Auburn, Alabama engineering students set to battle Saturday in first Iron Bowl of hovercrafts
Al.com – April 26
Though billed as the Iron Bowl of Hovercrafts, Saturday’s inaugural battle between Alabama and Auburn engineers more accurately could be called the Carbon Fiber Bowl. The race, officially called the University Hoverbowl Challenge, will determine which school builds better boats with composite materials. The real winner may be the obscure motorsport itself, if it can establish an enduring rivalry and lure more colleges to compete. The event, which will occur on Lake Lurleen from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., became possible for the first time after a group of five aerospace engineering students in Tuscaloosa, including Mark Wysock of Huntsville, decided to break from the tradition of building an aircraft with the rest of their classmates and construct a hovercraft instead.
Tornado’s emotional effects still felt
Tuscaloosa News – April 26
Most of the fallen trees have been cleared and the towering mounds of debris hauled away. The sea of blue tarps is gone, replaced by new roofs. New houses and storefronts stand in places once laid bare by the storm, and others are under construction. Although the recovery is far from complete, to the naked eye, at least, signs of rebirth are everywhere along the path of the monster tornado that struck Tuscaloosa on April 27, 2011, wiping out 12 percent of the city. “Many of the people who lived through the tornado are very aware of the anniversary coming up,” said Nancy Rubin, a psychologist and professor at the College of Community Health Sciences at the University of Alabama. Rubin treated many people immediately after the tornado and continues to see patients who are feeling the effects, she said. “What people aren’t aware of is that the body very well understands that there is an anniversary coming up and if family members died or there was a loss, there could be stress, unease, or a feeling off balance that could be related to the anniversary.”
Living with Chronic Pain and Depression
PsychCentral.com – April 25
About 50 percent of people who have chronic pain also have depression, according to Robert D. Kerns, Ph.D, National Program Director for Pain Management for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and Director of the Pain Research, Informatics, Medical comorbidities and Education (PRIME) Center at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System. Some individuals experience a decline in mood with a sense of loss, he said. Others experience a loss of interest or pleasure in activities they previously enjoyed. Still others experience “an increased irritability, impatience or lower tolerance for the normal stresses of daily life.” Chronic pain also creates many stressors, which can lead to depression, said Beverly Thorn, Ph.D, Clinical Health Psychology Professor and Chair at The University of Alabama whose research focuses on painful conditions. Chronic pain interferes with a person’s daily functioning. It lasts at least three months, more days than not, she said. “People might be unable to work or work the way they used to.” Consequently, they might have financial problems, and a new role in their family. Patients have told Thorn that not being the main provider has made them feel worthless or like they’re not contributing to their family unit.
‘Rocket Boys’ author Homer Hickam to speak at DeKalb County events May 10
Al.com – April 26
Best-selling author Homer Hickam of Huntsville, best known for his book “Rocket Boys,” will speak in DeKalb County May 10 in conjunction with the presentation of an award in a writing contest he helped judge…He then will give a brief talk at Lookout 2013, a dinner event at Cook Castle that will celebrate area tourism and the Lookout Mountain region’s heritage and growing economic potential…Local tourism and economic development officials, business and government leaders also will attend the dinner. Nisa Miranda, director of the University of Alabama Center for Economic Development, will give a keynote address.