Alabama student chosen as intern for Supreme Court
Tuscaloosa News – April 12
A University of Alabama junior has been selected as a judicial intern for the U.S. Supreme Court. Tuscaloosa native Chip Harrison, a history major and member of the Honors College, was one of two interns selected this year for the prestigious internship. He is now serving in the internship, which runs from January to May. According to a UA news release, the Judicial Internship Program at the Supreme Court provides advanced undergraduates and graduating seniors who have interests in law, management and the social sciences the opportunity to work in the Office of the Counselor to the chief justice. The Office of the Counselor assists the chief justice in the overall management of the Supreme Court. The counselor serves as a liaison for the chief justice within the federal judiciary, as well as with the executive and legislative branches.
Al.com – April 11
Rick Bragg get UA’s 2012 last lecture award
Tuscaloosa News – April 12
University of Alabama journalism professor Rick Bragg has received the 2012 Last Lecture Award, and will deliver his lecture April 23 in 118 Graves Hall. “The talk will be about the power and importance of storytelling, not just as a way to entertain people and make a living, but as a way to effect change in the world,” Bragg said in a UA release. “In the age of texting and tweeting, a good story still has the power to melt the ice around people’s hearts.” Bragg said the title of the lecture came from an encounter years ago with a woman he interviewed in New Orleans, according to the university. “A stray bullet had killed her little boy,” he said. “As I apologized for having to talk to her about something so awful, she was so kind. She said, ‘I don’t mind. People forget.’ That’s exactly how she said it: ‘People forget if it ain’t written down.’ That has stayed with me for years and years.”
Witt focused on recruiting at UA
The Crimson White – April 12
When Alex Flachsbart arrived at the University of Alabama in 2005 on a VIP visit with the Honors College, his first meeting was not at all what he expected. The first item on the agenda given to him by the Honors College was a visit with President Robert Witt. “My father looked at me and said, ‘There’s no way you’re going to meet with the University president,’” Flachsbart said. “Then, at 9 a.m., they showed us into his office, and there’s Dr. Witt.” Flachsbart is a California native, and in the fall of that year, he became one of the many out-of-state students who have helped propel the University’s enrollment to 31,000. He was also one of many who had been personally recruited by the UA president. “If we had a student we were really going after, [President Witt] would always sit down and talk with the student over in his office,” said Robert Halli, who became the founding dean of the Honors College during Witt’s tenure. “None of the presidents that I’ve worked under, as far as I know, have been very involved with recruiting students. President Witt threw himself right into that.” For Flachsbart, the initial meeting with Witt was the beginning of a long, close relationship with the UA president. “I got to travel with Dr. Witt in the plane, and I probably visited at least 8 or 9 cities with him,” Flachsbart said. “He’s a much funnier guy than people give him credit for. He’s got this very sly sense of humor.”
Official: report any suspicions of child abuse
The Enterprise Journal – April 11
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and to commemorate the event, one official is encouraging members of the public to report any signs of abuse or neglect. Judy Crowley,Coffee County Family Services Center director, said many times people suspect abuse or neglect may be occurring but lack “proof.” She said proof is not necessary for people to report suspicious activity. According to a flyer from CCFS, reports are confidential, and reporting suspicions may reveal a pattern of behavior that may need to be rectified, whether through parenting classes or legal means. Crowley also encourages people to report abuse even if they feel like it is not their place nor the situation does not affect them. “It affects everyone. There is a loss of human capital. Children can recover from abuse, but it’ll require a great number of resources,” she said. “Children who are abused or neglect are less likely to get a good education and a good job.” According to a 2007 University of Alabama study found on the state Children’s Trust Fund website, the cost of abuse in Alabama per year is more than $520 million when figuring in court costs, medical costs and other factors. That number may be more now, given inflation and a gradual increase in reported cases that Crowley said officials have seen in recent years.
Voter, immigrant rights under attack in southern states
Ourweekly – April 12
States around the nation, in an effort to address what they allege are two issues of major concern—the flow of undocumented immigrants into their environs and the level of illegal voting—have passed a number of controversial laws that are galvanizing opponents. In Alabama, the state Legislature is currently revisiting its anti-illegal immigration law House Bill 56 and has presented a list of revisions it plans to use to tweak the legislation passed in 2011. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, based in Atlanta, temporarily blocked the enforcement of two provisions of the Alabama law: One voiding contracts signed by those in the United States illegally and another prohibiting illegal immigrants from having transactions with the state for services. The effort to change the law is being pushed in part by some of the state’s business leaders, who are seeing the harsh economic impact of the statute. It is also in response to the court’s blockage. A new study by an economist at the University of Alabama found the law would cause the state to lose 70,000 to 140,000 jobs, $2.3 to $10.8 billion in gross domestic product (1.3 to 6.2 percent of the state’s economy) as well as potentially up to $264.5 million in state income and sales taxes and as much as $93.1 million in local taxes. The report, produced by Samuel Addy, Ph.D., also projects that the state economy could be reduced by $5.8 billion if 60,000 workers making an average income of $25,000 left Alabama.
Young adults audition for MTV reality show
Tuscaloosa News – April 11
Twenty-somethings from the University of Alabama and around the Southeast filled the second floor of Mellow Mushroom on Wednesday afternoon as a casting call for the “The Real World” came to Tuscaloosa. The MTV show, which debuted in 1992 as one of the earliest forays into reality television, places seven young adults in cities around the world, ranging from Key West, Fla., to Sydney, Australia. “Every year we go back to certain cities that we continue to get great people who are excited about sharing their lives on camera, and we do very well in the South,” said Laura Korkoian, casting director for the show, which is produced by Bunim/Murray Productions. “I love the Southerners. I think that they bring such a great new perspective to ‘The Real World,’ because ‘The Real World’ is about seven diverse adults living in a house together.’” The show doesn’t always have cast members from the South, but it has featured several prominently over the years, such as Ace from the 2003 Paris season and a trio of Southerners in Sydney in 2007. Korkoian has been with Bunim/Murray Productions for 12 years and has worked on “The Real World” for seven, including Paris and Sydney.
UA students take to the Stage for Bama’s Got Talent
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – April 11
Earlier tonight, University of Alabama students showed off their skills on the stage after auditions two weeks ago. Twelve acts were chosen to take the stage of Morgan Auditorium to participate in “Bama’s Got Talent,” styled after the talent-seeking show “America’s Got Talent.” The university-wide variety show featured acts of all kinds, including guitars, drums, trombones and even saxophones. After each act was critiqued by three judges, Miss Tuscaloosa, Nicole Johnson, and a guest judge from the audience.
Show choir to perform Jackson 5, Nicki Minaj
The Crimson White – April 12
Across the country, show choirs have gotten national recognition, thanks to the popular television show “Glee;” however, the University of Alabama’s Resonance Show Choir hopes to show that much more goes into these performances. “There’s a lot more that goes into Resonance than ‘Glee’ makes it seem,” said Naomi Thompson, a junior majoring in psychology and third-year member of the choir. “Resonance is 40 people working and practicing together almost every day, and in the end, we come out with something amazing, something people need to see.” The Bama Theatre will host the UA Resonance Show Choir Friday at 7:30 p.m. Student tickets will cost $5, and general admission tickets will cost $7. “Resonance makes me think of a big sound that affects everyone it comes by. It resonates and reverberates inside everyone,” Thompson said. “I believe that we have that sound in us. We want to spread it and share it with others.” From rock to funk to pop and even some hip-hop, the UA Resonance Choir performs in all areas of music.
Author LaDolce speaks about how ‘Being Alone Sucks
The Crimson White – April 12
UA students were challenged to meet 100 new people in 100 days last night by dating expert Adam LoDolce during his presentation, “Being Alone Sucks,” in the Ferguson Center Theatre. This challenge is one of the many ways people can attempt to become socially free, LoDolce said. He defined social freedom as having the confidence to be your true self in any social situation without fear of rejection or criticism. “If you are willing to put yourself out there, yes, some people will be haters, but most will be lovers,” he said. “The worst thing you can do is go through life with people being indifferent about you.” LoDolce travels to college campuses around the country talking to students about dating, socializing, attraction and self-esteem. His new book, “Being Alone Sucks,” talks about ways to improve you social life and chronicles what he calls the five critical components to social freedom.
Cheerleaders on team USA for international competition
The Crimson White – April 12
Picture this: 5:30 a.m. workouts full of grueling cardio and weight circuits, a full schedule of classes, practice at 6:30 p.m. and a myriad of basketball and football games, alumni banquets — not to mention their own competitions. That’s the unknown life of the University of Alabama cheerleaders. “It’s too bad most people just see us wave our pom-poms at football games,” said Ryan Martin, a senior cheerleader majoring in journalism and American studies. “Of course, that’s not all we do.” The UA cheerleaders are among the nation’s best. In 2011, they won the College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship, and they captured second place this year in January in Orlando. Following this year’s silver-place showing, three UA cheerleaders auditioned to represent the United States at the International Cheerleading Union World Championships, and three UA cheerleaders were chosen.
Good Art Show to sell art for Tuscaloosa’s One Place
The Tuscaloosa News – April 12
The members of the University’s honor course, The Art of Giving Back, will host The Good Art Show on Tuesday from 4 to 6 p.m., in Nott Hall. Proceeds from the show will support Tuscaloosa’s One Place, a local family resource center. The Good Art Show will feature art from a variety of sources, said Tonya Nelson, professor of The Art of Giving Back, but most pieces will be those created by the course’s students. “You wouldn’t believe the stuff,” Nelson said. “The show will feature bowls made out of old records, paper mache elephants, hand painted frames, handmade jewelry and textiles, paper crafts, paintings.” Along with the art exhibits, the event will have live music and free refreshments. Admission is free for those wishing to browse, while the prices of the art are very student-friendly. “Our lowest item is literally $1,” Nelson said. “Then they go up to $40-50 for painted canvases, and framed photography and paintings.”
ATO gives back to community with HOPE week
The Crimson White – April 12
Alpha Tau Omega fraternity is hosting a series of philanthropic events this week with a focus on bettering the Tuscaloosa community. The event series, entitled HOPE week, began with a bike drive that ended Tuesday and ends with a cookout on Thursday. ATO member, Danny Shannahan, collaborated with Dr. William Scroggins from the Tuscaloosa Prayer Network to come up with the idea for HOPE week. “It is ATO’s attempt to bring gospel to impoverished areas of Tuscaloosa,” Shannahan said. “We are hoping to do so through fundraising on campus and collecting bikes for our big distribution event.” Shannahan said ATO will also participate in a block party at Plum Grove Baptist Church, where they will distribute the bikes they’ve collected. The party will have music, a gospel presentation, church registration, games and a raffle. All the money raised will be donated to the church and the fraternity is specifically sponsoring Study and Shoot, the church’s afterschool program for children. Shannahan is also excited about the opportunity for the fraternity to build on its relationship with the Tuscaloosa Prayer Network. “Our activity with the Tuscaloosa Prayer Network is important because TPN and the HOPE initiative act as the bridge between the financial backing of the Mayor’s office and the areas around Tuscaloosa that are in need,” Shannahan said. “Dr. Scroggins, the director of TPN, is in charge of seeking out these areas by using the network of churches as a community nervous system.
Out-of-state students band together in new group
The Crimson White – April 12
With the number of out-of-state students exploding at the Capstone in the past few years, a new group is being organized to give those students a more unified voice on campus. The name of the program is The “49,” and its leaders are preparing to launch at the start of the Fall 2012 semester. Josh Burford, the coordinator for student development programs at the University, is leading the program and has spearheaded its development over the last year. “The program has been designed to meet the needs of new and existing students from out of state by helping them connect with people from their region, get to know the community through events and community service and to act as a resource for UA campus around issues related to students from out of state,” Burford said. The group has been meeting as a more formal, pseudo-legislative wing called The Assembly. The Assembly is made up of two student representatives from every state outside of Alabama. All of the states are currently represented, except for Maine and Utah. Burford said The Assembly has been meeting twice a month and coming up with ideas for next year. The group focuses on proposals that would benefit out-of-state students and make them more involved on campus.