Hot Dogs and Nachos, Step Right Up!

By: Danny Cummins

"Hot dogs and nachos-- step right up!'-- I would literally scream this-- for hours-- every Thursday-- every Friday-- and every Saturday night. And dammit it worked. Over and over and over again. It worked enough for my rent, power, water, cell phone, and car insurance to all be paid in full on a monthly basis.

I had the idea to set this up when I first came to Montevallo 3 years ago, I always knew it would be a gold mine. Then when I stopped drinking I was finally willing to sacrifice my weekend nights to make money instead of having fun. What I did not realize at the time was that I'd have more fun than I could handle selling these damn dogs and chips.

Jeff and Misty Webster (Tavern owners) have been great friends and mentors to me through all my growing pains, and when I approached them with an idea to set up a late-night hot dog stand outside their business they gave me 100% support.

I believe my stand has become a part of the community. There's not one Tavern weekend regular who I do not know on a first name basis and there are plenty of folks who come just to eat. That's right, they walk up in pajamas, buy food from me, and carry on into the night without entering the jam-packed Tavern.

I will look back on this experience as on of the greatest of my life and I will never forget the amazing memories I have at that ol' country bar. From the fights, to the puke, to the uncontrollable emotional drunken cries, to the altercations with police, to those beautiful solo guitar melodies from the likes of Hunter Lawley and musicians alike, I will NEVER  forget this place.

Thank you Jeff, Misty, Jimmy, Jim, Mchael, Momma, Big Jim, Big Dee, Julia, Maegan Pickett, and that guy with no teeth at the end of the bar who I still don't know what you are saying to me.

I love you all and thank you for the experience of a lifetime!

Joe's Italian

By: Danny Cummins

This package was difficult because it was very hard to capture the emotion of our interview in a minute and a half. I literallt held back tears as Mrs. Berteloni explained to me her father's impact on their family and his slow, painful, obvious death. I have the upmost respect for Mrs. Berteloni and her family and after spending time with her at the restaurant I hope that the business thrives and thrives.

This is my most prized package of the semester. It was this package that made me realize how difficult it would be to be a field reporter. To think that someone has roughly a minute and a half to explain these situation, and is successful at doing so, is commendable to me.

Front view of Joe's at the crossroads

This restaurant is awesome though, every recipes has been passed down from generation to generation in their family and all the recipes are original and homemade. There is a "Big Joe's" (as referred to by Mrs. Berteloni) located in Hoover. It is much larger with a bigger variety on the menu. She explained to me that after running larger restaurants in California and Hoover she could doo this one at the crossroads with her "eyes closed."

Andre McMillan, Enterprise Rent-A--Car

By: Danny Cummins

We really will pick you up. I drive around all day doing so.

Andre and I have been friend for 3 years since I got to school. Andre is one of those people who everyone knew was going to be successful. He always found ways to make extra money and get extra scholarships when he was in school. I don't remember how, but I remember one time he told me that he rec
eived $21,000 cash in form of refund money from the school.

One thing about Andre is that he always looked out for his friends. He has always helped myself and my teammats find rare shoes, or find god deals on lap tops and cars. It is safe to say that he is a natural business man.

He got me a job at Enterprise, and I currently work there with 2 Montevallo grads (1 of them is him) and 2 current Montevallo students (1 of them is me). He is a god person to have as a friend from a business stand point because he ALWAYS thinks of ways to make money and I thnk he will be a lucrative business partner down the road.

As a result of all the people he has gotten jobs that I know, work is fun and I never mind going.

Falcon Fever Before The Summer

By Amos Hollinhead

Before you leave for the summer, how about a little bit of fever! The only show capable of doing that is the University of Montevallo's sports show Falcon Fever. Falcon Fever focuses on getting coverage of everything happening in the Montevallo sports world, from events, teams, student-athletes, and staff. However, this is only the part that happens in front of Falcon Fever's cameras.

Behind the scenes are a crew of students that produce the show every week of the semester, and now that the show has become a class, Dr. Bruce Finklea is teaching those students how to construct a quality production. The students are using their skills to not only produce the show, but to also grab the content they need for the show in order to have a successful production. Not only have the students enjoyed taking this class, Dr. Finklea has enjoyed teaching it.

Dr. Bruce Finklea explaining his vision for the show

"The skill that they use to tell a story are transferable. In the real world, they have to be ready to interview the president one day, and maybe a homeless man on the street the next day. It has been a great opportunity for any Mass Comm student to gain some extra experience to go and package an event, or interview a coach or a player. So it has been a really good experience."


The skills students need to produce a show such as Falcon Fever takes much time and planning. Students have to practice and learn how to operate equipment, learn how to write stories, be able to capture footage, conduct an interview, and how to be professional on camera. The one thing special about this semester is Dr. Finklea has handpicked all of his students to take this class and produce this show. In other words, Dr. Finklea had his "Dream Team."

Graduating senior and Falcon Fever anchor Savannah Kidd has been working with the show for two years and she has learned much from Dr. Finklea about anchoring and producing. She, as well as the other students of the Falcon Fever crew, has received great experience from handling a weekly show.

Sloan and Savannah anchoring for the last time together

"From day one, anybody that comes into this department looking to better themselves and is looking to really figure out where they belong and what they want to do, Dr. Finklea will help you every single step of the way."

Falcon Fever has ended production for this semester, but if you would like to see past episodes, go the Montevallo For You YouTube channel. Also, you can follow Falcon Fever on Twitter, @UMFalconFever, and send the show a friend request on Facebook to get the latest news on Montevallo sports.

Under Pressure for Finals Week

By: John Engle

UM Senior, Nick Robinson, studies in the confides of home.

It's crunch time at the University of Montevallo and students pile into Carmichael Library to iron out the kinks for the Semester's end. For some, the comfort of their home is more suitable.

Every student has has a different method of preparation, one may stay up all night, while the other was finished a week prior. In the end, all students carry the same responsibility of tying up loose ends and finishing strong.

UM Students waiting in line for "freebies".

After tedious work a break is in order. Most students attended the Midnight Breakfast, many were lured by the promise of warm food, a live DJ set, and a free photography booth.

You were able to get a screen printed shirt done right in front you or dress up and have your picture captured on a "coozie" of your choosing.

The word "free" is a dangerous one when you are dealing with college students. We come in force and create an anaconda of lines, snaking throughout the perimeter of Anna Irvin Dining Hall. Hissing at the fact that finals are all week.

Faculty/Staff serve up warm food for hungry students.

With the immense amount of time spent on preparation the finality seems to pass in a flash. What was actually an entire semesters effort seems like a few weeks. And so goes the life of a college student.

If you put in the effort and become tenacious, you will soon see that it pays the reward of sweet rest and a chance to breath…at least for a moment. Until the next term…but we don't have to talk about that at the moment!

Is Your Car Ready For Summer Travel?

by: Haley Myers

Finals are underway and summer vacation is almost here… you know what that means? Road trip! But, is your car ready to take a long haul?

Checking oil level

Sometimes knowing how to take care of your car can be confusing and intimidating, and looking under your hood can bring an overwhelming sense of nausea if you don't understand what you're looking at.  Here's some good news: you don't have to know everything that goes on under there, but if you have basic knowledge of what your car needs, and needs often, it can save your bank account from depletion in the future.


First and foremost, if you don't change your oil, then you won't have an engine. Period. The oil in your car lubricates all the gears through your engine and prevents them from wearing down, and it also helps from it overheating, too.  It needs to be changed between every 3-5 thousand miles.

If you keep your tires set at the correct psi, it will help provide maximum gas mileage and also prevent flat tires.  If your air pressure is too low and you run over a pot hole…you may have to replace your tires, and that isn't cheap.

Checking tire pressure

If the air filter gets too dirty from all the gunk that flies through the grill of your car, it will prevent the combustion process in your engine, which helps provide maximum power.  Though it's an extremely simple thing to replace, if not replaced severe damage can happen to your engine.

As a rule of thumb, keep track of the work done on your car.  The better you're able to record what's fixed, replaced, or broken, the better your car will be, and will have a longer lifespan, too.

Physical Plant prepares for graduation

By Heather Buckner

Spring commencement has become an iconic moment in an undergraduate’s college career. So what does it take to make a day like that come together?

The Physical Plant works all year to ensure Flower Hill 
looks its best for graduation.

“The graduation, commencement, we view that as the most important time for a student in their experience with the campus,” said Billy Hughes, director of the Physical Plant. “Keeping that in mind, we keep the lawn manicured, fertilized, we treat for ants. We take steps all year long to make sure we are gearing for that one day.”

"There are a lot of different hands involved in graduation on my end, from the grounds to the carpenters to horticulture," he explained.

Each department plays a crucial role in preparation. The horticulture department, for example, brings all of the ferns and flowers for display onstage.

Location for spring commencement depends entirely on the weather. So what does the University do to prepare for rain?

Commencement will be held in the SAC if it rains.

“If there is a chance of rain or a chance of calling it off, we will have the Student Activity Center set up as well. It is the standby. It will be set up whether it is used or not,” said Hughes.

With Monday and Tuesday efforts likely thwarted by severe weather, the University Physical Plant has doubled efforts to make up for that lost time.

"I would say — the amount of hours we put in would be in to that — it would be in the hundreds, easily," Hughes said.

One thing is certain — whether spring commencement is held on Flower Hill or down the road at the SAC, the University is preparing to make May 3 perfect for its newest alumni.