ANNOUNCEMENT
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‘HATE DOESN’T ROLL HERE,’ SGA FOCUSES ON BUILDING INCLUSIVITY — The University of Alabama Student Government Association will host “One UA,” a week focused on building a more inclusive campus, on Sept. 21-25. Events throughout the week include a virtual movie night showing “The Hate U Give,” a campus resource fair showcasing diversity resources, and a presentation by internationally known diversity educator Jane Elliott. On Wednesday, the SGA begins their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion certification program, which will allow campus organizations to become DEI-certified. To learn more about “One UA,” watch for a news release or visit the SGA’s Facebook page. For more information contact Jamon Smith, UA communications, at jamon.smith@ua.edu.
GROUPS ACROSS CAMPUS COME TOGETHER TO ‘GET OUT THE VOTE’ — Sept. 22 has is National Voter Registration Day with Vote Everywhere UA and the Crossroads Civic Engagement Center hosting a virtual “Get Out The Vote!” meeting with a variety of student groups and University departments. Also taking place that day, Vote Everywhere UA will be live on Zoom from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m answering questions about voter registration, voter ID laws, absentee ballots and more. For more information contact Jamon Smith, UA communications, at jamon.smith@ua.edu.
VOTE EVERYWHERE UA WINS CHAPTER OF THE YEAR AWARD — The University of Alabama’s chapter of Vote Everywhere was awarded chapter of the year by the group’s parent organization, The Andrew Goodman Foundation, which supports youth leadership development, voting accessibility and social justice initiatives on campuses across the country. Vote Everywhere UA was established in 2015, focusing on increasing the voter turnout by registering students to vote and making absentee ballots more accessible. For more information, contact Jamon Smith, UA communications, at jamon.smith@ua.edu.
SENDING RELIEF TO HOMETOWN HIT BY HURRICANE LAURA — As Hurricane Laura moved across Louisiana on Aug. 27, UA sophomore Kana Webb, who is from Lake Charles, watched live coverage as the storm devastated her hometown. Webb then reached out to her friends, sorority sisters and a few campus organizations she’s involved in, including the Student Government Association, the Panhellenic Association and the Center for Service and Leadership. A few days later, Webb packed a trailer full of supplies and headed out to deliver over $1,500 worth of donations to a local church in Lake Charles. This is only the beginning of Webb’s efforts. With the support of SGA, the Panhellenic community, Beyond Bama and the Capstone College of Nursing, she is partnering with United Way of West Alabama to raise money for those impacted by Hurricane Laura and to aid in rebuilding. For more information, contact Melissa Parker, UA communications, at melissa.parker@ua.edu.
UA LIBRARIES HOST SIXTH ANNUAL DIGITAL HUMANITIES CONFERENCE — University of Alabama Libraries and the Alabama Digital Humanities Center are hosting the sixth annual Digitorium conference on Oct. 1-3. Digitorium encourages people who work on digital projects around the world to engage with other practitioners on digital research, methods and pedagogy, according UA Libraries. Though Digitorium was founded to showcase the field of digital humanities, it does not exclude other disciplines. The three-day conference will be virtual this year and cost $25 per person. Registration can be found here. For more information, watch for a news release or contact Jamon Smith, UA communications, at jamon.smith@ua.edu.
UA SENIOR CREATES GREETING CARDS TO CHEER NURSING HOME RESIDENTS — University of Alabama senior Demarcus Rudolph started a project creating greeting cards for senior citizens in nursing homes. Rudolph, a 22-year-old Daphne native studying early childhood special education, said he started the project because nursing home residents can’t see their loved ones in person due to the novel coronavirus, and he wanted to do something to lift their spirits. The project, called “Putting A Smile In Nursing Homes,” is a part of Rudolph’s foundation, Mary’s Dream, named for his grandmother who taught him to always give back to others. She died a decade ago. For more information, contact Jamon Smith, UA communications, at jamon.smith@ua.edu.
NURSING STUDENTS DEVELOP PEER MENTORING PROGRAM — Students in the Capstone College of Nursing developed a peer mentoring program in the spring to help first semester students get adjusted to the challenges of nursing school and college in general. The program pairs first semester students with students in their third, fourth and fifth semesters based on hobbies, interests or nursing specialties. Each pairing also has a faculty advisor to ensure the student match is successful and that both mentor and mentee feel supported in this program. “We were pleasantly surprised when about 50% of the spring cohort of first semester students signed up for the mentoring program,” said Dr. Mercy Mumba, associate professor in the college. “Many of the mentors mentioned how they would have liked to participate in a program like this when they were in first semester, and were excited to help other students.” For more information, contact Bryant Welbourne, UA Strategic Communications, at bryant.welbourne@ua.edu.
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