A&S in the News: March 25-31, 2018

Bama on Broadway

Theatre students showcase performances in New YorkCrimson White – Mar. 25

As odd as it is to think that a student you pass on the Quad could be the next star of a Broadway hit, that might be just the case. During spring break, a group of graduating theatre and musical theatre students flew to New York City with hopes of landing roles in professional productions by way of the Bama on Broadway showcase.

Electing Women to Office

Beautiful News! More black women are running for political office in Alabama than ever beforeHello Beautiful – Mar. 25

Thanks to Donald Trump’s nonsense, Doug Jones’ historic Senate win last year and perhaps the #MeToo Movement, there are now more Black women running for political office in the state of Alabama than ever before! … According to Richard Fording, a professor of public policy at The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, this is something to definitely celebrate. “Alabama is not a state that is known for electing women to office, so, in some sense, this is surprising, historic and much needed,” he explained.
NBC News
– March 23
Good Black News – March 25
93.9 WKVS (Washington, D.C.) – March 25
95.9 News Talk (Washington, D.C.) – March 25
NBC 41 (Macon, Georgia) – March 23
Politics of Hope – March 23

Dance Alabama!

Dance Alabama! celebrates the unexpectedCrimson White – Mar. 25

When it comes to dance performances, viewers may not expect much beyond what they’d see in a traditional ballet. One on campus group is trying to change this. Dance Alabama! is a student choreography organization that performs one concert each semester. Dance Alabama!’s concerts are intended to expose students to various types of dances while showcasing the talent of UA student dancers. The shows are built from the beginning to the end by students. The spring concert, opening March 27, will feature 24 pieces.

Aliceville Elementary School

UA students cultivate garden, nutrition knowledgeCrimson White – Mar. 25

Leafy green plants stand tall in the garden at Aliceville Elementary School in Pickens County, Alabama. If you look closely, you can see these are tomato and basil plants. You might even notice that this is a hydroponic garden, meaning the plant buckets are filled with water instead of soil …  “We work together to create the next generation of social entrepreneurs and solve really cool and hard problems,” said Omer Bensaadon, a senior management information sciences major and one of the studio leads in the organization. “So we pick a problem every year and then we tackle it head-on.”

Austin Bomber

Why people are reluctant to call the Austin bomber a terroristAPR – Mar. 26

This week began with the city of Austin, Texas, terrorized after a series of bombings. It ends with the suspect dead and investigators trying to answer the why behind the attacks. In between, the bombings themselves and their coverage spurred a national conversation around race and how we talk about perpetrators of violence. The suspect in the Austin bombings, who is white, has been described as troubled by both police and the media. NPR Code Switch reporter Gene Demby has been looking at this. Welcome to the studio. . . . And I spoke to someone named Erin Kearns at the University of Alabama. She studies terrorism and how it’s covered in the news. She pointed to research that shows that – how the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando was covered versus how the shooting at Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston was covered. The shooter at the Pulse nightclub was of Arab descent, and Dylann Roof, the shooter at the Charleston church, was white.
National Public Radio – Mar. 23

UCAR President Antonio Busalacchi shakes hands with UA President Stuart Bell
UCAR President Antonio Busalacchi shakes hands with UA President Stuart Bell

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

UA joins partnership to study atmospheric sciencesTuscaloosa News – Mar. 26

The University of Alabama is now officially a member of a national organization focused on research and training in atmospheric sciences. At a Monday ceremony on campus, UA President Stuart R. Bell and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research President Antonio J. Busalacchi signed an agreement that means the Capstone is a member of the consortium of 117 universities and colleges across North America.
Environmentguru.com – March 26
4-traders.com – March 26
College and University – March 26
Atmosnews – March 26
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – March 26

Graduate Exhibits

Sculpture, prints on display in graduate exhibitsCrimson White – Mar. 28

Tobias Layman and Checa Baldarelli each seek to express a message through their art. Over the past several days, both third year graduate students have been presenting their master of fine arts thesis exhibitions. Layman’s artwork has been featured at the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center, while Baldarelli’s still life is being shown at the Sella-Granata Art Gallery. Layman, whose exhibit is a kinetic sculpture – meaning it has movement – majored in ceramics at Jacksonville State University and then came to the University to pursue a master of fine arts in sculpture. “Both mediums, ceramics and sculpture, are fascinating to me,” Layman said. “They offer a lot of possibilities for creating art pieces and they have a lot of technical aspects as well. So, there is always something new to explore and experiment with and that curiosity keeps my interest and passion going.”

Trudier Harris
Dr. Trudier Harris

SEC Faculty Achievement Award

University of Alabama English professor receives 2018 SEC Faculty Achievement AwardTuscaloosa News – Mar. 28

A University of Alabama English professor has been named one of the recipients of the 2018 SEC Faculty Achievement Awards. Trudier Harris, a distinguished research professor in the UA English department, earned the honor Wednesday. The awards, now in their seventh year, honor one person from each SEC university who has excelled in teaching and research. “The SEC Faculty Achievement Awards continue to provide us with a unique opportunity to celebrate faculty from our conference who have demonstrated a commitment to our students while also making meaningful contributions in their fields,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said. “Although we have chosen to honor 14, we know they are truly representative of all SEC faculty members.”
BRProud – Mar. 28

University of Alabama Dance Festival

Young dancers to visit campus for student-led workshopsCrimson White – Mar. 28

Dance students at The University of Alabama often have the chance to perform in the spotlight for an audience. Very seldom, however, do they have the chance to teach an audience their craft. On Saturday, March 31, the third annual University of Alabama Dance Festival will take place. Throughout the day, collegiate dance students will mentor and teach middle and high school dancers through a series of workshops and activities.

Large vs. Small Classes

Can a class actually be too small?Chronicle of Higher Education – Mar. 29

Welcome to Teaching, a newsletter from The Chronicle of Higher Education. This week, Beckie passes along readers’ insights on classes that are too big — or, in one case, too small. Stay tuned for news on open textbooks, new books on teaching, and a rundown of forthcoming conferences … Don Fader, an associate professor of musicology at The University of Alabama, wrote that neither large or small classes are intrinsically good or bad, but rather serve different purposes. Large lectures, he wrote, are good for disseminating information, while “a small seminar is really designed for the thinking and discussion aspect.”

Thad Cochran

On Thad Cochran: A going away gift from the ‘Quiet Persuader’Clarion Ledger (Mississippi) – Mar. 30

On Sunday, Thad Cochran retires from the United States Senate after six terms and some 45 years of service to Mississippi and our nation. (Steve Katsinas is the director and professor of Higher Education and Political Science at the Education Policy Center of The University of Alabama.)