Maroon

              THE MAROON VOL. 85, NO. 23 WWW.LOYOLAMAROON.COM FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2007 Danna Center suffers rash of thefts Electronics, cash stolen from various offices By DANIEL MONTEVERDE EDITOR IN CHIEF There's a possibility that someone is enjoying an Apple computer and Aiwa stereo along with some fast cash and other electronics after several thefts occurred in the Danna Center. And in a scenario with so many uncertainties, students and staff are questioning who could and would take the items. Last week, both a desktop and laptop computer, a DVD player, a stereo system and $250 in cash were stolen from various offices in the Danna Center in one instance within days of each other and without any suspects so far, students and staff said. "Things go missing from time to time," said Chris Cameron, director of the Danna Center. "My concern is that in a short period of time we had someone on campus or who came on to campus who is very dishonest." SENDING SUPPORT TO VIRGINIA TECH HILTON PITTMAN / THE MAROON Loyola students and faculty sign a prayer blanket Wednesday in the Ignatian Chapel in Bobet Hall after a noon-time memorial mass sponsored by University Ministry. The blanket is for all those affected by Monday's shooting at Virginia Tech. Biology students showcase research Symposium is a venue for diverse research topics By KATHY MARTINEZ THE MAROON Simply put, biology senior Rachel Nuwer's topic for the March 30 undergraduate symposium was about two catfish and one carp. Nuwer could have studied those species of fish in the Mississippi River, but she chose to conduct her research thousands of miles away in the laboratories of Southeast Asia. "I worked in a facility that was located on the banks of the Mekong River for a month and a half," Nuwer said. "We did research all day long, starting from 6 in the morning to as late as midnight. Although it was hard work, I really enjoyed every minute of it." While in Asia, Nuwer worked under the direction of internationally accredited French scientist, Dr. Philippe Cacot. Nuwer returned to Loyola after, completing her research to compile her study titled, "Domestication of three indigenous fish species in the South of the Lao PDR: Experiments on the propagation of two catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus and Hemibagrus wyckioides) and one carp (Cirrhinus microlepis)." Other symposium participants did not take their projects out of Louisiana but still worked with acclaimed researchers on topics within the global scientific community.The department of biological sciences' symposium has been a showcase for remarkable research undertaken by undergraduate students for almost two decades. It is an opportunity for outstanding students to work with distinguished scientists and gain hands-on learning experience. Most student research is conducted in safe and sterile laboratories, but senior biology and psychology double major Amanda Rodrigue had a much more wild experience. Rodrigue spent 40 hour.s a week with chimpanzees in Lafayette. "The chimps were really cool. Most people never get that close to primates. 1 had a lot of fun learning about their interesting personalities, despite that they liked to throw feces," Rodrigue said. She worked with scientists at the University of Louisiana- Lafayette during the summer while researching her study titled, "Associative Concept formation in chimpanzees using a Habituation Learning Model." Rodrigue spent eight months preparing her presentation for the symposium and continues to add information to her writings. "I have been attending the symposium since I was a freshman. I had always wanted to talk about my work on stage arid get out of boring bio classes for a while," said biology senior Jordan Ferrage. Ferrage presented his research alongside Nuwer and Rodrigue at this year's symposium. His research was primarily conducted in Loyola's on-campus laboratories but he did occasionally travel across Freret Street to work with scientists at Tulane who specialize in develop- Jordan Ferrage, biology senior, works with chicken embryos in a Monroe laboratory for his limb development project. He calls his work 'a very big success.' Ignatian scholars no longer top recipients By TARA TEMPLETON SENIOR STAFF WRITER The Ignatian Scholarship is no longer the top scholarship at Loyola, being eclipsed by the top athletic scholarships available to basketball players and creating some controversy among some faculty members. Some faculty believe the top merit scholarship should be the Ignatian Scholarship since they say the university values academics above other talents. The problem arises because some of the faculty believe the administration is not moving fast enough or doing enough to address the issue which they think appears unfavorable for the university. In January 2005, the Ignatian Scholarships Selection Committee Faculty Representatives sent a letter to the Rev. Kevin Wildes, S.J., university president, about their concerns over the difference in financial support awarded. see THEFTS, page 4 see BIOLOGY, page 4 see IGNATIAN, page 5 Life and Times RJKI D. 6 tBHHWWIIMH MAROON DIRECTORY: CALENDAR, page 2 | LIFE & TIMES, page 6 | SPORTS, page 8 | EDITORIAL, page 14 | NEWS TIPS: 865 3535 CORRECTION: In Sports, Rachel Kovach's position was misidentified. She is a player. Assistant Coach Alton Clivens earns a stipend. Technically, Clivens is unsalaried - not unpaid. Also in sports, the date of Brian Mason's mother's passing was misprinted. It should have read Oct. 23, 2005. We at The Maroon regret these mistakes.