5 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(04/19/15 6:58pm)
The auditorium of the Willet Science Center was packed with people of all ages, from professors to students to children of professor. The crowd consisted of a variety of disciplines, not just science majors. A line snaked out from the left wall, where people placed their votes for a raffle: Who would win, Heroes or Villains?
The members of the American Chemical Society sported matching blue shirts and safety goggles. Their annual Demonstration Show commenced with a scripted but witty introduction that had the audience laughing in no time. The two entrances at the front of the auditorium were decorated with balloons and streamers, one red for villains, the other pink for heroes.
The first act of the show played a clip of Yzma from The Emperor’s New Groove, in which the villain revealed her evil plan to “turn Kuzco into a flea -- a harmless little flea. Then I’ll put that flea into a box, and I’ll put that box into another box, and I’ll mail that box to myself. Then I’ll smash the box with a hammer.” Kaydren Orcutt and JJ Lee of the chemical society had a much better plot.
They claimed to have turned Kuzco into a gummy bear, which they then dropped into a tube of potassium chloride. When the sugar of the gummy bear hit the potassium chloride, sparks flew in the form of a combustion reaction.
Next, Sarah Barnett and Kristian Taylor represented the Heroes as Elsa from Frozen. Just like Elsa could make crystals from thin air, the two chemistry majors demonstrated the crystallization of a super saturated solution. In a manner fitting to the crowd, dumbed down but not insulting, they explained the process of saturating a solution of water with salt, then heating the solution in order to dissolve more salt. When the solution cools, the salt is still dissolved, until a pipet with a crystal on the end entered the solution, causing the salt to recrystallize. A little difficult for the entire crowd to see, the recrystallization looked like a cloud in the mixture.
Though most of the audience would have had no suspicions, this project did not go quite as planned. “We all practiced five times before the show,” said Barnett. “Five times, the crystallization happened and looked like needles, extending to the surface of the flask -- not a cloud.” One hypothesis is that the room was too cold for the recrystallization.
Without any indication of a set-back, the show continued with the villains. Many Disney villains are associated with fire, particularly fire of different colors. For this experiment, the first two fires were blue and red, so colored due to the excited electrons that gave off different light. To demonstrate Scar’s green fire, however, the scientists burned boric acid.
Following Scar, the Evil Queen from Snow White took the screen, using her boiling cauldron to change the color of an apple. Demonstrating the color change, Utkarsh Parwal, Patrick McAlpin, and Hetu Shah set out multiple beakers of water with a universal indicator, which shows the pH balance of the solution. At neutral, the indicator was green. Parwal, with gloved hands, added dry ice (CO2 solid) to the water. The solution exploded with bubbles as the dry ice sublimed, changing from solid to gas, converting to carbonic acid as it hit the water. The carbonic acid turned the indicator red. To change the color back, the team added a universal base (NaOH or sodium hydroxide), which switched the color all the way to blue, then back to a neutral green.
The villains were winning at this point, by popular vote, so the heroes had to come back strong. Mary Poppins’ magic bag featured on the screen, and Hannah Batton and Akata Patel took the stage hoping to make the Evil Queen’s poisoned apple disappear into a magical bag. They dropped the styrofoam apple, technically polystyrene, into acetone, which dissolves the polystyrene into styrene. Unfortunately, the red paint on the styrofoam apples slowed the process, which made it even funnier when Batton turned to Patel and said, “Looks like the heroes have won this one!”
Finally, the villains got the last word, when a clip from Hercules showed the monster Hydra, whose head grows back triple when chopped off. The demonstration is called “elephant’s toothpaste,” in which a hydrogen peroxide, which decomposes slowly in water, was catalyzed by iodide, an enzyme that lowers the activation energy of the reaction between H2O2 and H2O. All that science jargon means that the mixture exploded into yellow foam, or what looked like elephant’s toothpaste.
The show as a whole was fun for everyone, with technical terms for the science majors and others interested, a humorous script for all ages, and multiple prizes from a raffle. Definitely recommended for next year.
(04/19/15 6:19pm)
By now the student body of Mercer University has heard of Kim Murphy, junior soccer player whose parents passed away in February. For those who have not heard, Murphy’s father, Doug, passed away from an undetected stomach ulcer, followed by her mother, Cathy, passing due to a long battle with brain cancer. The response by students, campus organizations, and local businesses has been monumental and heart-warming. The most recent effort to help Murphy was hosted by the Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) fraternity on April 10 at The Crazy Bull, a night club in downtown Macon.
The goal of the “Koncert for Kim” was to support Murphy and her sister as they attempt to reach financial stability. Five members of the fraternity sent out a Facebook invitation to nearly 800 students, expecting word of mouth to increase the turnout. Robertdale Brown, Kyle Holmes, Tony Perella, William Bates, Tash Van Dora, and Elliot West began planning back in February, as an immediate response to the horrific events.
For the “koncert,” ATO booked Jared Ashley, Jamie Davis, and Tash and the Boys. Mercer’s own Tash and the Boys, a self-proclaimed mesh of Southern rock and California surf rock, opened the show. Next Bluegrass performer Jamie Davis took the stage. The headliner for the night was Jared Ashley, a musician out of Nashville who appeared on “Nashville Star” in 2006.
ATO member and host of the concert said, “Let me start out by saying how incredible and inspiring this entire process has been.” He called the success of the event “a testament to not only Kim, but to the Mercer community as a whole.”
Hundreds of students stopped at the Crazy Bull between 8 pm and 2 am on Friday night to pay the $10 cover fee that went to support Kim. Said Brown, “Watching hundreds of people flock to the Bull on Friday night to support one of our own was eye-opening to say the least.” The fraternity was blown away by the turnout. “We never imaged Koncert for Kim would become what it did,” said Brown.
The profits from the event exceeded their expectations, raising nearly $7000. More than raising money, however, the concert showed Mercer’s dedication for caring for its own. “We showed Kim how much the Mercer community really does care about her,” said Brown, “and that in and of itself is a testament to Kim and who she is.”
The Koncert for Kim was a huge success, in addition to being a great event for the Macon community. Said Brown, “All in all, this was about Kim, and the success of the night proved that.”
To support Kim and her sister, two GoFundMe pages have been created. The first is http://www.gofundme.com/oi864w. For this fundraiser, created by Eric Balash, head student manager of the Duquesne Women’s soccer team, the players of the Duquesne Women’s soccer team promised to run 1000 stairs when they reached their mark of $1000. The fundraiser has currently raised just over $1300, and their new goal is to reach $1500 by April 27.
The second is http://www.gofundme.com/m0c3xo/, created by Kim’s aunt, Kimberly Cropp, and the Mercer women’s soccer team. This fundraiser has currently reached its goal of $35000, but is still open to donations.
An earlier Cluster article reported that the “father was the only source of income for the family, and due to her mother’s cancer, the family had defaulted on their insurance premiums.” The support for Kim and her sister does not have to end with the close of the concert in her honor.
(04/19/15 5:59pm)
Graduation is right around the corner (sorry for the reminder), and on top of the long to-do list that already stretches for miles, what to wear for the big day is a looming question.
The Mercer website provides a concise (and vague) description: “Men should wear dark slacks, dark shoes, and a shirt with a white collar. Women should wear comfortable dark dress shoes with a dress or skirt that does not show below the gown, or dark slacks and a blouse.”
Though fairly restricting, these requirements do leave a little bit of wiggle room. Business Insider offers plenty of resources about men’s business attire. The most formal color for men’s shoes is black, which goes with black, grey, or navy slacks; just stay away from brown.
They also offer tips on which options are traditional versus fashion-forward. For women’s dresses, the gown is sufficiently long for just about any dress that is not full-length prom or ballgown.
Fortunately, Mercer’s commencement ceremony will be indoors, in Hawkins Arena, so the dress does not necessarily have reflect the weather. And the best news ever: the color of the dress is not restricted! As long as what shows beneath the gown (shoes and slacks) are dark and unobtrusive, the dress or skirt can be whatever color you want.
One blogger for CollegeFashion gave the tip to wear something sleek, since the bulk of the gown can look awkward with something bulky beneath it. Go for something mature, to show your preparedness for the “real world,” but don’t be afraid to add a little spunk.
Check out these helpful links:
Mercer's commencement webpage: http://commencement.mercer.edu/macon/
BusinessInsider's tips for men: http://www.businessinsider.com/a-visual-guide-to-matching-suits-and-dress-shoes-2014-3
CollegeFashion's tips for women: http://www.collegefashion.net/fashion-tips/how-to-dress-for-graduation/
(04/19/15 4:30am)
Turning the ordinary into works of art seemed to be the theme of Plunkett Gallery’s most recent exhibition, entitled “Have You Ever Asked Me for Something That I, That I Wouldn’t Do?” The exhibition presented the works of Galen Olmsted and Budd Dees, who received MFAs from the University of Florida one year apart. With a total of six pieces, the exhibition included two works by each artist and two collaborative pieces.
At the closing Gallery Talk and Reception, Olmsted in person and Dees on Skype asked each other questions to provide thorough information for the handful of students present on the sunny afternoon before Good Friday.
First, Dees asked Olmsted about his processes for making his pieces. Olmsted’s two pieces were called “Angel Shit” and “Boulder.” The former, made of white porcelain, sprawled across the corner of the gallery floor, taking no distinctive shape, but rather incorporating a variety of vague shapes. Olmsted explained that as part of his graduate thesis, he used a machine called an extruder to work with porcelain. He further explained that the purpose of the extruder was to create cylinders out of the porcelain, but that he only wanted to use the leftovers. Budd prompted him with a reminder that the question was whether the production process carried significance. Olmsted said, “An extruder is like your butt. If an angel were to shit, it would be porcelain.”
His other piece, a conglomeration of plaster, wire, and canvas, was entitled “Boulder,” but the two artists joked that it might be better entitled “Spitball.” The large papier-mache mass did indeed resemble a spitball, as the medium itself was wet paper that had dried in a round shape. Olmsted shared his production process, which began with a fascination with spherical forms. He found that the best method to form a sphere from chicken wire was to cut the wire like a flattened world map, then roll it up like a globe. He covered the wire in plastic-dipped canvas, then applied plastic to the drying paper for texture. The plastic peeled off after the paper dried.
Dees’ pieces were papier-mache as well, and Olmsted asked why he preferred to work with that material. Dees contrasted his work with Olmsted’s, describing the difference as “degrading porcelain versus taking something kindergartners use and treating it seriously.” Dees’ piece “Many Acceptable Forms” resembled what one might find in a kindergarten classroom. A variety of colorful papier-mache blocks peppered the floor, spread out and not physically connected to one another. Dees used paper products found at corporate office supply stores, keeping the basic colors provided there. Though the colors were what he termed “friendly, quirky, welcoming,” they were not meant to disguise potential emotions behind the work, such as anger or sadness.
Dees’ other piece was a blue, boulder-shaped papier-mache invention covered in brown fur, with some shredded fabric on one side. The title attached was “Werewolf Boyfriend (Sans Abs),” demonstrating the artist’s sense of humor. Dees expressed the difficulty of working with materials that do not have the durability of clay or metal. “The project is a failure if it crumbles,” said Dees. “How do I deal with the fact that these materials can constantly change?” He spoke of the risk of transporting these items, reconciling himself with the fact that they may come back broken or cracked.
To finish the gallery talk, Dees and Olmsted told the stories behind the collaborative pieces. Collaboration #1 included Adrian Brun, an artist the two met while living in Berlin after graduation. Collaboration #2 featured Jill Frank, a photographer whose subject is fraternity parties. Dees said that collaboration is “about saying yes to someone, hands off.” The process of these collaborations allowed each artist one chance to add to and rearrange the content of the pictures. As a result, the artists had to trust one another.
(03/19/15 5:09am)
“Every number has a name. Every name has a story.”
So says the straightforward home page of Decoding Freedom’s website. Those numbers are statistics about sex trafficking, and those names are real people who can tell heart-rending stories of their experiences right here in Middle Georgia.
Decoding Freedom is a senior capstone marketing class. The professor, Dr. Tammy Crutchfield, is involved as a volunteer in Middle Georgia with the goal to end sex slavery. Her two-semester course allows students to learn how to research and market an event to people, then to apply those concepts. With Mercer’s emphasis on service, the course combines those practical business skills with a worthy cause.
As their first event, Decoding Freedom hosted the Breakaway Fashion Show on Wednesday, February 25. The event began with those numbers that have names, statistics about sex trafficking handwritten on cardboard posters. With somber faces, about a dozen Mercer students carried the information to the stage of the Willingham Auditorium, where approximately fifty students were in attendance that stormy night.
The grave mood quickly gave way to a more light-hearted atmosphere after the stage cleared and the fashion show began. The first segment was entitled “Day-Time Apparel.” The female models strutted like professionals, pairing the organization’s emblematic jogger pants with crop-tops, classy hats, denim jackets, or whatever else the models wanted. One at a time, the model took left stage, right stage, center stage, then filed out. Next the male models, a little less sober, took the stage in red or black baseball tees with Decoding Freedom’s logo sprawled across the chest. With a little embarrassment, they struck model-esque poses, but contributed to the overall fun atmosphere.
The hosts, Khris Rodriguez, Cailin Knox, and Aneesha Reddicks, announced a brief intermission, though the show had only been about ten minutes long at that point. After the intermission, four members Mercer’s student-led Spoken Word organization, Point B.L.A.N.K., recited poems they had written and memorized for the occasion.
First, Avery Braxton recited “I’m Only a Poet,” in which he conveyed the difficulty of having only words to fight a monumental problem, but finding that his words had power to effect change. Second, Ryan Jones shared “There’s No Stopping a God,” a vivid and poignant metaphor describing the man of a sexually abusive relationship having the power of a malevolent god coming to his people. Third, Shy Antoine performed “From Behind These Bars,” her words painting a picture from the viewpoint of an enslaved person. Fourth, Virgenal Owens narrated “A Day Away from Forever,” reminding the audience of the fears and hopes of victims of sex trafficking.
Owens, the president of Point B.L.A.N.K., explained the research that went into writing the poems. “Most of my preparation was learning more about sex-trafficking and many of the facts and statistics people don’t know about,” he said. The subject material was difficult, he said, but “we tried our best to approach the topic as best as we could.”
The fashion show resumed with “Night-Time Apparel,” which consisted of the same outfits enhanced by darker colors. The show concluded with an auction of one pair of joggers at half price.
The goal of the fashion show, according to Decoding Freedom’s event staff members Cailin Knox and Khris Rodriguez, was to get the word out about Decoding Freedom’s mission, and to advertize the clothing. “We had the pants and shirts to raise money,” Khris said. “How do you get people to be interested in buying clothes from you? Mercer gives away so many free shirts already, a fashion show would show students what we have to offer.”
The joggers they sell come from a rescue mission in Uganda. Each pair of joggers sold provides education on sex trafficking to seven children in Middle Georgia. Each tee-shirt sold raises enough money to educate five. Decoding Freedom’s overall goal is to educate children in Middle Georgia in order to prevent future sex trafficking.
The merchandise will be on sale for the duration of the semester. Visit their website, DecodingFreedom.com, or their Facebook page for more information.
Blaze Jeffrey, president of Decoding Freedom, explained the lasting effects of the fashion show. “I hope that people realize that sex trafficking is happening here in Middle Georgia and feel motivated to help out in any way that they can,” he said, “whether that is through donations to organizations that are working to end it, or helping out these organizations by volunteering or becoming more involved in the work they do.”
Khris Rodriguez agreed, saying, “We don’t just want to sell people things. If they’re interested in getting involved, we help to be an avenue for these people.”