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MONDAY, DEC. 12 – SUNDAY, DEC. 18  

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ALTERNATIVE WINTER BREAK — UA’s Center for Service and Leadership is sending four teams of more than 60 UA students, as well as leaders, on Beyond Bama: Alternative Break from Saturday, Dec. 10, to Saturday, Dec. 17. International teams are going to the Nicaraguan cities of Managua, Santa Julia and Esteli. A fourth team is going to Greensboro. The teams traveling to Nicaragua will work with Panorama Service Expeditions: Nicaragua Compact. The UA center joined the Nicaraguan Compact in 2014 with 15 other universities. The three teams will further develop a community school, bolster the development of an all-women’s coffee collaborative and work to increase access to healthcare. This initiative sends U.S. university and college students to help with the long-term development of Nicaragua through social-justice-based direct service projects. The team traveling to Greensboro will work with the Hero Project and Habitat for Humanity, serving alongside local activist and community change agent Pam Dorr. The students will work on renovation and new building projects. This program is called House United. For more information, contact Richard LeComte, media relations, rllecomte@ur.ua.edu, 205/348-3782.

WHAT’S AHEAD FOR 2017? UA FACULTY TO MAKE PREDICTIONS – UA’s annual faculty prediction package, known as Educated Guesses, is scheduled for later this week. Subject matter experts will speculate on what’s in store for various areas, from politics to fashion, in the coming year.

CURRENT COMMENT

ANTI-SEMITISM ON THE RISE WORLDWIDE, BUT WHY? – A month after the presidential election in New York City, police reported that hate crimes in the city increased by 115 percent with Jews being targeted in 24 of the 43 incidents, according to the New York Observer. In Canada, a country known for its racial tolerance, incidents involving anti-Semitism have skyrocketed to the highest recorded levels, according to a study by global Jewish advocacy group B’nai B’rith International. In Australia, Europe and in many other places, it’s the same story. Anti-Semitism is on the rise. But why? Dr. Janek Wasserman, assistant professor of history at UA, is willing to provide his expert insight on the trend. For more information, contact Jamon Smith, UA media relations, at 205/348-4956 or jamon.smith@ua.edu; or Wasserman at ian.wasserman@ua.edu, or 617/784-5883.