UA fraternity volunteers at Matthews Elementary
Tuscaloosa News – Sept. 30
When members of the University of Alabama’s chapter of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity heard that the Tuscaloosa County School System was having a hard time keeping the grass cut at its 33 schools due to budget cutbacks, they saw it as an opportunity to lend a hand…From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, the 44 members of Phi Gamma’s freshmen pledge class pulled weeds, dug up old rusted landscaping border rails, picked up trash, organized the school’s copy room, scrubbed floors, put old computers in storage, repainted bathrooms, sanded and repainted park benches and trimmed trees at Matthews.
Valeska said it was a lot of hard work, but they were glad to have had the opportunity. “We started a new philanthropy program for our freshmen members this year and we figured that this was a good place to start,” Valeska said. “Our goal is to get these kids as involved in the community as they are on campus and in the (fraternity) house.” “We’ll be doing stuff like this through the fall,” he said. “It’s just great to be out here helping out.”
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Sept. 29
UA ticket office gives advice about how to spot a counterfeit ticket
WHNT (Huntsville) – Sept. 29
…folks at the University of Alabama are stepping in to make sure you don’t get duped trying to cheer on your team. Here’s what to look for to make sure your ticket to the game is legit. A foiled trademark banner is on the ticket with the word within it.
Extended health care eases student stress
Crimson White – Sept. 30
As of Sept. 23, young adults can choose to remain under the coverage of their parents’ health care insurance plans until the age of 26 due to legislation contained in President Barack Obama’s health care reform bill. George Brown, executive director of University Recreation and the chair of the 2010-2011 Student Health Committee, said the legislation will benefit the college-age demographic. “The effect is that you can stay on your parents’ coverage for a longer period of time,” Brown said. “The biggest effect, though, is for students contemplating graduate school. It will definitely help there because students will have the option to stay on their parents’ plan.”…He said the Student Health Center has allowed its faculty and staff to add dependents onto their health care plan until the age of 26, and this action was done to be consistent with the health care reform being passed. The previous cut-off age for a dependent was 23…Lea Yerby, an assistant professor in the Department of Community and Rural Medicine and an investigator in its Institute for Rural Health Research, said the reform will change the way the generation views health care. “I think that it will affect the generation’s perception of health care and their culture of how they use health care,” Yerby said. She said previous health care legislation failed to cover young adults who may have parents without a health insurance plan that would cover them or who may be looking for a job or a graduate school upon graduation. “A lot of [the millions uninsured last year] were young adults caught in that gap,” Yerby said. “A lot of time, people get caught in that middle place.”…
Katherine Heigl Smoke Sticks: Are They Bad For You?
CBS News – Sept. 29
Dr. Alan Blum, who directs the University of Alabama Center for the Study of Tobacco and Society, tells CBS News there is a lot to debate. In principal, says Blum, smoke sticks are less harmful, because they deliver “just a little bit” of vaporized nicotine without the harmful combustion by-products one gets from a real cigarette…
Sorority holds forum on literacy
Crimson White – Sept. 30
…To underscore the plight of illiteracy that afflicts the state of Alabama, Alpha Kappa Alpha held a forum Tuesday evening called HELP — Honoring Education through Literacy Promotion…The sorority invited Stephen Bridgers, director of the Literacy Council of West Alabama, to speak at the forum…
Program provides student parents with sitters
Crimson White – Sept. 30
Sitters for Service is a program sponsored by the UA Office of Student Affairs that provides free babysitting services for student parents. The program was launched in April and consisted of eight student sitters serving six student parents, according to a document provided by Student Affairs. “Following the completion of a successful pilot program, Sitters for Service officially launched this semester with 26 student sitters serving 22 student parents,” said Jason Doblin, undergraduate parent support coordinator of student affairs. “Each student sitter in the program agrees to offer 20 hours of free babysitting for the semester and each student parent in the program receives 24 hours of free babysitting for the semester.”…
UA students work with Habitat for Humanity
Crimson White – Sept. 30
“Habitat for Humanity is one of our most asked-about programs.” Hillary Moore, the director of public relations and marketing for Community Service Center, said. “We have had about 50 to 80 students to volunteer in the spring and in late August,” she said…The community service Center hosted an informational meeting on the alternative fall break trip to Waveland, Miss. to aid in the reconstruction efforts after Hurricane Katrina on Wednesday. “We will take the trip to aid in some of the reconstruction efforts there because even five years after the Hurricane there is still a lot of work to be done there,” Moore said…
Apwonjo and Study Abroad Connections host panel discussion
Crimson White – Sept. 30
Apwonjo and Study Abroad Connections hosted a panel discussion of current and former students Tuesday night consisting of four members who have traveled to countries in Africa…Study Abroad Connections president, Andrea Richey, talked about the affect the discussion had on the audience. “I think it opened up their minds to new perspectives about Africa,” Richey, a senior majoring in German said. “Hopefully, it opened up a lot of their minds to the kind of diversity that actually exists within Africa.”…