In-Person Commencement Celebrates Resilient UHD 2020, 2021 Graduates by CHRIS KEMP In-Person Commencement Ceremonies

Student-run since Volume One VOLUME 67 ISSUE 1 August 24, 2021 In-person commencement celebrates resilient UHD 2020, 2021 graduates BY CHRIS KEMP in-person commencement ceremonies. UHD Gators came to- They were also more gether with friends, family, spread out than commence- and faculty at NRG stadium ments of times past, stream- on Saturday, Aug. 14 for two lined to minimize the risks in-person commencement associated with being in ceremonies celebrating the close proximity to unfamiliar graduates of 2020’s spring, vectors, and accompanied by summer and fall semesters; many hand sanitizer stations. and spring 2021. Beneath these surface For many in attendance, level changes was a famil- this was the first time being iar spirit of celebration; a around so many fellow Gators much-needed reprieve after since the global pandemic the years of hard work that caused UHD, and much of the precede any graduate’s cov- rest of the world, to drasti- eted walk across the stage. cally change its operations Several speakers congratulat- in spring of 2020. The two ed this season’s graduates ceremonies marked the first with uplifting remarks. Graduates from 2020 and 2021 kick off UHD’s first in-person ceremony since the time since the pandemic that COVID-19 pandemic during the 70th commencement’s first of two ceremonies UHD returned to holding CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 on Aug. 14, 2021. PHOTO CREDIT: CHRIS KEMP UHD’s largest chemistry classes extend flexible lab curriculum, spark study BY INDIRA ZALDIVAR Eszter Trufan, Ph.D., year just to see “if this was When the COVID-19 associate professor of chem- even going to work.” pandemic hit last spring, the istry; and Elene Bouhout- The flexibility offered by UHD community was forced sos-Brown, Ph.D., chemistry the online laboratory cur- to move to a fully-online lecturer, teamed up to devel- riculum has extended to the mode of instruction. op an online laboratory cur- current fall semester with the With chemistry classes riculum for UHD’s General in-person and hybrid mode fundamentally dependent Chemistry 1 and 11 (CHEM also available. on hands-on, face-to-face 1107 and 1108) courses. General Chemistry I lab interaction, chemistry faculty The online laboratory is offered both in person and members, had to be quick on curriculum debuted last sum- online with no cost resourc- their feet and devise engag- mer implementing nonhaz- es; and General Chemistry II ing ways to teach students ardous materials that are fre- lab is offered in person and how to conduct at-home ex- quently used in a household in hybrid modality, of which periments that would deliver and are free to affordable. only the hybrid option uses a level of learning experience They co-taught the very no-cost resources. Associate Professor Eszter Trufan, Ph.D., layers close to an in-person envi- first section of CHEM 1107 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 the solutions. Screenshot courtesy of YouTube. ronment. in the July semester of last INSIDE THIS EDITION Gator Life..................................2 News...........................................6 Opinions.....................................9 Arts & Entertainment.............11 FIND US ONLINE! COVID-19 threat 6 Vaccinations 9 Simone Biles 11 2 GATOR LIFE August 24, 2021 Flexible lab curriculum CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Trufan and recorded the demon- responded quite well, “guides the community Bouhoutsos-Brown strations. Soon, all their and they submitted to perform every step,” would like all UHD stu- video-recordings will some stellar work.” Trufan added. dents to be aware that be Open Educational Riyasa Shrestha, “It led to a more these options exist and Resources and “freely a junior majoring in meaningful, much have the opportunity to available to everyone at chemistry with a con- deeper integration of hear from their peers UHD and beyond.” centration in biochemis- everything that they who completed these Together they try, took general Chem- were experiencing and courses in the past year. designed the elaborate istry I taught by Trufan studying,” Trufan said. No-cost resources prompts that follow a and Bouhoutsos-Brown Online labs also include equipment and lab. These prompts get in summer 2020. eliminate the commute chemicals that are pro- students to perform a “The affordable to school and extend the vided to the students as variety of calculations experiment materials opportunity to “reach a kit and a shopping list to document their own made my education a students who normally of approximately $10 data collection, think lot easier as I didn’t would not be able to do that includes things like about implications on have to stress over the the in-person courses.” baking soda, a liter of both large and small cost of the materials,” Trufan and vinegar, a pack of food scales, record observa- Shrestha said. “I also Bouhoutsos-Brown are coloring, red cabbage, a tions, and think about liked that I could do the performing a “fairly can of seltzer water. In what’s happening to experiment in my own rigorous” pilot study to Trufan’s words: “small the elements within time, and also be able to look and evaluate how items that you can pick the compounds as they complete them on time. well the students are At-home experiment of General Chem- up from any grocery were transforming in Sometimes in person performing in at home istry 1 in the summer of 2020, displays store.” the course of the experi- labs don’t have enough labs versus the in-per- late stage of decomposing baking soda to “The main reason ments. time to collect all the son experiments. The grow stalactite and stalagmite. why we were interested This online ap- data.” outcome of that study PHOTO CREDIT: RIYASA SHRESTHA in incorporating these proach had never been Traditionally chem- will inform the depart- materials in our labs is implemented at UHD istry labs are confined ment to decide if these Trufan and something to make that to make the experience before. to two hours and 45 more flexible modali- Bouhoutsos-Brown decision just a little bit of doing chemistry General Chemistry minutes. At home, ties should be offered will share the data from nuance not just ‘it’s relatable,” she added. I and II are UHD’s larg- students could “let beyond next year. their study with the always been done this Bouhoutsos-Brown est chemistry courses something sit for a cou- “Implementing department, UHD com- way, so let’s keep it this came up with a list of with a combined aver- ple of days” and “then classes online should munity, and the Ameri- way.’” ideas for the at-home, age enrollment of 300 observe it over time,” be an option,” Shrestha can Chemical Society. “I am super excited online experiments. students per semester. Bouhoutsos-Brownson said. She would want Before the pandemic that students will be Some of the list of “If we had not said. UHD to permanently hit, the ACS said only able to participate in the at-home experiments done this, we could Online labs with- implement chemistry face-to-face courses study that we are doing include extracting have compromised out group members courses both online and could be used to teach because they are going calcium from eggshells, the education of over also lead students to face-to-face. chemistry. to make a difference,” making a potato battery, 600 students in the last perform every step by “Personally, I’d like “We want to chal- Bouhoutsos-Brown growing crystals, and year,” Trufan said. “We themselves or if with to take online classes lenge that a little bit... said. “They’re going to electrolizing a red cab- didn’t know what to their families, they because I find that I can whether that is true have an impact, and I bage solution. Trufan expect, but the students become the expert who manage time better.” or not,” Trufan said. think it’s really cool.” “We want to contribute At-home experiment displays the early stage of decomposing Late stage of decomposing baking soda to grow stalactite and baking soda to grow stalactite and stalagmite. The liquid (sodium stalagmite at home. PHOTO CREDIT: RIYASA SHRESTHA carbonate solution) was made by decomposing sodium bicar- bonate (baking soda) at home. PHOTO CREDIT: RIYASA SHRESTHA The University of Houston-Downtown August 24, 2021 GATOR LIFE 3 Gators On-Campus Experience welcomes new students BY SHAHERYAR KHAN lanueva states that the campus is packed with On July 22, UHD hosted resources and clubs, and “Gators On-Campus Experi- THE DATELINE organizations that students ence,” one of the first live, can partake in. His convin- University of Houston-Downtown in-person, campus events cing remark was when he since the COVID-19 pre- 1 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002 said that the college tuition dicament limited on-campus the world of social media. was being used for all these Office: S-260 Phone: 713.221.8275 activity. Director of Student Duvall is also the station resources, so essentially, Life Eugene Bernard and manager for UHD’s radio [email protected] students are already paying Interim Director of Student station, iRadio, where this for it, so they might as well Fall 2021 Staff Transition Programs Jordan assembly was broadcasted. utilize them. Greene hosted the event. The following speaker The second person to As this was one of the engaged with the audience speak was Dean of Students Editor.............................................Indira Zaldivar first events hosted in person was UHD alumni Eric Meritza Tamez, Ph.D. She Assistant Editor...............................Aansa Usmani and on campus, it was proper Contreras, Professional and shared her story of being Social Media Manager.......................Jema Pantoja to acknowledge COVID-19 University Banking Consult- a first-generation college Business Manager........................Ann M.

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