Alabama Repertory Dance Theatre re-creates 1956 classic
Tuscaloosa News – March 30
….Contemporary dance instruction hasn’t remained as fixed to tradition, which is why Cornelius Carter, director of the dance program at the University of Alabama, pushed to re-stage José Limón’s ”There is a Time” for the Alabama Repertory Dance Theatre, UA’s pre-professional company in-residence. “There is a Time” is being performed in the ARDT’s spring concert, which continues its run tonight through Saturday in Morgan Auditorium…Project director Sarah M. Barry, assistant professor of dance, wrote the proposal that earned a $15,000 National Endowment for the Arts grant to reconstruct the work. Writing a proposal is akin to preparing a research paper that will be peer-reviewed.“You have to provide a lot of information about the project itself, about your organization, the history of the university and the department,” Barry said. “You also try to figure out what you want the project to bring to your community, as well as what it will do for the dance program.” Very few groups, usually top programs such as Juilliard’s, are allowed to restage “There is a Time.” “It helps our students when, as with all resumes, a student can walk into an audition: ‘I just got through dancing José Limón’s ‘There is a Time.’ It’s like saying ‘I just danced ‘Giselle,’ ” Barry said. The grant helped pay for the six-week residency of Clay Taliaferro, who taught Limón technique and gave lectures earlier this semester. Rita Snyder, UA associate professor, has carried the work forward as rehearsal director…
Millionth library visitor recognized
Crimson White – March 30
Chris Dominey entered Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library Tuesday just like any other day when he was deemed the “one-millionth visitor” to a campus library since Aug. 1, 2010. Tom Wilson, the associate dean for Library Technology, shook Dominey’s hand as he entered the back of Gorgas and led him over to a table piled with cupcakes. Dean of Libraries Louis Pitschmann presented him with a goodie bag…Although Dominey said he had his eye on the cupcakes, he was pleasantly surprised by the goody bag, which included a $100 gift certificate to the Supply Store, coupons to Java City and autographed books by Rick Bragg and Chip Cooper…This was the first annual celebration of the one-millionth visitor to the libraries, said Donna Adcock, the director of public relations for the libraries. Signs had been up in the libraries since the end of last week, which asked the question: “Will it be you?” Adcock said that the number includes visitors to all campus libraries: Gorgas, Bruno, Hoole, McLure and Rodgers. Pitschmann said the event’s purpose was to emphasize the importance of the libraries on campus. “Not only do we have more students on campus, students are coming more often to the libraries,” Pitschmann said. “Since 2002, visits to University libraries are up 77 percent, an increase that greatly exceeds the increase in enrollment.”…
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – March 29
Tuscaloosa News – March 30 (Photo and cutline, print version only)
Business program earning national ranking
Crimson White – March 30
The University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration was named the No. 33 public business program in the Bloomberg Businessweek rankings released March 17…The spot was a major jump for UA, which did not place anywhere on the list in 2010. The prestige was a source of pride, but the dean of the Culverhouse College said he was not willing to stop striving for excellence. “Are we satisfied overall? The answer is no,” said J. Barry Mason, dean of business administration. “We should continue to improve, and get better at what we do. To be the 33rd best public college overall is an indication that we are very strong. That’s the top 3 or 4 percent in the nation. Our goal, though, is to become one of the top 25 public schools in the nation. I’d say that our ranking was a fair assessment, but we’re not satisfied. We should never be satisfied, and never stop improving”…
School of Social Work debuts lecture series
Crimson White – March 30
Ethel Hall, vice president emerita of the Alabama State Board of Education and former doctorate student at the University of Alabama, spoke at the School of Social Work for the inaugural Women’s History Month Lecture on Monday. This year was the first year the School of Social Work has held this event, and the number of attendants was larger than anticipated. “We were delighted with the number of people who came,” said Lucinda Lee Roff, professor emerita and interim dean at the School of Social Work. “We were absolutely excited for her to come.”…Students enrolled in a 300-level class taught by Cassandra Simon, “Social Injustice and Oppression,” attended the lecture. “I felt that this was a great way to honor Dr. Hall, and I know my students enjoyed it,” Simon said. Simon’s class deals with some of the issues Hall spoke about in her lecture. After Hall’s speech the interim dean of the School of Social Work presented Hall with the Trailblazer Award for her many accomplishments as a teacher and member of the state Board of Education…
Trivia night amuses (and confuses) Birmingham firms
Birmingham News – March 30
…Over 50 companies and nonprofit organizations from across Birmingham met at the downtown Sheraton ballroom on Tuesday night to duke it out at Alabama’s Brightest Company Trivia Night, sponsored by Protective Life Corp. and Impact Alabama…The trivia night was simultaneously held in four cities: 52 teams in Birmingham, 21 in Montgomery, 30 in Mobile, and 31 in Huntsville. Teams from each city competed against each other, and in the final round the winners from each city played each other for the championship. “It’s a big undertaking to pull off an event simultaneously in four cities,” said Stephen Black, president and founder of Impact Birmingham and the director of the Center for Ethics at the University of Alabama. Black said each team paid a $1,000 entry fee, a donation to help fund Impact Alabama’s programs in the state…
Speaker encourages students to hope
Crimson White – March 30
The UA College of Education hosted Shane Lopez for the 2011 James P. Curtis lecture on Thursday at 6 p.m. The lecture was held in the Woodis-McDonald Auditorium in Graves Hall. Lopez is a creator of the Gallup Student Poll, which determines what drives student achievements. He also served as the research director for the Clifton Strengths School and is a licensed psychologist. Lopez has published more than 100 articles and chapters as well as seven books. Lopez’s research links hope, well-being and success…The James P. Curtis Distinguished Lecture Series was created by the Board of Directors of the Capstone Education Society to bring an educator or public figure to speak about contemporary education issues…
Greek Week competitions fosters unity, philanthropy
Crimson White – March 30
Through the ticket sales for Greek Week from all four councils, the University of Alabama Greek system will be able to give out about $100,000 in grant money that have been applied for by Tuscaloosa non-profits…Monday began with bowling at Bama Lanes from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.; on Tuesday there was a basketball tournament at 6 p.m.; today there is dodgeball at the Sigma Nu fraternity house at 7:30 p.m.; on Thursday there will be a dance scene event at the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house at 7 p.m. and on Friday there will be the sorority row banner competition and the announcement of the winning pairings at noon…
Professor now president of minerals society
Crimson White – March 30
University of Alabama Professor Garry W. Warren, who teaches in the metallurgical and materials engineering department, has been named president of the Minerals, Metals and Materials Society…
Selma jeweler honored for entrepreneurship
Montgomery Advertiser – March 30
…she is the state’s first Female Entrepreneur of the Year Award recipient.
Truax, 47, was honored recently at the University of Alabama, where she was surrounded by relatives and friends on hand to help her celebrate. The award increased to five the number of categories honoring outstanding Alabama business entrepreneurs…