University of Alabama student sees needs of community through volunteering
Tuscaloosa News – Dec. 22
Tawanna Samuel, a graduate student at the University of Alabama, grew up with foster children moving in and out of her home. She said that is what inspired her to pursue a career in social work. And one social work class led her to the Tuscaloosa Community Soup Bowl. “It started out when I was in Social Work 320, which is like a volunteerism class,” Samuel said. She said she began volunteering at the soup bowl on weekends, and she realized the need there for volunteers and sponsors, especially on Sundays and during football season when hardly anybody showed up. Samuel stuck with the soup bowl after her class ended and sponsored her first “soup bowl” in August 2013. On Saturday, she sponsored her third soup bowl, which means she planned, purchased and served a meal of one meat and two vegetables to about 300 people. “Tawanna is committed to the cause of feeding the hungry,” said Laurice McCollum, assistant director of the Community Soup Bowl. “Our volunteers are really the backbone of our organization.”
College News
Tuscaloosa News – Dec. 21
The UA Tuba Quartet recently played a selection of classical and contemporary arrangements at Morning Pointe of Tuscaloosa for the seniors at the assisted living and Alzheimer’s memory care communities. The quartet includes Matthew Kundler, Josh Tubbs, Eli Westerfield and Ashton Bowles. . . . Local high school students are invited to sign up for the Spring 2015 Creative Writing Club at UA. The club will meet from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays from Jan. 28 to April 22 in Room 301 Morgan Hall on campus. To register, send an email with the student’s name, address, phone number, email address, school and grade level to program coordinator Rashanda Williams at uacreativewritingclub@gmail.com. . . . The UA College of Human Environmental Sciences honored Stuart Usdan with the 2014 Joseph S. Rowland Teaching Excellence Award during recent homecoming activities on campus. Usdan is an associate dean for graduate studies, research and assessment and a professor in the department of health science. He has been at UA since 2005. . . . Jeff Gray, a UA professor of computer science, is one of 49 scientists, engineers and educators recently named a Distinguished Member of the Association for Computing Machinery. The Distinguished Member grade honors ACM members with at least 15 years of professional experience and five years of continuous membership who have achieved significant accomplishments or have made a significant impact on the computing field.
UA professors makes educated guesses
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Dec. 21
Each year, University of Alabama’s media relations office offers expert predictions on trending topics for the new year. One 2015 educated guess is about lower gas prices. The UA Center for Business and Economic Research associate director estimates lower gas prices will add .4 percent to real gross domestic product. But, he says, this will only negate some impacts of higher grocery prices. Another prediction: New cars will become smart phones on wheels, a UA engineering professor says. He believes cars will become more connected to the Internet in 2015.
Crew of USS Alabama sends message to Alabama football fans
Tuscaloosa News – Dec. 20
The crew of the USS Alabama had some good tidings sent their way, courtesy of the University of Alabama. All 350 members of the Trident ballistic missile submarine were given red T-shirts with the words “USS Alabama” and “Roll Tide” surrounding the school’s script A logo. The crew, which is homeported in Bangor, Wash., also received a flag that was flown over Bryant-Denny Stadium and a football signed by coach Nick Saban. The gifts were received Friday at the submarine’s change-of-command ceremony in Bangor. Cmdr. Paul B. Reinhardt, the son-in-law of U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Mobile), took command of the ship’s “Blue Crew.”
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Dec. 21
WHNT-CBS (Huntsville) – Dec. 21
Million Dollar Band to perform in Mobile
WALA-Fox (Mobile) – Dec 20
The University of Alabama’s Million Dollar Band will perform at the Reese’s Senior Bowl. This is video of the band this past Mardi Gras in the port city. Officials at the Senior Bowl says that the 416-member band will perform during the pre-game and halftime shows. The Atlanta Falcons cheerleaders will also be performing at next month’s game. The Reese’s Senior Bowl is Saturday, Jan. 24, at Ladd-Peebles stadium.