Dance and Theatre Not Just at UA

The University of Alabama has a lot to offer in both the theatre and dance departments, for it puts on about eight theatre shows and four dance performances each academic year. I think a lot of students think this is all the city of Tuscaloosa has to offer in these two areas, for they are advertised all over campus. This is what I thought also until my Arts of Tuscaloosa class recently taught me other wise.
I learned that outside of the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa is home to the Tuscaloosa Community Dancers, Inc., a company of dancers from all area schools. It includes both a professional company and apprentices and puts on several productions each year at Tuscaloosa’s downtown Bama Theatre such as the holiday favorite, the Nutcracker. This is a great opportunity to see dancers from outside the university and compare their style to the dance department's.
Tuscaloosa also offers Theatre Tuscaloosa, one of the largest community theater companies in the state of Alabama. Theatre Tuscaloosa is a non-profit organization that works with Shelton State Community College to provide opportunities for locals to partake in live performances. The company not only puts on several public performances of their own, but also supports children’s theatre and the Tuscaloosa Community Dancers. All of the company’s performances are held at the Bean-Brown Theatre located on Shelton State Community College’s campus.
It is great to support the university's art programs, but can also be fun to go see other community dancers and actors. I think Tuscaloosa has much more to offer in the arts than most people think.

Walk of Life

The weekend of April 18th-20th, I decided to go home for the long weekend which happened to be the weekend that Montgomery was hosting its 7th annual Walk of Life sponsored by the Joy to Life Foundation. My dad was running in the 5k and my mom was walking it, so I signed up at the last minute to walk with her. I have participated in several runs around town, all of which normally consist of one to two hundred people. So, I was very surprised when we drove up to see over 3,000 men and women participating in the event held in the heart of downtown. The race turned out to be a huge success raising over $125,000 to provide medical care, including free mammograms, to under-priveleged women. It was also very touching to see teams come together to honor or remember a previous breast-cancer patient.

Not only was the race for a great cause, it was a lot of fun as well. The race ended at Crampton Bowl, a large football stadium that had a great band and lots of vendors that gave away fresh pretzels, sports drinks, Starbucks coffee, and even snowcones.

Short local runs/walks such as this one are always lots of fun to do and nearly all contribute to a good cause. Also, they are a great way to get out and exercise and enjoy the nice weather.

Red-light Cameras Up in Montgomery

At the very beginning of April, the city of Montgomery put seven red-light cameras in place at various busy intersections. Anyone who runs a red-light in one of these places may be sent a $50 ticket in the mail for the first two offenses in a twelve-month period and will double after any additional violations. Throughout the month of April, violators will solely be issued a warning, but beginning May 1, actual tickets will be given. All camera images are to be reveiwed by the city and a police officer will then issue the tickets.

I think that this is a smart move for the city of Montgomery, for people run red lights constantly and accidents occur as a result. If more tickets are given for this violation, people will be more careful , including myself, and fewer fatalities will result.

Olympic Trials in Tuscaloosa!

The 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Triathlon Trials are going to be right here in Tuscaloosa! The weekend of the 19th-20th, some of the country's best athletes are going to compete for a spot in Beijing. To kick off the activities, a parade, pep rally, opening ceremonies, and evening entertainment are being held April 17th, the Thursday before the trials at 6:00 PM at the corner of University St. and Greensboro Ave. Preceding the trials on Saturday, the Collegiate National Championship is being held at 7:00 AM which follows the same course as the olympians'. At 12:00 PM, the women's trials begin, at 2:30 PM, the men's. The Awards Ceremony is taking place right after at approximately 4:45 PM.

The race is being held at the River Road Park East, along Jack Warner Parkway. The 1500 meter (.9 mile) swim course is similar to the Beijing Olympic course forming a figure nine. The triathloners then jump on to their bikes to begin the 40 k (24.8 miles) ride which starts with a climb up Hackberry Lane and back down, a left onto Jack Warner, a 1/4 mile climb up steep Queen City Avenue, and back to Jack Warner to Hackberry Lane. The ride will conclude after 8 laps are finished. Finally, the run will consists of 4 laps by the Riverwalk to complete a 10 k (6.2 miles) sprint to the finish. Twelve women and ten men will be competing in the trials.

To finish up the weekend's events, two more triathlons are being held on Sunday. The city's annual Tuscaloosa Triathlon will be at 8:00 AM and the Twenty 12 at 11:30 AM, both 750 meter swim/ 20 k bike/ 5 k run. The Twenty 12 triathlon is specifically for upcoming athletes interested in the London 2012 Olympic Games.

I think Tuscaloosa is priveleged to be chosen to host these trials. I attended the marathon olympic trials in Birmingham a few years ago and had a lot of fun. It was really neat to see such talented athletes in person and then see them on TV competing against the best in the world in the Olympics.

If you are interested in volunteering, there are numerous opportunities:http://team-magic.rd20.com/Volunteers/RegistertoHelp/tabid/144/Default.aspx

Tour de Tuscaloosa

Saturday morning, Trent and I made another trip to Edelweiss. This time, however, we had an extremely hard time getting there. Numerous roads were blocked off, including the entire right side of University Boulevard past the Tuscaloosa Club. We had to take a detour to Jack Warner and ended up by Capitol Park. Although we grew a little frustrated, we decided to just park and walk. As our destination grew closer, we began to hear a large group of people yelling and whistling...why we had no clue. We soon realized, however, that it was a bike race. Right as we walked up to the strip of road right in front of Edelweiss, scores of neon colored helmets and jerseys came whizzing by. It turned out to be a really neat experience. We ate outside with a lot of other people and dogs, most of whom were enjoying the music and atmosphere, cheering on the bikers. My dad has done some triathalons and he got me into biking a bit a few years ago.

I did a little research on the race and found out it was the Tour de Tuscaloosa put on by bike shop Velo City, located right next to Edelweiss. It turns out there were about 190 participants in seven different races. This was the second annual Tour de Tuscaloosa, the Saturday downtown and Sunday in Druid City. For anyone that enjoys outdoor recreation, this is a fun event to go to and enjoy the spring weather.

Velo City's Website: http://velocityprocycle.com/

Tuscaloosa News' Article on Tour de Tuscaloosa: http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20080330/NEWS/605388051/1015/NEWS

Edelweiss German Bakery and Cafe

My boyfriend Trent and I discovered Edelweiss German Bakery and Cafe behind Mellow Mushroom in Temerson Square a few weeks ago after my roommate told me about it. I don't know if it is a well kept secret, but I had never heard of it. Everyone needs to go there... the little place is run by a German family who knows how to bake and cook. They have delicious homemade breads, pastries, pretzels, and excellent coffee. The bakery is also open for lunch serving German sandwiches, bratwursts, and soups. Better yet, the bakers do not add any preservatives to their treats, so one is assured that they are fresh. Although I have only been there three times, the first day my boyfriend like it so much, we went there for breakfast and lunch! Also, the prices are very reasonable; Two can easily eat there for lunch for $10-$15. I have had the German breakfast that includes two pieces of your choice of bread and cream cheese, butter, and jelly. Also, I have tried the bratwurst (not something I would normally order for I'm not a big hot dog fan, but Trent talked me into it) that turned out to be delicious. I think Edelweiss is a great asset to Tuscaloosa, for it gives locals a taste of Germany!
Here is a good article about the cafe in the Tuscaloosa News: http://http//www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20071010/NEWS/71009026/1005/SPORTS0106