thebattalion ● monday,
september 14, 2009
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2009 student media
Laureate, professor dies at 95 Norman Borlaug remembered for green contributions
Obama to visit campus
Joaquin Villegas The Battalion Norman Borlaug, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Texas A&M distinguished professor of international agriculture, died at 11 p.m. Saturday, in his Dallas home at the age of 95. According to Kathleen Phillips, spokeswoman for Texas AgriLife Research, Borlaug died due to complications from cancer. Borlaug received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his work in fighting world hunger by developing high-yield wheat crops and bringing agricultural improvements to developing countries. “The destiny of world
■ President to speak at forum hosted by former President George H. W. Bush Meagan O’Toole-Pitts The Battalion President Barack Obama will hold a presidential forum on community service at Texas A&M University in the George Bush Presidential Library Center Oct. 16. The forum will be hosted by former President George H.W. Bush and the Points of Light Institute. “It is a tremendous honor to have the sitting president of the United States on the Texas A&M campus for the second time in less than a year,” said Texas A&M Interim President R. Bowen Loftin. “This speaks volumes to our status as one of the top universities in the country and the long legacy of Aggies’ selfless service for our country.” According to a White House press release, the event builds upon Obama’s “United We Serve” call to action, which challenges Americans to help engage in community service. It will also celebrate the contributions of more than 4,500 Daily Point of Light award winners and honor President Bush’s legacy of service and civic engagement. Bush created The Daily Point of Light Award in 1989 honoring volunteer groups around the country. “We salute President George H.W. Bush for his continuing dedication to the ‘thousand points of light’ and are honored that he has extended an invitation to President Obama to commemorate the 20th anniversary of this important milestone in service and civic engagement at Texas A&M University,” Loftin said.
civilization depends upon providing a decent standard of living for all mankind,” Borlaug once said. “The first essential component of social justice is adequate food for all mankind.” His contributions earned him the international title of ‘father of the green revolution.’ His agricultural work has saved hundreds of millions of lives in developing countries by creating wheat varieties that are resistant to disease and provide a higher yield than previous strains of wheat. “We have lost our strongest champion for reducing hunger worldwide,” said Vice Chancellor and Dean of See Borlaug on page 4
File Photo
Terry Galloway brings play to A&M ■ Comedy shines light on medical, childhood struggles Travis Lawson Special to The Battalion Deaf, lesbian performer Terry Galloway is coming to Texas A&M University with her autobiographical play “Out All Night and Lost My Shoes” today. Galloway is deaf and nearly blind due to experimental antibiotics her mother was given in Germany when she was several months pregnant. The antibiotics also caused her to hallucinate at a young age. “The show is filled with comedy, in
large part because of my background doing comedy,” Galloway said. “It’s about me being a ‘modern medical accident’ and growing up deaf, hallucinatory and queer.” Galloway’s challenge of being deaf did not stop her from writing and performing monologues, poems and performance texts. Galloway won numerous awards and grants from the NEA, the Texas Institute of Letters, the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, the PEW Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Galloway lived in Austin, Texas, where she became known for her cross-dressing performances as Shakespeare at Winedal and Esther’s Follies.
Marine biology professor’s research reaches new depths Joaquin Villegas The Battalion The discovery of various new species in the world’s longest underwater lava tube by a Texas A&M University at Galveston professor has sparked interest in underwater cave research. Thomas Iliffe, professor of marine biology and world renowned cave researcher, received help from a team of international researchers at the time he discovered the species in an underwater tunnel in Lanzarote, Canary Islands. The underground tunnel called the Tunnel de la Atlántida, literally translating to “tunnel to Atlantis,” forms part of a larger system of lava tubes created almost 20,000 years ago with a longitude of more than four miles. “Much of my research involves uses of specialized diving techniques,” Iliffe said, “including cave diving using side mounted tanks and closedcircuit rebreathers.”
Pg. 1-09.14.09.indd 1
“
As someone wanting to go into research, it’s intriguing to know there still are many secrets to uncover.” — Cindy Gutierrez, junior biology major
Among the species discovered, two new species of worms and one crustacean were found. “The small worms we discovered were found in a large, conical mound of white sand,” Iliffe said. “We collected several samples of the sand, and when we examined it later, we found these new species.” In honor of their discoverer, one of the worm species
was named after Illife. The Sphaerosyllis iliffei is a strange creature that, according to Illife “has no eyes or color and is the first cave-adapted species from the worm family Syllidae.” The other species of worm was named after Cesar Manrique, the local artist that painted the touristic part of the cave that must be travelled to reach the underwater tunnels. “They likely colonized underwater caves and cracks in older rocks on the island,” Illife said, “and invaded the water of the lava tube sometime after its formation 20,000 years ago.” But perhaps the most intriguing of the discoveries is the new species of crustacean, Illife said, which belong to the class of Remipedia, and is believed to be one of the most primitive classes of crustaceans. Named Speleonectes atlantida, meaning “cave swimmer,” the crustacean has fangs filled See Species on page 4
Galloway has performed at the American Place Theater in New York and Zap Club in Brighton, England. Performance studies administrators said they want students to see that no matter what hurtles a person may face, they can be a spectacular stage performer. “Terry Galloway is an extremely prominent artist, and I encourage everyone to come and see her performance,” said Harris Berger, associate music professor and associate head of performing arts Harris Berger. Galloway is also going to give two writing workshops in Theater History and Dramatic Literature at A&M. Students will be able to work closely with
Soccer: Aggie soccer team loses for the third time sports | 5
Golf: Check out Aggie golf weekend results sports | 7
Galloway to learn from her expertise in the theater arts. “I am really anxious to have her work one-on-one with Texas A&M students,” performance studies assistant professor Kirsten Pullen said. “She’s funny and interesting and creative.” The show is at 7:30 p.m. in the Rudder Forum in the Rudder Theatre Complex. Tickets are free to the public. “Bringing her here is one way to signal Texas A&M’s commitment to diversity,” Pullen said, “as well as providing an inspiration for other students to find a way to engage in civil discourse by telling their stories.”
Gillispie in rehab After being accused of his third alcohol related offense, former Texas A&M basketball coach Billy Gillispie checked himself into rehab Sept. 3, confirmed William L. Patrick, one of Gillispie’s lawyers. Gillispie’s was arrested for Driving Under the Influence Aug. 27 in Lexington, Ky. He pled not guilty and is awaiting trial for Sept 23. While an assistant coach in 1999, Gillispie was arrested in Tulsa, Okla., for Driving While Intoxicated. The DWI charge was dismissed, and Gillispie settled on a charge of reckless driving. While beginning his first year as head coach of the University of Texas-El Paso in 2003, Gillispie was arrested for suspicion of DUI, and the charges were later dropped due to a lack of evidence. Gillispie was fired Gillispie in March 2009 as the men’s basketball coach at the University of Kentucky. Gillespie checked himself in to John Lucas Athletes After Care Program in Houston, Texas. Lucas, a former NBA athlete, fought his own addictions while he was a player and now runs his own alcohol and drug rehabilitation center for athletes. Lucas’ program focuses on exercise, rather than medicine for rehabilitation. Gillispie’s Houston lawyer Demetrios Anaipakos declined to comment. Austin Vela, special to The Battalion
9/14/09 12:10 AM