B1 | Tuesday January 22, 2013 | The University Star
TRENDS
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David Simoneaux, Staff Photographer
Community leaders including Mayor Daniel Guerrero, center, break ground for the LBJ and MLK crossroads memorial.
Groundbreaking ceremony held for new memorial By Mark A. Alvarez Trends Reporter People of all ages, races and occupations gathered Monday
at the Hays County Courthouse to commemorate and acknowledge Martin Luther King, Jr. and break ground on a memorial to be built in his honor.
David Simoneaux, Staff Photographer
Sculptor Aaron P. Hussey designed the memorial for the intersection.
Participants marched from the courthouse to the intersection of LBJ Drive and MLK Street, the site where a memorial for King and Lyndon Baines Johnson will soon be placed. A variety of speakers participated in the event, including a few of Texas State’s own political science instructors. They spoke about King’s message and what the statue is meant to commemorate, linking the ideals of Johnson and King together, which in turn reflects the crossroads of LBJ Drive and MLK Street. “King has such a huge presence in American life, and it’s just a happy accident that our LBJ and MLK streets intersect,” said Ed Mihalkanin, political science professor, after delivering his speech at the groundbreaking ceremony. “It is important to remember the important people of the past, and hopefully this memorial allows us to talk about these men and
their work.” During the groundbreaking ceremony, a choir sang while others took shovels topped with large red bows and tossed dirt up from the ground. The San Marcos Unitarian Universalist Fellowship hosted a pie social following the ground breaking ceremony. Participants were presented with a diverse selection of pies, coffee, hot chocolate, water and punch. The social’s slogan was “Everyone Deserves a Peace of the Pie.” “In our community we have the Hispanics, the AfricanAmericans and the whites where we all come together to cooperate and work together to make the community a better place,” said Jeannie Lewis, social justice chair of the fellowship. “This is a symbol of this. We all have a piece of the pie. We are all coming together to make the pie better.” Lewis also expressed how
she would like the event to take place annually at the memorial. The social was cosponsored by many other churches, including Jackson Chapel United Methodist, Centro Cultural Hispano de San Marcos and the Dunbar Heritage Association. These churches contributed by bring their own pies for the social. Participants were also encouraged to bring a pie of their own to share. The memorial, designed by sculptor Aaron P. Hussey, is projected to be finished in late March. It will stand to honor the messages of King and the ideals of Johnson, Southwest Texas State Teachers College alumnus. “This means a lot to this community,” said Reuben Brooks, a member of Jackson Chapel. “The thing about San Marcos is there hasn’t been a day that we have not been together. This community bands together all the time.”
Dietitian discusses common misconceptions at library presentation By Jordan Gass-Poore’ Trends Reporter
servings of fish per week. Black tea made from bags may also have positive health benefits, but Martin said bottled drinks typically have low antioxidant levels and high sugar content. Martin considered microwave popcorn to be one of the worst foods someone can have in their home because of a potentially toxic airborne chemical called diacetyl that is used in the butter flavoring of some company’s products. A healthy and less expensive alternative to microwave popcorn is to place kernels in a plain brown bag, roll the top down to seal and microwave, she said. To some audience members’ surprise, Martin included rice and sunflower seeds in her discussion of “good” foods that may have a positive effect on a person’s health. Martin recommended that people who have high cholesterol eat the antioxidantrich red rice with the approval of their doctor. As an alternative to peanut butter, Martin said she and her child, who is allergic to nuts, enjoy SunButter, a brand of sunflower seed spread. Martin’s presentation debunked myths about presumably healthy foods such as the vegan staple packaged tofu, which can have a high aluminum content associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The presentation also reinforced positive health habits, such as reading and researching product labels and starting a
The tangy taste of kale, the creamy texture of yogurt and the pungent aroma of oranges: all foods that, blended together, may make great smoothies. They are also considered to be “super” by registered and licensed clinical dietitian Heather Martin, who shared her knowledge of nutrition at last week’s presentation at the San Marcos Public Library. “Superfoods: The Good, the Bad & The Uglifruit” was Martin’s first presentation on nutrition at the public library, although she has spoken on the topic at other locations in town. The Texas State alumna believes it is beneficial for San Marcos residents to be educated about what they consume so they can be more health conscious. “You don’t have to feel like you have to eat a lot of weird food,” Martin said. San Marcos resident Jeannette Young attended Martin’s presentation because she is interested in eating healthy foods. Young said she was surprised that artificial sweeteners used in colas might not have any adverse side effects. What may make colas bad for a person’s health is the phosphoric acid content, an agent that gives colas a distinctive tangy flavor and is commonly used for rust removal, Martin said. For those who just cannot shake caffeine, Martin recommended black tea for its anti-cancer compounds or coffee, which may reduce depression and diabetes. “There’s so much publicity that you really don’t know what you can believe,” Young said. “So, I decided I wanted to come listen to somebody who had an education and was going to be honest about it, and she was.” Other foods that Martin deemed “bad” included farmed or Atlantic salmon because the fish are usually fed meal from Asia, which may be polluted with toxic polychlorinated biphenyl. Instead, Martin recommended wildcaught salmon and sardines, which she said are low in contaminants. According to the American Heart Association, fish is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, essential fatty acids not made in the body, which may Carlos Valdez, Assistant Photo Editor benefit heart health. The association rec- Heather Martin, registered dietitian, leads a nutrition seminar open to the ommends eating two public Jan. 17 at the San Marcos Public Library.
personal garden, for attendees. Martin said the biggest misconception about healthy eating is that it is expensive. She considers the cost of the food item, the taste and how difficult it is to wash when deciding whether or not to purchase a product labeled organic at a higher cost.
“Include different things in your diet. Don’t get hung up on which one is the very best lettuce. Just eat different lettuces,” Martin said. “Variation is far more important than any single food group you could be adding. So, if you don’t like it, I don’t want you to eat it.”