By Emily Williams At 104 years of age, Helen Hudgens has traveled the world collecting art and experiences. But for her wish of a lifetime, she stayed closer to home. On March 10, Hudgens visited pieces of her own art collection that she donated to the Birmingham Museum of Art and her old friend, senior curator Dr. Donald Wood.Upon learning that Wood will be retiring … [Read more...]
Take the Lead: Competitive Ballroom Dancing Keeps Ann Rich on Her Toes
By Emily Williams Ann Rich’s relationship with ballroom dancing can’t be called kismet. The Birmingham resident didn’t start ballroom dancing until her early 50s. The first time she stepped into the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Hoover, she didn’t fall in love with ballroom dancing. In fact, it didn’t spark any kind of resounding emotion. “Initially, my husband and I went to … [Read more...]
Face the Five: Samford Students Put Focus on Mental Health With Awareness Campaign
By Annie Howard Five Samford University students are facing down the culture of silence surrounding mental health. As part of a spring semester program, the students, who are in Samford’s public relations department, were assigned the Campaign to Change Direction as a client. To promote the campaign’s message of mental health awareness, they created a campaign of their own, … [Read more...]
In the Home Stretch: Novice Runner Feeling Ready as V2V Day Approaches, (Except for That Strained Knee)
By Annie Howard Dana Travis is nearing the finish line. On Village 2 Village day, March 11, she’ll put her hard work to the test. Now that she’s in the home stretch, Travis sees just how far she’s come since she started preparing for the race in January, a journey documented by the Over the Mountain Journal. It was “tough to run just 30 seconds” back then, she said, or at … [Read more...]
Standing Together: Birmingham Shows Support for LJCC During Staff Appreciation Day
By Emily Williams It’s safe to say that the Levite Jewish Community Center staff has had a rough couple of months, but a Staff Appreciation Day held March 6 showed that it’s easy to lift spirits with a little bit of love and support. On Feb. 27, the Levite Jewish Community Center and the N.E. Miles Jewish Day School followed protocol for the third bomb threat of the … [Read more...]