The Skyline Newspaper

Photo: Watercolor by Carol Fairlee on display in the library. Photo by Jason Hennington

Art Exhibit Calls for Submissions

By Antonio Gonzalez
Skyline Reporter

An open call has been made to all students and faculty, as well as the general Alpine community, to submit works of art to be displayed in free exhibit space in the Brian Wildenthal Memorial Library.

The idea, brought to life by librarians Andrea Cancellare and Mary Schwartze, is meant to foster the artistic spirit on campus. There are currently five artists on view in the entryway and stairwell.

"We'd like to have all kinds of art, including sculpture and ceramics," said Schwartze.

Cancellare urged, "The space is open to all students to have a chance to show their works; it is not necessarily limited to art majors."

Both librarians encourage students with a creative side to submit their masterpieces and are excited about reaching out to the student body to help make the library a more interesting and invigorating space.

The works will be on display for about six weeks at a time, and they already have enough pieces to last through November. Plans to open up more space and to incorporate poetry readings are already in the works.

The chance for exposure to a wider audience is prime in the coming months due to the seasonal increase in tourism to Big Bend and the upcoming Gallery Night.

Those interested in submitting works can do so by sending a digital image of the piece, contact information, title, medium, and price (if for sale) via e-mail to mschwartze@sulross.edu, or call 837-8124.

Chihuahua Symphony to Perform

The Chihuahua Symphony Orchestra of Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua will perform the concert Wednesday, Sept. 19, in Marshall Auditorium.

The program will consist strictly of Mexican classical and popular music and is directed by Maestro Raul Garcia Velazquez.

The event is co-sponsored by the Mexican American Studies Program and the SRSU Music Department. The orchestra appears courtesy of the Mexican Consulat, Presidio.

The concert begins at 8 p.m. There is no admission charge and the public is invited.

For more information, contact Dr. Jesus Tafoya, (432) 837-8386 or jjtafoya@sulross.edu

Constitution Discussed at Forum

On Wednesday, September 19, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Lawrence Hall 309, Sul Ross students and faculty will gather to discuss the political rights of Americans.

The discussion, which will be lead by a panel of Sul Ross faculty from across the University, is part of the Constitution Day 2007 observances.

Panel participants are Dr. Dale Christopherson, Professor of Political Science; Dr. Jimmy LaBaume, Professor of Agricultural Business; Dr. Larry Sechrest, Professor of Economics; and Dr. Esther Rumsey, Associate Professor of Communication and Chair of the Department of Fine Arts and Communication. Dr. Jay Downing, Professor of Psychology and Chair of Behavioral and Social Sciences, will serve as moderator of the panel.

Each faculty member will comment on a provision of the constitution. Rights and constitutional provisions to be addressed in the 2007 program are search and seizure, the right to bear arms, interstate commerce, and freedom of speech. Sechrest will be speaking on the Ninth Amendment.

It was on September 17, 1787, that the delegates to the Constitutional Convention convened for the last time to sign the final version of the constitution. The constitution was then submitted to the states for ratification.

Nine states had to ratify the constitution before it could take effect. The Constitution became officially effective when the ninth state, New Hampshire, ratified it on June 21, 1788.

NRM Offers New Program, Club

By Steve Lang
News and Publications

The Sul Ross State University Department of Natural Resource Management (NRM) is offering a new degree concentration in Conservation Biology. The NRM department currently offers concentrations in Wildlife Management, Range Management, and now Conservation Biology. The new program refocuses the former Ecosystem Management concentration.

"The Con Bio program is a result of student demand. Within the last five or so years, we have noticed an increase in the number of students in our program who didn't really fit in our Wildlife or Range program. Students wanted a program that was broader and that focused on environmental issues and community involvement. I think they'll find a home in our Con Bio program," said Dr. Louis Harveson, Department Chair.

Conservation biology is an action-oriented science focused on the protection and restoration of the Earth's biological diversity. The department's goal is to make the Conservation Biology Program an interdisciplinary program spanning biology, geology, sociology, education, natural resource management, and policy.

Students in the Conservation Biology Program will be trained in a wide variety of disciplines including wildlife ecology and management, rangeland ecology and restoration, population dynamics and modeling, systems and spatial analysis, and environmental law and policy.

New faculty member Dr. Patricia Moody Harveson is the program adviser. She received her doctorate in Wildlife Science from Texas A&M University and her master's. from Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Her research interests include population ecology, systems analysis and modeling, environmental policy and the use of GIS and remote sensing in natural resource conservation.

Her current research projects include studying the impacts of urbanization on endangered Florida Key deer and a regional project focused on the landscape ecology and metapopulation dynamics of mountain lion and black bear populations in West Texas and northern Mexico.

Moody Harveson will also serve as the primary advisor for the SRSU Chapter of the Society for Conservation Biology. The club is in its initial stages but is being spearheaded by some very energetic and enthusiastic students.

The club's mission is to: promote interdisciplinary collaboration across the university and local community; encourage volunteerism on local, national, and international levels; and support the sustainable use of natural resources and the conservation of biological diversity.

Club president Catherine Brown is the visionary for the club. Other Club officers include Tara Poloskey, vice president; Dana Milani, secretary; and Masahiro Ohnishi, treasurer. Everyone is invited to join the club.

"We're hoping to have a broad mix of members from the university and local community. We see ourselves working closely with the Alpine community and surrounding areas through volunteer projects like the community garden and recycling program. Education and outreach will also be a big focus for the club, and we plan to work with area schools to encourage and promote our mission.

"The club is also planning some fun camping trips to various parks, and we hope to take many of our members to the national meeting for the Society of Conservation Biology this summer," said Moody Harveson.

Meeting times and dates for the Conservation Biology Club will be posted on campus and around town. For more information, contact Dr. Patricia Moody Harveson, (432) 837-8826 or pharveson@sulross.edu.

Scholarships Awarded to Outstanding Geology, Biology Students

By Jason Hennington
News Writer

Texas State University System Chancellor Dr. Charles Matthews and his wife Julia presented The Future of Biology Educator Scholarship to Sul Ross State University graduate student Justin David Ceniceros following the Board of Regents meeting at Sul Ross Aug. 15-16.

Ceniceros, Alpine, was awarded a scholarship through the Texas State University System Foundation. The scholarship is a personal gift from Dr. and Ms. Matthews.

Ceniceros currently maintains a 4.0 GPA after taking 29 hours of graduate classes and has begun his master's thesis involving the germination potential of seeds recovered from bear scat. He plans to graduate with a Master of Science in biology when he completes his thesis and to pursue a career as a high school biology teacher.

The Matthewses, through the Texas State University System Foundation, established the scholarship and award it to a student in a different department each year. Matthews and his wife choose the department but not the student.

The $1,000 scholarship is awarded to a student majoring in that department's particular program. The applicant is chosen by professors and advisors in the department.

Ms. Matthews, whose father was a high school biology teacher for many years, collected butterflies in this region when she was a young girl. This is part of the reason that biology was chosen this year.

Sul Ross English major Landon Moore, Bangs, received the first scholarship in 2006. This year, the chancellor chose the Department of Biology to receive the 2007 award.

Ceniceros was recommended by Dr. Chris Ritzi because of his outstanding work in the department.

"Justin is not just a student in this department but also an integral member of our family," Ritzi said.

Ceniceros came to Sul Ross in 1997 for the Environmental Studies-biology concentration degree, and worked towards the degree for a number of years, gaining experience in a broad variety of classes. He completed his undergraduate work in 2006 and began his working towards a Master of Science in Biology.

"Justin has already proven himself to be an excellent student in our program, providing insightful discussion to course topics and excelling in all the graduate classes he has taken," Ritzi said.

Ceniceros has worked in both the greenhouse and the vineyard for over five years as an undergraduate and graduate. He also served as vice president for the Biology Club in 2007 and has participated in activities such as "Fall On The Mall," "Spring Fling," and highway clean-ups. Ceniceros also represented the Biology Club as a runner in the departmental "Relay for Life" team this past spring.

The Matthewses review Sul Ross programs and then choose a major with special interest to them. "It is our intention to continue this practice as long as I am chancellor of the system," Matthews said.

"We are grateful to you and your faculty for the good work you do in educating our students."

On hand at the presentation was Dr. Vic Morgan, 10th President of Sul Ross State University.

"We are deeply grateful that Charles and Julia (Matthews) have chosen to honor outstanding students at Sul Ross with a scholarship award," Morgan said.

"It reflects their commitment to Sul Ross as a part of the Texas State University System."