Love and the arts: The poetry of the missed connection
Chicago Tribune – Feb. 14
‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all — so wrote Tennyson, who, any leading poetry scholar will tell you, religiously scoured the “Missed Connections” classifieds on Craigslist. He did this, of course, because found there — and not just on Craigslist but in the classified sections of websites and newspapers everywhere — under wistful headings like “Missed Connections,” “Lovestruck” and “I Saw You,” is the raw material of art. The regrets and might-have-beens of fleeting love, unrequited love, super-creepy love. . . . Then there’s Brian Oliu, who teaches creative writing at the University of Alabama. A couple of summers ago, to pass the time, he posted a handful of missed connections on Craigslist’s Tuscaloosa site — actually, he posted 45, none intended for actual missed connections. Instead, in his imagination, he wrote about long-lost loves and old friends. Last year, Illinois-based Tiny Hardcore Press published “So You Know It’s Me,” a compilation of the ads, which he considers prose poems. “The hardest thing I find with my students is getting them to do extremely personal writing,” he said, “remove it from a laptop and give it to the world. Which, in a way, is what people do when they write missed connections. It’s what people have always used art for — to say the thing they meant to say, address what should have been addressed.”
UA students highlight their choreography in Dance Alabama! show
Tuscaloosa News – Feb. 14
Ashley Volner was reluctant to go to college and study dance. Dancing had always been something very personal for her. “The school I went to gave me so much freedom that the thought of college made me nervous,” Volner said. “I’m not made to be a product of structure or technique.” Volner’s fears of conformity began to fade after she visited the University of Alabama’s Department of Theater and Dance several years ago. “It wasn’t ’til I looked at the University of Alabama that I saw a college with students more like myself and curriculum geared for dancers as curious and hungry for more than ballet or modern,” she said.
IdeaLAB bonds business and engineering colleges
Crimson White – Feb. 14
The Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration and the College of Engineering have come together to create a new learning environment called IdeaLAB. A number of faculty members from each college collaborated on the initiative, and with the support of the deans, they then sought students to get involved. The project is in its first semester and there are approximately 30 students involved, mainly from the business and engineering colleges. The students were instructed to pick an area where they wanted to study and create a project or service within that area.
On the move
Birmingham News – Feb. 14
The University of Alabama said its undergraduate program at the Culverhouse School of Accountancy is ranked No. 20 in Public Accounting Report’s latest annual professors’ survey. The UAgraduate program in accounting was ranked 24. The undergraduate program was No. 23 last year and in 2009.
Traveling miniature book exhibit to stop at UA’s Gorgas Library
AL.com – Feb. 14
Bring your extra thick reading glasses or binoculars to the University of Alabama’s Gorgas Library starting Wednesday, when it plays host to theMiniature Book Society’s national traveling exhibit from Feb. 15 through Sunday, April 15. The exhibit is sponsored by University Libraries and the Alabama Center for the Book. The Miniature Book Society created a national traveling exhibit showcasing modern masterpieces as well as historic examples of, literally, tiny books that generally measure around 3 inches by 3 inches. The traveling exhibit also includes books from the Miniature Book Society’s annual competition.
UA’s opera program performs with Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Feb. 13
The Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra performed “Let’s Fall in Love” tonight at the Moody Music Concert Hall. UA Opera collaborated with the symphony. This was the premiere of the symphony’s new director, Adam Flatt. TSO presented a valentine-themed concert and featured opera stylings from the University of Alabama’s opera program.
Apwonjo hosts benefit concert for Invisible Children
Crimson White – Feb. 14
In an effort to raise awareness for the crises in Sub-Saharan Africa, the student organization Apwonjo will host IgNIGHT, a benefit concert for members of the UA community, on Feb. 17. Apwonjo, meaning “I teach” in the Luo language of Uganda, was founded as a student organization at the University in 2007 as a way to connect campus with the mission of the international organization Invisible Children. Invisible Children raises awareness to humanitarian issues involving the Lord’s Resistance Army of northern Uganda. Led by the rebel Joseph Kony, the LRA is a radical army that uses military and spiritual power to justify genocide in central Africa. It is currently responsible for Africa’s longest-running armed conflict, using violent means to overthrow governmental bodies.
Environmental Council to host energy forum
Crimson White – Feb. 14
The University of Alabama Environmental Council, in collaboration with Focus the Nation, will host the University of Alabama Clean Energy Forum in Gorgas Library Room 205 from 1 to 6 p.m. on Friday. The program, titled “Crimson in Green,” will investigate environmentally friendly energy initiatives through lecturer presentations and panel discussions. Bailie Clark, student coordinator for the event and a sophomore majoring in environmental science, said the forum specifically aims to educate students on these initiatives’ applicability to the University and Tuscaloosa communities. “We’re actually one of the most energy-efficient schools in the SEC,” Clark said. “However, we would like to see a passion for our campus eventually implementing renewable energy technology.”
Theatre Tuscaloosa to host Zumba dance party fundraiser
AL.com – Feb. 14
Theater Tuscaloosa will host a Zumba dance party open to the public on March 3 from 2 to 4 p.m. to help raise funds for the organization. The party will be held in the Wilson Carr Rehearsal Hall at Shelton State Community College’s Martin Campus, located at 9500 Old Greensboro Road in Tuscaloosa. As you might have heard, Zumba is a growing craze combining musical rhythms and dance moves into a dynamic workout designed to be more fun than work. Lucky for you and me, previous dance experience is not required. Instructors from the University of Alabama Student Recreation Center will teach the class. There will also be free giveaways and door prizes for participants.
UA students volunteer with the Tracy Dent Foundation
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Feb. 13
Students at the University of Alabama are stepping up to help those in need. This past week, students volunteered with the Tracy Dent Foundation by sorting canned goods and other donations. The nonprofit organization focuses on providing free services to homeless men in the Cottondale area.
Mercedes confident that Tuscaloosa expansions will help company thrive
Tuscaloosa News – Feb. 14
When the chairman of Mercedes-Benz’s parent company, Daimler AG, held his annual press briefing in Germany on Thursday, he specifically mentioned Tuscaloosa as a city that is key to the automaker’s future…The plant, Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, produced a record number of vehicles in 2011, and Markus Schaefer, MBUSI’s president, said Friday that it expects to set another record this year. Schaefer said the plant is hiring, particularly more white-collar professionals. He said he recently spoke to University of Alabama students about future careers in West Alabama’s automotive industry. White-collar workers are needed in areas like accounting, finance, law, engineering, human resources, quality control and supply management, he said.