Daily Bruin – Page 118

Guggenheim Fellowship recipients discuss their plans to pursue new projects

Professors are usually bound to their classrooms – but these three members of UCLA faculty will spend a year away to pursue their personal projects.

Sylvan Oswald, an assistant playwriting professor, Lothar von Falkenhausen, a professor of Chinese archaeology and art history, and Elisabeth Le Guin, a musicology professor, are three of this year’s four UCLA professors who are Guggenheim Fellowship recipients. There are approximately 175 recipients each year, and the award is based on demonstrated creative skill in the arts. The opportunity grants individuals the time and resources to focus on creating new art or pursuing an unexplored passion.

Sylvan Oswald

Oswald said he wants to put a progressive spin on classic literature.

By analyzing societal perceptions of identity through dramatic literature, Oswald said he plans to spend his upcoming year writing a text in response to Virginia Woolf’s “Orlando.” He will use the book as a platform to represent the transgender experience and reshape its common narrative. The text he plans to write will address some of Woolf’s misconceptions that form the basis of the novel’s theme.

It was important for Oswald not to conform to the format of oppressing transgender characters just to illustrate a climactic tale of triumph, he said. Many historical novels, such as “Orlando,” involve characters who undergo a gender transformation and follow that traditional literary narrative. The norm is frustrating for the queer community because the characters are only pretending to be of the opposite sex rather than transitioning based on identity, which does not typically characterize the transgender experience, he said.

“A lot of these novels and plays can make queer people feel quite invisible, since these pieces often aren’t reflective of our experiences,” he said. “The struggle doesn’t get to go away magically.”

Much of playwriting has been traditional and conservative, said Michelle Liu Carriger, assistant professor of theater and performance studies. Through experimentation, Oswald’s work intentionally breaks conventional storytelling standards, she said. Representing gender nonconformity in his work has been on his mind for the last 20 years, he said. Some of his earlier works follow Woolf’s representation of gender, and he said he only began to challenge historical texts when a graduate school professor made him question his style.

“Now as a teacher myself, I think it’s so cool that students have professors who see art as something to push against, question, smash and rebuild,” he said. “It’s more important to stay true to your distinctive vision than to do anything anyone tells you to do.”

Lothar von Falkenhausen

Von Falkenhausen focuses his studies on a historical time period that he said is often overlooked.

Von Falkenhausen’s main interest lies in Chinese Bronze Age archaeology because of the country’s transformation from a nation dominated by a religious institution to a bureaucratic global power. Awarded the fellowship for his work on Chinese ritual and trans-Asiatic culture, he said he will dedicate this upcoming year to working on his latest book, which will include both textual evidence and information from excavations he has performed. Von Falkenhausen said the importance of the country’s early development is often overshadowed.

“Archaeology can tell an important story,” he said. “What I’m trying to show is how the economy of continental East Asia developed during the 800 years preceding China’s unification.”

One of the ways in which von Falkenhausen chooses to tell this story is by conducting excavations in salt archaeology, said Li Min, an associate professor of anthropology. He said von Falkenhausen developed this archaeological method into a legitimate field of study. The evidence of early salt production in China is proof that this mineral was the primary product during the country’s first millennium, Min said.

Although von Falkenhausen does not typically conduct lectures directly related to his research, he said he often facilitates an open discussion among his students, hoping they will develop their own perspectives on the archaeological topics explored in class.

“Even though I hope my students will someday find my work and enjoy it, I don’t have a master lecturing plan. The most important thing for me to do is create a space for students to develop their own ideas,” he said. “We need to break away from regimented routine.”

Elisabeth Le Guin

Le Guin hopes to challenge the perception of Orange County, California, demographics with a specialized project.

Her fellowship endeavor will consist of creating a two-part community project titled “El Cancionero de Santa Ana,” which she said will highlight the voices of Santa Ana, California. The first part is a written collection of traditional Mexican music lyrics, and the second is a radio program featuring local residents discussing their musical preferences in relation to the city’s culture, she said. Many people have specific ideas regarding Orange County – ones that, according to Le Guin, don’t always match the area’s true demographics.

“I think people often have a skewed idea of Orange County. The coastal areas are seen as being largely white and politically conservative, but those factors don’t characterize the county as a whole,” Le Guin said. “The inland communities are very complex.”

Raymond Knapp, a distinguished professor of musicology, said Le Guin initially struggled to find an unconventional way of honoring traditions and engaging with locals. In recent years, she has become interested in the son jarocho musical styling, popular among immigrant communities, and has gone to great lengths to increase accessibility to this genre, he said.

Le Guin said the primary objective of her piece is to boost community pride among the residents of Santa Ana, Westminster and Irvine, while simultaneously stressing the importance music can have on both individual and communal identity.

In order to personalize her project on identity, she plans to ask her radio show guests to name a song that represents where they are from and to list another that expresses their hopes for the future. Talking about music is a way one can get to know people and is also a medium through which one gets a glimpse into a community that is often overlooked, Le Guin said.

“I want to make a statement that says, ‘You matter, you’re important,'” she said. “‘And what you listen to is important, too.'”

Alum transitions from pro athlete to full-time artist with new painting collection

Alumnus Brian Poli-Dixon spent his UCLA career balancing collegiate football and art.

Poli-Dixon’s current collection of paintings, titled “Genius,” was unveiled April 14 at the Artworld Fine Art gallery. Poli-Dixon said painting has always been present in his life, even though a large part of it was spent playing for the UCLA football team and for the New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Chargers as a wide receiver in the NFL. He said he uses the drive and determination he gained from football toward making an art career for himself. Because he would often paint portraits in his childhood and currently does so in his “Genius” series, Poli-Dixon said his lifelong passion for art has come full circle.

“I feel that I was an artist before I was a football player,” he said. “As far as I can remember, I’ve always been into drawing, painting, being creative, whether it be pottery classes, just really anything creative.”

Bright colors, including reds and yellows, along with 3D-like textures characterize Poli-Dixon’s works. The “Genius” series is meant to inspire people to explore what they are passionate about, he said. Although the faces in these paintings are straightforward to look at, their message is to value individual interests over being the smartest person in a room, Poli-Dixon said. The word “Genius” is painted onto many of the works, with an emphasis placed on the “us” within the word to make the line feel inclusive, he said. In some of the pieces, “us” is painted with a different color, like orange, making it stand out from the other letters in the word.

As he has switched his focus from football to being a full-time artist due to a leg injury, Poli-Dixon said he has found his art becoming more visually simplistic. The “Genius” paintings feature a cast of characters which include men, women and animals that can be seen without looking too deeply into the works. Poli-Dixon said the appearances of the different characters are inspired by people in his life, like his friends, and the similar visual symmetry between each piece creates consistency.

“I used to do real metaphoric types of paintings where I was trying to find some deep meaning in every painting,” Poli-Dixon said. “Everything has a deeper meaning when I explain it, but just off of somebody looking at it, now things are a little bit more simplistic.”

web.ae.polidixon.picC.MC.jpg — Poli-Dixon's experience in football led to his success at making art into a business, said alumnus Scott Heckmann, who was on the team with him in college. He said Poli-Dixon's discipline shows through his work on art each day. (MacKenzie Coffman/Assistant Photo editor)

Donna Child, the owner and director of the Artworld Fine Art gallery, said she was drawn to Poli-Dixon’s work because of its mix of styles. In the line of paintings, Poli-Dixon displays his own definition of what genius is with each of the faces he paints, bringing a modern message to his Jean-Michel Basquiat- and Picasso-inspired pieces, Child said. His other paintings draw from experiences in his own life, she said, such as a floral painting which was inspired by the flowers he used to buy his mother as a child.

Poli-Dixon’s athletic experience lends itself to an ability to accept criticism from his audience, Child said. As an athlete, Poli-Dixon had to face criticism from people like coaches and learn to implement it in a constructive way, she said. Child added he pays attention to artistic advice he gets, but shows his determination because he does not let it stop him from painting in his own style.

“Sometimes artists can become a bit complacent. … They almost get stuck in that particular genre of work where they never step outside of it,” Child said. “And with athletes, they’re constantly pushing themselves and striving to get better and to be stronger.”

Alumnus Scott Heckmann said when he and Poli-Dixon played collegiate football together, Poli-Dixon always showed an interest in painting and other art forms. The hardworking mindset of being a football player transferred well into Poli-Dixon making a business out of being an artist, Heckmann said. Poli-Dixon treats artistry like a job and wakes up and paints every day, Heckmann said, which shows the discipline he learned from playing collegiate and professional football.

“(Creating art) is not just something that he does on the side,” Heckmann said. “He uses the same work ethic he used in football to be an outstanding athlete and football player to really set himself apart from other artists because he’s willing to do that work,”

web.ae.polidixon.picB.MC.jpg — Poli-Dixon's "Genius" paintings feature characters inspired by friends as well as other people involved in his life. (MacKenzie Coffman/Assistant Photo editor)

Artistic success is dependent on a hardworking mindset that was formed by his past as an athlete, Poli-Dixon said. Being an artist has to include more than painting all day if someone wants their work to manifest into something that has true meaning, he said.

“The main thing that I can translate from playing football and sports in general is just the time and the commitment and the hard work you have to put into it,” Poli-Dixon said. “If you do want to take this seriously, you can’t just wait for the inspiration every time, you have to put the work in, you have to put the hours in.”

Forum theatre performance to promote audience participation with social issues

Instead of sitting back and watching a production unfold, audiences will have the opportunity to actively participate in an upcoming performance.

Representatives of Rio de Janeiro’s Center for Theatre of the Oppressed will present a night of forum theatre Wednesday. Created in the 1970s by drama theorist and activist Augusto Boal, forum theatre has audience members engage with performers to propose solutions to societal problems, such as gender and racial discrimination. In addition to fostering active audience involvement, the objective of Wednesday’s performance is to spark a dialogue between UCLA students and the Afro-Brazilian community, said Bobby Gordon, director of special projects for the UCLA Art & Global Health Center. Together, the audience and actors will cultivate strategies to achieve a favorable outcome for the play’s characters, which serves as an exercise in resisting oppression, he said.

“Watching traditional theater is a very passive experience. What sets forum theatre apart is its ability to shatter and stomp on the fourth wall,” Gordon said. “It’s a martial art for social action. It’s a rehearsal for real life.”

The production intends to dive deeper into the conversation about racism, especially at a historically white university, he said. At the end of the final performance, a random member of the audience is invited to essentially walk in the main character’s shoes and engage in an onstage discussion about the ways in which our society can take steps to solve the overarching problem of oppression, Gordon said.

One of the more powerful aspects of forum theatre is the opportunity for the audience to learn about the world around them through the eyes of individuals who have lived through oppressive experiences, he said. When a white man gains temporary exposure to the struggles of an Afro-Brazilian woman, for example, that type of role reversal speaks volumes. This is especially pertinent, Gordon said, because anti-black sentiment is ingrained in Brazilian culture. And when audiences are allowed to participate in the conversation, they can make tangible changes, he said.

Fighting against racism is everyone’s responsibility, said Alessandro Conceição, an actor and organizer for the Center for Theatre of the Oppressed. If actors merely deliver a message to an audience, he said the audience might not internalize the message as intensely. It’s important to debate and reflect on how to unravel the conflicts associated with racism, he said. There is currently a momentum within marginalized groups, such as Afro-Brazilians, women and LGBTQ individuals, and discussions such as these help to push the movement forward, Conceição said.

At the event, theater groups Madalena Anastacia and Cor do Brasil and author Bárbara Santos will expand on the complexities of internalized racism. Through a musical production, Madalena Anastacia will explore the intersection between sexism and racism and how art can be used as a medium to challenge those ideologies, said Gabrielle Bonder, program manager of the UCLA Art & Global Health Center.

Cor do Brasil will emphasize society’s collective urgency to actively combat systemic injustice, Gordon said. Its play, “Suspeito,” addresses anti-black racism in Brazil. After the piece ends, audiences will be invited to add themselves to the scene.

In her show, Santos will navigate nuances between the identity and aesthetics of being a woman of color. “Passage” is a reflection of how oppression can influence identity, she said. The literal passage she performs – solely using physical objects to convey a nonverbal performance – is meant to be representative of her own journey toward self-discovery.

“Expression can be a way to escape oppression,” she said. “My show is about my experience with oppression and how I overcame it.”

As well as learning how to push back against systematized social barriers, Gordon also believes it is equally crucial for people to recognize their privileges. Since audience members will be able to take part in the dialogue, and not just listen from afar, this active engagement will hopefully inspire individuals to reflect on their own actions and behavior, he said.

“We are all included in the problem. This type of artistic platform allows people to collectively imagine, strategize and challenge power structures,” he said. “Art wakes up our senses, and we need to wake up.”

Inner Peas: What does ‘organic’ really mean? A look into its social, environmental impact

Late-night coffee sessions and a constantly looming sense of stress may seem synonymous with the college lifestyle – but it doesn’t have to be that way. In her series Inner Peas, Daily Bruin contributor Kayleigh Ruller will explore different ways students can easily practice various wellness tactics in their busy day-to-day lives.

“Organic” – it’s a buzzword we hear in conversations and commercials, but what does the label really entail?

Understanding what the environmental and social implications behind what organic really means can empower consumers like college students to make more informed decisions that can affect their health, environment and the production of goods.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, an organic certification involves intense scrutiny and record-keeping of environmental conditions and prohibits genetic modification, synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, artificial preservatives and colors. A certification also requires natural living conditions for animals treated without antibiotics or hormones.

Allison Carruth, a faculty member in the English department and the Institute for Society and Genetics, said the most prominent data surrounding the harmful effects of toxic chemicals used in food production are seen directly in farmworker communities.

“Intensive agriculture makes heavy use of pesticides and herbicides,” she said. “This pesticide exposure has multigenerational effects on metabolism and other long-range effects.”

One primary reason consumers should become cognizant of the origin of their food is that organic food can be a form of preventive health care, not just for themselves but also for the workers who cultivate and provide produce for consumers.

Many pesticides act as endocrine disruptors or chemicals that inhibit the function of the reproductive system and hormones. Ingredients that act as endocrine disruptors are in more food products than we think. The phytoestrogens in soy products may lead to infertility and breast cancers in mothers, while the dioxins in pesticides and meat may lead to immune system suppression, fertility halts, and skin disorders or conditions in farmworkers and consumers.

Luckily, workers’ activism and scientists’ research is influencing public health measures toward increasing awareness of the dangers of unsustainable, conventional produce production and increasing the accessibility of fresh food.

Carruth said our society often fails to acknowledge the importance of farmworker activism, especially Latino involvement in helping to advance regulations of pesticides and better working conditions.

During the 1960s leaders like Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta and the United Farm Workers of America boycotted the production of grapes to promote fair wages and address the safety of farmworkers throughout the U.S. The leaders promoted the ban of pesticides like parathion, a highly toxic chemical that hospitalized many California farmworkers at the time.

Transitioning from conventional to organic farming practices can decrease the risk of illness by avoiding toxic accumulation. In practice, however, the transition can be daunting, expensive and traditionally unaffordable or inaccessible for low-income communities or college students.

First-year biology student Jennifer Cruz grew up in East LA, around an area that lacks access to organic food and wellness products others might deem an attainable norm.

“You go to the grocery store and mainly see aisles of chips, soda and candy, and a small aisle of fruits and vegetables,” Cruz said. “Our schools were next to liquor stores and food chains like Carl’s Jr. or McDonald’s. It’s these places that are actually in walking distance to our homes.”

Cruz’s hometown satisfies conditions for a food desert or a place that lacks immediate access to healthful, fresh fruits, vegetables and general knowledge about their importance.

The narrative of agriculture as inaccessible and unaffordable is common. Nevertheless, there are individuals and organizations, like the LA Food Policy Council, which widens the breadth of the presence of fresh food by initiating cross-sector working groups of government, education and community to launch equitable food systems and influence policy development around public access to healthy food.

Larger organizations and educational institutions that combat the pattern of food deserts play a critical role in breaking the barriers of food accessibility. This is why universities like UCLA must act as a model for increasing fresh, organic food accessibility for all students in dining halls and throughout campus.

Since its pledge to make 20% of food purchases sustainable by 2020, UCLA has made significant progress. UCLA boosted sustainability by incorporating humanely raised, cage-free eggs and locally grown seasonal produce, along with the switch to Fair Trade coffee.

“The purchasing changes made thanks to the Healthy Campus Initiative and the whole team of Dining Services has helped UCLA’s food system become really innovative,” Carruth said. “Bruin Plate is a prototype in what can be possible on all campuses.”

In addition to dining at Bruin Plate, eating locally and seasonally at farmer’s markets is another way students can save money, promote local businesses and economy, and foster a variety of nutritional benefits.

TheFarmer’s Market at UCLA is hosted three times a quarter in Bruin Plaza, bringing fresh and sustainable food to campus. In addition, theWestwood Village Farmers’ Market is held every Thursday, offering a variety of organic fruits, seasonal vegetables and other specialty items.

Although physically accessible on campus and in Westwood, the presence of farmers’ markets doesn’t solve the problem of financial accessibility given vendor prices that aren’t college-budget friendly. Reduced student pricing, that still maintains the autonomy and income of the farmers, should be considered, especially for the market on campus.

Eating locally doesn’t necessarily mean eating organically, or vice versa. While eating organically presents itself as a viable option for reducing synthetic pesticide use and providing benefits to soils, people, wildlife and plants, eating locally from a farmer’s market can provide its own benefits – possibly reducing greenhouse emissions with reduced transportation and supporting the local community and economy.

While healthy and sustainable eating can be difficult to navigate, there are helpful resources to guide consumers toward being health and environmentally conscious on a budget.

Students can start their transition to eating organically by avoiding the D irty Dozen list, which is a list of produce much more susceptible to soaking up weed killers and pesticides, like grapes, kale and spinach. Carruth also said she suggests checking up on blogs like Civil Eats, which informs consumers about sustainable agriculture, food policy, and health conscious individual and societal changes.

Organic food shouldn’t be a privilege; it should be an accessible, affordable form so all consumers can reduce negative environmental and human health effects. Embracing food as both a tradition and expression of community with activities such as farmer’s markets can bridge the gap between urban communities and fresh food.

“My guiding principle is that food is profoundly both cultural and environmental,” Carruth said. “Having a single model for one diet or set of behaviors can discount the diversity of food culture.”

Students express support for boycott of hotels over anti-gay laws in Brunei

Several students said they support continuing a boycott of two hotels owned by the Sultan of Brunei after the country instituted anti-LGBTQ laws.

The Sultan of Brunei announced a new penal code based on Sharia law which included punishment of homosexuality and adultery by stoning or whipping to death April 3, prompting calls for boycotts of hotels owned by the Sultan in the United States.

The boycott was popularized after comedian Ellen DeGeneres posted a list of hotels owned by the Sultan, including the Hotel Bel-Air and the Beverly Hills Hotel, both less than 2 miles from campus.

A UCLA student group was unwittingly drawn into this issue earlier this month.

The UCLA Black Law Students Association hosted its 50th Anniversary Black Law Solidarity Gala at the Beverly Hills Hotel on April 4. This event was planned several months prior, and the BLSA learned of the boycott only 36 hours before the gala.

This year’s gala aimed to celebrate the first-ever endowed scholarship for black law students. Over $180,000 was raised for the scholarship.

Ajwang Rading, a co-chair for BLSA and a UCLA law student, said the BLSA chose the venue because of its ties to Paul Revere Williams, an African American architect, who was the leading designer of the hotel. He said the BLSA spent a long time searching for a new venue after choosing another controversial venue last year.

Rading said last year the BLSA picked a hotel that had a history of excluding African Americans and Jewish people from the venue up until the 1990s.

“We were upset with that last year so this year we were looking for a venue that would help us not only avoid that controversy, which obviously we were unsuccessful, but also (be) reflective of African American achievement – hence Paul Revere Williams,” Rading said.

Rading said finding a new venue within 36 hours of the gala was an impossible task because they would have had to pay up to $100,000 for an alternative venue.

“Up until the night before the event I was searching with my mom and two other BLSA members to find a new venue,” Rading said. “We visited five different locations throughout Los Angeles, all of which had either been overbooked or were trying to upcharge because they knew the impossible spot we were in.”

Rading said the BLSA published a press release April 2 calling for the federal government to deny the Sultan entry into the U.S. and levy economic sanctions on Brunei.

“We vowed to never hold an event at the Beverly Hills Hotel until it changed ownership,” Rading said. “We have also called for the forced sale through eminent domain law of the Beverly Hills Hotel to find new ownership.”

Rading added that the gala shifted its focus to expressing solidarity with the LGBTQ community.

Buddy Al-Aydi, a first-year biochemistry student who was disowned by his family after he came out as gay, said he was glad the boycott was getting so much attention from celebrities and government officials.

“People think that gay rights are becoming less of a problem because we’ve already done what we needed to do but in reality, it’s still very much a problem,” Al-Aydi said. “At a point, even in Brunei, lives are being taken away, people are being punished and harmed because of their sexual orientation. This is an ongoing problem – more and more effort needs to be put in to alleviate it.”

Al-Aydi said he thinks continuing to spread the word as well as protesting outside of the hotels would go a long way.

“I think the only way for this boycott to be successful is to continue spreading the word. I noticed recently it’s died down and we need to be telling people,” Al-Aydi said. “We should eventually be protesting in front of these hotels – letting people know the dangers of it and how they are essentially sending money to fund the death of gay people.”

Ellen Hsieh, a fourth-year neuroscience student and member of LGBTQ dance team Taste the Rainbow, said she was unsure of the effectiveness of the boycott but was glad it was making headlines.

“I don’t think the boycott will directly harm the Sultan of Brunei, but I do think it’s effective in bringing awareness to the issue and I think that’s what the goal is,” Hsieh said.

Hsieh added that she was also unsure if President Donald Trump’s administration will make a noticeable effort to address the issue.

“I think that also comes down to our administration and I don’t think LGBTQ rights are on the top of Trump’s list,” Hsieh said. “It’s cynical, but realistically the best we can do is to support the LGBTQ organizations that want to help people who live in countries like this.”

A press release from the Beverly Hills Hotel and Hotel Bel-Air stated the actions of the Sultan do not align with the values of the hotels and their staff and that the boycott is mostly hurting the hotel’s employees, partners and suppliers.

Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Koretz, who represents Westwood and its surrounding areas, introduced a resolution that states the city will not conduct business with the hotels and encourages city residents to not stay at these hotels until the Sultan’s new laws were lifted. The resolution was approved unanimously by the LA City Council on April 9.

At a press conference, Koretz said he wanted to send a message to the country of Brunei.

“This is as barbaric as anything that has happened in the past 100 years,” Koretz said. “We can’t abide by it and we have some logical ways to show it by boycotting hotels owned by the government of Brunei somewhat indirectly and sending them a message.”

Koretz added he thinks the boycott will negatively affect the finances of Brunei.

“This will absolutely not be tolerated and there will be implications. This is beyond symbolic – if people stop attending these hotels they will feel it in the pocketbook,” Koretz said. “This time they’ve gone too far.”

The resolution was approved by Mayor Eric Garcetti on April 11.

Student project engages with foster youth to offer guidance and support

A student-directed project aims to educate Los Angeles foster girls about healthy living and raise public awareness about foster youth.

Project Maryvale partners with Maryvale Residential Homes, a foundation in Rosemead, California, that houses foster girls ages 6 to 18, to put on educational presentations for Maryvale’s residents.

This project, which started in 2014, is one of several projects under Medical Experience through Service in Healthcare, a student organization that aims to promote health education. MESH was founded in 2012 and connects students with volunteer opportunities at local and international nonprofit health organizations.

Members on the project visit Maryvale about twice every quarter, said Monica Diaz, a fourth-year environmental science student and co-director of Project Maryvale.

During each visit, members put on 20- to 30-minute interactive presentations for groups of about 10 foster girls. Presentation topics span from personal health to professional development, said Elizabeth Hoang, a fourth-year physiological health science student and co-director of the project.

“We really try to empower these girls to stand up for themselves and be able to reach out to others when they need help,” Hoang said.

Sagar Telang, MESH’s finance chair and a fourth-year biology student, said it can be a challenge to secure all the necessary funding for Project Maryvale. However, in winter quarter they were able to use funding from the Undergraduate Students Association Council to secure arts and crafts for their site visits, Telang said.

“Initially it was a little worrisome and challenging, but over time it’s become kind of routine,” Telang said. “Usually we get a little less than what we asked for but we can compensate for that by applying for more grants and funding sources.”

Project Maryvale recruits at the start of spring quarter, unlike other MESH projects that begin recruiting in fall quarter, because members need the summer to complete necessary paperwork and training for site visits, Hoang said.

Many of the girls at Maryvale Residential Homes have experienced physical or psychological abuse or neglect, so members must be sensitive toward them, Hoang said.

Project members have to be mindful of their personal privileges when speaking to the foster girls, Diaz said.

“In the presentation we might say things that the foster girls might find triggering or that they might not connect to. We don’t want to remind them of what they don’t have,” Diaz said. “We just want to be there as support and say something that they can learn.”

Project members don’t always meet with the same foster group, which makes it difficult to develop long-term bonds with the foster girls, Diaz said. However, she said these brief encounters are still rewarding.

“I met girls that I admire even though I’m older than them. One of the girls wants to be an engineer and just graduated high school early,” Diaz said. “Just hearing those stories is one of my favorite things about Maryvale.”

Project Maryvale also aims to spread awareness about foster youth struggles by running a Facebook page called Foster Awareness for Youth.

Participating in Project Maryvale allows members to better understand the struggles of underserved communities UCLA students may not come in contact with every day, Hoang said.

“I feel like at UCLA we are all in this bubble and all we think about is school, our next midterm and what we have to do next. Whenever we’re at these site visits I feel very mindful about what’s happening around me,” Hoang said. “Just seeing the girls happy really does make an impact in your own life.”

Annie Kokoyan, a co-director of MESH’s Project Health Fair and a third-year psychology student, said she also felt more aware about the plight of underserved communities when working on Project Health Fair.

“Most important, it’s really made me aware of low-income communities. Education is key to be able to do something to make a difference,” Kokoyan said. “It really has empowered me and inspired me to act upon inequalities in these communities.”

Lucy Dong, a third-year physiological science student and MESH outreach director, considers preventative health education as a key element of MESH.

“I think education is the most important tool that someone can have. It doesn’t just stop with whoever you work with,” Dong said. “The patient can use that education and teach others – it spreads over time.”

UCLA researchers develop wearable device that generates electricity from snow

UCLA researchers created a device that can generate electricity from snow.

The device, called the snow-TENG, is a thin, transparent sheet of mostly silicone, which can be inexpensively manufactured using a 3D printer.

Richard Kaner, a professor of chemistry and materials science, and Maher El-Kady, a postdoctoral researcher of chemistry and biochemistry, are part of a team of researchers who produced the device.

The snow-TENG generates a small amount of electricity for a variety of uses, from weather tracking to powering wearable clothing technology. Snow carries a slight electrical charge and creates a small voltage when placed near certain materials. This is due to the triboelectric effect, which generates a small electric field in the presence of friction between two charged objects.

The researchers are among the first to use the triboelectric effect as a means of generating electricity.

“This is just taking static electricity and using it for something useful,” Kaner said. “What surprised me is that I’ve known about this for years, as most people have, but never realized there is enough energy to do anything useful, but there is.”

El-Kady said the device currently doesn’t produce enough electricity to serve as an alternative energy source, but said he is optimistic about its future.

“The research in this area has been going really, really fast,” he said. “I would say that within a couple of years (we) may get to the high power level (such) that it will be used for creating electricity.”

When connected to a Bluetooth device, the snow-TENG sends out different electric patterns based on weather qualities, like snowfall rate, snow quantity and wind speed. This allows the device to be used as a weather system in cold, isolated areas, without the need for electricity.

Additionally, the researchers said the device could be used to help monitor climate change due to its weather-reading abilities and relatively low costs.

“It could help in the sense that if scientists wanted sensors that remotely recorded things, and then they could interrogate them later on – and their sensors were cheap enough that if you lost a few along the way, you wouldn’t care – this could help, definitely,” Kaner said.

Kaner and El-Kady previously used this technology to create a device that tracks the motion of people in extreme environments, like firefighters, and monitors for signs that the wearer might be in danger.

El-Kady said the snow-TENG could also be used as a smart wearable technology to track athletes. The material is cheap and flexible, allowing it to be placed anywhere on the body.

Additionally, the device can be powered by the motion of the wearer, and can distinguish between different types of motion, like running, walking, marching or skiing.

“Our device is even more smart,” he said. “It’s like a smartwatch, but a more advanced one.”

Kaner said he is surprised by the rapid growth of the field.

“It is a relatively new field. If you go back 10 years, very little was known about this,” Kaner said. “There are a lot of possibilities, and a lot of this is limited by one’s imagination.”