“Welding Makes You Feel Powerful”

Chemistry Major David Myers Shares His Plans for World Domination

Dave Myers is from Peoria, Illinois. He is a chemistry major and he’s starting a Frisbee Golf club here on campus. “Frolfing, we call it,” says Dave. Read on to find out how he’ll be controlling your brain when he grows up.

Tell me what I can understand about chemistry.

I like chemistry because when you can use it to understand everything that goes on around you, you can truly understand how things are then manipulate them to your advantage. I want to go into medicine. You need chemical knowledge to understand all the terminology, all the processes, how drugs work … It’s really about trying to understand how things work on the molecular level.

So you have to understand how they work just by reading about them?
You have to do a lot of measurements. A lot of times, you can tag certain molecules with fluorescence, so once they break down or go through a certain reaction, the fluorescence fades, comes back in. It’s all about using what you can measure to figure out what you don’t know.

So it’s just like algebra.
It’s a lot of math.

You like art.
I really enjoy it – I love sculpting and welding especially. Welding makes you feel powerful. You can manipulate these strong things.

Are you doing another welding project?
I’m going to build a big pole that comes up and gets smaller as it goes up, probably four or five feet tall, and have something on the top that can either spin, or I’m going to hang things – hopefully I’ll be able to make it spin around.

What inspired you to do that?
I like doing structures like that – things that can stand up and support [their] own weight. I saw some dude on the Internet that had a bunch of them and I was like, “Wow.” Some dude from Arizona or New Mexico – he used to live in a commune in Washington or Oregon. He went to college and after college he was like, fuck this. So he went and had fun on a commune for a few years and he loved it. Tried to go back to some kind of engineering or whatever he studied in college and he couldn’t do it. He was like, “This is a waste of my life.”

He couldn’t handle the real world?
[He’d experienced] a more peaceful way of living than going through the stresses of everyday capitalism in the US. So he started collecting steel in his backyard and just making things. I think it was Royce Carlson.

I’m excited to see it. Where are you from?
Illinois. Peoria.

I’ve heard of that town.
It’s great. I like the friendly people. There’s about the Midwest – everybody’s nicer. Clerks, even – clerks are just happy all the time.

What else is different about the East coast? I always wonder if that distinction is as concrete as it seems to be. Would you say that there is a disparity?
There is, but it gets blurred a lot. It’s hard to make the full distinction – a lot of the small towns and cities around here are just like the towns in cities in Illinois. I think it’s just a matter of social etiquette. In Illinois, it’s much calmer. Out here, it’s a race to talk fast. If you go up to Chicago, it’s similar to DC. Just because city life is no fun.

Maybe it’s not so much of a difference between -
East coast and west coast. Its more of like -

City and country. That’s definitely a possibility.
There’s still the fast talking.

We talk faster?
A lot faster.

So are you going to medical school?
I think so. I took the MCAT last summer, which is way earlier than most people do it, which is spring of their junior year. I took the summer before my junior year. I did well enough, so I should be able to get in.

What made you want to take it so early?
You usually have to go through some sort of preparation in order to take it, because there’s so much stuff you have to learn. I just had a whole lot more time this summer. I thought I could just spend a month and a half intensively working on this stuff, pounding it into my brain, and take [the test] before school [started]. I thought it would be way more efficient and I would probably score better if I could just get it done, not have to worry about anything else.

Was everyone like, “You’re crazy”?
Kind of. My advisor was like, “what?” I was like, I’m gonna do it. Relax.

You’re happy with your score?
Absolutely.

Do you think you’re going to be a doctor of people or a doctor of making medicine?
I’ll probably go into something like neuro-psychiatry, or the psychiatry of brain imaging. I was reading this book about this doctor from California. Around 2004, he had just started using this thing called SPECT imaging - single photon emission computed tomography.

Whaaa?
It’s able to measure and pick up on metabolic things that are going on in your brain. If a certain area of your brain is really working hard, they can pick that up. Basically its going change psychiatry. People can say, “I feel depressed.” In the brain, that can be triggered by numerous, numerous things – five to ten different things completely aside from one another. Back in the day, they would just use serotonin inhibitors. There were only a few ways to treat it. Those drugs can cause it to get worse if it’s not diagnosed correctly. What he’s doing is going to change the face of psychiatry and I want to jump in on that. The brain and genetics are the only places in the human body that we haven’t really investigated.

Student Spotlight: Philosopher Micah Tillman

Hometown:
Gainesville, Florida
Major:
PhD candidate, Philosophy

PhD candidate and freelance writer Micah Tillman is about to finish his dissertation here at the University. He recently spoke to the Tower about music, philosophy, faith and the intersection of the three.

Q. How did you become interested in Philosophy?
A. It was my mom. I was home schooled and she taught a co-op class for other families that were home schooling. One of the classes she taught was on Philosophy, and she was so engaged in it and taught it so well that I became interested in it and tried to take as many philosophy classes as I could when I was an undergraduate.

Q. What was your interest before philosophy when you went to college?
A. It was music and computers. I was a song writer, a musician and a programmer.  I majored in computer science and minored in music.

Q. In college you played in a band?
A. I was going to school at Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania which is just south of the capitol, Harrisburg. It was about a two hour trip home and on weekends and I would often drive home to play shows.

Q. What kind of music did you play?
A. We were a mixture of punk and grunge, which I guess is a kind of a natural mix since Kurt Cobain thought he was a punk artist. We were a Christian grunge-punk band and we played at a lot of churches.

Q. After you graduated you decided you didn’t like computer programming you went back to school?
A. I actually decided I didn’t like it when I was a junior but by then it was too late for me to change. The first two years of the computer science major was heavy in programming and the second two years were not creative at all.  I realized that not only did the major not fit me but I didn’t fit in to the culture of the computer science majors.

Q. Where did you recieve your Master’s in Philosophy?
A. I went to West Chester University in Pennsylvania. I was actually accepted to Catholic University but I turned Catholic down so I could have two more years playing with my band to see if [it] was going anywhere. It was a good experience being at a secular university for a while - being the only Christian in a secular environment taught me to be quick on my feet as a thinker. It was a good experience but I knew I wanted to come to Catholic afterwards.

Q. Was there a teacher here who impacted you in a certain way and had an influence on you?
A. Msgr. Robert Sokolowski has been a big influence on me here, especially on the phenomenology front. One of the reasons I chose Catholic University because it had a strong background in religious philosophy and I knew I wouldn’t be able to get that schooling I went to another University.

Q. What is your dissertation on?
A. It’s on the philosophy of Edmund Husserl and how he deals with presence and absence.

Q. What classes are you teaching?
A. I am teaching two sections of the Classical Mind and I teach Modern Mind in the spring. What I like most about teaching any of the classes is getting to interact with the students. I like to think I help my students.

Q. One of your assignments is to analyze a song and how it relates to the principles of philosophy. Does that have anything to do with you being in a band and because you like music?
A. Every semester I assign my Classical Mind students to take the course topics that we have been learning about and show me how they appear in lyrics in the song of their choice. One of the reasons I like music so much is it that it fills some of the same needs as philosophy.  It helps you cope with life, it helps you think about the world, it shapes the way you look at things and interact with other people. Philosophy’s job is to help you to think more clearly about your life and I want my students to see that philosophy’s ideas actually do apply to there lives if nothing else they apply to the music they are listening to.

Q. You have your own blog. What have you written recently?
A. It’s micahtillman.com.  I write a weekly article for freeliberal.com, which is a libertarian site. On my own blog I do a lot of political commentary.

Q. After your dissertation what are your plans? Do you want to go into teaching philosophy? Do you want to stay in the area?
A. Immediately I would like to stay in the area. I really love Catholic University and the environment here. Even though I am not Catholic myself it is a good place to be, philosophically and religiously. Even as a musician, I felt that my mission was to [help] Christian youth think about their own faith and their lives.

“Don’t Quote Me On This” Student Spotlight on Paula Caruselle

Grade: Senior, Class of 2009
Hometown: Staten Island, New York
Major: Sociology
Minor: Theology & Religion Studies
Activities: Program Board, First-Year Mentors, President’s Society, former co-chair of Student Representation Board

If you ever run into a lively cheerful red-haired senior from Staten Island, you’ve come across Paula Caruselle, a sociology major who is known for being behind-the-scenes of most student events.

Q: What’s your favorite part of Catholic University?
A: The people. My friends. My relationships, ones that I had freshmen year, that I have now, the ones that I had and no longer have, the ones with my friends who have graduated and are now coming back this weekend. I think that the one thing you never hear negative about this school is the type of person that comes here. We’re way above the rest. I was not involved in the way that I was now, but in my freshmen year, I made my best friends and I didn’t realize it was happening. Four years later, I’m looking back, and some of them aren’t here, some of them have gone different ways and I’ve lost a few of them. But I love them all. Especially my grade, shout of to Class of 2009! We’re really like a family.

Q: You’re a first-year mentor to sixty freshmen this year. What advice do you give them?
A:  I love my first year students, they’re amazing. I tell them not to be afraid. You’ll do crazy things, say ridiculous things, and make mistakes when you think you are making the right decision. You’ll have the most amazing of times in the most random of places. It’s much easier said than done though, but now that I’ve had almost four years, I would tell a freshman to take advantage of everything that the school has to offer. Find something you like and stick with it. It gives you a sort of foundation to do something like mentor new students, be in the President’s Society, and participate in Program Board. Not being afraid gives you the confidence you need as a college student.

Q: How was your own freshmen year?
A: I would love to watch myself during freshmen year or even relive it. I would have gotten involved sooner. I wouldn’t trade my four years for anything though. I think it’s important to note that I didn’t feel this way instantaneously. That feeling of belonging here didn’t come right away. I always knew this is where I wanted to be, but that’s only half the challenge. You have to make the effort and want it. If you don’t want it, then I feel bad for you. If you want it, you’ll eventually get it and have the time of your life.

Q: Do you have a secret place that you escape to on-campus?
A: Mary Garden, definitely. We found it when we were freshmen and we would wander over there all hours of the day and night. It is such a cool place that eventually became somewhere that allowed me to feel at peace. The sky is always pink and there’re always cute clouds over there, which is fabulous. They just re-did it too; it’s even bigger and more beautiful than ever. If you haven’t been there, then I suggest you find it. It’s just something you have to fall into though, but you will.

Q: You’re four years at the school are almost up. Do you have any regrets?
A: There are many times that I didn’t put myself out there freshmen year and things could have been different. But I don’t believe in regrets. I think that’s something I’ve learned over the past few years. There’s no time for regrets. You can’t live like that.

Q: What do you do in your free time?
A: What’s free time? I’m a big emailer. I love gmail chat. I go home whenever I can if fun things are happening. Honestly though, I just love to catch up with my roommates, friends, and visit everyone on and off the campus. Everyone is so busy that we really don’t have much time to hang out. A couple of days ago, it was one of my best friend’s birthday, and everyone was so tired, that we just sat there and watched television while eating store-bought cupcakes that I had to fake making.

Q: What’s something people don’t know about you?
A: First off, I’m not always in the Pryz. I have a life. I’m also a lot funnier than people think I am. I’m not funny like Mary Grazio, but I make myself laugh a lot more than I think I should. I’m also a lot messier than people think I am. I’m an organized mess. I can get myself together for school though, but that’s about it. Read more

Student Spotlight: Patrick Redding

Sitting down with Patrick Redding is a lot like hanging out with a buddy at a bar - there’s never a dull moment. Patrick, a sophomore political science major, was raised in New Haven, Conn. by his mother and father, two policemen who are now the chief of police and chief detective, respectively, of his hometown. Today, Patrick’s résumé reads like a laundry list - he’s able to call himself an actor, hockey player, political enthusiast, guitar player and football state champion.

Patrick attended Xavier High School from 2003-2007. During his junior year, he helped his school’s football team win the state championship in 2005. He continued an acting career throughout his high school years, which he had started when he was only five years old. He has been in professional performances of The Secret Garden, and a more recent production of the play Brighton Beach Memoirs. Patrick has since put his career on hold for his studies, but gladly re-enters stage over the summer.

The political junkie loves DC nightlife and he has developed a strong circle of friends at the University. Whether he is watching a Washington Capitols game or hanging out around campus, Patrick can surely be found living the ‘night life’ with his friends until early morning. At the same time, however, Patrick maintains safety above all else. When asked about the recent spike in drinking at the University, Patrick said, “I do understand that [students] have to abide by the laws of the District.” And he strongly encourages others to do the same.

A lifelong hockey player, he is currently part of the University’s club hockey team. “I’ve been playing hockey since I was three years old,” he recalled, saying his whole family and many friends loved the sport, and he naturally took part in it with them.

Rather than follow in his parents’ footsteps as a police officer, Patrick hopes to follow a different career that maintains a similar sense of service once he graduates. Currently, he has not settled on an exact field, but he hopes to work on a state or national level in the years to come.

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Hi Friend! Lyndsay Basista, Class of 2009. Hitched!

By: Emily Ruane

When I approached senior Media Studies major Lyndsay Basista about being in this week’s Student Spotlight column, she laughed. “I’m not interesting!” she claimed. Not! Basista is interesing in many ways. She recently took a break from house-hunting to share some of those ways with me.

1. She is a newlywed. She and her husband got married in April in a civil ceremony. The two “didn’t want the hassle of a big ceremony”–plus, Basista says, there are better ways to spend the big bucks that a fancy wedding might cost. They currently rent an apartment in downtown Bethesda. Her favorite DC restaurant? “We go to Moby-Dick more than we probably should!” (Um, if I lived that close to Moby-Dick I would too!)

2. She supports light. She’s currently in the middle of a year-long internship at the Optical Society of America (slogan: “Advancing the Science and Technology of Light”)–a non-profit organization that support scientists who work with optics. She works in the public and goverment relations department, a field which she’dlike to enter post-graduation. “The members” of the organization, she says, “are very interesting.”

3. She loves O Brother, Where Art Thou? (with No Country for Old Men coming in a close second). A class on the films of Joel and Ethan Coen “inspired an obsession” with the filmmaking brothers. It enabled her to “watch them progress,” and gave her an appreciation of the symbolism and themes that they employ in each of their films. For example, says Basista: “They really like vomit!” She likes the directors because “they’re not typical Hollywood–they make movies for the love of making movies. To have that kind of vision,” she says, “that love of film,” is what makes them such great moviemakers.
Bottom line, Lyndsay is really cute and we like her.

Overheard at CUA:

Frosh 1:  Did you guys end up going out last night?
Frosh 2:  No, we got written up while we were pre-gaming.
Frosh 1:  Really? By who?
Forsh 2:  Some R.A. with curly red hair.
Frosh 1:  Male or female?
Frosh 2:  No idea.