Montevallo Welcomes Best Buddies

Story by Sloan Gibby

Equality. Social Acceptance. True Friendship. If you had the chance to offer these things to someone who didn't already have them, would you? Members of Best Buddies have already given their answers--yes.

Best Buddies is a volunteer organization that matches college students with their peers who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. It is designed to foster one-on-one relationships that support equality, social acceptance, and the true meaning of friendship for individuals who don’t necessarily have opportunities to meet people and make friends like college students do. Best Buddies Montevallo works with individuals from United Cerebral Palsy of Birmingham. Students get paired with their “buddies” based upon a survey that matches their interests.

University of Montevallo student Laura Batt heard of Best Buddies from a family member who attends another university.  Batt was intrigued, so she did some research and decided it was something we needed at Montevallo.

Members of Best Buddies have certain obligations they are expected to meet. They must call or e-mail their buddy at least once a week, and hang out at least twice a month. The buddies do activities any friends would do together, like eating dinner, going bowling, and watching a movie. UM student Laven Abercrombie says she and her buddy have recently gone to the Galleria and made a “build-a-bear” together.

Throughout the school year, the organization hosts events for the buddies to participate in together. So far this year they have had tons of fun. They have tye-dyed shirts on the quad, had a Hollywood Movie night, had a Halloween dance party at UCP, and went to a Braves game together.

To become a member of the organization and get assigned a “buddy” you have to join at the beginning of the school year. However, all the events they host are open to the public to come and mingle. The next event is planned on Valentines day.

To find out more about Best Buddies, visit the national website or Montevallo's chapter website.


 If you have a story you would like us to cover or post, email us at UMFalconNewsNetwork@gmail.com

University of Montevallo Disc Golf

Story by Lauren-Nicole Altaffer

Disc golf is a rapidly growing sport. There are around 25,000 courses in the US today. One of those courses being on our campus at the University of Montevallo. We are lucky to have a great facility with equipment that can be checked out. Our Student Activity Center has disc available to play the course. Our course on campus is 18 holes. The first basket starting by the police station and wrapping around the SAC ending behind the facility. Any students who want to use the course and check out disc, come in and give their ID card to the staff at the front desk and they keep your card while you go and play a round or two. Just bring back the disc when you‘re done.

Disc golf takes patience and practice but it’s a great activity to get outside and play with friends. The basics of the game are simple. When playing the game of disc golf the main purpose is to throw from the tee off as close as you can to the basket in the least amount of shots. At the end of each game the player with the least amount of shots is the winner of the game.

The disc that you throw to achieve a good score, vary in weight and sizes and are used for different types of shots at various distances. The shot used is to be figured out by what works best for you. The University of Montevallo disc golf course is open for any frisbee lovers. Remember the SAC also has disc that can be checked-out to play. The only thing left to do is get out there and practice those skills. Hit the course!

For more information on our facility visit the SAC's website at http://www.montevallo.edu/SAC/

Also check out some instructional videos on YouTube to learn more about disc golf. 

University of Montevallo Basketball Live Streaming

by:  Jolyn Hannah


Everyone loves to attend sporting events.  Here at Montevallo we are the world's biggest basketball fans.  I try to go to as many games as possible but just can't make it out as much as I like.  University of Montevallo Mass Communication students make it possible for you to watch live games from your home through U-Stream.  http://www.ustream.tv/montevalloathletics

Workouts at the SAC

Story by Ryeshia Albright

The Student Activity Center at the University of Montevallo offers many resources for health and wellness. Every week the SAC offers many cardio classes like zumba, kick boxing, and water aerobics. For a more relaxing class, yoga is also offered.  Jolyn Hannah, a student at the university, went to her first yoga class Tuesday and she said she enjoyed the class.  Hannah also said she is going to try to start going to the classes every Tuesday and Thursday.  She also said she wants to try out the kickboxing class.

Along with the classes, the SAC also offers a cardio room, weight room, pool, and racquetball courts.  In addition to that there is a walking track available too, and it is also open to the public. The SAC is available to all students and faculty and staff.  Memberships are also offered for non-faculty and staff members and those who are not students.  

For more information visit the SAC's website at http://www.montevallo.edu/SAC/

Student Activity Center Hours
·      Cardio Room ·      Weight Room ·      Racquetball Courts	Mondays & Wednesdays- 6:30am-8:00pm Tuesdays & Thursdays- 8:00am-8:00pm Fridays- 6:30am-5:00pm Saturdays- 1:00pm-6:00pm Sundays- 3:00pm-8:00pm
·      Pool	Monday, Wednesday, and Friday- 6:30am-8:30am Mondays through Thursday- 5:00pm-7:00pm Monday through Friday- 11:30am-1:30pm Sunday- 3:00pm-5:00pm
·      Yoga	Tuesday & Thursday- 5:00pm-6:00pm
·      Water Aerobics	Monday & Wednesday- 6:00pm-7:00pm
·      Zumba	Monday & Wednesday- 5:00pm-6:00pm
·      Kickboxing	Tuesday & Thursday- 6:00pm-7:00pm
·      Personal Trainers	Monday through Thursday 8:00am-10:00am                                             5:00pm-8:00pm

           

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Montevallo's women's basketball team eyeing playoffs

Story by Dan Cook

Coach Hilbrich's assessment of this year's season
 
  The Montevallo Falcons' women's basketball team has had an impressive season so far, with only nine games left in the season.  The team had a total of 11 wins all of last season, yet has 12 already this season, going into Thursday  night's game versus Young Harris.  "Before the season started, we decided our total wins goal (for the season) was 17 wins," said Coach Hilbrich.  "We fully anticipate going to the Peach Belt Conference Tournament."

  Hilbrich, in her 2nd year as head coach of the Falcons, spoke about how January has been tough for her squad.  "We had a very tough travel schedule.  We actually had four road games in a row before we were able to come back home," she said.  "And that week (following the road games), we had three games in one week."  She mentioned that the rest of the season should be relatively less strenuous, and that the pre-season goal of 17 wins should be very likely.

  The Falcons are 8-4 in Peach Belt Conference play, which is tied for the most Peach Belt wins for Montevallo since joining the conference.  Coach Hilbrich said that she hopes to surpass that total, which would set another record for this Falcon team.

  If you have a story you would like us to cover or post, email us at UMFalconNewsNetwork@gmail.com.

   Also, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.  Just search for UM Falcon News Network.

  And be sure to check out Falcon Fever.  In this week's episode, you can see and hear this interview from Coach Hilbrich herself.
Falcon Fever

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Falcon Fever Recaps UM Sports

STORY BY: FALCON FEVER CREW

Join Dan Cook and Lauren Altaffer as they recap University of Montevallo athletics.

See Dan's interview with Coach Cindy Hilbrich about how the women's basketball team is doing this season and her hopes for the rest of the season.

Falcon Fever is produced by students in the University of Montevallo Mass Communication program.

Falcon Fever Returns for 2013

Falcon Fever is back for 2013! Join Michael Artress and Sloan Gibby for a recap of recent UM sports news. Also, correspondent Jolyn Hannah takes you behind the scenes for a look at how Mass Comm students stream home basketball games online, and Jolyn also introduces us to our Feature Player of the Week, Beverly Taylor!

Be sure to check back each Wednesday evening for a new episode of Falcon Fever.

Welcome to the Falcon News Network

Welcome to the news blog for University of Montevallo students in the Mass Communication program, which is part of the Department of Communication.

This blog will be used to publish news stories written and shot by students in our MC 332 class which focuses on solo video journalism, or one-man-band reporting. It will also feature our weekly campus newscast, Falcon Weekly. We will also post our program's weekly sportscast, Falcon Fever.

If you have a story idea, email us at UMFalconNewsNetwork@gmail.com.

Follow the Mass Comm program on Twitter: @UM_MassComm
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Our news set in our studio in the Mass Communication building. This is where we anchor both Falcon Weekly and Falcon Fever.