Serving the campus of the University of Alabama since 1894

The Crimson White


Serving the campus of the University of Alabama since 1894

The Crimson White

Serving the campus of the University of Alabama since 1894

The Crimson White

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Culture Editor

All content by Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr
CW/ Autumn Williams

The importance of incident reporting to the UA community

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Managing Editor August 8, 2022

This summer, thousands of incoming students passed through the doors of the University of Alabama’s Student Center for the orientation Bama Bound.     From dining halls and housing to action cards...

CW File

Letter from the Managing Editor: Grow as you go

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Managing Editor August 8, 2022

Before I sat down to write this letter, while on a little walk, I poked at the proverbial bee's nest of advice I’ve accumulated throughout college. As the swarm of good, bad and unsolicited advice buzzed...

Flow Tuscaloosa inspires environmental stewardship through visual art project

Flow Tuscaloosa inspires environmental stewardship through visual art project

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Managing Editor June 1, 2022

With engaging visual art projects that culminated in a lantern parade on Saturday, May 21, Flow Tuscaloosa is working to foster environmental stewardship among The University of Alabama and the greater...

UACED hosts 16th annual Black Belt book drive to promote K-12 literacy

UACED hosts 16th annual Black Belt book drive to promote K-12 literacy

The drive, which began in January and wrapped up at the end of March, aims to distribute gently used classics and other required texts to K-12 students in the 13 counties that make up Alabama's Black Belt region.
‘Split Infinitive’: Graduate art student showcases thesis exhibition

‘Split Infinitive’: Graduate art student showcases thesis exhibition

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Culture Editor February 17, 2022
“Split Infinitive” focuses on the tension many people feel while juggling different aspects of their lives. 
Track by Track: The Crimson White’s Culture Desk

Track by Track: The Crimson White’s Culture Desk

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Culture Editor January 19, 2022
With the second iteration of the culture desk’s revamped series “Track by Track,” we dive into the music that Blomeley and Kelly can’t live without. 
How do faculty impact students’ legacies?

How do faculty impact students’ legacies?

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Culture Editor November 18, 2021
It’s debatable to say that all The University of Alabama creates is legends, but it’s hard to debate the role faculty members play in students’ careers, especially faculty members like Qianping Guo.
Safety, sanitation and security at off-campus student housing

Safety, sanitation and security at off-campus student housing

With 167 student apartments listed on the UA off-campus housing resources page, there are bound to be some problems.
A digital illustration of Keely Brewer next to The Crimson White logo.

Track by Track Series: The Crimson White’s Editor-in-Chief

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Culture Editor November 10, 2021
With the first iteration of the culture desk’s revamped series “Track by Track,” we dive into the music that Brewer plays when she needs an escape from everything or just a comforting walk across campus.
The best songs to start your semester

The best songs to start your semester

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Culture Editor October 20, 2021

“Legacy” by Jay-Z “Legacy” shares Jay-Z’s thoughts on what legacy he will leave his children. The lyrics are over an upbeat production, but details the various members of the Carter family and...

“I’m done proving myself”: Alabama’s new poet laureate muses on her love of art and the South

“I’m done proving myself”: Alabama’s new poet laureate muses on her love of art and the South

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Culture Editor September 22, 2021
On Sunday, Aug. 22, during the annual Alabama Writers Cooperative conference, Ashley Jones, a creative writing faculty member at the Alabama School of Fine Arts and a poet based in Birmingham, Alabama, became Alabama’s new poetic face as the 13th poet laureate. 
Being independent might take time, says UA director of family programs

Being independent might take time, says UA director of family programs

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Culture Editor August 18, 2021

While embarking into adulthood, whether that be college or life after college, it’s important to note that there will be endless transitions. Some happen all at once, like moving for work or school,...

#BamaRush: Sorority recruitment through the lens of TikTok

#BamaRush: Sorority recruitment through the lens of TikTok

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Culture Editor August 13, 2021

The University of Alabama’s campus is back in business. Thousands of students moved into residence halls last week for events like orientation, Camp 1831, Biology Bootcamp and — most notably to TikTok...

How to Live in Harmony with Your Roommate

How to Live in Harmony with Your Roommate

Whether in a suite or a traditional dorm, incoming college students will face trials and tribulations while trying to create harmonious relationships with their roommates. For all those awkward moments and conflicts, Alicia Browne, director of housing administration, and Angel Shadd, a resident advisor and first-year graduate student in business administration, said the conflict can always be traced to a lack of communication.  
Cultured | Summer Sessions

Cultured | Summer Sessions

This episode is about all things music and the song of the summer.
cultured. The Crimson White.

Cultured | Jeffrey and Leah are the final girl(s)

Listen up, "Cultured" stans: it's the final episode. In their last appearance on your podcast feeds, Jeffrey and Leah are talking about DJ White Shadow (not DJ White Snake), a new HBO show that's not...

Sala Bandele-Jackson, a senior majoring in English, said the pandemic’s toll has started to affect multiple aspects of her day-to-day life.

The Toll it Took: How students have managed a year of grief, trauma and loss

You’ve heard complaints about quarantining and masking up. Maybe you brushed them off; maybe you made them yourself. But the family members of some who died from COVID-19 say those complaints aren’t funny—they’re hurtful.
cultured. The Crimson White.

Cultured | Jeffrey & Leah wonder if they could survive “Survivor”

"Cultured" is back, but not for long. In this second-to-last episode, Jeffrey and Leah talk about music, reality television and the circumstances of Lori Loughlin's stint in prison. What more could you...

cultured. The Crimson White.

Cultured | Jeffrey & Leah come out as pro-teacher

Today on the pod: Ariana Grande is a coach on "The Voice" (?); Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer" still hits (!); and a movie about the city we live in is... really, really bad. Listen to "Cultured" below...

cultured. The Crimson White.

Cultured | Jeffrey & Leah go to the Men in Music Business Conference

Is it just us, or does Netflix’s new “Country Comfort” look like a shot-for-shot remake of a beloved network television classic?
‘#SistersinLaw’ podcast breaks down legal issues

‘#SistersinLaw’ podcast breaks down legal issues

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Assistant Culture Editor March 24, 2021

While the battle for justice and change rages on throughout the United States, many have found themselves searching for ways to broaden their understanding of current legal issues.   To help people...

cultured. The Crimson White.

Cultured | Jeffrey & Leah yell at each other

This week on “Cultured:” our hosts agree on only one thing: Twitter Spaces are bad for the environment. Also on the podcast this week, two soundtracks Jeffrey and Leah are obsessed with, the best movie of all time and, obviously, the Grammys.
cultured. The Crimson White.

Cultured | Jeffrey & Leah apply for Genovian visas

Everyone has a hidden talent. Jeffrey's is crying on cue during Laika stop-motion films. Leah's is reciting the lyrics of "Do It Again" by Steely Dan from memory. Listen to this week's pod below or...

cultured. The Crimson White.

Cultured | Jeffrey & Leah go on ‘Life Support’

We can be honest. Jeffrey and Leah occasionally lose the thread in this episode of "Cultured"—but only because they're vibing so hard. In this episode, our hosts think about some cultural artifacts (think...

Meet the seniors who designed these runway-ready collections

Meet the seniors who designed these runway-ready collections

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Assistant Culture Editor February 21, 2021
Who needs New York Fashion Week when you have UA's design showcase?
cultured. The Crimson White.

Cultured | Jeffrey & Leah consider stanning Wendy Williams

This week on "Cultured," Jeffrey and Leah forget to actually stan someone and instead talk about their two snow day obsessions: climate change (Jeffrey) and Céline Sciamma movies (Leah).
cultured. The Crimson White.

Cultured | Jeffrey & Leah become #FreeBritney activists

In this episode of "Cultured," Jeffrey and Leah talk about The New York Times and Hulu's "Framing Britney Spears," Netflix's "Malcolm & Marie" and the culture desk's recommended love songs (and break-up tracks).
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

How Black newspapers and magazines inspired social justice movements

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr and Maria Grenyo February 10, 2021
Black-owned magazines and newspapers have been at the forefront of many movements for justice. From campaigning for abolition to supporting Black Lives Matter, these publications have made their marks advocating on behalf of their readership.
cultured. The Crimson White.

Cultured | Jeffrey & Leah bully reality show contestants

Jeffrey & Leah talk about Tiffany Pollard's antics, Golden Globes nominations and The Weeknd's new greatest hits album.
cultured. The Crimson White.

Cultured | Jeffrey and Leah pronounce Bon Iver

In our second episode, Jeffrey and Leah talk about people who've never won a Grammy (stan Zubin Mehta), how to pronounce Bon Iver (bone eevare) and whether "Midsommar" is a good movie (honestly, who's to say).
cultured. The Crimson White.

Cultured | Jeffrey & Leah decide to stan Sabrina Carpenter

Jeffrey and Leah christen "Cultured," The CW's new podcast from the culture desk. Our hosts talk "Bridgerton," Leona Lewis, celebrity baby names and why Olivia Rodrigo makes them feel out of touch.
Much to be done: How Caitlyn McTier and DEI are trying to make up for lost time

‘Much to be done’: How Caitlyn McTier and DEI are trying to make up for lost time

Vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion is a fairly new position in the Student Government Association. Its current occupant, Caitlyn McTier, knows SGA is far from perfect. But she won't let that stop her from giving the job her best shot.
The pandemic has completely upended student life. But how are faculty doing?

The pandemic has completely upended student life. But how are faculty doing?

The best thing students can do to survive this school year is communicate. The instructors and professors who already struggle to get to know students in their classes are now faced with an even taller task: getting to know them through a screen.
From TikToks to testimonies, here’s how students handled election anxiety

From TikToks to testimonies, here’s how students handled election anxiety

COVID-19 changed the election process for many Americans, but that didn’t stop voters from turning out in record numbers during the 2020 presidential election. While more people than ever before voted...

Mozart in Masks: UA Opera soars into a new semester

Mozart in Masks: UA Opera soars into a new semester

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Assistant Culture Editor October 25, 2020
UA Opera Theatre said hello and much more to the new year last week. A performance from opera students sampled collaborations between Mozart and Lorenzo Da Ponte, putting together a program that welcomed listeners back to the world of live performance.
The More You Know: How much does your professor get paid?

The More You Know: How much does your professor get paid?

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Assistant Culture Editor October 15, 2020
An analysis of instructor pay in one college gives students a look at how much their professors make. Yeah, that adjunct professor whose emails you’ve been ignoring? They may make less than you think.
BFSA continues webinar series

BFSA continues webinar series

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Assistant Culture Editor September 30, 2020

In continuation of its webinar series on social justice, the Black Faculty and Staff Association will host an event with Chance W. Lewis and Pastor Kris Erskine, the co-authors of “The Dilemmas of Being...

BFSA finds the positives in virtual programming

BFSA finds the positives in virtual programming

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Assistant Culture Editor September 30, 2020

Since the end of March, this pandemic has provoked changes in people's professional and personal lives, and the UA Black Faculty and Staff Association (BFSA) was no exception.  While making individual...

Podcast showcases the impact of the South on politics

Podcast showcases the impact of the South on politics

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Assistant Culture Editor September 30, 2020

Even as the media and times changed, the use of Black bodies to further the narrative of “black criminality,” has persisted.  “The face of crime was painted Black and often it was seen as being...

UA debuts new guidelines for campus facilities

UA debuts new guidelines for campus facilities

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Assistant Culture Editor August 20, 2020

Update, August 23 – As students and faculty navigated their first week back on campus, the University Libraries continued to update its plans to handle health and safety better.   One of those updates,...

Tuscaloosa International Friends creates connections with international students

Tuscaloosa International Friends creates connections with international students

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Assistant Culture Editor August 16, 2020

More than 38,000 students from various backgrounds enroll at the University of Alabama every year, making it easy for them to get lost. For international students, there's an added layer of navigating...

The Making of Nineteen Fifty-Six: A Q&A with Tionna Taite

The Making of Nineteen Fifty-Six: A Q&A with Tionna Taite

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Assistant Culture Editor August 8, 2020
At the helm of Nineteen Fifty-Six, the new UA magazine that focuses on celebrating Black excellence, culture and students, Editor-In-Chief Tionna Taite sits poised to enact change. After working closely with the Office of Student Media, the sophomore news media major is prepared to create a magazine that will "educate students from all backgrounds on culturally-important issues and topics," and give a voice to underrepresented students. 
‘It’s really getting old’: The ongoing reckoning of UA building namesakes

‘It’s really getting old’: The ongoing reckoning of UA building namesakes

As the Black Lives Matter movement surged across the country, a call for change emanated from UA students. Along with protests came an onslaught of petitions that urged for a change to academic buildings’...

Courtesy of Teryn Shipman

UA alum creates community through virtual Juneteenth celebration

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Assistant Culture Editor June 26, 2020

As June 19th approached, many prepared to celebrate Juneteenth in various ways. For Teryn Shipman, UA alumna and founder of the company and blog “For Black Girls Who Have A Lot to Say,” her plans included...

Courtesy of Trudier Harris

UA English professor finds a new way to give back during quarantine

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Assistant Culture Editor June 15, 2020

As the nation grappled with stay-at-home orders, many people were left to adjust to working remotely and canceling plans. For one UA English professor, quarantine inspired a new plan to give back.  Trudier...

CW File

Incoming UA student uses racial slurs in viral video

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Staff Reporter May 15, 2020

When a prospective student’s racist Snapchat videos hit social media, Twitter quickly brought the behavior to the attention of the University. But, details on how the University will address the issue...

CW File

UA prepares to distribute $10.3 million to students with financial need

UA President Stuart R. Bell provided updates to the CW on Thursday, April 30, about the process to secure and distribute the $20.8 million of funding from the CARES Act, the decision to cut non-essential...

Updated: Inactive student workers to receive final paycheck next week

Updated: Inactive student workers to receive final paycheck next week

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Staff Reporter March 30, 2020

Update, April 17 – After being informed they would still be paid through “limited business operations” on April 2, inactive student workers have now been told that their payments will end soon.  “Student...

In our Zoom U series, well be exploring the challenges students face while adapting to a school-wide move to online learning. CW / Rebecca Griesbach

COVID-19 halts film production for creative media students

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Staff Reporter March 20, 2020

As the University closed its doors to on-campus students, three creative media students watched a window of opportunity close with it.  An abrupt end to in-person learning has left three seniors worried...

Maddox at a March 12, 2020 presser, where he discussed the citys response to COVID-19

Mayor Maddox addresses confirmed COVID-19 case in Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox has proclaimed a state of emergency following the Friday evening confirmation of a COVID-19 case in Tuscaloosa.  Tuscaloosa is the most recent of six counties to confirm...

CW / Hannah Saad

Q&A with Jason Rothfarb, candidate for SGA executive vice president

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Staff Reporter March 2, 2020
Jason Rothfarb is a junior majoring in political science from Johns Creek, Georgia. He is running unopposed for the SGA executive vice president (EVP) position.
CW / Hannah Saad

Q&A with Demarcus Joiner, candidate for SGA president

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Staff Reporter March 2, 2020
Demarcus Joiner is a junior from Warnock, Alabama, majoring in civil engineering on the pre-law track. He is running unopposed for the SGA presidential candidacy. 
CW / Hannah Saad.
In January, the SGA presented a resolution to President Bell affirming affinity groups on campus.

Committee encourages formation of new affinity groups

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Staff Reporter February 24, 2020
Four months after an initial proposal, the Latino/a/x Faculty Staff Association (LFSA) had its first general membership meeting on Feb. 12. At the meeting, members shared the completed first draft of their mission statement and bylaws.
CW / Madison Ely

Black History Month program kicks off with panel, campus dialogues

In light of the upcoming 2020 election, this year’s Black History Month (BHM) programming is aptly themed, “African Americans and the Vote.” University groups officially kicked off BHM programming...

CW / Keely Brewer

‘The spike wheels of justice:’ Yusef Salaam gives Martin Luther King, Jr. lecture

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr and Javon Williams January 30, 2020

Yusef Salaam stood confidently before a captivated audience, waiting for a reprieve from a pause that felt eternal. For 25 seconds, the stray jingle of keys and items clattering to the ground were the...

Yusef Salaam, a member of the Exonerated Five, will be speaking in the Ferguson Center Ballroom on Jan. 27. Photo courtesy of UA News

MLK Day lineup includes day of service, Boots Riley and Yusef Salaam lectures

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Staff Reporter January 19, 2020
In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, the University will be hosting a series of events over the next week. Check out Monday’s day of service put on by the Center for Service and Leadership and the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, or listen to two guest lecturers – one of whom is a member of the Exonerated Five.
CW / Madelyn Verbrugge

Culture-changing is a ‘process, not an event:’ a conversation with G. Christine Taylor

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Staff Reporter January 13, 2020

In a conversation with The Crimson White, the University’s vice president and associate provost for diversity, equity, and Inclusion reflected on the division’s successes and areas for growth during...

CW / Hannah Saad

Counseling center aims to improve suicide prevention approaches

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Staff Reporter November 14, 2019
A new suicide prevention initiative aims to give a platform for students to share their experiences in a way that hasn’t been done before at the University.
CW / Andrew Littlejohn

Evolution Working Group on hosting Bo Winegard: ‘It was our mistake’

On Oct. 24, Bo Winegard, an assistant professor of psychology at Marietta College, led a seminar entitled "The Evolution of Human Diversity," during the ALLELE seminar series hosted by the Evolution Working Group (EVOWOG) at The University of Alabama. 
FYE builds bridges with incoming male students of color

FYE builds bridges with incoming male students of color

Jeffrey Kelly | @jeffkellyjr, Contributing Writer August 26, 2019
With the help of a committee of faculty and staff at The University of Alabama, First Year Experience's BRIDGE program is striving to foster a sense of community with incoming male freshmen of color while also broadening their knowledge of campus.
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