Study blames global warming for shrinking species
Associated Press – Oct. 16
From the mighty polar bear to the tiny house sparrow, many of Earth’s species appear to be shrinking in size, a new study reports. And the authors think it’s probably due to global warming, a little like wool sweaters that shrink when washed in hot water. But other experts say that conclusion goes too far, blaming global warming for what may be natural changes. The new research was published online Sunday in the journal Nature Climate Change…”There is a trend in a number of organisms across the board from plants to big vertebrates getting smaller,” said study co-author Jennifer Sheridan, a biology researcher at the University of Alabama. “The theory is as things get warmer they don’t need to grow as large.” Most of these animals are cold-blooded so the warmer the weather, the faster their metabolism is and the more calories they burn, Sheridan said. There’s a biological law, called Bergmann’s rule, that says that as it gets colder, animals get bigger. This is the unwritten flip side of it, she said.
USA Today – Oct. 17
UA opera students perform opera about tornado
CBS 42 (Birmingham) – Oct. 14
FOX6 (Birmingham) – Oct. 14
ABC 33/40 (Birmingham) – Oct. 14
“Rebuild This House: The Promise of Moving Forward” is a tornado-based opera premiering tonight at the University of Alabama. Performers will take the audience through the approach and aftermath of April 27th. The production features an original song by a student composer who lost his home in the storms.
Documentary ‘In the Path of the Storms’ to premiere in Bayou La Batre
Mobile Press-Register – Oct. 16
…A community viewing of “In the Path of the Storms,” which chronicles life in coastal Alabama after Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf oil spill, is planned for 5:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 17, at Alma Bryant High School in Bayou La Batre…The documentary was produced by Mike Letcher, production manager for the Center for Public Television at the University of Alabama…To create the 55-minute film, Letcher and his team spent a total of about 14 days, over the course of two years, interviewing residents and filming community activities such as a mayoral election and the Blessing of the Fleet in Bayou La Batre…
University of Alabama experts predict sluggish growth for state economy
Al.com – Oct. 15
University of Alabama experts are predicting slower growth for Alabama’s economy in the final months of 2011 and say the picture won’t improve much next year, though a recession will likely be avoided. In a report issued today, UA’s Center for Business and Economic and Research say Alabama’s economy expanded at a 2 percent rate in 2010 and managed “steady by modest gains” in the first half of this year, before running out of steam. They expect Alabama’s economy to expand by 1.5 percent in the final six months of this year…
FOX6 (Birmingham) – Oct. 14
Students respond to divorce in a number of ways
Crimson White – Oct. 17
…Many times, parents delay divorce until their children have grown and left home. “The thing that I would hear from people is that many parents do this to try to spare the student from problems and pain,” said John Lochman, a UA psychology professor. However, the decision to wait could have a worse impact on college students than parents imagine. “It’s very disillusioning,” he said. “They might feel like they were just living a lie.”…
Tornado warnings too often ignored
Birmingham News – Oct. 17
…A researcher in Tuscaloosa found that people believed it wouldn’t hit them because tornadoes don’t strike the city’s center — they “always” go to the north or the south of the city, said Jason Senkbeil, an assistant professor at the University of Alabama, researching the shelter seeking behavior of the storm victims. “We heard that over and over again,” he said. Of 200 victims surveyed, 51 percent didn’t have a shelter plan, Senkbeil said…
Former SGA President and wife speak on art at the University
Crimson White – Oct. 17
Former Student Government Association President Cleo Thomas and his wife Carla Thomas spoke in the Ferguson Center Saturday to address the 60 works of their collected art on display in the Ferguson Center Art Gallery. Thomas earned his undergraduate degree when he was 20 years old, and in 1976 became the only black SGA president at the University of Alabama. Thomas was also elected to the Board of Trustees at age 27, the youngest trustee in history. “Cleo made history here on campus in 1976,” said Robert Olin, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, during his introduction. The gallery and event commemorate the 50th anniversary of Department of American Studies at the University, which Thomas credits for his interest in art and the creation of his collection…
Emerging Scholars Series to showcase instructor research
Crimson White – Oct. 17
…The English Department’s new Emerging Scholars Series plans to promote better understanding of University instructors, specifically their participation in academic endeavors, by facilitating the exchange of ideas between students and instructors in an informal setting. “This is a cool opportunity for students to see what instructors are doing and learn from them outside of the classroom setting, especially about stuff that the instructors have a passion for,” said Dixon, who will present his work at the program’s first rendition on Tuesday, Oct. 18, in Morgan Room 301 from 2 to 2:30 p.m…
Internship provides students with volunteer opportunities
Crimson White – Oct. 17
The University of Alabama’s Disaster Relief Internship Program (DRIP) continues providing internship opportunities for students, Joseph Cheney, the program’s coordinator, said. After placing nearly 70 students in local relief organizations during the summer months, the program is looking to have around 25 students placed in internships by the end of the year, Cheney said… “The work students are doing ranges from administration, to active reconstruction work, to in one instance running a warehouse,” Cheney said. “It is truly amazing the amount and different types of work student interns are doing.” “We’re putting students in very responsible jobs – they’re not just sorting clothes and unloading trucks,” Baldwin said. “They’re directing warehouses, giving out aid to people that have lost everything.”…
Marbury High grad spins ‘Wheel of Fortune’
Montgomery Advertiser – Oct. 15
Alane Hunt, a Marbury High graduate who presently attends the University of Alabama, will get her 15 minutes in the national spotlight next Tuesday when she appears as a contestant on the television game show “Wheel of Fortune.” Hunt, the daughter of Collier and Jane Hunt of Pine Level, traveled with her mother in late August to appear as part of the popular game show’s “College Week” after a successful December audition in New Orleans. The episode during which the local woman will appear was filmed on Sept. 1. Due to the show’s non-disclosure rules, Hunt’s mother couldn’t disclose the outcome of her youngest offspring’s appearance, which will be aired next Tuesday at 6:30 p.m…
Business Buzz
Tuscaloosa News – Oct. 16 (Print version only)
Margaret Pipkin Garner, assistant dean for health education and outreach in the University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences, has been named the 2011 recipient of the American Dietetic Association’s highest honor, the Marjorie Hulsizer Copher Award…