Director of SPLC will speak at UA on Feb. 11
Tuscaloosa News – Feb. 4
The director of the Montgomery-based Southern Poverty Law Center will speak at noon Feb. 11 at the University of Alabama. Lecia J. Brooks will be the featured speaker for the School of Social Work’s annual Dr. Ethel H. Hall African-American Heritage Month Program in Little Hall, room 223. Brooks will speak on “Fighting Hate, Teaching Tolerance, Seeking Justice: The Southern Poverty Law Center.” The event is sponsored by UA’s School of Social Work Board of Friends and is free and open to the public. Brooks’ speech program is part of “Through the Doors,” a yearlong series of events commemorating the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of UA in 1963. The series honors the courage and dedication of the two black students who enrolled in the university on June 11, 1963, as well as the university’s ongoing commitment to change over the past 50 years and its commitment to continued progress in the future.
College website nominated for award
Tuscaloosa News – Feb. 4
The redesigned website at The University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Commerce has been selected as one of five educational resource finalists in the 2013 SXSW Interactive Awards competition in Austin, Texas. All finalists are projects that were started or completely redesigned in 2012, with the exception of those in the competition’s Classic category. The winners in each category will be announced on March 12. “It is difficult to put into words what this means to the Culverhouse College of Commerce, just to be one of the finalists in what is arguably the most influential event of its kind in the world,” said J. Michael Hardin, Culverhouse’s dean. “Some people say that it is sort of like being nominated for an Academy Award in Web design.” The finalist announcement comes almost a year after Red Square Agency, a Mobile-based advertising and public relations firm, and Jam3, a Toronto digital design and development agency, began redesigning the Culverhouse website.
‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ continues to inspire young writers
Tuscaloosa News – Feb. 2
Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Rick Bragg on Friday told a group of high school students that they are the largest collection of outstanding writers he will see all year. Included in that group was 18-year-old Austin Ward, who was selected as the 2013 winner of the To Kill a Mockingbird High School Essay Contest by the University of Alabama Honors College. The contest asks students to focus on an element of the iconic 1959 novel by Harper Lee of Monroeville, the only novel she ever published. The winning writer, along with his or her school, each receive $500. Ward was chosen from among 63 other essayists, each of whom won his or her respective high school’s contest to earn a trip to the Capstone for the annual luncheon and awards presentation. For the fourth consecutive year, Bragg, an author, professor and former newspaper reporter, gave the keynote speech.
Gadsden Times – Feb. 2
UA students to send UA items to wounded warriors
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Feb. 1
Wounded Warriors in Washington, D.C. will soon get a gift from Alabama. The office of Veterans and Military Affairs at the University of Alabama is collecting items to take to soldiers at the Wounded Warrior facility in D.C. If you’re interested in donating, there are a few items organizers are looking for … Donations will be taken until Feb. 8th. You can drop them off on the UA campus at B.B. Comer Hall.
University of Alabama group to talk revitalization of downtown
Tuscaloosa News – Feb. 4
Lines of communication reopen between gown and town this month as Dinner with Strangers starts its second semester of discussions, this time centered on visual expression and downtown itself. Heather Roberts, programming coordinator for the Ferguson Center Student Union and a University of Alabama graduate, launched Dinner with Strangers out of frustration with students who won’t “leave the cruise ship” of campus to see the larger city’s offerings and potential…Dinner with Strangers begins with a selection of local artists, civic leaders and other authorities in various fields, then brings them together with students who want to know more. They meet first in online blog discussions, then a casual dinner conversation with locally prepared menus.
‘Design for Living’ hits the Allen Bales stage
Gadsden Times – Feb. 4
“Design for Living,” Noel Coward’s love-triangle comedy once deemed too hot for the London stage, will open Monday in the Allen Bales Theatre, Rowand-Johnson Hall on the University of Alabama campus. UA’s spring season starts with the British playwright’s once-unconventional play about a ménage à trois involving Otto, Leo and Gilda, the woman they both love. The trio decides to break moral codes of society until a stuffy English art dealer named Ernest forces them to face the boredom and reality of their bohemian lifestyle. “We are extremely fortunate to have a very talented pool of actors to choose from, and each actor brings his or her own wonderful personality and skill set to a production,” said director Jimmy Kontos, a UA grad student.
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Feb. 1
Crimson White – Feb. 4
UA criminal justice professor talks about dealing with hostage situation
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Feb. 1
When it comes to dealing with any hostage situation, knowing what to do can be quite difficult for law enforcement. According to University of Alabama criminal justice professor, Dr. Doug Klutz, when dealing with a hostage situation it’s important to remember each one is different. “As far as if it’s just an individual hostage or if it’s a group of hostages, how accessible the location is the building is or physical location where the hostage has been taken.” Klutz says one of the most important things for law enforcement in a hostage situation is establishing a line of communication.
The Super Bowl is a cauldron controversy and then, yes, finally, a game
Sacramento Bee (Calif.) – Feb. 3
As the Baltimore Ravens filed into a cavernous room in their Hilton hotel to meet the media Thursday morning, linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo found a man dressed as a Viking in the seat next to his…Consider it one slice of the week before the Super Bowl, a cultural phenomenon in which the convergence of two football teams, thousands of media members and millions of eyes nationwide ensures football will be only part of the show. “This is the ultimate spectacle of sports,” said Andrew Billings, director of the University of Alabama Program in Sports Communication. “This is the pinnacle of the ads industry. This is the gold standard of the music industry – if you get the halftime show of the Super Bowl, you’ve made it. For so many angles other than sport, this is Story A, peak of the mountaintop.”
Yahoo.com – Feb. 4
Inaugural event to screen films about modern-day issues in Africa
Crimson White – Feb. 4
The Bama Theatre will host its inaugural Evening of African Film Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. and showcase three different movies with the hope that the cultural experience will become a yearly tradition. “This is the premiere night of what will become an annual film festival in Tuscaloosa,” said Dr. Thaddeus Ulzen, associate dean of the College of Community Health Sciences. The screening of the films is co-sponsored by the College of Community Health Sciences and the department of race and gender studies at The University of Alabama. Bill Foster, the co-coordinator of the Evening of African Film, said the premiere is more than just a showing of movies. “We have an opportunity to share culture and issues going on in other parts of the world that people are living with,” Foster said. “Many of our brothers and sisters are from the parts of Africa shown in the films. It’s a way of saying they we share our issues and problems and we can get through them together.”
Al.com – Feb. 4
Raising Scottish Highland Cattle in Alabama is no sweat
Neighbors (Alfa Insurance) – Feb. 1
It may seem contradictory for a real estate developer to buy 640 acres of land to become a farmer. It may seem more unusual for that farmer to start breeding long-haired Scottish Highland cattle in the heart of Alabama. But that’s exactly what’s happening at Katie Farms in Coker, Ala. Jon Fleenor, owner of Main Street Development in Tuscaloosa, and his wife Dr. Margaret Purcell, a professor at the University of Alabama, bought Katie Farms six years ago and named it in honor of the previous owner. “We started just growing food for us,” Purcell said. “The first year we grew way too much, and we started giving things away. So the next year we went to farmers markets and shortly after, the restaurants came to ask about our food. It was almost like it was meant to be.” Today, the farm is home to turkeys, chickens and honeybees. The couple grows and sells seasonal vegetables and fruits including blueberries, blackberries, muscadines, squash, sweet potatoes, heirloom tomatoes and turnip greens.
UA alum produces commercial for Super Bowl
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Feb. 1
And this year, the Crimson Tide could be connected to one of those $4 million commercials, this commercial “goat for sale” is one of five finalists in the Dorito’s “Crash the Super Bowl” director’s cut…it was produced by 2007 advertising and public relations UA graduate Ruth Brown. Doritos held an online competition for people to vote for their favorite commercial. Brown says she won’t know if hers makes it until the game kicks off.
Tax identity theft
NBC 13 (Birmingham) – Feb. 1
Tax season is upon us, and authorities are warning about identity theft…Dr. Gary Hoover is an economics professor at the University of Alabama. He says there has been a recent dramatic increase in tax-related identity theft. The ease with which you’re able to file electronically also makes it much easier for identity thieves to get your name, your social security number then use that to file a false return.
Campus MovieFest brought drama, comedy to Ferguson Center
Crimson White – Feb. 4
Aspiring UA filmmakers explored our deepest fears, insecurities, social issues and even a day in the life of an accomplished pooch in films of five minutes or less at the Campus MovieFest Finale, the culmination of an intense week of competitors creating short films for the competition. Of 62 submissions CMF received, the top 16 moved on to the Finale to compete for the Director’s Chair trophies for Best Comedy, Best Drama and Best Picture. The winner of each category will continue to CMF Hollywood to screen against winners from other schools. The title for Best Comedy went to “No Paper, No Plastic,” the adventures of a would-be mugger in training and his failed attempts to rob unsuspecting victims. Best Drama went to “Rise,” the story of a soldier’s struggle to make a life or death decision during combat. “Person-Able,” a commercial for a company that offers human services in the place of technology, took home the director’s chair for Best Picture.
Rece Davis tells students to seize days at Alabama
Crimson White – Feb. 4
Most Crimson Tide fans did not have to be covert about their loyalties during the BCS National Championship game on Jan. 7. However, ESPN anchor and UA graduate, Rece Davis said he was forced to silently root for his alma mater during the game because it was probably not in his best interest to venture into fandom on national television. “Because of that, when I say, ‘Chance Warmack is the best offensive lineman in the country,’ people believe me and don’t think I’m just being an Alabama fan,” Davis said. Davis spoke to a packed room Jan. 31 in the Ferguson Center about the importance of going after what you want to do, despite the opposition you might receive. “Not everybody is going to share your vision,” Davis said. “There were plenty of people who told me, ‘You’ll never make it to ESPN.’” Davis, a 1988 graduate, was the guest speaker at an event hosted by The University of Alabama Program in Sports Communication. Davis was the second speaker APSC has brought to the University this school year. ESPN executive chairman, George Bodenheimer, came to the Capstone last fall.
Coach Grant takes part in charity voting tournament
Crimson White – Feb. 4
Anthony Grant, The University of Alabama men’s basketball coach, is competing with college basketball coaches across the country to win $100,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of West Alabama in the Infiniti Coaches’ Charity Challenge. For its third year, Infiniti has teamed up with ESPN, the NCAA and the National Association of Basketball Coaches to present the Infiniti Coaches’ Charity Challenge, a Final Four style tournament including 48 men’s college basketball coaches and their chosen charities from across the country. The tournament will last eight weeks, with the first half of online voting producing a single winner from four regions from whom the overall winner will be decided. The coach and charity that receive the most votes will receive one-hundred thousand dollars for the chosen charity. Grant is listed in the South Region.
New exhibit in Woods Hall to feature manipulated photos
Crimson White – Feb. 4
Two University of Alabama students will be showcasing their photography at a one-night exhibit and reception called “Conceit.” Kristen Tcherneshoff, a junior BFA photography and painting major, is partnering with Eric Klopack, a senior majoring in American studies, for the show. All of the pieces in the exhibit are silver gelatin prints, which is a process of developing black and white photographs. Instead of keeping the pieces pristine, both artists manipulate and destroy their works to create a different aesthetic. “Eric and I took a photography class this past summer and we discovered that even though we had slightly different styles, we were both intrigued by the same subject matter, themes and processes for developing and printing the film,” Tcherneshoff said. “We’ve been discussing doing a show ever since then.” Unlike most art exhibits that take place in a traditional gallery, the Conceit exhibit will be displayed in the basement of Woods Hall. “It can be difficult to find a place to show your work on campus,” Klopack said. “The basement is a really exciting space and it’s useful for us because it’s not in use right now. Unlike most galleries which attempt to have no character, the basement has its own aesthetic that I think works well with our work.”
UA holds its second Polar Plunge
Tuscaloosa News – Feb. 4
More than two dozen people jumped into balmy, 52-degree water Sunday at the University of Alabama’s outdoor swimming pool Sunday afternoon — by choice…The chilly swim was part of the 2nd annual Polar Plunge event, sponsored by University Recreation. As part of the event, UA students, faculty and members of the community were invited to take a quick dip in the cold water, said Shane Reeves, coordinator of aquatic programs at the University of Alabama University Recreation Center. “We thought it would be a fun activity for anyone who wanted to come out and participate,” Reeves said. The event, which some took on as a challenge, was inspired by similar events in Russia and parts of Scandinavia, where people often take a plunge in icy waters to celebrate New Year’s Day.