Bama Belle

First Black Bama Belle leaves behind an impactful legacy: Crimson White – Sept. 13

Born in Eutaw, Alabama, in 1950, Dianne Kirksey-Floyd grew up in the middle of the Civil Rights Movement – a time plagued by discrimination and segregation against Black people. Cognizant of and undeterred by these realities, Kirksey-Floyd became a child activist who marched in the face of violence and death threats. …By breaking barriers at the newly desegregated University of Alabama, Kirksey-Floyd was one of the first Black students at the school whose positive influence left an impactful legacy. Her son describes her as “a force of nature.” “She had a powerful personality and was a source of inspiration to many, but definitely to me,” he said.

Domestic Realism

Indiana Gothic Story collection a compellingly bleak portrayal of domestic realism: The Journal Gazette – Sept. 13

American writers should take up the techniques of this new aesthetic and render lived life, abandoning “sentimental or academical seeking after the ideal,” and harness “the scientific spirit,” and “comprehend with more instinctive certitude what is simple, natural, and honest,” Howells argued. He sought to refine the Russian realistic tradition, promote a “scientific spirit” turned, in the States, toward the “domestic,” the interior both in setting and character. Fort Wayne native Michael Martone lives in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and is a professor at the Program in Creative Writing at The University of Alabama.

Top College Professors

Top 10 college professors in the U.S.: CEOWORLD Magazine – Sept. 15

Best professors have the power to make our world better. Don’t just teach or write books. They have inspirational characteristics urging their students to excel at their careers and at the same time become valuable members of our society. Some of these professors are mentioned below and it is worth spending time to read about them. No. 1 Douglas Klutz, University of Alabama: His college students describe him as an excellent professor, very helpful, caring, and a great mentor. His subject at the University of Alabama is Criminal Justice. He has one of the highest rates among university professors.

Nancy Pelosi

President Nancy Pelosi? It’s not too far fetched: WVUA – Sept. 15

On July 30, President Donald Trump implied that November’s election should be postponed until people could, “properly, securely and safely” vote. In a tweet, President Trump wrote, “With Universal  Mail-InVoting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most inaccurate & fraudulent Election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???” University of Alabama Assistant Professor of Political Science Allen Linken said it’s a possibility, but the U.S. government has checks and balances for that very reason.

English Building

Alabama trustees to vote on changing another campus building name: Al.com – Sept. 16

A second building on The University of Alabama campus will have a renaming vote Thursday by the system’s board of trustees. The agenda for the quarterly meeting includes a resolution amending the name of Morgan Hall on the Tuscaloosa campus.
Washington Times
New Haven Register
Chron
SF Gate
Argus-Press
Al.com
WVTM 13
WVUA
Tuscaloosa News
Montgomery Advertiser
NBC (Montgomery)
Fox 6
Stars and Stripes
…and many more

Hybrid Learning

Dancing on their own: How art students are reinventing hybrid learning: Crimson White – Sept. 16

As students begin to settle into a routine of attending classes both virtually and in-person, some courses pose more of a challenge with COVID-19 restrictions than others. While all students are facing academic challenges, those training under the Department of Theatre and Dance have had to reconsider how they are able to successfully train in a safe, or even virtual, environment.

Climate Change

In Alabama, two different views on climate change give voters a clear choice: Al.com – Sept. 17

In rural, politically conservative states like Alabama, politicians who are seeking office and want to show their support for environmental causes don’t usually talk about climate change. They talk about how they like to hunt and fish and will protect natural treasures. Many Alabamians care about climate change, especially those who live near the coast, but the issue probably will not stand out as a significant concern for voters, said Regina L. Wagner, assistant professor of political science at The University of Alabama. “I expect this race to basically be purely based on partisanship” and turnout, she said.

Winston Groom

Winston Groom, author of ‘Forrest Gump,’ dies at 77: Tuscaloosa News – Sept. 17

… Yet the novel “Forrest Gump” is considerably different from the film, darker and richer, said Don Noble, University of Alabama professor emeritus of English, and a 40-year friend of Groom’s. “You can make a lot of money as a comic writer, but you can’t get no respect,” Noble said, laughing. “But ‘Forrest Gump’ is really actually quite a fine novel. It’s more subtle and more complicated… richer than the movie.”
Albuquerque Journal
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Dauphin Island

Research at risk: Dauphin Island Sea Lab hammered by Sally: Al.com – Sept. 17

“I shudder to think what would have happened if that thing had been a [Category] 3,” John Valentine, executive director of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, said of Hurricane Sally. “But I’ll tell you what. This was a nasty 2.” Valentine spent much of Wednesday taking stock of the Sea Lab’s facilities. The news was not good.