by Benjamin HeimerManaging Editor

TO THE KITCHEN AND BEYONDTruman Professors Teach ‘Chemistry Through Food’

Have you ever thought of food in terms of chemistry and chem-istry in terms of food? What

chemical reactions take place when you cook your favorite dish? The professors Charles Abrams and Joy Walker from Truman College came up with this idea through experiments with food and creat-ed a series of entertaining and informative chemistry lectures under the name “Chem-istry through Food”. Both Abrams and Walker had been teaching chemistry and setting ex-periments with food on their own before they heard of each other’s demonstra-tions. Upon reflection they decided to turn chemistry classes into a series of lectures people come to not for the sake of getting a credit. The first classes “Chemistry through Food” were launched in summer, 2009 but at that point they were not very well-known. To promote the “Chemistry through Food” series of lectures, the tele-vision crew was invited to Truman College in April, 5, ‘10. The show is available at http://www.190north.com. At first both professors came up with a couple of ideas that prompted them to establish the connection between chem-istry and everyday household products. They have developed their own curriculum, books and brochures (for more informa-tion about the given classes, go to http://chemistrythroughfood.com). Professor Abrams created an organic chemistry tast-ing menu which gives a clear idea about the

themes that are going to take place during the “Chemistry through Food” classes. Every series of classes is devoted to a dif-ferent theme, starting from “Emulsions and Foams” to “The ‘Pop’ in Soda and the ‘Rise’ in Cakes, Cookies and Biscuits.” There was one more theme in-cluded into the summer series, making cheese with lemon juice and milk. All the products necessary for experiments are included into the cost of classes. “Stu-dents will have an opportunity to find out

more about different kinds of foams, soufflés, and artificial flavors and how our taste can be fooled,” says Professor Walker. “The idea behind these food demonstrations is to make chemistry academically interesting for the audi-ence without the knowledge of chem-istry,” points out Professor Charles Abrams. “Students have a chance to use a high-tech instrument, namely GCMS, designed for investigating crimes, when they deal with spices,” he adds. “The motto behind these se-ries of classes is to develop curiosity and knowledge about how the world works,” says Joy Walker. “My dream is to have our own room with sinks and tables, places to store equipment in order to go deeper into chemistry and cooking.” For Professor Abrams “the long-term scene for these series of “Chemistry through Food” classes is to create the access to the information about science in the way the general public can learn it without the scientific knowledge, which gives orientation for continuing education. Truman College and the whole community benefit from it since it is the beginning of science for the general public.”

TRUMAN SCHOLAR’S SYMPOSIUMRecognized academic commitment outside of courseworkby Andrew DahlStaff Writer

In the summer 2009, Margaret Paddock found her 11-year-old cousin engrossed in what was already a full-blown craze: the Twilight saga. “How could

someone like this sappy, unrealistic, harlequin romance,” she asked herself. And girls her age were reading these books, too. Still, having only seen snippets of the movies, Paddock recognized something that appealed to her — elements of gothic literature. She came back to school in the fall ready to present her ideas to her faculty mentor and to work towards a presentation this spring. Truman hosted its second Scholar’s Symposium on Thursday, April 29, from 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in Novar Hall, Room 3426. Four students presented a year’s worth of work and research, on topics ranging from met-al organic frameworks to the Wilson Yard Project. The presentations lasted 15 to 20 minutes were each followed by a question and answer session. “It [was] an exchange of ideas,” said program coordinator Dennis Skentzis. Spring 2009, communications professor Anne Close invited Paddock to the 2009 Truman Scholar’s Symposium and afterwards asked her if she would be in-terested in presenting. Having spent a year reading novels and articles, finding gothic conventions and focusing on them in a current timeframe, she is ready for the sympo-sium . The presentation was the culmination of bi-weekly meetings, discussions, and extensive notes, drafts and outlines, said Paddock. To take part, students need to fill out a one page application, have a 3.0 GPA and a faculty mentor. Students are welcome to research in any academic field. “It deepened my student-teacher relationship,” said Alice-Gray Lewis, a participant in the 2009 sympo-sium. The project “allow[ed] us to get to know each other better and provided me with a mentor from whom I could ask academic advice and reference letters.” Along with greater depth and knowledge of a subject, says Skentzis, students are recognized on their transcripts as participants in the Truman Scholar’s Pro-gram. This year’s symposium was moved to Novar Hall to accommodate crowds, which last year wound up being standing room only.

Assistant Professor Charles Abrams (left) checks a hotplate for melting chcolate.

Photograph by Fatima Mohammed

Assistant Professor Joy Walker (second from right) helps students mix chocolate moose.

Photograph by Fatima Mohammed

SEPTEMBER 2010 EDITION

A Truman Student Publication Serving the Uptown CommunityONE FREE COPY PER PERSON

The Uptown Exchange

DREAMS OF “LA CIUDAD”Superb Mexican Dining Amidst Untraditional Atmosphere

La Ciudad is the welcome surprise within a rundown strip mall. With it’s special atmosphere, good food, attentive servers and bring your own beverage policy the restaurant has grown very popular.

Though the atmosphere of La Ciudad is not typical of Mexican restaurants, its spacious center has comfortable seating lining either side that set a sleek and lovely ambi-ence. Blood-red walls give way to white banquettes and green seats, which appropriately create Mexico’s national colors. Black and white photography displaying scenes that vary from Mexican architecture to Mayan culture decorate the walls. La Ciudad is a Bring Your Own Beverage (BYOB) restaurant, and each table displays a card that suggest food and wine pairings. Enter with your own bottle of wine and the waiter will greet you with glasses. He will open the bottle and pour the wine, all with no extra bottle fee that is found in many BYOB restaurants. The chips and salsa were a fabulous preview of the tastes La Ciudad has to offer. The red and green salsa had just the right amount of spice with wonderful flavors that are sure to accommodate most discerning palates. For garlic lovers, I highly recom-mend the salsa verde, or green salsa. The ceviche appetizer ($7.95) has a generous portion of shrimp and tilapia with chopped onions, tomatoes and cilantro marinated “to goodness,” as the menu boasts, with just the right amount of lime. The entrees were equally satisfying. The pollo en mole ($12.95) consisted of two quarter pieces of chicken covered in a rich, but not overly-sweet, chocolate sauce, served atop a bed of rice. The chile rellenos ($12.95), breaded and deep-fried poblano peppers that are stuffed with Chihuahua cheese, were served with carne asada. The carne asada was cut thicker than typical Mexican restaurants, but was made to order any way you like. The chile rellenos and carne asada proved to be a mouthwatering combina-tion. We ended the night with a desert of flan ($4.50), which is baked caramel cus-tard. I was skeptical at first because I’m not a huge fan of flan, but its caramel drizzle and strawberry accents made for a beautiful presentation. After the first bite, I was in love. The flan had a lush, thick texture and a heavenly flavor.

The service at La Ciudad is also exquisite. The restaurant’s small size allows for a much more personalized dining experience. Orders were taken and served quickly, and our waiter came around multiple times to make sure that everything was okay. The price range at La Ciudad is affordable. The menu contains a la carte items like tacos ($1 – $2.50) and burritos ($6.95), for those with lighter appetites. If you are in the mood for a heavier meal, the dinner prices are reasonable, ranging from $7.95 – $14.95. In either case, whether you are in the mood for a delicious, authentic Mexican meal or a couple of tacos on the run, La Ciudad is the place to go.

La Ciudad4515 N. Sheridan Rd.

Chicago, Ill. 60640(773) 728-2887

Mon.-Thurs.: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.Fri.- Sat.: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Sun.: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Chile Relleno Photograph by Fatima Mohammed

Professor keeping the future in mindMUSIC PROGRAM CONTINUES TO GROW AT TRUMAN

Three years ago, Richard Keitel was brought into Truman and given the task of res-urrecting a shell of a music program. Since then, his efforts and contributions have led to new courses and renewed interest in the musical education program that

continues to grow. At the time of Keitel’s hiring, there was only a Chorus and an Introduction to Music course. Since then, students have been filling up the three other courses he has started; a beginning piano course and two levels of music theory. “All I did was open the doors, and the students are filling them,” Keitel said. With these new additions, he hopes to bring togeth-er both music majors and those who simply love music. “I’m trying to build a community; people now hang out in (room) 3423 because I’ve started building that community, and they don’t have to be here.” For now, the music program is small and can only of-fer someone interested in music a few basic courses to get them started, but Keitel hopes to change that. “So basi-cally, what I’m trying to do is I’m trying to get people in-volved in music programs, I’m trying to build the chorus,

I’m also trying to build an overall music program that hopefully somebody someday within the next five or six years

will graduate from Truman with a degree in music. That’s what I’m hoping for,” he explains. Looking to the future, Keitel wants to bring in grants for new equipment as well as add in more courses. Planned additions include an instrumentalist program, an applied music program with lessons in voice and other various instruments, ear training, keyboarding skills to accompany the music theory courses and a jazz band ensemble.

Keitel hinted that the music program at Truman may begin to depart from its current conservatory style to focus on technological aspects on the rise in electronic music. “It’s sort of a weird place to be right now. People going to Truman are competing with people from Julliard and Northwestern. I don’t think that training them in a conservatory kind of attitude is the right way to go,” he said. “Where is music profession heading in the future and how can we be involved in that? That’s a tough question because it’s changing all the time,” Keitel says. “It’s getting more and more electronic. A lot of the music is becoming more and more synthesized, and the old ways of doing things are being outmoded.”

by Robert McLeodStaff Writer

“I’m trying to build a community; people now hang out in (room) 3423 because I’ve started building that

community, and they don’t have to be here.”

-Professor Richard Keitel

Professor Richard Keitel Photograph by Doona Lee

PAGE 2 - UPTOWN EXCHANGE - SEPTEMBER / 2010 SECTION - A&E

by Sabrina PerkinsStaff Writer

DREAMING BIG IS NOT FOR EVERYBODY

by Juan V. Nuño Staff Writer

The American Dream for some, a dream deferred for others

Hundreds of students graduated from Truman College in May. The degrees these students have earned will be the reward for all of their efforts. Families cheered at commencement, but will the United States wel-

come all of these new students with arms wide open? In the United States, the American dream is not for every-body. Due to their immigration status, many of these students will be blocked from some private educational institutions or rejected by employers. Ana (who declined to mention her last name) came to this country when she was 10-years-old. Now 22, she has earned a paralegal certificate in the Continuing Education Program at Truman College, but because she does not have a Social Security number she cannot work in her field. A change for students like Ana is needed in this coun-try. Congress has a daunting task to pass the DREAM Act. The bill is worth passing because it would give young undocu-mented students a path to education, employment and ultimately citizenship. This bill would provide these students with the human right to education and work in this country, while at the same provid-ing financial benefits for the United States. We are talking about people who came to the country as children 10, 15 or more than 20 years ago and call this country their home. Those who speak English without an accent, those who have adopted the American culture and are still in need of a “certificate to work in something,” said Lorena Garcia, Truman adviser. According to Carlos Martin-Llamazares, Coordinator of the Transitional Bilingual Learning Community (TBLC) at Truman College, the fact that undocumented students after receiving a certificate cannot find open opportunities “significantly impacts students’ lives. Martin-Llamazares believes that the “only solution now” to help young immigrant students is to pass the DREAM Act bill. The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, (S. 2075, H.R 5131) was first introduced in the Senate by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, in 2001. According

to the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR), the DREAM Act supports “efforts to provide a path towards citizenship for undocumented young people who

have spent most of their lives in the U.S., who have graduated from high school here and who can demonstrate good moral character.”

Unfortunately, no agreement has been reached on passing the bill. The DREAM Act has faced opposition from anti-illegal immigra-

tion groups, as well from lawmakers such as Rep. Brian Bilbray, R-Solana Beach, CA. The group, Americans for Legal Immigration PAC, has mounted a public campaign against the bill. “Most Americans do not support the DREAM Act,” said William Gheen, their spokesperson. The group claims passing the bill “will provide another big incentive for people to illegally immigrate to the United States,” Gheen said. We are talking about young people who have been year for over ten years who attended school, earned a degree and are prop-erly prepared to work.

According to the National Immigration Law Center, ap-proximately 1.6 million undocumented students under the age of 18 are

currently living in the United States, 65,000 of whom will graduate each year from high school.

Helen Valdez, math chairperson at Truman College, be-lieves that by supporting the DREAM Act “we advocate for ourselves.” No

matter their immigrant status, “our students are an investment, these students are the work force of the future for this country,” she said.

Ana could be one of our neighbors, or our co-worker. Maybe she is the partner of one of our relatives or maybe someone who sees that there are no other options to build a bet-ter life here and decides to leave to her birth country, a country she does not know. This decision will dilute America of its diversity and close the door to what America has always represented, a land of opportunity.

Sexually

Active?Women NeededFor NEW CHOICE STUDY

You have the opportunity to participate in the NEW CHOICE STUDY to assess the safety and effi cacy of a low-dose, once-weekly, investigational contraceptive patch. The hormones in this contraceptive patch are FDA-approved for use in birth control pills. Study participants will receive study medication, medical exams, and compensation for their time and travel expenses for a full year.

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Wish you didn’t have to remember to take your birth control every day?

“Our students are an investment, these stu-

dents are the wOrk fOrce Of the future fOr this cOuntry”

-Helen Valdez, MatH CHairperson at truMan

College

UPTOWN EXCHANGE - SEPTEMBER / 2010 - PAGE 3OPINION - SECTION

PAGE 4 - UPTOWN EXCHANGE - SEPTEMBER / 2010