Program helps teach Hispanics English
Tuscaloosa News – June 24
…The Hispanic Jumpstart program was started during summer 2008 by University of Alabama students Wilson Boardman, Laura Dover and Erin Shirley with a grant Dover obtained through the university’s Blackburn Institute. The program prepares students who speak little English for a school in which English is the primary language. ‘The Hispanic dropout rate we found was very high due to the fact that they get so far behind because of the language barrier,’ said Shirley, who is leading the program this year. ‘It’s essential to get them at the 4- and 5-year-old stage because that’s the time in the development that their brain is in the stage where they can learn a new language quickly. ‘We’ve already seen a lot of progress in the last three weeks with their English. It’s amazing,’ she said. Boardman and Dover are not directly involved with this year’s program because of other commitments, but Shirley, two other UA students, an incoming UA student and a Northridge High School student are working on the project, allowing one-on-one interaction with the students…
Mandersons give $12 million to Bama
Atlanta Business Chronicle – June 23
Atlanta businessman Lewis M. Manderson and his wife, Faye, have donated more than $12 million to The University of Alabama‘s “Our Students. Our Future.” capital campaign. Lewis Manderson is the founder of outdoor advertising company Creative Displays Inc. In 1983, Manderson sold Creative Displays and became president of Manderson and Associates Inc., a private investment company in Atlanta. He is the founder of Cordova Capital Inc., a venture capital fund, and other businesses. The university said it will use the Manderson gift to support the Manderson Graduate School of Business, which is named in honor of Lewis M. Manderson Jr. The majority of the funds will support the operation of the school, including scholarships, student recruitment efforts, career services and alumni relations. Also, the park and the opening to the north side of the Tuscaloosa, Ala.; university’s campus will become The Park at Manderson Landing. “Faye and I are pleased to partner with the university in educating and supporting the brightest business leaders of today and tomorrow,” Lewis Manderson said. “We want our gift to support many generations of The University of Alabama family and continue a tradition of academic excellence at the Capstone.
Bert Bank, founder of Ala. Football Network, dies
Tuscaloosa News – June 24
…Loy Singleton, dean of the College of Communication and Information Sciences at UA, said WTBC has served as the training ground for many students who went on to national prominence. ‘Students in broadcasting are always looking for an opportunity to get hands-on experience not only in labs and classes in college, but opportunities to get paid and work in a commercial setting and Bert provided that venue,’ he said…Bank secured broadcast rights to Alabama football games in 1953, putting together a statewide network of stations to broadcast Crimson Tide games. He managed the Alabama football radio network until 1985…UA Director of Athletics Mal Moore issued a statement on Bank’s passing Tuesday. ‘Bert Bank was a great American war hero, a dedicated servant to his country and state, and a loyal fan and friend of the University of Alabama,’ Moore said. ‘Few individuals have had the impact on the University like Bert. He knew every football coach, dating back to Wallace Wade, on a first name basis. ‘Not only has this country, state and university lost a magnificent leader, but I’ve personally lost a close friend. My thoughts are with the entire Bank family during their time of mourning, and I want to thank them for letting them share Bert with us for so many years.’…Bank’s association with UA football dates back to the late 1920s. He knew Paul W. ‘Bear’ Bryant before Bryant even enrolled at Alabama. Bank was inducted into the Alabama Communication Hall of fame in 2000 and into the Alabama Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in 2008. ‘Bert provided a role model for broadcasters for the way he related to and helped find jobs for aspiring young broadcasters and also his approach to life and the pleasure he brought to people and the good things that he did,’ Singleton said…Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Moody Music Building at the University of Alabama…In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to charity or the University of Alabama.
Associated Press – June 24
FOX6 (Birmingham) – June 23
NBC13 (Birmingham) – June 23
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – June 23
WAAY (Huntsville) – June 23
WDHN (Dothan) – June 23
Local Iranians keep an eye on homeland strife
Tuscaloosa News – June 24
Ashkan Bayatpour, a University of Alabama senior majoring in political science and international relations…said his parents decided to leave Iran and move permanently to the U.S. in hopes of a better life. He said President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s win in the bitterly disputed June 12 election was not a shock to him or his family. ‘As far as the election results, it wasn’t a big surprise because we knew that the government is corrupt and would do whatever it took to have Ahmadinejad win,’ he said…Donald Snow, a professor emeritus at the University of Alabama, said the violence and demonstrations going on in Tehran are similar to the 1979 Islamic Revolution when the shah was ousted. ‘The thing that’s interesting about the election is the widespread demonstrations. We haven’t seen that in Iran since the shah was overthrown. There are a lot of folks who are demonstrating, and the government doesn’t seem to be capable of doing a whole lot about it,’ Snow said. ‘Demonstrations like that in the past mushroomed and resulted in the overthrowing of the shah.’…