UA using grant to train new mental health workers
Decatur Daily – Nov. 5
The University of Alabama is planning to use a federal grant to help the state address a shortage of behavioral health care professionals. School officials said in a statement Tuesday that they’re using a grant of more than $945,300 from the Health Resources and Services Administration to offer stipends to Master of Social Work students. Officials say the move is part of a plan to produce 56 students trained in settings that are integrated with primary care settings.
Rick Bragg on finding the heroism in those who bend lower and lift higher to survive; hear the interview
Al.com – Nov. 6
Our podcast interview series “Ram It, Jam It” features an informal, conversational format with Tuscaloosa and regional artists in open, honest conversations about each them including what they’re up to, a focus on their relationship to Tuscaloosa, their childhoods, their introduction to their art/work and much more. This episode features Rick Bragg, the Tuscaloosa-based and Piedmont-born Pulitzer Prize-winning author and University of Alabama writing professor. Bragg recently released his seventh book, the biography “Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story,” from HarperCollins, which tells the colorful story of “The Killer,” one of rock and roll’s pioneers and early wild men. On the podcast, he talks about growing up in East Alabama, learning good storytelling from his family, starting his long career in journalism in high school and traveling all over the world while working at The New York Times. He also talks about winning his Pulitzer Prize, leaving the newspaper business for books and teaching, telling his deeply personal family history in bestsellers like “All Over But the Shoutin’,” challenging his students to tell tough stories and getting nervous during a Sports Illustrated interview with Nick Saban.
Transcontinental concert with Dans le Arbres, Dewar/Feeney/Hopson Trio next for Sonic Frontiers
Al.com – Nov. 5
Norwegian-French quartet Dans les Arbres will perform tonight at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs simultaneously with the Dewar/Feeney/Hopson Trio at the University of Alabama, connected via high-speed internet, as part of the school’s ongoing Sonic Frontiers Concert Series. The show is set to begin at 8:30 p.m. in the Moody Music Building Recital Hall on campus. Called a “telematic concert,” the event will unite artists over the web in real-time to create new forms of collaborative art and conjoining multiple communities. This concert is jointly presented by UA’s Sonic Frontiers, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs Music Department and the Peak FreQuency Creative Arts Collective. Dans les Arbres is a collaborative quartet made up of one Frenchman and three Norwegians: Xavier Charles (clarinet, harmonica), Ivar Grydeland (acoustic guitar, prepared banjo, sruti box), Christian Wallumrød (piano), and Ingar Zach (percussion, bass drum). The entirely acoustic ensemble brings an exotic, nuanced and accessible sound with an aim to challenge its audiences. The Dewar/Feeney/Hopson Trio is an improvising group made up of UA professors Andrew Raffo Dewar (soprano saxophone), Tim Feeney (percussion), and Holland Hopson (electronics). The three musicians bring an extensive international expertise in a range of genres including new music, electronic music and jazz.
Students help people in west Tuscaloosa with health care
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Nov. 5
A student group is doing their part to fight a national epidemic … poor health. The West End Health Project is a group dedicated to serving those in need of general medical care in the community. They offer regular health screenings, with a doctor on site, which include blood pressure and glucose level checks, and general health education. Student director Michael Moore says they are trying to improve the lives of people in the community. The student organization operates every Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. At the McDonald Hughes Community Center just off of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Better Relations Day held at UA
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Nov. 5
The Student Government Associations of the University of Alabama and Auburn University met in Tuscaloosa today. The groups spent time together at Alabama’s campus for Better Relations Day. It’s the annual day when one SGA visits the other school’s campus. Besides lunch and a campus tour, they also put school rivalries aside to learn more about each other personally.
Some Democrats cling to local offices amid Republican storm
Anniston Star – Nov. 5
The Democratic Party has always supported Karen Roper and she wants to continue returning the favor. Roper ran as a Democrat and, in convincing fashion, won a third term as Calhoun County revenue commissioner Tuesday. “The Democratic Party has always supported me and I try to stay true to the people supportive of me,” Roper said. Her long experience in the office led voters to think of her as someone who can help them, she said. After Republicans took the state Legislature in 2010, many local politicians across the state jumped from the Democratic party to the GOP under the impression that it would be impossible to be elected otherwise. However, despite living in a state that has shifted strongly red, a few area candidates have stayed blue and kept their posts as Democrats, saying voters elected them based on their character and experience and not party affiliation. Still, some political scientists say that local politics continue to trend along partisan lines, making it harder for candidates to separate themselves from party affiliations and the ideologies that go with them … William Stewart, professor emeritus of political science for the University of Alabama, said many local races in the state are not decided by party affiliation, which has allowed some state Democrats to stay in office. “I don’t think many people are looking at party affiliation as much for local races,” Stewart said. “If they know a particular person, I think they’ll be willing to vote for him or her regardless of political party.”
UA Political Science professor says outcome of Tuesday’s vote could cause tension
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Nov. 5
Republicans now control both houses of congress, most notably the senate, taking over from the Democrats. Fueling that change seems to be a disapproval of President Obama’s performance and gridlock among lawmakers. According to a University of Alabama assistant professor of political science Hawley this outcome could cause some tension in Washington. “The great challenges that will come with their efforts to actually govern starting in January because they certainly are going to face a president who opposes the agenda of the Republicans in the house and Senate and they furthermore do not have a veto proof majority in the senate. They are not going to be able to get around the president’s veto with very much ease.”
East Alabama tourism organization gains support
The Randolph Leader – Nov. 5
The Alabama Tourism Department will assist eight counties in east central Alabama in promoting the area, officials announced on Thursday of last week. “Alabama is a great place to tour and visit, and we welcome everyone to explore our great state,” Gov. Robert Bentley said. “There are many wonderful festivals and destinations throughout the state, and this regional tourism organization is a great opportunity for counties to jointly promote East Alabama.” State tourism director Lee Sentell said his agency will help “Tour East Alabama” with marketing support, including a television commercial and print ads. The commercial will feature the Talladega Superspeedway, Cold Water Mountain, Cheaha State Park, DeSoto Caverns Park, the Chattahoochee River and courses on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. It will air next spring on approximately 50 Raycom television stations in partnership with the Retirement Systems of Alabama, Sentell said … She stated, “I am ecstatic about what is happening for tourism in East Central Alabama. Our core group has been working together for over four years with facilitation and assistance from University of Alabama Center for Economic Development, UAB Graphic Department, Alabama Innovation Engine and Nisa Miranda and Joe Watts. We understand the importance of promoting ourselves as a region as a tourist destination.
Alabama’s new anti-Sharia law is discriminatory, unnecessary, and could cause real problems
Vox – Nov. 5
Last night, Alabama voters passed Amendment One, a ballot measure that prohibits Alabama courts from considering “foreign law” when deciding cases. The provision, like a series of similar laws that have been proposed in other states over the past several years, appears to have been motivated by a fear that Muslims could somehow deprive local citizens of their rights by forcing courts to apply Sharia law. Amendment One is a terrible idea. Not just because it is unnecessary (though it is), or because it is an attempt to codify odious discrimination (though it is), but because the law, as written, has the potential to cause serious problems for ordinary citizens and businesses in Alabama … There is no evidence that Alabama courts are applying Sharia law or law from foreign countries to deprive Alabamians of their rights. Indeed, there doesn’t seem to be any history of them applying Sharia law at all. And, as University of Alabama Law Professor Paul Horwitz points out, even when foreign law does come before Alabama courts, the courts already refuse to enforce contractual provisions that violate state public policy, or state or federal constitutional rights. If that’s all the law is intended to do, then it’s totally unnecessary.
New College students face individual paths
Crimson White – Nov. 5
New College was founded in 1971 to serve dedicated students whose ambitions don’t fit squarely into a specific major. The students, along with help from New College faculty advisers, create plans to blend classes from all departments according to their own interests and ideas. The self-designed major is called
a “depth study.” Mark Ortiz, a senior majoring in religious studies with a depth study in political ecology, said New College’s flexibility has been helpful in his academic pursuits. “New College has allowed me to design my own course of study and has given me support in pursuing my own research projects of interest, which I have found very helpful in developing my own academic voice and preparing myself for graduate study,” he said. Along with depth studies, New College provides other opportunities for its students, like extensive research opportunities, summer internships and study abroad programs. “We have several options of study abroad to choose from,” said Rica Trone from the New College office.
Mooney to discuss science denial at ALLELE
Crimson White – Nov. 6
Over the past several years, The University of Alabama has emphasized ALLELE, Alabama Lectures on Life’s Evolution, by providing a series of lectures on specific topics given by well-respected scientists and writers from across the country. This week’s lecture, titled “The Science of Why We Deny Science,” will be held Thursday in the auditorium of the Biology Building at 7:30 p.m. The speaker is Christopher Mooney, senior correspondent for The American Prospect magazine and author of “The Republican War on Science,” a New York Times bestseller. He also contributes to many other publications, including Harper’s, The Los Angeles Times and The American Scholar. Colin Kruger, a junior majoring in biology, said he is grateful for the opportunity to go to a school that provides students with engaging contemporary lectures. “They are a great way to keep up with the continually evolving field of biology, and in order to be successful in the field, it is essential that we keep up-to-date with the new concepts and ideas being presented,” Kruger said.
Valerie Williams jump ropes internationally
Crimson White – Nov. 6
For Valerie Williams, jumping rope is a way of life. The freshman majoring in chemical engineering has been on a jump rope team since the second grade and since then she said the sport has taken over her world. Last year she won two international titles and placed in several events. Her team, Heart and Soul, is based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she is from. Although being in Tuscaloosa separates her from her
program, she plans to continue with the sport. “I think it will be a part of my life for many more years because I have devoted so much time and energy to it, but I don’t really know how many years I’ll be competing,” Williams said. Williams participates in conferences around the country. She started attending them to learn from more experienced jumpers, but now is an instructor. “The best thing about jump rope is the relationships you make with people across the nation and even across the world,” Williams said.
Pakistani student explains life at UA
Crimson White – Nov. 6
Muhammad Farooq is an international student hailing from Pakistan who is currently pursuing a master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering. Farooq has made the nearly 8,000-mile trek to Tuscaloosa and is now engaged in classes at the University. Farooq said he has adjusted in many ways but still views the local culture with some subjectivity. Farooq was drawn to the University because he said America has a better education system and he had the opportunity to conduct research with a professor. What do you like or not like about campus? The campus is beautiful, and since it’s a college town, it’s very quiet compared to big cities, which I like. However, there’s no good local public transportation. Was it hard to adjust? Well, there’s a completely different culture in Tuscaloosa, so you have to take that into account. Pakistan is a more family-oriented society, whereas I feel like here the focus is on being an individual. However, this wasn’t my first time away from home, so it wasn’t really tough to adjust.