RYAN KAMPHUIS UTSAV GANDHI TechNews ! Tuesday, October 19, 2011 ca mpus@technewsiit.com 26LAB to help teens learn engineering By Tabitha Ponte TECHNEws WRITER 26LAB, NFP is a new not-for-profit orga- nization in the city of Chicago, coming to the area of Bridgeport. The new store, currently undergoing a renovation, is located at 3249 South Halsted Street, near 33rd. Founded by Armour College of Engineer- ing graduate students Tabitha Ponte, Assoc. AIA (Master of Construction Engineering and Management) and Robert Zylstra, Assoc. AIA (Master of Architectural Engineering), 26LAB is a new enrichment program using architec- ture, engineering & construction education to help the youth develop their critical thinking, communication & interpersonal skills. 26LAB will offer after school sessions year- round, youth programs like Saturdays’ “BLDG BLOCKS” (ages 3-6), professional develop- ment programs like design and presentation software training, CEU classes for registered professionals, movie nights, crit nights, and much more. There will also be “openLAB” hours for the public to come in and learn more about sustainable materials and sys- tems. Ultimately the goal is to have 26LAB stu- dents learn the value and power of their cre- ativity and work, and show them how it can significantly impact the world around them. We want to provide a culture and environ- ment where collaboration is key and creativ- ity is encouraged... and we want to enable our students to tackle issues that will have signifi- cant local and universal impact.” 26LAB, NFP has partnered with IIT’s Idea Shop to host the “26LAB IIT Pilot”, scheduled on campus for upcoming dates in March and April. To get more information, help raise money for the project, or stay informed on its progress, visit the 26LAB website: http:// www.26lab.org. You can also follow 26LAB on Twitter and Facebook. IPRO 363 : Language Link By Monica Samelson TECHNEws WRITER Gabriela is from Monterrey, Mexico! And we’d like you to meet her! What is your name? Gabriela Barrera And what do your friends call you? Gaby Where are you originally from? Monter- rey, Mexico What is your major and what year are you at IIT? 4th Year Architecture Besides English, what languages do you speak? Spanish, French Can you please say a few common phrases in your native language? How are you? - éCo’mo estas? Where is the bathroom?-gDo’nde esta el bano? Do you speak English?-gHablas ingle's? Are there any specific traditions or customs relating to your culture that you would like to share? Yes, it’s called Rosca de Reyes. On January 6 we cut up a hollow oval cake with a little toy somewhere in it. Whoever gets the piece (Photo courtesy Monica Samelson) with the toy has to throw a party in February with lots of tamales. What brought you to join us at IIT? Chi- cago and architecture Is there a particularly enjoyable experi- ence you’ve had here that you would like to share? Yes, the blizzard! Interview conducted by Ian Hooke of IPRO 363. Looking to find someone to learn a new language with? Keep your eyes open for Lan- guage Link next semester, pioneered by IPRO 363. Email ipr0363@googlegroups.com for more information, but here’s a general round- up. Language Link is a new IPRO that’s building a website for H T that can work to match up stu- dents according to their language learning needs, as they hope to be part ofHT’s up-and-coming foreign language program. The website will work sort oflike a dating site - using a matching algo- rithm to match up people according to various factors, such as language proficiency, classes, extracurricular interests, and desired languages. Vegetarian cooking c By Utsav Gandhi CAMPUS EDITOR The previous Wednesday was the first ses- sion of the newly initiated Vegetarian Cook- ing Classes on campus, and it saw a very good turnout from students of many different nationalities and class standings. Organized by the Vedic Vision Society, the class was fa- cilitated by Ms. Kirtida, who has long been in service at the ISKCON Temple in Chicago and is currently also organizing cooking classes at other university campuses in Chicago, such as Northwestern University on Mondays. The first week of class we prepared a delicious, hot, steaming layered rice preparation known as ‘biryani’, the recipe of which is included below. A vegetarian diet has a lot of long term health, social and environmental benefits. The classes are scheduled every Wednesday from 6 to 8 pm. in the Gunsaulus Hall First Floor lounge. Contact vedicvis@iit.edu for more infor- mation. Week 1: Vegetable Biriyani Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 25-35 minutes Baking Time: 30 minutes Serves 6-8 persons Ingredients: 2 cups basmati or other long grain white rice 4 cups water 3 teaspoons salt 2 1/2 teaspoons turmeric 4 tablespoons ghee or oil 1/1 teaspoon cardamom seeds 1 1/2 teaspoons black mustard seeds 2 teaspoons poppy seeds 1/1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon garam masala 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 large eggplant peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes 6 ounces of melted butter 1 large zucchini diced into 1/2 inch cubes 1 large red pepper diced into 1/2 inch cubes 2 cups tomatoes chopped 1 teaspoon sugar 1 cup cooked lima beans 2/ 3 cup slivered raw almonds 2/3 cup broken or halved cashews (use more of these for better taste and for the treat of a heavier meal!) 2/3 cup raisins Note that it isn’t mandatory to use zucchi- ni, egg plant and tomatoes specifically; simi- lar vegetables may also be used if these aren’t available. Wash, drain, and dry the rice. Boil the water, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric in a 4-quart saucepan over moderate heat. Heat half of the ghee or oil in another 2 quart saucepan over moderately-low heat. Sauté the cardamom seeds and the rice in the hot ghee for 2 minutes or until the grains turn l lasses on campus whitish. Add the boiling water. Stir, raise the heat and bring the water to a full boil. Immedi- ately reduce the heat to low, cover with a tight fitting lid, and gently simmer, without stirring, for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the heat, al- lowing the grains to become firm. Heat the remaining ghee or oil in a medi- um-sized pan or wok over moderately-high heat. Sauté the mustard seeds in the hot ghee and, when they crackle, add the poppy seeds, the cayenne, garam masala, coriander, egg- plant pieces, and half of the butter. Stir-fry the eggplant for about 3 minutes. Add the zucchini, red pepper, tomato pieces, remaining salt, and sugar. Simmer the a, vegetables until just tender. Add the lima beans and remove from the heat. Spoon half of the rice into a large buttered oven-proof casserole dish and spread evenly Spread the vegetable mixture on top. Heat the remaining butter in a small pan over moderate heat. Sauté the nuts in the hot butter until they turn pale golden brown. Add the raisons and stir-fry until they swell and the nuts are golden brown. Combine this mixture with the remaining rice and spread on top of the vegetable layer. Place a lid on the casserole dish and bake in a preheated oven at 355°F for 30 minutes. Serve hot.