Plaza to be named after Sarah Patterson
Tuscaloosa News – June 16
The University of Alabama’s Champions Plaza project, approved by the UA Board of Trustees Friday, will be named for gymnastics coach Sarah Patterson. Earlier this week, the board reviewed the $2.8 million construction plan that will honor the success of all Alabama athletics programs with recognition of conference and national championships, and the coaches who have won them. Patterson has won six national titles in gymnastics. In the 2011-12 academic year, UA enjoyed its greatest championship success as an athletic program, with national titles in four sports: football, gymnastics, women’s golf and softball. “The plaza and Wall of Champions — located in the core of the Athletics Complex — will provide a prominent and appropriate way to recognize and honor our coaches and their teams in a significant and lasting way,” UA Interim President Judy Bonner said. The Sarah Patterson Champions Plaza will be built between Coleman Coliseum and Sewell-Thomas Stadium, with a projected completion within 12 months.
Al.com – June 15
ABC 33/40 (Birmingham) – June 15
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer (Ga.) – June 15
NBC 13 (Birmingham) – June 16
Prattville Progress – June 16
Students use University Club as business training ground
Tuscaloosa News – June 18
The University Club at the corner of Queen City Avenue and University Boulevard has worn many hats over the years, serving as a doctor’s office and a residence, but it was built for learning. “The land the club sits on was given in 1819 to be a seminary of learning and in 2012, 193 years later, it has finally become that for the state of Alabama,” said Roy Maize, director of restaurant, hotel and meetings management in the College of Human Environmental Sciences at the University of Alabama. In April, the College of Human Environmental Sciences assumed the day-to-day leadership and management functions of the club. “This is just the beginning of a process we hope to integrate with many classes,” Maize said. Officials hope the transition means students can apply the knowledge they receive in the classroom to an actual work environment. The club offers an upscale environment within a small organization that doesn’t overwhelm students, Maize said. “We are very excited about it because it gives us a living, breathing organization to use as an opportunity where can we integrate experiences into appropriate classes,” Maize said.
UA music students set record
CBS 42 (Birmingham) – June 18
Five students from The University of Alabama School of Music’s French horn studio made history by sweeping all four competitions at the recent Southeast Horn Workshop, hosted by Tennessee Tech University. The annual workshop is sponsored by the International Horn Society and is open to graduate and undergraduate college students. The winning UA students are Joshua Williams and Alex Morris, both of Tuscaloosa, Kaylene Beal of Chico, Calif., Arthur Diaz of Orlando, Fla., and Martin King of Harrisonburg, Va. Williams, a sophomore music major, won the soloist division. In the final round, he was the only undergraduate student in a field of graduate students and teaching assistants from major regional institutions. Beal, a graduating senior music major, won the orchestral high horn division. Morris, a freshman music major, won the orchestral low horn division. It’s historically been rare for a freshman to win any SHW competition, noted Skip Snead, director of the UA School of Music.
Boys State students serve in Tuscaloosa during 75th annual convention
Al.com – June 15
Participants in the 75th annual Alabama American Legion Boys State convention wrapped up a week of community service with an afternoon of games Friday at Munny Sokol Park. Around 560 rising high school seniors selected for their leadership, hard work and involvement in school and community activities took part in the leadership and government training program that began on June 10 at the University of Alabama. During the week, Boys State students have worked on improvement projects at McKinney, Monnish, Kaulton and Sokol Parks and along the Pettus Randall Walking Trail in partnership with the City of Tuscaloosa, the Tuscaloosa Parks and Recreation Authority and the UA Community Service Center. On Friday afternoon, they teamed up with UA student leaders for games of flag football, soccer, softball and ultimate frisbee for a finale event.
NBC anticipates almost everything but profits in London Olympics coverage over several formats
Associated Press (National) – June 15
If you miss any of your favorite events during the upcoming Summer Olympics in London, don’t blame NBC. Every sport, every single competition will be streamed live online or telecast by NBC and its affiliated cable networks in the U.S. this summer — starting with the Great Britain vs. New Zealand women’s soccer game on July 25, two days before the opening ceremony…The decision could neutralize what has always been a major criticism of NBC — that showing some events only on a tape-delay basis makes them feel stale, particularly in an era of instant communication. It might keep viewers from fleeing NBC, since some frustrated fans had sought out live telecasts from other television or Internet sources, said Andrew Billings, a sports media professor at the University of Alabama and author of “Olympic Media: Inside the Biggest Show on Television.” “They realize it has to go in this direction,” Billings said. “Some people say they are four to eight years late in this game.”
Sporting News – June 15
Tuscaloosa County’s jobless rate in May hits 7.1 percent
Tuscaloosa News – June 15
The unemployment rate rose in May to 7.1 percent in Tuscaloosa County, up from 6.8 percent in April. The seasonally adjusted rates for the state rose to 7.4 percent, while the nation’s rate increased to 8.2 percent in May. Both are up 0.2 percent from April. Economist Ahmad Ijaz at the University of Alabama’s Center for Business and Economic Research said unemployment rates normally rise in May as students, graduates and many teachers look for work. While the unemployment rates rose across the board, the numbers were still lower than in May 2011, when Tuscaloosa County’s unemployment rate was 8.5 percent. The latest figures, released Friday by the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations, showed Tuscaloosa County’s workforce losing workers. The county’s May workforce, which includes workers and those officially considered unemployed and looking for work, stood at 90,057, almost 500 people fewer than in April and almost 3,200 fewer than in May 2011. Ijaz said that in general, when the workforce shrinks it is because people have moved, retired or quit looking for a job.
Decatur Daily – June 16
Anniston Star – June 16