Million Dollar Band fundraising brings in $36K in a week
Tuscaloosa News – Nov. 28
It only took 10 days for the University of Alabama’s Million Dollar Band to raise 90 percent of funds needed to buy new instruments. The effort is the first project for UA Crowdfunding, an online fundraising platform for groups at UA. With more than 400 members, the band is one of the largest student group on campus. The band began accepting donations Nov. 17 with the goal of reaching $40,000. By Monday, donors had contributed just more than $36,000. Andy Green marched in the Million Dollar Band between 1986 and 1990 as a member of the drumline. He said he was more than happy to contribute when he received an email about the fundraising campaign.
UA Gallery debuts selections from Blount Collection of Art
Tuscaloosa News – Nov. 28
The University of Alabama Gallery will debut a selection of paintings and sculptures from the never-before-seen Blount Collection of Art starting Wednesday in the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center in downtown Tuscaloosa. The exhibition, titled “Multifarious: Eclectic Selections from the Blount Collection of Art,” features 27 works in a variety of mediums and genres. “I tried to pick a wide selection so that people could get a sense of the breadth of the collection,” said Karen Kennedy, the director of the University Gallery and curator of the exhibit. According to Fred Whiting, the director of UA’s Blount Scholars Program, the collection, which is composed of more than 50 pieces, was donated by the Blount Foundation to the program in 2003.
WashPost: Woman Pushed Fake Allegation on Roy Moore
NewsMax – Nov. 28
A woman falsely claiming to have been impregnated by Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore as a teenager pushed The Washington Post to publish the story, and appears to have been working with conservative watchdog group Project Veritas, the paper reported Monday. . . . Project Veritas specializes in undercover videos exposing what it believes to be lies and bias in liberal groups and the mainstream media. O’Keefe first came to prominence a decade ago when he secretly recorded ACORN chapters and has since recorded employees of Planned Parenthood. He has been accused of selectively editing his videos, a charge he has denied. “It is righteous when grownups catch children try to plant fake news in the real world,” Chris Roberts, associate professor of journalism at The University of Alabama and a longtime Alabama journalist, told Newsmax.
Junior College – Nov. 28
How Mussels Fool Fish Into Carrying Their Parasitic Babies
National Geographic – Nov. 28
t all begins with a flicker of movement as a crayfish scuttles across the riverbed. A smallmouth bass spies the commotion and swims down, thinking it can snag an easy lunch. Then something strange happens. As the predator strikes, the crustacean erupts into a milky cloud. Gagging and coughing, the fish swims away, unaware that it’s just been infected with tens of thousands of parasitic spawn. (Read about “zombie” parasites that mind-control their hosts.) Some species grow a little while they’re hitchhiking on the fish, but most simply use the host as a safe place to transition into juvenile mussels—like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. After a few weeks or months, depending on the species, the mini-mussels hop off and settle into the sediment below. In most instances, the fish is no worse for the wear. “And that’s why you don’t just have mussels downstream,” says Carla Atkinson, an ecologist at the University of Alabama. “This is their dispersal mechanism.”
UA Law professor Joyce Vance comments on Michael Flynn’s role in nuclear project
MSNBC – Nov. 27 (Live interview)
Joining me now, Joyce Vance, professor at The University of Alabama School of Law and a former federal prosecutor, and David Frum, senior editor for “The Atlantic.” Professor Vance, what do you make of this new report about Michael Flynn’s counsel no longer cooperating with other defense counsel?
Struggling to recover from an Iron Bowl loss
CBS 42 (Birmingham) – Nov. 27
Dr. Coral Marshall teaches sports communication to students who are having a hard time moving on. “When you’re a loyalist, a highly-identified Alabama fan, you’re really off-put for the rest of the week, and maybe for the rest of the football season. Ultimately an Iron Bowl loss is one game in an entire season.”
UA senior wants to give back to Newtown, Connecticut
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Nov. 27
Jonathan Lovorn, a senior at The University of Alabama, attended high school in Newtown. He tries to spread his own acts of kindness every day throughout the year.
Protecting yourself while shopping online
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Nov. 27
Dr. Kristy Reynolds, a professor at The University of Alabama, suggests only shopping on sites that you are familiar with or have shopped on before.
Cyber Monday can bring cyber threats
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Nov. 27
We spoke with Cyber attack expert, Dr. Matthew Hudnall, who says fake emails are the number one leading cause of credit card theft.
Five services available to help students de-stress
Crimson White – Nov. 28
As dead week approaches, the need for stress relief for students increases. The following services are offered on campus and around Tuscaloosa to aid students in relieving some end-of-semester stress.