Ticket office closes Cell phones: so good or Tide linebackers 3 early, angers students 4 no good? 10 lack experience Thursday, August 23, 2007 Serving the University of Alabama since 1894 Vol. 114, Issue 12 UA drops in rankings of top universities BY WILESHA TAYLOR University. Others said the and the many programs the record applications and growth and more looked at than just Contributing Writer University’s rank puts them University has to offer its stu- are strong indicators that stu- football.” UA’s rankings among at ease about their choice of dents, President Robert Witt dents are finding academic Casey Garcia, a sophomore public universities The University ranks 42nd schools. said in a press release that he quality at the University, he majoring in political science, among the top 50 public uni- “When I told people that I wants the public to see the said. said he agrees. ■ 2008: 42nd versities in the United States, was going to attend UA, every- focus of the University that Several students said beat- “As long as we are above according to U.S. News and one always commented on the goes along with the ranking. ing Auburn in the rankings Auburn, the ranking is great,” ■ 2007: 39th World Report’s annual rank- fact that Alabama had a repu- “Our focus is on growth with is important. Auburn ranked Garcia said. ■ 2006: 50th ings of colleges for 2008, fall- tation as a party school,” said quality, being the university of 45th among public universi- The annual rankings are ing three spots from last year’s Lauren Hanson, a freshman choice for the best and bright- ties this year, after being tied intended to help prospective ■ 2005: 39th rankings. majoring in criminal justice. “I est students and ensuring that with the Capstone last year. students select colleges and ■ The University ranked 91st hope that being ranked No. 42 every student’s educational “It’s good to know that we can be used to gather informa- 2004: 48th among all universities, both will help people to appreciate needs are met,” Witt said. ranked higher than Auburn tion on colleges. Source: CW archives public and private. the academics and other pro- Witt also said the University this year,” said Rebekah U.S. News ranks more than Some students said the grams that are also a huge part is always pleased when exter- Templeton, a freshman major- 1,400 universities nationwide, has consistently been ranked ranking is an important aspect of UA.” nal rankings acknowledge the ing in public relations. “It also including nearly 500 public among the top universities for that draws students to the Among the academics Capstone. The University’s gets Alabama more exposure institutions. The Capstone the past several years. APO moves out of the Bama semester’s Guerrilla Theatre Underground theatre performances, the first group returns to its roots of which will be Sept. 8, in the Allen Bales Theatre in as new year begins Rowand-Johnson Hall, which he described as Guerrilla’s BY PHIL OWEN “home.” Assistant Entertainment Editor “It gives it more of a per- ■ [email protected] sonal feeling,” he said. But that’s not the only It’s a new school year, and change that will hearken back that always brings with it a to Guerrilla’s past. new boss for Alpha Psi Omega, “We’re going to bring back the theatre honors fraterni- ‘outdoor Guerrilla,’” Holmes ty responsible for Guerrilla said. In addition, he said APO Theatre. is planning to sell grilled foods Replacing last year’s presi- like hot dogs and hamburgers dential tandem of Allison Moy at those events. and Sarah Widgeon are Ben APO will also be trying some Holmes, a junior majoring in completely new ideas: a tour musical theatre, as president of the places on campus that and Exa Johnston, a senior have a history of ghost stories majoring in theatre, as vice and a talent show. Holmes president. said the former would take With the new administra- place close to Halloween and CW/ Alex Gilbert tion comes at least one major would involve the APO crew SGA President R.B. Walker christens one of the CrimsonRide buses during the bottle breaking ceremony Wednesday at the Campus Drive hub. change; Guerrilla is mov- leading attendees around ing out of the historic Bama campus and telling ghost sto- Theatre, the downtown venue ries that involve the places that the underground theatre they visit. group called home for most of The talent show will be last year. sometime during the spring “We have decided this year semester and will be APO’s we want to have them all only event to take place in on campus so we can bring the Bama Theatre. There will Moving it closer to the students,” be auditions beforehand to Holmes said. decide on the contestants, Forward Holmes said they plan Though his grandmother Chimes,” said SGA President to hold the majority of the See APO, Page 3 CrimsonRide officially has passed away, Walker said CrimsonRide changes R.B. Walker. “The buses are inaugurated Wednesday in a press release that he was campus transportation clean, quick, and cool and happy to carry on his family’s they are going to serve our BY DEIRDRA DRINKARD bottle-breaking tradition BY JESSICA ALEXANDER campus well. I encourage all Contributing Writer “It is cool that this has Senior Staff Reporter students to get on the bus.” come full circle around to ■ [email protected] The buses run along four The CrimsonRide transit me as I am dedicating the color-coded routes: blue, system officially began opera- CrimsonRide,” Walker said. A new transit system and crimson, gold and green. tions with a smash Wednesday But he said he was not the introduction of zoned Each bus stop has a flag indi- morning. breaking the bottle and sup- parking on campus has cating the route, and each In honor of CrimsonRide, porting the transit system noticeably changed how bus has a marquee across a bottle breaking ceremony because of his family history. people park, drive and move the front specifying its route. took place at 7:30 a.m. at the Walker said he was doing it to around campus. All routes begin and end at Campus Drive hub. support UA students and to The University has con- the Campus Drive Parking SGA President R.B. Walker make it easier for them to get tracted First Transit to pro- Deck. officially christened one of around campus. vide 40 drivers and 17 buses Jamie Taylor, a freshman the CrimsonRide buses dur- UA spokeswoman Cathy with the sole responsibil- majoring in business, said ing the ceremony. Walker car- Andreen said she is pleased ity of moving students and she is adjusting to the new ried on a family legacy with to have SGA involved in the faculty members from one system, but it is still a little the christening — he said his dedication of the transit sys- destination to another. Each confusing. grandmother was involved tem. bus has a 90-person capac- “I accidentally got on the with the dedication of the “We thought it was appro- ity and is wheelchair acces- wrong bus. Other than that Montgomery transit system priate to celebrate the open- sible. it’s been easy,” Taylor said. when it started running. ing of the CrimsonRide on “It’s a big change. It’s the “The drivers are just getting Walker’s grandmother, biggest change since Denny used to it as well. I think it Mary Lou Bell Nichols, broke See CEREMONY, Page 5 will get smoother.” a bottle of champagne on the The transit system bumper of a Montgomery changed along with the bus when the transit system new zoned parking. While CW/ Emily Rowe started running in the 1950s. residential parking has seen It was part of her duties as few changes, students have Ben Holmes, a junior majoring in musical theatre, is this year’s Guerrilla “May Queen” of Huntington Theatre president. Exa Johnston, a senior majoring in theatre, is the vice College. See TRANSIT, Page 5 president. Guerrilla Theatre will be held in Allen Bales Theatre this year. Today Sunny and hot. The Crimson White ■ Box 870170 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 Isolated showers and Friday ■ Newsroom — 348-6144 Fax — 348-4116 ■ Advertising — 348-7845 98º/75º thunderstorms. ■ Classifieds — 348-7355 ■ Letters, op-eds — [email protected] online Saturday Slight chance of ■ Press releases, announcements — [email protected] www.cw.ua.edu 102º/74º 97º/74º thunderstorms. 2 Thursday, August 23, 2007 ■ NEWS THE CRIMSON WHITE CAMPUS Ridgecrest East and West open Tobrief submit a brief, e-mail [email protected] IN Ridgecrest South to be completed in fall 2009, ANNOUNCEMENTS parking to be added BY ALISON LEWIS BSU hosts block party this weekend Contributing Writer The Black Student Union will be hosting V.I.B.E. ’07 a Back to School Block Party on Aug. 25 from 2 p.m. to 6 When Mallory Meissner p.m. on the Quad. There will be free food and music and moved into Ridgecrest East she many student organizations performing. said a couple finishing touches had been left undone. “One of the walls in my suite Taize service to be held Tuesday was still plastered and had not been painted,” said Meissner, The University Presbyterian Church, Covenant a freshman majoring in busi- Presbyterian Church and Saint Matthias Episcopal Church ness. “And there was no fur- will host an ecumenical Taize service Tuesday at 7 p.m. at niture in one of the common Covenant Presbyterian Church, located at 113 Hargrove areas, but it only took them a Road.