BEST BETS
BEAT AUBURN BEAT HUNGER KICKS OFF 30TH FOOD DRIVE — The 30th annual Beat Auburn Beat Hunger food drive launched Sept. 29 at The University of Alabama. The drive runs through Nov. 16 and results will be announced Nov. 17. The Beat Auburn Beat Hunger food drive works to raise awareness about food insecurity while collecting donations for the West Alabama Food Bank. According to Feeding America, more than 710,000 Alabamians struggle with food insecurity. For more information, contact Bryant Welbourne, UA Strategic Communications, at bryant.welbourne@ua.edu.
UA TO HOLD FALL 2023 COMMENCEMENT DEC. 16 — UA will hold fall commencement with two ceremonies Saturday, Dec. 16 at Coleman Coliseum on the UA campus. About 1,800 are expected to graduate. Each year, UA awards around 9,000 degrees and of the graduates that may be tracked since 2015, 52% remain in Alabama. More information, including live and recorded webcast details, an interactive campus map, parking information and fast facts about the 2023 fall class can be found on UA’s commencement website. Commencement information can be heard on UA’s radio station, 92.5 FM.
UA RURAL MEDICAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM ADDS 7 STUDENTS — The UA College of Community Health Sciences welcomed seven students from around the state to the Rural Medical Scholars Program, which is exclusively for rural Alabama students who want to become physicians and practice in rural communities. The 2023-24 class includes Morgan Bowman, of Cullman; Maycie Edmondson, of Slocomb; Kayla Harris, of Rockford; Griffin Howard, of Jackson; John Kuykendall, of Samantha; Raneisha Lee, of Brookwood; and Ariana Oliver, of Enterprise. The Rural Medical Scholars Program is part of the CCHS Rural Health Leaders Pipeline created to address the shortage of primary care physicians in Alabama’s rural communities. For more information, contact Bryant Welbourne, UA Strategic Communications, at bryant.welbourne@ua.edu.
MOUNDVILLE HOSTS 35TH ANNUAL NATIVE AMERICAN FESTIVAL — The UA Moundville Archaeological Park will become a “City of Life” as it celebrates the cultures of Southeastern Native Americans at the 35th annual Moundville Native American Festival Oct. 4-7. Festival attendees will have the chance to meet Native American artisans, see traditional dances, listen to stories and music, experience the opening of a new exhibit inside the Jones Archaeological Museum, and support local and Native American businesses at the ancient city on the Black Warrior River. Admission is $10 for adults, students and seniors. Children 5 years and under are free. Tickets are only available for purchase at the event. Moundville Native American Festival hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information, contact Bryant Welbourne, UA Strategic Communications, at bryant.welbourne@ua.edu.
IN-STATE INCREASE, ‘ALABAMA EXPERIENCE’ DRIVE UA’S RECORD ENROLLMENT — An increase in the number of in-state students highlights The University of Alabama’s record-breaking fall 2023 total student headcount, which approaches the 40,000 mark. The record-breaking enrollment of 39,623 includes 3,184 freshmen from Alabama, representing every county in the state. This marks UA’s fifth consecutive year with an in-state increase and the largest number of in-state freshmen since 2010. For more information, contact Alex House, UA Strategic Communications, at alex.house@ua.edu.
UA WELCOMES INAUGURAL CLASS OF RURAL DENTAL SCHOLARS — The UA College of Community Health Sciences welcomed four rural Alabama students aspiring to practice dentistry in the state’s rural communities to the inaugural class of the Rural Dental Scholars Program. The class of Rural Dental Scholars includes Catherine Hill, of Grant; Landon McCardle, of Dothan; Joshua Perry, of Guntersville; and Aubrey Stewart, of Dothan. The new program is a separate admissions pathway to The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry specifically for students from rural Alabama. For more information, contact Bryant Welbourne, UA Strategic Communications, at bryant.welbourne@ua.edu.
CURRENT COMMENT
UA PROFESSOR ADDRESSES UAW STRIKE STRATEGIES — “UAW members – whether on strike, laid off because of strike related interruptions, or still working – see the union tiered escalation policy as one that keeps the strike in the news while keeping carmakers and their suppliers on edge wondering if they are next. The strategy of expanding to parts manufacturers means that dealers are going to be affected much sooner than expected, meaning that the vast network of car dealers are going to turn up the heat on the big three to negotiate a settlement as soon as possible,” said Michael Innis-Jimenez, a professor in the Department of American Studies at The University of Alabama. “By not adding any Ford locations to the strike, the union gains an upper hand in creating an appearance that one company is seriously negotiating while the others are not. It doesn’t really matter if that is the case or not. Creating the appearance is all you need to start a rift between the companies.” To schedule an interview, contact Innis-Jimenez at ij@ua.edu.
EVENTS
UA SYMPHONIC BAND — The UA Symphonic Band will hold its first concert of the season Oct. 4 at 7:30 p.m. in the concert hall of the Moody Music Building. The concert is free to the public.
DON GIOVANNI — The UA School of Music presents Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” Oct. 5-6 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 8 at 3 p.m. at Bryant Jordan Hall. It’s opera like you’ve never heard it before. Mozart’s exquisite score, unchanged, sung in English with a brand new, modern translation, backed by all new electrifying rock orchestrations. The event is free to the public. Seating is limited and early arrival is suggested.
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The University of Alabama strives to remain neutral on public policy issues. Strategic Communications may facilitate interviews or share opinions expressed by faculty, staff, students, or other individuals regarding policy matters. However, those opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the University or its leadership, and do not constitute a statement on behalf of the University unless explicitly designated.