Can neuroscience help cops decide to ‘shoot’ or ‘don’t shoot’?
Al.com – April 5
The scientists call these first responders “MacGyvers” after the television superspy who’s cool enough to improvise his way out of deadly situations with a pocket knife and duct tape. These real MacGyvers can also walk into the most chaotic situations and know exactly what to do. “We do have the MacGyvers, the people in the Army, police force or even in sports that will perform better than everybody else, that will make better decisions in split seconds under duress,” University of Alabama engineering researcher Dr. Dan Foseca says. “Their brains are wired in such a way that they can see things that other people wouldn’t be able to see in that time frame.”
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – April 5
NBC 12 (Montgomery) – April 5
Free health screenings in Pickens County on Thursday
Tuscaloosa News – April 4
A health fair is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday in Pickens County. The fair, organized by the University of Alabama-Pickens County Partnership and Pickens County Medical Center will include free health screenings for blood pressure, weight and cholesterol. The fair will be held at the Pickens County Medical Center HealthPlex, 241 Robert K. Wilson Drive in Carrollton.
UA solar project is teaching tool for future engineers
Alabama News Center – April 4
University of Alabama Athletics and the College of Engineering celebrated a partnership with a bright future last week as new solar panels at the Sewell-Thomas baseball stadium went online. The solar panels, situated behind the outfield, will provide power to the stadium while engineering students will collect and study data from the panels.
Q&A: Black women question their absence in media
Cable One – April 3
Halle Berry was the first-and only-black woman to win lead actress at the Oscars. She took the stage to accept the award for her role in “Monster’s Ball” in 2002-almost 40 years after Sidney Poitier became the first black man to take the lead actor statue in 1964-visibly overcome with emotion, thanking her forebears at the top of her speech … Panelists included actresses Carroll (“Dynasty”), Tonya Pinkins (“All My Children”) and LisaGay Hamilton (“The Practice”), casting director Twinkie Byrd, culture critic April Reign (who started the “OscarsSoWhite” campaign last year), professor Kristen Warner of the University of Alabama, with Kimberle Crenshaw, a law professor at Columbia University and UCLA, serving as moderator.
Technology Meets Fashion In UA Collaboration
Textile World – April 4
An unlikely collaboration between two University of Alabama colleges has resulted in an innovative, yet fashionable, way of displaying student work. The SHOE PRO-JECT started with one goal — expanding the College of Engineering’s 3D Projection Lab’s scope by providing its students with a remarkable “screen” on which they could showcase their departments’ skills, said Genna Jones, events coordinator for the College of Human Environmental Sciences.
Lawyers to host free legal clinic for veterans
Tuscaloosa News – April 5
The Tuscaloosa Veterans Affairs Medical Center will host a free legal clinic for veterans on Friday. Local lawyers will provide advice on divorce, custody and visitation issues, debts and bankruptcy, foreclosures, landlord/tenant issues and domestic violence. Continuing free legal representation may be available for veterans who can’t afford an attorney. The clinic will be held from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Friday in the sports atrium at building No. 137 at the VA medical center, 3701 Loop Road. The event is sponsored by the VA medical center, the University of Alabama School of Law’s Public Interest Institute and the Tuscaloosa County Bar Association.
Alabama senator says he will ‘go to war’ over municipal broadband bill
Watchdog.org – April 4
Alabama state Sen. Tom Whatley recently described his legislation to allow municipal broadband expansion as a “go-to-war bill to me.” The Auburn Republican introduced SB 151 this session, which would let city broadband networks expand, but only within their home counties … Bill Stewart, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Alabama, told Watchdog.org he doesn’t expect the process to impact Bentley’s ability to sign bills in 2017. He said the governor would be given due process and afforded the ability to present his side. Besides, the gears of governance tend to grind at a leisurely pace. “Things move pretty slowly in Montgomery,” Stewart said.
University of Alabama offers free stargazing event
Tuscaloosa News – April 5
The public is invited to a free stargazing event Thursday night hosted by the University of Alabama’s department of physics and astronomy. People can observe the waxing moon, Jupiter and the Orion Nebula through the department’s 16-inch telescope. The observation session will be from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Thursday on the roof of Gallalee Hall. Gallalee Hall is at the northeast corner of University Boulevard and Hackberry Lane, less than a block from Denny Chimes.
The Cosmic Explosion That Astronomers Can’t Figure Out
True Viral News – April 5
In a small galaxy 10.7 billion light years away, a mysterious flash of x-rays discovered by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory are hypothesized to have been caused by some sort of destructive event, but astronomers have never seen or studied anything like it so they are unable to name the cause …This inexplicable x-ray event exhibited different properties from another mysterious phenomena, reported by Jimmy Irwin of the University of Alabama in October 2016, of cosmic objects emitting flares of x-rays. In that case, giant flares of x-rays that lasted a minute before returning to their normal x-ray levels were detected from sources at 12 million light years away and 47 million light years away.
Panel discusses current reality of the human trafficking industry
Crimson White – April 5
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, there are 100,000 to 300,000 children at risk of becoming victims of human trafficking and only about 300 beds for human trafficking victims in the United States. With this statistic in mind, the University of Alabama Criminal Justice Student Association and Alpha Phi Sigma hosted a guest speaking event on Tuesday to raise awareness for the issue.
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – April 4
What to Drink Post Workout to Help Get Your Summertime Bod
Spoon University – April 5
Summer is right around the corner, you what that means; more skin, less clothing! Exercising is an art in its own way, messy throughout the creation stage but a spectacle to look at upon completion. The University of Alabama student recreational center has a few group classes that are great for these last few months of attempting to get in shape.
The University of Alabama’s Hidden Success Story: Alabama Forensic Council
Crimson White – April 5
Everyone knows about The University of Alabama’s football dynasty. But few know about another Crimson Tide team that been just as dominant: The Alabama Forensic Council. A hidden gem, the AFC is one of the most consistently successful, and most misunderstood, student organizations on campus. Although most students would associate the Forensic Council with crime scenes and dead bodies, the Council has little to do with detective work, and everything to do with top-10 finishes in national speech and debate competitions.
PREVIEW: UA Community and Police Forum
Crimson White – April 5
After hosting the recent national tragedy reflection circle, students in the School of Social Works took their work a step further by organizing a task force to create other similar events. Tonight, The School of Social Works is hosting a police forum that features the University of Alabama Police Department, Tuscaloosa Police Department and Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Department. This police forum is a part of the task force’s continued work, according to an email sent out by the dean of social work, Vikki Vandiver.
Play shows struggle of romantic connection
Tuscaloosa News – April 5
The longing for connection fires scores of songs, bars, dating sites and, not least of all, plots. Harry and Sally bond as friends first, but deny romantic love until nearly the end of the film … “No matter who we are or where we come from, everyone wants to make a human connection and find someone who values them for who they are,” said Amber Scales, a University of Alabama sophomore double majoring in public relations and theater. Scales is one of 10 actors in UA’s production of “La Ronde,” opening in the Allen Bales Theatre Monday.
There’s Actually Something More Offensive In Kendall Jenner’s Pepsi Ad Than Kendall Jenner
Good – April 4
A few months ago, I wrote about the ways in which—in a post-Trump America—people were using images of Muslim women as signifiers of resistance in protest iconography. From news reports to Shepard Fairey’s crappy art to your newly radicalized friend’s Instagram selfie—Muslims were showing up more and more frequently in the cultural landscape, albeit in highly specific contexts, and always covered in a headscarf … The commercial upset a lot of people, particularly Republicans. A study, published by researchers at the University of Alabama and Pennsylvania State University, found that, “Nearly 54 percent of Republicans who saw Muslim and Arab individuals in the Coca-Cola advertisement changed from their initial preference for Coca-Cola products to select Pepsi products.” Coca-Cola aired the same ad again during this past Super Bowl, not long after the inauguration, to a far more receptive crowd.
Pacific Standard – April 4
Health Matters – Dealing with Sinusitis
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – April 5
This is a new segment that is going to air on WVUA 23. Faculty members and physicians from UA’s College of Community Health Sciences are going to discuss different topics each week. This week’s topic was Sinusitis.
A-Day Game to offer extra experiences
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – April 4
Alabama’s A-Day Game will come along with some extra A-Day experiences this year. The University of Alabama has announced today that they will offer a variety of experience upgrades.
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month
WERC-AM (Radio) – April 4
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. The Center for Advanced Public Safety at The University of Alabama has been collecting data on Districted Driving Crashes in our state. Rhonda Stricklin, telling WBRC-Fox 6 that in 2015, 35,000 crashes related to distracted driving had been reported. 169 of those were fatal.
PREVIEW: Spring 2017 Honors Day
Crimson White – April 6
Due to the University’s annual Honors Day, all classes will be dismissed on Friday, April 7. However, all university offices will remain open. WHO: Anyone is welcome to attend the ceremonies this upcoming Friday. The top individual honor awards for scholarship, leadership and service were recognized on March 23; they will once again be recognized this week. Outstanding awards will also be presented to students from each class.
UA Writing Center tweets to answer student questions
Crimson White – April 6
The University of Alabama’s writing center has rolled out a new Twitter service to better serve UA students, while saving them the time of setting up an appointment in their office. To get help, students must simply tweet at the Writing Center’s handle, @UAWritingCenter, with #helpwritenow. Within four hours, the Writing Center will reply to the student with a concise answer to their question.