OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY CORVALLIS, OREGON 97331
The Daily Barometer
DAILYBAROMETER.COM • 541-737-2231
DAILYBAROMETER
MONDAY MAY 18, 2015 VOL. CXVII, NO. 139
@DAILYBARO, @BAROSPORTS
Engineering Expo draws crowds n
Students share research accomplishments at Friday’s Engineering Expo By Courtnee’ Morin THE DAILY BAROMETER
More than 200 undergraduate researchers filled the four floors and lawns of the Kelly Engineering Center on Friday, May 15, for the 16th-annual Engineering Expo. “This is the biggest we’ve had,” said Renie Ashbaugh, the coordinator of the Engineering Expo and the assis-
tant to the executive associate dean of the College of Engineering. “The numbers of students we’re getting each year keeps growing.” Oregon State University students and faculty alike observed student research posters from the all of the different engineering departments and visited the carnival tent, where student engineering clubs set up activities and attractions for attendees. One such research project was performed by Regan Cronin, Raphael Rodriguez and Gabi Westerfield. Their project, called Improved
Essential Oil Extraction via Alternative Solvents, used a micro steam distillation unit and worked on optimizing the extraction of oil from the EssenEx-100 through the use of solvents such as rubbing alcohol and ethanol. The students worked with oranges and hops to quantify how their solvents were affecting the amount and efficiency of oil extraction. They found that with hops, the extraction time went from six hours to six minutes. “We’re investigating hops because we think they’ll behave similarly to
cannabis,” said Cronin, a senior in chemical engineering. “Marijuana will be legal come July 1 and I think cannabis oil will be something big. But obviously we couldn’t test on marijuana.” With only a few weeks left of the term, the group wants to look into the use of fresh hops and maximize the use of the solvents to see if that will further increase the yield of oil. The machine the students used is available for purchase online, and the group used solvents such as rubbing alcohol and ethanol because they
knew these were items in the common household. The machine can be used with anything from lavender and oranges to hops. “We used solvents you have around the house and that are safe to use,” Cronin said. The research projects set up differed drastically from one another and represented different disciplines of engineering. Another project through the Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering See EXPO | page 4
A glimpse of Filipino culture n
Isang Bansang Pilipino culture club shares Filipino culture By Jasmin Vogel
THE DAILY BAROMETER
The Oregon State University Isang Bansang Pilipino culture club held their culture night Sunday with more than 100 student, staff, faculty and community members in attendance. Miaryl Matienzo, the current secretary for IBP, grew up in the U.S. territory of American Samoa and came to OSU hoping to find a group of students to connect with who had a similar cultural background. “I felt homesick coming to a new place to study,” Matienzo said, “Getting involved with Filipino and non-Filipino students allowed me to find a community here at OSU, somewhere I felt welcomed and accepted.” Matienzo, who is a senior majoring in English with a minor in writing, accredits her involvement within IBP with allowing her to “have a positive, more open minded and culturally diverse experience at OSU. “I have gotten to meet a lot of different people. As an officer, I learned leadership skills and how to interact with the community and learn more about the Filipino culture,” Matienzo said. Matienzo was excited by this year’s IBP student motivation to hold a culture night. “Filipino club hasn’t been very active since 2007,” Matienzo said. President of IBP Mae Lim, a senior in microbiology, said she hopes the event will bring attention to IBP and that attendees have the opportunity to experience Filipino culture. The theme for the 2015 cultural night was “Fresh off the Jeepney: A Glimpse of the Filipino Culture,” which was influenced by the traditional Filipino Pahiyas festival that celebrates agricultural farmers and the seasonal crop yields. “It’s a lot like thanksgiving,” said Matienzo. This is the first year any See Filipino| page 3
Nicki Silva
| THE DAILY BAROMETER
Members of the United Arab Emirates representing Al Ain and Dubai in dance during the third annual Ettihad Cultural Fesitval Sunday afternoon in the Memorial Union quad.
Ettihad Cultural Festival Countries unite in Memorial Union quad to share cultures with community
The festival gathered more than 2,000 people from various backgrounds in the Memorial Union quad to demonstrate traditional cultural aspects from countries of central and southwestern Asia as By Jasmin Vogel well as northern Africa. From Henna THE DAILY BAROMETER to desserts, traditional clothing to The annual Ettihad Cultural performances, the cultural event Festival took place Sunday night to captivated audience members from the rhythm of dance, music and cel- a collection of backgrounds. Jennifer Schoenstein, a sophoebration from more 20 represented countries showcasing culture and more majoring in anthropology, took See ETTIHAD | page 4 traditions in harmony. n
Students getting involved with microbiology
Nicki Silva
Oregon State baseball wins fifth straight conference series News, page 2
| THE DAILY BAROMETER
The Ettihad Cultural Center presents their third-annual Ettihad Cultural Festival Sunday afternoon in the Memorial Union quad.
Sports, page 5
Dr. Tech shares his thoughts on Engineering Expo highlights Forum, page 7