The UHCL and San Jacinto College-North team poses with faculty and advisers in front of the aircraft known as the "vomit comet” after completing their first flight. Photo by Joshua Ojeda: The Signal.

Truett Manning
The Signal
The goal of education is for students to be able to exercise what they learn in the classroom, but three UHCL students and two San Jacinto College–North students literally got to watch their hard work take flight.

NASA held their latest flight week, April 20-28, at Ellington Field. The Reduced Gravity Student Education Flight Program, or RGEFP, is a program designed for undergraduate students to successfully propose, design, assemble, fly and evaluate a reduced gravity experiment of their choice over the course of four to six months. Christopher Burns and Henry Ascencio, mathematical science majors, and Paul Cusco, a computer engineer major at UHCL, participated in RGEFP along with two students from San Jacinto College – North.

“NASA provides the flight weeks because it’s a way to expose students to the engineering design process and to give them a real world look at what it’s like to be a scientist or engineer,” said Rachel Kraft, public affairs specialist at NASA Johnson Space Center. “Our hope is that the experience of not only flying in microgravity, but of seeing an experiment through all the way from initial conception of an idea to data collection in microgravity, will inspire them to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math.”

Students who wish to participate in RGEFP must first form a group then create and submit a proposal to NASA. The students whose proposal is accepted must work on the projects on their own time. Professors and faculty are able to give students guidance when they run into problems but the research and building of the project is student led. If selected, the group works with a NASA principal investigator lead for that project to prepare the experiment for flight week. In addition to the NASA official, one university/college faculty member is invited to fly with each team.

Burns reached out to one of his past professors, Nathanial Wiggins, professor of mathematics at San Jacinto College-North, to recruit additional students to form a team.

“If you pull a team together from independent schools, it shows a willingness to work together that is unprecedented in today’s academic environment,” Burns said.

NASA started the RGEFP in 1995 as a program for engineering students. Throughout the years, it has expanded to include a variety of student groups as well as educators who teach grades K-12. Flight weeks, which occur several times a year, consist of student teams from different universities across the country with 17 teams participating in this most recent flight week.

NASA hopes that by doing this, it will help to provide faculty members with teaching materials in their classroom as well as encourage future students to take part in the program. Teams are able to fly their experiment twice to ensure accurate feedback for their project. If they experience any problems during their first flight, they can correct the issues for the second flight.

The teams test their experiments at Ellington Field on their scheduled day. To simulate reduced gravity, each student team flies in a modified Boeing 727-200 airplane known as the “Weightless Wonder” and nicknamed the “Vomit Comet.” The motion of the flight can make some people feel nauseous and vomit.

The reduced gravity aircraft flies 30 zero parabolic maneuvers, 1 Lunar and 1 Martian maneuver over the Gulf of Mexico. This parabolic pattern provides about a minute and thirty seconds of hyper gravity, about 1.8G-2G, as the plane climbs to the top of the parabola.

Once the plane reaches the top of the parabola, it starts to “nose over” and descends toward Earth. The plane experiences approximately 20-30 seconds of microgravity, or 0G, which is when the students begin testing their experiments.

Burns is no stranger to this experience. This flight week marked his second time to participate in NASA’s program. This year, Burns is the team leader for the UHCL and San Jacinto North flight team.

“The first time you fly, you are so overtaken with the environment, but the second time, you can focus more on the research rather than the environment.”

Jarrett Lockridge, Mathematics major at San Jacinto College–North, participated in NASA’s flight week and flew for the first time.

“The flight was pretty fun to be honest with you,” Lockridge said. “Overall, it was amazing. It brought a group of students together to accomplish amazing things.”

The idea behind the team’s experiment came from NASA researchers. Burns and his team applied to the program to conduct the experiment and submitted their proposal to NASA in October 2011. They began building their experiment over the following winter break. The team’s experiment tested the feasibility of using an Xbox Kinect to replace a keyboard, joystick and mouse in a microgravity environment.

Xbox Kinect is normally used for playing video games. The device is a small, rectangular box with a camera that is placed on a television set. The camera detects the person’s body movements and allows the person to become the controller. Burns and his team believe that this technology has the potential to change the way NASA controls their robotic equipment in space.

“It has the potential to save space and optimize systems,” Burns said.

Burns encourages all students in his field, or anyone interested in science, technology, engineering and/or math, to experience this or a similar program. He says the process can be stressful and taxing, but says it is a very unique, fun and amazing experience.

“There is a camaraderie that develops before and after you fly that is unparalleled to any experience I’ve ever been a part of,” Burns said.

Kraft believes that the results from flight week may help NASA engineers think about the development of future hardware.

“The aim is to give students a unique experience that lets them apply what they’ve learned in the classroom and learn more about how the environment of microgravity alters scientific principles,” Kraft said.

 

Video shot and edited by The Signal reporter Josh Ojeda.
 

Bully victim Alex Libby, 12, featured in the “Bully” documentary. Photo courtesy of Alliance Films.

Samantha Samuel
The Signal
Bullying is one of the oldest, most traumatic aspects of childhood. In the past, bullying has been dismissed as simply “kids being kids.” This indifferent attitude is now being challenged in the new documentary “Bully.”

“Bully” directed by Lee Hirsch, released March 30, serves as a call to action against the abuse of students by their own peers. The documentary follows the lives of three children throughout the course of one school year and tells the stories of two families who have lost children to suicide and a mother awaiting the fate of her 14-year-old daughter whose torment led her to bring her mother’s pistol on a school bus.

The film explores the reasons why bullying remains a serious problem, one of which is fear. It is common for adults not to handle such situations thoroughly, leaving the victim fearful of retribution and left to deal with the consequences for “tattling.” Although bullying normally takes place in the absence of adults, it has become even more common for bystanders, both child and adult, to not intervene.

Bullying does not always come in the form of physical contact. Joshua Klein, psychology major at UHCL, was verbally harassed throughout his childhood and adolescence.

“I was the freak, or at least that is what I was told every single day,” Klein said. “I would go to school dreading the day that would follow because barely anyone, teachers included, ever had anything nice to say. It started in fourth grade when I was about 10 and continued all the way until I graduated. I was never hit or pushed into lockers; most of what I went through was psychological. I was called any bad name you can think of almost every day of the year. Two of the more popular ones were ‘faggot’ and ‘freak’.”

Regrettably, bullies do not always stop being bullies once they reach adulthood points out Julie Smith, coordinator for women’s and LGBT services for UHCL, who says that bullying is not something that people easily grow beyond.

“Unfortunately, high school follows us where ever we go,” Smith said. “There is a new kind of power as an adult bully. These adult bullies are the same people that harass people at work or abuse their wives and children at home.”

Smith helped launch a program at UHCL called the Safe Zone Program “designed to help create a safe and supportive campus environment for all members of the UHCL community.” The program was created to specifically address the unique needs of those members of the community who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

The producers of “Bully” received a huge victory when the Motion Picture Association of America agreed to change the film’s rating from R to the less-restrictive PG-13, allowing the film to reach its target audience and to be shown in schools. The decision for the original rating was based on strong language. A petition on Change.org demanding that the MPAA change the R-rating received more than 500,000 signatures.

Petitioners argued the documentary has the potential to both change and save lives.

Smith wholeheartedly supports having the documentary shown in schools saying the movie addresses several problems that need to be discussed.

“Bullying puts limitations on both bullies and victims and prevents them from reaching their full potential,” Smith said. “It can be pure torture, disruptive to society and distracts [students] from learning. At some point in his or her life, something happened to make that person a bully. Showing this documentary in schools can be a good learning experience for bullies and their victims; they might learn to open their hearts and minds.”

“Bully” was produced by Sundance Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the discovery and development of independent artists. Patricia Finneran, managing producer at the Sundance Documentary Film Program, states that Sundance supports documentaries that promote social justice and “Bully” does just that.

“This documentary helps create a movement for social justice and change,” Finneran said.

“Bully” contains an emotional plea to respect the victims of bullying who chose death as their only escape by encouraging people to think of ways to help the living.

Tyler Long’s parents posted this picture of him on their Facebook page commemorating his birthday April 25. Photo courtesy of Tina and David Long.

Tyler dreaded the start of school each year; he had been bullied and picked-on since fifth grade until he took his life on Oct. 17, 2009.

“Children with disabilities are 60 percent more likely to be bullied,” said Tina Long, mother of Tyler long. “Schools aren’t equipped or trained to deal with disabled children.”

“Bully” is a 2011 documentary film directed by Lee Hirsch about bullying in U.S. schools. In the film, Hirsch gives a voice to bullying victims and follows the struggles of victims parents, like David and Tina Long, parents of late Tyler Long, as they mourn the loss of their son as a consequence of bullying and take on the school system that failed him.

Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and intentionally excluding someone from a group.

“It was so hard to film for this;  Lee showed up just five weeks after Tyler’s death,” Tina Long said. “Our emotions were very raw, but we are now thankful that Lee walked into our lives.  It has helped with our healing process.”

Tyler Long had Asperger’s Syndrome, a type of pervasive development disorder (PDD). WebMD defines PDDs as a “group of conditions that involve delays in the development of many basic skills, most notably the ability to socialize with others, to communicate and to use imagination.”

Tyler was a victim of bullying for years at school. David and Tina Long fought for their son when he was alive and they continue to do so today.

“After Tyler’s death, we vowed to raise awareness of the issue of bullying,” Tina Long said.

The Long’s believe Hirsch produced a beautiful work with the “Bully” film.

“The movie starts with Tyler looking into a video camera. After seeing the movie, conversations about bullying are started,” Tina Long said.  “It shows what really happens to our children.  If one life can be saved, then the movie has done its job. Parents, administrators, teachers, and children are creating anti-bullying programs after seeing this film.  It is inspiring!”

Tyler Long’s parents posted this picture of him on their Facebook page commemorating his birthday April 25. Photo courtesy of Tina and David Long.

The Long’s involvement with the movie “Bully” began after Tyler’s passing. A local news anchor, David Carroll, organized a town hall meeting to bring the community together to discuss bullying. Hirsch read about the meeting and decided to call the Long family from New York and told them he was coming to Georgia to film a documentary about bullying.

“Like a lot of kids who are ‘different,’ Tyler was victimized by bullies,” Carroll said.

Students with disabilities are much more likely to be bullied than their nondisabled peers explains PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. The Center works to unite, engage and educate communities nationwide to address bullying through creative, relevant and interactive resources. One study shows 60 percent of children with disabilities report being bullied regularly compared to 25 percent of all students.

Tina and David Long say they feel honored to be part of the “Bully” film and project. As a result of the documentary, many resources have been created, one of which is a toolkit directed for parents who have children being bullied that was made by The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD). The Longs have partnered with NCLD and “Bully” to help promote the available resources.

Bullying affects the entire family. Kids are targets of physical and verbal abuse, which can result in feeling powerless and depressed; on the other hand, parents often struggle with feelings of frustration and helplessness to protect their children.

“If we all come together, we can make it a ‘Bully Free World,’ tolerance is the key,” Tina Long said. “The bystanders have to be supported when they stand up for someone. If we don’t use this movement to make a change, then this issue will continue and more children will be lost.  Now is the time…. Do it for Tyler.”

IEEE defines itself as “the world’s largest professional association dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity.”

The IEEE is comprised of nearly 400,000 members – of which more than 107,000 are students – and has 333 individual sections on 10 geographical regions worldwide. Also, it has 2,173 student branches at colleges and universities in 80 countries, including UHCL.

Pronounced “Eye-triple-E,” the IEEE and its members strive to provide a global community through the organization’s different publications, conferences, standards of technology, and various educational and professional activities.

The IEEE gives awards for its members’ contributions of propelling areas of interest that the IEEE bases its premise. Accomplishments in education, as well as other categories, receive awards.

Listed below are the three awards presented to the IEEE UHCL Student Branch at the IEEE Region 5 at IEEE R5 Annual Meeting, held Saturday, April 21 in Tulsa, Okla.:

• Outstanding Small Student Branch: IEEE UHCL Student Branch
• Outstanding Student Member: Jose Alfredo Nava, chair of IEEE Student Branch
• Outstanding Student Branch Counselor: Hakduran Koc, counselor of IEEE UHCL Student Branch, IEEE Galveston Bay Section and assistant professor in computing engineering

“I can say that it is a great feeling to see the result of hard work and dedication,” Koc said. “However, I should emphasize that this is the result of a collective effort. Without my students’ and other university organizations’ contributions, I would not be able to win this award. This award gives me more enthusiasm to continue.”

The awards section on the IEEE website states that “each award has a unique mission and criteria, and offers the opportunity to honor distinguished colleagues, inspiring teachers and corporate leaders.”

The Outstanding Small Student Branch award is won by the most active and progressive student branch based on the amount of meetings, the type of programs held such as technical and professional programs, and special projects that advance the objectives of the IEEE.

The Outstanding Student Member award is presented to a student member who has given outstanding contributions of time and effort to their specific student branch.

“It is a great accomplishment that I did not know would be recognized on a regional level, and I am very proud of it,” Nava said. “It brings a great feeling of reward because all the hard effort and time that was put in over this last year into this organization and school was noticed by those around me.”

The Outstanding Student Branch Counselor award is awarded to the student branch counselor who has best supported their student branch, as well as promoted the objectives of the IEEE.

“I am excited for Dr. Koc since he’s also won the teacher Piper Award at UHCL, and he is an outstanding teacher,” Nava said. “He helped stay encouraged and on the right path with his guidance and proficient mentorship.”

One word to describe the IEEE UHCL Student Branch’s overall emotion from winning the awards would be “proud.”

“At the various meetings and at the award banquet, I was very proud to hear our university’s name many times for its branch activities and the awards,” Koc said. “I cannot think of any better advertisement for our university among more than 300 distinguished attendees in the fields of engineering and science.”

In addition, the IEEE Galveston Bay Section (the IEEE UHCL Student Branch is an entity under this section) won the Outstanding Small Section award. Koc is currently chair of this section.

For information on how to join the IEEE UHCL Student Branch, contact Hakduran Koc at 281-283-3877 or by email at kochakduran@uhcl.edu.

Ashley Toman
The Signal
The UHCL Model Arab League team competed at the Bilateral Model Arab League regional conference in Houston March 24 and 25.

The team received many awards, which earned them an invitation to compete in the 2012 National Council Meeting in Washington D.C. April 13-15.

The team, made up of 12 student delegates, holds the title of “overall honorable mention as outstanding delegation” for their representation of Egypt, where they competed against 13 other colleges. The experience gives students a taste of what it would be like to work in a diplomatic capacity and gain international exposure.

“The Model Arab League is a simulation of the real-world international organization, the League of Arab States,” said Joshua Hilbrand, deputy director of student programs at the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations. “Students role-play as diplomats from Arab countries and convene to discuss the most important and pressing issues in the Middle East today. The goal of each ‘country’ is to find workable solutions to these problems while protecting its national interests.”

Tina Halcombe, an anthropology and cross cultural studies student, created the UHCL Model Arab League team in 2008. Since then, UHCL students have continued to take part in Model Arab League and have formally built a permanent student organization out of it, called MALSA, the Model Arab League Student Association.

MALSA is a student-inspired and student-run organization that “seeks to promote and encourage participation in the Model Arab League by UHCL students and support students in preparation for the model.”

“Students who participate in the Model Arab League at their schools provide the student the opportunity not only to learn about the Arab world through policies and politics, but they are also learning about debate,” said Matthew Kocian, Program Manager at Bilateral U.S.- Arab Chamber of Commerce. “It increases networking opportunities and a better understanding of global politics and current events.”

Mike McMullen, associate professor of sociology, serves as one of the UHCL Team’s faculty advisors.

“The MAL is like the Model United Nations, a chance for college students to form a team and represent one of the 22 Arab Countries that make up the League of Arab States headquartered in Cairo,” McMullen said. “Student teams must do research on the country they represent, and then in their council meetings, put forward resolutions that represent the policies of their country.”

MALSA elected and appointed three professors as faculty advisers, McMullen, Dr. Jeff Lash, professor of geography, and Maria Curtis, professor of anthropology and cross-cultural studies.

When competing at the MAL, there are 5 councils that each team must have representation on, which are the Joint Defense, Palestinian Affairs, Political Affairs and Economic Affairs.

“The MAL experience goes hand-in-hand with our Cross-Cultural Studies program,” said Jane Terekhova, UHCL Anthropology student delegate. “It provides students with a deeper understanding of the region’s complexity.

At the National Council, the team represented the country of Lebanon. One of the students, Cindy Steffens, won honorable mention as outstanding delegate for the Political Affairs Committee.

The Houston-based Model Arab Leagues work closely with organizations such as the Bilateral U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce as well as The Institute of Interfaith Dialog.

“The Bilateral Chamber of Commerce is a business organization that promotes trade between the United States and the Middle East/ North African region,” said Aida Araissi, president and founder of Bilateral Chamber of Commerce. “In the interest of building sustainable long lasting commercial ties, we sponsor this conference to ensure that American students are prepared for careers in diplomacy, business, journalism or whatever their vision leads them.”

The students held two bake sales on campus and a fundraiser at Buffalo Wild Wings in order to save enough money to attend the conference.

“I am so proud of them and all of their drive and dedication,” Curtis said. “They competed well at the national level against top schools and got invited back to nationals again next year.”

MALSA is open to all students from diverse backgrounds and majors and benefits those with an interest in the Arab world, as well as those with little prior knowledge.

“Students should join for a number of reasons,” said Juan Garcia, Joint Defense Council delegate. “MALSA will help develop both an awareness of the critical role of Middle East in global economic and political events, as well as a deeper knowledge of the various cultures and individual states.”

Mock medics carry the “injured” off site to be cared for at Del Mar College Hospital during TIPA’s live press contest’s staged event. Photo by Jessica Brossack: The Signal.

Jessica Brossack
The Signal
The excitement in the air was palpable. With whispered questions of curiosity about the outcome, the 2012 Texas Intercollegiate Press Association Awards (TIPA) began in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Taking place from March 29-31, with live on-site competitions, as well as pre-published submissions that were sent in for early judgment, nerves were on high alert. Who would win, and who would go home disappointed?

At 103 years old, TIPA was formed in 1909 with the goals of improving journalism on all college campuses, raising the standards of college journalism, and creating a better relationship between Texas colleges and editors. Initially, there were only three categories the schools participated in; but today there are more than 100, not including more than 20 on-site competitions.

Contests included various categories for photography, radio, television, online, yearbook, magazine and, of course, various newspaper.

UHCL’s student publications brought home 28 awards this year, having competed against many other, larger universities.

“It’s an amazing feeling to be recognized by your peers,” said Ashley Smith, UHCL alumna and former editor of The Signal. Smith won two awards at this year’s competition including first place for Critical Review. “It goes to show what an amazing program this school has when compared to the big campuses. It’s not just one thing—writing or design—it’s everything. Look at all the awards won across the board.”

Director of Student Publications and Lecturer in Communication, as well as the faculty adviser for The Signal, Taleen Washington takes students to TIPA each year. This year it was her editor and assistant editor.

“The classes that produce the student newspaper and magazine are capstone courses for students enrolled in the Communication program,” Washington said. “So the work produced is really a collaborative effort on the part of all COMM faculty and, of course, the students. Each year our students compete against the best in their field and each year our students do very well.”

Washington also helps coordinate and judge one of the live competitions that take place at TIPA. This year it was the public relations release writing contest, part of a staged, live news event.

Students were bussed to a secret location, given brief instructions and shown the way to the ‘stage’. Once the action started, notes were furiously scribbled and photos were hastily snapped of the mock events that took place. The contestants were then were brought back to the hotel where they were given a set of instructions based on the event, and a time limit to write a press release concerning the event.

The event took place at the West Campus of Delmar College at the fire training facility, where a mock explosion and HAZMAT clean-up occurred. It was orchestrated by Director of Student Media at Delmar College Robert Muilenburg. Public relations release writing, public relations crisis management, news writing, news television and news photo were just a few of the contests for which the event was created.

“It was remarkably easy to set this up,” Milenburg said. “I contacted the paramedic department and we came up with the idea, and the fire department ran with it. The goal was to offer a variety of things to cover. It worked out pretty well; I’m pretty happy.”

The conference also included workshops, guest speakers, student activities and an awards breakfast.

One of the distinguished guest speakers was Karen Elliott House. House’s many accomplishments include being a member of The Wall Street Journal, winning a Pulitzer

Prize for coverage of the Middle East, and being named president of Dow Jones’ international group. Since retiring, House has come back to Texas where she originally graduated from UT-Austin.

She offered sound advice for journalism students.

“You can Google anything, but you don’t know the quality of the information,” House said. “The most original reporting is still done by newspapers and magazines. Just remember to learn from the past and the mistakes other people have made.

“Through good reporting, newspapers can make people curious about the things they are supposed to be curious in. It’s all in the context—not just headlines—but knowledge, honest, intelligent, informative journalism called ‘Lighthouse Journalism’ because it lights your way forward.”

 

Photos and slideshow by The Signal reporter Jessica Brossack.

The Terms, Data Use Policy, Privacy Policy and Statement of Rights and Responsibilities are set in place by Facebook to protect users’ privacy and safety, and to prevent illegal activities taking place on the social media service.

With 845 million users and counting as of February 2012, the responsibility of privacy continues to grow daily. As Facebook’s social network continues to grow, many employers are utilizing the free public information available through its services as a way to screen and investigate potential job applicants. In response to this activity, Facebook has continued to implement several layers of privacy controls that enable users to control what information is available publicly.

What has now arisen from user privacy controls is the issue of employers asking potential job applicants for their username and password if their account is private. Privacy, defined in loose terms, is an individual’s ability and right to control who has access to information concerning them. For an employer to ask for an individual to surrender this information is a violation of Facebook’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, which states “You will not share your password, (or in the case of developers, your secret key), let anyone else access your account, or do anything else that might jeopardize the security of your account.”

In the documented cases in which job applicants have been asked for their username and password to access social networking sites, some states and organizations have responded to this issue by creating new pieces of legislation that would prohibit employers from requiring or asking for such information as a condition of the individual’s employment. There is concern that if the information disclosed by an interviewee is considered a condition of employment, it may be a means of coercion.

“No one wants to volunteer that information in a job interview,” said Ashley Packard, professor of communication and digital media studies. “Regardless of what the requestor may say, the applicant will assume that saying no may result in not being hired.”

The state of Maryland is the first to draft legislation to prohibit employers from requiring or requesting such information as a condition of employment. Maryland State Senate adopted the User Name and Password Privacy Protection Act March 29. Maryland will be the first state to pass such a piece of legislation if Gov. Martin O’Malley signs the bill this May.

One of the acting forces behind the new bill is The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), an organization dedicated to preserving the” individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country.”

“When creating a new law there is always the challenge of competing interest,” said Melissa Goemann, ACLU legislative director of Maryland. “There is a challenge in creating legislation that is strong and addresses some legitimate concerns.”

An area of concern for the bill is whether or not it would apply to employers of the private sector. The bill currently limits public employers, but some argue such employers such as a city’s police department, fire department and other public agency whose main purpose is to serve and protect the public may have legitimate concerns to investigate employees’ social media sites.

“Our biggest concern is employers with legitimated needs to access this information will no longer have access.” said Elizabeth Torphy-Donsella, who worked with the Maryland Chamber of Commerce as a labor and employment attorney in opposition to the bill. “We also thought there should be a modification that an employer may not access an employee’s private account, unless there is a legitimate business need. We wanted there to be a definition of what is personal and what is business because it overlaps.”

Since Maryland’s adoption of the new legislation, several states have now introduced similar bills including Illinois, New Jersey, California and Massachusetts.

“There has also been interest at the Congressional and Representative level,” Goemann said.

The next issue on the rise, she advises, concerns educational institutions asking student athletes for this information.

“We want to make sure the privacy of students is protected as well,” Goemann said.

Graphic created by Tracie Momie: The Signal.

Joshua Ojeda
The Signal
Hiding somewhere in the jungles of Africa is one of the most well-known criminals in the world. Joseph Kony became a household name when atrocities committed by him received recent mass exposure in one of the most viral online videos of all time.

The online short-film titled “Kony 2012” has received more than 100 million views since its release March 5. The nonprofit organization Invisible Children (IC) released the video on YouTube and Vimeo with hopes that the video would serve as a catalyst to capture and disarm Kony, leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).

The LRA is primarily composed of child soldiers who Kony and his men abduct and train. Since the ‘80s, the guerilla group has used brutal war tactics that include mutilation, abduction and the enforcement of sexual servitude.

Kony, born in Northern Uganda, inherited the extremist Christian movement from his aunt. Since then Kony and the LRA have plotted to overthrow the Ugandan government in order to establish Uganda as a theocracy based on the Ten Commandments.

Although the LRA has since left Uganda and shrunk in size, it is believed more than 30,000 children have been abducted in Northern Uganda alone. Kony and his army are believed to be hiding in the Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of Congo.

Nathan Etengu is from the district of Lira in Uganda. Etengu and his community know firsthand the atrocities committed by Kony and the LRA.

“After realizing that truly I have lost my mother and brother during that rebellion… it was really a tough moment of life,” Etengu said. “Truly these rebels were really very wild. They did not spare any life around, despite the fact that abducting was one of their interest.”

Etengu said he vividly remembers the LRA burning grass, setting buildings ablaze and even “roasting a human being alive.”

“Life was really terrible and disgusting for the human being whose location was nearby after the cutting of peoples’ lips and ears, including heavy killing in the villages with plenty of blood flowing by,” Etengu said. “Too much smelling of human remains.”

“Kony 2012” went viral in a matter of days but was also met with a backlash of criticism when doubts began to spread about how much of the money raised by Invisible Children actually went to Uganda.

Public records reveal that Invisible Children Co-Founder and filmmaker Jason Russel receives an annual salary of $89,669. In addition to staff salaries, 85 percent of the annual income is spent on “Program Expenses.”

As online skepticism began to spread, one blogger in particular received a mass following of readers with his Tumblr blog “Visible Children.”

When Grant Oysten of Nova Scotia first viewed the film, he had immediate concerns.

“The video is surprisingly well-produced and we’re not accustomed to seeing that level of production value from a [Non Government Organization],” Oysten said. “So I was curious about their budgeting priorities.”

Oysten, a sociology and political science student at Acadia University, expressed his concerns by creating his blog “Visible Children” and within days found himself turning down media requests from Al Jazeera English, FOX, NBC’s “Today Show” and BBC World Service.
Oysten’s blog gained so much media attention that Russel contacted Oysten himself.

“Invisible Children contacted me shortly after my blog became popular,” Oysten said. “They were understanding of my concerns and offered to fly me to San Diego and Uganda to meet with them and learn more about their organization.”

Oysten rejected the offer.

“I would’ve loved to go, but said no only because if I donated to IC, I wouldn’t want my money going towards flying a blogger to Africa.”

Addie Horn, lead movement intern at Invisible Children admits she was “confused, but not concerned” by the criticisms they received after the “Kony 2012” backlash began.

“Personally, I tend to be a fairly skeptical person,” Horn said. “I would not have given up a paying job and a year of my life to come volunteer for an organization I didn’t 100 percent believe in.”

Horn realizes that for most people, their only exposure to Invisible Children was the “Kony 2012” film.

“Without further research, the general public doesn’t know anything about the history of our organization or why we do things the way we do,” Horn said. “Again, we would just ask that everyone research and ask about our financial strategy instead of just assuming it’s wrong.”

Invisible Children was hit by another setback when reports of Russel’s public meltdown began surfacing.

Russel was detained by police and taken to the hospital March 15 after he was found naked on a San Diego street corner. The meltdown was said to be the result of malnutrition and dehydration.

“The past two weeks have taken a severe emotional toll on all of us, Jason especially,” Ben Keesey, CEO of Invisible Children, said in a statement released March 16. “That toll manifested itself in an unfortunate incident yesterday.”

Horn expressed a more personal sentiment.

“I think that Jason’s illness will show everyone that this is bigger than any one person,” Horn said.

Although the absence of a leader can be detrimental to a movement, Horn and the rest of the Invisible Children team are determined to maintain momentum and direction.

“I sometimes think about the Freedom Riders of the Civil Rights Movement,” Horn said. “Their leader, James L. Farmer Jr., had to leave the rest of the group in the middle of their journey because of a death in his family. While I realize the reason for his absence is very different than Jason’s, one thing stuck with me. The rest of the Freedom Riders continued because they knew what they were fighting for was bigger than even their revered leader. Jason will eventually recover and be back with us, but until then, we will continue to press on and continue to show the truth with grace and honesty.”

ABOVE LEFT: Artist Armando Hinojosa works in his Laredo studio. ABOVE RIGHT: The completed monument stands on the south lawn of the Texas Capitol grounds in Austin. Photos courtesy of Armando Hinojosa.

In 1836 Tejanos José Francisco Ruiz, José Antonio Navarro and Lorenzo de Zavala signed the Texas Declaration of Independence.

176 years later, Texas has its first Tejano Monument, which was dedicated March 29 and stands on the south lawn of the Texas state capitol. The monument is among the largest on the Capitol grounds.  At 525 square feet, the monument depicts a Spanish explorer, a longhorn bull and cow, a vaquero on his mustang, a girl with a sheep, a boy with a goat, and a couple holding an infant sculpted and bronzed, and emplaced atop a granite base. A series of plaques helps to tell the story of Tejano contributions throughout Texas history.

More than a thousand guests attended the unveiling ceremony in Austin. Ten years and three legislative bills in the making, its significance acknowledges the contributions of Tejanos throughout the storied history of the Lone Star State.

“The Tejano Monument places formal recognition of Tejano history and contributions in the most public spot in Texas – the Capitol,” said Andrés Tijerina, professor of history at Austin Community College and vice-president of the board of directors of the Tejano Monument.  “It has five bronze plaques with textual explanation of the Tejano historical role and it has statues to illustrate that history. The statues depict all of the icons and features that modern Texans are most proud of and it documents that those icons are Tejano in origin.”

Spectators at the event were both excited and proud of the monument.

“To have a monument that reflects not only the history of Tejanos, who have made many contributions to Texas, but also the values they share, makes me proud to be a part of this rich past,” said George Reyes, president-elect of the Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education.

The sculptures were a creation of Laredo artist Armando Hinojosa.

“This monument is about telling the true history of Texas,” Hinojosa said.  “It doesn’t put one group of people against the other.  Actually, all of the people who were here in

Texas at the time were called Tejanos (from Texas) therefore, my ancestors [being] who they were is not the most important thing for me.  This is about all Tejanos – ‘Texans’ who with bleeding hands and feet and broken hearts carved out this beautiful land so that we can now stand here and enjoy it.  This monument means to me that everyone’s contributions are important to our great state.”

Of his research and development for the monument, Hinojosa said there was a team of historians on the Tejano Board that kept him informed of their ideas as he designed and sculpted the different pieces for the monument.

“In essence, it feels as if I have been preparing my whole life to sculpt this monument,” Hinojosa said. “It felt right and I feel that God guided me throughout the whole thing.  At the dedication, I looked at the whole monument, and I almost couldn’t believe that I had done the whole thing.  The calluses on my hands and eight fingers reminded me that indeed I had done it.”

Before the actual artwork commenced, the process for the monument began 12 years ago when McAllen physician Cayetano Barrera visited the Capitol and realized there was no representation of the Tejano contributions to Texas history on the Capitol grounds.  After meetings with representatives of Texas Congress, legislation began in 2001 and three bills were passed to make the monument a reality.

In that legislation, more than $1 million in public funds were approved for the construction and development of the project and the rest was raised by way of public donation.  Additionally, legislation was passed that allotted ground space on the south lawn of the Capitol.

“Comprising 10 statues and 12 figures, the Tejano Monument will command attention,” said Senator Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo).  “I was delighted to secure $1.1 million in state funding for it, to author related legislation, and to sponsor and pass House Bill 4114 (2009), which authorized its placement on the historic south grounds  of our State Capitol.”

The significance of the monument for some, however, is more than historical.

“It gives me validity,” said Linda Contreras Bullock, UHCL assistant dean of student diversity.  “It makes me valid.  We are a group who has been acculturated for a really long time, and as other Latin American groups have come in we have been fragmented, so it is hard for us to unite and it is much easier to cast us aside, [the monument] validates that we were the original settlers of this land.”

Tijerina said that it has taken 500 years of Tejano contributions to have a permanent monument on the Capitol grounds because until the 1960s, racial discrimination excluded Mexican-Americans from entering college in appreciable numbers.  Those Tejanos have since graduated and penetrated the publishing and college teaching fields.  The cadre of Mexican-Americans who entered college in the 1960s are now the professional historians who are writing and teaching a scholarly Texas history that includes Tejano history.

“Because many people were not in positions of power or importance where they had a say so as to what should or should not be told,” Hinojosa said.  “People are just beginning to get educated and are now reaching positions of power, like Senator [Judith] Zaffirini, that we can now start to showcase what we know and feel.  Like all good things, it takes time, passion and money.  I feel that the three are finally starting to come together.”

Zaffirini points out the history of Texas is the history of Tejanos.

“Any history of our state that does not acknowledge such contributions through the ages is incomplete,” Zaffirini said.

In exchange for the discount, the businesses are offered free advertisement opportunities around campus as well as on the program’s Facebook page. The Student Savers Program is also currently constructing a website to provide students and businesses with an easy way to connect. The website will feature links to businesses offering discounts to students.

“The Student Savers Program is not only good for UHCL but it’s good for the 150,000 college students in the Houston metro area,” said SGA president Henry Hodde. “Not every student or campus is involved per se, but it starts to get the word out that there are students here, we matter, and we’re a part of the local economy.”

UHCL’s SGA has enlisted 13 businesses to the Student Savers Program and are continuing to add additional businesses. Students only need to show a valid college ID to receive the benefits provided by the program.

Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt, Miller’s Café, Wings and More, and Bay Area Turning Point Resale Shop all offer students a 10 percent discount. The restaurants Which Wich and Bullrito’s also offer a 10 percent discount or $20 off orders totaling more than $100.

The Paint Pub offers a discount of $5 on any paint class and The ME Body offers a 15 percent discount to college students. Creative Photography provides students with a 20 percent discount, while Bubble Island offers 20 percent off with cash purchases and 15 percent off with credit or debit purchases. The Cuisine of India offers a 15 percent discount after 5 p.m. for college students.

Since Denny’s on Bay Area Boulevard and Genghis Grill were already offering student discounts they joined the Student Saver Program as well. Denny’s on Bay Area Boulevard is offering UHCL students with a valid college ID a 20 percent discount.

Students with a valid college ID can also save at Genghis Grill, which offers UHCL students a 10 percent discount on everything except alcohol any day of the week. On Tuesdays, they offer the same 10 percent discount for all college students.

“It’s being a part of the community and we need to be a part of the community as much as possible,” said Lawrence Rawlings, assistant manager at Genghis Grill. “We understand that college students have a limited source of income– not all, but a majority does– and we try to help them out and give them some healthy food options.”

In addition to the Student Savers Program, several restaurants and entertainment venues also offer student discounts.

In March, the Houston Zoo started giving all students at University of Houston System schools one free admission on any day with valid college ID presentation. The Houston Zoo also offers a $2 discount on tickets for Houston Community College System students with an official college ID card.

Students who are interested in fine arts can get a discount at The Bay Area Houston Ballet located on Bay Area Boulevard and The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. The Bay Area Houston Ballet offers college students discounted tickets. Tickets in section A of the venue are $25, instead of $35 and tickets in section B are $20 instead of $25.

The Museum of Fine Arts offers a $5 discount on the general admission price of $10 for college students. The museum also gives a $4 discount on tickets for main exhibits, which are usually $33.

Students who want to go to the movies can get a discount at Landmark’s River Oaks Theatre and Star Cinema Grill. Landmark’s River Oaks Theatre gives students a $3 discount during the week before 6 p.m. and a $2 discount on admission at all other times when showing a college ID. Star Cinema Grill offers students $1 off admission with a valid college ID.

“College students don’t have a lot of funds and they’re focusing on their studies, degrees and schoolwork, so we offer the discount with a student ID as a favor,” said Frank Sloan, Star Cinema Grill manager.

Restaurants participating in the Student Savers Program

• Genghis Grill – 510 West Bay Area Blvd. Webster, TX 77598- (281) 332-0970
• The Paint Pub – 1840 NASA Parkway, Houston, TX 77058, 281-333-2200
• Tutti Frutti Yogurt – 18015 Saturn Lane, Nassau Bay, TX 77058, 281-333-2012
• Wings and More – 1850 NASA Parkway, Nassau Bay, TX 77058, 832-864-3200
• Denny’s (#8020) – 2735 Bay Area Blvd., Houston, TX 77058, 281-461-6733
• Cuisine of India – 1212 NASA Parkway, Houston, TX 77058, 281-333-4343
• Creative Photography – 6428 Stewart Road, Galveston, TX 77551, 409-740-3019
• Bubble Island – 2441 Bay Area Blvd., Houston, TX 77058, 281-488-5788
• Bay Area Turning Point Resale Shop – 18207 Egret Bay Blvd., Houston, TX 77058, 281-957-9910
• The ME Body – 18125 Egret Bay Blvd., Webster, TX 77058, 281-549-6390
• Miller’s Café – 3830 N. Sheppard, Houston. TX 77018, 713-699-2947
  6560 Fannin Suite 110, Houston TX 77030, 713-791-1717
  1001 McKinney B-4, Houston, TX 77002, 713-658-0400
  2403C Bay Area Blvd., Houston, TX 77058, 281-461-8998
• Which Wich – 2815 Richmond Ave., Houston, TX 77027, 713-871-9424
  8401 Westheimer Suite 110, Houston, TX 77063, 713-782-0400
  11805 Westheimer Suite 360, Houston, TX 77077, 281-584-9424
  8505 S. Main St. Suite 150, Houston, TX 77025, 713-665-9424
• Bullrito’s – 2651 Weslayan, Houston, TX 77027, 713-622-5656
  1695 S. Voss, Houston, TX 77057, 713-782-3700

Businesses not participating in the Student Savers Program but still offer discounts

• Star Cinema Grill – 1020 W. NASA Rd. 1 #152, Webster, TX 77598, 281-557-9300
• Landmark’s River Oaks Theatre – 2009 West Gray Street Houston, TX 77019, 713-866-8881
• Houston Zoo – 6200 Herman Park Drive, Houston, TX 77030 713-533-6500
• The Bay Area Houston Ballet – 17170 Mill Forrest Rd., Webster, TX 77598, 281-480-1617
• The Museum of Fine Arts – 1001 Bissonnet, Houston, TX 77005, 713-639-7300