Team kills, clenches championship victory

The volleyball team started the year as champions after winning the Hampton Inn Bama Bash Tournament Championship at Foster Auditorium. The team went 3-0 against Alabama State, Austin Peay and Texas State. 



CW - Margo Smith



“I’m really pleased with the team’s growth over the two days and where I think we’re capable of being as we move through the next two months,” head coach Ed Allen said.



The Crimson Tide closed out the tournament on Saturday night after a five-set match against a Texas State team that is perennially in the running for a championship.

From the beginning of the match, one would think UA was the defending tournament team. The Tide took the first two sets 25-23, 25-13. Junior Kayla Fitterer had four kills in the first set, while Leigh Moyer accounted for three digs. The first two sets were full of high energy and hustle plays from Alabama with some big plays coming from freshman Katherine White.

White had a block in the second set that led to a crowd and team uproar and forced TSU to take a timeout with a 19-10 Bama lead. With the crowd on their feet, Fitterer ended the second set with a block.



The Bobcats refused to go down easy and fired back winning the next two sets, 22-25, 15-25. However, the Tide was not about to lose a grasp on a victory. Fitterer scored the team’s first three points in the fifth set with three kills. Sophomores Cortney Warren and Brianne Vande Griend came in big with major kills in the set. The set ended 15-9 with TSU hitting a ball out of bounds.

Fitterer collected her 15th career double-double with 19 kills and 15 digs. For the match, junior Kelsey Anderson led all players with 19 digs, senior Stephanie Riley had a match high 28 assists and Warren accounted for nine kills and a .409 hitting percentage.

“In the fifth game we knew it was our house; we wanted to win,” Fitterer said. “We knew we were going to win, so we just had to come back and show them that we were the better team tonight.”



Allen said, “Our kids played with a lot of composure and our ball control came back in the fifth set. Kayla Fitterer did a nice job getting us going. Cortney Warren showed up tremendously in the match and is showing flashes of what she’s capable of doing all the time, and the swing that Brianne had at a critical point of the match energized the team.”

The tournament began Friday with Alabama facing in-state opponent Alabama State. The Tide proved to be too much for the Hornets, defeating them in straight sets (25-12, 25-15, 25-15). Fitterer and Warren both had double-doubles in the match.

Later that night, the Tide faced annual championship competitor Austin Peay. After a powerful game from sophomore Andrea McQuaid who was three kills shy of a triple-double, the Tide won the match 25-19, 20-25, 25-16, 25-21.



After garnering three double-doubles, Fitterer was named the tournament’s most valuable player while Cortney Warren and Leigh Moyer joined her on the all-tournament team.

The 3-0 start to the season is the Tide’s best since 2004.

web/print 8.29.11

http://cw.ua.edu/2011/08/29/team-kills-clenches-championship-victory/

Capstone Heroes named at tornado remembrance ceremony

     Student Government Association president Grant Cochran urged the student body to look forward without forgetting the six UA student lives lost in the April 27 tornado.
     “We will never forget the events of April 27, but we must move forward,” he said Sunday evening during UA’s Day of Remembrance ceremony, “Forward towards a tomorrow that is even brighter than today. Forward as a community.”
     Cochran said he wants to assure students that opportunities to participate in the tornado relief effort will remain open.
     Mark Nelson, vice president of Student Affairs, spoke about the dedication each of the student victims had for their school and community. He went on to describe the qualities and personal ambitions of the students who died.
     The speakers at the ceremony, including head basketball coach Anthony Grant and head football coach Nick Saban, encouraged those in attendance to honor the victims of the storm by making a positive difference in the community, as exemplified by the recipients of the Capstone Heroes Award.
     Grant then announced the recipients of the award and presented them with plaques. The awards, he said, were given to those who best demonstrated the community ideals of service, generosity and compassion.
Mayor Walt Maddox, who was commended for his exceptional leadership and dedication to the Tuscaloosa community, was the first recipient of the Heroes Award.
     Cadet Charlie Stimpson was the second recipient. Stimpson, a medic with the Army Reserve, was on hand after the disaster to provide medical assistance to those in need, often using his own clothing as bandages for the victims.
     The third to accept an award was UA student Amanda Phillips for her efforts in aiding the Tuscaloosa community. Though Phillips returned home to Dallas shortly after the tornado, she collected and delivered thousands of dollars in relief supplies.
     Derek and Susan DeBruin were recognized for their efforts as first responders. The couple provided comfort to Nicole Mixon during her final hours.
     Patrick Morris accepted the final award on behalf of UA Greek Relief for their extensive efforts immediately following the day of the tornado. Together, they provided over 52,000 meals and collected more than $180,000 in relief funds.
     Saban then addressed the hundreds in attendance, describing how everyone can make a difference while seizing opportunities.
     “Each and every one of us have some kind of memory in our heart and mind,” he said. “Hopefully we all have gratitude for those memories that we have, but we also have a deep appreciation of life itself and an appreciation for the lives that we have and what we can accomplish.”
     Saban said the football team would wear ribbons on their helmets to represent everyone affected on April 27.
     Cochran then spoke about the power of community, as students lit crimson and white luminaries around Lake Palmer, each signifying a beacon of progress and of hope.
     “These luminaries represent each action, each person, each life, each moment in time and together they create a collective light,” Cochran said.
      Cochran said the relief effort after the storm helped shed light on the power of community.
      “It is in times like these that the true essence of community is on display,” he said. “A community is more than a group of friends or acquaintances. A community is greater than a single university. A community expands beyond one’s comfort zones. A true community is when students and employees help neighbors and strangers rebuild their homes and businesses. A true community holds strong and together through hard times and adversity.
      “The Tuscaloosa and Alabama communities are alive and well tonight.”

Written with Liz Garcia and Will Evans. Edited by Taylor Holland
web/print 8.29.11
http://cw.ua.edu/2011/08/29/capstone-heroes-named-at-tornado-remembrance-ceremony/

Funding for student organizations increases

The Financial Affairs Committee of the Student Government Association has announced an increase in funds to allocate to student organizations. FAC has issued an $80,000 increase, moving the total amount for the new fiscal year to $200,000.

Mark David Kennedy, SGA vice president of financial affairs, said the SGA wrote a proposal to the UA administration expressing the need for an increase in FAC funding. This increase will allow the SGA to better meet student organization needs, he said.

“We have more financial resources for the students of Alabama,” Kennedy said. “This year marks a turning point in our department of student affairs and the financial affairs office because we’re able to provide more financial resources to the students. This could not have happened without the UA administration and the students speaking their voice.”

FAC will have $30,000 for the month of September to allocate to organizations, while the new fiscal year is set to begin in October.

Last spring, the FAC funding budget ran out of funds before the end of the fiscal year due to an influx of more student organizations on campus and left some organizations looking for other ways to get funding.

The Black Student Union hopes the funds will provide more opportunities than last year.

“It’s very cool that they’ve [provided the $80,000 increase] for student organizations because we do depend on SGA for funding as student organizations,” said Josh Gray, Black Student Union President. “A lot of organizations do take up membership dues, but our dues don’t cover our events as well as they could. So the assistance from SGA is very much needed.”

Kennedy said the FAC will be looking to make some positive changes in October, and he believes all students will be thankful for the changes.

“[My hope] is that we meet the students’ expectations,” he said. “The SGA represents the students’ voice, and we hope we fulfill their requests.”

One of the main objectives of this year’s SGA administration was to provide more FAC funding.

“The Financial Affairs Committee remains one of the most important functions of SGA,” SGA President Grant Cochran said. “I am excited that they will be able to better serve students.”

All student organizations that are registered with the SOURCE for at least one month are eligible for FAC funding. Each organization can request up to $1,600 per fiscal year for travel or $400 per student for up to four students. For all supplies and advertising materials, groups can get up to $500 per fiscal year. Equipment funds ranging up to $1,500 per every two fiscal years are also available.

Factors such as other sources of funding, adherence to university policy and guidelines and the number of members in the group are considered when allocating funds.

To learn more about the FAC, email fac@sa.ua.edu or visit the SGA office in the Ferguson Center.

print/web 8.25.11
http://cw.ua.edu/2011/08/25/funding-for-student-organizations-increases/

Apartments house people affected by tornado

The tornado that hit Tuscaloosa on April 27 left hundreds of people displaced, including some University of Alabama students. While the tornado did not directly hit the dorms and apartments on campus, there were those students dwelling in off-campus housing that needed help.

The off-campus division of UA Housing and Residential Communities was home to some students, as were many student-heavy apartment complexes.

The popular apartment complexes Sterling Crimson and University Downs were two of the places that housed tornado victims soon after April 27. While Sterling Crimson is solely student housing, University Downs houses all types of residents. According to the staff at Sterling Crimson, they were able to provide housing and allow students to move in days after the storms.

“It makes us feel that we can have an establishment where we can help the people in need,” said Whit Stephens, leasing manager. “A lot of places were in bad situations too, where not only did they lose tenants, but they don’t have any places people in need could move in to. We were fortunate enough to have a place to house people because we didn’t experience any damage ourselves.”

Stephens said corporate officers of Sterling Crimson donated $10,000 to the relief fund to assist those who were affected by the tornado.

While rumors surfaced that University Downs was uprooted by the tornado, the complex only suffered damage to its roof and residents’ cars. They were able to provide temporary housing to victims at no cost. According to University Downs leasing specialist John White, most people left town, and there were some who left for the summer but opened their doors to those who needed shelter.

“[We didn’t see an] increase; it was basically the same,” White said. “I think the main reason we didn’t have an increase is because a lot of people didn’t actually think we were still here; they didn’t want to be on site where the tornado hit.”

White said the complex was doing well, with leases being 80 to 90 percent full leading up to the tornado.

The University did provide free temporary housing through the end of June for 120 students, faculty and staff members who were displaced. According to UA associate director of housing Alicia Browne, there were mainly cases of students looking for help in locating other off-campus housing facilities rather than looking to move back onto campus.

Julie Elmore, assistant director for off-campus and greek housing, oversaw aid of students in need. Elmore said there was not one person who did not find what he needed.

“We had very few interactions with students looking for campus housing,” Browne said. “Their interaction with our office was through our off-campus resources. [Julie Elmore] had a lot of one-on-one interaction with students who were looking for something else off campus. She was a tremendous resource there.”

Apartments such as Arlington Square in Alberta City, where many students resided, are now rubble. Those in charge of the property are unsure of what is next. As for houses like those in Forest Lake, it is up to the owners of the homes to decide whether or not they will rebuild.

web/print 8.24.11

Student chosen for UNCF/Merck Fellowship

Aeriel Murphy, UNCF/Merck Fellow

Aeriel Murphy, a senior majoring in metallurgical and materials engineering, has become the first UA student to be a part of the United Negro College Fund-Merck Foundation Undergraduate Science Research Scholarship Program.

Murphy, a native of Wetumpka, Ala., is one of 15 students chosen for the program, which provides students with up to $30,000 for tuition and a summer research internship at a Merck facility.

“It feels great,” Murphy said. “A lot of people applied, a lot of people wanted to get it. I’m really blessed to get this opportunity since Merck is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. The research that they do is invaluable to me especially since I want to go to graduate school.”

Murphy is doing her internship in Rahway, N.J., where she is studying the biology side of engineering. She said her research, which is in the pharmaceutical science group, includes researching drugs that are insoluble and how to improve solubility of insoluble drugs through the method of creating nanoparticles of the drugs.

Along with being mentored by a Merck senior research chemist, networking and meeting people from various places has been another positive element from being a UNCF-Merck Fellow. There are fellows from schools such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as well as professors that have been in the field for years.

Murphy is involved in numerous organizations on the Capstone. In addition to working in the UA magnetic suspension melting lab doing research on the electromagnetic processing of metals and previously being a co-op engineer at Southern Company in Birmingham, she is a McNair Scholar, and a part of Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society, Golden Key International Honor Society, Cardinal Key Honor Society, Emerging Scholars and the Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Student Advantage chapter.

“Aeriel’s brilliant,” said Keshia Wilson, UA graduate assistant and Murphy’s McNair mentor. “She’s a very well-rounded girl – she’s smart, she’s funny. She’s just the package of a person. She’s a very intellectual person – if she doesn’t know, she’s going to go figure it out and if she hasn’t figured it out she’s going to keep going until she figures it out. She’s a strong, driven, hard-working person. I commend her, especially in the field of engineering. I’m proud of her.”

Earlier this year, Murphy was awarded the John C. Wilkins Excellence Award for her work in metallurgical and materials engineering. She is an exceptional student inside and outside of class according to faculty and staff members.

“Aeriel – I like to refer to as a very determined, very intelligent and highly motivated student,” said Viola Acoff, professor and head of metallurgical and materials engineering. “I like to refer to her as the epitome of an outstanding engineering student because not only does she try to understand what’s going on in her actual course and she does exceptional well with that. She also goes the extra step to learn whatever she can about her field outside of the classroom.”

After earning her bachelor’s degree, Murphy said she plans to get her masters on the way to an ultimate goal of obtaining her doctorate degree.

“I really want to get a Ph.D. in material engineering whether it be more towards bio-engineering or more towards metallurgical,” Murphy said.

“I think nothing will stop Aeriel from achieving her goals,” Acoff said. “She has her plan set and I am certain that she will obtain her goal and obtain a Ph.D. in material science with emphasis on bio materials and bio engineering.”

About the UNCF-Merck Science Initiative

The UNCF-Merck Science Initiative was established in July of 1995 by Merck & Co., Inc. – a premiere pharmaceutical products and services company with the purpose to increase the number of African American students pursuing careers in the field of scientific research. The funding for the program is used to sponsor those that are undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral.

web/print 8.3.11

http://cw.ua.edu/2011/08/03/student-chosen-for-uncfmerck-fellowship/

UA coordinates diabetes information group

In America, there are a total of 25.8 million children and adults with diabetes, according to diabetes.com, the official website for the American Diabetes Association. In an attempt to educate those who have the disease, UA student Koushik Kasanagottu is working to coordinate a program for those in the Tuscaloosa and Black Belt region.

The program, which Kasanagottu says is based on a “we see, we do” concept of teaching, will include a number of different information sessions. Based off of the system coordinated in Birmingham by UAB medical students, UA’s program will receive support and help from the prospective doctors when needed.

“We are very fortunate to have their help, and I appreciate them taking time out of their schedule to help us,” Kasanagottu said. “I have seen this program being extremely beneficial to the people around [Birmingham].”

According to a UAB medical website, there are also classes such as diabetes prevention and diabetes management available for people in the community.

The program in Tuscaloosa has yet not started and is in the beginning stages of development. At the beginning of the fall semester, an interest meeting about the program will be held, Kasanagottu said.

“Then, a core group of students and I will begin planning the structure of the program,” he continued. “There is no definite date on when we will actually go out and begin the education process. Once the program is fully functioning, we will have a website that has our contact information.”

Sessions will focus on topics such as exercise and nutrition and will be held in the communities where they visit.

“This is the exciting part of the program,” Kasanagottu said. “We will be hosting these sessions in their community such as their local church, community center, school, etc. We are bringing the information to them, rather than asking them to come to us.”

One of the first things students involved with the program will do is get in touch with a local doctor or physician who specializes in diabetes care and has diabetes patients that may benefit from the program.

Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death among Alabamians, as stated on the Alabama Department of Heath website. The disease can also lead to blindness, kidney failure and amputations.

“As one of the leaders from the UAB diabetes project said, ‘We will relegate diabetes in Alabama to a footnote in the history books!’” said Kasanagottu. “I share his sentiments. My hopes for the program are to help patients with diabetes cope with their changing lifestyle and provide a venue for discussing their day-to-day hardships. This program is more than just education. It is a way to share ideas and relay to them that they are not alone. My personal wish after each session is that each person goes home with a friend who is going through the same thing as them.”

print/web 8.3.11

http://cw.ua.edu/2011/08/03/ua-coordinates-diabetes-information-group/