UA Acts of Kindness Fund gets $1 million donation from Alabama athletics department
Birmingham News – May 7
The UA Acts of Kindness Fund, established by the University of Alabama to assist students, faculty and staff who were impacted by a deadly April 27 tornado, is getting a $1 million donation from the Alabama athletics department. “After looking into several ways to help during this trying time, we have decided to take funds of our own to assist those members of the UA community who are facing very difficult circumstances,” Alabama athletics director Mal Moore said in a news release. “Our ability to help is a direct result of the incredible support of our fan base, whose continued support and enthusiasm makes everything we accomplish possible.” University president Robert E. Witt said the generous gift is appreciated. “We appreciate the generosity and compassion of everyone who has donated to the UA Acts of Kindness Fund, and we thank the UA family for their outpouring of support for the relief efforts of the city we call home,” Witt said in the news release. “At the end of the day, we are a community united in service to our students, our faculty and staff, our friends and our neighbors. “…
50 years later, students retrace 1961 Freedom Ride
Associated Press – May 7
…Student rider Marshall Houston, a May graduate of the University of Alabama, is building on what he learned when producing a documentary about the university’s Foster Auditorium. Alabama Gov. George Wallace made his “stand in the schoolhouse door” at the building on June 11, 1963, in a symbolic attempt to prevent integration as two black students tried to register for class. Learning about the people — both black and white — who worked behind the scenes to make sure the university’s integration didn’t turn violent drove home the importance of being aware of history, said Houston, a white native of Birmingham. “Through that process, I really first began to understand what power strategic actions and a coalition of students who believe in equality and justice can have in society,” said the 22-year-old Houston, who compared their efforts to modern-day student activists in Iran and Egypt. “It’s inspiring when you see young people my age taking a stand,” he said. “If I were in that situation, would I take that stand? That’s not something you can answer until that moment comes.”
National Public Radio – May 7
Talk Radio Rides to the Rescue: How Clear Channel Stations promoted a remarkable network of volunteers for tornado relief (By Dr. David Beito, UA history professor)
Wall Street Journal – May 7
…Instead of going home for break, for example, students in the Greek system at the University of Alabama and historically black Stillman College stayed to cook more than 7,000 meals per day…The four Tuscaloosa Clear Channel stations have pre-empted their normal fare of Rush, Hannity and top 40 songs to serve as a relief clearinghouse through simulcasts. Gigi South, the local market manager for Tuscaloosa Clear Channel, says that it was her decision to begin the simulcasts…Tuscaloosa Clear Channel’s tweets now reappear, along with announcements from the local government, on outdoor electronic message boards throughout the city and the University television station carries live feeds of the simulcast.
JeffCo faces epic economic issues
Birmingham Business Journal – May 7
…from tornadoes that tore through the state on April 27 could amount to as much as $2 billion in economic impact in what experts say may be the worst tornado outbreak in the nation in nearly a century. The deadly storms that affected more than half of Alabama’s counties should produce insurance claims upward of $1 billion, according to Sam Addy, director of the Center for Economic Research at the University of Alabama…
In tornado-stricken Ala., shock yields to grief
Associated Press – May 8
…”The need for counseling and crisis intervention is going to rise dramatically. And it’ll be ongoing,” said Zelia Baugh, Alabama’s commissioner of mental health. Baugh’s agency and the University of Alabama are temporarily offering free crisis counseling at Bryce Hospital and other locations in hard-hit Tuscaloosa, staffed by university faculty and graduate students…But mental health experts say that grief often doesn’t truly set in until weeks or even months after a disaster. “It’s later that the body and the brain allow us to move to the next stage of trauma recovery, a more emotional stage. The reality of what happened hits you and there’s a huge grief process that goes on with that because there’s a huge loss,” said Beverly Thorn, chairwoman of the University of Alabama’s psychology department. She added that some victims handle the grieving stage better than others. People who deal with it emotionally in little pieces, not avoiding it completely but not getting overwhelmed by it all at once, seem to do better, Thorn said…
UA relief fund applications now online
Crimson White – May 6
Students and faculty can now apply online for relief money from the University of Alabama Acts of Kindness Fund… “This is one of the many ways that people can help provide support to those impacted by Wednesday’s storm,” Andreen said in an interview Friday about the fund…As of Friday afternoon, the UA Acts of Kindness Fund has received more than $1.6 million, including a $1 million donation from the athletic department.
Local students help tornado victims
Commercial-News (Danville, Ill.) – May 8
…The hardest hit major city was Tuscaloosa, where Kathy Oths lives. She is the sister of Jennifer Martindill of Danville…Oths agreed, noting the cleanup and rebuilding probably will take 10 years. She and the staff at the anthropology department at the University of Alabama, where she is an anthropology professor, have been helping with the cleanup and recovery of people’s property. She said there would have been many more deaths if it hadn’t been for the early warning system. She was at the university when the tornado hit, and took shelter in the basement. The university escaped damage, for the most part, and her home survived…To help she recommended making contributions to: –University of Alabama Acts of Kindness Fund…
Nation comes to the rescue
Tuscaloosa News – May 8
…Myers is an FSU alumnus, as well, and a brother of the Sigma Lambda Beta multicultural fraternity. “We found out that some of our fraternity brothers at the University of Alabama were impacted by the storm, so we wanted to come up here and help them, too,” Myers said. Cardenas and Myers group brought a van full of donated supplies and plan to help out in Tuscaloosa in any way they can before leaving…
Nonfiction film: ‘Boo’ spotlights the ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ sensation
Los Angeles Times – May 8
…I think [Lee] understood segregation very well from a white liberal point of view, and she’s sympathetic to blacks and the problems they face,” adds Lisa Dorr, who teaches history at the University of Alabama, which Lee attended for several years. “The book opened the eyes of whites, and made them see how segregation worked.”…
An ancient ‘lost civilization’ in Cuba?
Cuba Headlines – May 8
…During the past decade, anthropological research has tended to support the theory by Cuban archaeologists that their island was an ancient crossroads of advanced indigenous cultures. In 2005 the University of Alabama carried out joint studies with Cuban archaeologists on several sites. It was determined that prior to being exterminated by Spanish invaders, the native peoples of Cuba were skilled farmers and built some stone architecture, but tended to live in small villages so that the residents could maintain a sustainable relationship with the environment…The most likely model for a large scale archeological study to take place would be similar to the University of Alabama’s joint project with Cuban archaeologists. Perhaps several universities from several nations could be involved.
UA, residents sell shirts for relief effort
Crimson White – May 7
…Similarly, the University has created a shirt—advertised on rolltide.com—to benefit storm victims. The cost per shirt is about $20, and all proceeds will go toward disaster relief except the costs of shipping and handling, which UA spokesman Doug Walker said will total about $6. “Fifteen percent of all proceeds from all other merchandise will also be donated,” Walker said…