“Discovering Alabama” with host Doug Phillips to celebrate 30 years of TV show
Tuscaloosa News – Nov. 16
A trailblazer, by definition, leaves marks. He bends things that don’t wish to bend, becomes an irritant, albeit in service of leading the way, making it easier for others to follow. Yet when the trailblazer, metaphorical, is a nature-lover, literal, he cuts paths with the highest regard for not just leaving things as they are, but helping others see the value in that preservation. Doug Phillips cut a swath or two, three decades back, trying to open eyes and minds of Alabamians to native beauty, history and cultures, via teacher expeditions that led to the creation of the award-winning public television series “Discovering Alabama.” … A new three-part series, “Alabama’s Coastal Paradise,” will premiere on APT at 8 p.m. Nov. 25, to celebrate the kickoff of 30 years of “Discovering Alabama.” … Happily, those who didn’t think “Discovering Alabama” was a great idea were not long after gone, and Phillips says the show now is the show he wants, done the way he wants. He gives credit to more visionary leaders, such as current UA President Judy Bonner, who he said recognizes what the show has done and is doing for K-12 students who may someday rise to UA. ” ‘Discovering Alabama’ is a valuable resource for the state of Alabama and I have been a fan for many years,” Bonner said in a statement. “Doug Phillips’ television series has highlighted Alabama’s natural diversity, history and resources for generations of schoolchildren as well as their teachers and all Alabamians. “The series gives us an opportunity to appreciate both the natural beauty of our state and the value of the land that we call home.”
Homecoming kicks off with weekly activities
Crimson White – Nov. 17
Homecoming week has arrived at The University of Alabama and with it comes a spirit of competition. This year’s competitions are divided into two categories. Individual students and faculty members make up the Tide Division, while the Crimson Division is comprised of student organizations. Competitors in both divisions are free to participate in any event during Homecoming week. Participants earn points for each event won. Winners in the Tide Division are announced after each event, while participants in the Crimson Division continue to collect points throughout the week in hopes of winning the Crimson Cup. Several tournaments will be held throughout the week. Elections for the University’s 2014 Homecoming Queen are from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday. Each year, the Homecoming Queen is announced at halftime during the football game on Saturday.
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Nov. 16
CBS 42 (Birmingham) – Nov. 16
Waist Watchers: Ear-worn Diet Tracker
Fox 8 (New Orleans, La.) – Nov. 14
Cutting edge technology could change the way we diet in the future. There are wearable fitness trackers that automatically monitor your physical activity, apps that scan barcodes on your food and tell you the nutritional breakdown, and diet plan apps for all the big weight loss companies. But one biomedical engineer at the University of Alabama says all of those devices are still missing the mark. Dr. Edward Sazonov says, “There are barely any good devices that will automatically measure your food intake, because all of them rely on some kind of self reporting, whether it’s a diary or you taking pictures of your food. It’s all manual, the person has to do it.” To eliminate the error that comes with self-reporting, researchers headed by Dr. Sazonov are working on a device that will automatically quantify what you eat or drink. It’s a blue-tooth headset that fits over your ear and right now it only exists as a 3-D printed prototype.
Bayou Buzz (Baton Rouge, La.) – Nov. 14
Review: Jerry Lee Lewis bio really lesson on writing
Clarion Ledger (Jackson, Miss.) – Nov. 15
“Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story” by Rick Bragg should be included in every workshop on how to write. Professors of English can point to its lyric prose that coils on itself like a snake. Political scientists and historians can find ample fodder for topics as diverse as the forces that brought the likes of Huey P. Long and Theo G. Bilbo to power. Religious scholars and sociologists can refer to its accuracy in exploring the relationship between cultural conservatism and the moral implications of rock ’n’ roll. But readers are at once ensnared by the man Jerry Lee Lewis himself, whose music “made Elvis cry.” As Bragg, a Southerner, well understands, we cannot fathom Lewis’ music until we have felt the lash and storm of his upbringing. Bragg traces Mississippi-Louisiana history from its violent, bitter beginnings of conquest, duel, slavery and song into the 20th century … Bragg, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who teaches writing at the University of Alabama, doesn’t just chronicle a man but a region, and leads us like a secular evangelist to reexamine our own songs and sins. Of Lewis, Bragg reports: “He did some meanness, God knows he did. But the music — funny how it turned out — was the purest part.”
Author Q&A: Rick Bragg
Clarion Ledger (Jackson, Miss.) – Nov. 15
It took a man steeped in the front-porch storytelling legacy and language of his extended family to craft the intimate and often raw biography of one of the “wildest and most dangerous early rock and rollers” in American music, the iconic Jerry Lee Lewis. Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Rick Bragg, now a journalism professor at the University of Alabama, goes in-depth and personal as he examines the unconventional, outrageous story of the man who has spent six decades in the public eye and became famous for his outrageous stage shows that included pounding the piano keys, kicking back the bench and climbing atop the piano. At 79, Lewis has survived fist fights, alcohol and drug abuse, deaths of family members, and six marriages — and still lives each day to make the music he loves. Bragg devoted two summers to conversations with Lee, and from those interviews came “Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story,” just released by Harper Collins … Bragg will sign copies of “Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story,” published by HarperCollins, at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Lemuria Books in Jackson.
Auto industry builds new-look River Region economy
Moulton Advertiser – Nov. 16
Long reliant on state jobs and military money, Montgomery shifted gears in 2002 when Hyundai announced it would open its first America production plant here. Since then, the River Region has built its present and future on the sturdy back of an ever-growing manufacturing network … Airbus is building a $600 million production and assembly plant in Mobile, and it’s expected to bring in a network of more than 4,000 aviation supplier jobs. While the plant is under construction, state and local leaders are traveling to industry conventions around the world to sell aerospace companies on the area … That could be a wise investment, said Sam Addy, the director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Alabama. “What we shouldn’t forget is that Boeing has been here for a long time, and they’re looking to expand, too,” Addy said. “Aerospace is a big opportunity for us. It’s going to affect the whole state, there’s no question.”
UA hosting discussion on reshaping state’s image
Gadsden Times – Nov. 17
The University of Alabama Honors College is hosting a panel discussion on ways to reshape the state’s image. School officials said in a release that the discussion is being held in room 205 of the Gorgas Library Monday at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Organizers say Alabama Secretary of Commerce Greg Canfield, President of the University of Alabama National Alumni Association Jimmy Warren, and Senior Government Relations Analyst for Alabama Power R.B. Walker are among the panelists who are scheduled to speak at the event.
Washington Post reporter discusses US health care
Crimson White – Nov. 17
Physicians, community members and students congregated Nov. 13 at the Tuscaloosa River Market to listen to Washington Post journalist T.R. Reid discuss health care in the United States and around the world. Reid’s book “The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care” is a New York Times bestseller. When asked why college students in particular should be interested in health care reform, Reid said health care will be a driving force of tomorrow’s economy that today’s youth will have to deal with. “Americans spend twice as much as any other country on medicine, and yet we’re covering fewer people and getting less service,” Reid said. Reid examined four health care models found in the 30-some-odd countries that rank above the United States in the World Health Organization’s rankings on health care. Reid’s visit and his research could have broader implications for both Tuscaloosa and the nation’s approach to health care.
Groups join to honor donor
Crimson White – Nov. 17
The Huxford Symphony Orchestra partially owes its creation to Camilla Huxford, so the symphony will be teaming up with The University of Alabama’s Contemporary Ensemble Monday night for a world premiere
performance in her honor. Skip Snead, director of the Moody School of Music, said the focal point of the evening is the world premiere of a piece composed by Amir Zaheri. He also said the night is about more than just a concert for the school. Zaheri composed the piece for the Huxford to perform and dedicated it to Camilla Huxford, who makes the orchestra and many other parts of the school possible through her continual donations. “The nice thing about Monday night is that it will be more of a cross-section of the school in the sense that, yes, the Huxford definitely will be on stage and they definitely are a major component,” Snead said. “But joining them will be the Contemporary Ensemble, the Percussion Ensemble and aspects of our jazz program.”
Fashion majors hold show
Crimson White – Nov. 17
Sunday evening it was lights, camera, fashion in the Ferguson ballroom. Senior fashion majors showcased their designs in the “Fashion for Life” show with proceeds benefitting the Arts ‘n Autism foundation. The pieces ranged from floral skirts to leather dresses, and each look was styled head-to-toe by the student designer. Megan Mitton, a senior majoring in fashion apparel and textiles, said she was inspired when she studied abroad in Paris two summers ago. She said she wanted to incorporate the beauty of Paris into her clothing while also tying it into a common theme. The name of her line is “Belle Jolie,” which means beautiful madness. Mitton’s collection featured four looks she debuted at Birmingham Fashion Week last year. Her other two looks included a big skirt and a white ensemble look. Many of the looks were accessorized with handmade lace chokers. “I wanted to bring sexy appeal to it, but with a couture feel,” she said. “The finale skirt took the longest, and I was up until 4 a.m. on that one.”
UA team doctors help LSU police officer injured in a crash
ABC 33/40 (Birmingham) – Nov. 16
University of Alabama team doctors will be on the sidelines at tomorrow’s game, just as they are for every matchup. The head orthopedic surgeon for the team is Dr. Lyle Cain. Last week, Cain and three other doctors left the LSU stadium and suddenly found themselves in the middle of a trauma scene. An LSU police officer providing an escort to the airport was seriously injured in a crash. “We were leaving the stadium in the police motorcade. The police officers from LSU were leading the motorcade. It stopped two to three miles from the stadium … we went back in to trauma mode.”
Lazy days: Southern hospitality rules at Dixie schools
Pitt News (Pittsburgh, Pa.) – Nov. 16
Colleges across the country are diving into new recreational facilities — literally. While Pitt offers four on-campus fitness centers — Trees Hall, Baierl Student Recreation Center, Bellefield Hall and the newly renovated third floor of the William Pitt Union — universities south of Pennsylvania are amping up their amenities with hot tubs, water slides and lazy rivers. According to Diane Dahlmann, executive director of MizzouRec Services and Facilities at The University of Missouri, the school’s recreation complex comprises of three historic buildings and a more recent aquatics center. … The University of Alabama offers its students features similar to Missouri. At Alabama, students can also relax on a lazy river or splash around in the school’s outdoor pool, including a water slide, according to the school’s student recreation center website. Kristen Durham, director of university recreational services at Alabama, said, as of 2004, the recreation fee for students is included in tuition and the rest is covered in allocations. There is not a set amount each student must pay. Tuition for a full-time student at University of Alabama is $4,913 for in-state residents and $12,475 for nonresidents.
Daily dose of news: Experts study impact of satire news
Centre Daily (College Station, Pa.) – Nov. 15
Issues such as health care and the war in Afghanistan are no joking matter, but popular news-themed comedy shows often focus on those topics — and they do deliver information that resonates with viewers. During the most comprehensive study of its kind, in 2012 a Penn State researcher examined the attitude, involvement and knowledge of viewers who watched those types of shows compared to nightly network news. Participants in the study either watched a network newscast or a clip from the “The Daily Show” or “The Colbert Report.” … Haigh’s research found that those watching the evening news had more knowledge about Afghanistan and health care reform than those watching the late-night comedies. They also had stronger attitudes and were more involved in the issues when compared to viewers of “The Daily Show” or “The Colbert Report.” … In 2012, Haigh was recognized as a Plank Fellow. The fellowship program for public relations educators is sponsored by the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations at the University of Alabama. The program is designed to introduce professors to the current day-to-day operations of the public relations field. In 2011, she was selected to attend the 2011 Scripps Howard Leadership Academy. The academy brings select, up-and-coming mass communication professionals and scholars together to train the next generation of leaders in journalism and mass communication.
Crimson Couch to 5K/10K (Photo gallery)
Tuscaloosa News – Nov. 17
Participants of the fifth annual Couch to 5k/10k at the University of Alabama take shelter from the rain before the race started on Sunday, November 16, 2014 in Tuscaloosa, Ala.