it’s final,” said politi-cal science professor Joseph
Smith. “If we find out later that, in fact, we executed the wrong person, there’s no way to remedy that at all. Whereas if you put someone in jail for life and later on find out you did it to the wrong person, you can let them out and they can live what’s left of their life in freedom.”
Smith also mentioned recent situations in Illinois where defendants were released off of death row after being found innocent. Illinois abolished the death penalty earlier this year.
Richard Fording, chair of the political science depart-ment, said the actual use of death penalties has decreased because of the challenges and the cases of those defendants who were exonerated.
However, Fording said there is still an overwhelming major-ity of support for the death penalty nationwide, although that support has softened in recent years because of the questions that are raised in high profile cases like Davis’.
“I think you do see disagree-ments about how extensive the support of the death pen-alty is,” he said.
Today, 34 of the 50 states still have the death penalty in place.
Alabama has the highest number of death row inmates per million of the population at 43.55, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Nevada is the second for num-ber of death row inmates per million people, at 30.51.
Ten people have been exe-
cuted in Texas in 2011, mak-ing it the No. 1 state for the most executions this year. Texas also holds the record for the most executions since 1976, when the Supreme Court resurrected the death pen-alty after a suspension of four years. Since 1976, Texas has had 474 executions, which is more than four times any other state.
Georgia has had only 52 executions since 1976, and the current death row popu-lation is 103. There have been five innocent persons freed from death row in the state of Georgia.
Davis’s case took over the social networking world in the days surrounding his execution in Georgia, and the University of Alabama student
body was no exception. Students took to their
Twitter and Facebook accounts to voice their opin-ions on the case, the death penalty and our legal system, in general.
On Facebook, supporters of Troy Davis voiced their opin-ions in different ways before his execution.
After his execution, how-ever, a four-word chain status took over newsfeeds on both Twitter and Facebook, “I am Troy Davis.”
“I think in a case like this—the Troy Davis case—where the person being executed is black, I think it brings race and race relations into the debate as well,” Fording said. “It’s well known that if the accused is black and the vic-
tim is white, that depending on the state and time period you’re looking at, you’re sev-eral times more likely to be sentenced to death than some other combination of races.
“That’s one of the most robust social science findings in the literature. There have been tons of studies on this to show that this is the case, and yet the Supreme Court will not consider that evidence.”
“The most comprehensive studies have shown that race is a factor in who gets the death penalty,” Smith said. “The race of the alleged mur-derer in conjunction with the race of the victim—those things can matter. And that certainly is controversial because of course, race should not be a factor in this.”
Troy Davis case brings attention to death penalty
Execution Rates Compared by Ethnicity0.80
0.40
0.00
0.60
0.20
Rate
per
mill
ion
of p
opul
atio
n
Black White
(0.64)
(0.19)
Source: Death PenaltyInformation Centre
AlabamaFloridaGeorgiaMissouriNorth CarolinaOhioOklahomaSouth CarolinaTexas
U.S. Executions By StateDeath Penalty
Death Row Inmates per Million pop.
5369516843459643474
43.5521.3110.48.3217.4413.7920.6713.712.73
Source: Death PenaltyInformation Centre474
43.55
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FRIDAY• Women’s Soccer vs Vanderbilt: 7 p.m.
SPORTS this weekend By Aldo Amato
Contributing Writer
Since arriving at the Capstone over a decade ago, the Crimson Tide women’s tennis coach Jenny Mainz has maintained a winning program that has pro-
Coach Jenny Mainz: Serving up collegiate successUA ten-nis coach Jenny Mainz coaches from the sidelines at the Roberta Alison Fall Classic in 2010.
CW | Amelia J. Brackin
Crimson Tide readies for Louisville ClassicBy Tyler Hanes
Contributing [email protected]
The Alabama men’s and women’s cross country team will participate in the Greater Louisville Cross Country Classic this Saturday at Tom Sawyer
Page 6 • Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Editor • Tony Tsoukalascrimsonwhitesports@
gmail.com
duced successful student ath-letes both on and off the court. Mainz, a San Antonio native, has been at the helm of the Tide’s women’s tennis program for 13 years. She has turned the program into a perennial power-house. Mainz’s journey began as a student athlete at the University of Houston as a three-year captain and All-Southwest Conference player on the tennis court and an All-American in the classroom. She said she stresses the importance of off-the-court contributions that carried her through her successful colle-giate career to her current play-ers. “Development on the court is important,” Mainz said. “But it is what you do off the court that can really carry a student ath-lete a long way.” Mainz’s knowledge of the game led her to being an assis-tant coach at her alma mater before going on to coach at vari-ous universities across the coun-try, including the University of Iowa and Florida State University. But it was in 1998, at the University of Alabama,
where she said she found her new home. “The people of Alabama are the best people I have ever been around,” Mainz said. “The sup-port system at the University of Alabama is incredible. It just doesn’t get any better, and it all starts from the top with Athletics Director Mal Moore, who has really allowed my coaches and I to run such a suc-cessful program, to our trainers who keep our players healthy. Everyone plays an important role in the success of this team.” Mainz also credits the recent success of other Alabama sports, such as football and basketball, as key contributors of her suc-cess while coaching at Alabama. “The success of the other sports at Alabama is conta-gious,” Mainz said. “Coach Saban and Coach Grant have done a tremendous job with their teams and have been an integral part of the support sys-tem that is Alabama Athletics.” Mainz’s tenure at the University of Alabama has been extremely successful as well. She is the only coach to take the Tide to six straight NCAA tour-naments, and she also coached
the Tide to its first SEC Western Division crown in 2003. In 2009, one of the most suc-cessful years in her career, Mainz guided the Tide to a No. 26 overall ranking, the highest in the program’s history. That year, she also received the Wilson/ITA South Region Coach of the Year title. Last season, after another suc-cessful year, Mainz was named Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year in addition to indi-vidual awards distributed to
her team by the SEC. However,Mainz said her most gratifyingreward is seeing her currentand former athletes excel off thecourt, in addition to what theyhave done on the court. “I have to say, the great-est thing for me to see are myplayers growing, to see themadvance and make an impactin the community and society,”Mainz said. “It is just so reward-ing to see them positively impactthe world in whatever theydecide to pursue.”
CROSS COUNTRY
WOMEN’S TENNIS
By Laura OwensSenior Sports Reporter
[email protected]@laurako_O
Little did Alabama know when they played Texas two years ago in the national champion-ship that they would be facing the then-Longhorns defensive coordinator in 2011 as the new Florida head coach. “I have a lot of respect for [Will Muschamp],” center William Vlachos said. “I think he’s a great coach. Seeing him jumping around at the national champi-onship two years ago, just the passion that he brings on the sidelines is pretty awesome. Great defensive mind; I know he learned a lot from Coach [Nick] Saban, and he’s doing a great job so far at Florida.” Wide receiver Darius Hanks was on the Alabama team that lost to Florida in the SEC Championship game in 2008.
FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK
Gators’ new head coach not new to Bama
Hanks said the team doesn’t talk about that much. “It is brought up by Coach Saban,” Hanks said. “We’ve got to treat this game like any other one. This is our biggest game of the year so far, and we’ve got to go out there and dominate.”
Park in Louisville, Kentucky. This meet will be the biggest the Crimson Tide has competed in this season, with more than 40 schools in attendance. The com-petition includes familiar con-ference foes such as Vanderbilt, Ole Miss and Kentucky, but it also includes out-of-conference opponents like Michigan and Louisville. The women won the Commodore Classic on Sept. 17, and the men finished sec-ond. Junior Katlyn Will fin-ished fourth individually and is improving every day, said head coach Dan Waters. “She is increasing her work-load and getting used to the new coaching style, and she is capa-ble of being one of the best run-ners in the SEC,” Waters said. The top performer on the
men’s side was senior Carison Kemei, who finished second. “Kemei was one of the bet-ter athletes last season and has developed into a leader this year,” Waters said. “This will be a good test with a larger pack of people for him to compete against.” While individual performanc-es are a major part of the meets, Coach Waters said the team’s performance requires everyone to be competitive. “Individual performances are important, but the real chal-lenge of cross country running is getting the entire team to perform their best at the same time,” Waters said. Waters said the first several meets can be considered almost pre-season meets, because they are all about building the
strength of the team for the latercompetitions, and this competi-tion marks the part of the seasonthat begins counting towardsthe strength of schedule for theconference and national cham-pionships. “The Greater LouisvilleClassic is the right size and levelof competition to build somemomentum for later events,”Waters said. Senior Austin Duckworth,who finished thirtieth overall inthe Commodore Classic, empha-sized the importance of thismeet. “This weekend is a big race,and the crucial goal is to buildmomentum,” Duckworth said.“We are more rested going intothis weekend’s race, so hope-fully we will have a big perfor-mance.”
Throughout the SEC, the
Gators’ home stadium, known as “The Swamp,” is one of the toughest stadiums for visiting teams. Additionally, this week-end’s faceoff is a night game, making the environment that much tougher. Having played at Penn State already this season, Hanks said he thinks the offense can battle the fans’ noise. “I feel like we’re good,” he
Jonathan Atchi-son and Anthony Orr run through drills during practice Tuesday af-ternoon.
CW | Margo Smith
The Swamp
said. “We played well at Penn State, against all the noise. So if we played well there, we’ll be able to play well anywhere.”
Florida’s strengths Though this Florida defense isn’t particularly big, Hanks said they’re very fast. So far this season, the Gator defense has gotten four intercep-tions. “It’s no different than any other week,” Hanks said. “I look at all [defensive backs] the same. I respect all of them, but I still feel like I can beat them.” On the offensive side, Florida quarterback John Brantley has a 64 percent completion rate with 752 yards, four touch-downs and two interceptions. The Gators’ leading runners are Chris Rainey, who has 411 yards with two touchdowns,
and Jeff Demps, with 320 yards and four touchdowns. “It’s going to be a big change [from Arkansas] because the speed on the field is going to be a little faster, with Demps and Rainey being pretty fast,” defensive back Dre Kirkpatrick said. “We’ve just got to adjust to it and go out there and execute on all cylin-ders on the field.”
Finish in the fourth After last year’s loss to Auburn, the team has been focused on finishing in the fourth quarter this season. “That’s been our main focus going into the season: finish-ing,” Hanks said. “This year, we’re trying to win every fourth quarter. We just go out there and do it. We can always talk about it, but we’ve got to be about it at the same time.”
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Today’s Birthday (09/28/11). When in doubt, follow your heart. In business, diversify your interests for a variety of possibilities. In love, notice the blissful moments, and leave distractions aside. Cherish your precious time together, and let folks know how much they mean to you.Aries (March 21-April 19) -- Today is an 8 -- Love is the game and the prize, and you’re playing marvelously. Stick to the rules, and acknowledge other players. Get stuck in one view, and you can’t find a balance. Open up.Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is an 8 -- A slow morning allows for focus. Your fortunes increase as you set juicy goals and meet them. Meet with im-portant people for a mutually benefi-cial plan.Gemini (May 21-June 21) -- Today is an 8 -- Get something you’ve always wanted, and discover a new true love. Line up your plans in this new direc-tion. A brilliant idea puts coins into your pocket.Cancer (June 22-July 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Elders are in a good mood. Settle into a cozy spot with a cup of tea and a nice view to handle practical tasks. Practice frugality. The rewards of dili-gence are sweet.Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Stick to common sense. You’re gain-ing status. An authority communicates a transition. Reassess the situation. Work smarter, not harder. Find another source of revenue. Home feeds your spirit.
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LIFES
TYLE
S
WEDNESDAY
FRIDAY
THURSDAY
• HCA Film Series presents “Grey Gardens”: Ferguson Center Theater, 7 p.m.• Purgatorio: Allen Bales Theatre, 7:30 p.m.
• Homegrown Alabama Farmers Market: Canterbury Episcopal Chapel, 3 p.m.• University of Alabama Wind Ensemble: Moody Music Building, 7:30 p.m.• Purgatorio: Allen Bales Theatre, 7:30 p.m.
• Actor’s Charitable Theatre presents “Chicago”: The Bama Theatre, 7:30 p.m.• Purgatorio: Allen Bales Theatre, 7:30 p.m.• Widespread Panic with Yonder Mountain String Band: Tuscaloosa, Amphitheater, 7:30 p.m.
LIFESTYLESthis week
Page 8 • Wednesday, September 28, 2011Editor • Stephanie
By Trey Irby
Last Wednesday night, it seemed as if Green Bar in Tuscaloosa was approaching fire code capacity. The building, which is legally maxed out at 150 people, hosted Alabama Shakes, a band from Athens, Ala. “I had a feeling that just maybe we’d see a few famil-iar faces, considering we came through with the Drive-By Truckers at the Bama Theater, but I didn’t expect so many,” said Brittany Howard, lead vocalist of Alabama Shakes. It was the Drive-By Truckers show that helped develop a sud-den influx of attention towards the group. “It felt unreal,” Howard said. “We’re all fans of the Truckers and have been listening to them for a few years. So when Patterson asked us to do a few dates, well, it was shocking and an honor all at once. Also, we love them as people. Great bunch, those Truckers. Miss them already.” The Shakes’ sound is a cul-mination of Howard’s powerful voice mixed in with a southern rock vibe, as well as the work of guitarist Heath Fogg, bass-ist Zac Cockrell and drummer Steve Johnson. It’s a merging of the Tennessee flair of Aretha
By Jared Downing
Even before it started, “Purgatorio” gave me the creeps. It was the set – a sterile, white square that didn’t even fill up the Allen Bales’ tiny stage. With little more than a cot and metal chair, it could have been a hospi-tal wing, child’s bedroom or pad-ded cell – all prime real estate for theatrical head-screwage. And it was set in Purgatory? Oh boy, here we go. But, all things considered, Purgatory is a pretty down-to-earth place, where divine cor-rection officers in glasses and lab coats try to rehabilitate the damned for a fresh life on Earth. Here we find Jason (Stephen Brunson) and Medea (Amy Handra), a couple from Greek mythology who wind up in the
second level of Dante’s Inferno after the nastiest lovers’ spat in history. In the myth, when Jason leaves Medea for a younger dame, she murders their chil-dren. Dramaturge Tiffany Towns graciously includes some back story in the program for us lay-folk, but Dorfman’s characters aren’t pure Ovidian pastiche, jumping between poetic lan-guage and modern F-bombs as they duke it out over questions of love, revenge and forgiveness – ultimately making you wonder if their little white Purgatory isn’t straight-up hell. Even in the afterlife, Medea’s still ticked, and Handra radiates a pure, black hatred that over-powers Jason’s attempts to play it cool. Brunson takes a little lon-ger to hit his stride but eventu-
ally carries the young conqueror with sufficient naïve confidence. He treats her repentance like another military conquest, while she seeks to poison everything around her from sheer spite. The pair forms a wonderful anti-chemistry, each bringing out the other’s filth while too conceited to achieve real intimacy. While there’s plenty of fod-der for bookworms – the script is packed with allusions to the Garden of Eden, St. Augustine, Plato and probably many more classics majors will recognize – Dorfman plays on brainy sub-ject matter without requiring English class dissection. His imagery is attainable but not blunt; the symbolism intellec-tual, yet pertinent. My seat was one of a hand-ful shoehorned on the stage to
make a fourth side. Handra and Brunson act to the round seam-lessly and naturally, but the Allen Bales just isn’t built for it. While those added seats are definitely the best in the house (if you don’t mind the clouds of thespian spit), I doubt if the same intimacy carries to the regular sections. It made me wonder what this department could do with a legitimate flex-space theatre (basically, a great, empty black box to arrange how-ever you want). Whether or not it’s meant for the round, Allen Bales allows the actors a finesse you can’t get in the big auditoriums, and they manage complicated tones of dependence and sexual tension that fall into place as the narra-tive unfolds. Their only weak-ness comes at certain points
when the two in turn don white coats and switch from inter-rogated to interrogator. They never seem really comfortable blending desperate purgatory inmate and divine correction officer. Handra’s bookish alter-ego especially doesn’t show the hints of affection for her patient I sensed Dorfman was after, though it’s a small price to pay for the sheer intensity of Medea. But emotion-driven narra-tives are tricky. They’re tricky to write and they’re tricky to do. But when they work, they sing. “Purgatorio” works. Dorfman’s impeccable script is never cryp-tic nor sentimental, and Kontos doesn’t indulge in “Black Swan” mind-sploitation. Every part feels purposeful and necessary, finding its place in a powerful tale of love and hate.
SATURDAY
• Actor’s Charitable Theatre presents “Chicago”: The Bama Theatre, 7:30 p.m.• Purgatorio: Allen Bales Theatre, 7:30 p.m.
COLUMN | MUSIC
Alabama Shakes have energetic sound
COLUMN | THEATRE REVIEW
‘Purgatorio’ engages through compelling anti-chemistry
Franklin and the 1970s-style aes-thetic of Creedence Clearwater Revival. Nothing the Shakes do is “new” per se, but the energy of their work particularly stands out. “We evolve every time we sit down to have a song,” Howard said. “The chemistry is with
each other, and sometimes it is very instant; Heath, Zach and Steve know where I’m going with something, and they feel it too. Feel is everything.” While their performance at Green Bar was amazing and certainly deserves to be lauded (after all, I’m talking about it in a
newspaper), I left with more gen-eral thought about the southern hipster. While nothing about the Shakes’ music is overly “hip,” for lack of a better term, it is made aware to those audiences by a hip source. In this case, it’s Patterson Hood. Hood is to south-ern hipsters what Pitchfork is to
the Northeast, and there is no denying that. This fascinates me, because we’re told that music as a shared cultural experience is more democratic than ever, but great bands often go unattended sim-ply because the right person hasn’t heard them yet. It was once a theory for struggling bands searching for a major label and never finding what they want, but with the major label system beyond repair, the Internet has only continued the principle to a select group of tastemakers. And it’s not too far off to say that Hood is the top name in invoking that feeling. And this isn’t an attempt to damn the process, just state it aloud, especially when the atti-tude that follows is one of the “catch them now before they never play here again” persua-sion. With this in mind, the Alabama Shakes do live up to the hype, which I hope only swells while still playing in Tuscaloosa. “I can’t wait to let [Tuscaloosa] hear what’s next,” Howard said. “It’s kind of killing me. We will see you, Tuscaloosa, Oct. 14 at Egan’s on University Boulevard. I have expectations for all of you now; you’ve spoiled me! I expect you to at least know the Matador at this point. We’ll see. Better dance like something.”
By Jared DowningContributing Writer
It was what happens when a circus meets a flea mar-ket, covering the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater stage in booths, banners, raffle tickets, carni-val games, typewriters, quilts, Disney princesses, a robot and a librarian. It was the first ever Community Arts Conversation, a free event lasting from 4 to 7 p.m., sponsored by the Tuscaloosa Arts Council, that gave artists across the county a chance to display their creative offerings, featuring a ballad by the Barbershop Harmony Society, a display of relics from Moundville Archeological Park, and even a man from the Tuscaloosa Public Library, each with a common purpose: to expose their existence to the common folk. “We’re just trying to get the word out,” said Michael Causey, a student at Shelton State Community College who cov-ered the table for the school’s arts program. “Some students don’t even know about it, and they go to Shelton State.” “It’s a chance for all the arts
Arts organizations engage public at amphitheaterUniversity of Al-abama Creative Campus and The University of Alabama De-partment of The-ater and Dance were two of the organizations at Community Arts Conversations at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater.
CW | Katie Bennett
organizations to come togeth-er under one roof – for the community to come out and see the organizations,” said Sandra Wolfe, director of the Tuscaloosa Arts Council. The council, based out of the Bama Theatre, acts as an umbrella cooperative for every facet of the creative communi-ty in Tuscaloosa. “We have new organiza-tions popping up,” said Kevin
Ledgewood, the organiza-tion’s public relations direc-tor. Ledgewood said the event helped give a human face to the arts scene, especially larg-er outfits such as Kentuck and Theater Tuscaloosa. “When you go to a produc-tion, you get to see this great performance, but you don’t get to talk to them,” he said. “You don’t get to know what goes on backstage…We always think of
these things as organizations; we don’t think of them as peo-ple.” Anna Sarcone and Kelsey Dinbon, both members of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority, haven’t been very involved in local arts since starting col-lege. “Not until now have I really noticed much of an art scene,” said Denbon, who came to Alabama from Austin, Texas.
“But it’s nice to see this.” “I don’t think Tuscaloosa really screams ‘arts,’” Sarcone said. “It’s cool to see the artsy side of Tuscaloosa.” The event served not only as a chance for outreach but for creative organizations to network within the arts community itself. UA poetry club Pine Slash Press hoped to recruit some dancers for their upcoming Poetry Walk, and off-beat theatre troupe Rude Mechanicals aimed to strengthen ties with other the-atre groups in Tuscaloosa. “We often get in the niches of our own worlds,” said Deborah Parker of Rude Mechanicals. “This opens up conversations so perhaps we can do more col-laborative efforts.” While Tuscaloosa may not be a likely stop for Wicked or Cirque du Soleil, Ledgewood said he believes personal con-nection of arts in smaller plac-es gives the city that something that is missing in more happen-ing scenes like Birmingham or Montgomery. “In larger cities, the organi-zations are so spread out,” he said. “Being a little bit smaller, we know each other.”
They have based the new Facebook on feedback offered by more than 100,000 Facebook users. The Wall now gives a faster more constant stream of information about whoever’s wall is being looked at. They also see the personalization of each profile as highly impor-tant. There is a new component called “The Timeline” that lets you choose which pictures, sto-ries and updates you want oth-
ers to see. Old stories that you find more important will not vanish as new, less important stories are updated. Now you can adjust the size of pictures, notes, etc. on your wall to “promote things you care about the most.” The pages have become more emphasized on “Twitter-like” updates so everyone can follow their friends’ lives as they scroll through the site. The frequent changes leave some, like Kathleen Wainwright, a sophomore majoring in nursing, saying, “I think that everything is too
fast-paced and they are over-compensating. But let’s be hon-est, no one is going to boycott Facebook.” Other changes include a revamped Friends List that shares content with only your closest friends. Also, the improved news ticker allows you to have real-time conver-sations with friends as soon as they sign in to Facebook. There is also a subscribe button that allows you to fill your newsfeed only with updates and people you want to be on there. Facebook says it “will be reborn; prepare yourselves for
the evolution of social network-ing.” Other Facebook blogs say the single reason for all the chang-es is to “become the social layer that supports, powers and con-nects every single piece of the web, no matter who or what it is or where it lives.” Despite such a positive over-sight from the network, users seem to be much more con-cerned. Some are more opti-mistic and look forward to the growing social network. “I like it because it seems to somewhat weed out the less important ‘news,’ and it is eas-
ier to navigate between friends and pictures,” Evan Brooks, a sophomore, said. Natalie Duffy, a sophomore majoring in special education, said, “People should accept change. We need variety in our lives. It would be boring if everything was kept the same.” Either way, the overwhelm-ing response is that there is too much change, too fast. Users get comfortable with a certain layout and ability to navigate in the site. When changes are con-stantly occurring, many are left unsure of how to use a site they visit everyday.
FACEBOOKContinued from page 1
alabamashakes.bandcamp.comThe Alabama Shakes performed last Wednesday night at Green Bar and will be back to Tuscaloosa in October.
