F eatures
The Lorian
March 21, 2019
A Day in the Life of Dr. Adam Moser by AUDREY MILLER staff writer
Chemistry professor Dr. Adam Moser is a well-known professor on campus because he teaches the general chemistry class with 100-plus students every fall semester. Since so many majors in a variety of scientific fields require this chemistry as part of their major, Dr. Moser gets to interact with a large chunk of the Loras population just through this one course. While general chemistry is often the only course students will take with Dr. Moser, chances are they’ll remember him. Whether it’s the course’s online homework program (ALEKS), his notoriously difficult exams (with generous curves), or the daily and consistent preparation for class, students learn how to work hard in general chemistry. And while his students feel like they have to work hard, Dr. Moser says he works even harder to make sure his students are getting the support and learning outcomes they need. Here’s a little bit about Dr. Moser and his unending dedication to Loras College and all the students at this institution—not just his chemistry students.
What time do you start your day, and what do your mornings tend to look like? “Every morning is identical. I get up, get ready, and then get my kids ready to go to daycare. I have to get up pretty early, because once my kids are up, I’m focused on them. I have to make sure that’s all done so I can get [to Loras] by 8 a.m.” What does a typical day in your office look like? “The only times I really get to work are before 8:30 a.m. and after 4:30 p.m. During the day I’m either in a class, with a student, or with other faculty — either in a formal meeting or informal discussion. I think the faculty here are pretty connected, so there’s a lot of things we get each other’s feedback on.” “Class prep time depends on the class. Since I try to teach in an active style, I have a lot of prep work because there’s a lot of material. I have to make sure the online homework, the powerpoints, and worksheets are all consistent, and that the learning outcomes are fulfilled. I have to write the daily quizzes and reading guidances, and make sure they match the rest of the material. Then I have to photocopy, which isn’t difficult; it just takes time.”
What are some projects or committees you’re a part of here? “Committees are one way the faculty and staff serve the college. I really like thinking about curriculum, so I’m on the curriculum committee. This committee oversees any new course that will be taught. It’s also no secret that the general education curriculum is changing, and I was on the first committee that started reviewing that gen-ed program. I also took over as the chemistry/biochemistry program director for our retired biochemistry professor, Dr. Speckhard. I’m also on a technology committee that only meets when we have something to talk about, such as: what laptops should we use next year? There’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes to make sure everything is taken care of for students.” What research are you currently working on? “Research is the area I’m having the hardest time carving out time in my day to become more involved. I would like to get back to doing more research for myself. I’m interested in how people’s psychology affects their success. I am doing research and gathering data on how people’s attitudes and successes are (or are not) connected. Of course, I
Short Story: Robot-man by SARWAN MOGHAMIS staff writer
Imagine a day where billions of lives are taken away because we weren’t paying attention. The biggest threat to the world is those who live in it. How do we stop something like that? Dr. X, a genius scientist, disappeared after an experiment went wrong. He lost an arm, an eye, and the ability to walk, but that doesn’t stop him. He attaches a cybernetic arm and eye, then builds a motorcycle that helps him move around. He then teams up with Diana Pierce, also known as Dagger. She is a skilled assassin who always carries around daggers for self-defense. Later on, they team up with Woody Carson, a retired astronaut with the code name Astro. Astro is a professional engineer who remodeled his astronaut uniform into a bronze suit with rockets on the back. The trio have their own base, located in a hidden swamp. Dr. X knows the world has become a fragile place.
The experiment, mentioned earlier, was meant to create a power source, strong enough to eliminate any threat. With the help of Dagger and Astro, they build a robotic body that can hold the source in place. The robotic body is silver with navy blue and red lining. The arms can launch like rockets. The bottoms of the feet can allow it to fly. The eyes can shoot out lasers. The hook on the top of its head can be detached and used as a boomerang. The source is put in the center of the body. With it, the body can shoot power beams. It is slowly brought to life. The robot is made into a male and holds supreme intelligence towards human life. Ward Maximus, Dr. X’s old partner and friend, notices the robot. He also notices the power source and wanted it to himself. Maximus, the desperate man he is, builds a skeleton-like robotic suit of his own. He goes out to destroy the robot and take position of the power source. In doing so, Maximus terrorizes the city
of Chicago. He spreads fear beyond their comprehension. The robot protects the citizens by fighting against Maximus. The two face off against each other, the most epic fight that has ever been seen. The pounding of fists, the sounds of screaming citizens, the view of violence is too great, too epic for ordinary men. By the end, the robot throws Maximus on the hard, brick ground, waving the white flag, accepting defeat. The citizens praised the robot for saving their lives. Dr. X, Dagger, and Astro work close with the robot. He protects the world from all sorts of threats, yet he finds himself in a paradox. He wanted to do more than just observe and value human life, he wanted to live it. He disguises himself as an ordinary man and lives among civilization, but should danger ever rises again, he’ll be there to protect his fellow men and women. The world later knows him as Robot-Man. The End
have research students, so I’m constantly reading drafts, meeting with them, and giving feedback. I have a research student who is working on a project to implement computational worksheets into organic chemistry. Then I have more purely science-orientated research projects: how water affects solutes in solution and benchmarking functional density theory.” What time do you generally leave Loras in the evenings, and what do your evenings generally entail? “Sometime between 4 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., people are done coming to see me. I’ll work until 5 p.m., go home, play with my kids, and make dinner. Then, from 8-10 p.m. I’ll grade, respond to more emails, and do any more prep I need to do for the next day. I easily put in 50-60 hours of work a week, but I don’t burn out. This job is my vocation: this is what I want to do, what I like to do, and ultimately I want to do my job and do it well.”
Monkey Bread Recipe by ANNA HEDGES staff writer
• Cut 3 tubes of buttermilk biscuits into 1/4 Mix 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/3 cup sugar together. • Mix the cut biscuits in the cinnamon/sugar mix. • Grease a bundt pan well with oil, then layer with biscuits with cinnamon/sugar. • Combine 1 1/2 sticks of butter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 cup of brown sugar in a pan and boil 2-3 mins. • Pour over biscuits and bake for 25 to 30 mins. • Cool 10 mins and turn pan over on a plate.
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