Monday, April 24, 2017 | Volume 212 | Number 231 | 40 cents | iowastatedaily.com | An independent student newspaper serving Iowa State since 1890.
Martin seeks to be voice of community By Chris.Anderson @iowastatedaily.com
Chris Jorgensen/Iowa State Daily
“Cactus” Jack Barringer is an entrepreneur who lives in Ames. Barringer was notably featured on ABC’s “Shark Tank” and has made appearances on infomercials for QVC.
Cactus Jack
Ames entrepreneur celebrates lifetime of invention By Travis.Charlson @iowastatedaily.com Jack Barringer, standing in the shadow of Sound Stage 25, watches as props and stagehands flow around him like a river coursing through the endless rows of beige hangar buildings. For the various employees of Sony Pictures Studios, it’s just another day at work. But Barringer is no employee. Somewhere close by, Kevin “Mr. Wonderful” O’Leary, the smug and intimidating Canadian businessman, is being peppered by makeup artists. When the stage lights turn on and the cameras roll later that morning, it’s his job to be the baddest shark in the “Shark Tank” — the hit ABC
show where entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to high-profile investors dubbed as the “sharks.” And the confrontational O’Leary has the biggest teeth of them all. The deals made on the show are real, but they’re not the purpose of the show. And Barringer knows this. This was television. They didn’t pick his invention out of tens of thousands of applicants because they thought it was a good invention. They didn’t fly him out to Los Angeles because they thought this “Body Jac” exercise machine of his would be a hit — in fact, it didn’t turn out to be. But as Barringer stood outside Sound Stage 25, displacing the steady flow of production assistants like a stone in a stream, he knew why he was there. With his gray pony tail pulled tight,
Barringer knew that when he stepped to center stage and the cameras focused their lenses that O’Leary was going to put on the pressure and Barringer was there to give them heat, to entertain, to put on a show. The extravagant sliding double door opened on the mockedup conference room in Sound Stage 25 and under the scrupulous gaze of O’Leary and the rest of the sharks, Cactus Jack Barringer stepped into the Shark Tank. “Where are you from, Jack?” O’Leary said, pressing. “I’m from Iowa. Where are you from?” “Canada.” “I’ll talk a little slower then.”
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Surprised by the results of the 2016 election, David Martin decided to try and make a difference by running for Ames City Council. Martin, owner of a consulting business specializing in software issues, announced his candidacy on April 12 for the 3rd Ward. “I decided to run because I was looking for a way to get more involved,” Martin said. Martin was born in Ames and later moved to California to work for startup companies. He returned to Iowa State for his undergraduate before receiving his Ph.D. at Boston University and later teaching graduate and undergraduate computer science. After living in various other places, Martin chose to return to Ames for his love of the community and inclusive environment. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Martin remembers a time in the early ‘80s when the people of Ames supported LGBTQ+ community members even though the federal and state government did not. “Having grown up in Ames, I know it’s a good place to be,” Martin said. “I know it takes attention and work to keep it good. Those kinds of things are what brought me to give this attention.” In addition to having grown up in Ames, Martin believes his experience in the business and academic communities qualifies him for a seat on city council. However, Martin is not afraid to admit the areas where he is not an expert. “With the work I’ve done in my adult life, I have a good sense of when I know about something and when I need to learn more,” Martin said. “No single person can be an expert on everything.” Martin hopes that as a member of city council he could listen to people in the community about what issues are important to them and how they feel they should be solved. One issue that is especially important to Martin is ensuring reliable internet for Ames citizens. “I think it’s something that we need
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Iowans show solidarity at March for Science By Katlyn.Campbell @iowastatedaily.com Iowans clad in lab coats carrying signs reading “science trumps fake news” assembled on Earth Day to oppose the defunding of science-based programs. With the recent defunding of EPA programs and lawmakers pushing to dismantle the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Iowans took it upon themselves to “March for Science” at the Capitol in Des Moines. With more than a thousand attendees, adults and children holding signs claiming “science will win in the end” and “persistence is in our DNA,” the group listened to a lineup of seven speakers. They later attended expos taught by local scientists. Kaitlin Higgins, an organizer of the March for Science and senior in genetics, began organizing a march in Iowa after hearing the recent decisions made in public office regarding environmental policy. “Slowly over the last 20 years it seems like people have been getting more and more anti-science, so the silencing of the EPA was kind of a catalyst where we need to say something and do something instead of just letting people have these ridiculous beliefs,” Higgins said. Although Higgins was aware of the number of people that RSVP’d on Facebook, seeing the crowd in person was proof that people are concerned about the same issues as she is. “We’re hoping that [the march] at least starts a conversation about how important evidence is when it comes to policy, and we
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also want to make science more accessible because part of the issue is people thinking science is up in an ivory tower, which is not really true,” Higgins said. Kathryn Hays, student at Simpson College in Indianola, noticed the importance of advocating for science-based policies after taking an environmental issues class. “I think [the state of our environment] is definitely one of the most important issues facing our country right now, and it’s not getting enough attention as it should be,” Hays said. “I hope that [the march] brings to light issues that are not being acknowledged right now and shows that our citizens do care about the environment, whereas businesses and corporations might not care as much.” Iowa Sen. Joe Bolkcom joined the marchers to wish everyone a happy Earth Day and tell them about political decisions in Iowa. “In the last two weeks, the Republican Legislature did the following: They abolished the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, did away with the funding for the Iowa Energy Center and the University of Iowa center for Global and Regional Environmental Research, they cut the work of the Iowa Flood Center by $300,000 and cut millions more from our three great public universities that do research and teach our next generation of scientists,” Bolkcom said. Based on the decisions that were made in the Capitol, Bolkcom said Iowa will be less prepared to manage the negative effects of extreme weather and climate change.
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Mikinna Kerns/Iowa State Daily
Pat Halbur has spent 15 years working in the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, teaching students and working with practitioners. He was recently named the interim dean of Vet Med to replace Lisa Nolan.
Interim Vet Med dean hopes to advance college By Nic.Wackerly @iowastatedaily.com An alumnus of the College of Veterinary Medicine will soon lead the college during a time of growth and transition. Pat Halbur, who was named the interim dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, will replace Lisa Nolan, who has been the dean for the past six years. Nolan is moving on this summer to become the dean of veterinary medicine at her alma mater, the University of Georgia. Halbur earned his doctorate of veterinary medicine in 1986 and doctorate in veterinary pathology in 1995 form Iowa State. He has also served at the university as a professor, chair
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of veterinary diagnostic and animal medicine and executive director of the ISU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, according to the College of Veterinary Medicine. Halbur’s experience as a student, professor, researcher, director, chair and professional practitioner will assist him in adjusting to his new role as interim dean and help the college continue to be a leader in the field of veterinary medicine. “The most important thing we do is produce practicing veterinarians,” Halbur said. “I spent 15 years back here in the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory working with practitioners and teaching students while coordinating cases, extremely valuable experience
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