C A M P U S
N E W S
Syllabus COURSE NAME AVMG 3050 “Aviation Meteorol-
ogy: Severe and Hazardous Weather” INSTRUCTOR Ray Hamilton, associate professor of aviation policy, College of Business THE SCOOP The course features simulation
exercises designed to test students’ ability to predict and handle various weather disruptions and examines the economic effects of inclement weather on air transportation and other modes of travel. One simulation puts students in the Norman, Okla., Severe Weather Storm Lab, where they use charts to track a tornado. Groups of students may compete to see which team best predicts a storm.
hola
WHO TAKES IT The class is required for junior
Getting noticed Hands in pockets and heads plugged with earbuds, students routinely ignore Auburn University’s “invisible population”—the Spanish-speaking grounds, construction and maintenance crews that keep their campus functional and pretty. AU Spanish professor Gilda Socarrás and Spanish/ political science major Taylor Baronich are trying to get the two groups talking. The pair has formed Closing the Gap, a student organization aimed at fostering communication between Auburn students and the town’s commu-
22
nity of immigrants. “It is vital for students to gain interaction with Hispanics and other immigrants for the culture exchange as well as alleviating negative stereotypes from both sides,” says Baronich, who hails from Madison, Miss. “Auburn students have few opportunities for relating to international citizens in the local community.” Members of Closing the Gap teach English-language classes twice a week at Vida Nueva Church in Auburn and St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Opelika, and also host bilingual social hours. The group
Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g
plans to hold a food drive, health fair and panel discussions. “By building a bond of trust and friendship, we are showing our immigrant population that they do not have to fear their surroundings and that we are not so unlike them in their goals and ambitions,” Baronich says. “Their own future looks a little brighter because they’re able to believe in themselves. I was absolutely thrilled to receive a thankyou letter written by Carlos, a student of the English classes. The awesome thing, though, was that he wrote it completely in English—something he was unable
to do a year ago.” Closing the Gap is working to establish a relationship between local immigrants and students, Baronich says, with the goal of getting students to reach out to those around them instead of silently passing by. “Many students will be working with Hispanics, Indians, Chinese and other nationalities in just a few years,” she says. “The ability to have interaction and exposure now will only help them form positive relationships with those of other cultural backgrounds in the future.”—Grace Henderson
aviation-management and professional flightmanagement majors. vocabulary word The term “katabatic wind” describes a gust of cold air moving down an incline beneath warmer, less dense air. Katabatic winds often occur in coastal areas characterized by high cliffs and chilly weather. They typically occur in Antarctica and can reach speeds of up to 250 mph. They’re also called “fall winds.” SUGGESTED READING Severe and Hazardous
Weather: An Introduction to High-Impact Meteorology (Kendall Hunt Publishing, 2005) by Robert M. Rauber, John E. Walsh and Donna J. Charlevoix