Estimate: More than 2,500 Thanksgiving week crashes could occur on Alabama highways
Al.com – Nov. 23
Falling gas prices, an improving economy and more disposable cash are the reasons AAA says there will be more Americans traveling for Thanksgiving this year since 2007. About 41.3 million people — 89 percent of the total who will venture more than 50 miles from home — will do so by car. More vehicles on the roadways means a higher likelihood for crashes. In Alabama, there could be more than 2,500 crashes this Thanksgiving travel period, defined as the holiday and the three days before and after according to the University of Alabama’s Center for Advanced Public Safety. Thanksgiving in Alabama mixes with college football activities and the start of deer hunting season and other factors to make the period especially dangerous, a state transportation researcher said.
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Nov. 23
Roaring fires help reduce blood pressure
The Telegraph (United Kingdom) – Nov. 24
A real fire is not only the heart of the home – it’s good for your health too. Scientists have discovered a link between a burning fire in the hearth and a “significant” reduction in blood pressure. Flickering flames, combined with the crackle and roar of burning logs, possess a hypnotic calming effect. Fires, he discovered, also “cement” a bond between individuals sitting next to them. Christopher Lynn, the biological anthropologist behind the study, said the discovery of fire by early humans not only helped them cook and stay warm but will have encouraged their ‘social behaviour’. The study by University of Alabama study may also go a long way to explaining the recent surge in popularity of wood burning stoves, whose sales have risen 300 per cent in recent years. “For early humans, fire extended the day, provided heat, helped with hunting, warded off predators and insects, illuminated dark places, and facilitated cooking,” said Dr Lynn, adding: “The hypnotic influence of watching campfires also provided a social nexus and relaxation effects that could have enhanced social behaviour. Calmer, more tolerant people would have benefited in fireside interactions.”
UA professor receives grant to design the Automated Ingestion Monitor
WAFB-CBS (Baton Rouge, La.) – Nov. 21
Researchers are working on cutting edge technology that could help prevent dieters from trying to cheat the system. Technology, fitness and weight loss have definitely collided. There are wearable fitness trackers that automatically monitor your physical activity. “At any point during the day I can press a button to see if I’m active enough apps that scan barcodes on your food.” … “It will tell you the calorie the carb, grams of fats everything” or diet plan apps, for companies like Weight Watchers and Nutrisystem … But one biomedical engineer at the University of Alabama says all of those devices are still missing the mark. Dr. Sazonov: “There are barely any good devices that will automatically measure your food intake, because all of them rely on some kind of self-reporting, that being a diary or even if you take pictures of your food. It’s all manual – the person has to do it. To eliminate the error that comes with self-reporting, researchers headed by Dr. Edward Sazonov of the University of Alabama are working on a device that will automatically quantify what you eat or drink. It’s a blue-tooth headset that fits over your ear, and right now it only exists as a 3d-printed prototype.
Is strong the new skinny?
Winnipeg Free Press (Canada) – Nov. 22
When Kristin Rance joined a CrossFit gym in Washington about a year ago, she had one vision: muscle. The 30-year-old mother of two wanted to look in the mirror and see someone “who looks like (she) works out — without flexing,” Rance says. How she didn’t want to look? Skinny. Over the past few years, women like Rance have been embracing the message that “strong is the new skinny” — that a body of muscle is better than a body of bones. Gyms have entire marketing campaigns built around the motto, with ads featuring rock-solid women pumping iron and classes promoted as muscle-building rather than weight-losing … At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, for example, not only did American female athletes outnumber their male counterparts for the first time, but media coverage of them also reflected that: For the first time, women landed more screen time and on-air mentions than men, according to a study in Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly led by Andrew Billings of the University of Alabama. Coverage of the 2014 Winter Games reflected a similar change.
Alabama and Auburn host annual Beat Hunger food drives
NBC 12 (Montgomery) – Nov. 21
A little friendly competition is helping thousands across the State. The Beat Hunger Food Drive between University of Alabama and Auburn University will soon be ending its campaign to raise as much food and money for those in need. The Beat Auburn Beat Hunger Food Drive is ending its campaign on Friday and the Beat Alabama Beat Hunger Food Drive ends its campaign on November 24. The competition is now 20-years-old, and has raised millions of pounds of food since 1994. The idea of the drives is to help fight hunger and poverty in the school’s respective areas of the state. Both schools typically have a sizable turnout with the winner taking home the food fight trophy and like any year, there are bragging rights from your team’s closest rival. Money and funds raised from the Beat Bama Beat Hunger Food Drive will go to the East Alabama Food Bank. Anything raised from the Beat Auburn Beat Hunger Food Drive will go to help West Alabama Food Bank. Below are the links to the homepage of both food drive websites. Towards the top is a link where you can donate to either cause.
See Big Al, Million Dollar Band, Marty Lyons, more cruise down Strip in Alabama Homecoming Parade (gallery)
Al.com – Nov. 22
The University of Alabama’s homecoming festivities continued at 10:30 a.m. Saturday morning with its annual parade from downtown Tuscaloosa to campus. Led by grand marshal and former Crimson Tide football great Marty Lyons, other participants included the Million Dollar Band, Crimsonettes, Alabama cheerleaders, sorority members, Tide athletes and other student organizations. See photos from this year’s homecoming parade above.
Tuscaloosa News – Nov. 22
CBS 42 (Birmingham) – Nov. 22
WSFA-NBC (Montgomery) – Nov. 22
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Nov. 21
Alabama sororities cap off busy homecoming week with silly costumes, high-fives in parade walk (gallery)
Al.com – Nov. 22
With lawn decorations, a choreography competition and another homecoming queen election, the University of Alabama Panhellenic sororities had a busy week in Tuscaloosa. Homecoming week at the Capstone is a lot of work for these and other student organizations on campus, so walking in a parade on a nice autumn day prior to Alabama’s game against Western Carolina is a fun way to cap things off. See photos from the parade above.
Feel the heat and watch Alabama’s 2014 homecoming bonfire burn on the Quad (gallery and video)
Al.com – Nov. 21
Temperatures only cooled slightly on Friday night in Tuscaloosa, but the University of Alabama’s annual homecoming bonfire on the Quad quickly helped those who forgot their jackets. Following the press conference featuring Nick Saban, Alabama football players, Eli Gold and the Million Dollar Band, Crimson Tide fans moseyed across the Quad as technicians set the stacks of wood ablaze, and the fire burned for the next half hour or so before folks called it a night. See photos above, or put yourself there and see if you can feel the heat by watching the video below from Friday’s bonfire.
Tuscaloosa News – Nov. 21
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Nov. 21
Watch Eli Gold announce Alabama’s 2014 Homecoming Queen during the Crimson Tide’s pep rally
Al.com – Nov. 22
With the help of Alabama sports broadcaster and pep rally emcee, the University of Alabama crowned Allison Montgomery its 2014 Homecoming Queen on the steps of Gorgas Library on Friday. Sponsored by Tri Delta sorority, the Talladega native is a senior majoring in biology at the Capstone. The online election saw a slightly smaller participation than in 2013, when more than 10,000 votes were cast to elect Bella Wesley. Montgomery will crowned at halftime of the homecoming game between Alabama and Western Carolina Saturday, with kickoff set for 3 p.m. The rest of the Alabama Homecoming Court is as follows …
UA apparel design students celebrate homecoming with art competition
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Nov. 21
Some University of Alabama students have found a creative way to celebrate homecoming with the help of a few locals. Apparel design students and local artists came together for an art project competition called Le Art de la Mode.
Homecoming at Bryant Museum
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Nov. 21
The Bryant Museum is holding special hours for homecoming.
Homecoming Tile Decorating Competition and Lawn Decorating Competition
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Nov. 21
This year, the community was involved in Homecoming through the tile decorating competition. Students at Holt Elementary painted 23 tiles, and others were painted by students at other schools and community organizations. The tiles were then all tied together to make one display that was outside the Ferguson Center.
Local Reaction to Immigration Reform
NBC 13 (Birmingham) – Nov. 23
According to the University of Alabama, an estimated 120,000 undocumented immigrants live in Alabama. In 2010, those undocumented immigrants paid $130 million in taxes. It would cost an estimated $2.8 billion to deport all the undocumented immigrants in Alabama.
Tide Talks IX addresses variety of topics
Crimson White – Nov. 24
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, everyone has their mind set on pie, including Tide Talks. Tide Talks IX kicked off their event Friday night with a pie eating contest among four random audience members. Two participants had to eat an entire piece of pie that was fed to them with tongs from their partner standing behind them. The winning team was awarded the rest of the pie, though neither seemed to want to dig in quite yet. The first speaker of the night was Matt Lambert, a senior majoring in finance and accounting from Idaho. Lambert addressed the audience on ways to be successful in the real world through branding, high margins and low cost products, referring to Coca-Cola, Walmart and Pfizer as examples. His main point of the night was his explanation of building a moat around oneself so that one can stand out when looking for a job.
Former Alabama pitcher furnishes apartments for homeless veterans
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Nov. 21
Located on the grounds of the VA Medical Center, Valor Grove is a new transitional housing complex for homeless veterans. Former UA and New York Yankees pitcher David Robertson and his foundation have furnished the apartments for the veterans.