Soledad O’Brien Visits UA and Impacts Students

On Wednesday, November 9^th, I had the privilege of listening to CNN journalist and anchorwoman Soledad O’Brien talk about diversity and encourage students to stand up and be an advocate for yourself and others. Mrs. O’Brien began her talk by explaining her struggles in advancing in her journalism career. She was criticized for her name and denied a job opportunity because she was not physically “dark enough” to fill the one anchor position available for African Americans on this particular news staff. 

Although Mrs. O’Brien has faced many struggles she has prevailed in her field. As a Harvard graduate, she has unveiled several documentary series focusing on “telling the stories that would otherwise not be heard”. 

She encouraged the audience to be a voice to those that may not have a voice, to always pursue your dreams regardless of what others may say or regardless of the failures you may face. From hearing her stories of overcoming odds in her career, dealing with the identity struggles of being multiracial, and seeing how she managed to travel around the world and still be involved with her family, Mrs. Soledad O’Brien is a true inspiration. It was a pleasure to also view a preview clip of her new documentary, Black In America, that aired this past Sunday on CNN. I am grateful to the Ferguson Center and all the other sponsors of this event for having the opportunity to meet Mrs. O’Brien and listen to her speak. It was truly a wonderful and enlightening experience. 

Sydney L. Page

Sophomore

Major: History; Minors: Blount Liberal Arts & Education

SGA Senator – Arts & Sciences

It Takes Less Than You Think....To Read This Blog

So, we lost on Saturday.

There. It’s said. Now we can all look past that and remember that that was one heck of a game to watch, and we played it well.  (I don’t even like football, and I can tell that!)  And we can remember that there was a whole bunch more to Saturday than the game—like the entire morning and afternoon, for example.

And speaking of Saturday afternoon, who checked out the Rising Tide Tailgate I mentioned? 

If you did go, I do not need to bother saying how completely intimidating it was at first to see so many people there.  But, initial shock being processed, it was so much fun to see everyone pumped up for the game, talking about anything and everything, and of course, breaking out into shouts of ‘ROOOOOLLLLLLLLL TIIIIIIIIIIDE ROLL!’ every couple of minutes.

 And aside from the school spirit pumping through everybody’s system, the free Moe’s burrito bar, and the live band pumping out tunes, I even got to learn a little while I was there.

As it turns out, the student-based LessThanUThink campaign, www.LessThanUThink.org , was there helping put on the alcohol-free tailgate (which I really liked, as I am no fan of the smell of spilled beer all over the place). They were giving out yellow hammers that said “RAMMER JAMMER” (nifty!) and really working hard to get their name out there for students to hear about.

Believe it or not, this tailgate was the first I’d heard of LessThanUThink. Their big thing is about educating students about the consequences of drinking even just a little too much, and it’s not like they’re trying to tell anybody what they should and shouldn’t do. It just seems like they care enough to want students to just play it smart.  You know we’ve all seen some poor soul make themselves ridiculous because they just didn’t know when to stop themselves.  The idea of LessThanUThink, or at least the idea that I got, was ‘Be smart enough to not be that guy.’ 

--Dominique Duerr

Life Got You Down...Roll Tide

Congratulations to Spencer Morris for winning the EA Sports NCAA Football Challenge held on the Ferg Plaza, November 4th, 2011!

Here is the exclusive Winner's Interview:

The atmosphere in Tuscaloosa was like no other campus we’ve visited so far on the tour.  Tour buses, RV’s, and campers were already parked at the stadium 3 days in advance for the matchup between BAMA and LSU.  Parking spaces were limited on and around campus.  BBQ smokers, tailgating tents, as well as the largest pot of gumbo ever prepared blanketed the campus for the big game and the EA Sports NCAA Football Challenge was also part of the festivities.  

We crowned our next campus champion, Spencer Morris who can’t wait to represent BAMA at the Rose Bowl in January.  Ladies and gentlemen...Spencer Morris... 

Q&A

• Commish - Two words...Rose Bowl
• Spencer - I know man...unbelievable!  This is amazing and indescribable...I never thought that it would happen.  I never had an idea that I would play today.  I was simply walking past and decided to register so that I can get the t-shirt, and decided to play a few games before my next class.  Next thing I knew...it was the final game for the Rose Bowl  
• Commish - Not a bad trade-off...class vs. winning a trip of a lifetime.  What’s your major by the way? 
• Spencer - Biology
• Commish - You may have missed your Biology class but you had no problems dissecting the competition today.
• Spencer - You got that right!  It was pretty easy and came naturally for me actually.
• Commish - Let’s jump off subject a little bit.  The atmosphere on campus is electric right now.  I don’t believe that I’ve ever experienced something like this for a college football game.
• Spencer - Yes, this is huge for us.  Some are calling this the game of the decade.  But, believe it or not, this is the normal atmosphere for a BAMA game against any SEC team.  We’re pretty serious about our football around here.
• Commish - Any predictions on the game?  
• Spencer - LSU has a really good team and they’re playing good ball this year.  However, I believe that we’re a little stronger than them right now.  It’s simply not happening.  Coach Saban has us playing on another level right now.
• Commish - Les Miles...more Saban huh?
• Spencer - That’s right!  I believe that Coach Saban will come out throwing the ball a lot more than people think tomorrow night.  
• Commish - I don’t know...you guys have a great running game that hasn’t been stopped as of yet.

• Spencer - That’s true, but you can’t count out the passing game either.  We lost some pieces in our passing game but we also have a great defense that factors in as well.
• Commish - I wish you guys luck tomorrow and also wish you luck in Pasadena.
• Spencer - Thank you...Roll Tide!

Football in the south is like religion as they say.  This game will be one to remember regardless of the outcome.  

 --Shared by Game Live Events

The World's Largest Pot of Gumbo!

Prior to kickoff on Saturday, November 5th, former Crimson Tide player Bob Baumhower, alongside renowned chefs from both Alabama and Louisiana, created the world’s largest pot of gumbo to raise money for charities helping with tornado relief.

The event, called the “LouisiBama Gumbo Bowl,” took place between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. outside of the Ferguson Student Center. Attendees received a cup of seafood gumbo after it had been post-certified by Guinness World Records to ensure the world record was reached.

All funds raised will benefit the Nick’s Kids Fund, a nonprofit charity started by head coach Nick Saban and his wife Terry to promote and support children, family, teacher and student causes and Caring Days, a day program for adults with memory disorders.

The gumbo recipe called for 750 pounds of shrimp, 450 pounds of catfish fillets, 100 pounds of claw crabmeat, 50 pounds of white crabmeat, 200 pounds of alligator meat, 25 pounds of Louisiana crawfish tail meat, 10 gallons of oysters with liquid, 200 pounds of diced onions, 75 pounds of diced celery, 100 pounds of diced green bell peppers, 150 pounds of sliced okra, 50 pounds of dehydrated garlic and 20 pounds of butter.

YUMMY.

--Natalie Beck

Pre-Game Hype: Bama v. LSU

“Get ready for the biggest football weekend of the season!”

At least that’s what everyone seems to be telling me.  I don’t know about you, but all this hype around this weekend’s LSU game has even gotten me to look up from my study guides and syllabi to see what all the hoop-la is about.

And, since my last tailgate experience was totally over the top (Parent’s Weekend Tailgate), I’m still wanting to snag a glimpse of that guy with all the UA tattoos,  and seeing as how this is THE game to see, I am heading to the Rising Tide Tailgate on Saturday.

The party kicks off three hours before kick-off, and from what I’ve heard about the Rising Tide Tailgates, there’s a bunch to look forward to.  It’s a UA students only tailgate with free food (YES!), live music and giveaways. On top of that, it’s right on the Quad where all the other action happens!

So, come out to the Quad with me anytime from 1:30-5:00 and get in on all this awesomeness going on!  The atmosphere is guaranteed to be amazing, seeing as how this is such a big-deal game and everyone has been pumped for it for days (and I mean everyone, two of my professors made attendance optional on Friday), free stuff (as I’ve said before) is amazing and will almost never do you any harm, and the cherry on top will be the amazing fall weather.

See you there! ROLL TIDE!    

--Dominique Duerr

THIS IS ALABAMA FOOTBALL:

I think one of the most exciting things about the University of Alabama is its football program. For as long as I can remember, I’ve known Tuscaloosa to be the football paradise of collegiate America. I was born here in Tuscaloosa and still remember living here as far back as when I was nearly 2 until we moved to Maryland when I was about 4 and a half. Mom and I would always watch the football games at home. We never could really go to one because it was too noisy for a little tyke like me. But we would go down to the band field. She’d pull me in one of those little wagons every now and again and we’d go to watch the band practice. I didn’t like loud cheering back then. I was even babysat by two football players who lived in our apartment complex on 15th street. To this day I still love it here in Tuscaloosa, and I’ve always dreamed of coming back someday. And here I’ve been for over two years now. I’m greatly considering settling here in T-Town after graduation. The academic road isn’t always easy, but I still love it here.

But the one thing I love more than anything else is Alabama football. If you’ve never been to a game at Bryant-Denny Stadium before, you’ll never forget the first time you set foot in that gate. It’s nothing like an NFL game; it’s even better. Now you may think this is coming from a typical student, and I may be a normal student, but the only difference is that I’m totally blind. So some might ask, “How do you see the game?” Well, it’s actually pretty easy, thanks to the Crimson Tide Sports Network. Inside the stadium, they sell these sports radios that allow the user to get the game on the radio with no delay on stations that only work inside the stadium, as well as other sporting areas such as the Coliseum. The one I have also has an AM and FM tuner, and I can plug any earphones into it. So, Eli Gold is my eyes, and he does a great job describing everything. I love how just before kickoff he always tells the listeners exactly what the players from each team’s uniforms look like. The real excitement begins when Tony Giles, the voice of Bryant-Denny Stadium, comes on and says, “Ladies and gentlemen, THIS IS ALABAMA FOOTBALL!”, the band strikes up and we all start singing our favorite tune, “Yea Alabama.”

During the game, when there’s a flag and I ask, “What was that for?”, one might say, “What was what for?” I’ll say, “That flag just now, what was it?” And then people will say, “How’d you know there was a flag? You can’t see it.” Then I’d say, “I just heard there was a flag on the radio.” I found this last game, the SEC opener against Arkansas, to be particularly interesting, because there were most definitely a couple of calls that shouldn’t have been, and some that should have been. I remember there was one time near the end of the game when there was a late hit on Arkansas that Eli Gold and all the fans saw, but the ref didn’t call it. We were all mad, and so was the coach obviously; he nearly gave that ref a piece of his mind, that’s for sure! He was calling everything on us and nothing on them. I got my cane up and started waving it in front of me and shouted, “Hey ref, what are you blind? You need a cane? Or how ‘bout a guide dog!” And everybody laughed.

I also think the band made a good choice by moving from DD to BB. Their sound is more open, and therefore we can hear them a lot better there. They certainly were a lot louder where I was sitting. I love to sit right by the band at all the games, because hearing the band makes game days even more fun. I think the most memorable game I’ve ever been to was the game two years ago against Tennessee. As many of you may know, that’s when Terrence Cody blocked a last-ditch field goal by Tennessee’s Daniel Lincoln that, if good, would have cost us the game, a perfect season, and perhaps a national championship bid. I’ll never forget when he made that block for the second and last time, and the entire place just exploded—EXPLODED! Man, I couldn’t even stand there cheering beforehand; I just stood there real still, quiet and tense. Those last four seconds nearly gave me a heart attack. When Cody blocked that kick, I just went wild; I was like “Oh my gosh, did that really just happen?” I was so happy I almost cried and was going crazy. Just about every one of us in my row hugged each other, and of course all of that was followed by THE biggest and loudest Rammer Jammer I’ve ever heard. I will never forget that day. I came back to the dorm with my ears ringing and nearly no voice for the rest of the night. It was a marvel I could sing at all that Sunday morning in the choir. Now Terrence Cody’s playing for my Baltimore Ravens.

I want to thank Eli Gold, the voice of the Tide football team, for doing a good job being my eyes. I look forward to the next game against Vanderbilt, which will be held on October 8 at BD Stadium. I also look forward to the pep rally and bonfire which will precede it. I’ll be there; won’t you all join us? I believe the party will begin on the quad on Friday night, October 7 at 6 PM. Nick Saban will probably speak, and the band will play, so you don’t want to miss the free fun. In addition, I believe this is also when the homecoming queen and parade party will be announced. So bring your chairs on down to the quad next Friday night, and be prepared to watch the Tide roll all season long here at the University of Alabama. You and the University of Alabama: ROLL TIDE!

--David Rissling-Venit