BEST BETS
STATE BUSINESS LEADERS STILL WARY OF U.S. ECONOMY — State business leaders continue to be concerned about the national economy, dampening their financial outlook, according to the latest quarterly survey by The University of Alabama. The UA Center for Business and Economic Research’s latest Alabama Business Confidence Index, taken in early September, decreased slightly, indicating expectations for a mild drop-off from last quarter’s economic performance. The drop in confidence comes after the last survey found signs state business leaders were reversing their negative outlook. For more information, contact Adam Jones, UA Strategic Communications, at adam.jones@ua.edu.
WEEKLONG HAUNTING AT THE MUSEUM’S SPOOKY ACTIVITIES RETURN — Get in the Halloween spirit with the return of Haunting at the Museum, hosted by University of Alabama Museums, starting Oct. 23. For those who enjoy ghost stories, the Gorgas House Museum will be providing free haunted tours Oct. 23-27 and Oct. 30-31. Guests will hear spooky stories associated with the home during regular operating hours. For a more family and kid-friendly event, the Alabama Museum of Natural History will host its free Haunting at the Museum Oct. 25 from 5 to 7 p.m. The event will feature a visit from Big Al from 6 to 7 p.m., costume contest, mad scientist experiments, crafts and other fun activities. The winner of the contest, which will be selected by the guests, will take home a prize. For more information, contact Rebecca Johnson, UA Museums, at rljohnson8@ua.edu.
UA RISE CENTER HOSTS 20TH BUY FOR RISE FUNDRAISER OCT. 27-28 — The UA RISE Center will host the 20th BUY for RISE fundraiser Oct. 27-28 and will feature bargains from dozens of local retailers on everything from clothing to home décor. Brand-new items will be offered at deep discounts during the sale, raising funds for the RISE Center. BUY for RISE is the school’s second-largest fundraiser of the year. For more information, contact Bryant Welbourne, UA Strategic Communications, at bryant.welbourne@ua.edu.
CURRENT COMMENT
DEFEATING HAMAS REQUIRES ADDRESSING HUMANITARIAN ISSUES OF PALESTINIANS — Dr. Daniel Levine, the Aaron Aronov Chair of Judaic Studies at UA and professor of political science, is available to talk about many aspects of the latest conflict in Israel. Levine studies international relations, political philosophy and theory, Middle Eastern politics, and Israeli-Palestine relations. Levine said the underlying plight of the Palestinians living in Gaza must be addressed for the conflict to resolve in the long-term, he said. “One can dislike Hamas and still understand the people it purports to represent are human beings,” he said. “On one level, everyone knows that, yet, on another level, very little has been done to address the basic problems here, which are big, hard, and demand considerable political will. That said, they are not difficult to understand. Anyone who thinks Hamas can be ‘defeated’ without addressing those problems is probably selling snake oil.” To schedule an interview, contact Levine is at daniel.j.levine@ua.edu.
MILLENIALS MORE OPEN TO SIGNING PRENUPTIAL AGREEMENTS — According to a recent Harris Poll survey conducted for Axios, 50% of U.S. adults said they at least somewhat supported the use of prenuptial agreements, although about only 1 in 5 married couples have one. The study also found that 47% of millennial respondents who are engaged or have been married said they entered a prenup. “Divorce rates increased in the last half of the 20th century before stabilizing,” said Dr. Robert Laird, chair of the department of human development and family studies. “Age at first marriage and women’s participation in the paid workforce also changed dramatically in the last half of the 20th century. Millennials who grew up with older parents either experienced divorce in their families, or had friends with divorced parents, and were likely to see both parents working outside the home. Millennials are no less hopeful when they approach marriage, but they are more realistic. Based on their lived experience, they know that divorce occurs, and the financial and other challenges that follow. To schedule an interview, contact Laird at rlaird@ches.ua.edu.
EVENTS
NATIONAL FOSSIL DAY — Visit the Alabama Museum of Natural History on Oct. 28 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. for a free National Fossil Day event to celebrate the rich fossils Alabama has to offer. This year’s theme is mosasaurs, ancient predators of up to ~50 feet long that lived in the ocean covering most of Alabama during the Cretaceous.
THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW — The UA department of theatre and dance presents The Rocky Horror Show Oct. 31-Nov. 3 at 7:30 p.m., and Nov. 5 at 2 p.m. in the Marian Gallaway Theatre in Rowand-Johnson Hall. The production is the department’s first musical of the season and will be directed by third-year graduate student Robert Fuson.
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