UA engineers champions in NASA competition
Crimson White – May 28
In 2009, NASA created an event called the Robotic Mining National Championship. Engineering students from The University of Alabama have competed as a team in the event every year since its creation. The team won first place overall for the second time in three years on May 23. Kenneth Ricks, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering as well as the faculty adviser for the team, said he believed this was a huge victory for the University, the team and the engineering program. “These students deserve all of the publicity possible,” Ricks said. “It may not be football, but it is a national championship in a competition against many big name engineering schools around the country.” Each astrobotics team must design and build a robot which can make its way through an obstacle course that mimics the conditions of the moon or a planet such as Mars. In the span of 10 minutes, the robot must then be able to mine soil, bring the soil back through the obstacle course and deposit the soil. Alex Stapp, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering and a team member, said the judges had high praise for the UA team. “We have been called by the judges a model of what the competition should be,” he said.
UA history professor talks about his book “Citizen Coke” on CSPAN
C-SPAN (National) – American History TV (Recorded interview) – May 26
We sat down with several historians to discuss their work and find out what motivates their research. This year’s conference was held in Atlanta. About 2,000 historians attended. Bart Elmore is a professor at the University of Alabama and the author of the book “Citizen Coke.” Explain the title … “Well, it’s kind of a funny story. Citizen Coke was originally, I was thinking of Citizen Kane when I thought about the title of this book, and Citizen Kane was all about the problems in some ways of American capitalism. Though this book is about Coke, I was really interested in thinking about how Coke was a lens into some of the environmental problems with 20th century American capitalist growth. And so I said, it’s kind of a catchy title. Citizen Coke plays on Citizen Kane, which deals with the history of business in the United States.”
Moundville Archaeological Park hosts Saturday in the park
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – May 27
If you’re ready for a fun family adventure this weekend, Moundville may have just what you’re looking for. The archaeological park is hosting “Saturday in the Park”, May 31 from 10 a.m. to 2. This weekend will focus on Alabama’s native birds and allow visitors to get up close to predatory birds like bald eagles. Education outreach coordinator, Betsy Irwin says, aside from the feathered fun, they will also have activities for children. They can make their own gourd birdhouse. “We’ll have those drilled and ready to go and they can paint them and decorate them and we’ll give them information on how to take care of them and hang them.” Admission to the park will cover all your activities for the day. Those fees are $8 for adults, $6 for children. Kids under five are free.
UA holds memorial for students who died
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – May 27
The University of Alabama community is paying its respects to several students who lost their lives during the past school year. The Denny Chimes memorial tribute … Campus Ministry Association Coordinator Gorman Houston: “To have seven students over this academic year to have died is a reminder that we’re not invincible and that there is a certain wisdom that comes with the right order of life.” The names of all seven UA students who lost their lives were announced to silence, with the exception of Denny Chimes ringing to accompany each person, including two who served our country.
Common Core key issue in Alabama’s GOP primary
Montgomery Advertiser – May 27
Sen. Dick Brewbaker was one of the first Alabama politicians to sound an alarm against the Common Core State Standards. These days, he has some misgivings. “What I do regret is that it has morphed from an education issue into something else,” said Brewbaker, a Republican from Montgomery. … Few Alabamians had even heard of the Common Core, a multi-state set of academic standards designed to put schools across the country on the same page academically, when Brewbaker first came out against them in 2010. But as the June 3 primary elections approach, Common Core has emerged as the one issue that every Republican candidate must address…. And a secretive group has funneled $700,000 into Stop Common Core PAC, suddenly vaulting the newly-formed political action committee into the ranks of Montgomery’s top political spenders … University of Alabama political science professor William Stewart sees AEA as a likely source for the anti-Core money. He also said AEA isn’t talking so much about its real issues with the GOP leadership — disputes about teacher pay, school funding, and the private-school scholarship program Marsh set up. “I think it’s hypocritical because it’s another example of the AEA taking up an issue they don’t really support,” he said.
Tuscaloosa News – May 27
Alabama’s 2014 homecoming weekend will be the latest since 1951
Al.com – May 27
Alabama released the date for the 2014 homecoming football game Tuesday and it’s notable for one major reason. Scheduling it for weekend of Nov. 22 will make it one of the later homecoming games in recent memory. Western Carolina, a FCS team, will be Alabama’s opponent. Kickoff time has not been announced. It won’t be the latest homecoming game in school history since the 1951 version was played Nov. 24. Homecoming last season was Oct. 27 against Mississippi State. It hasn’t been in November since 2008 when it played Arkansas State on Nov. 1. Homecoming has been as early as Oct. 3 back in 1992. The last time Alabama played a homecoming game on the second-to-last weekend of the season was 1975 when it beat Southern Miss on Nov. 15.
Kennesaw teen gets perfect score on ACT
Fox 5 (Atlanta) – May 27
It’s a rare and difficult accomplishment, but a Kennesaw teen has achieved a perfect score on the American College Test. Caroline Surratt of Harrison High School in Kennesaw scored a perfect 36 out of 36 on the ACT. The achievement has never been done at her high school before, and on average less than .1 percent of students get a perfect score. Surratt credits her hard work to study and prepare for the test. “I took a lot of practice tests. I had a Princeton Review study book that I used,” said Surratt. “The highest possible score is a 36 and on my fourth attempt of the ACT I got a 36.” “It’s a rare accomplishment, and, you know, it’s quite an accomplishment, and we’re very excited and very proud,” said Surratt’s father. Surratt’s score helped her receive a scholarship from The Universityof Alabama where Surratt plans to join her sister in the fall.
Cavaliers join UA Jazz Ensemble for concert
Crimson White – May 28
Maybe it’s the bright lights, maybe it’s the feeling of all those eyes on you or maybe it’s something else entirely, but many performers will say there’s no feeling quite like being on stage. For Merle Lemley, pianist and keyboardist for the Alabama Cavaliers, one moment stands out above the rest. “When the director walks to the podium and the band begins to play, the audience begins to applaud as they realize that we are playing ‘Stars Fell on Alabama,’” she said. “People who have attended year after year have told me that it’s their favorite moment.” The Alabama Cavaliers Jazz Reunion Concert, which will take place Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the Moody Music Building concert hall, has been an annual tradition for the Alabama Cavalier Alumni Association ever since 1975. Every year, the Cavaliers and the University of Alabama Jazz Ensemble come together in celebration and support of jazz music and the University’s Jazz Program. The Alabama Cavaliers formed in 1929 under the name “The Capstone Orchestra.” After spending the summer of 1933 performing at the Cavalier Hotel Beach Club at Virginia Beach, the group adopted the hotel’s name and continued performing throughout the Southeast. Now, in addition to performing annually at the reunion concert, the group acts as a fundraising organization for the University of Alabama Jazz Program.
Interim offers variety of unconventional classes
Crimson White – May 28
The week after spring semester is often the time when students return home for the summer. For some, however, it is the beginning of three more weeks of class during the May interim. Interim classes usually meet Monday through Friday for approximately three hours a day. The classes are often creative or experimental and are offered by nearly all of the schools. The University describes interim classes as “an excellent opportunity for students to learn through research, independent study, experiential learning or travel.” Brandon Dixon, a professor of computer science, taught a course in mobile applications development and used the interim as a trial period for the class. “The students got a lot out of it. They were very productive,” Dixon said. “The structure of interim classes helps students be more focused on their work because they are essentially immersed in the topic.”
UA equestrians host camp
Crimson White – May 28
The UA Equestrian Team is hosting an Elite Equitation Camp for girls 16 to 18 years old from Monday, June 23 to Friday, June 27. UA Equestrian Team coach Heather McCall also organizes the summer programs. “The camp will be very intense from 7 a.m. till 6 p.m. doing riding lessons in the morning and doing either Pilates or some strength and conditioning classes in the afternoon, and we’ll be going over video reviews of their riding in the morning,” McCall said. “They’ll be working toward the end of the week doing a scrimmage and will be split up into two teams and assigned a pattern that they’ll have to compete on at the end of the week. It is a great example of how we compete in college.” The girls attending camp will take part in the college experience by living in the residence halls, eating at campus dining halls and using the University Recreation Center for workouts and classes. In July, McCall will be teaching weekly lessons to riders ages 12 and older.
Two Alabama literary groups team up to start Alabama Writers’ Hall of Fame
WBHM-FM (Birmingham) – May 26
Two Alabama literary groups are teaming up to launch an Alabama Writers Hall of Fame expected to be housed at the University of Alabama. The Tuscaloosa News reports that the Alabama Center for the Book and the Alabama Writers’ Forum are collaborating on a project aimed at promoting the state’s literary history. Alabama Writers’ Forum director says the groups have been working on the idea for about two years. The Alabama Writers’ Hall of Fame is expected to be housed in the University of Alabama’s Gorgas Library.
WPMI-NBC, Mobile, AL (no video available) – May 26