Calcium sulfate an unusual property: when mixed with water at normal (ambient) temperatures, it quickly reverts chemically to the preferred dihydrate form, while physically "setting" to form a rigid and relatively strong gypsum crystal lattice: This reaction is exothermic and is responsible for the ease with which gypsum can be cast into various shapes including sheets (for drywall), sticks (for blackboard chalk), and molds (to immobilize broken bones, or for metal casting). Mixed with polymers, it has been used as a bone repair cement. Small amounts of calcined gypsum are added to earth to create strong structures directly from cast earth, an
You-Are-Loved Chalk Message Project suicide prevention awareness campaign for LGBTQ college students. The project continued annually each October until 2012. In May 2012, the Chalk Message Project became part of Active Minds' National Day Without Stigma program. The Chalk Message Project raised awareness about suicide prevention for LGBTQ college students According to the Trevor Project, (a 24/7 crisis intervention and suicide prevention lifeline) LGBTQ youth are four to eight times more likely to attempt suicide than heterosexual youth. While little research has been done on suicide among LGBTQ college students specifically, a 2010 study from Campus Pride suggested a "chilly" climate for America's LGBTQ