The Daily Barometer OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY • CORVALLIS, OREGON 97331
MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013 • VOLUME CXVI, NUMBER 15
DAILYBAROMETER.COM • 737-2231
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Smooth sailing at annual on-campus fair n
2013 Beaver Community Fair offered free samples, introduced incoming students to campus and local selections By Kaitlyn Kohlenberg The Daily Barometer
Vinay Bikkina
| THE DAILY BAROMETER
Kevin Klein, a senior in mechanical engineering, aims for the dunk tank’s target at Friday’s Beaver Community Fair.
Vinay Bikkina
Vinay Bikkina
| THE DAILY BAROMETER
Marcus Hall, a freshman in electrical engineering, plays Humans vs. Zombes in the MU quad during the Beaver Fair.
| THE DAILY BAROMETER
Mackenzie Hoy, a member of the Memorial Union Program Council, sits in the dunk tank.
The sunshine bathed students in light and warmth as they explored the tables and booths lining the paths of the Memorial Union Quad. More than 200 booths and tables were set up Friday for the annual Beaver Community Fair, which showcases student organizations, Oregon State University departments, local businesses, non-profits and other Corvallis-based entities. This was the first year the German Club presented a table at the fair. Club members offered lollipops, information about their club and a fun “How German Are You?” quiz. German instructor Catherine Liggett said the club was still trying to gain more student involvement, and they’d had luck at other fair-like events. “We’ve had a lot of success here at the (Beaver Community Fair),” Liggett said. “We had 71 people take our quiz, ‘How German Are You?’ and it was really fun. There was a lot of interest.” Other booths represented organizations that have been established on campus for several years. The sustainability office stays more in the background, but office workers attend as many OSU events as they can, according to Garin Anderson, a junior in construction engineering who worked a table at Friday’s fair. “What we really like to do with students is push alternate transportation See FAIR | page 2
OSU professor receives Chinese award Pistol Club encourages safe firearm practices The Daily Barometer
The People’s Republic of China honored an Oregon State University professor with the Friendship Award of China, the highest civic award for non-Chinese scientists. Brett Tyler, a professor in the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology and the director of the Center for Genome Research and Biocomputing at OSU, received the award on Sept. 29. Tyler led a collaborative research effort in the United States, China and Europe. More than a decade Tyler of research has allowed for many new advancements to combat the world’s most devastating plant diseases. The USDA awarded nearly $10 million
to Tyler and his partners to research soybean crops in the U.S. The research program focuses on oomycetes, a plant pathogen that can cause serious diseases. Tyler has Chinese partners in the research effort. Yunchao Wang from Nanjing and Weixing Shan from the Northwest Agricultural and Forestry University have partnered with Tyler on disease resistance work in soybean and potato breeding. U.S. and Chinese government funding has allowed for exchange students and content sharing between the two nations. Resistance genes for oomycetes are now being used in commercially available crops, an effort that can be attributed to the work of Tyler and his partners. managing@dailybarometer.com
Students, anyone with Dixon Rec. membership can shoot at the club’s firing range Sundays, Tuesdays
“What we do in the safety trainings is applicable to all firearms in all situations,” said Lucas, a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering with a minor in economics. There are three safety rules that Lucas and the other five officers repeat throughout the evening. By Megan Campbell Rule number one: Always keep the gun pointed in The Daily Barometer a safe direction. It’s all about safety. This is the most important rule. A “safe direction” “I always like having people listen to the safety rules varies. While transporting from the vault to the firing again, again, again and again,” said Stephen Lucas, the Pistol Club’s president. “The most important thing line, point the pistol up toward the ceiling. Down range that someone can walk out of our range knowing is the is the safe direction to point the pistol while at the firing line. Pointing the pistol to the ground or down is not a three safety rules.” While the club allows students and anyone with safe direction: toes. Rule number two: Always keep the gun unloaded a Dixon Recreation Center membership to use the until ready to use. 16-lane firing range, Pistol Club officers’ number one If your hand is on the gun, you are using the gun. priority is educating people about firearm safety. Rule number three: Always keep your finger off the General hours of operation are Sunday and Tuesday trigger until ready to fire. from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. This is the most common bad habit Lucas observes. Before anyone is allowed to fire the Ruger semiThis occurs with both experienced shooters — who may automatic MK-II and MK-III, which the club provides, have picked up poor habits due to the lack of formal everyone must go through training. See PISTOL | page 2 Safety trainings are from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. n