• Format
  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_2009-02-28_Vol76_No03_02

February 28, 2009 WESTERN CAROLINIAN NEWS Page 2 ee le Elephants Could Become the New Mammoth By Tiffany Barnwell News Editor Over 10,000 years ago, mammoths roamed the Earth. Could they possibly roam again? - Remains have been found in a construction site in Los Angeles, and are now displayed at the Los Angeles George C. Page Museum. Zed, the featured young mammoth, died of a few broken ribs and cancerous lesions on his jaw. The skeletal remains are fairly intact, aside from the shaving of the skull, which was done by a scraper. The construction site, located close to the La Brea tar pits, is now being closely monitored due to its previous discoveries of 3 to 4 million fossilized bones. Head curator, John Harris, announced publicly the finding of a whole new treasure trove of fossils on Feb. 18, describing the discovery as the most important discovery for the museum of the last 90 years. A mammoths average life span is about 60 years, while Zed, died at age 40. Despite the exciting discovery, Zeds actual display will not officially be ready until next year. Featured on the Stephen Colbert Report on Dec. 4, 2008, author Nicholas Wade proposed the idea of bringing mammoths back to life. Wade, a British-born scientific reporter, editor, and author writes for the Science Times section of The New York Times. Scientists now are noting of the possibilities of bringing mammoths back and have even set a price. Mammoths, sought after by contemporary humans who first learned to habituate in Siberia 22,000 years ago, died out in both Siberia and North American homelands 10,000 years ago. A living mammoth could perhaps be regenerated foras'little: i as $10 million, states Wade in his article published in The New York Times. If the genome of an extinct species: can be reconstructed, biologists can work out the exact DNA differences with the genome of its nearest living relative. The mammoths closest living relative is the elephant. There are talks on how to modify the DNA in an elephants egg so that after each round of changes it would progressively resemble the DNA of a mammoth egg. The final-stage egg could then be brought to term in an elephant mother, and mammoths might once again roam the Siberian steppes. But scientists are not just stopping at mammoths. We could see the come back of Neanderthals also, whose full genome is expected to be recovered shortly... [however],...there would be several ethical issues in modifying modern human DNA to that of ~ another human species. Whether or not we see the ~ possibility of walking amongst the mammoths, the overall fact that the idea i is plausible stands o on n firm otos Courtesy of Eberly College of Science Possible Changes in Graduation Requirements Ahead By ALN. Pope Staff Writer | In a reflection seminar with ap students, which was among a slate of Martin Luther King Jr. events held at WCU in late January, | Chancellor John Bardo made a call to students to become involved with community service. He stated. that this should be a requirement for every major. As the Chancellor put it, its one thing to serve soup; its another to know why. - So far, however, there are no definite plans to change the requirements for graduation. As part of Western Carolinas new Quality Enhancement Program, the undergraduate Liberal Studies program is being reviewed, and this could eventually lead to some changes. Whether or not volunteer service will be an effect of the QEP on curriculum is still Speculation, and Students may see, other Variations in undergraduate programs as well. No changes will be made for at _ least a year or two. Also, any changes made to curriculum would not have an immediate effect on students who have already declared a major, unless they chose to implement those changes in their own course of study. Associate Provost Beth Tyson- Lofquist explained the procedure in this way: When a student declares his/her major, the requirements for graduation are reflected in that years catalog, said Lofquist. Unless a student chooses to move to a more recent catalog with different requirements, the requirements for graduation would not change for that student. In other words, the new graduation + requirements would nat! be in effect for a student utiless he/ she declared their major under a catalog with the new requirements or chose to move to the catalog with new requirements. So students who are up for graduation in the next few years would not be required to adhere to the new policy. No changes in any major curriculum will be made without a vote from the Faculty Senate. Students can continue to be informed about this issue (and many others) by checking out the minutes of Faculty Senate meetings at http://www.wcu.edu/facsenate/ index.html. GET OFF YOUR SOAPBOX! Voice your opinion in the Western Carolinian. E-mail your column or Letter to the Editor to _ Editor-m-Chief Justin Caudell at wc@email.wcu.edu WCU Students and Faculty Have Mixed Emotions on Town Center By A.N. Pope Staff Writer Economics and education may meet in a place affectionately referred to by WCU administration as the town center. In 2006, administration presented the Millennial Initiative, which is a plan that includes new business activity on campus and major all- around growth. 344 acres were purchased in the same year for the purpose of the project. Academic and residential buildings are a part of this plan as well, but the major projected addition to Westerns campus is a town center. The town center would be located on 22 acres that run from the Camp Building, which will be demolished, to the Ramsey Center. The current plan makes 270,000 square feet of residential and commercial space available. The town center would be home to a drive-in bank, movie theatre, restaurant, and numerous shops. The plan also includes a four-story parking deck with spaces for 871 vehicles. The project was designed to bring economic growth to Cullowhee, make Westerns campus more attractive to prospective students, and to encourage students to become more active on campus. Freshman Stephen Kent thinks that the town center is a great idea. I would stay more weekends and feel like I actually go to school in a civilized region, said Kent. It would provide some jobs and basic entertainment. Hurry it up! Chancellor Bardo has mentioned such commercial chains as Barnes and Noble and Moes Southwestern Grill. But the idea of major food service and retail chains imovingito Cullowhee has some people very. concerned. Zachary Rumble, a freshman majoring in Psychology, expresses that something else to do wouldnt be all that bad. I just dont want rampant commercial expansion. Keep it limited. In an email to the Sylva Herald, English professor Catharine Carter voiced her concern for the small businesses that already provide services in Cullowhee. She anticipated the possibility of WCU setting up chains in competition with unique local businesses. She proposed making existing business the key concern, and allowing only commercial interests that offer different products and_ services than those already operating in Cullowhee. Local venues could be relocated to the new town center when it is completed, to give students a greater awareness and a closer proximity to their services. Also in an interview with the Sylva Herald, Jeannette Evans, owner of the Mad Batter, expressed some interest in moving to the town center, along with concerns about costs. TI would be interested in moving down to the town centerIm not opposed to that. I get a little timid about what the rents are going to be.? Carter wanted administration to understand that large chain developments would not be necessary to ensure Cullowhees success. The constantly increasing success of downtown Asheville, which has (a lack of) chain businesses suggests that we dont need to become Charlotte to be attractive, nor do we need to endanger our local businesses to keep up with the times. There have been no definite plans regarding the town center, and Western Carolina has made no commitment to any commercial business. Construction on the project may not begin for some time. Despite faculty concerns about the project, the prospect of new business in Cullowhee is very exciting to many students. Many students gave very positive responses when asked how they felt about the possibility of a new town center. Associate Provost Beth Tyson-Lofquist also provided an administrative perspective on the _ project. In a statement to the Western Carolinian, she expressed her support of the town center. She said, I am supportive of initiatives that tmeet2ourbstadents ndeds as well as facilitate the relationship between! the university and the community. I also understand that a town center could possibly attract and retain more students. As long as all constituents are in on the planning and development of the centerworking together to bring it to fruitionI am supportive of the concept. As both the Quality Enhancement Program and the Millennial Initiative go into effect, Western struggles to grow while retaining the unique qualities that make this place home to students. While there is the potential for Western to lose some of its mountainous seclusion, the town center offers exciting possibilities for commerce and student leisure. Intelligence Reports Suggest North Korea Missile Launch By A.N. Pope Staff Writer South Korean intelligence reports suggest that North Korea is preparing a test launch that could either have space explorative or military intentions. Official reports from North Koreas Ministry of Science states that they are making preparations to launch an experimental communications satellite. Satellite images from the South indicate that there has been heavy preparation at the Musudan-ni Launch Facility, and that a launch tower has been erected. South Korea and many neighboring nations do not believe this to be a test of the space vehicle Paektusan-2, but of a long-range ballistic missile called Taepodong-2. * North Korea has previously cried satellite during its military defense testing, using the same pretense for tests of its Taepodong-1 missile. The prototype of Taepodong-2 was first tested. in 2006. The prototype missile malfunctioned, _ setting off destruction seconds after deployment and the atomic test was a failure. North Korea faced UN sanctions as a result of the test launch, as well as nuclear testing only three months later. The CIA has indicated that the original design of this weapon was to enable it to reach US territory. One report stated that a functioning version of the missile could reach major cities and military bases in Alaska. So far, North Korea has not unveiled a specific date for the test launch. South Korea also reports that there has been no visual confirmation of a. missile at the launch site, and the Taepodong-2 has never been retrofitted to mount nuclear weapons. Additional intelligence will be needed to determine the nature of the upcoming launch. (Associate Press reports were used to aid in the completion of this story)

The Western Carolinian is Western Carolina University's student-run newspaper. The paper was published as the Cullowhee Yodel from 1924 to 1931 before changing its name to The Western Carolinian in 1933.

• Creator
  • Western Carolina University
• Format
  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Date
  • Date original: 2009-02-28
• Extent
  • Dimension: 14" x 11.5"
  • Pages: 12
• Subject - Topic
  • College student newspapers and periodicals
  • Cullowhee (N.C.) -- Newspapers
  • Universities and colleges -- North Carolina -- Cullowhee -- Newspapers
  • Western Carolina University -- Periodicals
• Location
  • Jackson County (N.C.)
  • Cullowhee (N.C.)
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Source Collection
  • WCU Students Newspapers Collection
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_2009-02-28_Vol76_No03
• Repository
  • Western Carolina University Hunter Library