UA to start construction on new recreation center
Gadsden Times – Nov. 27
Construction on a new 114,000-square-foot student recreation center at the University of Alabama will start within the next month, according to UA officials. The new center, which will be called the Student Center, is scheduled for completion in early 2014 and will be where the Rose Towers residential buildings used to be, next to Jack Warner Parkway. George Brown, executive director of University Recreation, said the location was chosen to accommodate the fitness needs of students living on the north side of campus, and bring university recreation to them. “We’re bringing health and well-being through fitness to different parts of campus,” Brown said. “I think it’s a really seminal moment in terms of the university addressing the needs of the students, particularly those living on the north end of campus.” Brown said there will be few differences between the new Student Center and the current Rec Center. The new center is being built to enhance some of the more popular programs at the current center, he said.
Birmingham Business Journal – Nov. 27
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Nov. 26
HCA Diversity Branch to host ‘Diverse Desserts’
Crimson White – Nov. 27
The Diversity Branch of The University of Alabama Honors College Assembly is taking a new approach to encourage conversation on campus: desserts. Diverse Desserts is open to all students and includes a variety of activities alongside a spread of desserts, all for the purpose of showing what diversity truly is. Rebecca Moss, assistant director of the Diversity Branch, said she believes Diverse Desserts provides students an opportunity to have full discussion on different topics. “The purpose of Diverse Desserts is to create a forum for discussion on diversity,” Moss, a sophomore majoring in political science, said. “Because people like different desserts, it’s a tangible example of how diversity includes everyone.” Moss said people often assume diversity only touches on race or gender, but the diversity branch is out prove diversity is all about the little things that also differentiate everyone. “A great thing about college is that so many bright minds come together to have discussions on inclusivity, respect and community,” Moss said. “These are things that in everyday life don’t always come up, so to talk about the role of affirmative action, gender identity, mental health, etc., is refreshing.”
Christmas tree goes up in front of Rose Administration Building
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Nov. 27
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas all around town. The University of Alabama has begun its holiday preparations assembling the giant Christmas tree in front of the Rose Administration Building. The artificial tree will have lights and is expected to be finished in the next couple of days.
Going to the SEC Championship Game will cost big Money/SEC Championship ticket demand high
WAGA-Fox 5 (Atlanta, Ga.) – Nov. 26
The SEC championship in Atlanta this weekend is already sold out. You can still get seats for the game from ticket brokers-but it will cost you big money. So we wanted to know, what you could do with the money you’d pay for a ticket, if you decided to just watch the game on TV instead …”Price could go up, price could go down.” And the price can also nab you a lot of things … The University of Alabama and the Georgia both received 16,000 student tickets each, the face value of those tickets is typically less than other tickets. Ticket brokers say the surge in requests for tickets started Saturday, just after Alabama clinched a spot in the game. Today, some brokers were fielding constant phone calls from people looking to get seats, and with prices going “up” well into the hundreds, brokers say that you should do some homework, and be careful “when” you buy, because scammers could take advantage of the huge demand.
ABC 33/40 (Birmingham) – Nov. 26
WSFA-NBC (Montgomery) – Nov. 26
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Nov. 26
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Nov. 26
College degree rare for foster care students
Crimson White – Nov. 27
Michaela Sanderson grew up in a house with no water and very little food but plenty of mold and roaches. When she was 8 years old, her 16-year-old sister and mother figure passed away. When she was 11 years old, she watched her mother pull out a gun and attempt suicide. Although the bullet only grazed her mother’s stomach, it was enough to cause the state to intervene and take Sanderson away. Now a freshman at the University majoring in social work and communication studies, Sanderson has experienced many difficulties growing up, but she said it was those difficult experiences that gave her a desire to pursue college and succeed. “I knew what it was like for a family to grow up with nothing,” she said. “I wanted better for myself and knowing what I want to be, I wanted to pursue college.” UA graduates Catie and Jamie Lumpkin have been foster parents in Birmingham for 12 years. In addition to their three biological sons, the Lumpkins have cared for 18 children over the course of those years. For the Lumpkins’ 10-year-old foster daughter, attending college would make her the first person of her biological family to earn a higher education. “Education makes a huge difference,” Catie Lumpkin said. “We tell our 10-year-old daughter who has been with us for almost three years now that she could go to college one day, and we will do what it takes to help her get there.” Unfortunately, success stories such as Sanderson’s and the Lumpkins’ are often rare.
Elementary students receive Thanksgiving Meals courtesy of SGA, Bama Dining initiative
Crimson White – Nov. 27
More than 60 local school children piled pizza, nachos and cookies onto their plates in Burke Dining Hall Monday afternoon, compliments of University of Alabama students who donated a meal from their meal plan. Meaningful Meals, a joint project by SGA and Bama Dining, asked UA students to donate a meal from their meal plans so a local child could have a hot meal for Thanksgiving. Keith Edwards, SGA assistant director of communications for financial affairs, said more than 100 meals were donated. “We wanted to use it as an alternative to a toy drive,” Edwards said. “It’s hard for a college student to donate a $20 toy, so we thought this was a good alternative.” Students from Oakdale Elementary School, ranging from second to fifth grade, also got the chance to do some Thanksgiving-themed crafts and activities and received a special visit from Big Al. All the children were part of Al’s Pals, the University’s mentor program for local elementary school children, and their mentors were there to share the meal with them. Ashley Torres, a junior majoring in elementary education, mentors a fifth grader in the program. She said she hopes Meaningful Meals will become a tradition for Al’s Pals.
Alabama to receive $335 million from BP settlement
Crimson White – Nov. 27
In a recent settlement over criminal charges regarding the 2010 oil spill, British Petroleum agreed to pay more than $4 billion over the next five years. “BP’s agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to pay $4 billion to settle criminal charges represents the largest criminal payment in American history,” William Andreen, a UA environmental law professor, said. “The settlement resulted from BP’s agreement to plead guilty to 14 criminal counts: eleven felony counts for misconduct or neglect by ships’ officers; one felony count for lying to Congress; one misdemeanor count under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act; and one misdemeanor count under the Clean Water Act.” Of the $4 billion, Alabama will be receiving approximately $335 million, or a little less than 10 percent, however the money will not be given to local or state government, but will be given to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to be spent on environmental projects and recovery on Alabama’s Gulf coast. “The Foundation will work collaboratively with the states involved as well as with private stakeholders in order to spend these sums to remedy harm and eliminate or reduce the risk of future harm to the natural resources of the Gulf,” Andreen said. Andreen said BP may still pay out billions of dollars in settlements of civil suits that have been brought against them, and could be liable for up to $20 billion dollars under the Clean Water Act. Under the Restore Act that was passed by Congress last year, much of the money would go directly to the communities and states affected by the disaster.
Students with diabetes face challenges as prevalence grows
Crimson White – Nov. 27
As the diabetes rate in the state increases, more college students are stricken with the disease, facing challenges during their enrollment as they make lifestyle changes to manage their condition. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, Alabama is one of only six states with a diabetes rate higher than 10 percent, and one in every nine Alabamians have the disease. “Diabetes is a very debilitating disease,” said Koushik Kasanagottu, president of the UA Diabetes Education Team. “It definitely has a great impact on the quality of life of a student.” One of the most common problems among any type of diabetic is maintaining a healthy blood glucose level, because the disease causes defects in the body that don’t allow it to produce or use insulin. Diabetics often have to maintain their own blood sugar levels to avoid hypoglycemic attacks, which occur when the blood sugar level is lower than normal, or hyperglycemic attacks, which occur when the blood sugar lever is higher than normal. Both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia can be lethal. Diabetics have to monitor their levels daily to avoid having an episode, Kasanagottu said. “They have to constantly monitor the amount of sugar in the body by pricking their fingers almost six to seven times a day,” Kasanagottu said. “Not only does this get expensive, but it also seriously hinders their way of life. On average, a glucose strip costs $1. This can add up immensely.”
Dance Marathon group to raise funds at TCBY, Bama Mini Golf tonight
Crimson White – Nov. 27
Members of The University of Alabama Dance Marathon team will be hosting two fundraisers on Tuesday as part of their spirit night, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Children’s Miracle Network. The first fundraiser is at TCBY on McFarland Boulevard from 5 to 8 p.m. Patrons who mention UADM will have 20 percent of their purchase go to benefits raised for Children’s Miracle Network. Following the event at TCBY, UADM will also be hosting a mini golf fundraiser at Bama Mini Golf from 7 to 10 p.m. The cost to play on one course is $5 and $7.50 for two courses. Fifty percent of the money raised will go to the fundraiser. UADM is an organization that aims to enhance the lives of children suffering from childhood disease. It is a student-run philanthropy at the University and revolves around a year-long fundraising effort that culminates in an eight-hour no-sitting, no-sleeping dance marathon on campus. “The point of our organization is to bring all of the students at Alabama together for one really good cause,” said Gloria Kelly, vice president of external affairs for UADM. The money raised goes to research for cancer treatment as well as to help support the families of those affected.