A&S in the News: April 11-17, 2021

Dance Alabama!

Dance Alabama! Film Festival to extend its viewing online: Crimson White – April 11

The Dance Alabama! Film Festival (DAFF) was one of the few in-person, off-campus events to be held this spring on Friday, April 9.

Biodiversity

‘Hard to overcome’: Why some students are fighting to protect biodiversity in Tuscaloosa: Crimson White – April 11

Wesley Neely, a Ph.D. student who studies biodiversity and frogs, sampled a Northport site two years ago. The plot of land, outlined by a large pond and just seven miles from campus, was one of the most biodiverse sites he had studied during his time at the University. Now, it’s a parking lot.

Mobile Bay

Nearly a third of Mobile Bay marshes gone since 1980s, study finds: Tuscaloosa Patch – April 12

About half a football field of marshes on the edges of Mobile Bay vanished annually over the past 35 years, according to a study by researchers at The University of Alabama.
Tuscaloosa Patch

Student Clubs

Explore unique hobbies, find community in UA’s outside-the-box clubs: Tuscaloosa Patch – April 12

With nearly 600 student clubs at The University of Alabama, there’s undoubtedly something for everyone.

Reconstruction

U.S. History scholars urge school districts to teach Reconstruction era: YubaNet.com – April 12

Absent a study of Reconstruction, January 6th can seem like an aberration. “Too often in our schools, movies, and televisions, white supremacist mob violence, when it is acknowledged at all, is contextualized as exceptional or unusual, a departure from what is ‘normal’ or truly ‘American,’” explained University of Alabama professor Joshua D. Rothman in a Hechinger Report op-ed. “During postwar Reconstruction, violence by white mobs and paramilitary terrorist organizations was legion. These mobs particularly targeted Black lawmakers, Black voters and their allies.” … Adds Hilary Green, an associate professor at The University of Alabama: “Reconstruction is essential for not only understanding the creation of the modern United States but how the unreconciled legacies from emancipation and Confederate defeat shapes the present.”

Honors College

Transitions: City U. of New York Medgar Evers College names first female president: Chronicle of Higher Education – April 12

Cassander L. Smith, an associate professor of English at The University of Alabama, has been named associate dean of academic affairs in the Honors College.

Prison Understaffing

As chronic prison understaffing plagues region, Mississippi tries a new approach: WWNO – April 12

Beyond the danger and the low pay, there’s also an image problem. Films and TV shows portray correctional officers as guards with little training, who don’t care about inmates. “Nothing could be further from the truth. In my experience, nobody becomes a correctional officer because they don’t want to help others, because they don’t want to do good in the world,” said University of Alabama criminology professor Susan Dewey.

Beulah Mae Donald

Beulah Mae Donald took on the Klan – and won: HowStuffWorks – April 13

The long list of America’s civil rights icons includes a string of instantly recognizable names; presidents and preachers; a 14-year-old boy in the wrong place at the very worst of times; and a determined bus rider who refused to yield. … “She never rested until her mission was accomplished,” says John Giggie, a history professor at The University of Alabama and the director of the school’s Summersell Center for the Study of the South, “which was to make Mobile, to make the Deep South, to make America see her son, see his assailants and not forget.”

Domestic Slave Trade

The deep cruelty of U.S. traders of enslaved people didn’t bother most Americans: Washington Post – April 14

The connections between race and economic inequality in the United States have an extensive and often disturbing history. But if we are to see and do battle with those connections in our own time, we have to look unflinchingly at how they came to be. The history of the domestic slave trade and domestic traders of enslaved people, after all, shows us that the consequences of deciding not to look too closely can be devastating, and they can last for centuries. … Joshua D. Rothman is professor of history and chair of the department of history at The University of Alabama. He is the author of three books including, most recently, “The Ledger and the Chain: How Domestic Slave Traders Shaped America.”
Royal Gazette

Bama Blitz

Million Dollar Band using Bama Blitz to raise funds for future trip: WVUA – April 14

The Million Dollar Band was selected for the 2020 parade, but their invitation was deferred to 2021 when last year’s event was restricted because of the pandemic. “While everyone involved was disappointed, we certainly understood the reason for the cancellation,” said UA Professor of Music and Director of Bands Ken Ozzello. “Being a part of an event that is a holiday tradition to so many people, including members of the MDB, will be very special.”
Alabama Patch

Mass Shootings

Why do mass shootings continue in the U.S.: Fox 6 – April 14

“The United States has a bigger mass shooter problem than many other countries.” University of Alabama criminology professor Dr. Adam Lankford has been studying mass shootings worldwide for years. His research shows that the U.S. by far leads the way in public mass shootings.
NBC (Columbus, GA)

Bama Bug Fest

Bama Bug Fest to include virtual, in-person components: Alabama Patch – April 15

Bama Bug Fest will be crawling your way April 22-24 and will include virtual experiences and in-person exhibits at the Alabama Museum of Natural History, Mildred Westervelt Warner Transportation Museum and Tuscaloosa Public Library.

Prince Philip

University of Alabama professor reflects on life of Prince Philip: WVTN NBC 13 – April 16

As Prince Philip is mourned across the United Kingdom, he is being remembered as a source of strength by his family and his nation. Watch the video above to hear from a University of Alabama professor who is an expert on British history… Dr. Lucy Kaufman says in Great Britain, governments may change, but the monarchy is a constant.