2012 National Outreach Scholarship Conference being held at UA
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Oct. 1
The University of Alabama is welcoming hundreds of people to the campus to find solutions to problems here and abroad. It’s part of the 2012 National Outreach Scholarship Conference. More than 500 people, including college professors, students and community partners are participating. They’ll discuss how they’re tackling issues in their communities and if that problem solving can be duplicated elsewhere. Some issues include rural education, poverty and increasing economic development. Heather Pleasants: “Well, a lot of things we do here in Alabama have to do with both systemic issues that we’ve been dealing with for a long time. But also, recent issues, for example tornado and disaster preparedness, is a big theme in this year’s conference.” Some attending the conference will also go on trips to Alabama’s Black Belt to see what community projects are working there.
UA students drawing up plans for old mill office
Daily Mountain Eagle – Oct. 1
A dilapidated office building on an overgrown lot is the last remaining trace of the cotton mill that turned Cordova into a boom town at the turn of the 20th century. It has been decades since anyone other than vandals and wildlife showed an interest in it. However, students enrolled in Advanced Residential Design at the University of Alabama have spent the past several weeks documenting every square inch of the building in hopes that it can be given a new purpose in the city’s long-term recovery plan. They are currently developing measured drawings of the office in its current condition as well as potential designs for a library if the structure were one day restored. Another group of seniors taking the same course are making blueprints of Higgins TV Sales & Service on Burlington Avenue. Students will be creating plans for a business incubator in that building, which is located adjacent to Main Street but will not be part of the proposed downtown demolition. Instructor Michelle Lee said the set of plans that her students will be submitting to city leaders and the owners of Higgins TV will follow the federal standards written by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “We don’t sugarcoat anything,” Lee said. “So many times this act of documentation is tied into grants for refurbishment. Doing an accurate job of reporting what it looks like can sometimes even affect how much money is awarded for the grant.” The possibility of restoring the mill office is one of the projects that Lauren Gilbert Vance is pursuing as a VISTA assigned to long-term recovery efforts in Cordova.
Terri Brewer named a Hometown Hero
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Oct. 1
If you went to the game this weekend, you may have noticed a familiar face from your home team on the jumbotron. WVUA news anchor Terri Brewer was selected as a University of Alabama hometown hero at this weekend’s Alabama-Ole Miss game. The award is presented by TIAA-CREF and the University of Alabama and honors the recipient for their dedication and service to the Tuscaloosa community. The video was created by Crimson Tide Productions.
Some to serve during fall break
Crimson White – Oct. 2
For many students, fall break is an opportunity to go home for the first time during the school year or stay in Tuscaloosa and get ahead on schoolwork and studies. Some students however, use this opportunity to give back, travel and try things that time constraints may usually keep them from doing. For students interested in spending time giving back, the Community Service Center offers an Alternative Break for students. Alternative Break is an opportunity for students to go to another community and engage in intensive service, said Wahnee Sherman, director of the Community Service Center. “Alternative Break is a great way for students to give back to another community, whether in our state, in the region, or internationally,” Sherman said. “Students can spend their time off from classes in a productive way, engaging in meaningful service.” The trip aims to inform students of issues other communities face, providing a broader view of community service. “The Community Service Center has a large amount of community service opportunities for UA students that can connect them to Tuscaloosa,” Libby Loveless, student director of Alternative Break, said. “We also believe that students should experience other communities and cultures outside of Tuscaloosa. We facilitate these learning and service experiences so that students can get a taste of other places, especially the social issues that are prevalent in the locations.” The Community Service Center expects about 20 students to participate in the fall Alternative Break, which will take place in Huntsville, Ala.
Lessons branch out with ‘Talks’
Crimson White – Oct. 2
The Honors College Assembly has brought back its “HCA Talks” sessions for students interested in learning about and discussing topics they may not be offered in the classroom. HCA Talks is a program dedicated to giving all students on campus an opportunity to explore their interests, even if the interest is not related to student’s classes. Students who attend the session are able to hear a lecture and have a conversation with the professor and other students who attend. Austin Lafferty, HCA executive vice president and founder of HCA Talks, said he thinks students should have a way to intelligently discuss topics of their choice and explore what interests them, no matter what their field of study is. He described the talks as giving students an opportunity to branch out of their own field or to get even deeper into something that they’re already studying. “Say you’re a biology major and all you are ever really taking are biology classes,” said Lafferty, a senior majoring in philosophy. “If we have a [HCA Talk] on whether or not higher education is a right or a privilege, that might be a topic you may be interested in but do not necessarily get in your classes.”
Anti-bullying campaign brings concert, message
Tuscaloosa News – Oct. 2
Bullying can be stopped in 10 seconds. Motivational speaker Troy McClain and Nashville country singer Matt Kennon delivered that message Monday afternoon to more than 1,000 ecstatic students at Brookwood High School during the latest stop on their national anti-bullying campaign…Brookwood is one of four local schools where the anti-bullying campaign is being held Monday and today… The four schools hosting the campaign were selected as a reward for winning an anti-bullying video contest sponsored by the Tuscaloosa District Attorney’s Office and Nick’s Kids, the charitable foundation of University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban and his wife Terry.