UA interim class holds mock wedding
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – May 20
Today, The University of Alabama’s wedding planning class had a very non-traditional exam. The students gathered on the steps of Russell Hall where their final test was to perform a mock wedding ceremony. From the picking out of the gown and tux to the exchanging of mock vows and ring pops, the students planned and executed a full wedding ceremony.
CBS 42 (Birmingham) – May 20
Tuscaloosa News (Photo gallery) – May 21
UA professor discusses wedding etiquette
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – May 20
Kim Boyle is an assistant professor of restaurant, hotel and meetings management at The University of Alabama. She tracks the trends of wedding gift giving and etiquette. Boyle says most couples register for gifts at big box stores and smaller specialty shops. Boyle says etiquette says to spend anywhere from $70 to $100 on a gift, and don’t bring it to the wedding.
NBC 12 (Montgomery) – May 20
Tennessee High School Senior Gets Into All 8 Ivy League Schools — And Turns Them Down For University Of Alabama
National Association of Financial Aid Administrators – May 20
“A Tennessee genius teen got into all eight Ivy League schools — but he’ll root for the Crimson Tide this fall,” the New York Daily News reports. “Memphis-area high school senior Ronald Nelson announced he’ll attend the University of Alabama, meaning he is rejecting offers from the eight Ivies plus a handful of other competitive, private schools. Nelson said a generous full-ride scholarship convinced him to enroll at the public school. He’ll use the money he’s saving on his undergrad degree on medical school, he told Business Insider.”
AllHipHop.com – May 20
Phenix City teen is first in family to graduate high school
Fox 8 (New Orleans, La.) – May 20
A Phenix City teen has beaten the odds of a tough hand dealt to him, and he is set to be the first in his family to attend college. LaMarieous Franklin says there were times he didn’t think graduating from high school was possible because of life’s ups and downs, but now his dream is about to come true. LaMarieous Franklin is ready for new beginnings after a four-year up and down battle in high school. The senior at Central High School has fought his way to become the first person in his family to get a high school diploma “I hope that my experience won’t be something that’s looked upon as shameful but rather as a testimony that strengthens people’s faith,” said LaMarieous Franklin … And in a few days, LaMarieous Franklin will graduate and start taking college summer classes on Monday. “I want to major in accounting, finance, or economics. I hope to take advantage of clubs and organizations,” said Franklin. Franklin will attend the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa with several scholarships, financial aid from the state and help from supporters in the community. A gofundme account was set up for LaMarieous Franklin for financial assistance. The goal was $1,000. So far his account has already passed that amount.
WTVM-ABC (Columbus, Ga.) – May 20
Most cities in Etowah County see populations decline
Gadsden Times – May 20
All but two cities in Etowah County had a drop in population from 2013 to 2014, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates released this week … Ahmad Ijar, associate director and director of economic forecasting for the Center for Business and Economic Research at the Culverhouse School of Business and Commerce at the University of Alabama, said the recession caused similar population slowdowns across the state. “It will take another year or so until we find out, not just in population forecast but employment forecast and (Gross Domestic Product) forecast, about what the impact of the recession was,” Ijar said.
Tuscaloosa music fest to benefit University of Alabama autism resource
Tuscaloosa News – May 20
Of the many legends grown around the Beatles, one of the most pervasive — as well as persuasive — is that the lads rose from obscurity to obsession through their two years in Hamburg, West Germany, where they frequently played gigs lasting up to eight hours a day. Although even that blistering pace would leave them a bit short of 10,000 hours’ work, long repetition honed raw skills into music that changed the world. The 10,000-Hour Rule, as outlined in Malcolm Gladwell’s book “Outliers,” suggests mastery of a field comes from practicing a skill for that long. This weekend, Ham Bagby’s odometer speeds up its already rapid clicking. … Starting tomorrow, Bagby revs back up, sitting in with seven bands over three days, concluding Sunday night with The Siege, for his annual benefit show at Egan’s called Ham Ham Jam Jam VII. … There’s never a cover at Egan’s, so the Ham Ham Jam Jam raises money for causes through donations, and the donation of all the groups’ fees. Last year’s benefit for West Alabama AIDS Outreach brought in about $1,300. This weekend’s show will raise money for the University of Alabama Autism Clinic Parent Resource and Support Library, which provides books, materials and other support for parents whose children have been diagnosed with autism.
Alabama State Bar to host free legal clinic in Tuscaloosa
ABC 33/40 (Birmingham) – May 20
The Alabama State Bar Volunteer Lawyers Program, working in cooperation with the Tuscaloosa County Bar Association, The University of Alabama School of Law and Legal Services Alabama, on Thursday will host a free legal clinic for low-income residents of Tuscaloosa County. The clinic is open to the more than 40,000 low-income residents of Tuscaloosa County coping with civil legal challenges. The clinic lawyers are experienced in various areas of the law and will be available to answer questions in the areas of divorce/custody/visitation, landlord/tenant issues, wills and estates, debts/bankruptcy/foreclosure and domestic violence. Thursday’s clinic will be held from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Tuscaloosa County Public Library Main Branch.
ALEA troopers arrive to AL state house to lobby responsible passing of budget
NBC 5 (Memphis, Tenn.) – May 20
Off-duty Alabama State troopers arrived at the Alabama State House on Wednesday to show concerns about cuts to their agency in the proposed 2016 general fund budget. The ALEA general fund appropriation that passed the Alabama House of Representatives on Tuesday could mean a number of layoffs to ALEA troopers and support personnel, according to an ALEA press release. … A study conducted by the University of Alabama’s Center for Advanced Public Safety (CAPS), which is independent of ALEA, recommended there be 1,016 troopers, including field supervisors, patrolling our state’s roadways. For comparison, in 2014, there were 289 troopers assigned to the Highway Patrol Division.