The Crimson White: Rumor Edition, November 2021

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021 

VOLUME CXXVIII | ISSUE V 

Rumors spread quickly on campus 

and tend to linger. In this edition, The 

Crimson White confirms or debunks 

some of the most notorious rumors that 

surround our campus. 

CW / Laney Davis 

How does the Machine survive at UA? 

ISABEL HOPE 

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR 

He had heard rumors of the Machine, 

a 100-year-old underground political 

organization of sorority and fraternity 

members that controls campus 

elections. When he walked up to a 

Student Government Association table 

to ask about it, he was told the Machine 

didn’t exist. 

McGehee, who graduated from the 

University in 2020, was an independent 

Senator who served on the SGA 

Financial Affairs Committee. He also 

worked on multiple campaign teams for 

independent candidates who were not 

Machine affiliated. 

“I guess my assessment of the 

Machine’s influence on SGA elections 

is that they don’t have an influence,” 

McGehee said. “They run the elections.” 

Machine actions over the years have 

included burning crosses, burglary, 

vandalism and boycotts of local 

businesses. 

The Machine was investigated by the 

FBI in 1983 after non-Machine SGA 

President John Bolus discovered that his 

phone was being tapped. 

The SGA was temporarily shut 

down after a non-Machine presidential 

candidate reported being assaulted in 

1993. 

In 2013, a school board member 

filed a lawsuit claiming the Machine 

illegally influenced a city election by 

incentivizing students with alcohol and 

concert tickets. 

In the ’90s, the Machine allegedly 

stole over 4,000 copies of The Crimson 

White after learning that an expose on 

the organization was going to be printed 

the day before an SGA election. 

The Members 

Alex Smith, who graduated from the 

University in 2018, was an SGA Senator 

and member of the Machine. 

Smith said she was directed 

to the Machine after rushing Phi 

Mu, a Machine-affiliated sorority 

and expressing interest in student 

government. 

“I knew it was kind of my key or my 

ticket to obtaining an SGA position if 

I wanted one,” she said. “I was assured 

that it was nothing bad. I was told that 

it was a group of people comprised 

of members of the Greek system that 

essentially looked out for other members 

of the Greek system, kind of like a voting 

bloc.” 

Smith said the Machine became a 

larger part of her life once she won a seat 

in the Senate. She was told by Machine 

representatives within her sorority that 

she was part of a “select, secret group of 

senators” and not to tell anyone about 

the meeting. 

“Once I got the OK from my Machine 

reps in my house to run and I obtained 

a Senate position, I became much more 

familiar with the Machine, considering 

that I became one of their senators,” 

she said. “Over the span of a couple of 

months I became more familiar with the 

inner workings and what exactly being 

a part of the Machine entailed. To me, it 

was much more than just a voting blocc. 

It was a way that members of the Greek 

system coerced those in power to vote a 

specific way.” 

McGehee echoed this sentiment. 

“I did overhear a Machine-affiliated 

graduate senator, when we were going 

into a Senate meeting, say, ‘I’ve been 

instructed on what to vote on tonight,’” 

he said. “It was a joke, but that’s literally 

what they do. They’ll send the text 

message and be like ‘Hey, this is how 

we’re voting tonight.’” 

A freshman sorority member, who 

chose to remain anonymous, said 

she became immediately aware of the 

Machine while rushing this year. 

“They sat us [sorority members] 

down the week before we got initiated, 

and they were like, ‘This is how we are 

involved in the Machine,’ or ‘the group,’ 

as they called it,” she said. “The girl who 

is directly involved with the Machine 

told us who she was and to the capacity 

she’s involved in it. This was right when 

homecoming elections were coming up.” 

She said the Machine representative 

encouraged them to vote for presumably 

Machine-backed candidate McLean 

Moore. She decided not to participate in 

the “24/7” homecoming campaign for 

Moore. 

“I just chose not to be a part of that,” she 

said. “Not to put myself in that position 

publicly. I didn't post any of her graphics 

for things. I didn’t associate myself with 

the Machine-backed candidate.” 

McGehee said every sorority involved 

with the Machine has a representative 

who reaches out to members to tell them 

who the Machine-backed candidate is in 

every election. 

He drafted an amendment while he 

was in office to make election results 

public on the website in perpetuity. 

He had approval from the then-SGA 

president and other Machine-affiliated 

people. The amendment passed the 

Senate, but once Machine members 

realized it would make results public that 

“included reference to the Machine,” it 

lost their support. 

“They had reps going through houses 

saying that reporting the voting results 

publicly was supporting cyberbullying,” 

he said. 

McGehee said there is a “weird air” 

in the SGA offices when it comes to the 

Machine. 

“You’re not allowed to talk about it,” 

he said. 

SEE PAGE 4A 

CONTENTS 

4A 

Cult 

CULTURE 

leaders 

can come from 

anywhere, even The 

University of Alabama 

3B 

NEWS 

Campus crosswalks 

are slippery. The real 

question is: Are 

they safe? 

4B 

SPORTS 

Alabama is famous for 

football, but what else 

does it offer? 

Register Now FOR SPRING 

Learn more at sheltonstate.edu/register 

It is the policy of the Alabama Community College System Board of Trustees and Shelton State Community College, a postsecondary institution under its control, that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, national origin, 

religion, marital status, disability, gender, age, or any other protected class as defined by federal and state law, be excluded from participation, denied benefits, or subjected to discrimination under any program, activity, or employment.

2A 

THE CRIMSON WHITE 

editor-in-chief 

managing editor 

engagement editor 

chief copy editor 

opinions editor 

news editor 

assistant news editor 

culture editor 

assistant culture editor 

sports editor 

assistant sports editor 

chief page editor 

chief graphics editor 

photo editor 

assistant photo editor 

multimedia editor 

Keely Brewer 

editor@cw.ua.edu 

The Crimson Wh is the community newspaper of 

The University of Alabama. The Crimson White is an 

editorially free newspaper produced by students. 

The University of Alabama cannot influence editorial 

decisions and editorial opinions are those of the 

editorial board and do not represent the official 

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Crimson White are in room 1014, Student Media 

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mailing address is P.O. Box 870170, Tuscaloosa, AL 

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by The Crimson White. The Crimson White is printed 

monthly, August through April by The University of 

Alabama, Student Media, Box 870170, Tuscaloosa, AL 

35487, Call 205-348-7257 

All material contained herein, except advertising or 

where indicated otherwise, is Copyright © 2021 by 

The Crimson White and protected under the “Work 

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of the U.S. copyright laws. Material herein may not be 

reprinted without the expressed, written permission 

of The Crimson White. 

PRINT SCHEDULE 

Bhavana Ravala 

managingeditor@cw.ua.edu 

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engagement@cw.ua.edu 

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letters@cw.ua.edu 

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newsdesk@cw.ua.edu 

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culture@cw.ua.edu 

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The Capstone 

6 - 7PM 

17 

The Buzz 

10 About Bees 

Exhibit 

Alabama Museum of 

Natural History 

10AM - 4:30PM 

NOVEMBER EVENTS 

SMGA Exhibit: 

True Likeness 

15 15 

103 Garland Hall 

9AM - 4:30PM 

MFA Dance 

Concert 

English Building 

Dance Theater 

7:30 - 9PM 

6 

Forward 

Movement 

Paul R. Jones 

Museum 

9AM - 5PM 

Trans Day of 

19 Remembrance 

Vigil 

Student Center Lawn 

6PM 

Tree 

23 Decorating 30 



10AM - 4:30PM 

23 

UA Student 

Coffee Hour 



11AM - 12PM 

RUMOR 

November 18, 2021 

Field Trip to 

Birmingham 

Museum of Art 

9AM - 4PM 

DECEMBER EVENTS 

Exam Week 

Begins 

Monday - Friday 

2 

Mind Matters: 

Academic 2 

Anxiety 

UA Student Center 

3104 

12PM - 1PM 

Freshwater 

Mussel Exhibit 



10AM - 12PM 

Cinnamon 

7 Rolls, Not 

Gender Rolls 


2418 1PM - 2PM 

10 10 

Study Abroad 

101 Session 

B.B. Comer Hall 144 

2PM - 2:30PM 

8 

Fall 

Graduation 

Coleman Coliseum 

6PM 

Native 

17 American Film 

Festival 


Theater 

5 - 11PM 

Gilman 

Scholarship 

Workshop 

B.B. Comer Hall 109 

1:30PM - 2:30PM 

13 

Winter Interim 

Begins 

Monday, December 

13th

RUMOR 


3A 

CW File 

OUR VIEW: It’s our job to investigate rumors 

THE EDITORIAL BOARD 

The Crimson White is not deterred 

from tackling big issues, reporting 

overlooked events or facing our 

campus’s challenges head on. Our staff 

aims to continue this work through 

the rumor edition, which confirms 

or debunks rumors that surround our 

campus. The University of Alabama 

is a well-known institution. From 

our highly decorated football team to 

our expansive research opportunities, 

we have certainly earned a place 

in national dialogue. The CW is a 

valuable part in this conversation. 

Rumor 1: Students at The University 

of Alabama do not care about ending 

COVID-19. 

This rumor is a difficult one to tackle 

since the subject of the pandemic 

inherently invites the consideration 

of many other issues, but we can start 

with the reporting that has been done 

on this topic. Are our students placing 

themselves, and the surrounding 

community, at risk? 

During the summer of 2020, the 

campus community gained national 

attention for a number of concerning 

headlines, all with the same idea: 

that UA students were intentionally 

hosting parties to encourage the 

spread of COVID-19. These headlines 

were in no short supply. 

From ABC News to the Associated 

Press to Insider, national news outlets 

flocked to this story until it became its 

own pandemic legend. The University 

has rebutted this story many times, 

but the myth has left a stain on the 

University’s reputation, painting our 

student body as reckless, careless and 

even malicious. 

Verdict: Insufficient evidence. 

The University of Alabama has a 

reputation for being a “party school,” 

and its students have a reputation 

for being football fanatics who are 

unafraid to swarm the city’s bars on 

game days. However, this reputation 

does not necessarily mean that 

students have intentionally spread a 

virus for fun or to earn money through 

bets. The source of these rumors is 

somewhat vague in nature, circulating 

through the staff of a local urgent 

care facility, who cited recordings of 

students engaging in these practices. 

These videos have yet to be uncovered 

or published online. 

It appears to us at The CW that 

parties that occur during the pandemic 

are only “COVID parties” in the sense 

that any large-scale gathering risks 

the spread of the COVID-19 virus. 

The virus’s spread does not need to 

be intentional in order for it to still 

happen. 

The University of Alabama is not 

the only place that has inspired fears 

of “COVID parties,” with similar 

headlines cropping up in Florida, 

Washington State and Texas. 

In the absence of proof that people 

are spreading the COVID-19 virus 

intentionally, our reporting on the 

pandemic has instead focused on what 

the University is doing to curtail the 

spread of the virus. 

Rumor 2: The University of 

Alabama is only a football and party 

school. 

Rumors such as the existence of 

COVID parties are allowed to persist 

due to another common rumor about 

our campus: that students come here 

to spend four years partying, with 

academics taking a secondary role. In 

rankings of the top party schools in 

the country, the Capstone consistently 

appears in the top 10. In 2020, the 

Princeton Review even placed the 

University at the No. 1 spot. 

Verdict: False. 

The sources of this rumor are 

understandable. Alabama football 

fans pride themselves on a very 

recognizable number: 18. Our 

football team claims eighteen national 

championship wins. We are the home 

of a national legend, coach Nick Saban. 

When it comes to football, no one does 

it better. It’s difficult to follow college 

football at all without encountering 

our university’s name splashed across 

the headlines. From devastating losses 

to glorious victories, news outlets are 

always committed to covering our 

football performances. 

Our school offers more than the 

celebration of football victories. There 

are so many thriving areas of campus 

that deserve coverage. This is why we 

believe that The CW is best equipped 

to uncover overlooked successes on 

campus. While national news outlets 

may not have the resources or interest 

to consistently cover all aspects of the 

Capstone, that is our express purpose 

at The CW. Because of our connection 

to campus as students, we are able to 

gain a complete view of the University 

from the inside. 

Though we deeply value our football 

team, we also love to report on the 

other sports that The University 

of Alabama excels in. We love to 

highlight the top college athletes 

of the UA gymnastics team and the 

winners of the 2021 SEC Tournament, 

the UA men’s basketball team. 

However, our love of reporting 

the successes of campus doesn’t stop 

with sports. As both students and 

journalists, we know that the Capstone 

is an impressive academic institution. 

If we want The University of Alabama 

to be recognized for our impressive 

research feats or our commitment to 

service and leadership, then we, as 

journalists, must give these events a 

platform. If an area of campus goes 

overlooked, then we have failed at 

our duty. We take our responsibility 

as a representative of the University 

seriously, and we will continue to 

identify what it does well and what it 

can do better. 

Rumor 3: Greek life is a big deal at 

The University of Alabama. 

Earlier this year, a surprising event 

occurred. Every August, UA sororities 

conduct formal recruitment, a process 

to recruit new members that involves 

a week of meetings, parties and, of 

course, outfits. The process of rush 

is pretty familiar to the average UA 

student. If a student is surprised by 

the magnitude of rush their freshman 

year, they are certainly accustomed to 

it three years later. 

What usually goes unnoticed by 

people outside of our campus became a 

national topic of conversation. During 

the week of recruitment, “Bama Rush 

TikTok” became its own subculture 

on the app, attracting viewers from 

around the world. What started as a 

few incoming freshmen posting their 

outfits of the day quickly became 

national discourse, even featuring 

debates about topics such as how our 

culture defines femininity. 

Verdict: True. 

While the average person can’t 

understand the intricacies of the 

TikTok algorithm, it’s not surprising 

that Greek life on campus inspired 

so much national interest. As the 

biggest Panhellenic organization in 

the country, accounting for 35% of the 

UA student population, Greek life has 

a strong presence on campus. 

Due to its presence on campus, The 

CW has a vital role in the coverage 

of Greek life. At The CW, we seek to 

delve deeper into Greek life and how 

it represents our campus. We have 

historically championed its successes 

and acknowledged its shortcomings. 

Because we represent the University, 

Greek life and other UA organizations 

shape our identity. People following 

Bama Rush TikTok weren’t completely 

off the mark: An institution of such a 

size and history is a great place to start 

conversations about what we stand for 

as a university. 

What now? 

These are not the only rumors 

that circulate about The University 

of Alabama. Such a well-known 

institution will always be a subject 

of interest for a national audience, 

but we maintain our commitment to 

verifying the validity of these rumors 

and providing a student perspective 

on the narratives that define the 

University. 

News does not exist in a vacuum; 

the narratives we tell shape our legacy 

as a university. It is for this reason that 

the editorial board is emboldened to 

write narratives worth reading. We 

are honored to join national news 

outlets in the practice of journalism, 

for despite any differences we have, 

our goal is the same: to inform our 

campus community. 

The Crimson White Editorial Board is composed of Editorin-Chief 

Keely Brewer, Managing Editor Bhavana Ravala, 

Engagement Editor Garrett Kennedy, Chief Copy Editor Jack 

Maurer and Opinions Editor Ava Fisher.

4A 

RUMOR 


CW / Jo Dyess 

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 

The Politics 

John Archibald, a Pulitzer Prizewinning 

reporter for AL.com, graduated 

from the University in the ’80s. He cohosted 

“Greek Gods,” a podcast about 

the Machine, in 2018 with AL.com’s 

Reckon Radio. 

Archibald said a primary reason he 

cares about the Machine is because “it 

doesn’t stop in college, and it manifests 

itself in the real world.” He also noted a 

more personal connection. 

“The Machine is the reason I do what 

I do today, because in addition to being 

a great training ground for a corrupt 

politician, that’s a great training ground 

for journalists who are indignant about 

corrupt politicians,” he said. “It’s also 

the reason I’m married to my wife.” 

He met his wife, Alecia Archibald, 

while working at the CW and covering 

Machine activity on campus. He recalled 

“staking out” the Sigma Chi house and 

watching Machine representatives put 

bags over their heads to get to cars that 

quickly pulled up for them. She said Phi 

Mu’s faculty advisor told her to break up 

with Archibald and quit the CW or she 

would be kicked out of Phi Mu. 

Smith said what sticks out to her most 

from her time in the Machine is that she 

was told she could vote however she 

wanted as a senator, but when she didn’t 

vote how the Machine wanted, there 

was “punishment.” 

“I think one of the most telling things 

is that if it really wasn’t a big deal, if 

this group really isn’t as bad as people 

make them out to be, then why are they 

punishing people when they don’t fall in 

line?” she said. 

Smith said that once she left the 

Machine, her sorority members reacted 

negatively, and she felt “exiled.” 

“It became very apparent that no one 

wanted to sit with me,” she said. “No one 

really wanted to be my friend. Things 

were said in our pledge class group 

about me leaving the Machine and how 

it would reflect poorly on our house. I 

received dozens of blocked phone calls 

from numbers I didn’t know cursing at 

me and saying very ugly things. Fellow 

Machine senators no longer wanted to 

work with me on any issues or any type 

of legislation.” 

McGehee later worked on the 

presidential campaign team for Gene 

Fulmer. Fulmer’s opponent Jared 

Hunter, had enough election violations 

to be disqualified, but his campaign was 

only suspended with community service 

hours. McGehee said the candidate 

campaigned for only a few hours but 

won with over 60% of the vote. 

Hunter won the presidential election 

and publicly claimed a connection to 

the Machine. 

McGehee later got a call from a 

Machine representative acknowledging 

that the Machine-backed candidate 

should have been disqualified. The 

Elections Board resigned after the 

campaign cycle over the incident. 

While campaigning for an 

independent candidate in his junior 

year, he was followed by people he had 

never seen or met before, including 

staffers from other campaigns. McGehee 

left the SGA in his senior year. 

“The reason I dropped out of SGA 

senior year was because I wanted a 

cabinet position,” he said. “The incoming 

Machine administration knew that and 

promised me a paid cabinet position 

before campaign season in exchange 

for campaigning for the Machinebacked 

candidate for SGA President. I 

didn’t take their offer and campaigned 

for independent candidates. I met with 

the president-elect and asked if it was 

worth my time to apply for a cabinet 

spot after elections. He said yes, but 

I was ultimately not offered any role 

in SGA.” 

When Smith ran for homecoming 

queen, she wanted to campaign at 

a sorority house but was denied the 

ability to speak. She said the Machine 

“infiltrates” honor societies and campus 

organizations, so it was hard to build 

relationships for the rest of her time 

in college. 

No one takes the SGA as seriously as 

the Machine, according to Smith. 

It’s a real organization. 

It’s dangerous. People 

shouldn’t feel apathetic 

toward it. They have 

real power on this 

campus statewide. 

“When you have a third of campus 

automatically coming in as freshmen, 

essentially being forced to be politically 

involved in SGA, then that automatically 

gives the Machine an advantage,” she 

said. “Whereas other students who are 

coming in who are not members of the 

Greek system are not being exposed 

to SGA and the politics of what the 

Machine is.” 

The anonymous freshman sorority 

member said she is embarrassed for 

those still in the Machine. 

“There’s obviously a very large voting 

bloc of Greeks who will vote how the 

Machine tells them. It’s been harmful. I 

mean it goes back into the 1800s as being 

a racist organization, and honestly, if 

you’re involved in the Machine, I think 

it’s embarrassing. That’s why I decided 

to distance myself from that. I decided 

to speak up.” 

Archibald said he thought the Greek 

Gods podcast would be an interesting 

story to tell about the culture of 

Alabama politics. 

“I wanted to do it because of the 

sheer number of politicians who come 

out of that system,” he said. “It’s really 

a breeding ground for politicians. It’s a 

classic story of privilege versus justice.” 

The Voters 

Historically, voter turnout in 

campus elections has not been high. 

The recent homecoming election saw 

the largest voter turnout since 2015, 

with over 13,000 students – onethird 

of the student body – voting. 

McGehee said student voter apathy 

leads to the Machine-backed candidates 

consistently winning, but doesn’t think 

it’s the only reason. 

“There’s definitely some student 

apathy, but I think that that’s an excuse,” 

he said. “I mean, just because there’s 

apathy, ... it doesn’t give you the right to 

rig elections.” 

The freshman sorority member said 

she sees student apathy but wants the 

student body to know what’s going on 

behind closed doors. 

“People should know that it’s real,” 

she said. “It’s a real organization. 

It’s dangerous. People shouldn’t feel 

apathetic toward it. They have real 

power on this campus and statewide.” 

Now that Smith has had several years 

to reflect on her experiences, she has a 

message for students currently involved 

with the Machine. 

“There is not a day that goes by that 

I ever regret standing up for what I 

believe in or the injustices that I saw,” 

she said. “Just knowing that you have 

the ability to stand up for what is right, 

for what you believe in. I just hope 

that people who are in college now can 

understand that that will be so worth it 

in the long run, even if it seems like it 

would do harm to you in the now.” 

While the University’s administration 

has never officially acknowledged the 

Machine’s existence, the freshman 

sorority member said she does not 

believe that the administration 

is unaware. 

“Obviously the administration has to 

know about it,” she said. “It’s Alabama’s 

dirty little secret.” 

Which former UA professor started a cult? 

ETHAN HENRY 

CONTRIBUTING WRITER 

In 1997, the Heaven’s Gate cult 

took part in a mass suicide, under the 

assumption that they would ascend to 

heaven in a UFO. Marshall Applewhite, 

one of the founders of this cult, was a 

music professor at The University of 

Alabama for a few years in the mid-’60s 

before teaching at St. Thomas University 

and eventually having a psychotic break. 

If you see that 

astonishing, pale, 

ghostly face that’s on 

the Heaven’s Gate 

website, it’s almost as if 

he cultivated a look that 

made him look alien. 

NEELY BRUCE 

Following this psychotic break, he 

became close with Bonnie Nettles, his 

nurse. After he began having visions, the 

two formed their own set of apocalyptic 

spiritual beliefs, recruiting followers and 

spreading their alien-centric spiritual 

message to anyone who would listen. 

Despite the way Applewhite’s mental 

health deteriorated throughout his life, 

his time at The University of Alabama 

painted a different picture for Neely 

Bruce, a composer, professor of music at 

Wesleyan University and UA alum. 

“His singing was truly remarkable, 

and I like to remember him as a very 

good singer who had a lot of charisma 

on the stage,” Bruce said. 

For Bruce, it was a shock to hear about 

how much Applewhite’s life had shifted. 

Bruce had been casually following the 

story in the news, and he didn’t realize 

it was his former music professor until a 

friend informed him. 

In the ’60s, it was widely rumored 

that Applewhite’s time at Alabama 

ended following an affair with a graduate 

student, but little evidence of this exists. 

Bruce had no idea why Applewhite left 

the University, but said the rumors 

about his being with a graduate student 

weren't true. 

“This rumor was circulating [in] 

lots of places. It annoyed me because I 

didn’t have any direct evidence of this, 

and I don’t think people should spread 

rumors,” Bruce said. 

In addition to the path Applewhite’s 

life had taken, Bruce was surprised by 

how much his appearance had shifted. 

“If you see that astonishing, pale, 

ghostly face that’s on the Heaven’s Gate 

website, it’s almost as if he cultivated 

a look that made him look alien,” 

Bruce said. 

Heaven’s Gate made an initial splash in 

the media in the ’90s, but public interest 

in the cultic topic has reappeared. 

Lily Davenport is a doctoral candidate 

studying English at the University of 

Cincinnati who taught multiple firstyear 

writing courses at The University 

of Alabama centered around cults. She 

attributed this resurgence in interest 

to podcasts. 

“A lot of the media around cults is 

coming out of the podcast world, and 

I think that that grows directly out of 

the growth of true crime podcasts,” 

Davenport said. 

A 2020 HBO documentary about 

the cult also revitalized interest in 

Applewhite’s life. The story of Heaven’s 

Gate holds more weight with a 

modern audience because Applewhite 

utilized modern-day techniques to 

gain followers. 

“One thing that I often talk about 

with my students is that they were one 

of the first cultic groups to utilize the 

internet as a means of recruitment,” 

Davenport said. 

The Heaven’s Gate website, now a relic 

of the ’90s, has been preserved and is still 

accessible online. 

Davenport said that due to its 

utilization of technology, if the cult was 

around now, it would have “cornered the 

meme market.” 

Alexa Tullett, an assistant professor 

of psychology at The University of 

Alabama, said people are often drawn 

into groups like Heaven’s Gate to feel a 

sense of belonging. 

“We want to be part of communities. 

So sometimes I think groups, especially 

groups that have a fringe belief system 

or unconventional belief system, can feel 

very inviting to be a part of,” Tullett said. 

A 2021 study published in the journal 

Psychology of Religion and Spirituality 

found that 57% of reported cult members 

were female and that over half “had a 

university education.” 

It might seem surprising that educated 

people frequently join these groups, 

but dependence can lead members of 

a cult to disregard outside information 

and evidence. 

“There’s a certain effort that comes 

with questioning all of our actions and 

questioning the claims that are made by 

our political leaders or people who are in 

power, but I think sometimes people like 

to have a source of information or advice 

that we don’t question,” Tullet said. 

It’s important to remember that the 

people who are drawn into cultlike groups 

don’t always fit a stereotype. Russell 

McCutcheon, chair of the Department of 

Religious Studies at the University, said 

the wide variety of people involved in the 

Heaven’s Gate suicides made the group 

stand out in the media. 

“It got difficult to dismiss them as crazy 

or disaffected, as many at first rushed 

to do, when the ‘goodbye’ videos were 

released and we realized how diverse and 

articulate/educated the group’s members 

were, how old some members were, how 

excited they all seemed to be for what 

awaited them,” he said. 

Many in the public saw parts of 

themselves in the Heaven’s Gate 

members, and that’s a key piece of 

what made it so terrifying for some. 

Applewhite seemed to convince the 

group that their ascension to heaven 

was imminent. 

Heaven’s Gate is also the story of a 

mental health struggle — one that not 

only impacted Applewhite, but resulted 

in the death of 39 people. 

“It’s not pretty, and people need to be 

more and more aware of the real damage 

that mental illness does to its victims,” 

McCutcheon said. 

CW / Jo Dyess

RUMOR 


How do faculty impact students’ legacies? 

JEFFREY KELLY 

CULTURE EDITOR 

It’s debatable to say that all The 

University of Alabama creates is 

legends, but it’s hard to debate the 

role faculty members play in students’ 

careers, especially faculty members 

like Qianping Guo. Guo, an associate 

professor of dance who danced with 

two of the top ballet companies in 

China and America, is a gold and silver 

medalist in multiple international 

ballet competitions. 

On the second floor of Clark 

Hall, Guo leads his students through 

intricate ballet combinations, making 

sure that students learn the techniques 

and understand why they matter. 

For Guo, ballet isn’t just about 

“beautiful movements”; it’s about the 

reasoning. In the 10 years he has been 

at the University, he has created bonds 

of trust with his students and instilled 

in them an attention to detail. 

According to some of his students, 

Guo’s dedication to his craft has 

helped them tremendously. Carey 

Hodovanich, a corps de ballet 

dancer at Ballet Pensacola and a UA 

alumna, said Guo’s passion for ballet 

was obvious. 

“You can tell how much he loves it, 

and that makes me love it even more, 

because I know I’m learning from 

someone who loves it,” Hodovanich 

said. “It’s not just him giving me 

corrections because that’s his job. He’s 

giving it because he loves the art form, 

and he wants to see me do it the best 

that I can do it.” 

Hodovanich said Guo always saw 

room for improvement in every dancer 

and pushed them to be better while 

encouraging them. She said that Guo 

was intent on making sure his students 

worked hard, which helped her grow 

as a dancer, and that his attention to 

detail made her think less about the 

big picture and more about the details 

and the “intention behind it.” 

“It clicked in my brain, and it 

helped make picking up choreography 

a lot easier, and it just kind of helped 

me with my artistry because it gave 

my movement purpose,” she said. “It 

then helps me be successful in the 

professional world, because I was 

picking up details and not having to 

wait to be corrected on them.” 

While Guo has affected UA 

students, he’s also created connections 

through mentoring and teaching 

students outside of the University 

like Lumeng, Jiao Yang and Jolie Rose 

Lombardo, all of whom have won 

medals in international and national 

ballet competitions. 

In 2016, after evacuating Orlando 

due to Hurricane Hermine, Lombardo, 

a Florida native, had her first class 

with Guo at age 14. After the class, 

Lombardo left excited to learn more. 

“The class was so good. I love 

being challenged. … I want to have 

a combination that I can’t do yet, 

... and his class was so difficult and 

absolutely on the Vaganova training 

that I was like, ‘That’s a real class,’” 

Lombardo said. 

Lombardo and Guo continued 

to work together throughout 2018 

until the regional Youth 

America Grand Prix, after 

which Lombardo got sick and 

went back to Tuscaloosa to 

recuperate. During this time, 

he not only helped her get 

back to 100%, but also helped 

her prepare the variation her 

previous ballet teacher gave her 

for the Youth America Grand 

Prix finals. 

Stephanie Lombardo, 

Jolie’s mother, said that after 

six weeks the variation 

looked completely 

different. Jolie Lombardo 

took the piece to New 

York for the Youth 

America Grand 

Prix competition 

and received a 

gold medal. 

“[The directors 

of the competition] 

kept saying, ‘You’re 

a different dancer,’ 

not that her ballet 

teacher wasn’t great 

in Atlanta. She was 

wonderful, but 

they didn't give 

her the amount of 

time,” Stephanie 

Lombardo said. 

“When you have 

somebody that will 

spend time with you and fix everything 

and prepare you for a competition that 

big — that’s what he did, and it was his 

phenomenal training.” 

Through Guo’s preparation, Jolie 

Lombardo went on to become one 

of the youngest finalists at the USA 

International Ballet Competition. 

After that, Lombardo won a full 

scholarship to the John Cranko 

Schule, a renowned ballet school, in 

Stuttgart, Germany. 

Things for Jolie Lombardo took a 

harrowing turn when after Christmas 

in 2019, she began to have trouble 

sleeping and experienced excruciating 

pain when she tried. At a hospital in 

Germany, she found out she had a 

tumor on her spinal cord. Reluctant to 

let her daughter have a major surgery 

like that without her around, Stephanie 

Lombardo worked to get her daughter 

back home. 

A day later, Jolie Lombardo and her 

parents were at Children’s 

Scottish Rite Hospital in 

Atlanta, Georgia, when a 

doctor informed them that 

if they had waited a few 

more days to come in or 

if Lombardo had fallen 

asleep from exhaustion 

and the tumor had 

moved the “slightest bit 

south,” she could have 

been paralyzed. 

The surgery went well, 

but for the first three 

days, Lombardo was 

paralyzed even though she 

was supposed to be able 

to move. 

“For me having three 

weeks off is a nightmare, 

you know? Being not 

able to move, I never 

thought I’d ever have 

to experience that 

in my entire life, 

because my life is 

moving,” Lombardo 

said. “So when 

I woke up and I 

could not move, 

it was the most 

frustrating thing. 

... It was absolutely 

horrifying. The 

worst feeling in my 

CW / Anna Butts 

entire life.” 

5A 

Luckily, on the fourth day, Lombardo 

was able to move her arm, then from 

there she worked her way from the bed 

to a wheelchair to a walker, and then 

she was off to a rehabilitation center 

in Florida. 

It’s not just him 

giving me corrections 

because that’s his job. 

He’s giving it because 

he loves the art form, 

and he wants to see 

me do it the best that I 

can do it.” 

CAREY 

HODOVANICH 

Stephanie Lombardo said that 

the second she was able to get into a 

studio, Jolie called Guo. During this 

time, Jolie Lombardo could only do 

half a barre sequence, but with Guo’s 

help she got better. 

“Everyone thinks it’s my school 

[the John Cranko Schule], but it’s not. 

It’s here, and it’s because we love the 

University so much,” she said. 

Stephanie Lombardo said she 

credits Guo’s training along with her 

daughter’s positive thinking. She 

said there was never a doubt in her 

daughter’s mind about the trajectory 

of her career. 

Now, Jolie Lombardo has a job with 

Stuttgart Ballet, a leading German 

ballet company, and can openly give 

that credit to Guo, whereas before she 

couldn’t because of her connection to 

the John Cranko Schule. 

Hodovanich said she loved being 

able to experience class with Lombardo 

because it gave her something to 

strive for and showed her that Guo’s 

methods work. 

“It was kind of like the proof, not 

that I needed it, but it was nice to be 

like, ‘Oh, yes. This is good,’” she said. 

“[Lombardo] came back, and she was 

saying that the level class that we were 

doing, we looked absolutely fantastic. 

So, it was nice validation to hear from 

someone who was in the professional 

world at the college level.” 

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6A 

RUMOR 

November 18, 2021

RUMOR 


AINSLEY PLATT 

STAFF REPORTER 

The University of Alabama has 

announced multiple changes to its 

COVID-19 policies over the last few 

weeks. On Oct. 22, the University 

announced that it would comply with 

President Joe Biden’s executive order 

requiring federal employees to be fully 

vaccinated against COVID-19. A week 

later, on Oct. 29, an email sent to the 

campus community announced that the 

requirement for vaccinated individuals 

to wear masks indoors would be lifted on 

Nov. 5, with some exceptions. 

‘A pre-COVID world’ 

With the mask mandate lifted, many 

students feel that there has been a return 

to pre-COVID-19 normalcy. For some, 

there is division on whether or not this is a 

positive or negative development. 

Payton Greenlee, a sophomore 

majoring in marketing, said he feels 

that having “normal” life continue is 

more important than worrying about 

COVID-19, and that it wasn’t worth 

implementing COVID-19 restrictions at 

the expense of normal activities like inperson 

classes. 

He said he did not think the University 

should have restrictions for COVID-19 

when they did not implement them for 

other illnesses in the past. 

“I have caught [COVID-19] before, 

and it affected me no different than 

having a fever does,” Greenlee said. “I 

don’t think the campus should be worried 

about COVID.” 

The admin has failed 

miserably at their job 

of protecting students, 

faculty, staff and the 

greater Tuscaloosa 

community. It is utterly 

ridiculous that no one 

was held accountable. 

SKY DUNN 

Gabrielle Kirk, a freshman majoring 

in secondary education, said that as 

temperatures drop, it’s even more 

important for the campus community 

to be on its guard for a COVID-19 

resurgence, and she criticized those who 

are celebrating the return to normal. 

“We can’t get to a [pre-COVID-19] 

society unless people get their vaccine 

and booster shots and our body evolves to 

handle the COVID-19 strain,” Kirk said. 

“[Students] don’t want to get vaccinated, 

don’t want to wear a mask, don’t want to 

social distance, but want a pre-COVID 

world. Science and viruses don’t work 

like that.” 

According to data released by the 

University on Oct. 22, at least 62% of UA 

students have received at least one dose of 

a COVID-19 vaccine. 

Dr. Richard Friend, a member of the 

University of Alabama System Health 

and Safety Task Force and the dean 

of the College of Community Health 

Sciences, said the University is following 

the science in lifting its mask mandate for 

vaccinated individuals. 

Is COVID still a concern for campus? 

The Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention says that “everyone should 

wear a mask in public, indoor settings,” 

regardless of vaccination status, in 

areas of substantial to high community 

transmission levels. Tuscaloosa County 

currently has a substantial level of local 

transmission, as it did when the University 

announced it would remove the mask 

mandate. When the mask mandate 

was lifted on Nov. 5, the county was 

experiencing a high level of transmission. 

According to the CDC, a substantial 

level of COVID-19 transmission is 

considered to be between 50 and 100 cases 

per 100,000 people, or a test positivity rate 

between 8% and 10%. Tuscaloosa County 

currently has about 83 cases per 100,000 

people, with 4.66% of COVID-19 tests in 

the county coming back positive. 

Some students like Greenlee said 

they believe that COVID-19 is no worse 

than the flu and therefore is nothing 

to worry about. Friend did not offer a 

direct response to this, instead stressing 

that “we should still be concerned about 

COVID-19 and we still need to be 

concerned about the flu.” 

Narratives that compare the flu to 

COVID-19 have been viewed with 

skepticism by public health authorities 

due to the disparities in the diseases’ 

respective death tolls and the fact that 

COVID-19 spreads faster than the flu. 

While the flu can be deadly for those 

who catch it — the CDC estimates that 

the flu kills between 12,000 and 52,000 

each year — over 750,000 people have 

died from COVID-19 in the United States 

since the beginning of the pandemic, with 

that number climbing by the thousands 

daily. Overall, there is a consensus that 

COVID-19 is much more severe than the 

flu. 

‘No one was held 

accountable’ 

A bill signed into law earlier this year 

by Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey prohibits state 

entities and private businesses from asking 

individuals to provide proof of vaccination. 

The law effectively renders the University’s 

updated mask requirements, which still 

require unvaccinated individuals to wear 

masks indoors, unenforceable. 

“The state law is the state law,” 

Friend said. “I would just encourage 

[unvaccinated individuals] to do the right 

thing. They’re all on the honor system.” 

The other two universities in the 

UA System, the University of Alabama 

at Birmingham and the University of 

Alabama in Huntsville, continue to 

require masks indoors on their campuses, 

despite having lower levels of virus 

transmission in their counties than in 

Tuscaloosa County. 

UAB spokesperson Alicia Rohan 

said the policy is not likely to change 

anytime soon. 

“UAB plans to maintain an indoor 

masking requirement for the rest of 

the calendar year while we continue to 

monitor local COVID transmission rates, 

hospitalizations, and other relevant data,” 

she said in an email. 

Requests for comment from UAH were 

not returned. 

Jefferson County, where UAB is 

located, has moderate levels of local 

virus transmission. Madison County, 

where UAH is located, is also in the 

moderate range. Both counties have 

significantly lower levels of transmission 

than Tuscaloosa County, which has a 

substantial level of transmission according 

to the CDC website tracking transmission 

levels in individual counties. 

Sky Dunn, a junior majoring in history, 

said she is tired of the University saying 

one thing and then doing another. Due 

to her immunocompromised status, she 

is at higher risk of contracting severe 

COVID-19. 

“The admin has failed miserably at their 

job of protecting students, faculty, staff 

and the greater Tuscaloosa community,” 

Dunn said. “It is utterly ridiculous that no 

one was held accountable.” 

Dunn also stated that the requirement 

for unvaccinated people to still wear masks 

indicates that the University knows it’s not 

safe to unmask, but chose to change the 

policy anyways. 

“By the admin writing the policy, they 

acknowledge that if you are not vaccinated, 

you need to wear a mask, which shows 

that they are aware that people should 

be wearing masks,” she said. “It does not 

resonate with the political beliefs of the 

admin of the school.” 

The University has only cited Biden’s 

executive order for why it chose to lift the 

mask mandate. Open records requests for 

the specific information used to make the 

decision have not been answered. 

‘Very few COVID-19 cases’ 

This semester has seen cases among 

students, faculty and staff drop significantly 

below the peak from fall 2020. Between 

Nov. 1 and Nov. 7, six students and three 

faculty or staff members have reported 

testing positive for the virus. 

Between Aug. 9 and Nov. 7, 685 new 

cases have been reported among students, 

and 191 new cases have been reported 

among the faculty and staff. Around this 

point last year the University had more 

than 2,800 new cases reported by students 

during the semester, while about 340 cases 

were reported among faculty and staff in 

the same period this year. 

“We have very few COVID-19 cases on 

our campus; our positivity rate is under 

1%,” Friend said. 

The number of cases this semester 

is significantly lower than last fall, but 

compared to last year, the University’s 

testing operations are less robust. Last 

year, the University required entry 

and exit testing, as well as sentinel 

testing for those who participated in 

on-campus activities. 

Students can voluntarily be tested at the 

Student Health Center, University Medical 

Center or an off-campus medical provider, 

but they are no longer required to be 

tested regularly, with some exceptions for 

student-athletes. 

Friend was unavailable for followup 

questions regarding the changes to 

testing resources. 

‘Not everyone is vaccinated’ 

While campus COVID-19 cases 

on campus remain low this semester, 

transmission in surrounding Tuscaloosa 

County areas remain high, and it is 

still unknown how the lifting of some 

masking measures will affect campus 

infection numbers. 

The University dashboard does not 

list the number of students who are fully 

vaccinated, only those who have received 

at least one dose. In order to be fully 

vaccinated, one must receive two doses of 

either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or 

one dose of the Johnson & Johnson shot. 

One dose of the Pfizer and Moderna 

vaccines provides significantly less 

protection. The protection afforded by 

vaccines have also been shown to decrease 

1B 

over time. Requests for information 

on how many students have been fully 

vaccinated have not been answered. 

“If you don’t want to be vaccinated, 

chances are you probably don’t want 

to wear a mask or don’t wear one at all,” 

Dunn said. “They know that not everyone 

is vaccinated, and yet most people aren’t 

wearing masks.” 

[Students] don’t want 

to get vaccinated, don’t 

want to wear a mask, 

don’t want to social 

distance, but want 

a pre-COVID world. 

Science and viruses 

don’t work like that. 

GABRIELLE KIRK 

All UA employees are required to 

comply with the vaccine mandate by Jan. 

4, but employees can apply for medical, 

disability or religious exemptions. A 

bill signed into state law on Nov. 5 by 

Ivey made it illegal for employers to fire 

employees who refuse a COVID-19 

vaccine and claim a medical or 

religious exemption. 

The University has not publicly 

outlined plans for employees who refuse 

the vaccine. There is currently no available 

information on how the University 

evaluates exemption requests, or how 

many people have requested one. The 

exemption request forms were taken 

down from the UA Vaccine Management 

Portal on Nov. 5 and made available again 

on Nov. 11. 

‘Whatever measures are 

necessary’ 

Many students believe that the 

campus no longer needs to worry about 

COVID-19, citing reasons ranging 

from increased vaccination numbers to 

incorrect beliefs that COVID-19 is no 

worse than the flu. 

“I think we are totally in the clear,” 

said Saylor Collum, a freshman majoring 

in public relations. “I think things are 

normal again, and we need to start acting 

that way.” 

According to Friend, the campus should 

still be concerned about COVID-19. 

“There’s still a lot we don’t know about 

COVID-19; we still have cases, very few 

cases but still, we have cases across the 

country and in young people,” Friend said. 

“I think everybody needs to get vaccinated 

and take the necessary precautions to try 

and prevent it.” 

Friend said that the University is 

committed to keeping the campus safe, 

and that measures could be taken in the 

future if necessary. 

“We will implement whatever measures 

are necessary, at the times necessary, 

to keep campus safe as we have done,” 

he said. 

Dunn made it clear what she thought 

people should do if they think COVID-19 

is no longer a concern. 

“People who think we should move on 

from COVID-19 should get off Facebook 

and call [their] local hospital,” Dunn said. 

“See how many ICU beds are full and 

how exhausted the staff is from fighting 

this pandemic. Let’s try to get each other 

through this hard time instead of fighting 

CW File

2B 

RUMOR 

November 18, 2021

RUMOR 


Is off-campus student housing too much trouble? 

3B 

ANNABELLE BLOMELEY, JEFFREY KELLY & MADDY REDA 

THE CULTURE DESK 

With 167 student apartments listed 

on the UA off-campus housing resources 

page, there are bound to be some 

problems. From water leaks and poor 

management to break-ins and infestations, 

choosing a place to live after dorming can 

be a daunting task. 

While many off-campus apartments 

have good reviews, some haven’t fared so 

well, facing complaints such as broken 

appliances, poor management, mold, 

flooding and security concerns. 

Recently, several complexes have 

been the target of break-ins and 

attempted robberies. 

Stephanie Taylor, a spokesperson 

for the Tuscaloosa Police Department, 

said that most vehicle break-ins, thefts 

and burglaries happen at off-campus 

apartment complexes and off-campus 

houses because there are more potential 

victims available in a shorter amount of 

time and there tends to be less security. 

According to the Tuscaloosa Police 

Department, all vehicles and every 

apartment but one that have been broken 

into within the past three months at Vie at 

University Downs were unlocked and had 

no signs of forced entry. 

In the Alabama Student Ticket 

Exchange Facebook group alone, dozens 

of posts have been made about cars being 

broken into or stolen at supposedly gated 

apartment complexes. 

“When choosing a place to live, pay 

attention to whether the complex has 

working security cameras,” Taylor said. 

“We sometimes get crimes reported at a 

residential or 

business that 

has cameras, 

but not functional ones. Check with the 

apartment management on occasion and 

ask if the cameras work. If they advertise 

on-site security personnel, hold them to 

that. If the complex is gated, but the gate is 

always left up — say something.” 

Along with security issues, many 

complexes have been berated online for 

the lack of cleanliness in the apartments. 

One apartment complex, The Lofts at 

City Center, claims on its website to offer 

“luxurious apartments” and “the best 

student apartments in Tuscaloosa near 

The University of Alabama.” 

With rates as low as $394 per month, 

The Lofts is one of the cheaper housing 

options for students. However, many 

residents have used the ticket exchange 

Facebook group, online review websites 

and other platforms to advise against 

living at The Lofts. 

One Yelp user claimed his apartment 

flooded several times at The Lofts, that 

there was a cockroach problem, and that 

“trash piles up in the halls, dog poop stays 

in stairwells or hallways for months.” 

Cardinal Group Management, which 

owns The Lofts and several other studentstyle 

living apartments across the country, 

said it is working to fix the problems. 

“We are aware of issues concerning 

trash and mold in The Lofts at City Center 

over the last few weeks. We have promptly 

and actively worked to resolve every 

issue that has come to our attention.” the 

Cardinal Group said in a statement to the 

Crimson White in October. 

While some may think the cheaper 

price equates to worse conditions, some 

off-campus apartments have proven this 

isn’t the case. 

In August 2018, many were 

excited to be the first residents of 

Hub Tuscaloosa, which flaunted 

luxury apartments, pool parties and a 

location near Bryant-Denny Stadium. 

However, after being open for only a week, 

Hub was already experiencing problems, 

much to the dismay of the students paying 

upwards of $1,200 a month in rent for 

one apartment. 

According to Andrew Cartwright, a 

student who shared his experience with 

the Crimson White in October, they were 

met with dirty surfaces and sinks full of 

water with no working garbage disposal. 

Over the next few months, residents 

also experienced flooding and mold in 

the walls. 

Lily Mai, the director of communications 

for Hub, responded to the issues in an 

October article of the Crimson White. 

“The heavy rainfall we had in September 

impacted some residents and displaced 

others,” Mai said. “We worked closely with 

anyone experiencing issues, and there are 

no residents in [un]inhabitable situations.” 

Although most students who complain 

about their apartments are simply out 

of luck, more than 100 residents of Hub 

Tuscaloosa filed a class action lawsuit 

against the company in 2018 for violating 

the Alabama Landlord and Tenant Act. 

City Attorney Scott Holmes said all 

lawsuits related to Hub were dismissed 

with prejudice in February 2020. 

Some off-campus apartment complexes 

have changed their names throughout the 

years due to changes in ownership, losing 

the bad reviews associated with their name 

in the process. Redpoint was originally 

called The Woodlands of Tuscaloosa 

but changed its name in 2019. Campus 

Evolution was renamed The Path. Evolve 

used to be known as Harbor on Sixth. 

Michael Cartee, a real estate developer 

from Chicago and a Tuscaloosa lawyer 

who represented Core Spaces, said that 

the exception for plexes is “fundamentally 

unfair” 

CW / Anna Butts 

and that plexes cause horizontal sprawl 

and blight. 

Tuscaloosa attorney Bryan Winter, 

who also represented Core Spaces, said 

the city currently incentivizes four and 

five bedrooms for plexes in the way that 

it handles service fees. Land development 

projects pay those fees to the city to 

cover the impact that they have on 

city infrastructure. 

Service fees are charged to housing 

developments by the number of units, 

rather than by the number of bedrooms 

and bathrooms. 

Winter said the moratorium on multifamily 

and student mega complexes 

is “pushing back on outside economic 

investment and job creation.” 

Robert McLeod, a professor of 

finance at The University of Alabama’s 

Culverhouse College of Business, said 

the economic impact of large-scale land 

development projects like student mega 

complexes “make a very large contribution 

to both city and school taxes.” 

“If we unduly restrict these kinds 

of developments, it’s going to hurt 

Tuscaloosa’s economy,” McLeod said. 

After studying 2019 economic data with 

Samuel Addy, head of the Culverhouse 

Center for Business and Economic 

Research, McLeod said they found that 

for every dollar in construction spending, 

there is a positive economic impact of 

$2.40, and that large housing development 

projects had an impact of more than $500 

million on Tuscaloosa’s economy that year. 

McLeod also said large-scale 

developments like mega complexes have 

a positive economic impact by paying 

hundreds of thousands of dollars in 

service fees, building permits and business 

licenses to the city. 

Despite the benefits of these complexes, 

this August, the Tuscaloosa City Council 

extended the moratorium on accepting 

building and land development permits 

for student megaplexes. 

The vote was 7-0, and the moratorium 

will continue until May 1, 2022. 

In an interview with Tuscaloosa News, 

Maddox said more time was needed to 

solidify building rules and regulations 

in order to avoid future overtaxing of 

Tuscaloosa city infrastructure. 

“We’re also exploring some ideas 

on how do you fairly assess what these 

developments are costing in terms of city 

expenses,” Maddox said. “But we would 

appreciate a little bit more time to work 

through this.” 

For UA student Caroline Horn, 

warnings about the crosswalks started 

during an early move-in camp for 

new students. 

“The only thing I remember from 

Camp 1831 was our team leader telling us 

the crosswalks get slippery when it rains,” 

UA student Caroline Horn said. 

With the painted lines of a crosswalk 

appearing to be a potent slipping hazard, 

some might wonder if there is something 

wrong with the paint. 

“More than once I have been crossing 

and slipped,” engineering major Logan 

Burke said. “It happened so often that I 

bought new shoes thinking maybe mine 

just didn’t have enough tread, but it didn’t 

help. So now I walk beside the crosswalk 

instead of in it.” 

The federal government regulates what 

materials can be used when marking 

a crosswalk. These guidelines are laid 

out in the Manual on Uniform Traffic 

Control Devices. 

“Interestingly, only some portions of 

this 862-page manual are required. There 

are numerous optional statements and 

guidance,” said Armen Amirkhanian, a 

professor of engineering and an expert in 

cementitious materials. 

The manual rarely mentions 

slipperiness. It only makes one statement 

about crosswalk material slipperiness 

for pedestrians: “Consideration should 

be given to selecting pavement marking 

materials that will minimize tripping or 

loss of traction for road users, including 

pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists.” 

“Since this is a legal document, 

the word ‘should’ is really important,” 

Amirkhanian said. “As an engineer, I am 

not required to select a marking that will 

minimize tripping or loss of traction. I am 

recommended to do so.” 

There is only one other mention of road 

marker slipperiness in the manual, which 

says “consideration should be given to 

Are campus crosswalks safe? 

GINGER MORROW & JENNIFER BAGGETT 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

selecting pavement marking materials that 

will minimize loss of traction for bicycles 

under wet conditions.” 

“I’ve seen multiple bikers and 

skateboarders fall due to the rain 

on sidewalks,” freshman aerospace 

engineering major Sydney Moskalick said. 

“I’m not sure if it’s a coincidence, but I only 

see it when it rains.” 

Freshman criminal justice major 

Madison Towner would suggest it’s not 

a coincidence. 

“I refuse to walk directly on the 

crosswalk when it rains because I have 

[fallen and almost fallen] too many times,” 

Towner said. 

Part of why slipperiness is not more of a 

priority when choosing crosswalk marking 

materials is that there is no national 

standard for measuring it and therefore no 

way to regulate it. 

Researchers like Somayeh Nassiri at 

Washington State University are using 

the British Pendulum Number scale for 

slipperiness evaluation in studies on 

pavement. A project report authored by 

Nassiri looked into evaluating the safety 

of pavement marking for bicyclists. The 

report tested three different pavement 

marking material types evaluated in dry, 

wet and icy conditions. 

Based on the findings from the analysis, 

centerline striping may be a beneficial 

technique to prevent bicycles from 

slipping. Other countries have their own 

units of measuring slippage on walking 

surfaces and the impact related to road 

markers. Those units are helping American 

researchers create safer road conditions 

and could be utilized as part of a future 

federal road marking material regulation. 

Every state’s department of 

transportation approves certain materials 

for marking pavement, but not every project 

is subject to these rules. Amirkhanian said 

that because contractors are generally 

familiar with the rules, though, the rules 

are often followed even where they do 

not apply. 

UA Director of Transportation Services 

Chris D’Esposito said the approximately 

500 crosswalks on campus are repainted 

every summer and worn ones are 

subject to a midyear refresher coat. 

He said many factors contribute to the 

crosswalks’ slipperiness. 

“The inclement weather element, a 

lot of rain, condensation, wintery mix of 

snow and ice. Then, what is the shoe style? 

A smooth-sole shoe or something with 

more traction?” 

D’Esposito said his department uses 

Hotline Fast Dry Latex Waterborne 

Traffic Marking Paint to mark crosswalks 

on campus. 

“We take anything to do with safety 

very seriously,” he said. “We use the best 

recommended products.” 

D’Esposito said Hotline Fast Dry 

Latex paint contains reflective glass beads 

for safe driving at night and sand to 

retain coarseness. 

“The primary objective for any 

pavement marking is to indicate hazards 

and deviations from expected flow to the 

traveling public,” Amirkhanian said. “That 

is, we are first concerned with drivers. 

Pedestrians are expected to be observant of 

their surroundings and yield to dangerous 

situations, like vehicles traveling on 

the road. Because of this focus, there is 

not a significant concern of the friction 

performance of pavement markings, 

as they would minimally impact the 

traveling public.” 

Amirkhanian said that some materials 

exist that can be added to paint to increase 

friction but that those additives can create 

much more danger. 

“The main issue with these types of 

materials is durability,” he said. “Any 

material with high friction would wear 

down much quicker, especially in a 

crosswalk application. A crosswalk 

boundary that is worn and poorly visible 

is much more dangerous for the driver and 

pedestrian than a slippery but highly visible 

and well-defined crosswalk boundary.” 

On Tuscaloosa’s rainy days, some 

UA students might continue slipping 

and sliding their way to class. Students 

on campus on one of those rainy days 

shouldn’t let the slick crosswalks slip 

their mind. 

Students cross University Boulevard on November 10, 2021. CW / Lexi Hall

4B 

Is Alabama just a football school? 

RUMOR 


SAVANNAH ICHIKAWA & LUCY PHILLIPS 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

Some may hear “The University of 

Alabama” and picture Bryant-Denny 

Stadium, Nick Saban and championship 

rings. However, the Capstone has nearly 

200 degree programs and encourages 

students to pursue excellence, making 

it clear that this university produces 

legends in more than just sports. 

Dance and theater 

Within the College of Arts and 

Sciences, fine arts and performing arts 

students have access to advanced classical, 

contemporary and experimental styles. 

They are guided by renowned faculty 

and achieve accomplishments locally, 

nationally and globally. 

Sarah M. Barry, the current chair 

of the theater and dance department, 

said the UA theater and dance program 

encompasses more than just ballet or 

modern and contemporary styles of 

dance, which is what attracted her to 

teach at the school in the first place. 

“We’re just not a cookie cutter 

program. Students go on to perform 

on cruise ships, in theme parks, for 

Broadway tours or off-Broadway shows,” 

Barry said. 

Stacy Alley, an associate professor 

and director of musical theater, said 

performing arts students get the best 

of both worlds by having intensive 

conservatory-type training within a 

liberal arts institution while holding on 

to the true traditional college experience. 

“People can have really individualized 

one-on-one training. We keep the 

classes small, and they are advised and 

mentored throughout their entire time 

here,” Alley said. “Tons of our students 

are working and doing great things and 

representing us all over the country.” 

Students within the theater and 

dance department graduate equipped 

with skills to take into the performance 

arts world. Graduates are currently 

cast members in musicals like “Kinky 

Boots,” “Tina Turner,” “King Kong” and 

“Carousel” on Broadway. 

The University of Alabama has a 

large presence in Birmingham through 

alumni-founded dance companies 

such as Formations, Sanspointe 

Dance Company and Jellybean 

Dance Collective. 

Science 

The University’s size, reputation 

and loyal alumni have afforded it a 

plethora of resources and programs for 

students to benefit from, including an 

extensive network of undergraduate 

research opportunities. 

Undergraduate research gives 

students the opportunity to embrace 

and apply their course studies outside of 

the classroom. 

The Emerging Scholars Program and 

the Randall Research Scholars Program 

are two opportunities that give students 

the real-world experience, resources 

and connections needed to deepen their 

understanding of their field. 

Alex Turner, a junior majoring 

in chemistry and psychology, takes 

full advantage of these resources and 

research opportunities, serving as an 

undergraduate research assistant in the 

Caldwell Lab as well as a McCollough 

premedical scholar. 

“Research and the McCollough 

program have helped me establish 

connections and introduced me to 

people and mindsets that we would not 

have initially thought about,” Turner 

said. “That’s always extremely beneficial 

for anyone but especially people wanting 

to go into a field where knowing more 

things, knowing more people, is never a 

bad thing.” 

The McCollough Institute for Pre- 

Medical Scholars is an initiative to train 

the next generation of doctors in skills 

beyond the hard sciences. Scholars learn 

about health care ethics, effective patient 

interaction and a multitude of additional 

topics that culminate to produce wellrounded 

medical school applicants. 

Undergraduate research is available 

for students in a multitude of areas 

of study, including the hard sciences, 

economics and the humanities. 

Students even have the opportunity 

to be published in connection with these 

research opportunities. 

Lingyan Kong, an associate professor 

and director of a research lab in the 

Dancers perform in Alabama Repertory Dance Theatre in 2015. CW File 

Visitors attend the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center in September 2020. CW / David Gray 

Department of Human Nutrition and 

Hospitality Management, employs 

between four and 10 undergraduate 

research assistants every semester and 

is always impressed by the caliber of 

students at the Capstone. 

Throughout their time in his lab, 

Kong seeks to teach his students 

time management, expanded ways of 

thinking, and independence. He expects 

his students to conduct their research 

within their control and under their own 

supervision and schedule; his standards 

are often exceeded. 

“The undergraduate students in my 

lab are excellent, and they have access 

to really good programs,” Kong said. 

“Those students excel and learn so much 

from conducting research during their 

undergraduate studies.” 

Visual arts 

Katie Adams, an adjunct 2D and 3D 

design professor and alumna of The 

University of Alabama, praised the 

resources and connections that were 

available to her during her graduate 

studies that helped launch her career 

in sculpture. 

“I was very much intrigued by the 

amount of facilities that we have here, 

and just the broad scope of machines and 

processes that we could do,” Adams said. 

“So, coming to Tuscaloosa, [students] 

have the ability to cast large-scale 

commissions, which other places don’t 

necessarily have the opportunity to do.” 

The University of Alabama’s art 

department utilizes an expansive array 

of facilities available to undergraduate 

and graduate art students, including the 

UA Foundry, which houses the metal 

shop, the wood shop and numerous 

other pieces of equipment and spaces for 

producing art. 

Commissions come to the UA 

Foundry from across the state and 

country seeking the artists and resources 

that The University of Alabama is 

known for. 

“The UA Department of Art and Art 

History is, like the University itself, a 

creative mix of tradition and forwardlooking 

innovation,” department Chair 

Jason Guynes and spokesperson Rachel 

Dobson said in a statement. 

Along with their own studies and the 

development of their personal portfolio, 

arts students also give back to Tuscaloosa 

in a variety of ways, including programs 

at local schools and community 

sculpture projects. 

Nursing 

Another program that is thriving 

on campus is the Capstone College of 

Nursing. It is ranked among the top 5% 

of programs in the country. 

This field of study provides an 

environment for nursing students 

to explore careers in modern health 

care systems and offers courses at the 

bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. 

Michelle Cheshire, the associate dean 

of undergraduate programs, said that 

while the Bachelor of Science in nursing 

program is competitive, she believes 

anybody who is interested in being a 

nurse has the ability to pursue that path 

at The University of Alabama. 

The nursing program is a five-semester 

program that combines clinicals, similar 

to internship work, with classes. 

“The program culminates in the fifth 

semester with students completing a 

preceptorship where they are working 

in the hospital one-on-one with another 

nurse,” Cheshire said. 

She said the Capstone’s nursing 

program is active in the COVID-19 

vaccination effort within the 

Tuscaloosa community. 

“Many of our students as part of 

their clinical rotations have been able 

to provide COVID vaccines to people 

in the community,” Cheshire said. “We 

helped with clinics at the VA Medical 

Center and the Good Samaritan Clinic 

here in Tuscaloosa.” 

These students spent recent months 

working within the community to 

further their hands-on experience 

through COVID-19 vaccine clinics. 

“2020 was the year of the nurse,” 

Cheshire said. “It’s been a very 

interesting couple of years for nurses 

and for students in nursing school. We 

have come to realize how very important 

nurses are to the health care of our 

nation, and we are thankful that we are 

educating the next generation of nurses 

here at the Capstone College of Nursing.” 

Are Alabama fans mad at the wrong coordinator? 

BLAKE BYLER 


“Fire Pete Golding.” 

These three words were echoed by 

Alabama fans on Twitter following 

their football team’s narrow 20- 

14 win over rival LSU on Nov. 6 in 

Bryant-Denny Stadium. 

This was not the first time, either. 

There has always been weariness of 

Alabama defensive coordinator Pete 

Golding since he was hired at Alabama 

at the end of the 2018 season, replacing 

Jeremy Pruitt after Pruitt took the 

Tennessee head coaching job. 

Alabama showed some defensive 

struggles in Golding’s first year at the 

helm but was given a pass by fans after 

season-ending injuries to his starting 

middle linebackers, which caused 

him to start two true freshmen for the 

majority of the season as the signal 

callers of his defense. 

It wasn’t until a game last season 

against the Ole Miss Rebels that noise 

started to increase. The Rebels did 

whatever they wanted against Alabama, 

scoring 48 points. This marked the most 

points ever scored against Alabama 

since Nick Saban took over in 2007. 

Now we arrive in November 2021. 

Alabama is 8-1 with a loss to Texas 

A&M. The Crimson Tide has hardfought 

wins against what now appear to 

be inferior opponents such as Florida, 

Tennessee and LSU. 

Many Alabama fans are attributing 

the struggles of this season to the 

defense, specifically Golding. 

This season, however, Alabama’s 

defense has been better than Twitter 

analysts have given them credit for. 

Six out of nine Alabama opponents 

have been held below their season 

average, typically by a very wide margin. 

Alabama was also one point away from 

holding both Florida and Southern Miss 

below their season averages. 

Alabama is 11th in the country in 

total defense, fifth in rushing defense, 

12th in turnover margin and eighth 

in interceptions. The Crimson Tide 

has been above average statistically 

in almost every major 

defensive category. 

While there have been 

defensive lapses and 

breakdowns during games 

just like with any defense, 

Alabama has undeniably 

been strong on 

the defensive 

side of the ball 

this season. 

The defenses 

of the early 

Nick Saban 

era that 

gave up 

f e w e r 

than 10 

points 

per game have been gone for a long 

time, fading out with the evolution of 

the modern offense, but the current 

defense absolutely can and has held 

its own. 

Moving to the offensive side of the 

ball, Alabama has experienced more 

struggles than fans could have imagined 

after watching the past three seasons. 

Former offensive coordinators Mike 

Locksley and Steve Sarkisian turned 

Alabama into one of the highestpowered 

offenses in recent memory. 

With both of them moving on to head 

coaching jobs at Maryland and Texas, 

former Houston Texans head coach Bill 

O’Brien was hired to inherit and enhance 

the offensive juggernaut that 

was Alabama. 

Things immediately 

felt off. 

The downfield shots 

to swift receivers that fans 

became accustomed to 

have been few and far 

between. The 

unique play 

designs 

t h a t 

worke d 

to get 

Pete Golding speaks at a press conference in December 2019. CW File 

Alabama’s best skill players the ball have 

disappeared. The once-feared running 

game is now stagnant. 

Most importantly, the headscratching 

play calls have come 

in waves. 

Look no further than LSU for recent 

examples. Alabama faced a third-andtwo 

around midfield, and ran a direct 

snap to wide receiver Slade Bolden, 

not wide receiver JoJo Earle or running 

back Brian Robinson Jr. 

Alabama failed to get a first down. 

Quarterback Bryce Young hit Jameson 

Williams for a 58-yard touchdown early 

in the second half to extend the lead. 

Alabama did not attempt another deep 

ball for the remainder of the game. A 

critical fourth down scenario late in the 

game with Alabama only leading by six 

points led to a Young rollout. 

The play call was so obvious that 

he was surrounded by LSU defenders 

before he reached the line of scrimmage. 

These struggles are by no means 

placed on talent. Golding may not be 

as decorated and respected as current 

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart was 

when he ran Alabama’s defense, but he 

doesn’t have to be. 

The defense is doing what is asked, 

and if it weren’t for a myriad of stops in 

the fourth quarter against LSU, or a twopoint 

conversion stop against Florida, 

Alabama’s offensive shortcoming would 

have the Crimson Tide in a much 

worse position.

RUMOR 


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6B 

RUMOR 


OPINION: It’s time for The University of 

Alabama to raise its minimum wage 

CW / Jo Dyess 

CARSON LOTT 

CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST 

Typically, with a change in 

inflation comes a change in wages, 

or a government-administered price 

floor on the amount a business pays 

its workers. In the United States, the 

federal minimum wage of $7.25 an 

hour has remained the same since 2009, 

despite inflationary increases over the 

last 12 years. 

In 2009, prices fell after the Great 

Recession of 2008 by nearly 2%. Now, 

the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 

that the consumer price index, a tool 

for measuring inflation, increased 

0.9 percent in October 2021 due to 

supply chain disruptions related to 

the pandemic and the ongoing trade 

war between the United States and 

China. Since November 2020, the 

CPI has risen nearly 6.2% before 

seasonal adjustment. 

Student workers are 

crucial to running this 

University successfully, 

and it’s time for wages 

to reflect their value. 

If the minimum wage were 

accurately adjusted for inflation and 

increases in worker productivity since 

1968, it would be nearly $24 an hour, as 

stated by the Center for Economic and 

Policy Research. 

However, most Americans (62%) are 

in support of a more modest increase, 

to $15 an hour, according to an April 

poll by the Pew Research Center. 

Despite widespread support, a wage 

increase of this degree doesn’t look 

possibile anytime soon, at least coming 

from Washington, D.C. The last time 

a bill was introduced to raise the 

minimum wage — President Joe Biden’s 

$1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill — 

was in March. Despite Congress being 

mostly controlled by the Democratic 

Party and the party’s adoption of a 

$15-an-hour minimum wage in its 

platform in 2016, it was voted down 58- 

42 in the Senate. 

Though Congress is at a standstill, 

The University of Alabama shouldn’t 

wait any longer. It’s time for the 

University to follow in the footsteps of 

universities nationwide and implement 

higher wages for all campus workers, 

including students. 

An increase in wages eliminates 

nearly all of the insecurities surrounding 

life for college students: tuition, rent, 

food, gas and more. As these prices 

increase, wages should too. If wages 

cannot cover these necessary expenses, 

what is the point of having a job? 

“Many students get jobs to just have 

extra money, but also to pay for their 

education or any other college expenses 

they have,” said junior Alexis Castellar, 

a nursing major. “I personally got a 

job so I can help pay for my college 

expenses, but it’s quite hard when 

you’re only making $9.75 an hour. Not 

only this, but classes interfere with my 

work, and I can only work certain days 

and times. I’m not the only student that 

has that problem.” 

The University is the flagship of 

the state. It’s the largest employer 

in the county, and it holds an 

imperative responsibility to protect 

the socioeconomic well-being of its 

employees, students and the greater 

Tuscaloosa community. The University 

must set an example for the community, 

state and nation, upholding the standard 

of excellence it prides itself on. 

According to the Massachusetts 

Institute of Technology’s Living Wage 

Calculator, the living wage for a single 

adult with no children in Tuscaloosa 

County is $14.55 an hour. 

Amy Glasmeier, professor 

of economic geography at the 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 

writes that “the living wage is the 

minimum income standard that, if 

met, draws a very fine line between the 

financial independence of the working 

poor and the need to seek out public 

assistance or suffer consistent and 

severe housing and food insecurity. 

In light of this fact, the living wage is 

perhaps better defined as a minimum 

subsistence wage for persons living in 

the United States.” 

Not only should wages increase 

for full-time employees, but also for 

student workers. Student workers are 

crucial to running this University 

successfully, and it’s time for wages to 

reflect their value. 

It’s time for the 

University to follow 

in the footsteps of 

universities nationwide 

and implement higher 

wages for all campus 

workers, including 

students. 

Assuming that a student worker 

earns $7.25 an hour and works 20 hours 

a week (the maximum for part-time, 

on-campus jobs), they would earn 

approximately $630 a month. 

As of 2020, the average rent in 

Tuscaloosa for a one-bedroom 

apartment is $737 a month. With the 

rise in the student population, luxury 

condominiums and the gentrification 

of affordable neighborhoods, it is 

a challenge for working-class and 

independent students to find adequate, 

updated, sustainable and safe housing 

that is near campus. 

Many students play a dangerous 

game of balancing their school work, 

their social lives and their finances. This 

juggling act places mental and physical 

strain on students, limiting their ability 

to dedicate themselves completely to 

their studies. 

College students don’t have to be 

broke. The notion that the college 

experience includes collecting spare 

change just to buy food with empty 

nutrition, like ramen noodles, and 

having to live with multiple people just 

to afford shelter must be rejected. 

Increasing the minimum wage 

would also be an investment in the 

University, argued Maggie Palmer, a 

senior studying public relations. She 

said that “a higher wage would mean 

more financial stability and the ability 

to save for my future,” which would 

allow her to donate to her alma mater. 

Championing diversity, equity and 

inclusion must go beyond the pamphlets 

that boast a progressive campus. It also 

includes immediate action in all aspects 

of our society and economy. It calls the 

University to uplift and support its 

students and employees. The University 

is more than capable of doing just that. 

Several other colleges and universities 

in Alabama, like Auburn and the 

University of Alabama at Birmingham, 

have raised the minimum wage for fulltime 

regular-status employees, starting 

in January 2022. These changes, 

although a step in the right direction, 

do not encompass student workers. 

By raising the minimum wage for all 

workers, the University could be a 

pioneer in our state and region and 

lead by example, possibly inspiring 

other colleges and universities, and 

potentially the state of Alabama, to do 

the same. 

The University wouldn’t be alone in 

taking this action but would join the 

ranks of schools like Johns Hopkins 

University, Clarke University, the 

University of Rochester and many more 

in supporting the fight for fair pay. 

There are misconceptions and 

misinformation about what a wage 

increase would mean for the University 

and the local economy. 

Myth: Raising the minimum wage 

kills jobs. 

Fact: In industries, cities and states 

that have raised minimum wages, 

there has been no discernible effect 

on employment. This includes higherimpact 

industries, like food service 

and retail. 

Myth: The economy will suffer from 

increased wages; businesses will lose 

money. 

Fact: Studies show that only a 

$2.25 increase in wages would lead to 

increased earnings of workers by an 

estimate of $40 billion. This increase 

would significantly increase GDP, as it 

will circle back into the economy and 

decrease unemployment. 

Myth: Raising wages is a 

Democratic agenda. 

Fact: While higher wage policy 

is a part of the Democratic Party 

platform, traditionally Republican 

states like Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska, 

South Dakota and West Virginia have 

increased their minimum wage since 

2014. Federally, Republican presidents 

Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, 

Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush and 

George W. Bush signed legislation 

increasing the minimum wage. 

Myth: There will be no incentive for 

“unskilled” laborers to find better jobs. 

Fact: Higher wages equate to more 

money being spent in the economy, 

which can lead to a cycle of greater 

demand for goods and services, job 

growth, and increased productivity 

for all sectors. Additionally, having 

access to higher wages opens up the 

opportunity to explore different career 

paths and higher education. 

Not only will a higher minimum 

wage make the lives of student workers 

and employees at the University so 

much easier, but it also has the potential 

to lift thousands of Alabamians out 

of poverty, boost the economy and 

increase overall productivity. 

It will allow students to focus on 

their studies and their social lives. It 

will allow employees to properly feed 

their families and to house themselves. 

It will allow all workers to save for 

their future. It can, and will, change the 

lives of student workers and low-wage 

employees for the better. 

To The University of Alabama: What 

are you waiting for? Roll Tide and Raise 

the Wage. 

CARSON SILAS 


There’s history behind every rumor. 

“Off the Record,” a podcast inspired by 

“You’re Wrong About” and “Decoder 

Ring,” explores stories about The 

University of Alabama — and the 

history behind it all. In these two 

episodes, Carson Silas, a contributing 

writer for The Crimson White’s culture 

desk, talks with experts, dives deep into 

the history of the Capstone and the 

surrounding Tuscaloosa community, 

and discusses how that history impacts 

us today. 

Episode 1: “Who built The 

University of Alabama?” 

In the premier episode of “Off the 

Record,” Silas is joined by Hilary Green, 

an associate professor of history and the 

conductor of the University’s Hallowed 

Grounds campus tour, and together 

they discuss the history and impact of 

slavery at The University of Alabama. 

They analyze the University’s limited 

The unknown history of our campus 

CW / Victoria Buckley 

records of slavery, discuss how slavery 

began on campus and discover the 

stories of those enslaved through UA 

President Basil Manly’s journals and the 

stories of their lives after Emancipation. 

Episode 2: “What happened 

to Bryce Hospital?” 

Bryce Hospital, the mental health 

institution that served the Tuscaloosa 

community for over 150 years, gained 

national attention with the case of 

Wyatt v. Stickney. 

In the second episode of “Off the 

Record,” Silas is joined by Steve Davis, 

historian for Bryce Hospital, and 

together they discuss what caused the 

decline of the historic Bryce Hospital. 

They dissect the history of mental 

health services in the state of Alabama, 

exploring how Bryce Hospital started, 

the impact of the state legislature’s 

decisions on mental health services, 

and what the ruling of Wyatt v. Stickney 

means today. 

Find the podcast at cw.ua.edu.

The Crimson White: Rumor Edition, November 2021

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