University of Alabama names LSU official as new vice president of communications
Tuscaloosa News – Oct. 9
Louisiana State University’s vice president of strategic communications has been appointed to fill the same role at the University of Alabama beginning in November. “I look forward to working with President (Stuart) Bell and his team to communicate the university’s many successes and to continue building upon its strong reputation,” said a statement from Linda Bonnin, UA’s new vice president of strategic communications. Bonnin was selected following a national search. Her appointment was announced on Friday. Bonnin, who has overseen strategic communications at LSU since 2014 and served in a similar role at the University of Memphis before that. She will start at UA on Nov. 2 Bonnin will be Bell’s chief communications adviser and lead UA’s communications, marketing, media relations and related functions, as well as overseeing institutional branding.
University of Alabama joins nationwide initiative in STEM fields
Tuscaloosa News – Oct. 12
The University of Alabama is among approximately 25 institutions nationwide working together to develop resources to help create sustainable change and improve participation by minority women and girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. “The goal is to bring together nationally institutions that are doing a lot of great things and begin to share best practices and information, what works what doesn’t, and build a broad coalition of partners that help with the recruitment and retention and persistence of women in STEM,” said Patty Sobecky, UA associate provost for academic affairs. The National Academic STEM Collaborative is a consortium of higher education and nonprofit partners. The consortium was started this fall by Arizona State University’s Center for Gender Equity in Science and Technology.
Push is On to Make STEM Careers More Accessible to Minority Women, Girls
US News and World Report – Oct. 10
Identifying and removing obstacles that stand in the way of minority women and girls entering science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields is the mission of a program recently unveiled by the White House. .. . . The collaborative includes such educational partners as the University of Alabama, Amherst College, University of California-Riverside and the University of Maryland-Baltimore County. Nonprofit partners include the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, the Arizona STEM Network and the National Math + Science Initiative.
Thousands of Crimson Tide fans line the streets to show support during homecoming parade
Tuscaloosa News – Oct. 11
The traffic lights at intersections along Greensboro Avenue and University Boulevard from downtown to the University of Alabama’s Quad changed from red to yellow to green. People walked through them no matter the color as the streets were blocked off with police cars, barriers and people standing on sidewalks and in streets, laying on quilts and sitting in lawn chairs, truck beds and cars watching the parade. Parade participants walked with banners, rode in old-fashioned cars and vehicles decked out in crimson and white and sat on the backs of convertibles and flatbed truck trailers yelling “Roll Tide” to onlookers lining the streets. Those onlookers sang along with parade participants to songs like the Alabama fight song, Alabama’s “Dixieland Delight” and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” while the scent of a roasting pig filled their nostrils. Thousands gathered from downtown to the Quad on Saturday afternoon for the UA homecoming parade, showing their support for the Crimson Tide before heading off to watch the Crimson Tide football team take on University of Arkansas Razorbacks in the evening.
Photo gallery – Tuscaloosa News
AL.com – Oct. 11
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Oct. 10
ABC 33/40 – Oct. 9
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Oct. 9
WSFA-NBC (Montgomery) – Oct. 9
CBS 42 (Birmingham) – Oct. 9
Meet the 2015 University of Alabama Homecoming Queen
AL.com –- Oct. 10
With the help of Alabama sports broadcaster and pep rally emcee, the University of Alabama announced Katelyn Katsafanas as its 2015 Homecoming Queen on the steps of Gorgas Library on Friday night. A total of 13,329 votes were cast, a much higher total than the 2014 election, which dipped in participation from 2013. Sponsored by the Phi Mu sorority, the Naperville, Ill., native is a senior majoring in Finance with a specialization in Professional Sales at the Capstone. Katsafanas will be crowned by Alabama Governor Robert Bentley at halftime of the homecoming game between the Crimson Tide and Arkansas Saturday, with kickoff set for 6 p.m.
Video report – Al.com
See photos of Nick Saban, Bear Bryant, Big Al in Alabama sorority homecoming lawn decorations
AL.com – Oct. 11
A warm Tuscaloosa afternoon allowed visiting alumni and spectators to stroll up and down campus as the results of University of Alabama sororities pomping their fingers off for their annual homecoming lawn decorations went on display Friday afternoon. The decorations stuck to UA’s “Forever Crimson: Faithful, Loyal, Firm and True” homecoming theme while offering caricatures of Nick Saban, Bear Bryant, Derrick Henry and others up and down campus roads dominated by the sorority houses. Other floats focused on Alabama’s rich history on and off the football field.
UA homecoming, ‘Alabama’ concert this weekend in Tuscaloosa
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Oct. 9
A busy weekend is ahead in Tuscaloosa. The University of Alabama hosts an SEC opponent (Arkansas) for Homecoming 2015. In addition to the game, there are numerous homecoming activities. Plus, legendary country music act Alabama is in concert at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater Friday at 8 p.m. Some of the main homecoming events include the traditional pep rally and bonfire, starting at 7 p.m. Friday on the UA Quad. The homecoming parade begins at 1 p.m. Saturday, along University Boulevard in downtown Tuscaloosa, and travels through the UA campus.
Economic impact of Homecoming on Tuscaloosa; lawn decoration competition / pep rally; bonfire
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Oct. 9
Local businesses are already seeing the impact of Homecoming weekend with alumni returning and family members visiting. The Tuscaloosa area is packed with Crimson Tide fans. Restaurants and stores around time have had increased traffic which also means increased profits. One employee of Innisfree explained how Homecoming affects business.
Commentary: 20 years later, why Alabama’s homecoming still matters to me
AL.com – Oct. 11
(By Meredith Cummings, UA department of journalism) It’s homecoming at the University of Alabama, and – 20 years after I completed my academic degrees at The Capstone – I’m thinking about that time I got divorced. Nine years ago I moved back to Tuscaloosa, an unusual choice for a Birmingham native. I was suddenly single. A stay-at-home mom determined to succeed, yet terrified.
Snow Hinton Park to host Art in the Park
Tuscaloosa News – Oct. 11
The University of Alabama’s Creative Campus will host its second annual Art in the Park from 2-5 p.m. today at the Magnolia shelter in Snow Hinton Park, 1000 Hargrove Road East. The event is free and open to the public. The event is designed to educate children of all ages about art, art history and different art forms through hands-on workshops and stations in an effort to inspire community children to engage in art-making activities. Workshops include contemporary/jazz dance from 2-2:30 p.m., children’s theatre from 2:30-3 p.m., hip-hop dance from 3-3:30 p.m. and drum circle from 4-5 p.m. Hands-on stations include a musical petting zoo, an art history photo booth, a coloring book table, found poetry, face painting, Bama Books’ mini-library, pet rock decorating, printmaking, percussion instrument crafting and model clay.
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Oct. 10
UA hosts Art in the Park
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Oct. 11
Today, Creative Campus taught kids in their community one or two things they won’t learn in school. The event was such a success last year that they decided to have it again this year. Activities included crating pet rocks, learning to play instruments, finger painting, a model clay station and even face painting. The event may have been just for little kids, but everyone found a little something they liked. Holding an event like this helps college students get involved with the community as well.
Photo gallery: Art in the Park
Tuscaloosa News – Oct. 11
The University of Alabama’s Creative Campus organization hosted its second annual “Art in the Park” on Sunday, Oct. 11 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Local families and children came to Snow Hinton park and enjoyed activities ranging from arts and crafts to dance lessons.
AL.com will make the case for diversity at UNITY Regional Summit Oct. 16
AL.com – Oct. 9
Do we need more diverse voices in media? Absolutely. I’m a testament to that. A little over a decade ago, as I marked the second anniversary of my full-time career in journalism, I attended my first UNITY conference. Now, I had attended at least a half-dozen industry meetups at that point but this one was different. One key takeaway would shape my career for the next 10 years: I’m a product of a community of color, and it’s my responsibility to tell their stories. I owe it to them. A decade later, I work every day to live up to that promise, and on Oct. 16 I’ll be joined by industry leaders who share that commitment. The University of Alabama will play host to the UNITY Regional Summit: “Empowering the Southern Narrative.” The daylong event will take place from 8:30 am to 7 p.m. in the Ferguson Center. Tickets are $35.
Researchers design material that more effectively slows light
Lab Manager – Oct. 9
Researchers at the University of Alabama designed and made a material that manipulates the speed of light in a new, more effective way than previous methods, according to findings recently published in Scientific Reports by the Nature Publishing Group. The research by two professors and three grad students in the UA College of Engineering could help in creating next-generation optical networks and sensors that rely on variances in the speed of light.
School bus seat belts: New vehicles should be equipped with seat belts and students required to use them.
Houston Chronicle – Oct. 10
The requirement of seat belts in cars was a controversial innovation in the late 1960s when it was introduced. Now, few Americans would argue against it. Most drivers and passengers are in the habit of clicking into the three-point seat belt, a habit that saves thousands of lives every year. . . . Jay Lindly, director of the University Transportation Center for Alabama at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, sums up his organization’s position by saying that school buses will “get a little bit safer if you put in seat belts.”
More than 1/3 of survey participants say mass shootings are fact of life in US
Warner Cable News (Buffalo, N.Y.) – Oct. 10
They’re scenes we’ve seen unfold at movie theaters, in churches, and on college campuses. Gun Violence Archive reports that as of Friday, 267 mass shootings took place in the U.S. this year. . . . “It makes sense that people have seen nothing change, in fact it seems to be getting worse, and, therefore, are not as optimistic as we would hope,” said Adam Lankford, a criminal justice professor at the University of Alabama. Lankford says that while the U.S. makes up just 5 percent of the world’s population, it’s home to 31 percent of its public mass shooters. He says a number of factors can play a part: copycats, the high rate of gun ownership, and frustration caused by what seems to be a growing gap between people’s dreams and their ability to reach them. “The younger generation, according to survey data, has higher senses of being entitled to inevitable success at an extreme level – essentially being rich and famous,” Lankford said.
Video Report
University of Alabama students begin organizing Hobson City records
Anniston Star – Oct. 10
HOBSON CITY — The nine University of Alabama students on Friday morning sat at plastic tables in an unused room of the old C.E. Hanna Elementary building now serving as Town Hall, surrounded by a daunting task. Cardboard boxes stuffed with old municipal records lined the walls and encircled the tables. A haphazard pile of yellowed maps and blueprints sat near the front of the room. The graduate students, part of professor Michelle Robinson’s English composition and rhetoric class, spent much of Friday combing through those boxes, sorting the contents according to subject, and placing them into other boxes designed to preserve paper. The group took direction regarding which records should be kept and what could be destroyed from two archivists from the Alabama Department of Archives and History; they say it’s not uncommon for small towns and counties to need the sort of help the students offered.
Students explore Tuscaloosa hiking trails
Crimson White – Oct. 11
With the weather cooling down and the seasons changing, now is the time to enjoy all of the nature that Alabama has to offer. For students who enjoy getting off the beaten path, Tuscaloosa is driving distance from several great hiking trails and outdoor adventure opportunities. “I’m from Texas, where it is very flat around. I came here, and there are so many elevation changes. There are trees everywhere and everything is really green. It’s just really pretty,” Lauren Gilmer, a senior majoring in Psychology, said. Gilmer works at the Outdoor Recreation Center and leads many of the University of Alabama sponsored backpacking and hiking trips. The Outdoor Rec service aims give students who may not be familiar with going out into nature on their own an introduction to nature.
Alabama Repertory Dance Theatre prepares for show
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Oct. 11
The dancers from the Alabama Repertory Dance Theatre will have their first performance Tuesday night. All of the beautiful pieces for the show are created by outside professionals and professors. The dancers have been practicing every day since March to prepare for their showcase.
LOCAL Q&A: Candice Ji, international student at University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa News – Oct. 11
This week, meet Candice Ji, an international student from Hangzhou, China, studying at the University of Alabama. In the spring, she won a prestigious national award in her field. Q: Who are you? A: Candice Ji. I’m a senior pursuing a dual degree in marketing and advertising. Q: Why did you chose to study abroad? Why come to Alabama? A: I chose to study abroad because I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone and experience a different culture and lifestyle. During my junior year in high school, I was selected as an exchange student and paired with a host family near Birmingham. I lived with that lovely family for a year and learned a lot about Alabama. Eventually, I decided to come back here for college on full scholarship.
Alabama Insurance Day to be held Wednesday
Tuscaloosa News – Oct. 12
Alabama Insurance Day will be held Wednesday at the Bryant Conference Center, 240 Paul W. Bryant Drive. Offered by the University of Alabama’s College of Continuing Studies, Alabama Insurance Day is in its 30th year. Sessions will focus on property/casualty insurance, life/health insurance and risk management/company operations.
Music department to present UA Organ Spook-takular
Crimson White – Oct. 8
Spooky sounds will be heard from the Moody Concert Hall on Oct. 16 for the Halloween-themed UA Organ Spook-takular. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. and features costumed performances from students in the School of Music. Those who attend are encouraged to come in costume and participate in Halloween activities in the lobby. “There is nothing creepier than being blindfolded and being told you’re touching eyeballs,” Dr. Faythe Freese, professor of organ, said. The show will feature organ pieces from Johann Sebastian Bach and Phantom of the Opera, as well as duets and fun songs, according to Tyler Canonico, a master’s student in the School of Music and one of the performers for the evening.
UA Vedic Society hosts Sacred Sounds
Crimson White – Oct. 9
The Ferguson Ballroom filled with the sound of music from the other side of the world Thursday Oct. 8, as the University of Alabama students danced and sang in a celebration of Indian culture. Last night, a renowned band called the Mayapuris put on a performance that blended rock and roll with traditional Vedic music. The event, Sacred Sounds, was hosted by the UA Vedic Society. “This will give the audience an exposure to Indian rock fusion music, along with a deep, spiritual, meditative experience,” said Nagaraj Hegde, a doctoral student in Electrical Engineering who helps organize events for the Vedic Society.
Moundville Native American Festival
Crimson White – Oct. 8
The grassy mounds of earth are enigmatic from a distance, towering over the flat Alabama dirt and clay. Approach them in October, and these former Native American villages bustle with activity, ranging from song and dance to art and traditional games, even historical reenactments. Though the mounds date all the way back from A.D. 1450, this year marks the 27th Moundville Native American Festival, and it’s just a short 30-minute drive from Tuscaloosa. These hulking monuments, officially known as the historical Moundville site, set the stage for the annual celebration, which began yesterday and runs through Saturday, Oct. 10.
Elliott Society promotes education in community
Crimson White – Oct. 12
In the midst of the Great Depression, a young man from rural Alabama with just over two dollars in his pocket slept under a truck. Broke and at rock bottom, he continued to pursue an education at The University of Alabama. That man, Carl A. Elliott, went on to become a congressman in the House of Representatives and fight for education throughout his career. The Elliott Society at the University was founded to carry on Elliott’s mission of educational equity today. “Carl Elliott provided a beacon of hope, and that is the work that the Elliot Society is trying to carry on today,” said Stephen Katsinas, the faculty adviser to the Elliott Society. The society is a service honors society that focuses on honoring students who have contributed to the community as well as providing students with opportunities to become more involved. Its main service initiative is Kick Start College, a program that invites students from low-income middle schools to tour the University’s campus. The Kick Start graduation ceremony is intended to solidify the fact that getting a diploma is available for everyone.
Bad dancing saves lives
Crimson White – Oct. 12 (Print only)
UADM is an student-run community service organization founded in 2011 by Tyler Rigdon and Alexandra Rhett and is dedicated to raising awareness through community outreach and fundraisers for Children’s of Alabama, a pediatric health system in Birmingham. The organization provides necessary funds to children and families of those undergoing treatment at Children’s Hospital in Birmingham and functions as a chapter of a larger national organization, Dance Marathon. Dance Marathon affiliates with more than 250 participating institutions across the country, each partnering with their local children’s hospital.