Wednesday, November 28, 2012 Serving the University of Alabama since 1894 Vol.

119, Issue 62

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Briefs ........................2
Opinions ...................4
Culture ......................6
WEATHER
today
INSIDE
todays paper
Sports .......................8
Puzzles ......................7
Classifieds ................ 7
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SPORTS PAGE 8
Check out the CWs latest online
exclusives at cw.ua.edu
CW ONLINE
By Ashley Tripp
Staff Reporter
Its been more than a
month since Assistant Dean
of Students Lowell Davis
announced the termination
of pledgeship activities to
Interfraternity Council presi-
dents.
All investigations have been
completed and appropriate
action has been taken, Tim
Hebson, dean of students, said.
No chapters are still suspend-
ed. All greek organizations can
recruit new members in the
spring.
Since that day on Oct. 18,
pledges have shed their pledge
gear and have blended in with
the active fraternity mem-
bers across campus. For those
outside the fraternities, the
change in dress has left it diffi-
cult to tell if this years pledges
have been initiated.
Jacob Adrian, former presi-
dent of the Sigma Pi fraternity,
said his new members have not
yet been initiated.
They were made neophytes
immediately following the can-
cellation of pledgeship, which
means they basically hold all
the rights of members, but
have not yet been initiated,
he said. They will be initiated
as soon as we receive their
grades, assuming they are sat-
isfactory.
This process was a deci-
sion Sigma Pis Executive
Committee and Nationals
reached together and made in
an effort to maintain its scho-
lastic standards, Adrian said.
Our new members have con-
tinued to integrate themselves
into the fraternity, and while
this process may be occurring
somewhat slower than normal,
it has given them the oppor-
tunity to further acclimate
themselves to our organization
after the pledge period was cut
short, he said.
Adrian said he doesnt fore-
see the future of Sigma Pi being
greatly affected by the adminis-
trations decision.
We were fortunate enough
to have a quality group of
young men that were commit-
ted to learning about what our
organization has to offer, and
growing as individuals despite
the premature end of their
pledge period, Adrian said.
Rush is a constantly evolving
process, and regardless of this
situation we will continue to
seek out quality individuals to
add to our organization.
Alex Worley, a senior major-
ing in marketing and secre-
tary of the Alpha Tau Omega
fraternity, said ATOs most
recent pledges have been neo-
phyted until their first semes-
ter grades are final because its
bylaws require that any new
member hold a 2.6 GPA to gain
membership.
Pledgeships end affects each fraternity differently
Result, reactions vary
from house to house
By Lauren Carlton
Contributing Writer
The University of Alabamas
School of Music is kicking off
the holiday season this week-
end with Hilaritas, an annual
holiday concert put on by the
University Singers under the
direction of John Ratledge
and the Alabama Jazz
Ensemble under the direction
of Christopher Kozak.
Hilaritas is a Greek word
that translates loosely to live
joyfully and be who you are.
It has been a Tuscaloosa holi-
day staple ever since its first
performance in 1969. Now, 43
years later, Hilaritas is a sen-
timental and cherished holi-
day tradition for its long-time
loyal audiences.
Theyre always enthusias-
tic, said Ratledge, director
of Singers as well as choral
activities at the University.
Some people have been
coming to Hilaritas for 30 plus
years. Its a big part of their
holiday traditions.
The music of Hilaritas is a
mix of classical and contem-
porary with lots of popular
holiday songs. Singers and
the Jazz Ensemble present
pieces individually as well as
together. Ratledge and Kozak,
the director of jazz studies
at the University, split con-
ducting duties throughout
the concert.
Decades later, Hilaritas still 1 of
Tuscaloosas holiday traditions
CULTURE | SCHOOL OF MUSIC
SPORTS | BASKETBALL
NEWS | GREEK LIFE
Current, classic songs
to be featured Friday
SEE HILARITAS PAGE 2
Submitted
Performers dress up for annual Hilaritas concert.
NEWS | PLEDGESHIP
6-0: Tide topples Lamar
Greek Excellence
Banquet honors
chapters, members
By Madison Roberts
Staff Reporter
The University of Alabama
Office of Greek Affairs recog-
nized greek chapters and their
members for achievements
in academics, service, leader-
ship and involvement at the
2012 Greek Excellence Awards
Banquet on Nov. 27.
Kat Gillan, the director of
Greek Affairs, said that in order
to receive an award, the nominee
must apply, and then a commit-
tee of three or four staff mem-
bers rate the applications and
choose a winner. Award winners
included chapters and members
in all three sections of the greek
community the Interfraternity
Council, the Alabama Panhellenic
Society and the National Pan-
Hellenic Association.
Witt, Hebson award
leaders in community
SEE GREEK EXCELLENCE PAGE 2
SEE PLEDGESHIP PAGE 2
By Marquavius Burnett
Sports Editor
Rodney Cooper scored 17 points,
grabbed eight rebounds and dished
out three assists off the bench to
lead Alabama mens basketball team
to a 75-47 victory over Lamar (1-6) on
Tuesday.
Cooper bounced back after miss-
ing the last game with shoulder
tendinitis to carry the Tide, who
were without leading scorer Trevor
Releford (flu-like symptoms) and
their lone senior Andrew Steele
(groin injury).
His perimeter shot wasnt falling,
but he was really active, head coach
Anthony Grant said of Coopers play.
He did a great job of getting to the
offensive glass, was really active
in the press and made some great
effort plays. He impacted the game
in a lot of ways and its certainly
great to have him back on the floor.
Freshman guard Retin Obasohan
started in Relefords place, scoring
a career-high 13 points and getting
three steals while sophomore guard
Levi Randolph had 10 points, five
rebounds and three assists.
The game was close at halftime
with Alabama leading 36-27. But it
all changed at the 17:23 mark in the
second half when Lamar head coach
Pat Knight, son of legendary coach
Bob Knight, was ejected after receiv-
ing his second technical for arguing
with the officials.
CW | Austin Bigoney
Alpha Chi Omega President Susan Speaker accepts the Robert E.
Witt Cup on behalf of her sorority.
Ejection of head coach
leads to Bama victory
CW | Jingyu Wan
Retin Obasohan shoots from outside the paint, an area in which the Tide struggled
in its last season.
SEE BASKETBALL PAGE 2
Getting ready for
ONLINE ON THE CALENDAR
Submit your events to
calendar@cw.ua.edu

LUNCH
Country Fried Chicken
Hamburgers
Chili Con Carne
Deep Fried Okra
Cranberry & Orange Salad
Steamed Green Beans
Asian Coleslaw (Vegetarian)
FRESH FOOD
LUNCH
Roasted Pork Loin
Grilled Chicken Herb
Sandwich
Seafood Salad
Polenta with Broccoli Rabe
Mashed Red Potatoes
Turnip Greens (Vegetarian)

DINNER
Chicken Breast Parmesan
Spaghetti
Broccoli & Cauliflower
Sweet Tomato Soup
Grilled Eggplant Pizza
Pasta
Nachos (Vegetarian)
ON THE MENU
LAKESIDE
THURSDAY
What: Trivia Night
Where: Wilhagans
When: 8 p.m.
What: CLC Movie Night:
City of God
Where: 241 B.B. Comer Hall
When: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
What: Percussion Ensemble
Where: Moody Music
Building
When: 7:30 p.m.
TODAY
What: Honors College
Assembly Diverse Dessert
Where: 205 Gorgas Library
When: 9 p.m.
What: Spanish Movie Night:
Valentin
Where: 377 Lloyd Hall
When: 6:30 p.m.
What: Ribbon Cutting and
Grand Reopening
Where: Schlotzskys on 15th
Street
When: 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
FRIDAY
What: Hilaritas
Where: Moody Music
Building
When: 7:30 p.m.
What: 12 Days of Wellness
Where: Russell Hall Lobby
When: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
What: Where are you,
Christmas?
Where: Bama Theatre
When: 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
G
O
Page 2 Wednesday,
November 28, 2012
O
N

T
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LUNCH
Steak
Broccoli Cheddar Spud
Green Beans
Fresh Tomato Basil Penne
Broccoli & Cheddar Strata
Sauted Mushroom
(Vegetarian)

DINNER
Pork with Caramelized
Onion Gravy
Chicken Burrito
Deep Fried Okra
Roasted Corn & Potato Soup
Garden Burger Taco
(Vegetarian)
BURKE
In order to keep the program
fresh, pieces are rotated in
and out every year. For sing-
ers, that means this year will
feature two new arrangements
of Jingle Bells and White
Christmas.
The opening and finale
medleys were arranged by an
Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame
inductee Steve Sample during
his time at the University.
The Jazz Ensemble is
comprised of jazz band and
orchestra members. Johnny
Mok, a sophomore majoring
in cello performance, is an
orchestra member who will
play with the Jazz Ensemble in
his second Hilaritas this week-
end.
My favorite part of Hilaritas
is really the joy of being able
to play Christmas music, Mok
said.
In addition to musical per-
formances, the audience will
get to see a holiday spectacle
onstage. Singers split into
individual quartets and pick
a holiday theme to decorate
their platform and themselves.
Themes in the past have
included a Griswold family
Christmas, the other reindeer,
Alvin and the Chipmunks, a
Harry Potter Christmas and
more.
Instrumentalists also dress
up in costumes and line their
music stands with lights and
garland. Mok said his cello sec-
tion is thinking about a sum-
mer elf theme this year.
The performers take the
decorations just as seriously
as the music; some members
start brainstorming as early as
September.
Some people are so secre-
tive about it, said Katie
Aldrup, a senior majoring in
vocal performance and a mem-
ber of University Singers.
Aldrup will be performing
in her final Hilaritas this year.
She said seeing everyones cos-
tumes and creativity along in
addition to singing with the
Jazz Band has been the best
part of her Hilaritas experienc-
es. This year she looks at the
concert with mixed emotions.
Its bittersweet, Aldrup
said. Its been so fun and Ill
be sad when I cant do it any-
more.
Ratledge said he is excited
to see what the performers
come up with this year, espe-
cially since this will be the first
Hilaritas for a large portion of
the ensemble.
The best part for me is
watching the students, he
said. The themes are always
interesting and they all really
enjoy it. This year is unique
in that about 70 percent of the
choir is new. Usually its the
other way around with 70 per-
cent of the choir being old. We
are going to have trouble fit-
ting everyone on stage the way
we usually do, but its a good
problem to have.
Hilaritas will be performed
Friday, Nov. 30 at 7:30 p.m. and
Sunday, Dec. 2 at 3 p.m. in the
Concert Hall of Moody Music
Building. Ticket prices are
$15 and $7 for seniors and stu-
dents. Tickets go quickly and
can be purchased at uamusic.
HILARITAS FROM PAGE 1
Hilaritas tradition to
show Nov. 30, Dec. 2
We do not feel the termination
created a negative atmosphere
in the fraternity, but I think any
initiated member of any fraternity
feels that each successive pledge-
ship should reflect similarities to
their own, like traditional events
or the length at which they par-
ticipated in pledgeship, Worley
said.
Worley said even though the
pledges would have less involve-
ment due to pledgeship ending
early, ATOs initiation require-
ments still applied.
We would not initiate any
member if they did not meet our
qualifications and if we did not
have trust in them to carry on and
lead the fraternity in a positive
direction in the future, Worley
said.
Looking back on his freshman
year, Worley said he hates the fact
the pledges have less to reflect on.
I think most people remember
the fun and bonding with their
pledge classes that resulted from
hardships and traditional events,
Worley said.
Worley said although the pres-
sures and responsibilities of his
position as secretary were chal-
lenging during the termination,
most of the pressure came upon
his president and pledge trainer.
The rest of the executive com-
mittee and myself did our best to
help suggest and support those
two to comply with universitys
decision without taking anything
away from our pledgeship pro-
cess, Worley said.
Worley said he wants to move
ahead and focus on growing and
pushing ATO to new heights.
I dont think anyone was happy
about the termination, but with
the amount of issues that had aris-
en throughout the fall semester,
you have to respect Dean Hebsons
decision to ultimately protect the
longevity of greek life on our cam-
pus, Worley said.
Adam Sherburne, a former
pledge trainer for a fraternity he
declined to identify for publica-
tion, said his new members were
initiated last Sunday and their
pledgeship was probably the easi-
est ever at the University.
The new generation of stu-
dents want to have everything
given to them on a silver platter
and if they dont get their way
they will either call their moms,
the hazing hotline, or Greek
Affairs, Sherburne said. I was
infuriated with the suspension
due to the fact that much worse
things had happened in years
past, yet pledgeship still went
on because they were dealt with
internally.
Sherburne said if men want
to be in a fraternity, they should
know what theyre getting them-
selves into.
If you do want to be in a fra-
ternity, then shut your mouth,
go through it like everyone else
has in the past and dont go cry-
ing to mommy when something
bad happens, Sherburne said.
Everyone before you has done
the same, if not worse.
Sherburne said with the exit of
Guy Bailey, he doesnt know what
to expect for future pledgeship.
I have been at UA for four
years and there has never been
a problem like this, Sherburne
said. Most if not all hazing will be
cut out and it will be a different
experience.
JJ Butler, a senior majoring in
dance and a member of Lambda
Sigma Phi fraternity, said he
thought it was unnecessary for
everyone to pay the price for the
incidents that occurred in the fra-
ternities investigated.
UA has never had a problem
with our fraternity or our pledge-
ship process, Butler said. The
fact that we have to suffer under
the acts of other fraternity pledge-
ships is a little unfair.
Butler said the new members
took it upon themselves to chal-
lenge one another to finish their
journey through pledgeship.
Our pledges this semester
have been initiated, and they
more than well deserve it, Butler
said. They more than proved
to the active brothers that they
were here to further the frater-
nitys future with a God-centered
focus. This is where our fraternity
is headed, and no one is going to
stop that.
Looking back on his pledge-
ship, Butler said the process for
LSP has grown greatly.
Since my pledgeship back in
2009, we have taken the character-
building events and shaped to be
more focused around brother-
hood bonding, sharing life sto-
ries and challenging one another
spiritually, Butler said. By doing
this, our Christian values have
been greatly strengthened, and
have helped the active brothers
home in on the guys that our fra-
ternity needs to attract.
Aaron Carter, a freshman
in the Lambda Sigma Phi
pledge class, said he was disap-
pointed when pledgeship was
suspended.
I found myself growing more
during pledgeship than I had
in any previous time of my life,
Carter said. I was being pushed
to be my best, both in Christian
and fraternal ideals, and joyfully
accepted the challenge. I enjoyed
the tough road that was pledge-
ship and was proud to earn,
as opposed to simply be given,
the title of a brother in Lambda
Sigma Phi.
PLEDGESHIP FROM PAGE 1
Some call hazing
punishiment unfair
As part of these awards,
Tim Hebson, the dean of stu-
dents, presented Stewart
Holder, a senior majoring
in marketing, with the Dr.
Timothy S. Hebson IFC Man
of the Year award. Gillan said
this award is presented to the
Interfraternity Council mem-
ber who most exemplifies the
spirit of the greek community
at the University.
Its a tremendous honor. I
am very blessed to be in this
position. I have had great
advisors, a great University
team and great members of
my chapter to get me to this
point, and I cant thank them
enough, Holder said.
Holder also won the
Outstanding IFC President
award for his leadership of
Beta Theta Pi fraternity.
Among the other awards
presented were council-
endowed scholarships and
awards, chapter-endowed
scholarships and awards,
chapter excellence awards,
greek excellence awards and
the Robert E. Witt Cup.
Caitlin Keats, a sopho-
more majoring in public rela-
tions and marketing, won
the Frances Pickens Lewis
Endowed Scholarship as part
of the chapter-endowed schol-
arship portion of the night.
I feel great, Keats said.
Its good to be recognized by
the greek community. Right
now, I am an academic assis-
tant for DZ, and hopefully
I will be scholarship chair
right after elections. Im hop-
ing this will help me out, and
Im just really glad to be more
involved.
Alpha Chi Omega sorority
was presented with both the
Most Outstanding Panhellenic
Chapter Award and the 2012
Dr. Robert E. Witt cup. Gillan
said the cup is an annual
award given to a chapter that
exemplifies the ideals and
values of The University of
Alabamas greek community.
Sigma Phi Epsilon, a frater-
nity that returned to campus in
2010, took home five awards at
the end of the night, including
the Outstanding Scholarship
Awar d, Out st andi ng
Communi ty Rel at i ons,
Outstanding Educational
Programming, Outstanding
Risk Management and the
2012 Most Outstanding IFC
Chapter Award.
At first its pretty over-
whelming to think about
since we have only been on
campus a few years, Will
Menas, a sophomore major-
ing in political science, said.
Im really proud of all the
hard work my brothers and
I have demonstrated so far,
and these awards let us
know were doing something
right and moving in the right
direction.
GREEK EXCELLENCE FROM PAGE 1
Greek values praised
at awards ceremony
I didnt earn the first one,
Knight said. I earned the sec-
ond one. With the physical play,
calls need to be called. Like I said,
I didnt earn the first one, but I
made sure I earned the second
one. I got my moneys worth.
Knight said his wife called
to make sure he was OK, and
he talked to his dad, Bob, and a
buddy of his from Panama City
during the final 17 minutes of the
game.
While Knight was in the lock-
er room, his team fell apart. The
Tide went on a 22-6 run, putting
the game away.
The Tide dominated inside,
outscoring the Cardinals 34-22 in
the paint. Alabama also scored
20 points from turnovers, out-
rebounded Lamar 40-33 and got
19 second chance points.
Alabama was up by as much
as 30 at one point, with walk-on
Dakota Slaughter going on a
10-2 run by himself. Slaughter
finished with 10 points in 10 min-
utes, giving Alabama a needed
boost off the bench.
He brings it every single day
in practice and gives us a chance
to get better, Grant said. Hes
a guy our team trusts and every
players believes in his ability. Im
very happy for him.
Alabama returns to action
this Saturday, Dec. 1, against
Cincinnati in the SEC-Big East
Challenge in Fifth Third Arena
in Cincinnati, Ohio, looking to
improve on its 6-0 start. Tipoff
is set for 2 p.m. CT and will
be televised by ESPN2 with
the radio broadcast available
through the Crimson Tide Sports
Network. The Tide will return
home Wednesday, Dec. 5, to face
Dayton with tip-off set for 8 p.m.
BASKETBALL FROM PAGE 1
Alabama pulls away
late to defeat Lamar
Editor | Melissa Brown
newsdesk@cw.ua.edu
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
NEWS
NEWS
OPINION
CULTURE
SPORTS
Page 3
By Adrienne Burch
Staff Reporter
Freshman Elizabeth Cook
walks into her 8 a.m. chemistry
class on a Friday morning to find
about 20 percent of her class-
mates scattered across a barren
auditorium.
Cook, a chemical engineering
major, said her Chemistry 101
professor does not take atten-
dance for lectures, which results
in many students skipping class.
I dont attend that class as
much as I should, but whenever
I do go, only 30 or so people out
of a class of 150 are there, she
said. The least number of peo-
ple show up on Fridays, no doubt
due to Thirsty Thursday the
night before.
The University of Alabama
does not implement a school-
wide attendance policy, thus
allowing departments or indi-
vidual professors to craft their
own. These policies can often
determine if students choose to
attend class or not, which could
in turn affect a students grades
as studies have repeatedly found
strong correlations between
class attendance and grades.
Shane Street, assistant profes-
sor of chemistry, said faculty in
the chemistry department has
been able to prove that requiring
attendance leads to better over-
all performance.
Members of our faculty have
shown repeatedly by analy-
sis of class data that absences
correlate strongly with poor
performance in coursework,
Street said.
However, Street said he choos-
es not to require attendance for
his lecture sections.
I inform students of the
demonstrable fact that students
who attend lectures consistently
tend to do better, he said. But
college students are adults and
in my opinion they can and
should decide for themselves
whether to attend a lecture.
There are departments across
campus that choose to utilize
strict attendance policies. Brian
Elmore, a junior majoring in
secondary education history,
cannot miss his business sta-
tistics course more than four
times. Each additional absence
will subtract two points off his
final grade.
This sounds really strict, but
I think this policy gives good
incentive to be punctual and pro-
fessional, Elmore said. This
class has forced me to learn
more by being in class every
day.
Elmore said he thinks the
strict policies place an empha-
sis on being professional, which
includes being on time.
These professors are trying
to instill good habits in the stu-
dents before they get out in the
real world, he said. Students
often take a bad outlook on
attendance policies without real-
izing they will really help them
out in the long run.
Cook said she also takes
classes that have a strict policy.
Attendance is 30 percent of her
final grade in her Chemical
Engineering 125 course, which
meets 15 times throughout the
semester. So, missing one class
is a two point deduction on a stu-
dents overall grade.
It definitely causes people to
show up to class more because
of the threat of point loss if they
miss, she said.
She said her professor does
offer makeup assignments
for excused absences, but this
requires documentation of a
sickness or death in the family.
Cook has to write two 400-word
essays to make up for two of her
excused absences. Official docu-
mentation is often required by
professors across campus for
excused absence approval.
The foreign language depart-
ment implements some of the
strictest policies, only allowing
three absences before it affects a
students grade significantly.
Connie Janiga-Perkins, assis-
tant professor of Spanish, said
attendance is required in the
Spanish department because in-
class practice is essential when
learning something like a sec-
ond language.
Students are acquiring and
developing skills and this can
only be done with regular prac-
tice, Janiga-Perkins said. It is
a bit like dancing. You have to
dance to learn.
Street said he understands
there are a wide variety of opin-
ions on the matter of attendance
policies even within his own
department.
My opinions are my own, he
said. But I dont think (an atten-
dance policy) as an improvement
trumps individual responsibility
and decision-making.
UA leaves attendance policies up to departments
Off-campus Housing Fair
gives students more options
By Krystina Pederson
Contributing Writer
The University of Alabama
will host the final off-campus
housing fair for the fall semester
in the Ferguson Center on Nov.
28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Housing and Residential
Communities sent out an email
Nov. 26, promoting the fair and
explaining deadlines associated
with applications for on-campus
housing, priority status and the
idea that housing applicants
will most likely exceed available
space.
According to the email,
on-campus housing is not a
guarantee.
This is a great opportunity
to learn about the many housing
options in the Tuscaloosa com-
munity, HRC said in an emailed
statement to the student body.
More than 25 off-campus
property representatives will be
on campus to inform students
about upcoming deals, rates and
amenities.
According to a survey con-
ducted by the University, off-
campus living prices average
about $615 to $790 a person per
person.
Its nice being able to have
an escape from the college life,
and [off-campus living is] a lot
cheaper, Frances Richardson,
sophomore majoring in telecom-
munication and film, said.
U.S. News and World Report
found in 2011 that at The
University of Alabama, 27.8
percent of students live in col-
lege-owned, -operated or -affili-
ated housing, and 72.2 percent
of students live off-campus. The
HRC website also offers several
resources, such as tenant rights
handbooks, moving guides and
lease information to help stu-
dents with off-campus living.
IF YOU GO...
What: Off-Campus
Housing Fair
When: Ferguson Center
Where: Nov. 28, 10
a.m. to 2 p.m.
HERE. THERE.
EVERYWHERE.
Take your
NEWS
with you.
Job Fair December 6th
From 11AM-4PM
2128 University Blvd.
(Across from Moes BBQ)
Editor | SoRelle Wyckoff
letters@cw.ua.edu
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
OPINIONS
NEWS
OPINION
CULTURE
SPORTS
Page 4
EDITORIAL BOARD
Ashley Chaffin Managing Editor
Stephen Dethrage Production Editor
Mackenzie Brown Visuals Editor
Daniel Roth Online Editor
Alex Clark Community Manager
Ashanka Kumari Chief Copy Editor
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Tray Smith
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Submit a guest column (no more
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letter to the editor to
letters@cw.ua.edu
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CW | SoRelle Wyckoff
Christmas cards, letters
shed light on American
society during holidays
By Tara Massouleh
Staff Columnist
Upon returning to campus
just in time for the Iron Bowl
after a short but much needed
Thanksgiving break, charac-
terized by turkey-induced
comas followed by hours of
frenzied Black Friday shop-
ping, I was warmly greeted
by the new installment of
Christmas lights on Lurleen
Wallace. It took only this
small difference and other
touches, like the gigantic
wreaths displayed outside
Gorgas, to immediately bring
to mind all the wonderful fes-
tivities associated with the
holiday season.
When I think about the
holidays, ABC Familys 25
Days of Christmas classics
such as A Christmas Story,
Christmas Vacation and
even Elf all come to mind.
I think of Starbuckss pep-
permint mocha, gingerbread
latte and its accompanying
family of seasonal drinks. I
think of cozy nights spent by
the warm glow of our fire-
place listening to 96.5s end-
less slew of Christmas songs
with the scent of freshly cut
pine mingling with my moms
favorite apple cider candle.
But most importantly,
when I think of the holidays,
I think about Christmas cards
Christmas cards stuffed
in our mailbox, Christmas
cards strewn haphazardly
across our kitchen counter,
Christmas cards stuck to our
refrigerator, Christmas cards
lined up across our living
room mantle and Christmas
cards piled at the top of our
overfilled trashcan.
Personally, my family has
never sent Christmas cards,
not because were heartless
Grinches, and not out of some
valiant effort to protest the
increasing commercializa-
tion of Christmas. The pri-
mary reason we dont send
Christmas cards is because
were too lazy. This, how-
ever, does not stop us from
receiving them from virtu-
ally everyone we know (and
sometimes dont know), from
my moms co-workers to my
dads distant second and third
cousins.
The Christmas cards come
funneling in with as much
variety as there is in the
cereal aisle at the local Super
Target. There are religious-
themed cards, cheesy cartoon
cards, glossy picture cards
featuring smiling families
dressed in carefully thought-
out coordinating outfits, and
my personal favorite, cards
stuffed with the infamous
family progress letters.
These family progress
letters are the most fasci-
nating aspect of the entire
Christmas card phenomenon.
In case you have never expe-
rienced the good fortune of
being sent your very own
family progress letter, Ill
provide a short breakdown of
its major components.
It is usually one page or
less, features an opening
paragraph wishing every-
one a good holiday season,
followed by a series of para-
graphs detailing the vari-
ous triumphs and hardships
of each family member, and
ends with a short summation
of how blessed the family has
been over the past year as
well as the things they look
forward to in the next.
The entire letter is typed
and written in third person,
as if the family is important
enough to have some outside
source write about their lives,
rather than just have the
father or mother write a per-
sonal letter to update friends
and family on job promotions,
broken bones, graduations
and other such common fam-
ily occurrences.
Often these letters come
from friends and family that
we dont communicate with
at all during the year, save for
the reliable Christmas card
and accompanying progress
letter. And it is this detail that
provides some interesting
insight into American cul-
ture.
As a nation, America cares
quite a bit about appearances.
We want to appear strong,
successful and economically
stable because, after all, we
are a world superpower and
self-declared The Greatest
Nation on Earth. Americas
people, in the great tradition
of our self-satisfied country,
are no different.
We send Christmas cards
to spread some good ole fash-
ioned holiday cheer of course,
but more importantly we send
Christmas cards to make sure
everyone knows just how suc-
cessful and prosperous we
are and will continue to be.
Tara Massouleh is a fresh-
man majoring in journalism
and English. Her column runs
weekly on Wednesdays.
Cooperation required for solution to scal cliff
By Robert Frye
Staff Columnist
In a manner that has
become emblematic of U.S.
politics in recent years, it
has taken only slightly more
than a month for our coun-
trys politicians and media to
attempt to stir the American
people into a fever pitch. The
issue that many have climbed
their respective soapboxes
for this time is the looming
fiscal cliff, which, if other-
wise unattended to, will go
into effect at the onset of
the New Year this coming
January.
The term fiscal cliff itself
is a loaded moniker, to say
the least. Upon its utterance
alone, it conjures up images
of a tranquil plain abruptly
plunging into a rocky, men-
acing abyss. However, names
aside, the fiscal cliff repre-
sents a dramatic transfor-
mation of the American tax
code, spending procedures
and sovereign debt of the
United States.
The fiscal cliff is the result
of an only slightly less than
perfect storm: the end of the
Bush-era tax cuts, cuts in
both domestic and defense
spending mandated by the
2011 Budget Control Act, and
a myriad of tax increases
in almost every category
imaginable. Combined, these
automatically enacting mea-
sures will account for a 19.63
percent increase in tax rev-
enue and a .25 percent reduc-
tion in federal spending.
This is a clear reversal from
the standard that has been
set in recent years, as over-
all, the federal government
is actually aiming to reduce
the debt held by the citizens
of the United States.
As is the case with almost
any issue that circulates
through Washington D.C.,
the debate on how to cor-
rectly handle the issue is
heatedly divided along party
lines. President Obama has
yet again taken to the cam-
paign trail in an attempt to
convince the American pub-
lic that increasing taxes is
the favorable route to take
in this scenario. This is
despite the prediction made
by the Congressional Budget
Office that such increases
will result in a recession in
the 2013 fiscal year. However,
while the outlook for the
short run indicates a poten-
tial recession, the possibility
of improved economic condi-
tions in the long term does
exist.
On the other side of the
coin is the Republican Party,
who vehemently oppose the
drastic, across-the-board tax
increases. The Republicans
conjecture is that increas-
ing income taxes will impede
the improving, but still stag-
gering, economy. They also
argue that with only 33 days
until the fiscal cliff actually
occurs, President Obama is
squandering what precious
little time is left by cam-
paigning for his side instead
of actually attempting to
reach an effective solution
within Congress.
The debt held by the United
States is a direct indicator of
the economic strength of our
nation, and the massive accu-
mulation of debt we have
undergone since the Clinton
administration is evidence
that the time leading to the
fiscal cliff has been anything
but a tranquil plain, in an
economic sense at least. As
European countries experi-
ence the pitfalls of radically
downgraded credit and debt,
the importance of running
a fiscally responsible coun-
try has become increasingly
apparent.
However, brutally taxing
Americans in a time of eco-
nomic stagnation such as
now should not be viewed
as a viable solution to the
two-headed beast of debt and
stagnation we as Americans
are facing. Tax increases
should be left on the table,
but such imposing percent-
age increases are unrea-
sonable. The most effective
route to debt reduction,
therefore, is a much closer
spread between tax increas-
es and budget cuts.
A .25 percent cut in the fed-
eral budget, while simulta-
neously increasing tax reve-
nue by 19 percent, is not only
unbalanced; It places the
burden to reduce the debt on
we the people, instead of the
government that left us with
the debt in the first place.
While both sides remain
obstinate in their convic-
tions, the resolution clearly
lies in open-minded discus-
sion; discussion that grows
more and more unlikely with
each day President Obama
spends attempting to cam-
paign for his cause instead
of working alongside his col-
leagues to reach an effective,
unobtrusive solution to this
issue.
Robert Frye is a junior
majoring in finance. His col-
umn runs biweekly.

As a nation, America cares

quite a bit about appear-
ances. We want to appear
strong, successful and
economically stable because,
after all, we are a world
superpower and self-declared
The Greatest Nation on
Earth.
MCT Campus
ON THE
TWITTERVERSE
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NEWS OPINION CULTURE SPORTS Wednesday, November 28, 2012 | Page 5
By Camille Corbett
Contributing Writer
The Society of Professional
Journalists and the UA depart-
ment of journalism are hosting
the C-SPAN Campaign 2012 bus
on Wed. Nov. 28 at the Trinity
United Methodist Church park-
ing lot from 12:30 to 2 pm.
The C-SPAN bus is a broad-
casting vehicle that travels
around the country during
election seasons from the pri-
maries to the inauguration
producing stories relevant to
the area that it travels through.
Its really important to rec-
ognize what it takes to broad-
cast a political candidates
speeches around the nation
and around the world and this
bus is one of many that allow
you to take a speech from one
place and beam it all across a
large area, George Daniels,
SPJ faculty advisor and asso-
ciate journalism professor,
said. And in the process [the
bus] gives people access to
those who are seeking to rep-
resent the government, and
as a citizen you should recog-
nize the power that medium
could have.
I think this is a wonderful
opportunity for students to
see the C-SPAN bus firsthand
and to learn about the work
that goes into such extensive
political coverage, Amanda
Sams, president of SPJ, said.
It is also a great chance for
students to network and meet
professional journalists to
learn more about the business
and decide if a network like
C-SPAN is the right place for
them to seek a job.
The bus will also provide
information for those interest-
ed in attaining an internship
in the political or journalism
field.
Anybody interested in get-
ting an internship at C-SPAN
can learn about the application
process there, Jennifer Greer,
chair of the department of
journalism, said.
SPJ to host C-SPAN 2012 campaign bus
Broadcasting vehicle will travel to UA campus for student networking
By Madison Roberts
Staff Reporter
Though the Capstone features
hundreds of guest lecturers and
speakers each year to share
knowledge and advice with stu-
dents in their fields of study, The
University of Alabama doesnt
foot the entire bill to bring them
to campus. Funds must be raised
by individual departments,
administration or organizations.
When specific organizations
invite speakers to campus, they
raise funds through their depart-
ment or through grants. Often, if
the dean is interested in bring-
ing in a speaker, he or she will
help fund lectures or presenta-
tions. Typically, the organization
will pay for the lecturers hotel
room, travel expenses and a
cash reward for their time, said
Rebecca Florence, the director
of college relations and associate
director of development for the
College of Arts and Sciences.
Florence said bringing in
prominent speakers requires
funding from multiple organiza-
tions around campus because
of the high cost of travel, time
and effort.
When you are having a very
big speaker, one department
might say they will put in a cer-
tain amount of money if the pro-
vost or the dean of the college
would help put in the money too,
Florence said. Lots of times you
will see that a speakers visit here
might be sponsored by four or
five different groups on campus,
and they have all put money in to
pay for the speaker.
Florence said these guest lec-
turers and speakers are essential
to the undergraduate program at
the University and enhance stu-
dent opportunities for learning.
You want students to be able
to hear from the greatest minds
in the country, Florence said. As
a student, it is important that you
listen to and be able to possibly
meet people who are the nation-
al and international experts in
their field. That is a key part of
an undergraduate education: to
know who is doing research and
creative work nationally and to
be able to interact with them and
hear from them first hand.
Stan Jones, a new professor
in the department of English
at the University who recently
transferred from Murray State
University in Murray, Ky., said
during his time at Murray, they
brought many prominent speak-
ers to the University and he
believes Alabama may be begin-
ning to do the same. He said the
presentations were essential to
student learning.
My experience has been that
most students either enthusias-
tically imitate or fiercely rebel
against the political and social
environment in which they
were raised. Their time at the
University should be a time when
students begin to examine the
foundations on which their lives
have been so far built and decide
for themselves about the values
and, by extension, the beliefs and
paradigms that will guide their
lives, Jones said. One way to
get direct exposure to those vari-
ous world views is to get it from
the horses mouth, so to speak,
and those lectures accomplish
that.
Florence said in order to get
prominent and renowned speak-
ers, sponsorship is almost always
necessary. In spring 2013, the
University will host Nobel Prize-
winning chemist Robert Gruggs,
who is also a professor at the
California Institute of Technology,
as a part of the new College of
Arts and Sciences Leadership
Boards Nobel Laureate Lecture
series.
The goal of the series is to get
a Nobel Prize winner to speak
every year. It is being funded by a
group of 190 alumni of the college
who participate in the Leadership
Board. Florence said the board
has agreed to fund $5,000 each
year for the series, which does
not include transportation or
hotel stay. In order for Gruggs to
speak at the University, the board
partnered with the Professor Bo
Arduengo Lectureship Series.
Florence said this series is
essential to students, because
they are hearing from a real-
world chemist, and despite the
high sponsorship cost, she said it
is worth it.
The opportunity to hear from
national experts in their field is
great for a student here, and that
is what makes this a quality insti-
tution, Florence said. We do
make that effort to bring world
experts to campus.
Cathy Andreen, director of
media relations, said there is no
University-wide cap set on how
much can be spent on a guest
speaker or lecturer, so it is left
up to each organization and
department.
Jones, although he is still in
his first year at the University,
said he imagines funding for lec-
turers has decreased because of
the budget cuts which force each
departments priorities to change.
The Universitys allotment
from the state has been cut by
tens of millions of dollars. I can
imagine they are scrambling to
retain the educational services
they provide now, and there are
an endless number of requests
from every department for
more, Jones said.
Florence, on the other hand,
said if people try hard enough,
she believes there are still mul-
tiple ways to fund guest lectures
at the University.
I think, typically, if depart-
ments, organizations, the deans
office and the University as
a whole would like to bring a
speaker in, there are many ways
to do that, Florence said.
UA organizations foot the bill for guest lecturers
University offers limited funding for campus speakers; groups must pay hotel, travel costs, cash reward
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Editor | Lauren Ferguson
culture@cw.ua.edu
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
CULTURE
NEWS
OPINION
CULTURE
SPORTS
Page 6
New small choir focuses on director-free early music
By Deanne Winslett
Staff Reporter
Graduate student John Martin
has a deep love for any music
composed before 1750. He has
adored the genre, known as
early music, thoughout his grad-
uate degree and is now taking it
to another level by creating an
on-campus group dedicated to
the genre called the Early Music
Choir.
Martin said while there are
a lot of very good choirs in the
area, they tend to be larger in
size. They focus on bigger voices
and more contemporary music.
When people think of a choir
concert, they usually picture
a group of 40 people or more,
sometimes even in the hundreds,
singing with a large orchestra,
performing music written within
the last 200 years, Martin said.
Martin said he believes these
sorts of choirs have great value,
but he thinks that there is more
potential with smaller numbers,
which is why when Martin was
drafting the idea for the Early
Music Choir, he was interested
in the closeness a smaller choir
could offer.
Theres a certain intimacy
and shared experience that a
small group of singers with-
out a conductor has, he said.
Without the baton up there,
each singer has to be more
focused, more tuned into the
music and the other singers.
Martin realized there was not
a choir like this in the area. He
believed the experience a small
choir has to offer was too invalu-
able to overlook.
Its quite magical, and it
isnt something thats going to
happen in quite the same way
when someone is waving a baton
between the choir and the audi-
ence, Martin said.
With that magic in mind,
Martin came up with the idea for
the Early Music Choir.
The choir itself is just a group
of folks meeting an hour every
week or so to sing and have fun,
Martin said. The original idea
was to start meeting next semes-
ter, but there were enough peo-
ple interested that we started
meeting a couple weeks ago to
see just how feasible it all would
be.
The groups acting operations
manager, Jen Stephenson, is a
graduate student and a singer
in the Early Music Choir. She is
in charge of reminding perform-
ers about rehearsals, scheduling
concerts and organizing events.
While the group is just begin-
ning, Stephenson said she has
already taken a lot away from
working with Martin and the
other members of the choir.
John is an excellent musician,
and early music is what he most
excels at. He brings a high level
of musicianship to Early Music
Choir as well as high expecta-
tions, Stephenson said. He has
a wall of knowledge and expe-
rience in early music to justify
why certain things must be done
in certain ways, and we all really
appreciate how committed he is
to the group.
Stephenson said Martin has
proved to be an invaluable
member in the group, not only
because of his advanced under-
standing of the genre, but also
because of his performance
experience on the national level.
In 2010, Martin competed on
The Sing Off, a competition
show among a cappella groups
across the country.
John was a member of a
small group of singers who spe-
cialized in singing a cappella
music, and rehearsed the group
without having an outside, non-
group member as the director,
Stephenson said. This is exactly
what the Early Music Choir is.
The Choir may not be going
into full swing until next semes-
ter, but they have still been
hard at work preparing for
their upcoming performance,
Stephenson said. The Early
Music Choirs upcoming perfor-
mance will be at St. Matthias
Episcopal on Dec. 9. The event
begins at 4 p.m. and is free to the
public.
It is a community carol sing
featuring the Early Music Choir,
so we hope that this event will
help us get the word out about
our group, Stephenson said.
Anyone interested in learning
more about joining the group is
welcome to email John Martin
at john@streetcornersymphony.
com.
COLUMN | FOOD
Season calls for sweet holiday treats
By Sophia Jones
With Christmas break and
exam week drawing near,
theres no better way to beat
the cold and blow off stress
than to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Christmas calls for candy, cook-
ies and cupcakes, and everyone
knows the best way to spread
holiday cheer is through food.
Below I have shared a collection
of simple, delicious and inexpen-
sive holiday treats that are sure
to leave a smile on your face and
jingle bells ringing in your ear.
Peppermint bark is a holiday
classic. All you need is some
dark chocolate, white choco-
late and crushed candy canes.
Although you can buy this
refreshing treat at the store,
I believe the bark tastes bet-
ter when you make it yourself.
You can crush the candy canes
yourself, but I use a food pro-
cessor to get the pieces as tiny
as possible.
First, melt some of the dark
chocolate and pour it over a
cookie sheet. Spread it out into
an even thickness and put it into
the refrigerator to harden. Then
repeat with the white chocolate,
pouring it over the dark layer.
Sprinkle the candy canes over
the white chocolate before it has
hardened. Place your tray back
into the refrigerator to let the
bark harden for 30 minutes, and
then you will have a delicious
snack for after class.
If you still enjoy baking cook-
ies for Santa, reindeer sugar
cookies will have Rudolph guid-
ing the sleigh straight to your
house. To make things easier,
you can buy some premade
sugar cookie dough from the
store. Roll your dough into balls,
then flatten the balls and shape
them into triangles.
Place pretzel pieces on two of
the triangle corners for antlers,
and red M&Ms at the corner
of each nose (for Rudolph) and
two green M&Ms to make eyes.
Then bake at 375 degrees for 10
minutes until golden.
If you want to make your
baking experience into more
of an event, I suggest mak-
ing ornament cupcakes. These
holiday treats are a favorite
of mine because they are fun
to decorate. Start by baking a
batch of cupcakes as you would
any other, using your choice of
vanilla or chocolate batter. After
your cupcakes have baked and
cooled, use a bit of frosting to
attach a gumdrop to the edge of
the cupcake to make the orna-
ment hook. Then decorate your
cupcakes differently.
You can use any color or fla-
vor icing and any type of candy
or sprinkles to make each cup-
cake ornament different. This is
a great way to get together and
bake with friends.
COLUMN | FILM
By Matt Ford
A month ago, Disney announced
its plans to produce a Star Wars
sequel trilogy beginning in 2015,
and the world gasped.
The Walt Disney Company
will make the film after buying
Lucasfilm, including the rights to
the Star Wars franchise, for an
estimated $4.05 billion in cash and
shares.
In many ways, this announce-
ment inspired hope in a fan base
that has heard George Lucas
proclaim for years that no sequel
Star Wars films would be
made. However, many fans are
also extremely cautious with the
idea of episodes seven, eight and
nine coming to fruition, as they
may not live up to the legacy that
Lucass films have created.
It is no great secret that many
Star Wars fans were unhap-
py with Lucass prequel tril-
ogy, not only because of Hayden
Christensens amateur acting,
or the nightmare that is Jar Jar
Binks, but also because many
thought the overall artistry of
the films did not meet the level
of creativity that the original tril-
ogy had. Although I personally
enjoyed all three prequels, the
consensus I hear from the Star
Wars die-hards time and time
again is that they arent as good
as the originals.
It is my hope that the sequel
trilogy will escape that judgment.
Disney has an incredible track
record with fantasy and sci-fi films
for the most part (were going to
temporarily leave John Carter
Disney gives reason for optimisim about Star Wars sequel, due in 2015
out of the equation). Disney also
has the kind of financial capabili-
ties to utilize cutting edge special
effects technology, in addition to
recruiting practically any movie
star they desire for the series. So
why are fans so nervous?
This will be the first Star
Wars film not directed by
George Lucas, although he
will be a creative consultant.
Although that may evoke anxiety
in some hardcore fans, hopefully
Michael Ardnt (Toy Story 3 and
Little Miss Sunshine) writ-
ing the screenplay will calm any
naysayers.
The plot seems to be the most
blaring issue. In the original tril-
ogy, the Jedi were all but extinct
and Luke Skywalkers group
struggles to overthrow the evil
galactic empire and Darth Vader.
In the trio of prequel films, we
watch Anakin Skywalkers rise
and fall as a Jedi and the exter-
mination of the Jedi knights, ulti-
mately leading to the events of
Episode Four.
Since the primary conflict of
the series was resolved in Episode
Six, the question at hand is what
events will be followed in Episode
Seven. A popular theory is that
the episode will follow the rebuild-
ing of the Jedi knights order, or
perhaps take place so far in the
future that the Jedi are strong
once more.
Producers and actors of the
series have claimed through the
decades that the only characters
guaranteed to be in every film are
R2-D2 and C-3PO, the two robots. If
that still holds true, then what will
happen to Luke Skywalker and
his gang? Or, if that rumor proves
to be false, who will portray the
legendary hero in his later years?
It all depends on where Episode
Seven falls on the timeline, but I
think we can all expect to hear a
lot of buzz on casting from now
until 2015.
I am hopeful for the sequels.
Disneys move to continue the
series is gutsy, and the movies
will be analyzed under tough
scrutiny from those who hold
Star Wars as a main component
of their childhoods. However, so
long as Lucas can guide the films
to continue the cinematic magic
he began, I think audiences will
be pleased with what Disney has
in store.
Submitted
John Martin, founder of the Early
Music Choir.
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NEWS OPINION CULTURE SPORTS Wednesday, November 28, 2012 | Page 7
ESPN.coms Edward Aschoff talks Bama, UGA
By Marc Torrence
Assistant Sports Editor
The Crimson White spoke with
ESPN.com SEC blogger Edward
Aschoff to get his thoughts on the
upcoming SEC Championship
Game between Alabama and
Georgia.
Crimson White: Are Alabama
and Georgia mirror images of
each other, especially on offense?
Edward Aschoff: Yeah, I think
so. Both teams have extremely
strong and powerful running
games. The advantage Georgia
and Alabama have had this sea-
son is that they can put two guys
out there each game.
When you look at the two
quarterbacks two of the most
efficient quarterbacks in the SEC
and the country both teams
have some very valuable weap-
ons at wide receiver.
Altogether, those offenses real-
ly do mirror each other.
CW: What kind of matchup
problems does Georgia line-
backer Jarvis Jones create for
Alabama?
EA: Hes somebody that can
line up anywhere, and he just
somehow figures out a way to get
to the ball.
Hes just now really learn-
ing how to be a pass rusher. He
knows where the quarterbacks
going to be on every single play.
And I think thats a really special
aspect for him. Its not just the
physical skill; its the mental skill;
its the leadership that he brings.
He knows what plays are, and he
dissects them before the plays
start.
He can cover guys, and he can
also blitz the quarterback. If hes
dropping back, he can take away
passes. If he blitzes, he can take
away passes and the run.
Having that offensive line is a
plus, but you have to have anoth-
er blocker and that takes away
another weapon from Alabamas
offense.
CW: Is it safe to say Georgia
has played really well all year
but just had one off night against
South Carolina?
EA: South Carolina was more
prepared. They came in with a
better attitude and a better game
plan than Georgia.
Jarvis Jones even said earlier
this week that the defense wasnt
where it needed it be, it wasnt
focused like it needed to be.
Having him injured earlier in the
season hurt with communication
and you could see it in the South
Carolina game. And I dont think
that communication really came
back until they played Florida at
the end of October. I think that
was the game that really turned
the tide for Georgias defense.
For the offense, that was the
only game that it struggled, which
is ironic because its been one of
the most explosive offenses in the
SEC except for that week.
CW: Which team matches up
better with Notre Dame?
EA: Its tough to say right now.
With the way that Notre Dames
offense plays, both defenses
would have the edge in this one.
And I think both offenses would
be able to put up some points
against Notre Dame.
But I think it comes down to
the play up front and Alabama
does have the stronger offensive
line.
Overall, when you look at the
playmakers, Georgia has more
playmakers on offense than
Alabama. But that offensive
line would be such a big part of
the time because of how good
Notre Dames defense has been. I
would give the edge right now to
Alabama just because they would
be able to wear down Notre
Dames defensive line faster than
Georgia.
CW: Who wins and why?
EA: The issue that Georgia
has had in big games doesnt
come down to, are they physical
enough? Its the mental side. We
saw last year in Atlanta you get
that early lead and a lot of mis-
takes happen.
Alabama doesnt have those
kind of problems. Nick Saban
does such a good job of coaching
guys after they lose. This team
knows how to play in those big-
game situations. Saban has been
there before.
Georgia has struggled when
the limelight is on, and thats
a big advantage for Alabama. I
think its close early, but with the
way that line has played early, I
think theres a chip on the shoul-
der with the defense. I think
Alabama pulls away in the sec-
ond half, specifically the fourth
quarter.
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Todays Birthday (11/28/12). Todays
lunar eclipse in Gemini emphasizes
relationships for the next six months.
It gets especially romantic around the
holidays. Family, health and wellness
are recurring themes. Revise exercise
and diet practices as you care for
others. Your active social life keeps
you hopping.
To get the advantage, check the days
rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most
challenging.
Aries (March 21-April 19) -- Today
is a 8 -- Be present to your luck and
intelligence. Start with what you
know, and learn what you need.
Associates supply bright ideas. Nows
a good time to set priorities.
Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today
is a 8 -- You gain a surprising
advantage, fnancially and otherwise.
Go for it, while maintaining a realistic
perspective. Slow down the pace for a
couple of days, and replenish reserves.
Gemini (May 21-June 20) -- Today
is a 9 -- It may be harder and more
time consuming, but it will be much
more rewarding. A spark of passion
lightens up the day. Deeds speak
louder than words, and you can move
mountains!
Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Today is a
6 -- Entering a two-day pensive phase.
Your ideas will reach farther, with
exceptional patience. Your dreams are
prophetic. Postpone travel for now.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is a
9 -- Exceptional patience is required
right now. Luckily, you have your
friends when you need them.
Continue to build up your assets, and
increase your leverage.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is
a 7 -- A change in your work routine
coming your way. Youll get to take on
more responsibility. Or maybe not.
Appreciate your mates uniqueness.
Dont ask for favors now.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is
a 8 -- If you present a workable plan,
youll accomplish it. It all starts with
the frst step. Technology can help.
Make necessary changes to the design
as you evolve.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Today
is a 7 -- Working on fnances doesnt
have to dampen your enthusiasm.
Look on the bright side, and end up
on top. Give an unusual gif. Laugh
until your sides ache.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
-- Today is a 9 -- Delegate more to
others, and get the work done. Make
time for learning something new.
Intuition proves to be right on. Avoid
distractions. Keep the faith.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today
is a 7 -- Teres more work coming ...
its no time for getting sidetracked.
Just get things done with the help of
experts, or alone.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is
a 7 -- Get rid of the trash youve been
accumulating. But keep the good
ideas. You may even fnd something
of value as you clean up. Managing
your time get easier. And you get
busier.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today
is a 8 -- Slow down and listen for
the next day or two. Hope broadens
your mind. Now is when youre glad
you put in the extra efort to create
exemplary work. Wow yourself!
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crimsonwhitesports@gmail.com
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
SPORTS
NEWS
OPINION
CULTURE
SPORTS
Page 8
By Alexis Paine
Staff Reporter
For the Crimson Tide, prepar-
ing to face the Georgia Bulldogs
in the SEC Championship is
like preparing to face itself.
Its football the way its sup-
posed to be played, defensive
end Damion Square said about
the Bulldog offense he will face
in this Saturdays Southeastern
Conference Championship.
While Tide fans may have
written off the game against the
Bulldogs, the players believe it
will be a tough matchup.
Were definitely not taking
them lightly, Square said. We
understand that those guys are
going to come play the best
game theyve played all year
and were trying to come play
the best game weve played all
year. Georgia has been playing
big time football.
The defense is preparing
to face Bulldog quarterback
Aaron Murray, who leads the
nation in passing efficiency.
Hes a great quarterback
coached well, Square said.
Hes a guy that plays the quar-
terback position the way its
supposed to be played, and he
does a great job for his team.
Square said the Tide defense
will be putting more pressure
on Murray to limit the juniors
passing ability. However, the
Bulldog running back tandem
of true freshmen Todd Gurley
and Keith Marshall is another
threat the Tide will have to
handle, Square said.
The Tide offense will be
focusing a lot of attention on
stopping Bulldog linebacker
Jarvis Jones, said tight end
Michael Williams.
On film, hes the first one
that stands out, because hes
the first line of defense and
comes through the hole and
make a lot of plays for them,
Williams said. Its going to be
a big task for us to stop him.
Williams said having a good
running game will help the
Tide against Jones. The Tide
will be able to keep the line-
backer off balance, slowing his
progression up-field.
Team leaders, seniors
excited for championship
game
The Tide seniors will play in
their first SEC Championship
game since 2009.
As a senior class its a big
thing, because the last time
we were here we were all
freshmen, Williams said. We
remember how that game felt
and it was a big deal for our
team. That was one of our goals
for this year, and now we have a
chance to go out the same way
we came in.
Tide players not
taking them lightly
CW | Cora Lindholm
Bama wide receivers run routes
in practice Tuesday.
COLUMN
By Zac Al-Khateeb
As the biggest game of
the year in the Southeastern
Conference approaches, many
fans and pundits of the game
have noticed how Alabama and
Georgia are so strikingly simi-
lar to one another.
Indeed, both teams feature
powerful running back tan-
dems, efficient quarterbacks
and destructive defenses. With
so many similarities between
Alabama and Georgia, the
game could really go either
way. But, just for fun, lets take a
look at how each of these teams
compare in crucial areas of the
game, starting with the most
critical position in all football:
the quarterback.
Both Aaron Murray and AJ
McCarron have been stellar
for their respective teams, and
have greatly minimized their
mistakes. Indeed, Murray and
McCarron rank first and sec-
ond nationally, respectively, in
passer rating. Murray is turn-
ing a 177.1 passer rating, to
McCarrons 176.3.
Unfortunately for Alabama
and Georgia, both teams have
had their share of bad breaks in
terms of injuries. Alabama has
lost three wide receivers this
season, most recently in Kenny
Bell, the Tides best deep threat
and second-leading receiver.
Georgia has also lost Marion
Brown and Michael Bennett,
the Bulldogs leading receivers
at the time of their injuries. Itll
be interesting to see how the
remaining receivers step up in
a big-game situation.
Thankfully for both teams,
they can rely on strong run-
ning back tandems to help
take pressure off the pass-
ing game. Alabamas rushing
game is paced by Eddie Lacy
and T.J. Yeldon, whove accu-
mulated 1,001 and 847 rushing
yards and a total of 24 rushing
touchdowns.
On the other side of the ball,
Georgias Todd Gurley and
Keith Marshall have turned
in 1,138 and 720 yards respec-
tively and 22 total rushing
touchdowns.
Regardless of these teams
respective offensive firepower,
the defenses arent anything
to take lightly either. For com-
parisons sake, well look at
Georgias two biggest play-
makers on defense and look at
Alabamas counterparts, start-
ing with Bulldogs safety Bacarri
Rambo and Robert Lester.
Rambo, considered one of
the nations best safeties, has
hauled in three interceptions
this year, while Lester has
turned in four. Rambo has been
more instrumental in the rush
defense for his team, however,
turning in 59 tackles so far, to
Lesters 34. Even so, Lester has
made more plays in the back-
field, turning in more tack-
les for loss and sacks than
Rambo.
However, Rambo is not
Georgias biggest defensive
threat. That accolade goes to
Jarvis Jones, widely consid-
ered one of the best defensive
players in the nation. Jones
is a nightmare for opposing
offensive coordinators, turn-
ing in 19.5 tackles for loss and
10.5 sacks this season.
Individually, Alabama
doesnt have any individual
player thats comparable to
Jones. No need to fear, how-
ever. In just about every
major statistical category,
Alabama leads Georgia.
How? Alabamas style of play,
especially at linebacker, isnt
meant to accentuate the tal-
ents of one player. Rather,
Alabama plays more as a
cohesive unit.
So, there it is. Like look-
ing into a mirror, isnt it?
Well, with all the similarities
between these two teams,
itll be interesting to see
which one of these programs
can come out with a win.
Regardless, itll sure be a fun
one to watch.
UGA, Alabama similar on both offense, defense
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