Posted on Feb 17, 2006

It's hard to believe after shedding the coats and even basking in the sun Thursday, we're in for a harsh reality check on Friday.

UAlbany Meteorology Professor Mike Landin says, “And you're getting into category 1 hurricane wind that can cause quite a bit of damage.”

When Professor Landin talks about winds that strong, he means business. Remember the January 21st storm? Widespread power outages occurred across the state. Landin says the dynamics coming together could make this storm even worse.

“We have 80 degree high temps along the Gulf Coast and we've got temperatures below zero in North Dakota and Minnesota and into Montana and that temperature contrast is probably the greatest I've seen for this entire winter season.”

Gusts in the hill towns could reach 80 mph. At Union College, Mechanical Engineering Professor Brad Bruno can simulate gusts that hard using their own wind tunnel.

Bruno says, “The drag forces on an object are going to go up as the wind velocity squared. So as the wind velocity gets up to high numbers, the forces get up to very high numbers too.”

Bruno says that an 80 mph gust hitting a 6 foot tall person would produce 100 pounds of force against them – strong enough to lift them off the ground. Imagine what that could do to trees and branches.

Landin says, “We could see some pretty amazing gusts. I think this storm has the potential to produce some wind gusts a little bit higher than we've seen in the past several years. This could be something like a once in a decade type of wind gust situation.”

Landin's advice – tie down any loose objects in your yard. And your best bet – try not to go outdoors unless you really have to through Friday evening and have those flashlights and fresh batteries handy, we could be in for widespread power outages.

Posted on Feb 16, 2006

Torino, site of the 2006 Winter Olympics, represents the culmination of years of training and the realization of a lifelong dream for athletes worldwide – including former Union student Lowell Bailey.

Bailey, a member of the U.S. Biathlon Team, had an impressive start in his Olympic debut. Both he and his friend, longtime training partner and teammate, Tim Burke, performed exceptionally well in the 10k sprint on Tuesday.

Bailey finished 48^th and Burke, 37^th, out of 90 competing athletes – ahead of seasoned veterans Jeremy Teela and Jay Hakkinen.

By finishing in the top 60, Bailey and Burke qualified for the biathlon pursuit on Sunday.

“We did not expect this from these two young guys,” said U.S. Coach James Upham. “They are here for experience… but here is Lowell skiing with (five-time gold medalist Ole Einar) Bjoerndalenon the last lap and keeping up.”

To compete in the 15k on Feb. 25, Bailey and Burke must finish in the top 30 in the pursuit on Feb. 21 in the team relay.

Bailey, 24, grew up in Lake Placid and attended Union during the spring term from 2000 to 2002, between training sessions. Continuing to compete internationally after narrowly missing the 2002 Olympic Team, he skied for the University of Vermont while completing a degree in political science and environmental studies. He placed second in the NCAA 10K and also qualified for the Biathlon World Championships in 2003.

A demanding, composite sport, biathlon combines cross-country skiing with rifle shooting. Competitors race across hilly terrain and stop to shoot at fixed targets. In the 10k, or 6.2-mile sprint, contestants shoot at two sets of targets. The competition developed from the military training of ski troops and became an official part of the Winter Olympics in 1960.

Posted on Feb 16, 2006

Posted on Feb 16, 2006

Award-winning poet and playwright Menna Elfyn of Wales will read from her work Wednesday, March 1 at 7 p.m. in Room 215 of the Union College Arts Building.

This event is free and open to the public.

A self-described Christian-anarchist, Elfyn is the author of eight volumes of poetry, which include three bilingual volumes: Eucalyptus / Selected Poems from Gomer, and two later collections from Bloodaxe, Cell Angel (1996) and Cusan Dyn Dall/Blind Man's Kiss (2001).

Her talk coincides with St. David's Day, a Welsh holiday celebrating the patron saint of Wales. St. David was a Celtic monk, abbot and bishop, from the sixth century. He became the archbishop of Wales, and was one of many early saints who helped to spread Christianity among the pagan Celtic tribes of western Britain.

Critic Tony Conran has described Elfyn as “the first Welsh poet in 1,500 years to make a serious attempt to have her work known outside Wales.”

Hilary Tann, professor of music at Union has worked with Elfyn. “It was my pleasure to meet Menna Elfyn in Minneapolis in 1999 where we were both involved with the North American Welsh Choir,” said Tann. “I had admired her work for a long time (even though I read it in translation). When I was commissioned to write a piece for the Pan-American Games in Canada, Elfyn was the obvious choice. As a librettist, she is wonderfully sensitive to the needs of the composer.”

In 2007, Bloodaxe will publish a new collection, Perfect Sins, from Elfyn's recent volume in Welsh, Perffaith Nam. In 2003 she co-edited and published, with John Rowlands, The Bloodaxe Book of Modern Welsh poetry of the 20th century, a comprehensive anthology of Welsh poets in translation. Her work has been translated into 18 languages.

She's also written a number of books for children including two novels for teenagers and was Poet Laureate for the Children of Wales in 2002. Since 1995, she has been a regular columnist with the national newspaper of Wales, The Western Mail.

Elfyn travels the world for readings at festivals and on behalf of the British Council. She has worked with many composers, including Karl Jenkins, Hilary Tann and Victor Davies. In 1998, she co-wrote the libretto “Garden of Light,” a choral symphony for the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, which received its premiere at the Lincoln Center in 1999. She is writing director of the master's program in creative writing at Trinity College and a Fellow of the Royal Literary Fund at Aberystwyth University since 2002.

For more information visit: http://www.mennaelfyn.co.uk/

Posted on Feb 16, 2006

Through March 10

Wickoff Student Gallery,

Nott Memorial