February 9, 2014 – Page 2

Headlines from around the world: 2/10/14

As of Tuesday February 4, the Committee to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Alaska received enough valid signatures to place a measure on a ballot before voters. If the initiative passes, Alaska would be the third state to legalize the sale of recreational marijuana behind Colorado and Washington. According to a poll by Public Policy Voting, 55% of registered voters in Alaska support the measure. The measure will also call for a $50 per ounce excise tax on marijuana coming from cultivation facilities and stores.

Humanitarian Engineering open house

The Humanitarian Engineering Program held an open house to discuss changes to the curriculum, a refocus of their efforts, introduce their faculty and staff, and announce scholarship and internship opportunities. The event was centered around the programs transition, as program director Dr. Juan Lucena out it, “from compassionate help to serving sustainable community development”. The purpose behind this revamping is to transition from a unilateral model of community development where engineering students try to directly solve the problems of a faraway community that has very little input on the projects in mind to a system where Non-Governmental Organizations mediate between the two so that communities can help define their problems and have that be presented to engineers.

Outrage to Coke Ad Outrageous

Though the Super Bowl is notorious for its incredibly funny and entertaining commercials, rarely do the million-dollar ads stir up controversies powerful enough to make viewers engage in a dialogue about what it really means to be American.

How to get back into the grind

Maybe it seems like most people are on top of things like grades and jobs and friends, and maybe it seems like most people have achieved this perfect balance. Perhaps some people have not quite figured it out yet, and maybe some people are having issues getting back into the groove. Do not fear! Here is a quick guide with a few steps to help the some get to a place where they are comfortable:

Van Tuyl: Brigitte Martini on core samples

In geophysical exploration, one of the most expensive aspects of research tends to be the storage and archiving of rock samples from the field and their corresponding data. In particular, the storage of numerous cores within sheds and warehouses can cost businesses a rather large sum of money, and that cost only grows as more research is done and more core data needs to be stored. Even worse than the cost, however, is the fact that the vast majority of these stored cores will only be temporarily useful as time in storage exposes the samples to potential damage or alteration. As much as 80% of a company’s exploratory budget can be spent on these eventually-useless cores, an issue Brigitte Martini of Corescan services addressed in this week’s edition of CSM’s Van Tuyl lecture series.

Girls Lead the Way

Currently, women comprise approximately 28 percent of the student body at the Colorado School of Mines and make up an even smaller percent in technical industry. Organizations such as the Society of Women Engineers aim to encourage more women to pursue degrees in engineering in order to increase the percentage of women in what are currently male-dominated fields.

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ACS Makes a Boom on Campus

Chemistry demos are not only a thing of freshman year General Chemistry. The student chapter of the American Chemical Society mixes, burns, explodes, and displays chemistry for anyone to enjoy and learn about. On Tuesday, February 4, ACS treated Mines students to a BBQ dinner and chemistry demo to attract students who want to know what ACS does on campus.

GEEE Industry Panel

Colorado School of Mines celebrated the third annual GEEE Industry Panel with a remarkable industry representation in attendance. Companies in attendance were CH2MHILL, ARCADIS, and Tetra Tech. These companies were invited to present mission statements and a brief synopsis of their company culture, which has a large bearing on what is desired for potential hires. Students were able to ask these industry professionals specific questions regarding work environments, job searches, and were even given the opportunity to network near the conclusion of the event.

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“Snowfall” – K. M. Peyton

In K. M. Peyton’s novel, “Snowfall,” readers find themselves thrown back to Victorian England. In a small village, Peyton introduces the main character of the story. Charlotte is a sixteen-year-old girl who dreams of being anywhere but the vicarage that she feels trapped in with her grandfather. With no parents or dowry, her grandfather has arranged for her to marry the man who will replace him as the village vicar, Hubert Carstairs. Charlotte feels that this arranged marriage with Mr. Carstairs is bringing an end to her life. It is a little over-dramatic, but the author successfully conveys Charlotte’s sixteen-year-old emotions. In order to avoid her arranged marriage, Charlotte arranges with her brother Ben, an Oxford student, to go away on one incredible vacation. Her brother, while hesitant at first, helps convince their grandfather to let her go with on a trip to the Alps that Ben was already planning with several of his Oxford friends. From there the reader jumps aboard an adventure in the Swiss Alps. Upon arriving in Switzerland, Charlotte is introduced to a range of new characters. Ben’s friends include Milo, the dashing aristocrat who feels more at home on a mountainside than at a fancy party; Mar, a man hiding from the law for a crime he did not commit; Roland, a gardener and several other fascinating characters.

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“A Twist in the Myth” by Blind Guardian

“A Twist in the Myth” was released in 2006 by the German power-metal band Blind Guardian. It is the eighth album in the Blind Guardian collection, featuring 51 minutes of original music, with the addition of commentary. As the name suggests, “A Twist in the Myth” pulls influence from literature and mythological lore. Speed guitar reference tales varying from Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to ancient Nordic bard songs.
Blind guardian is a heavy/power metal band that was founded in 1984. Originally called Lucifer’s Heritage, the band agreed to change the name to avoid false connections to Satanism as well as to separate them from the emerging death metal genre. Blind Guardian is considered the pioneer of power metal, using progressive guitar riffs and heavy backing vocals as the backbone of their music. The band tours worldwide, and has recorded soundtracks for several movies and games, including “In the Name of the King.” Although cycling through several members, the band retains the majority of their musicians and all of the spirit of their art.

Daily Archives: February 9, 2014