Wednesday, June 16, 2004
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olmiie 110 • Issue 153 • 6 pages
A Texas A&M Tradition Since 1893
OPINION:
Selling stem cell
research.
Page 5
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By Brian D. Cain
THE BATTALION
A Texas A&M employee, Susan Mallett,
■owned Saturday in a swimming accident in
laiwan.
Mallett was a program coordinator for Texas
,&M’s Academy of Future International Leaders
the International Programs Office, said Emily
ishworth, assistant provost for International
rograms. Mallett was helping to establish a new
rogram sponsored by the National Science
Council of Taiwan.
Mallett was visiting her parents, who are mis
sionary counselors at Jung Shan Baptist Church in
Taichung, Taiwan, and met them in Kenting,
Taiwan.
As Mallett and her father were swimming off
the coast, they encountered a strong undercurrent,
Ashworth said.
Jonathan Ballesteros, a senior industrial engi
neering major who is participating in an internship
in Taiwan this summer, was with Mallett and her
father and pulled both of them to shore.
Ballesteros’ brave actions saved Mallett’s father,
Ashworth said.
“Jonathan pulled both her father and Susan to
the shore,” Ashworth said. “Susan was taken to
Kaohshung hospital in Taiwan where she died.”
Debra Blakely, assistant professor of commu
nication at University of Houston Clear Lake, said
she worked with Mallett while working on a study
abroad program.
“I was really impressed with her commitment to
her work. She was young, but you won’t find any
one who wouldn’t describe her as professional.”
Blakely said Mallett was a real asset to the
academy program.
“What potential she had!” Blakely said. “She
would have really taken her program far.”
Ashworth echoed those sentiments.
“(Mallett) was a fantastic person, full of life
and who wanted to really work with students,”
Ashworth said. “She was really looking forward
to organizing the program, so this is really a
blow.”
A memorial service for Mallett will be held in
College Station, but the date is undetermined.
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BRIAN WILLS • THE BATTALION
Lindsey Rakowitz, a sophomore horticulture major, trims the greenery in
front of the Texas A&M Horticulture Gardens. This is Rakowitz's first summer
to work at the garden which houses over 1,000 specimens of plants that can
be observed throughout the one-eighth mile-long trail within the property.
[Kjerfve named new geosciences dean
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By Chelsea Sledge
THE BATTALION
When Bjorn
jerfve first came to
the United States
from Sweden 31
ars ago, everyone,
|tcliiding his boss,
ad trouble pronounc-
lig his name. The
iame was affection-
ely shortened so
that he’s now known as B.J. to every-
ne, except his wife.
On Aug. 15 Kjerfve will move to
ollege Station where he will become
e dean of the College of Geosciences,
or the past four years he has been
KJERFVE
director of the Marine Science Program
at the University of South Carolina.
“There is no way to really say it. You
can’t ask for a better boss though,” said
Shannon Gilbert, office manager of the
Marine Science Program at the
University of South Carolina. “He lis
tens to everything anyone says whether
it’s about work or not. He bends over
backwards to help you and make things
work out for students and employees.”
In addition to serving as the director
of Marine Science, Kjerfve has been
teaching at the University of South
Carolina since 1973. He is responsible
for more than 211 publications, includ
ing eight books.
“If you wanted to list his accom
plishments, you would really have to
write a book on it,” Gilbert said. “He’s
been here 31 years, published books and
taught many classes. He has done so
much.”
Kjerfve speaks Swedish, English and
Portuguese and reads German and
Spanish. He is a permanent resident of
Brazil and the United States. He is cur
rently conducting research in Brazil,
South Carolina and along the Belize
Barrier Reef.
“(Kjerfve) brings a wealth of experi
ence in research, teaching and adminis
tration, and is a recognized leader in
coastal oceanography research,” said
Texas A&M Executive Vice President
See Dean on page 2
Itark Gallery showcases photographer
By Carrie Pierce
THE BATTALION
The streets of Paris, France, in the
1950s street vendors and entertainers lined
e roads as young couples sat on benches
d children played on the sidewalks.
Texas A&M students will get to
experience this period of French life at
exhibition of Robert Doisneau’s pho-
graphs on display at the J. Wayne
tark Gallery June 17 to August 1.
Taken mostly in Paris, Doisneau’s
black and white photographs capture a
amorous time that people associate
ith Hollywood, said Katherine
astedt, director of the Stark Gallery.
“It’s neat to see the similarities between
ople then and now,” Hastedt said.
Doisneau began his photography
jareer in the early 1930s at an advertis-
g department and then worked as a
otojournalist for a French newspaper,
astedt said.
Doisneau was then part of the French
esistance during the Nazi Occupation
ring World War II, doing coverage for
Photographer Robert Doisneau's black and white photographs
will be on display at A&M.
o Doisneau's work depicting French life
will be shown at the J. Wayne Stark
Gallery in the MSC June 17 to August 1
©Gallery hours areTuesday through
Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday
and Sunday, noon to 6 p.m.
o Admission is free
"Kiss by the Hotel de Ville" (1950)
WILL LLOYD • THE BATTALION
SOURCE : KATHERINE HASTEDT, |. WAYNE STARK GALLERY
PHOTO COURTESY OF : http://WWW.ROBERTDOISNEAU.COM
French periodicals after the war, Hastedt
said. He became a prominent fashion
photographer, and his work was shown
in “Life” and “Vogue.” Doisneau’s pop
ularity sprung from his realistic photo
graphs taken of everyday people and
things while wandering the streets of
Paris, Hastedt said.
This form of photography is known
as “humanistic reportage.” Doisneau is
said to have described himself as a
“fisher” of pictures who had to “get
wet” and immerse himself in the lives of
the people whom he was photographing.
Doisneau talked with his subjects and
See Stark on page 2
Bryan City Council:
bird problem solved
By Erin Price
THE BATTALION
Matt Friemel, a senior account
ing major, has to wash his truck
almost every day because of the
mess that hundreds of grackles
leave behind. Friemel said he was
fed up with the bird problem in his
neighborhood, but he’s now able to
do something about it.
The Bryan City Council struck
down an existing city ordinance on
June 8 that made it illegal for
Bryan residents to kill wild birds.
The City Council approved a new
amendment allowing property
owners to deal with nuisance con
ditions on their property by remov
ing unwanted wild birds.
“Several citizens expressed the
need for this change,” said Ernie
Wentrcek, mayor of Bryan. “Under
the old laws they were not able to
take care of their bird problems.”
Mary Lynne Stratta, Bryan City
secretary, said citizens can use BB
guns, pellet rifles or bows* and
arrows to protect their property
from birds, but firearms are still
illegal within city limits.
“(Residents) must still comply
with state laws concerning
firearms,” Stratta said. “If you use
an airgun, the BB or pellet cannot
leave your property.”
Stratta also said the invasion of
these grackles can lead to potential
health problems from the birds’
feces. The new ordinance will help
Bryan residents deal with these
problems.
Ronnie Jackson of the Bryan
Neighborhood Association
Partnership Program said residents
appreciate this new ordinance, but
that it still has limitations.
“This does not mean that it’s
open season on all wild birds,”
Jackson said. “If the bird is pro
tected by state or national law, cit
izens can get in serious trouble for
shooting it.”
Michael Cosentino, city attor
ney for Bryan, said there was not
an overwhelming amount of peo
ple calling for this change.
“The city basically just wanted
to get out of the business of regu
lating the killing of wild birds,”
Cosentino said. “Aggies are now
able to deal with grackles because
they are not protected by law.”
Friemel said being able to shoot
the birds and destroy their nests
will be a big help to him and his
See Bird on page 2
FIRE AT WILL!
Bryan City Council made it legal for Bryan
residents to kill wild birds within city limits.
■ Citizens can use BB guns, pellet rifles or bows
and arrows to protect their property from
birds
■ If an airgun is used on the birds, the BB or
pellet cannot leave your property
■ Residents must still comply with state laws
concerning firearms
■ Residents should take note that when firing a
weapon, it should be done in a way that does
not endanger others
WILL LLOYD • THE BATTALION
SOURCE : MARY LYNNE STRATTA, BRYAN CITY SECRETARY
Former student donates
$500,000 to physics research
By Natalie Younts
THE BATTALION
George Mitchell, Texas A&M graduate of the Class of 1940, donated
$500,000 to A&M in April to contribute to research in physics.
“I have a lot of admiration for Texas A&M and I am happy to do what
I can to help,” Mitchell said.
The donation was matched by the Heep Foundation, providing $1 mil
lion to create the Mitchell/Heep Chair in Experimental High Energy
Physics.
The A&M Development Foundation will invest the $1 million. The div
idends and interest will then be used by the chairholder for research in the
specific field of study the chair is designated for.
“A million-dollar chair typically gives $50,000 per year in research
funds, so this is important,” said Ed Fry, physics department head.
Peter McIntyre, A&M physics professor, will be the first one to hold
the chair.
Mitchell has given close to $6 million to the physics department, which
has been a tremendous help, Fry said.
“There are fantastic things happening in the physics department right
See Donor on page 2