The Crimson Tide Celebrates Its Fourteenth National Championship

           Well, family, I’d say the celebration of the Tide’s fourteenth National Championship went successfully and wonderfully well. The amazing thing was that the rain was able to get on out of Tuscaloosa in time for the big party that was held at Bryant-Denny Stadium this afternoon. Most fans began showing up at the gates at around 11 AM, one hour before the gates were to open. I was one of the first thousand fans to enter the stadium, which meant I was one of the many excited fans that got to see the action from the field itself. Now, I’ve never really been on the field like that until today, and I have to tell you, I felt like a VIP just being out on the field, and despite a pounding headache which usually would have caused me to stay in bed, I wouldn’t miss this for the world, being the number one Bama fan that I am. Before the ceremony, some fans were able to get their picture taken with the BCS trophy. I did not get to do that, since I was trying to get on the field before it got too crowded. I’m sure there may be other opportunities to get my photo taken with the trophy.

The ceremony itself was very exciting. We heard from many of the players including Trent Richardson, Dante Hightower and others. We heard rousing speeches from Dr. Witt, Coach Mal Moore, and of course, Nick Saban. It was especially meaningful to me to see that the Tide came back to win a national title right after the tragic storms of last April. I think that showed that Tuscaloosa and UA have emerged victorious once again, and that really means so much to me I cannot even begin to explain. But that’s not the best thing that happened at Bryant-Denny Stadium today. After the ceremony was over, fans and students were able to access the field, go through the tunnel and get a look at the locker room. I was no exception to that treat. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

 I’ll never forget the way I felt when we won that last game against LSU. As I stood in the aisle of the Ferg theater and watched as the Tide took that last knee on that glorious Monday night two weeks ago, my heart rejoiced and I almost cried as ESPN sportscaster Brett Musburger acknowledged what happened here on April 27 and then said, “Tuscaloosa, this one’s for you.” It was mentioned today how our players were the first people out on the scene following the tornado and how they came together to help those who were hurting or in need, which earned them the Disney Spirit award. And now as this beautiful town that I love so much is rebuilding and recovering, I can only begin to imagine how much a joy this is for those whose lives were most effected to watch as the BCS National Championship trophy comes back home.

 Finally, I just want to say this: as legendary countdown host Casey Kasem said as he closed his last show on the week of July 4 2009, “success doesn’t happen in a vacuum; you’re only as good as the people you work for and the people you work with.” Similarly, a university is only as good as the people you learn from and the people you work and interact with. UA has been blessed with faculty and staff who have supported us students a great deal. I don’t think they hear enough from us students how much their love for the UA family and their help and support means to each and every one of us, both individually and as a whole. Yes, I may love them Southern women, but in all seriousness, I really want to thank each and every faculty and staff member for what they’ve done to make this university the place it is today, from the president right on down to the teachers. 

Dr. Witt, if you ever read this, on behalf of the entire student body, I’d like to thank you, the Board of Trustees and your entire administration for what you have done for this family; it really means a lot to us. I hope I get a chance to meet you all and talk to you in person one day very soon so I can personally thank you guys myself. But until then, please accept our thanks and gratitude from the bottom of our hearts. Everybody keep up the good work. And once again, our most heartfelt congratulations go out to the Alabama Crimson Tide for winning its FOURTEENTH National Championship. May God continue to bless all faculty, staff and students, and may God bless the University of Alabama. ROLL TIDE! J

-David Rissling-Venit

Looking Forward to This Semester

Greetings to all of my UA family. I hope everyone had a great holiday season and is looking forward to the big day on Monday January 9! (ROLL TIDE!!!) J I know that many of you will be returning to school earlier than usual to gear up for the big game. Some of you will also be traveling to New Orleans to watch the big game up close and personal. Good luck with that, and I’m glad y’all were able to get tickets; I’m jealous! I tried to win four tickets for me and three other members of my family, but to no avail. So, if you’re like me and will be in T-Town for the big event, there are many locations on campus where you can go to join your fellow friends and classmates and celebrating and cheering on the Tide. It’s my understanding that the Ferg Theater will be showing the game and there may be free food and drinks provided. Also, guys, there are a number of service projects that will be going on the day before the game and the morning of the game in New Orleans and Tuscaloosa respectively. The service projects are part of a service initiative called “Building Champions through Service,” and they’re great ways you can help out in either community. If you will be in New Orleans and want to participate in the service project down there, you’ll want to register online using the link provided in the uanews email you all should have received before the end of last semester. Check-in time on Sunday will be noon, and lunch will be provided on site. Transportation will not be provided to New Orleans, however. There may be some shuttle services provided to the site from major areas like hotels in New Orleans. The project will run from 1-5 PM, and participants will be helping with Boys and Girls club buildings, including the upkeep of the baseball fields, painting and beautification of surrounding neighborhoods in southeast Louisiana. Space is limited to 200 participants from each school, both UA and LSU.

Additionally, there is need for student volunteers to help with the removal of tornado debris and volunteering in area schools. That service project will be from 9-11 AM on Monday morning, 1/9. The link to register can be found on the same email as mentioned above. Check-in is at 8:30 at the Fergusson Plaza, transportation is provided to the sites, and lunch is provided at the end of the event. Sponsors for this event include the Black Student Union, and our friends at the Fergusson Center.

            Now, before we dive into next semester, there are a few things I feel I must address to the UA family. First off, if you’re like me, you love to cheer on the Tide. That goes for football, basketball, swimming, soccer, baseball and so on. You try to support them as much as possible by attending games/meets whenever you can. That’s great; keep cheering them on, Bama fans! However, please remember that academics do come first and foremost. With that in mind, I usually try to go to no more than one event a week. In the spring, there are countless numbers of sports events that happen around here. I go to the website or check my e-mails and see what all is going on during the week and I pick my event if I have time to fit it into my busy schedule, between working, studying and everything else I do. Also, please remember to keep your language clean at all events, no matter how much you dislike the call. You can yell at the blind refs all you want, but don’t let it get crazy; please, NO SWEARING! Remember that bags may be limited and checked at various events. Lastly, and this is important, may I issue a friendly reminder that throwing things onto the playing area for any reason at any time is never allowed. We want everyone to have fun but be safe, and look out for the safety of your friends and those around you.

            Finally, family, as we prepare to begin a new semester, I’d like to talk to everyone about something much more serious, and that is this: we here at the University of Alabama strive for excellence in all that we do. We strive to maintain a fun/learning environment that is friendly, comfortable and welcoming for all. We do this by making sure that our words, actions and conversations are appropriate at all times. Folks, we need to look past our differences and understand that people are people. I am proud to attend a university as diverse as this university. Chalking can be fun; it’s a great way to express yourself openly, creatively and freely. However, when we chalk words and pictures that are offensive in any way, then it gets out of hand. So, let’s have fun, but please, let’s keep it clean. Let’s watch how we talk, watch what we chalk, and make sure we treat one another with the dignity, civility and respect that everyone deserves. We’re family, and we want everyone to feel comfortable here and proud to be a UA student.

            Guys, I think this semester should be a great one. Keep checking the Ferg website for the latest on upcoming events sponsored by the Fergusson Center. Everybody keep working hard here at the University of Alabama. ROLL TIDE!!

--David  Rissling