University of Alabama trustees discuss construction projects
Tuscaloosa News – Feb. 2
The University of Alabama System board of trustees will consider plans for a new connector road on the UA campus, a new retail center and a new alumni building when it meets Friday. The new projects were part of a lengthy agenda approved by the board’s physical properties committee on Thursday. The new connector road, which would link University Boulevard and Johnny Stallings Drive by the College of Nursing, was part of a revised scope for the second phase of the University Boulevard improvements project. The trustees approved increasing the budget from $11.3 million to $13.7 million.
WVUA 23 (Tuscaloosa) – Feb. 2
ABC 33/40 (Birmingham) – Feb. 2
Plans considered for renovations to Aquatic Center
Tuscaloosa News – Feb. 2
The University of Alabama System Board of trustees will consider plans for a complete renovation of the Aquatic Center when it meets Friday. The board’s Physical Properties committee on Thursday approved the preliminary scope and budget for the $15-million project to renovate the interior and exterior of the center at 415 Paul W. Bryant Drive.
Bama Theatre’s ‘Evening of African Film’ showcases the continent’s culture
Crimson White – Feb. 1
With the Oscars this month,
award-winning movies from around the world are in the spotlight, and local organizations are hosting a film festival to highlight cinema from one continent in particular: Africa. The fifth annual Tuscaloosa Evening of African Film, co-sponsored by the University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences, will be held this Saturday. This year’s
marquee film is a 2014 Nigerian production called “Dazzling Mirage,” which tells the story of a young woman with
sickle-cell disease.
Tuscaloosa News –Feb. 3
Trump’s voter fraud claims rooted in Alabama man’s work
AL.com – Feb. 3
Gregg Phillips’ claims about voter fraud thrust the Montgomery man and former Alabama GOP fundraiser into the national media spotlight after President Donald Trump mentioned his name in a Jan. 27 Twitter post about “3 million” people voting illegally. . . . Richard Fording, a political science professor at the University of Alabama, said he believes the Sessions-led DOJ will be considerably less restrictive toward voter ID laws than his predecessors in President Barack Obama’s administration. “I think we can certainly count on the DOJ to back down on its opposition to voter ID laws, especially given President Trump’s and Jeff Sessions’ opinions regarding the prevalence of voter fraud,” Fording said. “This doesn’t mean these laws won’t be struck down, though. Much of the civil rights/voting rights legal work is done by nonprofit legal organizations, such as the Legal Defense Fund, the ACLU, and the Southern Poverty Law Center. The change of leadership at DOJ will put more pressure on these organizations to compensate and for federal judges to enforce the Voting Rights Act.”
Immigration and crime: What does the research say?
Univision – Feb. 2
Editor’s note: In his first week in office, President Donald Trump showed he intends to follow through on his immigration promises. A major focus of his campaign was on removing immigrants who, he said, were increasing crime in American communities. In his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, Trump named victims who were reportedly killed by undocumented immigrants and said … Across 200 metropolitan areas … Robert Adelman, University at Buffalo, and Lesley Reid, University of Alabama: Research has shown virtually no support for the enduring assumption that increases in immigration are associated with increases in crime.
UA to build new Performing Arts Center
CBS 42 (Birmingham) – Feb. 2
The department is churning out some top talent, but the facilities are old dating back to the 1950s. While touring with Department Chair Bill Teague, we learned about a $30 million campaign for the University’s new Performing Arts Center. We got a peek at what the new Performing Arts Center will look like.
University of Alabama Theatre and Dance Department is a pipeline to Broadway
CBS 42 (Birmingham) – Feb. 2
If all the world is a stage, The University of Alabama’s Theatre and Dance Department has found its spot front and center. New York, if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. And for students who start out at The University of Alabama Theatre and Dance Department, making it might be an understatement. We’re talking leading roles in some of the biggest Broadway hits, Hamilton, Wicked, Kinky Boots, even the Radio City Rockettes on stage.
This family collaborated on a book to help college students fight debt
USA Today College – Feb. 2
Coming to college can be overwhelming. Deciding where to live, shopping for groceries and juggling bills can be a difficult balancing act. College students have to face the financial responsibilities of growing up while dealing with student loans and filing taxes. In their new book, The Official Money Guide for College Students, authors Susan Beacham, Michael Beacham and Allison Beacham help students navigate the financial landscape. (Matthew Wilson is a University of Alabama student and a USA TODAY College correspondent.)
Student musician fulfills passions through saxophone
Crimson White – Feb. 3
April Newman was walking along the subway tracks in New York City when she heard the most beautiful sound. She looked over her shoulder and noticed a middle-aged man sitting on the bench playing the saxophone. In that moment, Newman realized that the saxophone was meant for her; it was calling her name. Newman is a freshman majoring in political science and minoring in women’s studies. She was born and raised in Birmingham and has lived there her whole life. She decided to come to The University of Alabama because she saw it as a great opportunity to put herself out there and meet new people who had the same interests as her. “The University of Alabama has a beautiful and great campus as well as an outstanding community,” Newman said. “The programs that are available to students just blew my mind. Overall, I believe that this school is outstanding and well-rounded.”
What does it take to light up the University of Alabama in Pink?
WVUA 23 (Tuscaloosa) – Feb. 2
Tomorrow night Coleman Coliseum will be lit up with pink as the Alabama Gymnastics Team hosts its 13th annual Power of Pink Meet. Thanks to the employees of the University’s electrical maintenance department, the outside of Coleman Coliseum is already showcased in pink, as well as Denny Chimes and other campus landmarks.
UA student to open for Bon Jovi in concert in Birmingham
WHNT-CBS (Huntsville) – Feb. 2
When Bon Jovi performs in Birmingham, February 16, three Alabama teenagers are going to be opening for them, These young women make up the country group Sweet Tee Trio. Savannah Coker is a 19-year-old Sophomore at The University of Alabama.
Morristown High flutist Selia Myers preparing for Carnegie Hall concert, Feb. 5
MorristownGreen.com – Feb. 2
Morris Plains resident and Morristown High School junior Selia Myers will perform at Carnegie Hall at 2 PM on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017, as a member of the Carnegie Hall 2017 High School Honors Performance Series … Selia is looking forward to the experience of playing at Carnegie Hall and the opportunity to work under the direction of renowned conductor Dr. Kenneth Ozzello, of the University of Alabama, who will direct the concert performance.