A&S in the News: December 17-31, 2017

Doug Jones

After working hard for Senate seat, Jones may have to work harder to keep itDecatur Daily – Dec. 18

Democrat Doug Jones’ honeymoon in the U.S. Senate will be a short one, with Alabama Republicans already gunning for the seat in 2020. Jones’ campaign is being credited with a massive get-out-the-vote campaign in his victory Tuesday over Republican Roy Moore. Now he faces a battle to keep the job and will have to play some smart politics in the next two years … “He sold himself on his ability to work across party lines, so he’s going to have to do that,” University of Alabama political science professor Richard Fording said. And he’ll have to vote with Republicans from time to time.
Florence Times Daily – Dec. 18

Sex and Aging

Let’s talk about sex – after 60Psychology Today – Dec. 19

“Let’s talk about sex—after 60” is part one of a three-part series exploring sex and aging. Part I, below, provides an overview of the issues surrounding sex in later life. Parts II and III will feature interviews with thought leaders on the subjects of sexuality and age, including Esther Perel, a therapist and the author of “Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence” and most recently, “The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity” as well as with Dr. Martha Nussbaum, a philosopher, professor of law and ethics at the University Chicago, and a co-author of “Aging Thoughtfully: Conversations about Retirement, Romance, Wrinkles, and Regret,” written alongside Dr. Saul Levmore. Check “Eng(aging)” for parts II and III, which will be published the next two Fridays. . . . Christina Pierpaoli Parker, MA, is a fourth-year graduate student in the Clinical Geropsychology doctoral program at The University of Alabama under the mentorship of Drs. Forrest Scogin and Martha R. Crowther.

Capstone Village

UA student organizes monthly concerts at retirement homeTuscaloosa News – Dec. 21

The notes of “Silent Night” and other holiday standards played by a string sextet of University of Alabama students blended with the hum of the holiday celebration Wednesday at the Capstone Village. The residents of the on-campus retirement community, staff and visitors chatted over coffee and juice while the students played beside them. The musical program ended with “Jingle Bells” as the residents clapped and sang along. Doctoral student Trisha Whiteside, who led the string performers, isn’t a student spending a few passing hours at the retirement community during the holiday break. She is their neighbor, living with her husband, Brad, in a third-floor apartment.

Immigration and Crime

Migration mayhem in 2017: 9 essential readsThe Conversation – Dec. 21

President Donald Trump did not waste any time pushing strict immigration policies in 2017, as promised during his campaign … However, research on the link between immigration and crime is quite conclusive. Robert Adelman of University at Buffalo and Lesley Reid of The University of Alabama write: “Immigration-crime research over the past 20 years has widely corroborated the conclusions of a number of early 20th-century presidential commissions that found no backing for the immigration-crime connection. Although there are always individual exceptions, the literature demonstrates that immigrants commit fewer crimes, on average, than native-born Americans.”
Chicago Tribune – Dec. 21
Torrington Register-Citizen (Connecticut) – Dec. 21
New Haven Register (Connecticut) – Dec. 21
San Francisco Gate – Dec. 21
Bridgeport Post (Connecticut) – Dec. 21
Idaho Press-Tribune – Dec. 21
Racine Journal Times (Wisconsin) – Dec. 21
Auburn Pub (New York) – Dec. 21
Winona Daily News (Minnesota) – Dec. 21

Realizing the Dream

Realizing the Dream celebration activities setTuscaloosa News – Dec. 24

The annual Realizing the Dream celebration at The University of Alabama will feature award-winner gospel duo Mary Mary and actor and community activist Danny Glover. The celebration will be from Jan. 12-15 and include a concert, banquet, speakers and a unity day. This year’s theme is Realizing the Dream Through Service to Others. The event, which celebrated the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., is hosted by UA, Stillman College, Shelton State Community College and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference…

UA Opera Theatre

University of Alabama’s Civil War story earns national honorTuscaloosa News – Dec. 25

The University of Alabama’s Opera Theatre won second place in the National Opera Association’s Opera Production Competition for its earlier world-premiere chamber opera production “Freedom and Fire! A Civil War Story.” The National Opera Association is an organization that promotes excellence in opera education and teaching through its support of a diverse community of opera educators and professionals, according to its website. Paul Houghtaling, an associate professor of voice and director of opera at UA, said the award serves as validation for the original production that operatically tells the tale of UA’s destruction by the Union Army at the end of the American Civil War in 1865.

Alabama Governor Race

So soon? Alabama governor’s race primaries should heat up after legislative sessionYellowhammer News – Dec. 26

After one of the most hotly contested U.S. Senate races in recent memory, don’t expect the governor’s race to heat up for a few months, says one state political science expert. “I think it’s good to have a respite from campaigning right now since we had so much of it during the Senate rate,” Bill Stewart, professor emeritus of political science at The University of Alabama, told Yellowhammer News.

Conservative Millennials

Conservatism remains relevant among millennialsYellowhammer News – Dec. 28

Last week, I had the opportunity to travel to West Palm Beach, Florida to attend the Student Action Summit hosted by Turning Point USA (TPUSA). (Kyle Morris is a senior at The University of Alabama, majoring in telecommunication and film with a minor in political science and Yellowhammer News contributor. He also writes for The Daily Caller.)

Alt-Right Culture

Jew-hating politician’s campaign shows spread of ‘Alt-Right’ cultureForward – Dec. 30

Political hopeful Paul Nehlen began his move into the “alt-right” this past fall. First, he was just toying with the internet subculture’s memes and catchphrases and praising white nationalist groups. But by Christmas he had gone full anti-Semite — retweeting white supremacist slogans and reading an author known as the “Neo-Nazi movement’s favorite academic.” … “Nehlen is going all-in as the ‘alt-right’ candidate,” said George Hawley, University of Alabama professor and author of “Making Sense of the Alt-Right.” “It shows how the rhetoric and aesthetics of the ‘alt-right’ are becoming influential in the broader right-wing culture, especially among younger people.”