Dining Dollar Use

Every undergraduate student at the University of Alabama with nine or more hours will automatically be entered into the Dining Dollars program. A total of three hundred dollars per fall and spring semester or one hundred dollars for the summer term is taken from the student tuition and put onto their action card. This money can only be used at all dining location on campus, Domino's Pizza delivery, Crimson Cafe, Buffalo Phil's and Strip Teas and Coffee. Besides Dining Dollars, there is also the option to open a Bama Cash account on your action card. Bama Cash is basically a pre-paid debit card that you can use on and off campus at participating locations. There are some students that take full advantage of Bama Cash however many do not because they can just use their debit card connected to a bank. All of those students who do not use Bama Cash are still stuck with the three hundred Dining Dollars and not many places to spend them. If more places in Tuscaloosa were to take dining dollars it would create a win-win situation giving the students more places to spend the money, bringing in more customers to any business choosing to participate in the program, and the University would receive more money from the commission it gets from participating businesses.

Students dislike the fact that the three hundred dining dollars are mandatory and that there are only four off campus restaurants that accept them. If a student feels they need a break from the on-campus dining options they do not have to travel very far to get to any of the participating locations. Buffalo Phil’s, Strip Teas and Coffee, and Crimson Café are all located on the strip and Domino’s delivers to anywhere on campus. However the close proximity of these places does not make up for the fact that they get old quickly. Many students would love the opportunity to go out and really experience the city of Tuscaloosa, however they feel like they can’t. This is especially the case for any Alabama student who, for school related or other reasons, does not have a job in Tuscaloosa. For many of these students the Dining Dollars program is their only way of eating off campus and the prospect of more businesses accepting them is a very exciting idea.

Not only would an expansion of the Dining Dollars program benefit the students but it would also benefit any business that decided to participate. The main reason that many places do not accept the Dining Dollars is because the University requires any participating restaurant to pay a twenty percent commission on profits. However if the success of Buffalo Phil’s and Crimson Café are any indicator of the amount of customers that accepting dining dollars brings, any restaurant in the city of Tuscaloosa could benefit from joining this program. Another benefit for businesses that are already accepting Dining Dollars is that all of them are local staples at The University of Alabama. Which means that some students will occasionally return to these places even after the Dining Dollars run out, this is a benefit that will undoubtedly be the case for any new businesses that join the program.

The more restaurants that join the program the more The University of Alabama benefits. As of now the University is receiving a very high commission from four different restaurants. A good way for the University to keep getting money from different businesses is to lower the very high commission. While the University may think this will lower the amount of money they get from the program, it would actually do the exact opposite. A lower commission would just be incentive for businesses to enter the program. Therefore the University would still end up getting the same amount of money from the program, and eventually more because of the potential businesses that will join.

The idea of more businesses joining the Dining Dollars program is a classic example of a win-win situation. Students would have more places to spend the three hundred dollars that are automatically put on their account and would therefore be happier. Businesses would make a lot more money and would bring in a much larger volume of customers, and the University would make a lot more money from the Dining Dollar commissions.

Petitioning for Change: Lakeside Diner vs. Maea

Upon walking into Lakeside Dining Hall, one is stopped by the determined Maître D's, nice tablecloths and well-dressed servers promoting the new, upscale, restaurant on campus, Maea. Although Maea is very conveniently placed, students riot its location, because of interference of socializing, late night eating, and feasible pricings. Maea has taken the place of the affordable and student loved Lakeside Diner. Not only was Lakeside Diner an eating facility, it also allowed students to socialize without having to swipe their ACT card. Students have gone to great measures to eliminate the continuance of this fancy restaurant, and hopefully will bring Lakeside Diner back on the scene.

Maea is a classy, sit down restaurant on the campus of The University of Alabama, located in the upstairs of the Lakeside Dining Hall beside the Marketplace. Its purpose is to bring an upscale eatery to the University of Alabama. They have a decent range of food styles from steaks to poboys, nachos to burgers, and noodles to fried green tomatoes. There are appetizers, salads, sandwiches, entrées and three desserts to choose from. Junior, Brandon Feazell said, “The food at Maea is good, but we are college students and don’t really need fine dining.” Junior, T.J. Skrodzki stated, “Bama Dining says they wanted to make it [classier], but honestly, I do not care about class in my 2 a.m. dining choices.”

With students wanting a midnight snack that is convenient, another tactic used by various students to eliminate Maea is the creating of a Facebook group entitled Boycott Maea. This group as of today has 1,171 members. This group features students who refuse to eat at Maea because they wanted the usual fried chicken fingers, waffles and Philly cheese steaks, offered at the Lakeside Diner at any time of the night exceeding until 3am. Junior, Donna Lawrence stated, “We don't want a cheesy sit down restaurant that doesn't even take meal plans. We didn't mind waiting a few minutes in a line to get our food because that food was worth waiting for.” Sean Randall stated, “The atmosphere is also a bit awkward, as you have a fancy meal in front of you and a bird’s eye view of the clamor and bustle of Lakeside Dining Hall. The noise carries a bit, so the less-than-fancy setting offsets the fancy food.”

The “awkward” setting is not even one of the major problems to this new facility. When paying for a meal at Maea it is important to have an adequate amount of Dining Dollars and Bama Cash, seeing that Maea only takes Dining Dollars and Bama Cashm, not meal plans. Sophomore Donnell Foster said, “I’ve eaten there four times and found myself down by about 75 dollars in Dining Dollars.” Maea’s Appetizers run from $4 to $8. Salads go from $5 to $9. Sandwiches are between $7 and $9. Entrées have three prices: $9, $12 and $14, and the three desserts are $4, $5 and $6. Want to add chicken to your salad? That's $2 extra. Shrimp: $5. With all of those many options once you add tax and toggle in gratuity, you are probably looking at a $15 plus meal. For the student with a limited budget, this is a once every month or two deal. Senior Elizabeth Yarbrough stated, “I don’t eat at Maea because the lack of quality of food. Swordfish at Maea is around twenty dollars, when in other restaurants it’s much pricier. I do not want to be eating swordfish that is not as good as the swordfish I have eaten at other restaurants.”

The expensive price range and lack of quality of food is angering to students, but the timing of this year’s dining halls because of Maea have made many people upset. Maea is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday and 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday. With this timing schedule it has affected all of the dining hall closing times. Lakeside Dining Hall is now where the Diner resides, the Dining Hall closes an hour and a half earlier than it used to, at 8:30 p.m. Burke also closes an hour and a half earlier than it was last year, also at 8:30 p.m. This means Maea and Buffalo Phil’s are the only eating places on campus open from 8:30 to 10 p.m. Luckily Lakeside Dining Hall reopens as Lakeside Diner from 10pm to 1am, with grill style food every Sunday through Thursday. Lakeside Diner previously opened at 5pm and close at 3am every day. It was the spot to socialize at night without having to swipe your card. The timing was so convenient, that after late ending social events, instead of going to the traditional IHOP and Waffle House students would venture to the desirable Lakeside Diner.

Overall, more students are not necessarily displeased with Maea, they just would like for it to be placed in a different location. With Maea being in the location of Lakeside Dining Hall it has sent a sudden uprising amongst some of the students of The University of Alabama. Students now have to swipe their ACT card to socialize and get in Lakeside Diner before the designated closing times. Although some students wanted a classier sit-down restaurant, I doubt they wanted it with all the many sacrifices Bama Dining decided to add. The prices are a bit excruciating for an average college student and the atmosphere is demeaning, towering over the populated Lakeside Dining Hall. Sophomore Justin Meek stated, “I really miss all of the options of Lakeside Diner, and watching television on the big screen while I talk with my friends.” Students are determined to emit an entrance for change, and hopefully the original Lakeside Diner will be back into existence.

Voting On Campus

Voting in campus elections is a right that all students should exercise with pride. It is the student body that has the power to put a representative voice in office and therefore should make that voice heard by voting. The Student Government Association has more power than the student body typically thinks. Substantial change can be made with these elected officials. However, typical student voter turnout is very minimal. There are a lot of reasons why students fail to vote in elections. By and large the student body is guilty of apathy in regards to elections which is not a satisfactory excuse for failing to vote. The other major reason is the prevalent mindset of “It is only one vote, it will not make a difference.” These reasons are not good enough. As an American citizen it is your civic duty to vote, as a university student that civic duty is still applicable. University of Alabama students should utilize their right to vote and be heard.

At the University of Alabama the common theme of all elections is that the fraternities and sororities control all of the SGA offices. The fraternities and sororities have a perceived political machine. This perception is solely based on the fact that their respective members are encouraged and for the most part exercise their right to vote. This allows for a political machine to be formed. These entities are able to marshal their members to vote their candidates and thus their views into office. Due to the apathy of the student body in regard to SGA elections, these numerically inferior organizations are able to put their candidates in office. Essentially, a handful of people are able to control the outcome of elections by ensuring voter turnout of their organization. Consequently, many students don’t vote in SGA elections because of the way the elections are perceived to be controlled. The majority of independent voters believe there is no point in voting due to the fact they will always be outnumbered by the perceived political machine. Another reason why students generally do not participate in elections is a lack of interest and knowledge regarding the issues relevant to the election. My roommate, a senior here at Alabama, will not cast a vote simply due to the fact that he feels he cannot compete against the political machine. This may be true, but only because of people like my roommate, who allow it to happen due to the fact he will not cast a vote. Students have power, power to make their voice heard. Voting is not a waste of time and effort. It is making your voice known in the purest form.

All of these things may be true for now, but only because everyone buys into this system of political machine dominance. Nearly 27% of the undergraduate student population at the Capstone is in the 31 fraternity and 22 sorority chapters. The other 73% of students on campus have no Greek affiliation at all. This shifts the playing field to the advantage of the independents. If every student exercised their right to vote, the only political machine in place would be the voice of each and every student. This should make independent students feel empowered to vote in each election. Year in and year out, SGA has had some fine representatives, however, students should not be so casual about the candidates they want to put in office. The student’s voice is louder than the average person might think. Every student can be heard by participating in the elections. People also feel that voting is too much trouble and they don’t have enough time, or maybe they are just too lazy to go vote. This is a common misconception because voting is an easy process at the Capstone. Voting consists of accessing your MyBama account, clicking a link and checking a box by your favorite candidate’s name. This should offset the excuse of being too busy or too lazy that many students use since students access that account daily. We shouldn’t feel like our voice doesn’t count, and we shouldn’t feel intimidated about the process of voting in any election. Democracy is not democracy without the people being heard clearly. Many students also feel like there is no point in voting because everything will be the same whether their vote is counted or not. This is not true by any means since the SGA obviously represents the student body as a whole. If students want anything from the University to change, the place to start is through the SGA. The SGA has a great influence on the many projects and events on campus. The best way to influence change is to vote for the candidate you feel is most qualified to represent your views and to never assume a certain candidate is going to win.

Not only is voting in campus elections the right thing to do, it is the most logical way of seeing positive changes on campus. It is time to put an end to the excuses and see each student participate in every election. If a student does not exert the power to vote, then what is the point of having this privilege? The right to vote is a powerful privilege and is very crucial even if it seems that one vote cannot make a difference. Students will be better students and this campus will be a better place if everyone would vote.

Why Take 348-Ride?

Keeping students safe on campus is a leading priority to the University of Alabama. Unfortunately, with over 22,000 students in the undergraduate program alone it is near impossible to predict the safety precautions that all students will take while on campus. Regardless, the University of Alabama has gone to great lengths to provide safety to its students; especially during the evening when finding transportation and a means of getting around campus feasibly become more complicated. Many of the major concerns of late night transportation methods that students take involve alcohol, but even without alcohol involved getting around campus can be a hassle. The University of Alabama has created a service called “348-ride” as a solution to majority of transportation problems during the evening. Students should take 348-ride during the evening whenever possible in order to save money and remain safe from physical harm as well as from legal trouble.

Despite this great method, many students still refuse to use this system. Students are concerned that taking the 384-ride bus or van to a party could actually be very embarrassing. Because of this, students may decide to take a taxi, which is clearly a better choice than driving under the influence. However, taxis have a capacity of four people and the driver charges by the mile. 348-ride is free of charge and can hold a large group of people.

Another concern students have with taking 348-Ride is that if a person is publically intoxicated in the group of people within the van, the drivers will take them to the police station. However, this is a major misconception. It is not 348-ride’s responsibility to turn students in. There is a much greater chance of a student getting in legal trouble with the police if they are driving while under the influence, or even if someone should decide to walk around by themselves at unsafe hours in the night. If a student is walking home alone on campus at night, they are putting themselves at high risk of getting raped, mugged, or anything of that nature. The UA police are looking for this in order to keep students safe; however they are still required to enforce the law which means that they are more likely to stop a student if they are stumbling along the campus late at night and giving them a public intoxication charge before they target students who are being responsible enough to take 348-ride. And they are certainly more concerned with looking for drunk drivers.

Drunk driving is a major problem among most college campuses. Students in college have a wide range of freedom and many more opportunities to consume alcohol. Luckily, the city of Tuscaloosa does not have a major night scene besides what is located directly around campus. Due to the fact that most of the locations students want to go at night are within a 15-mile radius, students believe that there is very little danger in driving under the influence such short distances. Still, drinking and driving causes many accidents and is the number one killer among teenagers in America; and accidents will occur no matter how short the distance. 348-ride’s main focus is keeping students from drinking and driving. They have provided buses that go between locations on campus and neighborhoods surrounding it to transport students. The 348-Ride route goes all over campus including residence halls and also neighborhoods surrounding campus in the area inside the border made by Greensboro Avenue, 15th Street, Helen Keller Boulevard, and Jack Warner Parkway.
Despite some of the negative opinions of 348-ride, there are still many students who see the pros of this system. Many students say that they would rather take 348-Ride than to get pulled over after drinking. A freshman at the University, Allison Porter, exclaims that it is incredibly useful. “It is very helpful not having to decide who will drive. It’s great to not have to drive my own car and find a parking spot on a busy night, even when there is no alcohol involved!” Although students seem to find both good and bad things about 348-Ride, safety should always be the number one priority.

These reasons are enough to explain the benefits of taking 348-Ride, but to get it started some students should just step up. If not many people are doing it, no one wants to. If a few students take the smart option of 348-Ride, it will create a “domino effect” where more and more students will make the decision. If more students begin to take this free transportation then fewer students will begin to get embarrassed for taking it; consequently decreasing the number of drunk drivers and students hazardously wandering the campus on their own at night.

If we could get a majority of students living on campus to take 348-Ride it would help eliminate drunk driving and the results that come with it. Students should not drink and drive, but be safe and take the free transportation provided. 348-Ride offers many things to help out students in many different ways which will still allow them to have fun. Some students refuse it, but looking at all aspects it is very beneficial. By taking 348-Ride, students stay safe, pay nothing and also set examples for others to follow their lead in making good decisions.

MIS

One of the most important decisions during any student’s college career is their major and fortunately The University of Alabama has a wide variety to choose from. Inside each major here on campus a sub culture forms between the students and faculty involved in each one. One in particular has caught my attention and offers many interesting qualities that other majors on campus don’t have; it’s called Management Information Systems or MIS. Not only are many people completely clueless to what this major is but also have no insight into how it works or the type of people involved with it. As a junior currently in the program I will attempt to offer some insight into what this major is the personality of its students, why these students decided to be MIS majors, and how it’s different than other majors on campus.

The first thing people usually want to know when I tell them what I’m majoring in is “what is MIS?” According to the University’s MIS website it combines a strong business curriculum with the experience and technical skills needed to compete in today's information-based society. Even after that wordy definition is it still very vague as to what someone in the program actually does. Since the program basically combines aspects of business and technology. Graduates from the program have gotten jobs ranging from Business Consultants to Software Engineers and just about everything in between. So an MIS major can pursue a career in almost any aspect of business they would like. So the next question is what types of classes does someone looking to earn an MIS major have to take? According to the official MIS catalogue students must pass a wide variety of business and computer science classes that include but are not limited to: Accounting, Marketing, Statistics, Management, Finance, Coding, and Database Management. Looking at this list it it safe to conclude that a student looking to major in MIS is up to no easy task. So why do people choose MIS as their major?

One of the main reasons students choose MIS is because they are very interested in business and technology. And given that the MIS program at the university is ranked nationally as one of the 5 best programs in the nation students can rest assured that the quality of the classes will be second to none. Another reason that students choose the program is the outstanding job placement after graduation. The program currently advertises that 99 percent of students have a job in the business technology field after graduatation. Not only are students guaranteed jobs they also can rest assured that these jobs will pay very well. The average starting salary of an MIS graduate is 50,000 to 60,000 dollars annually with significant signing bonuses. These incentives give students many reasons to major in MIS. Let’s take a deeper look into what life is like for a student currently in the program.

Currently being a junior in the program myself I can give a firsthand perspective into what it's like to be an MIS major. The first reason that really draws someone into the major is the fact that students feel like they are learning something practical that they can carry over into their careers. Another benefit of the major is the sense of professionalism instilled in every student from the beginning. Each week MIS majors attend Alabama Information Society meetings that bring in different companies to give presentations and recruit students for summer internships. These meetings require students to dress in business formal attire and conduct themselves in professional manner. This early instilment of professionalism really sets the program apart from others when companies are looking to hire newly graduated students. The program offers countless means for students to improve themselves to further the advancement and provides them with skills that will carry over with them to their careers.

There are many great reasons to be an MIS major. It's a very small major that provides students to form close relationships with both their classmates and their professors. This allows for students to constantly get support when they are struggling with their class load. And while these classes are very challenging they provide students with skill that can carry over into their careers. Speaking of careers MIS provides networking opportunities with many companies by hosting meetings and careers fairs to allow students to get their name and resume out before they graduate. With the MIS program at the University of Alabama MIS program being one of the top five in the nation there are many advantages to being inside the major. But there is a few problems with the major that sometimes get overlooked. The tough course load can sometimes be overwhelming for students. Since these courses are so difficult it really requires the right kind of person to join it.

Being in the MIS program myself I get a firsthand look into the personality of the students currently in the major. Being that MIS is relatively small major compared to others on campus you get to know everyone in the major pretty well. Between constantly seeing each other in classes or the many networking events the program host every semester it almost becomes more of a group or club than a major. Hopefully the next time someone mentions MIS or you see an advertisement for it on campus you'll now have a little more knowledge of one of the most successful programs on campus.

Tuscaloosa Flooding

Tuscaloosa has always had a huge problem with flooding. Due to high amounts of precipitation over the last few weeks this problem has become quite more noticeable. Anytime Tuscaloosa gets a large amount of participation the entire town looks like it is about to go underwater. Flooding takes a huge toll on the city of Tuscaloosa and also the state of Alabama. Starting in early September tropical storms have been pushing horrible storms across Alabama state lines. The amount of rainfall sets creeks and streams higher throughout the whole city. The flooding has gotten so bad in some areas that it has caused thousands of dollars in damage. For instance, here in west Alabama flooding has been washing out roads, destroying vehicles, and forcing people out of their homes. This flooding had not only caused damage to many homes, cars and buildings, but also affects the lives of teachers, students, and motorists. While the amount of rainfall cannot be controlled, there are many measures the state and local government can put into place that could ease the amount of rainwater that builds up in our streets.

Driving around on rainy days can be scary. The roads all around Tuscaloosa build up massive puddles of water due to the nonexistent drainage systems in the streets. Some intersections around town can get so flooded that cars simply cannot pass without running the risk breaking down. Intersections like 12th and 8th avenue, behind Tutwiler dormitory, flood so bad that water even starts to creep into nearby houses and basements causing a multitude of damages. The water buildup is also a huge safety risk because of drivers are more likely to hydroplane and lose control. This could not only hurt or kill the driver but also injure any motorist unlucky enough to be caught in the path. The solution to this problem is simple. Tuscaloosa must implement a better street draining system.

The draining system in Tuscaloosa is non nonexistent. In most cities and towns you will notice covered holes on curbs that water runs into during a heavy rainstorm. If you take a look around Tuscaloosa one will notice that these drains are not there. The little drainage that does exist is dirty and clogged in certain places. On top of this the waterways that the city has built to drain out the rainwater are not efficient enough for the amount of rain Tuscaloosa gets. These waterways simply can’t take the strain and are constantly overflowing causing the streets to become filled with water.

There are many ways for the city of Tuscaloosa to improve the draining system and reduce the amount of flooding. The first step the city should take is to look at the map of the current drainage system to see where they should implement new systems. Next they should send people down underground to clean out and evaluate the status of the current systems in place. The city needs to check all pipes to see if they are in satisfactory shape and capable of handling the amount of rainfall we get every year. After all pipes have been checked a plan needs put in place to start repairing and widening the current pipes along with adding new drainage to problem areas.

Fixing these drain problems will fix lots of problems for the city and for the residents that live in the city. The roads of Tuscaloosa will be that much safer for folks to drive on in stormy weather. Residents should take action and push for a newer and better drain system to be worked on. If people were to get together and make their voices heard one could believe that the government will do something about the problem because it simply cannot be ignored any longer.

Saturdays of Fall

Saturdays during fall can be a great day to just relax, go shopping, or even catch a matinee. But this couldn’t be further from the truth in the South! Down here, working for the weekend isn’t just a mentality, it’s a damn lifestyle. When the whistle blows on late Friday afternoon, people shed their mundane charcoal gray monkey suits for sweatshirts and polos that dawn their teams colors. Whether it’s the phenomenal collaboration of crimson and white or the reprehensible dark blue and burnt orange, the passion is the same none the less. Instead of relaxing and celebrating the end of the work week like most people on Friday night, they are too busy filling up coolers and packing up their game day tents in preparation for the game day festivities to come. Once they have gathered up their kids—who are forced to wear their team’s colors—and strapped them into their seats, they’re ready to hit the road. As they get on the highway, which will ultimately have bumper-to-bumper traffic, they will have plenty of time to view the match-ups in their head. With all the time in the world to think, due to the traffic, there are two thoughts that ultimately have never came racing through their head at any point. “Why do I do this? What do I get out of this?”

Upon coming into town their first instinct is to settle and take over the most abundant pregamming area available. Once the stakes have been planted and the plasma has been hooked up, they are ready to start. They most likely have set up shop next to a friend, fellow alum or at least a fan that sports their same colors. With only two hours until kick off and around eight beers in them, they’re so pumped you would think they’re playing in the game. The quad is blanketed with complete strangers who consider each other a part of the crimson family. As they head to the stadium they can hear the rumble of excitement traveling through the brisk fall air. Once inside the stadium they are immediately reminded of why they go through all the chaos of game day. The stadium shakes during kick off and doesn’t let up; the liquor-filled crowd is unanimous when cheering well-executed plays and booing bad officiating. Once the final second ticks off, the mood of 90 thousand plus fans is solely dependent on what the scoreboard reads. If victorious, there is nonstop chatter and remembrance of the game as the crowd flies out of the stadium like cows being herded. If defeated, you can hear a pin drop during the awkward silences that separates angry boos and regrets. As they leave the game they can’t help themselves from dreaming about the next Saturday to come.

There are plenty of tailgaters and extremists who sure don’t mind spending a pretty penny. The hardcore tailgaters pull up to Bryant Denny Stadium in there moderately priced $200,000 trailer. Some tailgaters rent out apartments or own condos on campus just for fall Saturdays that run from $12,000-$30,000 a year. Not to mention the tickets, which can range from about $100 to $600 a ticket. What is it that drives these people to the state of fan hood that they exist in? Is it purely just the entertainment value or is it more than that? What is inside these unique individuals we call tailgaters? It could be just an absolute love for the game of football, but probably not. Perhaps it’s the feeling of being a part something bigger than one’s self, like a community or a nation. Because everyone likes to feel as though they belong, it’s an identity we can all share. Not only do they root on their team but they root for each other. It’s the shared feeling complete strangers have that can unite them such as the feeling two random strangers get when they high five each other after a successful play. The ability to mutually share the same smile after a heart pounding victory, as well as mourning together after a heart breaking loss. It also may be that were all living vicariously through our team, since we can’t all be world-class athletes. Or maybe it’s a fear of getting old that brings alum back to campus on Saturday; to practice the rituals they once did as young faced adolescents.

Tailgating, if anything is affirmative, is a celebration that unites and pulls us together before kickoff. Support of the tide is the very fabric which holds all 100,000 plus people together on those fall Saturdays. Being a fan is something we all share on Saturday afternoons. It’s us versus them. On game day you can always break the ice with a fellow fan by just simply saying “Roll Tide”. It’s not hard to understand the passion of tailgaters, because no matter how mundane are lives are we will always celebrate those game days by being champions on the fall.