A&S in the News: February 10-16, 2019

Miss University of Alabama

Making history: Miss University of Alabama crowns first black queenCrimson White – Feb. 11

Tiara Pennington, the first African-American to be crowned as Miss University of Alabama, knows that the color of a person’s skin should not stop them from reaching their goals, because if she did, she would not be where she is today.

Vegan President

Broccoli Head of StateNew Republic – Feb. 11

Pork rinds in Tabasco sauce. Cheeseburger pizza. Well-done steak with ketchup … It’s also possible that, in an era where “Soy Boy” has become a popular alt-right insult, Booker’s conservative opponents will use his veganism to belittle him. “The idea that soy is a phytoestrogen, and thus men who consume it are less masculine than meat-eaters, is often expressed by people on the far right,” said George Hawley, an assistant political science professor at The University of Alabama.

Family Night at the Museum

Natural History Museum invites families to dinosaur-themed eventWVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Feb. 11

Hundreds of children and parents came to The University of Alabama’s Natural History Museum for a dinosaur-themed family night.

Chris Lynn
Dr. Christopher Lynn

Leshner Fellowship

Human augmentation researchers selected as 2019-2020 AAAS Leshner FellowsScienmag – Feb. 12

AAAS is pleased to announce the selection of the 2019-2020 AAAS Leshner Public Engagement Fellows. The 2019-2020 AAAS Public Engagement Fellows are … Christopher D. Lynn, Ph.D., associate professor of anthropology, The University of Alabama.
EurekAlert – Feb. 12
BioEngineer.org – Feb. 12
WRAL Tech Wire – Feb. 14

Endangered Amphibians

Project seeks to document all species of amphibians threatened with extinction in BrazilJetiba Online (Brazil) – Feb. 12

Amphibians (frogs, salamanders and cecília) are one of the most endangered animal groups in the world … Guilherme Becker, a professor at The University of Alabama in the United States, is a specialist in the study of the ecology and evolution of chytrid, and will analyze the processes related to the declines and extinctions of Brazilian amphibians.

U.S. Navy Band

U.S. Navy Band to perform at UAWVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Feb. 12

The Druid City is one of 25 cities in ten states that will host them. The performance is scheduled for 8 p.m. on February 23rd at the Moody Music Building on The University of Alabama campus. All Navy Band performances are free and open to the public.

Alabama Department of Corrections

UA partners with ADOC for $1.9 million study of women inmate risk assessment processAl.com – Feb. 13

Researchers at The University of Alabama’s criminology department are partnering with Alabama Department of Corrections for a four-year $1.9 million state-funded study of the process to assess risks to Alabama’s women inmates.

School Shootings

It’s time to rethink coverage of school shootingsColumbia Journalism Review – Feb. 14

Schoolhouses are becoming fortresses equipped with surveillance cameras and bulletproof desks, with teachers serving double duty as armed guards. Children are being pushed into terrifying drills to prepare for the possibility of a mass shooting that is statistically unlikely … The potential harm of excessive coverage—especially that which focuses primarily on the perpetrator—isn’t theoretical, Adam Lankford, an associate professor of criminology and criminal justice at The University of Alabama, says. Such coverage is “facilitating and fueling subcultures with people who are disturbed and troubled,” according to Lankford, who co-edited a special issue of the journal American Behavioral Scientist examining implications of media coverage of mass killers.

Adult Strings Weekend

Learning a violin as an adult: How do you progress beyond practising for exams?The Strad – Feb. 15

“After nine years as a late starter, I’m stuck at ABRSM Grade 7 violin. Grade 8 is technically challenging, and after failing dismally twice I’m wondering whether I have a psychological block to passing at this level. (Anne Witt is part of the faculty of The University of Alabama School of Music and teaches at its Adult Strings Weekend for adult amateurs)