We've Got Chemistry

BAGP THE IPE 1955 2012 C O E V E E G N A N T C O L L THEThursday, February 16, 2012 - Vol. 58.18 14049 Scenic Highway, LookoutBAGPIPE Mountain, Georgia, 30750 bagpipeonline.com ComDev Alerting Conference All Scots by Rebekah Taft by Lily Davis Cold Michigan weather and After tornadoes tore through car trouble didn’t stop a flock of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Covenant Community Devel- and Tennessee last April, Cov- opment majors from migrating enant’s Department of Safety north for the Faith and Inter- and Security decided to imple- national Development Confer- ment a second way of emergency ence (FIDC) at Calvin College communication: the ScotsAlert February 2-4. Emergency Notification System. Twenty-five Covenant students “Basically, we’re sending text attended the annual conference messages, emails, and voice located on Calvin’s campus in messages to your landline or cell Grand Rapids, Michigan. This phone via the Internet. We sim- year’s theme: Yearning for Jus- Covenant.edu ply type the messages we want to tice, Living in Love: A Dialogue Dr. Mehne and Thomas Holcombe send, add the addresses of those on Fear and Hope. groups we want to send the mes- “Attending this conference and sages to, and send them,” said others like it are important ways Greg Ford, Director of Safety for our students to be exposed to and Security at Covenant. The more sectors of community de- We’ve Got Chemistry messages then travel the same velopment than we can cover in way as a text or email. classes here in our major at Cov- by Garrison Dale Mehne, chair of the chemistry electrochemical and UV-visible Despite the benefits and enant,” said Dr. Russell Mask, department, collaborated in the spectroscopic techniques. These convenience of the ScotsAlert Associate Professor of Commu- For most liberal arts students, research and writing of the ar- procedures are common in system, however, Covenant’s nity Development, who has been chemistry is a riddling sphinx to ticle, “Heteroleptic Platinum(II) research articles about synthetic siren alert system — which many taking Covenant students to the be avoided at all costs. Better to and Palladium(II) Complexes chemistry. students became more than conference since 2007. re-read Harry Potter and pose for with Thiacrown and Diimine “One potential use for these familiar with last April — will This year, students had the Instagram pictures than worry Ligands,” published in Polyhe- would be a delivery system for remain the college’s primary opportunity to interact with about the trifles of scientific dron, an international journal for cancer treatment drugs that method of communication in the more than 25 different Christian research. But lately, Covenant inorganic and organometallic would not be as toxic to the hu- event of an emergency. development organizations and students are producing more chemistry. man body as current methods,” “We purchased and began listen to five speakers — includ- than really good Facebook al- “The research, as a whole, said Holcombe. using the ScotsAlert texting ing Christopher L. Heuertz and bums. Senior Thomas Holcombe looked at building molecular tri- The collaboration began at system as a secondary source for Twesigye Jackson Kaguri — talk recently co-authored an article angles, squares, and boxes,” said Holcombe’s suggestion when he notifying those on campus of about health, agriculture, envi- published in a peer reviewed Holcombe. Technically speak- was a student in Dr. Mehne’s possible emergencies and as a ronmentalContinued stewardship, on page social 3News scientific journal. ing, Dr. Mehne and Holcombe class. “IContinued knew Dr. on Mehne page was2News way toContinued notify those on who page may 2News be Holcombe and Dr. Larry characterized compounds using Arts Opinions Sports Worth Watching Local Heroes Time for Baseball News: 2 The Bagpipe Vol. 58.18 Campus Alert other things to think about. He a benefit that all faculty and staff and added that he is glad that available.” Other options include hopes, however, that students (and off-campus students) ap- Covenant finally got the Scot- screens that could be mounted Continued from front page realize that they are actually re- preciate.” sAlert system because a lot of around campus to scroll alerts, or quired to register with the system “I wanted to get [the texts] so other schools have had similar programs that would allow alerts off campus and obviously cannot to receive the notifications. that if there’s something going systems for a while. to be sent to campus comput- hear the siren system,” Ford said. On the other hand, faculty on when I get up in the morn- As far as plans for further ers. At this point, however, Unfortunately, not as many and staff enrolled in the system ing, I don’t even have to open my emergency communication sys- Safety and Security thinks that students have signed up for quickly. According to Ford, they computer,” said freshman Alex tems go, Ford said that the safety the siren system and ScotsAlert ScotsAlert texts as Ford and his are grateful for the chance to Winston. “I can just check my and security department “con- provide the most reasonable and department would like. Currently, receive notice of school closings phone. It’s more convenient.” tinually researches new equip- effective methods of emergency only about 50 percent of the stu- and delays before heading to Sophomore Jon Leverett agreed, ment and strives to have the best communication for Covenant. dent body is enrolled, as opposed campus: “Being notified before to almost all of the faculty and making that trip is always a good To register with ScotsAlert and receive texts with notifications of possible emergencies or inclement weather, visit staff. Ford said that he realizes thing but preventing folks from www.covenant.edu/scotsalert. that his emails with invitations to making the sometimes danger- join may have been timed badly ous commute up the mountain in and ignored by students with inclement weather is absolutely the data and write up their Chemistry results. Continued from front page The research was done in con- junction with Dr. Greg Grant, a doing research because of all professor of chemistry at UTC, the articles he co-authored in who initiated most of the ideas. the past are on display in the “Dr. Grant has provided the bulk chemistry commons. During the of the ideas for the research in spring of my sophomore year, I the past 25 years,” said Hol- asked if I could work with him combe. in the summer, and he said yes,” Mehne and Holcombe’s work said Holcombe. is a rarity at Covenant College. Dr. Mehne had a grant from Covenant’s relationship with the National Science Founda- Dr. Grant and UTC’s chemistry tion to support the research department provide research op- of one student. “Thomas was a portunities for students unavail- student in one of my classes who able at most small colleges. “Dr. expressed interest,” said Mehne, Grant is one of the best — the who ended up giving Holcombe chemistry department at UTC is the postition. one of the most research-active In preparation, Holcombe undergraduate chemistry depart- spent the 2010 spring semes- ments in the whole country,” said ter doing background research, Mehne. reading up on the theory and Holcombe plans to attend looking at different procedures. medical school in the fall at the “The bulk of the experimenta- University of South Alabama. tion took place in the summer of “The research was really instruc- 2010. We worked full time for tive in exposing [me] to aspects about 10 weeks that summer,” of chemistry and group work said Holcombe. Compounds that you don’t get in the under- from UTC were sent to Mehne graduate level,” said Holcombe. and Holcombe to be tested dur- “My work definitely helped in ing that time. The following fall my acceptance to medical school and spring semesters, Mehne and and I am very thankful for the Naomi Belz Holcombe met weekly to review opportunity.” Faculty Quote of the Week “I can still move and groove, slide and glide.” - Dr. Dennison in Doctrine II Vol. 58.18 The Bagpipe News: 3 The Verdict Conference campus. beside us displaced the air and vans for college trips like this,” Continued from front page “We only made it as far as we were sucked into the concrete said Mask. Raceway when the brakes of wall on our left. Our car was Still, Horne and other stu- Yes... To the Gram- the Lincoln started locking up. like a ping pong ball, bouncing dents involved in these mishaps my’s advocacy and more over the two We tried driving a little bit on between the wall and the truck thought the conference was well day span. the interstate, but the smell of at least five or six times,” said worth the transportation difficul- Registration, which covered burning rubber wasn't boding Horne. ties as it allowed them to have No... I’mma let you most meals for the weekend, was well for the drive ahead, so we Students involved in these car a greater understanding of the finish, but Beyonce’s $45, and included free lodging in stopped at another gas station troubles ended up going back to larger community development video... the dorms with Calvin host stu- about 20 minutes outside of Covenant’s campus on Wednes- world. dents. Gas and hotel rooms on Chattanooga,” said sophomore day night, leaving a second time “I really enjoyed being able to the way up were free of charge AnnaKatharine Horne. With early Thursday morning to make hear other people's perspectives for students thanks to a Kaleo the help of a stranger, the brakes the 12-hour trek north.

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