The Crimson White: Back to School Edition, August 2021

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4B While embarking into adulthood, whether that be college or life after college, it’s important to note that there will be endless transitions. Some happen all at once, like moving for work or school, and others happen more gradually, like losing track of old friends or the constant presence of your immediate family members. But no matter what, transitions don’t have to be a bad thing. According to Kim Sterritt, the UA director of parent and family programs, transitions are vital to developing and becoming independent, even though some of them aren’t always easy — like, for instance, leaving one’s family. “I’m well past my college years, right? I have a family of my own, I have kids of my own, but it’s still hard to say goodbye to your family members,” Sterritt said. According to an article by the Health Alliance Plan of Michigan, over 30% of college students experience lowlevel homesickness, and about 69% of first-year college students experience severe homesickness. Sterritt said especially now, with the added stress and circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s even harder for people to leave their comfort zones. After over a year of various degrees of quarantine, family dynamics have changed in minor or drastic ways; now, those relationships are left unmanaged while students head off to college. “Whether it’s during quarantine or because they were at home, doing school or whatever that is, they’ve probably been more attached to the hip with their family members than we’ve seen in years past when we started the academic year,” Sterritt said. Though some students might take an “out of sight, out of mind” approach with these relationships once they leave home, others are caught off guard by moments of homesickness and feelings of separation anxiety. “Whether the student lives at home or goes away to attend college, the move represents an emotional separation for both parents and child. For most, the end of high school marks the symbolic end of childhood,” Dr. Jess Shatkin, a psychiatrist at New York University's Child Study Center, told U.S. News. And as students traverse this new transition into independence, Sterritt BACK TO SCHOOL August 19, 2021 Being independent might take time, says UA director of parent and family programs JEFFREY KELLY CULTURE EDITOR said many would realize that there isn’t a “magical moment” that makes anyone an independent adult; it all depends on the student. Several incoming freshmen said they don’t really feel like adults yet and are just taking it as they go. Sterritt said independence might happen faster for some than others, but mainly it’s all about finding what feels comfortable and making progress from there. “And if no progress happens throughout all four years of your undergrad experience, that is where we have an issue,” Sterritt said. “If you have not grown in your independence between day one and graduation, then that is more problematic.” However, Sterritt noted that seeking support from family members doesn’t necessarily signify a lack of independence. “Even once you graduate from college, there are times where you might still rely on familial support, whether it’s financial or emotional,” she said. “Right now, in particular, we’ve seen a lot of students move back home after graduation because of everything that is happening, and I don’t think that that means that they are not independent, but I think that that can probably affect their sense of independence, but sometimes circumstances just necessitate that.” Making that transition easier starts where many healthy relationships start: communication. When moving away from family, it’s important to communicate what you want and your expectations. However, Sterritt said she understands that these conversations don’t always come naturally because of how meta it is to “communicate about communication.” Instead many try to demonstrate how they want communication to go without coming to an official agreement. Just like having a sense of independence, Sterritt said it is important to understand that conversation depends on the individual in familial relationships. For some relationships, constant communication is healthy, and for others, less communication is healthy. As students grow and change, adjustments to the “frequency of communication” will continue to support healthy relationships. Sterritt said that, as the need for communication changes, those conversations begin to feel redundant, but they are still necessary. “I think it shows a level of maturity for students to bring that up with their family members,” she said. “It is hard, particularly if the student’s needs are different than the parent or family members’ needs.” She said both parties should try coming into the conversation with a mindset of compromise and remember that what works for one relationship won’t always work for another. “There are various relationships that you’re managing, right? What works with one parent or family member may not work with a different one, or a sibling, or grandparents or whatever,” Sterritt said. “So make sure that you’re thinking about managing all of those different types of relationships — again, you’re talking about conversations about conversations with a lot of different people." And while you’re communicating your needs to your family members, you’re not only growing with them; you’re also learning how to best communicate what you need for future relationships, whether they are romantic, platonic or professional. “Self-advocacy and identifying what you need in order to be successful, and in order to maintain healthy relationships and your own health is a skill that you have to learn and become comfortable with in order to optimize your ability to be successful going forward,” Sterritt said. In the end, regardless of how individuals choose to communicate or what their level of independence is, Sterritt reminds us that sometimes everyone just needs reassurance that everything is going to be okay. For parents and family members who are feeling overwhelmed and uninformed about their students moving to college, Sterritt said Parent and Family Programs is happy to provide them with the information they need. She said that for students, there are so many resources to help them if they need reassurance, like RAs, the Dean of Students office, the Counseling Center or her office. “I think the important thing is that you don’t try to manage it alone. If you’re feeling like you need reassurance, if you’re feeling that anxiety or that stress, don’t try to process it by yourself internally because that’s probably, it might work for some, but it’s probably going to be more beneficial to talk it out and make sure that you’re utilizing your resources because there’s so many on Alabama Adapted Athletics represents in Tokyo ASHLEE WOODS SPORTS EDITOR On Saturday, the Alabama Adapted Athletics program announced on Twitter that 18 current and former students are participating in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games. Six current athletes and 12 former Alabama adapted athletes make up the Crimson Tide’s representation. Wheelchair Tennis Alabama alumna Shelby Baron is representing the U.S. in the women’s wheelchair tennis event in Tokyo. Baron earned two degrees from the Capstone: a bachelor’s degree in communicative disorders and a master’s degree in speech-language pathology. She is no stranger to the Olympic stage, having also competed in the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games. Baron reached I think the important thing is that you don’t try to manage it alone. If you’re feeling that anxiety or that stress, don’t try to process it by yourself internally, it’s probably going to be more beneficial to talk it out. KIM STERRITT the round of 16 for singles and the quarterfinals in the doubles event. Despite being a last-minute addition to the Rio team, she represented the stars and stripes well. Baron discussed her return to the Paralympics in an article released by the University News Center. “I would not have been able to achieve this goal without the support from the University. This year will be a lot different but I look forward to being able to represent both my University and country in Tokyo.” Her journey back to the Paralympics was not easy. Baron was also coaching Alabama while training for the Games. “Training was difficult at times because I was trying to give my best effort to coaching the UA team at practice and competitions,” Baron told the University News Center. “However, I learned a lot of things from coaching and that has made me a better athlete. I am trying to be a good role model for the athletes so they push themselves to become better both on and off the court.” The Alabama women’s wheelchair basketball team celebrates winning the NWBA Collegiate Wheelchair National Championship for the 2020-2021 season. Photo courtesy of Kellcie Temple Women’s Wheelchair Basketball The Crimson Tide will be sending a host of current and former Alabama wheelchair basketball players to Tokyo. One of those athletes is sophomore Bailey Moody, who is competing in her first Paralympics games. However, this is not Moody’s first time representing Team USA. Moody was on the 2018 World Championships team, which placed sixth overall. Moody impressed during her freshman year at Alabama. She proved to be a fierce competitor. This helped the women’s wheelchair basketball team win the NWBA Collegiate Wheelchair Basketball National Championship in March — the Crimson Tide’s second straight title. Now Moody turns her attention to the Paralympics. In an article released by the University News Center, she discussed what it is like to accomplish her dream of reaching the Games. “There is great pride that comes with playing for a team, especially one that competes at such a high level,” Moody said. “The feeling that you get when you wear USA across your chest is unlike anything else. I love to play basketball and I am so thankful for the opportunity I have had to work hard, keep getting better and keep competing against the best athletes in the world.” To compete at the highest level, mental preparation is just as important as physical. Moody discussed in an article released by the University News Center how important it was for her to prepare mentally for this journey. “The training process before and after qualification is a full-time job in and of itself,” Moody said. “Even when I’m not playing basketball, I am doing something that is furthering my ability to improve. Whether that is eating right, doing mental preparations or watching our campus that want to help,” Sterritt said. CW / Victoria Buckley film, much of my time is spent working towards my sport.” Moody will compete with teammates Lindsey Zurbrugg and Abby Bauleke in the Group B section of the competition. Men’s Wheelchair Basketball Ignacio Ortega will represent the Crimson Tide in the men’s wheelchair basketball event. Ortega is a senior at Alabama majoring in international studies. In Tokyo, he will represent Spain. Ortega has been a cornerstone of the men’s team at Alabama. This past season, he helped the Crimson Tide reach the title game of the Men’s Collegiate Wheelchair Basketball Championships. Alabama fell, 66-51, to University of Texas-Arlington. Just a few months later, Ortega helped Spain win the U23 European Championship. Ortega was the star of the show. He scored 35 points and snagged 28 rebounds in the title game against Germany. After his monster performance, Ortega told the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation how hard Spain had been working for this moment. “We’ve been working so hard and working for so many years,” Ortega told IWBF. “Working hard as a team and coming here and doing good, and hoping for more, and today we actually got it. We played an incredible tournament and I think we deserve it.” In July, Ortega qualified for his first Paralympic Games. Ortega and Team Spain will compete against the Republic of Korea, Canada, Colombia, Turkey and Japan in the qualifying rounds in late August. Alabama students and fans can catch these three athletes and 15 others at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games starting Aug. 24. The Games will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.
BACK TO SCHOOL August 19, 2021 TZALI NISLICK STAFF REPORTER Fall semester sports are right around the corner. The Alabama football team looks to defend its 18th National Championship, while the women’s soccer and volleyball teams aim to build off disappointing seasons. Football After a dominating campaign in which the Crimson Tide went undefeated and won the National Championship, the football team will see new faces heading into the new campaign. Former Alabama football players Mac Jones, Najee Harris, DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, Alex Leatherwood and Patrick Surtain II were all first-round picks in April’s NFL Draft. That puts pressure on their successors, particularly sophomore quarterback Bryce Young, especially after head coach Nick Saban said Young is approaching “seven figures” in name, image, likeness deals. Young, the former No. 2 overall player in the 2020 recruiting class, earned A-Day game MVP honors after completing 25 passes for 333 yards and a 59-yard touchdown. He will need to replicate his A-Day performance over the course of a full season if the Crimson Tide hopes to defend its status as National Champions. This team’s defense should be among the nation’s best. It contains standouts Will Anderson Jr., Christian Harris, Christopher Allen, Josh Jobe, Jordan Battle and Malachi Moore. Alabama also gained Tennessee transfer Henry To’o To’o. Alabama brings in the nation’s No. 1-ranked recruiting class, featuring seven five-star recruits. The Crimson Tide, with all its new and old faces, begins its season against Miami on Sept. 4 in Atlanta. The first game played at Bryant-Denny Stadium will be against Mercer on Sept. 11, followed by a rematch of last year’s SEC Championship game against Florida on Sept. 18. THIS SEMESTER IN SPORTS Women’s Soccer The women’s soccer team comes into the new year with high hopes following a solid 2020 season led by goalkeeper McKinley Crone. Crone posted 77 saves last year, putting her second in the SEC and 14th in the country. She did not miss a beat in her first year after transferring from Oklahoma. Also returning is sophomore midfielder Felicia Knox, who led the team with four goals in 2020. Head coach Wes Hart enters his seventh season with a 51-51-13 record. That mark is on par with the Tide’s 7-8-2 record a year ago. Alabama closed last year on a 5-3 run and took No. 8 Clemson to overtime in the season’s final match. Alabama’s first regular season match is Aug. 19 against Jacksonville State in Tuscaloosa. Men’s Golf The Alabama men’s golf team ended last season on a sour note after the team failed to qualify for nationals in an underwhelming performance at the 2021 NCAA Stillwater Regional. After qualifying for regionals for the 16th consecutive season, anything less than a National Championship run is considered a letdown for the Crimson Tide. The team lost last year’s seniors, Davis Shore and Wilson Furr. However, it signed Junior College All-American Dillon West and freshman Jones Free to the program. While playing at Jefferson State Community College last season, West led his team to a top-10 finish at NJCAA Nationals. He and Free, the former No. 7-ranked golfer in the state of Alabama, are expected to play integral roles for the Crimson Tide this fall. Alabama men’s golf ’s first match is Sept. 10 for the Maui Jim Invitational in Scottsdale, Arizona. Women’s Golf Former Alabama women’s golf star Stephanie Meadow put on quite the show at the Tokyo Olympics, finishing seventh overall as a member of Team Ireland. The Crimson Tide returns eight players, including four seniors and sophomore Benedetta Moresco. During media availability on Monday, head coach Mic Potter discussed the importance of Moresco’s presence on the team. “Benedetta Moresco is our leading returner. She was SEC Freshman of the Year after only beginning with us in January,” Potter said. “She made her presence felt in a short time and will be the not only one of the leading returners in the SEC, but in the nation.” The program now turns its focus to the start of its 48th season — its 17th under head coach Mic Potter — which is slated for Sept. 13 at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate in Lake Elmo, Minnesota. Volleyball The women’s volleyball team looks to improve from a 7-15 record in 2020 in a strong SEC. Alabama faced three top-seven-ranked opponents — Missouri, Florida and Kentucky — last season. On Monday, head coach Lindsey Devine shared her expectations for the season. “I’m looking for our team to build upon the things we had put as our goals last year,” Devine said. “We’re going to continue being a strong service team and putting pressure on our opponents.” Last season, Alabama served 117 aces, just six fewer than their opponents’ total of 123. Alabama served an average of 1.5 aces per set. Senior Abby Marjama was the team leader with 23 aces. Alabama added a host of newcomers during the offseason. The team added transfer students Sarah Swanson and Dru Kuck and signed six freshman students, including two-time Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year Shaye Eggleston. The team opens its season on Aug. 27 against Austin Peay State University. Track and Field 5B Najee Harris rushes for yards as the Crimson Tide faced Ohio State in the 2021 National Championship. CW / Hannah Saad After impressing in the Tokyo Olympics, Alabama track and field looks to continue its dominance in the fall semester. Alabama alumni Remona Burchell and Kirani James each won medals. Burchell won gold for Jamaica in the women’s 4x100 meter relay. James won bronze for Grenada in the men’s 400 meter race. Fellow alumnus Jereem Richards placed eighth in the men’s 200 meters. The College Sports Information Directors of America announced Thursday that a program-record six athletes earned Academic All-America honors, including Mercy Chelangat, Tamara Clark, Daija Lampkin, Samantha Zelden, Vincent Kiprop and Jake Spotswood. Lampkin is the first person from the women’s program to receive three Academic All-American honors. Alabama track and field’s first meet is Sept. 4 at the Memphis Twilight Classic. Present your ACT Card and Refer to this Ad for Buy one Budtlet, Get One Free! Valid through 8/31/21 in Tuscaloosa location only. One per visit per student. 1393 McFarland Blvd. E | (205)539-1630 Order online: order.nothingbundtcakes.com We deliver!
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The Crimson White: Back to School Edition, August 2021

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