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MONDAY, FEB. 11 – SUNDAY, FEB. 17, 2013

BEST BETS

UA RANKS FIRST AMONG PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN ENROLLMENT OF NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARS – The University of Alabama ranks first among public universities nationwide in the enrollment of National Merit Scholars for 2012-2013 with 241 scholars in the fall 2012 freshman class. The ranking also places UA fourth among all universities. Only the University of Chicago, Harvard and the University of Southern California enrolled more National Merit Scholars last fall than UA. For more information, visit http://uanews.ua.edu/2013/02/ua-ranks-first-among-public-universities-in-enrollment-of-national-merit-scholars/ or contact Cathy Andreen, director of media relations, at 205/348-8322 or candreen@ur.ua.edu.

UA STUDENTS PRODUCE ALABAMA ARTS SHOW – Students from UA’s department of telecommunication and film are producing a new original 30-minute show for WVUA. “Alabama Art Seen,” conceptualized by members of the TCF department and UA’s Creative Campus, will showcase musicians, filmmakers, visual artists and others from across the state. The first episode is scheduled to air Wednesday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m. on WVUA in Tuscaloosa and WUOA in Birmingham. For more information, contact Misty Mathews, 205/348-6416 or mmathews@ua.edu or Nick Corrao, TCF instructor, nscorrao@ua.edu.

HONORING VETERANS – The University of Alabama’s Office of Veteran and Military Affairs will send representatives to the Washington, D.C., area this month to honor soldiers wounded and killed in the line of duty. David Blair, VMA director, and Dr. Lowell Davis, assistant dean of students, will join U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell and UA alumni for a wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia at 3:15 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14. The wreath, which the UA Alumni Association is providing, honors UA military alumni who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. UA students, alumni and fans are welcome to participate; they should assemble in the Memorial Amphitheater 30 minutes before the ceremony. At 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 15, Davis, Blair and Sewell will visit Walter Reed Hospital to present a variety of UA gear to soldiers in the Wounded Warrior facility. Contact:  Alex Karagas, UA Office of Veteran and Military Affairs, 205/348-0983, vets@bama.ua.edu.

COMPASSION KEY TO BEING A CHILD LIFE SPECIALIST – As a child life specialist intern at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, 22-year-old University of Alabama senior Sara Howard has learned it takes strength and kindness to get through the day. “People always think that you must be cold and hard to be able to work with kids and families who are suffering so much,” said Howard. “But it’s my compassion and heart that allows me to do just that.” Child life specialists help children and their families overcome challenging life experiences, particularly those relating to health. The child life profession has developed and grown tremendously over the years, and UA’s child life program mirrors that growth. For more information or a list of UA sources, contact Kim Eaton, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.

CURRENT COMMENT

POPE BENEDICT XVI RESIGNS – Dr. Theodore Trost, chair of UA’s religious studies department, is available to answer media questions arising from the Feb. 11 announcement of Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation. Media may contact Trost at 205/348-7534 or ttrost@as.ua.edu.

AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH

SPLC OUTREACH DIRECTOR TO SPEAK AT SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK – Lecia J. Brooks, director of outreach for the Southern Poverty Law Center, will be the featured speaker for the School of Social Work’s annual Dr. Ethel H. Hall African-American Heritage Month Program Monday, Feb. 11 at noon in Little Hall, room 223, on the UA campus. Brooks will speak on “Fighting Hate, Teaching Tolerance, Seeking Justice: The Southern Poverty Law Center.”  The event is free and open to the public. This program is part of “Through the Doors,” a year-long series of activities and events commemorating the 50^th anniversary of the desegregation of UA in 1963 and honoring the courage and dedication of the two African-American 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 to continued progress in the future. For more information, contact David Miller, 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu.

EVENTS PLANNED THROUGHOUT FEBRUARY – UA’s  Crossroads Community Center invites the campus and community to participate in events throughout February during African-American History Month. Students will have the opportunity to travel to two historic Alabama sites at no cost. On Sunday, Feb. 24, buses will take students to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute to explore its exhibits, and on Sunday, March 3, students can travel to Selma to learn about the historic events at the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Contact: Richard LeComte, media relations, rllecomte@ur.ua.edu, 205/348-3782

EVENTS

POETRY LECTURE – Dr. Jahan Ramazani, the Edgar F. Shannon professor of English at the University of Virginia, will give a public lecture titled “Poetry’s Dialogue with Its Others” at 3:45 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13, in room 208 Gordon Palmer Hall. The UA English department is sponsoring the event, which is free and open to students, faculty and staff. A reception will follow the lecture. Ramazani is a distinguished and frequently published author and editor who has received a Guggenheim Fellowship, an NEH Fellowship, a Rhodes Scholarship, the MLA’s William Ridley Parker Prize and the Thomas Jefferson Award, the University of Virginia’s highest honor. For more information, contact Dr. Albert Pionke, apionke@as.ua.edu, or Dr. Emily O. Wittman, ewittman@as.ua.edu.

SHORTHAND – UA and University Libraries invite the public to hear a lecture by Dr. Michael Mendle, professor of history at UA, titled “Absolutely the Most Important Thing You Know Nothing About: Shorthand and Civilization in 17th Century England.” The lecture will take place at 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 6, in 205 Gorgas Library. The lecture is free; refreshments will be served. Contact: Dr. Michael Mendle, UA department of history, 205/348-1875, mmendle@bama.ua.edu

LOOKING AHEAD

RURAL HEALTH CONFERENCE – Partnering with rural communities to reduce obesity is the topic of the 14th Annual Rural Health Conference hosted by UA’s College of Community Health Sciences and its Institute for Rural Health Research. The conference, “The Weight of our Rural Communities: Partnering to Reduce Obesity,” will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20, at the Ferguson Center. The conference will feature two keynote speakers: Dr. Michael Minor, national director of HOPE Health and Human Services Partnership of the National Baptist Convention USA, the nation’s largest African-American religious denomination; and Ravi Patel, founder of the Nashville Mobile Market. The conference also will offer breakout sessions on clinical, community and behavioral topics. Contact: Leslie Zganjar, UA College of Community Health Sciences, 205/348-3079, lzganjar@cchs.ua.edu

WUAL RADIO TO HOST EVENTS – WUAL, UA’s public radio station housed in the College of Communication and Information Sciences, will host its annual Toast of the Tour event Thursday, Feb. 21, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at V&W Supply. The station will also host the “We’ve Come Back” Kitchens of Consequence tour on Saturday, Feb. 23, from 1-4 p.m. A portion of ticket sales from each event will benefit Habit for Humanity. Contact: Kathy Henslee, 205/348-2687 or khenslee@apr.org.

STUDENTS LEARN TO DJ – University Programs will host disc jockey lessons at 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17 at the Ferguson Center. The event features DJ Mahogany from WALJ 105.1 JAMZ. As a part of UP’s Discovery Series, students, faculty and staff will have an opportunity to engage in a leisure learning activity for a small fee. Learn to DJ will be in Room 300 of the Ferguson Center. People interested in participating should register at uaferguson.tix.com. UA students have a fee of $10; non-students will pay $15. Contact: LaToya Scott, scott060@sa.ua.edu, 205/348-7525