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MONDAY, JULY 20  – SUNDAY, JULY 26, 2015

BEST BETS

RISE GRADUATION CELEBRATES PERSEVERANCE, STRENGTH — When Preston Alexander “Xander” Chandler was 11 months old, a doctor told his parents that he wouldn’t live more than a year, and they should just take him home and love on him. His mom, however, saw his fighting spirit and refused to give up. The now 7-year-old boy is one of 21 students who will graduate at UA RISE’s annual commencement ceremony at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 23, at the Stallings Center on UA’s campus. Dress rehearsal for the RISE graduation ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 23, at the Stallings Center. RISE parents, including Amanda Chandler, and Dawn Sandel, RISE music therapist, will be available for interviews during that time. Contact: Kim Eaton, UA media relations, 205/348-8325, kkeaton@ur.ua.edu

RESEARCHERS EXPLORE IMAGINATIVE PLAY’S LINKS TO CHILDREN’S MEMORY, ATTENTION – A UA psychology professor hopes to determine the best ways to measure impacts children’s imaginative play has on things like memory and attention. The research has important implications for children’s school readiness. The Imagination Institute recently awarded Dr. Ansley Gilpin, UA assistant professor of psychology, a research grant for a 2-year study involving 750 children between 3 and 5. Gilpin and others recently completed a preliminary study of imaginative plan with more than 100 children in the Tuscaloosa area. For more information, contact David Miller in UA media relations at 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu. Contact Dr. Gilpin directly at 205/348-9903 or agilpin@ua.edu.

ENGINEERING CAMP HELD THIS WEEK – The Student Introduction to Engineering, or SITE, program is a summer camp designed specifically for rising juniors and seniors in high school. More than 25 years old, the SITE program is three, week-long sessions this summer with about 150 students attending. SITE students live in residence halls and engage in team exercises. They attend mini-courses in mathematics, engineering, computer science and English. As part of the camp, students participate in a design competition, and this week students will design simple machines such as catapults to battle against each other’s machines. The contest begins in 1059 South Engineering Research Center Thursday at 3:45 p.m. For more information, contact Adam Jones, UA engineering media relations, at 205/348-6444 or acjones12@eng.ua.edu.

MOUNDVILLE HOLDS WEEK-LONG SUMMER DAY CAMP THIS WEEK — UA’s Moundville Archaeological Park offers students an opportunity to delve into the Native American lifestyle through week-long summer day camps. Open to children ages 9 through 13, the Indian Summer Day Camp combines hands-on activities with educational learning opportunities that result in an enriching experience for the campers. Campers will explore the park and museum, watch videos, go on nature hikes, play Indian games, sample Indian foods and hear stories. Students will also create multiple art projects, including pottery, a weaving project and a gourd container or mask. Contact: Kim Eaton, UA media relations, 205/348-8325, kkeaton@ur.ua.edu

MUSEUM COMBINES SCIENCE AND FUN — Rising fifth- through eighth-grade students will have an opportunity to explore various areas of science during the UA Alabama Museum of Natural History’s annual Science Day Camp this week. From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., students will explore fish, reptiles, fossils, forests and watersheds and then venture out to the field to study those areas. Contact: Kim Eaton, UA media relations, 205/348-8325, kkeaton@ur.ua.edu

RESEARCHER RECEIVES EMERGING SCHOLAR AWARD – A UA researcher recently received an award for research that looked at the connection between a married couple’s communication patterns and their financial wellness. Dr. Melissa Wilmarth, UA assistant professor in the College of Human Environmental Sciences, received the Family & Consumer Sciences Research Journal Emerging Scholar Award for 2014 at the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences’ annual conference. Wilmarth and her co-authors investigated if married couples’ positive and negative communication patterns mediate the association between financial wellness and relationship satisfaction. The article also received the Best Paper Award in Human Development and Family Studies for 2014. For more information on the research or the award, contact Kim Eaton, UA Media Relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu

CURRENT COMMENT

WHAT NO ONE IS SAYING ABOUT HARPER LEE’S ‘GO SET A WATCHMAN’ – “While the immediate concerns over the release of the first chapter of GSAW were largely matters of plot – Jem’s sudden death as a young man, Scout’s potential love interest, Atticus’ absence – no one seems to be addressing the elephant in the room: that, quite simply, Harper Lee’s prose doesn’t have the same sense of power and weight as it does in MOCKINGBIRD. The release of this novel has been overshadowed by so many controversies, but what we seem to have lost sight of is that this is a young Harper Lee working through the skeleton of a story without the benefit of the extensive editing process that yielded her a masterpiece in 1960.” – Dr. Andy Crank, assistant professor of English. For an interview, contact Crank directly at jacrank@ua.edu. For assistance, contact Bobby Mathews in media relations, 205/348-4956 or bwmathews1@ur.ua.edu

EXPLAINING BERNIE SANDERS’ SURGING POPULARITY IN THE DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY RACE – “Bernie Sanders is surprising a lot of people with the success that he is having thus far. In some polls, he is now getting 25-30 percent of the vote in matchups against the Democratic field, including Hillary Clinton. I think this can be attributed to a few different factors. He is running on a theme that some have termed ‘economic populism,’ and I think his early success indicates that the economic recovery has not reached many voters. Economic inequality continues to be an important issue for many working class and younger voters. Sanders’ success is not only coming from the Democratic base, however. He is neck and neck with Hillary Clinton among independents. In addition to his economic message, Sanders comes across as a “straight shooter,” which I think many people find refreshing these days.” – Dr. Richard C. Fording, professor of political science. Contact him directly at rcfording@ua.edu. For more information, contact Bobby Mathews in media relations at 205/348-4956 or bwmathews1@ur.ua.edu.

BUT CAN BERNIE SANDERS WIN THE NOMINATION? – “I do not think that Sanders has a realistic chance of challenging Hillary Clinton for the nomination. Hillary has not really begun to campaign yet, and there are no other Democratic candidates to share the spotlight with Sanders at the moment. In addition, Hillary enjoys a huge lead among African-American voters, and that is not going to change. It will be impossible for Sanders to win any state with a significant minority population for this reason alone. As the election draws closer, many of Sanders’ supporters will realize that Clinton is their best chance to prevent a Republican from winning, and, in the end, I believe most will abandon him on election day. His role in this election, I believe, will be to provide the progressive base of the Democratic Party with a voice and to keep Hillary Clinton from straying too far to the center.” – Dr. Richard C. Fording, professor of political science. Contact him directly at rcfording@ua.edu. For more information, contact Bobby Mathews in media relations at 205/348-4956 or bwmathews1@ur.ua.edu.

UA EXPERT TIPS

UA MATTERS: KEEPING THE YOUNG, YOUNG AT HEART SAFE FROM SUN — Older citizens, the very young, those with certain recent illnesses and some pets are more susceptible to heat injury than others because of reduced cooling capabilities and lowered tolerance. UA’s Dr. Phil Bishop offers a few tips on how to protect these groups from the hot summer sun in this week’s UA Matters. Contact: Kim Eaton, UA media relations, 205/348-8325, kkeaton@ur.ua.edu

UA MATTERS: ENCOURAGING CHILDREN TO HELP AT HOME — Children learn early in life their actions (e.g. crying, smiling) have an impact on the world and those around them. They also possess an inborn desire to assist others and affect their world. As toddlers, they imitate the actions of adults. They want to help, and they try very hard to do things for themselves. UA’s Tammy Morrow and Amy Walker offer some suggestions. Contact: Kim Eaton, UA media relations, 205/348-8325, kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.