Dialog, UA Faculty and Staff News

February 23, 2004

Exploring Excellence in Teaching Week Scheduled for Feb. 23-27
National Eating Disorder Awareness Week in Progress
RAGTIME Scheduled for Marian Gallaway Theatre — Tickets Available
Second Annual Jewish Film Festival at the Historic Bama Theatre Announces Schedule
NAA Accepting Nominations for OCTA Awards

Exploring Excellence in Teaching Week Scheduled for Feb. 23-27

Continuing its emphasis on "Best Teaching Practices," the University has scheduled the 2004 Exploring Excellence in Teaching Week for Feb. 23-27. This initiative is in line with UA President Robert Witt's enrollment and teaching goals. Highlights include: MONDAY, FEB. 23 — Keynote Address, Dr. Peter Felton, Vanderbilt University, 2 p.m., Ferguson Forum; FRIDAY, FEB. 27 — Closing Event, Discussion with Dr. Amy Driscoll, director of teaching, learning, and assessment, California State University, Monterey, 3 p.m., AIME Building. Driscoll has worked on her campus to design an outcomesbased assessment program for both general education and the major programs of study. Her visit is sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences. For a complete schedule of events, go to www.teachingweek.ua.edu/eetwschedule.html.

National Eating Disorder Awareness Week in Progress

National Eating Disorder Awareness Week is scheduled for Feb. 23-March 1. During Eating Disorder Awareness Week, the Counseling Center, the Women's Resource Center and the Health Education and Wellness Department of Russell Student Health Center are promoting a campus wide awareness initiative called Every Body is Beautiful Week. This initiative promotes the development of a positive body image and healthy relationship with food. Negative body image, unhealthy eating, and excessive exercise are prevalent throughout the UA campus. The week's activities are designed to help spread the message to all students that excessive dieting, eating, and exercise are unhealthy and can lead to the development of negative body image, health problems, and eating disorders. One such effort to spread the message of healthy body image is a program on Monday, March 1, sponsored by SGA, "The Female Whole Body Experience: A holistic approach to healthy body image."

RAGTIME Scheduled for Marian Gallaway Theatre — Tickets Available

Through special arrangements, UA's Department of Theatre and Dance is presenting the Tony Award Winning musical RAGTIME. The shows will run Tuesday- Saturday, Feb. 24-28, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 29 at 2 p.m. Ticket prices are: $12, general admission; $10, faculty, staff and seniors; $8 students. For more information, call the Box Office Monday-Friday, noon-5 p.m. at 348-3400.

Second Annual Jewish Film Festival at the Historic Bama Theatre Announces Schedule

The second annual Jewish Film Festival at the historic Bama Theatre in downtown Tuscaloosa has announced its 2004 schedule. The festival will run Feb. 28-29 and March 7-8. It is presented in partnership with Shelton State Community College, Stillman College, and The University of Alabama. The project was paid for by a grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts. Tickets will go on sale in the Bama Theatre box office approximately 45 minutes prior to showtime: $5 / $4 / $3. Call 758-5195 for information or, on the Web, go to www.tuscarts.org.

Saturday, Feb. 28, 7:30 p.m.: "Left Luggage" (1998); directed by Jeroen Krabbé, stars Laura Fraser, Adam Monty, Isabella Rossellini, Jeroen Krabbé, and Topol. Chaja, a young girl in 1970s Antwerp, accepts a job as a nanny in the household of an orthodox Jewish family. Through her fondness for one of the children, a mentally handicapped boy, and the open mind of his mother, she starts to learn from her experiences.

Sunday, Feb. 29, 2p.m.: "god@heaven" (1998); directed by Joseph Neulight. What happens when a little boy sends an e-mail to God? This endearing short about looking for the Divine on-line, takes us from the computer to the Western Wall in Israel.

Sunday, Feb. 29, 2 p.m. continued: "Keep on Walking: Joshua Nelson, the Jewish Gospel Singer" (2000); directed by Tana Ross and Jesper Sorensen. The story of Joshua Nelson, an amazingvoiced African-American gospel singer who is also a deeply religious Jew. He received a Grammy nomination for the gospel music industry's Stellar Award for his recording of Jackson's "How I Got Over."

Sunday, March 7, 2 p.m.: "A Trumpet in the Wadi (Hatzotzra Ba-Vadi)" (2001); directed by Lena Chaplin and Slava Chaplin; stars Alex Sendrowitz, Khawlah Hag-Debsy, Raida Adno, and Salwa Nakkara-Hadad. Based on a book by Iraqi-born Israeli novelist Sami Michael, the film portrays a seemingly impossible love story between two outsiders in Israeli society.

Monday, March 8, 7:30 p.m.: "Trembling Before G-d" (2001); directed by Sandi Simcha Dubowski. This is an unprecedented feature documentary that shatters assumptions about faith, sexuality, and religious fundamentalism. Built around intimately-told personal stories of Hasidic and Orthodox Jews who are gay or lesbian, the film portrays a group of people who face a profound dilemma -- how to reconcile their passionate love of Judaism and the Divine with the drastic Biblical prohibitions that forbid homosexuality.

NAA Accepting Nominations for OCTA Awards

The National Alumni Association is accepting nominations for the 2004 Outstanding Commitment to Teaching Awards. The awards are based on the faculty members' commitment to teaching and the impact they have had on students through the teaching and learning process. An attractive plaque and a cash stipend are presented to the recipients at the fall faculty meeting. All full-time faculty are eligible. Nominations are accepted from alumni, faculty and students, with the selection committee composed of the same. Deadline for nominations and supporting material is March 3. Contact the Alumni Office at 348-5963 for more information.

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