Alabama geologist picked for presidential award
Chattanooga Times-Free Press – Jan. 7
President Barack Obama has named University of Alabama geologist Samantha Hansen as one of the recipients of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers. The awards recognize scientists and engineers in the early stages of their independent research careers. The University of Alabama said Hansen is using energy signals from earthquakes to better understand how the Transantarctic mountain range was formed across Antarctica. Hansen and two graduate students returned last month from a six-week stay in Antarctica where they retrieved data from 15 seismic stations that Hansen and research colleagues installed along portions of the mountain range in 2012. Hansen is among 102 researchers receiving the presidential award.
CBS 12 (Chattanooga, Tenn.) – Jan. 7
Exhibit captures history of slavery at University
Crimson White – Jan. 8
Benjamin Flax has been fascinated with the South’s complex history with slavery, civil rights and the black experience since he was 10 years old, and now the senior majoring in religious studies and history is sharing that fascination with other students and members of the community through a month long exhibit looking at The University of Alabama’s history from the slave era. Flax has been researching the University’s ties to the Civil War and to slavery for about a year and a half and will present some of the materials he has studied in an exhibit at Gorgas Library during the month of February. “My first focus was looking at a lot of the monuments around campus that deal with the Civil War and how that reflects on our memories of those years,” Flax said. “This year, however, the fall semester, I came up with this idea of looking at the other side of our involvement leading up to the Civil War and that was with slavery, and what with The University of Alabama that was exactly.”
‘The Face’ interns with Fallon
Crimson White – Jan. 8
University of Alabama student Jack Blankenship, who received national recognition two years ago for the face he makes at UA basketball games, while also holding up a large photo of that face, is now working as an intern for “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” where he once appeared as a guest. The man behind “The Face” took a few minutes to speak with The Crimson White about his coveted internship with Jimmy Fallon and the contorted expression that made him famous.
Cold winter to plague Alabama
Crimson White – Jan. 8
Earlier this week, some of the coldest weather Alabama has seen in decades moved into the state, driving temperatures down to well below freezing and causing concerns for the students who had to get back for their first classes of the new semester. James Spann, chief meteorologist for ABC 33/40, said the sudden cold weather was caused by a disruption in the jet stream. “There’s a river of air that runs at about 25,000 feet through the northern hemisphere,” Spann said. “The easy explanation is the jet stream – it’s not as easy as that – weather’s a lot more complicated than people make it out to be, but generally speaking you can find maximum wind velocities at about 25,000 feet. The position of that tends to determine what your weather’s like.” A dip in the jet stream brought air from the North Pole as far south as Alabama … According to Patrick Reilly, president of the University of Alabama Meteorological Society, precautions should still be taken when roads have the potential to ice over. “This system is by no means a ‘snowpocalypse’ as some individuals are reacting to it.” Reilly said. “However, measures must be taken to ensure personal safety and well-being.” However, out-of-state students who planned to take a plane back to Alabama could face additional problems … Thousands of flights across the eastern United States have been delayed or canceled over the past few days … Classes will start as normal on Wednesday afternoon, but according to an email from UA News, “Faculty will work with students who experience travel delays because of the severe weather.”
Freeze Day
Tuscaloosa News – Jan. 7
University of Alabama students Joshua Moon, left, and Ben Sigmon explore a layer of ice over the grass on the Quad at the University of Alabama Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014. The ice formed after an irrigation line burst in the freezing weather.
UA equestrian club canters through cold
Crimson White – Jan. 8
Keeping the water buckets from freezing has been no easy feat for Equestrian Club Coach Heather McCall, but the cold weather hasn’t kept her team from practicing all winter break. While the track the girls practice on is indoors, it does not block out the cold. However, McCall has no sympathy for her riders, having experienced frigid winters growing up in Connecticut. “I was basically born on a horse. My mom coached at the University of Connecticut which is where I went to school and I have pictures of me riding when I was almost two years old. I competed all through college and I’ve always wanted to be a coach and follow in my mom’s footsteps,” McCall said. “It’s cold out, but I actually think the horses are better in the winter because it’s not hot and there are no bugs, so they’re a lot happier.” Over winter break the Equestrian Club spent their time getting ready for their first competition ever to be hosted in Tuscaloosa in February, which will take place in Sokol Park. The University of Alabama will be hosting 10-15 other schools including Mississippi State University and the University of Georgia.
UA missions group returns to Nicaragua
Crimson White – Jan. 8
Less than a week before Christmas, 22 University of Alabama students said goodbye to the small Nicaraguan village of Trapichito. For some students, it was the last time they would ever see the village and its inhabitants with whom they’d grown quite familiar over the course of a week. For others, it was just a temporary goodbye with the promise of reunion next December. The 22 UA students were part of the annual Alabama Greek Missions trip, which has traveled to Nicaragua and the village of Trapichito for the past two years. “Alabama Greek Missions started three years ago, so this is the third trip we’ve done as a group, the second one I’ve been a part of,” said Sarah Elizabeth Tooker, a senior majoring in communication studies and president of AGM. “It really just started because there was a gap, and they saw there really wasn’t a group that connected greek members that were interested in international service work.” The group was started by members of greek organizations to give students an opportunity to travel abroad and serve others through construction and a vacation bible school day camp.