Cornell Kappa Sigma

Things started very early on Saturday morning, October 1, at The Miracle Foundation office. By 7 a.m., the kitchen was set up with delicious snacks (including Jim’s favorite donuts), volunteers were arriving, children were playing, grownups were greeting each other, and the staff was ready with all the fun activities planned for the day. This was the beginning of the “2011 Be the Change National Day of Service” happening all over Austin (and the nation) in honor of Mahatma Gandhi’s famous quotation, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”

As the “Be the Change” website states, “Be the Change Rise Up to Service” is an annual national day of service coordinated by South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) to inspire and foster civic engagement through volunteerism and community service.

Things got underway at our office by showing the volunteers a video about The Miracle Foundation and our mission. Then it was time to get busy!

• The younger kids made cards and drew pictures for the children in India. Their excitement was apparent, and they had so many wonderfully creative ideas. One young girl used stickers to tell a story and wrote that she wanted to be a surgeon when she grew up, so she could help others.
• Most of the adults wrote and decorated letters of appreciation to our Housemothers in India. They loved the activity, as it brought their creativity to life. One woman had brought her 4-year-old grandson. As she wrote letters, he sat beside her drawing pictures and asking her questions, such as where did these children live and why were they writing letters to them. With her thoughtful answers, it was clear to see how change can happen through even the smallest of actions. Not only was she thanking the Housemothers for all their hard work and loving dedication, but, more importantly, she was instilling the importance of “giving back” in her grandson. It was an inspiring moment and made it very clear to everyone there that change is possible.
• Then there was the young man who decided he wanted to work outside. He did a tremendous job and actually filled up 10 large bags with leaves and twigs — all by himself!

Throughout the day, it was clear that everyone felt the joy of giving back. This was true both at The Miracle Foundation office and throughout Austin. Following the event, the “Be the Change” website stated, “WE DID IT AUSTIN!!! 1,000+ volunteers from ages 5 to 50+ rose up in service and showed all of Austin how we all could BE THE CHANGE!!”

Everyone at TMF extends our sincere thanks to all of the “Be the Change” volunteers. Because of their desire to give of their time, effort, and creativity, our yard is free of leaves and our children and Housemothers will all receive beautifully handwritten and decorated cards, letting them know that people on the other side of the world are carrying them in their hearts. There is nothing more meaningful than that! Thanks for “Being the Change.”

by: Rosa Gutierrez

-The Miracle Foundation. Transforming children’s lives. One orphan at a time.

-Be The Change. Rise up in service.

The human memory is a powerful and mysterious force. Scents and sounds can evoke visions of the past or allow us to recall a loved one. Losing your memory — struggling to recall names or stumbling over well-known telephone numbers — can be distressing. Here are a number of tips to keep your memory healthy and in top shape.

Although it is a fact that many people do not know, chewing gum can improve your memory. Medical professionals have found that the motion of chewing gum slightly increases your heart rate. Even the slightest increase in heart rate can help supply more oxygen to the brain, thus improving memory.

A great tip on improving memory is to pay attention. If you are introduced to someone new, try to picture how to spell it, or ask them if there is a question about the spelling. Ask them, “is that Tracy with a I or Y?” Then comment on his or her name to lock in into your memory. Try using it a few times during the conversation to really make a difference and you will be sure to remember it next time.

Add aromatherapy to your life if you want to improve your memory. This works because these aromas help to relax you, which in turn, helps your memory improve. Also, if you are not sensitive to the smells, you may want to try adding candles throughout your home as they will relax you too.

If you have forgotten something important that you need to remember, close your eyes and take a deep breath. Try breathing exercises by holding your breath in for a few seconds and releasing it. After doing this a few times, go back to trying to remember what you have forgotten.

As you’ve read in this article, keeping your memory healthy and strong is easy and can be fun! Use these tips to keep your mind sharp and enjoy the benefits of always having the name you need on the tip of your tongue, being able to find your keys, and remembering the milk!

by: Cornell Kappa Sigma  

–”giving you tips on how to study and achieve student success“

Everyone at one point or another complains about forgetting things. Our memories come into play every day of our lives. The better the memory you have, the more successful you can be in life. Below is a compilation of tips to help you develop and improve your memory.

Did you know that, even late in life, you can grow new brain cells within the memory center of your brain? Recent research has revealed that high-level aerobic exercise, such as running and bicycling, actually stimulates the growth of new brain neurons within the brain’s hippocampus. If you want to have a better memory, adding more aerobic exercise to your daily activities will help.

You need to make sure you focus on the information that you are trying to remember. If you are trying to remember a shopping list, try visualizing the items or write them down to jog your memory. Take your time to repeat information after you hear it so it has a chance of sticking with you.

Close your eyes. Your brain spends a lot of energy on processing what you are seeing. If you have difficulty remembering something, try closing your eyes. Your brain will have an easier time finding the information. It will also make it easier for you to picture said information in your head.

When trying to commit a long list of information to memory, it is usually better to arrange the information in chunks or smaller units and categories to help make the information easier to remember. As an example, it is easier to remember a telephone number as three units of three, three, and four numbers rather than a long string of ten numbers. The same tactics work when remembering social security numbers and computer passwords.

Your brain is a muscle like any other and it requires exercise to keep it healthy and in optimum working order. Make sure that you incorporate the advice given here to start working out your brain and improving your memory abilities. Being “forgetful” isn’t a life sentence and you are able to make a change for the better.

by: Cornell Kappa Sigma  

–”giving you tips on how to study and achieve student success“

This is a funny Scientific Dictionary from AHA Jokes.

Activation Energy: The useful quantity of energy available in one cup of coffee.

Atomic Theory: A mythological explanation of the nature of matter, first proposed by the ancient Greeks, and now thoroughly discredited by modern computer simulation. Attempts to verify the theory by modern computer simulation have failed. Instead, it has been demonstrated repeatedly that computer outputs depend upon the color of the programmer’s eyes, or occasionally upon the month of his or her birth. This apparent astrological connection, at last, vindicates the alchemist’s view of astrology as the mother of all science.

Bacon, Roger: An English friar who dabbled in science and made experimentation fashionable. Bacon was the first science popularizer to make it big on the banquet and talk-show circuit, and his books even outsold the fad diets of the period.

Biological Science: A contradiction in terms.

Bunsen Burner: A device invented by Robert Bunsen (1811-1899) for brewing coffee in the laboratory, thereby enabling the chemist to be poisoned without having to go all the way to the company cafeteria.

Butyl: An unpleasant-sounding word denoting an unpleasant-smelling alcohol.

CAI: Acronym for “Computer-Aided Instruction”. The modern system of training professional scientists without ever exposing them to the hazards and expense of laboratory work. Graduates of CAI-based programs are very good at simulated research.

Cavendish: A variety of pipe tobacco that is reputed to produce remarkably clear thought processes, and thereby leads to major scientific discoveries; hence, the name of a British research laboratory where the tobacco is smoked in abundance.

Chemical: A substance that: 1) An organic chemist turns into a foul odor; 2) an analytical chemist turns into a procedure; 3) a physical chemist turns into a straight line; 4) a biochemist turns into a helix; 5) a chemical engineer turns into a profit.

Chemical Engineering: The practice of doing for a profit what an organic chemist only does for fun.

Chromatography: (From Gr. chromo [color] + graphos [writing]) The practice of submitting manuscripts for publication with the original figures drawn in non-reproducing blue ink.

Clinical Testing: The use of humans as guinea pigs. (See also PHARMACOLOGY and TOXICOLOGY)

Compound: To make worse, as in: 1) A fracture; 2) the mutual adulteration of two or more elements.

Computer Resources: The major item of any budget, allowing for the acquisition of any capital equipment that is obsolete before the purchase request is released.

Eigen Function: The use to which an eigen is put.

En: The universal bidentate ligand used by coordination chemists. For years, efforts were made to use ethylene-diamine for this purpose, but chemists were unable to squeeze all the letters between the corners of the octahedron diagram. The timely invention of en in 1947 revolutionized the science.

Evaporation Allowance: The volume of alcohol that the graduate students can drink in a year’s time.

Exhaustive Methylation: A marathon event in which the participants methylate until they drop from exhaustion.

First Order Reaction: The reaction that occurs first, not always the one desired. For example, the formation of brown gunk in an organic prep.

Flame Test: Trial by fire.

Genetic Engineering: A recent attempt to formalize what engineers have been doing informally all along.

Grignard: A fictitious class of compounds often found on organic exams and never in real life.

Inorganic Chemistry: That which is left over after the organic, analytical, and physical chemists get through picking over the periodic table.

Mercury: (From L. Mercurius, the swift messenger of the gods) Element No. 80, so named because of the speed of which one of its compounds (calomel, Hg2Cl2) goes through the human digestive tract. The element is perhaps misnamed, because the gods probably would not be pleased by the physiological message so delivered.

Monomer: One mer. (Compare POLYMER).

Natural Product: A substance that earns organic chemists fame and glory when they manage to systhesize it with great difficulty, while Nature gets no credit for making it with great ease.

Organic Chemistry: The practice of transmuting vile substances into publications.

Partition Function: The function of a partition is to protect the lab supervisor from shrapnel produced in laboratory explosions.

Pass/Fail: An attempt by professional educators to replace the traditional academic grading system with a binary one that can be handled by a large digital computer.

Pharmacology: The use of rabbits and dogs as guinea pigs. (See also CLINICAL TESTING, TOXICOLOGY).

Physical Chemistry: The pitiful attempt to apply y=mx+b to everything in the universe.

Pilot Plant: A modest facility used for confirming design errors before they are built into a costly, full-scale production facility.

Polymer: Many mers. (Compare MONOMERS).

Prelims: (From L. pre [before] + limbo [oblivion]) An obligatory ritual practiced by graduate students just before the granting of a Ph.D. (if the gods are appeased) or an M.S. (if they aren’t).

Publish or Perish: The imposed, involuntary choice between fame and oblivion, neither of which is handled gracefully by most faculty members.

Purple Passion: A deadly libation prepared by mixing equal volumes of grape juice and lab alcohol.

Quantum Mechanics: A crew kept on the payroll to repair quantums, which decay frequently to the ground state.

Rate Equations: (Verb phrase) To give a grade or a ranking to a formula based on its utility and applicability. H=E, for example, applies to everything everywhere, and therefore rates an A. pV=nRT, on the other hand, is good only for nonexistent gases and thus receives only a D+, but this grade can be changed to a B- if enough empirical virial coefficients are added.

Research: (Irregular noun) That which I do for the benefit of humanity, you do for the money, he does to hog all the glory.

Sagan: The international unit of humility.

Scientific Method: The widely held philosophy that a theory can never be proved, only disproved, and that all attempts to explain anything are therefore futile.

SI: Acronym for “Systeme Infernelle”.

Spectrophotometry: A long word used mainly to intimidate freshman nonmajors.

Spectroscope: A disgusting-looking instrument used by medical specialists to probe and examine the spectrum.

Toxicology: The wholesale slaughter of white rats bred especially for that purpose. (See also CLINICAL TESTING, PHARMACOLOGY).

X-Ray Diffraction: An occupational disorder common among physicians, caused by reading X-ray pictures in darkened rooms for prolonged periods. The condition is readily cured by a greater reliance on blood chemistries; the lab results are just as inconclusive as the X-rays, but are easier to read.

Ytterbium: A rare and inconsequential element, named after the village of Ytterby, Sweden (not to be confused with Iturbi, the late pianist and film personality, who was actually Spanish, not Swedish). Ytterbium is used mainly to fill block 70 in the periodic table. Iturbi was used mainly to play Jane Powell’s father.

There is nothing to joke around with when it comes to managing the stress level in your life. The amount of stress that you endure has a direct impact on your health and overall well being. Pay close attention to the tips provided in this article for how to manage your stress.

It has often been said that laughter is the best medicine. This saying is true, especially when it comes to dealing with stress. Laughing reduces stress hormones in the body, causing an overwhelming sensation that makes you feel good. If you are having a hard time laughing, then at least try to crack a smile.

Look for ways to make everyday responsibilities and obligations less stressful. For example, planning meals for the week can eliminate the stress of deciding what is for dinner, and creating a list of household chores (and delegating them to specific days or family members) can help to make housework less stressful.

Gastrointestinal distress is a common reaction to stress. Acid reflux, a persistent feeling of nausea, and even problems with elimination can be our body’s outward reaction to stress. Reduce the level of stress you are feeling and symptoms such as these will often be greatly minimized or even disappear entirely!

Create a peaceful saying. Many people use a positive saying or affirmation that they say repeatedly when they begin to feel stressed. By repeating the affirmation, you can silence the more critical thoughts you are having about the situation. Next time you are feeling stressed, try saying the affirmation ten times in a row.

In conclusion, it is extremely important to know how to best manage stress in your life. Hopefully the advice in this article will prove to be beneficial to you in how to not only identify but also reduce the amount of stress that you have in order to life a happier life.

Travel is one of those rare human endeavors that can be either recreational activity or obligatory. Sometimes you want to travel and sometimes you have to. Whatever compels you to hit the road, the sea, or the sky, you can have a better travel experience if you educate yourself on the smart ways to travel.

Carefully check out any travel package deals before you book them. Many airlines and websites put together flights, hotel accommodations, meals and activities and offer them at one price. This is designed to benefit the companies, because they can book flights and rooms without mentioning their bottom line. Some of these packages can be steals, but you should always look into the cost of each piece of the deal to make sure you are saving money.

If you are traveling with children, purchase disposable cameras for them. They do not cost a lot of money, and they will keep your child busy throughout the trip. Ask your kids to snap pictures of anything they want to remember from the trip, and you may end up with some pretty interesting pictures.

If you do not know the language of the area you will be traveling to, try to learn a few basic phrases before you go. If you can ask if someone speaks English, in their language, they may be more likely to help you out or help you find someone else who can help you. Also, a smile goes a long way. Don’t be an obnoxious, English speaker.

Some people love to travel, regardless of their motivation. Others endure traveling at best. The difference between the two is not just a matter of temperament, though. When you take in smart travel advice like that found here, you can shift yourself towards being the former sort of person instead of the latter.

by: Cornell Kappa Sigma  

–”giving you tips on how to study and achieve student success“

In this day and age many people are looking for ways to manage their personal finances better. Since many people are barely making enough money to survive and trying to save money they are looking for ways to manage it better. This article contains ways you can better manage your finances.

Set up your bank account to transfer a predetermined sum of money from your checking to your savings once a month. You will forget you even have this money or see it as a bill, just like any other expense. Your savings can add up quickly by doing this.

To help you improve your personal financial situation, use direct deposit to ensure your paycheck goes directly into the bank. If you decide to cash your check immediately instead of depositing it, it will be more tempting to spend the money instead of saving it. Direct deposit will ensure you save more money and improve your personal finances.

If your employer offers a match to your 401K, make sure you’re contributing at least the amount they match. When an employer offers to match your funds, they are essentially giving you free money. The money you contribute will help you reach retirement goals and is tax free. It’s a win-win situation, all around.

If you are saving for your retirement it is recommended that you save 10-15% of your annual income when your are just starting out. Obviously, if you are older you will need to save more. You also need to save more if you will not retire with an mortgage free home. The sooner you get started the more you will have when you need it most.

Since money is tight for a good majority of people, they are looking for ways to manage their finances better so they can save for their future or just try to survive for now. After reading the article above you should know ways to better manage your family’s money for a better future.

by: Cornell Kappa Sigma  

–”giving you tips on how to study and achieve student success“

You know how important books are to children’s education. You can help children in need of new books by donating at FirstBook.org.

Let’s give these children access to books. Go to FirstBook now!

Some people are naturally more inclined to feel stressed out than others, but stress is something that can happen to everyone depending on the situation. You do not need to feel hopeless if you’re currently feeling the strain. Check out the tips in this article and work to fight that stress that’s bogging you down.

To handle stress in your life, start by minimizing stress in your life. Something as simple as laying out your work clothing for the next day can give you a better start in the morning; it may give you a few extra minutes to relax as well, instead of running around looking for a stray shoe or favorite blue sweater.

Smile to help lessen your stress levels. The act of smiling sends nerve impulses to the part of your brain that processes emotion, which slightly changes your internal neurochemical balance, making you feel happier. This might be because your body remembers that you smile when you’re happy–so if you smile, you must be happy at that moment.

One great way to deal with stress is to be sure that you are not projecting your stress upon somebody else and taking them down with you. This is important because you need to deal with your own stress yourself and not assert blame on anybody if they are not responsible.

In order to reduce stress in your life, avoid bottling up your feelings. Instead, say what is on your mind in a caring and respectful way so that people know how your are feeling. Keeping your feelings to yourself can often lead to resentment and anger, whereas open communication can help you find solutions to even the most complex problems and situations.

Even if you only deal with stress on occasion, the tips you’ve just read here can help you to eliminate it altogether. Please, if you do have problems with stress, use these tips to fight it before that stress takes hold of you and causes bigger problems. Your emotional state is nothing to trifle with.

Stress can affect our lives negatively in many ways. If you have a lot of stress in your life, it can affect your relationships, your ability to focus and be productive, and even your health! That’s why it’s so important to learn to relieve and reduce stress in your life. Read on to find out how.

A great tip that can help you keep your stress levels down is to eliminate caffeine from your diet. Even though drinking coffee has become so popular these days, getting too much caffeine can have serious side effects. Cutting out caffeine will help you feel much less anxious.

If you often find yourself feeling overwhelmed, work on saying no. You may want to please others, but taking on too many responsibilities is a surefire path to stress. If people ask you to do something, be honest and say that you’re too busy. They may be disappointed, but it’s the right thing to do for yourself.

A great tip that can help you feel less stressed is to go back and finish something that you started. We all know the lingering feeling of leaving something unfinished. By going back and completing something that you left unfinished, your stress will go down and you’ll feel much better.

A great tip that can help you when you’re feeling stressed out is to do some cleaning. Part of the reason you’re stressed out might be due to the fact that your home is so unorganized. Doing a bit of cleaning around your house can help you out and get you in a better state of mind.

Remember that stress from all areas of life can negatively impact you in many ways. If you practice the tips from this article, you can improve your job, your family life, and your emotional, mental, and physical well being. Remember to recognize symptoms of stress in yourself and take a step back if you need to.