Local YMCA puts reading into summer program
Tuscaloosa News – July 13
Sitting on the floor of Benjamin Barnes YMCA Wednesday morning, April Irwin is surrounded by three 4-year-olds and a blank sheet of paper. Irwin points to the word “loose” on the page and asked the group to sound it out. “Loose,” the children exclaimed. As they complete the task, one boy points at his mouth. “I have some loose teeth,” he said. “Don’t show me any loose teeth,” Irwin joked …Benjamin Barnes YMCA’s Reader program has been active for three years, but this summer, Smith thought it would be a good idea to use resources from the University of Alabama by having graduate students come and teach the campers.
ABC 33/40 (Birmingham) – July 13
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – July 13
Psychologist Uses Surveys About Social Media And Safety Nets To Declare Conservatives Are Less Scientific
Science 2.0 – July 13
Academic social psychologists, who are over 99 percent liberal, can be reliably counted on to create surveys to affirm that liberals are more intelligent, less fearful of change, likely to have prettier children – especially in an election year … Aside from being a non-representative sample, here are the three topics: the justness of the world, the efficacy of social safety nets and the benefits of social media. Those are obviously confirmation bias. Dr. Alexa Tullett, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Alabama, nonetheless tries to make it sound empirical: ““There seem to be epistemological differences between liberals and conservatives. They disagree about the value of scientific evidence, and if you’re relying on different types of evidence, you’re less likely to come to an agreement.”
You parents are to blame for your relationship with your boss
MamaMia – July 13
If you are having problems with your boss, your parents could share the blame, according to a new study. It all begins in the early years with your attachment to your mother. University of Alabama researchers looked at attachment theory to try and better understand relationships in the workplace. “It seems cliché, but, once again, we end up blaming mum for everything in life,” researcher Dr Peter Harms told UA News. “It really is about both parents, but because mothers are typically the primary caregivers of the children, they usually have more influence on their children.”
Why Bill and Hillary Clinton are stumping in deep red coastal Alabama
Al.com – July 14
Former President Bill Clinton’s trip to Daphne Wednesday generated more than $250,000 in donations to his wife’s presidential campaign. The event drew 50 people – paying $5,400 apiece — to a long-time Clinton friend’s house in an area with deep conservative political roots. “It’s a big deal to bring a president to any area, whether it’s here or Philadelphia,” said Pat Edington, whose family befriended the Clintons in 1990 while Bill Clinton was governor of Arkansas. Clinton previously held a fundraiser at the Edington house in 2008 … “I have to say I’m surprised former Secretary (of State Hillary) Clinton is running TV ads in Alabama markets,” said William Stewart, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Alabama. “We’re getting many robocalls seeking votes for Clinton.”
The Rise and Simultaneous Fall of Straight-Ticket Voting
Governing – July 14
The U.S. has recently seen a rise in straight-ticket voting — that is, voters choosing candidates from only one party up and down the ballot. In most states, people have to make their straight-ticket choices contest by contest. But in more than a handful of states, voters can simply check a single box on their ballot that allocates all their votes to one party’s candidates … With a strong majority of Alabamans voting Republican today, there’s no impetus to change the rules. “The current Republican legislature’s supermajority would not do anything to jeopardize their party’s occupancy of all statewide offices,” said William Stewart, a University of Alabama political scientist.
Wise Up: Study Aging
Psychology Today – July 14
The plan wasn’t to study aging. No, I was to be a lawyer. A lawyer, until I realized: (1) that I didn’t have the moral fiber for lawyer-ing (and its inevitable politicking), and (2) that the market was already saturated with them. It’s clear to me, in retrospect, how non-academic factors largely cultivated my interest in aging—especially because gerontological coursework was woefully, blindingly—but not atypically—absent from my undergraduate psychology curriculum. (Christina M. Pierpaoli is a third-year graduate student in the Clinical Geropsychology doctoral program at the University of Alabama under the mentorship of Dr. Patricia A. Parmelee.)
Musical-comedy ‘The Producers’ brings unique challenges to Theatre Tuscaloosa actors
Tuscaloosa News – July 14
Against a background of sparkly silver streamers, a kick line of golden chorus girls dance. In the middle of the line is John Walker, dressed not in gold but in a plain gray suit, singing about how he wants to be a producer “… of a great big Broadway smash … every pocket stuffed with cash.” Walker, a doctoral student in math at the University of Alabama, plays Leo Bloom the mild-mannered accountant and wanna-be Broadway bigwig in Theatre Tuscaloosa’s production of the Mel Brooks musical-comedy “The Producers,” opening Friday.
AGI honors Dr. Ernest ‘Ernie’ A. Mancini at AAPG Annual Meeting
Science Mag – July 14
It is with great pleasure that the American Geosciences Institute announces its 2016 recipient of the Marcus Milling Legendary Geoscientist Medal. Dr. Ernest “Ernie” A. Mancini, Professor Emeritus in Geological Sciences at the University of Alabama has been recognized for his distinguished career in the geosciences spanning research, teaching and service at: the University of Alabama; Texas A&M University; Distinguished Research Professor in the areas of stratigraphy and petroleum geology at the University of Alabama.
University of Alabama helps West Virginia high schools with getting new football uniforms after floods
WOWK-CBS 13 (Charleston, WV) – July 14
Both Florida State University and The University of Alabama are taking football equipment donations for the teams in West Virginia that lost all of their equipment during recent floods. They will be sending the donations to the high schools later this month.
You’ve Got a Friend in Me: Building Relationships With Journalists
Progressions – July 14
You cross your fingers and hit send. Another uniform round of email press releases has been sent to reporters, and you’re hoping that someone will be interested. However, you’ll need more than a little luck for your pitch email to earn a media hit. The reporters who receive your pitches decide whether or not your story makes it to print, and they don’t want to be treated like pitch-reading machines. In order to be successful with the media, public relations professionals must build and maintain relationships with journalists. Bethany Corne is a junior majoring in public relations and marketing at the University of Alabama. She is the vice president of finance for the UA PRSSA, a digital strategist for the Capstone Agency and the communications manager for the UA EcoCAR 3 Team.
Tuscaloosa named one of Southern Living’s Best Southern College Towns
WAFF-NBC 48 (Huntsville) – July 13
Four Alabama cities now have the honor of being called some of the Best College Towns in the South. Southern Living magazine published a list of what they call Best Campuses in the South, based on fan base, alumni and academics. The University of Alabama, Auburn University, the University of North Alabama and UAH made the list.
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – July 13
Hundreds play Pokemon Go on UA Quad
WVUA 23 (Tuscaloosa) – July 13
More than 100 people gathered on the University of Alabama’s Quad to play Pokemon Go together. Players were split into teams led by guides. Then each team visited the Poke stops and gyms located on campus.
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – July 13