Two ExTerm Activities -- Acrobatics and Fundraising with SciFi

Thursday Night Movie Fundraiser
Do you ever think about scientific breakthroughs and the ethical questions they pose? Sometimes the benefits of these experiments are purchased at a great cost to individuals who often remain anonymous. Dr. Melanie Styers' ExTerm class, Tough Choices: Ethical Dilemmas in Science and Medicine explores the implications of medical breakthroughs.

Based on one case, the students were moved to action and along with Dr. Styers have organized a fundraiser for the Henrietta Lacks Foundation on Thursday evening, Jan. 19, at 7 PM in Harbert Auditorium. They will show the movie Source Code (with Jake Gyllenhall, Vera Farmiga and Michelle Monaghan) and serve pizza and snacks. Following the movie will be a discussion of the bioethical issues raised by the plot. The suggested donation is $5, but any amount is appreciated. All proceeds will be donated to the Henrietta Lacks Foundation.

Dr. Styers reported "the class read the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (a wonderful book!!) The book deals with the history behind HeLa cells, a cervical cancer cell line that has led to many of the most significant scientific breakthroughs over the last 50 years. It details how the cells were isolated from Henrietta Lacks (without her consent) and the lasting effects on her family. The book adresses issues related to race, poverty, medical ethics, and education. My students have been very touched by Henrietta's story."

For information of the movie Source Code see http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0945513/

For information on the Henrietta Lacks Foundation see http://henriettalacksfoundation.org/

Celebrate Chinese New Year with Acrobatics!

One of the most famous acrobatic groups in China, the Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe, will perform at Birmingham-Southern on Wednesday, Jan. 18, in celebration of the 2012 Chinese New Year, The Year of the Dragon.

The performance will take place at 7:30 p.m. in Bill Battle Coliseum. The public is invited and the event is free. The doors of the coliseum will open at 7 p.m.