The Crimson White Print Edition - March 28, 2024

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2024
VOLUME CXXX | ISSUE VII
Evolve terminates leases
Maven Navarro
Assistant News Editor
As the demand for
affordable housing
for UA students in
Tuscaloosa increases,
Evolve Tuscaloosa
announced that it would
be terminating most of its
residents’ leases for the
2024-25 school year.
The complex,
previously owned by
Article Student Living, was
sold to LRC Commercial in
January. According to its
website, LRC Commercial
“acquires and repositions
underperforming Multi-
Family and Self-Storage
Assets.”
The apartment
complex, which will be
renamed to Watercress,
plans to renovate many of
its apartments and turn
them into condominiums.
During the first week of
February, residents were
notified via email of new
management taking over
the complex but were
assured that their leases
would “remain in full
force.”
Residents were placed
in a “blackout period” from
Feb. 5-8, during which
they were unable to make
payments, submit work
orders or view documents
online as the transition
took place.
Caitlyn Rathweg, a
freshman majoring in
business management,
signed a lease to live at
Evolve next year. She said
she heard rumors about
leases getting terminated
before she heard anything
from the complex.
“I called probably
three weeks before it was
official,” Rathweg said. “I
called the front desk and
said, ‘Hey, I heard a rumor
you guys are terminating
leases,’ and he said that
was not happening.”
On Feb. 26, another
email was sent to some
residents that said
that due to “extensive
renovations,” leases for
the summer and next year
would be terminated and
residents would have to
vacate their units by May
10, about two months
before 12-month leases
expired in late July.
Max Barberito, a junior
majoring in chemical
engineering, is a resident
at Evolve. He said that the
notice that his lease was
being terminated felt very
last-minute and left him
little time to find another
residence.
“It was so late in the
housing market season. It
felt like places were filling
up pretty quick,” Barberito
said. “That immediately
left a bad taste in my
mouth about the place in
general.”
On Feb. 29, three days
after the original leasetermination
email was
sent, some residents who
had previously renewed
their leases at Evolve
Tuscaloosa received
another email from
property manager Tanda
Jackson stating that they
could continue to live at
Evolve for the 2024-25
school year.
“You previously signed
a renewal to remain at
Evolve, and this notice is
confirmation that your
renewal lease, including
The Evolve apartment complex is currently under renovation. CW / Natalie Teat
the signed rate, for 2024-
2025 was approved and is
still in effect,” the email
stated. “You will remain
assigned to the same
bedspace for the fall.”
However, Jackson
later stated that fall
renewal leases were in
fact canceled but that
residents had the option
to sign a new lease at a
different rate in a new
unit for an August move-in
date.
Jillian Kimrey, a
sophomore majoring in
public relations, signed
a lease in September to
live at Evolve next year.
However, she plans on
staying at the property
and residing at Watercress.
“My roommates’
parents bought the condo,
but if they would not have
done that, I would have
been kind of scrambling,”
Kimrey said.
Some residents believe
the change is because the
complex would be unable
to finish renovations
before the next leasing
term would start.
“There is one building
that they are going to keep
as apartments because
they can’t finish all the
condos in time for August,”
Kimrey said.
Kimrey also added that
she did not believe all of
the condos had been sold
and that “they’re not full.”
“They knew they
weren’t going to be able
to sell all the condos,
so they’re renovating
one building at a time,”
Rathweg said.
Barberito said that even
though Evolve offered to
let him sign for a different
unit, he will be finding a
different place to live.
“At that point, my
impression of the place as
a whole had completely
changed,” Barberito said.
“I liked it before, and it
was cozy. Now, I feel like
they don’t care about the
people who live here; they
only care about filling up
units.”
SEE PAGE 2A
Rachel Seale
Staff Writer
Many dissatisfied
Northport residents are
continuing to push back and
seek legal counsel against the
public-private partnership
that the city entered with
University Beach LLC
in February.
The $350 million project
consists of a beach resort
and water park that will be
located off of Highway 82
West in District 5 within
Northport. The resort will
have beach homes, hotel
lodging, restaurants and a
concert venue.
Northport residents fight beach project
The city of Northport is
giving developers 11 acres of
land for the resort, as well as
$20 million from a $40 million
grant that will also be used
to fund the new 36-acre River
Run Park sports complex.
District 1 representative
Christy Bobo wrote in an
email to The Crimson
White that developers
have purchased land from
residents to proceed with
the project.
“There is not a contractual
provision to rescind or change
the agreement,” Bobo wrote.
To help heal relationships
between the council and its
constituents, Bobo wrote
that the city administrators,
mayor and council will host
workshops for residents,
developers and city staff
members to voice ideas for
future community projects.
“I believe disagreements
are an opportunity to
learn and benefit from one
another,” Bobo wrote. “With
that being said, healthy
discussions do not include
personal threats to lives,
bodily harm, personal
property livelihood, or
harassing communications.”
Opponents of the project
are signing a petition and
donating to a GoFundMe
campaign that will support
any legal fees they encounter
as they seek help from
attorneys. The petition, which
had reached more than 700
signatures as of writing, aims
to stop the partnership.
Jack Roberts, a District 5
resident, said he started the
GoFundMe campaign a few
weeks ago as a starting point
to raise money for legal help
to fight the resort. He said
attorneys are currently doing
pro bono work to research the
resort project and investigate
whether the City Council had
cut any corners, legally
or ethically.
Jack Roberts said the
lawyers have not currently
received any money, but if
the attorneys find any legal
issues, then the money will be
used to compensate them for
their services.
“Every single dime will be
spent on defeating the water
park, in one way, shape or
form,” Jack Roberts said.
Jonathan Roberts, a District
1 resident and mechanic with
no relation to Jack Roberts,
said he is selling T-shirts on
Facebook and by word of
mouth to raise money for the
GoFundMe campaign to help
pay legal fees.
SEE PAGE 2A
Take classes at Shelton State as a Transient Student.
Visit sheltonstate.edu to apply and register!
INSIDE NEWS 2A SPORTS 4A CULTURE 1B
OPINIONS 5B

2A
Although he bought the
shirts with his own money,
Jonathan Roberts said he is
not doing this for profit. He
said he is selling shirts for
$25 each.
Jonathan Roberts met
with a graphic designer who
created a University Beachthemed
shirt to poke fun
at the project. He said the
shirt sale has the potential
to raise around $1,500 for the
GoFundMe campaign.
Jack Roberts said he
appreciates the sense of
humor that these shirts
allow people to have as
they continue to fight
the development.
Kellen McQueen, a
District 5 resident and social
worker, started the petition
in January as a way to give
residents in her district a
voice and potentially stop
the land from being sold. She
said that anyone, including
nonresidents, can sign
the petition to show their
support.
“Even though the land has
been sold, not everybody got
an opportunity to speak at
the open hearing, and it gives
people another way to show
that they oppose University
Beach,” McQueen said.
McQueen said she would
have appreciated more
transparency from the City
Council. She said residents
have filed open records
requests but have not
received any documents so
far besides a traffic impact
study, which showed that
the roads surrounding the
proposed location of the
resort, including Harper Road
near the Flatwoods residential
community, are already
functioning over capacity.
Former Northport City
Council President and District
5 representative Jeff Hogg’s
recent resignation has led to
a vacant seat on the council
and Bobo being named
president.
Some residents worry Bobo
will continue to support the
partnership her predecessor
advocated for so strongly.
Jack Roberts said he
doesn’t view Bobo as an ally
in the fight to stop the
project development.
“Maybe she’ll surprise us,
but we’re not depending on
her for any substantial actions
to stop this,” Jack Roberts said.
As one of Bobo’s
constituents, Jonathan
Roberts said he thinks she
has the same attitude Hogg
did when it comes to ignoring
residents’ concerns.
Bobo told CBS 42 News
that she wishes people would
stop calling the resort a water
park because “it’s a resort
and a lifestyle change,” a
lifestyle change that many
community members
still have questions about
considering they were once
promised a small, 11-acre
water park.
Jonathan Roberts agreed
that this resort will be a
lifestyle change, but he said
the council didn’t consider
how this change would affect
the community, especially the
residential one surrounding
the development.
Bobo also told CBS 42 News
that her suggestion to those
who didn’t like the idea was
“to take another look at it and
meet with our staff and see
if there are things you don’t
understand.”
The council previously
voted to suspend the regular
proceeding rules, which
meant there would be no
second reading or discussion
two weeks later at the
council meeting.
Jonathan Roberts said
the regular proceeding rules
would have allowed more
time for discussion by giving
residents another two weeks
to talk with the council to
address any concerns
and questions.
“They’re still referring to us
as a handful of people who
are encouraging discord,”
news
continued from 1A — beach
An aerial rendering of the proposed University Beach water park in Northport. Courtesy of University Beach LLC.
Jonathan Roberts said.
“They aren’t recognizing us
as a group of citizens with
legitimate concerns.”
McQueen said Bobo has
an opportunity to mend
the broken relationship
between the council and its
constituents.
The city has followed
the standard appointment
procedure by opening the
application process for
residents in District 5 to
apply for the empty seat.
The council will then select
one of the applicants. If the
council does not appoint
someone within 60 days,
Gov. Kay Ivey selects the new
representative. However,
many residents, including
Jack Roberts and McQueen,
are calling on the council to
hold a special election.
Jack Roberts said that if the
council appoints someone
to the vacant seat, it would
be the second unelected
member on this particular
council, since Karl Wiggins
was appointed by Ivey to fill
the vacant District 3 seat
in 2023.
“This is a city council that
has completely lost the trust
and goodwill of the people
they represent,” Jack Roberts
continued from 1A — Evolve
Adel Fakhouri, a
spokesperson for LRC
Commercial, said that there
is a need for housing in
Tuscaloosa under $300,000
and that Watercress will aid
that.
“The condos will provide
great affordable options
for homebuyers who may
be interested in being an
owner in the great city of
Tuscaloosa,” Fakhouri said.
“We believe we can help
deliver great alternatives to
Some residents at Evolbe have to vacate their units by May 10. CW / Natalie Teat
renting in a beautiful and
upgraded community.”
The previous leasing price
for a three-bedroom, threebathroom
apartment at
Evolve ranged from $599-$729
per bedroom.
In comparison, a three-
said. “And I don’t feel like
putting another unelected
representative on this council
is going to do anything to
diffuse public mistrust
of them.”
Wiggins wrote in an
email statement to multiple
constituents, who have
inquired about a special
election, including McQueen,
that a special election would
cost the city between $40,000
and $50,000.
“That would be a wasteful
and irresponsible choice, in
my opinion, especially since
it would squander a fourth of
the remaining term for that
member,” Wiggins wrote.
However, Tuscaloosa
County Probate Judge Rob
Robertson said a special
election would cost the city
an estimated $13,625. The
county probate office assists
municipalities, like Northport,
with elections by providing
technical support, ballots,
machines, poll workers and
poll worker training.
Robertson said he doesn’t
know what information the
Northport City Council has
publicized, but $13,625 is the
estimated cost he gave the
council members and City
Administrator Glenda Webb.
bedroom, three-bathroom
condo at Watercress is
currently listed for purchase
at $259,000.
Watercress will feature a
pickleball court, a dog park
and upgrades to the pool.
Residents said that while
these amenities are nice, they
do not make up for all of the
other inconveniences they
have had to go through.
“They aren’t even really
changing our rooms,” Kimrey
said. “We’re getting new
paint and ceiling fans in
our bedrooms.”
On March 19, some
residents received an email
almost identical to the
original lease termination
email sent on Feb. 26, except
this email provided a later
required move-out date of
May 31.
Promptly, Jackson sent a
disregard notice, claiming
that the email was sent to
residents in error.
When constituents asked
Wiggins about this estimated
number that differed from
his $40,000-$50,000 estimate,
Wiggins responded on social
media claiming this number
was for a citywide election,
not a single district.
Even though the city is
giving developers only $20
million and 11 acres of land
for the project, McQueen and
other residents question why
the council is trying to be
financially conservative when
it has entered into a $350
million partnership that will
transfer 50% of all tax revenue
from the beach resort to
University Beach developers.
McQueen said residents
need to continue to email
their councilpeople and
other local government
officials regardless of which
district they live in. She said
residential areas, like the
Flatwoods neighborhood in
District 5, need to be safe
from rezoning.
“It isn’t just a Flatwoods
problem. It’s a Northport
problem,” McQueen said.
“The previous email sent
to you on February 26th
indicating that your lease
is being terminated on
May 10, 2024 is the correct
termination date,” the
email said.
The same day, flyers from
The Crimson Student Living,
another apartment complex
in Tuscaloosa, appeared on
some residents’ doors.
“Oh no! Did you receive
that email too?” the flyer
reads. “Whether you need to
move in immediately or in the
fall, The Crimson has a space
for YOU!”
Barberito said that before
the original lease termination
notice, he incorporated life
at Evolve into the rest of his
undergraduate career plan.
“I planned on living here
until I had to move out for
grad school,” Barberito said.
“This has completely changed
my mind about the whole
place.”
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news
3A
UA organizations celebrate Take Back the Night event
Ava Morthland
Staff Writer
WGRC hosted a fall campfire event on Oct. 17, 2023, where different clubs and resources tabled and offered information on the Student Center Lawn. CW / Hannah Grace Mayfield
The Women and Gender
Resource Center will
hold its annual Take Back
the Night event at the
University on April 2 in
front of Gorgas Library
from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The organization is
partnering with University
Programs and the
Tuscaloosa Safe Center
to host a rally, march,
speeches, chanting and a
candlelight vigil.
This work of sexual
violence awareness,
prevention, and
survivor support is
critical on college
campuses so the
entire community is
empowered to speak
up and take a stand
against all forms of
sexual violence
Amy Tilton
Assistant Director
of the Take
Back the Night
Foundation
Take Back the Night
Foundation is an
international nonprofit
event organized to help
end sexual, relationship
and domestic violence.
Although it doesn’t have
an explicit partnership
with the University,
its website contains
guidelines and resources
to help with events like
the WGRC’s.
The first documented
TBTN events took place in
the 1970s, including a 1975
rally in Philadelphia in
response to the stabbing
of microbiologist Susan
Alexander Speeth. Events
in other locations followed
soon after.
In 2001, the foundation
was created by a group of
women who were a part
of some of the earliest
TBTN events. TBTN is
completely volunteerbased,
and people can
contact its National Sexual
Assault Legal Hotline by
calling 567-SHATTER (567-
742-8837) or filling out a
hotline form.
The national
organization says its goal
is to “unite people from
every background, belief,
and culture around the
world to take a visible and
vocal stand.”
This is our water.
Help UA protect it.
Only rain down the drain.
Jessica Ross Romine,
program coordinator for
the WGRC, said that this
is the 32nd year the WGRC
will host the TBTN event.
“Students, if they would
like to participate, can go
around the Quad chanting
that they’re taking back
the night, that we’re not
going to allow sexual
assault on the University
of Alabama’s campus or
any campus,” Romine said.
For the first time
this year, the event will
include luminaries, which
attendees can purchase for
$3. The luminaries will be
displayed to light up the
march area.
The WGRC has been
making blankets for the
Tuscaloosa Safe Center so
that individuals who come
in for their first medical
examination can get one
as a gift.
WGRC has also been
making bracelets with
encouraging messages on
them for the Safe Center.
Romine said that the
center typically likes
to aim for 100 to 150
attendees but is expecting
more this year. She also
said that Greek points will
be available.
Amy Tilton is the
assistant director of Take
Back the Night Foundation.
“This work of sexual
violence awareness,
prevention, and survivor
support is critical on
college campuses so
the entire community
is empowered to speak
up and take a stand
against all forms of sexual
violence,” Tilton wrote in
an email.
Along with the event
at the University, Tilton
said that there are many
ways for students to
get involved, including
joining a free online global
virtual event on April 25,
volunteering with the
foundation, donating,
designing a T-shirt, or
even applying to speak at
an event.
Tilton said that TBTN
events are held yearround,
adding that several
events take place in April
and October.
University Programs
will be supporting the
event through financial
assistance.
Brenda Maddox, the
executive director of the
Tuscaloosa Safe Center,
said that despite the
misconception that
interpersonal violence
only affects women, it
is an issue that affects
everyone.
“It is a form of violence
that knows no boundaries.
Males are victims,
all races are victims,
all ages are victims,
transgender populations
are especially vulnerable
(50% in their lifetime),
all socioeconomic and
religious populations are
vulnerable,” Maddox wrote
in an email.
Maddox also wrote
that the Safe Center is
supporting the event and
the WGRC because 50% of
the people it serves are
students at the University.
The Safe Center
provides forensic exams,
advocacy to assist
with reporting to law
enforcement, follow-up
care, therapy like eye
movement desensitization
and reprocessing, and
even pet assisted therapy,
Maddox said.
Speakers from the
WGRC and the Tuscaloosa
Safe Center will be in
attendance at the April 2
event.
Shop Boots,
Jeans, & Hats
For questions, comments, or concerns
about Storm Water, contact
Environmental Health & Safety
(205) 348-5905 | ehu.ua.edu | @EHS_UA
at The Wharf
in Northport
220 Mcfarland Blvd N (205)-752-2075

4A
sports
New club desires to increase attendance at women’s sports
Manisha Ramachandran
Staff Writer
For the founder of the club,
freshman history student
Audrey Diczhazy, Hot Shots
is personal.
“My mother was an
athlete in any women’s
sports her high school
offered in the ’80s, and
she told me the difference
in funding and support
between men’s and women’s
sports,” Diczhazy said. “So,
when I saw that there is a
significant gap in physical
student support at UA, it
struck a chord with me, and
I wanted to help close it even
if it meant just adding a few
more people in the stands.”
Hot Shots is the Blount
Scholars Program’s newest
club. Hot Shots was founded
to support women in sports
and help to grow attendance
at women’s sporting events.
Hot Shots hopes to help
close the gap of attendance
between men's and
women’s sporting events.
Through the advocacy
that they are starting in
the Blount program, a
liberal arts community
for undergraduates, the
members hope the Crimson
Tide’s women’s teams will
see more warm bodies in
their crowds.
While joining the club is
just for Blount students, it
may become official through
The Source, said freshman
accounting student Jackson
Bowen.
“If there is some
appeal to a wider campus
audience, it will definitely be
considered,” Bowen said.
Although the club
currently has only nine
members, its members have
high hopes. Diczhazy talked
about future meeting goals
and what being part of the
club will look like.
“My plans for meeting
will be as frequent as
everybody’s schedules allow.
I don’t expect everyone
to make every meeting or
game,” Diczhazy said. “Being
a member entails showing
up as much as you can and
trying to apply yourself
in any way possible. ... I
just want people to enjoy
themselves when they are
at our meetings. If they can’t
make it, they can help out by
spreading the word!”
By promoting attendance
for women’s sporting events
and advocating for women
athletes, Hot Shots helps
build school spirit and
foster new connections and
Alabama pitcher Jaala Torrence (#21) throws a pitch against UNA on Feb. 21 at Rhoads Stadium. CW / Ethan Met
friendships, which are two
values the Blount Scholars
Program prioritizes when it
encourages its students to
create its own programs.
“I don't think it's really
a stretch to say that UA’s
school spirit is heavily, if not
entirely, fueled by sports,”
Diczhazy said. “Sports have
helped me build connections
with people unlike any
other events on this
campus. Student-athletes
at UA dedicate themselves
completely to their craft, and
I would like to be there to
support any and all of them.”
Along with fostering new
connections and friendships,
Hot Shots plans to do more,
according to freshman
psychology student Sammie
Dees.
“This club is all about
enriching the environment
of the student population,
something I think is very
important,” Dees said.
Hot Shots has big goals
for itself, and it isn’t focused
on just one aspect of
attending women’s sports.
Along with attending
sporting events, the club
wants to help the student
body become more
connected and support
every athlete at the school
no matter how small the
sport is.
“We believe that the
dedication and hard work of
these athletes deserves to be
celebrated as much as any
other group,” Dees said.
For Hot Shots, this means
celebrating Olympic athletes,
national stars, conference
standouts and everyone
in between, not just
counting football’s national
championships.
Women’s basketball falls to No. 1 seed Texas at NCAA tournament
Alabama guard Del’Janae “Burger” Williams (#51) on defense against Texas at Moody Center in Austin, Texas, during the second round of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament on Sunday, March 24, 2024.
Courtesy of UA Athletics
Courtney Larrimore
Staff Writer
Women's basketball
will head home to
Tuscaloosa after falling
65-54 to the region's No. 1
seed, the Texas Longhorns,
in the second round of the
NCAA tournament.
With Texas standing
as the region's No. 1 seed,
it had the opportunity
to host its first few
tournament games, and
because of that, nearly
10,000 Longhorn fans
came to the Moody
Center in Austin, Texas, to
support their team.
Despite most of the
crowd cheering against
her, guard Sarah Ashlee
Barker still enjoyed the
spirit of her audience.
"You want to play in
atmospheres that are
packed and rowdy, and
everyone is cheering, and I
like to play against crowds
that are cheering against
me sometimes." Barker
said. "It was a lot of fun.
You had a lot of respect
for the game of women's
basketball out there. ... It
just shows you that people
love women's basketball."
Barker only played
11 minutes and scored 6
points in the team's game
Friday against Florida
State but broke out this
game, leading the team
with 17 points and
six rebounds.
Alabama started
hopeful, keeping the score
within a few points, but
at some moments, the
Crimson Tide needed only
2 to overcome Texas's lead.
Despite a 7-point
scoring run by Texas,
Alabama was able to
round out the first quarter
with a gap of only 3 points
after a layup from Barker
and guard Aaliyah Nye's
only 3-pointer of the night.
"I wish I would have hit
the shots that I felt like
I did get a quality shot,"
Nye said. "I just didn't
knock them down with
a couple of other shots
that I took. I think it just
happens sometimes."
Out of the nine 3-point
shots Nye took during the
game, she sank only two.
Alabama's team average
fell to 27.8%, and although
it left the Crimson Tide
in a better position than
Texas’ 20%, it was still
a drop from Alabama's
35.21% average.
The second quarter
mirrored the first, with
Alabama bringing the
deficit to only 1 point, but
Texas quickly ran away
with a 7-point lead to end
the first half.
Texas had an answer
for every point Alabama
made; the game plateaued
at a 10-point lead for Texas
and stayed there for the
rest of the game, deviating
by only a few points but
quickly balancing out,
until the Longhorns won
by 11.
Forward Essence Cody
and Nye found themselves
in foul trouble this game,
and Alabama's 17 personal
fouls left Texas going 16-
21 on free throws while
the Crimson Tide could get
only seven of its own.
Aside from the players
on the court, Phoenix Suns
forward Kevin Durant
came to support his alma
mater. Although Durant
was rooting for Texas,
Barker couldn't help but
appreciate the attention
and care he brought to
the sport.
"I think just him
supporting women's
basketball means a
lot even though he
was supporting Texas,
just him being here,"
Barker said. "That just
means a lot to us, just
knowing that one of the
best players ever was
watching us play against
Texas tonight. I think you
need to be grateful for
that and grateful for the
opportunity that he was in
the building tonight."
Although the loss was
bitter, head coach Kristy
Curry decided not to
focus on that and instead
celebrate a well-played
season.
"In our program, we
have three core values,
grit, love and gratitude,
and the grittiness of this
group, the love that they
wear on the front of their
chest in a day and time
where that's unique,”
Curry said. “We're not
going to talk about what
we didn't do well enough.
Today, we're going to talk
about all the things that
we did well on a 10-month
journey with the most
special group I've ever
had a season with, so I'm
incredibly proud of them."

sports
5A
Women’s basketball draws record engagement
Courtney Larrimore
Staff Writer
Over the past few seasons,
women’s basketball
has seen an unprecedented
amount of attention from
both sports enthusiasts and
regular people alike. From
the rise of both talented and
personable players coupled
with the era of name, image
and likeness deals in college
athletics, women’s basketball
is on a fast track.
In the past few years,
women's basketball has
seen a massive surge in
popularity, with 2023's
NCAA tournament title
game between LSU and Iowa
seeing a 104% increase in
viewership compared with
past years. It was the most
viewed women's basketball
game ever and ESPN+'s most
watched sporting event ever,
men's or women's, with 12.6
million viewers.
Beyond one game,
women's basketball
continues to impress in
2024. The Iowa vs. Nebraska
Big Ten championship
hit a peak of 4.45 million
viewers, becoming the most
streamed women's basketball
conference tournament game
on any network and the most
watched women's basketball
game on CBS in 25 years.
For some players, the
change results from the game
finally getting the respect
it's owed.
"I think that back in the
old days, if you showed your
emotions too much, you're
dramatic, or you're emotional
and you wouldn't get the
same respect as if a male
did it," Alabama guard Sarah
Ashlee Barker said. "Now,
we're getting that respect.
We're showing that we're
tough. Showing we're gritty.
Showing that we can compete
on the court and be just as
tough, as rowdy, and then
off the court, we can be this
girly girl. We can do all these
things. And I think that's
what's made this sport so, so
fun to watch the past couple
of years."
Iowa has seen a massive
uptick in viewership mainly
because of one player, senior
guard Caitlin Clark. Clark
The crowd at the women’s basketball game against LSU on Jan. 18 in Coleman Coliseum. CW / Elijah McWhorter
recently took down the NCAA
Division I all-time men’s and
women’s scoring records with
3,668 points.
Even Shaquille O’Neal
pointed out her talent on the
"Inside the NBA" broadcast.
"I'm going to go on the
record and say she's the best
female collegiate player ever,"
O’Neal said.
Support from NBA players
like O’Neal and Kobe Bryant,
who, before his death in 2020,
advocated for the importance
of women's sports, isn't
lost on women's basketball
players.
"Before Kobe died, he
really did a huge thing for
the WNBA and just tried to
support women as much as
he could," Barker said."I think
that when he died, a lot of
male figures kind of stepped
into that and wanted to
support him. So, I think even
having male advocates for us
plays a big role."
Iowa has not been the only
one leading the charge. Other
schools, like LSU and South
Carolina, have also been
seeing traction and selling
out stadiums.
South Carolina has
consistently been one of
the best teams in women's
basketball for years. The
Gamecocks further cemented
their national notoriety this
year after they earned both
the SEC tournament and
regular-season titles. It is the
only women's team in the
country to do this since 2016.
The team averaged a crowd
of 15,613 per game, leading
the nation in women's
basketball attendance. Tickets
ranged from $70 to $400, but
on secondary markets, some
paid up to six times the face
value of the ticket.
LSU was also known for
breaking stadium records
wherever the team went,
even garnering the 5,575 fans
it took to make it a recordbreaking
night for Alabama's
program when the Tigers
came to town.
The Tigers have taken a
unique approach to furthering
the game. Instead of relying
solely on the team's talent,
they've also leveraged the
team's vivid personalities.
LSU scoring duo Flau'jae
Johnson and Angel Reese
have amassed a cultlike
following. Last year, they
both individually had more
followers than any other
player in the Final Four of
the NCAA tournament, man
or woman. The duo boasts a
combined nearly 10 million
followers and 31 NIL deals.
Despite the attention she's
personally gained, Johnson
finds more satisfaction in the
attention brought to the sport.
"I kind of just have to
remind myself, like, the little
girls are here, the little boys
are here, and they're looking
up to you," Johnson said after
LSU's game against Alabama.
"So, it's cool to have recordbreaking
crowds. We know
people want to come see us,
but the deeper impact that
we have for the game and the
way it's growing is amazing
to see."
Some players attribute the
significant growth of women's
basketball to the key role
social media has played in
building the game's presence
and audience.
"People from across the
country can watch people
play and follow each other.
You make friends within
basketball from across the
country," Alabama guard
Aaliyah Nye said. "I think
social media is just growing
every day. I mean, let's just
think about it. Like, when we
were younger, there was no
way we could track our role
models unless we lived in
a college city. I lived in East
Lansing [Michigan], and that's
the only way I could really
follow who I admired."
Many brands have noticed
the increasing popularity,
and NIL deals have followed.
With an NIL valuation of $3.1
million, Clark is currently
ranked fourth in the country
for the highest NIL deal
valuation.
Clark is an anomaly,
though, and despite the
monetary success some other
players have found, it still
pales in comparison to the
money many men's players
find themselves with. Nye
thinks this lack of money
draws people to women's
basketball.
"I think people are noticing
we're more genuine,” Nye
said. “Some male athletes
do it for money. In women's
sports, we only do it because
we love it, we want to inspire
little girls, and we just want to
play for our program because,
honestly, we're not doing it for
money at all because we don't
get paid like male athletes do
for this sport."
College women’s basketball year in review:
2. Nov. 28, 2023: USC guard
JuJu Watkins broke the program
record for most 30-point
games as a freshman with
four. Watkins scored 30 or
more points in 12 regularseason
games.
1. Apr. 2, 2023: The 2023
national championship game
between LSU and Iowa drew
12.6 million viewers, the
most viewers for a women’s
basketball game ever.
CW / Natalie Marburger
4. Mar. 3, 2024: Iowa guard
Caitlin Clark broke the record
for most points scored for an
NCAA Division I men’s and
women’s basketball player.
5. Mar. 10, 2024: The third
game this season between the
Iowa Hawkeyes and the Nebraska
Cornhuskers drew the
most viewers for a women’s
conference tournament game.
3. Jan. 18, 2024: Alabama
women’s basketball set an attendance
record against LSU
with 5,575 fans in attendance.

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sports + culture
Lilly Hudson: A Coleman Coliseum fan favorite
1B
Manisha Ramachandran
Staff Writer
Gymnast Lilly Hudson has
been building a name
for herself in the Tuscaloosa
community since she started
her time at the University
in 2022.
Friday night gymnastics
meets in Tuscaloosa end
with Hudson competing
with her well-known
“Alabama” floor routine. In
her three years competing
for the Crimson Tide, her
floor routine is something
that sticks out and that the
home crowd loves.
Hudson said the crowd in
Coleman Coliseum means a
lot to her when she performs
her floor routine.
“It’s really cool to see the
crowd just go crazy right
when they hear ‘Sweet
Home [Alabama]’ and
then end with ‘Dixie[land
Delight],’” Hudson said. “The
energy from the fans is what
drives us.”
Hudson’s routine strikes
near and dear to the
Crimson Tide fans’ hearts
with some popular tunes
that fans are accustomed to
Despite the desires of
some current Alabama
legislation, LGBTQ+ history
remains an essential area
of knowledge for both the
nation and Alabama. At
the University’s history
department, efforts to
educate and research
Southern LGBTQ+ history
exist through the Frances
S. Summersell Center for
the Study of the South and
University-offered courses.
The Summersell
Center was founded at
the University in 2006.
Since then, it has focused
on shedding light on the
racial and sexual history
of the Deep South through
research and events.
The center’s director,
John Giggie, views its
research as important as
it sheds light on “a vital
strand in the story of
the University’s and
state’s past.”
hearing at a Saturday night
Alabama football game.
Hudson’s routine has a
way of bringing the fans in
Coleman Coliseum to their
feet on a Friday night.
Hudson’s Alabama floor
routine has brought her four
event titles in her junior
season: Arkansas (9.95),
Florida (9.925), Auburn (9.925)
and the Texas Woman’s quad
meet (9.95). Hudson scored
a career high of 9.975 on the
floor in 2023 against Auburn.
In her sophomore season,
Hudson also had a successful
year with her floor routine.
She earned second on the
floor, with a 9.95, at the SEC
championships. She also
earned one floor exercise
title in her sophomore
season.
For her rookie season,
Hudson competed on the
floor 12 times, and scored
a 9.9 or better on eight
of them.
Hudson excels on every
other apparatus as well, with
a few perfect 10s, as well as
a slew of titles and routines
“Not to do so is to
produce a thin and
incomplete record of
history and give short shrift
to the accomplishments
and struggles for equality
of queer Alabamians,”
Giggie said.
Currently, the center
has a team of both
undergraduate and
graduate students who are
using historical archives to
bring Tuscaloosa’s LGBTQ+
history to life by creating
a digital walking tour of
Tuscaloosa. This tour will
focus on businesses and
spaces owned by LGBTQ+
people in downtown
Tuscaloosa that otherwise
have been overlooked.
Giggie hopes that the
tour will change the current
perception of Tuscaloosa.
“The digital walking tour
of downtown Tuscaloosa
hopes to offer a different
memory of the city and
that tied career or season
bests.
On the vault, Hudson
has scored one perfect
10 in her junior season,
against Florida. This was her
second career 10, her first
one occurring during her
sophomore season on the
balance beam against LSU.
Gymnastics head coach
Ashley Johnston praised
Hudson’s 10 on the vault
at Florida.
“I just want to emphasize
that word ‘breakthrough,’”
Johnston said. “We talk a
lot about finding our edge,
and sometimes you’re
going to go a little over,
sometimes you’re going
to be a little under. I think
Lilly is somebody that
has experienced that, but
because she continues to be
brave, to step up and really
go for it, she found that
edge tonight. She had that
breakthrough moment.”
Throughout Hudson’s
time building her name
and reputation with the
Crimson Tide, she has
University researchers strive to bring LGBTQ+ history to light
John Armstrong
Contributing Columnist
Alabama gymnast Lilly Hudson performs her floor routine during the quad meet on March 8 in Coleman Coliseum. CW / Natalie Teat
its physical landscape,
one that recognizes queer
businesses, spaces and
neighborhoods that have
always been part of the
fabric of daily life but have
no public record,” Giggie
said.
He also noted what
drives the center's studies.
“The center’s initiatives in
queer history emerged from
students who asked for a
more complete history of
the South,” he said.
He added that the
center’s drive to uncover
LGBTQ+ history came
from “students’ ambitions
to create a version of the
past different than the one
they inherited when first
stepping foot on campus.”
As such, the center’s
goal is not to unduly focus
on one part of history
but to give much-needed
attention to an overlooked
piece of Southern culture.
always been able to capture
a title; throughout her three
seasons, she has earned 10
event titles. She earned five
of them from her sophomore
year: floor, beam and vault
once and all-around twice.
The other five are from
Hudson’s junior season:
vault once and floor
four times.
After Hudson took the
floor title against Arkansas
this season, she talked about
how her team helps to build
her momentum.
“My team is my rock.
They have my back just like
I have theirs,” Hudson said.
“I committed, I went to floor,
and I was like, ‘I’m giving it
everything I have for them.’
And I’m really happy with
how it turned out for us.”
For Hudson’s career in
Coleman Coliseum, so far,
she holds a career best of
10 on the vault, 10 on the
balance beam, 9.975 on the
floor, 9.925 on the uneven
bars and 39.575 in the
all-around.
Sexual and LGBTQ+
history are also vital parts
of the currently offered
“Sexual Revolutions in
America” course in the
Department of History.
The undergraduate
course, a section of HY 306,
focuses on the evolution
of American sexuality and
how those changes affected
greater American culture.
To uncover that history, the
course delves into subjects
ranging from the history
of dating to abortion and
same-sex relationships.
Anna Arnwine, a
sophomore majoring in art
history, is currently taking
the course. She said it
exposes an essential part of
history that is invaluable
to reflecting on the past
and present.
In fact, Arnwine argued
that the nature of the
course’s content would
be dangerous to restrict.
“History is an essential
As she excelled on the
mats and earned titles and
new career bests, Hudson
collected several awards.
In her 2023 season,
Hudson finished No. 16 in
the nation on the floor and
No. 7 in the SEC. As a rookie,
Hudson earned second-team
Championship All-America
in the all-around at the
NCAA championships as
well as being named the
SEC Freshman of the Week
three times.
Along with earning
second-team Championship
and Freshman of the Week,
Hudson tied former Alabama
gymnast Morgan Dennis for
the highest all-around debut
score by a Crimson Tide
freshman, with a 39.525.
Hudson has already
built a name for herself
throughout Tuscaloosa and
among the fans who come
out for a Friday night at
Coleman Coliseum. With her
senior season still left, she
will continue to be a legend
in the making.
resource for students and
scholars,” she said. “Hiding
such a large part of it
would severely hinder our
understanding of societal
changes.”
She also noted how
incredible it has been
to learn how societal
movements have shaped
government action. This
remains important in the
wake of Senate Bill 129,
which prohibits public
schools and colleges from
funding diversity, equity
and inclusion initiatives
and limits discussions of
certain “divisive concepts.”
On March 20, Alabama Gov.
Kay Ivey signed the bill
into law.
“It’s mind-blowing how
these laws and regulations
still affect us today, even
after hundreds of years.
Especially in conservative
states like the South, their
influence is still felt,”
Arnwine said.

2B
culture
UA women and their legacy honored on campus buildings
Ava Morthland
Staff Writer
The University of
Alabama honors
women leaders who have
helped pave the way for
future generations of
young women.
At least fourteen
buildings at the University
have been named after
these women leaders,
including Julia Tutwiler
Hall; Amelia Gayle Gorgas
Library; Helen Osband
Hall; Mary Burke Hall;
Martha Parham Hall;
Russell Hall; Mary Hewell
Alston Hall; Rhoads
Softball Stadium; Mary
Harmon Bryant Hall;
Shelby Hall, named in
honor of both U.S. Sen.
Richard Shelby and
his wife, Annette N.
Shelby; Roberta Alison
Baumgardner Tennis
Facility; Stran-Hardin
Arena; Hewson Hall; and
Autherine Lucy Hall.
The first two women
to attend the University,
Anna Adams and Bessie
Parker, joined the
Capstone in 1893; since
then, countless women
have been able to grow
and flourish on this
campus.
Julia Tutwiler Hall
The new Tutwiler residence hall was built in 2022. CW / Riley Thompson
Julia Tutwiler Hall
was the first building on
campus to be named after
a woman, after the first
iteration was built in 1914.
Tutwiler was the
daughter of Henry
Tutwiler, one of the
first professors at the
University, and Julia Ashe
Tutwiler.
The younger Julia
Tutwiler was a prison
reformer, women’s
education advocate, writer
and educator. She was
born on Aug. 15, 1841, in
Tuscaloosa and became
the first and only female
president of Livingston
Normal College, now
the University of West
Alabama.
Tutwiler became known
as the “mother of coeducation
in Alabama”
after her assistance in
helping the admission of
10 young white women at
the University. Tutwiler
also helped establish the
University of Montevallo
and was inducted into the
Alabama Hall of Fame and
the Alabama Women’s Hall
of Fame.
Tutwiler was also
known as the “angel of
prisons” for her work in
reforming the correctional
system in Alabama. The
Julia Tutwiler Prison for
Women was named after
Tutwiler and currently
holds over 700 female
prisoners.
The current Tutwiler
residence hall is the third
iteration and houses over
1,000 young women.
“There were few people
as remarkable as Julia
Tutwiler, especially in
the state’s early history.
Combining her keen
intelligence, wealth,
connections, and a knack
for getting things done,
Tutwiler was one of a
kind,” wrote Erik Evans, a
writer for Roll ’Bama Roll.
Tutwiler also wrote
the lyrics to what would
become the state song for
Alabama.
Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library
The Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. CW / Natalie Marburger
The Amelia Gayle
Gorgas Library was built
in 1939 and is the first
academic building at the
University to be named
after a woman.
Gorgas was born on
June 1, 1826, in Greensboro
and was the daughter of
John Gayle and Sarah Ann
Haynsworth Gayle.
Gorgas was a hospital
matron, postmaster and
the first woman librarian at
the University. Gorgas was
responsible for increasing
the collection of volumes
from 6,000 to 20,000.
Gorgas and her
husband, Josiah Gorgas,
lived on campus in what
is now known as Gorgas
House. During her time
as a hospital matron,
she nursed students in
that very house. In 1971,
Gorgas House was added
to the National Register of
Historic Places. Gorgas was
inducted into the Alabama
Women’s Hall of Fame
in 1977.
The 1896 edition of The
Corolla, the University’s
yearbook, stated that
Gorgas was the “good angel
of their college home,”
because of her motherly
advice, tender care to
the sick and words of
encouragement.

culture
3B
Autherine Lucy Hall
Autherine Lucy Foster at the dedication ceremony of the College of Education on Feb. 25, 2022. CW / Caroline Simmons
Autherine Lucy
Hall was named after
Autherine Lucy Foster, the
first African American to
attend the University.
Lucy Foster was born
on Oct. 5, 1929, in Shiloh, a
community about 90 miles
south of Tuscaloosa, and
was the daughter of Milton
Lucy and Minnie Hosea.
Lucy Foster enrolled at
the University in 1956 but
was expelled after three
days due to harassment
by white students. She
returned to campus,
however, in 1988 alongside
her daughter and earned
her master’s in elementary
education.
Lucy Foster was also
named a UA Legend and
has been inducted into
the UA Student Life Hall
of Fame and the College of
Education Hall of Fame.
Her reliance and
dedication will live on in
her inspirational story and
words of encouragement.
“Love will take care of
everything in our world,”
Lucy Foster said in the
unveiling ceremony, “It’s
not your color. It’s not how
bright you are. It’s how
you feel about those you
deal with.”

4B
Rachel Seale
Staff Writer
Tuscaloosa will host the
15th annual Druid City
Arts Festival from April 5-6
at Government Plaza.
The festival will feature
artists’ work, food trucks,
live music and a kids zone
with activities for the
whole family. Admission is
free to the public.
The two-day festival will
take place downtown at
Government Plaza from 5-9
p.m. on Friday, April 5, and
10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday,
April 6.
The festival will feature
artists who use multiple
mediums, including twodimensional
art, candle
making, photography,
jewelry, clay and glass.
Nicole Moreno-Lacalle,
special events operations
manager for the city of
Tuscaloosa, said the music
and art festival is hosted
by the city and sponsored
by Cadence Bank. She said
there will be 81 artists set
up around the plaza selling
their pieces.
“We have artists that
come from Louisiana,
Georgia, you know, all over
the southeast region, so it’s
just a great, free, familyfriendly
community event,”
Moreno-Lacalle said.
There will also be live
music during the festival,
with seven different acts
performing various musical
genres, including bluegrass,
rock and country.
Moreno-Lacalle said there
will be hands-on activities
in the kids zone, including
face painting, balloon
animals and free shirts to
tie-dye while supplies last.
Adults can also purchase a
shirt to tie-dye.
She said the festival
was started in 2010 by UA
students.
“I think from then, every
year, it’s just continued to
grow and become kind of a
staple for the community,”
Moreno-Lacalle said.
Pam Weaver, creator
and owner of Buttnaked
Candles, wrote in an email
that she loves coming to
the Tuscaloosa festival and
will be back this year.
culture
Tuscaloosa to host 15th annual Druid City Arts Festival
Druid City Arts Fest logo. Courtesy of Nicole Moreno-Lacalle
“The park is the perfect
setting, the group of people
that manage the festival
are so friendly and helpful,
and the supporters that
come to shop feel like old
friends!” Weaver wrote.
Weaver created her
hand-poured soy candles
to help soothe her dry skin
since she suffers from
eczema. She wrote that her
candles can be melted and
used as a head-to-toe
body lotion.
“These fragrant soy
candles combine the
soothing scent of a spa
candle with the comfort
of an oil massage,” Weaver
wrote.
Kathy Garrett, owner
of Crocheted Cre8tions by
Kathy, is a fiber artist who
will be attending the Druid
City Arts Festival for the
first time.
Garrett wrote in an email
that she is excited to attend
the festival since it’s close to
The University of Alabama.
She wrote that her designs
are geared toward younger
audiences, or audiences that
are young at heart.
“I am trying to change
people’s idea of crocheting,”
Garrett wrote. “It is not just
for grandmas and I don’t
make blankets.”
Garrett crochets and
knits fiber wall-art pieces,
including dream catchers.
She also creates hats,
bandanas, ponchos, and
stuffed characters from
anime and comic series.
“I enjoy meeting people
and seeing the excitement
on a customer's face when
they see something they
have not seen anywhere
else,” Garrett said.
Cassey Harrell, owner
of Cassey Harrell Jewelry,
wrote in an email that
she has also attended this
particular festival before
and enjoys the hometown
feel it gives her, especially
since she’s originally from
Tuscaloosa.
Harrell, who now lives
in Huntsville, wrote that
she will be selling her
jewelry pieces, which she
describes as “artisan and
minimal designed,” made
from silver, precious metals
and semiprecious stones.
Attendees browse the art on display at Druid City Arts Festival. Courtesy of Dan Naman
She wrote that her designs
focus on organic shapes
and textures to allow the
wearer to create their own
self-expression.
“Art has always been
about conversation,
expression and
togetherness,” Harrell
wrote. She added that
festivals bring people
together and introduce
them “to art in its many
forms while also injecting
money into the local
economy.”
Harrell wrote that
she hopes people will be
inspired to create their own
works of art after being able
to engage and ask artisans
questions at the festival.
“I absolutely love it when
people engage in curiosity
about my techniques or
designs,” Harrell said. “I
love to be able to help
people see that art has
many different forms and
that the act of creating
is an act of playing
or exploration.”
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a postsecondary institution under its control, that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, national origin,
religion, marital status, disability, gender, age, or any other protected class as defined by federal and state law, be
excluded from participation, denied benefits, or subjected to discrimination under any program, activity,
or employment.

opinion
Stop exploiting student-athletes. Let them unionize
Alex Jobin
Staff Columnist
Earlier this month, the
Dartmouth men’s
basketball team made
history by becoming the
first college sports team
to unionize, voting to join
the Service Employees
International Union Local
560. With the university
refusing to acknowledge
the union, a case may
soon reach federal court,
implicating the future of
collective action for college
athletes across the country.
I mean, unionize it.
Make [it] like the NFL. ...
I think that's better than
what we have now.
Nick Saban
Former Alabama
Football Coach
If such a case is brought
to court, the ruling will
hopefully fall on the side
of athlete unionization.
Dartmouth argues that
athletes are not employees,
but this is blatantly
inaccurate, and especially
inaccurate in the case
of prominent Division I
programs like those at The
University of Alabama.
The fact of the matter
is that college sports rake
in substantial dollars for
universities like Alabama,
or even Dartmouth.
Alabama athletics
generated nearly $200
million last year, excluding
$14.3 million in gifts. The
Crimson Tide football team
alone brought in nearly
$130 million.
These are dollars that
athletes generate through
hard work and are more
than entitled to. Arguments
to the contrary have
been largely squashed
by the name, image and
likeness revolution that
has universally recognized
college athletes as workers
deserving of receiving
compensation for the use
of their name, image and
likeness. It seems only
obvious that they deserve
pay for the profits they
generate as well.
The National Labor
Relations Board appears
to tentatively agree, as
a regional NLRB director
has ruled in favor of the
Dartmouth team, indicating
that they are indeed
employees. Dartmouth is
now pressing the full NLRB
to reverse this decision on
the grounds that it is a
“legal error.”
However, the simple
truth is that Dartmouth,
and likely most
universities, does not want
to pay its athletes.
It currently makes profit
hand over fist from the
labor put in by its student
athletes on the court and
the field while only paying
the salaries of official staff
and coaches. Why would
the administration want
that to change? If you were
running a business based
on unpaid labor, you might
very well do the same.
Alabama guard Mark Sears (#1) dribbles the ball down the court against Florida in the SEC tournament on March
15 in Nashville, Tennessee. CW / Riley Thompson
In the case of Alabama,
our athletes have an
even stronger case for
unionization rights and
fair pay. Not only do these
athletes generate hundreds
of millions of dollars in
direct revenue, they are
also indirectly responsible
for making the University a
household name, helping to
attract prospective students
and bring in more money
through tuition. It is hardly
unreasonable to assume
that the University would
be far less prominent on
the national stage if not for
the success of its athletic
programs and the studentathletes
who contribute to
that success.
Student-athletes go
above and beyond to
represent their institutions,
putting their valuable
time, effort and health
on the line to do so. In no
other circumstance would
someone be expected to
do so much without even
having the ability to bargain
for adequate pay.
Even our beloved former
coach Nick Saban agrees.
In May of 2023, Saban
suggested unionization
as a way to counteract
the recruiting imbalance
fostered by NIL alone,
saying, “I mean, unionize
it. Make [it] like the NFL. ...
I think that’s better than
what we have now.”
Beyond negotiating for
fair wages, professional
sports unions like the NFL
Players Association help
athletes achieve success
off the field. No athlete’s
time in the spotlight is
guaranteed, and just one
injury can spell the end to
an entire career. Unions
provide stability and a
network that athletes can
rely on if and when they
need to pursue something
outside of playing.
5B
This is arguably even
more important for college
athletes, whose careers
can be cut short before
they ever even start. It
would benefit every college
athlete – especially those
looking to go pro – to have
an organization that will
be there to help them get
back on their feet should
the worst-case scenario
happen.
Student-athletes
across the nation should
look to Dartmouth men’s
basketball as an example
and continue the push for
unionization. The time for
adequate compensation
and effective organization
for college athletes is long
overdue.
It is time for universities
to stop being exploiters and
start being employers.
The Northport water park deal is too good for the city’s politicians
Chance Phillips
Opinions Editor
Let me be clear: I want
the Northport water
park project to succeed.
I even think it’s got a
decent chance, despite the
developer’s troubling history
of unfinished projects.
But Northport’s elected
officials seem like they
have been doing everything
possible to make the project
fail, to make Northport
residents hopping mad, and
to hide in the shadows a deal
that could have been done in
the full light of day.
First, the City Council
signed nondisclosure
agreements that prevented
members from discussing
the project right up until it
was about to be voted on.
Then, on Feb. 19, with just
the legal minimum of notice
given, Northport City Council
overwhelmingly approved a
partnership with University
Beach LLC, a company set up
by Texan developers, to help
them build a $350 million,
almost 100-acre resort
property in Northport. But for
years prior, then-City Council
President Jeff Hogg had been
describing the project as a
small water park around a
tenth of the size and a tiny
fraction of the cost.
Even fans of the water
park plans at the public
comment session were
skeptical of this sudden,
drastic expansion.
“I am very pro-water park
because I have two young
children and we want to
do this as a family. Like,
we want to be able to have
things in Tuscaloosa County
that we can enjoy,” said
Misty Caddell, one Northport
resident. But, she continued,
“At 30 to 35 dollars a person
for entry, that is not very
feasible for a lot of your
middle-class residents
of Northport.”
Many residents at the
meeting were far more
critical. Another Northport
resident, Linda Davis, stated
simply that “You don’t put
a water park in the middle
of a residential area. It’s just
wrong.”
After the council approved
the partnership, a GoFundMe
campaign was even created
by concerned citizens to raise
money for a lawsuit meant to
“slow things down and allow
for meaningful public input.”
So far, it’s raised just under
$4,000 of a $100,000 goal.
Despite the sheer number
of Northport residents who
showed up to speak against
the water park project,
Northport’s city councilors
have been ... let’s say less
than genial.
First the City Council cut
the total time each Northport
resident was given for
their comments from three
minutes to just one.
After the partnership was
approved, Hogg liked and
commented on a Facebook
post from a Northport City
Hall parody page announcing
that Northport would soon
be hiring “Pool Cleaners, Life
Guards and Tear Wipers,”
saying that it “Looks like tear
wipers will be working
over time.”
The parody page
had previously posted
several racist memes, like
advertising a showing of
the James Cameron movie
“Titanic” “in honor of Black
History Month.” Another
post congratulated former
Northport Mayor Bobby
Herndon for bringing 300
migrants in a U-Haul to the
“Northport Community
Center now known as the
Mariachi Band school and
Roofing institute.”
Less than a month after
Hogg commented that “tear
wipers will be working
over time,” on March 7, he
suddenly announced that he
was resigning as City Council
president. After weeks of
posts almost every other day,
the latest thing to be posted
to the parody page is a March
8 post congratulating Hogg
for his service.
Hogg was replaced as
City Council president by
Councilperson Christy Bobo.
In a statement to WBRC,
Bobo signaled that she would
continue supporting the
water park public-private
partnership.
After all, the water park
resort is hardly the first
public-private partnership
the Northport City Council
has approved in recent years.
On March 4, the council
approved a partnership with
Northport Sports Complex
Development LLC to build
nine baseball and softball
fields and a hotel.
The certification of
formation for Northport
Sports Complex
Development LLC was filed
with the Alabama state
government on March 14,
10 days after the company
was awarded a multimilliondollar
contract.
Back in February, the
Northport City Council even
approved $275,000 worth of
incentives attempting to get
a Dunkin’ Donuts to set up
shop within the city limits.
So why does Northport
give so much public money
to private businesses?
Well, it’s not exactly a
rare or new phenomenon.
City governments have
been subsidizing private
enterprises since much of
America was getting its
first railroads. Today, cities
bid for the opportunity
to have major companies
like Amazon build their
headquarters there. Stadiums
for professional sports
receive much the
same treatment.
I am very pro-water
park because I have
two young children and
we want to do this as a
family. Like, we want to
be able to have things in
Tuscaloosa County that
we can enjoy. At 30 to
35 dollars a person for
entry, that is not very
feasible for a lot of your
middle-class residents
of Northport.
Misty Caddell
Northport
Resident
But why? In 2021, Hogg
sent an email to his fellow
councilors telling them to
“follow the money. These
individuals don’t donate to
anyone's campaign or hold
signs. But guess who does?
Developers and Builders!”
I totally agree. I’ve
written in the past about
how small donations
for local campaigns are
overwhelmingly swamped by
wealthy donors, developers
and real estate companies,
and shadowy PACs. Ryan
Phillips of Tuscaloosa Patch
has even put together a
pretty thorough accounting
of which developers and
PACs are buying
Northport elections.
However, even if it’s
campaign donations that
made Northport’s city
councilors decide to sign off
on University Beach’s plans,
they still got a pretty
good deal.
The only immediate
cost to Northport is the
11.73 acres that the city has
already deeded to University
Beach. The rest of the
subsidies will only ever be
disbursed if University Beach
actually breaks ground.
The $20 million for
improvements? Only gets
paid if University Beach
actually spends on
public improvements.
The massive discount
on sales and lodging tax?
Only matters if the resort
is actually selling stuff and
booking people.
The absolute worst-case
scenario is that University
Beach uses all $20 million
of the subsidies for public
improvements and then
never follows through and
builds the resort. In that case,
the city could just buy the
land, perhaps using eminent
domain, and take advantage
of the public improvements,
including the 25% paid for
by the developers and not
covered by the subsidies.
Northport could really
benefit from a water park. It
could even use a $350 million
water park, and the deal that
Northport City Council has
approved isn’t too bad once
everything is accounted for.
But between signing NDAs,
trying to hide the deal from
voters until the last possible
second and then mocking
voters on Facebook, it sure
looks like the City Council
thought it was a bad deal.
If you act as if you’re
doing something wrong,
openly antagonize and mock
the people whose support
you desperately need, and
try to spring your plans on
everyone, you shouldn’t be
surprised when everyone
starts bringing out the
torches and pitchforks.