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WWW.REDANDBLACK.COM
Student
finds music
hidden in
HIV genome
By MICHAEL PROCHASKA
The Red & Black
Cin the key or A minor that’s the
note that infects millions of people every
year. It’s one of seven actually.
University graduate student Alexandra
PRjak assigned pitches to the amino
acids and proteins that define HIV and,
as it turns out, the virus is shockingly
soothing.
“It just sounds nice,” Pajak said. "The
HIV virus has kind of a somber but
peaceful sound to it.”
Psgak composed “Sounds of HIV,” an
album that harmonizes the entire
genome of HIV. It was released by Azica
Records on Oct. 26.
“Artistically, I’m not sure what to say
about it, but I do know that people from
different HIV support groups contacted
me saying they enjoyed listening to the
music,” Pajak said.
The project grew out of Pjyak’s under
graduate research as a music major at
Aleaanoha Pajak
j Sounds of HIV j
m
‘Sounds of HIV
Alexandra Pajak
But the assignment captured more
than a memory. It gave an aesthetic
value to Scott’s physical existence her
genetic code.
“They made a mural of her DNA on
the wall when you walked in the science
building and he asked me to write a sym
phony based on her DNA,” Pajak said.
Since her time humming the mole
cules of the human body, Pajak has been
asked to explain the method to her music
using analogies. Her favorite is equating
DNA sequences to a book.
“If you think about it, a book is made
of letters which makes up words, which
makes up chapters and it’s sort of similar
to that,” Pajak said. “So it’s like I assign
musical pitches to certain letters, larger
words —and together it’s a whole
piece.”
For “Sounds of HIV,” Pajak assigned
notes for the four nucleotides that make
up DNA. Then she selected pitches for
the 20 amino acids and proteins in HIV
based on their attraction to water.
“I wanted to stay true to the DNA,”
Pajak said. “I didn't add anything artistic
or extra to it, but I did try it out on differ
ent instruments.”
The virus’ soundtrack features sounds
from the piano, flute, clarinet, oboe, horn
and cello. Six musicians were hired to
See MUSIC, Page 2
MEGHAN PITTMAN 1 T. Rn> a Butci
A In Georgia’s 88-50 exhibition win over
Division II Lander, freshman Ronika Ransford
(4) tied for the team lead in points with 13.
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Red&Black
An independent student newspaper serving the University of Georgia community
ESTABLISHED 1893, INDEPENDENT 1980
Agnes Scott
College, where
the head
genetics pro
fessor asked
her to write a
piece of music
in memory of
Agnes Scott
the mother of
the school's
primary bene
factor, Col.
George
Washington
Scott.
Index-
Thursday, November 11, 2010
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SELFLESS
SACRIFICE
University veterans reflect on
transition from school to military
By DANIEL BURNETT j The Red & Black
Editor’s Note: The nation cele
brates Veteran’s Day today, and The
Red & Black has taken this opportu
nity to profile several University
ajfiliated veterans. We continue today
with a look at how some veterans
remember their time at the
University.
Before they navigated the jun
gles of Pacific islands, they
navigated college campuses.
Before they watched battles unfold
between two enemies, they watched
battles unfold between the hedges.
Before they were soldiers, they were
students.
Before the war, life was different.
Parked on Broad Street in his dark
green Toyota Tacoma, 65-year-old
Georgia dominates exhibition against Lander
By RYAN BLACK
The Red & Black
The Georgia women’s basketball
team did what they were supposed
to do Wednesday evening in their
exhibition game against Lander
win.
Moreover, the Lady Bulldogs won
convincingly.
The only catch was that it took
Georgia just a little longer to get
going then they may have liked in
their 88-50 victory.
Georgia head coach Andy Landers
was satisfied with the victory, but
knew there were still things they had
to work on heading into Sunday’s
regular season opener against
Georgia Southern.
“I’m more impressed than I am
concerned,” he said. “I do have real
concerns about rebounding, I have
real concerns about defense. I think
SEC PREVIEW
TVirn to pages 8
and 9 to learn
everything there
is to know about
SEC women’s
basketball.
News 2
Calendar 4
Vietnam veteran Steeny Banks
explained what life was like for a boy
growing up in a lower-middle class
family In Vidalia.
“I guess when you’re poor, you
don’t know it,” said Banks, who
walked to school growing up, was the
1963 captain of his high school bas
ketball team and eventually served
his country in Vietnam.
That part of his life began in 1967,
not long after he'd dropped out of
what was then known as Georgia
Southern College with a 0.87 grade
point average. The eventual University
student was walking down a street in
Jacksonville. Fla. where he’d gone
to find work when someone point
ed at him and urged him to enlist in
the armed forces.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Georgia 88, Lander 50
as time goes on we’ll learn to play
harder, I think we’ll play better
together and eliminate turnovers. I
Just think there’s an incredible upside
to our team.”
In the early going, the Lander
Lady Bearcats stayed close, even
opening up a six-point lead just five
minutes into the game, and contin
ued to fight admirably until Georgia
went on an 11-0 run to give them
selves a 34-18 advantage with 5:34
remaining in the half.
The Lady Bulldogs continued to
extend their lead until they held a
47-21 bulge at halftime.
In the second half, Georgia was
already in cruise control, outscoring
Lander 41-20 en route to a comfort
REPTILE ROOMMATE
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PHOTOS BY MELISSA HARVARD I Tuba,Bun
▲ Alumnus S teeny Banks served in
Vietnam. He said he joined the armed
forces because he wanted adventure.
It was a poster of Uncle Sam.
He summed up his decision to
enlist in one word: adventure.
“It was just like a magnet that
brought me to it,” he said. “That’s a
hard way to get the adventurer out of
your system you don’t have to get
shot at that many times to get the
adventurer out of you.”
And adventure he got.
Banks spent a year and half on the
U.S.S. Hunterdon County patrolling
“every river south of Saigon” to ensure
the enemy wasn’t able to transfer
goods along the rivers.
“We owned the river;” he said. “Our
life was the river.”
Banks said gunmen would often
See SOLDIERS, Page 3
What year did
an alligator
share a dorm
with a student?
Page 2
Sports 8
Crossword 2
WUOG is switching
from airwaves to
center stage.
Pages 4 & 5
Vol. üB, No. 5a | Athens, Georgia
able 38-point win.
Part of the reason the Lady
Bearcats kept it close at the begin
ning is the fact they were not your
ordinary exhibition opponent. Lander
came into the game ranked No. 4 in
Division 11, and last season won a
school-record 27 games on their way
to winning the Peach Belt Conference
title, as well as being the unanimous
pick to win it again this season.
But in spite of their lofty acco
lades, once the Lady Bulldogs got on
track, there was little the Lady
Bearcats could do to stop it.
“The first five minutes of the bas
ketball game we allowed them to get
six offensive boards,” Landers said.
“So they were getting second chance
opportunities to score.”
The Georgia victory was notice
ably a team effort.
See WIN, Page 10
BREAKDOWN
Sudoku 9
Which former
student has
had a career
in designing
for rock stars?
Page 7