In the News — Aug. 19

The Rio Olympics Failed Women Even While Giving Them More Attention
Bustle.com – Aug. 18
It’s no secret that American women are killing it at the Rio Olympics — from Simone Biles to Katie Ledecky, women athletes are simply outshining their male counterparts at the 2016 games … Recognizing women’s sports with primetime the coverage they deserve is undoubtably important. However, Andy Billings, a sports media professor from the University of Alabama (who conducted the study that found women are dominating primetime coverage at the 2016 Olympics), made an important point: women’s sports are being covered, but the coverage can be pretty sexist.
 
UA reaches out to flood victims in South Louisiana
ABC 33/40 (Birmingham) – Aug. 18
The University of Alabama is reaching out to flood victims in South Louisiana. Avery Johnson, a 1988 graduate of Southern University in Baton Rouge, rented an 18-wheeler, packed it with supplies and sent it to Louisiana today. The Tide football team, which has as many as 11 players and coaches who are Louisiana natives are helping as well.
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Aug. 18
Tuscaloosa News – Aug. 19
New Orleans Times-Picayune – Aug. 19
Baton Rough Advocate – Aug. 18
WTVY-CBS 4 (Dothan) – Aug. 18 
WRGX-NBC (Dothan) – Aug. 18
 
Different Funding Systems, Same Underlying Problems
Inside Higher Ed – Aug. 19
A new policy report from the Urban Institute examines how national policies will need to recognize the variation and differences across the community college sector in order to be successful. That variation in tuition, missions and student bodies plays an important role in the overall success at colleges. All of those factors are impacted by a lack of sufficient funding, according to the report … Steve Katsinas, director of the Education Policy Center at the University of Alabama, said within some states the disparity and inequity is apparent. Take Illinois, where state aid makes up less than 5 percent of Joliet Junior College’s budget, but more rural Shawnee Community College in Southern Illinois receives about 40 percent of its budget from state investment. The higher education cuts in Illinois are more devastating to colleges that rely on more state aid, he said.
 
Conference on banking industry planned at University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa News – Aug. 18
A conference on the responsibilities of bank directors and officers will be held Aug. 26 at the University of Alabama School of Law. The conference will be at the Bedsole Moot Courtroom, Room 140, and is free and open to the public. The conference will 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. and will begin with a panel discussion on ethics at 8:45 a.m. Conference speakers will include legal scholars and members of the banking industry. Among the topics will be the importance of diligence and honesty by those in the banking industry.
 
A look at Alabama’s sorority houses in vintage photos
Al.com – Aug. 19
Al.com slideshow.