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

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

Rising Tide Student Tailgate Photo Album

We want to give a BIG thanks to Tiara Dees for the awesome pictures she took at this weekend's Rising Tide Student Tailgate. We had a great turnout for the free Full Moon Bar-B-Q, stickers and giveaways from the Less Than U Think team and music from Eric Fry and William Stephenson. Here are a few pictures from the day. To view the full slideshow click here: http://bit.ly/qU81L2

Thanks to everyone who came out on Saturday and be sure to come to the next Rising Tide Tailgate on October 22nd for the Tennessee game!

Tailgating for a Cause: Rising Tide Student Tailgate this Saturday on the Quad!

Though I have never been a “huge” fan of football, I can safely say that tailgating is my favorite aspect of the sports traditions here at the University of Alabama. I love the food, fun and atmosphere created by people who love the same school that I do.

This weekend, I am especially looking forward to the Rising Tide Student Tailgate. Rising Tide is a free tailgate that offers students at UA a chance to mingle with each other on the Quad. 

When I attended the tailgate last year, there was plenty of food by Full Moon Barbecue, a live band and even video games (which is my kind of tailgate)!

I especially love the outreach that Rising Tide creates for students. Last year, this student tailgate promoted alcohol awareness for those tailgating with them. Rising Tides is still supporting this cause through their Facebook page through the “Less Than U Think” campaign.

I hope to see the same amount of outreach and support for UA students during the next couple of tailgates on the Quad!

If you would like more information on the Rising Tide tailgate, be sure to like “Rising Tide Student Tailgate" or "The Ferg at UA" on Facebook!

--Tiara Dees

Parent & Family Weekend Tailgate: Pre-event Blog from the Ferg Bloggers

EXCITED much for some more Alabama football this weekend?! To add to the game excitement, get ready for our first Family Weekend Tailgate on September 17^th! The Ferguson Center Programming Office will be working in conjunction with Parent Programs this Saturday at Presidential Park, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. There will be a small raffle for registered parents and family members. So if your parents or family have not registered yet, make sure they sign up and get ready to Roll with the Tide. To maximize the tailgate experience for our families, Full Moon BBQ will be served along with great music from the band Two and Half White Guys.  So remember to sign up and come out and ROLL TIDE!

--Joycelyn Kennedy

The Whole Shebang:

This Saturday, September 17^th,  is the Family Weekend Tailgate. It’s a tailgate that Parents Programs is throwing for students and their families who are making the pilgrimage to our capstone dearest to spend the weekend in all out, total UA style. (Parent Programs is a part of Student Affairs, for anyone who doesn’t recognize the name) Anyway, I’ve heard that there are about three thousand people coming to this shin-dig, and I can say that impresses me a whole lot.  As my friends have said, “UA goes big, or stays home.”  

I have only ever been to one football game (don’t get mad, I watch on TV when I can!), and I definitely can’t say that I am a seasoned tailgater.  But I will say that in all my time here, experiencing a game-day (the way you see it depicted on all those nifty UA brochures and online) is one of the things I am determined to do at least once before I graduate.

And so we’re off! I am buckling down and really going for it—the whole shebang-- the complete game-day tailgating experience. I’m going to get that washable tattoo put on my cheek, and I’m going to take pictures of random people in copious amounts of houndstooth and crimson, and if I’m lucky, I am going to find that guy with all those UA tattoos.  

So, this Saturday at Presidential Park, at 3PM, three thousand people (students and family alike!) and I will be rolling with the tide, getting ready to see our school make us proud. Roll Tide!  

--Dominique Duerr

Perspectives on Family Weekend: Interview with Litsa Orban, coordinator of the First Year Experience and Family Weekend staff member

September is always an exciting time of year for students at UA. School has barely begun and the sights and sounds of football season can be all seen across campus.

However, September is also a very exciting time for families of UA students as well. Every year, the Office of Parent Programs hosts Family Weekend (hyperlink: http://parents.ua.edu/familyWeekend.cfm), a weekend geared towards offering the families of UA students a chance to visit the campus and really experience what it means to be a part of what we call the “UA Family.”

I had the pleasure of talking with one of our newest members of the UA Family. Litsa Orban is the new coordinator of the First Year Experience and a staff member for Family Weekend. Though Litsa did not graduate from the University of Alabama, she has actually been involved with the UA Office of Parent Programs since 2010, when she was a graduate intern.

She has a deep love for UA, and that is most apparent through her work on Family Weekend:

Q: What is your role or involvement with Family Weekend? How long have you been involved with this event?

LO: Family Weekend planning is a team effort with all staff of First Year Experience and Parents Programs. My specific responsibility was to plan the Family Weekend Student Affairs Brunch. Truly, the execution of this large event is a team effort with all areas of the Division of Student Affairs.

Q: What is Family Weekend about? Why is it important to the UA community and families?

LO: Family Weekend is about sharing. It is about students sharing their lives at UA with their family members; it is about the UA family sharing the place we love with our students’ families; it is about families sharing their lives with the University. At the end of the weekend, we are all family.

Q: Has attending or working Family Weekend changed or deepened your perspective on what the “UA Family” is? How so?

LO: UA is special and Family Weekend reminds everyone exactly how special it is. Although our students’ family members may not always be on campus, they are our family. So, it’s nice to have the whole family together.

Q: What are you looking forward to from this event?

LO: Family Weekend is a time for family members to experience The Capstone. It is always fun to witness others falling in love with UA.

With Family Weekend coming up this Saturday, we are all very excited to meet more of our UA Family!

--Tiara Dees

Hey, Crimson Tide family! Join us this Saturday, September 17, for our Family Weekend Tailgate party! This is an exciting way to meet up with all your friends here in our UA family and have a good time before the game.  Bring your family and introduce them to your friends, and show them what weekend life is really like here at UA.  It's fun, family friendly and it's absolutely free.  Then, join us afterwards at 6:30pm Saturday evening, when YOUR Alabama Crimson Tide marches onto the gridiron to take on North Texas at the famous BRYANT-DENNY STADIUM! A limited number of tickets are still available for that game, so don't wait.  If you or your family don't have tickets, order today by calling the UA Ticket OFFICE at 348-2262; 348-BAMA.  So come on out, bring your family, and join your UA family for the Family Weekend Tailgate Party, this Saturday afternoon only, here at the University of Alabama.  It's free, it's fun, and you don't want to miss it.  You and the University of Alabama: ROLL TIDE!

--David Rissling