<p>What the hell?! Do you all want to lay off me!? I am a bit unhappy with Alabama but why do you feel the need to come out and attack me? I have not gone out and slammed Alabama on a ton of threads, I just put up my response to navarre1. Momof3boyz....contrary to what you would like to believe...I have had some fun at Alabama and was actually in a fraternity but dropped out because it took up way too much time and some of the things that went on were terrible. How dare you come on here and try and rip me to shreds and say I have "Sub-par" moral character. I did not say that the university was trying to curb the use of fake I.D.'s and I was not complaining about that. I was griping about the seeming lack of social scene outside of greek life. Oh and btw, my request was not DECLINED but they said I would be better off for Spring of 2010. Please momof3yz, stop acting as though you know who I am. I am not some scumbag who has no clue what "morals" are and I am truly taking offense to what you have been posting about me.I gave navarre1 my HONEST opinion about my experience at UA so far. Excuse me but do you go there? NO! I doubt your son tells you everything that goes on there. I live there and go to school there so I am pretty sure I have a good idea of what is going on. Please do not sit here and preach as though you are a student there and that you know what goes on. You talk about maturity and morals but you are the one sitting on a website seemingly trying to tear me down and make me look like a terrible person...what does that say about you? And btw, I am not just making stuff up when I talk about the hazing incident. Here is the article right here! </p>
<p>Was I possibly a bit harsh on my original post about my experience at Alabama? Yes. I will admit that. I have made some great friends and I have had fun. I still stand by my posts from a while back about how Alabama is a great school academically. I do not come from a southern family and so it is a bit harder for me to adjust over at Alabama. It is an adjustment seeing the utter hate from students the night Barack Obama was elected. It is a shock to hear a fraternity member sit down in the athletic dining hall and say "I can't believe we have a ni@@er president!" while our huge lineman Terrence Cody is sitting right behind him and then a fight breaks out. There is something you won't hear in the news outside of UA and Tuscaloosa. If I can find a way to pay for Alabama, I will probably stay...but there are things that I still need to adjust to. But how dare any of you, especially grown adults with children, get on an anonymous website and try to tear down a college student. I was simply stating some of my frustrations with the university. </p>
<p>Momof3boyz and FSULEON, I understand some of the advice you are both trying to give to me and I thank you for that. However, I find it extremely inappropriate that you are trying to paint me as some terrible person. Someone asked me for my opinion of Alabama and I gave them an honest answer. I even posted on our other thread that navarre1 needs to take a look at Bama on their own to truly make their decision. Now, can we all please act our ages and let this issue go? I gave my honest opinion to Navarre1 and should not be attacked for what is simply my opinion and my experience. All of this is extremely ridiculous and absolutely uncalled for.</p>
<p>Oh and Momof3boyz, if I have not made this clear, it is not a rant. What I have posted is an honest opinion from a STUDENT who attends this university. I admitted that it is a bit harsh and who knows, maybe next semester I will warm up a bit more to the university. I do not hate Alabama by any means, although I make it seem that way, but it is extremely frustrating with the way the economy is. However, if you think that your son has a different view of Alabama then have him get on here and post about his experience. But please, do not come on here and act as though you have a better perception of Alabama than I do because that seems to be what you are doing and it is what is offending me and making me extremely upset with this whole situation. I am the one who lives there and goes to school there. Again, if you think my opinion is skewed then have your son come on here and make an opinion but please do not act as though you know more about the university and what goes on there than a student who attends there. And do not question my moral character...I am a practicing Catholic who attends mass every sunday. It's made easier that the Catholic Church is right across from my dorm. If anyone has bad moral character, it is the person coming on here telling me I have "sub-par" moral character without knowing a thing about me. However, I will not say that you have sub-par moral character because I do not know you and will not pass judgement on you simply based on a few posts that you have made over what seems to be a misunderstanding and "blowing out of proportion" of things that I have said.</p>
<p>I noticed your location is AL. Come for a visit to the university and just see things for yourself. The place is truly on the upswing and is becoming a great academic school. In most big southern schools, you are going to have your fair share of bigots and a heavy influence from the greek system. Granted, many of my friends are greeks and 95% of the time, they agree that many greeks think too highly of themselves. </p>
<p>Lets put it this way. I completely tore Alabama to shreds but that was out of frustration. Go back and look at my other posts about the university and maybe you can get a more holistic view of my experience at Bama. Like I said...if the economy and what not turns around, I will more than likely stay because I have made so many good friends and would prefer not to start over.</p>
<p>To IsleofJD (and any other readers that have followed this thread), </p>
<p>Please accept my heart felt apology for judging you and minimalizing any of your experiences al Alabama this past semester. You admit your OP to navarre1 was a bit harsh. I reacted to quickly before seeking a clearer perspective. </p>
<p>I have followed CC for more than three and one half years. Time and time again, young teens and college students alike have posted bogus info (not you in this case) or exposed information about thenselves that could come back to haunt them down the road. As I mentioned in my earlier post, students have lost scholarships, internships and jobs after schools or employers find photos and/or postings that shed light on the students poor judgement. In addition to monetary losses, students have humiliated themselves and their family's reputation because of what information is found on social network sites and forums. If you post it on the web, you are broadcasting it to the world. Three years ago, a group of adults that were regulars on CC had to request a moderator from CC to step in and "shut down" any posts from a young man that had repeatedly posted false information. Each time he would get call out on the lies, he would disappear for a day or two and resurface with a new screen name. Once his old identity was exposed, he would post terrible comments. Unfortunately, there are people that believe EVERYTHING they read on the web or lack the common sense when someone is pulling the wool over their eyes. (Do you recall the young teen that committed suicide when the cyber "boy friend" turned mean on her. Later the authorities determined the "boy friend" was the mother of a classmate and neighbor.) My hope is to warn you and other students before you post something you can not take back. </p>
<p>My reference to sub-par character is directly related to the use of a fake ID. I was a college student way back when. I too drank alcohol before I was of legal age. I'm not proud of that and hope to discourage you and others from caving to peer pressures. I do have two in college and one in high school. I am well aware of how often my boys have been razed for choosing to avoid the temptations. My boys are not perfect by any stretch! Fortunately my boys are comfortable talking to my husband and I about what goes when adults are not watching. All my boys are athletes. Our local school district (and Univ of AL) require all athletes to submit to random drug/alcohol screening. My boys have had to present themselves for drug testing with less than 12 hours notice. It comes down to choices. I hope you re-evaluate your need for a fake ID (even if you don't drink-you are misrepresenting your age and damaging your own reputation). </p>
<p>Your observations of racism should be exposed. I'm proud that you realized you did not want to be associated with the fraternity brother that spoke out on election night. It is very sad that people can't let go of the past. That young man did not have formal lessons to think that way, he observed it in his home or his community. </p>
<p>Lastly, I respect that your OP was in response to navarre1 and it was your opinion. Your post came to the for front when navarre1 felt the need to repost it on the FSU page and on at least 3 threads on the AL page. Navarre1, we are more than capable of reading IsleofJD's post the first time arround. </p>
<p>IsleofJD, I hope you are able to fund your education at AL or another school where you will be comfortable. We all bring our life's experiences with us to share with others and hopefully will listen and gain wisdom from the experiences of others we cross paths with.<br>
Thankyou for reminding me to reflect on my own actions. I am humbled.</p>
<p>Easy there MomOf3Boyz! FSUleon was the one who reposted the thread, not me. All I ever did was ask the young man for his opinion on Alabama. I will accept your apology now. Thank You</p>
<p>Momof3boyz....thank you. Your apology means a lot. I actually live amongst many athletes so I have seen the pressures that they face for drug tests and I see what you are saying. I completely understand where you are coming from on the Fake I.D. issue and I feel as though I should explain my thought process behind this. If you are a guy and you are not an active in a fraternity, you have to know an active at a fraternity to get on the list for parties. Most college students want to party while doing well in school. Some do not always manage to do so with success but I have. However if you are a guy, it can be a bit hard to ensure you have a good line up of parties to go to after a big football game. If you are a girl...you have no problem and can walk right on in. So lets say there is a weekend where getting a line up for parties is a bit tough. Do I just want to sit in my dorm on a Saturday night after a football game and not go out and do anything and meet people? No. So the bars would be a nice fallback. Lets admit that the only reason there are a line of bars right near campus are because Tuscaloosa is a college town. Granted..I can get in since I am the age to be admitted but I am not of drinking age. However, you can find a way around that little issue. Generally, you will know someone of age in the bar and they will help you. I know, it sounds bad but as I said...no one wants to just be sitting around doing nothing while everyone is out having fun. I am not saying that a fake ID is a necessity, but it is just something that most students would like to have if they go out and party a bit. Am I an alcoholic or some out of control party guy? No. And most people my age aren't. We just like to have a little fun.</p>
<p>Racism is still existent in this nation, whether we choose to admit it or not. It is present at Alabama but good hearted and well intentioned people out weigh the few that manage to stir up racial tensions. </p>
<p>Thank you for simply seeing why I was angry and for apologizing. I appreciate that. I thank you for your support about hoping I can fund my education. If I can pay to stay at UA, then I most likely will. To anyone who reads this thread either now, or in the future, I encourage you to come visit UA and see if it is right for you. I loved UA when I started there, and then my opinion changed a bit, but now it is starting to swing into a more positive light. Again, all anyone can do is come visit UA and see for themselves if it is a fit. If anyone else has any questions, please PM me and I will do my best to answer them. </p>
<p>Everyone take care and have a great winter break and a Happy Holidays :)</p>
<p>navarre1, my error! I am so sorry - AGAIN! I was typing so fast last night I neglected to double check my info. I had already send a PM to FSUleon. Wow, I am not making any friends on here, am I? Shame on me. I have once again proven I am human and make mistakes just like everyone else. I am not a mean person and I do not make a habit of flaming people on this site.</p>
<p>Thank you for your apology but it is really not necessary. I figured it was probably just a typo. I was laughing when I sent it and that was just me being silly. Thank you also for sharing your opinions about Alabama with me.</p>
<p>I am a student at UA and it is not a racist school. Of course there are students on campus who are racist. Unfortunately that is our society and you will never escape that. Do blacks have to sit in the back? NO. So do not come here thinking that you will need national guard protection. It is a great school and I love it. My only dislike is the architectural design of all the buildings. I prefer the newer technology looking buildings (think Hong Kong, Singapore, etc) whereas UA buildings have that traditional conservative southern university feel. You will see pick up trucks with confederate flag plate decals on the front but it's more of a representation of southern lifestyle, not racism.</p>
<p>There isn't a whole lot wrong with having a fake ID. In a town like Tuscaloosa you would go insane if you didn't have one and weren't in a fraternity....not like there is a whole lot to do there.
But as to the OP, T town is not a racist place at all. However, I don't think that there is a town in this entire country that is not free of someone who is racist so the reality is that there are going to be a few racists just like anywhere else. But it is not part of the culture of the town or the school. I even have a black friend who pledged one of the larger white fraternities and he is having a blast.
Worrying that everyone in Alabama is racist is stupid. Is everyone in SoCal a surfer who smokes pot? Does everyone in Colorado ski or die? Is everyone in the mid-west wholesome as Batty Crocker? Is everyone in NYC rude? I saw a report once that showed that there is more KKK activity in Ohio and Pennsylvania than in Alabama. </p>
<p>It just gets so old....
I hate when people assume that the south is full of backwards racists...</p>
<p>The SPLC has cried wolf far too often to be taken seriously these days. They consider groups which oppose ILLEGAL Immigration racist, which is absurd. Think about the purpose of the SPLC. It needs to push the notion that racism is a huge problem in the South, to justify its existence and to keep the donations rolling in from wealthy liberal donors. I say this as a non Republican Libertarian who abhors true racism and homophobia.</p>