UAB Briefs: Human rights celebration, eye care for all, Turkey Day diet tips

Welcome to another installment of UAB Briefs, in which we keep track of interesting people and events on campus.

Look for UAB Briefs at ironcity.ink on Fridays.

Know people, places and programs on the UAB campus that deserve a mention? Email Iron City Ink at sydney@starnespublishing.com and jchambers@starnespublishing.com.

Celebrating human rights

Dr. Henry Panion III, a distinguished professor of music at UAB, will serve as music director and conductor for the annual Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award Celebration at the Lyric Theatre downtown, on Saturday, Nov. 19.

The event – in its 24th year – is presented by the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. This year’s honoree is U.S. Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton.

Panion – who serves as director of music technology at the UAB Department of Music – has created a showcase of Alabama artists and the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement, using songs and dance that relate to the themes of love, healing, freedom and human rights, according to a UAB news release.

“I’ve arranged for the orchestra and the featured artists classic songs ranging from gospel standards such as ‘This Train’ and ‘Precious Lord’ to classics such as Stevie Wonder’s ‘Love’s In Need of Love Today’ and Sam Cooke’s ‘A Change Is Gonna Come,’” Panion said.

The featured artists will be jazz guitarist Eric Essix, American Idol winner Ruben Studdard, Belinda George Peoples and the Birmingham Sunlights.

The rest of the cast will include dancers, local gospel and spoken word artists and the Miles College Choir.

Sherri Jackson of CBS-TV 42 will serve as mistress of ceremonies.

The show will close with Panion’s arrangement of Wonder’s “Heaven Help Us All,” which was commissioned by the city of Birmingham for the 50th commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

The piece has been performed in numerous U.S. and world cities, including New York, Chicago, London, Paris, Beirut, Mumbai and Jerusalem.

Essix, a Birmingham native, is artist-in-residence and director of programming at the Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center.

For more information about the event, go to bcri.org.

Eating healthy on Turkey Day

It’s no secret that Americans stuff alarming amounts of comfort food down their gullets at the typical Thanksgiving.

According to one widely reported estimate from the Calorie Control Council, an industry group for makers of diet foods, the average American eats about 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving, which is equivalent to 14 slices of pumpkin pie.

So be glad that UAB dietician Ashley Delk has offered some tips to eat less and avoid extra salt, sugars and saturated fats when you belly up to the holiday table.

Casseroles are popular, but you should limit the number you serve, according to Delk. By doing so, “you can limit the amount of added sugars, saturated fats and salt you consume with one fell swoop,” she said.

As a way to add flavor to desserts without adding extra sugars, Delk suggests adding cinnamon to such dishes as pie and sweet potato casserole.

Limit your reliance on processed foods, like canned cranberry sauces or instant macaroni and cheese that contain sugar, fat and salt.

In watching calorie intake, remember to count your beverages. “We forget that drinks have calories, like apple cider, hot chocolate or coffee with added sugar,” Delk said. “It’s a good idea to think of those things almost as desserts. Adding fresh fruit to water is a great alternative.”

You should maintain a normal eating schedule before the holiday, according to Delk. “We know that skipping meals before a big meal like Thanksgiving backfires,” she said. “Sticking to a solid meal schedule — breakfast, lunch and dinner ­— will help you to not overindulge.”

Delk also has a solid tip for portion control at holiday meals. “Increasing fruits and vegetables on your plate fills you up and reduces the number of calories you might normally take in,” she said. Delk suggests filling half a plate with fruits and vegetables and leaving one-fourth for lean white turkey meat and the other fourth for one carbohydrate or grain, such as a roll, mashed potatoes or whole-grain rice.

And don’t forget to exercise, even in the midst of the holiday, Delk urges.”It never hurts to take a walk after a big meal,” she said.

The eyes have it

UAB Eye Care and the Jefferson County Department of Health will again work together to provide eye exams and glasses for low-income or underinsured patients through the Gift of Sight community outreach program from Nov. 30-Dec. 3, according to a news release.

Started in 2013, Gift of Sight provides patients with complimentary eye care at the UAB School of Optometry and the Western Health Clinic in Midfield.

Eyeglasses are provided thanks to support from VSP, Remote Area Medical, Lions of Alabama and Allergan.

“We spend countless hours in the classrooms and teaching clinics preparing our students for what they will encounter as practicing optometrists, but during these few days each year, we all have the opportunity to learn, invest and provide care in ways that can’t be taught in a classroom,” Dr. Kelly K. Nichols, dean of the School of Optometry, told UAB News.

Applications for the exams are available through the School of Optometry and the Department of Health. To learn more or make a donation, call UAB Eye Care at 975-2020.

Fun artsy stuff

“Couture and Culture in the 20th Century” – UAB Project Space, Room 100, Humanities Building, 900 13th St. South. This exhibit pairs 12 items from the Department of Theatre’s historical costume collection with corresponding images of 20th century artwork. Free. 1-5 p.m. daily, through Sun., Nov. 20.

“Vinegar Tom” – Alys Stephens Center, Odess Theatre, 1200 10th Ave. South. Theatre UAB alumnus Luke Harlan directs a provocative play that uses 17th-century witchcraft trials to examine gender and power. There are two performances left, on Fri., Nov. 18, at 7:30 p.m. and Sat., Nov. 19, at 2 p.m. For tickets, call 975-2787 or go to www.alysstephens.org.