Worcester Polytechnic Institute DigitalCommons@WPI Newspeak All Issues Newspeak 12-12-1989 Newspeak Volume 17, Issue 26, December 12, 1989 The tudeS nts of Worcester Polytechnic Institute Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.wpi.edu/newspeak Recommended Citation The tudeS nts of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, "Newspeak Volume 17, Issue 26, December 12, 1989" (1989). Newspeak All Issues. Book 428. http://digitalcommons.wpi.edu/newspeak/428 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Newspeak at DigitalCommons@WPI. It has been accepted for inclusion in Newspeak All Issues by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@WPI. 10,000 Maniacs visit WPI F ull house treated to extended show by Cindy Richards problem. Natalie seemed to use the of one of the amplifiers. (I didn’t Newspeak Staff song to warm up. I got the impression catch why, otherwise I'd let you that she didn’t know that she had an know.) Natalie explained that the The night of December the third, audience. As for the music in general, reason she never gives interviews is our community was blessed with the from the beginning of the show it was that she simply has nothing important presence of Natalie Merchant. In apparent that only the avid fan would to say. other words, 10,000 Maniacs played be able to tell the difference between With a remark like that, it was a in Harrington Auditorium. Natalie, the album and the live versions. Sure, good thing that the band started to (I'd call her “Nat”, but only her watching them perform you knew that play "Like the Weather”. This song mother is allowed to call her that) the it was live; but every time that I've put a little bit of life into the crowd. I lead singer of the Maniacs, is the most seen 10,000 Maniacs it amazed me really couldn't believe that the crowd notable member of this band. Quite that the group could sound so much as was so dead. I don't think that I saw honestly, until I was handed a biogra­ if they were in the studio. more than fifteen people dancing. I phy of the band, I had no idea who the After Natalie warmed up and actu­ would have had a better time if even other members were, or if any even ally opened her eyes once or twice, three people in the crowd were sing­ existed. Just to let you know, the (for those of you who were wonder­ ing along with Natalie. Her rendition group consists of Jerome Au- ing, her eyes are brown) the band of “Poison in the Well" was exactly gustyniak on drums, Robert Buck on played "The Big Parade", “Dust like that on the album, so how come guitar, Dennis Drew on keyboards, Bowl", “Trouble Me", and "The Pup­ people couldn't sing, or at least sway and Steven Gustafson on bass. If you pet”. Basically, all of the M aniacs’ a little bit? I suspect that Natalie know anything about I().(K)() Mani­ songs are human interest songs. (That opened her eyes when she did “Head­ acs, you probably know that Natalie saves you from being bored with my strong” because she was wondering if does not have a reputation for being interpretations of them.) The music everybody had left. Sure, it was great over-friendly with the press and pub­ was fairly mellow up until this point. that you could hear the music, but a lic. Even though she joked with our Much to my suprise, after playing for comatose audience is no fun. beloved Newspeak photographers this long, Natalie decided to acknowl­ Things livened up when 10,000 about refusing to give interviews, edge the presence of the audience. I Maniacs played “What’s the Matter over all the show Sunday night im­ was impressed that she actually talked Here”. I think that it is one of their proved my image of her. with us and answered our questions. best songs from recent albums. (I’m 10,000 Maniacs started off the first She talked about the puppet being in not one of the purists who thinks that set with “Eat for Two”. The song is an someone’s garage; she told us why a Natalie Merchant receives flowers from appreciative crowd. outcry over the teenage pregnancy picture of Lucy and Ricky was on top continued on page 3 Fund raising underway for new biology lab (WPI News Release) Biology and is a response to this national problem. related fields of chemical engineer­ In addition to its role as a basic It is not affiliated with any corpora­ biotechnology programs at Worcester “Meeting the Kresge challenge ing, for both classw'ork and under­ science, biology has developed an tion or organization. It is one of the Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and the will ensure that we are able to sustain graduate research projects,” said applied technology called biotechnol­ few major national foundations which Worcester area will receive a needed the growth in this exciting new sci­ President Strauss. “Additionally, it ogy. Biotechnology is the use of directs its support toward projects boost with the announcement of a ence and serve our students, both for will provide research opportunity for organisms and their components or involving construction and renova­ S325.000 Kresge Challenge Grant. laboratory instruction and for student/ our graduate students and our faculty, products for industrial purposes and tion of facilities and the purchase of The money is targeted for a bi­ faculty research. Perhaps, more im­ who are establishing a national repu­ leading to advances in fields such as capital equipment or real estate. oprocess technology laboratory at the portant, the science initiative will also tation for their work in the field,” he health care, agriculture and energy. The Kresge Foundation Science 125 year old Institute. Under terms of mean maintaining up-to-date equip­ added. Biotechnology is entering a new Initiative is a special challenge grant the grant, WPI must raise an addi­ ment through our equipment endow­ The lab will also serve the faculty stage of its growth, according to program aimed at upgrading and en­ tional S1.3 million within 18 months ment,” said WPI President Jon at nearby Becker Junior College, who economists, and U.S. economic dowing scientific equipment and to receive the Kresge funds. Strauss. will utilize the facilities for their new growth is increasingly dependent on laboratories in college and universi­ The bioprocess technology labora­ Having a new bioprocess labora­ two-year Biotechnician Training Pro­ young high-technology industries ties. It is an outgrowth of a survey tory, estimated to cost $650,000, has tory at WPI will have broad effects, gram. It will also forge relationships like biotechnology. Commercial they conducted in 1987 of 158 col­ already received $250,000 funding according to campus officials. It will with nearby biotechnology activities, applications of biotechnological ad­ leges and university presidents. The from the W.M. Keck Foundation for offer faculty and students new oppor­ providing facilities for short courses vances have expanded widely in the program’s aim is to identify substan­ space renovation and equipment, tunities to do research in fermentation and workshops, and for research. last year and will continue to do so dard areas used for teaching science while the National Science Founda­ and processing. “We will be able to The facility will be available for over the next decade. (equipped classrooms) or research tion (NSF) gave WPI a $95,000 equip­ accommodate additional graduate use by nearby industry at set times Massachusetts, and especially the (laboratories) and to improve them, ment grant, the bulk of which will be and undergraduate students in the during the year on a non-interference Worcester area, is the focal point of a by modernization of the spaces them­ used for the new lab. The NSF funds field, as well as enhance two existing basis. major development effort in biotech­ selves and by upgrading the equip­ must be matched by donations from course (Fermentation Biology; Pro­ WPI’s own biology and biotech­ nology. The state and region are one ment within those spaces. laboratory equipment manufacturers. tein Purification and Downstream nology program is experiencing rapid of the three or four major centers in Kresge Foundation has assisted Additionally, equipment has been Processing) and offer a new course, growth, due in large part to the excit­ the U.S. WPI is involved with a education efforts by WPI previously. donated from Integrated Genetics, Scale-up,” said Bagshaw. ing possibilities both within biology public-private development program Recently they participated in the $9 while Cambridge Laboratory Con­ “We intend to equip this lab with and where this science interests vari­ including the Massachusetts Biotech­ million fund raising effort through a sultants developed preliminary lab state-of-the-art facilities to offer stu­ ous engineering fields. In 1982, there nology Research Park. $750,000 challenge grant for the con­ designs. WPI reunion class of 1962 dents, graduate and undergraduate, were 15 majors in the biology and The Kresge Foundation of Troy, struction of Fuller Laboratories, the has already pledged $55,000. well-rounded exposure to the prob­ biotechnology department. Today, Michigan is an independent, private new $9.9 million building for infor­ The $1.3 million, to be raised lems and methods of the field,” he there are more than 100 undergradu­ foundation created in 1924 by the mation sciences. under the challenge, will be set aside continued. ate and 20 graduate majors. personal gifts of Sebastian S. Kresge. in an endowment fund for the continu­ “The bioprocess laboratory will be ing maintenance of biology and bio­ unique.