Graduate school awards top students honors
Crimson White – April 9
In addition to the undergraduate awards given last week during the University’s Honors Week, The University of Alabama Graduate School awarded its students with top honors. Three faculty committees selected the eight most outstanding graduate students from a pool of students from each individual college. John Schmitt, assistant dean of the graduate school, said the selected students won awards previously within their college or school and then went on to be awarded overall graduate school awards. “These are the best of the best from the college-wide winners,” Schmitt said. “These are the most advanced degrees the University has to offer, making this a really outstanding accomplishment.” Schmitt said these awards were bestowed primarily based on the students’ work on either their master theses or dissertation, and every award is different because the individual pieces of research are vastly different. “The work they have done is going to launch them into their careers whether it is a doctoral student going into education or a master’s student looking for a job,” he said.
University of Alabama production of ‘Show Boat’ steams into Mobile on Thursday (with video)
Al.com – April 8
The University of Alabama Department of Theatre and Dance will present the classic musical “Show Boat” on Thursday, April 11, at the Mobile Civic Center Theater. “Show Boat” came to life as a collaboration between Oscar Hammerstein II (book and lyrics) and Jerome Kern (music) and premiered in 1927. Based on a novel of the same name by Edna Ferber, it tells the story of three generations of show folk working aboard the Cotton Blossom steamer. Signature tunes include “Ol’ Man River.” Over the years,” Show Boat” has enjoyed a number of award-winning revivals on Broadway. At least three film versions have been made, according to the Internet Movie Database, including a 1936 version featuring Paul Robeson and an Oscar-nominated 1951 version featuring Ava Gardner.
Director of ‘Seinfeld’ to sign books on campus
Crimson White – April 9
With a phenomenally successful sitcom under his belt, “Seinfeld” director Tom Cherones is still in the comedy business, only now he’s writing books. Cherones, a Tuscaloosa native, has taught a spring class in the department of telecommunication and film for more than 10 years at the Capstone. He will participate in two panels this week to promote his new book, “The Hardly Boys: The Mystery of the Golden Goblet.” As suggested in its title, the book is a spoof of the “Hardy Boys” mystery series. Cherones created a parody in which two 1950s teenagers awaken 50 years after being induced into a frozen coma, with the bodies of elderly men but with the minds of teenagers. Amid the baffling technology of the modern age, the elderly teens join their father, a private detective in his 90s, to hunt for a priceless artifact. “Tom’s years as a comedy director serve him well in this spoof on the old ‘Hardy Boys’ series,” Ellen Traylor of Port Hole publications said in a UA news release. “His knack for storytelling and comic timing are evident in this fun read.” The panel will be held in the Birmingham Room at the Bryant Conference Center from noon until 1:30 p.m. Cherones will host a book signing Thursday from 1-3 p.m. in Reese Phifer Hall. Copies of Cherones’ new book will be available for purchase at the signing Thursday.
Tuscaloosa News – April 9
African-American alumni return for greek showcase
Crimson White – April 9
Students on campus have worked to create The Alumni Affair, an annual event to bring together black alumni from The University of Alabama. “The Alumni Affair is an event that we look to hold annually during A-Day weekend to create an environment for our alumni to interact with the current undergraduate students and foster and cultivate new relationships that in turn, bring the African-American community here at UA closer together,” Alexandria Washington, one of the student organizers, said. “We saw a need on campus to bring our community closer together so we brainstormed when would be the most effective time to have everyone together and what could we do to have everyone on the same page: greeks!” The Alumni Affair is at 7:30 p.m. on April 19 at Central High School. Washington said the event will feature both alumni and current members of National Pan-Hellenic Council sororities and fraternities. Groups of five or more will present 8-10 minute “step teases,” shorter versions of a full step show routine.
HOT BLAST: How vulnerable is Robert Bentley in 2014?
Anniston Star – April 8
For now, let’s assume that Robert Bentley will indeed run for re-election as Alabama governor in 2014. That would mean Bentley, a deep darkhorse in the GOP field in 2010, would likely face what may be a formidable list of Republican challengers next summer…Noted political scientist William Stewart at the University of Alabama told this recently to AL.com: “The Republican Party in Alabama has now clearly ascended into almost total control of almost all statewide elections: governor, Congress, constitutional officers, the Supreme Court. That ascendancy has created a lot of Republican officeholders in high positions and it has created a strong bench of candidates who probably see themselves as governor material. My strong guess is at least one of them or more than one will not want to wait until 2018 to run for governor.”
Graduation rates increase at UA
Crimson White – April 9
Graduation and retention rates for The University of Alabama are higher than the national average, UA spokeswoman Cathy Andreen said. Andreen said the six-year graduation rate for freshmen who started at the Capstone in 2006 was 66.5 percent. On the other hand, the retention rate for freshman enrolling in 2011 and returning in 2012 was 85.4 percent. The National Center for Education Statistics estimates approximately 56 percent of male and 61 percent of female first-time, full-time students who sought a bachelor’s degree at a four year institution in fall 2004 completed their degree at that institution within six years. “Student success is the University’s top priority. The University has numerous programs in place to help students succeed academically and become engaged with the campus community,” Andreen said. Stephen Katsinas, director of the Education Policy Center at the University, agrees with Andreen that despite disparaging cuts in state funding in fiscal year 2013, the University has made solid progress. “You asked about what the University has done to improve graduation rates; UA has implemented many programs, including DegreeWorks, innovative programs targeted to specific student groups to improve retention and degree completion of its undergraduates,” Katsinas said. “Has enough been done, and is funding for these programs at levels UA faculty and administrative leaders prefer? Probably not, but solid progress has been made in spite of the half a billion dollar cumulative state disinvestment.”
Local children learn other cultures with Heart Touch
Crimson White – April 9
Fan Yang came to The University of Alabama from China to study social work but decided to make an impact on the community by sharing her culture with local fourth graders. Yang designed the Heart Touch Program to connect American students to Chinese students with help from the Center for Community Based Partnership and Tuscaloosa’s One Place, an after school program. “My concentration is children and their families,” Yang said. “I love children and I try to provide them something. I think the unique thing I can provide is about my background because I am from China. I know about Chinese culture, so I think that’s the best thing I can provide them.” Yang, along with other student volunteers, visits seven elementary schools a week lecturing on Chinese culture and helping students write letters to students in China. One week she brought Chinese food donated by Lai Lai and taught students to use chopsticks.
Students learn to cope with high divorce rates
Crimson White – April 9
Lee Keyes, executive director of the Counseling Center at the University, said the topic of divorce is a fairly frequent reason that students come to the Center. “Given that over half of marriages end in divorce, it is expected that this would be on the minds of many students,” Keyes said. “Many times students feel ‘caught in the middle’ and struggle with some of the negative communication patterns in which couples in conflict engage. … This causes stress, worry and sadness, and students come to work through those issues.”…The Counseling Center provides programming on healthy relationships, assertive communication and stress management, all of which may be related to the issue of divorce. “We can also provide free support groups for students whose parents [are] divorced or are divorcing, when there is enough interest for us to do so,” Keyes said.