Birmingham gets Ready for Hillary

By Austin Crafton

There's no doubt that Alabama is one of the "reddest" states in the country, but that didn't stop over 150 Birmingham residents from stepping out and showing their support for their candidate, Hillary Clinton. The conversation and the friendship flowed through Chez Lulu in Cahaba Heights while everyone talked about the issues and had good fun while they did it.

Josh Coleman, Birmingham Volunteer Coordinator for the Clinton Campaign and General Manager of Chez Lulu planned the party and put the word out over Facebook. "We reached out solely over Facebook. We planned a big night for all involved and we intend to all work together to achieve our goal - Getting Hillary Clinton elected."

Among those in attendance were several familiar faces on the Alabama political scene - Including State Senator Rodger Smitherman, State Representative Patricia Todd and President of the Alabama High School Democrats Association, Emma Turner. All three brought their own experiences and sensibilities to their speeches and the room reacted warmly every time.

Chez Lulu offered a one-time-only food and beverage menu to commemorate the night. You could find such items like the "Madam President", "Pennsylvania Avenue" and "The Democrat" all over the party.

Supporters went all-out on showing their support for Clinton. 

Some attendees were no strangers to getting involved in politics, while others were just now dipping their toe in the water of making their voice heard. The Human Rights Campaign, who has already endorsed Clinton -  Sent three representatives to the party to distribute materials and to lend their support.

The party may have evidently left a big enough mark on Alabama. Hillary Clinton herself just announced yesterday she will be visiting the Magic City Saturday afternoon. If you would like more information on the campaign or her visit, click here.

Vegetarian Options at The University of Montevallo

Story By: Courtney Boyd

Students have a lot of choices they can make on campus. A group of students feel like their options for vegetarian-friendly food are slim. There are places on campus such as Moe's and Einstein's Bagels where students can eat meat-free food.

Black Bean Burger & Assorted Veggies

Freshman, Baylee Shackelford, prepares her breakfast, lunch, and dinner almost everyday in her dorm room or in the kitchen of Brooke Hall. Because she lives on campus, Baylee is required to purchase a meal plan.

Head Chef, Jason Quarles, says the cafeteria has a rotating menu, so vegetarian options are not offered everyday.

Baylee barely eats in the cafeteria because of this. She buys about $50-70 worth of groceries every week to prepare her meals.

Quarles says he wishes he could dedicate a specific space for vegetarian-friendly foods. Unfortunately the cafeteria does not have the space to add another station.

UM Cafeteria & Head Chef Jason Quarles

Some things you can do to help the cafeteria change up what they do is by giving feedback.

You can click here to give feedback to the cafeteria about what they are doing and how they can change things up and/or do things better.

For more information about where to eat on campus and what options you have click here.

Montevallo Students React to Apple's Potential "Back Door" iOS Software

By Hannah Bell

In a letter recently released to all its customers, Apple explains why it will resist attempts made by the FBI to create an iOS update that would allow access past iPhones’ security features. The FBI is asking Apple to create the update and apply it to the one iPhone they have belonging to Syed Farook, a shooter in the San Bernardino terrorist shooting in December. Apple is concerned that once a software is created with the ability to bypass passwords, anyone with advanced computer knowledge could access private information stored on iPhones.

Students at the University of Montevallo shared similar concerns with Apple. Katherine Nally is concerned that her bank account and Amazon passwords could be accessed. “Certain websites such as Amazon save your credit card information, so once it could get into it, who knows what kind of information it could get that is stored on the phone,” she says.

Christen Oswald checks her bank statements using her iPhone.

Christen Oswald fears that if someone were to break into her phone, her family’s privacy could be at risk. “That’s too much of my personal information,” Oswald says. Her phone not only contains her personal bank information, but information about loans which her parents and siblings cosigned. “All that information is on my phone. I wouldn’t want that to affect everyone else that my information is also connected to.”


Some students do see where the update could be helpful to the FBI’s investigation in the San Bernardino shooting case. Jane Goodman says she thinks Apple customers should have the option to download an application that could bypass certain features. “Obviously someone thinks this is a good idea,” she says. “So if someone thinks it’s a good idea, somebody else thinks it’s a good idea, so I think it should be an option for people who do want it.”

UM Cosplayers Face Off In Martial Arts

By: Anleia Nance

        

University of Montevallo's Cosplay Association traded in working on their costumes for a day for the chance to show off their skills in martial arts. During one of their regular panels, the group was visited by mixed martial artist and fellow cosplayer, Sasuke Zapata, who came to show the students how to conduct battle stances in their outfits and learn some moves in Karate and Tae Kwon Do.

After a series of stretches and explaining the rules, many were ready for action. With music pumping in the background, students engaged in hand-to hand combat with Zapata and his sparring partner, Jamie Barthalamy. While the first session of the panel consisted of learning the different techniques of kicking, the second session was all about using your fists in battles.

Student Practicing Her High Kick

When asked which did he prefer, cosplaying or fighting, it was not hard for Zapata to pick his love for fighting. "It's a magical thing that happens while you're in the ring, on your back, getting punched in the face," said Zapata. " It's crazy because when I explain it like that, a lot of people are like that doesn't sound like something I want to get into."

Supporting him and participating along with the students, was his wife, Celeste, whom he credits for all his cosplays. " She's really creative, " said Zapata. " She's really good at like just throwing salt and pepper on a piece of carpet and it turns into a cosplay."

Sasuke Zapata Focuses On His Next Move

While some students did not take part in the exercises,  they were still happy with the ultimate outcome of the event. "I think everyone had a great time." said president of the association, Sky Acton. "Everyone was so rowdy and into it, and willing to participate, which made it so much better on him."





After the panel, Zapata was welcomed with a round of applause and asked to come again. For those who want to know more about the group,and about future panels and upcoming events, the Cosplay Association meets every Thursday in Comer room 308 from 7-10 p.m. For more information about cosplay in general, click here.

Mass Communication Program Celebrates New Grant

By Kiera Hood

Over the years, Montevallo's Department of Mass Communication has been producing their online newscast, Falcon Weekly. While the department has gotten new cameras, microphones, and monitors something in the studio had been overlooked. The studio lights.



New LED TV Studio lights

While many students seemed to be at ease in front of the camera, sweating is something that they considered a common factor for reporting in the television studio.

 However, many of the professors within the department along with Dr. Bruce Finklea felt as if there was something that needed to be done.
Not only that, but students Austin Gates and Courtney Soumeillan had something to say about the lights.

"I mean you could literally feel the sweat dripping" said Courtney. Austin also questioned if a suit was his best option for clothing as he sat at the news desk.

Falcon Weekly Anchors in the studio

With a little strategic planning, the professors in the department realized that there was an easy way to fix the problem; apply for a Green Fund Grant through the University's budget.

This plan worked out for the best for current students and future students of the Department.

The Montevallo Mass Communication Department was awarded $6474 to help reduce energy consumption in the TV studio. The lights can be adjusted in temperature and brightness, unlike the old studio lights.

The Department is looking to apply for more grants to help the entire studio become more energy efficient.

Falcon Weekly Special Report: College Night 2016

Watch our recap of the University of Montevallo's College Night homecoming tradition. Congratulations to the Purple Side on winning their 50th PV!

College Night 2016: It's Gonna Be a PV!

WATCH: SGA president announces the winning side of the 2016 College Night
Posted by Anleia Nance Falcon Weekly on Saturday, February 13, 2016

It's gonna be a.... PV! pic.twitter.com/lySsZev2ga

— UMFreddieFalcon (@UMFreddieFalcon) February 14, 2016

Congrats! #PV #CollegeNight2016 pic.twitter.com/8XHFgXUudC

— Montevallo (@Montevallo) February 14, 2016

2016 College Night winner is Purple Side!

Posted by University of Montevallo on Saturday, February 13, 2016

Future Teachers and Changes in the Classroom

Story By: Courtney Boyd

The State Board of Alabama has been making some changes within the school system. The board believes there is a teacher shortage and to

fix this problem adjunct teachers will be up for hire for part time. These adjunct teachers will be part time and can be uncertified.

This poses a problem for students here at Montevallo. Juniors, Britany Benton and Jess Smyly do not agree with this new resolution. They believe will not only hurt the school system but also the students.

Adjunct teachers will be able to teach electives such as home ec and shop class. Eventually the elective adjunct teachers can move into a core subject. Ninth through twelfth grade students will be experiencing the adjunct teachers first hand.

Some Board members believe that students in those grades will be easier for a non-certified teacher to manage. Smyly doesn't think so. She believes the mind is still growing all the way into adulthood. She says that even college professors should be ready to handle students by using the classroom management techniques she is learning in school.

For more information on The Alabama State Board of Education click here.

There When You Need Them - Walker County Emergency 911 Center

By: Austin Crafton

If you're lucky, you'll never have to reach out to them. But Walker County's Emergency 911 Dispatch Center is here to serve all 805 square miles of their jurisdiction. Between the county's 26 fire departments, eight law enforcement agencies and Regional Paramedics Services, it takes a coordinated and informed effort by leader Roger Wilson to make sure the right help goes to the right people when they need it most. 

"I've been here since 1993. I have a staff of 15 people overall and it takes a great deal of teamwork here to make this thing work. We're constantly working with the agencies out in the communities to find what we can do better." 

But that's not all, besides being present in the community - Wilson also maintains the dispatch center in top-notch form and pushes new boundaries. "We update our equipment every two to three years because the technology is simply changing so fast at this point. We have a lot of other agencies come in and watch the way we do things here. When 'Text 911' first came into focus, we were one of the first counties in the state of Alabama to develop that."

The control center of Walker County 911. 

"Text 911" has really come into play across the country in the past year or so. It allows anyone in distress to simply send a message as you would to a friend. Wilson and veteran dispatcher Terry Armstrong both maintain that while traditional calls are always preferable, the text feature allows for people that may not always be able to speak to ask for help. "We prefer the voice calls, for sure. That allows us to listen in and really get a feel for what may be going on. But texting has made things easier for our hearing-impaired callers, they can simply text now. You may also have someone in trouble that can't simply talk on the phone." said Armstrong. 

The critical thing that both Wilson and Armstrong emphasized was that whether you call or text 911, you need to disclose your location immediately. Once your location has been established they can start narrowing down which agencies to coordinate with. The cell phones that most callers use today do not give your location right away, compared to a traditional landline

Wilson also said adamantly, "Please, when you call, just listen to the questions the dispatcher has for you. They are asking them for a reason. The more you cooperate, the better we will be able to serve you." 

If you'd like to stay up to date with Walker County 911, visit and like their Facebook page here. 

A Rough Step Into a New Semester

by Hannah Bell

Historic buildings are no sparsity at the University of Montevallo. Stepping onto campus is almost like taking a step back in time. Following the cobblestone bricks to the center of campus, you will find yourself standing outside Hanson Hall. Named after Weenona Hanson, this nationally recognized historic building is filled with charming hints to its rich history.

Hanson Hall

When you walk inside the building you are greeted by an archway entrance to a white columned lobby. Go a little further to the left and you’ll reach the rooms with carved antique doors. Featured inside the rooms are crown molding and floor molding as well as hardwood floors.
   
While many residents find these features beautiful, one resident’s recent experience has changed her mind. When classes resumed on Jan. 13, sophomore Paris Nelson returned to her Hanson room after class. While she was walking to her closet, she caught her foot on a piece of wood that had chipped up from her floor.
   
Nelson went to the campus nurse to examine her foot. They both thought they had removed the entire piece of wood. The nurse sent Nelson away with crutches, advising her to return if she saw any signs of infection. A few days later, infection set in and Nelson went to a doctor at Urgent Care who attempted to remove the remaining wood.

Paris Nelson holds the splinter next to the patch of floor where her foot caught it.

“My foot just never seemed to get better,” Nelson said, “and I was really confused because it had been two weeks and it was still hurting, and it still hurt to walk on. So after reopening the wound, three or four days later after soaking it with hot water and soap, an inch and a half of wood came out of my foot.”

When Nelson stepped on the wood piece, she went to her residents’ assistant to find out which steps to take next. The RA advised her to fill out a work order so the physical plant could repair the floor and prevent another similar incident.

Olivia Ricks, an RA on the second floor of Hanson Hall, advises all students in residence halls at Montevallo to inform their RAs of any problems they encounter. “I find that usually when we have a resident that has had a very bad experience, it is partly because of miscommunication. Maybe they waited until the end of the year to tell that there was a problem,” she says.

Although Nelson had a difficult time navigating campus on crutches for the first few weeks of class, she has found a way to use her story to help others. “I realized how inaccessible the campus can be sometimes is when I was on crutches and when I couldn’t get around very well,” she says. She will be advocating for better campus accessibility through her persuasion classes this semester.