Rose Towers

Suite Dorm vs. Single Room Dorm

At the University of Alabama, all freshmen are required to live in dormitories. These dormitories can range from suite style dormitories, to small rooms shared by two people with a community bathroom shared by the entire residence hall floor. Being a freshman, this can be a very difficult decision to start off your college career. This decision can determine the range of how close you are to your classes to how much you pay per semester.

Having the privilege of living in the suite style dorms such as Riverside, Lakeside, or Ridgecrest, gives you many more amenities, whereas living in Burke or Paty Hall. Students living in the suite style dormitories have a slight advantage over those living regular dormitories. They’re able to still get the apartment experience while being on campus surrounded by all the festivities and events. The suite style layout consists of four bedrooms one for each of the four students. The bedroom entails a bed frame, a ten square foot closet, a desk, desk chair, and a three-drawer chest. Each suite has a spacious living room with a couch, chairs and a dining table. It also comes equipped with a kitchen, including a regular size refrigerator and microwave. There are also two bathrooms, which only two people share, thus meaning that you get to shower in private.

The down side to living in Riverside is that you are not in the best location on campus and you do not get a real first year at college “dorm experience.” The suite style dorms seclude you from everyone, so it is not likely that you will interact with as many people as you would if you were in a regular dorm. After interviewing several students that either currently live in Riverside or that previously did, every student loved the apartment experience, but they believed that the location could be better.

Aside of Riverside, you also have single room dorms like Burke. Burke is the more classic style dorm with a single room, and not as many amenities. It may sound very dull, but Burke is not as bad as they make it out to be. Sure, you are stuck in a small room with another person, a mini fridge, freezer and microwave, but there are many things that make it a great place for freshmen housing.

Living in Burke, you get the real “dorm experience.” Burke has a central location on campus, close to classes and dining halls. When interviewing Kate Coulter, a senior who lived in Burke her freshman year, she stated, “The location is great; it was very easy to wake up for class and walk to class.” Not only does Burke have a great location, it also possesses a dining hall within the dormitory. Kate Coulter also stated, “the dining hall was a great advantage especially since all freshmen are required to purchase a meal plan; that came in handy, and the food is really good.” The dining hall is not the only source of food in Burke. Located right next to the dining hall is a little convenience store that sells snacks, drinks, and it also has a Buffalo Phil’s restaurant in it, where they specialize in fried chicken, hot wings, and sandwiches.

Overall, dorm life can range from sharing a tiny room, to having your own suite style apartment on campus. Living in the dorms is a great chance to get to meet people and start off your college career. The hard part is picking the right dorm that you feel will satisfy your most desirable needs. Hopefully each student will make the right decision and enjoy their first big step into college life.

The Rec Center

When students come to The University of Alabama, a lot of things change. School seems to be more difficult, for many students there are more students than there were in high school, and a student’s daily routine changes. During high school, many students probably played a sport or had an exercise plan set up for every week, but once they got to college they no longer have these set programs. This is why the University has created the Student Recreation Center, also called “The Rec”, which provides a large variety of options including classes, equipment, and a full snack bar. However it is not without its flaws such as conflicting times, too little equipment, and parking.

With all of the variety offered at The Rec there is something for everyone, with one of the most popular options being the aerobics classes. There are classes for strength, dancing, cycling, yoga, and water activities. Ashley Chaffin, a freshman at the University, said that she has attended many of the classes and said they were difficult, but that is the way she wanted them. She also said, “The instructors were very enthusiastic and easy to follow.” The main problem with these classes is that many of the popular classes start before eleven o’clock in the morning. Many students have class in the morning, which means they will not have the opportunity to go to these specific classes.

Due to many student schedules conflicting with the times of aerobics classes, The Rec provides all types of equipment so students can create their own exercise routine. The Rec has state of the art equipment that is easy to use. However, there is too little of this equipment and at some points during the day hundreds of body sculpting students can be found causing mass chaos and congestion on the machines. Many students say that if you go from seven to nine at night, all the equipment is occupied. This is especially a problem for the cardio equipment, which is often completely filled. The Rec also has free weights that are available for anyone to lift regardless of their strength.

Along with the all of the top of the line equipment, there are many other options provided by The Rec. These options include several basketball courts, a track, a pool, a rock wall, and many more. If you can go when it is not very crowded, most students typically enjoy their experience. The Rec also offers intramural sports for those who enjoy playing team sports. Many students love intramural sports because they not only get to play a sport they enjoy, but they also get to meet people with the same interests.

Besides all of the exercise options, The Rec also offers amenities such as snack bar and a parking lot for the convenience of the students. The snack bar offers a full smoothie bar and many nutritious snacks that are perfect for students after a workout. Although it is nice that The Rec has parking for its students, a negative that needs to be addressed is the size of the parking lot. If you try and go during the peak hours, the parking is slim to none and The Rec is a long way away from most other places on campus, especially the dorms. Additional parking would help a great deal and allow even more people to get a solid workout in.

Overall, The Rec is an excellent place to get one’s body into shape thanks to its variety of classes, excellent equipment, and plenty of different options available for all students. The biggest problem seems to be that it gets crowded at the peak hours during the day. Although for some a big crowd is just another way to meet more people, for others it can ruin their experience of working out. The best advice I can offer to those students would be to go to the center during times of the day when it is less crowded if it can fit into their schedule. Hopefully each student can find a time that works best for them and can spend their downtime between classes at The Rec.

Who is Paul “Bear” Bryant

Every student at the University of Alabama is familiar with the name Paul Bryant. Located on campus is the Paul W. Bryant Museum, Paul W. Bryant Drive, and of course, the Bryant-Denny stadium, all named in honor of Paul “ Bear” Bryant. However, there are still many students cheering on their favorite football team who don’t actually know who Paul W. Bryant is, or why he is such a famous figure on the University of Alabama campus, as well as in the city of Tuscaloosa. Who is the man under the hounds tooth hat? Where did he come from and why is he so important to the University of Alabama?

Paul Bryant was born on September 11,1913. He was born and raised on a small farm in Moro Bottom, Arkansas. At the tender age of thirteen, Bryant earned his famous nickname, "Bear,” when he decided to wrestle a captive bear (no one may ever no the reason behind this). “Bear” was a standout on his high school football team in Fordyce, Arkansas and was practically guaranteed a spot on a decent college football time. However, Bear dropped out of high school before receiving his high school diploma. Fortunately, dropping out did not stop the Bear from receiving a football scholarship to the University of Alabama in 1931. Bear was guaranteed a spot on the team as long as he earned his high school diploma. He enrolled in Tuscaloosa High School, where he then finished high school and continued on to the University of Alabama to follow his dreams in football.

Bear lead the University of Alabama to capture the 1933 SEC championship. A year later, he helped his team to victory at the Rose Bowl, and in 1935, Bear led the Tide to a win over The University of Tennessee, with a broken left leg. This success earned Paul “Bear” Bryant his legendary name in college football. After finishing his football career at University of Alabama, Bear began to coach college football. He worked as an assistant from 1936 until 1941, coaching Union College, Vanderbilt, and none other then the Tide.

Bear took a break from football to serve in the navy during World War II. After the war, he began his head-coaching career. Prior to his reign as head coach at the University of Alabama, Bear coached at the University of Maryland, the University of Kentucky, and Texas A&M University. In 25 seasons at Alabama, Bear Bryant’s record was 232-46. Not to mention, he was a ten time SEC Coach of the year, as well as, four-time national coach of the year. However, his biggest honor came when he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1983, by President Ronald Reagan. Bryant appeared in 24 bowl games with the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Paul “Bear” Bryant announced his retirement from coaching in 1982. He died on January 26, 1983, less than a month after retiring. Whether it was the crazy antics that gave him the legendary nickname, "Bear,” or just his glorified football record, Paul Bryant left his mark on the university of Alabama and college football forever. Every tide fan should know his story. After reading this post we hope u say, " Damn, I didn't know that!"

Student Counseling

As we all know college is certainly a once in a lifetime experience. It’s a time for parties, football games and very important tests. All of these things can add up and cause a lot of physiological, mental, and physical problems? Because of these reasons the university has set up a counseling center for the student body. The Counseling Center on campus caters to nearly all problems that can arise from being in college.

The Counseling Center is filled with a variety of different Counseling services and outreach programs that are designed to help students struggling with a variety of different problems. One of these counseling services specifically deals with stress relief. All of us get stressed at some point or another. Whether it be worrying about grades and time management or trying to be on top of your social life. The Counseling Center is there for students who might want to talk with a counselor, or perhaps they might be more comfortable talking about their problems in a group session. “Our main priority is to just be there for the students. Whatever we can do to help our students we will do - because that’s our job”, said Paul Baron who a counselor at the Counseling Center.

Stress relief is only one of the programs that the counseling center has. They also have more programs aimed at severe problems such as suicide prevention. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students. With college being as demanding as it is some people are vulnerable to snap, anything could set them off such as: a fight with friends, a relationship problem or just deep depression. It’s for those very reasons that the Counseling Center has set up a suicide prevention program. This program list all the potential signs that lead up to suicide, it allows for people to either get help for themselves, or a friend. Whether it’s going in and speaking to a counselor one on one or calling an anonymous hotline.

Even If you’re not sure if you need help you can even go to their website and take the online mental health screenings. This is a quick survey in which you answer a variety of questions and it informs you with your mental health status based on those answers.

It is for very obvious reasons why the University has set up the Counseling Center. Not only are they concerned with the academic success of the students, but also they are concerned with the mental and physical well-being. This is a good thing to have available for the students on any campus.

How well do you know Alabama Football Traditions?

When someone thinks of The University of Alabama, the first thing that probably comes to mind is Alabama football. A program that includes 12 national championships, 25 conference championships, Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, Bryant-Denny Stadium, and many more traditions that make Alabama football so amazing. But, do you know where and when some of these names and traditions originated? Most people who claim to be die-hard Alabama football fans have probably never even thought about it.

The University was founded in 1831 and a year later football was introduced by a law student, William G. Little, who formed a 19-man team. Back then the team was known as the "Cadets”, "The Varsity”, or the “Crimson White" and was coached by E.B. Beaumont. Before becoming “The Crimson Tide” the team was called the “Thin Red Line”. Not much is written about how they received this nickname, but my guess would be the minimal amount of players combined with Alabama’s colors. So where did the nickname “The Crimson Tide” come from? It resulted from one of the biggest college rivalries in the country, the Auburn vs. Alabama game also known as “The Iron Bowl”. In 1907, Alabama was set to play the favorite to win the game, Auburn. Due to the weather that day, the entire game was played in a sea of red mud and somehow the “Thin Red Line” rose up, pulled out a tie, and the name “The Crimson Tide” was born thanks to a sports editor, Hugh Roberts. The name was soon popularized in many newspaper articles and it has stuck ever since.

On any given game day in Tuscaloosa you will hear a variety of cheers and chants including “Roll Tide Roll”, “Rammer Jammer Alabama”, and even a little “Sweet Home Alabama” to get the crowd pumped up and ready for Alabama football. But what would an Alabama football game be without “The Million Dollar Band”? Our band is the largest organization on the campus, including nearly 330 students, and is listed as one of the top three college bands in the nation. They began as a military band in 1914 but didn’t get their well-known name until nearly ten years later. So how did they become known as “The Million Dollar Band”? In 1922, the band was able to travel to games because of the many fundraisers they held and gathering money from local merchants. After traveling to Atlanta that year for the Alabama vs. Georgia Tech game, where the Tide was easily defeated by Tech, an Atlanta sportswriter commented to W.C. “Champ” Pickens, an Alabama alum, “You don’t have much of a team, what do you have at Alabama?” Pickens who wasn’t afraid to recognize their need for funds replied, “We have a Million Dollar Band.” Today, nothing gets the crowd more pumped up than the songs from The Million Dollar Band and their amazing half-time performances.

And finally, what would a college university be without a mascot? Alabama has a unique story about our beloved mascot; “Big Al”. “Big Al” was not selected because we liked elephants; he was given to us in 1930 during the Alabama vs. Ole Miss game. This Alabama team was coached by Wallace Wade, and was one of the best teams in college that year. The team was described as powerful, tough, and fast. A fan at the game exclaimed “Hold your houses, the elephants are coming”, referring to the powerful Crimson Tide team as they ran out onto the field. From that time on, the teams from all Alabama sports have adopted the elephant, “Big Al”, to represent their teams.

From first hand experience, I know that being at an Alabama football game is one of the most thrilling experiences a person can have. From the time the team steps onto the field for warm-ups until the Million Dollar Band plays “Rammer Jammer”, there is an upbeat and exciting atmosphere in the stadium that makes Bryant-Denny the place to be every Saturday. This incredible experience is only possible because of the many traditions that The University has created over the years. The chants and cheers of the crowd, our crazy mascot, the amazing band, and most of all the 12 time national championship football program that has led to so many of these traditions, are just a few of the things that make The University of Alabama such a great place to be a part of.

Denny Chimes

Denny Chimes

Have you ever been walking to class one beautiful afternoon on the quad and heard the relaxing music echoing from inside of the Denny Chimes Tower? Have you ever wondered where the music comes from and how? Or where the name came from? The Chimes can be seen all over campus and is one of the most popular advertising tools for the University which has prominently placed it on Capstone t-shirts, ACT cards, and even commercials for the Capstone. Whether you are walking to class, driving down University Boulevard, or even tailgating on the quad on Saturday for game day, you can hear the beautiful music chiming from the building. It has its own history, its own story behind it. It’s a symbol. Despite being one of the most recognizable landmarks on campus, most students do not realize how historically significant the Chimes really is.

The Chimes stands at approximately 115 feet tall, built from a concrete base with a pure red brick shaft that gradually tapers to the concrete top. Located around the bottom of the memorial, in the concrete squares, is the Walk of Fame that honors all previous Alabama Crimson Tide football captains. The Walk of Fame contains the name, year, foot, and handprints of each captain of the football team dating back to the 1940’s. It contains many notable football captains such as Joe Namath, Kenny Stabler, Scott Hunter, Jay Barker, Brodie Croyle, and John Parker Wilson.

In 1919, the idea to have a clock tower built in memorial for University of Alabama students who fought and died in World War 1 was suggested. The construction of the tower was put off due to financial problems until the late 1920’s. The Capstone students then raised enough money to finally have the tower finished in honor of University President George Denny (from 1912 until 1936 and again in 1941) after students learned about his planned retirement and return home to Virginia. Constructed by Skinner, Maxwell and Company the final cost of this beautiful momentum was approximately $40,000.00. Today the cost is equal to about $500,000.00.

If you stand on University Boulevard looking directly at the Chimes, you can see an entrance way that leads to the top of the tower via a spiral staircase. There, at the very top of the glorious monument is the location of 25 bronze bells (replaced with an electronic bell system in 1944) and plaques dedicated to alumni; the largest bell having an 11 foot circumference and a height of 3 feet with a set of Westminster Chimes. The organ, usually hand played by an organist, is found at the bottom of the Chimes. In 1966, a unit that controls this was installed to use set the Westminster Chimes and bells to play a variety of songs, typically every 15 minutes and every hour over a speaker system in order for the sound to be heard all over the campus. Also installed was a roll player that made it needles to read rolls of sheet music. This is how songs such as Pomp and Circumstance, Silent Night, the alma mater and the fight song were played.

Unfortunately, only certain people are allowed to climb the famous spiral staircase and make the trek up to the top of the historical landmark. One of these lucky spectators is Mike Largin. Largin is the director for IT support for financial affairs and is in charge of the upkeep and making sure the clocks are turned back when Daylight Savings Time arrives and if the electricity goes out. Largin did an interview with a writer from The Crimson White, Victor Luckerson. In the interview Largin made comments to Luckerson about the Chimes. Largin described it as, “an icon to the University.” He later went on to say, “you get a sense of history when you’re standing at the top.” Luckerson, also interviewed Garrett Marson, a graduate student who has the privilege of being one of the organ players. Marson plays the organ for memorial services, during the Christmas holiday season, and for the majority of the home football games. Marson also told Luckerson that on game days he leaves the door open so that people can see him play. Also, when you hear songs such as Disney themes or Happy Birthday, they are usually by request.

During this past spring, Denny Chimes had another renovation. The chimes were replaced by digital chimes which allowed it to play more like a keyboard that plays digitalized MIDI notes. With the new technology, the old rolls of songs that were once on old dusty paper are now electronic.

Denny Chimes is not just another building on campus. It is a historical marker that tells a story about the history and the accomplishments of thousands of students who currently or previously have attended the Capstone. The Chimes has become an important part of the culture at Alabama. It is a symbol that we, the students, all are part of this Capstone. Just like the students who came together in the 1920’s to help make this monument possible over 80 years ago, we are The University of Alabama.

Afro-American Gospel Choir
Diverse personalities and unique voices, are different backgrounds, but one thing they have in common are that they are college students sharing a common enjoyment in gospel music. These students whom I mention are formally named the Afro- American Gospel Choir. The gospel choir is a special interest organization on the campus of The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The organization is known for its innovative ministry through music, and represents the University of Alabama as a recruitment resource and also representing the diverse communities as a form of outreach.
The Afro American Gospel Choir has a rich history at the University of Alabama. In the summer of 1971, a group of twelve black students at the University of Alabama decided to enter a talent show sponsored by the Afro-American Association. They chose to sing a gospel song representative of the source of their faith. The performance on August 4, 1971, was the beginning of what was yet to come. In the fall of 1971, some forty to fifty students came together in unity with the original twelve to form what we know today as the Afro-American Gospel Choir. The choir has recorded two albums and has sung all over the southeast. The Afro- American Gospel Choir performs locally and statewide. Some of their performances include events for religious, civic, and social organizations; as well as patriotic events, university functions, and countless others.
The choir provides a sanctuary for the University’s musicians. Chaplain and drummer of the Afro choir, Willie Scott stated, “Being able to be a musician and still be deeply involved with the choir, it’s like the best of both worlds.” The Afro- American Gospel choir is an outlet for sharing talent. The choir has expounded three prominent people since its establishment. Mervyn Warren, a singer from the group Take 6; Terrence Holmes, a comedian, who was recently on the Steve Harvey show “Still Trippin;” and Greta Manning from Tuskegee, who recorded an album several years ago, and is now a doctor in Tennessee.
With around 100 members in their organization, the Afro American Gospel Choir generates a unified sound, which entitles an immense amount of dedication. When asked the question, how do you balance choir with school and other activities? Afro Soprano, Courtney Coleman answered, “I came to the realization that being in the organization does not determine my faith so missing a few performances to study for an upcoming test or to do something else of importance will not be of any harm.” Although the Afro American Gospel Choir may be one of the most active organizations on campus it does allow the members to focus on their studies.
The choir already has twenty-five events booked for the 2009-2010 school year. Afro Alto, Jalicia Davis stated, “not only do we sing on campus but we also travel to many places that I may not go in my day to day life.” The Afros are invited to events all over the US. According to the Director of the Afros, Jesmond Fair, some of the highlights of the semester are the Back to School Concert, the Statewide Gospel Explosion held on the campus of Alabama A&M University, The Alabama and Auburn Unity concert, a hair show, intermission of the University of Alabama’s Homecoming step show, a Benefit concert/Christmas Concert, and several Star-Spangled Banner performances.
Traveling and spending a great amount of time with fellow choir members provides a conduit for friendships and a deeper passion for religion. Jonathan Hayes, Afro Tenor, stated, “Some of the benefits of being in the choir are lifelong friends, becoming a family, and grasping the different backgrounds of people, while gaining a closer relationship with God. The Afro American Gospel Choir is a great entity that promotes diversity, uniqueness and encourages different backgrounds of people to be a part of their organization. The Afro’s encourage people to show their support and dedication to God by joining them as they make a joyful noise.

Animal Shelters

Tuscaloosa is a small city with a big problem. Every single night homeless pets go to sleep in cold cages at animal shelters, and wake up every morning in hopes of finding love and forever homes. We, as students at the University of Alabama, could help lower the alarming rates of homeless pets in shelters by providing permanent homes to these helpless animals. But are people willing to do this?

On any given beautiful, sunny day in Tuscaloosa you can find hundreds of college students jogging across campus along with their dogs. I think it would be safe to say that students enjoy having a furry companion to keep them company, whether it be from a shelter or a pet store. After doing some internet research, our group found that buying a dog from a pet store or breeder can be outrageously expensive, sometimes costing thousands of dollars; however, adopting a pet from a shelter will only cost around 75 dollars. Another advantage is that shelter pets have already been spayed or neutered and have already received most of their vaccinations. This is obviously much cheaper than purchasing an animal from a pet store or breeder. This raises the question: why do people still spend thousands on any animal when they can pick one up from a shelter at a fraction of the cost? It seems that most people assume animal shelter pets are always “mutts” or mixed breeds, but in reality they house dogs of both purebred and mixed ancestry. Not only can we help save an animal’s life, but also find the perfect dog without breaking the bank.

We conducted a poll of the students on campus asking if they would rather adopt a pet from an animal shelter or purchase a pet from a pet store/breeder. The results were strongly in favor of the latter. Just as people would rather go to a boutique than a thrift store, they would most likely choose a pet store over an animal shelter. It seems that most people do not realize the seriousness of the problem we have with animal overpopulation. There is a countless number of homeless animals available for adoption due to the fact that people are constantly abandoning, or surrendering their once loved pets. According to the United States Census Bureau, there are 81,358 people who reside in the city of Tuscaloosa as of July 2009. As the students of the University, we comprise of almost 40% of Tuscaloosa’s total population. If we each took a step toward solving this problem, it would put a serious dent in the population of sheltered animals. At many shelters across the nation, and even here in Tuscaloosa, animals are euthanized or “put to sleep” everyday because nobody wants them or their “time” is up. These are perfectly healthy animals, just as capable to love and provide joy as any other. No animal deserves to have its life cut short simply because it has been forced into a shelter.

The students and animal lovers at the University of Alabama can help turn around the overpopulation of animal shelters not only here in Tuscaloosa, but in our various hometowns as well. When you adopt a pet, you will have a friend for life. After all, dogs are “Man’s best friend”.

Group 5: Why doesn't everyone get tickets?

As we all may know football season is finally here, but only a small percentage of us will get to experience Crimson Tide football. That’s right, only a handful of us will get to see the great Nick Saban coach that great team called Alabama. And, you might ask yourself, why-why, why don’t I get to see my team play? The answer to that question would be because the University of Alabama (U.A.) only throws out a set amount of tickets among the population of U.A. for us to fight for. And just by reading that sentence, it burns us to know that we spend our parents hard earned money on such a fine establishment that will not give us the enjoyment of Alabama football.

Many say that the reason we do not get tickets is because some people don’t care about football. Is this for real? That’s a lie, this is Alabama, baby! Some people say that we don’t get tickets is because the only thing we will do is sell them, that might have some truth in it. A few say that the reason for us not getting tickets is because, if U.A. gives us tickets they will lose money because everyone will not attend the game. That may be true also, but no matter the reason Alabama is our team… I mean come on. Why do we pay tuition? It’s not to fight over a few fucking football tickets.

Justin Jordan is a freshman at the University of Alabama studying engineering. His dad was laid off so he is putting himself through school with student loans. He’s from Columbus Georgia, so he is also paying out of state tuition. “I take out $17,500 a semester and I still have to pay for football tickets, and I only have an option to receive half the home games. Pardon my language but, it is bullshit”. Why is it that the football tickets are the only tickets we have to pay for? Why is it that all students don’t receive all home games? At other schools, such as the University of Tennessee all the home football game tickets are free. He added with, “I know there are a lot of people out there that are big crimson tide fans, but we are students, it is our team and we should have priority as students above all non-students”. I understand that the university is trying to make money, but next year Bryant Denny Stadium will have over 100,000 seats. There are 28,000 students, so if they issued free student tickets they still would have over 70,000 seats to sell. Which is about how many seats most NFL stadiums have, and that’s not counting all the sponsorship and television contract money.

Even the football players feel that it’s unfair that not all students get to experience Alabama football. One of Alabama’s key defensive players said that if the school gives us tickets it might actually help the team. He went on to say that the sound of the fans pumps them up, and pushes them to play harder. So why not give the students tickets? After all, it will make the team play better.

Group 7 Post 1

Why is the cost of textbooks so high? Some students are wondering why are the cost of textbooks so high? The high prices of college textbooks have become an increasing problem and frustration for many students. Students spend an average of over $500 or more on books and school supplies. If you take basic math for one semester the book and access kit that are needed costs roughly 260 Dollars. Other books such as: Business Data Communications & Networking costs 120 Dollars. Consumer Behavior costs 186 Dollars. This brings the grand total of these books to be around 570 Dollars.

In a recent interview by Carmanita Monroe, a junior at the University of Alabama said “I believe that textbooks are extremely expensive. I think it should be included in tuition and not be a separate cost, also buyback should be based on the condition of the return and should be a percentage of what you paid for it and the release of new edition should be regulated and based upon significant changes to that particular field.” David, a sophomore, at The University of Alabama stated he should be able to rent books for the entire four years and some professors should inform you whether you are going to use the books or not. According to Chris Livingston, a book store owner he said, “One issue that’s affecting book prices are shorter prints runs and shorter editions due to used books. Publishers can only make money off of the textbooks one time, whereas used books can be sold many times. Publishers are trying to market their books and products to professors, so this is one way publishers can make their money. According to the government accountability office, college textbooks prices rose at twice the rate of annual inflation over the last two decades. If students want to help lower the cost of textbooks, The University, as a whole, has to rally together and talk to publishers about the high and increasing amount of textbook prices.

Getting Involved On Campus

Every year thousands of new students come to the University of Alabama to start their college career. Each student is typically overwhelmed with the idea of living on their own, starting a new life, and meeting new friends. However, another important part of college is getting involved in activities and organizations. New students usually become flustered at the beginning of the school year and forget to sign up for these organizations, or simply do not even know where to go. Luckily, the University of Alabama has created many different ways to get students involved and ready for their future. So what do you do to get involved?

Well, the first thing to do is check out the University of Alabama website, it is a great way to look at all the different clubs and organizations the school has to offer. The link is: http://studentorgs.ua.edu/ this link will take students directly to the list of all the organizations and clubs with a brief description of each type of organization or club. Clicking on any link will enable students to get a greater idea of what the organization is like, allowing them to learn more about the organization or club before entering the school year. Getting involved is a great way to meet new people, so it is important to be around people who you like and have similar interests. There is a huge selection of organizations and clubs that just about every individual could find a place in at least one, if not numerous. Even those students who did not participate in clubs or activities in high school should look into joining a club. College is a completely different experience than high school and it is an important time for people to develop their own identities, therefore trying new things is always beneficial.

Another way to learn more about these organizations is the “get on board” fair which takes place at the Ferguson Center for one day during the first couple weeks of school. At this event hundreds of organizations and clubs put out information booths, which give students the opportunity to interact with members of the clubs personally to get a better understanding of what they are all about. During this fair, students can put their names on the e-mail lists for the clubs in order to receive notifications about meetings. No student is required to commit to every club they sign up for, it’s important to sign up for numerous clubs even if you do not think you will stay in them, in order to try new things.

Although it is not for everyone, Greek life is another fantastic way to get involved. The University of Alabama has a strong Greek system, which is open to all students to join. There are many diverse fraternity and sororities on campus, which allows many students to find their place at the University. Within each fraternity and sorority, most members are either strongly encouraged or even required to get involved in other organizations on campus. This enables all members to keep a diverse surrounding, while creating some of the strongest friendships and relationships they will have for the rest of their lives. However, the Greek population at the University of Alabama is only about 25% of the entire student body, so students are certainly able to find their place in other areas, around campus.

The University of Alabama strives to get their students involved, and being a new student it is hard to feel comfortable. However, there are thousands of people in the same situation, looking for their place in such a huge university. Putting yourself out there is the best way to find the perfect way to make the most out of your college experience, so we suggest taking the time to try something new. You never know how far that might take you! Get involved!

The Dreaded "Freshman 15"

Everyone entering their first year of college has more than likely heard of the “freshman 15.” Students who are currently or previously freshmen were asked what they would do (or what advice they would give) about gaining the dreaded freshman 15.

According to The Urban Dictionary, the definition of the freshman 15 is “what students their first year of college gains by eating and drinking a large amount of food and drink and not getting enough exercise.” Everyone knows someone who has gained the freshman 15 or fits into that description. Perhaps someone you went to high school with or a friend, or maybe even fits your description right now for all you freshmen here at The University of Alabama.

Not everyone wants to gain the freshman 15 while he or she is a freshman. In a lot of ways it is extremely hard NOT to gain 15 pounds. Most new students are not used to living without their parents and everything else that comes with living at home, such as your mom or dad cooking your lunch and dinner. Now that you are on your own, you no longer think about eating all the healthy things your parents made you eat while living with them at home. Your dining dollars all get spent on dominoes and the food at the Ferguson Center, also known as the Ferg, or considering all the vending machines on campus take your ACT card, it is very easy to grab a bag of chips or a candy bar and a Coke while on your way to class. One of the main causes of the freshman 15 could be all the drinking and partying one might do as a freshman during the first year of college. All this partying and drinking could lead to the dreaded “munchies” and late night binge-eating. There are numerous fast food chains open late; Jimmy John’s stays open until 4, as well as Taco Bell. McDonald’s on 15th Street stays open 24 hours as well as Arby’s on University Boulevard. These late-night fast food trips are unhealthy and definitely are big contributors to the freshman 15.

We went around and asked a few students about their input on the freshmen 15, whether or not they know someone who gained the 15, or what their input would be on how not to gain the extra pounds and stay healthier. Most sophomores had the same answers, either they gained the 15 (or more in some cases) or knew of someone who had gained the 15. The freshmen response to the question on how they were going to keep the 15 off or try their best not to gain the 15 was, “... Well I walk about 2 miles to class every day.” In most cases this strategy does not pay off. If you ask a sophomore or anyone older at The Capstone, their answer would be to watch what you eat, eat in moderation, and exercise (For the freshman, exercise is more than just walking across the quad to your Biology class).

So there are many ways that you can prevent gaining the freshman 15. The Rec Center is open daily, and you can always get a group together and run around the quad to keep the pounds off. Just watch what you eat and exercise.

Pedestrian Safety

In just an instant, a student’s first week at the University of Alabama can take a wrong turn. This was the case for a freshman female walking across Bryant Drive two weeks ago. Without looking either way, the female was struck by a moving vehicle. Attempting to cross the street where there happened to be no crosswalk was not the destined route for her on this particular day. Horrifying accidents like this can easily be avoided if the right measures are taken. Through this post, we will delve into traffic accidents with pedestrians on campus and learn how they can be avoided and hopefully make this campus a safer environment for both, pedestrians and drivers.

Simple traffic accidents that include pedestrians can easily be stamped as faults of those behind the wheel in the wreck. Most state’s laws concerning pedestrians, declares that pedestrians always have the right of way, no matter where they are walking. While these laws need to be obeyed, sometimes commuters on campus may wonder if pedestrians are extending their liberties beyond the law. It seems that every day a blaring car horn can be heard, and when turning to look at the scene, one sees a flustered pedestrian running across the road while waving their hand in apology. With the amount of students on campus from day to day and the near equal split with those who drive and those who walk, it seems like the perfect formula for an accident. While those who walk will quickly state that the right of way belongs to them, that right cannot defend the students for jaywalking in front of traffic. This creates not only a dangerous situation for drivers, but also delays on their commute through campus. Also, it quite possibly can make them late for classes and appointments. When speaking with a third year student and commuter at the Capstone, their biggest complaint was the amount of students that step out into traffic at non crossing zones. Pedestrians need to remember not to take their rights for granted because they could end up being the victim of any given accident.

Slight measures have been taken to minimize the chances of wrecks involving pedestrians. Last spring, a University Officer directed traffic at the entrance of the Ferguson Center for one hour between noon and 1:00 P.M. At this hour, congestion was at its worst, at the intersection of 3rd St. & McCorvey Drive. Packs of almost thirty students crossed from either side when allowed by the Officer. To ensure pedestrian safety and lower stress for commuters the University needs to look into using more of the UAPD at intersections where there are high volumes of students crossing. Brochures considering pedestrian safety can be made as well and distributed for free at locations across campus. Whatever the measure is, it would need to be implemented immediately to ensure student safety and avoid tragedy such as the accident that occurred across Bryant Drive. Luckily, that student has recovered at the DCH hospital, but situations like this need to and can be avoided. We hope that if you are someone who walks around campus, that you take the necessary precautions to avoid being in a life threatening disaster.

Textbook Prices Continue to Skyrocket

I dread walking into a campus bookstore at the beginning of every semester. As I move aisle to aisle, browsing the shelves, I cringe at every price sticker I see. This year, however, I was able to leave the store only shelling out a measly four hundred dollars; similar, but not as horrible as the six hundred dollars I had spent last semester. Four hundred dollars to read about the classes I’m already spending thousands of dollars to be able to attend. Who is profiting from this highway robbery? My first thought was the textbook companies themselves. They must be sitting back, laughing at students as they “throw away” thousands of dollars every year, brainstorming new ways possible for us to spend every last dime on their books. After conducting some research I’ve found that this wasn’t the case at all. At the end of each semester, new textbooks aren’t just thrown away. Students sell their old textbooks back to the bookstores in order to receive a small portion of the money they had originally spent. Then the “used” textbooks are purchased again by students the following semester for a reduced price, as compared to buying a brand new book. So, theoretically, a single textbook can be used by a large number of students before a new version of that book is ever purchased. Unfortunately for the textbook authors and companies, they only profit from the original sale of the book. Therefore, the profit from the continual sale of used books does not go to the large textbook companies, but to the small mom and pop stores on campus that specialize in new and used textbook sales. Ever wondered why it seems like a new edition of a textbook is released every semester? To combat the loss of profits due to used book sales, textbook companies pressure their authors to update and revise their books frequently, or simply rearrange the chapters in the original book, in order to make students buy the updated edition. There is always the choice to search online stores for cheaper textbooks, but there are consequences for doing so. The student would then have to wait on their textbooks to arrive, which could be weeks even after classes have started. This is one reason why the majority of students go to the bookstore physically, to avoid the hassle of online ordering.

What else are local campus bookstores doing to keep us shelling out hundreds of dollars every semester for textbooks? Let’s look at an example. Say a local bookstore buys a new textbook, wholesale for $60.00, and then marks it up a humble 30% making the shelf price $78.00. When a student buys this textbook, the bookstore profits $18.00 while the author/book company, who gets about 15% of the original wholesale price, only pockets around $9.00. Now fast forward a few months to when the student comes back to the bookstore to sell their books back. If the bookstore gives the student a generous 40% of the price they paid for the new textbook, they’ll get around $31 dollars back. This is horrible! Suppose the store then sells this used book for $55.00, (which is much better than the original $78.00 price tag) they then get another $23.00 profit off of the sale of the book, which is even higher than the original profit. Now, take the cumulative profit of that book’s sale over the course of a few semesters, and you can clearly see that the bookstore ends up raking in a huge profit, while the author and book companies come out with next to nothing. So, it would seem that we are in the ultimate catch-22. We buy and sell used books in order to save money, but in doing this we are causing textbook prices to remain ridiculously high. So, when you are looking for someone to blame for emptying your bank account, skip over the textbook companies and point a finger at your local bookstore.

New Students Feel Deprived of Full College Experience

At The University of Alabama not much beats the excitement of college football season. Saturdays in the fall bring out an entirely new atmosphere around Bryant-Denny Stadium. The entire campus comes alive from early in the morning, to late at night, as the students embrace the spirit of the game. The weeks leading up to it could be the most restless of the year as we impatiently await kickoff of the greatest season of the year. Perhaps the students who most eagerly await the first kick-off at Bryant-Denny Stadium are the freshmen that have never experienced a game from the coveted student section. The problem is that only about half of the freshmen and transfer students will get to see that first kick-off due to the fact they can only buy what the ticket office calls “The New Student Mini Packages.”

The New Student Mini Package offers two package options for new students. Both packages include two in conference games and at least one out of conference game. However, most new students would prefer to go to all games rather than just a select three or four. Package A consists of Florida International, Arkansas, and the most highly anticipated game of the season LSU. Package B consists of the parent’s weekend game, North Texas; the homecoming game, South Carolina; Tennessee; and Tennessee-Chattanooga. While the ticket office did a good job of creating two packages that were appealing to the entire incoming class, most new students still feel as though they’ve been deprived of what some people consider to be the most important part of the college experience.

Caleb Abel, a freshman at the University, can’t understand why a stadium that holds 92,000 people can’t accommodate all 27,000 students who are enrolled in the University. The most logical explanation for the shortage of student tickets is the number of non-students the University attempts to accommodate. Other than the students, the ticket office also tries to provide the faculty with tickets; however, the largest group of ticket holders comes from outside the University. Not surprising, this is also where the ticket office generates the most revenue. A full season ticket packages for spectators outside the University begins at $365, and individual games begin at $40. Conversely, the New Student Mini Package B costs half the amount non-students are paying to see Alabama take the field against UT-Chattanooga. Meredith Duvall, also a UA freshman, took a different approach to the argument. Although she would rather all students have access to all the games, she feels the upperclassmen have earned the right to full season tickets over new incoming students. Haley Gossett likes the system the way it is. She believes that it is the best option since all students have access to at least some games.

The flaws in the ticket system for incoming students do not only include missing out on home games. New students also have no access to purchase tickets for away games. This problem is especially distressing this season because the Crimson Tide starts the season with a big game played in the Georgia Dome and ends the season against their rival Auburn that is being played in Auburn this year. Alabama freshman Chole Allen, whose family went to Auburn, was especially disappointed she didn’t have the option to go to this game since it has so much meaning to her and her family. Sarah Coggins, a freshmen and a cheerleader, has a unique situation since she cheers at all the home games. She feels it would have been nice for her to be able to purchase tickets for away games so she could also enjoy the games as a spectator.

Although I think all the freshmen and transfer students would agree that the low price of the mini packages are great, I also believe that they would be willing to pay more money to see more games. I also believe that something needs to change for the underclassmen, because the college football experience should be open to all college students. Perhaps the extension that is being added to Bryant-Denny will mean more open seats for the students of the University.