UA to mark 50th anniversary of Wallace ‘stand’
Athens News-Courier – June 4
The University of Alabama this month is marking the 50th anniversary of then-Gov. George Wallace’s “Stand in the Schoolhouse Door” against racial integration. The university will hold a prayer breakfast on Friday in Tuscaloosa to reflect on the role of the faith community in the civil rights movement. Another program will be held on June 11 at Foster Auditorium, where Wallace faced down federal authorities with his choreographed stand to oppose black students registering at Alabama. The event at Foster will honor the two students who enrolled at the university on June 11, 1963, James Hood and Vivian Malone. Today, the university’s student body is almost 13 percent black. Wallace served four terms as governor and later apologized for his actions during the civil rights era.
NBC 13 (Birmingham) – June 4
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – June 4
WTVM-ABC (Columbus, Ga.) – June 4
WBHM-FM (Birmingham) – June 4
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – June 4
Alabama engineers lead team researching Oklahoma tornado damage
Al.com – June 3
In the wake of the devastating Moore, Okla., tornado, a team of University of Alabama researchers is the lead on a research grant to study storm damage on wood-framed homes. UA and researchers from other institutions hit the ground running in Oklahoma a few days after the tornado to collect data as part of the National Science Foundation Rapid Response Grant for Exploratory Research. Andy Graettinger, an associate engineering professor, said the research team was specifically looking for things that had changed in building practices or in how people protected themselves. The team, which included four professors and four students from, responded rapidly to the damage zone because much of their data is perishable, as they can’t analyze data once storm debris is removed.
Lakeland Ledger (Fla.)– June 3
The Republic (Columbus, Ind.) – June 4
Gadsden Times – June 4
Fox 10 (Mobile) – June 4
ABC 33/40 (Birmingham) – June 4
Tornado donations ramp up again
CBS 42 (Birmingham) – June 4
Following a second outbreak of tornadoes in Oklahoma, many Alabamians are again asking, “what can I do?” …The University of Alabama’s Community Service Center is also currently doing a gift card drive. They are asking that people send in gift cards from national retailers to be sent to Oklahoma storm survivors. They ask that the gift cards have no expiration date or fees. UA officials say they believe the gift cards will be the most useful donation for the tornado victims at this point. UA is also conducting a survey right now to see if any students, faculty, or staff would be interested in a service trip to Oklahoma sometime in the fall. For more information on how you can donate and to fill out a survey visit: http://www.volunteer.ua.edu/.
ABC 33/40 (Birmingham) – June 4
Civil rights-era photos on display through June 14
Tuscaloosa News – June 4
More than 20 photographs from the civil rights movement will be on display through June 14 at Bryant Conference Center, 240 Paul W. Bryant Drive, on the University of Alabama campus. The free exhibit includes images of the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, then-Gov. George C. Wallace’s attempt to block desegregation at UA, students boycotting Birmingham restaurants and pictures of civil rights leaders. “These images depict one of the most important times in our nation’s history that occurred right here in our state, just 50 years ago,” said Carolyn Dahl, dean of the College of Continuing Studies, one of the sponsors of the exhibit. “They represent some of our state’s most courageous citizens during the times in which they lived and died.”
CBS 42 (Birmingham) – June 4
Local banks seeing business growth compared to last year
Anniston Star – June 4
…in the past couple of years, Alabama banks have seen profits grow as foreclosures have dropped and loans increased, a federal report shows. Benton Gup, chair of banking at the University of Alabama, said what local and state banks are experiencing is in line with improvements among financial institutions across the country. “Foreclosures are slowing down as the economy is slowly picking up,” Gup said. “The general trend is things are picking up.”
Tate High names the top of the class, presents senior awards
NorthEscambia.com (Fla.) – June 4
The Tate High School has named their honors graduates and announced awards to seniors…Tate’s National Merit finalist, Andrew Belt, received a Presidential Scholarship from the University of Alabama worth $107,350.00.
Graduates of 2013 succeed at St. Louis metro high schools
St. Louis Post-Dispatch – June 4
A sampling of local schools points to their achievements both individually and collectively as they always will be know: The Class of 2013…HAZELWOOD HIGH SCHOOLS… Kevin McPartland was awarded the University of Alabama Presidential Scholarship which required a minimum score of 32 on the ACT test.