Teen leaders debate issues at UA: Youth summit at UA unites 51 leaders from high schools around the state
Tuscaloosa News – July 28
Immigration is a hot topic that Joshua Waldo couldn’t wait to debate. Reading and studying the issue provided a strong base for Waldo to draw on, but the 17-year-old senior from UMS-Wright Preparatory School in Mobile had his own opinion about what should be done to address the problem. “Immigrants are OK, but they need to be here legally,” Waldo said. “There are national borders, so the federal government needs to oversee immigration, not states. There also needs to be a limit, and stricter penalties for those who are here illegally.” His voice was heard loud and clear this weekend at the 14th annual Alabama Youth Summit. The two-day mock legislative event, held Friday and today at the University of Alabama’s Ferguson Center and hosted by the university’s Student Government Association, brought together 51 rising high school student leaders to learn about and discuss some of Alabama’s most pressing problems.
UA students tackled county’s health problem this summer
Jasper Mountain Eagle – July 30
Six students from the University of Alabama spent two months in Walker County this summer, but local residents may be reaping the rewards of their work promoting healthy habits for years to come. “They have left us with a lot of good done in Walker County,” Paul Kennedy of the Walker Area Community Foundation said during the students’ final presentations to community members on Friday. The county’s current ranking as Alabama’s least healthy was the catalyst for all of the individual projects that the students developed during their recent internship. Their solutions for the problem ranged from establishing raised bed gardens in two area elementary schools to increasing awareness of the community garden already in place on Airport Road in Jasper. . . . The UA students earned credit hours for their work this summer through the university’s New College, an embedded research-based internship program that launched in Walker County last summer.
University of Alabama students receive $100 scholarship for avoiding citations
Tuscaloosa News – July 30
Every dollar counts, so when David Beasley, 23, found out he received $100 just for good parking, he was pleasantly surprised. The first-year law student from Florence was one of five students awarded a $100 Positive Parking Incentive Scholarship for the spring semester. The program, which first awarded scholarships last fall, recognizes five students who have parking permits and received no parking citations or warnings during the semester. In addition to Beasley, Thomas Brennan, Kenton Byers, Kristy Lambeth and Jonathan Roberts were also selected to receive scholarships. The number of students who qualify for a parking scholarship is higher than one might expect, particularly for a campus that had more than 31,700 students enrolled last year. But citation revenue has actually declined in recent years, said Gina Johnson, the University of Alabama’s associate vice president for auxiliary services.
UA engineering students to compete in national Texas Instruments contest
AL.com – July 27
A team of five University of Alabama engineering students will travel to Dallas to compete in the finals of the Texas Instruments Analog Design Contest. The national Engibous Summit, Sunday through Wednesday, will have 12 college teams presenting projects featuring a TI processor and analog integrated circuits. The winning team will take home a $10,000 prize. The UA team’s project, a monitoring system that gauges air pressure in wheelchair seat cushions, was designed to reduce the incidence of pressure sores in patients with spinal cord injuries.
UA researcher releases data on crashes caused by distracted driving
NBC 13 (Birmingham) – July 29
One University of Alabama professor says last year at least 60 distracted driving deaths in the state were influenced by electronic devices…Dr. David Brown, a professor at the University of Alabama, compiled extensive research on distractions behind the wheel. The professor says on average it takes 4.6 seconds to read a text message…At 55 mph, in that nearly five seconds, you could have traveled the length of a football field.
Bama players conduct free basketball camp
Gadsden Times – July 29
Moussa Gueye made a big impression Saturday when he shared his basketball knowledge with dozens of youngsters. The 7-foot Gueye, a junior on the University of Alabama basketball team, was the biggest player in the building and someone they had to look up to. Gueye and some of his Crimson Tide teammates provided entertainment and instruction during a free camp at the Plum Grove Baptist Church gym. Pastor Tyshawn Gardner called it a huge success with a turnout of some 125 boys and girls, ranging in age from 6 to 18. Saturday’s event was the last stop in a series of camps hosted by Sarrell Dental Center, a non-profit pediatric dentistry. Other camps were in Anniston, Clanton and Athens.
Scholarships for military children program
Sierra Vista (Ariz.) Herald – July 28
One of the military community’s premier benefits has become even more valuable to 670 college and high school students. The annual Scholarships for Military Children Program winners have been announced and the “Honor Roll” is impressive. More than 5,000 students applied for the scholarships at commissary locations worldwide. All of the recipients are listed at www.militaryscholar.org, the official website for the program. . . . Callie Perkins of Sierra Vista, Ariz., also is a recipient of a $1,500 college scholarship award at Fort Huachuca. Callie’s parents are Dennis Perkins and Teresa Perkins. Callie is enrolled, or plans to enroll, at University of Alabama. Callie’s school and community activities include: NHS, president; SAG, president and founder; AFBP Blood Drive; Speech and Debate Team; and peer tutoring.
Group to plant bamboo grove at Kentuck Park
Tuscaloosa News – July 30
A nonprofit organization has plans for Kentuck Park that don’t involve an arts festival. Instead, it has cleared land to build a bamboo grove. Black Belt Bamboost is a nonprofit, educational initiative that highlights the benefits of bamboo as a possible agricultural boon for the Black Belt region and the state. . . . “No other place in the country has the potential to harvest this crop like the Black Belt,” said Marcy Koontz, who teaches in the College of Education at the University of Alabama. “Bamboo can become a game changer.”…“The park will be a part of a livability showcase for the city of Northport,” Koontz said. “It’ll attract more people to the areas and, hopefully, show people some of the potential of the plant.
Mountain Brook officials consider incentives for Lane Parke
Birmingham News – July 29
Mountain Brook city officials are set to consider a $14 million development deal Monday for the Lane Parke at Mountain Brook Village project. A proposed agreement between the city, developer Daniel Corp. and the property’s owner, Evson Inc., calls for the city to reimburse the development group for street improvements associated with the site, estimated at $4 million. This would include widening Park Lane and Culver Road, and construction of Jemison Lane and Main Street in the development. . . . The revenue projections for Lane Parke are based on a city-commissioned retail analysis completed this summer by Arthur and Suzanna Allaway. Arthur Allaway is a professor of marketing at the University of Alabama. He and Suzanna Allaway were also tapped to conduct a retail analysis for Lane Parke in 2009, and have worked with the city on other projects.
Alabama swimmer Kristel Vourna reaches Olympic 100-meter butterfly semifinals
AL.com – July 29
Kristel Vourna, one of only two current University of Alabama athletes competing in the 2012 Olympics, experienced some success Saturday on the first day of swimming competition. The 20-year-old, who is competing for Greece, advanced to the semifinals of the women’s 100-meter butterfly in her Olympic debut. She will compete in the semifinals later on Saturday. Vourna finished sixth in the fourth heat of the preliminaries with a time of 58.74. That placed her 15th among 43 swimmers who competed in six heats. The top 16 reached the semifinals…Vourna is one of five former or current Alabama swimmers who are competing in London. The others are current Tide swimmer Alex Coci (Romania) and former Tide swimmers Hunor Mate (Austria), Vlad Polyakov (Kazakhstan) and Arlene Semeco (Venezuela). Former Alabama track star Kirani James (Grenada) is the only other Olympic athlete with an Alabama connection.
WHNT-CBS (Huntsville) – July 27
WAFF-NBC (Huntsville) – July 27
WKRG-CBS (Mobile) – July 28