Lakeside Market

The newly constructed Lakeside Dining Hall also houses the Lakeside Diner and Lakeside Market. Both are convenient to all students on the north side of campus, and offer a place to get a quick bite to eat. However, the Lakeside Market is notorious for ripping off its customers. Items are often offered at 200% their cost at the nearest grocery store (Publix). (I personally compared prices between three items: a loaf of white bread, a can of ravioli, and a roll of paper towels.)

For shoppers on a budget (i.e. college students), it would be wiser to make weekly trips to Publix or Wal-Mart to stock up on groceries, rather than rely on the convenient, yet costly, Lakeside Market.

Tuscaloosa recycles...but not enough.

The University of Alabama has a seemingly rudimentary system of recycling. The three-bin system is evident around campus, but only to some degree as there are merely a handful of these receptacles on the grounds. However, this system is disappointing, for every recycling bin, there are evidently dozens of "normal" trash cans. Nonetheless, recycling also takes place in the residence halls. In Lakeside West, for example, there are three large bins on the first floor--one for paper, one for plastic, and one for aluminum. There are similar recycling bins set up in some of the classroom buildings around campus. The only other location on campus with easily accessible recycling bins is at the post office on the first floor of the Ferguson Center.

Along with the University, the city of Tuscaloosa also has a recycling program. Each Tuscaloosa resident is given a blue recycling bin to be placed on the street once a week. Residents may place newspapers, magazines, corrugated cardboard, aluminum beverage cans, steel food cans, plastic soda bottles, and plastic milk jugs into the recycling bin. Drop-off sites are also available to those who do not live on the city's curbside trash route. Such sites include local fire stations and a handful of churches, businesses, and schools.

However, the city does not recycle certain types of plastic (numbers three through seven). These include the types of plastics that make up egg cartons, cling wrap, disposable kitchenware, and squeezable bottles. This leaves a large percentage of plastic waste condemned to the landfill. Furthermore, the city does not offer glass recycling, because it often costs much more to do so.

Additionally, in par with the University of Alabama, the city of Tuscaloosa does not recycle hazardous waste, batteries, motor oil, tires, nor other materials frequently thrown away.

While the recycling efforts at the University are a good start, there is much to be done. College-age students and their professors are the most likely percentage of the population to actively recycle. Therefore, the issue isn't the lack of interest, it lies with the fact that recycling has to be made convenient. A student is less likely to recycle if he or she must walk across campus to put a newspaper in a recycling bin when he or she has access to a conventional trash can just down the hall. Furthermore, the University should better advertise the fact that there are recycling programs available if there are such services. Many students are ignorant of the fact that the University does, in fact, have a recycling program.

Additionally, the University needs to make a point to empty recycling bins regularly. Too often, recycling bins are overflowing, and even used for general waste. By routinely emptying the recycling bins, the University is showing that they, too, are serious about recycling and students and faculty aren't wasting their time and efforts.

According to The Scene, a weekly publication of the University of Alabama's student-run newspaper, The Crimson White, past recycling efforts have been in affect only until the sponsoring student or students are no longer enrolled at the University. As soon as they leave, their programs are either cut-back or forgotten by subsequent student officers. Nonetheless, through increased efforts recently, recycling at the Capstone has more than doubled over the past year. According to The Scene, in February and March 2007, 46,344 pounds of waste were recycled, while in February and March 2008, 116,000 pounds of waste were recycled, an increase of approximately one-hundred fifty percent.

Military Day.

On Saturday, May 3rd, I decided to visit my high school. My high school experience was different than most people's because I went to a boarding school. Additionally, it was a military boarding school. Despite the horror stories I have to tell, I do hold an affinity for Lyman Ward in my heart. Lyman Ward annually holds a "Military Day" on the first Saturday of May. It's basically an open-house and alumni reunion all in one. The cadets throw a parade, and there's a "military ball" which is the school's version of a prom. It sounds silly, but it's really neat.

Anyway, this year was very special to me for a number of reasons. First and foremost, this was my first Military Day as an alumni. Also, it was great to see my school still open. Last year, the school's president was all but giving up on Lyman Ward. Enrollment was dwindling and the school was in the middle of a financial crisis. Furthermore, the administration was doing next to nothing to try to reverse the school's fortune--no recruitment, advertising, or fund-raising. Luckily, a new president was hired and the school, at least for now, is still open.

I know this isn't really local to Tuscaloosa, but Lyman Ward is the last military boarding school in Alabama. Marion Military Institute is now only a junior college, and has done away with its high school program. It has recently been listed on the National List of Historic Landmarks.

Nerf wars.

Every Tuesday night I found myself running through the halls of Riverside East, my handy Nerf pistol in tow, trying to sneak up on my "enemies" and shoot them before they had time to react and shoot me. Rarely, if ever, did my sneak attacks work, but they helped make Nerf Wars something to look forward to each week. After a hard day of classes and homework, Nerf Wars was a great way for students to unwind and get some energy out, as well as meeting other students. I hope next year I can continue this now-weekly ritual of all-out "Nerf" war.

From Riverside Nerf Wars "Official" Facebook Group Page:

Tuesday: First floor lobby Riverside East - 9:00PM

Our General Rules

1. Honor System:
If you know you're dead, then die. Don't call a kill on someone else unless you're sure it is- no speculation.

2. What's a kill?
Fingers, toes, and clothes, anything goes. One shot, one kill. This includes guns, ammo bags, etc.

3. Weapons and Darts
Darts are live until they hit the ground. Weapons have to come in a package (no more blowpipes/ air cannons). Mods are cool, no CO2. Autos and semi-auto are only for approved team matches.

4. In game debates:
If you're not sure if they're dead, drop it--it's just a game.

Capture the Flag rules:

1. When you die, touch your spawning door (the door to the side stairwell), using the shortest route. No running in the spawning side of the building, which starts at the doorway separating hall from lobby. Like Hell, the living cannot enter this area.*

2. As you return to play, you may give yourself a 3 second grace period (hands on head) to get cover if needed.

3. Like Halo, flag carriers cannot shoot, and must walk. The flag can be dropped completely to the ground to engage in combat.

4. Flag returners must go straight to base and cannot shoot, but are invulnerable.


* This new system of re-spawning is very symbolic. The journey to the door is like the long process of dying, our journey into death. The door itself is a symbol of passing back and fourth through the division between life and death. The walk back is the rebirth of the player. (Also use this walk like the theater in Halo 3, it's a time to think about how bad that death was, or how awesome that triple kill was before you got shot in the nose by your foes)

Off-Campus Bookstores are Better!!

One of my essays for English was comparing the SUPe Store to off-campus bookstores. Just as every student probably assumes, off-campus bookstores are better. First, off-campus bookstores (specifically the College Store) offered textbooks at a fraction of the cost of SUPe Store books. Even used books were cheaper. Additionally, the College Store offers more money to buy back books than the SUPe Store, and the employees are arguably more personable.

The only downside to off-campus bookstores is the fact that they often do not have complete and up-to-date booklists, unlike the SUPe Store. Also, the SUPe Store is much more convenient to campus (at least to those of us living on the north side of campus), and is in the 'middle of things.'

I think students should make it a point to patronize off-campus bookstores, however. By giving as much business as possible to off-campus stores, the SUPe store will be forced to 'shape up' and lower its prices. Students should also push for complete book lists to be released to off-campus bookstores to promote fair competition.

Food on a dime.

Tuscaloosa has an abundance of restaurants for students tired of regular, boring Dining Hall food to enjoy. Here are my favorites of the year:

• Jimmy Johns: Great cold-cuts delivered as late as 3:00 AM. A sandwich and tip will run you about $6.00.

• Tut's: I've only been here once (which is surprising due to the fact that I love Greek food). They do deliver, but I haven't used their service. A gyro (pronounced 'hero') runs for about $7.00.

• Lai Lai: I've yet to find a great Chinese restaurant near campus, but Lai Lai is by far the best. It's your typical Chinese restaurant, and dishes top out around $10.00.

• Subway: Nothing unique or exciting, but you know what you're getting. Eat for as little as $5.00.

Triathlon!!

The US Olympic Trials for Triathlon for men and women will be held here in Tuscaloosa. Here's some info from their website (www.usatriathlon.org):

Swim: 1500 meter swim course heads east in the Black Warrior River with a downstream cross and upstream swim forming a figure nine and is similar to the Beijing Olympic course. Water temperature is usually borderline wetsuit under ITU elite rules. However, as USAT controls the rules for this race, it will be a non-wetsuit swim unless safety requires the use of wetsuits. The run from the river to the transition area will be carpeted and is approximately 100 meters. There are a short set of stairs to negotiate. Please see the video on the USAT website.

Bike: The bike course starts with a short steep climb up Hackberry Lane immediately out of transition with an 180 degree turn at the top leading to a fast descent back down to Jack Warner Parkway, flat sections along the river, a challenging
switchback climb up Queen City Avenue for approximately ¼ mile and a fast descent back to Jack Warner Parkway on 21st Avenue. Bike course will continue east on Jack Warner Parkway with a right turn back onto Hackberry Lane to start next lap or
continue straight to transition area after 8 laps are completed. Total amount of climbing will be approximately 80% of the vertical feet in Beijing with similar grades.

Run: The run is flat and heads west out of the transition area along Jack Warner Parkway and returns to River Road Park East along the River Road Park scenic path. The run course will be 4 laps plus a short run from transition to the loop and from the
loop to the finish line for a 6.2 mile (10k) course. The finish line will be located along the path overlooking the Black Warrior River