EDITORIAL: Phillips teaches us to explore Alabama
Tuscaloosa News – Nov. 18
When people want to go to the beach, they usually think of Florida or perhaps Hawaii. When they want to vacation in the mountains, they go to Tennessee or North Carolina or maybe to Colorado. If they want to explore a river, they think of the Mississippi or the Colorado. But if they live in Alabama, they never have to leave the state. It has more species than any other state because of its incredible variety of habitats. No wonder Doug Phillips has been able to keep fresh material coming for “Discovering Alabama” for 30 years … When Phillips first proposed the idea of a television program about Alabama’s natural wonders, some people wondered who would want to watch a show about this state. That’s because a lot of people didn’t understand about this state what Phillips knew. It is a unique treasure right under our very noses. A lot more people understand that now, because of Phillips. University of Alabama President Judy Bonner called “Discovering Alabama” a valuable resource for teachers and schoolchildren across the state. “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,” Bonner said.
Student to attend conference in Lima, Peru
Crimson White – Nov. 20
Catherine King, a senior majoring in chemical engineering and chemistry, has been selected by the American Chemical Society to attend a United Nations climate-change conference in Lima, Peru, this December. Eight students total were chosen by the American Chemical Society to represent the society as student ambassadors. The application process involved an expression of interest, a list of qualifications, a show of understanding of the history of the conference and a sample blog post. “The selection process is competitive and is based on received nominations from across the country. I consider it to be an honor recognizing the students’ abilities both academically, but also in their ability to effectively communicate to a broader audience than just chemists,” said Robin Rogers, a member of the American Chemical Society Committee on Environmental Improvement. “I have nominated one student from my group each year to participate for the past four or five years. Each time the students come back energized and engaged. The students meet other students from around the world and learn the very different views and perceptions other students may have as a result of their quite different cultures. This is an experience that is hard to get in the classroom and typically can only be gained by getting out into
the world.”
Five selected for University of Alabama homecoming court
Tuscaloosa News – Nov. 19
Five students have been chosen for the 2014 University of Alabama homecoming court. The court consists of Kevyn Armstrong-Wright, a senior from Auburn, Allison Montgomery, a senior from Talladega, Karolyn Perry, a senior from Vestavia Hills, Catherine Porter, a senior from Orlando, Fla., and Emily Zabor, a graduate student from Marietta, Ga. The homecoming queen will be crowned at halftime of Saturday Alabama-Western Carolina football game at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The game will begin at 3 p.m. UA students voted for the candidates on Tuesday and 8,188 votes were cast.
Al.com – Nov. 19
University of Alabama’s Science Sunday to commemorate Hodges Meteorite
Tuscaloosa News – Nov. 19
This weekend’s Science Sunday at the University of Alabama will give attendees the opportunity to learn about the first authenticated case of a person being struck by an object from space. On Nov. 30, 1954, Sylacauga resident Ann Hodges was struck by a meteorite while napping on her couch. Hodges donated the meteorite in 1956 to the Alabama Museum of Natural History on the UA campus. The museum has created a special exhibit case featuring artifacts from that event. “This artifact represents a wonderful and unique instance of Alabama history,” said Allie Sorlie, musuem education outreach coordinator. The exhibit is now available for viewing and will be up throughout the Thanksgiving holiday. The museum’s Science Sunday will be from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday.
Signs of hope for state funding
Community College Daily – Nov. 20
States are starting to reinvest in higher education, but they are not making up for the big cuts during the recent recession, according to a new study. Over the next year, college leaders in 31 states expect increases in state appropriations for higher education below the predicted inflation rate of 3 percent, says an annual study on state higher education funding issues from the Education Policy Center at the University of Alabama. Among survey respondents — who comprised 50 of 51 state community college directors — 35 expect an increase for the community college sector, 11 anticipate no change and three predict cuts … Higher education working together is critical for all institutions, said lead author Stephen Katsinas, director of the Education Policy Center. He noted they shared in the fiscal cuts during the recession and that a solid partnership can help foster a stronger recovery for state funding. As the economy picks up steam, other interests that suffered fundings decreases — from health care to transportation — also are vying for state dollars, so it makes sense for the sectors to work more closely to compete for funding, he said. “I think it’s clearly the direction that it has to go,” Katsinas said.
University gets “Tide Together”
Crimson White – Nov. 20
This weekend, The University of Alabama will have many homecoming activities to look forward to. The theme for this year’s homecoming is “Tide Together: Celebrating the Capstone Spirit,” and the events will include unveiling lawn decorations, a parade and a dodgeball tournament. The events will begin at 1 p.m. on Thursday when the lawn decorations that different student groups have been working on all week will be judged. These lawn decorations are a long-lasting homecoming tradition of the University. Students typically spend hours creating them with tiny pieces of tissue paper, a process commonly referred to as pomping. … Additionally, a dodgeball tournament will take place on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at the Student Recreation Center. The yearly Homecoming pep rally will occur Friday on the Quad starting at 6 p.m., followed by a bonfire. After the bonfire, students will be able to attend a step show at 8:30 p.m. at Coleman Coliseum. Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m., the Homecoming parade will start in downtown Tuscaloosa and make its way toward campus. The football game will then kick off at 3 p.m. in Bryant-Denny Stadium.
MBA graduate stands out
Crimson White – Nov. 19
The 2014 MBA graduates are making 10.4 percent more than previous graduates. “On average our previous graduates were making around $58,000 a year, but the 2014 graduates are making $7,000 more than past graduate averages,” said Gard Ward, director of career services at the Culverhouse College of Commerce. Ward said he believes that is not just the work of the economy getting better but also has something to do with a particular UA worker. “I believe Connie Chambers, our director for corporate partnerships, has really played a key part in not only finding but creating a lot of corporate relationships,” he said. “So now all of these different corporations know where to go to find quality students.” Chambers, who has been working for the MBA program for 17 years, said she is very proud of the program. “We have a real unique MBA program here at the University of Alabama,” Chambers said. “About 20 years ago we decided to design it towards strong students who may have not had any work experience. We have looked for leaders in organizations and students who had real focus, and it was different from a lot of MBA programs. After that we noticed many schools following in our steps and using that same guide to form their MBA programs.”
Student covers hockey for Russian publication
Crimson White – Nov. 20
Nate Proctor left the United States for Russia fluent in the language of the National Hockey League, but not fluent in Russian. Proctor is spending his fall semester studying abroad in Russia, taking nine credit hours and working on his fluency in Russian, as well as in the play style of the Kontinental Hockey League, which is somewhat different from the NHL. Proctor, a senior majoring in journalism and international studies, began writing for The St. Petersburg Times, a weekly-published English-language newspaper, in October. For his first article, Proctor wrote about a KHL game, providing game coverage and analysis of the play. “It’s not just that [the KHL] is less physical, it’s that things that are a sign of things going well or going poorly for a team [in the NHL] are completely reversed here because the style of play is so different,” he said. “You need to change how you interpret the play here.”
UA student from Buffalo worries about family in the snow
CBS 42 (Birmingham) – Nov. 19
Lake effect snow is in full force with this early cold air. It happens when strong cold air winds move over the still warm Great Lakes, especially Lake Erie. Todd Santos has been forecasting this snow from our sister station in Buffalo: “You know folks in Alabama would recognize a dark line in the sky and say ‘well that looks like some nasty weather coming toward us.’ In our case here in Buffalo, we were north of the snow band that was coming in off the lake you could see it in the distance. It was just a train track of moisture pointed straight into some of the communities south of the city.” Seeing the intense snow, Alabama student and Frozen Tide hockey player Joe Rohm has had classmates ask him “how do you live through this?” “I’ve been asked that question numerous times, I just tell them you just got to get through it. It’s part of being a Buffalonian, I guess.”
Students tell tales during Tide Talks
Crimson White – Nov. 20
Tide Talks is set to take on self-inverting global relationships and health stigmas from the student perspective. The event, which is held multiple times over the year, features at least one student telling their story. This month, speakers include Matt Lambert, who will be speaking about “making an investment in yourself”; Alexandra Moffitt, who will discuss why international and cultural interactions are important for global relationships; Jake Little, who will speak about the importance of privacy in an increasingly “public-knows-all” world and senior Olivia Hodge, who will break down health stigma and discussing how to construct productive dialogue regarding how we currently view our health. Tide Talks is different from other events because it allows only students who are hand-picked from a group of nominees to speak at the event. The only requirement is that speakers must be students, juniors or above, who have thought-provoking, engaging stories to tell.
Canformation
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Nov. 19
It’s not the Iron Bowl yet, but there’s still competition brewing between Alabama and Auburn. The Beat Auburn, Beat Hunger food drive continues this week at the University of Alabama. The “Canformation” is one aspect of the food drive. Different on-campus organizations assemble donated canned goods into works of art during homecoming week.
Remembering Reagan’s visit to Tuscaloosa
CBS 42 (Birmingham) – Nov. 19
New at six, 30 years ago, President Ronald Reagan rallied the Republican Party during a speech at the University of Alabama. But it’s what he did after the speech that’s left a lasting impression … Reagan’s surprise lunch, and its impact on one Northport restaurant. On Oct. 15, 1984, President Ronald Reagan was looking to regain momentum after losing a debate to Walter Mondale. He decided to visit a place that’s known for winners: Tuscaloosa, Ala.