The Daily Barometer OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY • CORVALLIS, OREGON 97331
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MONDAY, JANUARY 27, 2014 • VOLUME CXVI, NUMBER 70
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Journeying 6,000 feet below OSU researcher Rick Colwell sets sail for South China Sea to explore the depths, find life
By Dacotah-Victoria Splichalova THE DAILY BAROMETER
It’s dark and extremely hot. Under an intense pressure, 6,000 feet below the sea, life exists. “It’s not a good life down there, necessarily, but it is alive,” said Rick Colwell, a professor of microbiology in the College of Earth, Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences. For Colwell, the search isn’t just for life, but to identify who is alive. “I’m intrigued and feel very fortunate to live in a time when we can collect (microorganisms), and then figure out who actually exists there,” Colwell said. It started a year ago when Colwell first read a proposal to explore the South China Sea. Funded mostly by the Chinese branch of the Integrated Ocean and Drilling Program, Colwell is one of 30 researchers shipping out for two months to explore the depths of the sea floor. Popularly abbreviated as the JR, JOIDES Resolution is the scientific research vessel that arrived in the See COLWELL | page 4
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In many ways it is a small planet. Processes are linked to each other whether they’re natural or human-induced.
By Tori Hittner
THE DAILY BAROMETER
Rick Colwell
Professor of microbiology
COURTESY OF RICK COLWELL
JOIDES Resolution drill ship for the International Ocean Discovery Program, when it was moored in Honolulu in 2009.
It don’t mean a thing if you ain’t got that swing
EMMA-KATE SCHAAKE
| THE DAILY BAROMETER
Zach Wallace, president of the OSU Swing Club, shares a dance and a laugh with Sophie Thompson Friday night.
Dancers of all ages, experience levels enjoyed dance group’s second annual Corvallis Swing and Blues Weekend
blues dancing sparked two years ago when she began taking classes with the Corvallis society. “It’s awesome dancing; it’s so fun filled and all-inclusive,” Tokuda said. Friday night, the dance floor was filled By Emma-Kate Schaake with dancers of all ages, styles and skill THE DAILY BAROMETER Live music, long hours and festive com- levels, and some chose to dress in fashions pany kept toes tapping and spirits high at reminiscent of the music. “Part of the fun is dressing up,” Tokuda the Corvallis Swing and Blues Weekend. said. The second annual event was a partnerFrom early Friday night, dancers were out ship between the OSU Swing Club and on the floor, showing off their footwork, and the Corvallis Swing Dance Society, and a celebration of the Corvallis society’s fourth enjoying the music. “My favorite part about it is you are conyear and its 100th hosted dance. “It’s just three days of swing and blues stantly improvising, anything goes as long dancing,” said Zach Wallace, president of as you are feeling the music, and it’s just the OSU Swing Club and a junior in marine fun,” said OSU graduate Lindsey Almarode. The Corvallis Swing Dance Society offers biology. classes throughout the year for all dancers, The event kicked off Friday night at the from introductory courses to the teaching OSU Women’s Building, before moving to of swing. the Majestic Theater for late-night dancing “We introduce (swing dancing) in a nonuntil 3 a.m. Over the weekend, there were threatening way,” Tokuda said. disc jockeys at each venue as well as four The society tries to collaborate with other live bands to bring the music of the 1930s groups in areas like Monmouth, Portland and ‘40s. and Eugene to expand the availability of Eileen Tokuda, a volunteer at the event, swing dancing. said swing and blues music styles are slightOf the more than 100 dancers regisly different, but dancers of all modes and tered for the weekend, many areas of the skill levels were encouraged to participate. Northwest were represented, and there “There is a close relationship between were even dance enthusiasts from as far as swing and blues,” Tokuda said. “It’s a synMinnesota, and Victoria, B.C. ergistic thing.” See SWING | page 4 Tokuda said her passion for swing and n
Task force director aims to project student voices to national stage Politics may not be a top priority for many college students, but according to Matthew Perez, more students should be aware of the impact it has on their daily lives. A junior studying mathematical economics, Perez frequently deals with numbers and data. The patterns and results he sees in student political involvement have him pushing for reform. “My main purpose is to represent students from Oregon State at the state and federal level,” Perez said. “What that means is that during the legislative sessions, I will be going up to Salem and lobbying on behalf of the students.” Perez serves as the Associated Students of Oregon State University task force director of government affairs and has made it a priority Perez this year to make sure that student concerns are heard and addressed by local and federal legislative bodies. “I was elected to the (ASOSU) House of Representatives in the spring,” Perez said. “I just started hanging around ASOSU and once I started figuring out the inner workings of student government, I realized that I could do the most for the students of Oregon State in this (task force director) position.” A fitness enthusiast and member of Sigma Pi fraternity, Perez has experience channeling his dedication and interests into important leadership positions and responsibilities. Perez also helped re-establish an economics club on campus after the previous organization dissipated. These leadership skills and experiences have helped Perez establish an effective task force to tackle several big goals for the year. Working with the ASOSU executive director of government affairs Taylor Sarman to lobby for a “Good Samaritan” policy is of paramount importance to Perez and his team. “If someone is in need of emergency medical attention due to alcohol consumption, they won’t necessarily get the normal severity of punishments that have been going on (under the policy),” Perez said. “We’re going to come in at it like it’s a statewide issue that college-aged students care about and we feel like that’s going to be a much stronger message in Salem.” A “Good Samaritan” policy offers See PEREZ | page 4