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Food for the soul page 5
Since 1916
James Elliot, owner of Mo Wallace BBQ and More, can be found preparing his select cuts of meat in the morning with care. “When you come to Mo Wallace BBQ, you already know where I’m at,” he said. “I’m in the smokehouse.”
DAILY EGYPTIAN THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2015 VOLUME 99 ISSUE 15
J AYSON H OLLAND
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D AILY E GYPTIAN
Darwin Week showcases 200 years of science Austin Miller
@AMiller_DE | Daily Egyptian
Some people get a cake or presents for their birthday, but there is not much to give someone who is turning 206 years old and dead. Each year on Charles Darwin’s birthday, the university hosts its own version of International Darwin Day to celebrate his discovery of the theory of evolution and the advancement of science and education. A group of SIU scientists began celebrating Darwin Day in 2006, but have turned one day into an entire week of festivities. Daniel Nickrent, professor emeritus in plant biology, was part of SIU’s first Darwin celebration. Nickrent spoke at the last two mini-symposiums, including a presentation based on evolution in peoples’ own neighborhoods. Nickrent, who has a Darwin poster in his office, said it is important students take notice of evolution because it is the basis for all science and is relevant every day. Students do not have to sail to the Galapagos Islands, as Darwin did, to understand evolution, though. There, he researched different animals, finding striking similarities among various species. This led Darwin to develop the theory of evolution, which he wrote about in his 1859 book, “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.” Other scientists of the time thought all species had remained largely unchanged since their creation. The best example of Darwin’s theory is when he studied finches on the Galapagos. Each island had different species of the birds. Some had short, round beaks best adapted to eat seeds and nuts. Others had long, sharp beaks, which allowed them to eat insects and worms. All the birds adapted throughout history to available food sources on each island. Nickrent said evolution happens in all aspects of life. “[Evolution] is right here in Carbondale, or Murphysboro or wherever,” he said. “If you have an inquisitive nature and a good eye, you can see things happening in your own yard.” One example is the size of dandelions, he said. Those pesky, yellow weeds are a nuisance to many lawn aficionados. Dandelions in an open field are often tall, but in a personal yard, they are smaller. The shorter plants continue to reproduce because lawn mower blades miss them. “It is a very simple, little experiment that takes place in everyone’s yard,” he said. “There’s evolution right there.” Flowers in a yard may not seem important, but the evolutionary processes are a facet of life regardless of size. This occurs on a microscopic scale. Please see DARWIN · 2
N ATHAN H OEFERT • D AILY E GYPTIAN Automotive Service Excellence certification manuals sit in piles outside the abandoned the Construction Technology U.S. Forest Service building in Carterville. The building and nearly a dozen more will be demolished this year. View the rest of the gallery at www.dailyegyptian.com.
Automotive department’s former home to be flattened
Jonathan Swartz
@JP_Swartz | Daily Egyptian
After serving the College of Applied Sciences and Arts for more than 45 years, nearly a dozen decommissioned SIU buildings in Carterville are scheduled for demolition this year. Several of the buildings on the original 1960s campus have already been destroyed. The remaining structures, comprising the former home of the automotive program, will come down by August, said Phil Gatton, director of Plant and Service Operations. He said the buildings, located just south of Route 13 and west of Route 148, are in various stages of demolition, asbestos removal and clearance of debris. Two separate contractors are involved in the process—general contractor FagerMcGee, of Murphysboro, and asbestos contractor General Waste, of Alton. The entire project will cost about $1.6 million, Gatton said. Student fees will not pay for these processes. The money for abatement and destruction is provided by the Illinois
Capital Development Board, said Kevin Bame, vice chancellor for administrative finance. The board oversees construction management for the state’s properties. The only building that will stand after demolition will be the Coal Research Center, said Mike Behrmann, chairman of Applied Sciences and Arts’ automotive program. He said the center is housed in the first permanent structure built on the Carterville campus, where research will continue. Behrmann said most of the buildings on the Carterville campus are temporary structures. He said they greatly outlived their life expectancy and projected usefulness. The buildings were erected as temporary military structures in 1938 and 1939, Behrmann said. The base was decommissioned after World War II, and the university acquired the land and structures for its Vocational Technical Institute, which later became the College of Applied Sciences and Arts. “With soldiers coming back from the war, the university saw a need to provide training to allow people to get jobs,” Behrmann said. “So the university started
providing associate degrees.” Training included everything from electronics, to automotive technology and construction, Behrmann said. Behrmannn said some fields of study were moved to the Carbondale campus or transferred to John A. Logan College, but the automotive program grew and thrived in the structures. He said the buildings’ dilapidated condition contributed to the growth of a disciplined culture among all involved in the automotive program. “We learned to survive, learned to work hard, learned to have everybody pulling together,” Behrmann said. “The students, the faculty, the staff had to pull together because we were all dependent upon working together to achieve our goals.” Behrmann said this mentality is still passed on to younger students despite the automotive program’s new facilities at the Transportation Education Center at Southern Illinois Airport.
Please see CARTERVILLE · 3