The Crimson White Print Edition - February 8th, 2024

sports + culture
Former Alabama baseball head coach Brad Bohannon
found to have violated NCAA rules
Michael DeVito
Contributing Writer
Former Alabama baseball
head coach Brad
Bohannon was found to
have violated the NCAA
wagering and ethical
conduct rules from his
attempted $100,000 wager
on the Alabama vs. LSU
game, according to an
agreement released by
a Division I infractions
hearing panel.
On Feb. 1, a punishment
was handed down to
Bohannon that includes
a three-year probation
including a 15-year showcause
order. Along with
the probation, a fine of
$15,000 was handed down
to the former Alabama
head coach.
Bohannon wagered on
Alabama's performance
with insider information
during the 2023 season,
when the Crimson Tide
was swept by the eventual
national champion LSU
Tigers in Baton Rouge in
May 2023. Surveillance
cameras caught Bohannon
communicating with a
man, Bert Neff, who was
placing the bets for him
at a sportsbook in Great
American Ball Park in
Cincinnati, Ohio.
Neff, an Indiana
native, has been charged
in the case with ties
to Bohannon in the
gambling investigation.
The man who was behind
Bohannon's and the
University of Cincinnati’s
bets could face up to two
decades in prison for his
involvement.
Bohannon texted Neff
saying, "[Student-athlete]
is out for sure ... Lemme
know when I can tell [the
opposing team] ... Hurry,”
according to an encrypted
messaging app.
Bohannon was fired by
Alabama less than a week
after his involvement was
made public.
"Integrity of games is
of the utmost importance
to NCAA members,
and the panel is deeply
troubled by Bohannon's
unethical behavior," said
Vince Nicastro, deputy
commissioner and chief
operating officer of the
Big East and chief hearing
officer for the panel.
"Coaches, student-athletes
and administrators have
access to information
deemed valuable to
those involved in betting.
Improperly sharing that
information for purposes
of sports betting cuts to
the heart of the honesty
and sportsmanship we
expect of our members
and is particularly
egregious when shared by
those who have the ability
to influence the outcome
of games."
Neff’s charges of
obstructing a federal
grand jury investigation
in the Northern District
1B
of Alabama were handed
down to him by the United
States Department of
Justice. Neff was involved
in a multimonth period
of obstruction where
he allegedly destroyed
evidence such as cell
phones and private
messages, in addition to
making false statements
when asked by federal
investigators.
A plea deal was reached
for Neff where he showed
intent to plead guilty to
the charges of obstruction
and will face a maximum
sentence of 10 years in
prison, three years of
supervised release and a
fine of up to $250,000.
UA’s Department of Modern Languages and Classics provides
endless opportunities for students
Anna Hill
Staff Writer
The Department of
Modern Languages and
Classics at The University
of Alabama provides
options for students
looking to expand their
cultural knowledge
through language, theory,
literature and more.
Based in B.B. Comer Hall,
the department aims to
“provide our students with
the language proficiency
and intercultural
competence necessary for
the global society of the
21st century,” according to
its website.
As a part of the
University's College
of Arts and Sciences,
the department offers
undergraduate majors in
Spanish and in foreign
languages and literature
with concentrations in
classical civilization,
French, German, Greek,
Latin and Italian. The
undergraduate program
also features minors in
French, German, Spanish,
Russian, Japanese
and more.
Cheryl Toman, a
professor of French and
the department chair,
was excited to join
the University and has
experienced the school’s
growth since she arrived
in fall of 2020. Toman’s
research focuses on
French-speaking regions
of Africa. She currently
teaches a course on 20thand
21st-century French
poetry while supporting
and collaborating with
other areas of the
department as well.
Toman acknowledged the
different generations of
teachers at the University,
and the collaboration
between different levels of
teaching and languages.
“Everything that
needs deciding in the
department collectively,
we all do that together,
so that's the time we
have to kind of put aside
our individual lanes,”
Toman said. “I can see
the difference that the
assistant professors
have been trained much
differently to really work
collaboratively and with
a lot of interdisciplinary
focus.”
Matthew Feminella,
associate professor of
German with a focus on
18th- and 19th-century
German literature,
teaches a mixture of
undergraduate and
graduate courses.
Feminella has studied
abroad in Germany in
Berlin, Freiburg, Tübingen
and Münster, and
recommends students to
study abroad if they can.
“Studying abroad is
one of the best things I
have ever done,” Feminella
said. “I didn’t think that
learning languages was
important and fulfilling till
I visited another country.”
The department has a
French club for all levels
of fluency, and a French
table, where students can
practice conversing in
French, on the Student
Center Plaza from 1-2 p.m.
Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Graduate program
opportunities include
Master of Arts degrees
in Romance languages
and German, as well as
doctoral concentrations
in French or Spanish
literature, linguistics and
interdisciplinary studies.
Kate Lamadrid, an
international graduate
student studying
Spanish linguistics at the
University, traveled from
her home in Colombia
to expand her horizons
and has been involved
in conferences, teaching
opportunities and
assisting a faculty-led
study abroad program in
Barranquilla, Colombia.
“As a Graduate Teaching
Student, I’ve had the
opportunity to impart my
knowledge by teaching
Spanish to fellow UA
students in the SP 100-
200 courses,” Lamadrid
said. “This decision has
proven to be one of the
best I’ve made, as my time
here has been marked by
academic engagement,
skill development, and
meaningful experiences.”
Learning additional
languages can present
more job and travel
opportunities, confer
communication
advantages, and allow
students to have
immersive experiences in
countries of their interest
with direct involvement in
the culture. Students can
utilize and expand their
language skills through
one of the Department
of Modern Languages
and Classics’ faculty-led
study-abroad excursions
in China, France, Germany,
Italy, Japan and Spain.
Lamadrid currently
serves as president of La
Última Letra, the Spanish
program’s graduate
student organization, as
well as leading the LengUA
linguistics working
group, where members
“collaboratively enhance
linguistics research,
fostering an environment
of shared knowledge
and exploration.”
Vanessa Lent, a secondyear
graduate student at
the University, decided to
pursue an M.A in Spanish
literature after receiving
a recommendation from
a past Spanish professor.
For undergraduate studies,
Lent received a B.S. in
biology with minors
in Spanish and Liberal
Arts through the Blount
Scholars Program at UA.
“Looking back on the
decision, I can confidently
say that it has positively
altered the course of
both my personal and
professional goals,”
Lent said. “Giving to the
community has been
a keystone component
in my commitment to
diversity, equity, and
inclusion, and being a part
of the Spanish program
has opened opportunities
to do so.”
Lent has held various
positions with groups
in the Spanish program
including treasurer and
vice president of La
Última Letra, tutoring
in the Capstone Center
for Student Success, and
teaching English classes
to Spanish speakers in the
Tuscaloosa community.
The Department
of Modern Languages
and Classics also offers
classes on “less commonly
taught languages, many
of which are vital for
national security” through
its Critical Languages
Center, including
American Sign Language,
Cherokee, Hebrew, Korean,
Portuguese and more,
according to its website.
“The challenging and
enriching environment
here has shaped me
into a more capable and
knowledgeable person,
increasing my passion for
teaching, enhancing skills,
and learning through the
program” Lamadrid said.
CW / Shelby West