2015: What does it hold? UA Professors make their best guesses.
WAAY-TV (Huntsville) – Dec. 18
If you could peer into a crystal ball and see the future, what would 2015 hold? From fashion to technology to the economy, University of Alabama professors have made their predictions. For 34 years, some of the greatest minds at the Capstone have released their “educated guesses”. These aren’t predictions to take to the bank, but they just might give you a glimpse of what is in store in the year of the sheep. Here are some of the guesses: Dr. Andrew Billings, director of the Alabama Sports Communications Program, says Beijing will announced as the 2022 Winter Olympics host city, thus becoming the first city to ever host both the summer and winter games; Bryan Taylor, an instructor in the department of clothing, textiles and interior design, says the 1970s will come back in big fashion. Welcome back the days of suede, tie dye and a fuller pants leg; Dr. Jason Bara, a chemical and biological engineering professor, predicts less coal used as an energy source because the price of natural gas will stay low.
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Dec. 18
The Soft Drink That Conquered the World
U.S. News and World Report – Dec. 18
From its origins as a patent medicine formulated in a small southern pharmacy, Coca-Cola has grown into a multibillion-dollar company. Headquartered in Atlanta, it possesses one of the world’s most valuable brands. Yet despite its exponential growth over the decades, Coca-Cola has kept its operations streamlined by relying on partnerships with commercial titans like Monsanto and integrating its manufacturing plants with public water and recycling infrastructures, explains Bartow J. Elmore, an environmental historian at the University of Alabama. In his new book, “Citizen Coke: The Making of Coca-Cola Capitalism,” he argues that this business model, though widespread and successful, has global environmental consequences in the modern age. Elmore recently spoke with U.S. News about the sustainability and applicability of what he calls “Coca-Cola capitalism.”
UA has ties to Cuba
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Dec. 18
The University of Alabama also has ties to Cuba through a program that’s been around for 12 years now. Fox6 news reporter Terri Brewer is live in our Tuscaloosa newsroom with some perspective from someone who’s spent time in Cuba through that program. … The Alabama-Cuba Initiative started in 2002 as a way to develop academic, cultural and scientific exchanges between UA and its Cuban counterparts. Over the past 12 years, about 85 UA faculty members have visited Cuba through the initiative, along with students. We spoke with retired UA history professor Larry Clayton, who’s been on four of the trips to Cuba. Clayton says he’s seen this change coming for several years now, and agrees with President Obama’s decision. Clayton: “I think Obama’s done the right thing in this instance, you know? I think the relations have slowly become more normal over the last 10 to 15 years.”
Atlanta Falcons cheerleaders, ‘Million Dollar Band’ to perform in Mobile
Fox 10 TV (Mobile) – Dec. 18
A Crimson Tide tradition for more than 100 years is coming to the Reese’s Senior Bowl next month. The University of Alabama’s Million Dollar Band will perform during the pregame and halftime shows at the 2015 game, the Reese’s Senior Bowl announced today. “It’s always exciting to have the Million Dollar Band here and 2015 will be no exception,” said Reese’s Senior Bowl Executive Director Phil Savage. The 416-member band performs in front of millions of fans each year and last played in Mobile at the 2009 Senior Bowl. The band, directed by Dr. Kenneth Ozzello, has previously played at the Senior Bowl five times, dating back to its inaugural appearance in 2000.
Students debate police brutality, racial bias and the benefits of body cameras
USA Today – Dec. 18
Amid the riots, die-in protests and investigations nationwide centered on police brutality and racial bias, one option increasingly offered as a potential solution: body cameras. “When an officer approaches a citizen with no camera, he can be many things: a protector, an inquisitor or a thug,” University of Alabama senior Nathan James writes for The Crimson White student newspaper. “But when an officer knows that both his actions and the citizen’s actions will be subject to review, he becomes something else entirely. He becomes what he was intended to be — an arm of the law.” Student journalists have engaged in an increasingly spirited debate in recent weeks about the ins-and-outs of police cameras — including privacy questions, related costs, proper implementation and the benefits they may or may not provide.
New Historic Marker commemorates UA cadets’ role in Civil War Battle
WAKA-CBS (Montgomery) – Dec. 18
A new Battle of Selma historical marker is unveiled in Selma in honor of the 150th anniversary of the historic Civil War battle. The marker tells the story of Shockley’s cadets from the University of Alabama and the role they played during the battle. It also marks the spot where Cadet Sgt. Robert Patton was killed while defending the Confederate retreat. The marker is the third in a series being put up around town by the April 1865 society.
WNCF-ABC (Montgomery) – Dec. 18