Ryan Pinkham

Stories from Ryan Pinkham

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
Nine University students and a professor endured 13-hour flight, cramped quarters and sleep deprivation to participate in a communications class that featured a trip to Japan.

Dr. Naomi Kagawa, a professor in the Communications Department, offered the students an opportunity to experience the Japanese style of communication first-hand in her homeland.

After landing at Narita International Airport in Tokyo, the group visited many educational and culturally significant sites in Tokyo, Matsue, Izumo, Hiroshima, Nara and Kyoto.

Big Idea winner
Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

Senior Chez Prior won first place at the Big Idea Challenge sponsored by the School of Business Administration.

Charged with envisioning an innovative business idea, twenty-two teams developed their idea into a written business plan and then presented their idea to a panel of judges.

Judges looked at five criteria when deciding the winner; innovation, marketability, how realistic was the idea, if the idea had a high possibility of being funded and presentation.

Model UN
Tuesday, April 13th, 2010
The University Model United Nation student delegation of fifteen traveled to New York City for the 2010 National Model U.N. Conference this past week and won three awards.

The student delegation represented the two countries: El Salvador and Turkey,  Dr. Marcus Stadelmann, department chairman of political science, said.

Over 4,000 students from over 300 universities and colleges attended with roughly 49 percent from foreign universities, Stadelmann said.

The delegation received its first “Distinguished Delegation” award in its fourth year in attendance.

University Center grand opening
Monday, April 12th, 2010

The University Center grand opening on Wednesday plans to feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony, door prizes, free food and open house of the new student services locations.

The grand-opening ceremony is planned to start at 11 a.m. in the UC Auditorium.

Travel group to Turkey
Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

Thoughts of college students on spring break usually are associated with wild parties and alcohol, not with students traveling to a foreign nation on an educational trip.

A total of 44 students and members of the Tyler community traveled to Turkey over spring break with Dr. Manoucher “Dr. K” Khosrowshahi from Tyler Junior College and Dr. R. Steven Krebbs from the University.

The trip was just one of what is expected to be many more international excursions, designed to enlighten and educate students about life in other counties.

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

Volunteers showed up en masse at 8 a.m. to the Green Acres Baptist Church Worship Center for the East Texas “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” pep rally.

While the Robert E. Lee High School band played inside the sanctuary, the school’s drill team and cheerleaders thanked attendees as they entered the worship center.

The pep rally provided volunteers information to build community support and awareness.

The build is set to start on Feb. 25 when host Ty Pennington and design team knock on the family’s door.

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Students living on limited budgets find it difficult to purchase name brand software at affordable prices. Student, faculty and staff at the University are eligible to get name brand software at discounted prices.

Last semester software could be purchased at the University bookstore or the cashier’s office. Now HiEd.com hosts the University software store at https://webstore.hied.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/UTTYRetail.

Monday, February 8th, 2010

Troup Citizens for Progress, a pro-alcohol sales group, submitted a petition last week legalizing beer and wine within the city limits. Troup is about 18 miles southeast of the University.

This petition calls for “the legal sale of beer and wine for off-premise consumption only, and the legal sale of mixed beverages in restaurants by food-and-beverage certificate holders only.”

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

Thirty years after “the flash” tore a hole in the sky, destroying much of life on Earth, a survivor walks alone on a deserted road.

To survive, Eli, played by Denzel Washington, relies on a small, but versatile arsenal of weapons: a customized machete, a pistol, a bow and arrow and a sawed-off shotgun. Washington was trained to perform his own fight sequences in this movie.

The first fight scene is unique because all that is seen is black silhouettes contrasting against the barren background.

Stairs and Lobby
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010
Thursday, January 21st, 2010

University police and physical plant/facilities personnel reported no damages to the campus following Wednesday night's severe weather, Beverley Golden, director of news and information, said Thursday.

The University was under a severe weather and tornado warning for more than an hour. Weather sirens directed people on campus to take shelter after possible tornadoes were sighted in Smith County.

The weather service has not confirmed if any tornados touched down in the area neighboring the University.

Guitar Ensemble
Monday, December 7th, 2009

Members of the University classical guitar ensemble, junior Joshua Williams (left), a music performance major, sophomore Thomas Guffey, a music major, and junior Michael Anzaldna perform seven songs on Wednesday in the School of Visual and Performing Arts Building lobby. This was their first public performance.

Showing the Big One
Monday, November 16th, 2009

Freshman Hannah Scirto, a criminal justice major, holds the fish that she caught from Harvey lake. Clear skies and warm temperatures throughout the week prompted many students to spend more time outdoors amid a backdrop of rich fall color.

Open Mic Night
Monday, November 9th, 2009

Freshman Business major Kasey Moore plays guitar for freshman education major Cassidy Younghans during Open Mic Night Thursday night in the University Center’s Patriot Zone. Younghans wrote and performed the song “Trying Not to Choke.” Campus Activites Board sponsored the hour-long event.

 

Monday, November 9th, 2009

Puffing up on campus may go up in smoke if the Student Government Association decides to pursue a smoking ban.

At the SGA meeting on Oct. 22, SGA president Amy Whitehouse asked the senators to poll their constituents and collect data on if they support a campus-wide smoking ban. On Nov. 5, the senators turned in their findings of the smoking ban poll, in writing, to Whitehouse.

Wireless Icon
Monday, October 26th, 2009

There are two forms of wireless network connections at the University, but only Secure* Air keeps personal information private. Both Secure*Air and Patriot*Air are designed for the exclusive use of the Patriot community, which includes University students, faculty, staff, and official guests of the University.

Secure*Air is a secure and encrypted wireless connection to the Internet while Patriot*Air is an unencrypted and unprotected wireless connection to the Internet. An unprotected connection means sensitive or confidential information sent over Patriot*Air may be compromised.

TriBeta wins chili cook-off
Monday, October 19th, 2009

The University chili cook-off on Saturday featured flavorful and spicy chilies from various student organizations and clubs. First place for best chili went to the Kappa Xi chapter of the TriBeta Biological Honor Society.

Nikki Traub, a senior biology and pre-med major, said “TriBeta’s Bodacious Brew” had flavor over spice, while fellow cook Megan Padgett, a senior biology and pre-med major, described the concoction as “chunky goodness.”

Tuesday, September 29th, 2009

Political science’s department chairman Dr. Marcus Stadelmann, along with students in 2006 formed a Model United Nations at the University.

The Model U.N. gives students a chance to become diplomats of foreign nations in a simulated environment.

Stadelmann and select students traveled to Model U.N. summits in New York City in the spring.

Monday, September 28th, 2009

Student Government Association members agreed Thursday to investigate complaints about the lack of “green space” available for recreational sports.
Three students said collegiate sports teams receive preference to use the soccer practice field and other facilities, leaving intramural and club sport teams in the backseat.

“Coaches always say we have to be students first and athletes second. But we’re not even getting a chance to be athletes,” student Tim Records told SGA members during the organization’s weekly meeting. Records joined students Chris Stonestreet and Dean Mize in telling representatives they are disappointed in the way scheduling is being handled so far this semester.

Art Center utility construction
Monday, September 21st, 2009

Three construction projects are going on at the University; the University Center renovation, the grounds beautification of the Robert R. Muntz Library and the Art Center addition. Construction and renovation of the UC will be completed by the end of Spring Break 2010, Gregg Lassen, vice president of business affairs, said.