A&S in the News: September 2-8, 2018

The Best Cook in the World

Museum hosts Southern kitchen exhibit based on Rick Bragg’s booksAl.com – Sept. 2

A South Carolina museum is honoring Alabama author Rick Bragg with an exhibit about southern cooking and kitchens – a subject Bragg loves to write about. His latest book, “The Best Cook in the World: Tales from My Momma’s Table,” was the inspiration for the exhibit at The Museum of Greenwood in Greenwood, S.C. In it, Bragg tells stories that framed his mother’s cooking and shares more than 70 recipes. . . . Bragg, who now teaches writing courses at The University of Alabama, has said in a previous interview that he believes old family recipes originate in old family tales. That’s how he came to write “The Best Cook in the World.”

Get On Board Day

University of Alabama hosts Get On Board DayFox 6 (Birmingham) – Sept. 4

Students are ‘getting on board’ at the Capstone. Get on Board Day welcomed thousands of students at Bama to help them choose between hundreds of groups on campus. Fraternities, sororities, and religious organizations among others all had tables set up with information about each organization. “It’s a little overwhelming, but in a good way. Just seeing so many people, there’s so many options. It’s like a fresh start to get involved in whatever you want to,” said UA student Hannah Clayton. The event was held at the Ferguson Center.

Tropical Depression

Tropical depression Gordon dumps rain across west AlabamaWVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Sept. 5

Tropical Depression Gordon is piling up huge rainfall totals in parts of the South, including more than 10 inches in the Florida Panhandle … “The worst side of a hurricane is always on the eastern side,” said Jason Senkbeil, an associate professor at The University of Alabama’s Department of Geography. “And what we call the northeast quadrant is the worst. And that’s going to be over Mobile County and the Pascagoula area.”

Death and Grief

Dealing with death and griefFox 6 (Birmingham) – Sept. 5

But talking about death and grief in our own families can be much more difficult. One graduate student at The University of Alabama is struggling to find people to take part in a study on grief and whether religious faith protects mourners from falling into depression. Danielle McDuffie, who is in UA’s gero-psychology program, says she’s only been able to attract a couple of participants since early summer. She explains why she wants to focus on older African-Americans.

‘Forever Plaid’

“Forever Plaid” provides challenges to young actorsCrimson White – Sept. 6

The 1950’s introduced important new aspects to music, including quartet groups. “Forever Plaid” features one group with an interesting twist. The show  tells the story of a group of four young musicians who were killed in a car accident before their careers event started. Now in a state of purgatory, the group of four come together to perform one final concert in modern day before they are finally put to rest. Stacy Alley, the director and choreographer of the show, touched on what it was like to work with the four actors, Jacob Abbott, Colton Crowe, Alex Freeman and Parker Reeves.  “I am working with four guys and this is not their first rodeo,” Alley said. “They are all theatre students of some kind and have studied the craft, as it were. So they come in and bring in their talents and personalities to the characters.”
Tuscaloosa News – Sept. 7

Miss America

Miss America 2019: Meet 51 women who’ll compete Sunday, including Alabama’s Callie WalkerAl.com – Sept. 7

Callie Walker, a Birmingham native, is in Atlantic City, N.J., this week, vying for Miss America 2019. As Miss Alabama 2018, she’s one of 51 women who hope to earn the national title, along with $50,000 in scholarship money and a yearlong reign … Walker, 20, is a musical theater major at The University of Alabama. She’s following in the footsteps of her mother, Angela Tower Walker, a former Miss Alabama who won the swimsuit preliminary at the Miss America pageant in 1985.
Al.com – Sept. 3
WLTZ-NBC (Columbus, Georgia) – Sept. 5
WGAL-NBC (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) – Sept. 7
Hollywood Life – Sept. 7
Tuscaloosa News – Sept. 9
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Sept. 9

Technology in Academia

Three keys to keeping pace with technology changes in academiaThe Evollution – Sept. 7

In Spring 2016, The University of Alabama implemented a dual authentication system in an attempt to improve security for campus systems. As Senior Information Officer for the College of Arts & Sciences, it fell to me to explain this new tool to the faculty and convince them it was a positive development.

Alabama Accountability Act

Report: Alabama Accountability Act scholarship students’ test scores similar to public schoolsAl.com – Sept. 7

Alabama students using tax credit scholarships are performing about the same on standardized tests as their public school counterparts according to the latest report required under the Alabama Accountability Act … The report, posted on the Alabama Department of Revenue’s website Friday afternoon, uses 2016-2017 test data, and was prepared by The University of Alabama’s Institute for Social Science Research at a cost of $112,800, paid for by the scholarship granting organizations who collect donations and distribute scholarships to eligible students.

‘Apocalypse Illuminated’

Expert to give ‘Apocalypse Illuminated’ lectureHigh Beam Research – Sept. 7

The University of Alabama issued the following news release: Dr. Richard K. Emmerson, dean emeritus of the school of liberal arts at Manhattan College, will provide artistic insight into the imagery of the book of the apocalypse, also known as the biblical book of Revelation, during a public lecture, “Apocalypse Illuminated,” Sept. 11 at 6:30 p.m. in 205 Smith Hall.

Drag Queen Story Hour

Young and old clash in Mobile over Drag Queen Story HourAl.com – Sept. 8

Nathan Scott is a Grand Bay resident and University of South Alabama senior who has grown up in coastal Alabama searching for public venues where its acceptable to be under 21 and gay … Michael Altman, a religious studies professor at The University of Alabama, said he believes President Donald Trump’s “ratcheting up of the culture wars” since he was elected in 2016, has silenced more moderate voices within the SBC.
Alabama Public Radio – Sept. 8