UA’s Million Dollar Band marks 100 years of tradition this weekend
Al.com – Sept. 20/span>
The University of Alabama Million Dollar Band will celebrate 100 years of Crimson Tide tradition this weekend as it welcomes band alumni back to campus to mark the marching band’s centennial. Kenneth Ozzello, UA director of bands, said the celebration will bring together former directors and hundreds of former band members. “The Million Dollar Band’s one of the great traditions of the university itself and Crimson Tide athletics, and the fact that it’s been a constant for so long is something that everybody who has been involved in the program is very proud of,” Ozzello said. “So they’re all anxious to come back and celebrate the centennial.” A weekend of events will kick off at 8 p.m. Friday at the Moody Music Building with a centennial concert from the UA wind ensemble featuring former band directors. A gala will follow in the building’s courtyard, where former members will receive commemorative rings. More than 25,000 students have played in the University of Alabama marching band since 1912, when it started with 14 members under director Gustav Wittig. It became a student-led military band in 1917, and during this period it received its name, according to the university.
Tuscaloosa News – Sept. 20
Crimson White – Sept. 20
NBC 12 (Montgomery) – Sept. 20
NBC 13 (Birmingham) – Sept. 20
Auburn, University of Alabama named as military-friendly schools by G.I. Jobs magazine
Birmingham Business Journal – Sept. 20
Auburn University and the University of Alabama are among more than two dozen schools in the state named by G.I. Jobs magazine as Military Friendly Schools for 2013. According to the Opelika-Auburn News, the list recognizes the top 15 percent of schools in the nation that offer military students the best college experience and is compiled through research and a survey of more than 12,000 schools approved by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
UA selects 7 students to move forward for Rhodes
Crimson White – Sept. 20
Seven University of Alabama students have been endorsed to move forward to the next round of the nationally competitive American Rhodes Scholarships program. The Rhodes Scholarship is a prestigious fellowship awarded to 32 students from over 300 American universities every year. The winners receive full financial support to pursue a degree at Oxford University in the United Kingdom. “The Rhodes Scholarship is a huge honor because of the few spots available and the fierce competition for [it],” said Brad Tuggle, a former Rhodes Scholar and current campus representative for the scholarship. “The Rhodes Scholarships are considered – both within the academy and within popular culture – the highest academic honor a U.S. college student can earn.” … there are four official criteria to be eligible for the scholarship, including “literary and scholastic attainments; energy to use one’s talents to the full, as exemplified by fondness for and success in sports; truth, courage, devotion to duty, sympathy for and protection of the weak, kindliness, unselfishness and fellowship; moral force of character and instincts to lead, and to take an interest in one’s fellow beings.” “Beyond these official criteria, there are some unofficial ones that we use on campus to gauge a candidate’s possibility of success,” Tuggle said. “These include a near-perfect GPA, extensive scholarly activity, the ability to hold high-level intellectual conversations in an interview setting, a record of focused extracurricular activities and five to eight professors willing to write extraordinary letters of recommendation.”
Is the Ban on Texting While Driving Working?
NBC 48 (Huntsville) – Sept. 20
If someone asked you to close your eyes while driving for five seconds, you probably wouldn’t do it. But many test that same experiment every time they text behind the wheel. It’s been two years since Huntsville rolled out it’s own texting ban, and the state’s ban is just over a month old. According to the Alabama Department of Public Safety, in 2010, 931 crashes were reported where electronic devices contributed, with three fatalities. In 2011, 993 crashes were reported with seven fatalities…according to the Center for Advanced Public Safety at the University of Alabama, those numbers may be under reported. Their data shows 132 Alabama drivers were killed by distracted driving in 2011.
In theatre program, student stands out as director
Crimson White – Sept. 20
Whether prepping for a performance or directing from behind the scenes, senior musical theatre major Tommy Walker is up for the challenge. Walker first discovered his interest in musical theatre in the fourth grade and began with shows in high school. “I was like, I have to do this,” Walker said. “Once I started there was really no turning back. It’s a great vehicle to harness the creativity you have building inside of you.” Walker became very involved in his high school theatre department and developed his skills as a performer there as well as in the local community theatre…Walker said he never had any doubt that he wanted to continue with musical theatre as a degree and so he auditioned for a spot within the major’s program. Ten candidates are chosen each year to be accepted into the musical theatre major via an audition process which takes place at the beginning of the year.
UA students to travel to N.C. to combat bullying
Crimson White – Sept. 20
Twelve UA students will be traveling this October to Salisbury High School in Salisbury, N.C., to facilitate the Heritage Panel, a co-educational, anti-bullying program created by the Young Women’s Christian Association of Central Alabama. “The YWCA will do a training in Birmingham for the UA students,” said Aaron Brazelton, executive director of the Heritage Panel at the University. “We will then travel to Salisbury and train 25 student leaders in the Heritage Panel curriculum and building an inclusive community.”…Brazelton, a sophomore majoring in international relations and secondary education, said he hopes the UA students will serve as a Heritage Panel for our campus. “Hopefully [the UA leaders] will come back and be a beacon of change for our community,” Brazelton said. “The YWCA is going to teach them how to address certain problems and how to deal with those problems and then how to go out and help other people deal with those problems.”
University of Alabama offers free memory screening
Tuscaloosa News – Sept. 20
Graduate students and faculty in the psychology department at the University of Alabama are offering a no-cost memory screening to people in the West Alabama community who are ages 55 or older. The screening is a service to the community and also part of a UA research study by the clinical geropsychology program. It is being offered by appointment at Capstone Village. The screening will include a short clinical interview, a brief cognitive assessment and tests for depression and anxiety.
UA celebrates Hispanic culture
Crimson White – Sept. 20
As part of Crossroads Community Center’s yearlong “UA is Culture” initiative, The University of Alabama will be celebrating different cultures each month starting with observing Hispanic Heritage Month until Oct. 15. Crossroads director Beverly Hawk said Hispanic Heritage Month offers students more than simply a look at another culture. It will also provide students with Latino perspectives on American culture and how preconceived notions of other cultures are changed through experience. “We all have a lot of assumptions about each other before we meet one another, and when we meet one another, we come away with different experiences,” Hawk said. One of the goals of Hispanic Heritage Month is to expose students to new cultures so they can learn to engage with people of other cultures in an increasingly globalized world. “That’s how [the University gets] to be the big international University that we are,” Hawk said. “Our students can interact with people all over the world so that they are prepared for their global futures for their whole lives. That’s what college life is for.” For students who come from different cultures, the salute to international culture is an effort to make them feel that their culture is appreciated and contributes to the makeup of UA’s culture as a whole.
Music program open to all students
Crimson White – Sept. 20
The Community Music School offers an alternative to students interested in taking instrumental or vocal lessons without pursuing a music degree. A branch of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Community Music School is the outreach program for The University of Alabama School of Music, Jane Weigel, coordinator of the Community Music School, said. “We offer private lessons in just about any Western orchestra instrument, band instrument, piano, organ and the natural voice,” Weigel said. “We offer classes that are for adult strings and anyone can enjoy including faculty, UA students and people in the community.”
Human rights group CEO to speak Friday
Crimson White – Sept. 20
John Hardman, President and CEO of the Carter Center, will visit The University of Alabama Friday to speak with students about his leadership experience. The event, co-sponsored by the Blackburn Institute and the Honor’s College, is located in Mary Hewell Alston Hall in Room 30 and will begin at 2 p.m. The event is open to all UA students regardless of involvement in either the Blackburn Institute or the Honor’s College.
HB 56 panel talks about law’s impact
Crimson White – Sept. 20
Alabama Appleseed, a non-profit legal advocacy organization based in Montgomery, collaborated with The University of Alabama Womens’ Resource Center on Wednesday afternoon for a event titled, “Effects of HB 56: One Year Later.” Alabama Appleseed is home to Welcoming Alabama, the state affiliate of Welcoming America, a national organization that seeks to promote unity between American-born citizens and immigrants. To kick off its Welcoming Week, the organization teamed up with the WRC to host the immigration related event in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. The panel was the WRC’s first celebration event since the launch of their “Women Who Dared” poster campaign, a month-long celebration of accomplished Latina women, on Monday.
UA students plan breast cancer awareness program
ABC 33/40 (Birmingham) – Sept. 19
One young woman lost her mother to cancer, and when an event planning class called on her to create an event, her decision was easy….Shannon Rice’s mom lost her battle to cancer “It’s important to me to bring awareness to all cancers and with God’s help you cope.” She knows sharing her experience could help save others lives, (so) she joined two other friends to plan an event that would get the word out about cancer … They are hoping 300 people will come to learn about breast cancer and other cancers at the Ferguson Center Ballroom at 11:30, Oct. 26.
Elephant appreciation day
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Sept. 19
Tomorrow is a big day for the University of Alabama’s biggest fan. That’s because it is Elephant Appreciation Day! Big Al is taking center stage at the Children’s Hands on Museum. You’re invited to come to the party, and show your ‘Bama pride! There will be balloons, cookies and a professional photographer to take pictures.
Mallet Assembly to host meet-and-greet
Crimson White – Sept. 20
Students interested in progressive issues will have the opportunity to meet and greet with other like-minded students, as well as enjoy refreshments at the Progressive Potluck this Saturday, Sept. 22 from 7 to 9:30 p.m. hosted by the Mallet Assembly. The Progressive Potluck – or “ProgLuck,” as it is called by its founders – is an opportunity for students who are interested in progressive causes to share in food and fellowship while discussing a myriad of issues such as LGBTQA rights, environmental policy, alternative energy, real food, universal healthcare and increased sensitivity toward non-religious individuals.