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The Rocket www.theonlinerocket.com
Friday, October 5, 2012
Slippery Rock University Student Newspaper
Est. 1934
Volume 96, Number 6
University celebrates new President Dr. Cheryl J. Norton inaugurated as first female to preside over SRU
PHOTO CONTRIBUTION COURTESY OF TIM TRESS
Dr. Cheryl Norton is sworn in as the 16th president of SRU by Dr. Peter Garland during her inauguration ceremony on Friday. A campus-wide picnic was held after the ceremony to give students and the community the opportunity to meet Norton.
By Erica Kurvach Rocket Staff Reporter
SRU inaugurated Dr. Cheryl Norton as the 16th president last Friday in the Quad. The Army ROTC and SRU Percussion Ensemble, faculty delegates, staff and student representatives marched from The Alumni House to the Quad in the Grand Entrance. Each college dean and speaker sat in the Gazebo during the ceremony. Provost William Williams welcomed the University for celebrating a new academic year that brings freshmen and opportunities
to the campus. “It has a twofold purpose,” Provost Williams said. “It is to present the new president in a formal convocation to the public and to permit the university to reaffirm its commitment to its primary goal of advancing the excellence of the institution in all of its endeavors.” Mr. David Wolfe, the president of SGA, welcomed the students. “Dr. Norton’s favorite quote since she’s been here is, ‘The sun is always shining at Slippery Rock,” Wolfe said. “I joked
with her and said, ‘This is how I can tell you haven’t been here very long yet, but sure enough she put me in my place today because sure enough we got beautiful weather today.” After Wolfe’s greeting, Dr. Joan Condravy, the past president for APSCUF, greeted the University Faculty and shared about President Norton. “She is likely to greet the student body and faculty whom she recognizes with a hug as a handshake,” Condravy said. At the end of the ceremony, Mr. Eric
Research on fossils brings light to Earth's history By Jonathan Janasik Rocket News Editor
D r. Tam e r a S ch i app a , professor of Geolog y specializing in paleontology, is continuing her 20 year long research on 288 million yearold fossils. The subject of her National Science Foundation (NSF) funded research was shelled arthropods known as ammonoids from the Permian period located in a marine basin in the west coast. The basin stretched from southern Arizona to northern Nevada and was filled with many different sp ecies of animals. By studying how the ammonoids changed, Schiappa hopes to better understand what the
environment was like over patterns would have been one 280 million years ago. side of the basin, while coldA l t h o u g h t h e r e a r e water circulation patterns many different species of would have been on the other ammonoids, there are only side. two main types of them. The In order to figure out if first type is called equatorial the two types of ammonoids and they came from warm lived at the same time, climates near the Schiappa used a brand new equator. The second technique that involved type is known as studying Strontium isotopes b o r e a l a n d t h e y left from conodonts, which migrated from near were small worm-like animals the poles. that were frequently eaten by Because they are ammonoids. extremely sensitive Traces of the conodonts t o t e m p e r a t u r e s , can be found in the rock Schiappa wanted to surrounding the ammonoids determine if they fossils. In order to study them, lived at the same geologists must carefully time if there was a change separate the fossil from the in the climate, which caused rock by using a scalpel. After one type of ammonoids to the rock is separated, it is become extinct and become replaced by another. If they lived at the same time, then SEE PALEONTOLOGY, PAGE A-2 the warm water circulation
Holmes, the chairperson of the SRU Council of Trustees, presented the Medallion to President Norton. The President can wear this sterling silver and 14-Karat gold Medallion, symbolizing the Office of the President, at formal University convocations. Then, Ms. Wilma J. Cavill, the Grand Marshal, presented the MACE, a maple wood and brass headed-figure that is permanently on display in the President’s SEE NORTON, PAGE A-2
Local shale fracking under question By Jason Robinson Rocket Contributor
A three group panel discussed environmental and operational safety of drilling for Marcellus shale natural gas Wednesday at SRU. The panelists were health and safety manager at Advanced Waste Services Sean Decristoforo, vice president for safety and environment of Range Resources Ralph Tijerina, and James Daley, director of natural gas and energy programs of Greenhouse and Omara Inc. The mediator was Anthony Cialella, vice president for energy services for Advanced Waste Services. Fracking is a process to obtain natural gas from deep rock deposits underground. The process includes large amounts of water and sand that are pressurized down a well to fracture rock thousands of feet below the Earth’s surface. Recently, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
published a concept paper that proposes over 100 new regulations to drilling for Marcellus shale that are supposed to protect Pennsylvania’s surface and groundwater supplies. According to Tijerina, 95 percent of water that Range Resources uses for fracking is recycled. He also stated that due to evaporation and loss of water during the fracking process, there is theoretically no need for waste water disposal. Recycling frack water has taken the place of disposing the water in old wells or certified disposal sites. Approximately 40 people attended the panel discussion. There were also question and answer portions of the discussion. One question was posed by Kurt Schimmel, dean of SRU’s College of Business, Information and Social Sciences, about whether fracking can cause earthquakes or contaminated water tables. SEE FOURTH, PAGE A-2