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November 5, 2010 | Volume 206 | Number 54 | 40 cents | iowastatedaily.com | An independent newspaper serving Iowa State since 1890.
FRIDAY
FLOODING:
Hilton Coliseum reopened for crowd The photos above showed Hilton Coliseum on Aug. 12, left, and Thursday night, the first night an ISU team competed inside the building since the August flooding. Maintenance crews have been working inside the building since early August, trying to get it ready for the starts of men’s and women’s basketball seasons. Although the playing surface was replaced, some seating inside the building was ruined and won’t be replaced until January. Some features, such as scoreboards and video boards, also may not return to normal use for some time. Composite photo: Logan Gaedke and Bryan Langfeldt/Iowa State Daily
ISU women open Hilton with big win
see SPORTS.p6 >>
Natural resources
Research aids wetlands’ survival By Elisse.Lorenc iowastatedaily.com With the major flooding that occurred at Iowa State this summer, Timothy Stewart, professor of natural resource ecology and management, and Kristine Maurer, graduate in natural resource ecology and management, are making it their mission to advocate the importance of Iowa wetlands. The pair has been conducting research to find indicators for healthy wetlands, and then plans to give the data to Iowa Department of Natural Resources and other environmental agencies. “These wetlands are a method of natural flood control,” Stewart said. “Essentially, rain falls on the landscape or snow melts, and as it flows off the landscape, it can go into these wetlands and essentially be held there, preventing rapid flow to the streams. And when we have these rapid inputs of water in these streams, we have flood problems.” Wetlands are beneficial for retaining soil and preventing soil erosion, he said. They provide habitats for various endangered species along with other waterfowl, mammals and several invertebrates. “There’s about 20 endangered species that the DNR has listed that use wetlands as their habitats,” Maurer said. Wetlands function as natural filters, absorbing nutrients and other substances to provide sanitary drinking water. “They have some regional control over things like climate, because when you used to have millions of these depressions, they were always evaporating water during the summer, and that will eventually lead to local thunderstorms to recycle the water,” said Arnold van der Valk, professor of ecology, evolution and organismal biology. Plants, Stewart said, are essential for the survival of wetlands. “Plants contribute to retention of nutrients, sediment
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Kristine Maurer samples aquatic vegetation to identify the species. Courtesy photo: Kristine Maurer
Safe Zone evolves, now offers training When the Safe Zone Program first was implemented at Iowa State, the idea was to simply get more visibility about LGBT issues in the open by providing supporters with a sticker that read, “Safe Zone.” A pink triangle was also on the sticker, which was originally used as an identification method by the Nazis for gay men. It is now seen as a symbol of pride, according to the ISU LGBT Student Services website. The Safe Zone Program began in 1997 in support of LGBT students, faculty and staff. In order to get a sticker to show support, individuals on the ISU campus could simply request one through
Students to venture to Cuba By Jacob.Stewart iowastatedaily.com
LGBT
By Adam.Hayes iowastatedaily.com
Spring Break
campus mail when the program began. Receiving the sticker is more than a request in 2010. Individuals are now required to go through a three-hour training session on how to be able to help students in need of support. The stickers also read “Iowa State University,” and are only given to those who have completed the training. The process of having to go through training to obtain a sticker began in 2007. Joel Geske, associate professor of journalism and mass communication and member of LGBTSS Board, said, “I received my first Safe Zone sticker seven or eight years ago, and I’m doing the training next [week].” Brad Freihoefer, coordinator of LGBT Student Services, trains individuals during the sessions, which are offered throughout the semester.
“What we cover is, what is LGBTQA? What are gender identity, gender expression and sexual identity all about?” Freihoefer said. The sessions include activities and discussions surrounding those topics to get a better feel for the experiences of LGBT students and to raise awareness on campus. Those in the session learn how to become an ally of the LGBT community, what to expect with having the Safe Zone sticker on their door and how to be a resource for students on campus so students feel safe. “It’s that visibility that’s important, and it’s just a reminder that Iowa State is a safe and welcoming community for all students,” Freihoefer said.
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While others will be heading south to visit sandy beaches and enjoy the tropical climate, some students in the architecture program will be traveling to Havana, Cuba, for educational purposes during spring break. Anybody is welcome to participate in the trip, whether or not they’re involved with the architecture program. The trip will last throughout the duration of Spring Break, and will include touring the city and taking in the local sights, sounds and building designs. They will also be talking to some Cuban architecture experts about the architecture present in the heavily populated city. There are 22 students currently enrolled in the architecture 420 course, and Clare Cardinal-Pett, associate professor of architecture, said these students will be eligible to receive credit on the trip by participating in specialized work projects. “If someone just wants to tag along for the ride though, that’s fine too,” Cardinal-Pett said. Cardinal-Pett is currently the only faculty member involved in the trip, but she is collaborating with the organizations Food First and Global Exchange. The groups are dedicated to feeding the hungry and helping with relief efforts in third world countries, according to their respective websites. Cardinal-Pett has led students on trips before travel restrictions limited her ability to do so. “I took students to Cuba for a three-week summer course in 2000, but the more restrictive travel bans put in place by the Bush administration made it difficult to do it again” Cardinal-Pett said. The trip is a good opportunity for students to earn extra credit, and explore the world outside of the United States. For more information on the trip e-mail ccardp@iastate.edu.
Havana trip What: Architecture students enrolled When: Spring Break 2011 Contact Clare Cardinal-Pett for additional information at ccardp@ iastate.edu