TCF students film video for R&B singer
Crimson White – June 13
Tuscaloosa might as well have been Hollywood last week as a crew of 50 current telecommunication and film students and alumni worked diligently through all stages of production on a music video for R&B singer Gifted’s song “Superstar.” The video, created by 13 students in TCF 444: Producing and Directing Music Videos, was the final product of a glimpse into the professional world. Throughout the week, students were in charge of writing, producing, directing, filming and editing the film. In addition, the students were responsible for casting, location scouting, budgeting and transporting the equipment. “The class gives students the rare opportunity to work together in a large crew, making a product for a real person who is counting on the quality of the students’ work to deliver,” Rachel Raimist, the instructor for TCF 444, said. “In production classes, we always do hands-on projects and exercises inside and outside of class time, but rarely do we work on a crew that is functioning as it would in the real world, on a professional set.” Raimist, who knew Gifted’s management team from her 15 years of experience in the film and music industry in Los Angeles, was asked to direct the video herself. However, she declined the offer and instead suggested the opportunity be handed to her students.
Program helps autistic students in college life
Crimson White – June 13
Since its creation in 2006, the University of Alabama’s Autism Spectrum Disorders College Transition and Support Program has grown from one participant to over 15. This coming fall, the program will include a record high of 18. The program, known as UA-ACTS, aims to help students diagnosed with autism, Asperger’s syndrome or other spectrum disorders to properly transition into daily college life, program director Sarah Ryan said. “The goal is to give these students the support they need socially and organizationally so they can successfully get a degree and be successful in the future,” Ryan said. She explained the students involved in the program have mentors who meet with them throughout the week to help them with everyday situations, from tests to interviews. Ryan said because of the nature of the disorders, situations that seem normal to most college students can be overwhelming for students with ASD. “Autism is difficulty with social situations and understanding that other people have different perspectives,” Ryan said. “So some of these students have really high IQs but still don’t know how to handle certain social or organizational issues that may come up in college.”
Shrimp, seaweed could help diabetics
Crimson White – June 13
A research company based on the UA campus, 525 Solutions, Inc., is using shrimp shells and seaweed to develop a bandage for diabetic ulcers that will improve wound healing…The shell of a shrimp contains a biopolymer, chitin, which has antibacterial properties. The seaweed also contains a biopolymer, alginate, which acts like a sponge. The combination of these biopolymers produces a bandage that can help fight infection while removing liquid from the wound, Whitney Hough, research engineer at 525 Solutions, said “We also are working to infuse minerals and vitamins into the fibers so that when it comes into contact with the wound, it would help promote cellular growth and help to close the wound faster,” Hough said. Although research being done at 525 Solutions is in its early stages, the research engineers there continue to work into find ways to improve the future for diabetic patients.
Texting and driving tempting, but soon to be illegal
Crimson White – June 13
A report by the Center for Advanced Public Safety at the University of Alabama states that, in the state of Alabama in 2010, 1,846 crashes out of an annual total of 128,384 were caused by a passenger or electronic device distracting the driver. Nationwide, 3,092 people died in 2010 due to an accident involving a distracted driver, according to Distraction.gov, the official government website for distracted driving … Dr. Philip Gable, a UA psychology professor, blamed habit for making people text and drive despite the statistics offered by Distraction.gov and others. “Habits are hard to resist,” he said. He also pointed out that once we’ve learned a habit, it’s hard to change.
New study highlights RSA track record
Crimson White – June 13
Studies on the Retirement Systems of Alabama, a government agency that uses tax money to fund investment in the state of Alabama, has shown it to have significant beneficial impact over the past twenty years. Keivan Deravi of Auburn University of Montgomery and Samuel Addy of the University of Alabama authored the new studies, which were commissioned by the organization…Deravi’s study focused on the economic impact of the RSA’s investments since 1990, while Addy’s focused on the economic impact of the RSA itself since 2009. “Investment in the state is a very good investment,” Addy said. “It’s been worth it.” The most famous of the RSA’s investments is the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, the series of golf courses that have brought tourists and revenue to Alabama in droves since David Bronner, CEO of the RSA, began developing the project in the late 1980s. The organization boosts the Alabama economy in other ways, as well. “They own a lot of office buildings, hotels and resorts,” Ahmad Ijaz, director of economic forecasting at UA, said. “People come in and make use of these places, so indirectly, the RSA helps the state generate additional tax revenue.” Addy added, however, that it is misleading to look at investments alone. The primary purpose of the RSA is to serve as a pension fund for Alabama state employees. Bob Brooks, a UA professor of economics, explained the benefits of the agency.
GUEST COLUMN: Church vs. state
Tuscaloosa News – June 10
Since the relationship between the church (or Christianity broadly) and the state (or the government) is rising to the status of major issue in the forthcoming presidential election, we need to face this head on. But, more importantly, we need to employ a special prism or filter that renders the truth when the evidence is fed through it. Some might call it a “B.S. filter” in the more vernacular, but call it what you may, how do we arrive at the truth when the truth is a commodity in short supply among politicians and pundits? We feed today’s issues into the historical gristmill. How have peoples and nations in the past dealt with these same issues? And just as important, what have been the outcomes? Nothing repeats itself exactly. If so, we historians would not only be celebrated for our insights into the past but also hired as soothsayers and prognosticators, crystal ball gazers and omen readers. There are plenty of those around, especially during an election year. You will find many of them on television, a great deal more telegenic and presentable than a witch doctor practicing his trade, but, in fact, both doing much of the same. What I am suggesting we do from now until the election in November is take certain specific issues — such as the relationship and dynamic between church and state — and examine them when they surfaced in the past … (Larry Clayton is a professor of history at the University of Alabama).