Campus Life
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Rock to face Mercyhurst on the road
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Behind the ink with local tattoo artists
The Rocket www.theonlinerocket.com
Friday, September 21, 2012
Slippery Rock University Student Newspaper
Est. 1934
Volume 96, Number 4
VillageFest draws 2,000 visitors Black tattoo
ink may carry long-term health risks By Catie Clark Assistant News Editor
ALEX MOWREY/THE ROCKET Slippery Rock Village celebrated its annual 'VillageFest' Saturday on Main Street. The event drew 119 vendors, and it is estimated that over 2,000 people were added to the borough's population of 3,500 for the day.
Physical Therapy professor receives almost $50,000 National Science Foundation funds research on primate devolopment By Jonathan Janasik Rocket News Editor
SRU Physical Therapy professor Dr. Timothy Smith was rewarded almost $50,000 in a four-year grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) in order to fund his research on the development of primates. Smith’s doctorate is in Physical Anthropology and he teaches Micro Anatomy and Gross Anatomy. Although he admits that anthropology is not very similar to physical therapy, the study of anatomy is central to both studies. Smith has been studying primates for almost 15 years. He began a research project in 2008 where he studied paranasal sinuses in mammals. The goal of the study was to understand how the sinuses were formed and if they are they influenced by other structures in the face such as the eyes or teeth. Smith began a new research
project this year that expands on his 2008 study. “What happens is, you answer a question or try to answer a question, and a new one comes up,” Smith said. “It’s been a progression. It expands on previous research.” The main focus of Smith’s new study is to learn about how primates and humans develop after birth, specifically how their teeth and bones grow. He also plans to study primates at a microanatomical level by looking at their anatomies through a microscope at the cell processes. By doing this he hopes to learn how facial features form and acquire their unique shapes. “I am fascinated with unique attributes of humans,” Smith explained. “Such as the facial form and how we are able to learn to walk. Some of those answers can be found by looking at what’s the difference
between this newborn that can quite see right, and certainly cant get up and walk around and the fully functional adult. That contrast really fascinates me.” Smith explained that physical development happens quickly after birth, especially when compared to how slowly the human body changes after reaching adulthood. The specimens that Smith studies are manly cadavers or animals that died from natural causes. While Smith has studied human samples, he mainly sticks to primates because they are easier to obtain. Smith does not work on the project completely alone, he has colleagues SEE SCIENTIFIC, PAGE A-2
A recent study on tattoo ink discovered that black ink could cause long-term health problems. The study examined black ink, which is common in nearly every tattoo. Black tattoo inks use soot and iron oxide as a base, and they are not regulated by the FDA, so they may contain hazardous chemicals that potentially can stay in the skin for a lifetime, absorb UV radiation and may affect skin integrity, researchers say. Kristina Chiprean, Director of the McLaughlin Health Center, said most students at SRU take very good care of their tattoos. “We’ve seen people with allergic reactions to tattoos, and we often call the tattoo artist to find the best solution to treating the infection while attempting to save the aesthetics of the tattoo,” Chiprean said. “But by and large, students take good care of their tattoos.” Chiprean said that, presently, she doesn’t think that scientists can tell how tattoo inks will affect human bodies. “Because tattoos weren’t as popular 30 years ago as they are today, it isn’t as easy to monitor the effects,” Chiprean said. “Watching people who are 20 now over the next 50 years, that’s when we’re really going to figure out the long term effects of tattoo ink.” According to Chiprean, when the Health Center does see a patient with an infected tattoo, it’s not because of the ink. “Often times a tattoo gets infected because bacteria moves through the holes in the skin, not from an allergic reaction to the ink,” Chiprean said. “What people don’t realize is that skin is our largest organ, and by putting holes in it we open ourselves up to invasive bacteria.” Chiprean compared tattooed skin to camping. “Its like staying in a tent, and taking an ice pick and putting holes in that tent,” Chiprean said. “More likely than not, something is going to get in through those holes.” According to the study in Experimental Dermatology, a scholarly journal, tattooing can require injections of substantial amounts of black ink, meaning large amounts of chemicals shot into and under the skin. Many of these chemicals -- such as benzo(a) pyrene, a carcinogen found to cause skin cancer in SEE PROFESSIONALISM, PAGE A-3
TV Studio obtains new grant Comm Department given over $230,000 for new equipment By Erica Kurvach Rocket Staff Reporter
The Communication Department was granted $232, 312 in HD equipment for the studio in Maltby Center. The studio will be geared up with industry-standard video cameras, controllers and monitors. Three JVC video cameras, a QGear/Prompter People 17 inch teleprompter kit, a NewTek HD production switcher with CG, a Telex intercom system, and over $3,000 worth of audio equipment are just some of the tools that will be sported in the studio. The equipment is expected to be bought and installed over Christmas break. The department has been having technical problems with the current equipment. Dr. Thomas Flynn, Communication department professor and chair, brought the problem to attention. “Some of the equipment is older than most of the students,” Flynn said. A lot of work went into making this proposal. Last year,
Dr. Mark Chase, a communication professor, went to the National Association of Broadcasters, a national trade show in Las Vegas. Businesses from all mediums came to talk about and to look at the different products. After Dr. Chase visited the vendors, he came back with a proposal to bring industrial standard equipment to the studio to make an effective space. During the summer, the department talked to James Smith, a new communication professor, about the state of the studio. Smith had over 30 years of experience in TV and cable networks including ABC News, NBC News, A&E, Discovery, ESPN, HBO, Lifetime, Warner Bros., The Weather Channel and MSOs. After the meeting, the department put together a shopping list of what they needed for the studio. Dr. Kurt Schimmel, the dean of the College of Business, SEE WSRU, PAGE A-2
MASON WILLIAMS/THE ROCKET Chris Dahlstrom, a sophomore emerging technology major, steadies the camera as he films a program Tuesday at the WSRU-TV studio during a tutorial.