Study from UA’s Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration shows 2011 tornadoes cost Alabama an estimated $100 million
CBS 42 (Birmingham) – April 24
Tornadoes have a lasting economic impact. Alabama knows that all too well. The 2011 storms wiped out dozens of businesses around the state. That led to the unemployment of 3,700 people, and a loss of $217.9 million in earnings. Overall, the storms cost the state a minimum of $80 to $100 million in clean up. Those figures come from a report by Culverhouse College at the University of Alabama.
UA interior design students install art exhibit at Tuscaloosa’s VA Medical Center
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – April 24
UA interior design students are getting some hands-on experience in the community, and local veterans are getting an opportunity to share their stories … Students installed an art exhibit in the VA medical center today. The pieces reflect the months of design the students spent at the VA, and tell the stories of many veterans. They worked with the recreational staff and alongside the veterans.
How does a gentleman shake hands with a lady?
Slate.com – April 24
In 2000 a research team at the University of Alabama published a fascinating psychology paper titled “Handshaking, Gender, Personality, and First Impressions.” Its lab research involved the rating of handshakes according to familiar criteria—completeness of grip, temperature, dryness, strength, duration, vigor, texture, and eye contact. The raters spent a month practicing the moment of a neutral all-American handshake, the researchers’ description of which serves as a very fine verbal diagram.
Tuscaloosa Heritage Celebration to look back at Golden Age this weekend with tours, events
Al.com – April 24
The Tuscaloosa County Preservation Society’s Heritage Celebration will return from a hiatus this weekend with events at historic buildings in the area. This year’s celebration, focused on the “Golden Age” of 1890-1910, will also have displays and activities at local museums and the Tuscaloosa Public Library … A turn of the century costume display at the Battle-Friedman House provided by the College of Human Environmental Sciences of the University of Alabama … The Paul W. Bryant Bryant Museum will display turn of the century football memorabilia on Saturday. Electricity demonstrations will be held at 11 a.m. at the Mildred Westervelt Warner Transportation Museum. From noon-1 p.m., UA professor Richard Megraw will discuss baseball. A screening of “Meet Me In St. Louis” will be held at the museum at 7:30 p.m. Admission for the movie is $5 per carload for up to 7 people.
Impact Alabama founder, Stephen Black, urges compassion
Athens News-Courier – April 24
Stephen Black shared his passion for philanthropy and emphasized the need for compassion during a speech to more than 50 Rotary Club members Friday at Athens State University. “The basic tenet of thoughtful citizenship still would be compassion — to feel what it would feel like to lead someone else’s life,” Black said. “But compassion does not work if it’s only intellectual. Compassion is driven by human connectivity.” Black, the grandson of former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black, is the founder and director of the Center for Ethics & Social Responsibility at the University of Alabama. He is also the founder and president of Impact Alabama, which provides vision screenings for pre-K children through its FocusFirst program. The philanthropy works with more than 20 colleges and universities statewide to provide service-learning projects for students.
Wheeler grad Arambula continues to inspire as wheelcair basketball star
Northwest Indiana Times – April 24
Being in a wheelchair has never gotten in the way of Jared Arambula of being an athlete. Even with all of his basketball accomplishments, it’s been an ongoing crusade for the Wheeler graduate to prove himself. “I had a couple friends come down and watch me play and it’s become a respected sport to them,” Arambula said. “It’s something I’ve strived for, for them to say the most athletic guy is the one in a wheelchair.” Last month, Arambula led the University of Alabama to the wheelchair basketball national title, using a 17-0 run in the last five minutes to pull away from top-ranked Texas-Arlington and win 71-52 in the finals…Arambula poured in 21 points and earned all-American honors for the fifth time in as many years.
UA ninth Arty Party spotlights creative writing program (Scribblers photos)
Al.com – April 25
The University of Alabama 2013 Arty Party on April 5 focused on the creative writing program in The University of Alabama Department of English. Noted writers and alumni of the creative writing program, Tom Chiarella, B.J. Hollars and Lila Quintero Weaver, were special guests at the ninth Arty Party hosted by The University of Alabama College of Arts and Sciences Leadership Board. The event “Writing on the River” was held at The Pavilion at Cypress Inn on the Black Warrior River. For the last 30 years, the creative writing program has been recognized as one of the finest in the nation and its literary magazine “Black Warrior Review” is recognized as one of the top journals for prose and poetry. The program is known for producing world-class writers. Arty Party benefited the creative writing program. Some of the promising young authors were at Arty Party and wrote “poems-on-demand” for guests.