University of Alabama a top stop for U.S. Supreme Court justices
The Associated Press – April 8
The University of Alabama isn’t an Ivy League law school like Yale or Harvard, yet few colleges are better at luring U.S. Supreme Court justices as speakers: Every current justice has either addressed ‘Bama students or agreed to speak in coming years. Documents obtained by The Associated Press through an open records request and interviews show what it takes to attract justices so far outside the confines of the Northeast. Southern hospitality is part of it, along with payments meant as a show of gratitude and personal pleas from other judges, friends and the occasional U.S. senator. And there are added attractions that an Ivy League school may have a hard time matching, like spare ribs slathered with barbecue sauce, Crimson Tide football games and, in one case, a copy of “To Kill a Mockingbird” autographed by author Harper Lee. Alabama’s law school — which generally is ranked among the nation’s best — has become a Deep South outpost for justices since the late 1990s, when U.S. District Judge W. Harold Albritton of Montgomery began pursuing justices to speak at his alma mater in a lecture series funded by his family.
My Fox Boston – April 8
Minneapolis (Minn.) Star Tribune – April 8
Montgomery Advertiser – April 9
Gadsden Times – April 9
Tuscaloosa News – April 9
LEND A HAND: UA plans day of service in memory of tornado victims
Tuscaloosa News – April 8
The University of Alabama will host a day of community service April 21 to honor and remember those lost in and affected by the April 27 tornadoes. With the event, titled “UA Remembers: A Day of Service,” the university begins a week of events and remembrances in honor of the first anniversary of the tornadoes, culminating in the city of Tuscaloosa’s memorial service on the one-year anniversary. Through the event, the university seeks to bring UA and the community together to serve others. “The Day of Service will be an opportunity to honor the lives of the six students and the UA employee who died as a result of the tornado by making a meaningful difference in our community,” said Mark Nelson, UA vice president for student affairs. “We encourage everyone to join us on April 21.” According to a news release, the university is still planning the projects that will be available for participation during the event. The release said there will be projects throughout the city of Tuscaloosa. Faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members who are interested in participating can register to volunteer by visiting the event’s website at www.ua.edu/features/service/dayofservice.html.
Shaq says Twitter campaign sold him on UA visit
Tuscaloosa News – April 7
Former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal was on the University of Alabama campus Friday to star in and direct a public service announcement video for the LessThanUThink campaign. Started by University of Alabama students in 2010, the initiative focuses on educating college students about the dangers of binge drinking. “It’s very rewarding to work with people who work hard,” O’Neal said. “Me as a director is all about managing the team. … I have a numerous amount of championships and I’m receiving my Ph.D in organizational leadership, so one thing I know how to do, even if I don’t know how to direct, I know how to lead. “The students here are great, the program is great and this university is great.” O’Neal said his involvement with anti-binge drinking projects like LessThanUThink began last year when the Century Council asked him to appear in some public service announcements. The council is a nonprofit organization founded by a group of distillers with the goal of eliminating drunken driving and underage drinking, while advocating responsible drinking among those of age. The council is a key funder of the LessThanUThink campaign.
Crimson White – April 9
The Oklahoman(via Associated Press) – April 7
WDEF (Chattanooga, Tenn.) – April 7
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – April 7
WSFA (Montgomery) – April 7
ABC 33/40 (Birmingham) – April 7
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – April 7
OPINION: Protecting face-to-face protest
New York Times – April 8
Every four years, we witness the spectacle of the presidential nominating conventions. And every four years, host cities, party leaders and police officials devise ever more creative ways of distancing protesters from the politicians, delegates and journalists attending these stage-managed affairs. The goal is to trivialize and isolate dissenting speech without actually banning protest outright. One result is something of a Potemkin village: government proclaims its full commitment to respecting the First Amendment without actually permitting any observable dissent to take place near the convention. Tampa, Fla., which will host the Republicans from Aug. 27 to 30, and Charlotte, N.C., which will host the Democrats from Sept. 3 to 7, are already following the trend…Because the rights of speech, assembly and association do not include a right to communicate a particular message to a particular audience, the government’s willingness to let would-be protesters speak somewhere else, some other time, has usually been seen by courts as satisfying the First Amendment. (Ronald J. Krotoszynski, Jr. is a professor of law at the University of Alabama)
Tuition model quietly spreading
Inside Higher Ed – April 9
There may be limits to how far differential tuition can go in higher education. Many colleges have begun charging more for high-cost courses and academic programs, like engineering and health sciences. While sometimes controversial, differential rates are on the books at more than half of flagship public universities, a recent survey found. But as Santa Monica College has discovered, creating a two-tiered pricing system for the same popular general education courses is a far tougher pill to swallow. College trustees shelved the proposal on Friday, after a week that included the pepper-spraying of student protesters and a resulting media frenzy… Stephen Katsinas, director of the Education Policy Center at the University of Alabama, said he “strongly opposes” the Santa Monica approach. “Such a financing model flies in the face of the open door history and philosophy of community colleges,” he said via e-mail. “And it will definitely not create a large-scale high-wage work force in high demand areas our society needs over the next two decades.”
Despite oil spill, Baldwin boomed as population climbed past 186,000, according to Census Bureau
Al.com – April 6
Even in the midst of the BP oil spill, Baldwin County was one of the country’s fastest-growing areas, according to census data issued this week. The Daphne-Fairhope-Foley area — defined by the Census Bureau as covering all of Baldwin — ranked second among 10 micro areas in the country enjoying the largest population increases between April 1, 2010 and July 1, 2011. “That’s a continuation of a trend that’s been going on for some time,” said Annette Watters, director of the University of Alabama’s State Data Center. “The oil spill doesn’t seem to have changed that.” Baldwin’s overall population was pegged at 186,717, a jump of about 3,500 during the 2010-2011 period.
Greek houses join forces to fight cancer
Crimson White – April 9
Two University of Alabama greek houses are working together this week to help a Birmingham hospital fight childhood cancer. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is dedicated to helping fight childhood cancer. Delta Delta Delta and Phi Gamma Delta will support the efforts of St. Jude with their annual Cookout for Cancer this Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Phi Gamma House.
ROTC hosts ball for cadets in Bryant-Denny
Crimson White – April 9
Neatly pressed suits and gowns of all styles and colors could be seen filing into Bryant-Denny Stadium for the University of Alabama’s Army ROTC annual Dining Out. The cadets were in full uniform, each with a respective date for the ball. The event featured guest speakers, hosted current cadets, both active and reserves.
UA juggler creates club
Crimson White – April 9
Ingram Crosson, a sophomore majoring in Spanish, has been juggling almost his entire life, and he is hoping to spread his love for the pastime through his recently created Crimson Jugglers group at the University of Alabama. Crosson said he has been juggling since his elementary school days. “My elementary school had a juggling club,” Crosson said. “I wanted to get a group together on campus at UA, and I figured starting a club was the best way to go.”