Alabama Researcher Observes Black Hole Destroying a Star
Alabama Public Radio – Feb. 18
A University of Alabama researcher and his team believe they’ve been able to observe a black hole destroying a star in a galaxy far, far away. Peter Maksym led the study of data from NASA’s Chandra telescope that observed a large x-ray flare. Peter Maksym: “You have this tiny little galaxy that appears to have had a really huge x-ray flare. This is really solid evidence that it’s got a massive black hole of some sort.” Maksym says the flare was probably created when a star got too close to the black hole and was destroyed.
Student markets earbuds
Crimson White – Feb. 18
Thomas Condon walks into the SUPe Store. Among the aisles of textbooks, Nike shirts and Apple products, he can also find a pair of earphones that he developed himself. For Condon, a sophomore majoring in marketing, a typical day consists of attending classes, studying for tests, going to hockey practice and working on new products for his company Boston SoundworX, which developed the earphones that are now being sold at the SUPe Store. “I wanted to break into a market where there are not a lot of competitors, and I love music,” he said. “I’m an athlete, so I listen to music probably more often than not. Whether I’m on the bus or before a game, it’s something that really helps me get in the zone and focus. I wanted to create a product that could not only help me, but also help others.” … Condon thought there would be no better target audience than his fellow college students, so he set up a meeting with David Cowdery, assistant director of general merchandise at the SUPe Store. … Cowdery said he was extremely impressed with the professionalism and enthusiasm Condon brought to the meeting, but he needed to be sold on the value of the product. A few days later, Condon brought in a couple of samples of the earphones, and Cowdery was sold. “I feel Thomas has the initiative to do whatever he sets his mind to,” Cowdery said. “He seems very smart and focused for someone who is only a sophomore in college, and he understands the strong work ethic that it takes to be a successful entrepreneur.”
Laboratories for Prosperity
Reason.com – Feb. 18
Over the past three decades, America’s state and local governments have experienced a large and underappreciated divergence. Some places, usually but not always led by Republicans, have become friendlier to free enterprise. Other places, usually but not always led by Democrats, have become friendlier to big government. Some political scientists call it the Big Sort. You can see the self-selection manifest itself in polls, in voting behavior, in migration patterns, and in policy outcomes … One recent paper deserves special attention. In the Winter 2013 issue of the Journal of Education Finance, two political scientists, Norman Baldwin of the University of Alabama and William McCracken of the Ohio State University, published one of the most carefully designed studies of education spending I’ve seen. For example, they built in time lags to account for the fact that education spending is cumulative-its net effects show up years later, when pupils become workers or entrepreneurs, not in real time. So in evaluating overall higher-education spending, Baldwin and McCracken used a seven-year lag to allow for university to students to obtain degrees, find employment, and adjust to their new jobs.
Alabama Repertory Dance Theatre spring concert ‘very different’ this year, according to artists
Al.com – Feb. 17
The University of Alabama’s department of theatre and dance’s production of Alabama Repertory Dance Theatre is all set to take place Feb. 18-22 in Morgan Auditorium on campus. ARDT is the UA’s pre-professional dance company, featuring choreography by award- winning dance faculty in a concert of ballet, pointe, modern and experimental movement. Sarah Barry, University of Alabama associate professor of dance, has combined dance, original music and sculptures to create “aeolian,” one of the dance pieces featured in this year’s ARDT performance, according to a release. Kelly Shannon, a graduate student in the UA’s art department, created fiberglass sculptures for the dance piece. Making them out of fiberglass adds a level of light and airiness she wanted to contribute to the show, according to the release. “I get my inspiration from what I think of as naturally occurring sculptures,” said Shannon, a Birmingham native. “For this piece, I was looking at mushrooms, pitcher plants, silkworm casings and jelly fungi.” The sculptures add a new, static visual element to the show.
New Miss UA Crowned
WVUA (Birmingham) – Feb. 17
Brains, beauty, and talent … that’s how you can describe the young lady awarded the title of Miss University of Alabama. The coveted crown was claimed by Danielle Dubose of Birmingham, a junior studying accounting and political science at the university. Danielle’s a member of Alpha Chi Omega and served as the sorority’s philanthropy chair. She hopes to use her title to raise awareness of date violence, a form of abuse that s difficult for many of its victims to talk about.
Author Maria Gitin’s book details civil rights, voting rights battles of ’60s
Santa Cruz Sentinel (Calif.) – Feb. 17
It took a local author six years to write a book about her experiences on the front lines of civil rights fights in the South during the ’60s. Santa Cruz County resident Maria Gitin is celebrating the publication of “This Bright Light of Ours: Stories from the Voting Rights Fight” with a reading and book signing at Temple Beth El in Aptos. Released this week by the University of Alabama Press, the book is hot off the press. … The book recounts the summer that Gitin spent working to register black voters in a region where the Ku Klux Klan was active and the local sheriff was hostile to their Civil Rights campaign.
Student groups promote diversity
Crimson White – Feb. 18
In recent semesters, a plethora of new student organizations promoting diversity have sprung up on campus and existing groups have found renewed purpose. These grassroots campaigns work to address specific issues in diversity alongside some of the longtime diversity organizations on campus. “I believe these organizations [are] evidence of the passion and commitment [that] students at The University of Alabama have for moving forward on issues related to diversity on campus,” Lane McLelland, director of Crossroads Community Center, said. Some organizations have partnered through the Crossroads Community Center. The center implemented two initiatives this spring, Sustained Dialogue and Better Together, that encourage existing student organizations to collaborate and engage their differences and strengths for improving community life on campus and in the surrounding areas, McLelland said. “Among the 11 Sustained Dialogue groups being conducted on campus this spring, one is specifically focusing on how student organizations can be more effective and collaborative,” McLelland said. “We are looking forward to hearing the action ideas this group comes up with after dialoguing about this very issue.” Spread out across campus, new and well-established groups tackle diversity issues in various ways. They range from small to large, and most operate as separate entities with separate leadership.