Bloom elected SGA president
Crimson White – March 12
Nearly an hour after polls closed Tuesday night, Hamilton Bloom sat in a side room of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house awaiting a phone call from Kelli Knox-Hall, faculty advisor and convener of the elections board. When his cell phone finally rang, a small group of his friends and campaign team looked on, many of them filming him, while Bloom listened to Knox-Hall on the phone, straight-faced. Then his hand came down on the table as a wide grin broke on his face, and the room erupted. “Alright, sounds great. Thank you very much,” Bloom said as he hung up the phone, and his supporters gathered around him cheering once again. Bloom won the Student Government Association presidential election with 6,378 of the 10,276 votes cast in Tuesday’s elections.
Tuscaloosa News – March 12
Premier award recipients named
Crimson White – March 12
The recipients of the 2014 Premier Awards were announced last week and will be recognized during Honors Week at The University of Alabama. The 2014 Premier Awards, the University’s highest honors, recognize students and faculty who excel in participation for scholarship, leadership and service. Mark Nelson, vice president for student affairs and vice provost, said the winners reflect some of the University’s most exceptional students. “The Premier Awards are among the University’s highest honors,” Nelson said. “The winners are truly exceptional students and faculty members who have given of themselves to the University and the community and who will have a lasting impact on everyone who has been associated with them.” The Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award recognizes two graduating seniors and one non-student winner. The award recognizes excellence of character and service to humanity, according to the award application. David Phelps and Kirkland Back were the student winners, with Margaret Garner as the faculty winner. … the Morris Lehman Mayer Award honors one graduating senior and one teaching faculty recipient who exemplifies the qualities of Morris L. Mayer – integrity, selfless service and leadership. The student winner was Mary Sellers Shaw, and the faculty winner was Caroline Fulmer. … The John Fraser Ramsey Award is given to a junior student with broad humanistic interests who has exerted a positive influence on his or her contemporaries, according to the application. The winner was Brian McWilliams, from Pittsburgh, Pa., who is majoring in biology. … the William P. Bloom Scholarship Award honors a junior who has improved intergroup relations within the University community. This year’s recipient was Al-Karim Gilani. The Catherine J. Randall Award is also given to one graduating senior who exemplifies outstanding student scholarshp at the University based on GPA, rigor of course study and extraordinary scholarly or creative endeavors, according to the Division of Student Affairs. This year’s recipient was Joshua Moon.
UA Researchers to map food insecurity
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – March 11
Two journalism researchers from the University of Alabama are looking for answers as to why some of West Alabama is lacking food security. Researchers Dr. Scott Parrott and Chip Brantley say food insecure areas are considered to be locations in the county that have limited or no access to healthy food. With much of West Alabama being considered rural or poverty stricken, community members in these locations only have access to convenience stores, gas stations, and fast food restaurants, leaving their diet to lack healthier foods like fruits and vegetables. “What we are trying to do is use some software and apps to actually map out these locations where people might not have good access to healthy food, and then we also want to map out areas in which obesity or diabetes or health issues that are prevalent and related possibly to the lack of healthy food options.”
Atlanta actress to headline University of Alabama Rose Gladney lecture
Al.com – March 11
Atlanta actress Brenda Bynum will present this year’s Rose Gladney lecture at the University of Alabama Moody Music Hall Wednesday, March 12. Bynum will present “Jordan is So Chilly: An Encounter with Lillian Smith,” a solo performance drawn from the author’s autobiographical writings, according to a UA release. The Gladney lecture was founded to honor the works of Margaret Rose Gladney, who joined UA’s faculty in 1975. According to a release, Gladney helped craft the master’s degree program in the women’s studies department and was the first recipient of the Autherine Lucy Award for service, leadership and support for minority programming at UA in 1987.
Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – March 11
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 140,000 Americans are diagnosed with colorectal cancer each year. More than 50,000 people die from the disease. Dr. Scott Arnold, chairman of internal medicine at the College of Community Health Sciences at the University of Alabama, says he has seen patients as young as 30 diagnosed with this type of cancer. Dr. Arnold recommends people should be screened for the disease starting at age 50. He says people should take more precautions if members of their immediate family have colon cancer. “As soon as a family member is diagnosed with colon cancer then your regular primary physician should be notified at your next visit that that should be added to your history.”
Discussion to address Ukraine issues
Crimson White – March 12
Due greatly to demand from students, there will be a roundtable discussion on the growing crisis in Ukraine on Wednesday from 3 to 5 p.m. in ten Hoor 125. The discussion will begin with three brief presentations by University of Alabama Russian specialists, Andrew Drozd of department of modern languages, Margaret Peacock of the department of history and Barbara Chotiner of the department of political science. Following the presentations, audience members will be encouraged to ask questions to continue the discussion. “There’s a lot of demand [for a discussion], and there’s a lot of interest in what’s actually happening in Ukraine coupled with confusion, particularly in the United States,” Peacock said … Each speaker will give a short presentation on an aspect of the complex situation unfolding in Ukraine. Peacock will discuss the historical relationship between Ukraine and Russia, Chotiner will analyze the political issues involved and Drozd will talk about the current Russian perspective. The speakers will also discuss the American policy side of the situation, as well as what the future looks like as a result.
UA Recruiters at National College Fair in Raleigh, NC
WRAZ-Fox (Raleigh, NC) – March 11
I want to go ahead and also show you how massive the setup is here today … 187 colleges. You see University of Alabama, go ahead wave to us. Yeah, somebody already tweeted to me “Roll Tide.” … So, again, this a big event tonight with so many resources for not only parents but also students. It begins today at 4:30 in the evening, and it will run all the way to 7:30. It is free. It is open to the public, and it is open to your questions.
Kids Triathlon brings out best in Tuscaloosa youth
Tuscaloosa News – March 11
It is an event for kids that raises monies for a cause for kids, and, as it turns out, led a group of kids to look out for one particular kid. On May 17, the University of Alabama’s campus will once again host the Tuscaloosa Kids Triathlon. In its second year, it will again benefit Tuscaloosa’s Secret Meals for Hungry Children, a program sponsored by the Alabama Credit Union that discreetly places food in children’s school backpacks in hopes of preventing them from going without on weekends when school meals aren’t provided. Last year’s triathlon led to a $6,500 donation. Last year’s inaugural event drew 184 participants. Race director David Williams, whose own children gave him the idea to bring a kids triathlon to Tuscaloosa, said they’re shooting for 225 this year.