The Crimson White Print Edition - September 7, 2023

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2023
NEWS
‘Student hunger is real’
The reality of food insecurity on campus
VOLUME CXXX | ISSUE II
Rachel Seale
Staff Writer
J osha Charlery, a senior
majoring in studio art,
said she has struggled
with being food insecure
and relied on Student
Care and Well-Being for
extra meals and other
necessities, like detergent,
soap and toothpaste.
Charlery said she is
back on campus working
as an RA this year, so it’s
easier for her to have
access to food now.
“Luckily, I’m getting a
stipend, but it’s still a little
frustrating especially since
I had to come on campus
earlier for RA training,”
Charlery said.
Since she had to be
on campus two weeks
before classes began,
Charlery said she’s already
used several of her meal
plan swipes and Dining
Dollars. She also said she
wasn’t able to go grocery
shopping before school
started, because she did
not receive her stipend
until the end of August.
College campuses have
seen an increase in food
insecurity after COVID-19,
and The University of
Alabama’s students are no
exception to this struggle.
The U.S. Department
of Agriculture defines
food insecurity as “a lack
of consistent access to
enough food for an active,
healthy lifestyle.”
In the most recent
survey from Temple
University’s Hope
Center, which used
data collected in fall
2020, 39% of students
at two-year institutions
and 29% of those at
four-year institutions
had experienced food
insecurity within the
past year.
Jean Rykaczewski, CEO
of the West Alabama Food
Bank, said food insecurity
is a real problem for many
students, including those
at the University.
“What we do know is
student hunger is real,”
Rykaczewski said. “We’ve
known that here for a
while when we started
opening food pantries on
different campuses, like
[the University of West
Alabama] and UA.”
The food bank has
partnered with colleges
in nine different counties,
including The University
of Alabama and Shelton
State Community College.
“Bigger colleges like
The University of Alabama
tried to deny it for a
while, saying, ‘We don’t
have hungry people here.’
Like, statistically, you do,”
Rykaczewski said.
Rykaczewski said
the food bank worked
with the University to
move the campus food
pantry from the Student
Recreation Center to a
more centralized, less
conspicuous location in
the Student Center.
In the most recent survey
from Temple University’s
Hope Center, which used
data collected in fall
2020, 39% of students
at two-year institutions
and 29% of those at fouryear
institutions had
experienced food insecurity
within the past year.
“What we found is
that college students
don’t want other college
students to know
that they’re hungry,”
Rykaczewski said.
As a former student-
athlete who struggled
with food insecurity at
the University due to
her packed schedule,
A student at one of the meal stations at Lakeside Dining Hall. CW / Natalie Teat
Rykaczewski said she
understands the struggles
students are facing.
“Because of my
personal schedule in
college and being an
athlete in college, there
wasn’t a lot of time to eat;
I dropped a lot of weight,”
Rykaczewski said.
Brodie Frew, a senior
majoring in biology and
chemistry, said he had a
meal plan his freshman
and sophomore years, but
ended up using delivery
services like DoorDash
when dining halls
were closed.
Kristina Patridge,
director of University
Dining Services, said in an
email that Bama Dining
is working to provide
students with affordable
meal options.
Patridge said Bama
Dining works with Student
Care and Well-Being to
provide students with
donated meals through
the Got Meals? Program.
The program allows
students to donate
individual meals, and,
“through a partnership
with SGA two years ago,
students may now donate
the unused balance of
their meal plans at the
end of the Spring term,”
Patridge said in her email.
Rykaczewski said the
meal swipe donation
program at the University
helps combat the issue of
student hunger.
“They donate their
meals back and then
people who need meals
can go and get a gift card
with meals on them,”
Rykaczewski said.
Patridge said in her
email that Bama Dining is
in the process of applying
to accept Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance
Program benefits at Union
Market in the Student
Center.
She added that Bama
Dining partners with
organizations on campus
to help combat food
insecurity, including the
Out 2 Lunch program, the
UA Student Life Campus
Food Pantry and Beat
Auburn Beat Hunger.
What we found is that
college students don’t want
other college students to
know that they’re hungry.
Jean Rykaczewski
CEO of the West
Alabama Food Bank
Rykaczewski said many
students struggling with
food insecurity on campus
include first-generation
students and students
who rely on Pell Grants
and have to work to
maintain their grants.
“We have found that by
midterms, and then finals,
they start to become more
hungry because they
aren’t able to work as
many hours because that’s
what usually pays their
rent or food,” Rykaczewski
said.
Sometimes Charlery
goes without eating or
eats only a simple snack,
like a fruit cup, in place of
a meal to save her meal
swipes. Her current meal
plan comes with only 125
swipes per semester.
“Once you do the math,
it’s kind of like one meal
a day in the dining hall,”
Charlery said.
Lakeside Dining Hall
and Mary B’s Market and
Deli are open seven days
a week, but without a
car, Charlery has limited
access to dining locations,
especially off campus.
On the weekends,
Charlery said she tries to
distract herself from her
hunger by studying and
sleeping, since the only
dining halls that are open
are a considerable walk
from
her dorm.
While Lakeside and
Mary B’s are open on the
weekends, Fresh Food
Company closes on Friday
afternoon and doesn’t
reopen until Monday
morning.
Frew and Charlery both
said they’d like to see
more options throughout
the day at the dining halls,
such as a wider variety of
protein, raw vegetables
and fruits.
Rykaczewski said
that her own father
didn’t believe college
students were facing food
insecurity until he started
helping with a local
church ministry.
“He started doing
midterm and finals goodie
bags and he saw how real
it was,” Rykaczewski said.
“Kids would come up and
[say], ‘Oh, I don’t have any
more food for the rest of
the week,’ because meal
plans have ended, or
they’ve used them all up.”
Bayley St. Clair, a
2023 UA graduate and
church property manager,
for Canterbury Chapel
Episcopal Church on
campus, said her church
runs a food pantry called
Deacon’s Deli through a
partnership with the West
Alabama Food Bank.
St. Clair said Deacon's
Deli operates on a client-
choice model.
“I think it does a great
job of humanizing people
who suffer from food
insecurity,” St. Clair said.
Students
struggling with food
insecurity can visit
westalabamafoodbank.
org to find partnering
locations near them.
sheltonstate.edu
INSIDE NEWS 2A CULTURE 3A SPORTS 1B OPINIONS 4B

2A
news
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The Crimson White, Copyright © 2023
The historic SGA shutdown 30 years ago
Alex Gravlee
Staff Writer
The University of Alabama
SGA was founded in 1914.
The organization claims 112
presidents over its 109-year
history. So why is this year’s
Senate referred to as the
“28th Senate”?
The answer lies in events
that took place 30 years
ago: the only time in the
University’s history that the
administration shut down
SGA, a shutdown that lasted
from spring 1993 to fall 1996.
The following information
was gathered from issues of
The Crimson White printed
during that period.
Feb. 2, 1993: Minda Riley
attacked
The reason for the
shutdown, according to then-
UA President Roger Sayers,
was to increase diversity for
the SGA and ensure that the
association was “fair, free
and open.”
However, the direct cause,
as the president stated, was
the assault on independent
SGA presidential candidate
Minda Riley in her home
during February 1993.
The assailant entered
through her front door while
she was home alone. Riley,
daughter of future Alabama
Gov. Bob Riley, reported that
the man, who she claimed
was white, said “You f--- with
the wrong people, you get
f-----” before beating her. The
candidate suffered a stab
wound, a busted lip
and bruises.
Riley blamed the
Machine, a select coalition of
traditionally white fraternities
and sororities designed to
influence campus policies, for
the attack.
Feb. 3, 1993: Sayers
suspends the SGA
J. Norman Baldwin, a nowretired
professor who taught
at the University 30 years ago,
said the University’s move
to suspend the SGA was
courageous.
“Student government
was out of control,” Baldwin
said adding that the
administration's implication
was, “If you can’t behave
responsibly, then we’ll
just do away with student
government.”
The Coordinating Council
for Student Organizations,
a body that managed all
campus organizations at
that time, assumed SGA
responsibilities during the
suspension. The Council of
Presidents, a subdivision of
the CCSO, was charged with
disbursing funds to student
organizations.
The COP consisted of
15 members, including
presidents from various
student organizations such
as the Interfraternity Council,
Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual Alliance
and African American
Association.
Headlines from CW Archive. Collage CW / Carson Lott and Natalie Marburger
March 1994:
Constitutional convention
formed
After a failed referendum
in September 1993 that would
have restructured the SGA,
students and administrators
began to look at other options.
Almost half a year later, in
March 1994, students formed
a constitutional convention
of over 200 delegates with
Baldwin as its adviser. This
unofficial organization
dedicated itself to drafting
a new constitution for the
SGA, reinstating student
government at the University
and adding diversity to
the organization.
There was tension
throughout the proceedings.
“There was one night the
independents got up and
walked out of the convention.
... I thought it was terrific that
they exercised their power
that way,” Baldwin said.
Despite this, Baldwin said
that it “was all pretty polite
and reasonable.”
The convention’s
constitution sought to
democratize the new
government by adding
positions to the executive
branch, something that
Baldwin said would have
given “more opportunities for
independents to win
those positions.”
After a long process, on
March 7, 1995, the convention
submitted its draft to the
Student Life Committee and
other committees for review.
In the meantime,
students debated the idea of
reinstating the SGA. For some,
its return would mean the
return of Machine control;
for others, it was a necessary
component of campus
life that would ensure
student representation and
prepare future leaders for
government.
November 1995: Student
Life Committee finishes
review
Among the
recommendations the
committee made was a
requirement for election
candidates to report their
weekly campaign spending
rather than their whole
budget in order to increase
accountability in the new
SGA. The final constitution
included this change.
After further review by
the director for academic
affairs, the convention’s
draft was eventually put to
a referendum produced by
the Elections Board. This
referendum required at least
25% of the student body to
vote on the reestablishment
of the SGA.
On March 21, 1996, it
was announced that the
convention’s constitution
had passed with 30% of the
student population voting
and 82% of voters in favor
of adopting the document.
The temporary powers of the
Council of Presidents and
CCSO were phased out, and
students once again had
an SGA.
The current senate is the
28th since the shutdown.
Legacy of the shutdown
The shutdown continues to
inspire a variety of reactions
and opinions among those
interested in SGA history.
John Hammontree, a
producer on the popular
podcast about the Machine
called “Greek Gods,” cited
the shutdown as a historical
delineation in the tactics used
by the secret organization.
“You don’t really hear
about any major violence was
perpetrated by the Machine
after that shutdown period,
so maybe the shutdown was
a wakeup call. Like, ‘Hey, we
can’t do this stuff anymore,’”
Hammontree said.
Still others interested in
the University’s history see
corruption before and after
the shutdown.
“There is evidence of
unethical behavior conducted
by members of the Machine
... before and after the
shutdown,” said Becky
Beamer, director of the 2022
documentary “Machine: Vivat
Apparatus.”
“For significant change to
happen, the most important
thing is for individuals to
speak up and ask questions
related to the transparency
of institutions and for every
person to exercise their right

culture
3A
Shelter animals in Tuscaloosa need help
Zara Morgan
Contributing Writer
Savannah Ichikawa
Culture Editor
Tuscaloosa Metro Animal
Shelter has exceeded
capacity and needs help
from the community.
Abby Moore, the intake,
health and behavioral
manager for the shelter,
said there are several
factors contributing to the
shelter being over capacity,
one being the lack of
kennel space.
Moore said the shelter
has a contract with Animal
Control stating that all
animals must be in properly
sized kennels, which limits
the number of animals,
specifically dogs, that the
shelter can take in.
In addition to not having
enough space for the
animals to live properly, the
shelter is understaffed.
Finding good employees
for the shelter is
challenging because of the
skills they must be taught,
such as protocols for
cleaning and handling,
and how to
train animals.
One way that
people can help is
through volunteering.
“We appreciate all of
our volunteers so much,”
Moore said. “Our laundry
piles up from having over
200 animals in our care, so
even the smallest things
like that make such a huge
difference.”
Fostering is a good
way for people to decide
whether to adopt, because
it requires lower costs and
less time commitment. The
shelter provides everything
that a foster family may
need in order to take care
of an animal, including
medications,
food, bowls and
harnesses.
“Fostering is
essential, especially
having so many
animals coming in from
all over the place,” Moore
said. “Being here is stressful
on animals.”
Even if only temporary,
fostering also helps the
animals get used to
environments beyond
the shelter.
“Once they’re in a foster
home, they get to learn
what it’s like to be in a
home environment, which
then makes them ready to
be adopted into a forever
home,” Moore said.
For individuals not sure
about adoption or fostering,
Tuscaloosa Metro Animal
Shelter also runs a Happy
Hour program in which
individuals can play with a
dog all day or overnight. It is
a great way to get to know
an animal and see how it
behaves outside of
the shelter.
Rules include
participants being over the
age of 18, keeping dogs on a
CW / Natalie
Marburger
Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter has exceeded capacity and needs help from the community. CW / Natalie Teat
leash, staying with dogs,
keeping only one dog
per car and returning
animals on time.
“We also have
overnight Happy
Hours. So,
they can
keep the
dog
overnight
and see how
it does at their
house and then
bring it back the next
day,” said Kate Elliott,
the shelter’s operations
manager.
Tuscaloosa Metro
Animal Shelter
wants
people,
especially college
students, to help in the
way that’s best for them,
whether it’s fostering,
volunteering or taking
advantage of the Happy
Hour program.
One facility that partners
closely with Tuscaloosa
Metro Animal Shelter is the
Humane Society of West
Alabama. Each time an
animal is adopted
from the Humane
Society, it
works
with Metro
Animal Shelter
to take an
animal from its
facility to help free
up kennel space.
Tina Miller, the
president of West Alabama
Humane Society and a dog
adoption counselor, said
overcrowding can be solved
by spaying or neutering
your pet.
“A lot of progressive,
especially Northern, cities
have very strict spayneuter
laws,” Miller said.
“We [Alabama] do
not, and of course
that
leads
to dogs
and cats
having
litters of
unwanted
animals, which
is a travesty in
animal rescue these days.”
According to PETA, cities
such as Los Angeles, New
York and Dallas, among
others, have ordinances that
make it mandatory for pets
to be spayed or neutered
before a certain age. Each
city has its own exceptions,
but the laws are in place
to help prevent animal
homelessness.
The American Veterinary
Medical Association states
that controlling pets’
reproduction through
managed breeding,
containment, or spaying
and neutering can help
manage overpopulation.
Miller said that her hope
for people who want to
adopt animals is that they
can understand the time,
effort and responsibility it
takes to provide a pet with a
forever home.
“The thing that we
really stress is responsible
pet ownership. You got to
be prepared,” Miller said.
“Pet ownership can be
expensive, and it can be
time consuming.”
She also mentioned
the Canine Compassion
Fund, another nonprofit
organization in Tuscaloosa,
that aims to educate the
community, offer spayand-neuter
programs and
provide lifetime care for
canines that do not
have homes.
The fund’s website states,
“The mission of the Canine
Compassion Fund, Inc. is to
provide lifetime care and
enrichment for surrendered
or abandoned senior
canines in a specialized
facility and through a
‘forever foster’ program; to
help reduce the population
of homeless canines
through adoption and spay
neuter programs; and to
provide responsible pet
ownership education to
the public.”
For the future, Miller said
the Humane Society of West
Alabama has plans to open
a larger facility that will
allow it to take in and care
for more animals than it is
able to now.
The new space is on
track to open next year
in Cottondale, and the
Humane Society plans to
implement programs that
will allow young students to
interact with animals and
learn about responsible
pet ownership.
“It’s a huge undertaking
for such a small nonprofit
as we are, but we think
that is the future of animal
rescue in Tuscaloosa,” Miller
said. “We want to take the
reins and to be leader
on that.”
The best ways for the
community to help are to
donate and volunteer. The
Humane Society, Tuscaloosa
Metro Animal Shelter and
the Canine Compassion
Fund all have websites with
specific lists of items that
can be donated and ways
for the community to
get involved.

4A
culture
Career fairs offer more than 170 employers
Jennifer Baggett
Contributing Writer
The Career Center partners
with students as they
explore possibilities, develop
skills and connect with
opportunities related to
their professional endeavors.
Students can seek guidance
selecting a major, planning a
career, developing job-search
strategies, honing interview
skills, creating a resume,
planning for professional
school and more.
Career fairs are an ideal
setting to recruit for both
full-time positions and
internships. Students of all
classifications, as well as
alumni, can attend.
The General Interest and
Business Career Fair will be
Wednesday, Sept. 27, and the
Technical and Engineering
Career Fair will be Thursday,
Sept. 28. Both events will be
held in Coleman Coliseum
from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Registration is preferred but
not required to attend the
events. Registration allows
students to receive reminders
and additional preparation
information.
On the day of the fair,
attendees will receive both a
physical and digital program
with a map detailing the
booth locations. The digital
map includes interactive
features that allow users
to see employers around a
specific location in real time
and examine additional
information about them.
On the days of the career
fair, UA parking guidelines
will still be enforced.
Transportation options
include Southeast Commuter
parking, which is available
in the Coleman Coliseum
lot and Capstone Deck, or
Crimson Ride, which will be
dropping off and picking up in
front of the coliseum.
Harley Sabbagh, the events
coordinator at the UA Career
Center, emphasized the
opportunities for all students
on campus.
“Students can expect lots
of employers. The engineering
fair is the biggest fair UA has
had to date,” Sabbagh said.
“Typically, there are between
130 and 150 employers on
site. This year we are at max
capacity at 170 employers.
Similar for the general
interest fair.”
A list of registered
employers is available
through Handshake and
can be filtered by full-time
and part-time opportunities
as well as majors and
classifications. Some of the
employers in attendance
include Aerojet Rocketdyne,
the Alabama Department of
Revenue, ALFA Insurance,
Amazon, American Cast
Iron Pipe Company, Belk,
Blue Cross and Blue
Shield of Alabama, BMW
Manufacturing, Brasfield &
Gorrie, Burns & McDonnell,
Chevron, Dell Technologies,
Dynetics, Eastman Chemical,
the FBI, FedEx Services, GE
Appliances, Georgia-Pacific,
International Paper, Lockheed
Martin, Mercedes-Benz, the
National Security Agency,
Nucor, Southern Company,
Southwest Airlines, and
many more.
Career Fair Crash Courses
are also available to help
students prepare for
the event.
“Career fair staff sit down
with students and go through
how to prepare, what to wear
and resources. The ability to
sign up to attend a Career Fair
Crash Course is available in
Handshake and through the
website,” Sabbagh said.
There are currently eight
available crash course
options, including virtual and
in-person opportunities. The
courses begin on Sept. 15.
When students attend a
career fair, the Career Center
suggests starting with an
elevator pitch.
“Employers want to see
the casual and professional
side while conversing with
students,” Sabbagh said.
“Many employers stay on
campus the day after the fairs
for on-campus interviews.”
The best ways to be
prepared for the career
fair include dressing
professionally, bringing
printed resumes, and
researching employers
through their individual
websites and on Handshake.
Additionally, having a
profile already set up on
both Handshake and Career
Fair Plus can save time and
provide an interactive method
for locating recruiters and
planning which companies
to visit.
Many employers are
available on the basketball
court as well as around the
concourse area of Coleman
Coliseum. If students do not
have much time but want to
attend the career fair, they
should make sure to stop by
the employers that will be the
most beneficial and drop off
a resume.
“There are going to be
51 employers available on
the basketball court and
120 around the concourse,”
Sabbagh said. “There is a lot
of space to walk around on
the court, and that allows for
more room for both students
and employers. I would
suggest for students to go
to the basketball court first,”
Sabbagh said.
Having a plan and a
convenient way to find
information will help
streamline the process and
make communicating with
employers quick and easy.
Career Fair Plus is an app
that allows students to
connect with attending
employers. The app
includes an interactive
map with employer
booth locations,
employer profiles and
details about available
opportunities. Students
are encouraged to create a
profile and upload
their resume.
There will
also be a new booth
check-in feature
offered at the career
fairs. Within Career
Fair Plus a QR code
can be scanned at
an employer’s booth
to check in. The
employers can then
receive your Career Fair
Plus profile and resume.
“Freshmen can really
benefit from attending
the career fair by getting
an understanding of what
the career fair is and how to
navigate,” Sabbagh said. “It
can be overwhelming.”
Fatema Dhondia, a senior
mechanical engineering
student and engineering
ambassador, has found the
career fairs to be beneficial.
“The career fairs are a
great way to get to know
employers and find out about
opportunities,” Dhondia said.
Career fairs are an
excellent way to find and
interests in companies,
see what types of jobs they
provide, and learn what
companies are looking for. It
is never too early to look for
that next internship or future
full-time job.
CW / Reagan Christian

culture
Upcoming UA events for students to kick off fall semester
Brandon Smith
Anna Hill
Contributing Writers
Each semester, students and
faculty organize events
such as Multicultural Coffee
Hour or Mind Matters. These
meetings help every person
who attends the University
create new connections,
explore the UA campus
and make the most of their
college experience.
Multicultural Coffee Hour
The Multicultural Coffee
Hour returned with its
first event last Friday at
the Intercultural Diversity
Center, located on the
second floor of the Student
Center. Sonya Harwood-
Johnson, the international
programming assistant, said
that Multicultural Coffee
Hour is a tradition at the
University that is at least 30
years old. She is responsible
for organizing the coffee hour
and similar events, such as
the Sakura Festival.
After the pandemic, the
tone of the coffee hour has
changed from just greetings,
cookies and coffee to a more
educational and inclusive
space to learn and experience
various cultures and foods.
Each week, a new country
is chosen.
“And then we make food
from that country, and we try
our best to make as authentic
recipes as possible, which
can sometimes be difficult
especially for doing countries
like Nigeria or Pakistan
that we might not have the
ingredients for all the time,”
Harwood-Johnson said.
For international students,
the coffee hour can be a
great way to experience a
taste of home or a chance to
try foods from the homes of
other international students.
The coffee hour allows
people to learn about a new
culture through hands-on
experiences. More than a
space to try new foods, it is
also a chance to listen to new
kinds of music from outside
of the United States or even
learn new games.
International Student
and Scholar Services works
with both the Intercultural
Diversity Center and the
Division of Diversity, Equity
and Inclusion and partners
with student organizations
such as the Hispanic-Latino
Association and the African
Students Association.
Working with student
organizations enables ISSS to
better represent countries and
to give those organizations a
chance to promote their own
events. Many of the coffee
hours, held once a week
each semester, are aligned
to prelude international
holidays.
“Later this semester, we’ll
have India [coffee hour] right
before their big and amazing
Diwali event with dancing
and fireworks,” Harwood-
Johnson said. “It’s a preview to
a much larger event that will
highlight a country’s culture.”
Multicultural Coffee Hour
is a point of connection for
students and even professors
who have come to America
from a different country. It
is a chance to share a part
of themselves with the
UA community, establish
connections and increase
cultural understanding.
Harwood-Johnson said
she has even seen one of
her own exchange students
meet the love of their life at a
coffee hour and has watched
tenured professors play and
become competitive with
other students over a
board game.
The theme of the Sept. 1
Multicultural Coffee Hour was
Southern culture to welcome
international students to The
University and Alabama.
The next Multicultural
Coffee Hour will be held
on Friday from 11:30 a.m.-
1 p.m. at the Intercultural
Diversity Center, Room 2100
at the Student Center. More
information can be found on
the University’s international
programs webpage and on
the UA calendar.
Rainbow Connection
Another returning UA
event, Rainbow Connection,
held its first meeting last
Friday from 2-3 p.m. This
group holds weekly meetings
in room 2418 at the Safe
Zone Student Lounge on the
second floor of the Student
Center.
The Safe Zone Resource
Center is a support center
that promotes inclusion
for LGBTQ+ people at the
University, aims to educate
the community, and fosters
a safe and respectful
environment while providing
services to the University’s
LGBTQ+ students, faculty
and staff.
Rainbow Connection’s
dialogues include body image,
identity labels and navigating
conflict, according to Lizzie
Smith, co-coordinator of
Rainbow Connection and
director of the Safe Zone
Resource Center.
For LGBTQ+ students
and their allies, Rainbow
Connection provides
an opportunity to make
supportive connections
with other members and set
personal goals, according to
the UA calendar.
“Rainbow Connection
is a resilience-building
group specifically for queer
students,” said Lyn Coupland-
Lowery, office assistant and
co-coordinator of Rainbow
Connection. “It is focused on
building coping skills that
students can use in their dayto-day
lives.”
Rainbow Connection is
an open, inclusive space for
LGBTQ+ students who want
to build communication
and relationship skills. The
event welcomes students
who prefer to remain
anonymous and simply want
a trustworthy space to rely on.
Mind Matters
To help with the transition
into the fall semester, the UA
Counseling Center will host
Mind Matters, a workshop
series focused on helping
students navigate college
life. The series will have
discussions in person and on
Zoom throughout the fall and
spring semesters.
The meetings will cover
5A
Student and Faculty attend Multicultural Coffee Hour in the Student
Center on Friday, Sept. 1. CW / Natalie Teat
academic anxiety, healthy
relationships, depression,
stress management and
more, according to Hannah
Johnston, the Counseling
Center’s assistant director of
outreach services.
“College is a time of
transition and growth, and
while that is exciting, it can
also be challenging,” Johnston
said. “These workshops
are designed to provide
knowledge and teach skills
that promote mental health
and overall success.”
For current students
looking for individual
counseling, services are
available by appointment, or
by walk-in during business
hours in times of crisis. The
UA Counseling Center is
in the South Lawn Office
Building at 1101 Jackson
Ave. next to the UA Police
Department.
More details can be found
for the workshops on the UA
Counseling Center website.
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6A
sports
Alabama soccer seeks to continue undefeated record at home
Abby McCreary
Sports Editor
On Sunday, the Alabama
soccer team will
face one of its greatest
challenges of the season.
The Crimson Tide kicks
off against the North
Carolina Tar Heels in the
Alabama Soccer Stadium
Sunday, Sept. 10, at 6 p.m.,
beginning what might be
Alabama’s first true test of
the season. Although the
teams have never played
each other before, both
ended their 2022 seasons
far into the postseason,
and both have started
their 2023 seasons with
the championship-caliber
style.
Head coach Wes Hart
said the Alabama 2022
team set the 2023 team up
for success.
“I’m going to miss these
seniors. What they’ve
meant to and done for this
program is remarkable,”
Hart said. “I truly can’t
put it into words, but no
doubt they can leave here
knowing they left Bama
soccer in a good place.”
Last year, Alabama
was one game away from
playing North Carolina
in the College Cup. The
Crimson Tide fell in the
Final Four to the UCLA
Bruins, and the Tar Heels
saw a similar fate in the
championship. Both teams
had astounding 2022
seasons, and this year,
both teams are returning
similar talent, energy
and drive. At the end of
August, Alabama trailed
one behind North Carolina
in the national rankings,
falling at No. 5.
All-American and SEC
Midfielder of the Year
Felicia Knox is entering
her senior season with
the Alabama soccer team.
After making it to the
Final Four last year, the
team is back in action this
fall and hungry for that
national championship
title as Knox begins her
last season with the
Crimson Tide.
Although Knox is a
soccer program veteran,
there are many new faces
on the team, leaving some
fans to speculate if these
new players can live up to
recently graduated seniors
and fifth-years. However,
Knox seems confident in
her new teammates and
what they have to offer
Alabama.
“I would say the players
that filled in the gaps
of our core players are
younger and aren’t as
experienced, but I don’t
necessarily think that’s a
bad thing, because they’ve
come in hungry and
eager,” Knox said.
The midfielder spoke
highly of the new team
dynamic. She feels as if
she’s stepped into more of
a leadership role now than
in previous years because
she’s had more seasons
under her belt and can
lead by example as an
upperclassman.
“Now that we don’t
have that leadership
from previous seniors
and fifth-years, some of
the juniors and some of
the sophomores that are
consistently playing have
to lead by example,” Knox
said. “It’s kind of exciting
in a way, because we have
Alabama soccer player Leah Kunde (#22) charges toward the ball in a match against Memphis on Aug. 27 at the Alabama Soccer Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
CW / Riley Thompson
Both teams also
escaped August without
dropping a game, although
several ties spot their
records. The Crimson Tide
hasn’t lost in the Alabama
Soccer Stadium since
2021, and with this top-10
matchup in Tuscaloosa,
there are high hopes of
coming out with a win.
The Crimson Tide has a
notable win against then-
No. 17 Memphis to boost
its record. Hart said the
win was a big moment
for the start of Alabama’s
season.
“I felt like we hadn’t
really put a complete
game together, and tonight
was our closest thing to
a complete game,” Hart
said. “Certainly, there were
some lulls throughout the
to come together and
figure things out.”
The Crimson Tide faced
a devastating loss last year
against UCLA. Knox played
81 minutes of the game
and had four shots and
two shutouts. Although
she did not end her 2022
season without a fight, she
said UCLA is unlike any
opponent the team has
played before.
“UCLA was a team we
had never faced before,
and we hadn’t really faced
a team like them before.
We had to adapt in that
game, and you could tell
we hadn’t been there
before,” Knox said.
Alabama quickly had to
adjust to UCLA’s playing
style during the Final
Four matchup, but the
team now knows how
to approach the game, if
and when they compete
again. However, the
team’s mentality is not
focused on the national
championship right now;
rather, they’re taking it
game, but that’s going to
happen in a 90-minute
game. I thought from the
start of the game, we came
with our energy, pressing,
hunting and work rate,
and really that sets the
tone for our soccer.”
With the tone set, the
team then hosted the
Miami Hurricanes, one of
Alabama’s few losses last
season. Although Miami
was unranked and the
contest took place before
a home crowd, Alabama
couldn’t secure the win,
ending the match in
a draw.
The beginning of
the season has shown
promise, though, that last
year’s success is not far
in the rearview mirror.
Although the Crimson
game by game.
“If we just take every
game as it comes and
know what we have to do
in order to win that game,
I think that’s the biggest
factor,” Knox said. “Before
we know it, we’re going to
be competing in the SEC
championship, the Sweet
16, the Elite Eight and so
on.”
Although it is not
unlikely the Crimson Tide
will make it far in the
playoffs, and possibly add
a new ring to its collection,
Knox doesn’t want to leave
her senior season known
only as Midfielder of the
Year, or the player who
holds the UA career record
in assists.
“I put all of the
accolades and all of
that stuff aside, like, ‘Oh
yeah, Felicia was an All-
American.’ I would rather
them say, ‘Yeah, she was
the best teammate,’” Knox
said. “In the grand scheme
of things, I feel like that’s
a lot better than just an
Tide had to replace star
goalkeeper McKinley
Crone, both graduate
student Dylan Pixton
and freshman Coralie
Lallier have defended the
goal successfully. On the
offense, both sophomore
Gianna Paul and senior
Felicia Knox are top
scorers, returning with
much of the same stardom
they had last year.
Offensively, Alabama
started strong, averaging
nearly 17 shots per game
at the end of August.
However, North Carolina
has just over 25 and
averages nearly one more
goal per game. The Tar
Heels return a lot of talent
from last year, including
senior Avery Patterson,
and aren’t plagued by
accolade.”
Obviously, the Alabama
soccer program is a very
different team than when
Knox first came on board,
and for the better. It
has gone from being an
underdog organization
on campus to one of the
most talked-about teams
of 2022. Knox said she has
advice for younger players
that she’s glad she took
herself.
“The advice I would
give is don’t compare
yourself to another person.
Your journey is special in
its own way. Your journey
is going to be different,
but it’s going to be your
journey, it’s not anybody
else’s,” Knox said. “In high
school and before I came
to Alabama, Alabama
wasn’t the team that it is
right now, and I had a lot
of people ask me, ‘Why are
you going there?’ Well, it’s
my journey. I wanted to go
to Alabama and play in the
SEC and go to one of the
best schools in the country
injuries as they were
during the College Cup.
Overall, Sunday has the
potential to be a seasondefining
game.
The game will also
coincide with Bama Salute,
one of three UA Athletics
events this season that
will honor active-duty
military and veterans.
Other events will be
held later in the year at
volleyball and football
games.
The Bama Salute
matchup against North
Carolina will begin at 6
p.m. on Sunday and can be
watched on ESPNU.
Felicia Knox prepares for senior season with Alabama soccer
Bella Martina
Assistant Sports
Editor
and do all these things.
That’s part of my journey.”
The senior is grateful
for her soccer career and
has made sure to stay
consistent in her mindset
and the goals that she has
set for herself along
the way.
“I feel like if you just
focus on your own path
and your own journey,
then you’re going to find
success at some point,
rather than trying to
focus on everything else
that’s going on around
you,” Knox said. “Focus
on yourself so your
teammates have the
best you.”
The soccer season has
just begun, but Knox and
the rest of the Crimson
Tide are gearing up for the
long haul.
Alabama soccer player
Felicia Knox (#8) controls
the ball in a game against
Memphis on Aug. 27 at the
Alabama Soccer Stadium in
Tuscaloosa, Ala.
CW / Riley Thompson

sports
Alabama and Texas: What a realigned SEC looks like
1B
Former Alabama football player Henry To’oto’o (#10) during the Texas game on Sept. 10, 2022 at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, TX. CW File
Abby McCreary
Sports Editor
This Saturday, the Texas
Longhorns will travel
nearly 750 miles to play
football against the Crimson
Tide in Bryant-Denny
Stadium. For the Allstate
Crossbar Classic, the mileage
doesn’t seem so bad. A
year from now, though, an
Alabama-Texas matchup will
be an SEC conference game,
meaning long road trips to
play conference games may
become the norm.
Texas and Oklahoma’s
addition to the SEC in 2024
is just one conference
realignment move that
may be a part of the bigger
conversation surrounding
super conferences and
the integrity of collegiate
athletics. At Alabama, the
realignment raises questions
about whether the Crimson
Tide can maintain its historic
traditions and championshipcaliber
excellence.
Head coach Nick Saban
said the breakdown of
traditions is a huge concern.
“There is a lot of traditions
that we’ve had for a long time
in college football, and I think
we’re in a time of evolution
for whatever reason. Some of
those traditions are going to
get pushed by the wayside,”
Saban said. “It’s sad, whether
it’s good, bad or indifferent for
college football. You have to
define what is good and bad
for college football.”
Although a lot will
inevitably change as
conferences realign, directors
are still making efforts
to maintain the norm.
Alabama’s 2024 opponents
were partly determined
by who was considered a
“traditional opponent,” and
in this first restructured
year, all SEC teams will face
three of their traditional
opponents. For Alabama, this
means the Crimson Tide will
still play LSU in the Saban
Bowl, Tennessee on the Third
Saturday in October and
Auburn in the Iron Bowl.
Because what you have
right now are two super
conferences in the Big
Ten and the SEC. It’s Coke
and Pepsi, and when
one moves, the other
one reacts, and that’s
exactly where we are right
now in college football.
Chaos would be an
understatement.
Paul Finebaum
Sports Personality
The other matchups
that round out each team’s
eight-game conference
schedule will be determined
by strength of schedule.
Every existing team is also
required to play either Texas
or Oklahoma. This schedule
format, though, is only
approved for one year as
the conference continues to
take shape and the schedule
format seeks finalization.
Despite the addition of two
historic football programs,
Alabama will likely stay at
the top of the conference.
Oklahoma and Texas both
lead their all-time series
against the Crimson Tide, and
Alabama struggled against
the Longhorns last year, but in
recent years, the Crimson Tide
has still managed to come out
on top. Most of these games
were high-stakes bowl games
and championships, and
with the SEC championship
becoming more and more
competitive every year, these
new conference matchups
will still be important on
the schedule.
However, Alabama has its
eyes set on more than just a
conference championship.
SEC commissioner Greg
Sankey said the conferences’
realignment could affect
the postseason as well, even
though the College Football
Playoff is already introducing
a 12-team format in 2024.
“The circumstances
have changed, and we
need to reconsider the
format,” Sankey said. “I’m
not convinced we need to
reconsider the number of
teams, and I’ve been clear
that I would have been OK
with an eight-team playoff
with no conference champion
access. That wasn’t, if you
will, politically tenable within
the group. So as we continued
to look at the models, we
came up with the six-andsix
model. But, again, the
circumstances have changed
in a meaningful way, and
my inclination is we need
to reexamine the current
format.”
There is a lot of traditions
that we’ve had for a long
time in college football,
and I think we’re in a time
of evolution for whatever
reason. Some of those
traditions are going to get
pushed by the wayside. It’s
sad, whether it’s good, bad
or indifferent for college
football. You have to define
what is good and bad for
college football.
Nick Saban
Alabama Football
Head Coach
In the Saban era, Alabama
has little to worry about in
terms of qualifying for a 12-
team playoff. However, once
conferences start realigning
and money starts being
thrown around, uncertainty
is in the air, and anything can
happen. While Alabama can
compete in any conference,
big or small, across the
country or in the South, the
thought of super conferences
still raises concerns.
Sports personality Paul
Finebaum said conference
alignments have the
potential to get pretty
chaotic, especially when the
conferences start to fill up.
“Because what you have
right now are two super
conferences in the Big Ten
and the SEC,” Finebaum said.
“It’s Coke and Pepsi, and
when one moves, the other
one reacts, and that’s exactly
where we are right now in
college football. Chaos would
be an understatement.”
As other conferences join
the power struggle, money
remains at the top of the fight.
For Texas and Oklahoma,
one of the main motivators
to join the SEC is for the
conference’s deal with ESPN,
and other teams looking
for a new conference to call
home have similar monetary
motives. With money being
thrown around as much as
the football, the integrity of
the game still needs to
be maintained.
Conferences realign. It’s
happened before, and it’s a
basic fact in the intersection
of money and sports. As long
as sports remain the focus,
though, Alabama football will
do well in whatever game,
conference and playoff it’s a
part of.
CW File
CW File

2B
It’s no secret The University
of Alabama’s football team is
one of the best in the country.
Head coach Nick Saban and
his coaching staff value
discipline, responsibility, work
ethic and attention to detail,
but the family-like dynamic
seen between each player and
the coaching staff may be the
secret to success.
Year after year, during the
summer, Saban hosts a lake
day full of fun, with water
sports and activities for his
leadership groups and players
at his private Lake Tuscaloosa
home. Saban is able to bring
his team together off the field,
which ultimately brings the
team benefits on the field.
When building a team
that continually competes
in championship games, it’s
tempting to focus on just the
sport. But Saban has made
it clear that these off-field
components are just
as important.
“Our philosophy is that
we’re going to create more
value for them personally,
academically and athletically,”
Saban said during Hey Coach
last year. “That’s the reason
you go to college.”
For Saban, developing his
players and encouraging team
building means inviting them
to his lake house.
“I feel like I’m away from
football when I’m here,”
Saban said in an interview
at his lake house. “I don’t get
away from it completely like
it doesn’t exist. I know for a
couple hours, I can get back to
it, but the rest of the time my
mind is completely clear of it.
The level of relaxation is so
healthy for me.”
Between Saban’s lake
days, hosting players on
Thanksgiving, and gettogethers
for recruits and
their families at his home
(where he’s been known to
dance the Cupid Shuffle),
Alabama football is more than
just a title-winning team. It’s
a family.
The family dynamic
extends even outside a
player’s career at Alabama,
and Saban said that he loves
having former players return.
“They all really like to
come back,” Saban said. “We
welcome them with open
arms when they come back.
I think they appreciate all
the people on the team here.
There’s a lot of folks here
who help our players become
successful.”
Former players have been
known to come back and
help grow the program, like
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide
receiver Julio Jones last year.
Saban said that when Jones
saw a current player behaving
rudely on the field, he
corrected him, saying, “That’s
not the way we do it here.”
The family dynamic
that current and former
players take part in enforces
a standard of excellence.
Together, these elements
could be called the backbone
of Saban’s philosophy.
“The players that played
before you, no matter when
they played, they have an
expectation because they
created a standard, a standard
of excellence, whether it was
the effort that they played
with, the character that they
played with, the competitive
nature that they played with,”
Saban said at Hey Coach.
“No matter what, there’s an
expectation for how you’re
supposed to represent this
institution and how you’re
supposed to represent them.”
sports
Building a familial bond is the secret to Saban’s success
Noelle Jordan
Contributing Writer
The Crimson Crossword
Nick Saban during the SEC championship game against Georgia on Dec. 4, 2021. CW File
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Across
1. “Welcome to my humble _____!”
6. World-domination board game
10. Payment to an ex
12. Comparable with
14. University of Alabama college with a geography department
16. Tiny tot
17. Lottery winner’s option
18. Obtain through hard work
19. Fabric suffix with “poly”
Down
1. Make changes to
2. What the buffalo said when his child left for college?
3. Yemen neighbor
4. Like a crossed-off task
5. Wrap up
6. Shampoo step before repeat
7. Bring about, as wrath
8. Women in ____
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13. Held on to
14. Emotion experienced by many Grand Canyon visitors
15. “That’s my ___!”

sports
Men’s basketball to face gantlet of nonconference opponents
Orry Cantrell
Staff Writer
On Aug. 29, Alabama
basketball released its
out-of-conference schedule.
Like last season, the Crimson
Tide will have several tests
before conference play begins.
This time around, however,
head coach Nate Oats will
be working with an almost
entirely new cast as Alabama
will look to yet again prove
itself against the best in the
country on a national stage.
The treacherous trilogy
The Crimson Tide will
play all three of its toughest
out-of-conference opponents
of the season consecutively,
starting on Dec. 9, when it
faces off against the Purdue
Boilermakers at the Hall
of Fame Series in Toronto,
Ontario.
Like Alabama, the
Boilermakers are coming off
of a season in which the team
earned a No. 1 seed in the
NCAA tournament. Unlike
Alabama, though, Purdue is
returning all five of its starters
from last season, including
2023 Naismith Trophy winner
Zach Edey.
This game has a high
chance of being Alabama’s
toughest matchup of the
regular season. Edey, arguably
the best player in college
basketball, will no doubt
make it difficult for Alabama’s
newly formed frontcourt. Oats
and his staff will have to have
a set plan for limiting Edey’s
effectiveness in the paint, as
well as his relentless ability
to clean the offensive glass, if
the team wants to stay in this
contest.
A week after its meeting
with the Boilermakers,
Alabama will travel to Omaha,
Nebraska, to face off against
the Creighton Bluejays.
The Bluejays are coming off
an Elite Eight run that, similar
to Alabama’s tournament run,
ended at the hands of the San
Diego State Aztecs. Creighton
is returning three starters
from last season, so the team
is most likely going to be as
good, if not better, than last
season, creating a dangerous
situation for the Crimson
Tide.
Similar to Edey, Creighton’s
Ryan Kalkbrenner could be
the difference in this game
if left unchecked. On top
of being a potential threat
inside the paint, Kalkbrenner
has developed a respectable
3-point game, shooting over
30% from long range last
season. This could open up
the Bluejays’ offense and
cause Alabama to struggle
defensively.
Finally, the Crimson Tide
will wrap up this three-game
test in Phoenix, Arizona,
taking on the Arizona
Wildcats.
The Wildcats will be
dangerous, because, like
Alabama, they have added a
significant amount of talent
through the transfer portal,
including Caleb Love from
North Carolina as well as
former Alabama guard
Jaden Bradley.
Unlike the first two
contests, this matchup could
prove to be a more difficult
undertaking for Alabama’s
backcourt than for its
frontcourt. If Love and Bradley
have good chemistry, it could
get dicey for Alabama’s
defense.
To make things even harder
on Alabama, the Wildcats will
also be returning their All-
Pac-12 center Oumar Ballo,
again threatening Alabama’s
frontcourt, which, at this
point, will have truly
been tested.
Is Alabama up to the
task?
Oats has been very busy
this offseason, landing some
top-tier talent in Tuscaloosa
on both the playing and
coaching fronts.
Alabama was able to land
North Dakota State transfer
Grant Nelson, a 6-foot-11-inch
forward coming off a season
averaging 17.9 points and 9.3
rebounds. Nelson is a muchneeded
addition to a team
that lost much of its size and
paint presence in
the offseason.
In addition to Nelson,
Alabama was able to land
West Virginia forward
Mohamed Wague to help fill
the void left in the frontcourt
by Clowney’s and Bediako’s
departures.
Oats didn’t forget about
his backcourt, though,
landing guards Aaron Estrada
and Latrell Wrightsell Jr.
from Hofstra and Cal State
Fullerton, respectively.
Not all talent from last
year’s team is lost, however.
Mark Sears returns
alongside Nick Pringle, Rylan
Griffen and Davin Crosby, all
of whom will look to step into
larger roles this season.
While much of the newly
added talent has come
through the transfer portal
for Alabama, the program has
also done well in recruiting,
landing three four-star
prospects and finishing with a
top-15 recruiting class in
the nation.
Most notable of these
recruits is Jarin Stevenson, a
17-year-old from Pittsboro,
North Carolina. The young
6-foot-11-inch forward
skipped his senior year
of high school to
join this year’s
Alabama squad.
Like both Nelson
and Wague,
Stevenson’s
size will be
an immediate
factor in the
new-look
Alabama
frontcourt.
While recruiting
all of this playing
talent,
Oats
was
also busy
rebuilding his
coaching staff
seemingly from
scratch, after all three of
his assistants left the team
to take head coach positions
at other programs. Oats acted
swiftly, however, filling all the
vacant spots in the staff in
under three months.
Oats filled one of these
spots with Ryan Pannone,
whom Oats was able to bring
in from the New Orleans
Pelicans organization.
Pannone brings over 20 years
3B
of coaching experience to the
staff, including over 10 years
with professional teams.
Alabama basketball
player Rylan Griffen
(#3) playing against San
Diego State in the Sweet
Sixteen tournament on
Mar. 24 at the KFC Yum!
Center in Louisville, KY.
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4B
opinion
Let’s talk about Florida:
How southern states are going backwards
Mary Claire Wooten
Staff Columnist
It has always been
customary to see
headlines describing the
latest misfortune of Florida
residents, usually including
a dangerous crocodile
fighting a man or a hurricane
decimating the coast. Since
2018, the state has
seen headlines
describing a very
different scene, at
the hands of Gov.
Ron DeSantis.
Since his election,
DeSantis has been
pushing the boundaries
of conservatism. Florida, a
previously purple state, has
since turned deep red with
his influence.
He’s passed a series of
bills cracking down on
illegal immigration and
education standards in the
state. DeSantis has also been
targeting the transgender
youth of the state not only
in schools but in their
doctor’s offices as well. To
make matters worse, where
DeSantis goes, governors like
Kay Ivey are usually not
far behind.
Alabama is no stranger
to implementing similar
legislation regarding race,
education and many areas of
controversy. DeSantis worked
to pass the harshest state-led
anti-immigration laws in the
country. SB 1718, which was
signed on May 10 and took
effect July 1, requires that all
employers with more than
25 employees utilize E-Verify,
a website operated by the
federal government, to check
employment eligibility. All
employers who fail to do so
will be fined $1,000 a day. In
turn, using fake identification
to obtain employment will
result in a third-degree felony
charge. IDs previously issued,
in Florida or out of state, are
now invalid and effectively
banned.
According to The New
York Times, Florida relies
on an estimated 770,000
undocumented immigrants
in industries including
construction, hospitality and
agriculture. That said, the
state has already begun to
feel the effects of the new bill.
As a rapidly growing state,
Florida has long depended on
the immigrant community
to take on various forms of
work necessary for a state to
function that many Floridians
shy away from.
Projects have halted and
crews have been cut in half as
many immigrants seek work
in states where they feel safer.
Those who are approved to
work in the U.S. flee with
family members who they
fear may no longer be safe in
the Sunshine State.
Many states have
immigration laws in place,
but none holds a candle to
this one. What’s concerning
is the breadth of laws. The
laws range from businesses
to hospitals and have
widespread impacts on the
lives of those residing
in Florida.
This isn’t DeSantis’ only
work with overarching effects
on the state.
One of the most recent
attempts to halt the “woke”
agenda was altering the
curriculum regarding
African American history
standards. After passing the
Stop W.O.K.E. Act, DeSantis
made it very apparent he
believes that the hardships
and accomplishments of
African Americans were
not important enough to be
included in the curriculum.
We’re in a period when
those in academia are actively
attempting to highlight the
past and the pains caused,
when school names are
being changed from honoring
Confederates to praising
those who hoped to improve
the world around them.
People like DeSantis hope
to silence these efforts by
blocking Advanced Placement
courses focused on African
American culture, banning
books about race or gender,
and blocking critical race
CW / Shelby West
theory altogether. The
purposeful exclusion of
African American truths,
such as slavery, would
only result in a disservice
to all parties involved in
the school systems as well
as Florida citizens. The
additional recent ban of AP
Psychology classes for similar
reasons proves that the state
truly does not have the best
interests of its students in
mind when creating
these policies.
Once the news broke of
the new act, NAACP issued
a travel advisory as a direct
response to Desantis’ erasure
of diversity, equity and
inclusion efforts as well as
efforts against LGBTQ+ people
in the state.
Although critical race
theory isn’t currently taught
in K-12 classrooms in
Alabama, in 2022 four bills
were introduced that would
ban any schools that receive
government funding from
teaching about “divisive
concepts” involving race,
gender and religion. Any
educator or official who did
not uphold this notion could
be fired for doing so.
In March of 2022, DeSantis
signed HB 1557, more
commonly known as the
“Don’t Say Gay” bill, into
law after much national
pushback. The bill began by
restricting conversations
about gender identity
and sexual orientation in
schools, deeming these
topics not age-appropriate.
Students who attempted to
have conversations about
sexual identity with school
personnel were also at risk.
Only a month after
DeSantis passed “Don’t Say
Gay,” Ivey signed off on a
hefty package of bills with
a few blinding similarities.
SB 184 made providing
gender-affirming care to
minors a felony, punishable
by up to 10 years, and HB
322 bars students from using
bathrooms that align with
their gender identity.
Any change in a student’s
mental, physical or emotional
health would be subject
to be shared with parents.
Counselors are no longer a
resource for students dealing
with issues they may not feel
comfortable sharing with
family members.
Who benefits? Without
the opportunity to talk with
a confidential resource, we’re
stigmatizing LGBTQ+ youth
and putting the mental,
physical and emotional
health that was supposed to
be protected on the chopping
block.
DeSantis has expanded
into limiting gender-affirming
healthcare access for
minors, but it’s also affecting
transgender adults. If puberty
blockers and hormone
therapy are used, parents
and doctors could have legal
action taken against them.
Florida adults seeking genderaffirming
care must receive
written consent forms from
two medical boards, the Board
of Medicine and the Board of
Osteopathic Medicine.
Both boards consist of
members appointed
by the governor, and
they have already
taken action to restrict
transgender care.
To really tie the
matter home, Alabama’s
Sen. Tommy Tubberville
resides in Florida
full time, owning no
property in Alabama.
In 2020, during his race
against Jeff Sessions,
Sessions brought up his
ties to Florida and even
included a video dated
2017 of Tuberville stating
he had “hung up his
whistle and moved to Santa
Rosa Beach, Florida.”
DeSantis is effectively
inserting politics in areas
that were previously private
concerns. If the state is to fix
its many issues, it needs to
start with its elected officials.
The same can be said
for Alabama.
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6B
Gerrymandering, the
practice of drawing
voting districts in order
to manipulate election
outcomes, has plagued
American democracy since
this country’s infancy and
continues to rear its ugly head
to this day.
Described by the Brennan
Center for Justice as “a thorn
in the side of democracy,”
gerrymandering hijacks
the redistricting process
— meant for balancing
population counts and
ensuring compliance with the
Voting Rights Act — flipping
elections on their head and
allowing politicians to choose
their voters.
There are a handful
of cases of modern
gerrymandering as glaring
as the district maps drawn
by Alabama’s Legislature.
Some cases are so glaring,
in fact, that one of the most
conservative U.S. Supreme
Courts in recent memory was
unable to find a justification
for their legality. In June, the
court ruled that the state’s
congressional map violated
the civil rights of Alabamians
and specifically undermined
the electoral power of
Black voters.
Now, there is quite
literally no higher
court in the land than
the Supreme Court
of the United States,
so of course the
Legislature conceded
and redrew the map
in accordance with
the ruling, right?
Wrong. Instead, on
July 21, the Republican
Legislature spat in the
face of our democratic
institutions and
presented yet another
congressional map
that minimized the
power of Black voters.
The Grand
Old Party’s finest
cartographers
accomplished this
strategy by corralling
the majority of Black
Alabamians into a
single cleverly drawn
district, leaving them
underrepresented
in the rest of the
state’s seven districts.
Therefore, only one
of seven districts
represents the
interests of Alabama’s
Black constituency,
opinions
A second minority district is a necessity to Alabama
Alex Jobin
Staff Columnist
Seth Self
Guest Columnist
Eva Dillard says she has
one of the best legal
jobs in Alabama. She is
a staff attorney for Black
Warrior Riverkeeper, an
environmental nonprofit in
Birmingham dedicated to
preserving the Black Warrior
River watershed for the sake
of public health, recreation
and wildlife habitat.
But what does an
environmental lawyer do?
What does the legal side of an
environmental nonprofit such
as Black Warrior Riverkeeper
look like? Of the many varied
and unique legal sectors,
environmental law is often
misunderstood or even
vilified by those who feel that
environmental regulations are
too burdensome.
However, through
interviews with several
members of Black Warrior
Riverkeeper’s legal team
and board, it becomes clear
the necessity of the work to
ensure the mission of the
organization itself to protect
and restore the Black Warrior
River and its tributaries.
As an attorney for a
nonprofit, Dillard said
there is no typical day at
the office. “My job is more
than just filing lawsuits,”
she said. Nor does she file a
lawsuit over every issue. The
process begins on the river
itself, with staff Riverkeeper
Nelson Brooke patrolling
and staff scientist John
Kinney monitoring the water
at different test sites for
pollution or other harmful
conditions.
If they report something
concerning, the staff
convenes to discuss strategy.
At that point, Dillard said,
they reach out to whomever
or whatever is responsible,
and begin a conversation on
strategies for going forward.
Many times, companies in
this situation will work with
Dillard and her colleagues to
resolve the conflict.
Sometimes, however,
lawsuits are needed. When
the decision to move forward
has been made, Black Warrior
Riverkeeper files a lawsuit —
CW / Shelby West
despite Black Alabamians
making up a quarter of
the state’s population.
It sure is funny how
the same Legislature
that wishes to outlaw
the teaching of accurate
historical narratives
surrounding racial
discrimination is also
hell-bent on silencing the
voices of Black voters. Go
figure.
Indeed, Alabama’s
politicians are so intent
on minimizing the
voice of Black voters
that they are willing to
completely relitigate a
case that has already
failed once on the largest
stage possible. The
Legislature is bringing
the case back to court,
attempting to justify a
39.9% Black district as
satisfying the Supreme
Court’s mandate of a
second district where
Black Alabamians
make up a majority
of the constituency or
“something quite close
to it.”
Conservatives
love to cry over fiscal
responsibility when
it comes to providing
Black Warrior Riverkeeper’s legal team:
Using the law to protect our water
sometimes a joint suit with
similar organizations such as
the Southern Environmental
Law Center or Public Justice —
against the polluter.
Beyond litigation, Dillard’s
job often involves educating
the public on issues such
as clean water, permits or
policies. Regardless of the
work, every aspect involves
input from other members
of the team. “It’s a little bit
of policy, a fair amount of
legal work and a lot about
collaboration,” Dillard said.
This is where
environmental law student
and Black Warrior Riverkeeper
legal intern Sydney Moore
enters. Given that Black
Warrior Riverkeeper is a
nonprofit, resources can
sometimes be limited,
which makes Moore’s work
incredibly valuable to the
organization. Moore, a rising
second-year law student
at Samford University’s
Cumberland School of Law,
assists Dillard in research
and preparation.
Moore is passionate about
the environment, in particular
with regard to Alabama.
Despite current challenges
facing the environmental
field — for example, the
recent Supreme Court ruling
in Sackett v. Environmental
protection Agency, which
weakened the scope of the
landmark 1972 Clean Water
Act — Moore remains hopeful.
That hope and optimism
remain just as important to
the organization’s work as
does any research or factfinding
mission.
“A lot of what I’ve done so
far is research-based,” Moore
said. That includes looking
at previous court cases that
would be relevant to current
cases the organization is
involved with, as well as
finding any legal consensus
on an issue. Her findings are
then condensed into memos
for Dillard’s use.
It can take hours to get
through even one case, Moore
said; many cases dealing
with environmental issues
are filled with scientific
jargon and acronyms. Sorting
through these terms can
help alleviate the need for
doing so later on, helping
the organization to be
more prepared when filing
legal briefs or other lawsuit
materials.
Beyond helping to provide
critical research data, Moore
brings a unique perspective
to Black Warrior Riverkeeper’s
mission: as a young adult,
she has grown up in a society
with increased focus on
the environment.
Another key component of
Black Warrior Riverkeeper’s
legal work is the board of
directors, a group of people
who work to direct and advise
the organization in actions,
strategy and responses. One
such member is Bob Greene.
Greene, a professor at
Moore’s own Cumberland
School of Law, brings over 50
years’ worth of environmental
legal experience to Black
Warrior Riverkeeper from
both the private and public
sectors. Greene has served
several terms on the board
over a number of years.
“When I retired in 2019,
I went back for one threeyear
term, and now I am in
the first year of my second.”
Greene believes that the board
members are people who will
work, strategize and think
about what the organization
should be doing.
To him, the board
serves as a sort of well of
information; it is a way to
offer unique insights to the
staff on potential courses of
action. That combination is
one of the reasons why the
nonprofit works so effectively.
“They really do what they’re
supposed to be doing,”
Greene said, emphasizing
credit to the Black Warrior
Riverkeeper’s staff. “It’s a very
well-run organization.”
Heather Elliott, another
member of the board of
directors and professor at
the University of Alabama
School of Law, agrees. Elliott
— who clerked on the D.C.
Circuit Court, which deals
heavily with cases on the
administrative regulatory
state, through which much
environmental regulation is
enforced — brings a plethora
of knowledge on case law to
Black Warrior Riverkeeper. In
particular, her work focuses
on standing, which is what a
plaintiff needs in order to be
heard in court.
This knowledge, alongside
that of the other members
of the board, acts as a sort of
“sounding board” for Dillard
and the rest of the staff.
“The board has to vote
on all the legal actions Black
Warrior Riverkeeper takes,”
Elliott said, meaning they can
give Dillard input on whether
a case should move forward.
The legal committee of the
board, of which Elliott serves
as chair, discusses all of
these details.
Those conversations can
involve whether Black Warrior
Riverkeeper wants to take
on the hypothetical new
case, and other strategies or
potential resolutions. This
process goes back to what
Dillard speaks on at length:
whether another course of
action is possible beside filing
a lawsuit.
Whether or not a case
is ultimately filed, Elliott
sees the methods and
unique structure utilized
by the organization for its
environmental work as the
keystone for its success.
“You cannot have a case
social safety nets to the
most vulnerable Americans
but are more than happy to
expend seemingly unlimited
capital on a legal battle
that is already settled. This
Legislature treats dismantling
civil rights like a video game
boss battle: just keep trying
until you win — or, rather,
until democracy loses.
If it had not already been
clear, neither this Legislature
nor Gov. Kay Ivey, who
approved the latest district
map, cares about the true
will of the people in Alabama.
In fact, they care about the
exact opposite. They care
about establishing an illiberal
democracy where they can
uphold the facade of fair
representation while, in
actuality, hoarding power and
silencing dissent.
Anyone who claims to
be a patriot, to care about
the principles this nation
was founded upon, or to
have a vested interest in
preserving democracy cannot
in good faith stand behind
the actions of Alabama’s
state government. This is a
devastating threat not just
to the civil rights of Black
Alabamians, but to the very
bedrock of our democracy.
The Black Warrior Riverkeeper’s legal team is an important aspect of keeping the river in the best condition. CW / Natalie Teat
without the facts,” Elliott said.
“Nelson and Johnny are both
out there, gathering facts in
person to bring a claim; that
is essential to both standing
and bringing a case. It is
essential for legal victory.”
Elliott’s comments
echoed Greene’s. Black
Warrior Riverkeeper’s
efforts emphasize hands-on
work with many partners
throughout Alabama. These
efforts to stay focused on each
individual issue and attack
it head-on have provided
Black Warrior Riverkeeper
a unique standpoint to
not only continue winning
legal victories, but expand
environmental collaboration
to groups who might
otherwise see litigation as
too controversial.
Whatever the case may
be, the evidence is clear:
Black Warrior Riverkeeper’s
legal work helps advance
the organization’s mission
considerably. Black Warrior
Riverkeeper could not exist
without it; as Dillard explains,
the very first Riverkeeper
organization started on a
“patrol and litigate” model.
“First you find the problems,
and then you use the power
of the law to address them,”
Dillard said.
Black Warrior Riverkeeper
continues that tradition today
by using the law to address
environmental issues, in
order to carry out the mission
it was founded to do: keeping
the Black Warrior River
watershed alive and well for
generations to come.
Seth Self is a first-year law
student at The University of
Alabama and a Black Warrior