WILD
FLOWER
Flourish this spring season in fantastic styles that
will make you the life of the tea party
STUCK IN THE
FRIEND ZONE
Six students weigh in on
the relationship phenomenon
GIRLS JUST
WANNA HAVE FUN-
DAMENTAL RIGHTS
Defining the modern feminist
$3.99 Vol. 2, No. 2
BACKFLIPS
FOR BAMA
A day in the life of a
great college gymnast
The University of Alabama | Spring 2017
TIMELY
The clock is ticking on the final days of
winter, and what better way to celebrate
the start of a new season than a trip to
Tuscaloosa’s legendary (and some say
haunted) Drish House? Join Alice in this
issue’s adventures, each one more curious
than the last. Cheers!
Letter from the Editor
On the web:
Twitter: @alicethemag
Instagram: @alicethemag
facebook.com/alicethemag
alice.ua.edu
Alice on Pinterest:
pinterest.com/alicemagazine
Editorial and Advertising offices for Alice Magazine are located at
414 Campus Drive East, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487.
The mailing address is P.O. Box 870170, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487.
Phone: (205) 348-7257.
Alice is published by the Office of Student Media
at The University of Alabama.
All content and design are produced by students
in consultation with professional staff advisers.
All material contained herein, except advertising or where
indicated otherwise, is copyrighted © 2017 by Alice Magazine.
Material herein may not be reprinted without the
expressed, written permission of Alice Magazine.
In the months leading up to the release of this issue, the staff
and I have been working hard to make our best and most edgy
issue yet. As always, we want to put our absolute greatest product
out there for you. We have loved every second of creating this
season’s magazine. From staying deliriously late at the Office of
Student Media to trying to get Wi-Fi in Chengdu, China to make
sure that I haven’t missed any messages about Alice, it has been
one heck of a job so far.
For this issue of Alice, one of my favorite books came to
life. Through fashion and photography, we were able to create
our version of Alice in Wonderland at a charming and inviting
antebellum home, the Drish House. As we adventure into her
world, I came to find our Alice is much like Lewis Carroll’s
Alice. She is loving, headstrong, carefree, curious, intelligent
and imaginative. I hope you are able to see that young, witty girl
through the stories in our magazine.
We have better fashion, bigger articles and beautiful photos. If
you want to know the best cruelty-free makeup products to use,
go to page 7. For fashion trends and a magical carnival scene,
turn to page 14. Thumb through the magazine to land on our
story about being stuck in the friend zone (page 24). To learn
more about the modern feminist or the LGBTQ community on
campus, flip to page 54 and 58. If you are still hanging on to
those New Year’s resolutions (unfortunately, I am not) go to page
67 to read about kickboxing. Our Q&A with Dillon Hodges a.k.a.
firekid is definitely one not to miss (page 88).
I think everyone knows how proud I am of Alice. It’s not just a
bunch of pages to me. It’s the frantic calls to me (sick and asleep)
as my editors pull together an entire fashion shoot at the last
minute. It’s the running up and down the stairs of the Drish
House, which after a few times felt very similar to the steps
of The Great Wall of China. It’s all the experiences and funny
memories from creating Alice.
With this spring season, the rain will pour, the flowers will
grow and I can hardly wait for everyone to have this issue of
Alice in their hands. My team and I wish you the loveliest time
reading these 92 carefully crafted pages. This issue will probably
pair nicely with a hot cup of tea. As I wrap this letter up, I would
just like to ask, “Why is a raven like a writing desk?” Because I
haven’t the slightest idea.
Paige Burleson
Editorial
Editor in Chief PAIGE BURLESON
Creative Director MARIA OSWALT
Director of Photography EMILY HEATH
Managing Editor CLAIRE TURNER
Market Editors ALLIE BINFORD AND ALEXIS DANZO
Online Editor LAURA TESTINO
Beauty Editor KAILA WASHINGTON
Lifestyle Editor ALLISON COHEN
Assisstant Lifestyle Editor RACHEL WILBURN
Fashion Editor DEVEN FELDSTEIN
Food and Health Editor MADISON SULLIVAN
Entertainment Editor ELLEN JOHNSON
Social Media Coordinator DONICA BURTON
Contributing Writers MADDY ARD, SERENA BAILEY, KATIE BELL, EMILEE BENOS, MIA BLACKMAN,
SARA BETH BOLIN, ALLISON COHEN, JADA CULVER, ELIZABETH ELKIN, ALEXIS FAIRE,
ANALIESE GERALD, KYARRA HARRIS, JILL HOLLOWAY, KATIE HUFF, NICOLE JEFFERY, ELLEN JOHNSON,
ANNA KLEMENT, MARY CLAY KLINE, LAUREN LANE, LAWSON MOHL, CLAIRE TURNER,
CAROLINE WELLS, SAM WEST, RACHEL WILBURN, KELSEY ZAROFF
Contributing Photographers PRESTLEY BRAMLETT, ERIN COHEN, RAMSEY GRIFFIN,
NICOLE RODRIGUEZ, TEAH SHAW, SARAH WESTMORELAND
Models HALEIGH AMEND, MADI BEDSOLE, KATALINA BLAIR, ABIGAIL COLEMAN,
RYLEY FLATHMAN, MALAYSIA FORD, KRISTEN GRAVES,TIERANI JACKSON, XAVIA JACKSON,
NIKKI MCCOOL, DYLAN WALKER, LAUREN WILLIAMS, XI ZHANG
Hair and Makeup HALEIGH AMEND, ALLIE LOWERY, KAILA WASHINGTON
Marketing Team AIMEE INTAGLIATA , BRIANA BETTISON, SHELLEY BUCKLEY, CAROLINE DISIMONI,
KATIE HUFF, MADISON MAYFIELD, COURTNEY SCARBORO, ALEJANDRA TENORIO, JULIA TRAVAGLINE
Advertising
Advertising Manager RUFUS ALDRIDGE (cwadmanager@gmail.com)
Advertising Creative Director GRANT SNOW (cwcreativemanager@gmail.com)
Sales Representatives (205) 348-7845
JADE LEDET, LIZZIE MIZENKO
Advisers
Editorial MARK MAYFIELD (msmayfield1@ua.edu)
Published by UA Office of Student Media
Director PAUL WRIGHT
[2] Alice Spring 2017
Table of
Contents
Beauty
5 LEARNING FROM THE FRENCH
7 CRITTER CONSCIOUS
9 EYELASH EXTENSIONS
10 PERFECT PERFUME
Fashion
12 LEATHER & LACE
14 ELECTRIC LOVE
ABOUT THE COVER: Down the rabbit hole we fell, as the
historic Drish House in Tuscaloosa, Alabama transformed
into our personal Wonderland. Lose your head over all
the antique teacups, dreamy surroundings and our reminiscent
styling. Join Alice, the Mad Hatter, the Queen of
Hearts and the Cheshire Cat for a very important date.
Don’t be late.
Photographer: EMILY HEATH
See story: PAGE 28
Lifestyle
19 LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX
21 48 HOURS IN ATLANTA
24 STUCK IN THE FRIEND ZONE
26 JUNK IN THE TRUNK
Alice Spring 2017 [3]
Features
28 WONDERLAND
40 VICTIM TURNED VICTORIOUS
43 LOTS OF FUR AND A LITTLE FAITH
48 CELEBRATING COLOR
52 GHOST STORIES
54 GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS
58 BEYOND THE BARRIER
Health
& Food
62 VITAMINS, MINERALS AND SUPPLEMENTS, OH MY!
64 BACKFLIPS FOR BAMA
67 A TREND WITH A PUNCH
69 SNACK HACKS
70 FRUIT PIZZA
Entertainment
72 RIDE THE MOON TAXI
74 SPRING BREAK READS
76 HOLLYWOOD’S HELPING HANDS
77 SECRETS OF SPOTIFY
79 FUNNY FACE
82 TALE AS OLD AS TIME
87 UPCOMING CONCERTS
88 FIREKID Q&A
Alice would like to thank
the following stores for
providing outfits and
accessories for photo shoots:
LULUS.COM
FRANCESCA’S
AZ WELL
LAVISH
PANTS STORE
TWICE AS NICE
BURCH AND HATFIELD TUXEDO
URBAN OUTFITTERS
[4] Alice Spring 2017
BEAUTY
Learning from
the French
By Anna Klement
It’s no secret the French are enviable
when it comes to many things. They
are natural leaders of style, dating back
to the French Revolution in the time of
powdered wigs and outlandish beauty
treatments — trés chic.
I don’t think anyone actually knows
what makes the French so good at
everything when it comes to beauty,
fashion and their
general je ne sais
quoi. Maybe it’s
their low-maintenance
regimens or their ability to
make a crisp white t-shirt and jeans
look glamorous. Or maybe it’s their
innocence when bombarded with questions
about their skin care regimen,
when the answers are quite simple.
In the world of
beauty, you could
find an array of articles,
digital and
print, of American
women trying
to pinpoint what it
is that makes the
French so damn
effortless and cool.
From the extensive
research done
by a beauty junkie,
like myself, I have
found the French take a holistic, medical
approach to skin care. The saying
“less is better” is certainly true.
Rarely will you see a French woman
with a full face of makeup (unless it’s
Marie Antoinette) and I believe this is
Alice Spring 2017 [5]
something the French admire about
American women — we can pull off a
face of makeup and look put-together.
However, we Americans tend to have
the “if there’s a flaw, fix it” attitude on
our face and body. If we have wrinkles,
we get Botox. If we get a pimple, we do
a Google search and buy the best-selling
“blemish diminish” product Sephora
offers. It’s amazing that it’s considered
hygienic to go to the dentist twice
a year to clean our teeth, but facials
are considered a luxury instead of a
necessary deep cleaning. This is all
overwhelming to the French, who take
to simple, medical or natural remedies
– which doesn’t mean their products
can’t be luxurious.
It’s amazing that it’s considered hygienic to
go to the dentist twice a year to clean our
teeth, but facials are considered a luxury
instead of a necessary deep cleaning.
They rock their freckles or tooth gaps.
As far as makeup goes, they are crazy
unique. No one does a signature
smoky eye with nude lips, messy hair
and bushy eyebrows like Françoise
Hardy or Jane Birkin. And there’s
nothing more feminine than minimal
makeup with pale skin and a
bold red lip.
When it comes to products, you
can find a mirage of beauty products
with French heritages. NARS makeup
makes one of the best blush tones
that makeup artists use on all types
of women. Caudalie’s Beauty Elixir
is a life-changing product I’ve been
using for a few years that refreshes,
tones and cools my skin mid-afternoon.
La Roche Posay
makes wonderful
sunscreens, which is
a priority to French
women. Sun care
is essential to preserve longevity and
protect your skin. Loccitane Sweet
Almond Oil is a hydrating, nourishing
formula, which is naturally great
for your skin. Of course, Chanel and
Lancôme are beauty giant brands that
will always be timeless in the world
of beauty — but isn’t that what the
French are so great at?
In an interview with Elle, actress
Clémence Poésy gives us the secret to
French style: “Uhh… being born in
France?” she said innocently. Perhaps
one of the greatest things about this
romance with French beauty is that
they are completely oblivious to what
makes them so beautiful. *
But don’t mistake low-maintenance
for negligence. The French definitely
invest in their skin creams and
formulas. French pharmacies are a
beauty lover’s dream. They are filled
with aisles of skin care and topical
medicines. French women are not gym
junkies. In fact, they rarely work out.
Instead, they believe in nature
walks or taking the stairs.
The only thing they’re lazy
at is their makeup routine.
They eat cleaner, not necessarily
vegan or healthy,
but definitely minimize the
processed food. This is huge
in skin care, and any dermatologist
will recommend you
change your diet before you
walk into the office freaking
out about that weird and rare
phenomenon on your chin called
“acne.” French women embrace
their weight and impurities and
tend to enjoy au natural lifestyles.
[6] Alice Spring 2017
BEAUTY
CRITTER
CONSCIOUS
By Lawson Mohl
With an increasing awareness about what goes
into the products we know and love, it’s no surprise
that we’re caring more about how ethical the
things we put on our skin really are. As much
as we love our glittering eyeshadows and matte
lipsticks, if our pets had to wear them, would we
consider buying?
“Cruelty-free” is a label popping up everywhere,
sometimes proudly displayed on both indie and
name brands alike and sometimes discovered
through an online search. Regardless, if you’re
looking for brands that are both quality and treat
our furry friends well, Alice has got your guide.
CRUELTY-FREE GUIDELINES
You may be asking yourself, what even defines
a makeup brand as cruelty-free? According
to logicalharmony.net (a fantastic source for all
your ethical makeup needs), cruelty-free products
have no form of animal testing at any stage of
the product development. Cruelty-free makeup
doesn’t automatically mean a product is vegan:
In order to claim that label, companies can’t use
any ingredient that comes from animals in their
production.
The Edgy Friend: Urban Decay
The adoration of Urban Decay
eyeshadows is no secret to makeup
artists and lovers everywhere. While
also being cruelty-free, Urban Decay’s
Naked palettes have been wildly successful
throughout all of their iterations.
They’ve collaborated with Gwen
Stefani and featured Ruby Rose in
their Vice lipstick campaign (if you’re
looking for a bold lip, check the collection
out). And don’t forget about their
Primer Potion eye primer, which is
well-loved as one of the greats.
Alice Spring 2017 [7]
The Sleeper Hit: ColourPop
Boasting low prices and a range of
product, ColourPop has made waves
in the beauty scene over the past few
years as being both affordable and
good quality. Along with being cruelty-free,
the brand has a variety of lip
products spanning an assortment of
colors, textures and finishes. Their
pigmented shadows and creamy eyeliners
(they don’t budge in the waterline
– seriously) are nothing to laugh
at either.
The Colorful Confectioner: Sugarpill
Sugarpill has gained recognition for
their Pro Palette, a way for makeup
addicts to customize exactly what pans
of Sugarpill shadow go into their purchase.
While also being cruelty-free,
they have a selection of vegan products
from lipsticks to lashes that they make
a special note of on their website. The
pigment of Sugarpill’s eyeshadows
is raved about: Many attribute their
Love+ pressed eyeshadow as being
the best true red on the market, and
they carry a diverse spread of other
bright colors. *
The Ultimate Glow:
Anastasia Beverly Hills
Alice has already covered Anastasia’s
Glow Kits, but it bears repeating:
They’re the perfect highlighters for
achieving your dream celestial glow,
and they have a range of kits for every
skin tone. On top of being cruelty-free,
Anastasia Beverly Hills released their
Modern Renaissance palette a while
back, the ultimate collection of every
warm-tone shadow we could ever
dream of. Their brow products are also
perfect for sculpting your way to an effortless
eyebrow.
So whether you’re an eyeliner
person, a foundation person or just
love it all, there’s a brand out there
that’s perfect for you and your furry
friend. Next time you’re exploring
your local Sephora, be sure to support
the companies that support the
environment, too.
[8] Alice Spring 2017
BEAUTY
By Nicole Jeffery
If you are a woman who enjoys applying a fresh face of
makeup to look and feel your best, then you know that the most
unenjoyable part is applying your mascara while making that
scary Grudge face, trying not to gouge your eyeballs out for
about five minutes every day. And if you are really trying to
step up your game, then you know that tampering with false
lashes isn’t such a quick task either. But to what lengths,
and to what costs, are you willing to achieve that whispy,
butterfly effect?
As the eyelash extension trend grows, we hear more and
more mixed reviews about the tolerance and money that goes
into maintaining them. We also hear horror stories of permanent
eyelash loss due to extensions, and we couldn’t help but
dig deeper into finding out the backstory of these tragedies.
If you’re worried about ruining your real lashes, fear not.
Just like every other hair follicle on your body, eyelashes
fall out and regrow as a part of a natural cycle, which is a
full six to eight weeks. However, if done incorrectly, eyelash
extensions can cause minor temporary damage. As long as
they are applied with quality and skill, the outcome is truly
envious yet effortless lashes.
Lash extension applications can take as long as two hours.
Because everyone’s lash growth varies, eyelash technicians
suggest a refill every three to four weeks to maintain the full
look. That being said, if you are someone who gets anxious
being confined in a nail salon for long periods of time, then
it is likely that repeating the lash extension process once a
month is not ideal. However, if you dread the facial cramps
that come from everyday mascara application like I do, then
laying down on a salon bed every once in a while to replace the
mascara routine would not be something to complain about.
One thing everyone should know about lash extensions
is that they are a second job. After your first fill, you will
usually receive a list of rules explaining the habits you must
form in order to keep them looking full and neatly feathered.
If you are interested in getting lash extensions then
you have to be okay with daily combing, sleeping on your
back and applying baby oil daily to keep them from drying
out. Despite all of these requirements, lash extensions can
completely enhance your entire look and you will find yourself
drowning in compliments.
So the remaining question is: are lash extensions really
worth the money? The answer is yes – and no. Everyone is
different and is entitled to their own preferences. The saying
“there is no right way to apply makeup” relates to the
fact that not all women are going to experience the same
reaction to certain makeup products and techniques. So the
answer is no, because it is possible that you pay up to $180
for a thick set of lashes and come to find out that they just
aren’t for you. In contrast, many lash extension businesses
have been very successful and have converted countless
women from the hassle of using mascara and false lashes.
Just like as you would with a hair stylist, research your
local lash extension technicians, read reviews and find before-and-after
pictures to guarantee quality service. So
ditch your mascara or don’t, but either way embrace your
unique beauty through every makeup trend! *
Crisis Pregnancy?
We want to help you.
Free Counseling,
Adoption, and
Multi-Level
Support Services
Available
205-324-6561
info@cfsbhm.org
www.cfsbhm.org
Alice Spring 2017 [9]
BEAUTY
We all know perfume is the last step to complete your
daily routine. We know the drill: You spray some Victoria’s
Secret body spray in the air and shimmy through it before
leaving for class. However, two hours into your day, that
fragrance is gone and you find yourself smelling like sweat
rather than “pure seduction.”
If you’ve tried everything from Dove to Juicy Couture
and still feel defeated, try out these three steps and find the
key to solving all your perfume problems.
#1: THE HIGHER THE PRICE,
THE HIGHER THE CONCENTRATION
This means the longer the scent will linger on your
clothes or skin. So remember, consider the concentration before
splurging. Perfume (parfum) is composed of 20 to 40
percent pure perfume essence. This is the most concentrated
and most expensive of all fragrances. That being said, a
single application can last up to 24 hours.
This is followed by Eau de Parfum (EDP), a more common
concentrate, which contains 15 to 20 percent pure perfume
essence and lasts five to eight hours.
After Eau de Parfum, is Eau de Toilette (EDT). This
lighter spray is composed of 7 to 15 percent concentration
and lasts usually three hours.
Eau de Cologne is next, a masculine scent which is composed
of three to seven percent perfume oils in alcohol and
water, making the scent prominent for only two hours.
Lastly, the most diluted of all is Eau Fraiche with only
one to three percent perfume oil. With the smallest amount
of concentration, it usually lasts for less than one hour.
PERFECT
PERFUME:
Your
[10] Alice Spring 2017
guide to
fab fragrances
By Kelsey Zaroff
#2: APPLY FRAGRANCES IN PLACES
WHERE THE BODY TEMPERATURE IS HIGH
Your natural body heat releases the perfume ingredients.
For males, this includes the jaw, neck and shoulders. If
that is not strong enough, go for the chest and wrist, as they
have the next highest temperatures.
For females, try spraying perfume behind your ears, and
on your neck and chest. If you want to ensure the perfume
lasts, follow by applying to your shoulders, wrist and behind
your knees. These three areas create the next highest
temperatures on the body.
However, remember that less is more. Start with one
spray and apply directly to dry skin after showering. As fun
as it is to spray a cloud of perfume, the scent lasts longer
when applied directly to the skin, not to your clothes.
#3: HAVE DIFFERENT FRAGRANCES
FOR DIFFERENT OCCASIONS AND SEASONS
Our typical “night out” fragrance might not
be something we want to wear to class everyday.
There is something exciting about saving that
special perfume for a night out on the town. Opt
for lighter fragrances during the day and more
powerful concentrates in the evening.
Just like changing your lipstick depending
on the seasons, you can do the same with perfume.
In winter, remember that the air is dry
and cold, so try wearing a stronger and more
powerful fragrance. In the summer, go for those
citrus and floral notes that energize and capture
the warmth of the season.
MY TOP PICKS
Bobbi Brown Beach
Chloe: Roses de Chloe
Gucci Guilty
Chanel Coco
Mademoiselle
Eau de Parfum
Elizabeth and James
Find Your Nirvana
Rollerball Set
UNDERSTANDING
THE BASICS
*
TOP NOTES
What you smell immediately
after applying the perfume. Top
notes create your initial impression
of the perfume. Common top
notes include citrus and ginger.
MIDDLE NOTES
Middle notes can also be called
heart notes. The scents from this note
usually appear anywhere from two minutes
to one hour after applying the perfume.
They create the main body between
the initial smells and the base smells. Common
middle notes include lavender and rose.
BASE NOTES
These notes are usually richer, bringing
the depth to the perfume. These scents are
not noticed until hours after application.
A strong base note, like musk, can still
be detectable 24 hours after applying
the fragrance.
Alice Spring 2017 [11]
FASHION
Photos by Ramsey Griffin
Jacket: Twice As Nice
White dress: Free People
Green jacket: Francesca’s
White top: Pants Store
Brown shorts: Az Well
Black hat: Lulu’s
Solid black shirt: Pants Store
Leather & Lace
Embroidered elements can reinvigorate your spring wardobe with fresh femininity
[12] Alice Spring 2017
Alice Spring 2017 [13]
FASHION
ELECTRIC LOVE
Step right up to see this spring’s magnificent metallics and striking slip dresses. Cotton candy not included.
[14] Alice Spring 2017
Photos by Emily Heath
LEFT
Dress: Lavish
RIGHT
Dress: Lulu’s
Jacket: Lulu’s
Alice Spring 2017 [15]
LEFT
Dress: Lulu’s
Shirt: Brandy Melville
RIGHT
Grey bodysuit: Lulu’s
Leather skirt: Az Well
Gold skirt: Francesca’s
Purple top: Lavish
Striped top: Az Well
Wrap-around skirt: Az Well
[16] Alice Spring 2017
Alice Spring 2017 [17]
Don’t miss our next issue!
Award-winning Alice returns
for a big Summer Preview
issue in May. Only $3.99
for a single copy, or $9.99
for a three-issue subscription
at store.osm.ua.edu
LIFESTYLE
Let’s Talk About Sex
By Jill Holloway
Editor’s note: Last names have been
changed for privacy.
Growing up in the Bible Belt, sex
was rarely talked about. My sex education
class was held in a church and
the only thing I remember learning
was “Abstinence. Is. Key.” Our teacher
was a 60-year-old, white-haired, model
churchgoer and her lesson was simple:
Two people only engage in sex once
they are married. Eleven years later,
I still hold that lesson close to me.
Talking to other college students, I realized
my view on sex was not a common
view today, as it has become much
more casual.
There is no longer a set time that
a couple should wait to take their romance
to the next level. In fact, many
believe there is no need to be in a
relationship at all.
“I think girls and guys are allowed
to have one night stands,” said Rebecca
Cannon, 20. “I think if they both want
that then perfect, but a guy always
needs to be respectful of a woman.”
Nick Carringer, 22, said he thinks
the proper amount of time to wait before
having sex is just one week, depending
on what those two people are
trying to do.
“If a girl puts out too quick it says
a lot about her, but sometimes you just
want a random drunk hookup,” Carringer
said.
Cannon said she does not think
there is a specific marker, but instead
two people should engage in sex
whenever they are ready.
“For me personally it’s when the
Alice Spring 2017 [19]
time is right in the moment,” Cannon
said. “I just think it is a feeling.”
Casey James, 20, agreed. She said
she thinks it is important to be emotionally
ready and self-assured, but
communication is key and both people
need to be in the right mindset. Sex is
not just another physical aspect of a
relationship, although it
can create an emotional
connection between
two people that was not
previously present.
“It can be both physical
and emotional,”
Nick Carringer said.
“It depends on the person
and situation. Good
sex is an emotional
connection.”
While “good” sex differs
for everyone, the
physical aspect remains
the same. Cannon points
out that whether you
want to or not, “you look
at that person differently
after you have been physical with
them.” She said she does think it creates
an emotional connection because
it’s extremely intimate.
James agreed with Cannon’s remark,
mentioning, “I think it creates
an emotional connection because
it’s you exposed; it’s the rawest form
of yourself.”
[20] Alice Spring 2017
With a flood of emotions running
through your head and trying to make
sure the hookup goes perfectly, sexually
transmitted diseases and testing
often go unmentioned. Cannon said
she probably would not ask them to
be tested or say, “You have to go get
one,” but she may ask if they have ever
“I think it creates
an emotional connection
because
it’s you exposed;
it’s the rawest
form of yourself.”
previously had an STD. James agreed
she wouldn’t ask if it was a hookup,
but made an exception when it comes
to her boyfriend.
“I would ask how many girls he
has slept with; try to make it casual,”
she said.
Although girls and guys often view
sex differently, they did agree on exclusivity.
If two people are consistently
hooking up exclusively, but have yet to
put a label on what they have, it often
leaves room for confusion. It goes
back to James’ earlier statement —
“communication is key.”
“I would expect to be dating in the
near future, or at least commitment,”
she said. “If you’re hooking
up without feelings,
you would be hooking up
with other people.”
Cannon held those
same thoughts. “I’m
probably thinking it will
turn into an actual relationship,
if we are both
just hooking up with
each other there’s obviously
a reason for that.”
Carringer was not
sure where he thought it
may go after that, but he
does believe, “you can’t
be mad if you haven’t
talked about it yet.”
Whether if it is in the
moment, or a special night that was
planned out by two people engaging in
sex for the first time, there is no right
or wrong way to go about it. Just make
your intentions clear about what you
expect and do not feel pressured to feel
a certain way. Every person sees sex
for something different and values it in
their own way. *
LIFESTYLE
48
hours in
Atlanta
By Allison Cohen
If you’re looking for a travel destination with comfort food,
plenty of room for adventure and sweet tea that flows like water, all
wrapped up in an urban, big-city environment, the Southern charm
of Atlanta is sure to win you over.
Day 1
9 a.m. Start your day one pancake at
a time with Buttermilk Kitchen. From
breakfast to brunch, you won’t be
disappointed with this classic, Southern-styled
hot spot. Don’t hesitate to
ask the background behind each dish
because their ingredients come from
local vendors all across the state of
Georgia. You’ll want to pace yourself
through your meal because this crowd
favorite gives generous portion sizes.
10 a.m. Catch some fresh air, cool
finds and good food at Ponce City Market.
Established in a newly renovated
warehouse, the market is not only
a great location to check out trendy
shops, but also doubles as a rooftop
attraction dubbed Skyline Park. Here
you’ll find carnival games, mini golf
and sweet treats with a killer view of
the city. Feel free to grab a bite for
lunch at Skyline or at one of the many
restaurants below the park.
1 p.m. Directly connected to Ponce
Alice Spring 2017 [21]
City Market is the BeltLine, a 22-mile
continuous trail that circles the perimeter
of downtown Atlanta. There are
also 11 more miles to discover that
branch off to local parks, restaurants
and neighborhoods. Take the Eastside
Trail from the market and venture to
one of the largest green spaces in the
city, Piedmont Park. Be sure to snap
pictures of local artwork and murals
along the way!
3 p.m. If walking around worked up
your appetite for a quick snack, stop by
Henri’s Bakery and Café for internationally
recognized baked goods. Henri’s
has been an Atlanta staple since
1929 after French immigrant Henri
Fiscus traveled to the States as a
pastry chef, and the location has been
in the family ever since. The cheese
straws and shortbread cookies are a
must-try.
6 p.m. In the heart of Buckhead there
is Café Agora, a Mediterranean restaurant
that’s as authentic as they come.
The restaurant is tucked away and not
very flashy; however, it’s a diamond in
the rough. Café Agora’s combination of
Turkish and Greek cuisines will give
you a taste and experience that’s incredibly
unique. Pro tip – make sure to
leave room for the homemade baklava.
10:30 p.m. Get your first taste of
Atlanta nightlife at the Ivy. This upscale,
laid back lounge has four bars
scattered throughout its venue. If the
weather is nice, hang out by the gazebo
on the outdoor patio or relax upstairs
on the rooftop. Inside on the main floor,
a wraparound bar takes center stage
and a fourth, secluded bar is not far
beyond the dance floor. As far as attire
goes, plan to dress snappy casual.
Photos by Erin Cohen
[22] Alice Spring 2017
Day 2
10 a.m. Recover from last night’s
shenanigans by sleeping in and waking
up with the Westside’s Taqueria
del Sol. Unlike your typical Mexican
restaurant, Taqueria’s food is far from
greasy and will leave you feeling the
right level of satisfied. This is a popular
go-to spot for Atlanta locals, so
make sure to get there early. When
you’re done, swing by Jeni’s Splendid
Ice Creams right next door and choose
from 28 funky flavors.
2 p.m. If you’re feeling artsy, check
out The High Museum of Art (pictured
left). Get a heads up on what to expect
by going online to preview the current
exhibits. You’ll also have the option to
view upcoming exhibits online if you’d
like to plan your trip in advance.
www.high.org // Tickets: $14.50
4 p.m. Don’t leave Atlanta empty
handed! Walk around Virginia Highlands
in Midtown and pop in and out
of the local boutiques that line the
area. There are lots of great restaurants
in this area too, so take the
opportunity to scout for potential
dinner contenders.
6 p.m. If your dinner plans are still
up in the air, Ormsby’s is a must-try.
The two-floor tavern offers not only
fantastic pub fare, but also an entertaining
atmosphere for large groups.
Down below you’ll find games such
as indoor bocce ball, darts, pool and
more. Ormsby’s is open to the general
public all day; however, entry becomes
21+ after 6 p.m.
11 p.m. Every city has a prime bar
location and Atlanta’s would be the
Buckhead bar district off of Roswell
Road. Post up at Lost Dog for live
music on the back porch or dance your
heart out at Big Sky down the road.
The area holds over 10 bars that are
directly next to each other, making
this an ideal location to bar hop on
a budget. *
Alice Spring 2017 [23]
LIFESTYLE
Stuck in the
By Rachel Wilburn
We’ve all been there: you meet someone
new. They’re cute, sweet, funny
— the real deal. A few group hangouts
later, you guys are really hitting
it off. And then it happens: they ask if
your ~adorable~ best friend is single.
You’re getting friend zoned. It happens
to the best of us, and it can be
confusing.
But thanks to a few great guys, we
have compiled The Ultimate Guide to
Avoiding the Friend Zone 101. Let’s
get down to the nitty gritty. What even
is the “friend zone,” how can you tell
when you’re being friend zoned, and
better yet, what can you do about it?
So, let’s start with the basics. For
those who don’t know, the “friend zone”
happens when one friend develops romantic
feelings for another and wants
to be “more than friends.” Often, the
friend’s feelings are unknown to their
counterpart or they are quite happy
with a friendship-only basis – and voila,
you’ve entered the friend zone.
Next thing you know, you’re standing
there looking him in the eyes, trying
to figure out the best answer to his
question. Do you give him her number?
Do you confess your feelings? But honestly,
how did you end up there in the
first place?
Sometimes, it’s something as simple
as physical attraction. Studies show
that most people can tell if they’re at-
[24] Alice Spring 2017
tracted to someone within the first 90
seconds of meeting.
“As shallow as it is, I would say part of
it is appearance. If you’re not attracted
to someone, you may just never think
of her as more than a friend. But sometimes
when you get to know them and
their personality is amazing then the
way you see them can change and
you have no idea why you didn’t see
it before.”
–Johnny, 21
Other times, it’s a little deeper. Typically,
the friend zone grows out of an established
friendship. When you’re that
close with someone, there’s a chance
that they A.) know a lot about you and
B.) care deeply about you. They probably
have seen the good and the bad,
and more than likely, have heard you
talk about other guys from the past.
This can be ground for insecurity or
fear of hurting you again. All of these
things can become potential contributing
factors.
“One thing is being too open about
their sex life. I don’t think someone’s
number should ever be discussed. If
she’s dated friends, that’s definitely a
cause for a friend zone.”
– Zach, 20
“Usually it’s because I value her
and have some apprehension about
losing the friendship if things don’t
work out. I’d say that’s probably the
big one.”
– Clayton, 26
But don’t forget that guys are also
just that – guys. He might just think of
you as one of the bros or he might have
eyes for someone else. If he spends a lot
of time talking about Jess from biology,
it’s likely that he’s so wrapped up in
finding out if she likes him back that
he doesn’t even see that you’re falling
head over heels.
“I friend zone girls when I have eyes
for someone else and am blind to the
prospect of someone being inter-
Attraction is unpredictable, but it
doesn’t come out of nowhere ... you
want a guy to want you for you.
–Colton, 22
Friend Zone
ested in me like that. The thought is
some variation of ‘if the girl I’m interested
in doesn’t see me that way, then
how can anyone else?’ Obviously, it’s
a stupid thought process, but guys
seem to be wired one of two ways:
pursue everything that has a pulse
or pursue only one girl and be completely
oblivious to anyone else.”
– Tyler, 19
The friend zone can be complicated,
annoying, and, honestly, a little
heart-wrenching. But don’t give up!
Because according to our friend zone
experts, it’s not chocolate-in-bed-andchick-flick
worthy quite yet. There are
plenty of things to do (and not do) to
make him take a second glance.
First off, flirting actually works.
In fact, according to news website
The Week, it may be more effective
than just being physically attractive
for getting his attention. Start
with something as simple as a light
touch on the arm, leaning in closer
when he’s talking or even just smiling
when you catch each other’s eyes.
Show him that you value him and his
time by being present and engaged in
your conversations.
“Personally my strongest love languages
are physical touch and spending
quality time together. Getting flirty
with touch and spending one-on-one
time with me is the best way to make
me question how I feel about someone.
When someone starts throwing
touches into conversation, I start trying
to figure out if they’re being flirty
or not.”
– Caleb, 23
“One of the biggest things for me is
a girl constantly being on their phone.
It’s a huge turn off. Also, I think texting
someone 24/7 is bad because you
never get a break. It’s like the conversation
just never ends. I think some
space is healthy.”
– Johnny, 21
Second, let’s talk about the fact
that it is 2017, and you don’t have to
wait for him to make the first move.
Rejection and embarrassment can be
overwhelming. However, a woman who
approaches a man stands out. Your
bold, no-holds-barred approach says
you are confident, spontaneous, brave,
outgoing and direct. Don’t hinder your
chances and opportunities by thinking
you are not good enough (or too good)
to approach him first.
“I wish girls were more up front
about their feelings. Make that first
move! Guys can be pretty oblivious
to subtle hints, so straightforward is
definitely the way to go.”
– Tyler, 19
Finally, and most importantly, own
who you are. He’s your friend for a reason;
likely, he thinks you’re cool, funny,
sweet — all the things that make
you, you! The worst thing you can do is
try to be someone you’re not to impress
him. Celebrate the fact that you love
tacos or drink pink wine, cry in way
too many movies or claim your fuzzy
socks as your most prized possession.
“Be okay with you. If you’ve been
friend zoned by a guy you like, you’re
not out of luck. Attraction is unpredictable,
but it doesn’t come out of
nowhere. Think about the qualities
you embody. Just like you probably
have certain qualities you’re looking
for in a guy, so do your masculine
counterparts. You want a guy to want
you for you. So as long as you’re being
the best version of yourself you can
be, you’re in the right place.”
– Colton, 22
“Odds are if he friend zoned you, it’s
a good bet he did it for a reason. Don’t
waste your time with that guy anymore.
Stay friends. Hang out. Do your
thing, but don’t pine over him. If he’s
not giving you his full attention, he’s
not worth it. Also, if some guy is friend
zoning you and you find yourself complaining
to another guy about it, you
might be the one friend zoning someone
else.”
– Clayton, 26
Alice Spring 2017 [25]
LIFESTYLE
JUNK
IN THE
TRUNK
By Katie Bell
Have you ever sat at a red light and
thought, “I wonder what that person
has in the back of their trunk?” Just
like life and a box of chocolates,
you never know what you might
get when you pop open the back
of someone’s car. Alice took a peek
at some of the junk in the trunk of
five strangers.
THE TRAVELING STORE
THE OUTDOORSMAN
“Basically, I am ready anytime, any
day to go camping. I have a tent, foldout
chairs, a mini grill, fishing equipment,
sleeping bags and blankets all
ready to go camping whenever I want.
This weather has been great for camping
– why waste time packing?”
– Andrew, 22
THE NURSE
“I work as a nurse in Birmingham
and Tuscaloosa, so I always have
scrubs, a stethoscope, gauze, Band-
Aids and a bunch of random first aid
items in my trunk. It works out well
because I am always that person that
has hydrogen peroxide or aspirin when
someone needs it.”
– Ashlyn, 23
[26] Alice Spring 2017
“I have no room for storage in my
apartment, but I buy everything in
bulk from Sam’s. I have toilet paper,
breakfast bars, paper plates, dryer
sheets, soda... you name it, I probably
have it. It really comes in handy when
you’re at a party and someone runs out
of paper towels or garbage bags.”
– Alex, 25
“This is going to sound bad, but
I have a cooler with a 12 pack ready
when I need it. I work until 6 every
weekday, and I hate wasting time going
to buy beer or mixers before going
out. It’s really about convenience, and
it’s there when I need it.”
THE LIFE OF THE PARTY
– Sarah, 21
THE #1 FAN
“I basically carry the tailgate around
with me all week. I have pom-poms, a
cooler, a table, lawn chairs and cornhole
all in my trunk. You would never
guess that could all fit in there, but
it can. Every Saturday and Sunday
we break out the goods for the weekend
and have a blast. I just don’t have
enough room in my apartment to take
it inside.”
– Lauren, 21
30
40
43
48
52
54
60
Features
Wonderland
Victim Turned Victorious
Lots of Fur and a Little Faith
Celebrating Color
Ghost Stories
Girls Just Wanna Have
Fundamental Rights
Beyond the Barrier
Photo by Emily Heath
[28] Alice Spring 2017
WONDERLAND
“Do you suppose
she’s a wildflower?”
from Lewis Carroll’s
Alice in Wonderland
Alice Spring 2017 [29]
Photo by Prestley Bramlett
“Yes, that’s it!”
said the Hatter with a sigh.
“It’s always tea time.”
Photo by Emily Heath Photo by Emily Heath
Photo by Prestley Bramlett
[30] Alice Spring 2017
Mad Hatter outfit: Urban Outfitters
Cheshire Cat two-piece: Az Well
Queen of Hearts dress: Lavish
Alice dresses: Twice as Nice
Location: Historic Drish House
Photo by Prestley Bramlett
Alice Spring 2017 [31]
“Curiouser
and curiouser...”
Photo by Emily Heath
[32] Alice Spring 2017
Black choker: Lulu’s
Photo by Emily Heath Photo by Sarah Westmoreland
Alice Spring 2017 [33]
Photo by Prestley Bramlett
[34] Alice Spring 2017
“Have I gone mad?”
“I’m afraid so.
You’re entirely bonkers.
But I’ll tell you a secret:
All the best people are.”
Photo by Prestley Bramlett
Alice Spring 2017 [35]
Photo by Sarah Westmoreland
Photo by Emily Heath
[36] Alice Spring 2017
Spotted dress: Twice as Nice
Black and gold dress: Az Well
Long blue dress: Twice as Nice
Alice Spring 2017 [37]
Photo by Sarah Westmoreland
“Imagination is the only weapon
in the war against reality.”
Photo by Emily Heath
[38] Alice Spring 2017
Photo by Emily Heath
Alice Spring 2017 [39]
Photo by Prestley Bramlett
VICTIM
TURNED
VICTORIOUS
One woman’s story of sex trafficking
and the redemption that followed
[40] Alice Spring 2017
By Claire Turner
Swaying trees in the springtime,
sun flickered past the window
as 19-year-old Kathy Jackson
sat in the back seat of her friends’ car,
on her way to the 1981 Chicago Jazz
Festival. Her friends sat in the front,
asking her questions like they always
did: What are your goals in life? What
is your family like? What’s your pet
peeve? Would you ever like to travel the
world? What are you good at?
Of course, she always answered happily,
just wanting to fit in for her second
year of school at Tufts University
in Medford, Massachusetts, where she
had a full scholarship for an undecided
major. Though she was a good student,
she still loved to have fun with
her friends, and the music festival was
a perfect opportunity.
When they arrived at the hotel,
Kathy put her bag in a bedroom and
started to unpack her schoolwork. She
had a paper with a due date that was
rapidly approaching, and was intending
to work on it a bit until her friend
walked in and invited her to lunch at a
buddy’s house nearby.
“I think I’ll work on my report instead,”
Kathy told him. “The festival
starts tomorrow. I probably won’t
get much done then and it’s due
next week.”
“It’ll only be a couple of hours,” he
said. “It’ll be fun.”
Trusting, she went. Within five minutes
of walking through the front door,
she was beaten, berated and her clothes
were ripped from her body. She was
taken to a back room where she was
tied down and then repeatedly raped.
That was the beginning of Kathy’s
32 years as a victim of sex trafficking.
According to the International Labour
Organization, Kathy is one of
over 20 million women worldwide who
are sold into sex slavery. There are
only five U.S. states she has never had
an extended stay in, and only two continents
she has never been on.
Kathy believes she was held captive
in a room in Chicago for three weeks,
but there was no way for her to be sure.
While she was there, she was forcibly
given drugs and was left to deal with
a subsequent heroin addiction and a
dependence on her ever-changing and
temperamental handlers. Some managers
were better than others, but none
of them would let her go.
“You’re always on edge,” Kathy said.
“Even if you get to a ‘good’ house,
where they’re not beating you every
day, they’re not yelling at you or putting
you with a John [client] who can
do pretty much anything to you with
some serious damage.”
Men and women alike would pay high
prices for the smallest of sexual tasks.
According to Kathy, a typical workday
would bring in around $10,000, with
up to $23,000 on holidays, sometimes
from just one person.
To achieve this exceeding level of income,
Kathy was pretty well-treated,
as far as sex trafficking victims go.
She was smart, up-to-date with the
goings-on of the world and a beautiful
young woman with youthful dark
skin and sleek black hair. Each morning,
she had a team of people styling
her clothes, hair and makeup from the
bedroom of whichever luxury hotel she
was forced into.
For her handlers, money was their
only focus and the well-being of the
girls was nowhere on their mind. At
first, Kathy tried to bond with the other
victims around her, but they were
never there long. She learned that she
couldn’t trust anyone, which is partially
why victims of human trafficking
never ask for help.
Over time, Kathy realized those who
controlled her were controlled, too.
“The bad part of it, looking back, is
these people that pay for this are sicker
than the handlers,” she said. “Because
they go back to their lives, and they act
like it never happened. But then, they
want it again, and again, and they’re
never persecuted. So when you see on
the news they’re showing the mugshots,
they think they’ve caught them
For her
handlers,
money was
their only
focus and the
well-being of
the girls was
nowhere on
their mind.
Alice Spring 2017 [41]
… they’re not the bad guys, they’re the
victims. I want to see more of the people
that are actually paying for this,
because if they’re prosecuted, I bet you
the people that have wives and children
– and most of them do – would
second-guess about this.”
Kathy’s road to freedom began amid
the astronomical domes and golden
sculptures of Caesar’s Palace in Las
Vegas, Nevada, following sudden heart
failure. Soon she was in the hospital,
and her doctor noticed something
unusual about her interactions with
her handler. After he left, the doctor
asked Kathy a few questions and
next thing she knew she was telling
him everything.
That doctor’s care changed Kathy’s
whole life. He erased her identity from
the hospital and transferred her to Orlando,
Florida, where she met a chaplain
and told her story. The Well House
in Birmingham, Ala., was found, a safe
place for women who are victims of sex
trafficking and prostitution.
When Kathy arrived by bus
to the Well House she had nothing:
no possessions, no identification,
no idea of what she was
walking into. However, after a
warm welcome from a mentor
and an anxious night in a bunk
bed above a stranger, Kathy began
to feel safe and appreciated
by the people surrounding her
at the Well House.
Now, Kathy is 54, living independently,
going back to
school for communications and
working as a lead designer in
a flower shop. The Well House
supported her in all financial
needs, any necessary therapy
and the word of God. The Well
[42] Alice Spring 2017
House is always accepting volunteers
as well as taking monetary and material
donations, from soap to over-thecounter
medication and bed sheets to
light bulbs, to help women like Kathy
get back on their feet.
Kathy isn’t afraid of anyone from her
past finding her, because she knows
they are intelligent but incredibly lazy.
Instead, she wants to be the one who
goes back and looks for them, wanting
to try and save the other victims from
their handlers and their clients.
“Human trafficking is the one
drug that never gives out until you
die,” she said. “I’ve seen it time and
time again … It never surprises me,
what people will go to for their own
selfish gain.”
Though Kathy is more familiar with
the characteristics of sex trafficking
victims, there are warning signs that
everyone can spot. According to the
Nita Belles, author of human trafficking
book In Our Backyard, victims
have a nomadic attitude where they
cannot identify their current location
or travel plans, owns little to no personal
belongings, shows physical or behavioral
signs of abuse or malnourishment,
or quickly responds to the call
of another.
Handlers typically target vulnerable
or suffering people, enticing them with
promises of love or success. The Well
House website states traffickers “understand
the economic motivations and
psychological exploitation that will entice
a person to leave her family.”
Safe homes like the Well House offer
rescue and shelter programs for
victims of human trafficking, like
Kathy. Throughout her 32 years of
abuse, Kathy closed her eyes and
saw only her past. Now, she said that
with the grace of God and through
the Well House graduation program,
she sees only peace, safety and people
around her that she can continuously
count on. *
LOTS OF
FUR AND
A LITTLE
FAITH
A [tail] of animals helping people
and people helping animals
By Maddy Ard
Alice Spring 2017 [43]
People need animals, plain
and simple. Anyone who has
ever had a family pet knows
this. Cat, dog or canary,
pets are a source of comfort
and comic relief when the world gets a
bit too big and bad.
A 2011 study conducted by psychologists
at The University of Miami and
St. Louis University found the benefits
of having a non-human companion go
beyond a laugh or a cuddle here and
there. This study, which was backed by
the American Psychological Association,
concluded that spending regular
time with a fuzzy counterpart or two
boosts self-esteem, encourages physical
fitness, reduces feelings of loneliness
and even increases focus.
But maybe you, like me, simply can’t
own a cat or dog right now. As much as
I would love to welcome a kitten into
my home this very afternoon, my home,
like many student residences, happens
to have a very, very strict no-pet policy.
Past that, many college students are
not financially able to take on a pet.
Pet food and vet trips get pretty expensive
pretty fast. Couple this with the
instability that comes with constantly
shifting class and social schedules,
and you could have what we see far
more often than any of us like: posts on
the Alabama Student Ticket Exchange
Facebook page begging anyone to take
a pet adopted on a whim.
Now, that’s not to say no college student
should own a pet. For some all the
stars align, and they find themselves
in the perfect situation to provide an
animal with all the love and care it
requires. But for those, like me, who
cannot, there is a solution.
Just like people need animals, animal
shelters need people. Unfortunately,
there is no shortage of stray cats
and dogs being found and dropped off
at shelters across the country. According
to the ASPCA, 7.6 million companion
animals – mostly cats and dogs
– enter American animal shelters each
year. Only about 2.7 million of these
animals are adopted each year. You see
the issue.
With more animals coming in than
being adopted from shelters each year,
shelters like the Humane Society of
[44] Alice Spring 2017
Photos by Ramsey Griffin
West Alabama here in Tuscaloosa are
in dire need of volunteers to ensure
their growing populations receive optimal
care.
The Humane Society of West Alabama,
founded in 1971, is the longest
standing animal rescue in Tuscaloosa.
This no-kill, all-volunteer
organization is focused on providing
shelter to homeless animals in the
Tuscaloosa-area and helping them find
forever homes.
The organization’s president, Anita
Smelley, runs the organization’s Cat
House in Northport, Alabama. You
read right, Cat House. It’s exactly what
it sounds like: a literal house owned by
the Humane Society that currently
houses 32 cats of all ages. Smelley said
on average five or six of these cats are
adopted each month, but numbers are
never down for long.
Each room of the house is designated
to a different feline age group: the
kitten room, the young adult room and
the quiet room for older, more reserved
residents. The young adult cats, ranging
in age from 6 months to 5 years
old, are known as the Wal-Mart Greeters,
as they occupy the front room of
the house and are generally more social.
The house also features a screened
in porch so the kitties can enjoy some
fresh air.
Smelley said she needs volunteers at
the Cat House for two reasons: to clean
the house and love the cats.
Smelley said many volunteers call
the shelter their
“happy place,” a
place where they
can get their mind
off of the world.
One volunteer, an
elderly man fighting
prostate cancer,
volunteers at
the Cat House the
day after his chemotherapy
treatment
each week.
“Not only are
the volunteers helping, they’re getting
a lot of feel-good out of it, too,” Smelley
said. “If I’m ever missing a volunteer,
I can usually find them sitting on the
floor somewhere with kittens all over
them, just smiling.”
Smelley said volunteering is immensely
beneficial to the cats at the
shelter. Through the efforts of volunteers,
the cats are groomed and kept in
a safe, clean environment. Having different
people around all the time helps
socialize the cats, which Smelley said
helps them get adopted quickly.
“A cat that goes and hides when a
stranger comes to pet them is not likely
to get adopted,” Smelley said. “But it’s
so rewarding to watch a shy cat come
out of his shell with the volunteers.”
The best things in life are free, and
the happiness that comes from giving
little fuzzies some TLC is no exception.
Smelley joked that volunteering is kind
of like owning a ton of pets and never
having to pay for them. Students who
can’t adopt right now, we’re looking
at you.
Catie Lee Bruni, a junior majoring
in biology and art at The University of
Alabama, said she began volunteering
at the Cat House because she loves cats
and could not have one of her own at
the time. Bruni said she still looks forward
every week to her time at the Cat
House one year after starting there.
“On a typical day, I get there and
am immediately surrounded by meows,”
Bruni said. “So I have to give
The best things in life
are free, and the
happiness that
comes from giving
little fuzzies some
TLC is no exception.
Alice Spring 2017 [45]
them their oh-hello-yes-pet-me time
right away.”
Bruni said her duties include cleaning
the different rooms of the shelter.
This entails sweeping, mopping, scoop-
[46] Alice Spring 2017
ing litter boxes, de-furring climbing
toys and beds, washing and refilling
dishes and cleaning surfaces. However,
Bruni said the kitties never leave
her side, and a while she cleans she is
still constantly showing these cats love.
“It doesn’t actually feel like work,”
Bruni said. “It’s a win-win situation
because it’s relaxing for me when life
gets crazy, and the cats get a clean
room and some love.”
I know we aren’t all cat people. Fear
not, dog-lovers everywhere. You have
options, too. The Humane Society,
as well as many other rescue organizations
in the area, is brimming with
dogs of all strides of life needing some
love and care.
One such organization is the Tuscaloosa
Metro Animal Shelter. Made
popular among college students for its
“Happy Hour” weekly volunteering
opportunities, anyone who has been
to this shelter knows that they need
as many hands as possible to ensure
the health and happiness of their large
canine population.
Mary Calhoun is volunteer coordinator
for the Tuscaloosa Metro Animal
Shelter. She, like Smelley, said volunteers
are vital to amping up the dogs’
adoptability.
“People look at these animals, and
they think one of two things,” Calhoun
said. “They think, ‘Oh, how cute’ or
they think, ‘Oh, how sad.’ ”
She said the point of her volunteers
is to make sure no one looks at these
animals as creatures to be pitied. By
making sure potential adopters see a
happy, healthy, friendly pup, volunteers
are saving these animals’ lives.
Calhoun said volunteering isn’t always
pretty. It isn’t always holding
wiggly puppies or a literal walk in the
dog park. Most of the time it’s scrubbing
and washing and scrubbing
again, but it’s that elbow grease that
ensures the animals are shown in their
best light and adopted.
“When we keep those dogs and their
cages clean, people don’t walk by and
see a dirty thing,” Calhoun said. “They
see the animal. It’s an enormously big
deal.”
Calhoun said volunteering once in a
while is nice, but what these organi-
People look at
these animals, and
they think one
of two things:
“Oh, how cute” or
“Oh, how sad.”
zations need are committed, regular
partners who are willing to take time
out of each week to lend a hand. Taking
one dog out on one walk one time
helps that dog that day, but neither you
nor that dog feel the lasting benefits
that stem from a sustained relationship
with an animal shelter.
Being near these animals, canine or
feline, and forming trusted relationships
with them is good for you just
like it’s good for them. In a report
published by Frontiers in Psychology,
psychologists concluded that spending
regular time in contact with a cat
or dog increased trustworthiness, reduced
aggression, promoted positive
mood and reduced stress, along with
blood pressure and heart rate.
Not to mention, volunteering at animal
shelter by default puts you in contact
with a group of people who share
at least one common interest – animals.
So while you’re in this stress-relieving,
positivity-inducing atmosphere, you’re
also making connection with others
who care about the same things you
do. And the animals get used to people
and potentially find forever homes.
That’s a win-win if I’ve ever seen one.
Animal shelters need people. People
need animals. Plain and simple. *
Alice Spring 2017 [47]
[48] Alice Spring 2017
CELE-
BRAT-
ING
COLOR
Recognizing the importance and
embracement of Black History Month
By Jada Culver
Alice Spring 2017 [49]
Black History Month, or
National African-American
History Month, annually
celebrates the excellence and
achievements by black Americans
in U.S. history. The celebration’s
inception began in 1969 when leaders
of the Black United Students at
Kent State University proposed the
celebration of black history transcend
from Negro History Week into a full
month’s celebration. After President
Gerald Ford advocated that the
American people “seize the opportunity
to honor the too-often neglected
accomplishments of black Americans,”
Black History Month became an
officially recognized celebration in
1976. Today, in 2017, I join the nation
in proudly celebrating the 41st Black
[50] Alice Spring 2017
History Month, welcomed with great
respect and gratitude for every endeavor
and grand accomplishment achieved
by an African-American.
Now, it would be unfair to mention
the cheerful enjoyment of Black History
Month and completely ignore the
recent frustrations myself and many
African-Americans feel due to numerous
tragic and unjust occurrences
upsetting the black community. When
I turn on the television and scroll
through Facebook, I see the present
neglect and worry people of color feel
in today’s society. Yet, by talking with
an African-American friend or even
wisely immersing one’s self into the
black community today, you would find
that, despite the discouragement projected
through media, there exists a
wave of hope and peace; remembrance
and celebration; courage and resilience;
love and unity. Black History
Month is a special time to reflect and
remember those in our country who’ve
overcome adversity and remained
steadfast to achieve what was once
withheld from them and often challenged
today: freedom to be who
they were created to be. Hear these
voices from people alike in humanity
but diverse in skin color as they
reflect on their thoughts about Black
History Month.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO
CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY?
“I think to celebrate black history is
to acknowledge, especially in America,
the inequality and how so many people
have done so many great things to
overcome that inequality,” said Garrison
Pugh, 21. “Even though today
[racial equality] is not where it needs
to be, there’s still great people who are
working to overcome that.”
“Celebrating black history is something
that I do every day. It is not
something that I only recognize in the
month of February,” said Imani Manley,
21. “I think it is important to cel-
ebrate my history and my culture in a
world that does not always value it. It
is something that has been instilled in
me since birth, something that I believe
will always be worth fighting for. If we
don’t celebrate ourselves, who will?”
Terrence Curry, 22, said, “[To me
it] means celebrating my heritage, celebrating
growth as an African American,
remembering those that have
paved a way for me to be where I am.”
As a woman of mixed race, both
Caucasian and African-American, it’s
important for me to remember
where a part of me
comes from. To me, black
history is a beautiful story
of courage, integrity, faith
and triumph. There is so
much that is unwritten,
and I can’t wait to see what
is further accomplished in
my lifetime.
NOTABLE AFRICAN-
AMERICAN FIGURES
Black History Month is a time to reflect
on those who have bravely challenged
the wrongful perspective and
unfair treatment of African-Americans
in the U.S. For each individual
there’s a notable African-American
figure: Martin Luther King, Barack
and Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey,
Harriet Tubman. Each broke
barriers, created opportunities and
ultimately inspired millions of people
from how they’ve made a difference for
African-Americans.
From basketball stars to fashion
designers, there is a figure who
inspires everyone.
“For me, it’s currently LeBron
James,” said Patrick Stanford, 21.
“Mostly because of what his message
is. He’s a kid that grew up in the projects
and he understands the system
and how the system doesn’t promote
success for those kids. Yet, he broke
that mold. He sets a precedent and a
standard that other African-American
males can look up to.”
“Overall I would definitely have to
say Michelle Obama,” Manley said.
“Growing up, and playing with all my
dolls I never would have thought that
my First Lady would look like me. She
has so much wisdom, education and
class. She is a woman that will always
be respected in my book.
“Professionally, Tracy Reese is an
African-American figure that I admire.
I plan to enter the fashion industry
one day, and it warms my heart to
know that there is a designer out there
To me, black history
is a beautiful story
of courage, integrity,
faith and triumph.
with the same motive that I have: to
make women feel beautiful. The fashion
industry can be so white- washed
and it’s nice to know that a woman like
that has opened so many doors for me.”
Curry said Martin Luther King inspired
him, “because of his ability to
assist a major involvement in the Civil
Rights movement. This is a major piece
of history that connects to many events
that allows for me to attend the University,
to be able to sit in classes with a
diverse set of folks, for everyone to have
equal opportunities and to learn at the
same capacity.”
HEAR US:
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
“I don’t want people to over-analyze
having a black friend and having conversation
about topics concerning the
black community,” said Kennedy Studdard,
22. “And I don’t want people to
always assume I’m bitter and angry.
Not everyone is comfortable with having
those raw conversations, but you
need to be comfortable with meeting
[and talking with] other people who
look like you and don’t look like you.”
“As an African-American woman,
I would love for people to realize how
unappreciated and driven we are,” said
Manley. “It is hard to be a black person,
but it can be argued that it is even
harder to be a black woman.”
In the history of black women within
the U.S., we’ve seen this issue occur
quite often — especially in areas of
politics, entertainment and positions
of authority.
“We are constantly cast aside and
prejudged by everyone, including
black men from
time to time,” Manley
continued. “From our
great-grandmothers to
us, we constantly have the
weight of the world on our
backs, alongside this natural
drive to succeed. We
do all we can as students,
daughters, mothers and
professionals, and sometimes it seems
that only a few of us are recognized.
With all that is going on in this country,
it is important for our voices to be
heard as well.”
“As an African-American man, I
want everyone to know that people of
color are more than just their skin tone
— they are human, they are educated
and are well deserving of opportunities,”
said Curry. “We just want to
grow and develop like the next person.
Impressions of African-Americans
that are portrayed in the media and
public eye are simply not true on the
entire race.”
This Black History Month, take the
time to research the powerful and inspiring
movement that has compelled
our nation to set a full month aside to
celebrate. Hear the voices of the proud
and spirited, remember our past and
the triumphs that have occurred for
the African-American community, and
strive to continue and advance the celebration
of our likeness and difference
as Americans of the United States. *
Alice Spring 2017 [51]
GHOST
STORIES
By Sam West
You’ve swiped right and a
match has been made. But
something is … off. Perhaps
he’s too forward. Perhaps he’s too
shy. Perhaps he’s an unironic fan of
Smashmouth with an abiding love for
erotic puppetry. Whatever the reason,
though you might have been virtually
connected, there’s no spark. So what
do you do?
In most cases, the answer seems to
be: ignore him. It used to be that to
end a potential romantic link, you’d
have to have a meaningful conversation
with someone, or at least say you
weren’t interested in dating. But in
the age of Tinder, Bumble and other
dating apps, it’s much more expedient
to just disappear. Hence, “ghosting,” a
neologism for abandoning a potential
partner and ignoring their texts, calls
and notifications.
This might seem cruel, or crazy, or
deeply symbolic of the shallowness of
the millennial generation. (Cue the
thinkpieces.) However, in the world of
online and app-based dating—which
is incredibly young—no one is really
sure about what’s right and wrong. It’s
like Wild West out there.
“Since it’s so new, there’s not a lot of
rules of kind of what people expect,”
said Mo Quinn, a senior majoring in
marketing at The University of Alabama.
“The rules of engagement aren’t
super defined ... one person might
think it’s totally appropriate to send
you this message on Tinder, and you
might find that really creepy and forward.
I think there’s some hurdles
that people are still getting past with
online dating.”
[52] Alice Spring 2017
ghost·ing
the practice of ending a personal relationship with someone by
suddenly and without explanation withdrawing from all communication.
Regular, face-to-face dating has
all sorts of little, informal guidelines
that have developed over many years.
Not everyone follows them, but they’ve
probably heard them. Three dates
is the threshold for sex. When you’re
getting over a guy (or girl), you can
be miserable one day for every month
you’ve been together. These social cues
don’t exist for dating apps — at least
not until now.
I talked to a few women about their
experiences with apps, with the goal
in mind of creating an official rule of
when it was and was not okay to jettison
a potential romantic partner.
But first, I had to figure out what it
was like to be on the receiving end of a
swift breakup.
LA REGLE D’JEU
I’ve used Tinder before, and the main
thing I remember is that it’s basically
a numbers game: you throw out a lot
of “hey” messages, you hear back from
a few of people, and you have a decent
conversation with a very small group.
Once you start going on dates, things
can get dicey.
Here’s a story that’s similar to what
probably thousands of Millennial men
and women have experienced. Susanna
Kaletski met a guy on an app, they
decided to go out on a date, and it was
… meh. Not bad, not great. He later
didn’t return her texts or calls. And
apparently, she didn’t mind.
“I guess if I had really liked him, it
probably would have made me feel really
bad, but because I wasn’t super into
him, I was fine,” said Kaletski, a UA
senior majoring in English.
Getting to know someone on a good
date is one of the most enjoyable experiences
there is; a disastrous date is
at least a fun story to tell. But no one
wants a mediocre experience. So for
Kalteski, ghosting is an expected part
of using Tinder, and a “no harm, no
foul” experience.
“I think for the most part, it’s becoming
a normal thing,” she said. “I
feel like more often than not it’s not
completely mutual, but people understand
why it happens.”
Going into the writing process of this
article, I couldn’t recall whether I had
ever been ghosted. But then I remembered
a few times in my Tinder experience
when women abruptly ceased
communication with me for whatever
reason. It didn’t feel good, but apparently
it wasn’t scarring enough for me
to recall months later. It’s just part of
the game.
WHEN GHOSTING IS GOOD
Maybe getting ghosted isn’t so bad,
but what’s the benefit of it? Why just
ditch someone when you could have a
conversation with them?
Quinn said she often ghosted guys
she just wasn’t into, but she recounted
one case in which she broke off contact
with a particularly aggressive pursuer.
When talking to people for this arti-
cle, I heard a few stories that made me
suspect that ghosting can actually be
a useful tool for women when they use
apps like Tinder.
Avery Birch, senior, had a story that
turned me, a ghosting victim, into a
ghosting apologist. While interning at
a courthouse, she went on a date with a
guy who attended her rival high school.
It went okay, but the next day at her job,
she found his name in the worst possible
place: on that day’s court docket,
accused of a litany of misdeeds.
“I looked at all of his charges and I
was just like ‘oh, my God,’” she said.
“I had no idea that guy was like that
at all. Totally different front that he
put on.”
Luckily, her possibly-felonious date
didn’t show up. But she took a picture
of that day’s court agenda, and sent it
to him with the caption “nice.” Then
she ghosted.
Clearly this was the right thing to do.
As a guy, I never got harassed using
Tinder. But it’s a common experience
for women, as is meeting less-than-reputable
men. Because of this, I suspect
that sometimes it’s not only necessary
but good for girls to ditch dudes who
are being rude or pushy.
Birch said she got a few more texts
from her possibly-criminal acquaintance.
She thinks refusing to talk to
him was the right thing to do, however.
“Associating with him would not
benefit me ... it would be more of a negative
approach than a positive one,”
she said. “I think that’s a good reason
to ghost someone.”
...as long as people can connect
with the touch of an app, ditching
weirdos will be a necessary evil.
A REAL BREAKUP
We’ve established that ghosting can
be good in certain cases. But at what
point does it become wrong? How serious
does the relationship have to be
before it’s no longer okay to just stop
talking to someone? The women I
spoke to were mixed.
“I feel like if you guys have met up,
or maybe if you’ve gone on a couple of
dates or something, and then you realize
it’s not really working, you should
actually let that person know. ‘Okay,
I just don’t see this going anywhere.’
Something like that,” Quinn said.
“But if you’ve really just been texting
or messaging on Tinder, I don’t think
it’s like—if you haven’t met face to
face I don’t think it’s a big deal.”
On the other hand, Kaletski said
she felt that a formal breakup was
only necessary in situations of a close
friendship or a committed relationship.
“I think in those kinds of situations,
you do need to have a conversation
with the person,” she said. “Which can
be hard, because those are I guess the
hardest kinds of conversations to have,
but I think they’re also the most necessary
to have so the other person will
understand why you’re doing this.”
So here’s my conclusion: after hearing
the stories of women who experienced
some of the worst of modern
dating, I can say without a doubt an
official ethical limit on ghosting: it’s
wrong to ghost someone after two solo
dates. If you have one bad face-toface
experience, it’s okay to just drop
the other person, but beyond that, you
probably owe them at least an explanation,
unless they’re really particularly
nasty. And if you’ve been dating
a while, a formal breakup is due. This
is the new rule: you might call it “The
Iron Law of Ghosting.”
THOSE DAMN MILLENIALS
This policy might seem shallow. A
dating world in which people are allowed
to drop each other like they
never interacted could appear cruel to
some. And perhaps the conveniences of
modern dating do have setbacks.
“I think it’s a real shame,” Birch
said. “I want to live in our parent’s
generation, when there wasn’t Instagram
DMs or Facebook Direct Message,
asking for your number and
kind of just texting. It was more of a
personal, you get to know them, they
ask you to go out to dinner and you
get to know them through dinner and
being with them, not texting them asking
them what they’re doing during
the day.”
Nostalgia is fun, but like it or not,
the Internet is here to stay. And as long
as people can connect with the touch
of an app, ditching weirdos will be a
necessary evil. Though the old might
shake their fist at the hedonist practices
of the young, I actually don’t think
ghosting is a new invention. After all,
what is a “Dear John” letter but the
most depressing form of interpersonal
abandonment? And if Friends is any
indication of historical fact, women in
the 1990s spent a good bit of their time
waiting by the phone for guys to return
their call.
If Millennial women are going to
dive into the meat market that is virtual
dating, they need the defense of
ghosting. And after all, that guy with
a bass fish in his profile picture probably
wasn’t your soulmate, anyway. *
Alice Spring 2017 [53]
GIRLS
JUST
WANNA
HAVE
FUNDAMENTAL
RIGHTS
Defining the modern feminist
By Alexis Faire
[54] Alice Spring 2017
Growing up, I always admired
Oprah Winfrey. In fact, I wanted
to be just like her. My friends in high
school would call me “Oprah” as a
nickname — not because I wanted to
be a billionaire, not because I wanted
to be famous and definitely not because
I wanted to shout, “You get a car! You
get a car! Everybody gets a car!” In my
eyes, Oprah Winfrey was an example
of the courageous and hard-working
woman that I strived to become.
She spent the first few years of
her life in rural Mississippi with her
grandmother while her single mother
searched for work, according to The
Academy of Achievement. After her
mother found work, she soon moved
out-of-state and because of this, her
mother was absent most of the time.
Due to her mother’s absence, Oprah
was often left home alone and faced
abuse from her male relatives from age
nine to 13. She eventually left home
and lived with her father in Tennessee.
Although she faced living in poverty
and mistreatment in the early years
of her life, she continued to work hard,
launched her career in journalism and
eventually became the first and only
multi-million-dollar black woman.
“Women can do just as much, if
not more, than men can – as proven
throughout history with strong women,”
said EJ Harrell, a junior majoring
in interdisciplinary studies at The
University of Alabama. “I mean, we
see people like Michelle Obama today.
We see Hillary Clinton. We see people
that have progressed so far, and people
still feel as though they are lesser. And
that’s weird to me. I know my mom is
a strong woman, so when I look at her
like, ‘She does everything.’ How are
you going to say that she can’t?”
Oprah Winfrey has been one of
many to fight for women’s rights and
has maintained a strong persona as a
woman in power. The idea of a strong
woman who empowers other women
and girls to fight for equal opportunities
has always been a major factor
in history. From women, such as Harriet
Tubman, Gloria Steinem and the
fictional character Rosie the Riveter,
to today’s Michelle Obama, Malala
Yousafzai and the fictional character
Olivia Pope from Scandal, gender
equality has been a hot-button topic
within society.
The Other F-word
“Some people think negatively of
feminists since they think of feminism
as being anti-man, mean, ugly and so
on, or they don’t think feminism is
relevant anymore because women are
already ‘equal,’” said Elise Wander, a
law student at Yale University interested
in public law. “Those people are
misinformed, or they don’t reason how
deeply invested they are in societal values
and stereotypes.”
When people hear the word “feminism,”
they tend to either groan with
frustration or attempt to avoid the conversation
completely. Or maybe they’ll
say something along the lines of, “I
believe that women deserve equal opportunities,
but I don’t identify as a
feminist.” And that’s where the miscommunication
begins.
According to Merriam-Webster, feminism
is defined as the theory of the
political, economic and social equality
of the sexes. The main idea of feminism
is that everyone deserves equal
opportunities despite a person’s gender.
“That’s what feminism is,” said Nora
Niedzielski-Eichner, a second-year law
student at Yale University. “I don’t
know what people think feminism is,
like it’s some big secret cult or you
know, ‘I haven’t made the secret handshake,
so I’m not a feminist.’ If you
think that women should get to be
equal, if you think that we should have
the same opportunities, regardless of
what gender you’re born, then you’re
a feminist.”
Many seem to believe that the feminist
movement strives to help women
overpower men and to make it seem as
though women deserve more than their
Alice Spring 2017 [55]
male counterparts. A common myth,
according to a study done by Villanova
University, is that feminism only liberates
women at the expense of men.
This statement couldn’t be further
from the truth, yet it is still something
people choose to believe.
“It [feminism] wasn’t built on the
backbone of breaking down another
gender or saying that someone is lesser
than,” Harrell said. “Because that’s
what they’re fighting against. That
defeats the purpose, which is usually
their argument.”
“Waiting on the
world to change…”
Campaigns like the UN Women’s
HeForShe encourages people of all
identities to support gender equality
and to unify the sexes. According to
the HeForShe website, over 1.2 million
people in the U.S. have committed to
taking action to create a gender-equal
world, and the U.S. is currently ranked
second in HeForShe activity. The
campaign gained popularity when actress
and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador,
Emma Watson, presented
a speech about her journey into feminism
and becoming an advocate for
women’s rights.
“I decided I was a feminist and this
seemed uncomplicated to me,” Watson
said in her 2014 speech. “But my recent
research has shown me that feminism
has become an unpopular word.
Apparently, I am among the ranks of
women whose expressions are seen as
too strong, too aggressive, isolating,
anti-men and unattractive. Why is the
word such an uncomfortable one?”
The HeForShe campaign is currently
present with two institutions in the
U.S. – Georgetown University and
Stony Brook University – and has either
a chancellor or president whom
are participants for the initiative.
Kendyl Clausen, a recent graduate
from Georgetown University and a law
student at Yale University, is a supporter
of the movement.
[56] Alice Spring 2017
“From what I understand, the movement
is committed to encouraging men
to support feminist causes as well,” she
said. “One of the downfalls of feminist
movements has been the ‘other-ing’ of
men. The framing of the movement has
often banded women together against
men. This has led to things like the
#notallmen movement in response to
advocacy against sexual assault, etc.”
She said the HeForShe movement
seems like a good way to counter the
negativity and to help the movement
move forward.
“All the women,
who are independent…”
The idea of a powerful woman
comes with a long list of stereotypes.
In Forbes’ The 10 Worst Stereotypes
About Powerful Women, the number
one cliché is possibly the most common:
Ice Queen. Think along the lines of
Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada,
as the article mentioned, or maybe
Sandra Bullock in The Proposal.
Powerful women that are stereotyped
as an ice queen are depicted as unapproachable,
mean and show no emotion
in the workplace.
“Women in power in entertainment
are often portrayed as cold and unemotional,”
said Lisa McKinney, professor
of accounting at The University
of Alabama. “There is a partial truth
in this portrayal in that women must
be less emotional and must be more
aggressive to succeed in the workplace.
The workplace is a competitive
environment; women have to be able to
compete with the men. The workplace
requires a clear head, an attention
to facts, and an ability to steer away
from drama.”
Lindsay Macher, a UA senior majoring
in chemical engineering and
president of the Feminist Caucus, said
she believes commenting on a woman’s
emotions is a way to try to bring down
a woman in power.
“As far as emotions, I think that’s
just an easy way to dismiss women,”
she said. “… I think as a woman, if
you’re in a position of power, you do
kind of have to take an approach of
either ‘I’m gonna be kind of cold and
hard, so that I’m taken kinda seriously
from the get go,’ or ‘I’m gonna try and
be nice and be really pleasant.’”
Despite the entertainment industry
representing feminist ideals, the idea
of strong and powerful women is often
characterized in a negative light.
The topic of powerful women can’t
be discussed without bringing up the
b-word. Over time, the connotation has
changed, and depending on how it’s
used, can either be a compliment or
an insult.
According to Merriam-Webster, the
first definition of the word “bitch”
means “the female of the dog or some
other carnivorous mammals.” The second
definition of the word comes with
two parts and is listed as, “a lewd or
immoral woman” followed by “a malicious,
spiteful or overbearing woman –
sometimes used as a generalized term
of abuse.”
When a powerful woman knows what
she wants, works hard to get it and
doesn’t need help from a man, that’s
when people want to categorize her as
a bitch. In a 2008 Saturday Night Live
skit, Tina Fey discussed Hillary Clinton’s
first campaign run for president.
Tina stated that it bothered her when
people called Hillary a bitch, which
led Tina to coin the phrase, “Bitches
get stuff done.” To be honest, this is
a phrase I live by every day. Women
have embraced phrases like this and
the word as a compliment to show that
they’re making a positive impact.
While the word may be making a
transformation as time continues, it
still tends to carry a negative connotation
when depicting women in the entertainment
industry — both fictional
and real.
“… I also have an issue [on how they
tend] to make the bitchiness more appealing,”
Macher said. “… They’ll kinda
label them as sexy, and they’ll just
sexualize them. I don’t think that you
have to be beautiful, smart, skinny,
etc. to be a strong woman in power.”
Women in entertainment, despite
their accomplishments or their journey,
are always centered around appearance.
Whether it’s about her
outfit, her sex life (or lack thereof) or
even how she landed the position she
currently has, a woman’s looks always
seem to be the topic of conversation.
“It bothers me that women in power
necessarily need to be super attractive
and fit a certain body image mold –
often that’s thin, white, very dressed
up,” said Marissa Medine, a thirdyear
law student at Yale University
interested in family law. “One of the
more ridiculous [examples] I think of
is the high-powered surgeon, doctor
who’s worked an 18-hour shift and still
has impeccable makeup and is wearing
stiletto pumps in the middle of
the hospital.”
“Work, work, work,
work, work, work…”
According to the American Association
of University Women (AAUW),
working women in 2015 received 80
percent of what working men earned,
which means there’s a gap of 20 percent.
That’s not even including race,
ethnicity and age. AAUW stated that
although pay for women has drastically
increased since 1960, women are
expected to reach pay equity with men
by 2059.
“One aspect of the wage gap that I
think doesn’t get enough attention is
that historically female-dominated
fields are paid way less, and are considered
way less prestigious, than their
male counterparts,” Wander said.
“Public school teachers are paid less
than professors, nurses are paid less
than doctors, etc.”
Despite the current challenges, Clausen
said there are more ways to help
women succeed today than there have
been before.
“Women still face significant challenges,
especially in male-dominated
fields, but America is way more aware
of these challenges than ever before,”
she said. “There are women’s groups
dedicated to pairing women up to help
them network and succeed. There are
books about how women can help each
other succeed. There are men who are
actively helping women get ahead.”
The year 2016 brought another presidential
election. Hillary Clinton ran
a campaign yet again and earned the
presidential nominee for the Democratic
Party. She ran on a platform
that supported ideas such as gender
equality, climate change, racial justice,
LGBT rights, etc. For months,
polls slated her to be the first female
president of the United States. Ultimately,
she lost to her opponent, now
President-elect Donald Trump.
“I was very saddened by the fact
that we would not have a first female
president,” Medine said. “I still remember
the day of the election. I was
home, looking at this book [from] when
I was little called First Ladies: Women
Who Called the White House Home,
and I loved it since I was little. And
I remember thinking that morning,
‘Wow, we could really have a woman to
call the White House home and who’s
not a First Lady.’ And how incredible
that would be to talk to my children
about that and see this historical moment
and see this book as a historical
artifact and realize the progress we
have made.”
Although Hillary Clinton did not win
the 2016 election and with the progress
the country has made so far, Niedzielski-Eichner
said she believes the U.S.
will have a female president one day.
“Absolutely, without a question,” she
said. “I can’t believe it’s taken us as
long as it has, but we absolutely will.
We’ll get there.” *
Alice Spring 2017 [57]
[58] Alice Spring 2017
BEYOND
THE
BARRIER
Pushing against heteronormativity:
living in the LGBTQ community
By Elizabeth Elkin
Editor’s note: Finn is a pseudonym
for a University of Alabama student
who requested anonymity.
Finn has been transgender forever.
He didn’t have a word for it until the
beginning of middle school. In sixth
or seventh grade, he thought to himself,
“Oh, that might be it. I might
be trans.”
Freshman year of high school, he became
more certain.
“There was kind of a progressive level
of ‘I know, that might be a thing,’
and then, ‘Oh, there’s a word that actually
describes me,’ ” he said.
Sometime around his junior year of
high school, Finn spoke with his mother
about it. At the time, his friends and
family knew him as a female. He did
not come out to the rest of his family
until sophomore year of college.
Finn grew up in Alabama. In high
school, everyone chose to attend the
state university, who gave him scholarship
money. Going there just felt like
the thing to do. If he could remake that
decision, Finn would be somewhere
else right now.
“It doesn’t feel safe,” he said. “I’m
always on edge. Always. Even if I feel
comfortable, I’m always like, ‘Okay,
but make sure you’re watching out
for yourself.’ Especially because all it
takes is one drunk frat daddy and his
friends to not like me. A lot of us feel
like they could kill you and not have
that much of a fuss.”
The transgender community is often
the recipient of violence, and after
this election season, people like Finn
worry about their personal safety.
Finn goes through college in fear, trying
not to stand out, trying to avoid
being outed in front of people who may
hurt him for becoming the person he
feels he was meant to be.
Alice Spring 2017 [59]
Finn’s freshman year, he lived in the
girls’ dorms. He wasn’t out yet, so he
had no choice. It was okay, though, because
he always ended up by himself.
His roommates were never there. His
biggest problem was that he lived really
close to fraternity houses, and some
of the guys who lived there seemed to
have a serious problem with him.
One day, he was trying to park his
car while several men were trying to
park a boat. One of them saw him.
“What is it?” he said, staring at Finn.
“Get out of the car and come talk to
us,” another said.
They continued to harass him,
frightening him. Finn spoke to some
people in Safe Zone, an ally network at
The University of Alabama which aims
to educate people on LGBT topics, according
to its website. He filed a police
report and spoke to Housing and Residential
Communities.
Finn said the people in Housing were
very accommodating, and they ended
up moving him. He told them he didn’t
feel comfortable living with either gender,
and they moved him to a single.
Mostly, Finn said, some people just
give him mean looks, or act awkwardly
around him. It’s awful, but better than
harassment or violence.
Finn has had his name picked out
since high school. He spent hours
Googling baby name sites. His first
name was always in his head, knowing
that Finn was what he would be called.
He did not pick out his middle name,
however, until the day he went to officially
change his name.
Calling him by his chosen name is
a matter of courtesy, Finn said. Even
some of his friends still call him “she,”
which becomes awkward and scary in
situations where he is around people
who don’t know he’s transgender.
“It really feels like you don’t respect
me if you do that,” he said. “They’re
like, ‘oh, when I met you I thought you
were a girl, so.’ I’ve met people who
have transitioned, and I don’t mess
that up.”
Kirk Walter, assistant director of
student involvement at Safe Zone, and
Lizzie Emerson, Safe Zone graduate
assistant, said that while it depends
on your health care provider, generally
speaking, procedures or treatments
are not covered for gender dysphoria.
“We kind of exist in a medical desert
in Tuscaloosa, in that we do not have
medical practitioners in town that will
really work or work well with the trans
community,” Walter said. “So for example,
if an individual wants to begin
the hormone treatment, there are no
doctors in Tuscaloosa or in the immediately
surrounding area that will
work with anybody to do that.”
There are two doctors Safe Zone refer
to students for treatment. Both are
in Birmingham, but Walter said the
wait time to see those doctors can be
six to nine months.
Both doctors turned Finn down,
and he had to go to a doctor in Georgia.
In addition, many doctors, including
Finn’s, want patients to go
through a year of therapy before
beginning treatment.
“It took me three years of actively
trying to get on hormones,” he said.
Finn’s health care pays for some of
his hormonal treatments, but only because
his doctor has it listed as something
else. He says health care should
pay for hormonal treatments for the
transgender community because it’s
absolutely necessary in many cases,
including his.
“I felt least safe when I was trying
my best not to be masculine, but it
didn’t work,” he said. “You still have
all these female features. Not only do
you have to wait an extra year, it took
me another year, year and a half to get
someone that would actually help me.
It was torture.”
Eventually, Finn thinks he may want
a hysterectomy, an expensive surgery
to remove the uterus that almost no
health care provider will cover for the
transgender community.
“You have to go to all kinds of crazy
places [to get it done],” he said. “It’s
a lot of debating on, ‘Do I want to try
to spend all of my time saving up this
money, or do I want to just deal with
the days where I feel like shit.’ ”
For individuals in the process of
transitioning, Emerson said, health
insurance and access to preventative
medicine can be a huge issue.
“A person may need gynecological
preventative care but not have access
to that because their birth certificate
doesn’t say the right thing anymore,”
she said.
There are four bathrooms on campus
Finn feels comfortable using. Up
until he began using hormones, he has
always felt awkward trying to figure
out whether to use the male or female
bathroom. His decision usually came
down to how he was dressed.
“A lot of the times I would make a
point not to talk,” he said. “If I went
into the male bathroom and I looked
male, if I talked, it would give it away.
I’ve basically got a running list of all
the gender-neutral bathrooms on campus.
There’s definitely not enough.”
[60] Alice Spring 2017
Depending on where a
transgender person is in
transitioning, choosing
which bathroom to use
can be a matter of
personal safety.
Finn said depending on where a
transgender person is in transitioning,
choosing which bathroom to use can
be a matter of personal safety. Gender-neutral
bathrooms, often labeled
as family bathrooms, can alleviate the
stress and safety concerns of choosing
which bathroom to use. However,
the state of Alabama currently has no
positive gender-neutral bathroom laws,
among other ways the state suppresses
the transgender community.
Finn said he honestly couldn’t think
of anything the state does to protect
the transgender community, wishing
officials would make it easier to change
gender registration.
According to the National Center for
Transgender Equality, to change your
name in Alabama, you have to submit
a petition to the probate court for a
name change order. To update your
name and gender on state identification,
you have to change your name
with the Social Security Administration
and then submit a court order for
a name change and documentation
signed by a surgeon verifying that
you’ve had gender reassignment surgery.
To update your birth certificate,
you need proof that you’ve had gender
reassignment surgery as well.
Since surgery is so expensive, many
transgender people will never change
their gender on their birth certificate
or Alabama identification, he said.
In addition, according to The University
of Alabama Registrar, in order
to change your gender with the university,
you also need a letter from a
doctor certifying that they performed
sexual reassignment surgery on you.
This can pose problems for students in
situations where their genders appear
in the University system.
Chris Bryant, interim director of
Media Relations at the university, said
on a class roster a pronoun and a preferred
first and last name is listed.
“So, on the class roster a student can
indicate their pronoun and the name
by which they wish to be identified,”
Bryant said.
Bryant also said a student’s photo
is available in the student information
system, for instructors and advisers to
look at.
However, Finn said he had a different
experience with photo and name
changes. Because he was not out his
freshman year of college, his original
university identification photo showed
him as a female and the system had
his birth name. It eventually became a
problem when school offices would not
accept his identification.
“They didn’t believe it,” he said. “I
had to show like five different cards
from my wallet, and each one had both
names. I was like, ‘I promise I’m me.’ ”
Lizzie Emerson of Safe Zone said one
of the major things universities can do
is to allow students to self identify on
all forms, giving the example of how
the student health center’s basic forms
are not gender inclusive.
“The first step is to know who they
are,” she said, adding that the university
can project an institutional show
of solidarity to make students feel
safer on campus.
“I think that’s been missing so far,”
she said.
At Safe Zone, they talk about allyship
as a verb instead of a noun. This
requires people to go beyond just
“Facebook activism” and help people
in their day-to-day lives.
“You act as an ally,” Walter said.
“You act in solidarity with. If you are
not a member of the community, it requires
deliberate action.”
Walter said if all the different advocacy
organizations came together and
recognized the intersectionality of all
these communities, that would make a
huge difference.
“If I’m an advocate for the LGBTQ
community, because there are LGBTQ
members of color, I also need to be an
advocate for Black Lives Matter,” he
said. “And because there are those who
identify as women within the LGBTQ
community, I also need to be a feminist.
Because there are LGBTQ folks
who use mobility devices, I also need
to be an advocate for Americans with
disabilities. If everyone recognized
that intersection, that you cannot have
social justice of whatever group you’re
interested in supporting without also
having social justice for those folks
who have the intersection of the identity
that you care about, if everyone
would recognize that, we’d win.” *
Alice Spring 2017 [61]
HEALTH & FOOD
VITAMINS, MINERALS AND SUPPLEMENTS,
OH MY!
By Caroline Wells
Comfortably sitting on my couch one Friday night,
sipping tea and catching up on the latest episode
of The Bachelor, I had an overwhelming sense of
needing to be healthier. All the contestants on The Bachelor
seemed to lounge around and sip wine while staying in
perfect shape. “How do they do that? They must take a pill
or something,” I wondered. I unlocked my phone, pulled up
Instagram and went to my favorite health nut feed looking
for a quick solution to what seemed like a never-ending
problem of mine – wanting to be “healthy.”
One Instagram account claimed taking Vitamin B12 pills
would provide more energy for better workouts so I could
burn more fat. Another account claimed taking a pre-workout
and biotin was the secret to a lean, toned body. With
these claims in mind, I headed to the local Target to find
my magic vitamin elixir. As I was walking down the vitamin
supplement aisle, I felt like I was standing at the
foot of a tsunami wave. How do I know which vitamins to
take? And which brand is the best deal? Should I get the
ones in the cute, colorful bottle or stick to the tried and
true Flintstones vitamins?
Supplement marketing can mislead consumers into thinking
that taking a supplement is as good as intake of nutrients
through food. Currently, a popular trend is to take
large doses of Vitamin C to prevent or cure a cold. Food
chemist and Registered Dietitian Dr. Kristi Crowe-White,
RD stated, “Megadoses of Vitamin C aren’t beneficial, as
the body can only absorb so much Vitamin C at once. The
excess amount is excreted, not stored for later. However,
the amount of Vitamin C in fruits and vegetables is present
in a dosage within our body’s ability to absorb it fully.”
Dr. Crowe-White added Vitamin C is an extremely useful
antioxidant in the body, but it is not necessary to gulp down
large vitamin C supplementation daily.
So if taking every vitamin off the shelf won’t help, what
will? I’m so glad you asked! A healthy, balanced diet.
[62] Alice Spring 2017
“Healthy,” meaning a diet full of vegetables, fruits and
whole grains. Vegetables are incredible because they supply
tremendous amounts of vitamins and minerals. Spinach
and other dark, leafy greens are a source of almost every
vitamin and mineral. Whole Grains contain B vitamins (energy),
plus they are a great source of fiber to control hunger.
Dr. Crowe-White said, “Your first step before supplementing
should be looking at your diet. Write down what you eat
(she recommends 2 weekdays and 2 weekend days) so you’ll
have a better idea of what nutrients are missing and what
you are getting from your diet.”
One of the main supplements everyone should be taking
is probiotics. Probiotics supply the intestines and gut
with beneficial microorganisms, which impact our immune
system and ability to absorb vitamins and minerals. Dr.
Crowe-White stated, “In order for the vitamins and minerals
we get from our diet to be better absorbed and utilized
… we need to do everything we can for our gut bacteria.
Probiotics can only enhance our health.”
Taking probiotics can only be helpful in our quest to be
healthier, so if you only buy one thing from Target, let
it be a probiotic. If our gut is not ready to absorb nutrients,
then taking more and more vitamins will never solve
the problem.
Resisting the urge to eat badly and take vitamins later
is difficult in this quick-fix culture. Vitamin brands would
like you to think that taking a “fat-blocker” or “carb inhibitor”
is the answer to losing weight while still eating a high
sugar and low nutrient dense diet. When asked about how
proficient these fat-blocking supplements really were, Crow-
White replied, “Show me the science. I think that there
are a lot of claims out there that are unfounded. Unfortunately,
supplements are unregulated by any government
agency and it’s on the manufacturer to be truthful. These
supplements can bear claims without being approved by the
FDA.” To sell products, manufacturers can print any claim
they would like and paste it to the outside of a bottle. As
a general rule of thumb, if the claim sounds magical, it is
probably false.
After scouring the internet, research sites, and reflecting
on my own personal testing over the past year, I have compiled
a list of vitamins I think are worth the money and are
supplementing holes in my college diet. These are the supplements
that have helped me, however; each person’s need
for supplementation varies based on their diet. *
PROBIOTIC
Brand: Nutrition Now
Name: PB 8
Where to Buy: Amazon, $13
Why should I take it? Probiotics are the food for the bacteria
in the gut. The bacteria in the gut are needed to help
the intestines absorb nutrients from the diet and help the
body excrete waste. My college diet unfortunately contains
a lot of sugars, which kill off the good bacteria in the
gut. This probiotic is an affordable way to get those good
bacteria back!
OMEGA 3
Brand: Nature’s Bounty
Name: Fish Oil
Where to buy: Amazon, $10
Why should I take it? Fish oils, specifically EPA/DHA,
support healthy levels of triglycerides and cholesterol in the
body, which may reduce the risk of heart disease and help fatsoluble
vitamins absorb. On a college budget, I cannot afford
to include fish in my weekly diet, so these fill in where
my diet lacks.
VITAMIN A + BIOTIN
Brand: Navan Skin Care
Name: True Clear Skin Clarifying Supplement
Where to Buy: NavanSkinCare.com, $35
Why should I take it? I have had acne and skin care problems
since puberty and have found that my diet lacks the
recommended amount of Vitamin A, which supports healthy
skin. Since taking these vitamins regularly, my skin has
been consistently clear. The secret to these pills is taking
them with adequate healthy fat in the diet, because Vitamin
A will not absorb without fat.
MAGNESIUM
Brand: Blue Bonnet
Name: Calcium Citrate, Magnesium, Vitamin D3
Where to buy: Amazon, $20
Why should I take it? Regular headaches and sleepless
nights plagued me when I first got to college. Add tons of
stress and anxiety and you’ve got a recipe for a magnesium
deficiency. Once I started taking magnesium, the stress levels
in my body significantly decreased, and I had an easier
time falling asleep and staying asleep.
Remember, supplements are great, but only in the correct
context. To figure out what supplements are best for you,
try recording your diet and then seeing a Registered Dietitian
for advice.
TB1277886_FA16_HudsonPoole.indd
1111 GREENSBORO AVE
TUSCALOOSA, AL 35401
205.752.5535
HUDSONPOOLE.COM
Alice Spring 2017 [63]
HEALTH & FOOD
Photos by Teah Shaw
[64] Alice Spring 2017
Backflips for Bama
By Claire Turner
Kiana Winston straightens her
crimson and houndstooth bow in the
locker room mirror, laughing with
her teammates as she adjusts her
bedazzled leotard one last time. She
lines up to walk through the hallway,
the roar of thousands of people in the
crowd growing louder and louder with
each step. Sparklers shoot out golden
fireworks through four illuminated,
larger than life letters: B-A-M-A.
Winston runs out with the rest of
The University of Alabama gymnastics
team, taking in the coliseum with
15,000 seats, four center-hung Jumbo
Trons, two scoreboards and the
feeling of experiencing it all with her
best friends beside her. She feels her
heart swell with pride as she steps
onto the crimson script A on the court,
knowing she’s achieving all her goals
at the college she always dreamed
of attending.
Winston is not thinking about
her homework in her classes for her
psychology major, nor that project she
has due for her human development
minor. Though it is her junior year,
she’s nine hours from her home in Fort
Worth, Texas, and she’s had three
surgeries due to gymnastics injuries,
Winston was focusing on landing
her killer double layout in her floor
routine and nailing her release on the
uneven bars.
“What I love most about competing
is the butterflies that you get,”
Winston said. “And just being one
with yourself, having an audience and
performing for yourself so it’s like, ‘let
me show you what I can do.’ God gave
me these gifts, so I’m definitely going
to use them.”
Winston’s favorite part of being
a gymnast is her ability to do what
others can’t.
“I love setting a goal and pushing
myself to make it. I love that
determination factor of it.”
Her determination paid off at
the 2016 Southeastern Conference
Championships in Little Rock,
Arkansas, when she scored a 9.95
out of a perfect 10 on her bar routine,
achieving an exhilarating tie with
Alice Spring 2017 [65]
teammate and roommate Katie Bailey.
Despite being part of team that has
won nine SEC Championships and
six NCAA National Championships,
Winston stays pretty levelheaded
in school, saying she doesn’t feel a
difference between being a student
athlete and a normal student.
“I don’t really know that many
people, so I’m not really treated very
differently,” she said. “I would say
that the perks here with the academic
center and of course [the gymnastics]
training facility really help me reach
my goals.”
Winston maintains a healthy gradepoint
average in Alabama’s Center
for Athletic Student Services, where
student athletes are required to attend
study hall sessions every night their
first year on campus. Her body is
kept in shape in the extraordinarily
efficient and safe gymnastics practice
center that features five balance
beams, two foam pits, six pairs of
uneven bars, several vaults and a large,
springy practice floor for perfecting
floor routines.
In addition to this, Winston and
the gymnastics team have a private
training room and personal trainers
who assist with conditioning and
treatments, like icing or heating the
body or a deep-tissue massage, as
well as helping the girls maintain a
healthy diet.
“I like pizza a lot, but I don’t eat it
all the time,” she said, adding a love
for ice cream. “I don’t necessarily have
to watch what I eat, but I am aware of
what I eat.”
Though practicing and competing
take up a lot of time, Winston and her
teammates are accustomed to busy
schedules. When heading to a meet
at a different school, they set aside a
specific time for studying.
“I have class Monday through
Friday,” Winston said. “If we’re
traveling then we have excused
absences, but we still have to get all of
our work done. So it’s a little bit busier
with travel meets, but we know how to
manage our time.”
Though Winston has done
gymnastics since she was a child, she
doesn’t plan on furthering her career
in the sport past college, choosing
instead to focus her future on children.
“I’m not necessarily done with the
sport,” she said. “Of course I’m going
to come back for all the alumni meets,
and I’m going to visit. But I want to see
what’s out there besides gymnastics.
It’s all I’ve known my whole life.”
Winston wants to get her Master’s
degree in psychology and give back to
children, whether that’s counseling,
owning a day care or even coaching a
children’s gymnastics team. But there
are definitely things she’s going to
miss when she leaves the Crimson Tide
gymnastics team.
“What I’m going to miss about
competing at UA is the crowd and, of
course, my teammates and the bond
that we have,” she said.
Winston and the rest of her team
look forward to more sparkly costumes,
locker room fun and excellent scores at
competitions in the upcoming season. *
[66] Alice Spring 2017
HEALTH & FOOD
By Lauren Lane
Once Gigi Hadid let the world know
the secret to getting her svelte figure
required kickboxing and a weekly
cheeseburger, the exercise became a
huge phenomenon for women. However,
kickboxing has proven itself to be more
than a fad. It is an incredible way to
relieve stress, learn self-defense and
get a high calorie burn in just one
session. All it takes is a few minutes in
the ring to make you feel like the girl
boss you truly are.
I took my first-ever kickboxing class
at my university’s student recreation
center. I figured since I was not taking
it at a real kickboxing facility, it
would not be intense, so I ran a mile
beforehand for a warm-up. Boy, was I
wrong.
Caleigh Everingham, my instructor,
got down to business in the first minute
of class. We spent the entire 50-minute
period doing cardio and worked every
big muscle group. No one had on
boxing gloves, but Caleigh kept up the
intensity and worked us out through
repetitions of kickboxing moves,
squats, kicks and intense cardio.
“I incorporate different classes
and my own lifting workouts into my
own exercise routine, but kickboxing
is my favorite right now since I can
incorporate high-intensity cardio
bursts with agility exercises and
strength and conditioning work,”
Everingham said. “Some people first
come to my class thinking it’s going
to be just punching and kicking for 50
minutes, but my goal is to give a fullbody
workout in a much more varied
and intense way than that.”
I left class that evening feeling
accomplished and proud of myself for
pushing through. I loved the challenge
of keeping up my heart rate and
making every move just as intense
and sharp as if I was in a real boxing
match. I could feel the soreness hitting
me as soon as class was over, and I
made sure to stretch that night, even
though I was painfully sore for the
next three days.
Alice Spring 2017 [67]
“Not only is kickboxing
a physical workout,
but it also has a mental
aspect to it that
is just as important.
Many members who
suffer with anxiety and
depression see drastic
improvements, which
I think is something
really overlooked.”
I went in to 9Round, a local facility,
for a free nine rounds of kickboxing
and circuit training that made full use
of my 30 minutes. Each round lasted
for three minutes and consisted of a
variety of boxing, strength and cardio
moves. There were short circuits in
between each round, making it exciting
to see what the next challenge was even
when I was exhausted.
“In our 30 minute kickboxing
workout, you’ll burn massive amounts
of calories, continue to burn calories for
hours after your workout is complete,
release toxins, strengthen and tighten
every muscle, boost your stamina,
relieve stress, strengthen your heart,
release endorphins and improve your
sleep,” said Halle Wallace, coach and
owner of 9Round, Tuscaloosa. “Not
only is kickboxing a physical workout,
but it also has a mental aspect to it that
is just as important. Many members
who suffer with anxiety and depression
see drastic improvements, which I
think is something really overlooked.”
Both coaches mentioned kickboxing
helping themselves and their clients
battle depression and anxiety, along
with building confidence in who they
are. More than 90 percent of 9Round
clients are women. Wallace finds
satisfaction seeing females finding
their strength and becoming more
comfortable in their own skin.
I felt empowered after leaving both
workouts, and each one became so much
more than just burning calories and
rather helped me focus on becoming a
better version of myself.
“The world tries to tell women
what they should look like and who
they should be, but I believe that
kickboxing is an avenue for women to
mold themselves into who they want to
be,” Everingham said. “I want women
to have kickboxing as an outlet to take
the good and bad things life throws at
us and channel them into becoming
stronger, healthier, and happier. My
hope is that the women who come to my
classes leave feeling better than when
they walked in and empowered to turn
their goals into plans.” *
SPRING101
> TRENDS 2016
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[68] Alice Spring 2017
HEALTH & FOOD
SNACK
HACKS
By Analiese Gerald
Hectic schedules and long days of classes make it easy to fall into
the trap of eating fast food meals and snacks. While that Starbucks
brownie tastes great in the moment, the result of this habit is a
shrinking wallet and an unhealthy diet. Instead, try filling your
backpack with these easy snacks to stay healthy on and off campus.
Roasted Chickpeas
If you’re looking for a nutritious snack that
will keep you full, roasted chickpeas are a perfect
fit. Chickpeas are a great source of protein and
fiber and with this recipe they can make a tasty
snack too.
Ingredients
1 can chickpeas
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Drain chickpeas and blot with a paper towel to
dry them
3. Spread chickpeas on a baking sheet and cover
with the spices
4. Bake for 20 minutes, turning chickpeas over with
a spatula halfway through
Chocolate
Nut Clusters
Satisfy your sweet tooth and growling stomach
with this yummy combination of sweet and savory.
The nuts provide protein and the chocolate, a
monounsaturated fat, will keep you full until your
next meal.
Ingredients
6 oz dark chocolate
½ cup almonds
½ cup shelled pistachios
½ cup cashews
Directions
1. Melt chocolate in saucepan at medium low heat
and mix in nuts
2. Place spoonfuls of mixture ½ inch apart on
parchment paper
3. Refrigerate clusters until firm; store in the fridge
Cinnamon and Sugar
Pumpkin Seeds
Another mix of sweet and salty, cinnamon and
sugar pumpkin seeds are a classic holiday treat
that you can easily make at home all year around.
Pumpkin seeds are nutritious and filling, while the
cinnamon and sugar add a tasty twist.
Ingredients
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp sugar
Directions
1. Heat coconut oil in saucepan on medium heat
2. Cook pumpkin seeds, stirring in cinnamon and
sugar, until seeds start browning
Oatmeal Balls
This power snack is a delicious treat that is also
packed with nutrients, protein and fiber. It’s perfect
for an on-the-go breakfast or snack between classes.
Ingredients
1 cup oats
½ cup peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup goji berries
½ cup toasted shredded coconut
1 tbsp chia seeds
Directions
1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl
2. Roll mixture into 1-inch balls and place on parchment
paper
3. Refrigerate until firm; store in fridge
Alice Spring 2017 [69]
HEALTH & FOOD
[70] Alice Spring 2017
FRUIT PIZZA
If your afternoon protein bar has
gotten boring, we have the solution...
make a fruit pizza instead! Fruit
pizzas are delicious, filling and healthy
pick-me-ups that will brighten up
your snacking.
MIX AND MATCH TO CREATE YOUR PIZZA
CRUSTS:
Bagel Half, Rice Cake, English Muffin Half, Waffle
SAUCES:
Cream Cheese, Peanut Butter, Nutella, Vanilla Yogurt, Jam
FRUITS:
Strawberries, Blueberries, Kiwi, Banana, Apple, Raspberries
TOPPINGS:
Nuts, Dried Fruit, Coconut, Chocolate Chips
Alice Spring 2017 [71]
ENTERTAINMENT
Ride the
Moon Taxi
By Ellen Johnson and Katie Huff
In the basement green rooms
of the Alabama Theatre in
Birmingham, members of the band
Moon Taxi are busy making music
for their next record. They’re on
the road, enjoying down time here
and there, but still – in a basement
surrounded by boxes of pizza and
a bustling crew, just hours before
their Nov. 25 show – they’re
making music. The stage is being
set, sound check is in an hour and
eager fans with VIP meet-and-greet
passes will soon arrive.
In the midst of it all, lead singer
Trevor Terndrup offered us a slice of
pizza and sat down to tell the band’s
story, and the story behind Moon
Taxi’s name. Don’t think too hard
about it – there is no mystique behind
this group’s handle.
“What really happened was the bass
player mooned a taxi,” Terndrup said.
No complicated formula or
philosophical musings in this band
name – just the story of a guy
unsuccessfully trying to hail a cab.
Though the origin of Moon Taxi’s
name is fully exposed, the story of
their music needed some uncovering.
The Alabama Theatre concert was
a homecoming of sorts for the band.
Three of its members – Terndrup,
bassist Tommy Putnam, and drummer
Tyler Ritter – hail from Vestavia
Hills, Ala. Joined by guitarist Spencer
Thomson and keyboardist Wes Bailey,
they all came together in Nashville and
have been making music ever since.
Following their successful first album
Melodica in 2007, Moon Taxi released
three more records, and (as seen in
their nomadic recording methods)
they’re definitely not stopping there.
When we met the band at the
Alabama Theatre, the sounds of Bailey
and Thomson cranking out new tunes
could be heard echoing from the room
next door.
“You walked in on it,” Terndrup
said to us of the new music. “You’re
part of history.”
Moon Taxi has played all over
the country in every kind of venue
imaginable. From fraternity houses
and hole-in-the-wall bars to festivals
and amphitheaters, they have done
it all. They sell out theaters and
they’re regulars at the Hangout Fest,
Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza, but you
[72] Alice Spring 2017
can also catch them at venues like
Druid City Music Hall, or even a
fraternity house at Mississippi State
University. With each stop, it seems
like more and more fans are hopping
on board.
At the show we attended, the
audience was a hodge-podge of old and
young. High school students and adults
alike filled the seats of the Alabama
Theatre, and many friends and family
members of the band were also there
to excitedly welcome Moon Taxi home.
“I think it’s definitely necessary to
go through those steps to play those
small dive bars, because you really
appreciate it when you get to play in a
beautiful room like the theater we’re in
right now,” Terndrup said. “I’ve loved
every step of the journey.”
Their most recent album,
Daybreaker, released in
2015, has been some of their
most popular music yet, but
they still have stuck to their
original style. They have
mastered the art of creating
new and fresh music that
is still undeniably true to
their own sound.
“It’s been a long
journey,” Terndrup said.
“We’ve grown as people and
gotten closer as friends and
as a band. It’s a group of
brothers at this point and
I think that’s reflected in the lyrical
content. But I think the songwriting
itself has gotten better too.”
One of the hit songs from
Daybreaker is “All Day All Night,”
which was featured in a McDonald’s
all-day breakfast commercial.
Fans new and old were pleased to
hear the jam accompany the fast
food advertisement.
“I think a lot of people heard it
which was also good,” Terndrup said
of the song. “Our fans, if they really
like us, they’re like, ‘Alright, that’s
cool.’ If they kind of like us, they’re
like, ‘I don’t know, I like McDonalds.’”
“All Day All Night” is fun and
upbeat and the perfect background
noise for eating a McMuffin, but it’s
not the only song sticking around
in the minds of Moon Taxi’s fans.
Songwriting is a collaborative effort
for the band, and their system works.
With songs referencing nature, love,
adventure and even death, their
music covers all the bases and gives
listeners the power to derive their
own meanings.
“People can read into them if they
want but they’re still about concrete
ideas,” Terndrup said. “That’s the cool
thing. Sometimes you want to write
lyrics that are a little more abstract
so people can read their own meaning
into them, but also sometimes a song
is just about something specific like a
“I think it’s definitely
necessary to go through
those steps to play those
small dive bars, because
you really appreciate it
when you get to play in a
beautiful room...”
cup of tea or something like that.”
One clear string in much of Moon
Taxi’s music is a reference to nature
and experiences. So, what’s up with all
the talk of rivers, oceans, beaches and
sunsets? Terndrup had a theory.
“We look out the window a lot on the
tour bus,” Terndrup said. “It’s nicer
outside than inside.”
One of Terndrup’s favorites is
“Juniper” off of the 2013 record
Mountains Beaches Cities. While
listeners may derive their own
meanings, this one is special to him for
his own reasons.
“It’s about the sun dying, the light
source going,” Terndrup said. “It was
also about my grandmother passing.
And it was the last song on the record,
so it has this finale at the end.”
In addition to their own songs, Moon
Taxi can rock out a cover. They’ve
covered “Everybody Wants to Rule
the World,“ “Stressed Out,” and Bob
Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower”
with flying colors (They were even
invited to Dylan Fest, a tribute event
complete with superstars like Kings of
Leon and Ke$ha).
“Covers are always fun just to
break up the set,” Terndrup said. “We
pride ourselves on doing good versions
of covers.”
Moon Taxi isn’t afraid to cater to
their audience, and their strategically
designed setlists pay off.
“Tonight is a theatre
so we might cater the set
a little different for the
environment,” Terndrup
said. “Sometimes we like to
play new songs in the live
environment and see how
people react to them, and
that informs the writing
process.”
As Moon Taxi performs
around the country and
releases new music, the
band leaves a trail of happy
audiences and loyal fans.
Their newly-recorded music is aimed
to be released sometime early this year.
Their concert was two hours of pure
fun. From treating the audience to
acoustic versions of songs like “River
Water” and “The New Black” to
getting everyone on their feet for the
crowd-favorite “Morocco,” these guys
just know how to entertain. Their
strong songwriting yields an everchanging
combination of escapist
jams, and Terndrup sees their music
just as such.
“We’re kind of escapism,” Terndrup
said. “We like to escape and have fun.” *
Alice Spring 2017 [73]
ENTERTAINMENT
SPRING
BREAK
READS
By Kyarra Harris
The only thing missing from your spring break
beach bag is a good read. We know how it goes:
You want something fresh and new, but also
entertaining. We’ve compiled a list of the best
new books to read this spring that are sure to
keep you from snoozing on your flight or dozing off in the
sand (and getting sunburnt). So apply that sunscreen and
grab one of these novels before you take off on your spring
break adventures.
Caraval by Stephanie Garber
“Before you enter the world of Caraval, you must remember
that it’s all a game...”
Two sisters escape their abusive father who has set up an
arranged marriage for his daughter Scarlett, and upsets her
dream of seeing the “legendary once-a-year” performance,
Caraval. But when sister Tella enlists the help of a sailor to get
them to the show and is kidnapped by the show’s ringleader,
Scarlett must learn the rules of the mysterious game, and
find her sister before the five nights of the game are over and
her sister is lost forever.
Caraval is Garber’s Young Adult (YA) debut. She’s a
professor for a private college in Northern California, and
though this book is her first YA novel, she has already
received praise from other best-selling YA authors such as
Sabaa Tahir and Kiersten White.
The Mothers by Brit Bennett
When 17-year-old Nadia Turner entered her senior year
of high school, she was still grief-stricken by her mother’s
suicide. She began a light relationship with the local pastor’s
son, Luke. But the teen pregnancy that results, and its coverup,
will haunt the individuals for years to come. The years
pass as Nadia hides her secret, even from her best friend
Aubrey. Soon Nadia, Luke and Aubrey are looking back on
the decisions they all made that summer, and wonder what life
would be like if they had done things differently.
Bennett was born and raised in Southern California,
and she uses her experience living in a contemporary black
community in California to give excellent details to her book.
The Mothers is Bennett’s first novel.
[74] Alice Spring 2017
The Best Kind of People
by Zoe Whittall
“What if someone you trusted was accused of
the unthinkable?”
George Woodbury, a teacher working for a prestigious prep
school, is arrested for sexual impropriety. The Best Kind of
People follows his wife, Joan, who’s angry and in denial, his
daughter Sadie, who goes from a popular high school senior
to an outcast, and his son Andrew, who assists in his father’s
defense, but remembers the unhappiness of his teenage years.
The family must relearn how to live their lives while
questioning George’s guilt.
sister of a brutal tyrant who rules the Shotet people, uses her
power to exploit and torture his enemies. Akos, coming from
a peaceful nation called Thuyhe, and his brother are captured
by the Shotet. He will stop at nothing to get him out alive.
Both Cyra and Akos must decide to help each other, or follow
their in family’s footsteps and destroy one another.
Why We Came to the City
Kristopher Jansma
Jansma tells a story about young friends who are
just five years out of college starting their lives in New
York. The characters are finding their way through the
big city: editor Sara Sherman; her boyfriend astronomer
George Murphy, who’s dealing with addiction;
“loudmouth poet” Jacob Blaumann, who is no longer the
poet he used to be; William Cho, an investment banker;
and Irene Richmond, an “enchanting artist.” When one
friend falls incredibly ill, the characters are forced to step
back and look at their lives and relationships as well as the
one they have with the city they all chose.
In Why We Came To The City, Jansma is living up to the
high expectations set by his first book The Unchangeable
Spots of Leopards as he describes his hometown through the
eyes of young adults.
Carve the Mark
by Veronica Roth
Roth, who is known for writing thrilling scenes that keep
readers invested throughout all of her work, is the best-selling
author of the Divergent series. Carve the Mark is a sci-fi novel
that tells the story of Cyra and Akos, who have developed
a unique power called currentgifts. Both characters’ gifts
have made them vulnerable to the control of others. Cyra, the
Alice Spring 2017 [75]
ENTERTAINMENT
Hollywood’s
Helping Hands
By Emilee Benos
We know our favorite celebrities
from the movies they star in, from the
albums they release and the runways
they walk on, but they’re not always
confined to their Hollywood bubble.
Many use their fame as a platform to
bring attention to important issues
they are passionate about.
While these celebs may have more
money than we’ll ever see in our
lifetimes, a lot of them put it to good
use. Alice took a look at some of the
most charitable celebrities and the
causes they support.
Emma Watson: HeForShe
Watson serves as a U.N. Women’s
Goodwill ambassador and has been
actively involved in HeForShe, a U.N.
women’s solidarity movement for
gender equality, since the organization
was formed in 2014. She hosted the
HeForShe campaign launch event at
the U.N. Headquarters in New York,
where her speech on gender equality
went viral. The campaign’s aim is
to encourage men “to take action
against inequalities faced by women,”
according to the HeForShe website.
HeForShe is based on the idea that
“gender equality is a issue that affects
all people.”
[76] Alice Spring 2017
Ian Somerhaulder:
Ian Somerhaulder Foundation
Another U.N. Goodwill ambassador,
Somerhalder is vocal about his passion
and dedication to environmental
problems plaguing the world today.
Known for his work in The Vampire
Diaries and Lost, Somerhalder is
also an avid environmentalist and
humanitarian. Inspired by the oil
spill in the Gulf Coast, he founded
the Ian Somerhalder Foundation —
an organization to advance science,
promote conservation and provide relief
to the distressed and underprivileged.
According to the ISF website, the goal
is to support and empower youths to
action through programs that promote
education and innovation, and build
leadership and empathy skills.
Miley Cyrus: Happy Hippie
Cyrus’s organization garnered a lot
of attention when she famously brought
a homeless man to the 2014 VMAs
as her date. In her own words, the
Happy Hippie foundation’s mission is
to “make sure those who question the
value of themselves and their lives feel
protected and loved.” The organization
is dedicated to helping homeless youth,
LGBT youth and other vulnerable
populations by encouraging young
people to fight injustices.
Leonardo DiCaprio:
Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation
Ian Somerhalder isn’t the only
leading man passionate about the
environment. Leo founded the
Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation in
1998 at age 24. The LDF works to put
an end to various environmental and
humanitarian issues through grantmaking,
initiating media projects and
campaigning, according to the website.
The LDF focuses on protecting the
last of the world’s “wild places” and
creating a balance between humans
and nature.
Jennifer Hudson:
Julian D. King Gift Foundation
Hudson founded the Julian D. King
Gift Foundation in October 2008 in
honor of her nephew Julian, who was
killed by her sister’s ex-husband —
the same man who killed Hudson’s
mother and brother. According to
the website, the Foundation offers
“support and stability to children of
all backgrounds.” Their goal is to help
these children become “happy, healthy
and confident adults.” Some of the
foundation’s efforts include collecting
and distributing Christmas presents
and school supplies.
ENTERTAINMENT
SECRETS
OF SPOTIFY
By Sarah Beth Bolin
So you caved and finally subscribed to the studentdiscounted
Spotify premium, the crowning glory of music
streaming services. But you still don’t know how to do
anything other than stream music from your computer.
What’s the point of paying an extra $5 a month if you’re
just going to use Spotify like any other streaming service?
If you’re only using your Spotify account to listen to albums
and user-generated playlists, you’re missing out on a ton of
other features. Here’s a few tips and tricks to maximize your
Spotify usage.
Discover Weekly
Discover Weekly is a weekly playlist engineered by Spotify
to fit your tastes. Every Monday, Spotify analyzes what
you’ve been listening to over the past week and selects new
songs for you to try based on your playlists. Discover Weekly
is one of the best ways to find new music, especially if you
don’t know where to look or if the radio is a bore.
Create Similar Playlists
Have you ever really enjoyed a playlist but then grew tired
of hearing the same songs over and over again? Spotify can
help you out! Click the circle with the three dots in the header
of your playlist, and select “Create Similar Playlist.” From
there, Spotify will generate an inspired playlist very similar
to your previous one and with the same number of songs.
Audiobooks
Sometimes when driving, it’s nice to listen to something
other than music. Audiobooks can be the perfect background
noise for a long road trip. From Pride and Prejudice to The
Hobbit, Spotify offers books from every genre. The playlist
Alice Spring 2017 [77]
“Audiobooks” and artist “DBS Audiobooks” carry hundreds
of hours worth of classic novels and new releases, so you’ll
always have something new to listen to.
Offline Listening
It can be frustrating when your jam session is interrupted
by a poor Wi-Fi signal. With Spotify premium, however,
you can save certain songs so they are downloaded on your
device and will play while you’re offline. This feature can be
very useful if you have bad service in certain areas, or if you
run out of data for the month.
Import Songs from iTunes
Tired of having to switch back and forth between iTunes
and Spotify? Make Spotify your primary venue for musiclistening
by importing your songs from iTunes into Spotify.
You can even import songs that aren’t available on Spotify,
like Beyoncé’s Lemonade or all of Taylor Swift’s music.
Select preferences on the desktop app, and scroll down to
Local Files. There, you should be able to import any music
that is saved on your computer’s hard drive.
Mood Playlists
Even Spotify knows that sometimes you need a playlist to
compliment your mood. And in the pattern of Spotify’s everincreasing
benefits, the service has accommodated those of
us who like to dance it out whenever we have any sort of
feelings. From “Confidence Boost” and “Happy Hits” to
“Brain Food” and “Life Sucks,” there’s bound to be some
sort of playlist that makes you think, “Wait, that’s exactly
how I feel right now.”
Artists Playlists
Have you ever wondered what your favorite artists are
listening to? Many artists who use Spotify as one of their
main streaming services will let you know on their artist
page. You can see their inspirations, all time favorites, or
even their current go-to music. Now you finally have the
chance to hear the music that inspires those who inspire you.
Go to Song Radio
Sometimes there’s that one song that dominates your mind
and you can’t stop listening to over and over. When you
finally get tired of it, you can visit a Spotify radio for that
song, which includes similar music and other songs by the
same artist. Click the three dots next to the song title and
then “Go to Song Radio.” You’ll find yourself using all your
old favorite songs to discover new favorites. *
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[78] Alice Spring 2017
ENTERTAINMENT
The ladies changing the face of comedy
Alice Spring 2017 [79]
By Mia Blackman
While a stereotype may exist that
men dominate comedy, there are many
hilarious heroines out there who are
squashing it once and for all. These
ladies are killing the comedy game and
making it known to all that women are
just as funny as men. Here’s Alice’s
list for the best female comedians to
watch right now.
ALI WONG
Born in San Francisco, Cali.,
this UCLA graduate didn’t actually
start doing stand-up until she was
23. From there, Wong moved to New
York to pursue her comedy dreams,
and she began performing up to nine
times a night. Wong has appeared
on The Tonight Show, John Oliver’s
New York Stand-Up Show and Dave
Atell’s Comedy Underground Show.
She has also appeared on Chelsea
Lately numerous times and performed
opposite Salma Hayek and Benicio
[80] Alice Spring 2017
Del Toro in the 2012 crime thriller
Savages. Wong provocatively jokes
about how racism can actually make a
marriage stronger and how she thinks
housewives have it better than working
wives. Her current comedy special,
Baby Cobra, is available on Netflix.
KATHLEEN MADIGAN
One of seven children in an Irish-
Catholic family, Madigan attended the
University of Missouri-St. Louis (and
accumulated $7,000 in parking tickets)
before later graduating from Southern
Illinois University Edwardsville with a
degree in journalism. She worked for
the St. Louis-area Suburban Journals
newspaper while also performing
stand-up in local comedy clubs. Her
father gave her the courage to follow
her comedic calling, and she later left
her life in Missouri to fully enter the
comedy world. Madigan has appeared
on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,
Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and
Late Show with David Letterman.
Madigan’s relatable comedy acts
include rhetorics on the common
struggle of going to the gym and what
it was like growing up with her large
family. She currently has two specials
available on Netflix.
JEN KIRKMAN
This Massachusetts native has
quite the impressive résumé when
it comes to comedy and performing.
Kirkman majored in acting at
Emerson College in Boston and then
went on to perform at several comedy
clubs, including Hollywood Improv,
The Laugh Factory, Largo and The
Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. She
is a regular panelist on Chelsea Lately
but has also appeared on Conan,
released three comedy albums and
written two episodes for the Disney
Channel animated show Phineas and
Ferb. Kirkman’s observational comedy
takes us through the highs and lows
of her love life, giving the audience
insight into why she apologizes for
her honeymoon to single people and
how after her divorce she refused to
date anyone younger than her. Her
newest special, I’m Gonna Die Alone
(And I Feel Fine), is currently available
on Netflix.
TAMMY PESCATELLI
From winning a comedic
competition to writing and starring in
her own reality show, this Ohio mother
and wife has done it all. Pescatelli’s
career promptly took off in 2004
when she became a finalist on Last
Comic Standing. Since then, she is
constantly bringing smiles to people’s
faces – appearing on numerous shows
like The View, on several comedy radio
stations on Sirius XM Radio and in
The New York Post four times last year
for funniest jokes. Pescatelli brings
laughter as she tackles topics like body
image and reminds everyone how we
all have that one crazy friend. Her
current special, Finding the Funny, is
now available on Netflix.
ANJELAH JOHNSON
Best known for her hit MADtv
character Bon Qui Qui, this former
NFL cheerleader has been acting
since she was a senior in high school.
Johnson was fascinated with imitating
different accents, and she studied
speech communications at De Anza
College. After a friend recommended
she join a comedic writing class,
Johnson moved to Los Angeles to take
improv classes and pursue a career
in comedy. She began to headline her
own shows and was soon asked to join
the cast of the sketch comedy show
MADtv. Johnson has also appeared in
a variety of movies like Marmaduke,
Enough Said, and The Book of Life.
Johnson keeps it down to earth by
never forgetting her roots, and also by
sharing her many hilarious encounters
with strangers, most famously at
the nail salon. She has currently has
two specials available for streaming
on Netflix.
KITTY FLANAGAN
This Australian comedian gives
credit to her first production, Alice in
Wonderland, for inciting her comedy
cravings. Flanagan played a rabbit
in the classic tale and the audience
loved her performance so much that
she knew comedy was her calling.
She is a self proclaimed “attention
seeker” and as a child would always
put on shows with her two younger
siblings. Flanagan is known as one of
Australia’s funniest women, having
appeared on Full Frontal, The Project,
The Weekly with Charlie Pickering, and
Utopia. Including her observations on
Australian politics and her peculiar
confusion with burlesque shows,
Flanagan uses a broad spectrum of
topics to reach her audience. One of
her specials, Hello Kitty Flanagan, is
currently streaming on Netflix. *
Alice Spring 2017 [81]
ENTERTAINMENT
Tale as Old
Your Comprehensive Guide to the New Beauty and
the Beast, and its Auxiliary Pop Culture Magic
By Mia Blackman
A mind map is a visual illustration of information that includes
a central idea surrounded by connected branches of connected
topics. Disney’s live-action version of the classic Beauty and the
Beast will be released this March, and there is a lot of pop culture
goodness out there to get you #HYPE. Whether it be the actors
who bring the characters to life, or related books, movies and
musicals, we are sure you’ll find something in this list to get you
immersed in “a tale as old as time.”
[82] Alice Spring 2017
as Time:
The Cast
Emma Watson
Widely known for her portrayal as
Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter
series, Watson takes on the role of the
brave Belle in the live-action rendition
of Beauty and the Beast. After ending
the Harry Potter series, she went on to
act in several movies such as The Perks
of being a Wallflower and The Bling
Ring. Watson is also a big activist for
women’s education and even completed
her own, graduating from Brown with
a degree in English literature. Along
with Beauty and the Beast, Watson has
another movie, which is a science-fiction
drama called The Circle, set to release
in April of this year.
Dan Stevens
A huge shift from his role as Matthew
Crawley in the British drama
television series Downton Abbey, Stevens
has the distinct honor of bringing
the Beast to life on the big screen. He
began his career in theater with the
role of Orlando in the Shakespearean
play As You Like It, and has since performed
in various plays, movies, and
television series. Stevens has appeared
in movies like Night at the Museum: Secret
of the Tomb and A Walk Among the
Tombstones plus has two more movies,
Permission and Marshall, also set to be
released in 2017.
Luke Evans
The Welsh actor and singer, who got
his breakthrough role playing Apollo in
Clash of the Titans, is bringing to life
the character we all love to hate – the
arrogant and athletic Gaston. Evans
essentially began his career on stage
and has appeared in many different
productions including London’s West
End shows Taboo, Rent, and Avenue Q.
After starring in Clash of the Titans,
he has been featured in a number of
films including Dracula Untold, Furious
7, and The Girl on the Train. He
is currently filming Professor Marston
& The Wonder Women, set to premiere
later this year.
Above: Emma Watson and Dan Stevens star in Beauty and the Beast / photo courtesy of Disney
Alice Spring 2017 [83]
Romance Fantasy Books
Poison Study
A woman who is about to be executed
for murder is given a choice: she
can stay in lavish rooms and eat expensive
food, but only if she becomes a
food tester – a food tester for the commander
of her country who happens to
be wanted dead by several people. In a
world where death is the consequence
of a failed job, this novel written by
Maria V. Snyder lets it be known that
making choices may not always have
such a clear outcome.
The Curse of Chalion
A damaged man has returned to the
house he once served only to be named
as the secretary-tutor to the sister of
the boy who is next in line to rule the
throne. Not only does he have to protect
his student from enemies outside
of the kingdom, but also face a dreaded
curse that hangs over the heads of
the royal family. The man must prove
himself once again and enlist the help
of the dark arts to prove his worth in
this novel by Lois McMaster Bujold.
Musicals
The Lion King
It’s the story of a brother betrayed.
It’s the story of a king realizing his
destiny. It’s a story that has been on
Broadway for 14 years. The Lion King
is a world-renowned Disney classic.
The film first came to the stage in
1997 and since then has had over 5,900
performances and sold over 10 million
tickets. Whether it be on the stage, on
the screen or in a book the story that
makes people sing their hearts out,
this story will forever remain a classic.
Wicked
A story of two unlikely friends, the
book-turned-musical is an alternate
telling of The Wizard of Oz. It follows
Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the
West, and Galinda, the Good Witch,
before and after Dorothy’s arrival to
Oz. Through the musical, we see the
characters struggle with their conflicting
personalities and clash over a
shared love interest. Wicked has shown
over 5,120 shows, making it the 10th
longest-running Broadway show.
The Phantom of the Opera
This is a tragic tale of love stunted
by a man’s outward appearance.
It is not Beauty and the Beast, but in
fact a completely different tale. The
Phantom of the Opera was first published
in 1909 as a novel and has
since been on both the screen and the
stage. With its 7,486th show making
the show the longest running show on
Broadway, The Phantom continues to
captivate audiences.
[84] Alice Spring 2017
Emma Watson and Kevin Kline in Beauty and the Beast / photo courtesy of Disney
Alice Spring 2017 [85]
More Disney
Live-Action
Cinderella
Originally released in 1950 and
based on the Brothers Grimm fairy
tale, this romantic tale about a fashion
mishap was taken to the big screen
in 2015. Lily James plays Cinderella
while Richard Madden plays Prince
Charming in the beautifully crafted
live-action film. The classic tale is
brought into the 21st century while
still keeping its romantic story and
magical whim.
Maleficent
Based on the vindictive villain from
Sleeping Beauty, the live-action film
starring Angelina Jolie gives a very
different twist on the classic tale. It’s
a story of romance, betrayal and vengeance
all wrapped in a visually stunning
feature. It turns out the original
story of Sleeping Beauty may not have
been that simple all along.
[86] Alice Spring 2017
By Serena Bailey
Hearing your favorite artist or band
through your headphones is nice and
blasting the music through your car
speakers is great. But jamming in
your bedroom could never compare
to listening to your favorite musician
live surrounded by hundreds of others
who are just as hyped as you are. Here
are our picks for the best upcoming
concerts that are sure to excite your
musical passions all over again.
Bon Jovi at
BJCC Legacy Arena
Feb. 16: Iconic rock band Bon Jovi
will be rocking the BJCC Legacy
Arena at 8 p.m. on Feb. 16. This
1983 American rock band is known
for classics like “You Give Love a Bad
Name” and “It’s My Life,” and this
concert is sure to be a hit. Don’t be
“Livin’ On a Prayer” for these tickets
– the price begins at $35.25 and can be
bought at ticketmaster.com.
Eric Church at
BJCC Legacy Arena
Feb. 17: After more than a decade
of creating country hits, Eric Church
is known for hits like “Record
Year,” “Drink in My Hand” and
“Springsteen.” In February, Church
will perform at 8 p.m. in the BJCC’s
Legacy Arena, with tickets starting at
$16 available at ticketmaster.com.
Twenty One Pilots at
BJCC Legacy Arena
Feb. 24: The American musical
duo Twenty One Pilots will be at the
Legacy Area at the BJCC at 7 p.m.
Founded in 2009, the group gained
large success in 2015 with their track
“Blurryface” and their appearance on
the Suicide Squad movie soundtrack
with the hit song “Heathens.” Don’t
get too “stressed out” looking for
tickets, because they are available on
ticketmaster.com.
The Lumineers at
Infinite Energy Center
March 8: After releasing their
self-titled debut album in 2012, the
Lumineers found large success that
year with one of their best-known
songs, “Ho Hey.” Now boasting hits
like “Ophelia,” they perform this
spring in Duluth, Georgia, at the
Infinite Energy Center at 7 p.m.
Tickets for the show start at $39.50
and can be bought at tickets.axs.com.
Alice Spring 2017 [87]
ENTERTAINMENT
firekid
Q&A
By Ellen Johnson
Combining urban sounds with
traditional bluegrass music is no easy
feat, but one Alabama native is out
there doing it, and doing it well.
Dillon Hodges—or firekid as he is
known in the music world—originally
hails from Muscle Shoals, Alabama.
Hodges’ firekid achieves the marriage of
contemporary and bluegrass, synth and
urban, pop and acoustic. Hodges first
discovered music as a young boy as he
competed in guitar competitions around
the country. Now, he and his guitar are
all grown up and making music for
the masses. He’s played Bonnaroo, the
Hangout Fest and toured with Passion
Pit, and along the way firekid is picking
up speed and winning over audiences.
We chatted with Hodges about life,
music, guitar and, of course, Alabama.
Alice: When did you first become
interested in music and how did
you first begin making music?
Hodges: My first real experience with
music was listening to my parents’
southern gospel music in church and
whatnot. I fell in love with guitar, and
my next door neighbor offered to teach
me. He was a bluegrass musician. I
didn’t know anything about bluegrass
music but it was my only option to learn
[88] Alice Spring 2017
guitar. I would go over to his house
once a week and stay for four or five
hours and sort of obsess over guitar.
He started taking me to bluegrass
festivals around the state of Alabama. I
also felt like I was kind of nobody at my
elementary school and I felt like playing
guitar made me cooler, and I think it
did in some ways.
What genre would you describe
yourself as?
Hodges: We’ve gotten play on Alt Nation,
so that’s alt rock. I don’t know if I really
easily, cleanly fall into one category or
genre. I grew up making rural music,
but the production of the firekid music
is a lot more modern and urban … I feel
like it’s an evolving thing. I don’t think
I’ve cracked the code on the sounds yet.
I think really more than anything, it’s
my life goal to break the gap between
urban and rural music.
Where did “firekid” come from?
Hodges: I was going to these things
[bluegrass festivals] at 11 and 12 years
old. I was by far the youngest person
hanging out with these old codgers.
They all called me “kid.” That was
my nickname. Firekid was kind of a
nickname that I carried around for a
while. When I went out to [Los Angeles]
to start working on what became the
firekid project my producer called me
“kid” and it just sort of stuck as a
nickname. It didn’t feel necessarily
right to just say Dillon Hodges, but
firekid felt right.
Who are your biggest musical
inspirations?
Hodges: The thing I’m shooting for
hasn’t been done convincingly too many
times. But I listen to a lot of the bluegrass
traditional music. Ralph Stanley, Doc
Watson, Tony Rice – those are kind of
my favorite bluegrass musicians. Then
on the other end of the spectrum I love
like Broken Bells and Gorillaz and some
of these sorts of bands who mix acoustic
and electronic elements. So I try to pull
from both sides, from the urban side
of things and the more traditional side
of things.
Who inspired you growing up to
pursue your dreams in music?
Hodges: It’s kind of amazing. When I
was going to these festivals some of them
happened to be instrumental contests.
So you compete on guitar against other
guitarists of all ages. My parents really
took to it to take me all over the country
to these things. My parents were the
ones that really enabled me to take it as
far as it would go. I had mentors who
helped me as well, but my parents were
the ones who gave me the ability and all
the tools I needed to take it all the way.
How has being from the South,
specifically Alabama, influenced
your music?
Hodges: I saw a lot of the state growing
up, not just Florence, Alabama, and
Muscle Shoals where I grew up. When
I was a sophomore in high school I just
looked up for the first time and realized,
“Hey, I live in Florence, where there is an
amazing history of recorded music and
artists.” I started listening and diving
into the Muscle Shoals music catalogue.
That’s when I really learned to love
to sing.
Where do you draw inspiration
for songwriting?
Hodges: My songs mostly come from
conversations that I have with friends.
It’s almost like a sickness that comes
over me when I’m writing. When I’m
in writing mode, I’ll just be having
a conversation with someone and I’ll
turn and write it down. Then I visit it
later and turn it into a song. A lot of
it comes from real life experiences and
just casual conversations with friends.
What is one of your favorite songs
to perform and why?
Hodges: Obviously people love when we
do “Magic Mountain” or “Lay by Me.”
I get a rise when I play “Americana
Dream.” It’s a nice moment to have a
conversation with a crowd. I always
change the lyrics a little bit to fit the
room I’m in, to fit the mood of the
crowd. And it’s always fun because I
never know what’s going to happen or
how people will react.
As a whole, how do you think
bluegrass influences American
music today?
Hodges: I couldn’t believe it when I
heard Mumford and Sons on the radio
for the first time. I had this moment
of thinking “Wait, bluegrass music
could be cool?” I was going to school
and trying to impress people with my
playing bluegrass music. It felt like
overnight, bands were successful. People
were buying banjos. I certainly saw it
firsthand. People are more acceptive to
music like this now. It’s been made more
approachable to them.
What do you hope your fans get out
of your music?
Hodges: I hope it takes them to a
place. I don’t want to dictate what
their experience is, but I just hope it
takes and removes them from whatever
they’re living in. I hope it’s an escape
for them. Really all I want is to create
an atmosphere, an experience, with my
music. I want to transport people, make
them live in my world for a minute.
-
Throughout the winter of 2016,
Hodges has been taking a break from
touring and instead preparing to work
on his second album. In the meantime,
his self-titled album firekid is available
on iTunes and to stream on Spotify.
Artist
Fun Fact
As a native of northwest Alabama, Hodges has performed
at many local restaurants, festivals and more in the Shoals
area. The sketch on the left was drawn by an audience member
during Hodge’s 2012 lunchtime performance at the Trojan
House, a sandwich shop located in Muscle Shoals. That
audience member’s name is Maria Oswalt — who now serves
as the creative director for Alice. Oswalt fondly remembers
attending many of Hodge’s performances growing up in the
Shoals. It’s a small world!
Alice Spring 2017 [89]
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