More than 2,000 accept bids to University of Alabama sororities Saturday
Tuscaloosa News – Aug. 16
Thousands of excited screams echoed through Bryant-Denny Stadium as a nearby man speculated that the women inside were ripping open envelopes to discover their sorority bids. Outside, family, friends and fraternity brothers swarmed the sidewalks flapping their hand fans emblazoned with Greek letters, snapping pictures and holding bouquets of wilting flowers and gift bags overstuffed with puffy pink tissue paper. Then, the women ran. Some ran in shorts, tank tops and flip-flops, and some ran in sun dresses and high heels, gripping their invitations like they were a lifeline and screaming all the way to their new sorority houses. A total of 2,054 of the 2,276 women participating in fall recruitment this year accepted bids to join sororities at the University of Alabama bid day Saturday. Of that number, 190 were minorities, including the 21 women who self-identified as African-American, according to a statement from Deborah Lane, associate vice president of university relations. “All 16 of the Panhellenic sororities participating in recruitment offered bids to African-American women,” Lane said. “Through the mutual selection process, the 21 women accepted bids to 10 sororities.”
Al.com – Aug. 16
Crimson White – Aug. 16
ABC 33/40 (Birmingham) – Aug. 16
Tuscaloosa News (Gallery) – Aug 16
Al.com (gallery) – Aug. 16
CBS 42 (Birmingham) – Aug. 16
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Aug. 16
CBS 5 (Mobile) – Aug. 16
WTVM-ABC (Columbus, Ga.) – Aug. 16
NBC 13 (Birmingham) – Aug. 17
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Aug. 17
University of Alabama offers Week of Welcome kickoff party for students
Tuscaloosa News – Aug. 18
An estimated 6,000 University of Alabama freshmen packed Coleman Coliseum Sunday night for the Week of Welcome kickoff party, featuring free food from local restaurants, rock wall climbing, zip lines and booths from campus organizations. The “extreme sports” themed event also featured BMX performers and a pogo stunt team, along with an Alabama pep rally. There were 190 tables and booths lining the coliseum, from local churches to student organizations to area agencies. As part of the event, Moe’s Barbecue, McAlister’s, TCBY, Jim N’ Nicks, Edgar’s Bakery and other area restaurants handed out free food and desserts. The event was meant to help introduce freshmen and transfer students to the University of Alabama and let them know what Tuscaloosa has to offer, said Latoya Scott, director of University Programs. The Week of Welcome has been held for the last several years, but last year was the first time that the kickoff party was held, Scott Said. Approximately 3,000 students came in 2014, and this year the numbers were expected to double.
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Aug. 17
University Of Alabama Librarians Uncover 2 Letters From Abraham Lincoln
CBS Atlanta – Aug. 18
University of Alabama librarians have uncovered two letters written by President Abraham Lincoln. In a letter dated November 6, 1863, Lincoln talks about how people from Baltimore that are charged with treason should be treated during the Civil War. “What’s really interesting to us and interesting to the general public is that the man who is president of the United States during the Civil War wrote on a topic very sensitive to anyone at the time or studying the Civil War or the Confederacy,” Louis A. Pitschmann, UA Dean of Libraries, told WBRC-TV. In another letter, dated July 30, 1862, Lincoln discusses what he wants to do with muskets that were taken from ships trying to run the Union blockade into the Confederacy. “The scholarly community described the letters as pointing out not just Lincoln the president, but also Lincoln the attorney, Lincoln the man well versed on legal affairs,” Pitschmann explained to WBRC. “There’s a national project underway in Illinois to identify and locate all letters written by Abraham Lincoln and that group was unaware of these letters until they saw the guide to the collection,” Pitschmann told the station. The letters will be open for public viewing at the Gorgas Library Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
WVUE-Fox (New Orleans, La.) – Aug. 17
KFVS-CBS (Paducah, Ky.) (video not available) – Aug. 17
Sleep Hack: Keep Your Feet Outside Your Covers
NYMag.com – Aug. 11
Introducing a slightly odd but potentially very useful sleep hack: Keep one foot, or both feet, outside of your blanket. It could help you both sleep better and fall asleep faster, a sleep researcher explained to Science of Us. I started thinking about this recently when I was idly chatting with a buddy about how (relatively) nice and cool it had been recently in New York, and how much nicer it is to sleep when it’s cooler outside. He replied with what is apparently his formula for a perfect night’s sleep: “One foot out from under the blanket and a nice breeze coming from the window.” I do the same thing, I realized — keep my foot outside the covers — but I’ve never known why. A slow news day in August seemed as good as a time as any to find out, so I spoke with Natalie Dautovitch, a spokesperson for the National Sleep Foundation and a psychology professor at the University of Alabama. Dautovitch’s research focuses on chronopsychology — that is, how our routines and biological rhythms fluctuate throughout the day and night, and how that affects our health and well-being. And while she said there’s never been any research specifically looking into my question, she was game to offer up a few theories based on her research.
Good Samaritan health clinic now offers dental care
Tuscaloosa News – Aug. 17
For the past 15 years, the Good Samaritan Clinic in Northport has been providing free health care to the uninsured. Now, the clinic is offering basic dental care for its patients in need. Tuscaloosa dentist Dr. Steve Kimbrell said there is a huge demand for such a service in West Alabama. “We see patients weekly who need some extractions, or they’ll have teeth broken off or abscesses,” Kimbrell said. “Problem is, there is just nowhere to go. They don’t have insurance and don’t qualify for a lot of the programs. They kind of fall through the cracks.” Julie Sittason, executive director of the Good Samaritan Clinic, said she hopes the clinic can help reduce the need locally by offering dental cleanings, treating basic cavities and performing extractions. “Simple things, like filling a cavity, could determine whether someone keeps a tooth,” Sittason said. “It can make a huge difference.” … The dental suite will be staffed by specialized volunteers including dentists and dental hygienists. Pre-dental students from the University of Alabama are also using the dental suite to learn more about their planned profession, Kimbrell said.
St. John’s backpack blessing attracts students of all ages
Aiken Standard (S.C.) – Aug. 18
As youngsters crowded around the Rev. Dr. Tim McClendon to get their backpacks blessed at St. John’s United Methodist Church on Sunday, sisters Camilla and Caroline Grier stood out because they were taller and older than most. Camilla, 20, attends the University of Alabama and will be a junior. Caroline, 17, goes to South Aiken High School, where she is starting her senior year this morning as Aiken County students return to classes … “I’m usually already back in Alabama by now,” Camilla said. “But since I didn’t have to be at school for sorority recruitment, I could stay here and come to church today.” Immediately after she received the special tag to show that her backpack had been blessed, Camilla attached it to her gray book bag. “I love being a part of this,” she said. “When I take my backpack back to school, I’ll feel like I have a little bit of home with me.”