Sleepy College Students Are Worried About Their Stress Levels
Huffington Post – Aug. 27
College students often are not getting enough sleep and they blame it on stress from their side jobs and a lack of time, new research concludes. Dr. Adam Knowlden, a professor in University of Alabama’s department of health science, and Dr. Manoj Sharma, a researcher formerly in the health promotion and education program at the University of Cincinnati, found students are twice as likely to be sleep deprived as the general population. The students in the survey were more worried about their sleep deprivation hindering their abilities to manage stress and concentrate at work than any long-term health impact. Previous research from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul linked poor sleep patterns as a predictor of bad academic performance, depression, feelings of isolation or chronic health problems. “If students are unaware of how many hours they should be setting aside for studying outside the classroom, they can quickly mismanage their time and not set aside enough time for sleep,” Knowlden told The Huffington Post. “A common formula is students should set aside 6 to 9 hours of study time per week, for each 3 credit hour class they take. This can quickly translate into a full-time workload, which is the way students should see their college career.”
KRCU FM (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) – Aug. 27
University Herald – Aug. 22
Crimson White (Print edition only) – Aug. 28
OPINION: How Students Can Get More Sleep
New York Times – Aug. 27
In materials recently released by the University of Alabama ahead of a paper on the subject, the health science professor Adam Knowlden says around 60 percent of college students fail to get enough sleep, compared with 33 percent of people in general. Mr. Knowlden also argues that “college students’ ability to get sufficient sleep is more within their control, whereas the general adult population is more likely to be dealing with medical sleep disorders.” He does note that students “can struggle to find the balance between juggling classes, finances, social lives, athletics, volunteer work, parental expectations and employment” — and college students may have obligations that get them up earlier, or keep them up later, than high school kids. But for some, college brings the welcome ability to choose your classes so that you don’t have to be ready to take notes at 8 a.m.
Marshalek, UA to help pilot new internship program at Walter Reed
Santa Rosa Press Gazette (Fla.) – Aug. 27
University of Alabama senior and Pace, Fla. native Stephanie Craig was looking for a hands-on way to help people when she decided to change her major from political science. She discovered social work would be the perfect vehicle to help influence social work and medical policy, and work directly with patients and clients. This semester, Craig will get an opportunity to experience both ends of the social work spectrum in a pilot program at Walter Reed Military Medical Center. Craig, a social work major in UA’s Honors College, will participate this fall in the first structured undergraduate internship program at Walter Reed. Along with Marshalek, seniors Caroline Miller, of Charlotte, N.C.; Mick Marshalek, of Flower Mound, Texas; Shankitta Brown, of York, Ala.; and Keri Warren, of Decatur, Ala., will begin their internship on Aug. 20 and will remain in Washington D.C. for the fall semester. The students will live in the Washington, D.C. metro area and will gain valuable experience in social work administration, advocacy and direct service at the largest military treatment facility in the world. “I like policy the most, learning how everything runs, especially in a government-run hospital,” Craig said. “I’ve been to D.C. a few times, and it’s beautiful. I love it. I look forward to seeing all the monuments and museums.”
Professor treks through jungles, finds new plant species
Crimson White – Aug. 24
John L. Clark has experienced many wonders of the world, trekking through the Ecuador mud, finding new species of plants almost every day, curating the herbarium, having a plant named after him and spending time in the Peace Corps. Clark, who is currently on sabbatical for the semester after eight years of research, graduated with his Ph.D. from George Washington University in 2005, and is an associate professor at The University of Alabama and a curator for the herbarium. “My research is discovering new species and also understanding that diversity in an evolutionary context,” he said. “We’re trying to find out who’s related to who and we’re trying to
understand diversity in
that context.” Clark said he has always had a passion for biology and being out in the field. “Going out in the field and documenting things, seeing things, photographing things, bringing them back and bringing them to their museum, that’s what I love,” he said. “Through these collections, we can understand
their evolution.” Clark, who makes many trips to Ecuador, spent six years living there, three of which were spent in the Peace Corps. The experience not only let him learn a new language and a new culture, but also allowed him to spend most of his time outside and to have many wilderness experiences.
Alabama’s University Medical Center expanding evening hours
Tuscaloosa News – Aug. 27
The University Medical Center on the University of Alabama campus has expanded its evening hours to include scheduled patient appointments. The center has been open from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday nights for established patients who need urgent or walk-in care. Now those patients, as well as new patients, can schedule appointments to see doctors for other services, including minor procedures, women’s health care, well-child visits and sports physicals. To make an appointment, call 205-348-1770. University Medical Center provides care to the university and West Alabama community. Patients of all ages can receive care for the full spectrum of needs – from preventive care and wellness exams, to management of chronic conditions, to treatment for acute illness and accidents.
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Aug. 27
Student helps establish new scholarship
Crimson White – Aug. 28 (Print edition only)
During her one-day tenure as Dean, Marcita Cole started a new scholarship for students with financial hardships. When Cole won the College of Arts and Sciences’ social media campaign “Dean for a Day,” she took the opportunity to begin laying the groundwork for “The Rising Tide” scholarship.
Blood Drive held at UA
CBS 42 (Birmingham) – Aug. 27
If you’re out and about in Tuscaloosa today, the American Red Cross could use your help in its back-to-school blood drive. The West Alabama chapter will be on the University of Alabama campus today and tomorrow from noon till 5 p.m. Donors with types O-negative, B-negative and A-negative are especially needed, but the Red Cross has an urgent need for blood donors of all types to give before the Labor Day holiday. If you’d like to make an appointment, you can find a link on our website at WIAT.com.
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Aug. 27
Alabama’s Million Dollar Band marches through the years for this Throwback Thursday
Al.com – Aug. 27
On Saturday, the University of Alabama’s Million Dollar Band will take the field in Atlanta with a fresh halftime show as the 2014 football season kicks off. Before then, though, we want to take a look back at some of MDB’s earlier days and we’ve pulled some photos from The Birmingham News archives to help. According to rolltide.com, UA’s official athletics site, the marching band was christened with their famous moniker in 1922 by by W. C. “Champ” Pickens, an Alabama alumnus.
Two Lincoln-Way grads earn National Merit Scholarships
Southtown Star (Chicago, Ill.) – Aug. 27
The National Merit Scholarship Corp. recently announced the final group of college-sponsored Merit Scholarship winners, according to a press release about the program. Officials of each sponsor college selected their scholarship winners from among the finalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program who enrolled at their institution, it said. Lisa M. Meister, of Manhattan), a graduate of Lincoln-Way Central High School in New Lenox, received a National Merit University of Alabama scholarship, the release said. Meister was undecided about her field of study.
Fighter pilot shows Alabama pride during refueling (video)
WAAY-TV (Huntsville) – Aug. 27
An F-16 fighter pilot shows his allegiance to the Alabama Crimson Tide in a new video posted on YouTube. In the video, the pilot holds up a University of Alabama flag in the cockpit window before flying off.
Biking group rides, maintains trails
Crimson White – Aug. 27
The first few weeks of school are all about getting involved on campus, but Tuscaloosa has more to offer than recruitment drives and free T-shirts. Just a few minutes off campus, a group of dedicated mountain bikers are taking advantage of “Alabama
the Beautiful.” Established in 2008, the West Alabama Mountain Biking Association hosts multiple weekly group rides while working to promote trail building and maintenance in the
Tuscaloosa area. Darrell Arnold, training coordinator at the Center for Advanced Public Safety at The University of Alabama as well as the group’s president, said the group’s founders organized the chapter of the International Mountain Biking Association as a way to work on local trails. “They got started because a lot of them were just going out and creating and maintaining these trail systems that have been here for years,” Arnold said. Daniel Dye, a senior majoring in civil engineering and the group’s secretary, said he’s gained
endurance in his time on the trails. Dye said the group has proved a valuable resource for beginner riders. The rides on Monday nights are targeted to the more inexperienced, and other members can offer advice
on equipment.
Student turns sports into jobs
Crimson White – Aug. 28 (Print edition only)
For Jonathan Hutches, a sophomore majoring in exercise science, life revolves around Bryant-Denny Stadium. Hutchens works in recruiting for the Crimson Tide Football team and as a bar-back at The Bear Trap, a rooftop restaurant and bar that overlooks the stadium … He began working as a barback this past spring, and his position in the recruiting office started over the summer. He hopes to use his new job in recruiting to propel him toward a future career in coaching.