Sidebar created by Jennifer Ferguson: The Signal.

Following recent health trends in the past few years, early last month Burger King released a variety of “better for you options” based on the findings of a year-long study of their entire operations.

The recent expansion, which introduced 10 new options, is the largest development to Burger King’s menu since the corporation opened its doors in 1953 in Jacksonville, Fla. The new options include white meat tenderloins, three salads, two wraps, two fruit smoothies and two flavored frappes.

“We spent the last year analyzing every aspect of our business to better understand what our guests expect from the Burger King dining experience,” said Steve Wiborg, president, North America, Burger King Corp., in a press release from early April. “We found that consumers wanted a broader range of menu options to complement our signature fire-grilled burgers. This expanded menu gives consumers more choices and more reasons to visit Burger King Restaurants.”

The chain also launched a series of new marketing campaigns, which include celebrities such as Jay Leno and David Beckham. Additionally, the King intends to revamp his image by modernizing the décor of his restaurants within the next three years. These changes will include modifications to the interiors, menu boards, employee uniforms and food packaging.

While Burger King just recently added a number of lower-calorie creations, several other fast food chains have previously altered their menus to accommodate healthier eating options. The question is, are these healthy options actually living up to their advertising claims?

While numerous studies have confirmed the correlation between America’s obesity issues and the prevalence of fast food in our diets, statistics still show that more than 40 percent of our currency is spent on meals prepared away from home. The 2010 Consumer Expenditure Survey states that amount is roughly $2,505 annually for the average Joe.

Seeing as how Americans are aware of the negative health risks associated with this type of dining, why is it that, on average, about 6 percent of income is spent on these foods?

“Busy lifestyles have made [Americans] dependant on convenience foods,” said Denise Cazes, UHCL health and nutrition educator, and personal weight loss counselor. “Fast food makes it so easy for us; it’s quick, most find it tasty and it’s on every corner, but it’s loaded with fat, sodium and sugar. Our lack of awareness of just how bad fast food is leaves us at a disadvantage.”

Moreover, with the addition of dollar menus and other low-budget items, the decision to visit the local drive thru is often lighter on consumers’ pockets than their waistlines.

Currently, 63 percent of Americans are overweight or obese. A survey conducted by Calorie Control Council found that while 45 percent of adults lost weight in the past 12 months, only a third was able to keep off the weight.

Still, it is apparent that consumers are insisting on lighter, leaner counterparts to their run-of-the-mill fast food favorites. These trends suggest that Americans have become more health conscious in recent years.

What about Burger King’s new menu additions? Are these and similar products likely to influence a change in these staggering statistics?

“Although many fast food restaurants now offer ‘healthy choices,’ often these options come bundled with other items that are not so healthy,” said Dr. Rebecca Lee, director of the Texas Obesity Research Center. “As an example, you can get a reasonably health-conscious sandwich at Subway, but there is a promotion to make it a full meal by adding a soda and chips, thereby negating the health-promoting aspects.”

Nonetheless, fast food is not the only indicator in the health predicament we face. There are a number of other factors that contribute to the obesity issues in the U.S., including inactivity and overeating.

“The number one cause of obesity in the United States is eating too many calories and not exercising enough… so it’s not just fast food, but it’s all food,” said John Foreyt, director of the Behavioral Medicine Research Center at the Baylor College of Medicine.

Here is even more fast food for thought: the ingredients used to make these alternative menu options are still comprised of the same processed meats and cheeses that constitute the traditional fast food market. The difference is in the preparation.

“Protein is needed by the body for tissue synthesis and repair,”explains Denise Cazes, lecturer of fitness and human performance at UHCL who teaches a nutrition class in which students learn about eating healthy and staying fit.

The cells in our body must be replaced continuously, but when exercising, muscle tissue is damaged.  Ingesting dietary protein assists with the repair of the tissue, hence strengthening the muscle fibers.

Our bodies need a certain amount of protein, but more is not always better. Too much protein can have negative effects on the body.

The FDA’s food guide pyramid suggests people start their day with plenty of breads, cereals, rice, pasta, vegetables and fruits. Add two to three servings from the milk group and two to three servings from the meat group, and go easy on fats, oils and sweets.

“Food sources of protein include plant and animal options,” Cazes said. “Meat, chicken, fish and diary provide complete proteins containing all nine essential amino acids. Plant sources of protein include beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds and small amounts in some vegetables.”

Protein needs vary depending on a person’s lifestyle. For example, a sedentary individual meets his/her protein needs with a normal diet following the food guide pyramid recommendations.

“Salads for fiber, carbs for energy and steaks for iron and additional protein and also drink lots of water,” said Tabatha Bognar, a communication major who exercises regularly. Bognar said she gets her protein by making sure she eats healthy every day.

Individuals who exercise strenuously need extra protein. Protein bars can be part of a daily diet because they are high in nutrition and protein, which can give extra energy through the day without requiring a person to eat a full meal. Unfortunately, some take this to the extreme and over consume.

“Some bars and shakes have a high caloric value and might be intended as meal replacements rather than a snack, so watch the calories in bars and shakes,” Cazes said.

Christopher Seiter, humanities major, works out five times a week. He started drinking protein shakes when he was 19 years old. At the time he weighed 135 pounds and wanted to add more muscle mass. Now 22 years old, he believes a lot of people who take protein supplements do it because of peer-pressure and lack of information.

“People should not feel the need to take these ‘magical’ protein supplements to get healthier, lose weight and/or gain muscle,” Seiter said. “It is very possible to meet your physical goals naturally without increasing your chances of something going wrong with your heart.”

Protein is important for growth and development during childhood, adolescence and pregnancy. A diet high in protein, especially meat, can contribute to high cholesterol levels or other diseases such as gout, a kind of arthritis that occurs when uric acid builds up in the blood and causes joint inflammation. A high-protein diet may also put a strain on the kidneys.

“If your body doesn’t need as much as you consume, the protein will not be needed for tissue repair and will be stored as body fat,” Cazes said. “Excess protein has also been shown to contribute to gout, kidney problems and osteoporosis.”

Rachel Scott. Photo courtesy of RachelsChallenge.org.

Lakeisha Moore
The Signal
On April 20, 1999, gunshots were fired at Columbine High School in Littleton, Co.; those shots were heard across the world. Before taking their own lives, students Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris prowled the school campus opening fire on classmates and teachers.

Rachel Scott was sitting on a hill near the west entrance of the school campus having lunch with a friend. Minutes later, four bullets pierced her body leaving her dead. Rachel was the first of 13 victims.

A month after the shooting Rachel’s father, Darrell Scott, was invited to speak before a Congressional Subcommittee on the topic of school violence. His speech, which was video taped, focused on the premise of teaching children proper character and morals. Viewed more than one million times shortly after its debut, it is believed that the video of Scott’s speech struck a chord in many.

“Those in attendance expected the speech to revolve around the topic of gun control,” Scott said. “Instead, the audience heard an assertion – when we stop teaching character and morals, right from wrong, we are creating environments within which Columbine-like incidents can occur.”

Less than one year after his speech, Scott and his wife, Sandy, started Rachel’s Challenge with the intent of honoring their 17-year-old daughter’s life and helping to prevent others from experiencing the earth-shattering incident that struck the Scott family.

The program’s objectives are simple: create a safe and productive learning environment by delivering proactive anecdotes to bullying and violence, provide leadership development and individual growth, and improve retention and achievement by engaging participants’ heart, head and hands in the learning process. The program’s overall objective is to spark a chain reaction.

The program was founded upon Rachel Scott’s personal beliefs.

“Rachel had an inward motivation to accomplish as much as possible,” Scott explained. “Whenever she sensed an injustice being done to someone, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant it was, indignation rose up within her. She was always ready to stand up for anyone who she felt was mistreated.”

Rachel was known for her warm-hearted, gentle kindness and ability to connect with perfect strangers. She had a reputation of befriending those who were often looked over by others. Rachel is often compared to another historical teenage girl who encompassed many of the same characteristics: Anne Frank. Just like Rachel, Anne’s father, Otto Frank, played an integral part of continuing her legacy.

In a class essay on ethics, Rachel wrote, “I am sure that my code of life may be different from yours, but how do you know that trust, compassion and beauty will not make this world a better place to be in and this life a better one to live? My codes may seem like a fantasy that can never be reached, but test them for yourself and see what kind of effect they have in the lives of people around you. You just may start a chain reaction.”

Rachel seemed to possess an extremely special gift. At the age of 13, she drew an outline of her hand on the back of her dresser. In it she wrote, “These hands belong to Rachel Joy Scott and will someday touch the lives of millions.”

Rachel’s Challenge has entered schools throughout the nation with more than 17 million total in attendance. Earlier this year more than 2,000 Dickinson High School (DHS) students were added to that number.

“Rachel’s Challenge was very well received by Dickinson High School students,” said Jeannie Thielemann, executive director of development and community relations for the Dickinson Independent School District Education Foundation. “This was not just another program where students were lectured to by some unfamiliar adult about the dangers of school violence. It has been so much more. It has challenged our high school students to look at how they can inspire others and create a permanent and positive cultural change in their school and community.”

The Rachel’s Challenge presentation at DHS did what it was intended to do, which is to spark a chain reaction. DHS junior Madison Gove added another link to that chain by starting a program called GatorTrust.

“The GatorTrust is a student-led group that mentors other students with their studies and works to inspire them to stay in school and help prevent school-related problems,” Thielemann explained.

The idea of students helping students may seem far-fetched, but GatorTrust was a direct result of the Rachel’s Challenge presentation.

“Sept. 14 will always live in my mind as the day our school began to transform; I have never seen so many people let their emotions out in such an open setting,” Gove said, remembering what it felt like to be a member of the audience. “With every classroom I visited that day, I witnessed a growth of compassion between students. The football jock and the shy, book-smart girl – strangers before – attempted to see eye-to-eye for the first time.”

Gove, like many others, accepted Rachel’s Challenge: to be kind, caring, compassionate and to start a chain reaction.

“The Rachel’s Challenge presentation was one of the few assemblies that turned out to be more than just a free period off,” Gove said. “After the program we started to see students, not look past them.”

Ashley Noll visits child recipient of the Adopt a Mom program. Photo by Ashley Toman: The Signal.

Ashley Toman
The Signal
Directors and consultants with Mary Kay Cosmetics have taken a stand to help make the lives of those battling cancer a little brighter by participating in an annual project where anyone can “Adopt a Mom for Mother’s Day.”

Now individuals can “adopt” a mother who has a child battling cancer by providing the child with a Mary Kay gift basket for his or her mother on Mother’s Day.

For the sixth consecutive year, Mary Kay consultants and directors are teaming up with Houston hospitals to help bring some joy to families dealing with cancer.

Kathy Bullard, executive sales director at Mary Kay Cosmetics, came up with the program in 2006 so that she could help people, especially children, through Mary Kay Cosmetics.

“With my love for children and passion to help others and admiration of Mary Kay Inc., I came up with the ‘Adopt a Mom’ program for children with cancer,” Bullard said. “The children love it when we come in their room at the hospital and tell them we brought them a gift to give their mommy for Mother’s Day.”

Many may be familiar with the hot pink Mary Kay makeup containers, catalogs and skin products. However, they may not be aware of the annual projects and events held to support cancer research through Mary Kay Cosmetics.

By purchasing a $25 basket, one can provide a sick child with a gift valued at more than $40 in Mary Kay products.

The gift baskets are then delivered to cancer patients at Houston hospitals, such as Texas Children’s Hospital, MD Anderson Cancer Center and Ronald McDonald House.
Any unpurchased baskets are donated to Shriner’s Hospital, Casa de Esperanza de los Niños, and the House of Hope for Children in Houston.

“We have been lucky enough to receive Mary Kay gifts for a few years, and each time we give them to our patients’ mothers they are so incredibly thankful,” said Kate Shamszad, child director at MD Anderson’s Children’s Cancer Hospital. “These moms work so hard to take care of their children that they rarely get a moment for themselves. The gift bags give them a chance to feel pampered and remember to take care of themselves.”

Van full of gifts on delivery day. Photo by Ashley Toman: The Signal.

Jamee Rivera, community relations coordinator at Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers, explained that the children are very grateful for the Mary Kay consultants who deliver the baskets before Mother’s Day.

“The ‘Adopt a Mom’ project has been an incredible success,” Rivera said. “ I believe the project has nearly tripled in size since the very first year.”

Bullard found her inspiration to create the project through the success of The Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation, which she describes as, “a wonderful charitable foundation that supports finding a cure for cancer.”

The Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation’s mission is to “eliminate cancer and to end the epidemic of violence against women.”

In 1996, The Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation was established to formalize the raising and distributing of research funds for cancer.

The biggest indication that the “Adopt a Mom” project has been successful is the continued participation of hospitals in the program for the past six years.

“Every year we get more and more donations,” said Allison Noll, independent sales director at Mary Kay Cosmetics. “ The children absolutely love it. It is a very heartwarming experience. Overall, the children are filled with joy. Being able to see the child’s face when they give their mother a gift is so rewarding.”

Bullard expects to sell 300 baskets this year to individuals interested in helping children diagnosed with cancer give their mother a gift for Mother’s Day.

“It is an amazing day filled with joy and tears,” Bullard said. “The hospitals that allow us to hand deliver gifts are so great to work with as they escort us around and let us see the joy on the childrens’ faces as we hand them a gift. That is priceless and such a blessing to make someone else happy.”

To learn more about sponsoring a gift basket for the “Adopt a Mom Project,” contact Kathy Bullard directly at 281-701-8499 or .

The limitations from not being able to efficiently and/or effectively communicate often forces the disabled person to watch the world pass them by while not being able to object, or often worse while being treated as inferior or ignored all together.

For some people it takes a lifetime of hard work to break down those barriers and gain recognition, not necessarily for what they have done, but simply for being a person.

Famed author, lecturer, and political activist Helen Keller, who lost her sight and hearing in infancy due to nerve damage from both scarlet fever and meningitis, was nearly unable to communicate until age 6. Her family hired Anne Sullivan to teach her how to talk through sign language. Keller progressed with language quickly under Sullivan’s tutorage. She learned Braille at the Perkins Institution and learned to speak at the Horace Mann School for the Deaf.

Keller went on to study at the Wright-Humason School for the Deaf, the Cambridge School for Young Ladies, and to Radcliffe College, from which she graduated with high honors.

“The problems of deafness are deeper and more complex, if not more important than those of blindness,” Keller once noted, as recorded by the Better Hearing Institute. “Deafness is a much worse misfortune. For it means the loss of the most vital stimulus– the sound of the voice that brings language, sets thoughts astir, and keeps us in the intellectual company of man.”

The isolation of Keller’s inability to communicate is something that many people with disabilities can relate to, however, being blind, deaf, and/or mute are not the only disabilities that can trigger feelings of isolation.

Difficulties with social interactions can stem from a wide variety of disabilities, such as disc degeneration, as in the case of 35 year-old Christopher Alas, a graduate in general psychology.

“I am plagued by pain in [varying] degrees throughout the day,” Alas said of the 13 herniated discs in his lower back and a bulging disc in his neck.

Because Alas “cannot do any activities for more than 5 minutes without pain and [discomfort],” he has difficulty engaging in any lengthy social interactions. Moreover, he says that disc herniation causes numbness in the lower limbs, which affects his motor skills.

“This has caused some degree of paranoia that I will fall in crowded areas and be [ridiculed], which has happened,” Alas said. He fears that society will look down on him as an inferior being for his disability.

Because language and the ability to communicate are so important to today’s society, there are technologies available for those who have the inability to effectively, or easily communicate.

One such option is AT&T’s Natural Voices, a text-to-speech (TTS) product. The program starts with a database of recorded speech produced under optimum conditions with high-quality recording equipment. The individual sounds in the speech are carefully labeled so that when a new word or sentence is required, the algorithms can select the best set of sounds to retrieve from the database, joining them together to be spoken. Though this method is not perfect, much research is devoted to improving these algorithms to achieve even more natural-sounding TTS in the future. A free demo is available at the program’s website.

However, in modern times, advancements are constantly being made to aid the disabled who aren’t as fortunate as Alas. For example, there are several cheap, readily available TTS programs. One such program, Dragon NaturallySpeaking is a speech recognition software package developed and sold by Nuance Communications for Windows personal computers. The most recent package is version 11.5, which supports 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7. The Mac OS version is called Dragon Dictate. This program costs $9.99.

Some of these technologies are already in place at UHCL assisting those in need. “[The university has the responsibility to] ensure that students have equal access to programs. {In addition] to provide auxiliary equipment and services as needed. Examples of this would be specialized equipment CCTV, specialized software like JAWS and Kurzweil, audio/digital books/materials and interpreting and captioning services,” states Sean Murphy, UHCL’s Director of Disability Services.

These advances in technology serve as a metaphorical hammer to, at some level, wear down communication barriers that some disabled people face when overcoming their limitations and forming a healthy mutual connection with outside world. While there is still far to go to make the two halves a cohesive whole, it is a step in the right direction to make the disabled persons voice heard.

Hilly and Hannah in their “Hunger Games Parody” as Caesar Flickerman and Katniss Everdeen. Photo courtesy of The Hillywood Show.

Samantha Samuel
The Signal
Today’s generation is experiencing a new trend in overnight celebrities. Affordable technology and video sharing websites sites, such as YouTube and Vimeo, have made it possible for anyone to gain an online following.

One YouTube channel in particular is taking the Internet by storm. “The Hillywood Show” is the creation of comedy sister duo Hilly and Hannah Hindi, which features song and dance parodies of box-office films such as “Twilight” and “Harry Potter” as well as TV shows and celebrities such as “The Vampire Diaries” and Lady Gaga.

After placing third in more than 100,000 entries in AOL’s Be a Red Star contest, “fans started calling themselves ‘Hillywood fans’ even though we didn’t have a show back then,” said Hannah, the elder of the two sisters. “We started thinking that we really liked that idea, sounds like a fun hobby and, so far, it has been. Hopefully this hobby will lead to a career someday.”

Some of Hillywood’s first productions were webisodes consisting of Johnny Depp characters such as Jack Sparrow, Edward Scissorhands and Sweeney Todd.

“We kind of cringe at them,” Hannah said. “The costumes and sets were cheaper; they’re really not our best work, but we had to start somewhere.”

“The Hillywood Show” has come a long way since then. Ideas for a production can come from anywhere.

Hannah and Hilly Hindi, the creators of “The Hillywood Show.” Photo courtesy of The Hillywood Show.

“The ideas are really just from inspiration,” Hilly said. “Ideas can come from things we have seen before in films or music videos. It all depends. Fans always write us with ideas that they would like to see and we really do lean towards what the fans want, because we care about what they want to see. We want to keep them watching.”

With big ideas come big productions and even bigger costs. Their Halloween special “Gagaween,” one of their smaller productions, cost $4,000. The “Breaking Dawn Parody,” released February 2012, was their biggest production yet and cost Hilly and Hannah $10,000 to create.

“In retrospect, that’s nothing compared to what it costs for television productions,” Hannah said. “We have a lot of help and people volunteering their time or give us things on a discount, which saves us from what it originally would have cost.”

Hillywood productions have become a family affair. Hilly and Hannah usually have their parents and grandparents on set with them to lend an extra hand, make phone calls and even create costumes.

“The crew is our really close friends and family; people we know and live fairly close to,” Hannah said. “It’s a real blessing that they help us out because, honestly, we probably wouldn’t be able to get it all done without them.”

For years, Hilly and Hannah’s parodies were funded entirely by their own personal incomes. Before production of the “Harry Potter Parody” began in summer 2011, however, the girls set up a PayPal account on their website allowing fans of the show to donate. Ten percent of all proceeds go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Fan donations have helped “The Hillywood Show” grow beyond what the sisters could have imagined. The $10,000 goal for the “Breaking Dawn Parody” was raised in less than two weeks.

“Without the fans, the “Breaking Dawn Parody” would not have happened,” Hilly said. “We’re really grateful that the fans were behind us on that one; it made us work extra hard for them to pay them back.”

As dance teachers in their hometown of Las Vegas, Hilly and Hannah enjoy combining their passion with their hobby.

“We both choreograph together and try to make our dance choreography change from production to production,” Hilly said. “Choreography can usually take us up to two days to get it right.”

All of their hard work doesn’t go unnoticed, even by the celebrities they portray. Cast members of “The Vampire Diaries” have commended the girls’ noticeable talent.

“That [“Vampire Diaries”] parody is hilarious,” said Ian Somerhalder, who plays Damon on “The Vampire Diaries.” He compliments the girls’ attention to detail in the final scene. Hilly leans her head back before sinking her teeth into a fellow actor. Somerhalder described how that’s exactly what the directors on set told him and the other vampires on the show to do. “When I saw that, I realized that they get this show. If [anyone] gets a chance, watch that parody and pass it along.”

Even Lady Gaga took to her Twitter account to compliment the “Gagaween” parody.

“This is an amazing monster video… just peed in the bed laughing… this girl looks just like me.” Gaga said.

“It’s mind blowing,” Hannah said. “We’re just doing it for the fans; we’re not doing it for [celebrities’] approval.”

“When they give us their feedback, it’s amazing because they’re actually taking the time away from their day to comment on a little parody and that means the world to us,” Hilly said. “To get their approval makes us feel so honored and inspired by it. We’re glad we didn’t offend them and go nuts when we hear their positive feedback.”

Another celebrity has taken notice of the sisters. Their new “Hunger Games Parody,” released April 2, was co-produced by Facinelli Films, the film production company of actor Peter Facinelli, who’s known for his role as Carlisle in the Twilight Saga.

Hilly and Hannah are now experiencing a taste of fame of their own. The co-founder of a company that puts on Twilight conventions asked the girls to host and share their parodies with the fans.

“We host the entire event, ask fan questions to the guest stars, share our productions and vend Hillywood merchandise,” Hilly said. “On the plus side, we get to meet fans of “The Hillywood Show” from across the country.”

Their mother and manager, Emily Hindi, has nothing but pride for her daughters.

“They have worked very hard for the past six years with regard to “The Hillywood Show,” Emily said. “I have been there, firsthand, to know how much effort and time they put into the show to make their fans happy.”

Today’s accessibility of technology allows anyone the opportunity to create a production as successful as “The Hillywood Show.”

Michael Lee, assistant professor of communication and digital media studies, explains that the affordability of technology and software has made it possible for anyone to create videos and post them on the Internet, but that doesn’t mean they’re good.

“It definitely makes the whole video production process easier and more accessible for beginners,” Lee said. “Sometimes the software or technology hides many details under the water in the course of making it easier. Consequently, it prevents you from thinking more critically to make better project. That’s why it’s rare to see a quality project in YouTube.”

Hannah and Hilly appreciate their supportive fan base and encourage aspiring filmmakers to take risks to pursue their ambition.

“Try to do something that’s never been done before,” Hannah said. “That’s what’s going to set you apart. Be original, be yourself and always remember to have fun.”

Photos and slideshow by The Signal reporter Lakeisha Moore.
 
Theresa Greenshields
The Signal
Not even the weather or soggy grass could stop UHCL from celebrating what is now the largest showing to date at the 23rd Annual Chili Cook-Off hosted by Student Life, held March 31 on the SSCB lawn.

The day may have been a bit damp, but the attendees and participants didn’t seem to notice a cloud in the sky or the wet beneath their feet.

“I was very pleased with the turn out,” said Patrick Cardenas, program assistant of student activities and events for Student Life.  “We definitely had a large participation this year, the biggest to date.  The weather may have produced some challenges for us the day of the event, but we all pressed forward and celebrated one of Student Life’s long-standing traditions.  The number of people attending the event increased this year as well, mainly due to the amount of participants we had.”

The event had 28 student and faculty organizations all vying for the coveted Chili Cook-Off trophies.  The Society of Industrial Hygienists and Safety Professionals took home two of the popular vote awards for Cook’s Choice and Best Chili, thanks to the master cooking skills of Kyle Adcock.

“The chili is an old family recipe that I have been making for over 20 years,” said Adcock, an environmental science major. “We have won people’s choice for chili 2 years running. The shrimp brochette is a recipe that I have perfected over the last few years. I am a bit of a control freak when it comes to cooking so I do it myself. One of our society members helped me on Friday to buy all the food and do the prep work. His name is Bob DeVitis. Without his help I would not have had a chance of winning.”

The Cook’s Choice award allowed the crowd to enjoy and vote on dishes other than chili, such as homemade corn bread and deviled eggs, and SIHSP’s winning dish, shrimp brochette.  The Best Booth award, another category determined by attendees, was given to the Legal Studies Association.

In addition, a secret panel of judges handed out the first-, second-, and third-place trophies to the Texas State Teacher’s Association, the Police Department and National Society for Leadership of Success.  The Student Government Association award for the best overall organization of the year was given to TSTA.

The chili was not the only attraction of the day.  There was a moon bounce and basketball for the kids and a rock climbing wall for the more daring in attendance.  Karaoke crooners and a DJ filled the air with music to keep everyone’s feet moving.  Even some of the faculty participants took it upon themselves to provide entertainment for the attendees.

The Spirit Award was given to the Office of Academic Transfer Advising for going above and beyond to please the crowd not only with their food, but also with their version of the popular iPhone application, the Angry Birds game.

“We are still very excited for having been awarded the Spirit Award,” said Ruby Villegas, academic transfer adviser and lead person on the Angry Birds team.  “What I loved about the cook-off is that it gives UHCL students, staff and the community an opportunity to come together to have fun.

“I truly enjoyed watching everyone who stopped by our booth and played our version of Angry Birds.  Kids and grown-up kids at heart recognized the game and participated by knocking over the infamous green pigs.  But, neither real birds nor pigs were used or harmed in this activity.  The event was well organized and we look forward to participating next year.”

Through all the fun and entertainment, there were a few questions that lingered in the air.  Is chili better when made thick or thin?  Are vegetables and meat better chunky or finely chopped?  Should there be beans or no beans?

“I have always loved chili when it is really thick, with big chunks of vegetables and meat,” said Bill Everman, who was enjoying the festivities with his son Will and grandson Brandon.  “When I first moved to Texas in 1968, I was told Texans didn’t put beans in chili.  Here today, I have noticed beans in every sample of chili that I tried.  I guess the philosophy has changed.  Personally I like the beans.  One thing for sure, today I have eaten some of the best chili in my 74 years.”

Everman wasn’t the only one in attendance who held this wide-spread opinion.  In fact, he was in a crowd full of people who live by that old Texas motto even when it comes to their chili everything is bigger and better in Texas.

Josie Kirk, Desine Norris, Jacob Patterson, Brandon Patterson and Amanda Patterson paint a beach scene. Photo by Theresa Greenshields: The Signal.

David Hensley
The Signal
Everyone can express their inner Picasso at The Paint Pub, where folks can enjoy a unique painting experience, including drink selections and a variety of templates, at affordable prices.

The Paint Pub is a new local business located in the Clear Lake area where people can pay to paint a picture, socialize and enjoy a few drinks with family and/or friends. Patrons are provided with everything they need to create original artwork including a canvas, paints and a sample template; they also get to take their masterpieces home with them.

“Besides being a good business idea, I’ve always been into arts and crafts and very creative; this really fits my element,” said Lindsey George, president of The Paint Pub.

As an added bonus, what makes The Paint Pub stand out from other venues of its kind is the added shopping as well as the fact that wine and beer are served in-house.

“We added the boutique and shopping that helps with the daytime traffic to bring people in and decided to do the beer and wine services in-house, while other concepts are to bring your own bottle,” George said.

The Paint Pub was created as a place to relax and enjoy a day of drinking and painting with friends and/or family.

“Getting behind a canvas and picking up the paint brush and actually putting paint on the canvas is very therapeutic too,” George said.

The Paint Pub is also a family-friendly establishment with a special Sunday afternoon “family day” every week as an opportunity for families with children to partake in the excitement.

“I love working with kids, so anytime we have our family day sessions and have our little ones that are doing their paintings I love seeing what they come up with,” George said.

The Paint Pub has a team of artists that range from professionally trained to self-taught and they work together to come up with the different painting ideas.

No artistic experience or training is needed because everyone is coached through the painting process. All supplies are included in the price.

“It’s something fun to do, so it’s not just your typical bar or restaurant; it actually gives you something to do and something you walk away with at the end of the evening,” George said “You still get to come in and have a few drinks and relax, but you walk away with a product that you’re proud of too.”

People participate with a group or attend solo. The Paint Pub can be fun either way and is a great place to socialize.

Landon and Kylee Kelly begin their chicken paintings. Photo by Theresa Greenshields: The Signal.

“I went with a group of friends for the experience and had a great time,” said Chris Broxson, a Paint Pub patron. “The atmosphere is fun and a great place for girls’ night out. I’d recommend it, definitely.”

Prices vary depending on the session. The Paint Pub offers a $20 open paint session on Wednesday-Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and $25 per painter on family day. They also have a $35 or $40 acrylic paint session that starts at 6:30 p.m. and $35 Mimosa Mornings sessions where the first mimosa is free. A calendar is available on their website, www.ThePaintPub.com, where people can see the dates and times for all the sessions offered as well as a picture of that day’s scheduled painting.

Private parties can also be booked in the studio for parties of at least 10 people during daytime hours and 20 in the evenings. Professional artists from The Paint Pub will also travel to homes for private parties located within 30 miles of the studio. Home parties have an additional travel and set-up fee.

Patrons can also participate in or even suggest fundraising events through The Paint Pub. Fundraising is done regularly, at least twice a month. Each person pays $40 to paint and $10 of that amount is given to the featured organization.

The Paint Pub has a Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ThePaintPubTX, where they regularly update events and post pictures of painting customers happily showing off their artwork. They also have a newsletter that is available electronically that provides updates for customers about upcoming events, deals and discounts. Sign up for the newsletter at their website.

The Paint Pub teamed up with the UHCL student savers program and offers a $5 discount on any class for students participating in the program. Students must show ID to receive the discount.

The Paint Pub is located at 1840 Nasa Parkway Houston, TX 77058. The president of The Paint Pub is Lindsey George and she can be reached at (281) 333-2200.

 

Photos and slideshow by The Signal reporter Theresa Greenshields.

Typical instruments in dubstep include: sequencers, turntables, drum machines, synthesizers, keyboards and personal computers. Photo courtesy of Gritsy.

Jennifer Ferguson
The Signal
Move over techno; there’s a new form of electronic dance music in town.

Dubstep originated as early as 1998. However, 2011 has been dubstep’s most influential year yet, with the music making a loud entrance into the culture of mainstream music.

“Dub music is a form of reggae music,” said Amir Borhani, dubstep advocate and enthusiast. “In turn, dubstep is a derivative of reggae and hip-hop beats. That is what makes it so catchy.”

This genre, coined “dubstep” due to its ties to Jamaican “dub” music, is one of the fastest-growing fields in music history. Since what is believed to be the first recorded use of the term by Ammunition Productions in a 2002 cover story, the music has steadily gained momentum. In recent years, this momentum has spread from the U.K. to the U.S., and Houston is quickly getting involved.

“Personally, I’m attached to the music emotionally,” said Suraj Kurian, founder of Gritsy, Houston’s infamous dubstep movement. “It’s my crutch, my drug; it’s the way I breathe.”

While the music initially originated in a South London town, Croydon, it didn’t take long before it spread to other areas of the U.K. It was DJ Mary-Anne Hobbs who put dubstep on the map in 2006 with her BBC Radio special titled “Dubstep Warz.”

This initiation into mainstream in the U.K. was what dubstep needed to gain worldwide recognition. Before long, the music was being played in major night clubs and taking over other electronic genres all over the world.

“The speed at which [dubstep] caught on here in Houston as well as across the globe was unreal,” said Billy McCain, aka ‘Badbwoy BMC,’ dubstep DJ. “When I first heard dubstep, I knew right away that it was going to blow up, mainly because of the space in the music and the deepness of the bass.”

Indeed, bass is one of the most prominent elements of dubstep music. The idea is to not only hear the bass, but to feel it. Typically void of any vocals, dubstep uses bass as the driving force throughout the tracks. This paired with rhythm, dark overtones and atmospheric space, is what sets dubstep aside from other forms of electronic music.

“With dubstep, it’s a lot more space,” said Huy Cao, Gritsy photographer and DJ. “It’s kind of like music in moderation; it’s not just everything thrown at you at one time. With dubstep nights, the natural flow of the evening is much smoother.”

The course of the dubstep movement continues to flow smoothly. In 2011, mainstream artists Britney Spears, Jay-Z and Kanye West broke into the scene by releasing their own variations of bass-driven, dubstep beats. Moreover, American dubstep DJ, Sonny John Moore, aka ‘Skrillex,’ was nominated for five Grammy Awards that same year.

Nonetheless, as with any genre, there seems to be a sense of resistance toward dubstep music and many supporters believe that it is the very presence of mainstream, trendy tunes that are accountable for these negative associations.

“A lot of the modern dubstep that is really popular is just hype music,” said John Mullins, aka ‘John the Third,’ dubstep DJ and producer. “When people DJ that dubstep all the time, it doesn’t really make sense to people… it’s a lot of what kids want to listen to, but people are going to burn out on it so fast because there is no diversity in the sound.”

This is hardly the basis of original dubstep music. Dubstep music has expanded so drastically that there are many different sounds and styles associated with it. Much like any genre, one dubstep track by any given artist may completely differ from another.

“If [people] scratch and dig a little deeper they’ll find a buffet of bass, if you will,” Kurian said. “It’s not just that one type of sound… The rabbit hole goes so much deeper.”

As for the continuance in the movement of dubstep music, advocates seem extremely optimistic. Although there is slight opposition, the general consensus has great expectations for the future of dubstep.

“When [dubstep] first came out, people said no one would take the genre serious,” Mullins said. “Then it grew, and people said it would hit a peak and die out, but it just keeps building… There is still more of a life to it left.”

 

Video shot and edited by The Signal reporter Joshua Ojeda. Broadcast reporting by The Signal reporter Lakeisha Moore.