Driving Situations on Campus

Dear President Witt,

Driving through campus is not a very easy thing to do. A lot of students are really lazy and do not feel like walking to class, so they decide to drive to class or get a friend to drive them. This causes very bad traffic flow on University Boulevard and by the Ferguson Center. Students have the right of way at every cross walk as long as there is not a stoplight where the crosswalks are located. Even if there is a crosswalk where a stoplight is located, students still walk across when cars are coming and that is how accidents have already happened and are going to continue to happen. I drive through campus almost everyday and it is definitely not worth the gas and the time wasted, when I could have walked there in the same amount of time. It takes forever to get through campus driving because you have a ton of students walking through the streets and crossing crosswalks when they leave class, so the traffic builds up. This problem can be resolved very easily. The hiring of crossing guards would reduce the amount of students walking across when they are not supposed to; and with a slight alternation between students walking and letting cars drive would make the flow of things so much less intense.

With all the traffic going on campus during the day, not allowing freshmen to have cars on campus would be a great idea to implement to eliminate most of the congestion on campus. As freshman, most students do not know their way around campus as well as an upperclassman. When I was a freshman, I did not have a car until the spring semester. I needed to get used to the campus first before I started driving amongst it. Once I brought my car here, it still took me a while to get used to the traffic flow and navigating around campus to find the quickest routes.

Driving an through campus is not the only problem, finding a parking spot is also a huge issue with driving. There is not enough parking on this campus, especially residential. I myself live in a Fraternity house and I can hardly ever find a spot in front of my house, where I am supposed to park. The University definitely needs to add more parking to residential and commuter areas. There are only two places you can park anytime you want on campus. Those two locations are the Ten Hoor parking deck, which is located directly behind Ten Hoor, and the Ferguson Center parking deck which is located right in front of the Ferguson Center. Both of these parking decks are for students with a specific decal or you can pay three dollars to enter. Those two parking decks are pretty convenient places to park if you need to go to the Ferguson Center or even if you do not want to walk to class, but the University needs to put more of these type of decks around the campus. Instead, they add more parking decks to the nicer dorms, such as the new Ridgecrest. When I was a freshman, I lived in Burke West and my second semester, when I had my car; I could hardly ever find a parking spot. It was terrible to have to drive up and down the road trying to find somewhere to park. It would be great if the University added more parking to the smaller dorms, so that kind of nonsense does not take place.

With limited parking for any ordinary day, game day becomes even more of a hassle when it comes to student driving and parking. The day before the game, transportation services always blocks off a lot of main access roads that many students use on a daily basis. They will not let you through unless you have a permit to park in that specific area, which is not a bad thing, but it does cause there to be more congestion on other roads around campus. The transportation services also makes certain dorms vacate the parking lots, allowing the access for RV’s, causing other student parking lots to become filled up quickly. On game days if you do not have your car parked a few hours before the game, it is really hard to find somewhere to park close to where you live or where your designated area is.

Overall, driving on campus is such a struggle and multiple things need to be accomplished before it can be very successful. Success of driving situations on campus would be to include crossing guards to regulate car and pedestrian traffic, freshman not being allowed to have cars, at least for their first semester, and more parking available on campus. If these changes are implemented, the campus would be a much safer and friendly environment for drivers, students, parents, and faculty. Hopefully, the University will begin to realize these important matters on campus and take action on them as soon as possible

Cleaning Up "The Strip"

Attention University of Alabama game day tailgaters,

On a game day weekend, starting Friday afternoon, the town of Tuscaloosa goes right into tailgating fever. Tents go up, the population rises, and the excitement begins. Students, fans, and alumni all flock to “The Strip,” which is located on University Boulevard, to begin celebrating football season. The game day business is great for the University, bars, restaurants, and memorabilia stores located on The Strip, however, the trash left by fans on the road is not. Thus, due to the excess trash and the lack of recycling problems arise. Placing more recycling and trash bins along The Strip, and labeling them appropriately, could easily fix these problems.

Though there are a few trash bins located all down The Strip, evidently they are not enough for all the trash that fans accumulate on a game day weekend. “It is a constant job,” stated one of the City of Tuscaloosa waste workers. He also said that the bins fill up so quickly that people just throw their trash on the ground because there is no point in putting a cup, plate, or can on top of the mound of other trash because it will just fall out. One fan actually said, “it’s easier to just throw it on the ground because when you’re walking with a drink in your hand you can’t really find a trash can that isn’t full or by the time you finish your drink there is no where you can throw it away. So it’s just easier to toss it on the ground.”

On a weekend when there is not a football game, pedestrians can walk down The Strip and witness noticeably cleaner streets and sidewalks. However, when the Crimson Tide football team has a home football game, this vastly changes. Outside of the most popular bar on The Strip, Gallettes, all the trash bins are full to the top, and usually spilling over, so pedestrians are somewhat forced to throw their trash on the side of the road. Not only does this cause our beautiful campus, and the most popular part of our town, to look like a filthy street in New York City, but it also makes the stores on The Strip to look uninviting.

A new bar on The Strip, The BearTrap, located on top of Buffalo Phil’s, is owned by a young man named Adrian Leach. Upon talking to him about how the game day trash affects his business his response was not too cavalier. He stated that even though his bar does not face The Strip, the main entrance, which is located behind Buffalo Phil’s, constantly has trash surrounding it on game days. He even has to go to the extent of hiring workers to walk around and pick up the trash around his bar so that it does not look like someone knocked over a dumpster outside of his business and possibly turn away customers. The same goes for the memorabilia stores found right next to Buffalo Phil’s; it is completely trashed during game days. One man actually walks around with a garbage bag picking up cans to recycle, or whatever else he may find, due to the limited space in the overflowing bins.

While there might be some bins along the strip, and the City of Tuscaloosa, workers strive to keep the bins emptied. Unfortunately, there are just not enough bins to accommodate the amount of trash made by thousands of people on game days. Also, even though it is the responsibility of the owners of the stores, bars, and restaurants on The Strip to keep their businesses looking clean, there is only so much that the owners can do when fans insist on trashing the vicinity due to lack of proper trash bins.

Although the limited number of bins and space for our trash is the main cause of this problem on campus, we could help solve it also by more wisely labeling bins and better advertising the need to recycle. If we have a sufficient amount of space for our waste, labeling it would allow people to know where to place their garbage. The largest problem with recycling, especially on campus, is that it is not properly advertised enough. Also, some people may have the intention of recycling, but when it is unclear of where it should be put, it might not be worth the effort, especially on game days.

Keeping the campus beautiful should be a number one priority. We take pride in the way we show our spirit and should keep this in mind. More trash bins located on The Strip would eliminate many problems, and would be a good investment. Not only would it minimize the work the trash collectors would have to do when it comes to hand picking up trash on the side of the road, but it would also help tremendously on the amount of trash lying around making our gorgeous campus look like a junkyard. It would help in more than just making sure The Strip looks nice on a game day weekend, it would also help out in everyday action The Strip receives.

(Group 4)

UA Dining

Derrick Seay
Director of Residential Dining
Box 870389 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487

Dear Mr. Seay,
I am writing this letter regarding the dining policies here at The University of Alabama. I know the University has a very special relationship with the city of Tuscaloosa and its merchants. The University not only provides multiple employment opportunities for the citizens of Tuscaloosa, but also brings in numerous amounts of revenue from students as well as people visiting the University for various seminars, programs and athletic events. Because of this unique relationship, it would seem that the University and the merchants of the city of Tuscaloosa could work together to help solve an issue many students face because of a small budget.

We are all aware that first year undergraduate students are required by the University to participate in a meal plan known as “Dining Dollars,” in which they must purchase a non-refundable meal plan for each semester. This is not a bad thing considering it helps many students, who are away from home for the first time, learn to budget. It also assures them that they will always have money for food in the event that they mismanage their budgeted allowance. It also provides students with convenient places on campus to meet with friends and eat. Dining Dollars that go unused at the end of the first semester transfer over to the second semester, which is helpful so that students do not lose their money. After the second semester of the school year, any unused Dining Dollars are transferred over to Bama Cash, another monetary program used by the University. This plan sounds good on paper, but it is not as good as it seems. It limits the students to the specified dining halls and also restricts the times in which students can eat. As you know many students are involved in multiple activities and organizations around campus and do not necessarily have a “normal dining hours” schedule and therefore miss the set cafeteria hours. It would be helpful for the students at the University if participating cafeterias were open during later hours for students in extracurricular activities or for those pulling the classic all-nighters to cram for a test.

The program known as “Bama Cash” is a well thought about idea for students. It is a good idea because this is a voluntary program in which a set amount of money is placed in your Bama Cash account on your Action Card, and essentially works as a descending credit card at participating locations not only on campus but around the city of Tuscaloosa as well. This allows students the freedom to choose from a wide variety of restaurants, as well as the flexibility of times at which they can dine, instead of having to stay on campus eating at one of the University’s dining halls. Also, I can see how it can be a very essential program to students whose parents like to keep a close watch on their financial situation, while at the same time helping students learn how to budget. On the down side, it would appear to me that Bama Cash seems to be just another unnecessary form of money. It could just as well be transferred onto a debit card, given that most students at the University hold accounts at national banks. Furthermore, the problem arises since Dining Dollars are mandatory, many students cannot also afford to purchase Bama Cash as well, which would allow them the variety and flexibility they desire. With tuition prices as high as they are, and considering our current economic status, students are trying to find the most affordable solutions for dining on campus. It is understandable that the University prefers students to use Dining Dollars over Bama Cash since the money generated from Dining Dollars is guaranteed to be used on campus. However, I believe that both the goals of increasing University revenue and allowing the students more freedom in choosing where they dine can be achieved by combining the Dining Dollar and Bama Cash programs. This is where the unique relationship between the University and the merchants of Tuscaloosa comes into play. By allowing Dining Dollars and Bama Cash to be combined into one program, it would progress toward the goal of continued success for both the University and the city of Tuscaloosa.

The University could still require undergraduate students to purchase a pre-determined meal plan; however it would include not only the University cafeterias, but also participating restaurants around the city of Tuscaloosa as well. In return, participating restaurants would pay the University a fee, similar to what a credit card company would charge, in order to allow the students to use their meal plan at that restaurant. This would greatly increase dining options for students while also increasing revenue for both the University and local merchants. Students would also not be left with wasted and unused money on their dining plans.

It is essential for the University and the merchants of the City of Tuscaloosa to work together to provide the best atmosphere for the students of the University of Alabama. This not only includes the high educational programs that are available, but also the residential and dining options available to the students on and around campus. The dining options set up on campus are very helpful to our students, but can be even more successful with a merger into one simple monetary option. I believe this only enhances what makes the University of Alabama such a desirable place for incoming students. Increased enrollment not only benefits the University of Alabama but also the city of Tuscaloosa as well and will assure the continued success of both. Thank you for your consideration of my ideas and if you would like to discuss these ideas further, I would enjoy the opportunity to discuss them with you at your convenience.


Sincerely,
John Doe

Quality and Quantity of Local Restaurants

Dear Tuscaloosa County Commissions Board:

I am a student here at the University of Alabama, writing on behalf of myself, and two of my fellow classmates. First, I would like to express that Tuscaloosa is a wonderful college town. There are plenty of housing options as far as on and around campus. However, we all know that with the growth of the University, the surrounding town must expand as well. With places such as Midtown Village and the University mall, we have acquired a brand new bookstore, several luxurious clothing stores, and a few restaurants. However, I have yet to notice any changes in the requisites for the types of restaurants allowed in our county. The food may be different, but they are basically almost all the same, which  are Corporate-owned chains. This is my home, where I was born, and I would like to see some of the money circulating here in this town to go back to the benefit of our community.

One reason that we chose to write you, concerning this issue is that one of my fellow classmates involved in the composition of this letter, is from Houston, Texas. In moving to Tuscaloosa in order to attend our University, she was amazed to find the lack of variety concerning restaurant choices in the area. It was especially alarming, considering the fact that this is a college town that must generate a lot of revenue, when school is in session. The town grows 27,000 people on any given school day and about 100,000 on a game day. The lack of restaurants has been a problem residing in this city for quite some time now. Ever since I was a young girl, there have never that many places to eat, unless you wanted a pre-cooked, over-priced meal, even if you’re at a nice “sit down” restaurant. I fear that many of our fellow students choose to eat at places like Checkers, McDonalds, and Burger King, not because they want to, but because it is the most convenient place to dine. These places are not expensive as sit down restaurants, they are open late at night, and have convenient commodities such as drive through windows. On the other hand, the food is shameful, not to mention completely detrimental to our health in every way I could fathom. With the steady rise of illnesses such as diabetes and other bodily state illnesses, do we really want our friends and neighbors habitually eating these kinds of foods?

This issue really hits home for me because when I was a kid, my mom’s (who works for the UA) favorite restaurant closed down. Some of you might remember the restaurant by the name of “The Landing.’ It was, at the time, one of the only locally owned seafood restaurants in town of Tuscaloosa. I still remember when it happened. The initial plan was to renovate the building, but the cost of the repairs were far too expensive for the restaurants owners. At this point, the city could have stepped in and helped out the local business owners. I believe that we should all take care of each other in this town because of the fact that we, as a whole, are a community. Nevertheless, I was too young then to have really understood what was going on. Consequently, The Landing never reopened and the Olive Garden took its location. I should not have to point out the paradoxical ending to this cheerless demise.

Let me make one thing clear, our city has plenty of eateries. The problem that stands is that the main areas of restaurants are not of good quality, due to the fact that they offer “fast-food.” Personally, as a student and a single-mother, I seldom ever dine out. Sometimes, on special occasions, my parents will take me to dinner at the restaurant of my choice. The restaurant of choice used to be “The Globe.” However, The Globe restaurant recently closed because the owner was not able to compete with the fast pace of a college town with the over abundance of too many other fast food places.

The history behind such restaurants as The Globe is quite a remarkable one. The owner, who I knew personally, as I worked as a server, and his wife were both University of Alabama graduates. As I understood it, he earned his degree in theater and remained in Tuscaloosa after he graduated. This gentleman became lucky and found a extraordinary spot on the corner of Main Avenue in downtown Northport, and decided to open his own restaurant. He named The Globe, after The Globe Theater in London, England. As it goes, he happened to be an immense lover of Shakespeare and the restaurant was themed after the actual theater that William Shakespeare’s company of actors built in 1599. The Globe restaurant was a marvelous place, not only because it was incredibly beautiful both outside and in, but also because the food served there was fantastic. Not to mention, they had the most extensive wine menu in all of Tuscaloosa. The point behind this elaborate portrayal is simply this: by allowing more corporate owned restaurants in our city, we end up extinguishing the beauty behind what truly makes a city, the exclusive, city’s-own details.

Therefore, what I propose to you is this: Please invest in our town and the wonderful members of this community who call Tuscaloosa home. There should be a defined limit on the amount of corporate owned chain restaurants allowed in Tuscaloosa. If we bring more global restaurants into our country, that we can also bring here, it will eventually help Tuscaloosa grow and bring more revenue in for the economy. This will not only enable a new and different kind of job market, but will also make dining out more stimulating and healthy.

Crimson Tide Football

Crimson Tide football has been one of the greatest traditions here at the University of Alabama. When you hear about the Tide, it’s not too long after that, you hear about the Tide’s defense. The University of Alabama is thought of as one of the nations top defenses, BAMA is currently ranked second in the nation for the least amount of yards allowed per game. With household names such as Terrance Cody, Rolando McClain, Javier Arenas, and Justin Woodall, it’s hard not to be a defensive powerhouse. But like anything, the defense has its weaknesses also.

The defensive front for the Tide is a tough one to budge. Rushing offenses don’t stand much of a chance due to the size and speed the Alabama’s line. The University of Alabama’s average defensive lineman size ranges from 320 and beyond; depending on what package is in the game. Plugging up the middle is one of Alabama’s key players, also known as the mountain, Terrance Cody. If you’re a running back, trust me, you want to avoid this mountain of pain. Avoiding this is easier said than done thanks to the help of the two experienced senior defensive ends, Lorenzo Washington and Brandon Deaderick. These two are masters at stopping the run. Depth is definitely not an issue with the Tide’s defensive front either. Second stringers such as Dareus, Chapman, and Davis have already made a name for them selves this season and don’t seem to be stopping any time soon.

The core of any defense is the linebackers. Alabama is known for having the best group of line backs the nation has to offer. The Tide’s linebacker core is what holds the whole defense together. There is no lack of leadership in these guys and, a few still are underclassmen as well. The two beastly sophomore linebackers, Dont’a Hightower and Rolando McClain are built like Mack trucks. The outside linebackers are talented as well but aren’t as outstanding as the two middleman, but they great for stopping the run, hints that the tide’s opponents average 47.3 yards per game rushing.

If there is a weakness to the Tide’s defense it is definitely found in the secondary. They have given up 155.3 yards passing per game so far. This is 3 times as much as what the give up on the ground. Although this is their weakness they still have a lot of talent in the secondary. Justin Woodall and Mark Barron are premier run-stopping safeties. They have no problems with tackling and wont shy away from anything. Coverage could use a bit of work though, but these two are a pair to have back there at safety. The corners are lock down for the most part. Javier Arenas, he‘s not the biggest, but he is one of the best athletes I have ever seen. Depth is the tides primary problem. In big time situations our corners are the key targets. 23 and 24 need help with coverage and clutch situations.

The University of Alabama, all in all, has a great defense. The word threw out the SEC is that people just hate coming in and playing us because we are such a physical team. The tide is ranked at the top for a good reason. Although there is a slight weakness in the secondary, don’t plan on coming in and racking up any points on the Tide. It just wont happen.

The State of Tuscaloosa Shopping

Academics, sports, and the hundreds of organizations are just a few of the various reasons that should contribute to a student’s decision to attend the University of Alabama; however, do they think about smaller, unrelated school activities such as shopping? Yes, it may sound ridiculous, but sooner or later an event will arise in which a student will have to do a little bit of shopping. Whether a student enjoys shopping on a daily basis, or is not typically considered a “shopper,” the variety, price, and convenience of the shopping within Tuscaloosa is definitely something worth looking at. There are many opinions around campus about the current shopping situation due to the fact that students come to Alabama from all over the United States. Most students’ opinion is based upon the shopping that is readily available in their hometowns. In Tuscaloosa, some students love the thought of having a couple stores this close to campus, but others find it rather irritating that sometimes you have to drive fifty-one miles to Birmingham to do “real” shopping. Are the majority of students living in Tuscaloosa for or against the shopping selections close by?

Most female students could come up with an entire list of items to evaluate the shopping scene in Tuscaloosa. Everyone will always have different opinions, mostly based on where he or she is originally from. The main problem is that Tuscaloosa’s population while school is in session is around 100,000 people. So even though there are several nicer stores to patronize here in Tuscaloosa, there will be hundreds of girls who will all be wearing the exact same thing. What is more embarrassing than showing up at a party just to realize that your best friend is rocking the same outfit as you? Stores like MiGi, located in Midtown Village, are typical boutique type stores, but some may argue that that is not enough. Student opinion is that the clothing quality from these higher end stores, are not as good as they should be, compared to their prices. One thing Tuscaloosa does have is variety.

Midtown Village was a great addition because of the great variety of stores and its convenient location on McFarland Boulevard. Although it may not be close in comparison to the indoor shopping Galleria in Birmingham, both girls and guys alike can find something to their liking here in Tuscaloosa. Midtown Village seems to be “one-stop-shopping.” A student could purchase anything from Alabama gear at Alumni Hall, to outdoor accessories at Kinnucan’s, to formal jewelry from Charming Charlie’s. However, before the arrival of Midtown, shopping experiences were a different story. The University Mall was a student’s only choice. Even though it has many different choices for everyone, the stores are not on the top of peoples list to go to. The prices are wonderful, but the quality of the clothing is not so great. The majority of UA’s students would prefer more original stores instead of chain stores like the ones in the University Mall. In the sense that Birmingham’s Galleria has a great selection of stores; most students would prefer to have that suitably closer to our campus. I think that Midtown Village has more than put us one step closer to doing so.

Even though shopping issues in Tuscaloosa should not be a deal breaker or a top priority for any prospective student, it is a problem with the rapidly increasing population of Tuscaloosa. People will always base their opinions on the stores available in their hometowns. Shopping is not the reason that people come to college. There is not a huge problem with price, or convenience within Tuscaloosa, but there will always be room for improvement.

Tuscaloosa Shopping… Or Lack There Of

Students at the University of Alabama are all about fashion. The minute evening hits, all students put away their Nike athletic shorts, over sized T-shirts and get ready to flaunt their newest outfits. However, most of these great outfits are not typically purchased anywhere around campus. Tuscaloosa is not exactly the New York City of the south. Therefore, most students have to travel a good distance for a large variety of popular stores. The only major place to shop around campus, besides over priced boutique’s, is the University Mall. Which is located just off McFarland Boulevard and less than ten minutes from campus. Unfortunately, due to the limited shopping, out of date renovations, and lack of popular attractions; the 45-minute drive to Birmingham, AL may be a better bet, if students are looking for a more fulfilled shopping trip.

The University Mall is a very small mall with a limited number of stores. Fortunately, the mall offers major department stores; such as Sears, JC Penny, and Belk. These stores carry your everyday fashion necessities and certainly outfits for every occasion, which is certainly helpful. However, it does not carry as many popular brand-names stores preferred by most college students. There are small popular stores within the mall including Aeropostale, American Eagle Outfitters, Bath & Body Works, Foot Locker, GAP, Gymboree, and Hibbett Sports. The stores are typically small in size and offer smaller selections then those of the malls in Birmingham, AL.

The University Mall’s appearance and general structure does not do much justice to its appeal to students. The mall was built in 1980 and rarely renovated sense then. The building is worn down and typically very empty. It is possible that if the building was renovated, added in more popular stores, and restaurants; it would be able to attract more costumers and eventually build itself up into a larger, more popular mall. Because it is the largest mall in western Alabama, there is no major competition. Especially near a college town were transportation is limited to the general area for many students and would definitely benefit from a good renovation and update.

Most malls benefit by what is located within. Malls succeed by having popular attractions. Most malls in other cities try to find something that attracts its intended costumers in order to get them to stay and look around. Nice and typically rare, restaurants are a fantastic way to draw in costumers. Applebee’s is great, but can be found anywhere. Chain restaurants like PF Chang’s, Cheesecake Factory, and other rare up scale chain restaurants would attract a whole new crowd than a typical Applebee’s. This attraction would bring more costumers to stay and look around the area after their meals, eventually building up the malls popularity, which could encourage the mall to build up with more up to date attractions.

The mall offers what is necessary to the community, but it could certainly use an upgrade to keep up with the near by Birmingham shopping that most students prefer over anywhere in Tuscaloosa.