The Week in Brief

Wild emu chase ends with tragic shooting

The large, flightless birds, which belonged to Phyllis and Joseph Kopylec, escaped from their pen by jumping a seven-foot fence. After the escape, there were numerous sightings in the North Branford area as the birds ran free.

According to the New Haven Register, the Kopylecs believe the birds ran away due to lack of attention. Joseph Kopylec said that recent surgery had prevented him from devoting as much time to his birds. As a result of the escape, the couple has decided to part with all of their remaining emus and ostriches. The birds will be transported to a farm in Durham, Conn.

--Adrienne Lo

Billion-year-old fossil found in India

Geology and geophysics professor Adolf Seilacher collaborated with researchers from Germany and India on the groundbreaking discovery. "These fossils are exciting because of their age," he said. "Evolutionists may have to develop some new arguments to explain them."

The Chorhat Sandstone was at one time covered by a shallow sea. If the scientists are correct, these prehistoric worms wriggled through the dense organic matter at the bottom of the sea in search of nutrients
and oxygen. Most experts believe that multicellular organisms first appeared around 540 million years ago in a sudden evolutionary explosion. However, Seilacher's conclusions, which were published in the Fri., Oct. 2 issue of Science magazine, may call for reconsideration of that idea.

--Susan Tuddenham

Reporter compares U.S. and Israeli journalism

In addition, Wohlgelernter criticized the American media's reporting of life in Jerusalem. "If you read about Jerusalem in America, you get a very narrow slice," he said. "Bombing is great television footage, but it is a distorted picture."

One of few English-language papers in Israel, the Jerusalem Post is widely read by foreign officials. Wohlgelernter concluded by noting the need for a stronger connection between the American Jewish community and the Israeli community.

--Abigail Phillips

Rowland tackles urban renewal at Law School

JULIA TIERNAN/YH Connecticut Governor John Rowland wants to see the Elm City become an arts and entertainment center.

In the speech, Rowland outlined his aggressive urban renewal campaign. He said Connecticut has ignored its cities in the past. Emphasizing the distinctiveness of urban areas, Rowland asked, "What can we do to enhance the unique qualities of state cities?"

For New Haven in particular, Rowland stressed highly that the Elm City is a place "where we can bring urban development centered around arts and entertainment." His vision for New Haven, he said, includes "a resort destination element."

A key aspect of the Governor's urban renewal plan is that the state government must "put money on the table first [to encourage] universities, hospitals, and private businesses to come to the table as well." Rowland said that he hopes that partners like Yale will actively participate in urban renewal plans in the future.

--Abigail Phillips

NEH's director Ferris addresses YPU

Ferris's keynote speech at the Yale Political Union on Tues., Oct. 6, was entitled "America Won the Cold War but is Losing the Battle for Her Soul." The NEH currently receives only one-tenth of one percent of the federal budget, or 41 cents per American.

Ferris called the humanities "the intellectual air we breathe." Citing William Faulkner and Thomas Jefferson, he said, "We face an uphill battle when it comes to the state of our [cultural] souls."

Ferris was a professor at Yale for seven years before returning to his native Mississippi to direct the Center for the Study of Southern Culture in 1979. President Clinton, LAW '73, appointed him director of the NEH last November.

--William S. Mauldin

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