University of Alabama sudents’ work linked to space missions
Tuscaloosa News – April 16
Two teams of mechanical engineering students at the University of Alabama have spent their senior year designing tools for a NASA competition inspired by the space agency’s plans for human exploration of the solar system. Each of the six-person teams are competing in NASA’s Microgravity Neutral Buoyancy Experiment Design Teams (Micro-g NExT) competition. The teams were selected after submitting proposals in October, UA senior Trent Lesley said. They are among approximately 22 teams from schools nationwide.
Students work with clients at Caring Days
Tuscaloosa News – April 17
Dr. Daniel Potts had the unfortunate task of watching his father, Lester, suffer through Alzheimer’s disease before his death in 2007. Potts saw one bright spot during the ordeal. When Lester Potts became a client of Caring Days, he began painting and painting gave him hope. Lester Potts passed away in 2007. One of his watercolors now hangs on the wall inside the Caring Days facility at 31st St. E in Tuscaloosa, but his legacy is far more than the painting. What Daniel Potts saw in his father’s demeanor when he painted prompted him to start a foundation to bring art therapy to other people suffering with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. The Cognitive Dynamics Foundation was born and now teams with the University of Alabama Honors College, bringing undergraduate honors students to Caring Days every week to spend an hour in art therapy with clients.
College of Education holds Scholarship Banquet
WVUA 23 (Tuscaloosa) – April 17
The College of Education hosted its scholarship banquet today. It was held at the Embassy Suites. Students were honored for receiving scholarships.
Moundville Archaeological Park
C-Span 3 – American History TV – April 17
Betsy Irwin talked about the Moundville Archaeological Park, one of the largest Middle Mississippian culture sites in America, and explained how the Native American tribe lived at this site from about 1000-1450 A.D.
University of Alabama’s 19th Century History
C-Span 3 – American History TV – April 17
Professor Rachel Stephens gave a tour of the University of Alabama’s campus and showed some of the few remaining buildings that survived the Civil War. She talked about the university’s origins in the 1830s, and how it was rebuilt after Union troops set fire to the campus during the Civil War.
Author Lila Quintero Weaver talks about her book, “Darkroom: A Memoir in Black and White”
C-Span 2 – Book TV – April 16
Lila Quintero Weaver talked about her book Darkroom: A Memoir in Black and White, in which she recounts her story of growing up Latina in the South during the civil rights movement.
UA Professor Ellen Spears talks about her book, “Baptized in PCBs”
C-Span 2 – Book TV – April 16
Ellen Spears talked about her book, Baptized in PCBs: Race, Pollution, and Justice in an All-American Town, about the health issues and legal challenges residents of Anniston, Alabama, have faced in their battle against the multinational biotechnology company and local employer Monsanto.
Earl Tilford, author of “Turning the Tide” discusses The University of Alabama in the 1960s
C-Span 2 – Book TV – April 16
Earl Tilford talked about his book, Turning the Tide: The University of Alabama in the 1960s, about how student activists and school president Frank Rose transformed the university during a time of social and political turmoil.
Representative Carl Elliott and Profiles in Courage
C-Span 3 – American History TV – April 17
Julian Butler talked about Representative Carl Elliott (D-AL), the first recipient of the John F. Kennedy Profiles in Courage award. Representative Elliot received the honor in 1990 for his role in passing the National Defense Education Act. Mr. Butler was one of two colleagues who nominated Representative Elliott.
Local teachers, parents report fruitful ADHD Conference
Northwest Georgia News – April 16
Cherokee County teachers and parents were fortunate again this year to attend the 8th Annual Regional Conference on ADHD sponsored by the University of Alabama. Thanks to the generosity of grants from the Tillotson Foundation and Cherokee County Schools, twelve teachers/parents were able to attend the conference.
Keesler looks to attract diversity with Pathways to Blue event
ABC 11 (Biloxi, Miss.) – April 16
Hundreds of college cadets converged at Keesler Air Force Base for it’s “Pathways to Blue” diversity event on Friday. The goal of the two-day event was to provide a glimpse into what its like to work for the Air Force. Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadets got a rare glimpse into life on an actual Air Force base, including taking a ride in a gigantic C-17 aircraft. Brendan Bailey, a cadet from University of Alabama says the experience was eye-opening. “When we’re on the University, we’re not really getting to see the real Air Force…so being on a base and seeing people who are actually in the air force is kinda neat,” said Bailey.
WXXV-Fox 25 (Biloxi, Miss.) – April 15
UA holds AIME Day
WVUA 23 (Tuscaloosa) – April 15
The Alabama Innovation and Mentoring Entrepreneur Center is celebrating the success of UA based inventions. Anyone from entrepreneurs to inventors were there showcasing their new creations. The event also featured pith competitions and prototype demonstrations for the public.
COLLEGE NEWS: April 17
Tuscaloosa News – April 16
University of Alabama – Three sophomores will receive the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship for 2016-2018. They are Tzofi Klinghoffer, of Wilton, N.H.; Blair Morrison, of Finchville, Ky.; and Kathryn Shay, of Crest Hill, Ill. The scholarship provides $9,500 a year for full-time study during the junior and senior years and $7,000 for a 10-week internship at NOAA or an NOAA-approved facility during the summer between the junior and senior years. UA won first place in the 2016 SEC MBA Case Competition held at the University of Arkansas this month. Team members were Katie Lamberth of Alexander City, Abhinav Bhattacharya of Kolkata, India, Matt Collins of Greensboro, and Katie Grayson of Fayette.
Governor limited by scandal, experts say, but still has options
Anniston Star – April 16
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley may be backed into a corner, but political science experts say he may still have a few tools left in his toolbox. “He can still create difficulties for the Legislature,” said Samuel Webb, a former Montgomery lobbyist and University of Alabama history teacher and editor of the book “Alabama Governors.” “He can still actually stop some things from getting through, and put some pressure and leverage on his colleagues,” Webb said.
UA students compete in student rocket design competition
CBS 19 (Huntsville) – April 15
Nearly 50 teams from around the country are in Huntsville this weekend. The rocket-scientists-in-the-making will be showing off and then using their custom made rockets. The University of Alabama is one of four Alabama teams, and several SEC squads competing, proving that football isn’t the only competition they care about.
Terrific cast sails through comedy’s lofty ambitions
Tuscaloosa News – April 16
Readers or theater-goers struggling with the poetry and syntax of Shakespeare, imposed by era as much as pentameter, have compared the problem as “watching algebra on stage.” Tom Stoppard probably didn’t spin the pearl of “Arcadia” around that bit of bothersome grit, but maybe … Don’t stop there: The above paragraph is a misnomer in search of a joke. It’s not necessary to be a mathematician or even a Stoppard fan to dig into this comedy at the University of Alabama’s Allen Bales Theatre. Yes, it is a comedy, Stoppard style. Some effort is required; the cast and crew have shown the work.
UA Law Student Winning on Jeopardy
Tuscaloosa News – April 16 (Photo gallery)
Carter Spires, center, a second year law student at the University of Alabama, and classmates cheer after he wins on an episode of Jeopardy while watching at the University of Alabama Law School Wednesday, April 13, 2016. Spires won Wednesday and goes on to compete Thursday.
Museum will host experts in research, preservation
Tuscaloosa News – April 15
The public is invited to learn about Alabama’s waterways during “Science Sunday: Aquatic Alabama” at the Alabama Museum of Natural History on the University of Alabama campus this weekend. The free event, which will be from 1-4:30 p.m., will feature exhibitors from several UA departments and water-related organizations from around Tuscaloosa. The exhibitors will offer table presentations about Alabama’s waterways, as well as information about water research and preservation efforts.
Immigration prompts role reversal at Supreme Court
Politico – April 17
For decades, liberals have been pushing to broaden access to the courts, inviting judges to wade into disputes over environmental issues, education and even immigration. Conservatives have been fighting that trend, arguing that only those suffering direct, concrete impacts should be able to challenge those policies in the legal system. In a disorienting role reversal, when the Supreme Court meets Monday to take up President Barack Obama’s executive actions on immigration, those two camps will be making precisely the opposite arguments … “It strikes me as having the the right fight on the wrong territory,” said University of Alabama law professor Heather Elliott, a former clerk to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Turn Down for What: Sleep Sober for a Good Night of Sleep
Huffington Post – April 15
Venture onto a college campus on any given weekend (including finals week) and you’ll find students stumbling from one party to the next, visibly intoxicated. Some leave the party early, others don’t remember making it back at all. The partygoers are often drunk and under the influence of marijuana when returning home. What college students often don’t realize is that these two substances — alcohol and marijuana — are negatively affecting their sleep. College students already have a difficult time getting enough sleep. A 2014 University of Alabama study found that 60 percent of college students are not getting a healthy amount of sleep.
Post-9/11 GI Bill students to have new payment plan
USA Today College –April 17
Starting in the summer 2016 semester, University of Alabama (UA) students receiving benefits from the Post-9/11 GI Bill will have a different billing payment plan. The changes are coming from student account services and the Department of Veteran and Military Affairs (VMA), and will essentially push back the deadline for students to pay their bills. This gives both the students and the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) ample time process and send funds. “This will benefit the students greatly,” said Alex Bynum, VMA assistant director.
UA to present fashion show Tuesday
Tuscaloosa News – April 15
University of Alabama apparel and design students will soon show off their creativity Tuesday during the annual Tee Time Fashion Show. Students will create one or two looks that focus on a mix of sustainable design using alternative materials or knit jersey fabrics. “It is an opportunity for the students to experience showcasing their designs to the public and going through the production of a fashion show,” said Brian Taylor, instructor in apparel and design. The event begins at 6 p.m. on the front lawn of Doster Hall on UA’s campus. Admission is $5, and the public is invited to attend. Proceeds will go to the Student Merchandising and Design Association.
Modern-day Hampton shaped by influence of Langley
Daily Press (Newport News, Va.) – April 16
Every aspect of daily life in Elizabeth City County changed after the arrival of the planes and airships at what is now known as Langley Air Force Base. The City of Hampton, as Elizabeth City County is now known, would look like a very different place if not for the influence of the military installation that started as a modest testing field for propeller-driven planes and eventually played a critical role in getting Americans into space and to the moon … “The future of Hampton has rested in the expansion of the military,” Quarstein said. In 1916, the heralded seafood industry that had nourished Hampton for decades was in decline, according to local historian and retired University of Alabama professor Wythe Holt Jr. The area’s other major economic driver — the tourism attracted by huge hotels such as the original Chamberlin Hotel at Fort Monroe and Hampton’s sandy beaches — was about to take a huge hit. “The real main second industry after seafood was alcohol, because the alcohol fueled the tourism,” Holt said.
Student artists featured in BFA Juried Exhibit
Crimson White – April 15
Behind the doors of the buildings encircling Woods Quad, student artists spend their days and nights creating pieces designed to stand out from the crowd and punctuate their time at the University. This weekend, a juried exhibition will help a few selected students do just that. The University of Alabama Department of Art and Art History will host its annual Bachelors of Fine Arts Juried Exhibition at Harrison Galleries from April 18 – April 28, with an artists reception on Friday, April 22 from 6-9 p.m. It will feature faculty-selected pieces by students currently working towards their BFA. Exhibitors include Ausharea Adams, Kathryn Bornhoft, Lindsey Comas, Graham Harrison, Margaret Ermert, Meg Howton, Tanika Powers, Jamie Reschke and Haylee Walker.
Volunteers extract 6,500 pounds of trash from Lake Tuscaloosa
Crimson White – April 16
The eighth annual Lake Tuscaloosa-North River Waterfest and Lake Clean Up took place last Saturday at both Rock Quarry and Binion Creek boat landings. The event, hosted by the City of Tuscaloosa, provides citizen volunteers from around the community the opportunity to learn about the importance of protecting and sustaining the local water supply … Mary Pitts, a professor in the Geography Department at The University of Alabama and coordinator of the North River Water Shed Project on the campus, is a volunteer at the day of clean up. “This clean up is huge,” Pitts said. “Even though it is only once per year, the impact makes a very noticeable difference.”
Alabama Museum of Natural History holds Science Sunday
WVUA 23 (Tuscaloosa) – April 17
The Alabama Museum of Natural History put on another successful Science Sunday today. The free event is open to all ages. Today’s event focused on Alabama’s waterways.
Alabama Student Council Association Conference held at UA
WVUA 23 (Tuscaloosa) – April 17
Students from around the state were in Tuscaloosa for the Student Council Association Conference. It was held at the Braynt Conference Center. Each student is a member of their own SGA. They heard from guest speakers who talked to them about life-long skills.
Sassafras Food Memories Festival
WVUA 23 (Tuscaloosa) – April 17
Sassafras Arts and Environment teamed up with Creative Campus to hold a festival.
LETTER: Homeless ministry appreciates support
Tuscaloosa News – April 17
We would like to thank the West Alabama community for all their support of The Find HOPE Here Project and our mission to help the homeless community. We had our first general meeting, “Hope for the Homeless in West Alabama,” on April 2 to inform the community of our cause … In addition, we would like thank Ashlyn Irons, Priscilla Estrada and their team at the University of Alabama for their hard work and dedication to our ministry.
UA shows “Straight Outta Compton” movie
WVUA 23 (Tuscaloosa) – April 17
“Straight Outta Compton” was shown at the Ferguson Theater today.
UA public relations class holds crawfish boil for charity
WVUA 23 (Tuscaloosa) – April 16
UA public relations class holds crawfish boil for charity.