Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to speak to students
Crimson White – Oct. 23
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas will speak today at 2 p.m. at the UA School of Law. Thomas will present the law school’s Albritton Lecture, which brings national and international judiciary figures to Tuscaloosa each year. Since 1996, eight Supreme Court justices have presented the lecture, including current justices Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer and Samuel Alito … The Albritton Lecture series was created by UA Law alumnus William Albritton. In the spring, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts will present the lecture.
Big Al embodies Alabama spirit and tradition
Crimson White – Oct. 23
…“At first, Coach Bryant was reluctant to have a mascot, and it took a lot of advocacy,” said Kathleen Cramer, senior associate vice president of student affairs. “Coach Bryant did not want us to have something silly. He wanted a classy elephant.”…Cramer was part of the group that traveled to Memphis, Tenn., to attend a mascot conference where they studied other mascots and worked on Big Al’s design. “It took us years, and it was very deliberate,” Cramer said. “We wanted it to be up to Alabama standards, and we wanted to make Coach Bryant proud.” … Nearly 30 years later, Big Al still is an integral part of the tradition of Alabama and is among the most recognized mascots in college sports. … The earliest incarnation of the Big Al suit now resides in the Paul W. Bryant Museum, after recently being moved from the Ferguson Center. “This is a part of history, and to have that first costume is important to us,” said Ken Gaddy, director of the Bryant Museum. “People can look at the history and see the changes in Big Al over time. People like to see that and collect the details.” Now everyone can experience another part of Alabama’s storied history among the other collections housed in the Bryant Museum. Admission is free for students, faculty and staff.
Sororities encourage UA to ‘go pink’ for game
Crimson White – Oct. 23
… The UA chapters of Delta Zeta sorority and Zeta Tau Alpha sorority are encouraging students to wear an article of pink clothing to the football game against Tennessee Saturday in observance of Breast Cancer Awareness month … those who will be showing their support by wearing pink include the SGA, the Panhellenic Council, the Million Dollar Marching Band and several others …
ACRE Leadership Council members announced
Crimson White – Oct. 23
The Alabama Center for Real Estate Leadership Council based on campus has added 40 new members to its ranks. The council consists of business leaders from all over the state of Alabama and from the finance, construction, law, sales and marketing sectors of the real estate community. The appointments are two years, and members meet twice annually. “The Culverhouse College of Commerce is fortunate to have the support of the real estate industry leaders that comprise the ACRE Leadership Council,” said Grayson Glaze, the executive director for the Alabama Center for Real Estate…
Student plans first Tuscaloosa Diabetes Walk
Crimson White – Oct. 23
… the first ever Step Out: Walk to Fight Diabetes event in Tuscaloosa. The walk, which will take place on Oct. 31, is a fundraising and advocacy event for the American Diabetes Association. This is the first diabetes walk in the Tuscaloosa community and will shed light on the issues surrounding the dangerous disease that impacts so many local residents …
Education briefs
Birmingham News – Oct. 23
Dr. Shadi Martin, assistant professor of social work at the University of Alabama, is one of nine geriatric social work professionals nationally to be named a 2009 Hartford Faculty Scholar by the Gerontological Society of America. – Caleb O’Connor, the artist commissioned to paint 16 murals for Tuscaloosa’s new federal courthouse, has moved into his new studio on the University of Alabama campus. O’Connor will spend the next two years as an artist in residence in UA’s College of Arts and Sciences… — An online newspaper for students in the University of Alabama’s Greek system launched recently. Its founders say the goal of the Agorean is to unify, encourage and inform Greeks through the exchange of ideas and information. The paper publishes every Thursday.