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Visit The Collegian’s website for a video on the NASA students by Ezra Romero
WEdnesday Issue August 24, 2011 FRESNO STATE
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Fresno State Students work with NASA
Courtesy of Team Fresno State
Fresno State students students working with NASA. Students conducted experiments at zero gragvity. Chemistry student Riann Egusquiza and other students conducts experiments in NASA’s “Weightless Wonder” aircraft.
By Ezra Romero The Collegian In July, a team of eight Fresno State students went to NASA to conduct an experiment in its Grant Us Space
Reduced Gravity Education Flight Program. The students departed to Houston, on July 5, where they trained for their weightless experiment.
“We were the only team there doing work at zero gravity,” Mujahid Umar, a mechanical engineering major at Fresno State said. The team tested the formation of a substance called calcium oxalate in order to see how it reacts in a microgravity environment on NASA’s “Weightless Wonder” aircraft. Calcium oxalate is salt crystals found in plants and is also the major component of kidney stones. The Reduced Gravity Education Flight Program gives undergraduate students the chance to offer ideas to NASA. The teams also build and fly in a reduced-gravity experiment. The team was chosen from more than 20 groups nationwide after they reapplied. NASA rejected their first proposal but after hours of researching, building the experiment and then reapplying they were selected. “Being a NASA employee for two weeks, you know, that just hits home. It’s just pretty cool,” said Jordan Ringel, chemistry major at Fresno State. The craft produced weightlessness for 18 to 25 seconds at a time in a series of 30 parabolas, Umar said. “The best part of the trip was being weightless. It is indescribable and such a natural feeling,” Gonzalo Leyva, an electrical engineering major said. “It was the best decision I have ever
made.” The trip was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the students and they are still deciding if they will apply for next year’s simulation, Joy Goto said, the assistant professor for the chemistry department that went on the trip with the students. “So I just held on a little bit to one of the straps and just let my body float up,
“T
he best part of the trip was being weightless. It is indescribable and such a natural feeling.” — Gonzalo Leyva, Team Fresno State
it was an amazing experience,” Jose Correa said, a civil engineering major at Fresno State. According to NASA’s website, astronauts are at risk for developing kidney stones because of the loss of bone calcium and decreased fluid intake. See NASA, Page 3
Students look to revitalize neighborhoods By Ana Mendoza-Santiago The Collegian Crime in neighborhoods around campus has sparked the development of a coalition to clean up and improve neighborhoods in the vicinity. Revitalization efforts have risen before, but this year Fresno State students, Fresno City Council member Larry Westerland, and both Fresno and University police have joined the cause. Student participation began through Facebook. The social media site has become the meeting place for students who wish to improve El Dorado Park, Sierra Madre and other neighborhoods near campus. The Facebook account that has ignited this collaboration is “Revitalize the Fresno State Community,” which has currently accumulated more than 1,000 members. The decision to revitalize the community was brought forth due to the high demand from students who contacted Associated Students, Inc. to voice their concerns. “There was so much support on the social media sites that we thought if there is much involvement over the summer, this is definitely something we want to jump on and help students do,” ASI President Selena Farnesi said. ASI is expecting a large numbers of students to participate in the revitalization efforts. Several events have been planned to help students get informed, participate and get involved in the improvement of neighborhoods such as El Dorado located west of campus and Sierra Madre area one block south of campus. ASI has hired a full time employee, Lauren Smoot, to help lead revitalization efforts. Smoot is a former Fresno State student and ASI member.
Esteban Cortez / The Collegian
A Fresno resident walks past shards of glass in an empty lot across the Fresno State campus. The area near Shaw and Barton Avenues is being considered for revitalization by Associated Student, Inc., Greek community, both Fresno and University Police Department among other organizations.
“The university has actively been pursuing work with the community,” director of student involvement at Fresno State Sally Ramage said. Students have now joined the movement. “We have noticed and students have noticed that there is an issue in the community that needs to be addressed, that’s the issue of revitalizing the area around Fresno,” Fernesi said. The revitalization of these neighborhoods has not been novel news
to University Police. This is not new, “in police work, this is called community base policing,” University Police Department Lieutenant, Jim Watson said. While Fresno Police and University Police have concentrated on patrolling the neighborhoods, reaching out to businesses and citizens to improve neighboring communities, this new effort will focus primarily on studentcommunity involvement. “In talking with administrators we
have heard that this is an issue that gets brought up and then dropped [continuously].” Farnesi said. Fresno State “has all kinds of standing committees that look at all kinds of issues and make decisions for the campus,” Farnesi added. To address inconsistency, ASI is hoping Fresno State will adopt a new committee “into it’s regular cycle of standing committees” that will guarSee Revitalization, Page 3