The Antarctic Sun, December 10, 2000
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
www.polar.org/antsun The December 10, 2000 PublishedAntarctic during the austral summer at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, Sun for the United States Antarctic Program QUOTE OF THE WEEK Conducting a movement “It’s ironic, drinking warm beer in Antarctica.” - McMurdoite on someone who couldn’t wait for her beer to chill INSIDE Pole, a popular place page 5 Rancho Penguino page 6 Of shopping and scavengers page 10 Preparing to move McMurdo’s runway seven miles from the sea ice to Williams Field, Frank Thompson aligns a Challenger trailer as Brad Johnson pushes it into place with a Cat. The annual switch occurs No more cold feet when the ice gets too soft for wheeled planes to land. The two dozen or so buildings that service the for Antarctic flier airfields are pulled by heavy equipment across the sea ice convoy-style. Photo by Josh Landis. page 11 By Josh Landis Ears to the Ice Sun staff n top of thousands of feet of ice, they are listening. In the heart of the Dry Valleys, they Sridhar Anandakrishnan, right, and Don O are listening. A network of Voigt set an insulated instrument box into super-sensitive seismometers placed at dif- the snow near Siple Dome. The ferent points in Antarctica is helping scien- seismometer rests on a block of wood tists map the earth below the Ice in greater that transmits vibrations from the snow detail than ever before, and a new wave of and earth below. Photo by Jerry Bowling. them is about to go in. see Ears on page 4 2 • The Antarctic Sun December 10, 2000 News In BRIEF PHI wins contract rebid National Geographic to feature Antarctica The National Science Foundation has awarded a new con- A writer and a photographer for National Geographic mag- tract to Petroleum Helicopters Incorporated to provide heli- azine are visiting Antarctica to produce a feature story for 2001 copter support to the United States Antarctic Program. about research on the continent. PHI has held the contract since the 1996-1997 season, its Freelance photographer Maria Stenzel and writer Roff first on the Ice. The operation employs four aircraft, seven Martin Smith are focusing on developments in science since pilots and five mechanics. the magazine’s last comprehensive coverage of the continent in The Lafayette, La., company has a fleet of more than 300 April 1990. helicopters and has operated in more than 40 countries, rang- Smith has written stories and a book for National ing from emergency medical services in the U.S. to various Geographic. This is his first story for the magazine about uses in South America, Africa and the former Soviet Union. Antarctica, but it’s his second visit to the continent. In 1994- “I’m exceedingly pleased that those who made the selec- 1995, Smith spent a summer at Australia’s Mawson base. tion had the wisdom to pick PHI for another five years,” said Stenzel photographed Antarctica for National Geographic National Science Foundation station representative Dave articles in 1996 and 1998. Bresnahan. The feature Stenzel and Smith are working on will focus on The contract consists of a two-year initial term with three how Antarctica provides a unique view of Earth and of the uni- one-year options for renewal. Changes planned for the future verse and on how scientific work here offers insight into the include swapping one of the three A-Star helicopters for another past and future, National Geographic editor Lynn Addison said. Bell 212, bringing the total fleet here to two A-Stars and two “Our readers are tremendously interested in Antarctica,” she Bells. The Bell models are more versatile and carry more weight. said. “It’s a very warm feeling to be welcomed back,” said Jack Smith and Stenzel are scheduled to leave in late December Hawkins, head of PHI operations on the Ice. and return in January to travel by yacht along the peninsula and to King George Island. - Josh Landis - Beth Minneci Mardi Gras Saturday Summer celebration at McMurdo Station Mardi Gras always falls on the secret society called the Mystick Krewe of this holy day, a tiny plastic baby is Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. This of Comus to protect the future of Mardi placed inside each "King Cake." The cake year, Mardi Gras falls on February 27, Gras. The Krewe of Rex was the first to is decorated in the three Mardi Gras col- but in the time-honored tradition of anoint its own King. The Krewe of Zulu ors to resemble a jeweled crown to honor changing holidays to fit Antarctica’s was formed by the blacks of New the Wise Men. The official Mardi Gras schedule, Mardi Gras in McMurdo is Orleans to mock the snobbishness of the colors are purple, representing justice, this week. The two-day celebration kicks Krewe of Rex. Zulu's parade would green, which represents faith and gold, off 8 p.m. Friday at Gallagher’s with the meander from barroom to barroom in representing power. The Krewe of cutting of the King’s Cake. Later that junky cars and wagons. If you wanted to McMurdo will use the finding of the baby night, the Mystick Krewe of McMurdo see the parade, you had to find the bars to determine this year’s King and Queen. will select its King and Queen. that sponsored the floats as they were One event that’s become popular in On Saturday, a ball will follow a obligated to pass those bars. recent years is the baring of women’s parade, which will begin at the Chapel of The throwing of trinkets, or "throws", breasts in order to "earn" Mardi Gras the Snows at 8:00 p.m. to the crowds was started in the early beads. The earning of beads in this man- For more information, contact the 1870’s and is a time-honored tradition. ner is not a true Mardi Gras tradition and recreation department. Other popular throws include bikini doesn’t take place during any of the offi- No one knows the exact origin of underwear, long pearl beads and stuffed cial Mardi Gras events. After the parades, Mardi Gras, although it is often attributed animals. throngs of drunken tourists invade the to the Romans whose pagan orgies were Other traditions include the Mardi French Quarter and it is there that women held during the spring season. The Gras Balls and the King’s Cake. have this dubious opportunity. It would French in New Orleans had private Attendance at the older, more aristo- be worth noting, as McMurdo’s Mardi masked balls until the Spaniards took cratic balls is by invitation only. They are Gras celebration nears, that, traditionally, over in 1718, when parties and street formal affairs for the Krewe. The identi- beads are given to parade spectators of dancing were banned. It wasn't until ties of the King and Queen are a closely both genders as a reward for their smiles 1827, when Americans took control of guarded secret until the night of the ball. and enthusiasm and that flashing is never the city that masked parties were In the States, Mardi Gras season begins a requirement. I restored. on January 6th, the day the three Wise In 1857, a group of men formed a Men visited the Christ Child. As a symbol - Robert Lafaye and Robin Krumm December 10, 2000 The Antarctic Sun • 3 Last Sunday’s 5K Turkey Trot – top finishers and their times News Women Women Men Men from the 39 and younger 40 and older 39 and younger 40 and older Arctic 1 Lisa Farber 1 Karen Joyce 1 Steffan Freeman 1 Jeff Rein • http://www.arcticculture.about.com/ 24:51 30:55 19:41 23:25 2 Stan Sabbatini 2 Peggy Malloy 2 Hiram Henry 2 Tracy Prouty culture/arcticculture/cs/ 26:30 35:24 19:43 28:34 newspapers/ 3 Meg Flanigan 3 Gloria Oswald 3 Steve Kupecz 3 John McGoff A portal for Arctic newspapers from 29:30 37:44 21:29 29:13 4 Sara Smolenack 4 Ann Dal Vera 4 John Hoppe 4 Joe Baros Alaska to Iceland to Russia. 31:27 40:48 22:15 45:59 5 Carrie Block 5 Nancy Ferrel 5 Benny McLean • http://www.polarnews.com/ 31:59 50:49 22:53 A gathering point for news about the polar regions, with links to Arctic news sources. • http://www.nunatsiaq.com/ The newspaper of Nunavut, a new Canadian territory that was created in 1999. It’s also the place where former Antarctic Sun editor Calling all readers... Aaron Spitzer now works. The Sun’s The Sun’s Annual creative writing festival new staffer Poetry (Maximum length 30 lines.) Fiction (Maximum length 500 words.) Kristan “Stan” Finish this story... (Maximum length 500 words. Hutchison Sabbatini, Scenario available at the Sun office.) left her cat, husband, and a job at Alaska’s Entry deadline: 6 p.m. Dec. 24 Juneau Empire to Enter via e-mail to [email protected], or at the Sun office become a janitor at McMurdo. After in McMurdo’s Building 155. three weeks cleaning toilets, she's turning in a mop for a pen again. As of Monday, she will become a member of the Sun staff. Stan has a master’s degree in political science from Bard College in New the week in weather York and 10 years with newspapers in Washington State, Alaska, and around Antarctica Washington DC. McMurdo Station Palmer Station (Saturday) South Pole Station High: 38F/4C High: 40F/5C High: -12F/-25C The Antarctic Sun, part of the United States Low: 14F/-10C Low: 25F/4C Low: -26F/-32C Antarctic Program, is funded by Windchill: -15F/-26C Avg.