The Crimson White Print Edition - March 30, 2023
- No tags were found...
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Black Warrior Film<br />
Festival celebrates<br />
10th anniversary<br />
ALYSSA SCHUBERT<br />
STAFF REPORTER<br />
<strong>The</strong> Black Warrior Film<br />
Festival is one of <strong>The</strong><br />
University of Alabama’s most<br />
anticipated events of the year,<br />
and the wait for it is almost over.<br />
Celebrating its 10th anniversary<br />
this year, the student-run<br />
film festival will return with<br />
a wide variety of films, panels<br />
and opportunities to better<br />
understand the ever-growing<br />
film industry. It will run from<br />
<strong>March</strong> 31 through April 1 at <strong>The</strong><br />
University of Alabama Student<br />
Center Forum in room 3700.<br />
Created in 2013 by a<br />
group of undergraduate<br />
students in the department of<br />
telecommunication and film, the<br />
Black Warrior Film Festival aims<br />
“to build an experience where<br />
student filmmakers are not only<br />
recognized for their work, but<br />
also presented with opportunities<br />
to interact with industry<br />
professionals and network with<br />
other filmmakers,” according to<br />
their website.<br />
Some films that have been<br />
featured in the past are “A Million<br />
Dollar Journey: A Documentary,”,<br />
“One Last Cast,” and “I Wish: A<br />
Short Film.” This year, a similar<br />
film diversity is to be expected and<br />
enjoyed throughout the festival,<br />
which will be separated into four<br />
blocks: horror/experimental,<br />
documentary/comedy, drama<br />
and Holle. <strong>The</strong> Holle category<br />
is designated for Holle Awards<br />
for Excellence in Creativity and<br />
Communication winners, which<br />
are national awards given by the<br />
UA College of Communication<br />
and Information Sciences.<br />
This year, one of the Holle<br />
Award finalists was Black Warrior<br />
Film Festival’s Tyler Garcia,<br />
who graduated in December<br />
2022 with a degree in creative<br />
media and served as the BWFF<br />
head director, for his short film<br />
“Ofrenda.” Along with Garcia’s<br />
work, the upcoming festival will<br />
also show the short films of the<br />
other four finalists, who can be<br />
found throughout the country.<br />
For those interested in joining,<br />
the Black Warrior Film Festival<br />
has an application for next year’s<br />
team, as well as one for submitting<br />
a film, located on their website.<br />
Kristen Warner, the former<br />
BWFF advisor and outgoing UA<br />
faculty member, said the festival<br />
is one of the few student-run film<br />
festivals in the country.<br />
“It is one of the few film<br />
festivals in the South as well, so<br />
while it is small in size compared<br />
to others, we have gained name<br />
recognition for the quality of the<br />
event,” Warner said.<br />
Warner is perhaps one of the<br />
reasons that the festival is able<br />
to be run by students. Landon<br />
Palmer, the current advisor of<br />
the Black Warrior Film Festival<br />
and assistant professor in<br />
journalism and creative media,<br />
gave his predecessor a great deal<br />
of credit for the development of<br />
the festival.<br />
Last year’s BWFF team at the 2022 Black Warrior Film Festival.<br />
Photo courtesy of JC Reams<br />
TZALI NISLICK<br />
STAFF REPORTER<br />
THURSDAY, MARCH <strong>30</strong>, <strong>2023</strong><br />
VOLUME CXXIX | ISSUE VII<br />
UA BISON members, Kaytie Colbert (left), Kiana Younker (middle) and Katherine Johnston (right) on the quad.<br />
CW / David Gray<br />
Native American students say<br />
UA fails to support them<br />
JACOB RITONDO<br />
RACE & IDENTITY REPORTER<br />
Despite the University’s recent<br />
success with its diversity,<br />
equity and inclusion measures meant<br />
to increase enrollment and retention<br />
among certain minority groups, it<br />
has faced unchanging enrollment<br />
and retention among Native<br />
American students, which remain<br />
disproportionately low. To some<br />
Native American students, it feels as<br />
if DEI measures are just “checking<br />
a box.”<br />
Last fall, the University reported<br />
having enrolled the greatest number<br />
of students of racial or ethnic<br />
minorities in its history, 8,542,<br />
including a record 4,344 Black and<br />
2,138 Hispanic undergraduate and<br />
graduate students.<br />
According to the Office<br />
of Institutional Research and<br />
Assessment, over the 2019, 2021<br />
and 2022 fall semesters (excluding<br />
fall 2020 due to COVID-19)<br />
undergraduate numbers for non-<br />
Hispanic Black students increased<br />
from 3,329 to 3,422 to 3,552 and from<br />
1,631 to 1,724 to 1,862 for Hispanic/<br />
Latino students.<br />
Meanwhile, the number of<br />
enrolled undergraduate Native<br />
students, which the University<br />
classifies as “American Indian or<br />
Alaska Native, non-Hispanic,”<br />
comprise just 0.367% of the<br />
University’s 32,458 undergraduates as<br />
of last fall. Including graduate student<br />
numbers, there are currently 134<br />
Native students enrolled, or 0.35%.<br />
Nationally, just 0.637% of all postsecondary<br />
students were Native as<br />
of fall 2020. 2020 Census data shows<br />
that the non-Hispanic/Latino Native<br />
population makes up 0.46% of<br />
Alabama’s population and 0.679% of<br />
the U.S. population.<br />
Seniors Kiana Younker and<br />
Katherine Johnston are the copresidents<br />
and co-founders of<br />
the Bama Indigenous Student<br />
Organization Network, which works<br />
to make the University more accepting<br />
and understanding of Native students<br />
and culture. <strong>The</strong>y are members of<br />
the Coquille Indian and Caddo<br />
tribes, respectively.<br />
“When I came here, it was so hard<br />
because I did not know a single other<br />
Native student. I had no way to relate<br />
to anybody else. … It … wrecked me,”<br />
Johnston said.<br />
It took Younker and Johnston until<br />
their third year at the University to<br />
meet one another, the first Native<br />
student each had met on campus.<br />
“<strong>The</strong>re’s nobody here that looks<br />
like me, talks like me, acts like me. …<br />
When you … come from a different<br />
cultural background, it separates<br />
you more from the collective,”<br />
Younker said.<br />
Shane Dorrill, assistant director of<br />
communications for the University,<br />
declined to comment about what the<br />
University believes to be the cause of<br />
low Native student enrollment.<br />
Retention rates are also<br />
disproportionately lower for Native<br />
students at the University compared<br />
to other demographics. According to<br />
the OIRA, for the class of 2025, the<br />
second-year retention rate among<br />
Native students was 64%, the lowest<br />
of any racial group.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se statistical disparities have<br />
not gone unnoticed by the University.<br />
In 2016, the University unveiled its<br />
“Strategic Plan” to improve, among<br />
other unrelated things, diversity,<br />
equity and inclusion on campus<br />
from 2017-2021. <strong>The</strong> plan called for<br />
the establishment of a DEI officer<br />
position, later called vice president<br />
and associate provost of DEI, which<br />
inaugural officer G. Christine Taylor<br />
accepted in 2017.<br />
In 2020, President Stuart Bell<br />
convened an advisory committee,<br />
which Taylor spearheaded, to update<br />
the plan with new “Path Forward”<br />
strategies to promote DEI. <strong>The</strong><br />
advisory committee consisted of<br />
13 members; Taylor declined to<br />
comment on if any of the members<br />
were Native Americans.<br />
Colby Shelton is leading a revitalized Alabama baseball team<br />
On a chilly December<br />
day in Lithia, Florida,<br />
in 2002, a star was born. Stars<br />
can typically range anywhere<br />
from 4,000 to 80,000 degrees<br />
Fahrenheit. In other words,<br />
they’re scorching hot — but not<br />
this one. Much like the weather<br />
that winter day, this star is cool.<br />
He’s cool under pressure, he’s<br />
cool at the plate and he may just<br />
be the coolest story of the <strong>2023</strong><br />
Alabama baseball season. This<br />
star’s name is Colby Shelton.<br />
Never in head coach Brad<br />
Bohannon’s six-year tenure in<br />
Tuscaloosa has a freshman shone<br />
as bright as Shelton has.<br />
“I don’t know if we’ve had [a<br />
SEE PAGE 3A<br />
freshman] be this successful<br />
this soon, right out of the gate,”<br />
Bohannon said.<br />
<strong>The</strong> numbers that Shelton<br />
has put up are truly staggering.<br />
Coming out of his first home SEC<br />
series against No. 22 Kentucky,<br />
the <strong>Crimson</strong> Tide third baseman<br />
owns an absurd .329/.4<strong>30</strong>/.793<br />
slash line to go along with<br />
11 home runs and 23 RBIs in<br />
just 24 games.<br />
“Hitting, that’s just what I<br />
love to do,” Shelton said after the<br />
series finale against High Point<br />
University on Feb. 26.<br />
Well, he’s pretty good at it.<br />
That game, which resulted in<br />
an Alabama sweep, kicked off<br />
a Hank Aaron-esque six-game<br />
stretch in which the freshman<br />
defied all logic. In those six<br />
games, Shelton batted .455 with<br />
eight homers and 16 RBIs while<br />
slugging 1.591. Seven of those<br />
long balls came in a smaller fourgame<br />
span, when he became the<br />
first Alabama player since 2009<br />
to go yard in four consecutive<br />
contests. Not to mention, two<br />
of them were grand slams. His<br />
electric performance earned<br />
him SEC Freshman of the<br />
Week honors.<br />
“You got Colby [Shelton]<br />
doing something that I’ve never<br />
seen before. … Colby Shelton<br />
is literally like a video game<br />
character right now,” shortstop<br />
Jim Jarvis said a day after Shelton<br />
accomplished the feat. Jarvis, a<br />
senior, is not the only veteran<br />
on the club whose attention has<br />
been captured.<br />
“He’s just a real mature guy<br />
for his age,” said graduate<br />
student and first baseman Drew<br />
Williamson. “He’s not looking at<br />
stats, he’s not worried about what<br />
they’re tweeting about him. He<br />
just comes out here everyday and<br />
puts in the same work everyday.<br />
He’s one of the most consistent<br />
guys on the team, so when you<br />
put that kind of work in, your<br />
mentality is just strong.”<br />
That’s Colby Shelton, the<br />
college baseball player, but let’s<br />
press rewind and take a look at<br />
what shaped him into who he<br />
is now.<br />
“Colby was somebody that<br />
anybody could watch play and<br />
have two or three at bats and say,<br />
‘This guy’s got a pretty swing.’ He<br />
was an easy [evaluation] from<br />
that standpoint and once you got<br />
to know him as a kid, you could<br />
tell that he truly loves to play.<br />
SEE PAGE 4A<br />
He’s a great worker,” Bohannon<br />
said as he reflected on Shelton as<br />
a high school prospect.<br />
That translated into being<br />
ranked the No. 2 shortstop<br />
in Florida, according to Prep<br />
Baseball Report. Shelton was also<br />
named first team all-conference<br />
in his junior and senior seasons<br />
at Bloomingdale High School<br />
after slashing .405/.510/.708 and<br />
.382/.506/.735, respectively. It<br />
was no secret what he could do<br />
at the plate.<br />
Fast forward to <strong>March</strong> 16<br />
as the <strong>Crimson</strong> Tide prepared<br />
to open league play on the<br />
road against the vaunted<br />
Florida Gators.<br />
SEE PAGE 3A<br />
INDEX<br />
2A NEWS - FALL BREAK 4B SPORTS - DOGS AT BASEBALL GAMES 5B OPINIONS - HOUSING<br />
May<br />
MESTER<br />
REGISTER NOW!<br />
TO LEARN MORE, VISIT SHELTONSTATE.EDU/WINTERMESTER.
2A what’s inside news<br />
THE CRIMSON WHITE<br />
editor-in-chief<br />
managing editor<br />
Bhavana Ravala<br />
editor@thecrimsonwhite.com<br />
Jeffrey Kelly<br />
managingeditor@thecrimsonwhite.com<br />
THE CRIMSON WHITE NEWSLETTER<br />
APPLY NOW!<br />
engagement editor<br />
chief copy editor<br />
opinions editor<br />
news editor<br />
assistant news editor<br />
culture editor<br />
assistant culture editor<br />
sports editor<br />
Gabriel Brown<br />
engagement@thecrimsonwhite.com<br />
Natalie Bonner<br />
Carson Lott<br />
letters@thecrimsonwhite.com<br />
Ainsley Platt<br />
newsdesk@thecrimsonwhite.com<br />
Kayla Solino<br />
Annabelle Blomeley<br />
culture@thecrimsonwhite.com<br />
Maddy Reda<br />
Austin Hannon<br />
sports@thecrimsonwhite.com<br />
Subscribe to get our newsletter<br />
in your email on Monday and<br />
Thursday mornings!<br />
UA to add mid-semester study break fall <strong>2023</strong><br />
assistant sports editor<br />
chief page editor<br />
chief graphics editor<br />
photo editor<br />
assistant photo editor<br />
multimedia editor<br />
newsletter editor<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Crimson</strong> Wh is the community newspaper of <strong>The</strong> University of<br />
Alabama. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Crimson</strong> <strong>White</strong> is an editorially free newspaper produced<br />
by students. <strong>The</strong> University of Alabama cannot influence editorial<br />
decisions and editorial opinions are those of the editorial board and do<br />
not represent the official opinions of the University. Advertising offices<br />
of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Crimson</strong> <strong>White</strong> are in room 1014, Student Media Building, 414<br />
Campus Drive East. <strong>The</strong> advertising mailing address is Box 870170,<br />
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Crimson</strong> <strong>White</strong> is printed monthly, August through April by <strong>The</strong><br />
University of Alabama, Student Media, Box 870170, Tuscaloosa, AL<br />
35487. Call 205-348-7257.<br />
All material contained herein, except advertising or where indicated<br />
otherwise, is Copyright © 2022 by <strong>The</strong> <strong>Crimson</strong> <strong>White</strong> and protected<br />
under the “Work Made for Hire” and “Periodical Publication” categories<br />
of the U.S. copyright laws. Material herein may not be reprinted without<br />
the expressed, written permission of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Crimson</strong> <strong>White</strong>.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Crimson</strong> <strong>White</strong>, Copyright © 2022<br />
CRIMSON COMICS<br />
CW / Wesley Picard<br />
Blake Byler<br />
Pearl Langley<br />
Autumn Williams<br />
David Gray<br />
Lexi Hall<br />
Miriam Anderson<br />
Zara Morgan<br />
newsletter@thecrimsonwhite.com<br />
MAVEN NAVARRO<br />
STAFF REPORTER<br />
According to the<br />
University of<br />
Alabama’s academic calendar,<br />
starting fall <strong>2023</strong>, the<br />
University will add a midsemester<br />
study break, on Oct.<br />
26-27, in addition to the full<br />
week for Thanksgiving break.<br />
Fall 2022 was the first<br />
semester since 2020, when the<br />
annual break was cancelled<br />
due to COVID-19, that<br />
students did not have a fall<br />
break. Students said the lack of<br />
a break before Thanksgiving<br />
last semester was exhausting.<br />
“I loved having fall break<br />
because [otherwise] you go<br />
from the start of school until<br />
Thanksgiving with nothing<br />
in between,” said Hayley<br />
Winslow, a senior majoring in<br />
biology. “You get spring break<br />
in the spring, but nothing in<br />
the fall.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> addition of fall break<br />
was received positively by<br />
most students who said<br />
this year’s fall semester was<br />
difficult due to the lack<br />
of breaks.<br />
“It will definitely give me the<br />
opportunity to step away and<br />
maybe visit my parents,” said<br />
Elizabeth Boyle, a sophomore<br />
<strong>The</strong> University of Alabama will add a mid-semester study break on Oct. 26-27 next fall <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
CW / David Gray<br />
majoring in public relations.<br />
“Last fall semester was really<br />
rough because there really was<br />
no break.”<br />
Some out of state students<br />
said they do not believe that<br />
traveling home over fall<br />
break is a possibility, but are<br />
still excited to have a break<br />
from classes.<br />
“I live in Florida so I<br />
probably won’t go home for<br />
it,” said Kylie Junghams,<br />
a sophomore majoring in<br />
public relations. “I still think<br />
it will be a nice break from<br />
school because I feel like first<br />
semester we didn’t have a lot<br />
of breaks and it was hard to<br />
handle my life.”<br />
Along with the addition<br />
of fall break, the entire fall<br />
semester has been pushed<br />
back a week, with classes<br />
beginning Aug. 23 and the<br />
semester ending Dec. 15.<br />
“Like 2022, the academic<br />
calendar for the Fall <strong>2023</strong><br />
Semester moves fall break<br />
from October to provide a<br />
full Thanksgiving week class<br />
break,” said Shane Dorrill,<br />
UA assistant director of<br />
communications.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> University is always<br />
reviewing our academic<br />
calendars to provide<br />
students with the best<br />
opportunity for success, and<br />
we continue to be receptive<br />
to input.”
culture<br />
sports<br />
3A<br />
CONTINUED FROM 1A - BLACK WARRIOR FILM FESTIVAL<br />
“She set the standard for the<br />
high caliber of professional guests<br />
that BWFF has hosted, and the<br />
festival is a well-run machine<br />
thanks in no small part to her<br />
work and that of the students,”<br />
Palmer said.<br />
Palmer said he wanted to make<br />
it clear that the students are the<br />
stars of the show, and he is just an<br />
observer from the wings.<br />
“It really, really is a student-run<br />
festival,” Palmer said. “UA students<br />
who are a part of the festival team<br />
meet several times a week in order<br />
to go through all the ins and outs<br />
of scheduling, funding, selection<br />
of programming and boosting the<br />
festival as an organization. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
do a really fantastic job at that.”<br />
As faculty advisor, Palmer said<br />
that his biggest responsibility<br />
is to just “maintain the<br />
autonomy of the leadership from<br />
the students.”<br />
One of those students is Kendra<br />
Zebroski, a senior majoring in<br />
creative media who serves as the<br />
head co-director of the Black<br />
Warrior Film Festival. She oversees<br />
filmmaker relations, industry<br />
relations and programming<br />
departments for the festival.<br />
“Seeing everything come<br />
together, whether it is an event we<br />
are doing or the festival itself, to<br />
be able to see our vision and the<br />
actualization of it happen is my<br />
favorite part of working with the<br />
festival,” Zebroski said. “You get<br />
that relief when it ends like, ‘Ok,<br />
we are done. We did it.’”<br />
Being student-run, the festival<br />
is aimed toward students, but<br />
also takes into consideration<br />
community members that will<br />
attend. According to the festival’s<br />
mission statement, the BWFF is<br />
“cultivated by the talents of the<br />
student filmmakers and strives to<br />
generate interests in their work.”<br />
Zebroski expanded on this idea,<br />
At last years festival more than <strong>30</strong> student short films from across the<br />
country premiered. Photo courtesy of JC Reams<br />
saying that she hopes attendees<br />
will find a new appreciation in<br />
the art.<br />
“I really hope that people can<br />
see whether they are a creative<br />
media major or just someone<br />
who likes to watch movies, that<br />
film is for everyone,” Zebroski<br />
said. “<strong>The</strong>re is a niche for<br />
everyone; while one genre might<br />
not be your favorite, another<br />
will be.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> variety of the Black Warrior<br />
Film Festival is yet another unique<br />
feature that it has to offer. <strong>The</strong>re<br />
is more than one genre of film,<br />
something that anyone who attends<br />
can appreciate.<br />
It is one of the few film<br />
festivals in the South as<br />
well, so while it is small in<br />
size compared to others,<br />
we have gained name<br />
recognition for the quality of<br />
the event.<br />
KRISTEN WARNER<br />
“It showcases a wide variety<br />
of different types of filmmaking<br />
that there are,” Palmer said. “<strong>The</strong><br />
Black Warrior Film Festival<br />
is really good at showcasing<br />
a variety of different types of<br />
films from various narrative<br />
genres such as comedy, horror<br />
and drama.”<br />
Palmer went on to say that<br />
documentary and experimental<br />
work have been part of the festival<br />
in the past.<br />
Along with the eclectic genres<br />
of film, BWFF showcases panels<br />
with industry professionals that<br />
give students and attendees an<br />
insight into the life of a filmmaker<br />
and what they could be doing<br />
after college.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> industry professionals<br />
offer valuable expertise and advice<br />
to aspiring film students both in<br />
[journalism and creative media]<br />
<strong>The</strong> 2022 Black Warrior Film Festival was located in the Student Center<br />
second floor theater. Photo courtesy of JC Reams<br />
as well as across the university at<br />
large,” Warner said.<br />
Some of the professional guests<br />
that attend include film critics,<br />
producers and directors. This year,<br />
the special guests include Cameo<br />
Wood, Daye Rogers, RaMell Ross,<br />
Todd Lewis, Craig Brewer, Leigh<br />
Rusevlyan, Mackenzie Rutledge<br />
and Caroline Moore.<br />
<strong>The</strong>ir panels include topics<br />
such as directors in the industry,<br />
a scriptwriter’s workshop, a<br />
C&IS around the world panel,<br />
and an award ceremony at the<br />
end, which will reveal the Holle<br />
Award winner.<br />
<strong>The</strong> festival experience offers<br />
community, something lacking<br />
with the rise of streaming and<br />
going to the movie theater.<br />
“Film is a social experience,”<br />
Palmer said.<br />
That sentiment adds all the<br />
more value to the Black Warrior<br />
Film Festival, making it a vibrant<br />
and unique setting to enjoy film.<br />
<strong>The</strong> vision statement of the<br />
Black Warrior Film Festival sums<br />
it up perfectly, with the ultimate<br />
hope that the festival’s experience<br />
represents the evolving, creative<br />
process of filmmaking year<br />
after year.<br />
If you’re looking to volunteer<br />
for the Black Warrior Film<br />
Festival, or if you wish to be a part<br />
of their team next school year, visit<br />
their website.<br />
Chief Page Editor Pearl Langley<br />
is Head Co-Director for Black<br />
Warrior Film Festival.<br />
CONTINUED FROM 1A - COLBY SHELTON<br />
Alabama third baseman Colby Shelton (#16) awaits the ninth inning<br />
during Alabama’s game versus Kentucky on <strong>March</strong> 26, in Tuscaloosa. CW/<br />
Morgan Gray<br />
It was a homecoming for<br />
Shelton, as many friends and family<br />
needed to travel just two hours<br />
north on I-75 to watch him play in<br />
Gainesville. <strong>The</strong> series was a real<br />
measuring stick for Alabama, which<br />
had beaten up on non-conference<br />
opponents to the tune of a 16-2<br />
record, but the question remained<br />
whether it could hold its own in a<br />
loaded SEC. Shelton would have<br />
to battle against some of the best<br />
pitching in the country, while being<br />
under the pressure of it being in his<br />
home state.<br />
“I think he’s not human if there<br />
wasn’t some nerves and some<br />
excitement, but he didn’t show it,”<br />
Bohannon said after the series.<br />
Shelton recorded a hit in each<br />
of the last two games of the series,<br />
including his 11th round-tripper of<br />
the year in game two. Not only was<br />
it a no-doubter, his solo-shot gave<br />
the <strong>Crimson</strong> Tide the lead in the<br />
eighth inning. Cool, calm, collected.<br />
Perhaps he’s not human, after all.<br />
“I told him after the weekend, I<br />
was like, ‘Man I’m really proud of<br />
you because you carried yourself<br />
the exact same way in Gainesville as<br />
you do in every day in Tuscaloosa,’<br />
and again that points to his maturity<br />
which I think has a real impact<br />
on the success that he’s having,”<br />
Bohannon said.<br />
Even while coming back to earth<br />
a bit since his torrid start to the<br />
season, Shelton still finds himself<br />
as one of the best players on his<br />
team and in the conference. He<br />
ranks sixth in the SEC in slugging<br />
percentage (.847) and third in home<br />
runs (11) as of <strong>March</strong> 23, while<br />
pacing Alabama in OPS (1.223),<br />
ranking second in RBIs (23) and<br />
third in hits (24).<br />
You got Colby [Shelton]<br />
doing something that I’ve<br />
never seen before. … Colby<br />
Shelton is literally like a<br />
video game character right<br />
now.<br />
JIM JARVIS<br />
In a lineup loaded with talent and<br />
experience featuring Williamson<br />
and right fielder Andrew Pinckney,<br />
it can be difficult to stand out,<br />
particularly as a freshman. But<br />
Shelton has had no trouble<br />
acclimating to Division I college<br />
baseball, and he has the <strong>Crimson</strong><br />
Tide squarely in the mix to reach an<br />
NCAA Regional in June.<br />
Much like the solar system<br />
revolves around the sun, baseball<br />
in Tuscaloosa has begun to<br />
revolve around its brightest star in<br />
Colby Shelton.
4A<br />
news<br />
opinions<br />
CONTINUED FROM 1A - NATIVE AMERICAN ENROLLMENT<br />
<strong>The</strong> University OIRA defines<br />
“underrepresented” students as<br />
those who self-identify as Hispanic<br />
or Latino and/or at least one the<br />
following races: Native American,<br />
Black, or Native Hawaiian or Pacific<br />
Islander, according to Taylor.<br />
“As we implement Path Forward,<br />
we focus on enhancing our efforts<br />
with underrepresented and minority<br />
groups as a whole rather [than] by<br />
segmentation of populations by<br />
race, ethnicity and other factors,”<br />
Taylor said.<br />
Yet, data from before 2016 shows<br />
that the strategic and Path Forward<br />
plans have not improved enrollment<br />
or retention of Native students.<br />
Fall undergraduate and graduate<br />
Native enrollment averaged 147<br />
students from 2011-2016, prior to<br />
the strategic plan, according to the<br />
OIRA. This average decreased to 139<br />
from 2017-2021, excluding 2020 due<br />
to COVID-19.<br />
Effects of low enrollment<br />
“Being the only Native student in<br />
a class, in a residence hall, or even on<br />
campus in a mainstream institution<br />
is a common and overwhelming<br />
experience,” wrote the American<br />
Indian College Fund, a charity that<br />
serves to advance equity for Native<br />
students in post-secondary education.<br />
“Students experience racism,<br />
isolation, invisibility, and ignorance.<br />
This fractures their sense of belonging<br />
and can cause students to take time off<br />
from or quit school.”<br />
CW / Jacob Ritondo<br />
According to the AICF, perceived<br />
invisibility “is in essence the modern<br />
form of racism used against Native<br />
Americans” and is the driving<br />
factor behind poor college access<br />
and completion rates among<br />
Native students.<br />
“Sometimes it’s overwhelming<br />
[feeling invisible]. It is so very hard<br />
to try and speak and share and truly<br />
connect with others when some aren’t<br />
open to hearing or they just don’t<br />
understand,” Johnston said. “I wear<br />
my jewelry and my clothing and I’m<br />
the only one.”<br />
Amber Manitowabi-Huebner of<br />
Wiikwemikoong First Nation is a UA<br />
distance-learning graduate student<br />
studying population health sciences<br />
after graduating from Northern<br />
Michigan University. She identifies as<br />
“half-white, half-Native.”<br />
“I played basketball in undergrad.<br />
… I had a coach that said, during<br />
the 2020 [racial tension], … ‘we’re<br />
lucky we don’t deal with that, because<br />
everyone on our team is white.’ And I<br />
felt like that was a hurtful thing to say.<br />
… And my teammate thought it was<br />
funny to call me ‘chief,’” she said.<br />
Outreach and recruitment<br />
<strong>The</strong> AICF outlined targeted<br />
outreach to Natives as a necessity to<br />
remedy low enrollment.<br />
“Today, many institutions limit<br />
their recruitment to readily accessible<br />
populations or ignore Native<br />
populations entirely,” it said.<br />
Taylor and Dorrill declined<br />
to comment on if the University<br />
conducts targeted outreach to<br />
Native students.<br />
“UA has not pursued outreach<br />
the way it could,” said Mairin Odle,<br />
a professor of American studies<br />
at the University. “Historically to<br />
this university, like a lot of other<br />
institutions, Native people tend<br />
to fall into a gap of visibility. And<br />
the University is not looking, and<br />
therefore they're not measuring.”<br />
“<strong>The</strong> University of Alabama is<br />
committed to enriching our learning<br />
and working environment by<br />
attracting, welcoming, and supporting<br />
all faculty, staff, and students through<br />
inclusive excellence,” Dorrill said.<br />
Native programming and<br />
physical space<br />
Students say the University is<br />
failing current and prospective<br />
Native students in other ways as<br />
well, as it is not listening to other<br />
recommendations by Native experts<br />
and the students themselves.<br />
Robin Zape-tah-hol-ah Minthorn,<br />
a Native professor at <strong>The</strong> University<br />
of Washington Tacoma who studies<br />
Native challenges in education, said<br />
to support Native students better,<br />
institutions must create safe spaces for<br />
Native students and acknowledge the<br />
history of Native people on campus<br />
and the fact the institution lies on<br />
their ancestral land.<br />
Younker believes a major<br />
hindrance for enrollment<br />
specifically is a near-complete lack<br />
of official programming offered for<br />
Native students.<br />
“Prior to BISON’s creation, there<br />
was zero Native programming<br />
on campus. <strong>The</strong> only Native<br />
programming that happens [is] during<br />
Native American Heritage Month<br />
[in November] in the Intercultural<br />
Diversity Center. One month a year.<br />
And that’s it,” Younker said.<br />
<strong>The</strong> CW was only able to find<br />
records of University-sponsored<br />
events in recent years that occurred<br />
during or around that time.<br />
BISON was established last fall and<br />
has held events for Native students<br />
throughout the year.<br />
“As students, there’s only so much<br />
we can do by ourselves,” Johnston<br />
said. “<strong>The</strong>re are some times that<br />
[BISON] really feel supported by<br />
certain departments such as the IDC.<br />
And there’s so many people working<br />
to open doors for us.”<br />
“In other instances, it's like when<br />
we're included in things … it's trying<br />
to check that box, … match that<br />
quota,” Johnston said. “It’s like … we<br />
thought there weren’t Native students<br />
here. Now there’s a Native student<br />
group. Let's check that box that we are<br />
representing all minority groups for<br />
DEI but let's not go further than that.’”<br />
Taylor declined to comment on if<br />
the University planned to create such<br />
physcial spaces for Native students,<br />
deferring to the Office of Student Life.<br />
“<strong>The</strong>re are many universities that<br />
have worked hard to have programs<br />
and safe spaces and physical spaces<br />
for Native students, Johnston said,<br />
including the University of Georgia.<br />
… I never expected when coming<br />
here with the history that there would<br />
be so little,” Johnston said.<br />
Acknowledgement of Native<br />
history on campus<br />
Younker and Johnston said that<br />
the University fails on the point of<br />
acknowledging Native history and<br />
ties to the University’s land, despite<br />
Tuscaloosa being located along the<br />
Trail of Tears, the deadly route taken<br />
by Native Americans when they were<br />
forced to abandon their ancestral<br />
lands and move to Oklahoma.<br />
Odle, the American studies<br />
professor, previously told <strong>The</strong> CW<br />
that the University was built on land<br />
that belonged primarily to Choctaw<br />
and Creek tribes, but is not unique<br />
among U.S. universities in having<br />
been built on Native land.<br />
“But the University and Tuscaloosa<br />
… [are] on lands that were in some<br />
cases purchased through land deeds<br />
and other cases through really<br />
outright theft from Native nations,”<br />
Odle said.<br />
<strong>The</strong> lack of attention brought<br />
toward Native history, Johnston and<br />
Younker said, is most apparent in<br />
the University’s omittance of a “land<br />
acknowledgment” to the tribes, such<br />
as Johnston’s, wherein the University<br />
would publicly state its awareness of<br />
the fact that it is built on the ancestral<br />
lands of the tribes who were forcibly<br />
removed on the deadly Trail of Tears<br />
or by soon-to-be-broken treaties.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> [UA] administration is aware<br />
and has discussed the desire for a<br />
public land acknowledgement. At this<br />
time, an official acknowledgement<br />
has not been approved,” Taylor said<br />
in an email, declining to comment on<br />
why it has not yet done so.<br />
“To come … back to my tribe’s<br />
homeland in Alabama, I was so<br />
excited because … this is full circle<br />
for my family. … And then to<br />
look around and for there to be no<br />
acknowledgment that we were here<br />
breaks my heart,” Johnson said.<br />
Looking to the future<br />
“<strong>The</strong> work of developing a more<br />
inclusive and welcoming community<br />
is a culture change process,” Taylor<br />
said. “Our campus has formally<br />
been on this journey for only five<br />
years. Since that time, a lot has been<br />
accomplished, and there is certainly<br />
more work to be done.”<br />
Johnston and Younker said that<br />
their efforts to create BISON have<br />
been a step in the right direction<br />
toward improving the Native<br />
student experience.<br />
“BISON has improved my college<br />
experience dramatically,” Younker<br />
said. “It allows me to be a leader. It<br />
allows me to set boundaries with<br />
UA on what is appropriate and what<br />
is not If they ask, which most of the<br />
time they [do]. It allows me to bring<br />
more culture to this campus … and<br />
more awareness.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> pair said the University must<br />
make a commitment to its Native<br />
students if it wants greater change.<br />
“When a school doesn't recruit<br />
or offer support in any way or<br />
acknowledgement or have anything<br />
geared specifically towards … Native<br />
students, it makes it even harder<br />
to step outside of your comfort<br />
zone and to dream and to go to<br />
school,” Johnston said. “When [our<br />
intergenerational] hurt is invalidated<br />
and not acknowledged, ... it<br />
changes everything.<br />
OPINION <strong>The</strong> Earth cannot handle this much clothing<br />
Article previously published on web on <strong>March</strong> 8. CW / Autumn Williams<br />
ABBY STRICKLAND<br />
CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST<br />
<strong>The</strong> world has a clothing<br />
problem. Every year, around<br />
11.3 million tons of textile waste<br />
in the United States ends up being<br />
burned or dumped in landfills. In<br />
other words, 85% of unwanted outfits,<br />
unsold clothing and unused textiles<br />
go straight to the garbage.<br />
<strong>The</strong> solution seems simple: instead<br />
of throwing our clothes into the trash,<br />
we should recycle or donate them, but<br />
the reality of these seemingly simple<br />
solutions is much more complex.<br />
Only 2.5 million tons of clothing<br />
are recycled in the U.S., while 3<br />
million are burned and 10 million are<br />
sent to landfills. Even if recycling was<br />
the perfect answer to a growing issue,<br />
it isn’t practiced enough to counteract<br />
the environmental damage of those<br />
13 million tons. <strong>The</strong> 2.5 million tons<br />
that do get recycled are rarely used to<br />
create new clothing.<br />
Generally, fibers must be<br />
mechanically recycled, which<br />
degrades their quality over time.<br />
Because of this, recycled clothing is<br />
usually downcycled to create items<br />
like insulation material and cleaning<br />
cloths. In 2016, H&M ran a campaign<br />
to collect unwanted clothing from<br />
their customers. While they collected<br />
1,000 tons of recycled garments,<br />
environmental journalist Tatiana<br />
Schlossberg claims the effort is not as<br />
promising as it seems.<br />
In “Inconspicious Consumption,”<br />
Schlossberg wrote that it could take<br />
H&M over a decade to use that much<br />
fabric. As one of fast fashion’s greatest<br />
contributors, what H&M could<br />
recycle in that time is equivalent to<br />
what they sell in just a few days.<br />
H&M produces around half a<br />
billion garments annually, but less than<br />
1% is created from recycled material.<br />
Though a recycling bin is preferable<br />
to a landfill, it doesn’t combat the core<br />
issue: the world simply can’t handle<br />
this much clothing.<br />
<strong>The</strong> donation solution faces similar<br />
problems. Secondhand shopping is<br />
popular among Gen Z, and thrifting<br />
is ultimately a good choice for those<br />
looking to consume more responsibly.<br />
However, it’s important to be aware of<br />
its shortcomings.<br />
<strong>The</strong> sheer volume of clothing in<br />
the world presents complications.<br />
Goodwill, for example, has managed<br />
to lengthen the lifespan of many<br />
garments. What they do is important,<br />
but even they have leftovers that<br />
end up in recycling centers or<br />
markets overseas.<br />
Around 700,000 tons of<br />
secondhand clothing are exported<br />
from the U.S. yearly. Alyssa Hardy,<br />
author of “Worn Out: How Our<br />
Clothes Cover Up Fashion’s Sins,”<br />
reports that 15 million used garments<br />
are imported into Ghana alone on a<br />
weekly basis. With so much clothing<br />
coming into the country, items may sit<br />
in a factory for years before entering<br />
secondhand markets.<br />
In other cases, the imports may<br />
be too worn out to be sold, ending<br />
up in the landfill anyways. <strong>The</strong> waste<br />
still exists, it just is placed on the<br />
shoulders of developing countries.<br />
<strong>The</strong> donation solution is a myth<br />
which effectively distracts consumers<br />
from the environmental costs of<br />
their purchases.<br />
<strong>The</strong> rise of fast fashion only adds<br />
to the complexity of the clothing<br />
issue. <strong>The</strong> pace of social media’s evershifting<br />
trends can only be met by fast<br />
fashion brands. <strong>The</strong> hashtag #Shein,<br />
for a popular fast-fashion brand, has<br />
accumulated over 51.4 billion views<br />
on TikTok, which is undoubtedly one<br />
of the biggest influences on Gen Z’s<br />
fashion choices. For college students<br />
in particular, the combination of low<br />
prices and relevant options makes fast<br />
fashion appealing. <strong>The</strong>re’s a hidden<br />
price that can’t be ignored, however.<br />
<strong>The</strong> average consumer is buying<br />
60% more clothing than they did<br />
in 2005. Brands such as Shein, who<br />
introduced 1.5 million unique styles<br />
in 2021 alone, encourage this rise<br />
in consumption. On top of this, fast<br />
fashion garments are typically of<br />
poor quality as the focus is on speed<br />
and cheapness.<br />
Garments are now worn around<br />
seven to 10 times on average before<br />
being thrown out; that’s a 35%<br />
decrease from 15 years ago. <strong>The</strong><br />
burden of clothing on the planet is<br />
growing at a rate we’re unable to keep<br />
up with.<br />
Individually, the best thing we<br />
can do is try to shop ethically, but<br />
that’s easier said than done. A severe<br />
lack of transparency from brands<br />
keeps buyers in the dark. Brands may<br />
also mislead concerned customers<br />
through a marketing tactic known<br />
as greenwashing.<br />
Zara does not use plastic bags in<br />
their stores, and has pledged to use<br />
only 100% sustainable fabrics by 2025.<br />
H&M’s website has a page dedicated<br />
to sustainability. On this page is a link<br />
to a list of achievements and a note<br />
saying, “Back in 2013, we became the<br />
first global fashion retailer to launch<br />
a garment collecting program in all<br />
our stores.”<br />
Although these efforts are positive,<br />
they should not absolve brands from<br />
criticism regarding their contributions<br />
to clothing waste. H&M reported $4.3<br />
billion in unsold inventory back in<br />
2018. <strong>The</strong> fast-fashion business model<br />
is inherently wasteful, and no amount<br />
of small ethical practices can make up<br />
for it.
Hop on down to Northport’s first annual Bunny Trail<br />
RACHEL SEALE<br />
CONTRIBUTING WRITER<br />
<strong>The</strong> city of Northport is hosting<br />
the first annual Bunny Trail<br />
downtown this spring to promote<br />
community and raise awareness<br />
for Tuscaloosa’s One Place, a family<br />
resource center.<br />
Similar to the Christmastime<br />
Tinsel Trail, Bunny Trail is made<br />
up of nearly 100 five-foot wooden<br />
eggs that sponsors and businesses<br />
have decorated to represent their<br />
company or organization. Anyone<br />
in the community can sponsor an<br />
egg on the Bunny Trail. This year’s<br />
presenting sponsors are Premier<br />
Service Company, a 24-hour<br />
service for HVAC, plumbing and<br />
electrical needs, and Lowe’s Home<br />
Improvement of Tuscaloosa.<br />
Ashley Cornelius, the director of<br />
communications for Tuscaloosa’s<br />
One Place, said that Premiere Service<br />
Company is one of Tuscaloosa’s One<br />
Place’s biggest champions. She said<br />
the partnership with Lowe’s is a new<br />
one, but TOP is excited to see how<br />
this relationship will grow.<br />
“Having these two presenting<br />
sponsors is an excellent illustration<br />
of the community’s long-standing<br />
support for TOP and our projects<br />
while also highlighting opportunities<br />
for new partnerships as we continue<br />
to work to strengthen West Alabama<br />
families,” Cornelius said.<br />
Tuscaloosa’s One Place is<br />
dedicated to helping families and<br />
serving the community.<br />
“We serve over 18,000 people per<br />
year through after school programs,<br />
school social work, parenting and<br />
fatherhood, healthy relationship<br />
education, workforce development<br />
and teen intervention programs,”<br />
Cornelius said.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Bunny Trail helps create a safe<br />
environment for families to enjoy<br />
free events, according to Cornelius.<br />
“Tuscaloosa’s One Place’s primary<br />
goal is that all families thrive.<br />
Creating events and spaces for<br />
families to enjoy strengthens not<br />
culture<br />
<strong>The</strong> Northport Bunny Trail, hosted by Tuscaloosa’s One Place, is a family-friendly spring display and fundraiser.<br />
CW / Rachel Seale<br />
only the family, but the community<br />
as well,” Cornelius said.<br />
<strong>The</strong> proceeds raised by the<br />
events on the Bunny Trail will also<br />
benefit Tuscaloosa’s One Place’s<br />
community programs.<br />
Cornelius said the idea for a TOP<br />
spring event inspired by Christmas<br />
trails, such as the Tinsel Trail, had<br />
been long discussed. However, it<br />
wasn’t until the City of Northport<br />
agreed to partner with TOP that the<br />
Bunny Trail became concrete.<br />
Jamie Dykes, a Northport city<br />
councilmember, said that Glenda<br />
Webb, the city administrator, came<br />
up with the idea for the Bunny Trail.<br />
Dykes said Webb presented the idea<br />
to TOP and the groups collaborated<br />
to make the idea a reality.<br />
“<strong>The</strong>y came up with everything<br />
that is out there. Our staff built<br />
everything. <strong>The</strong> businesses<br />
decorated the eggs, but we built all<br />
of the props and the eggs that they<br />
painted,” Dykes said.<br />
Dykes said the city has been<br />
instrumental in creating the<br />
advertisements for the Bunny Trail<br />
to raise involvement at its events, as<br />
well as awareness for Tuscaloosa’s<br />
One Place.<br />
Cornelius said the event would<br />
not have been possible without<br />
their partnership with the City of<br />
Northport, as well as the sponsors<br />
and decorators of the eggs-hibits.<br />
“I hope they enjoy it and see the<br />
businesses that have participated<br />
and learn a little bit about what<br />
Tuscaloosa’s One Place does,”<br />
Dykes said.<br />
According to Dykes, the city<br />
decided to place the trail downtown<br />
to bring attention to the area,<br />
as well as emphasize the newly<br />
finished streetscaping project on<br />
Main Avenue.<br />
According to both Cornelius and<br />
Dykes, the city’s staff and Tuscaloosa’s<br />
One Place wanted to bring a unique<br />
experience to downtown Northport.<br />
This free and public Bunny Trail<br />
does just that.<br />
She said the downtown area gives<br />
people a place to safely park and<br />
walk along the sidewalk without<br />
worrying about being hit.<br />
Tuscaloosa’s One Place’s<br />
primary goal is that all<br />
families thrive.<br />
ASHLEY<br />
CORNELIUS<br />
<strong>The</strong> Bunny Trail occupies the<br />
sidewalk area past City Cafe and<br />
goes towards the Black Warrior<br />
River. This allows visitors to safely<br />
experience all the sights and fun the<br />
Bunny Trail has to offer.<br />
“In addition to providing<br />
recreation for families and<br />
5A<br />
spotlighting our sponsors and<br />
decorators, we hope to bring more<br />
attention to downtown Northport’s<br />
businesses, events, and other<br />
activities,” Cornelius said.<br />
<strong>The</strong> eggs-hibits line downtown<br />
Northport to create the perfect<br />
spring atmosphere for the events<br />
taking place on the Trail this season.<br />
Ashley Williams, the marketing<br />
manager at Kentuck Art Center<br />
& Festival, said the city and<br />
Tuscaloosa’s One Place reached out<br />
to ask Kentuck to decorate an egg.<br />
Kentuck’s programming assistant<br />
Molly Nelko and clay studio<br />
manager Amy Smoot designed and<br />
decorated the art center’s egg for the<br />
Bunny Trail with Kentuck’s logo of<br />
a tree.<br />
Williams said Kentuck has a<br />
rabbit sculpture in the studio’s<br />
courtyard that people have also been<br />
taking pictures with for Easter.<br />
“I hope that everyone comes out<br />
to see the eggs, has a good time and<br />
admires the artistry. <strong>The</strong>re are some<br />
really extravagant eggs out here,”<br />
Williams said.<br />
Like other sponsors and<br />
businesses, Kentuck is excited to<br />
be participating in the first annual<br />
Bunny Trail. Williams said the<br />
studio’s staff had fun coloring and<br />
decorating their egg and enjoyed<br />
seeing the other eggs on the trail.<br />
“I think it’s a really fun opportunity<br />
for the downtown merchants to<br />
get together and participate in<br />
something and support Tuscaloosa’s<br />
One Place as well,” Williams said.<br />
This year, the Bunny Trail will also<br />
host the following events: the Grand<br />
Opening, Pet Eggstravaganza, Egg<br />
Hunt and Spring Jubilee. <strong>The</strong> events<br />
are for all ages, but the egg hunt<br />
and jubilee will primarily be geared<br />
towards younger children and<br />
tweens. <strong>The</strong> Easter Bunny will also<br />
make an appearance and be available<br />
for pictures at the events.<br />
“Given the overwhelmingly<br />
positive response we have seen so<br />
far, we absolutely expect the Bunny<br />
Trail to become an annual event,”<br />
Cornelius said.
6A
On Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022,<br />
attendees of the annual<br />
Fashion for Life runway show<br />
watched 11 students debut their<br />
senior collections on the Bama<br />
<strong>The</strong>atre’s stage.<br />
Among those 11 students<br />
was Anaya McCullum, a<br />
UA alumna whose debut<br />
collection, “<strong>The</strong> Premiere,” also<br />
launched her streetwear brand,<br />
Melneich, which takes influence<br />
from versatile brands like<br />
VETEMENTS and Off-<strong>White</strong>.<br />
According to a post on<br />
McCullum’s Instagram, the<br />
brand’s name is a combination<br />
of her parents’ names, paying<br />
homage to all the sacrifices<br />
they’ve made and continue<br />
to make so she can pursue<br />
her dreams.<br />
“This makes it completely<br />
unique to me, making it a one<br />
of one, just like the pieces in my<br />
mini collection,” the post read.<br />
With “<strong>The</strong> Premiere,”<br />
McCullum hopes to highlight<br />
that she’s not afraid to stand out<br />
and do something that people<br />
might not like, and she’s looking<br />
to attract customers<br />
culture<br />
MELNEICH :<br />
JEFFREY KELLY<br />
MANAGING EDITOR<br />
Professionally, I just want<br />
to continue to make my<br />
mark, network, and educate<br />
myself on the industry while<br />
still working on my personal<br />
goal of building my<br />
brand, Melneich.<br />
ANAYA MCCULLUM<br />
for Melneich who feel the<br />
same way.<br />
Her five-piece collection<br />
is a tour de force of striking<br />
silhouettes, saturated color and<br />
youthful exuberance.<br />
<strong>The</strong> collection includes: a<br />
black bodycon dress paired with<br />
a gray sherpa bolero and a custom<br />
Melneich trucker hat; a neon<br />
green textured knit gown with a<br />
low back and a cut-out oversized<br />
suit jacket; a textured green<br />
button down with matching<br />
shorts under an oversized low<br />
V-neck black sweater with a<br />
custom embroidered Melneich<br />
logo in white and a trucker hat;<br />
and two cropped suit jackets —<br />
one burnt orange with a white<br />
sherpa collar paired with a<br />
neon yellow organza long sleeve<br />
shirt and high-waisted tapered<br />
trousers with zippers along the<br />
front seams, and one lavender<br />
with an overlapping back and a<br />
matching set of V-waisted wide<br />
leg trousers.<br />
Each look’s materials were<br />
either upcycled or thrifted with<br />
some free fabrics supplied by Fab<br />
Scraps, a nonprofit in New York<br />
City created for commercial<br />
textile recycling, that McCullum<br />
found out about through her<br />
internship with Christopher<br />
John Rogers over the summer.<br />
While searching for<br />
inspiration for the collection,<br />
McCullum said she knew she<br />
wanted to do something that<br />
excited her. She started with<br />
the broad idea of TV and movie<br />
plots. More specifically, she was<br />
inspired by American costume<br />
designer Gilbert Adrian, better<br />
known as Adrian, his work with<br />
Katharine Hepburn and the way<br />
Hepburn’s style played with<br />
gender expression.<br />
McCullum remembered<br />
the first image of<br />
Hepburn<br />
UA alumna Anaya McCullum’s debut<br />
streetwear brand<br />
she saw was her sitting on a<br />
couch smoking a cigarette in<br />
an oversized suit and widelegged<br />
trousers, and after a little<br />
research, McCullum decided,<br />
“this is what I need to pull from.”<br />
“My concept is basically<br />
fashion and film and its take on<br />
gender fluidity,” she said. “I was<br />
never truly girly, but at the same<br />
time, I wasn’t like a full tomboy.<br />
So, I kind of found a way to get a<br />
medium between that, and I feel<br />
like that’s what my collection is<br />
kind of representing as well.”<br />
I want you to feel like you’re<br />
escaping into something<br />
when you see my collection.<br />
<strong>The</strong> same way you do …<br />
when you go to, like, a<br />
movie theater, and you’re<br />
sitting there, and for like<br />
an hour and a half, you’re<br />
just completely indulged in<br />
what’s in front of you.<br />
ANAYA MCCULLUM<br />
During an interview before<br />
the show on Nov. 3, McCullum<br />
stood over an industrial sewing<br />
machine in Doster Hall, skillfully<br />
sewing the silky organza top for<br />
her men’s suit. At the time, the<br />
look was her favorite silhouette<br />
she’d made so far since it was<br />
her first men’s look, and it was<br />
turning out better than she<br />
thought it would.<br />
Along with fluidity, McCullum<br />
said the biggest priority for her<br />
collection was functionality.<br />
“I was definitely thinking<br />
long-term as far as if someone<br />
wants to buy this, how could<br />
they wear it, and my design<br />
philosophy. I like to be cute<br />
and comfortable. So, making<br />
pieces that can be worn in an<br />
upscale location and in a lowkey<br />
place was a big thing for me,”<br />
McCullum said. “I feel like you<br />
can see it on the red carpet, but<br />
at the same time, if you wanted<br />
to wear it to work or just a night<br />
out with your homegirls or the<br />
homeboys, that would be perfect<br />
as well.”<br />
She hoped that people would<br />
feel like they were at the movies<br />
when they saw it.<br />
“I want you to feel like<br />
you’re escaping into something<br />
when you see my collection,”<br />
McCullum said. “<strong>The</strong> same<br />
way you do … when<br />
you go to, like, a<br />
movie theater,<br />
and you’re<br />
sitting<br />
there, and for like an hour and<br />
a half, you’re just completely<br />
indulged in what’s in front<br />
of you.”<br />
Almost four months after the<br />
show, McCullum said she’d felt<br />
love from friends and strangers.<br />
“I wasn’t really sure what<br />
everyone’s reaction would be<br />
because it was so different,<br />
but it’s been very validating in<br />
knowing whether or not I’m<br />
going in the right direction with<br />
my brand,” she said.<br />
McCullum said the experience<br />
of creating her collection — a<br />
collection she’d started choosing<br />
models for in November 2021 and<br />
concepting last summer — had<br />
been personally, academically<br />
and professionally exciting,<br />
yet stressful.<br />
And now, with the showcase<br />
done, graduation over and<br />
McCullum moving to New York<br />
City in January to start working<br />
for Brandon Maxwell, a luxury<br />
women’s wear company, her<br />
excitement and stress hasn’t<br />
seemed to dissipate just yet.<br />
“If I’m being honest, because<br />
everything happened so fast and<br />
all at once, I don’t think I’ve had<br />
a true chance to process any of<br />
it,” McCullum said. “People ask<br />
m e<br />
all<br />
1B<br />
Anaya McCullum’s collection “<strong>The</strong> Premiere” photographed at Palmore<br />
skate park. Photos courtesy of Anaya McCullum<br />
apartment by the end of summer<br />
to be as productive as possible,<br />
and focusing on content creation.<br />
“Professionally, I just want<br />
to continue to make my mark,<br />
network, and educate myself on<br />
the industry while still working<br />
on my personal goal of building<br />
my brand, Melneich,” she said.<br />
My concept is basically<br />
fashion and film and its take<br />
on gender fluidity. I was<br />
never truly girly, but at the<br />
same time, I wasn’t like a<br />
full tomboy.<br />
ANAYA MCCULLUM<br />
“And, of course, explore the city<br />
and enjoy all it has to offer.”<br />
She also wants to get more<br />
serious about photography,<br />
music and modeling and<br />
hopefully find a way to merge all<br />
her passions.<br />
“Long term, I want to<br />
eventually become a true girl<br />
boss and be able to support<br />
myself financially solely on my<br />
own personal business ventures,”<br />
she said.<br />
And as for Melneich,<br />
McCullum said there’s<br />
more to come.<br />
“I don’t want to<br />
speak too soon …<br />
but I am working<br />
on having<br />
it officially<br />
available to the<br />
public at the<br />
end of the year,”<br />
she said.<br />
the time, and I<br />
just say I don’t<br />
think it’s truly hit<br />
me yet, but I can say<br />
that I’m happy I was<br />
able to push through<br />
it all.”<br />
As she embarks on this<br />
brand-new journey, McCullum<br />
said she’d got a few new shortterm<br />
and long-term goals<br />
to achieve professionally<br />
and personally, like getting<br />
completely settled into her
2B sports news<br />
THE DOGS OF THE JOE: A look at baseball’s special fans<br />
ABBY MCCREARY<br />
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR<br />
Anyone who has been to an<br />
Alabama baseball game<br />
knows right field’s most famous fans.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y snack on hot dogs, enjoy<br />
the people watching and soak in<br />
the atmosphere of Sewell-Thomas<br />
Stadium just like any other fan.<br />
However, unlike the students that<br />
consistently heckle and trash talk<br />
the opposing team’s right fielder,<br />
these fans are a right fielder’s<br />
best friend.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se fans are the dogs of <strong>The</strong> Joe.<br />
This year, dogs almost weren’t<br />
allowed to watch the <strong>Crimson</strong><br />
Tide on the baseball diamond. A<br />
preseason tweet in February from<br />
Alabama baseball’s official account<br />
announced that pets would no<br />
longer be allowed in the right field of<br />
Sewell-Thomas Stadium. According<br />
to baseball security guards, though,<br />
an unhappy fan changed that rule.<br />
<strong>The</strong> fan tweeted athletic director<br />
Greg Byrne, arguing <strong>The</strong> Joe should<br />
remain open to pets, especially since<br />
the stadium is the only UA athletic<br />
facility to allow them.<br />
<strong>The</strong> tweet was successful. On<br />
opening day, Feb. 17, right field was<br />
filled with dogs of all breeds and<br />
ages, first timers and old veterans, all<br />
receiving an abundance of baseball<br />
treats and smells, distracted pets and<br />
cuddles, and mid-inning love and<br />
attention — a special combination<br />
unique to <strong>The</strong> Joe.<br />
Here are five of baseball’s most<br />
popular fans.<br />
Eli and Benny<br />
Eli and Benny have probably<br />
attended more baseball games than<br />
the average Alabama fan, and they<br />
might have looked cooler doing it,<br />
too. Decked out in their Alabama<br />
baseball glasses, bandanas and<br />
leashes, the golden doodle and<br />
labradoodle have cheered on the<br />
<strong>Crimson</strong> Tide at every game they’ve<br />
been allowed for the past four years.<br />
<strong>The</strong>ir owner and UA alum<br />
Kathleen Moffit said her dogs love<br />
baseball games, but baseball isn’t<br />
always their main priority.<br />
“Eli will sit and watch the game,”<br />
Moffit said. “But they love all the<br />
attention. Benny’s favorite part is<br />
attention and Eli likes the smells.”<br />
Although Benny enjoys <strong>The</strong> Joe<br />
as much as his brother, Eli was raised<br />
to love baseball. As a puppy, he was<br />
the tailgate mascot and was able to<br />
attend more games as Moffit’s guest<br />
while she was still a student.<br />
Now the two must wait for special<br />
occasions, like games that open right<br />
field to the general public or Bark in<br />
the Park events.<br />
Moffit has even started taking<br />
them to Birmingham Barons games,<br />
where Wet Nose Wednesdays allow<br />
dogs to watch select baseball games.<br />
That’s where the dogs get most of<br />
their baseball experience these days,<br />
but Moffit said she hopes for more at<br />
the University.<br />
“I would take them to anything<br />
dogs are allowed to,” Moffit said.<br />
“We travel with them a lot so we take<br />
them wherever we can.”<br />
Right now, those opportunities<br />
consist of the rare Bark in the Park<br />
event and football tailgates on the<br />
Quad, so Eli and Benny get all the<br />
love and smells they can when<br />
they’re allowed at <strong>The</strong> Joe.<br />
Blue<br />
Blue, a husky and Australian<br />
shepherd mix, is on his way to<br />
becoming the super fan that Eli<br />
and Benny already are. This is<br />
his first season with the <strong>Crimson</strong><br />
Tide but he’s a local, adopted from<br />
Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter,<br />
who has already attended several<br />
games with his owner Caitlyn<br />
Sadie perks her ears as she cheers on the <strong>Crimson</strong> Tide at Alabama’s game versus Columbia on <strong>March</strong> 10 in<br />
Tuscaloosa. CW / Morgan Gray<br />
Bobo, a sophomore majoring<br />
in neuroscience.<br />
Although Blue wears his baseball<br />
hat to games, Bobo said his main<br />
priority is the snacks.<br />
“He has a backpack full of snacks,”<br />
Bobo said. “I brought him cookies so<br />
he likes that and the attention.”<br />
For Blue, baseball games are also<br />
a perfect opportunity to scout out<br />
other dogs. Bobo and her boyfriend<br />
Garrett Pugh said they try to sit away<br />
from other dogs, but in <strong>The</strong> Joe’s<br />
small right field seating area, it isn’t<br />
always possible. <strong>The</strong>y’re just grateful<br />
Blue isn’t distracted by the ball<br />
as well.<br />
“If he hears the ball hit the bat he’ll<br />
pay attention, but other than that he<br />
doesn’t have a very good attention<br />
span,” Pugh said. “In the first game,<br />
a home run came to us in the first<br />
inning. He flinched and wasn’t into<br />
it at all — if anything he’s more timid<br />
when the ball comes around.”<br />
Blue is gradually working his way<br />
up to becoming a veteran canine<br />
of right field, but for now, he’s<br />
still adjusting to his first year as a<br />
<strong>Crimson</strong> Tide pup.<br />
“Blue says, ‘Roll tide,’” Bobo said.<br />
Sadie<br />
Like Blue, Sadie also attends<br />
baseball games at <strong>The</strong> Joe for just<br />
one reason.<br />
“She’s eating peanuts and hot dogs<br />
and French fries,” said her owner<br />
and <strong>Crimson</strong> Tide parent Dawn<br />
Reynolds during one Saturday<br />
afternoon game. “She’s been trying<br />
to get his [the man seated next to<br />
them] pizza all game.”<br />
Sadie, a four-year-old<br />
goldendoodle, attended her first<br />
<strong>Crimson</strong> Tide baseball game this<br />
year, but Reynolds said she’ll be back<br />
for more, and not just for the snacks.<br />
Sadie doesn’t watch Alabama games,<br />
but her favorite player is transfer<br />
Jackson Reynolds, Dawn’s son.<br />
“She’s oblivious to the game,”<br />
Dawn Reynolds said. “When [the<br />
players] do the walk-by at the end,<br />
she’ll be very happy to see JR. He<br />
doesn’t know she’s here.”<br />
For Sadie, being at the ballpark<br />
with other dogs and lots of smells is<br />
a lot better than being left at home,<br />
especially when she gets to see a<br />
friendly face at the end.<br />
Hoss<br />
Another dog of a player, Hoss<br />
offered a friendly face for the right<br />
fielder of the opposing team on<br />
<strong>March</strong> 11 during the Columbia<br />
University series.<br />
“Whole family came to the game,<br />
so you got to bring the dog,” said his<br />
owner, Columbia University parent<br />
Paul Schott. “He’s part of the family,<br />
my fourth kid. I have to bring him<br />
wherever I can.”<br />
As the dog of Columbia right<br />
fielder Hayden Schott, Hoss was the<br />
only comforting presence among<br />
a sea of Alabama students who<br />
regularly heckle and taunt the right<br />
fielders of opposing teams as they<br />
take the field.<br />
A ten-year-old chocolate<br />
Labrador, Hoss has attended many<br />
of Schott’s games as Paul Schott’s<br />
service dog, but Schott said the<br />
Alabama game allowed Hoss to<br />
take all the gear off and just enjoy<br />
the game.<br />
“He’s usually pretty chill but right<br />
now he’s all amped up because he<br />
sees the other dogs,” Paul Schott<br />
said. “He loves people but does not<br />
pay attention to the game, he just<br />
vibes. He is the chill master.”<br />
Education students petition to save McLure Library<br />
RACHEL SEALE<br />
CONTRIBUTING WRITER<br />
For students in the College of<br />
Education at <strong>The</strong> University of<br />
Alabama, McLure Library is a beloved<br />
building that holds resources, study<br />
spaces and memories.<br />
<strong>The</strong> University plans to renovate<br />
McLure Library to create a new<br />
classroom building for the College<br />
of Communication and Information<br />
Sciences that will serve as the new<br />
home of the School of Library and<br />
Information Sciences, which is<br />
currently located on the seventh<br />
floor of Gorgas Library. <strong>The</strong> final<br />
architectural and engineering plan<br />
was approved in February by the UA<br />
board of trustees.<br />
Along with the renovation, the<br />
board also approved a 900-foot<br />
addition to the current building,<br />
which includes the installation of an<br />
elevator and mending of other safety<br />
and maintenance issues.<br />
<strong>The</strong> estimated total for the project<br />
is $18 million.<br />
On Feb. 9, a group of education<br />
students created an Instagram<br />
account called “Save McLure Library.<br />
Additionally, Lauren Little created<br />
an online petition to convince the<br />
University not to close the library.<br />
<strong>The</strong> petition currently has over<br />
800 signatures.<br />
Riley Cunningham, a junior<br />
majoring in elementary education,<br />
said Little had the initial idea to<br />
save McLure.<br />
Once the petition reaches 1,000<br />
signatures, Cunningham said Little<br />
will present it to College of Education<br />
Dean Peter Hlebowitsh. Cunningham<br />
hopes this will prove that people do<br />
care about the library and want to<br />
keep it.<br />
Caleb Fondren, a junior majoring<br />
in elementary education, said students<br />
have access to supplies for their<br />
internship placements, like sets of<br />
rulers and elementary textbooks, that<br />
they wouldn’t be able to get anywhere<br />
besides McLure.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> more well-equipped we are<br />
and the more resources we have,<br />
the better teachers we can become,”<br />
Fondren said.<br />
Fondren said the University has<br />
one of the largest pools of future<br />
teachers in the state and losing<br />
resources could prevent them from<br />
teaching at the highest levels. He<br />
added that McLure holds the only<br />
study spots and lounge for education<br />
majors. McLure is also easy to access<br />
since the basement of Autherine Lucy<br />
Hall, the only building dedicated to<br />
education students, is connected to<br />
the library’s basement.<br />
According to Fondren, Hlebowitsh<br />
told Little renovations would begin this<br />
summer. <strong>The</strong> top floor will hold C&IS<br />
classrooms and offices, the basement<br />
will house a book making area and<br />
the main floor will be dedicated to<br />
education majors.<br />
Director of Strategic Engagement<br />
for University Libraries Michael<br />
Pearce said via an email statement<br />
that the College of Communication<br />
and Information Sciences will oversee<br />
the former library.<br />
However, Pearce said education<br />
students will still have access to the<br />
resources that are currently housed in<br />
McLure.<br />
“No resources are being removed<br />
from our collections with the facility<br />
changing roles,” Pearce added.<br />
Pearce said the idea to renovate<br />
the library was proposed in 2007 to<br />
accommodate infrastructure, the<br />
Americans with Disabilities Act and<br />
safety issues that need to be updated.<br />
“This construction requires us to<br />
vacate the entire building for a year<br />
or more. While we would love to be<br />
able to dedicate a new building to a<br />
new education library, taking all of<br />
those issues into account while also<br />
considering changes in student and<br />
faculty usage of both the building<br />
and the physical collections within it<br />
over the past 10 years, it was difficult<br />
to justify renovating the building<br />
with the same mission it had served<br />
previously,” Pearce said.<br />
Pearce said no one in the education<br />
<strong>The</strong> Northport “Bunny Trail,” hosted by Tuscaloosa’s One Place, is a family-friendly spring display and fundraiser.<br />
CW / Rachel Seale Article previously published on web on <strong>March</strong> 19.<br />
department, communications<br />
department or libraries have been<br />
contacted about a petition. He said the<br />
physical collections that are currently<br />
in McLure will be stored in Gorgas<br />
Library.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> College of Communications<br />
and Information Sciences will also be<br />
offering access to its early childhood<br />
literacy collection that will be available<br />
to all students and faculty in the newly<br />
renovated McLure building,” Pearce<br />
said. “Additionally, the College of<br />
Education is doubling its space in<br />
the Belser-Parton Literacy Center<br />
and also plans to have a teacherprep<br />
education resource unit in the<br />
remodeled McLure building.”<br />
Audrey Bailey, a junior majoring<br />
in public health, said even though she<br />
isn’t an education student, she prefers<br />
to study at McLure.<br />
Bailey said she saw the petition<br />
on Instagram and signed it. She<br />
loves the smaller feel of the space<br />
and noted that McLure is a more<br />
comfortable place for her to study<br />
since it is smaller than Gorgas, which<br />
helps her concentrate despite her<br />
learning disabilities.<br />
Bailey said McLure is her<br />
favorite library, and she hopes it will<br />
remain open.<br />
“I thought it kind of brought a<br />
community of sorts when I was<br />
studying with my friends,” Bailey said.<br />
When Cunningham originally<br />
heard about the renovation plans, she<br />
thought the library would continue to<br />
serve education majors.<br />
“A lot of people really do care about<br />
this building. This library was built<br />
in 1925 and for them to renovate<br />
it for another major isn’t right,”<br />
Cunningham said.<br />
Lauren Little declined to comment.
sports<br />
No. 1 Alabama falls to fifth-seeded San Diego State 71-64<br />
MATHEY GIBSON<br />
STAFF REPORTER<br />
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — <strong>The</strong><br />
buzz surrounding the<br />
Alabama men’s basketball<br />
program reached an alltime<br />
high heading into the<br />
NCAA Tournament.<br />
If there was ever a season for<br />
the <strong>Crimson</strong> Tide to cut down<br />
the nets in <strong>March</strong>, this was<br />
supposed to be it.<br />
After all, no team in college<br />
basketball appeared fully<br />
equipped to topple Nate Oats’<br />
fourth-year squad after its<br />
impressive blitz during the<br />
regular season.<br />
Led by freshman sensation<br />
Brandon Miller and company,<br />
Alabama swept the SEC for<br />
Alabama guard Mark Spears (1) collides with a defender on his way to the basket during the <strong>Crimson</strong> Tide’s loss 71-64 loss<br />
versus San Diego State on <strong>March</strong> 24 in Louisville, Ky. CW / David Gray Article previously published on web <strong>March</strong> 25.<br />
I felt confident, and I was ready<br />
to attack.”<br />
While the bats could not<br />
have been hotter for Alabama,<br />
the pitching was stellar as well.<br />
Redshirt sophomore Alex Salter<br />
took control of the circle and<br />
diced up UAB left and right, only<br />
giving up one hit and completing<br />
a shutout victory.<br />
“Alex Salter did a great job<br />
3B<br />
able to crack a smile postgame.<br />
“It’s definitely tough,” Miller<br />
said. “You know, just playing<br />
around these guys, working hard<br />
every day in practice, to fall short,<br />
I think, it’s not — it’s a bad feeling<br />
now, but I feel like our bond is<br />
too close to break. So, I feel like<br />
after this we probably are just<br />
going to go and make our bond<br />
even stronger. I’m pretty sure<br />
we’re going to have somebody<br />
in someone’s weddings in the<br />
future, so, I mean, it’s just a bond<br />
that you can’t break.”<br />
You know, I love the group,<br />
they love each other, and<br />
it’s just really disappointing<br />
that it’s ending early. But I<br />
think it’s one of the most<br />
memorable seasons in<br />
Alabama history, and they<br />
can walk out of here with<br />
their heads up.<br />
NATE OATS<br />
Alabama softball puts up 12 runs against UAB<br />
DEAN HARRELL<br />
CONTRIBUTING WRITER<br />
Following two back-toback<br />
heartbreaking losses<br />
to Arkansas on <strong>March</strong> 19-20,<br />
the No. 13 Alabama softball<br />
team (23-8) needed a response<br />
to get back into the win column<br />
once again.<br />
After coming off the<br />
weekend, our team sat<br />
down and we told ourselves<br />
everything would be OK,<br />
just go out there and still<br />
compete and show who you<br />
are.<br />
KALI HEIVILIN<br />
After facing the University of<br />
Alabama at Birmingham Blazers<br />
on Wednesday <strong>March</strong> 22, it is safe<br />
the second time in three years.<br />
Heading into the weekend, the<br />
nation’s No. 1 overall seed had<br />
handled its competition with<br />
relative ease, defeating No. 16<br />
Texas A&M University Corpus-<br />
Christi 96-75 in the Round<br />
of 64 and shellacking No. 8<br />
University of Maryland 73-51 in<br />
Birmingham’s Round of 32.<br />
Sometimes,<br />
though,<br />
great dejection often<br />
follows the mountaintop of<br />
blissful enthusiasm.<br />
On Friday, <strong>March</strong> 24, No. 1<br />
Alabama fell to the No. 18 San<br />
Diego State University Aztecs<br />
71-64 after a disastrous offensive<br />
performance which saw the<br />
<strong>Crimson</strong> Tide shoot 11% from<br />
beyond the arc.<br />
It was a rough outing for Miller,<br />
who scored a meager nine points<br />
to say the <strong>Crimson</strong> Tide got the<br />
response it was looking for. With<br />
recent struggles in bringing home<br />
runners in scoring position, head<br />
coach Patrick Murphy’s squad<br />
seemed to have no trouble with it<br />
this time around and routed the<br />
Blazers 12-0.<br />
Taking no time to get things<br />
started, sophomore Kali Heivilin<br />
drilled a solo home run to right<br />
field to put the first run on<br />
the board in the first inning.<br />
Following suit, the rest of the<br />
lineup picked up hit after hit in<br />
the inning, along with another<br />
run after graduate student Ally<br />
Shipman singled to left field and<br />
brought home graduate student<br />
Ashley Prange to put Alabama up<br />
2-0 in the inning.<br />
However, the scoring output<br />
in the first inning would not<br />
be sufficient for the <strong>Crimson</strong><br />
Tide, as it proceeded to put up a<br />
whopping nine runs in the second<br />
inning alone.<br />
<strong>The</strong> bases were loaded quickly<br />
for Alabama after a flurry of hits<br />
from the top of the order that<br />
on 3-for-19 shooting, making<br />
only one of his 10 attempts<br />
from downtown.<br />
Miller, a projected lottery<br />
pick in the <strong>2023</strong> NBA draft,<br />
shot the lowest field goal<br />
percentage of any player with at<br />
least 35 attempts in the NCAA<br />
tournament since 1985, standing<br />
at 19.5% (8-for-41).<br />
Things didn’t get much<br />
easier for fellow freshman Noah<br />
Clowney, who scored three<br />
points on 1-for-6 shooting.<br />
Clowney, a 6-foot-10 forward<br />
from Roebuck, South Carolina,<br />
grabbed eight rebounds, but<br />
fouled out by game’s end, unable<br />
to match the physicality of<br />
the Aztecs.<br />
At the 11:40 mark of the<br />
second half, the <strong>Crimson</strong> Tide<br />
found itself in the driver’s seat,<br />
continued down the lineup to<br />
drive in one run after another.<br />
Freshman Kenleigh Cahalan was<br />
even able to pick up two singles<br />
in the second inning alone and<br />
picked up an RBI in the process.<br />
As if the scoring surge in the<br />
second inning was not quite<br />
enough, junior Emma Broadfoot<br />
extended the lead once more<br />
after a ground ball to bring home<br />
junior M’Kay Gidley and brought<br />
the lead to 12-0.<br />
Out of 11 players that received<br />
an at-bat, eight batters were able<br />
to drive home at least one RBI, a<br />
stat that is certainly a good sign<br />
for a team that will be getting<br />
back into conference play soon.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Crimson</strong> Tide also put up<br />
14 hits on the Blazers, proving<br />
how much of an offensive force it<br />
can be.<br />
“After coming off the weekend,<br />
our team sat down and we told<br />
ourselves everything would be ok,<br />
just go out there and still compete<br />
and show who you are,” Heivilin<br />
said. “I think tonight we had that<br />
mentality and going up to play<br />
leading by nine after trailing 28-<br />
23 at the break.<br />
That’s when things began to<br />
fall apart.<br />
A 12-0 run by the Aztecs,<br />
led by sharp-shooter Darrion<br />
Trammell, stunned the Alabamaheavy<br />
crowd. Before you could<br />
blink, Brian Dutcher’s squad<br />
managed to grab a nine-point<br />
lead of their own with two<br />
minutes left in the game.<br />
With a minute to go, a pair of<br />
layups by junior Mark Sears cut<br />
the lead to 66-64, but it was too<br />
little, too late as San Diego State’s<br />
Matt Bradley and Micah Parrish<br />
converted free throws down the<br />
stretch to seal the <strong>Crimson</strong> Tide’s<br />
fate at the KFC Yum! Center.<br />
“I mean, we had an<br />
unbelievable year,” Alabama head<br />
coach Nate Oats said. “Everybody<br />
is really disappointed in the loss.<br />
It ended too soon. San Diego<br />
State is a very good team. When<br />
you get to the Sweet 16, you<br />
know, all the teams are good at<br />
this point. You know, they’re [a]<br />
tough, physical, veteran group.<br />
It’s a huge accomplishment to get<br />
to the Sweet 16.”<br />
While the <strong>Crimson</strong> Tide fell<br />
short of its lofty expectations,<br />
sentimentalism was abundant<br />
in droves.<br />
“It’s a great group that really<br />
loves each other,” Oats said.<br />
“I mean, they’re going to be<br />
close for life, most of them. You<br />
know, I love the group, they love<br />
each other, and it’s just really<br />
disappointing that it’s ending<br />
early. But I think it’s one of<br />
the most memorable seasons<br />
in Alabama history, and they<br />
can walk out of here with their<br />
heads up.”<br />
Even Miller, who struggled<br />
for much of the tournament, was<br />
As for next season’s prospects?<br />
It’s time to wipe the slate clean<br />
in Tuscaloosa.<br />
“It’s one of those deals where<br />
I’m going to go back to the<br />
drawing board and see what I can<br />
get better at,” Oats said. “We’re<br />
going to try to recruit really<br />
good players. A lot of programs<br />
would love to be in the NCAA<br />
Tournament three straight years.<br />
A lot of them would have loved<br />
to have won the SEC regular<br />
season tournament twice in the<br />
last three years. We’re doing<br />
pretty good things at Alabama,<br />
and we’re going to continue to<br />
get better.”<br />
Alabama pitcher Alex Salter (27) delivers a pitch versus Mercer University on <strong>March</strong><br />
5 in Tuscaloosa, Ala. CW / Natalie Teat Article previously published on web <strong>March</strong> 24.<br />
tonight. It was probably her best<br />
game she’s pitched for us,” Murphy<br />
said. “Last time we played them it<br />
was a close ball game, so this was<br />
a big difference.”<br />
Next up, the <strong>Crimson</strong> Tide will<br />
face Missouri for another road<br />
weekend series. First pitch for<br />
game on Friday, <strong>March</strong> 31 is set<br />
for 6 p.m. CT.<br />
This is our water.<br />
Help UA protect it.<br />
Only rain down the drain.<br />
For questions, comments, or concerns<br />
about Storm Water, contact<br />
Environmental Health & Safety<br />
Shop Boots,<br />
Jeans, & Hats<br />
at <strong>The</strong> Wharf<br />
in Northport<br />
(205) 348-5905 | ehu.ua.edu | @EHS_UA<br />
220 Mcfarland Blvd N (205)-752-2075
4B<br />
Independent candidates face onslaught of Greek complaints<br />
news<br />
BHAVANA RAVALA, KAYLA SOLINO & AINSLEY PLATT<br />
CRIMSON WHITE EDITORS<br />
<strong>The</strong> past Student Government<br />
Association election saw<br />
the most contested executive<br />
races since 2016 with four selfdeclared<br />
independent candidates.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Crimson</strong> <strong>White</strong> reviewed the<br />
election complaints filed against<br />
these four candidates and found<br />
every complaint was filed by a<br />
student in Greek life.<br />
<strong>The</strong> four independent candidates<br />
were John Richardson for president,<br />
Elizabeth Prophet for executive vice<br />
president, Xzarria Peterson for vice<br />
president for diversity, equity and<br />
inclusion, and Karina Collins for<br />
vice president for student affairs.<br />
According to documentation the<br />
four campaigns provided to <strong>The</strong> CW,<br />
the candidates received a combined<br />
total of 28 complaints filed by 14<br />
students who were all members<br />
of an Alabama Interfraternity<br />
Council fraternity or an Alabama<br />
Panhellenic Association sorority.<br />
“I am a proud member of the<br />
Greek community, but I have never<br />
asked for or received backing from<br />
the Machine,” Prophet said in a<br />
statement. “<strong>The</strong>se sorts of elections<br />
interference tactics are exactly the<br />
kind of strategies the Machine<br />
employs to maintain power.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> Machine, originally known<br />
as <strong>The</strong>ta Nu Epsilon, is a secret<br />
organization at the University<br />
that was founded in 1914. It has<br />
traditionally acted in the interests of<br />
the historically white APA and IFC<br />
organizations and controlled the<br />
SGA. In its heyday, it was known for<br />
harassment and intimidation tactics<br />
– the SGA was suspended between<br />
1993 and 1996 due to allegations of<br />
harassment and assault made by an<br />
independent presidential candidate.<br />
<strong>The</strong> CW was unable to verify if<br />
the Machine was involved in filing<br />
the complaints against independent<br />
candidates this year, or if any of the<br />
individuals who filed complaints<br />
against independents were involved<br />
with the organization.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Machine was brought up in<br />
a question during the presidential<br />
debate between Richardson and<br />
Collier Dobbs. After the debate,<br />
Dobbs was asked about increasing<br />
transparency around the Machine’s<br />
involvement in SGA.<br />
“I’m not very familiar with<br />
what you’re talking about or any<br />
organization under that name,”<br />
Dobbs said.<br />
<strong>The</strong> complainants, their Greek<br />
affiliations and the number of<br />
complaints they filed against each<br />
independent executive candidate<br />
are listed below.<br />
Further review of the<br />
documentation provided by<br />
independent campaigns revealed<br />
evidence that multiple individuals<br />
on this list may have been unofficially<br />
collaborating with each other or<br />
non-independent campaigns.<br />
Carrye Ann Rainer, the<br />
Dobbs campaign and<br />
screenshots<br />
Carrye Ann Rainer is responsible<br />
for filing two complaints against the<br />
Prophet campaign and at least three<br />
against former arts and sciences<br />
Senate candidate Jordan Suttles.<br />
On Feb. 21, Rainer filed a<br />
complaint against Prophet for not<br />
disclosing a purchase of ring pops.<br />
<strong>The</strong> complaint cited screenshots of<br />
Prophet’s campaign GroupMe as<br />
evidence. Rainer was not a member<br />
of Prophet’s campaign team, and it is<br />
unclear how she was able to obtain<br />
the screenshots. She also submitted<br />
a similar complaint concerning<br />
popsicles; both complaints<br />
were dismissed.<br />
Rainer previously submitted a<br />
complaint against Suttles before<br />
Feb. 13 for early campaigning and<br />
submitted two more complaints<br />
on Feb. 22 over an anonymous<br />
Instagram account that left<br />
disparaging comments on Collier<br />
Dobbs’ and Josie Schmitt’s<br />
Instagram posts. <strong>The</strong> Elections<br />
Board disqualified Suttles from the<br />
election after <strong>The</strong> CW published<br />
evidence that his former campaign<br />
manager was connected to<br />
the account.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Elections Board included the<br />
evidence that Rainer submitted with<br />
her complaints in its two rulings. <strong>The</strong><br />
screenshots Rainer attached show<br />
that they were taken by individuals<br />
who were logged into Dobbs’ and<br />
Schmitt’s Instagram accounts since<br />
they capture comments from the<br />
notification sections of Instagram.<br />
<strong>The</strong> CW was unable to verify how<br />
Rainer obtained the screenshots.<br />
In <strong>The</strong> CW’s investigation into<br />
the anonymous account, Rainer<br />
initially said she had submitted her<br />
complaint on behalf of the Dobbs<br />
campaign. However, the Dobbs<br />
campaign denied any knowledge<br />
of Rainer’s actions, and Rainer<br />
retracted her claim following the<br />
Dobbs’ campaign’s statement.<br />
During the same investigation,<br />
Suttles and his former campaign<br />
manager provided <strong>The</strong> CW with<br />
screenshot evidence that Rainer was<br />
regularly viewing their campaign<br />
Instagram stories despite Rainer<br />
not following either of them on<br />
Instagram. Suttles previously<br />
told <strong>The</strong> CW he felt “targeted” by<br />
these complaints.<br />
On <strong>March</strong> 1, student Aaron<br />
Glidden filed a complaint of<br />
election fraud against Dobbs over<br />
a screenshot of the Alpha Delta Pi<br />
sorority’s GroupMe in which Rainer<br />
can be seen reminding members<br />
to send their voting confirmation<br />
or abstention. <strong>The</strong> Elections Board<br />
dismissed this complaint, and<br />
the Judicial Board additionally<br />
dismissed Glidden’s appeal of the<br />
decision for not being timely.<br />
Emily Teel, Robbie Khalil,<br />
Peterson’s DEI complaint<br />
and beyond<br />
Peterson was disqualified from<br />
(Top left) John Richardson , Karina Collins (Top right), Elizabeth Prophet<br />
(Bottom right) Xzarria Peterson (bottom left) at candidates forum. Photo<br />
courtesy of Caroline Simmons Article previously published <strong>March</strong> 23.<br />
the election following a complaint of<br />
election fraud and campaign ethics<br />
by Robbie Khalil over screenshots<br />
from her campaign GroupMe that<br />
generated controversy on the social<br />
media app Yik Yak.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Elections Board’s ruling<br />
on the complaint showed that the<br />
image Khalil submitted with his<br />
complaint could not have been<br />
obtained from Yik Yak, as it was<br />
of a much higher resolution than<br />
what was posted on the anonymous<br />
message board. Additionally, only<br />
videos can be posted on Yik Yak,<br />
and the photo submitted by Khalil<br />
did not include text that is overlaid<br />
on all videos posted on Yik Yak,<br />
indicating that he did not obtain it<br />
by screenshotting the post online.<br />
During <strong>The</strong> CW’s investigation<br />
of this complaint, Peterson provided<br />
several screenshots of her GroupMe<br />
with timestamps that showed Emily<br />
Teel entered the GroupMe at 4:35<br />
p.m. on Feb. 20, four minutes after<br />
the GroupMe was made public via<br />
Peterson’s Instagram story. Khalil<br />
filed his complaint against Peterson<br />
later that day.<br />
Teel filed a complaint herself<br />
against Richardson under Section<br />
XI.F. of the Elections Manual<br />
dealing with campaigning on<br />
campus, which Richardson was<br />
notified of on Feb. 27. In her<br />
complaint, Teel included two photos<br />
that were supposedly of members<br />
of Richardson’s team campaigning<br />
outside of their permitted zones, and<br />
further claimed that Richardson’s<br />
campaign had not obtained the<br />
required grounds use permit.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> top picture in this iMessage<br />
screenshot is of two random people<br />
unaffiliated with the campaign<br />
(as far as I know),” Zach Johnson,<br />
Richardson’s campaign manager,<br />
wrote in response to the Elections<br />
Board. He added that the second<br />
photo did not guarantee that people<br />
had been actively campaigning on<br />
Richardson’s behalf, and that even<br />
if they were, the campaign had<br />
obtained a grounds use permit that<br />
allowed their actions.<br />
Additionally, Teel was mentioned<br />
in a complaint of election fraud<br />
against Dobbs filed by Glidden on<br />
<strong>March</strong> 1. Glidden alleged that a<br />
member of the Alpha Omicron Pi<br />
sorority had received phone calls<br />
from two members of her sorority<br />
on election day instructing her to<br />
vote for Dobbs before the polls<br />
closed, naming Teel as one of the<br />
members. Glidden did not name the<br />
person who had received the calls<br />
out of concern for her privacy, and<br />
the complaint was dismissed.<br />
<strong>The</strong> full version of this story is<br />
available at thecrimsonwhite.com.<br />
Your Graduation and Luau Headquarters<br />
N ow O p e n Ye a r - Ro u n d !<br />
$5 OFF<br />
Your purchase of $25 or more<br />
Original coupon must be presented at time of<br />
sale. Cannot be combined with any other ooer.<br />
Excludes Helium Balloons, Services, & Prior Purchases.<br />
Expiration 5/31/23<br />
2610 McFarland Blvd<br />
McFarland Plaza<br />
Near Michael’s<br />
659-239-6601<br />
partywow.com
CHANCE PHILLIPS<br />
CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST<br />
<strong>The</strong> Department of Housing<br />
and Urban Development’s<br />
recent report to Congress about<br />
homelessness in America found that<br />
half a million people were homeless<br />
in January 2022. <strong>The</strong> average<br />
American renter is “rent-burdened,”<br />
with more than <strong>30</strong>% of their income<br />
going towards rent, and it is only<br />
getting harder for young adults to<br />
become homeowners.<br />
This national housing crisis<br />
— and it is undeniably a crisis<br />
— requires a fundamental<br />
restructuring of our national and<br />
local housing markets.<br />
Publicly funded affordable<br />
housing programs are a necessary<br />
part of any humane housing<br />
system, but they are chronically<br />
underfunded and unfairly<br />
denigrated — it is not uncommon<br />
for politicians to casually suggest<br />
slashing or eliminating what<br />
funding does exist.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Tuscaloosa Housing<br />
Authority was established by the<br />
City of Tuscaloosa in 1951 to manage<br />
affordable housing programs in the<br />
Tuscaloosa area. Right now, it helps<br />
2,942 families afford housing in<br />
Tuscaloosa through both the public<br />
housing communities it owns and<br />
housing choice vouchers.<br />
THA executive director Chris<br />
Hall said “most of [their] residents<br />
are elderly or disabled. [THA has]<br />
a lot of single mothers.” Housing<br />
in Tuscaloosa may be affordable<br />
compared to larger cities, but it<br />
opinions<br />
OPINION Public housing<br />
should not be an afterthought<br />
is still one of the poorest cities in<br />
Alabama, with 24% of Tuscaloosans<br />
living under the poverty line, and<br />
not everyone can or should hold a<br />
full-time job.<br />
Almost 1,000 families<br />
currently live in public housing<br />
communities, buildings owned by<br />
THA and funded by grants from<br />
the Department of Housing and<br />
Urban Development. Nearly 2,000<br />
families live in properties managed<br />
by private landlords and receive<br />
subsidies from housing choice,<br />
or Section 8, vouchers to prevent<br />
rent from consuming excessive<br />
percentages of their income.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se vouchers are not an<br />
entitlement, like SNAP or Medicaid,<br />
that anyone who meets certain<br />
qualifications will receive. Instead,<br />
to get a housing choice voucher, one<br />
needs to qualify for the program<br />
and then get on an invariably<br />
lengthy waitlist — Tuscaloosa’s<br />
waitlist is around 3,500 people<br />
long. Nationally, spending years<br />
on a housing voucher waitlist is<br />
not uncommon.<br />
Despite THA helping thousands<br />
of families in the Tuscaloosa<br />
community afford housing, Hall<br />
said “approximately 18,583” people<br />
in Tuscaloosa qualify for but cannot<br />
benefit from affordable housing<br />
programs due to insufficient<br />
funding. <strong>The</strong> “demand is there,<br />
supply is not.”<br />
In addition to providing<br />
subsidies for low-income<br />
renters, THA encourages<br />
homeownership through their<br />
Homeownership Program.<br />
Hall said so far they have built<br />
and sold 45 homes at belowmarket<br />
prices and not a single<br />
family has been foreclosed on.<br />
City Councilor Matthew<br />
Wilson of Tuscaloosa’s District<br />
1 is a big believer in the<br />
importance of homeownership.<br />
Wilson said his parents lived<br />
in McKenzie Court, one of THA’s<br />
public housing communities,<br />
and “were able to purchase a<br />
home by the help of God and<br />
those who talked to them about<br />
financial literacy.”<br />
Councilor Wilson and Hall both<br />
agreed homeownership should be<br />
the goal whenever possible.<br />
“Subsidizing home ownership<br />
programs is better for the long haul<br />
for families because, you know, they<br />
build equity,” Hall said.<br />
Councilor Wilson focuses on<br />
how homeownership enables<br />
parents to pass their home down to<br />
their children.<br />
To help underserved low-income<br />
families, Hall argues that “we need<br />
more units, we need more landlords<br />
to accept Section 8 vouchers, [and]<br />
we need more opportunities.” Right<br />
now, when someone gets off of the<br />
Section 8 waitlist, there’s still a 40%<br />
chance they won’t find a landlord<br />
willing to accept their voucher<br />
within 120 days.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> biggest problem that [THA<br />
has] is we’re a university town,”<br />
Hall said.<br />
<strong>The</strong> growth of Tuscaloosa’s<br />
student population is driving up<br />
market rate rents and making<br />
landlords less willing to accept<br />
Section 8 vouchers.<br />
This is only being<br />
CW / Autumn Williams<br />
exacerbated by Tuscaloosa’s<br />
ongoing ban on building large,<br />
student-oriented developments.<br />
Hall said building more<br />
student-oriented housing would<br />
allow a reduction of the rent of<br />
older developments and “create<br />
opportunities for [THA] residents.”<br />
Besides the specifics of the local<br />
market, “Faircloth Limits,” legal<br />
limits on how many public housing<br />
units a housing authority can<br />
receive federal grants for, prevent<br />
local housing authorities from<br />
growing with their communities.<br />
By default, these limits are set at<br />
how many units a housing authority<br />
was managing in 1999.<br />
Since 1999, the United States’<br />
population has grown about 19%,<br />
housing prices have consistently<br />
risen faster than incomes and<br />
homelessness has remained a blot<br />
on America’s soul.<br />
At the same time as it prevents<br />
local housing authorities from<br />
5B<br />
meeting their<br />
communities’<br />
needs, the federal<br />
government gives tens of<br />
billions of dollars every year<br />
to those who are lucky enough,<br />
and wealthy enough, to be able to<br />
buy nice houses.<br />
<strong>The</strong> mortgage interest deduction<br />
is an often overlooked aspect of the<br />
tax code that reduces the income<br />
tax burden of individuals that have<br />
a mortgage. Until it was downsized<br />
in 2018, it cost around $60 billion a<br />
year, 50% more than housing choice<br />
vouchers and public housing put<br />
together. Even after the decrease,<br />
it still costs $<strong>30</strong> billion annually —<br />
80% of which goes to the top 20%<br />
of earners.<br />
If we want to end the housing<br />
crisis, we need more public<br />
investment in affordable housing<br />
and fewer unnecessary giveaways<br />
to the already well-off. Housing<br />
vouchers should be an entitlement,<br />
not miserly meted out after years<br />
spent dealing with Kafkaesque<br />
waiting lists, and public housing<br />
should be available to those who<br />
need it. Instead of a luxury, housing<br />
should be understood as the basic<br />
human right it is.<br />
OPINION Eliminate the stigma surrounding<br />
undeclared majors<br />
AMANDA DUNLAP<br />
CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST<br />
student’s transition from<br />
A high school to college can<br />
be stressful, especially if they are<br />
uncertain about what they want<br />
to study and what that decision<br />
means for their future.<br />
I personally found it difficult<br />
to hear others be so confident in<br />
their majors and having a calling<br />
toward a specific career before<br />
entering college. During my<br />
freshman year I had no real idea<br />
of what I wanted to pursue in my<br />
academics, but I still declared a<br />
major that I was unsure of.<br />
Without any experience outside<br />
of high school, I never understood<br />
how I could know what I wanted<br />
to do for the rest of my life at the<br />
age of 18.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is a stigma associated<br />
with undeclared majors, despite<br />
how common this feeling is<br />
among college students.<br />
This stigma could affect students<br />
by making them feel judged by<br />
their peers and pressuring them<br />
into picking a major strictly for<br />
their perception.<br />
An estimated 20%-50% of<br />
students are undecided when<br />
entering college and 75%<br />
change their major at least once<br />
before graduation.<br />
It is important to understand<br />
that being undeclared should not<br />
be misconstrued as not having a<br />
clear path for the future. Rather, it<br />
should be encouraged for students<br />
to take ample time to adjust to<br />
college and weigh their interests<br />
before making the decision.<br />
One of the main benefits of<br />
being an undeclared major is the<br />
ability to focus on and finish your<br />
general education requirements<br />
such as science, math, literature<br />
and humanities courses.<br />
This benefit could possibly<br />
guide you into choosing your<br />
major and provide you with a<br />
better idea of where your interests<br />
lie in your academics.<br />
Second, being undeclared<br />
allows you to be open-minded<br />
toward majors that you would not<br />
necessarily think of choosing.<br />
Throughout your college<br />
experience, you will meet students<br />
from a variety of schools with<br />
different majors and minors.<br />
In order to determine whether<br />
a major is a good fit for you,<br />
ask other students about their<br />
experience and how they feel<br />
about their courses so far.<br />
Finally, if you have given<br />
yourself time to think about<br />
your future goals and deliberate<br />
on your decision, you will most<br />
likely feel more confident about<br />
your choice.<br />
If you choose a major that you<br />
are unsure of, you take the risk of<br />
possibly using a semester or two<br />
to determine this, which could<br />
result in stress, uncertainty and<br />
delayed graduation.<br />
I would encourage students,<br />
faculty and parents to start<br />
conversations regarding this topic.<br />
<strong>The</strong> more this subject is discussed,<br />
the more normal it becomes for<br />
students who may feel anxious<br />
about being undeclared.<br />
Resources and advising<br />
specifically for undeclared majors<br />
should be offered at every college.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se resources should always<br />
be made known at events for<br />
new students and should be easy<br />
to find.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Capstone Center for<br />
Student Success offers a program<br />
for incoming students called<br />
“Exploring 4 Success.” This<br />
program uses academic advising<br />
to create success plans and<br />
provide academic support to help<br />
guide students to the discovery of<br />
their major at the conclusion of<br />
their freshman year.<br />
At the end of the day, this stigma<br />
should not exist, as everyone has<br />
a different timeline. <strong>The</strong> timing<br />
of this decision should not call<br />
for judgment or the opinions of<br />
others. Eliminating the stigma<br />
surrounding undeclared majors<br />
requires a mindset of acceptance<br />
and understanding that someone’s<br />
timeline differing from yours does<br />
not mean it is wrong.<br />
Article previously published on<br />
web <strong>March</strong> 19.<br />
Earn college credit this summer at<br />
Gadsden State! Take academic classes<br />
and the credits will seamlessly<br />
transfer back to UA!<br />
AT JUST $166 A CREDIT HOUR, YOU CAN<br />
GET AHEAD AND SAVE MONEY!<br />
GadsdenState.edu
6B