When it Rains, It Floods

Dear TDOT,

If it rains, it floods! Anyone that has walked anywhere in Tuscaloosa while it is raining or has rained in the past 12 hours knows what that means. It is amazing to me that you allow this problem to progress. As the TDOT Storm Drainage Division, I believe it is your responsibility and obligation to handle this problem. Increased maintenance and additional piping are positive changes that will lead to the overall success in the drainage of Tuscaloosa as a whole as well as the University’s campus. Tuscaloosa’s flooding problem effects many people in a number of ways and can lead to financial and health risks, there are many possible solutions out there and they need to be executed without hesitation.

Fixing up our drainage system is not something that can wait. While the solution to Tuscaloosa’s flooding problem may be costly, the cost of doing nothing will be much greater. I would rather have our public resources used to prevent damages caused by flooding then fixing the damages after flooding has already taken its toll. If you live in Tuscaloosa, you are affected by flooding in some way. It affects many people’s wallets, time, safety and if you walk to classes like me, your shoes! I preformed a survey asking students if they thought flooding was a problem on campus. The result was no surprise. Nineteen out of 20 students checked very bad and the other student checked bad. The slightest drizzle causes large puddles everywhere. I can’t tell you how many times what seems like a light rain has caused water to pile up everywhere making it next to impossible to get to class without destroying my shoes. The average cost of 4 inches of flooding in a household is $11,480 the cost of each sidewalk square to be replaced from erosion due to flooding is $80, not to mention landscaping fees due to flooding as well as underwater flooding which can cause serious health risks to entire communities. Our personal safety is also at risk. Thousands of college students walk to class everyday. When water piles up on our roads it causes cars to hydroplane. I’m sure you don’t want the death of students on your hands and cars can easily hydroplane into an innocent student when it could be easily avoided. With the number of houses, sidewalks and landscapes in Tuscaloosa constant flooding it is eventually going to take toll and be extremely costly.

You solicit that your mission is, “Dedicated to the efficient operation and maintenance of all pipes, channels, creeks, inlets, and other drainage structures within our jurisdiction. In addition, we perform new construction projects to correct drainage problems for the citizens of Tuscaloosa. To protect and improve local water quality, we strive to ensure that only rain goes down the drain.” Actually I don’t believe much of anything is going down the drain. When it does actually storm, the streets turn into the Nile River and the quad transforms into a swamp. It is unacceptable that you promise your dedication to drainage in Tuscaloosa and yet we still have flooding from sprinkling.

So what should you do about this? My first thought would be to send people down there to clean the piping and make sure water is able to flow smoothly down the drains. This is a simple, cheap way to help. Drains are often blocked by illegal landscaping and fencing. Simply driving by and removing any objects blocking drains will help. While these are simple, easy ways to attempt helping out I don’t think they can fix the problem alone. Basically we need to rethink the whole design of the Tuscaloosa drainage system. Additional gutters need to be added at the points of water build-up on streets. Obviously water flows downhill. So, why do I see more drains up by the recreational center then down by the quad, where all the water flows down to and piles up. The street’s water pile up, could also be decreased by fixing the curbs. Larger, deeper curbs could hold a greater amount of water and would also allow the water to run smoother down the curbs to the drains. Sump pumps need to be available in large fields. When that water just sits there in the mud and accumulates different organisms and fungi, it can be harmful to people’s health and also causes a very repulsive smell.

I do believe this problem is your responsibility to address, but you do not have to do it all on your own. As you may know, the University has a great engineering program. If you made suggestions to the engineering board, I’m sure they would be happy to help. Not only would it be helping them by solving the flooding issue but the engineering majors could obtain great real world experience in engineering by calculating solutions to this problem. This could also make your job a lot easier.

Flooding is a problem for everyone. It would make many lives easier if it is improved. If it is not addressed soon it will lead to extremely large economic problems and possibly death. There are solutions out there and people that can help. Please fulfill you obligations and improve the lives of us all in Tuscaloosa.

Sincerely yours,

Group 8

UA Biking Solutions

Dear Department of Transportation:

Few students remember the days of driving through campus freely. This is because the University of Alabama has become a walking campus. Since the new Crimson Ride bus system came to campus four years ago, students have started walking and biking more and more. Biking is a quick and efficient way to get around campus, but there are certain issues that many bikers run into. These include the lack of bike racks and bike paths, which cause students to bike in the streets, which upsets drivers. The lack of bike racks and paths is troublesome for students who ride their bikes, but the drivers in the streets can be a problem to them as well, seeing that there are so few bike lanes on the roads.

As students hurry from class to class, a big problem can be the lack of bike paths on campus. Though there are a few bike paths on campus, there are still many areas that lack enough space for bikers, like the Quad, which leads to over-crowded sidewalks and close encounters between bikers and pedestrians. One student, who wishes to remain nameless, says that on several occasions she has nearly been run over by a biker trying to navigate through pedestrians on the sidewalk. Bike riders often have to veer off into the grass and slam on their breaks in order to avoid a collision with a pedestrian who isn’t paying attention to where he or she is walking. These near collisions could easily be avoided if there were more bike paths in these crowded areas, like the Quad. These paths should be separate from the walking paths; this would ease traffic on the sidewalks. Another place bike paths would be beneficial is on the side of the road. In many areas on campus, there are no bike lanes on the side of the road, which forces students to bike in the road or on the sidewalk. This can be dangerous because the students biking must try to avoid pedestrians as well as cars.

Not all roads have this problem however. Many roads on campus have a lane for bikes; the only problem is that there is nothing separating the bike area from the road. This can cause problems for bikers at night. It’s no secret that many students like to go out at night and have a good time, but the problem many bikers deal with is when drivers try to be funny by swerving and honking at the bikers late at night. This can cause the bikers to panic and possibly crash. By putting a barrier between bike lanes and roads, bikers will be better protected from these reckless drivers.

When a biker finally navigates his or her way through traffic, they are faced with a new problem: parking the bike. Upon arrival to class, many students have problems finding available bike racks. With such a large percentage of the student population biking to class, finding a spot to park your bike can get rough. Though more bike racks have been added, popular places such as the Ferg are still in need of more bike racks during busy times of the day, like lunch. Many students have had to resort to more creative places to lock up bikes, such as railings, trashcans, and trees. More bike racks at these high-traffic areas could easily ease the problem. Another thing students have to do is park their bike several buildings away from their actual class. This is due to the problem that bike racks are scarce and not located at every building. Putting bike racks in more locations could also ease the crowding, because students will use bike racks closer to their classes, freeing up the ones they would otherwise be using.

These problems may seem complicated, but they have fairly simple solutions. More bike paths and barriers between the paths and the roads will help the bike riders get to their destinations quickly, and more importantly, safely. More bike racks at more locations will ease the congestion and provide more places to park bikes. These complaints are not unfounded, and the solutions are not unreasonable. Thank you for taking the time to hear us out, and we hope you consider the solutions we have offered.

Sincerely,

UA bike riders

"Tear Down this Hall"

Dear President Witt,

The purpose of this letter is to address aesthetic and maintenance of Paty Hall . Paty Hall has been established as an all male dorm since it opened its doors in 1962. It has undergone numerous renovations throughout the years and was even used as the University of Alabama’s only 24-hour dining hall. The few remaining services that are still intact include: living quarters for up to 450 men, a large computer lab downstairs, and the Paty package center. While there are many memories that have been made there, it is time for the University to tear down and rebuild a new Paty Hall.

One of the major problems with Paty is its constant deterioration; the building has become obsolete and the major renovations that are necessary prove it. The building is currently forty-seven years old and any resident can tell you it looks every bit as old as it is. It is an archaic building that no longer fits the portrayal that the University of Alabama wants to have for its residence halls. Many of the immovable furnishings in the dorm rooms look like they have not been replaced in decades. The sinks are chipped, and the dressers are so old that it is hard to pull the drawers out without making a tremendous amount of noise. The closet doors are so severely damaged that it appears that they have taken a thorough beating. If a resident, is lucky the worst thing about their closet is that the wood is chipping away. Many residents have had to deal with holes that have been punched into the wood and dented metal handles. The doors that have holes in them should be replaced, but are not. Instead, they are simply covered up by another thin piece of wood that is screwed on to cover the worst of the damage.

The ceilings in Paty Hall are decaying and are made of material that will occasionally flake down upon unsuspecting students. Many of the doors in Paty Hall are warped and no longer fit into their respective doorframes. Whenever a resident unlocks their door to their room they have to push and nudge the door in order to open it. Also, when incoming freshmen visit their dorms for the first time, they often claim that their rooms smell bad, and that their leaking air conditioning unit causes mold to form on the carpet below. These kinds of damages are not only unacceptable, but are also hazardous to students’ health, considering the lung damage that can transpire from having mold in the dorm rooms. Having continued renovations on Paty Hall would be a wasteful investment for the University.

Safety and sanitation are both major concerns residences have in Paty Hall. One complaint many residents have reported is the finding of cockroaches in their dorm rooms. Cockroaches can carry diseases and can be detrimental to the students well being and comfort level. Another common complaint of Paty residents is the bathroom. While it is often not preferred to have a community restroom, most people can deal with having to use them. Community showers at Paty Hall however, are often unsanitary and will remain so for days, despite having janitorial cleanings. The showers are not comfortable because of the constant change in water temperature; this change is caused every time someone flushes a toilet. Another major problem with the showers at Paty Hall is that if too many showers are running at one time, the steam will set off the fire alarm. This will often happen in the middle of the night, forcing the sleeping residents to evacuate the building and lose vital hours of sleep. The fire alarm has gone off so many times at Paty Hall that the firemen do not rush into the building anymore, because they assume that it is yet another false alarm. A major problem could occur if there were a real fire, because the fire department would be use to the frequent false alarms and may not react suitably. All of these problems can be fixed if the University of Alabama simply rebuilds Paty Hall. It has been renovating and fixing up the extremely old building for years now and it is necessary that Paty Hall be rebuilt.

The location of Paty Hall sits in the shadow of the new and very modern dorm halls such as Lakeside, Ridgecrest, and even the Blount Living-Learning Center. All of these buildings are what the University of Alabama wants the new freshman to think of when they are considering where to live on campus. Since freshmen are required to live on campus, their choices are limited to the dorm halls. When offered the choice between the new and modern dorm halls and Paty Hall, many students will often make Paty Hall their last possible choice despite the price difference.

Although Paty Hall has had a long and rich history on the University of Alabama’s campus, it is imperative that it be torn down and rebuilt so it can fit in with its surrounding new and modern age residence halls. It has become futile to spend money on refurbishments in Paty Hall that have done little to improve the overall building as UA has done for the past several years. Instead, Paty should be reborn as a new residence hall that is the epitome of on-campus housing equal to that of Lakeside and Riverside. UA is a very prestigious university and it is a shame that some of the residence halls like Paty Hall do not reflect those of one. The modern age is moving fast and the University of Alabama must modernize Paty Hall in order to move with it.



Sincerely,

Capstone Comments

Negativity

“I hate my life!” “I hate waking up early.” “I never get enough sleep.” “My roommates are so annoying.” “I hate walking to class. It’s awful.” “Ferocious squirrels on the quad try to attack me on a daily basis. “The food in the dining halls is inedible.” “I’ve already received five parking tickets.” “My classes are so hard.” “I actually have to study for tests, write my own papers, and do my own laundry.” “I think that I’m gaining weight.” “It’s always raining here.” While these complaints seem more like small inconveniences, they are signs of a negative mind-set. Negativity can not only hinder a student from bettering him or herself, it can also spread to other students that are exposed to it. Nevertheless, simple changes in one’s perspective can be made to prevent one from developing a negative outlook.

Overwhelmed by the amount of work demanded by each class, students often count their problems rather than their blessings. Recently, I was in the elevator with a freshman girl, who called her mother and begged to be moved to a different dorm because she didn’t want to continue to take the one credit hour Freshman Learning Community class that is required for her dorm. This request is quite impractical, for moving to a completely different dorm requires much more effort than attending a class for one hour each week. Also, rather than taking responsibility and completing the course, she’s forcing her mother to make an unnecessary effort to accommodate her for her lack of effort. Similarly, one of my close friends constantly complains about her chemistry class. However, she spends more time complaining about it than attempting to understand the information. She never attends the tutoring sessions, and her grade continues to decline. As college students are preparing for their futures, it is essential for them to learn how to cope with adversity in order to succeed in life. Another important theory to remember is that “a negative attitude is self-defeating. We won’t find solutions to life’s problems by looking for someone or something to blame” (Chuck Galliozzi). Thus, complaining does not promote success.

While a negative attitude restrains success, complaining also contributes to alienation. As people complain, “they spread gloom and misery everywhere” (Chuck Galliozzi). Most people do not enjoy the company of others who constantly exert negative energy, for it often hinders their personal contentment and productivity. A survey found that “9 out of 10 people say that they are more productive when they are around positive people” (Rath p.46). Also, people often perceive negative people as selfish because they are constantly ranting about their problems without considering the contentment or problems of their peers. For example, if Sally is excited about receiving an “A” on her test, and Nancy approaches her with a complaint or negative statement, Sally is now concerned with Nancy’s problem rather than ecstatic about her own accomplishment. As negativity is not a favorable trait to be around, people often avoid their negative peers.

While complaining restrains productivity and social progress, optimism promotes productivity and social progress. If you find yourself constantly making negative comments or having negative thoughts, reevaluate your outlook on life. When I interviewed student Connie Zhang, she stated, “Whenever something goes wrong, I don't let it ruin my day because I know that the situation could always be worse” (Connie Zhang). Also, whenever an assignment seems overwhelming, think of practical ways to complete it. Set goals for yourself that you know you will be able to achieve and remain confident in your own capabilities.

Another tool for obtaining a more positive attitude is social activity. Meeting people and making new friends is encouraging and boosts morale. One way to attract and maintain friends is bucket filling, a method in which one makes a simple effort to acknowledge another person in a positive way. Tom Rath claims, “Whenever we choose to fill others’ buckets, we, in turn, fill our own” (Rath p.25). This method is self-fulfilling, in that one often feels productive and content after boosting another person’s self-esteem. A positive attitude contributes to success and attracts peers.

While complaining often leads to failure and alienation, optimism often leads to success and popularity. Anyone can acquire this optimistic outlook on life. An increase of positive energy on campus will increase contentment and productivity. Also, this rise of optimism will decrease the amount of complaints heard around campus.

Works Cited

Galliozzi, Chuck. “‘Negative Thinking.” Personal Development. 15 Oct. 2009

<http://www.personal-development.com/chuck/negativethinking.htm>

Rath, Tom. How Full Is Your Bucket?.New York: Gallup Press, 2004.

Parking At Ferg Can Get Funky

As current students here at the University of Alabama, we are a group concerned with problems and issues that have a profound effect on the lives of our fellow students. Although there are several campus issues that need to be addressed, we are focusing on one problem in particular that we feel must be fixed as soon as possible. While the problem of student parking on campus is widespread, we are concerned more specifically with the dilemma student’s face when it comes to parking at The Ferguson Center. Although, as you will see, there is insufficient parking for students at the Ferguson Center, we have discussed and developed the simple solution of building a four-level parking deck where students can park for free.

If one were to ask any student on campus where he or she should park while visiting the Ferguson Center, the student would most likely respond by laughing. It is a universal fact that when visiting the Ferguson Center, one is better off walking there. Although it seems contradictory, there is no reasonable parking available for students at the Ferguson Student Center. Currently, the parking lot across the street from the university’s student center consists of five 30 minute parking spots available to anyone and another one hundred plus parking spots for faculty only. This leaves students attempting to look for a parking spot at the Ferguson Center with a choice: wait for someone to leave the thirty minute parking or risk receiving a fifty dollar ticket by parking in one of the numerous, empty faculty spots. Students looking to visit the student center in between their classes obviously do not have time to wait for one of the thirty minute parking spots to become available and so they are forced to take a risk by parking in one of the available faculty spots. Who can blame them when there are always plenty of faculty spots open? Like clockwork, rain or shine, students who have taken the bait and parked in an available spot can expect to return to their car and find a freshly printed ticket neatly placed beneath their windshield wiper. William Harvey, a sophomore at Alabama, said, “The week before school had even started, I went to go buy my books at the Ferg and the few thirty minute parking spots were obviously taken. It was raining, so I parked in one of the other empty spots and ran in to get my books. I got back to my car in fourteen minutes and I still had a soggy ticket on my windshield.”

The parking garage near the Ferguson Center is not a logical option for students either as students planning on parking there must be willing to pay three dollars each time they visit (“Maps and Directions”). It seems irrational that students visiting their own student center should have to pay to park there. A student could potentially pay over fifteen dollars every week at the Ferguson Center for parking alone. The majority of students do not have that kind of money to spend on parking, especially after having to spend over a hundred dollars on a parking pass just so they can make it to class. It is not that Alabama students do not want to visit their student center, it is simply the fact that they cannot get there in a practical way.

Another problem is the fact that most students who work at the Ferguson Center do not have a place to park and go to work because they are viewed as part of the normal crowd of students who come and go. If they were to try and park they would be issued a ticket if he or she does not have a permit for that area. For example one of our group members is a employee at the Ferguson Center and he has to park all the way by the Recreation Center and hope to catch the bus in time to ride to the Gorgas Library and from there walk to the Ferguson Center to make it to work on time. If he is working into the evening he has to either walk or wait for the Perimeter North Bus which takes longer than the buses in normal route during the day. If he ever tried to park by the Ferguson Center he risk getting a parking ticket even if its almost evening time in which they wouldn’t issue him a ticket. If he does get a ticket, being an employee at the Ferguson Center is not a good enough reason to lift any parking charges. It’s too much of a hassle to try and get a Faculty Staff parking permit because not everyone involved with work at the Ferguson Center is considered Faculty or Staff.

There is obviously a parking problem at the Ferguson Center, but a simple solution does exist. We propose that a four-level parking deck be built above the faculty parking lot across the street from the Ferguson Center. The upper three levels of parking would be available to all students for a two-hour period for no charge. Cars left in the garage for longer than two hours would receive a seventy-five dollar ticket. This would eliminate the problem of students having to pay to park at the Ferguson Center and the time limit would prevent students from leaving their car for unreasonable amounts of time. The ground level of the garage would remain reserved for faculty only, thus preventing faculty from losing the parking that already exists for them. Faculty would swipe their ACT card at a gate upon entering in order to obtain entrance while keeping guests and students out. In addition to serving as parking for students during the week, the University could make the parking available to guests on game days for twenty dollars. Guests would be required to move their cars before midnight or risk receiving a seventy-five dollar ticket.

In terms of raising funds for the parking, the money earned from game day parking charges could be used. For example, if the four-level parking garage had one hundred spaces on each level, game day parking could potentially gross up to $8,000 each week. With an average of seven home games each season, over $56,000 dollars could be raised each season from game day parking alone. Apart from this, if the University does not believe that this is a sufficient plan for paying for construction, they might try using the money students have been paying in years past for parking at the Ferguson Center. If that still is not enough, they could then use the money students have been ticketed after being lured into the trap of parking in one of the plethora of available faculty spots.

There is clearly a major problem when it comes to parking at The Ferguson Student Center, but building a parking deck is an efficient solution. We believe that with your help and the help of the other board members here at The Capstone, this problem can easily be solved and we can begin to focus our attention on some of the other issues on this campus. Change begins with one step, and we believe that this could be the beginning of a march towards the improvement of this university and, thus, the college experiences of Alabama’s students.




Works Cited
Harvey, William. Personal Interview. 10 Oct. 2009.
"Maps and Directions." The Ferguson Center. The University of Alabama, Web. 12 Oct 2009.
.
Testimony of parking experience from student Albert Jones

Textbook Prices Are Too High

Dear U.S. Department of Education:

I am writing this letter to propose some problems and their solutions concerning textbooks. Whether it’s the cost, wastefulness, or the hassle it gives students, it is time for the textbook problem to be addressed. The text book issue really started to bother me when I spent $256.00 on one textbook in the spring of 2007. After that, I started paying more attention to other textbook related problems. For your convenience, I summarized the problems textbooks are causing, such as price and profligacy, and I have also provided my suggestions on how to solve these problems.

The first problem is that price of textbooks are rapidly growing higher and higher each year. The growing tuition cost has become a heavy financial burden for students, and the price of textbooks are an addition to student’s expenses. “Students spend an average of $900 a year on textbooks; that is twenty percent of tuition at an average university and half of tuition at a community college. Textbook prices have increased at four times the rate of inflation since 1994 and continue to rise (Standing up to Powerful Interest).”

The problem of textbook prices skyrocketing, are mainly due to the fact the lifetime of textbooks becomes shorter and shorter. Currently, one edition of a textbook may only be used for two or three years, and then the newer edition will come and replace the older one. A study by the California Student Public Interest Research Group found that the average release time between textbook editions is 3.8 years, regardless of whether the information has changed since the previous version. Of the textbooks surveyed, new editions cost 58 percent more than the older version, rising to an average cost of $102.44. Several times when I was trying to sell my textbooks back to the university book store, I was told that the textbooks were no longer in the buy-back list, because a newer edition will be used next semester. “Some college and public-interest groups charge that the publishing industry is forcing textbook prices higher by introducing unnecessary new editions and packaging books with expensive study materials that not all students want or need. The National Association of College Bookstores says wholesale prices of college textbooks have risen nearly 40 percent in the past five years (Pressler E01).”

A third problem is that not all the chapters included in the textbook are used for the lecture and study during the semester. Many textbooks include chapters that are not needed for the course. I have finished about thirty classes so far; in none of them have I finished all the chapters included in the textbook. Some of them even left one third or even more of the chapter never used due to many reasons. West’s legal environment of business, for example, has twenty-eight chapters and nine appendices, but the class schedule shows only twenty-one lecture days excluding exams. Human biology, for another example, has twenty-four chapters, but we barely finished eight chapters for the first half semester. No matter if those materials are used or not, students still have to pay for them. Obviously, this is not fair and wasteful.

Fourthly, textbooks are not only expensive but also heavy and bulky. Intermediate accounting, for example, has more than one thousand four hundred pages and weight more than 9 pounds. I have six classes and one lab class this semester and most of them are scheduled on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I have to pack two backpacks; one of them weights more than 20 pounds. I have to rush to my car during class break time to change the backpacks. I also noticed that many students’ backpacks are bigger and heavier than mine.

Through careful analyzation and observation, I found out that solving those problems is not a very hard thing; instead, it is relatively easy. I am suggesting the following four ideas for solving those problems, as well as a reference for your decision making.

First, the useable life of textbooks can be simply extended, so one edition of a textbook can be used for many times. Publishers like to keep publishing newer edition of the same textbook within a relatively short time period. But the differences between the two editions are very limited, especially for most of the basic sciences and general studies classes. Take Calculus as an example to illustrate this problem; I have three different editions of Calculus at home, which even includes a Chinese edition of Calculus. Through carefully comparing those three books, I found that they are only distinguished from each other by different examples, pictures, designs, and focus points, etc. The basic math theories haven’t changes for several hundred years, and it does not seem likely to be changed in the foreseeable thirty or fifty years, so why does the book change so fast? By doing so, publishers simply have one purpose—making more money. We can use older textbooks for the study of the theory, and use other means, such as Internet, to get more recent examples and realistic use of the theory. Extending the useable life of textbooks could guarantee that students can resell their textbook at the end of the semester so that they only end up paying a portion of the total cost for using textbooks. In addition, if one edition of the textbook has been reused for many times, its resell price would become lower and lower, so it’s final or salvage price would become closer and closer to the potion paid by former users.

Secondly, e-books and e-sources will be good substitutes for the traditional textbooks. Today, due to the popularity of computers and the development of Internet, the world is getting into the E-era. All kind of E-programs, such as E-mail, E-paper, E-bill, E-statement, become common things among people’s daily lives. E-book is a program that offers electronic textbooks. E-books are cheaper than traditional textbooks due to not needing to be printed out, and therefore, can also save a lot of trees and protect the environment. In fact, many high education book publishers, such as Wiley, McGraw-Hill, and Pearson already sell electronic editions of their published textbooks. Some of them even sell their E-books chapter by chapter so students can just buy chapters that will be used for the class eliminating the need to pay for those not used. On the other hand, many universities have adopted the E-learning and blackboard education programs. The adoption of those computer related programs provides great conveniences for both faculty and students. Professors can put their notes, announcements, homework, and exams online and e-mail all the students instantaneously. Students can get all the information they need from the E-learning website, and do their homework, quiz, and even exam online and get the grade immediately. Instead of hauling around numerous textbooks, all students need to do is pack their laptops within their backpacks.

A third solution is making the requirement for textbooks optional. Many professors prefer their own slides or notes rather than the textbooks. They do not or rarely follow textbooks; instead, they always focus on the points for which they think are important or interesting. My wife, for example, teaches tissue engineering this semester. She did not require students who took her class to buy the textbooks, because the material that she used was extracted from more than three books. It is not fair to require students to buy all three books. She believes when students use lecture notes, library materials, and online searching, they can learn and master more information than one textbook can offer.

One university with thirty thousand students, such as the University of Alabama, has enough power to bargain with any textbook publisher; this is another way to solve textbooks’ problems. The university can ask publishers to publish textbooks with fewer chapters for a low price, or encourage publishers to sell their E-books chapter by chapter. The university can also choose its textbook providers through bid, which will increase the competition between publishers. On the other hand, the university can also increase the stocked textbook volumes at libraries and encourage students to use the libraries materials as well as online research. They could aslo encourage professors to improve the qualities of their lecture slides or notes, so students do not need to buy textbooks. As a result, textbook costs will be no longer a problem for students.

Through the above analysis, it is easy to find out that solving textbook related problems are not very difficult and it does not have any extra cost for the university. Professors and administrations can do a lot to hepl in the restraint of high prices, but Congress should require publishers to limit practices that drive up the cost of a college education. In contrast, it would save a lot of money for students and greatly release some of their financial burden. The solution also encourages colleges and universities to go green and protect our planet. But it will not become true without your serious consideration, so I truthfully hope you will give serious thought to these suggestions. Your help will be greatly appreciated by all the students of America.

Sincerely yours,

Junsheng Guo

Works Cited

Pressler, Margaret. "Textbook Prices On the Rise." Washington Post Sep. 2004: E01. Print.

"Affordable Textbooks." Standing Up To Powerful Interest. 2009. CALPRIG, Web. 16 Oct 2009. .

UA Invisible Children: Maybe a Little Too Invisible?

Dear University of Alabama Students,

Next time you walk through campus, take a look at the numerous clubs, causes, and school functions being advertised. Posters, signs, and fliers can be seen on almost every street light, electric pole, or available cork board as far as the eye can see. Although they are adorned with offers of free baked goods, t-shirts, or even meals, these seemingly simple statements work wonders for the organizations they promote. Advertisements for the Kayak Club, UA Intramurals, The Woodlands, and countless others are blatantly obvious across campus but promotion for the University of Alabama “Invisible Children” campaign is surprisingly absent.

The “Invisible Children” organization is the brain child of three young film producers: Laren Pool, Jason Russell, and Bobby Bailey (“Invisible Children.org”). After traveling to Uganda and witnessing first hand the atrocities committed by Joseph Kony and his rebel militia, the three young men decided to rally up their own army. Kony, the only person to be indicted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity, accumulates his forces by kidnapping children as young as seven or eight years old. He force-feeds these children drugs and alcohol, and brain-washes them using fear and intimidation (“Invisible Children Presents: The Rescue”). These once innocent children are forced to commit unspeakable acts; one young boy not only witnessed his brother’s murder, but also was commanded to drop a baby into a river, burn a family alive, and aid in the slaughter of an entire Ugandan village for fear of being killed himself. If they are ever returned to their families, these ‘invisible children’ are almost unrecognizable. Due to the fact that their childhood innocence was ripped away, these children come back as hollow, emotionless monsters ("Invisible Children Presents: The Rescue"). Pool, Russell, and Bailey realize the people who can make the biggest difference aren’t dressed in expensive suits and sitting behind desks; they’re ordinary, everyday young people like you and I. The first step in fulfilling their dream of Ugandan peace is making the entire UA campus aware of their “Invisible Children” organization.

The lack of advertising for “Invisible Children” across the University of Alabama is evident and upsetting. There is actually a screening of “Invisible Children’s” new documentary, “The Rescue”, being shown at Graves Hall on Friday October 14th.The awareness on campus for this event was extremely low. Also, upon searching for a University of Alabama division of “Invisible Children” on Google, a commonly used search engine, there were results for both Birmingham and Huntsville but nothing for the main Tuscaloosa campus. There are clubs and organizations on campus dedicated to advertising important school functions so there is truly no reason why the “Invisible Children” message isn’t reaching all over campus. UA’s student ad team placed second in a national championship in Washington, D.C for both their humorous and hard-hitting ads speaking out against drunk driving and underage drinking (“UA News”). Campus-wide awareness starts by recognizing there is a problem. Figuring out a solution will be up to the UA students.

As a united force, we students can become surprisingly powerful. If all students involved or interested in the “Invisible Children” cause worked together to advertise on UA’s campus it could be a well-organized and effective campaign. The campaign would require posters, signs, and offers of free food to attract a wide variety of people on campus. Once the forces are assembled, it will be much easier to spread the word about “Invisible Children” all over campus; with numerous people working efficiently and passionately, not much could stand in the way. Another potential solution could be spreading the word to University professors; teachers have the power to both influence their students with knowledge and the opportunity for extra credit. If even just a few professors made attending the screening of “The Rescue” an extra credit assignment, students would have incentive to attend the meeting and join the worthwhile cause it promotes. Finally, if individual students took the initiative to host their own screenings, the ideals of this organization would be spread throughout campus on a more personal level. By holding a screening in your dorm room, apartment, or even a room at the Ferguson Center, close friends are more inclined to support you and attend. These friends in turn invite their other friends and soon enough, what started as a small get-together explodes in to a full-blown event.

It’s a shame that an organization that has made such an impact in peoples’ lives gets such little support from a huge school like the University of Alabama. Simple hand-drawn posters, homemade fliers, or handouts would make a world of difference if many people joined forces against Joseph Kony’s tyranny. We have an award-winning advertising team so there is no excuse why UA’s division of “Invisible Children” isn’t as widely popular as those of UAB and UAH. By uniting as a team to put up campus-wide advertisements or hosting dorm, apartment, or Ferguson Center screening sessions, individual students can impact the lives of innumerable others. Teachers need to become involved too by speaking to their classes about upcoming “Invisible Children” events and even making attending “The Rescue” an optional extra-credit assignment. The founders of “Invisible Children” would want each and every person on campus to feel like they alone can have an impact on peoples’ lives all over the world, and as Gandhi once said “Be the change that you want to see in the world.”

Works Cited
1. "Ad Team at UA Places Second in National Competition." UA News 7/16/2009: n. pag. Web. 10 Oct 2009. .
2. "The Rescue: Official Rescue Plan Packet." Invisible Children Presents: The Rescue. 4/24/2009. Invisible Children.org, Web. 10 Oct 2009. .
3. "About the Team." Invisible Children. 10/10/2009. Invisible Children.org, Web. 10 Oct 2009. .9

Student Section

The University of Alabama’s football program is well known throughout the nation for its excellence on the field and its supportive fan system. Masses of fans come dressed in crimson apparel and flood into Bryant-Denny Stadium on every Saturday game day. The majority of these people are students of the University of Alabama. Profane exclamations, piercing cheers, painted bodies, thousands of shakers, and crimson attire are just a few aspects of the stadium’s student section. A designated area for students to sit during the games, the student section, provides several benefits; however, do the benefits overcome the inconveniences of sitting in the student section?

One of the major factors in attending any football game is seating. Compared to other universities in our conference, Alabama’s student section provides some of the most limited student seating. After conducting a survey, the Crimson white found that only “16 percent of seats at Bryant-Denny Stadium are allotted to students, making the University the third-lowest of the larger SEC schools surveyed” (Crimson White). Students pay discounted prices for tickets in the section. They are about $35 cheaper than the average regular ticket, however, within the student section, seats are not assigned to individuals. Thus, your seat’s proximity to the field is unknown until you arrive and find a seat. If you would like to be certain that you will have a good seat, you should probably go to the stadium several hours in advance. If you choose to leave your seat once you are in the game, however, it will most likely be taken when you get back. A positive aspect of this unassigned seating system is the ease of sitting with a group of friends or choosing not to sit near certain people; however, these seats are not assigned, some people will cram in to be with their friends regardless if there is sufficient room. Some students think this can be annoying and uncomfortable when trying to watch the game; however it is not a very common problem since most students enjoy being surrounded by large groups of energetic people. Alumni Steven Scoggan stated, “I always enjoyed sitting in the student section because you are surrounded by a large mass of Alabama fans. The energy of the atmosphere is incredible.” Another aspect of the student section is the lack of seating.To some, constantly standing might be tiring and irritating, but to most students, this is desirable and contributes to the school spirit.

Similar to the seating factor, accessibility is a major factor when sitting in the student section. When first entering the gate to the student section, your bags are searched. All bags must be 8.5” by 11” to be permitted into the stadium. These policies are much stricter in the student section than in any other section of the stadium. The process of entering through the student gate is quite efficient; “We were surprised by the efficiency and speed of the student entrance. In fact, the student entrance seemed to run better than it had in years past” (Crimson White). Once you are in the student section of the stadium, you don’t have access to any other areas within the stadium. For someone desiring to meet with a family member or friend sitting in a different section during a game, this is a big inconvenience. However, because the primary purpose for most students going to the game is to watch the game, most students do not mind this lack of accessibility.

As you evaluate the student section objectively, you notice that aspects of the stadium can be perceived as pros or cons depending on the person. After reviewing the criteria of the student section, you realize that the section sufficiently completes its goal, which is designating a place where students can support our team, have a good time with friends, and be surrounded by other spirited fans. Although some might find it an inconvenience to not be able carry a large bag around or socialize with people across the stadium, the majority of the student body focuses on watching the game and supporting our team. Roll Tide!

Works Cited

Folk, Dave. “UA student football section allotment below average.” Crimson White. 23 April 2008. <http://www.cw.ua.edu/2.4648/ua-student-football-section-allotment-below-average-1.452809>.

　

"Our View: Stadium ops could be better." Crimson White. 14 September 2009. <http://www.cw.ua.edu/our-view-stadium-ops-could-be-better-1.1876528>.

The UA Bus System: A Convenient Lift or a Crowded Mess

The newly created bus system at the University of Alabama has played a vital role in transporting students to their destinations. The students have voiced their support for the bus system, and it has been quite successful since its creation in the fall of 2007. The University’s bus system, referred to as the “Crimson Ride” has implemented several great ideas including a bus GPS called “Transloc,” located on their website so students will know exactly where the buses are. Even with the new bus system in place, at times students could be stuck waiting up to an hour for their bus to arrive. Also, instead of listing the destination, the current bus system takes a rather odd approach by giving routes according to color coordination. This can cause a lot of confusion to students new to the bus system because there are three different colors and eight different stops. The Crimson Ride also fails to travel to any shopping centers. While there are many positives the new system brings to the university, such as shorter walks and getting to class quicker, there are many things that could improve it significantly.

After interviewing student Ivan Teplov, I discovered that there was a lack of buses per number of riders. Ivan stated that, “the bus system was unreliable at all times because there’s too many students and not enough buses”(Teplov). The buses are often uncomfortably crammed with students. After looking at the routes and the distances the buses have to travel, it was clear the problem was the duration of the travel. My research lead me directly to the source bus driver John Lane, who stated that “the buses become quickly over crowded due to the number of students and not having enough buses on campus” (Lane). Mr. Lane felt that the school could use more buses to accommodate the student body as well as the bus drivers. Though buses may be overcrowded, and wait times may be long, buses have been a commodity to a large population of students at The University of Alabama.

The Transloc system has been a great addition to the aid of students trying to catch their bus. “The buses have GPS technology and can be tracked from a cell phone with a browser, to a PDA or a computer”(Crimsonride.ua.edu). The website also provides a well laid out map of campus. The map shows the color schemes of the buses and where they travel. They also have seven buses running on nights and weekends. This helps reduce possible DUI’s and reckless driving at night. The buses not only run nearly everywhere around campus, including the Recreational Center, but they are also free of charge to students, facility, and visitors.

The bus system at the University of Alabama has been efficient in a lot of areas, but is still new and will take time to figure out all its disadvantages. As more students enroll each year, it would clearly be more efficient to acquire more buses to accommodate the intake of new students so that everyone would be able to enjoy a good comfortable ride to class. The bus system at UA has turned the once “walking campus” into a more futuristic and faster paced campus it is today.


To contact the Crimson Ride for bus routes or times you can visit their website at Crimsonride.ua.edu.


Works Cited

Crimson Ride. Web. 30 Sept. 2009. .


Lane, John, and Ivan Teplov. "CrimsonRide." Interview by Charles


Crimson Ride. 2009. Photograph. Tuscaloosa. First Transit. Annex Media, 2009. Web. 2 Oct. 2009. .