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Craig Robinson, Ahmad Starks’ relationship from their Chicago days
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013 • OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY DAILYBAROMETER.COM
VOLUME CXVI, NUMBER 81
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Jackie seus
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CORVALLIS, OREGON 97331
| THE DAILY BAROMETER
Andrew Blaustein addresses amphibian decline.
We are truly experiencing a silent spring.
jackie seus
| THE DAILY BAROMETER
Dr. Andrew Blaustein, OSU zoology professor, presented Monday at the Old World Deli for Science Pub Corvallis. His presentation focused on amphibians and the obstacles faced by the animals, many of which are endangered species.
Blaustein discusses
Dr. Andrew Blaustein,
zoology professor and director of environmental science graduate program
amphibian decline Science Pub holds presentation on problems faced by amphibians
ences graduate program at Oregon State University, spoke to a room full of people who came to hear about the plight of amphibians. By McKinley Smith As part of a biodiversity crisis, Blaustein The Daily Barometer said “rates of extinction are going straight Monday night, the Old World Deli hosted up, and they’re unprecedented.” He added Dr. Andrew Blaustein to speak about the that amphibians, such as toads, frogs, salamurky future of amphibians. Blaustein, manders and caecilians, are doing a little a professor in the department of zoology worse than birds and mammals. and the director of the environmental sciAccording to Blaustein, one-third of n
amphibians, or about 2000 species, are currently threatened — with 122 extinctions since 1980. “We are truly experiencing a silent spring where we don’t hear this,” Blaustein said, referring to the harmony of croaking played on his slide. Blaustein explained that amphibians are sensitive for a number of reasons. Their eggs are laid in the open with no protecSee Blaustein | page 2
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| THE DAILY BAROMETER
Nick Houtman leads Science Pub trivia.
Fee committee hears Ed Act, music budgets OSU researchers ready a new fleet n
The Student and Incidental Fee Committee reviewed, modified two budget proposals Monday night By Jack Lammers The Daily Barometer
“We dedicated dollar amounts to organizations so they can draw out of those pots,” Hatlen said. Members from The Daily Barometer and Beaver Yearbook fielded questions from the student fee committee, which more particularly attacked discrepancies between items in their budgets and the actual amounts spent in those areas. “Regularly the line item doesn’t match up with the expense,” said committee member Terra Setzler. “There
hasn’t been consistency in what was budgeted and what was spent.” Technology, equipment and travel funds received most of the attention, but Hatlen argued for their decisions behind the budgets. “The actual money spent fluctuates year to year in areas like equipment for Student Media,” Hatlen said. After a prolonged discussion, the committee reservedly decided to offer
The Student and Incidental Fee Committee overrode both budgets presented Monday night from Educational Activities and the Oregon State University music department. See SIFC | page 2 Drew Hatlen, Chairman of the Educational Activities Committee and Curt Black, adviser, looked to streamline costs and efficiency in their budget. Their proposal included no decision packages, instead calling for a decrease in student fees for Educational Activities from this year’s $692,582 to $592,032 for fiscal year 2014. The appropriation would amount to $100,650 decreasing fall, winter and spring student fees from $9.58 to $8.08 and maintaining summer fees at $8.50. “We’re looking to fund student organizations in a creative way,” Hatlen said. Much of their budget has been broken up for flexibility, allowing organizations under Educational Activities, including Student Media and OSU jackie seus | THE DAILY BAROMETER Theatre Arts, the ability to apportion Tyler Hogan, seated between committee member Madison Parker and their own funds by submitting fund Brad Alvarez, chair, questions the Educational Activities budget Monday. requests as their needs arise.
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OSU was selected by the National Science Foundation to manage three new coastal research vessels By Vinay Ramakrishnan The Daily Barometer
Oregon State University has been selected by the National Science Foundation to oversee the design, construction and operation of three new coastal research vessels. “Oregon State was selected when the NSF put out a request for a proposal to be the lead institution to oversee the design, construction and operation of vessels,” said Mark Abbott, dean and professor of the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences. Oregon State was selected out of three institutions that wrote proposals. “We [OSU] had the best proposal,” Abbott said. The first vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2019 or 2020. Oregon State is expected to receive the first vessel. “Its really exciting, a special recognition for OSU,” said Rick Spinrad, OSU’s vice president for research. “I’m proud of the faculty, staff and students that have worked so hard on this proposal, and I’m proud and
honored to be a part of it.” Abbott seconded Spinrad’s excitement about OSU’s selection. “It puts us in the big leagues, with institutions such as Scripps and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution,” Abbott said. “Faculty whose research involves going to sea will want to come here.” The primary authors of the proposal were Dr. Clare Reimers, professor of oceanography at OSU, and Demian Bailey, OSU’s marine superintendent. “The proposal was evaluated by NSF and ocean community experts for criteria, such as the efficiency of the vessel and how executable and thought through the plan was,” said Bailey, who will leave his post as marine superintendent to become the project director. “We had the most executable plan.” Reimers, who will serve as the project support office scientist, felt along with the executability of the plan, OSU’s storied history as a ship operator was a major factor in the selection. “We talked about OSU’s reputation as a ship operator [in the proposal], and that was a big factor in our selection,” Reimers said. “OSU has a lot of people with knowledge of ship design.” See FLEET | page 2