Grisham to speak at UA symposium
Tuscaloosa News – Feb. 26
John Grisham, a best-selling author of legal thrillers, will be featured at symposium 12:30 p.m. Friday at the University of Alabama School of Law. Grisham’s presentation will focus on enacting social change through literature. Several of Grisham’s novels have been made into movies, including “The Firm,” “The Client” and “The Pelican Brief.” The symposium, “The Legacy of To Kill a Mockingbird: Advocacy in an Unjust Society,” will be held from 8:30 a.m.-5:15 p.m. in the Bedsole Moot Court Room, room 140, at the law school, 101 Paul W. Bryant Drive.
U.S. News – Feb. 25
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Feb. 25
The Eagle (College Station, Texas) – Feb. 25
Moulton Advertiser – Feb. 25
CBS 5 (Mobile) – Feb. 25
Athens News-Courier – Feb. 25
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Feb. 26
CBS 42 (Birmingham) – Feb. 26
WTOK-ABC (Meridian, Mississippi) – Feb. 25
UA fashion show celebrates body image (gallery)
Tuscaloosa News – Feb. 25
More than two dozen University of Alabama students, faculty and staff signed up to participate in the Fashion Rocks and So Does My Body Fashion Show, part of Body Awareness Week, said Sheena Gregg, a registered dietitian and assistant director of UA’s Office of Health Promotion and Wellness. According to the university, the fashion show started in 2006 to engage more students in the week of events and is back in the student center after a three-year hiatus for building renovations.
UA breaks ground on Adapted Athletics Facility
NBC 13 (Birmingham) – Feb. 26
The University of Alabama is famous all around the world for great athletic programs. It’s about to be number one among some athletes even before they play another game. Sean Burns, Captain of Alabama’s Men’s Wheelchair Basketball Team, among the turning the dirt, breaking ground Thursday for the Adapted Athletics Facility to be built this year alongside the Rec. Center.
Prepare now, and know your location
Florence Times Daily – Feb. 25
There is a terrible time to make a severe-weather plan: when the weather system is bearing down on you. Local authorities say it is important to have a plan in place ahead of time. . . . Laura Myers, a University of Alabama senior research scientist with a background in emergency management research, said recent studies have shown about 60 percent of people surveyed cannot locate their home on a map. “That 60 percent has come up in almost every study we’ve done,” Myers said. “That tells me there is a pattern.”
University of Alabama President’s and Dean’s lists Fall 2016
Tuscaloosa News – Feb. 25
A total of 11,758 students enrolled during the 2016 fall semester at The University of Alabama were named to the Dean’s List with an academic record of 3.5 (or above) or the President’s List with an academic record of 4.0 (all As). The UA Dean’s and President’s lists recognize full-time undergraduate students. The lists do not apply to graduate students or undergraduate students who take less than a full course load.
Aspen Times (Colorado) – Feb. 25
Herald-Standard (Uniontown, Pennsylvania) – Feb. 25
Seacoast Online (Portsmouth, New Hampshire) – Feb. 27
Independent Tribune (Concord, North Carolina) – Feb. 25
Cleveland (Tennessee) Daily Banner – Feb. 26
PREVIEW: Honors College Internship Forum
Crimson White – Feb. 27
This Tuesday, the Honors College will host their 2017 Spring Internship Forum: An opportunity for students to prepare themselves to apply for and excel in internships. Geared at younger students, the panel will provide advice to younger students on how to get a head start on the internship process. “Join us at the biannual Internship Forum, hosted by the Honors College, which highlights inspiring University of Alabama upperclassmen who boast incredible internship experience,” the event’s official web page reads. “Come learn how you can find similar opportunities in the following fields: investment banking, finance, consulting, non-governmental organizations and politics.”
Telling Black Women’s Real-Life Stories Could be Oscar Gold
NBCNews.com – Feb. 25
Little known stories of black women’s resilience and resistance in tough historical times are taking center stage at the Oscars this year with two actresses earning top acting nominations for their portrayals of black women historical figures … These nonfictional accounts of black women’s lives in film may be resonating with the Academy because such stories humanize black women without leaning on stereotypes the way that fictional portrayals of black women do, said Robin Boylorn, PhD, associate professor in the Communication Studies Department at the University of Alabama.
True Viral News – Feb. 25
Monticello renovation brings new light to Sally Hemings
Columbia Tribune – Feb. 27
The room where historians believe Sally Hemings slept was just steps away from Thomas Jefferson’s bedroom. But in 1941, the caretakers of Monticello turned it into a restroom … Other historic plantations are recasting their exhibits to reflect a crueler truth “beyond the sort of old moonlight-and-magnolia plantation tour,” said Joshua Rothman, chair of the history department at the University of Alabama. “Talking about the history of the enslaved community is one thing, but recreating that space and trying to give it material substance takes it really to another level.”
Do Immigrants cause more crime than others?
Skeptical Science – Feb. 24
The claim that immigrants are a root cause of much crime is one that has been vigorously promoted by the current Oval office holder. This rhetoric has inspired not only his promises of a wall and deportations of vast numbers, but also xenophobic weekly lists of immigrant crimes designed to stir up a passionate hatred of “them” within the population … Immigration-crime research over the past 20 years has widely corroborated the conclusions of a number of early 20th-century presidential commissions that found no backing for the immigration-crime connection. Although there are always individual exceptions, the literature demonstrates that immigrants commit fewer crimes, on average, than native-born Americans. Also, large cities with substantial immigrant populations have lower crime rates, on average, than those with minimal immigrant populations. – Robert Adelman, University at Buffalo, and Lesley Reid, University of Alabama.
Trump shouldn’t be allowed to use his presidency to turn a profit
Al.com – Feb. 25
In Alabama we’ve got an ethics law that makes it illegal for a public official or public employee to use his or her official position or office to obtain personal gain for himself or herself, for a family member or any business with which the person is associated … As a professor at the University of Alabama, I qualify as a public employee under the law. Since I don’t occupy a position within the university administration, one where I might be in a position to decide who gets awarded a lucrative contract, I am seldom in a position to obtain personal gain for myself. (By John Gross, assistant professor of Clinical Legal Education and Director of the Criminal Defense Clinic at the University of Alabama School of Law.)
THE APPLE ORCHARD: UA’s Early College comes to ACS
Athens News-Courier – Feb. 25
High school sophomores, juniors and seniors in Athens City Schools may now earn dual credit (high school plus college credit) due to a new partnership with The University of Alabama. UA Early College, the premier program for high school students seeking college credit, allows students to start taking online or on campus college courses from The University of Alabama.
T.R.M. Howard led way for MLK, others
Clarion Ledger (Jackson, Mississippi) – Feb. 26
Nobody would be less surprised than Dr. T.R.M. Howard by the news that Carolyn Bryant, the white woman at the center of the racially charged Emmett Till murder case, lied that the victim had sexually harassed her. Till was a 14-year-old African-American who in 1955 was lynched, mutilated and dumped in the Tallahatchie River by Bryant’s husband, Roy Bryant, and his half-brother, J.W. Milam, after Till allegedly whistled at Carolyn Byrant. (David T. Beito is a research fellow at the Independent Institute and professor of history at the University of Alabama, and Linda Royster Beito chairs the department of social sciences at Stillman College. )
Edge Incubator holds Demo Day
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Feb. 24
A lot of start up businesses in Tuscaloosa got their start inside the Edge Incubator. Today, some of those businesses were on display at the Bryant Conference Center. The Incubator had a demo showcasing successful, cutting-edge startups like Sideliner, Brewery Buddy and Food Drop.
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Feb. 24
Ozark City Schools names teachers of the year
Dothan Eagle – Feb. 24
Megan Chapman and Philip Smith became Ozark’s elementary and secondary teachers of the year through discipline, hard work and a love of learning, values they try to impart to their students … Chapman has also recently participated in a project with a University of Alabama professor that has resulted in an article published in a national social studies magazine.
Loves Notes: UA Opera performs “Merry Wives of Windsor”
Crimson White – Feb. 27
Opera is one of the world’s oldest forms of entertainment, but this week it’s getting a fresh UA spin. This Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, The University of Alabama Opera Theatre will fill Bryant-Jordan Hall with the sounds of operatic voices and hysteric laughter from the top of its high, arched, wooden ceilings down to its smooth, tile floor. Their production of “The Merry Wives of Windsor” is an opera based on Shakespeare’s famed romantic comedy.
UA African American Gospel Choir to perform
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Feb. 24
The University of Alabama’s African American Gospel Choir will be celebrating black history this weekend at the Capstone. The choir is putting on a concert tomorrow at 4 pm. at UA’s Ferguson Center. The concert is free and open to the public.
Alabama Autism Conference held at UA
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Feb. 27
Professionals and teachers are talking about Autism. It’s part of the 16th annual Alabama Autism Conference. The theme is “Improving Daily Life for People with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Addressing Real Life Challenges.” The UA College of Continuing Studies and the Autism Society of Alabama and the UAB Civitan’s Sparks Clinic all sponsored the event.
FEMINIST FRIDAY: ‘The Mothers’, ‘Here We Are’, & ‘The Crunk Feminist Collection’ Intersectional Books
Girl Talk HQ – Feb. 24
It’s Feminist Friday, readers! If you are already familiar with our ongoing series where we end each week sharing a handful of our favorite videos of the moment, you will already know what you are in for. For those new to the series and this site, welcome … Brittney Cooper is an assistant professor at Rutgers University, Susana M. Morris received her Ph.D. from Emory University and is currently an associate professor of English at Auburn University, and Robin M. Boylorn is assistant professor at the University of Alabama. The blog has an annual readership of 1 million, where people come to engage in dialog about activism, intersectionality, identity, and sisterhood.
For Caroline Parish Meacham, serving as MCA queen is ‘a really big honor’
Al.com – Feb. 26
When her aunts, great-aunts and sister gathered at her parents’ house early last summer, Caroline Parish Meacham had no idea they had a surprise in store for her. And then, she was presented with a beautifully wrapped present, in gold paper with a purple bow, as her “first debut present.” … Caroline, a senior at the University of Alabama, is majoring in accounting. She’s a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and Beta Alpha Psi, a business honors program. A Mobile native, she went to St. Ignatius Catholic School, then graduated from McGill-Toolen Catholic High School in 2013.
Mystic Krewe of Zeus presents Maids, Dukes
Hattiesburg American (Mississippi) – Feb. 27
On Friday, the Mystic Krewe of Zeus gathered to crown King Zeus LXXVII and his Queen, and to present the Maids and Dukes of the Royal Court … KATHERINE ANNE WHITE, an exercise science major with a minor in psychology and biology at the University of Alabama, is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Clinton Brownlee White. She is vice president of Alpha Mu Omega service fraternity, a member of Delta Delta Delta Sorority and the Honors College. She is a health advocate intern for Project Health.
5 Great Places to Hide From Midterm Stress
Her Campus – Feb. 27
Two weeks remain until spring break, which means Alabama professors are doing all they can to fit in as many exams and projects before we escape from campus for a week … 4. The University of Alabama Arboretum: As much as we’re all stressed out about global warming, you can’t deny you’ve been enjoying our unseasonably warm weather in February. So take advantage of the sunny skies and see everything blooming in the gardens, or take your dog for a walk along the trails.
PORT RAIL: Aviate, Navigate, Communicate
Tuscaloosa News – Feb. 25
All pilot training includes this little rule when faced with an emergency when in the air. Aviate, Navigate, Communicate. By this the instructor pilots mean that you need to fly the plane first, then you can navigate (where am I?) and finally communicate (hello Atlanta Center, I’ve got a problem). It’s not going to help to tell Birmingham Air Traffic Control that you are in a death spiral in the clouds, nor is it going to help you to wonder exactly where you are. You need to deal with the emergency first and expeditiously. Then you can get on with figuring out where you are and talk about it. (Larry Clayton is a retired University of Alabama history professor. Readers can email him at larryclayton7@gmail.com.)
Taco Casa sign echoes hit song from 1979
Tuscaloosa News – Feb. 25
The creator of “The Pina Colada Song” has no beef with Tuscaloosa’s Taco Casa. A sign in front of the restaurant’s Rice Mine Road location has a reference to Rupert Holmes’ No. 1 hit from 1979, substituting beef enchiladas in place of the song’s pina coladas: “If you like beef enchiladas, and getting caught in the rain.” … Wilkin credited Joe Crowder, a 21-year-old pre-med student at the University of Alabama, with the idea to parody “The Pina Colada Song.”
Dress shopping days expanded, location changed, for Special Needs prom
Gadsden Times – Feb. 25
Some changes have been made in the planned dress shopping day for A Night For Our Stars Special Needs Prom, and event founder Emma Hazlewood said that’s a great thing. After plans for the event were publicized, Hazlewood, an executive board member of the The Children’s Policy Council of Etowah County, said she was contacted by the owner of a building on Rainbow Drive. The building’s not occupied at the moment, and the owner offered it for a use for the dress sale … Since the story made the news, Hazlewood said she has received other donations, including a University of Alabama student sending dresses from her sorority house.