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MONDAY, MARCH 10 – SUNDAY, MARCH 16, 2014

BEST BETS

GRAND OPENING FOR NEW UA DIGITAL MEDIA CENTER WILL FEATURE SPEAKERS, RECEPTION – The University of Alabama’s College of Communication and Information Sciences will hold a grand opening for the new 40,000-plus-square-foot Digital Media Center beginning at 4:30 p.m. March 13 in the North Zone of Bryant-Denny Stadium. The event will begin with a keynote address from C&IS alumnus John Cochran, retired ABC News senior correspondent, followed by a panel on the future of digital media, featuring alumni currently working in digital media for Google, Time.com and the Country Music Hall of Fame. At 5:30, guests will be invited to a reception and tours of the DMC, located just below the North Zone in Bryant-Denny. The DMC will house WVUA-TV, Alabama Public Radio, the Center for Public Television and Crimson Tide Productions. It will be a teaching laboratory, with numerous hands-on opportunities for students. Contact: Misty Mathews, UA Media Relations, 205/348-6416, mmathews@ua.edu.

CURRENT COMMENT

TRIAL OF ABU GHAITH COULD REVEAL TRUE THREAT OF AL QAEDA – Abu Ghaith, son-in-law of Osama bin Laden, is currently facing trial for his role in the  9/11 terrorist attacks. The trial is being held in a federal court in New York City, instead of a military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay, giving New Yorkers the chance to attend the trial. Dr. Adam Lankford, associate professor of criminal justice at UA, believes the trial will reveal the propaganda created by Ghaith is largely unsubstantiated. “This is the trial of one of Al Qaeda’s top spokesmen and the son-in-law of bin Laden; he was practically the terrorist equivalent to the White House Press Secretary,” Lankford said. “After 9/11, Abu Ghaith’s propaganda successfully fooled our own experts into believing that 9/11 was the first of many attacks, that ‘the storm of the planes will not stop,’ and that Al Qaeda had an endless procession of suicide terrorists eager to die for the cause. For millions of Americans, he put the ‘terror’ in terrorism. The misconceptions he spawned about the true motives of the 9/11 hijackers persist today, and continue to have a dangerous impact on world events. This trial could finally confirm that his portrayal of suicide terrorists was a strategic attempt at deception, and that we have less to fear than we thought.” Contact: David Miller, UA Media Relations, 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu or Dr. Adam Lankford, associate professor, UA department of criminal justice, 205/348-9901 or adam.lankford@ua.edu.

UA EXPERT TIPS

UA MATTERS: THE IMPORTANCE OF READING NONFICTION WITH CHILDREN – While fiction books are important for students to read, experts say often nonfiction isn’t emphasized enough by teachers and parents of young children. The University of Alabama’s Dr. Julianne Coleman, associate professor of elementary literacy education in UA’s College of Education, shares some thoughts on the importance of reading nonfiction with young children, http://uanews.ua.edu/2014/03/ua-matters-the-importance-of-reading-nonfiction-with-children/. Contact: UA Media Relations, 205/348-5320

UA MATTERS: HAVE A HEALTHY SPRING BREAK – It’s almost that time of year – spring break! While it’s definitely an occasion to let loose and have some fun, anyone planning on enjoying the much-awaited break should also use some caution. The University of Alabama’s Dr. Jennifer Clem, a physician and an assistant professor in the department of family medicine in UA’s College of Community Health Sciences, offers tips on how to have a healthy and safe spring break, http://uanews.ua.edu/2014/03/ua-matters-having-a-healthy-spring-break/. Contact: UA Media Relations, 205/348-5320

UA’S HEALTH CORNER PROVIDES PRACTICAL HEALTH TIPS – Dr. Kristie Graettinger discusses ways to help women cope with some bothersome symptoms that sometimes come with menopause in the latest video in UA’s Health Corner, https://vimeo.com/88201602. The video series addresses health topics and provides practical advice and guidance from UA’s expert sources and physicians in the College of Community Health Sciences. A new video topic posts every Wednesday morning. Contact: UA Media Relations, 205/348-5320.

EVENTS

ATLANTA ACTRESS HEADLINES UA’S ROSE GLADNEY LECTURE SERIES – Atlanta actress Brenda Bynum will present “Jordan is So Chilly: An Encounter with Lillian Smith,” a solo performance drawn largely from unpublished autobiographical writings by the author, as part of UA’s annual Rose Gladney Lecture. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be March 12, at 7:30 p.m., at Moody Music Building. Contact: Bobby Mathews, UA Media Relations, 205/348-4956.

LOOKING AHEAD

MENTAL HEALTH MONOLOGUES RESCHEDULED – Due to university closure Feb. 6, Mental Health Monologues: Erase the Stigma, has been rescheduled to March 18. The dramatic reenactments of real-life of experiences of UA students struggling with mental health issues will begin at 7 p.m. in the Ferguson Center. Admission is free with CWID; a $5 donation is suggested of community members. There will be a $1 raffle and free refreshments following the performance. Contact: David Miller, UA Media Relations, 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu.