UA plans commencement ceremonies
Crimson White – June 29
The University has announced it will hold three commencement ceremonies and a candlelight remembrance on Aug. 5 and 6 to award more than 4,000 graduates with diplomas and honor six UA students who died in the April 27 tornado. Graduation, which was originally scheduled for May 7, was postponed after the EF-4 tornado hit Tuscaloosa.Judy Bonner, provost and executive vice president, said the decision to have three ceremonies was based on the record number of graduates participating. “At all UA commencement ceremonies, we provide an opportunity for each graduate to walk across the stage and shake hands with both the dean and the president,” Bonner said. “We wanted to provide an ample opportunity to honor our students without making the ceremony too long for the graduates and their families…The candlelight remembrance will be at 8:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 5 on the steps of Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library. In addition, the University will award posthumous degrees to the students who died in the tornado during the 9 a.m. ceremony on Saturday…
Alabama students win at Campus MovieFest International
Crimson White – June 29
…Xavier Burgin, a senior majoring in film production, received the award for Best 3D Film at the grand finale. According to Burgin, his film “Portrait of a Storm,” provided an up-close look at the April 27 tornado and included personal accounts from survivors as scenes of the devastation filled the screen. Burgin was awarded a $5,000 scholarship for his movie and said his award was a validation of his work. “When my name was called for Best 3D Film, a weight lifted off my shoulders and another rested atop my head when I realized I had to give a speech,” Burgin said. “Still, I managed to trudge forward and give an outstanding speech on the devastation of the Tuscaloosa Tornado and the necessity of keeping our plight in the limelight of the media’s eyes.”…Thomas Coiner, a senior and creator of the claymation “Blue Barry,”…placed in the Top 28…Andrew Carey, a 2011 graduate and director of “Sugarbaby,” also placed in the Top 28 films…
Alabama in Bangladesh program wins award
Crimson White – June 29
The Alabama in Bangladesh study abroad program, which is through Capstone International Academic Programs, has won the GoAbroad Innovation Award for Best Student Video. The video features UA students at a Bangladesh school, among other photos, and can be found on the program’s website and on YouTube… “I am so excited about both our most innovative program nomination and our win for innovative student video,” said Rashmee Sharif, Alabama in Bangladesh program director…
UA project to fight binge drinking lauded
Tuscaloosa News – June 29
A two-year project by 30 University of Alabama students to alert their peers to the perils of binge drinking won a national Silver Anvil Award of Excellence from the Public Relations Society of America this month…”It is the premier award that is given to public relations campaign,” said Teri Henley, a UA instructor in advertising and public relations and an advisor to the two student groups that developed the anti-binge drinking campaign that they called LessThanUThink. “This (the Silver Anvil) is something that public relations professionals nationwide are aware of,” Henley said. “To know our students won, when they were going up against campaigns of career professionals, let’s you know the quality of their work.”…Henley said the LessThanUThink campaign started in 2009 as a project of the student UA Ad Team…That normally would be the end of the student project, Henley said. But about three months after the national competition, The Century Council, the beneficiary of the campaign, offered UA a $75,000 grant to implement the campaign on the UA campus…The grant enabled the Capstone Agency, a UA student-run advertising and public relations agency, to put together the campaign. Another 15 advertising and public relations students worked on the Capstone campaign, which ultimately was entered in the Silver Anvil competition…
Grounds crew keeps campus tidy during summer
Crimson White – June 29
…the University of Alabama’s facilities and grounds crews have been working very hard to keep the campus’s appearance top notch. With Bama Bound in session all summer, the crews are working extra hard to keep the campus looking nice. “Being on campus makes me even more excited to be here in the fall,” said freshman J’Cee Hyatt. “The campus is so beautiful.”…Duane Lamb, the assistant vice president of facilities and grounds, hired horticulturists onto his crew to assist in making these decisions. Their goal is for the campus to look just as good in the more difficult summer and winter months as it does in the spring and fall months. “You never know when someone might come visit the campus,” Lamb said. “We want it to look great year-round to ensure everyone who visits gets the sense that they are at home.”… “The summer of my junior year in high school, I visited dozens of campuses,” said BethAnn Williams, a UA student from Michigan. “Alabama’s campus stood out to me. It was uniquely beautiful, and I felt at home.”… “Being an Alabama alumni, making the campus look great is a personal pride thing for me,” Lamb said…
Fun with Science
Tuscaloosa News – June 29 (Print version only)
About a dozen teachers, mostly from the Tuscaloosa city and county school systems, are participating in a weeklong summer science camp at the University of Alabama. The camp helps teachers link science principles to students’ everyday lives…
Counseling Center helps heal tornado victims’ psychological wounds
Crimson White – June 29
…Since nearly two hours after the tornado hit on April 27, the University of Alabama has been providing such relief efforts through its counseling services. The Temporary Emergency Counseling Services, a coordinated effort of the University of Alabama mental heath professionals, provided counseling to those affected by the tornado in the days following the storm. A coordinated effort by the UA Counseling Center, the University Medical Center, the College of Education, and the Psychology Department, students had immediate access to both individual and group counseling sessions…In the days following the tornado, Keyes estimated that the Center saw between 350 to 400 students. Individual and group counseling sessions were held, and Keyes said that the Center mobilized training efforts within Student Affairs, which trained faculty and staff members in psychological response to disasters…In addition to the Counseling Center, the College of Education provided counseling services to its staff, faculty, and students, as well as at local schools. During the days following the tornado, 26 students were served. According to Joy Burnham, an associate professor in the College of Education, the College will offer counseling services to students in the fall…The Counseling Center is already planning a response for the fall to help students. Although plans have not been finalized, Keyes said the Center will have special outreach in forms of classroom presentations, a table at the Ferg and Rec Center, and some special communication pieces that might go out through housing. “It’s really just about getting out from these four walls and going onto campus so the students as they’re going through their normal day can interact with us if they need to,” he said…
Stronger building codes would pay off, literally (editorial)
Mobile Press-Register – June 29
Photo: University of Alabama professors are part of a research team that’s examining tornado debris to find out more about what the winds did to building materials and whether there might be ways to improve building codes to make things safer. The three engineering professors, Dr. John W. Van de Lindt, Dr. Andrew Graettinger (green jacket), and Dr. David Grau (white shirt) are part of the Tuscaloosa Tornado National Science Foundation Damage Assessment Team. They were assessing damage at an apartment complex on 34th Ave. E. in Tuscaloosa.
Census: Montgomery running low on men
Montgomery Advertiser – June 29
… Bobby Wilson, a professor of geography at the University of Alabama, said that incarceration rates also may be a factor in the numbers. In 2005, blacks entered Alabama correctional facilities at more than three times the rate of whites, according to the Washington-based Sentencing Project. “The life that a lot of black men lead, particularly in the lower income groups, appears to be much more hazardous than among black women,” Wilson said…
Center for Business and Economic Research says tornado destruction could help state’s economy
WBHM-FM (Birmingham) – June 28
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – June 28
WTVM (Columbus, Ga.) – June 28
Analysts think the April tornado that decimated much of Alabama might provide a catalyst to kick start the economy. A study from the University of Alabama Center for business and economic research says that cleanup and rebuilding efforts in 2011 should pump about $2.6 billion into the state economy…
Avantis help incoming freshman
Crimson White – June 29
Every summer, a group of University of Alabama students clad in crimson and gray polos strive to provide essential support to incoming students to help them adjust to their new college lives. From class registration to personal advice, this diverse group of leaders teaches future UA students everything they need to know in order to be successful at the Capstone. To these Avantis, leading orientation sessions has become a great way to get involved in the UA community…