Alabama is widely known for its natural beauty, rich cultural history, love of food and, of course, our state’s love of football. What many might not know about Alabama is its wide array of biodiversity, particularly along the Gulf Coast. From eels to sharks, numerous beautiful and fearsome creatures are teeming in our coastal waters.
 
You can find the American eel swimming in Alabama’s waters. They are instantly recognizable for the long fin that runs nearly the entire length of their bodies and for their very sharp teeth. This gleaming, snakelike creature migrates all the way from Alabama to the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic Ocean where it spawns and then dies. American eels are especially prevalent in the Mobile Delta and have been collected from every river in the Mobile basin and in several coastal drainages in southeastern Alabama. Unfortunately, the eel population in our state is declining due to migration routes being blocked by high-lift locks and dams.

As a student completing degrees in religious studies and library science, it is probably not surprising that collective memory and memorialization are among my research interests. At bottom, both disciplines are fundamentally concerned with history. Scholars of religion study not only the traditions and rituals that are passed down within different groups but also how history shapes the way that people relate to themselves, each other, and the world writ large. Archivists parse written records to decide what is valuable enough to preserve, and librarians play an important role in providing the public with access to transcribed history. As a subject of study, collective memory bridges the two fields by examining how we—as a society—sacralize people and events that we have agreed are important. 

​Near the start of the year, the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, announced that the Saturn IB rocket that stands off Interstate 65 welcoming people into the state of Alabama will be taken down in 2023 due to the rocket being in a poor condition. While there are plans to hopefully restore or move the rocket elsewhere, it may serve as a reminder that space exploration is not generally associated with Alabama. Florida really gets all the credit with space exploration due to it being the location where the Apollo 11 rocket launched from the Kennedy space center; however that rocket was created in Huntsville, Alabama, and was one of the most important innovations in human history as it put the first humans on the moon.

Springtime in Alabama can be defined by rainy weather, fair temperatures, humidity, and also tornadoes. While most associate tornadoes with the infamous Tornado Alley that stretches across the Great Plains, there is a little lesser known tornado prone region called Dixie Alley, which includes Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama.

Crimson Tide vs. Utah Aggies marked the first football game with alcohol sales within the walls of Bryant-Denny stadium. After a back and forth between University of Alabama Athletics and Tuscaloosa City Council, $8.99 craft beers and $9.99 premium beers were available for purchase at various vendor stations. This push for alcohol sales in BDS was in part motivated by the community, as UA athletics director Greg Byrne said, “It’s something a lot of our fans have been asking for.”

“Ain’t nothing like ‘em nowhere” is the famous motto of the Dreamland barbecue chain, and many agree with their claim to the best BBQ ribs, among other delicious dishes. Barbecue is a fundamental part of southern cuisine, and Dreamland is arguably the most famous BBQ chain in Alabama ever since its founding in 1958. It has ten locations across the Southeast, ranging across three states with multiple locations in Birmingham and Montgomery. It’s a staple of “best of” lists of southern BBQ, and according to Southern Living the original Dreamland location “in Tuscaloosa is a true Alabama classic.”

​The photography of Wilcox County native Edith Morgan encompasses the richness of Alabama history. Her life spanned sixty years and the turn of the twentieth century, and she captured rural Alabama and its people in rich detail. Anyone can appreciate Morgan’s photography, but lovers of art and Alabama history will find her work especially fascinating.

​Ever since the University of Alabama was founded in 1831 it has served the community and the state in its pursuit of excellence and in the legacies of its many graduates. The James B. McMillan Building is a significant part of the University of Alabama and can be found on the northern Bryce Campus.