MONDAY, DEC. 19 – SUNDAY, JAN. 8
Note: UA will be closed for the holidays from Dec. 22-Jan. 3. For emergency assistance during the holidays, phone 205/348-5320 and listen for instructions on how to reach the on-call supervisor.
BEST BETS
WHAT’S AHEAD FOR 2017? EXPERTS MAKE THEIR BEST GUESSES – For the 36th consecutive year, UA’s Office of Media Relations offers predictions from faculty experts for the coming year. The Top 8 “Educated Guesses” for 2017 include:
- Trump, Congress Won’t Mix
- Supreme Court Nominee Could Seek to Weaken Press Freedom
- Modified Medical Diets Push to the Forefront
- All Shades Pink, Puffy Sleeves to be Fashion Standouts
- For-Profit Education Could Rise
- Twitter Practices to Continue into First Year of Trump Presidency
- Obamacare to Undergo Only Subtle Changes
- Trump’s Presidency to Impact Civil-Military Affairs
Watch for more details at https://www.ua.edu/news/news-media/. For assistance, contact Chris Bryant, chris.bryant@ua.edu, 205/348-8323 (print/online media) or Shane Dorrill, shane.dorrill@ua.edu or 205/384-8319 (broadcast media)
REALIZING THE DREAM — Legendary gospel artist Kirk Franklin will headline the 2017 Realizing the Dream Concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15, at UA’s Moody Music Concert Hall. Before the concert, the Realizing the Dream Legacy Awards Banquet will take place Jan. 13 at 6:30 p.m. in the Bryant Conference Center Sellers Auditorium. The banquet’s keynote speaker will be John Quiñones, a veteran ABC news figure and host of the highly rated hidden camera ethical dilemma news program “What Would You Do?” This year’s theme, Realizing the Dream Through Acts of Courage and Compassion, will highlight the 28th annual Realizing the Dream event series, which celebrates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Realizing the Dream concert tickets are $15. Legacy Banquet tickets are $25 for individuals or $200 for a table of 10. Dress is semi-formal. Tickets for both events will go on sale through the Moody Music Building box office Jan. 4. For more information, contact Jamon Smith, UA media relations, at 205/348-4956 or jamon.smith@ua.edu.
CHRISTMAS IN A FEMA DISASTER ZONE – Dr. Suzanne Horsley, UA associate professor of advertising and public relations, has been deployed to Gatlinburg, Tennessee by the American Red Cross to assist with disaster relief. This is following the recent Major Disaster Declaration in light of the wildfires that damaged more than 2,400 structures and killed at least 14 people. She will work with collecting and disseminating relevant information about how to help and how to receive help in this disaster area. For more information, contact Rand Nelson, communication specialist in the College of Communication and Information Sciences, at james.nelson@ua.edu or 205/348-6416.
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 levels ever recording, 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.
LOOKING AHEAD
ART AND WAR — The Sarah Moody Gallery of Art presents an exhibition by Alabama native and UA alumnus Jim Neel. Titled “Echoes along the Syrian Border: Family Archeology and the Sound of Distant Gunfire: Works by James Emmette Neel,” the show will run from Thursday, Jan. 12, through Friday, Feb. 17. This solo exhibition comprises two bodies of Neel’s recent work which share an intense focus on the subject of warfare and its horrific effects on a country and its inhabitants, particularly children. In photography, prints and sculpture, Neel unleashes a visual landscape borne of his own physical proximity to war and its victims. Jim Neel received the Master of Fine Arts from UA’s department of art and art history in 1973. He has worked as a photojournalist, administrator, teacher, scholar and artist and is professor of art and director of the Durbin Gallery at Birmingham-Southern College. The Sarah Moody Gallery of Art is in 103 Garland Hall. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday with additional hours from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursdays. For more details, phone 205/348-1891. For assistance, contact Jamon Smith, UA media relations, 205/348-4956 or jamon.smith@ua.edu.