‘His legacy is living’: Alabama swimmer John Servati remembered, honored at hometown funeral
Al.com – May 3
Through famous quotes and humorous memories, Lucas Smith found his composure. With an email from a stranger in Pensacola, he revealed the powerful and lasting influence Alabama swimmer John Servati has provided in the wake of his tragic death. Smith, who coached Servati throughout his teenage years, clutched the printed-out e-mail as he stood before hundreds of friends and family at Servati’s funeral Saturday. The unnamed sender was 21, just like Servati, and stationed in Pensacola for Navy SEAL training when torrential rains dumped 18 inches of water on the area to cause deadly flooding. Trapped in his second-story apartment and fearing for his life, he found strength through Servati, who has been called a hero for how he sacrificed his own life to help save the life of his girlfriend, Lauren Swann. “I thought about the hero John was, and I wasn’t scared at all,” Smith read. “I said, ‘If it’s my time, it’s my time. I can’t wait to see him in heaven and thank him for the courage he gave me.’ “He changed my life forever and I never met him in person.”
NBC News – May 3
WSFA-NBC (Montgomery) – May 4
WLBT-NBC (Jackson, Miss.) – May 4
Lauren Swann talks about John Servati
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – May 2
A day before her boyfriend’s funeral, John Servati’s girlfriend talks to Fox6. Lauren Swann says she talked to Fox6 because she wants people to know that the University of Alabama swimmer died a hero, giving his life to save hers. Fox6 news reporter Josh Guantt joins us with more of his exclusive interview … We spoke to Lauren Swann outside of the home where a basement wall fell on her boyfriend Monday night. As you would imagine, Lauren is still struggling with the loss, but she is relying on her strong faith to get her through. It’s been said fate has a way of bringing people together … that’s the case in the relationship between John Servati and his girlfriend Lauren Swann … “It was one of those things that everybody loved him instantly, it definitely felt like I knew him for a very long time.” Lauren’s mother first met John a couple of years ago at a local pool and thought he might be the one for her daughter. John loved the water – he was a standout University of Alabama swimmer who excelled in and out of the pool. The two started dating about a month and a half ago.
WAFF-NBC (Huntsville) – May 3
WBTV-CBS (Charlotte, NC) – May 3
WMBF-NBC (Florence, SC) – May 2
WTOC-CBS (Savannah, Ga.) – May 2
WAFF-NBC (Huntsville) – May 2
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – May 2
WLBT-NBC (Jackson, Miss.) – May 2
WSFA-NBC (Montgomery) – May 2
KMSB-Fox (Tucson, Ariz.) – May 2
WBTV-CBS (Charlotte, NC) – May 2
KOLD-CBS (Tucson, Ariz.) – May 2
WALB-NBC (Albany, Ga.) – May 2
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John Servati remembered as a hero
Headline News – May 4
The severe weather that hit much of this country earlier this week left a lot of devastation. It also inspired some amazing acts of heroism, like University of Alabama swimmer John Servati. When storms hit Tuscaloosa on Monday, he held up part of the building long enough for his girlfriend to escape. But his selfless act cost him his own life. He was just 21 years old. People closest to him say his bravery was not surprising – it’s just who he was. John was so much more than a student and more than a teammate to all of us. He was someone that was almost larger than life with his personality, his perseverance of an athlete.
Scholarship to honor University of Alabama athlete who died in storm
Tuscaloosa News – May 3
The University of Alabama has announced an endowed men’s swimming and diving scholarship in memory of swimmer John Servati, who was killed Monday night as severe storms moved through Tuscaloosa. The well-liked junior from Tupelo, Miss., was a three-time member of the Southeastern Conference Honor Roll. The university is currently accepting donations to the scholarship fund, according to UA athletics spokesman Roots Woodruff. Donors may give online at http://ow.ly/wqMY3 or by mail to the John Servati Memorial Scholarship Fund at the University of Alabama Crimson Tide Foundation, Box 870343, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487.
CBS 42 (Birmingham) – May 2
Graduation ceremonies conclude Saturday at the University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa News – May 2
Graduation exercises will conclude Saturday at Coleman Coliseum on the University of Alabama campus. At 9 a.m., graduates from the College of Commerce and Business Administration and the College of Engineering will participate in the first of two ceremonies, while graduates from the Capstone College of Nursing, College of Communication and Information Sciences, College of Education and the College of Human Environmental Sciences will participate in a ceremony at 1:30 p.m. At 5 p.m., the School of Law will have its graduation ceremony. On Friday, graduates from the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Social Work received their degrees. More than 4,411 undergraduates and graduate students will receive UA degrees this weekend.
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – May 3
Al.com (Gallery) – May 3
Al.com (Gallery) – May 3
UA to hold commencement
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – May 2
Tonight and tomorrow the University of Alabama is holding its spring commencement exercises at Coleman coliseum. This semester, the university will award 4,410 degrees. The first graduation was tonight with two more scheduled tomorrow at 9 and 1:30. With this graduating class, UA will have awarded more than 239,000 degrees since its founding in university.
Terrence Cody among spring University of Alabama graduates
Tuscaloosa News – May 2
A total of 58 University of Alabama student-athletes from 16 different sports are slated to graduate today, including 11 who earned All-America honors during their Crimson Tide careers and three who earned one of the NCAA’s highest academic honors. Golfer Cory Whitsett and tennis players Mary Anne Daines and Emily Zabor all earned the NCAA Elite 89 Award during their careers, which is given to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average at the final site of all 89 NCAA sponsored championships. Theirs are among the more than a dozen Elite 89 Awards earned by the Crimson Tide since the award’s inception in 2010. Alabama is among the nation’s leaders in this award, standing second only to Stanford in total awards coming into this 2013-14 academic year. Quarterback Blake Sims is among those graduating. The Gainesville, Ga., native will be one of a dozen players on the 2014 Crimson Tide football roster who have already earned their degree. Former UA stars Terrence Cody and Andre Royal are also set to receive their degrees this weekend.
University of Alabama graduation Spring 2014 (List of degree recipients)
Tuscaloosa News – May 3
Graduates of The University of Alabama’s Class of 2014 participate in the morning commencement ceremony held at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Saturday May 03, 2014. More than 4,000 students received diplomas from The University of Alabama’s Spring commencement ceremonies.
Researchers: Simple changes may help homes better survive tornadoes
Tuscaloosa News – May 5
Researchers, including faculty and students from the University of Alabama, who studied the aftermath of a devastating 2013 tornado in Oklahoma say simple design changes could improve the survivability of wood-frame structures such as residential homes during tornadoes. “There are some simple things you could do to keep you house together,” said Andrew Graettinger, the research team’s lead investigator. Graettinger, an associate professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering, was part of a team of researchers from eight institutions that traveled to Moore, Okla., in late May 2013 to gather data on damage to wood-frame structures and storm shelters in the aftermath of a powerful tornado that destroyed 12,000 buildings and killed 24 people on May 20. The storm, which left a 17-mile damage track, caused an estimated $3 billion in damage and economic losses. The team, whose work was funded by National Science Foundation grants, conducted similar research following similar massive tornadoes in Tuscaloosa and Joplin, Mo., in 2011.
Alabama student giving post-tornado Alberta online makeover
Tuscaloosa News – May 4
Glencoe native Leah Bradford was a freshman at the University of Alabama when a tornado struck near the campus on April 27, 2011. Now, as a senior, she is involved in an award-winning project that rebrands one of the communities destroyed that day. “This is a nice bookend for me,” Bradford, the student producer for the project, said. Bradford, a telecommunications and film-broadcast news major, is involved in a project working with residents of Alberta to rebrand the community. Bradford said the community was destroyed but has a lot on its horizon. The Tuscaloosa Park and Recreation Authority is building a new tennis complex that will have numerous courts and have the ability to host tournaments from around the country. A new school, Alberta School of Performing Arts, is expected to open by the end of the year and will specialize in fine arts education. Bradford said Councilman Kip Tyner is working with the team to construct new websites and a social media presence to bring Alberta to the forefront of the Tuscaloosa area.
The Republic (Columbus, Ind.) – May 4
Florence Times Daily – May 4
The Box provided by the Center for Public Television is capturing oral history (video link unavailable)
WHNT-CBS (Huntsville) – May 4
Coming soon to the Smithsonian, a piece of Limestone County history. “The Box” provided by the University of Alabama Center for Public Television is touring the state ready to collect oral history. “Tell their stories about their first jobs, their dream jobs, what they like, what they don’t like.” “The box” is capturing stories from people of all walks of life as part of their oral history project.
UA’s Saban draws fans to foundation fundraiser
Montgomery Advertiser – May 3
Last Friday night, the Cancer Wellness Foundation of Central Alabama hosted its annual springtime fundraiser, this year welcoming supporters and Crimson Tide fans to “An Evening with Nick Saban.” It was the third year the foundation held its major fundraiser with a sports personality as the special guest. The last two years, guests gathered to meet Tim Tebow and Eli Manning during seated dinner events in the Convention Center. The format changed this year, but still more than 1,300 people answered the call to give help and hope as they filled the theater of the Montgomery Performing Arts Centre for the much-anticipated appearance of the head football coach for the University of Alabama. The list of those the Cancer Wellness Foundation provides assistance to is always growing, so organizers were elated that guests responded well to ticket sales for the downtown event. They also expressed gratitude that the $500 VIP tickets to a private meet-and-greet with the coach were sold out.
Tuscaloosa Youth Orchestra concert set Monday
Tuscaloosa News – May 3
The Tuscaloosa Youth Orchestra will perform in a concert at 7 p.m. Monday at the Moody Music Building on the University of Alabama campus. … The youth orchestra is mainly composed of local student musicians with some University of Alabama student mentors and some UA faculty assisting. The group will perform orchestral works including Dvorak’s “New World” and Sibelius’ “Finlandia.” The concert is free and open to the public.
New Photox app from UA grad fixes imperfect photos
Tuscaloosa News – May 3
When Louisa Imperiale’s daughter was born 14 months ago, her husband took that once-in-a-lifetime photo of her holding her baby girl for the first time. As she browsed through the photos, trying to find the best one to share with family and friends on Facebook, she realized her bra strap was showing. “As much as I wanted to share that priceless photo, I didn’t really want all of Facebook seeing my wardrobe malfunction,” Imperiale said. “Later that night in the hospital, I begged my husband to do a quick Photoshop job on the picture and voila! The bra strap was gone!” Imperiale said it was in that instant the idea for the Photox app was born. Imperiale, who was born in Tuscaloosa and graduated from Holt High School and the University of Alabama, has now become an entrepreneur in Washington, D.C., because of this app. After her daughter was born, she said she decided to take some time off from political fundraising and pursue the creation of the app to help people cherish memories instead of scrutinizing their pictures … Photox is a free iPhone app found in the Apple App Store that allows users to upload photos from their camera roll into the app, choose from a menu of 32 Photoshop services and submit those photos to a team of designers, located around the world for 24-hour service. The user should be notified by text message within 15 minutes of submission that the photo has returned with alterations.
Tuscaloosa News (gallery) – May 5
LOCAL Q&A: Heather M. Pleasants
Tuscaloosa News – April 30
This week meet Heather M. Pleasants, facilitator of strong families, writer, researcher and digital storyteller. Q: What do you do? Tell us about your job and how you became involved in it. A: I’m the director of community education at the Center for Community-Based Partnerships at the University of Alabama. I facilitate the parent portion of the Parent Teacher Leadership Academy, a leadership program that helps parents build strong collaboration between families and schools in five counties in Alabama. I’m also a researcher, writer and digital storyteller.
College News: 5/4
Tuscaloosa News – May 4
University of Alabama: Phi Sigma Theta announced that Ashley Carlisle, daughter of Annette Carlisle of Tuscaloosa, has recently become a member of Phi Sigma Theta National Honor Society. UA recently recognized campus organizations and students during the 28th Annual Service and Leadership Awards. The following recipients were honored for 2013-14: New Community Partner of the Year: Weaver Bolden Branch-Tuscaloosa Library. CSC Volunteer of the Year: Rachel Guiles. Beat Auburn, Beat Hunger Awards: Wal-Mart of Winfield, Check Depot, Alpha Gamma Delta, Sigma Tau Gamma, Culverhouse College of Commerce, Verner Elementary, Echols Middle, Hillcrest High, Baptist Campus Ministries, Tuscaloosa Public Libraries, Alpha Kappa Psi, Office of Student Conduct, The Retreat.