Bioneers by the Bay returns to UMass Dartmouth

DARTMOUTH, Mass. — The Marion Institute has announced this year’s featured speakers for its third annual Bioneers by the Bay: Connecting for Change Conference to be held at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth from October 19 to 21.

The conference is the 2007 Northeast regional “beaming bioneers” site, one of 20 throughout the U.S. that make up a network of annual gatherings at which local concerned citizens and community activists gather with internationally acclaimed scientific and social innovators to explore practical models for restoring the Earth and its inhabitants.

The three-day conference is expected to attract over 2000 attendees from throughout New England and beyond and will feature topics ranging from climate change to economic sustainability to social justice.

The regional program will have interactive workshops, a youth initiative program for high school and college students, music, films, local and organic foods, and exhibits by sustainable businesses and organizations. The program will be linked via satellite with the main Bioneers conference in San Rafael, California.

“Bioneers by the Bay,” explains Marion Institute director Desa VanLaarhoven, “provides an opportunity for students, scientists, grassroots activists and ordinary citizens concerned about the future of our planet — both environmentally and in terms of world health and social justice — to share visionary and practical solutions to help us lead more sustainable lifestyles and restore the Earth for generations to follow.”

Bioneers by the Bay: Connecting for Change is a partnership between the national Bioneers organization in California, the Marion Institute, UMass Dartmouth, the City of New Bedford, MA, the Center at WestWoods, Westwood, MA, and Chelsea Green Publishing, White River Junction, VT.

Featured presenters at the 2007 Bioneers by the Bay conference include:

• Will Allen, an organic farming activist who co-manages Vermont’s Cedar Circle Farm, co-chairs Farms not Arms, and authored “War on Bugs,” which reveals how farmers were convinced to use deadly chemicals, hormones and genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

• Van Jones, founder and national executive director of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights and one of the nation’s leading voices on human rights, the disenfranchised and “green collar” jobs.

• Bill McKibben, author of “End of Nature,” regarded as the first book for a general audience about climate change, and organizer of the April 14 Step It Up 2007, A National Day of Climate Action.

• Dr. Joia Mukherjee, an infectious disease specialist and medical director of the international medical charity Partners in Health, consultant to the World Health Organization on the treatment of HIV and MDR-TB in developing countries and an executive board member of Health Action Aids.

• John Perkins, author of the New York Times bestseller “Confessions of an Eco nomic Hit Man” and, more recently, “The Secret History of the American Empire,” a compassionate plan for crafting a world that future generations will be proud to inherit.

• Simran Sethi, an award-winning journalist, co-host of the Sundance Channel’s The Green and contributing author of Ethical Markets: Growing the Green Economy, the companion guide to the PBS series Ethical Markets.

• Diane Wilson, a fourth-generation shrimper, author of “An Unreasonable Woman,” and environmental and social justice activist who battled toxic polluters on the Gulf Coast of Texas and later co-founded the National Women’s Peace Movement, Code Pink.

• Naomi Wolf, an international best-selling author who became the literary star of the third wave of the feminist movement and also co-founder the Woodhull Center for Ethical Leadership, dedicated to the future of America’s young women.

For more information call the Marion Institute at 508-748-0616, email info@connectingforchange.org or visit www.connectingforchange.org.

Former Cape Verdean president speaks

DARTMOUTH, Mass. — His Excellency Antonio Mascarenhas Monteiro, the first democratically elected president of the Republic of Cape Verde, shared his thoughts about leadership at a talk on Monday, October 1, at the UMass Dartmouth Library Browsing Area.

Entitled, “The Obstacles of Leadership and Prospective for the Future,” the lecture was free and open to the general public as well as the campus community. Sponsored by the African and African American Studies Department and the College of Arts and Sciences, the talk was expected to attract local dignitaries of Cape Verdean descent.

Professor Chidiebere Nwaubani, department director said, “It’s a major event any time you have a sitting or former president of a country, especially one that was elected to the office, give a talk. There’s so much to gain from hearing someone in such a position... And with a huge Cape Verdean population in our region, this is an example of the university’s outreach to the community.”

Monteiro served as president of the Republic of Cape Verde from 1991 to 2001.  During his term in office, he was actively involved in many international human rights organizations including his role as chairman of the Third Conference on Regional System of Human Rights Protection in Africa and Europe.  He participated in the Organization of African Unity’s mission to Angola following the country’s first free elections in 1992.

Monteiro is currently the fifth Lloyd G. Balfour African President-in-Residence at Boston University’s African Presidential Archives and Research Center (APARC). That program enables former democratically-elected African heads of state to spend up to two years at BU, sharing insights on contemporary trends in Africa and interacting with political, religious, academic and community leaders throughout the United States.

UMass Dartmouth holds workshop on meridian medicine

By Ryan Gallagher

Dr. Vasu Brown, the guest speaker for the meridian medicine workshop which took place last Friday, comes from India and is trained in medicine.

Brown was born and raised in an impoverished part of India and, as a child, wanted to get out of poverty. “I don’t define myself as what I have done, but what I want to do to increase human values,” she said. She added, “When I was eight years old, I told my mother I wanted to be a healer.”

She has traveled extensively, using her training internationally. She has written a number of books, many of which are on meridian medicine.

Meridian medicine studies are a passion of Brown’s. The Indian System for meridian medicine is called “nadi vaithiyam,” which means pulse medicine. The other meanings for meridians are the channels that energy, blood and lymphatics flow through. Lymphatics are known as the “the electric meridians” of the body. These meridians are structures that are used to diagnose and treat various conditions in traditional Chinese medicine, Japanese Jin Shin Jyutsu, Indian Nadi Vaithiyam and other meridian-based theories around the world.

The difference between meridian medicine and other treatments, like acupuncture, is that acupuncture uses different perspectives to analyze health issues such as the eight principal patterns, pernicious evil and the five elements. Meridian medicine uses layers to understand the problem. Brown related it to “what Shrek said in the movie ‘Shrek’: ‘Ogres are like onions, they both have layers,’ so does meridian medicine.”

The layers of meridian medicine are part of the energy cycles of the body and have nine different energy depths. All energies have reasons and stories to them.

Then there are the seven chakras which make up a great connecting system and bring all parts of the physical being into sync with each other. These points govern the endocrine system, which in turn controls the seven major areas of the physical body. For example the first chakra is the earth chakra, located at the base of the spine and it deals with survival and is blocked by fear.

The teachings of meridian medicine are ancient and date back to a time before Moses and the Gautama Buddha. The teachings and concepts of this art have so much information to offer in the field of healing. Each culture that is familiar with meridian medicine brings in their own traditions.

snippets from your student senate

Student Senate is making history this year! This past Monday, the new constitution proposed by Senators Brian Ashmankas and Bryan O’Brien was voted on and passed by Student Senate. You can expect to see the new constitutional changes on the election ballot. Senators Ashmankas and O’Brien are awaiting the next step to the constitution’s approval, which involves consent from two-thirds of the UMass Dartmouth student body.

Aside from the new constitution, Senate elections are finally underway! Senator and class officer candidates have until October 2 to pick up an election packet outside the Student Senate office and submit the packet along with 25 signatures from the constituency they wish to represent. These candidates will be posted in the next issue of the Torch.

Voting will be conducted online as it has in previous years. There will be a voting period of four days (24 hours per day) that will take place from October 9 through October 12. Please remember to take your civic duty as a student seriously and log onto http://www.umassd.edu/studentactivities/senate/SenateNews.cfm to vote.

As mentioned in my last letter, I am excited for the USA Today pilot program to start up on Monday, October 8. It will finally allow students to read the local and national news without having to leave campus or pay for online services. Expect to see advertising this week if you haven’t already seen fliers, which are being handed out in the Campus Center. Keep your eyes peeled for newspapers in the following areas: Birch Grill, the Residential Dining Hall, the Commuter Café, the library and the Liberal Arts Building.

In a Senate Meeting held on September 24, two important proposals were raised. The Senior Class as well as Sigma Phi Rho requested money for a Senior Class trip and AIDS Benefit event (respectively). After the proposals were put on the table for a week, they were voted on and passed at last Monday’s Senate meeting. Senior Class President, Erin Dacey, and Sigma Phi Rho Vice President, James Pace, were happy with Senate’s decision to pass the proposals.

At the end of Monday’s meeting, some on-campus issues were readdressed and assigned to different committees to be worked on. Some of the issues mentioned were common room spaces, computer software uniformity and voting registry for people who have yet to register. We hope to have committee meetings up by next week in order to tackle all these issues.

Two of our committees, the Public Safety Committee and the Food Committee, are currently trying to team up with Resident Hall Congress’ committees. We are hoping both of our efforts will create a greater impact this year.

One more thing I would like to add is that the student body should get to know their Senators. Senators represent all the students at UMass Dartmouth. Get in contact with the Senator that represents you and tell them what you think should be changed on campus. Join Senators and be a part of the change at our university! To find all this information, go to Student Senate’s website at http://www.umassd.edu/studentactivities/senate/. Thank you!

Stephanie Luz
Class of 2009
Arts and Sciences Representative
Student Senate President

Bill to lower the cost of textbooks considered

The Joint Committee on Higher Education hears testimony on the high cost of textbooks

Earlier this week, MassPIRG students, faculty and administrators met at the State House to testify about the high expenses of college textbooks. They testified in front of the Joint Committee on Higher Education.

Boston, Mass. — MassPIRG students, faculty and administrators packed a State House hearing room this week, as the Joint Committee on Higher Education heard testimony about the high cost of college textbooks. Those testifying were calling in lawmakers to support the (name of bill to lower text book prices HB 500), filed by Representative Steven Walsh of Lynn, which would make Massachusetts the leading state in protecting students against the unfair practices within the textbooks publishing industry, which drive up book prices.

“When we talk about affordable higher education, we tend to lose ourselves in discussions about escalating tuition and fees,” said Rep. Kevin J. Murphy of Lowell, House Chairman of the Joint Committee on Higher Education. “We also have to work to ensure that we’re keeping textbooks affordable and that students are not charged by publishers for extra materials that they don’t need.”

MassPIRG, a state wide public interest group with student chapters at colleges across Massachusetts, released a report earlier this year highlighting the many problems within the publishing industry.

The report, “Exposing the Textbooks Industry,” found that students are spending about $900 on books each year, and that the prices of textbooks have been rising at about four times the rate of inflation over the last decade.

“We all care about the high cost of textbooks for students,” testified Professor Steve Rudnick, an environmental science professor at UMass Boston. “But we can’t take price into account when publishers don’t disclose. This Bill will require that all publishers clearly disclose price information to faculty.”

Another factor which increases costs highlighted by the MassPIRG study is the trend to ‘bundle’ books with additional materials such as CD ROMS or workbooks, which faculty often do not want, and students don’t use. “Bundled books are fine if the professor plans to use the additional materials,” said Saffron Zomer, Campus Program Director for MassPIRG. “But often they don’t, and they can’t get the book without the other additional material. This Bill will enable them to choose the book unbundled if they know they don’t need the extras, and save students some money.”

Voices of support for more affordable textbooks were heard from across the higher education community—student leaders, student governments, faculty, librarians, student advocates, and college administrations all asked the Higher Education Committee to support the Bill. “We must do everything we can to make college more affordable for students, not less so. This bill is an important step in the right direction,” said Patricia F. Plummer, Chancellor of the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education.

Jean Claude Baker to appear at UMass D

DARTMOUTH, Mass. — Jean Claude Baker, actor, author and restaurateur will be appearing at the UMass Dartmouth, Claire T. Carney Library Browsing Area on Wednesday, October 17 at 7 p.m.

The program, sponsored by the Boivin Center for French Language and Culture is sure to entertain and inform its audience. Admission is free. Parking Lot 13 is recommended.

Jean Claude Baker is the thirteenth “adopted” son of the world renowned, American-born dancer, diva and French Resistance fighter, Josephine Baker. Baker met his second mother when he was fourteen years old. Leaving behind his Burundian village and his worn mother, he then moved to Paris.

He was working as a bellhop at the Hotel Scribe when he met Josephine Baker, a guest at the hotel. They were drawn to each other but she moved on.

Years later, in 1968, he and his “mother” reunited in Berlin. Jean Claude, then a performer, radio host, discotheque owner and entrepreneur, assisted his mother in her attempt to stage a comeback. For seven years, he would orchestrate her last stage performances and serve as a spokesperson for her other twelve adopted children.

In 1974, they parted at her suggestion to establish Jean Claude’s own career in New York City. After her death in 1975, Jean Claude set out to find out the “truth” about his second mother. After nearly twenty years of research, he and New York writer, Chris Chase produced “Josephine: the Hungry Heart,” published by Random House in 1993. The book has received rave reviews for its revelations and sensitivity.

While working on the book, Baker also opened a restaurant, Chez Josephine, situated in the theatre district of New York City. In operation since 1986, the restaurant, where fine food and entertainment is served up for its guests, is a celebration of Josephine Baker’s life.

A book signing will follow the program.

For further information on this event, please contact Dr. Mel Yoke, director of the Boivin Center for French Language and Culture by emailing him at myoken@umassd.edu or calling him at UMass Dartmouth, 508-999-8235.

Community Service opportunites

Give back to your community this October

Boo at the Zoo

October 15 through 21 and 26 through 28

This is a wonderful opportunity taking place throughout October at the Buttonwood Zoo in New Bedford. It is an annual Halloween extravaganza with a haunted house, hayrides and more. Everyone gets to dress up in their scariest costume and enjoy the spookiness of the Halloween atmosphere. All of the proceeds raised by this program go to support the educational and family programs offered by the zoo. There are two different types of volunteering to get involved with:

1. Decorations: Monday through Thursday, October 15 to 18. We are looking for crews of about ten people to volunteer to help decorate the zoo. Crews will be needed during the day (between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.) and in the evening to help decorate the haunted house (6 p.m.). We ask that decorations volunteers be able to commit a minimum of two hours at a time.

2. Event Volunteers: Friday-Sunday, October 19 to 21 and October 26 to 28 We are looking for individuals to pass out candy, man various exhibits, help out in the haunted house, and teach crafts. All individuals involved in the actual evening events must be on grounds by 5:30 p.m. and be able to work until the event ends at 9 p.m.

Contact Ashley Cunningham at u_acunningha@umassd.edu for more information.

Bioneers by the Bay,

October 19-21

The third annual “Bioneers by the Bay” conference will be held at UMass Dartmouth from October 19 to 21. This conference is internationally acclaimed and gathers innovators in various fields, such as the environment, industry and social justice to share their ideas for restoring the Earth.

They will be looking for volunteers for parking and circulation, registration, the book store and exhibition hall, the general auditorium and workshop areas as well as food, water and recycling stations. If there are any questions about volunteering, please send an email to info@ connectingforchange.org or call 508-748-0816.

The SHARE Walkathon

Sunday October 21, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

SHARE helps people with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries and many other conditions. The walk will start and end at the Dion Building at UMass Dartmouth.

SHARE relies on fundraisers and donations to keep its doors open to those who need help, so there will be prizes for anyone reaching $50 in sponsorship and donations.

Gift certificates will also be given to the top ten walkers. To register and receive a walk packet call (508) 999-8482 or email SHARE@umassd.edu.

Harvest Fest at the New Bedford Boys and Girls Club

Saturday October 27, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Every year SCALE organizes a day of games, food and fun for the children at the Boys and Girls Club. It takes place at the Maxfield Community Garden across the street from the Boys and Girls Club and we’re looking for volunteers to help with arts and crafts and facilitating different games, like a treasure hunt and potato sack races. The times are still tentative but it should probably run from about 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, contact Annie Willis at u_a1willis@umassd.edu

‘Boo at the Zoo’ looking for Halloween season volunteers

By Annie Willis

Are you looking for some fun community service? Does your love for Halloween need a jump start? Then look no further, because Buttonwood Park Zoo’s annual Boo at the Zoo is coming up!

Boo at the Zoo is a Halloween event that invites children from all over to dress up in their costumes and navigate a hay maze, play in a pumpkin patch, creep through a friendly haunted forest, do all sorts of fun crafts and take train and wagon rides though the zoo!

Boo at the Zoo, as spectacular as it is, requires many helping hands to ensure that it runs smoothly. Volunteers are needed to help set up the event the week before, pass out candy, monitor various exhibits, help out in the haunted house, and teach crafts to children. As an added bonus, all volunteers who arrive by 5:30 p.m. and are registered one week in advance will receive a $5 gift certificate to the Bear’s Den Café at the zoo so they can get a snack or meal.

This event will take place in the Buttonwood Park Zoo from October 19 to 21 and October 26 to 28 from 6 to 9 p.m.

So, if you are craving some good old- fashioned Halloween fun (and lots of candy!), contact Ashley Cunningham as soon as possible at u_acunningha@umassd.edu.

ATMC announces entrepreneurship series

DARTMOUTH, Mass. —The Advanced Technology and Manufacturing Center (ATMC) is excited to announce it will resume its Entrepreneurship Speaker Series. The Entrepreneur Speaker series is intended to provide entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs with information that will help them succeed. Scheduled for the second Wednesday of each month from noon to 1:30 p.m., the series brings experienced entrepreneurs and capitalists to the ATMC to explore subjects of vital concern to startup companies.

The Fall 2007 Series includes:

“Financial Statements that Get Funding” October 10, 2007 — Ever wonder what are the best financing sources for your company? At this month’s Brown Bag, Melinda Ailes, director of the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center (MSBDC), will present what those best financing sources are, which financial statements are required, how funding sources view financial statements, and how to sell the numbers. The presentation will also cover a brief overview of what the MSBDC is, what they do, and how their services can impact your company.

Melinda Ailes joined the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center as a Senior Management Counselor in November 2002 and became director in June 2007. She provides management consulting to small to mid-size businesses, in a variety of industries, ranging from start-up through maturity throughout Southeastern Massachusetts.

“Choice of Entity,” November 14, 2007 and “To Patent or Not to Patent,” December 12, 2007 — These free programs are held at the ATMC in Fall River, MA and run from noon to 1:30 p.m. Attendees have the option of purchasing a boxed lunch with a beverage for $10 or bringing their own lunch. Please RSVP and mention if you would like to purchase a lunch by calling Peter Carvalho at 508-910-9867 or by e-mail, at u_plcarvalho@umassd.edu.

Please visit ATMC’s website: atmc.umassd.edu for the updated Fall 2007 Brown Bag schedule, directions, and other ATMC highlights.

Hospital to hold graduate nurse information session

Pawtucket, RI — Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island is opening its doors for their bi-annual graduate nurse Information Session and Open House.

The event will be held on Monday October 15, between the hours of 1 and 7 p.m. in the hospital’s Sayles Conference Center, Rooms 2 and 3. MHRI is inviting graduate nurses from all area schools to drop by anytime during event hours to become acquainted with the hospital, speak with Nurse Managers, tour the hospital, and enjoy refreshments. The hospital is located at 111 Brewster Street, Pawtucket, Rhode Island, which is four blocks from McCoy stadium.

MHRI is a teaching hospital, proudly training area medical staff since 1969. They are affiliated with the Walter Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University.

Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island is a 294-bed, community hospital serving the Blackstone Valley of Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts. For more information about the hospital, or the information session, please contact Joyce Beauchesne at 401-729-2137 or joyce_beauchesne@mhri.org.

SCIENCE OF THE NOW

A microscopic lesson in biochemistry: Why does human DNA work?

By Nathan Yetton

The major types of Biomacromolecules involved in life as we know it are proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids. Of them only dual, complimentary multimers of nucleic acids have been known to represent inherited genetic material. DNA is a very stable structure. Often more resistant to environmental stressors and changes than proteins, lipids (fats), or carbohydrates, DNA is capable of melting from its native form to complimentary single strands which can both be completed individually and results in what we call clones.

This technology is used in Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) to magnify large quantities of DNA for research purposes. Of the known biomacromolecules, only DNA has been observed to have an accurate reproductive plausibility.

Lipids and carbohydrate structures are too simple and variable to posses enough information to serve as blueprints describing the makeup of an entire organism. Chemically, lipids are too water-insoluble to have any effect in the cellular and nuclear environments which are predominated by water solutions.

Proteins are capable of the reactivity and specificity of DNA. Unfortunately, with 20 viable amino acids and nearly infinite combinations thereof, there is no way a protein could possibly code for genetic material. Furthermore, intraprotein interactions are so convoluted that a protein molecule of the size capable of transmitting the information encoded in DNA would be completely incapable of packing efficiently or regularly, as well as opening up for transcription and replication.

RNA is known to genetically encode information for viruses, but this unstable method of information exchange requires a host and is impossible for higher organisms. With only one strand, RNA lacks the stability of the DNA double-helix molecule.

The sugar-phosphate backbone does not help with nucleic acids hanging out in the loose environment. RNA also shares the convoluted tertiary and quaternary structural problems of proteins. RNA bends into itself and bonds onto intramolecularly available hydrogen bonding donors and acceptors.

DNA is as close to a perfect genetic encoding molecule as can possibly be achieved with life on this planet. Its enhanced stability is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of its usefulness. DNA is also a directional molecule, signified by the 3’ and 5’ sided strands of DNA that run sense wise and antisensewise.

This directionality built into the backbone alone is not only required for efficient and accurate replication, but is also necessary for transcribing messenger RNA, and leads to directionality of protein synthesis. This directionality of protein synthesis is required for consistent and accurate post-translational modification. Another benefit of utilizing DNA as genetic material is its simplicity. Using only four bases, the DNA molecule can encode twenty different amino acids; one starts codons, and a handful of stop codons.

Despite the apparent complexity of higher order DNA structure, the organization of DNA is due to its packaging methods, not because of extraneous information in the form of cross-linking hydrogen or sulfide bonds. In fact, the limit of the kinds of information DNA can convey on the transcriptional level is another benefit of using DNA. Some information such as regulatory regions of DNA exist because of higher levels of organization, but this proximity tends to arrive by chance, rather than the complexity of intramolecular reactions.

From our investigations of the DNA molecule, the qualities of genetic material as a functional piece of information are self evident. Genetic material must be stable and effectively reproducible. It must resist environmental changes while having accessible information which can be utilized in an effective and fast manner.

Simplicity is key, but complexity at the benefit of efficiency is a fair tradeoff. Stability is possibly the most fundamental quality of genetic material. Without stability, inherited traits would mutate all too often and traits would be incapable of even relative immortality.

Part of the success of DNA is its regularity. Regularity allows proofreading with ease. Less mistakes are made during replication. Furthermore, directionality is necessary for specificity during information access.

A directional backbone with regularly spaced, repeatable substituents encoding variable molecules is a sensible approach to the genetic code. Polar groups which alternate with asymmetrical nonpolar groups allow for directional specificity. Enabling convenient flexibility without contorting molecular unit segments is also a must.

A lack of conformational strain is also useful. Dual, complimentary strands are perfect for efficiency and proofreading. Any more than a tertiamer would overcomplicate reproduction and transcription. Three complimentary strands would be a stretch, unless there were six or nine coding substituents. Anything over nine would be impossible to keep immortalized and less than six would be too few, requiring a multiple of three complimentary substituents per triad.