Thursday, October 25, 2012 // Issue 35, Volume 78 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
THE DAILY COUGAR
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Students compete in science spelling bee Laura Gillespie Staff writer
Students attempted to outspell each other Tuesday, but they were more likely to find themselves searching for the Y in
Alcindoromycine than the correct spelling of Laodicean in a spelling bee that was part of National Chemistry Week. Chemical engineering junior Clint Kirchhoff won the competition, walking away with a certificate
Clint Kirchhoff (bottom left) won the competition, while Nancy Shenoi (top) and Brandon Nguyen (bottom right) took second and third place, respectively. | Courtesy of Lan Nguyen
S I N C E
OPINION
and a Coby Kyros tablet. “Over the summer I developed a huge enthusiasm for organic chemistry, so I started reading a lot about it on my own, so that’s how I picked up on a lot of the spelling,” said Kirchhoff. Entirely run by the American Chemical Society, the spelling bee was open to all students, and challenged competitors on the spelling of chemistry terms ranging from simple elements to long compounds. “The American Chemical Society has a mission of supporting the community, here and over the city, and just loving the chemical sciences and supporting education, as well as just loving our university in general,” said ACS President Riley Hatch, a biology and chemistry senior. Biology sophomore Nancy Shenoi came in second and biology junior Brandon Nguyen came in third. They received a camera and iPod Shuffle, respectfully. The three runner-ups received Chili’s
Third-party needed
SPELLING continues on page 2
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LECTURE
LIFE+ARTS
Library exhibits medieval work SPORTS
Former University of Toronto chancellor to talk fairness Julia Davila Staff writer
Representatives from UH Hobby Center for Public Policy and students from the Phronesis Politics and Ethics Honors College Program invited Thomas Hurka, scholar of moral and political philosophy, to speak on fairness in today’s society ranging from economic issues, education and taxes. Henry N.R. Jackman, distinguished professor of Philosophical Studies and former chancellor of the University of Toronto, will be the second speaker in the series of lectures “What’s Fair? On Justice and Desert in America” at 5 p.m. today in the Honors College Commons. He will share his perspective with students and relate it to the upcoming presidential election, said Susan
Collins, co-director of the Phronesis Program in the Department of Political Science and the Honors College. “We established the lecture series ‘What’s Fair? On Justice and Desert in America’ in part because the question of fairness is so much at stake in the current presidential lecture and a question of dispute in our society. We are bringing in scholars and public intellectuals who not only can present different opinions about what’s fair but also can do so from different disciplinary perspectives,” Collins said. “Our first lecturer Paul Woodruff, a well-known scholar of Ancient thought from UT Austin, took us back to an extraordinary play by the Ancient Greek playwright Sophocles’ “Ajax” to discuss questions of reward and merit. Tom Hurka will begin
from more contemporary thinkers to take up similar questions.” Hurka will be speaking about whether one should be rewarded for working hard or for contributing to society, according to the Honors College website. Hurka is also an integral part of the Phronesis Program, said political science and philosophy senior Safa Ansari-Bayegan. “The Phronesis fellows read an article by Hurka titled ‘Desert: Individualistic and Holistic’ and discussed this paper at length, and although it was a complicated argument to follow, it proved to be a fruitful discussion,” Ansari said. The Phronesis Program and minor in the Honors College focuses on ancient political works and relates them to current social and economic issues, said economics Diego Cervantes.
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“Phronesis, in Greek, refers to practical wisdom, the quality that distinguishes good citizens and political leaders,” Cervantes said. “We study ancient and modern texts to understand and develop our own political wisdom and become individuals who can see past the debates you might see on TV to be independent, responsible, and articulate citizens and leaders.” The series will end Nov. 30 with a lecture from Ruth Grant, a political science and philosophy at Duke University. “We are bringing in scholars and public intellectuals who not only can present different opinions about what’s fair but also can do so from different disciplinary perspectives,” Collins said. news@thedailycougar.com
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