The Summa Vol. 5, Issue 14
Too Many Flex Dollars? Donate them to charity. With the semester coming to a close, yourUST’s one and only lion has come back ready to cheer on our Celts. flex dollars won’t roll over to next semester. Consider donating them!
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HEALTH
FEATURES OPINION
University of St. Thomas
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Not So Dumby Dummies Fast food: Cheap eats at high cost New state-of-the-art mannequins help nursing That quick burger might be cheap and students practice real life medical procedures. easy to get, but getting rid of it is harder.
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CAMPUS LIFE
CAMPUS LIFE
Seniors Showcase Sustainability Solutions at Earth Day Fest Alumnus Brings Capstone projects feature campus Space Down wildlife, solar baking, to Earth local food and recycling
Chuck Dieterich shares experience of Apollo 13 mission with students
By STEPHANIE HERNANDEZ News Editor
As part of the Earth Day Festival on April 25, seniors in the Environmental Studies program, with the Environmental Council of Students, presented their capstone projects to an audience students, faculty and reptiles. The event was held in conjunction with Founders’ Day, allowing students to share their projects on the Campus Life Mall. Though there have been Earth Day events in the past such as an Earth Week, this year marks the first time Earth Day has been presented for students in a more festive manner. “It’s the first year we have done a festival like this,” said Sister Damien Marie Savino, FSE, chair of Environmental
By STEPHANIE HERNANDEZ News Editor
Marielle Vargas / The Summa
HOW DID YOU BEAT THE HARE? Meagan Kline, a UST FOCUS missionary, watches a tortoise on the grass of the Campus Life Mall during the Earth Day Festival. The event featured live animals and senior capstone projects that informed students about sustainable living in the Houston community.
Science and Studies Department. “These are students in the environmental capstone class. They are all juniors and seniors who are Environmental Science or Studies majors. They are in four groups, and they wanted to do something that was fun and educational to educate the campus community on certain environmental issues and make them real.”
The different student groups focused on unique environmental initiatives relevant to the University community. “One group [is] called Celts Critters, and their focusing on urban wildlife,” said Sister Damien. “They have made a pamphlet that describes all the wildlife we have on campus, which is more than you might realize,
and some facts on how to take care of wildlife.” In addition to educating students on food sustainability, one of the groups gave students the opportunity to see live animals up close and personal, such as a tortoise, a snake and a baby alligator. “They also have animals here that people can hold and
EARTH DAY, Page 2
ADMINISTRATION
Ivany Talks Money, Future at University Town Hall Facing challenges, Ivany believes UST is well equipped to aid students
By STEPHANIE HERNANDEZ News Editor
On April 30, Robert Ivany, president of the University, gave his end of the year Town Hall Meeting at Jones Hall. Attended mostly by faculty, the meeting addressed challenges and changes that the UST community has dealt with in the past, and will continued to face in the future. Ivany identified key challenges facing the university encompassing challenges from competing for
Marielle Vargas / The Summa
STATE OF THE UNIVERSITY President Robert Ivany addresses the audience in Jones Hall on April 30. Ivany focused on student aid, as well as financial issues.
high caliber students against for-profit schools and online colleges. The key challenges discussed, however, revolved around financial issues that the university is facing. Ivany drew on information
from the university to present the financial challenges that students face. “Let me go over more specifics on financial pressures, because it’s important for us to realize exactly what it’s about,” Ivany said. “FAFSA
is filled out by virtually all of the people who come here. Almost half of those families make less than $62,000 a year. Can you imagine if you’re a father or mother, and your child says ‘I want to go to St. Thomas,’ and you say ‘Well what is the tuition?’ ‘It’s 42,500 a year.’ That’s half your family income. These are the students who go to St. Thomas.” FAFSA students receive money from both the state and federal levels, including 714 students receiving Texas Equalization Grants (TEG) and 561 receiving PELL grants. “We put this into perspective of our students, so we see how sensitive they are to how much tuition is, and
TOWN HALL, Page 2
On April 18, the University of St. Thomas hosted alumnus Chuck Deiterich, a 1960 physics graduate, who shared about his 30 year career with NASA in Jones Hall. Deiterich, who was part of the trajectory team, played a key role on several Apollo Missions, including the famous Apollo 13 mission. “What I thought was very interesting about his talk is that I thought it was going to be a very broad talk on the stress, excitement and fear of the Apollo 13 Mission,” said Professor Jim Clarage, assistant professor of physics. “For those who don’t know, Apollo 11 was the mission that landed on the Moon. Apollo 13 never made it ... I thought it would be interesting, that it will be like the [1995 film, Apollo 13]. But instead, he gave this lecture about what are the problems that arise, and these are problems in math, physics and engineering- what are the problems that arise in real time that need to be solved in space.” Clarage encouraged both his physics classes to attend the lecture, so that the
SPACE, Page 2
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The News
The Summa
Thursday, May 2, 2013
EARTH Continued... touch. There’s another group called Sundrop, and they focus on solar energy,” Sister Damien said. “They have solar panels here to collect energy and turn on a light bulb, and also a solar oven, where they are making cookies to give out. We have another group working on recycling, so if you want to bring in shoes or jeans for recycling, you can bring them to the Environmental Studies Department. If they are in fairly good shape, they will be reused by people who need shoes, and those that aren’t used will be recycling.” Senior Environmental Studies major Jacqueline Hurgoie was part of the student group that focused on the local Houston food network. “We are really focusing on sustainable foods, so we are focusing on fresh and organic and local,” said Hurgoie. To make it easier for students to access locally grown food, Hurgoie had vendors share with her free samples and coupons of local-
SPACE Continued... students would understand the practical uses of the material that they learn about in class. “Something went wrong with the rocket’s engines, so it’s floating in space, and they need to figure out a way to get back to Earth,” Clarage said, explaining how engineering problems arose during the Apollo 13 Mission. “They’re not going to get to the moon because they didn’t have enough fuel. So, the problem is first, you have to orient the space capsule in the correct direction. It’s called ‘attitude.’ It’s a funny word: [Deiterich] said ‘Today, I am going to talk about attitude.’ We naturally think that it’s a talk about motivation and psychology, but he said that attitude is a very specific scientific meaning.” Out of concerns that students would not find the lecture interesting, several students proved to find immense interest in the lecture, particularly with the engineering concepts that were discussed. “I was worried at first that students showing up might find it boring; instead the students were enthralled, and kept him up to half an hour after the lecture with all sorts of questions,” Clarage said. “Most of the students who attended, ironically, were not math or engineering students. They were physics, chemistry and biology
Marielle Vargas / The Summa
CAN I TAKE IT HOME? Students get an up close view of a snake as part of the Earth Day Festival on April 25.
grown vendors. “We worked with local restaurants in the area that do organic and local, such as Elevation Burger. They donated a lot of stuff for our table,” said Hurgoie. “And on the back of their coupons it kind of talks about how grass-fed beef is better than processed foods, and other organic food information. We are just trying to support local businesses and get people to eat there. We are trying to promote students to become educated; we can really
change what we are eating in restaurants if we create a demand for it.” Hurgoie said that despite organic and fresh foods is often thought to be expensive, it doesn’t have to be. “I also interviewed with some other chiefs from other restaurants. Some of them use food from their own garden, and also local honey. There is a couple of places like Zolco and Haven that have their own honey. My other half of the group worked with farmer’s markets. I know it can be hard
students. The biology and chemistry students had a really strong showing, and they were the ones with the good questions.” The Ron Howard film, Apollo 13, starring Tom Hanks, shaped public perception of what it was like to work on the famous mission. Deiterich, however, clarified the reality of what it was like to actually be there. “Several of the questions were inspired by the people who saw the film Apollo 13. A lot of the questions [asked by the audience] were, ‘Were you and the astronauts ever afraid that you were not going to get back?’ ” Clarage said. “That’s a natural reaction,” Dieterich answered. “Then [Deiterich] paused and said ‘No. I don’t think any of us thought we wouldn’t solve that problem. We had a hundred engineers and scientists all working on it. I was pretty confident everyone was.’ And then someone asked if the astronauts were afraid, and he said ‘I don’t know; they’re pilots, so they aren’t afraid of much.’ ” Deiterich, who currently resides in Austin, was happy to reach out to his alma mater and work with UST alumni relations for the event. “We actually have an Austin chapter of the alumni association, and that’s where I got to know Chuck Deiterich,” said Hank Emery, director of alumni relations and annual giving. “I knew just from visiting with him that he had
that experience with NASA. We had talked at different events in Austin, we were actually planning on a May 24 reception for our San Antonio and Austin chapters.” For the lecture, Emery hoped that it would educate students both on what the Apollo 13 Mission was from a participant’s perspective, so that students could learn about career options after UST. “During his presentation, he showed basically what happened that made them, the Apollo 13 Mission, stranded in outer space,” said Emery. “Also, what they did to get them back, what maneuvers they advised them to do so they could land safely on Earth. There were probably about 50 people, including two physics classes, that attended.” Emery was also glad that current students could personally witness a UST alum who accomplished interesting things during his career, thanks to the things he learned during his time at UST. “Chuck [Deiterich] is another great example of a product of St. Thomas,” Emery said. “He was inspired to go into that field of study by Father Braden, who was his physics professor when [Deiterich] was a student here. One of their projects was a rocket that they built in Father Braden’s class, and they actually launched the rocket, which kind of inspired him to go into that field.”
for students to go organic and fresh, but it’s really not that bad if you just go with fresh, local foods that are in season.” She said that learning about the environment was
TOWN HALL Continued... how important it is to track this as closely as we possibly can,” Ivany said. Institutional aid has also increased, to counter the tuition increases and offset the burden for students. “We have a largest increases in our history, in this coming year. $1.6 million dollars increased,” Ivany said. “ I am not talking about loans; these are all grants. $1.1 million is going to incoming freshman, increasing the amounts of money for the coming year, and $500,000 is going to students who are already here.” Due to federal budget cuts to education, UST has also sought to help fill the gap in education money that was once funded by the government. “As you know, the state of Texas was under tremendous pressure last year to budget, and [Texas] lowered the amount of aid for students,” Ivany said. “We tried to do our best with institutional aid, from $7.4 to $11.6 million, to make up for the federal aid that’s going down.” In closing, Ivany stated the importance to offer continued support for students. “So this is the increasingly competitive world that we are a part of,” Ivany said. “And despite that, we have a growing gap in what the student is being ask to pay in tuition as an undergraduate, and the amount of aid that we can get. This has required us to respond to this pressures as best we can. “ Of the faculty attending, those in particular who work with students not only for academic but as support team for students, recognized how tuition effects students in more ways than just financially. “Higher education is just so dynamic, there is a lot of
a responsibility for both Catholics and members of society. “Many of the recent popes, Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict and now Pope Francis have focused on [the environment],” Damien said. “As members of this community on this Earth, we have a responsibility to care for it as stewards, and it’s a way that we share the convictions that we have: that the Earth is a gift from God to us, and when you receive a gift, you want to be grateful and take care of it. So that’s what we are trying to do, to help people really love creation and protect it, in ways that are really practical and part of everyday living.” factors that go in with tuition increases,” said Ricardo Montelongo, director for student success. “Like [Ivany] mentioned, there’s just not one factor for many of the things that he talked about, there is a larger picture,” said Ricardo Montelongo. “I think with higher education, when you talk specifically about tuition, you really do have to investigate all the factors that impact our specific institution and everywhere, private or public.” As Director of the Student Success Center, Montelongo also learns the issues students face firsthand. “I talk with students definitely every month. A student comes to my office, and that’s one of the challenges that they’re facing,” Montelongo said. “I think students need to come in not only prepared to face the academic challenges that our school has, but also the financial challenges. I always tell students that education is an investment. You may look away from loans initially, but if you look at loans as an investment in your future, knowing that these are low interest, then that may be something to look into.” Though the university does its best to provide as much support as possibly for students, Montelongo believes it is important for students to take the financial obstacles as a lesson in responsibility. “Obviously students need to understand what I call financial literacy,” Montelongo said. “You may have to sacrifice the fancy iPad to supplement your education, knowing that that reward is in the future. I think some responsibility is on the student also, to know how to manage the budgets more responsibly and to spend more responsibly.”
THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013
The Opinion
The Summa
3
“You are educated. You think your degree as a ticket to the good life. Instead, think of it as a ticket to change the world” - Tom Brokaw
PERSPECTIVE
UST Donates Money Leftover on Flex Cards to Charity By KELLY SHIELDS Guest Writer
Just Wanted to say Thanks... relationship with a soldier. I have so much respect for the work you have done for our country and for the university. Dr. Crawford - I was a freshman in high school who wanted to be a doctor when you told me I should apply to UST, and even though my career goals changed, I am so grateful that you encouraged me all those years ago. There is no other school I would rather be at. I have tried to thank you in person, but you are a really hard man to find on this campus. Dr. Stockton - Thank you for always being so patient and kind with me. I don’t always talk enough, especially in class, but I always loved your lectures and have learned so much from you. Your intro class is what made me switch to International Studies. Of all the professors I have had at UST, you had the greatest impact on me as an individual because you made me want to come out of my shell. I strived to impress you, and although it usually just made me shy in your classes, it made me more outspoken and confident in every other aspect of my life. I can’t think of anyone else who has made such a positive impact on me in my education. I can’t thank you enough. Dr. Sindelar - I love having class with you, and despite how scary International Law was, it made me realize that I could really enjoy being a lawyer. International law might
be a little too complicated, but still very interesting. Thank you for pushing us to think like lawyers. Dr. Pett-Conklin - You are easily one of the toughest teachers at UST, which is why it meant so much when you told our entire Intercultural class that you think I am a good writer. That boost in my confidence was something I needed to get through this past year. Tough or not, you make your students learn and I have a lot of respect for that. Thank you. Mr. Heallen - Thank you for standing behind my decisions to publish controversial topics and opinions. I appreciate your support and encouragement to stand behind my opinion, no matter how many people are upset by it. Katie - I don’t know if you remember, but the first article I ever wrote for the paper was for your section sophomore year. Three years later and you put up with me and my opinions, and let me publish them. Thank you for having my back. You took a paper that was in chaos after the 2011-2012 year and made it good again. You are a great editor-in-chief. Adrianne - Seriously... we were just freshmen. What happened? You are one of the best friends I have made during my four years and one that I will be sure to keep for the rest of my life.
It all started last year when I thought about the extra money left in my account. UST requires students living on campus to have a meal plan and I had accumulated a lot of money over two semesters. The summer was coming on fast and I wanted to do something with my money before I lost it, but what? After pondering it over I stumbled upon an idea so simple I was stupefied I hadn’t thought of it earlier. I should give it to charity. It was a better way to use my money instead of stockpiling Gatorades. I immediately contacted Covenant House Houston and they promptly By CHELSEA FERRAMOSCA replied saying they loved the idea! This was the start of the Opinion Editor Cafeteria Dollar Drive. Covenant House Houston has been welcoming and helpful ever since our partnership began. Their building is stationed just a few blocks away from Graduation for the class UST’s campus, but the Covenant House network spans the of 2013 is quickly approaching entire United States. after four long years of learning Covenant House is a nonprofit organization whose and stress. However, it is safe mission is to apply Christ’s teachings of charity to homeless to say that these last two weeks youth. They work hard at getting teens off the streets and are the most stressful of them providing them with food, shelter and guidance. all. Senior thesis, term papers The University’s meal plan donations will be a great and finals have made the past help to their organization. The Cafeteria Dollar Drive works semester a hard one to enjoy, by first having students filling out the cards found in the but it is still hard to think that blue buckets throughout the cafeteria. Students fill in their it won’t all start over again in name, ID, how much money they want to donate, and their the fall. signature. The signature is the very important because UST It is scary knowing that food services cannot collect the money without it. we are about to enter the “real The permission cards will be collected from the brown world,” but comforting to know boxes next to the buckets. Food services will then take that that we have been prepared at money and place orders according to a list approved by such a great university. Most of Covenant House. us are about to take major steps Right now, the Cafeteria Dollar Drive only occurs on in life, such as getting married UST’s campus. However, our hope for the future is that or going to graduate and law this program will spread to more universities. The food school, but none of it would and goods donations do not have to be limited to Covenant have been possible without the House Houston. Each new university can give to a local support from those at UST. charity in their area. This cements the University’s ties with their Dr. Ivany - Thank you for immediate community and conserves fuel usage. Up supporting me and encouraging north, some universities are going something similar with me with my writing and my their cafeterias. Ben Simon started a program called Food Recovery Network. The program recovers excess cafeteria food from your business universities and gives it to shelters. The Food Recovery The Summa Newspaper offers a variety of advertising options. If Ad Rate Color is Network has spread to over ten universities and crosses interested in advertising in our publication, please contact us for more information. state lines. The Cafeteria Dollar Drive can follow in the Ad Size Dimensions (in) Ad Rate Food Recovery Network’s footsteps and help America’s youth. Not Available $40 4.875 x 3.625 1/8 - Business Card None of this would not have been possible without the help of: Dillon Drake, UST: director of food services; $115 $75 Quarter Page 4.875 x 7.5 Keiundra Jackson, Covenant House Houston: special events coordinator; Lauran M. Postler, Covenant House Houston: $225 $140 10 x 7.5 direction of development & PR; Luis A. Morales, Covenant Half Page House Houston: development intern; and Samantha $415 $275 Full Page 10 x 15 Sorbello, marketing manager at Covenant House Houston.
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The Summa
U.S. Cannot Afford a Syrian Intervention By KENNETH DEPEW Staff Writer
The revolution in Syria is in its second year and has spread from the southern city of Da’ra, where in March 2011 Syrian security forces arrested, beat and killed a youth they believed to be guilty of vandalizing a building with anti-Assad graffiti throughout the whole country, even into the once untouched capitol, Damascus. The situation has escalated. Not only have there been assassination attempts against government officials, there has also been widespread use of military weaponry against civilian targets. Assad’s Syria has closed itself to western journalists since the outset of the revolt. The only information accessible is from Syrian Arab News Agency, or, less formally, the SANA, operated by the regime in the same manner as Pravda was in the Soviet Union, and video clips uploaded by anti-government fighters. Some American politicians have been calling for the U.S. government to arm the rebels, some of whom have stated ties to al-Qaeda and are known Islamic extremists. Some of the same politicians have been calling for intervention, more frequently and louder since claims were made that chemical weapons have been used by the Assad regime. This is not a good idea. Do we really want to arms extremist rebels who are the enemy of our enemy? We have an example of what happens when we do that: Afghanistan. We did the exact thing Republican Senators McCain and Graham are proposing in order to thwart the Soviet Unions efforts to prop-up the communist government of Afghanistan in the ‘80s. We were far too successful, and the enemy of our enemy became our enemy after the country was overran by the Taliban, who allowed Osama bin Laden a base of operations and a safe haven, before and after September 11, 2001. The oppressive nature of the Syrian rebels, which parallels the Taliban, can be seen in their oppression of and assaults upon Syrian Christians in Saydniya and Ma’lula, both of which are predominately Christian villages outside Damascus. More recently we armed Libyan rebels as they attempted to overthrow Qadafi; some of whom attacked our consulate in Benghazi on September 11, 2012. The full story of which we still do not know. Not only is it not in our long-term interest to arms the Syrian rebels, but financially, we are not able to, much the less intervene. Sequestration brought about “budget cuts,” which in actuality were little more than not increasing future expenditures at expected levels, government workers are furloughed, offices and other sites closed, and decisions made about what to fund and what not to fund. Yet somehow we are going to add the expense of buying and shipping arms or sending the might of the U.S. military to a country we have no interest in? It does not seem well thought through in the context of our financial reality. Do we need to intervene overseas, and aid possible radicals, when we have a situation of our own with Islamic radicals? The Boston Bombings, the failed Time Square attack, the murder of Army members at Ft. Hood by a radical Muslim Soldier, the underwear bomber, and so-on should be sufficient evidence that whether we accept it or not, the U.S. homeland is a battlefield in the Global War on Terror. We need to ensure we are secured, while respecting the rights of U.S. citizens, who should be the first priority of the politicians we elect to serve. Syria is a lovely country, and the people are amazing, and have endured under the iron grip of authoritarian rule for more than three decades; however, we are not bound to intervene, nor should we. However, by replacing Assad we will be repeating the mistakes of Iraq where we removed one man who did bad things, who had control with multiple men, who do equally bad things with no control. We are damned if we do, damned if we don’t, so we might as well not.
The Opinion
Thursday, MAY 2, 2013
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
A Corrupt Student Government Reflects Corrupt Nation By SEAN KRIGER Guest Writer
In the year 1776 the United States ventured into a new era of government by declaring its independence from Great Britain. Shortly after independence, the U.S. constitution was written. This document became the most allencompassing document defining the rights of individuals and the power and authority of a new government. It is with great sadness that in my fourth year of college, I have recognized that we, as a generation, as a catholic institution, and as the people of a great nation no longer follow or value the basic ideas that this document holds. This year I ran for Student Government President, in which the process of running for an election was far more important to me than actually winning. I hardly campaigned compared to my previous election and I knew that the outcome would not be favorable. However, I ran in order to contest an election and a system that is corrupt to the core. It isn’t complicated to understand my complaints. UST doesn’t follow written and agreed upon documents. It clearly states in the election code that no campaigner is allowed to have “more than 15 signs placed in the ground or hanging banners.” Nearly every campaigner had both signs and banners. When I made my official complaint, a judicial council of students argued that I should have made a complaint sooner, even though I complained in the exact manner defined by the election code (and their ruling sited no article or section for the actual election code). Furthermore, advisor Matt Prasifka said during a meeting describing the election code that, “I know the election code says 15 signs or two banners, but we have always just read that as (advice) and, so you can just do both.” The underlying theme from all parties is that the election code is fair when we feel it is fair. Arguments have nothing to do with the code, but rather what we have done in the past or how we feel right now. I signed a document to which I felt we would follow exclusively, but I now realize that the document is full of guidelines, not rules. I’m not the only one that encountered this type of fact at UST. Ask the different SOC’s and their members if there have been problems with elections or
their constitutions. I am sure that asking the right people that question will cause a flurry of emotion. I thought for quite a while about how this occurred and I have realized that this a generational problem, and it didn’t start with us. Imagine all of the gun debates that you have heard this year. The fact of the matter is that the Second Amendment gives us the right to bear arms with no constraints. A simple bill cannot change that fact. Could you imagine a bill in congress that tried to limit freedom of religion if religion was deemed dangerous? That type of bill would be appalling, but a bill to eliminate our right to bear arms if the arms are deemed dangerous is reasonable to so many. Change is not impossible. The U.S. constitution clearly has a section that outlines what is needed to amend the document. The Second Amendment might one day be changed or eliminated, but it has to be done the way that the constitution outlines. Similarly, the election code could be changed to allow both 15 signs and two banners but it has to be done in senate as outlined. I personally wouldn’t directly support or oppose either of those ideas, but I directly oppose the way we have tried to sneak around contractual and codified agreements. While I understand that this type of behavior seems trivial, I cannot stress to you enough how important following contractual and codified agreements really is. I wrote an article in The Summa describing the Clery Act, a document that binds institutions of higher education to security codes. There is an article that tells universities that they must have a mandatory sexual assault/ harassment prevention and awareness class that is free to students. UST campus security allegedly told senate in a meeting that there was “no demand” for this type of class or program a year after a rape occurred on campus. Who knows if it would have made a difference, but do you really want to argue to me that it wouldn’t have? We need to rethink how we, as a generation, look at government. We need to change how we view our agreements. We need change.
Letters To The Editor The Summa welcomes letters from students, faculty, staff and alumni. Please include your name and classification or position. Anonymous letters will not be printed. The Summa reserves the right to edit letters for grammar and inappropriate content.
Submit your letter to The Summa by e-mailing thesumma@stthom.edu Legal Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in The Summa are those of the writer of the article, the editor or the Editorial Board. They are not necessarily those of the UST administration, the Board of Directors or governing organization.
The Features
THURSDAY, May 2, 2013
The Summa
5
How to have a successful summer internship By CLAIRE LOGUE Features Editor
It is summer, or almost summer, and that means that it is time for summer internships. A recent survey of 225 employers issued by Millennial Branding and Experience Inc. found that employers are seeking out liberal arts majors almost as much as engineering students. Employers were interested in good communication skills and students who exemplified good leadership qualities. 30 percent of employers in the survey said they were going after liberal arts types, just shy of the 34 percent who indicated they were seeking graduates who studied engineering and computer information systems. Despite these changing interests, a whopping 91 percent of employers thought that students should have had one or more internships in the past.
Dave MacFarlane / Courtesy Photo
Because of this new data, having a successful internship could make or break a career or the opportunity for that dream job. Doing well in an internship requires more than just completing a set amount of work and responsibilities. To do well, an intern has to assimilate themselves into the work environment while still making an impression on employers.
Erin Chambers, with the Wall Street Journal, recommended that interns arrive early. Showing an ability to come early and stay late can make or break the success of an internship. Chris Duggan, president of internship placement firm University of Dreams and summerinternships.com, also recommended students practice their commute before starting and testing alternate routes in case of traffic delays.
“Wait outside the building if you have to,” Duggan told the Wall Street Journal. “But always be early.” It is also recommended that interns know what to expect when going in for an internship. If this means setting up a meeting with a direct supervisor or manager, make the effort. It is much better to go in knowledgeable and familiar than lost and invisible. “For students new
to the work world, they might expect ‘Wow, I’m going to have this glorious internship with fabulous assignments,’” Espie Santiago, career counselor for internships at Stanford University, told the Wall Street Journal. “But many of them don’t actually have a realistic idea of what’s expected of them.” Chambers also recommended an intern think carefully before turning down offers to get involved. Accept offers to join in the coffee run and be a part of the company sports team, this kind of involvement makes a good impression. “[Employers] want someone to take whatever is thrown at them, do it well and then come back for more,” Duggan said. Duggan and Santiago both warn against being too competitive and recognize the problems with interns setting themselves too far apart from the other interns or employees. Companies want team players and INTERNSHIP, Page 6
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The Features
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interns should follow this corporate guideline. In this same vain, interns should find the water cooler or coffee room, and make a point of stopping by and saying hello to employees, and sometimes even the boss or head of human resources. “Students are often too intimidated to go up to their managers and say hello,” Duggan said. It is important to help managers, supervisors and bosses put faces to names, and dropping by the break room every so often can help with that. With that technique, however, the stops cannot be too frequent, it has to seem as though work is still getting done. An internship is about working hard and gaining experience, but it is also about building interpersonal skills. It is also recommended that an intern keep a log, notebook or some record of everything done. This will absolutely come in handy when updating résumés, and it could also help a supervisor pull together a letter of recommendation later on. Diane Gottsman, National Etiquette and Modern Manners Expert, also shared several pieces of advice for interns on her website. Gottsman advises that interns should see a project as an opportunity to showcase their willingness to show up early and stay late. “Consistently showing
up when you are supposed to and leaving when the job is complete is an indicator of someone who will be a good future employee,” Gottsman wrote. Gottsman also encourages interns to ask questions and be inclined to understand all of the little nuances at the work place. Form thoughtful questions and use the answers to further assimilate yourself into the workplace. A successful internship
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campaign that may benefit the company. “Do the research, create the presentation and schedule a time to share it with the appropriate staff member(s). They may just love it!” Multiple sources also advise interns to put away their cellphones at work. The fastest way to show a future employer that you are not interested in working hard is for them to catch you playing or messing around on your phone instead of doing you’re assignments. G o t t s m a n and Chambers also stressed the importance of networking within the office. “Say good morning to people who work in other departments, mingle with your own coworkers and who a genuine interest in getting to know the people who you are around during the work day,” Gottsman wrote. Intern should also make every effort to associate with people who enjoy their jobs and are happy who they work for. It is important to stay away from the unhappy who can bring you down. It is important to consciously try to eliminate “likes” and “uhms” from your vocabulary. If you have this issue, it can really take away from the professionalism of your work. Gottsman also urges interns to mind their manners when emailing. “Compose every email as if it will be read by the CEO of the company,” Gottsman wrote.
Thursday, May 2, 2013 Lastly, Gottsman recommends that interns stay in touch with employers. “If you continue to build a relationship with your boss and coworkers, you will probably be the first person they think of when an opening comes up in the company. When an intern employs these techniques and remember these guidelines, internships are much more likely to be a success. Everyday should be
treated as an interview, but remember, an internship is not a guarantee for a job, it is simply an opportunity to gain work experience and show possible employers what you’re made of.
Instead of acting bored or feeling discouraged, find something productive to do.
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requires more than just the honing of interpersonal skills. Each and every intern, if he or she wishes to get further in the business world, must know that it is all about appearances. Each intern should be willing to dress for success. Clothing should be conservative, professional and stylish. An intern definitely does not want to create a reputation based on inappropriate clothing. “Showing up sloppy, wrinkled or too casual sends the message that you don’t take your internship seriously,” Gottsman said. Gottsman also recommends that interns be self-starters. “Instead of acting bored or feeling discouraged, find something productive to do,” she wrote. “Strategize about a new social media approach or advertising
Juhan Sonin/ Courtesy Photo
Career Services Team at Rasmussen College/ Courtesy Photo
Thursday, MAY 2, 2013
The Entertainment
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10 Texas destinations to road-trip to this summer
Travis and Lady Bird Lake for an unlimited number of water activities. Just south of the Hill Country, in San Antonio, you can visit theme parks like Sea World and Fiesta, Texas. There are also the Riverwalk, the Alamo and the San Antonio Zoo. Conveniently located between these two cities is San Marcos, known to shoppers as home of the San Marcos Premium Outlets that have high-quality brand name stores. Dick’s Classic Garage is for the car enthusiasts and nonenthusiasts alike where you can see classic, restored American cars. The San Marcos River is
the spot for summer fun, inner tubing and snorkeling. Now it is time to think outside the city, and visit places we would otherwise overlook if we did not know about them. Quaint little towns that dot the countryside are sure to provide a pleasant experience with their funky shops and lively atmospheres. Towns like Fredericksburg with its German history, Kerrville with its museums and water activities, Luckenbach where“Everybody’s Somebody,” and Wimberley with its cool shops and restaurants, are only a few to mention that are mustsee places. Visiting North Texas? The
Dallas area has a lot to offer. A historic trolley downtown will ride you around the neighborhood and stop at fancy shops, and best of all, it is free. Drive about 40 minutes north and you will arrive in Denton, a fun university town known for its music scene and historic square. And what is better in the summer than ice-cream? You can stop at the amazing Beth-Marie’s old fashioned ice cream parlor to cool down. Down south on the coast of Texas is the well known city of Galveston. It is a year-round vacation city that provides a good change of scenery. You can go to Moody Gardens,
which is an all-inclusive amusement park housed within three large beautiful pyramids. You have to stop at the beach of course, and dine at one of the many restaurants and see the historic Galveston area as well. Next on the list: Houston. Sometimes we get so busy with life that we do not see what is right in our own home. As one of the largest cities in the nation, it is a very diverse city with endless places to see and things to do. Hermann Park is the place to go for a cheerful day out. There is the Houston Zoo and museums like the Holocaust Museum and the Museum of Natural Science among others. The Galleria area is your best choice of shopping and dining and you could maybe even spot some celebrities if you are lucky. The best destination is the one where you end up after taking a spontaneous trip. Sometimes we just need to get out and when planning seems like too much, driving in any direction will always get you somewhere. You just might have the time of your life. Remember to always be safe and have an emergency safety kit permanently located in your vehicle. Then you will be ready for an entertaining time!
problem begins when Eric reads something out loud from the Book of the Dead, and a demon takes over Mia. Die-hard fans of the original movie might have already turned their heads in the other direction by this point, because this type of plot is completely independent from the original. But for those who had not seen the classic 1981 cult classic film were immediately drawn to the movie – everyone likes a good story to keep their attention focused. As the movie continues on for 90-something minutes, new movie goers were drawn to the graphics, gore and extensive storyline that the remake has to offer. However, the die-hard fans were slightly disappointed in this movie, as it somewhat strayed from the original. The original was meant to be light-hearted and almost comical. The remake is obviously intended to give the audience the “heebie jeebies” and startle them. The remake adds more layers of plots and twists to the point that if you were to watch the original and compare the two, it is almost like watching two completely different
films. The remake changed one significant detail from the original, but I will leave that one for the viewers to find out (and I do not want to spoil the movie too much). Let me just say that those who were fans of the original, are going to be outraged by this small, yet noteworthy change. I liked the newer one when compared to the original. That was only because I tend to favor movies with a more constructed plotline, rather than simply slashing and killing. Minus all the “fancy” graphics Alvarez implemented
in the remake, Raimi did a fantastic job with what he could work with on a low budget with his early ‘80s original. The remake definitely kicks more into the audience’s emotional appeals than the original, but I think it is because we live in a society now where we are not satisfied with a movie if we do not understand the who, what, where, when and why. Any film enthusiast would know that slasher/gore films were extremely popular back in the ‘70s and ‘80s, and were a rising genre; no story
or plot was needed, just blood. And lots of it. I felt like the remake did the best that it could to stay as true to the original as possible. The remake adds more layers of storytelling that are more appealing for the audience compared to the original, but we also have to remember times back in the day. In the ‘70s, hardly any storyline was needed to keep the audience glued to the screen. Anyone who decides to watch The Evil Dead, new fan or the die-hard enthusiast, should keep an open mind.
By MARIELA GARCIA Staff Writer
Texas is one of the largest states in the U.S. and with its size, it can be easy to find plenty of things to do and places to visit. The only hard part is narrowing it down to where you want to go. After doing some careful research, I have been able to compile a list of destinations based on the best cities to visit (in no particular order) that offer enough entertainment for many people with different interests. Our first stop: the Texas Hill Country, which can be the center of many attractions that can take up days on any vacation. The Texas Hill Country is an area in the heart of Texas with beautiful rolling landscapes. Austin is one of the Hill Country’s largest cities and a popular destination. You can learn about our state’s history in the Texas Capitol building in downtown Austin. The Texas Hill Country offers an endless array of restaurants, museums, bars and places that offer live music. 6th Street and the Warehouse District are the places to be if you are looking for a fun night out. Do not forget to visit Lake
Jim Nix / Nomadic Pursuits / Courtesy Photo
The Evil Dead: Good on keeping it close to original while still adding spin By BIANCA GOMEZ Copy Editor
Remaking a film from the original can be risky business, since some groups in the society will either hate the remake or love it. However, I believe that producer Sam Raimi’s remake of the cult classic, The Evil Dead, was an exceptional job, and stuck as close to the original as possible while still taking a different spin at the same time. Directed by Fede Alvarez, the movie opens with five friends who head up to an old cabin, where cocaine addict, Mia (played by Jane Levy), is fighting a relapsing battle with her addiction by quitting cold turkey. Those who are familiar with Levy might have seen her in the popular television series Suburgatory, so to watch her play a more serious role was something to get used to. Her distant brother David (played by Shiloh Fernandez) ,and fellow friends Eric (played by Lou Taylor Pucci) and Olivia (played by Jessica Lucas), all demand Mia to stay at the cabin until she takes full control of her addiction. The
TriStar Pictures / Courtesy Photo
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The Summa
The Entertainment
Thursday, MAY 2, 2013
of the time period being replicated and fake trees that remain realistic in appearance. The only odd aspect of the set was that the trees did not look like plants indigenous to Salem, but this is, admittedly, nitpicking. As for the costumes, they are rich in detail and are accurately inspired by actual clothing worn at the time. However, one notable aspect to the play’s rendition is that not all of the characters are played by students attending the university. Piotrowski explained that the director called in more experienced actors to enrich the performance and help the students become better actors and stagehands. The fact that older, more experienced actors had been called in to perform all of the major parts was unfortunate, since they distract from the students and unnecessarily relieve them of the pressure to perform well, albeit unintentionally. Still, the drama department does not have unlimited resources and its desire to leave audiences with as good of an impression as
particularly delivered performances that were believable and faithful to their original depictions. Surprisingly, even students playing characters with minor roles and relatively few lines were admirable. Senior Iggy Nguyen, as Giles Corey, and freshman Mason Burruss, as Ezekial Cheever, were particularly notable in this regard; their performances were engrossing and believable despite their small roles, and the fact that they were not cast as more important characters was unfortunate. The drama department’s rendition of The Crucible was a faithful adaptation of the original play that was certainly worth watching. At the very least, the department should receive more attention and support for their plays, and the students involved should also be acknowledged for their contributions. Hopefully, with enough funding and support, future students who join the department will be encouraged to deliver similar performances by this rendition.
Drama department reenacts The Crucible play in a faithful adaptation By DANIEL BROWN Staff Writer
Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is a play with an important message that has recently been put on by the UST drama department. The play was originally written in 1953 during the McCarthy Era, during which anyone suspected of being Communist or affiliated with communism in any way was arrested, the very least was tried in court, if they were not incarcerated outright. Miller realized that McCarthy’s accusations of others’ guilt were based on faulty evidence and that under McCarthyism, anyone who opposed him was a suspect. Subsequently, Miller wrote the play as an allegory for McCarthyism by comparing the accusations of communism to the witch hunts that occurred in Salem, Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693. The drama department’s rendition of The Crucible is faithful to the original play in terms of plot, although certain lines and scenes were
supposedly cut to shorten the play and maintain interest. The play begins at the house of Reverend Parris, played by actor Taher Lokhandwala, who was attempting to discover the cause of his daughter Betty’s coma. She “awakens” when her friend Abigail Williams, played by sophomore Kathleen Smith, confessed to committing “heathen” crimes and seeing several people with the devil. From that point forward, the audience followed a commoner named John Proctor, played by actor David Kennedy, as he suddenly and unexpectedly became involved in the subsequent witch hunts when his wife, Elizabeth, is accused of witchcraft. The play has four acts in total and lasted roughly two hours. Perhaps the most admirable aspects of the play are the set and costume designs. According to one of the actresses, freshman Ally Piotrowski, everyone pitched in to help create the set, although the director also took charge. Their hard work paid off as the audience was treated to a wooden floor reminiscent
possible was understandable. As for the actors themselves, the more experienced manage to deliver decent performances. Kennedy, in particular, was impressive in his portrayal of Proctor, although he is never as emotional as Miller implies the character was supposed to be. For example, when Proctor was supposed to have an outburst by the end of the third act, Kennedy was instead much more calm in his fury than one would expect, although this was explained by the fact that he apparently was not allowed to shout in that scene. The other experienced actors perform decent, though not notable, portrayals of their characters. The only other notable actor is Lokhandwala, who has a bad first impression when he shrieks his first lines in a dramatically high pitched tone, but becomes better as the play progresses. The students, meanwhile, delivered excellent performances and were very passionate in their roles, however small they were. Smith and Piotrowski, who play Abigail Williams and Mary Warren respectively,
Out and About: Houston in May
Compiled by Sarah Oyarce
May 2: Jewel will be performing at the Arena Theatre May 3: The Houston Ballet will perform at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion May 3: Trace Adkins will be at the Arena Theatre May 4: Chris Tucker will perform at the Bayou Music Center May 5: Carly Rae Jepsen will play at the House of Blues May 8: The Killers will perform at the Bayou Music Center May 8: Method Man and Redman will be playing at the Arena Theatre May 8: Three Days Grace will be performing at Warehouse Live May 9: Daddy Yankee will be at the Arena Theatre May 10: The Houston Symphony will perform at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion May 11: Aaron Carter will be playing at Sam’s Concert Pub May 11: MercyMe will play at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion
Carly Rae Jepsen
May 12: Avant will perform at the Arena Theatre Eric Gebhart / Courtesy Photo
May 16: Attack Attack! will play at Fitzgerald’s May 16: Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran will be performing at the Toyota Center May 17: Dave Matthews Band will play at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion May 17: Young Jeezy will be playing at the Arena Theatre May 18: Amy Schumer will be performing at the House of Blues May 19: Barry Manilow will be playing at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion May 21: Ratt will perform at the House of Blues May 23: Big Boi, Tyler, the Creator and Earl Sweatshirt will play at the Bayou Music Center May 24: Soundgarden will be performing at the Bayou Music Center May 25: Clutch will be playing at the House of Blues May 26: Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds will perform at the Arena Theatre May 28: Guns N’ Roses will be playing at the House of Blues
The Killers
May 29: Limp Bizkit will perform at the House of Blues Michael Ainsworth / Courtesy Photo
May 30: Tracy Morgan will play at the House of Blues
The Entertainment
Thursday, May 2, 2013
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The Picasso: Black and White exhibit journey’s through artist’s incredible life By CLAIRE LOGUE Features Editor
The Picasso: Black and White exhibit is different from any art exhibit I have ever been to. Throughout Pablo Picasso’s life, he studied figures and concepts in black, gray, white and other neutral tones. This exhibit is chronological, for the most part, as it journey’s through Picasso’s life and his artwork. Being able to see the progression of his work was fascinating and quite telling about his life. The interesting thing about this particular exhibit was getting to view artwork that is drained of color. This way, you do not become distracted by an abundance of color, you can fully appreciate the forms and ideas taking shape on the canvas. Picasso was an extremely prolific artist, creating more than 100,000 pieces in his lifetime. This exhibit is a testament to that and is filled
with different paintings, sculptures and styles of artwork. Some of the pieces on display did not appear to be much more than sketches, while others were huge canvases layered with paint and geometric shapes. Most people that have heard of Picasso have seen or heard of his work in cubism and surrealism. His artwork can sometimes appear very creepy and “weird,” but those were not the only styles he worked in. He was considered a child prodigy and could create anything. The best part of the exhibit, however, was the audio tour. If you are going to go, spend the extra $3 and get the audio tour because it is absolutely worth it. Having the nuances and circumstances revolving a certain painting explained can really help you immerse yourself in the artwork. But more than that, the audio tour contained
recordings of Picasso’s daughter telling stories about his life from her perspective. Hearing about him as a father and a real person is necessary to understand him as an artist. My favorite was the story she told about her and her father during the war in Paris. Apparently Picasso was not interested in leaving Paris when the Germans invaded, instead feeling a sense of loyalty to the city. His daughter told of how she, a young girl around 10 at the time, and Pablo would paint together in their home, and how in those unsafe and uncertain times, he would keep her with him. She ended her recollection of the time with a story of Paris being liberated and when the allied soldiers came into their home to photograph her father’s work. Instead of capturing his work, however, they took photos of her paintings and sent them the U.S. to be printed in the paper, claiming them to be some of
Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Sciety / Courtesy Photo
Picasso’s new artwork. Keep in mind, if you do get the audio recording, you are looking at around 2 hours, at least, to look through the exhibit and take everything in. I was a little overwhelmed when I left. I absolutely think this exhibit is worth the money and
worth the time to go see. You do not have an opportunity to see something as astounding as this exhibit whenever you wish. This is special and should absolutely be cherished. This exhibit will run until May 27. Visit the Museum of Fine Arts Houston online at mfah.org for more information.
Puzzles Corner May Crossword
Sudoku
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Created by Sarah Oyarce
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Dan Rice / Courtesy
Riddle of the Month! How is the moon like a dollar?
A. They both have four quarters.
ACROSS 1. Country singer; Jason 6. Movie that made Anne Hathaway famous; Diaries 8. New JC Penney CEO; Mike 9. Dorothy’s dog 10. “Heart Attack” singer; Demi 11. Month that officially
starts summer 12. What kind of elephants are the largest land mammals? DOWN 2. Island that Brooklyn is located on 3. Largest of the penguin species 4. What young koalas are
known as 5. Layer of dust that covers asteroids and other solid rocks 7. Tom Cruise’s real last name 9. 4/20-5/20 Horoscope sign 10. Flowers native to Eastern Europe and Asia
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The Health
The Summa
Thursday, May 2, 2013
New strain of bird flu causes 23 deaths in China By Sandra efraimson Health Editor
A pandemic threat is once again making the world anxious about a possible outbreak concerning a mutating bird flu virus. It has been confirmed that as of That as of Feb., a H7N9 strand of the bird flu virus has been transmitted from chickens to humans. It was transmitted at a wet poultry market in China, causing deaths and many citizens to panic about a possible mutation that could make the virus transmissible from person to person. Medical news today reports that after the investigation began, it was confirmed that 40 percent of the patients, as well as 20 percent of chickens tested positive for H7N9. However, human to human transmission has not been confirmed. Channelnewsasia.com reported 23 people have died
due to H7N9 virus infections, and over 100 infected, and urge that everyone remain vigilant. So far, the efforts to keep tract of the virus have been effective and there has been no evidence that the virus mutated. Health officials acknowledge that there have been “family clusters,” where members of the same family have become infected, but the virus is not transmitting to health care providers. According to Medical News Today, experts have been following tract of 303 patient’s households and workplace contacts and, “none of them had developed the H7N9 bird flu-like symptoms.” The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) acknowledged that the human infections with a new avian influenza A (H7N9) virus continue to be reported in China and that it has been detected in poultry. While the infection could
cause mild symptoms, in most cases the patients suffer severe respiratory illness and many have died. The CDC says that it is not a surprise that the bird to human transmission occurred, but that it is detrimental that the transmission is not ongoing, because the risk for mutation would increase dramatically. The virus is highly capable of mutating so that it has the capability to easily spread between people and trigger a pandemic. The CDC is taking preparedness measures and is following the situation closely. They are prepared to develop a candidate vaccine virus to make a vaccine if it were to be needed. At this point, health care providers are instructed to inform travelers who are planning to go to China, while the situation and investigation evolve.
Matt Karp / Courtesy Photo
MASKED PREVENTION Approximately three quarters of the population in China are wearing surgical masks in hopes to prevent contraction of H7N9.
School of Nursing brings in new technology for grand opening By SANDRA EFRAIMSON Health Editor
The new Advanced Simulation Lab, scheduled to open this summer, is the most recent addition to the newly re-established School of Nursing at the University of St. Thomas. This lab will serve as the learning ground for fourth year nursing students where they can continue to learn about patient care. The first established School of Nursing was closed in 1987, but recently reopened after receiving a title-five government grant and millions of dollars in donations. The first lab, the Basic Simulation Lab, opened last fall of 2012 for the first nursing class since the newly founded School of Nursing. The program, which was re-established with the astounding help of Dr. Poldi Tschirch, director of the nursing program, and the amazing group of Nursing educators that joined the team, has been rapidly growing and instituting a unique Catholic nursing program. It is currently the only Catholic nursing program in Houston, and it is directed to “educate future nurses in a way that maintains nursing ethics and knowledge while providing students with moral and spiritual teachings” as stated in the School of Nursing Mission statement. Angelina Chambers, Ph.D., RN, CNM, the Undergraduate Nursing Program coordinator for
Claire Logue / The Summa
the UST School of Nursing, explains that the new Advanced Simulation Lab is designed to allow nursing students to practice how to take care of patients in subspecialties, such as obstetrics, pediatrics and infection control. The lab is fully equipped, as she describes it, “Pediatrics, so we have a pediatric room with the cribs and critical care, a separate room for high acuity patients like in an ICU and also, because there are individual rooms, we can also teach them how to take care of patients that are in infection control, treated in isolation.” The labs are fully functional with very interactive mannequins serving as the patients. Dr. Chambers explains, “We have high fidelity and low fidelity mannequins, mostly, high fidelity mannequins. “These mannequins talk to you in English and Spanish and you can insert tubes into
them to extract fluids like urine and they can bleed. They can bleed out and whatever you do to them shows up in the computer system on the monitor. “You can start an IV… also their eyes blink and their chest move. You can hear their respirations and their heart sounds. You can also feel their veins.” The mannequins respond to treatment and students have the opportunity to learn without the risk for fatalities, “So when you do the correct appropriate interventions the vital signs improve and you can see it on the monitor. And if you do the wrong intervention the vital signs decline to the point where you can kill them. So, we rather students practice on the mannequins than on real people.” The newest sensation in the lab is the new mannequin, Noelle that simulates birth. “She [Noelle] simulates
postpartum care, intra-partum care, which is birth, and postpartum care. She included ten or more different scenarios, so we could pick and choose whether we wanted a normal birth or a complicated birth with hypertension diseases or if you wanted to have a postpartum hemorrhage like we did on Friday. “In addition to the different rooms, we also have a computer classroom with forty computers in it so that students can have regular classes there but also can take their electronic exams like the HESI exams. We are excited because we can hold the whole cohort of students as opposed to dividing them up.” The new Advanced Simulation Lab will be opening its doors to the nursing students this summer, and will take the first cohort of nursing students through their second year of training. “We will have a blessing of the
Advanced Simulation Lab on May 28.” National Nurse’s Week is celebrated May 6-13 as a tribute to all the remarkable people that provide care for others. Dr. Chambers takes kindly to the dedicating a week to thanking everyone in the nursing profession. She concluded, “Every single person, in their lifetime, will encounter a nurse, no mater what. Whether it is when you are first born or in the hospice, or somewhere in between. “It is really a way to thank nurses for being so passionate and dedicated to their profession and being available to the entire world population. Nursing is the most trusted profession in the United States, people have voted it at the top, and it is really a way for people to thank us, as well as for us to recognize all the things that we do and how we are changing, how nursing is changing as a profession, the advances that we are making.” The construction of the new lab is part of a larger project that UST is aiming at accomplishing as a response to the science and health needs of Houston. A state-of-the-art facility has been designed to accommodate students interested in all areas of science and health. The hopes everyone has is that the Center for Science and Health Professions will be realized in the next couple of years thanks to the progress in raising funds.
The Health
THURSDAY, May 2, 2013
The Summa
How to lose 8 pounds by this summer
By LAURA GUTIERREZ Guest Writer
Summer is just around the corner and everyone is looking into losing those last pesky pounds that the holidays brought us. There are many ways to achieve your resolution; it is up to you to take the first step. Most people think about the typical crash diets in which one will starve their bodies in order to lose the muffin top. However, crash diets do not work and one can only expect that you will regain the pounds lost, and possibly gain even more after the crash diet. Losing two pounds a week is the recommended rate of weight lost. There are many healthy ways to lose weight while nourishing your body and keeping it in shape. For starters, stop grazing! We have all heard that eating small meals multiple times a day is the healthiest way to go. Eating five to six small meals a day is the ideal yet some of us cannot seem to be able to train ourselves to do it. Grazing, on the other hand; is not the same as eating multiple meals a day. Depending on our height and weight we need a specific
amount of calories daily. How do we find out? Today we have applications on our phones that can help us on the road to a healthy lifestyle. Fitness apps and nutritional apps are a great way to keep us in check. Myfitnesspal.com has an app which tells you what your ideal caloric intake should be in order to achieve your targeted weight goal. Other apps such as Nike Trainer will provide workouts that will open rewards for motivation every time you complete a workout. For the runners, there are several apps, those include: imapmyrun, Fleety, Nike+run and many others. Doctors recommend at least 30 minutes of cardio daily to maintain weight and to stay healthy. Combining a series of cardio and strength training is a great way to lose weight while toning the body. Of course, you can engage in slower pace routines such as yoga, or Pilates, yet that usually takes longer to see results. Zumba is among the trendiest workouts today and many people see results rather quickly. Zumba is a fun way to increase your heart rate while having fun with friends. If you do not want to spend money in going to the gym, there is
always the option of working out at home and outside; both of which are free! If you do not have weights at home you can always use your own body’s weight. Push-ups are one of the best workouts because they target nearly every muscle in the body (if done properly). Most people hate sit-ups and crunches, but that is not the only way to get a toned abdomen. The plank is a great way to tone your abs because it targets every muscle in your abdomen, plus your quads, triceps and chest. Squats and lunges are a girl’s best friend because it will get you those great legs and butt. Other workouts that do not require weights are tricep dips, c-sits, v-pushups, mountain climbers, knee highs, burpees, along with
Avoid falling in a “Healthy” food trap By Sandra efraimson Health Editor
Awareness about how food can affect our health has been a positive step towards aiding Americans with the alarming obesity problem. What health advocates have in mind, however, is very different than what corporations are trying to market to the now “health” conscious market. There are words out there that can be deceiving and for most people it can cause them to trust the wrong products. These words such as organic, low-fat, natural and trans fat free, can cause a fictitious sense of health. The biggest misconception about healthy foods is the word “organic.” There are all types of organic products available, from fruits and vegetables to candy, such as organic lollipops. The fact that foods are organic does not automatically mean that they are healthy. The nutritional value between organic and non-organic products does not differ much. According to chacha. com, a product that is organic simply means that it not filled with harmful pesticides, but even fruits and vegetables that
are treated with pesticides are safe after washing. The notion that organic foods are better for health purposes is overly stretched and it is a ploy that food industries play to mark up prices. Low-fat foods are often also confused with “healthy.” Low-fat sounds too good to be true, and, in fact, it is. Companies know that fat is associated with many illnesses and obesity, and consumers are easy targets for falling for the low-fat marketing ploy. In order for them to change their product to a lowfat product, they have to replace the fat with other ingredients such as salt, carbohydrates, or other unwanted chemicals. All in all, these products are simply substituting one bad ingredient for another equally or worse one. Many times, we like to buy something that claims to be “natural.” This word gives us a sense of comfort and a feeling of safety, and of course marketers know that. The big joke is that this word does not actually mean anything! The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not actually regulate the use of this word in products or advertising. Companies love to use this word in order to
stretch the truth about their product and it is not illegal for them to call even junk food “natural.” Trans fats are bad. The recommended dose of trans-fat in one day is no more than one gram a day. They are really unnatural types of fat that the body does not know how to process, so the food companies hurried and began to market trans-fat free products. The problem is that FDA does not tell you when products that may contain the “zero trans-fat” that they claim in their marketing can actually still contain trans-fat. The FDA allows up to 0.5 grams of trans fat or less to still be marketed as “trans fat free.” Therefore the trans fat is hidden in all types of foods and it is tough to tell when you have reached your maximum one gram a day. When grocery shopping, be careful to avoid the marketing schemes that aim at altering what you know about health. Overall, make sure you look at the nutritional facts rather than the large claims on the front of the product. There is a difference between what is healthy and what is marketed as healthy.
Kim Seng / Courtesy Photo
many others. Exercise is an important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, yet nutrition and moderate meal sizes also play a big part. For starters, drinking lots of water and consuming foods rich in fiber is important for losing weight. Do not drink your calories! That is, lay off the sodas, juices and Starbucks; you may not realize how many calories you are consuming by drinking them, not to mention the sugar! Another suggestion to lose weight is to pack your own lunch. It is so much easier to walk over to Quizno’s to grab a “healthy sandwich,” but in the end how healthy is it really? Not very if you’re loading it up with mayonnaise and processed meats. Luckily Mother Nature
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has provided us with tasty foods that will help with the slimming down. Some of the foods you should be on the lookout for are: pears for fiber; almonds for protein and healthy fats; spinach for protein; salmon will have your omega-3 fatty acids; quinoa is a great substitute for rice and has a less carbs and more protein; and oatmeal which is a great source of fiber which will keep you fuller longer. Be sure to always carry a snack with you in case you start to get a little hungry; this will keep you from splurging on your next meal. Drinking 10 ounces of water 10 minutes before each meal will help you get fuller faster and cause you to eat less. It will also cause you to eat slower; remember it takes 20 minutes for your brain to register that you are full, so eat slowly and chew your food well. A combination of healthy eating and exercise will not only help you lose weight, but it will also provide you with more energy and make you feel great! Aim for a sturdy workout plan which you can do 4-6 days a week and a reasonable meal plan to get you through every day of every week. Good luck!
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The Summa
The Sports & Clubs
Celts for Life host Fetal Development Day
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Upcoming Events Thursday, May 2
Presenting Shakespeare 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. Jones Hall
Friday, May 17
Baccalaureate Mass and Reception 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart Reception
Saturday, May 18
Commencement Ceremony 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Reliant Arena
Monday, May 20
Marielle Vargas / The Summa
LIFE AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS Celts for Life members Kenzie Key and C.J. Miller stand next to posters containing information about the process of fetal development by the University Seal on April 25.
By STEPHANIE HERNANDEZ News Editor
Celts for Life, the prolife student group at UST, hosted Fetal Development Day on April 25. The event was created to educate students on the scientific development of a human fetus throughout the nine months of gestation. “During one of our regular meetings, we did training on what kind of things happen during fetal development in certain development points of gestation within the womb,” Liz Radford said, current Secretary of the club and vice-president elect for the 2013-2014 year. “After we had that training, we split up into groups to make these posters with information about the fetus.” To show students how the baby develops, members of Celts for Life set up the posters on the University Seal during activity period. “We set them out to kind of get a reading of what our student body believes,”
said Radford. “We also passed out surveys asking them when they think life begins, and at what point do they think abortion should be legal, if at all.” In addition to oncampus activism, club members also participate in off-campus activism, such as silent protests at abortion clinics. “Since the club has started, every single Friday we go to Planned Parenthood and pray outside,” Samantha Garcia said, the current club treasurer and the next president elect. “Every month we have what we call college days, and we get together with Houston Baptist University and University of Houston, and we get together to go pray outside of planned Parenthood as well. We also recently had a banquet here on campus to try to raise funds for next year, because we really want to get more members and more people from the community involved. I really want to try and celebrate life, and see the dignity of human life, as
opposed to having a negative approach.” In addition to educating students and activism, Celts for Life is also starting a new initiative to help pregnant UST students. “[Current club vicepresident] Carlie Bejarano is actually the one that has been handling the pregnant students on campus,” Garcia said. For expecting UST students, the Celts for Life are also working on needsbased scholarships to cover tuition. “We are also trying to start a scholarship on campus for pregnant and parenting mothers. It either is going to be a $2,000 scholarship, or two $1,000 scholarships.” We’re still working on that, but that was partly what one of the main goals of the banquet was as well: to try to make connections with people, to see if there’s anyone who is willing to support us financially.” For more information, visit their Facebook page online at facebook.com/ ustceltsforlife.
Summer Classes Begin All Day University of St. Thomas
Monday, July 15
UST Blood Drive 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Old Bookstore, Crooker Center
Monday, Aug. 26
Fall 2013 Classes Begin All Day University of St. Thomas Want your event listed here? Email The Summa - thesumma@stthom.edu.
SIDELINE HTX Houston Astros (MLB)
Minute Maid Park, 501 Crawford
May 3 - 5 | Astros vs. Tigers May 7 - 9 | Astros vs. Angels May 10 - 10 | Astros vs. Rangers
Houston Dynamo (MLS)
BBVA Compass Stadium, 2200 Texas
May 12 | Dynamo vs. Sporting KC May 18 | Dynamo vs. NE Revolution June 22 | Dynamo vs. Toronto FC
Attention Graduating Seniors and Family and Friends
Baccalaureate Mass at Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral (1111 St Joseph Pkwy) on Friday, May 17 at 6:30 P.M. Graduation Reception on UST Campus following Baccalaureate Mass - Approximately 8 P.M. Commencement Ceremony at Reliant Arena on Saturday, May 18 at 10:00 A.M. For the full Commencement Celebration Schedule, visit stthom.edu/graduation.