Deep in downtown Tuscaloosa, The Bama Theatre was completed in 1938 and is the oldest operating theater. Decorated in 1920’s artistic form, it captured the hearts and attention

of the people. As a result, the Bama Theater became a popular spot for entertainment evolving into a Performing Arts Center in 1976. After a complete renovation, dance recitals, art galleries,

theatrical plays and even musical concerts have been hosted there.

In order to attract a variety of audiences, a Performing Arts Center must offer concerts that appeal to all ages. For instance, the college age group prefers concerts by modern artists while the older age group are more inclined toward the orchestra or symphony. This continued appeal throughout the community has spanned seventy one years and the theater’s success is partly attributed to it’s variation in programs as well as it’s “atmosphere”.

The theater, which is decorated with murals painted to resemble the courtyard of the

Davanzati Palace in Florence, Italy is truly magnificent. The small lights built into the ceiling give the impression of being outdoors and looking up into the night sky with twinkling stars. The balcony and the orchestra sections are decorated as the Italian courtyard and will seat as many as 1,080 guests.

Atmosphere is vital to the enjoyment of any performance so the versatility of the Bama Theater is critical to its success The atmosphere is both elegant and fun, while the creative murals set the mood for any theatrical performance. The light posts and brick walkways of Downtown Tuscaloosa add charm and contribute to its “old world” atmosphere.

The theater is conveniently located and surrounded by busy restaurants and bars that offer

a variety of food, drink and atmosphere that cater to all ages. The ticket booth lines move relatively quickly as the lines for concessions and the restrooms get fairly crowded, especially when there is a popular performance being hosted and the theater is filled to capacity. The size of the lobby is probably the worst feature of the theater.

The Bama Theater is still making history seventy one years after it originally opened its doors in 1938. It’s unique atmosphere and convenient location attract people of all ages and backgrounds, making it one of the most popular venues in the Tuscaloosa community. The primary ingredients of a really good show are the talented performers and an excited audience. The history and atmosphere of the Bama Theater along with the vitality created from the performers and the audience make for a truly exciting show that will be remembered for a long time. The old theater has had it’s ups and downs, but it still strives to provide the need for entertainment in the small college town of Tuscaloosa and hopefully continue to surprise it’s patrons with the variety of arts and entertainment that it provides.

New College

Ever wonder how to fly fish? Seems like it would be an incredible experience, especially if it counted as three credit hours towards my college degree. Imagine about taking a canoe trip down Hurricane Creek to obtain a biological survey on the diversity of plant and animal life found throughout the area. This would also assist in credit hours. It sounds like a ludicrous idea. Why would the University of Alabama give out credits for anything that doesn’t involve a tedious lecture followed by hours of studying for an exam.

A top-secret organization has been formed! New College is an extraordinary concept. Although, it is an option when selecting courses, the normal incoming freshman students tend to skip over it. Freshman Zach Hval states, "I have never even heard of New College." This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for students to grasp the information that is not readily available.

The New College program is a division of the Arts and Sciences College at the University of Alabama. The main initiative of the program is to provide students with means to utilize several academic disciplines to personalize their college experience with a defined “depth study.” Students of New College work closely with their advisor (who they might see once a week, as opposed to once a semester) to choose the right courses that will benefit the students chosen depth study. Normally, a depth study is composed of 30 to 35 semester hours and includes classes that are taken from any college at the university. Among these classes, five of them are integrative seminars. These assimilate social sciences that cover a majority of current social issues, humanities courses that strive to open communication and nontraditional learning methods amongst students and the world around them, as well as the natural sciences that can include anything from anthropology to physics.

The supreme aspect of New College is the independent study. On the other hand, the fact that New College students have so many opportunities for every kind of internship that could ever possibly be imagined is pretty neat too. Not to mention that the program recently obtained for their students, an EXCLUSIVE student lounge. However, this is off subject, to get back on task... Students who have an idea of what they would like to explore outside of the classroom now have this opportunity. For instance, if instead of taking a specific class one semester, a student may present a contract to their advisor. However, this contract has to be very specific as to what they want to accomplish through this specific study and must give examples of the different resources and materials they will be using. When the objective has been completed, the student’s work will be graded based upon the contract and quality of the independent study. Depending on the difficulty and the specifications of the study, the student may get three complete semester hours (just as if he or she had taken a math or biology class) or the independent studies can be as detailed as to count for an entire semester (12 credit hours.)

Also, the course has given students a chance to explore new options through New College classes provided. The normal math is not in the itinerary. With a chance to learn more than just "speak and repeat," which is the standard way of college teaching, New College allows the student to answer questions in an "out of the box" fashion. The program is based on critical thinking skills, being able to analyze problems, and being able to intuitively figure out concepts instead of by memorizing. It is a wonderful opportunity that is rapidly growing. After reading this, incoming freshman will be able to at least glance over it without pushing it aside because they have no idea what it is.