Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Contributing Writer
Anthony Grant, The University of Alabama
mens basketball coach, is competing with col-
lege basketball coaches across the country
to win $100,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of
West Alabama in the Infiniti Coaches Charity
Challenge.
For its third year, Infiniti has teamed up with
ESPN, the NCAA and the National Association
of Basketball Coaches to present the Infiniti
Coaches Charity Challenge, a Final Four style
tournament including 48 mens college basketball
coaches and their chosen charities from across
the country.
Monday, February 4, 2013 Serving the University of Alabama since 1894 Vol. 119, Issue 82
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Opinions ...................4
Culture ...................... 7
WEATHER
today
INSIDE
todays paper
Sports .......................9
Puzzles .................... 11
Classifieds ...............11
Rain
55/45
Tuesday 63/39
Chance of rain
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CULTURE PAGE 7
The UA Department of Theatre and
Dance to premiere first spring show
DESIGN FOR A LIVING
NEWS | SEXUAL HEALTH
SPORTS | BASKETBALL
Alabama wins 1st game at Vanderbilt in 23 years
By Marquavius Burnett
Sports Editor
NASHVILLE, Tenn.An
11-game losing streak that
spanned 23 years crumbled
Saturday.
The Alabama mens bas-
ketball team had not won
in Memorial Gymnasium
since 1990, but the Crimson
Tide fought hard and fought
back to defeat the Vanderbilt
Commodores.
The Tides victory at
Vanderbilt was the first since
Wimp Sanderson led his team
to a 65-56 win on Feb. 3, 1990.
I couldnt be prouder of our
team, head coach Anthony
Grant said. This was a big
road win for us. We all know
the history of this series. The
University of Alabamas last
win here was in 1990, and were
happy for our team and our
players, as well as all the play-
ers that came before these guys.
Im not trying to over-dramatize
it, but it was important to us
to come in here and play well
today.
It was more than a win for
Alabama. It showed the Tide
had the ability to fight through
adversity and road struggles.
Vanderbilt shot 57.9 per-
cent (11-19) from the field and
71.4 percent (5-7) from behind
the arc in the first half. The
Commodores were more than
on fire and every time Alabama
made a run, Vanderbilt hit a
timely 3.
Vanderbilt (8-12, 2-6 SEC)
led by as many as 11 points,
51-40, with 7:10 remaining. But
Alabama went on a 16-4 run,
taking its first lead of the con-
test when Trevor Lacey hit a 3
point shot with 58 seconds left
to make the score 56-54. Lacey
finished with 17 points, includ-
ing nine in the last five minutes.
Alabama closed the game on
an 18-3 run over the final seven
minutes and made clutch free
throws to seal the deal.
Nashville win leaves
Tide 6-2 in SEC play
SEE BASKETBALL PAGE 2
Coach Grant
takes part in
charity voting
tournament
The Vanderbilt Hustler | Bosley Jarrett
Alabama overcame Vanderbilt in the second half of Saturdays game.
NEWS | BASKETBALL
MovieFest brings drama, comedy to Ferguson Center Thursday
By Courtney Stinson
Staff Reporter
Aspiring UA filmmakers
explored our deepest fears,
insecurities, social issues and
even a day in the life of an
accomplished pooch in films
of five minutes or less at the
Campus MovieFest Finale, the
culmination of an intense week
of competitors creating short
films for the competition.
Of 62 submissions CMF
received, the top 16 moved on
to the Finale to compete for
the Directors Chair trophies
for Best Comedy, Best Drama
and Best Picture. The winner
of each category will continue
to CMF Hollywood to screen
against winners from other
schools.
The title for Best Comedy
went to No Paper, No Plastic,
the adventures of a would-be
mugger in training and his
failed attempts to rob unsus-
pecting victims. Best Drama
went to Rise, the story of
a soldiers struggle to make a
life or death decision during
combat. Person-Able, a com-
mercial for a company that
offers human services in the
place of technology, took home
the directors chair for Best
Picture.
This years CMF featured
more dramas than previous
years and the competition was
stiff for Best Drama winner
Rise. Rise producer Hunter
Barcroft, a junior majoring in
telecommunication and film,
commended the competitors
for their own contributions to
the category.
[The competition] was real-
ly tough, and, honestly, it was
anybodys game, he said. Im
completely blessed.
Person-Able directors
Cayce Savage, a junior major-
ing in psychology, and Leah
Dunkel, a junior majoring in
TCF and psychology, competed
in CMF for the third time this
year. Both of their previous
submissions placed in the top
16, but this is their first submis-
sion to win.
Savage and Dunkel had the
idea for Person-Able while
returning home from last
years Finale. They attributed
their creative success to speak-
ing in British old lady voices
and the help of Corey Reeves
and Jordan DeWitt.
Submitted
If Alabama baskeball coach Anothny Grant wins the
contest, he will donate to the local Boys & Girls Club.
CW | Caitlin Trotter
A total of 62 teams of student lmmakers made a movie in a week
for the Campus MovieFest competition. The 16 best lms were shown
Thursday night in the Ferguson ballroom.
Finale featured 16
student-made lms
SEE GRANT PAGE 2
SEE MOVIEFEST PAGE 8
CULTURE | CAMPUS MOVIEFEST
Online elmination-style contest
to last 8 weeks, ends on March 11
Consent a campus issue
W
ithout consent, any sex-
ual act is sexual assault.
Yet knowing how to gain and give
consent for sexual acts is the
biggest sexual health problem
facing UA students, according to
University of Alabama officials.
Wanda Burton, peer educa-
tion coordinator at the Womens
Resource Center, explained con-
sent must be freely given for
every act to avoid a possibility of
sexual assault.
You need to be talking about
consent in a space where you feel
completely comfortable, when
there is no persuasion involved,
Burton said. If you are getting
someone drunk to have sex with
them, that is sexual assault.
Jessica Vickery, assistant
director of Health Education and
Promotion at the Student Health
Center, said she believes sexual
consent is the number one sexual
health issue among students at
the University.
Consent. Hands down. No
ones knows if theyve given it, no
one knows if theyve asked it. It
is the one thing I spend the most
time [on] in programs with ques-
tions, Vickery said. Students
are always like, If I did this,
did I get it? I think the issue of
consent has become our biggest
issue. Explaining the absence of
no does not mean yes, and you
have to get it every time for every
act, and just because youve done
it before doesnt mean you can do
it again.
SEE CONSENT PAGE 3
CW | Shannon Auvil
By Kyle Dennan and Chandler Wright | CW Staff
According to UA ofcials,
understanding the nature of
consent is the number one
sexual health problem
on campus.
ONLINE ON THE CALENDAR
Submit your events to
calendar@cw.ua.edu
LUNCH
Beef Brisket
Mashed Potatoes
Squash
Cauliflower Cheddar Soup
Vegetable Nachos
(Vegetarian)
FRESH FOOD
LUNCH
Roasted Pork Loin
Chicken Enchilada
Baked Macaroni & Cheese
Fresh Steamed Carrots
Sauted Green Beans
(Vegetarian)
DINNER
Meatloaf
Mashed Potatoes
Lima Beans
Corn
Hummus Bar (Vegetarian)
ON THE MENU
LAKESIDE
TUESDAY
What: Bama Art House pres-
ents Anna Karenina
Where: Bama Theatre
When: 7:30 p.m.
TODAY
What: A Tuscaloosa Evening
of African Film
Where: Bama Theatre
When: 6 p.m.
What: Relive the SEC Cham-
pionship
Where: Ferguson Center
Ballroom
When: 7 p.m.
What: UATD presents De-
sign for Living
Where: Allen Bales Theatre
When: 7:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
What: Ribbon Cutting at
Which Wich
Where: 1403 University
Boulevard
When: 10:30 a.m.
What: Brown Bag Lecture
Series
Where: Ferguson Center
Forum
When: noon - 1 p.m.
What: Mens Basketball v.
Auburn
Where: Auburn, Ala.
When: 7 p.m.
ON CAMPUS
G
O
Page 2 Monday,
February 4, 2013
O
N
T
H
E
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LUNCH
Meatloaf
Lyonnaise Potatoes
Peas & Carrots
Butternut Squash
Penne Mainara (Vegetarian)
DINNER
Grilled BBQ Pork Chops
Seasoned Grilled Sweet
Potatoes
Steamed Lemon Spinach
Seasoned Corn
Fettuccine Alfredo
(Vegetarian)
BURKE
I thought the fight in the
second half; the resiliency was
awesome, Grant said. Andrew
Steele, our senior, did a tremen-
dous job throughout the game,
keeping our guys focused and
motivated and on-task in terms
of what we needed to do. We
always talk about it being a
40-minute game that we have to
play, stay the course and play all
the way through.
Steele, a fifth-year senior
who had lost here twice, carried
Alabama offensively along with
Lacey. Steele made three clutch
3-pointers to keep Alabama
close and fuel the Tides sec-
ond half run. But his biggest
contribution came during every
huddle.
I tried to tell them to keep
fighting, Steele, who scored a
season-high 13 points, said. At
every media timeout, we had cut
the lead by a certain margin. I
just kept reminding them, Just
chip away, chip away. We kept
chipping away. I had full con-
fidence that we would win the
game. I didnt know how it would
come about, but not for one sec-
ond did our team stop believing
that we would get the win.
The Crimson Tide (14-7, 6-2
SEC), will next be in action Feb.
6 when it travels to take on the
Auburn Tigers. Tipoff is slated
for 7 p.m. and will be televised
on the SEC Network.
BASKETBALL FROM PAGE 1
Rally in second half
gives Tide edge, win CW Staff
The ninth-ranked Alabama
womens tennis team earned
a 6-1 victory over SMU on
Sunday at the Northwood
Country Club. With the win,
the Crimson Tide moves to 4-0
on the season while the loss
drops the Mustangs to 1-3.
It was good to be battle test-
ed on the road this weekend,
said Alabama head coach
Jenny Mainz. Both TCU and
SMU were good teams and the
matches were competitive. We
keep talking about finding our
way back into matches when
we are down, and we did a
good job of that all weekend.
We had to work for todays
win. I thought we competed
well and fought in every spot.
It was a good test for us, and
we got some good quality
matches under our belts.
Alabama got wins in dou-
bles from courts two and three
to claim the first point of the
match. From the No. 2 spot,
senior Antonia Foehse and
freshman Maya Jansen topped
SMU senior Edyta Cieplucha
and freshman Elena Fayner,
8-3, while the win on court
three went in favor of Tide
sophomores Yasmeen Ebada
and Emily Zabor, 8-2, over
sophomore Holly Verner and
freshman Hristina Dishkova.
In singles, Alabama
posted victories on courts
two through six to seal the
team win. Tide senior Alexa
Guarachi, playing on court
two, came back from a first-
set loss to beat Malyarchikova,
4-6, 6-3, 10-7 while Jansen
downed freshman Vaszilisza
Bulgakova, 6-3, 6-3, on court
three. On court four, Foehse
collected a 6-0, 6-4 victory over
Fayner while Zabor notched a
6-1, 6-1 victory over Verner at
the No. 5 spot. Wrapping play
up on court six was freshman
Natalia Maynetto, who topped
Dishkova, 6-4, 6-0.
Next up, Alabama travels
to Charlottesville, Va., for
the 2013 ITA National Team
Indoor Championships, which
will begin on Friday, Feb. 8.
9th-ranked Tide rolls over SMU, 6-1
From MCT Campus
WASHINGTON Fears of a
recession seemed to evaporate
as the nation added 157,000 net
jobs last month and other key
economic data improved, boost-
ing major stocks to their highest
level in more than five years.
Economists and investors
were heartened by the Labor
Departments jobs report
Friday, which suggested that
growth accelerated at the end
of last year. The new economic
readings a mix of federal
and private data contrasted
with Wednesdays government
report that the economy con-
tracted at a 0.1 percent annual
rate in the last three months of
2012.
The January jobs report,
which also showed the unem-
ployment rate ticked up to
7.9 percent, was about in line
with analysts expectations.
But revised job-growth figures
showed the labor market was
much stronger at the end of 2012
than previously thought, indi-
cating surprising momentum in
2013.
Revised government data
showed that the economy added
335,000 more jobs than original-
ly estimated during all of 2012,
including an additional 150,000
in the last quarter of the year.
That was on top of the previ-
ously reported fourth-quarter
job growth of 603,000 and 2012
growth of 2.2 million. The new
figures mean that, on average,
the economy added 181,000 jobs
each month last year, up from
the earlier estimate of 153,000.
The higher revisions, in
particular, encouraged trad-
ers on Wall Street, sending the
Dow Jones industrial average
over the 14,000-point mark for
the first time since 2007. The
economys the little engine
that could, said JJ Kinahan,
chief derivatives strategist for
TD Ameritrade. Its slowly
climbing.
The small shortfall in the
fourth quarters gross domestic
product the value of all goods
and services produced nation-
wide marked the first contrac-
tion since the Great Recession
ended in mid-2009 and raised
worries that another downturn
was ahead. Many economists
quickly said the report appeared
to be an anomaly driven by fears
of the fiscal cliff, and Fridays
data gave more credence to that
view.
We had some pretty good job
growth in the fourth quarter,
said Stuart Hoffman, chief econ-
omist at PNC Financial Services.
You dont get that kind of job
growth if the economy is legiti-
mately flat on its behind.
Still, job growth has been
modest compared with previ-
ous recoveries, and economists
saw little in Januarys report to
suggest that hiring would pick
up soon. And the January figure
also looked worse in comparison
to the revised December figure.
The unemployment rate rose
from 7.8 percent in December.
I think its going to be a tough
slog here, said Joshua Shapiro,
chief U.S. economist for MFR
Inc. There are plenty of head-
winds out there for the econo-
my. The cost of hiring somebody
is great, with benefit costs and
everything, and unless com-
panies really absolutely need
someone, theyre not going to
hire.
Last month, the private sec-
tor added 166,000 jobs, but over-
all growth was pulled down by
a net loss of 9,000 government
jobs, the Labor Department
said. Sectors that showed job
gains included retail, construc-
tion and health care, while
transportation and warehous-
ing declined.
Its a bit of an underwhelm-
ing report, said Peter McHenry,
an assistant economics profes-
sor at the College of William
and Mary. Weve still got just a
very slow recovery certainly a
recovery but not anything to
be really excited about.
The construction industry
added 28,000 jobs in January.
Some economists had expected
more, given the damage from
superstorm Sandy last fall. But
the increase was validation
the housing market contin-
ues to gain momentum, said
Diane Swonk, chief economist at
Mesirow Financial.
Since bottoming out in
January 2011 after the hous-
ing collapse, the construction
industry has added 296,000 jobs,
the Labor Department said.
One-third of that gain came in
the past four months. A quar-
ter ago, youd say the housing
market had stabilized, Kinahan
said. Now you can say the hous-
ing market is starting to grow.
In another positive sign
for the sector, the Commerce
Department said Friday that
construction spending increased
0.9 percent in December from
the previous month, to an annu-
al rate of $885 billion.
The manufacturing sector
expanded for the second straight
month, the Institute for Supply
Management said. Jobs in the
manufacturing sector have
shown little change since the
summer, the Labor Department
said. And consumer confidence
also improved slightly last
month after Washington policy-
makers avoided most of the tax
increases slated to kick in Jan. 1
as part of the fiscal cliff.
The closely watched con-
sumer sentiment index from
Thomson Reuters and the
University of Michigan rose to
73.8 in January from 72.9 the
previous month. One tax change
that was not avoided the expi-
ration of the two-year payroll
tax cut held down consumer
confidence, said Richard Curtin,
the surveys chief economist.
The higher payroll tax, which
started showing up in paychecks
in early January, was a drag on
job growth, economists said.
More potential problems are
looming as Congress must deal
with automatic spending cuts
set to hit March 1. And anoth-
er battle over the nations debt
limit could be coming this sum-
mer after Congress approved a
temporary increase last month.
Swonk said such fiscal land
mines could derail the recov-
ery. Although the nation does
not appear headed toward reces-
sion again commonly defined
as two straight quarters of con-
traction the economy remains
fragile, Swonk said.
Jobs numbers kindle optimism for recovery
From MCT Campus
As an Alabama boy spent
his fifth day holed up in an
underground bunker with his
kidnapper, authorities thanked
the man Saturday for caring
for the child but remained
tight-lipped about whether he
had made any demands.
Dale County Sheriff Wally
Olson said negotiators were
in constant contact with the
kidnapping suspect, believed
to be 65-year-old Jimmy Lee
Dykes, whom neighbors char-
acterized as menacing and
prone to violent outbursts.
One neighbor said Dykes blud-
geoned her dog to death with a
lead pipe after it roamed onto
his property.
Speaking through a 4-inch
ventilation pipe, Dykes told
negotiators he has electric
heaters and blankets in the
bunker, Olson said.
Authorities also provided
coloring books, toys and medi-
cation for the boy, believed to
be 5 years old and identified by
neighbors as Ethan. He is said
to have Aspergers syndrome
and attention-deficit hyperac-
tivity disorder.
I want to thank him for
taking care of our child, Olson
said in a televised news con-
ference Saturday. Thats very
important.
Olson declined to answer
a reporters question about
whether Dykes had made any
demands.
The hostage situation began
Tuedsay afternoon, authorites
said, when a gunman snatched
Ethan from a school bus after
shooting and killing the driver,
Charles Albert Poland Jr.
Dykes neighbor Michael
Creel told the Associated Press
he suspected the standoff was
a way to make a political state-
ment. I believe he wants to
rant and rave about politics
and government. Hes very
concerned about his prop-
erty. He doesnt want his stuff
messed with, Creel said.
Alabama abduction: Sheriff thanks man for taking care of our child
Burton said students should
avoid talking about consent
in an environment where one
party is trying to persuade
the other to concede, as this
can also be a form of sexual
assault.
Just because you have con-
sent to do something doesnt
mean you have consent to do
everything, and just because
you got consent in the past
doesnt mean you have con-
sent now or in the future.
Consent is for an act, Burton
said. Consent has to be freely
given, informed and everyone
has to be able to give consent.
Vickery said that when
it comes to sexual assault,
false accusations are not
possible, despite cultural
beliefs otherwise.
Some people think there
are false accusations. Theres
really no false accusations.
If someone feels they didnt
give consent, then they didnt
give consent, Vickery said.
Whether its coerced or
manipulated, thats still not
consent. I think right now
thats really a big issue on our
campus and students are real-
ly confused about it.
According to UAPDs most
recent Annual Campus Safety
report, there were 16 forcible
sexual offenses reported on
campus between 2008 and 2011.
Fourteen of those occurred in
residence halls.
Ashley Frazier, a senior
majoring in music therapy
and former resident advisor
in Parham Hall, said RAs are
trained to deal with incidences
of sexual assault.
I did deal with situations
in training where a sexual
assault had occurred and
the girl came to talk to me,
Frazier said. In that situation,
you would try to get as much
of their story as possible. Then
you would contact supervi-
sors, the authorities and coun-
seling if needed.
Although Frazier never had
to use her training, she said
the Universitys status as a
party school pervades a cul-
ture of sexual assault.
Being a party school isnt
helping us at all, Frazier said.
Being able to separate school
life, dorm life and partying
would be helpful.
Additionally, Burton empha-
sized the importance of main-
taining a campus culture that
doesnt ostracize victims of
sexual assault.
Its important to change the
culture so that, one, women
are not victimized in the first
place, and two, when sexual
assault does happen, the
victim doesnt have to be re-
traumatized when coming for-
ward, she said.
Although many students
believe theyre only option fol-
lowing sexual assault is press-
ing criminal charges, Vickery
said many students who find
themselves confused or con-
cerned about a sexual act can
use other avenues to address
the concern of sexual assault
on campus.
I think right now that is the
biggest issue because you have
a lot of people that walk away
confused about whether or not
what just happened was okay,
Vickery said. I think that if
theyre questioning whether
or not thats okay it means that
it wasnt okay, but they dont
know legally where to go. Most
people dont feel comfortable
[pressing charges], but you
dont have to press charges;
you can go through judicial
affairs.
Frazier emphasized how
important it is for women on
campus to know how to avoid
sexual assault and where to go
if they feel victimized.
As a woman on campus, its
definitely good to have knowl-
edge about what to do if this
situation arises and how to
avoid it, Frazier said. I feel
like I have that information.
You learn it as you go through
college.
Burton pointed to the need
for comprehensive sex edu-
cation during and after high
school, saying this could help
students understand the
importance of gaining consent
for every act.
It would be great if we had
comprehensive sex education
at the high school and college
level, Burton said.
However, Frazier said she
was skeptical of mandated
education around this issue.
They do Alcohol 101, but
students dont really take it
seriously, Frazier said. If
they did that for sexual assault,
I feel like students would treat
it like a joke. I think its better
to have events on campus that
students can go to if theyre
interested.
Although Vickery conceded
Burtons view that UA stu-
dents need to be better edu-
cated about sexual consent,
she said she doesnt think UA
students are more uneducated
than students at other univer-
sities nationwide.
I dont honestly think UA
students are any different than
any students in the country.
We might be a little bit conser-
vative, but that doesnt mean
our issues are any different
than anywhere else, Vickery
said. People elsewhere might
be more open to talk about
it, but that doesnt mean that
they know what consent is.
Its not clear. Weve done a lot
of research about it and we
havent found a comprehen-
sive consent program nation-
ally. They have a lot of the
same issues of a lot of other
schools.
When it comes down to it,
Vickery said she hopes her
campus educational programs
help teach students to listen to
themselves when it comes to
sexual acts.
Students need to know to
listen to themselves. I know
that sounds crazy, but to know
to listen to themselves and
if they feel something isnt
right to speak up and say no
or to ask, Vickery said. That
needs to become part of the
dialog that students are hav-
ing going forward in whatever
sexual acts they are choosing
to partake in.
Editor | Melissa Brown
newsdesk@cw.ua.edu
Monday, February 4, 2013
NEWS
NEWS
OPINION
CULTURE
SPORTS
Page 3
By Sarah Robinson
Contributing Writer
The Elliot Society, a com-
munity service-based UA
honor society, is accepting
applications for membership
until Feb. 15.
The organization is named
in honor of the late Carl
Elliott, a former UA SGA
president who later became
an Alabama congress-
man in the U.S. House of
Representatives. The govern-
ment official focused greatly
on bettering educational
opportunities.
The group recognizes stu-
dents, faculty and alumni who
have made significant lead-
ership contributions to the
campus, community, state and
nation in areas of social and
cultural progress and who
portray a spirit of the ideals
held by Congressman Elliott,
according to the UA Honor
Society website.
Bianca Taylor, the presi-
dent of the Elliot Society, said
the group accepts students
regardless of major or grade
point average.
Our mission is to pro-
mote education within and
around the community, so
we want to give everyone a
fair chance to volunteer and
make an impact, Taylor
said. We know in order to
be a well-rounded person
you have to balance commu-
nity service, extracurricular
activities and academics.
Taylor said the group has
big plans for the semes-
ter. The Elliot Society is
participating in a statewide
volunteer program called the
College Goal Sunday on Feb.
24. The program provides free
information and assistance to
students and families who are
applying for financial aid for
secondary education.
Financial advisors from
Tuscaloosa, Stillman, Shelton
and UA will help high school
seniors in the community of
Tuscaloosa, Birmingham and
other areas complete their
FAFSA, Taylor said.
The advisors can complete
it in about 20 minutes for free,
Taylor said.
Undre Philips, a sophomore
majoring in secondary edu-
cation and social sciences,
joined the honor society in
spring 2012.
I decided to become a mem-
ber because I wanted to find
my niche with both commu-
nity service and educational
initiative, Philips said.
He said the Elliot Society
is the only honor society that
participates in College Goal
Sunday.
We are really trying
to make an impact in the
Tuscaloosa city schools,
Philips. We can be the initia-
tors future academic excelling
students.
Dana Green, a senior major-
ing in human development
and family studies, joined the
group her sophomore year.
She said she looks forward
to College Goal Sunday every
year.
I love College Goal Sunday.
Its nice to know that I am
helping someone else go
to school like I am going to
school, Green said.
She encourages more peo-
ple to join and contribute to
the program.
If we had more people in
the group, we could make
College Goal Sunday more
known and help more people,
she said.
Anyone interested in apply-
ing for the Elliot Society can
email Taylor at brtaylor2@
crimson.ua.edu for more
information. Online applica-
tions for the Elliot Society
are also available online at
prehealth.ua.edu.
Elliot Society aims to educate Tuscaloosa community
Service-based honor society is looking for applicants interested in making an impact until Feb. 15
Its important to change the culture so that, one, women are not vic-
timized in the rst place, and two, when sexual assault does happen,
the victim doesnt have to be re-traumatized when coming forward.
Wanda Burton
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By SoRelle Wyckoff
Senior Staff Columnist
As a country, we have an
obsession with greatness.
Our school has one too, but
thats to be expected consider-
ing our athletic department.
Within this obsession of
greatness is an obsession with
the people who we consider to
be great. Specimens of great
power, great talent and great
experiences receive atten-
tion and often, great wealth
thanks to popular attention.
But sometimes these
heroes deceive us, and this
past month has proved how
damaging this deception
can be to our society. Lance
Armstrong admitted to using
per f or mance- enhanci ng
drugs during his reign as the
worlds No. 1 biking power. He
was rewarded for power he
cheated for.
Beyonc, an icon of supreme
musical talent, admitted
to lip-syncing the national
anthem at President Obamas
inauguration.
And while Notre Dame and
Manti Teo are maintaining he
was the victim of a fake-girl-
friend hoax, Teo continued to
push the emotional story even
after he knew of its falsifica-
tion. His great, fake story and
relationship garnered him
media attention and Heisman
sympathy.
That these great specimens
of power, talent and story felt
pressured enough to falsify
their speed, performance and
relationship is tragic. Its trag-
ic for the individual because
it translates to insecurity, but
it is most tragic for those who
admire these individuals.
Fans feel lied to, and this
often tarnishes the indus-
try as a whole. About Lance
Armstrong, tennis player
Serena Williams said, OK, if
somebody [is] that great, what
about everyone else in every
other sport?
This deception hurts more
than the feelings of fans
though.
When greatness is achieved,
society takes notice, and that
becomes a goal or a symbol of
other humans potential great-
ness. When this achievement
is reached by false means, it
puts our goals at unrealistic
heights.
This residue of expectations
grows with each generation.
Vices, like steroids, the edit-
ing powers of technology, and
the Internet are increasingly
available to those who want
to reach expectations despite
their improbability. Even
being the best in the class-
room or office have plenty of
unethical ways to the top.
But humans are remarkable
specimens without modifica-
tion. Lance Armstrong may
not have won seven Tour de
France titles without steroids,
but more than likely he still
would have raced in them.
Beyonc may not have sound-
ed as clear as her recording
did, but she would still have
sounded amazing. Girlfriend
or not, Manti Teo would still
have been at the Heisman
award ceremony.
The pressure caused by
unrealistic expectations is
toxic, permeating the air at
a higher rate every year. To
breathe fresh air again, we
must be purposeful in our pur-
suits of perfection.
We must first keep to our-
selves be true. Cheating and
lying to get ahead perpetuates
a cycle of keeping up with the
Joneses. Individuals should
be aware and pledge to be
ethically strong despite sur-
roundings and the easy out of
temptations.
Secondly, we must respect
those athletes, entertainers
and individuals who achieve
greatness with hard work,
and continue necessary reg-
ulation of cheating within
their industries. We should
broaden our understanding of
greatness.
The pressure to become
something of stature is rel-
evant to every individual. We
see this drive in our class-
rooms and offices, on our
sports teams and in our rela-
tionships. This desire to be
the best certainly subsides
with age, but each person can
point to a point in life when
they had a goal of greatness
and a role model to follow.
If we hold our heroes to
expectations of truth, we need
to hold ourselves to similar
stipulations.
SoRelle Wyckoff is a senior
majoring in history and jour-
nalism. Her column runs on
Monday.
Editor | John Brinkerhoff
letters@cw.ua.edu
Monday, February 4, 2013
OPINIONS
NEWS
OPINION
CULTURE
SPORTS
Page 4
EDITORIAL BOARD
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letters to the editor.
Students are real bosses
of Alabamas Student
Government Association
By Ryan Flamerich
It was a cold Saturday morn-
ing in Fayetteville, Ala., last
January when SGA President
Stephen Swinson, Treasurer
Christian Smith, and I, serving
as Speaker of the Senate, rep-
resented Alabama at the SEC
Exchange, a conference of all
14 collegiate SGAs in the con-
ference. Here I stood on stage
with my counterparts defend-
ing the strength of our SGA
after reports of resignations
surrounding the First Year
Council scandal had circled
around the SEC.
The SEC Exchange is a time
for collaboration and idea shar-
ing, one of the most significant
moments of the year. It was the
source of inspiration for many
SGA initiated programs, such
as 348-Ride, Before Bama, elec-
tronic football tickets and Ride
with the Tide. This past week-
end, our universitys delega-
tion was the only one missing
from the conference. My phone
was abuzz with inquiries as to
why we were not present. As
a member of our student body
and SGA, I was embarrassed.
Our SGA has had a history of
going through phases of activ-
ity and inactivity. As part of the
SGA through the Years proj-
ect, I spoke to countless SGA
Presidents who describe very
different SGAs. However, not
counting the years of the SGAs
closure by the administration,
I cannot find another year or
rival the level of incompeten-
cy and general disregard for
common sense that currently
exists.
At the Building Champions
through Service project in
Miami, Fla., an SGA program,
more than 300 individuals
from the Alabama and Notre
Dame communities were pres-
ent to rejuvenate a section
of Downtown Miami, Fla. No
one from our SGAs executive
branch stayed for the duration
of the project.
In December, members of
the executive board forced
Executive Vice President Matt
Harris out of office, utilizing
reports that have not lived up
to real person accounts for
the circumstances around his
departure.
To top it off, anonymous
sources close to SGA officials
confirmed to the CW that the
SGA lost tens of thousands of
students tuition dollars during
the heavily mismanaged RAGE
concert this past fall.
Beyond the executive branch,
the SGA Senate has barely met
quorum since our election. The
Legislative Council, the govern-
ing body of the Senate, has not
met since March. This as the
SGA Judicial Branch just ruled
that all elections within the
election of Senate and judicial
leadership are not bound by
the provision in the constitu-
tion that states all SGA elec-
tions must be conducted by
secret. Their interpretation
of directly contradicts opin-
ions submitted by a majority
of the Constitutional Revision
Committee, the body that wrote
the constitution. This decision
opens the door for third parties
like The Machine to have fur-
ther influence over elections.
Organizational affiliations
say a lot about you. One can
determine many of your values
and interests by simply look-
ing at the student organiza-
tions youve joined. I now ask
myself, what does my involve-
ment in the SGA say about
me? The experiment in democ-
racy known as the Student
Government Association is
more equivalent to Putins
Russia. Now more than ever,
this organization is composed
of individuals looking to
advance their political careers
and satisfy their egos.
Someone far wiser than
me told a group of students
that being an elected official
is unlike any other form of
employment in the world. Its
the only job where your boss
hires you and leaves you alone
unmonitored and without
direction. We are the boss, and
we should demand more of our
leaders. They represent us, and
their actions are a reflection of
our values and beliefs. If we
continue to let our leaders act
in complete disregard of our
moral code and work ethic, we
will become them.
Ryan Flamerich is an SGA
Senator from the College of
Engineering. He served as
speaker of the Senate dur-
ing the Cochran and Swinson
administrations.
GUEST COLUMN