Lady Swimmers defeat
Gardener-Webb,
page 6
Happy Thanksgiving
from the Seahawk
Thursday | November 17, 2005
Serving UNC Wilmington since 1948
Volume LVII I Number 11
Friday Hall to be renovated, but first, animals must move out
Barbara J. Twigg
Senior Staff Writer
Professor David Webster looks
around the museum, surrounded by
antelope and rhinoceros heads, doz
ens of eerily lifelike bats, shrews,
flying squirrels, stuffed ducks and
birds.
As UNCW’s curator of mammals,
Webster has a daunting task ahead of
him. He has to pack up and move
the 15,000 critters, along with 1,000
bats and 15,000 fish floating in jars
of alcohol. In all, some 75,000 speci
mens, including a prized, preserved
plant collection, have to be emptied
from the biology labs and moved to
a 7,000 square foot trailer
These mammals and reptiles fill
the rooms and dimly lit hallways of
the third floor of Friday Hall. They
are tucked away under the eaves of
the low ceilings in the attic-like labs.
Friday hall is set to undergo a $10
million, year-long renovation. So, the
creatures have to leave the austere,
hallowed hall and setup home tem
porarily in a humble trailer
“How am I going to do it?” asked
Webster. “That’s a good question, h’s
a very big job. I sometimes wonder if
the people in charge realize what we
have to do here.”
Webster has been teaching classes
about mammals, marine biology and
ecology at UNCW for 28 years. He proudly
points out that UNCW has the third-largest
museum collection in the southeast after the
Universities of Florida and Georgia.
He understands the momentous task
ahead of him. He opens cabinet drawers
filled with stuffed pheasants, porcupines.
3^1
11
All photos Pete Corkey I THE SEAHAWK
Due to
square
the need to renovate Friday Hall, 75,000 animal specimens must be temporarily moved into a 7,000
foot trailer. UNCW has the 3rd largest museum collection in the southeast.
snakes and endless varieties of mice. He
slides out drawer-after-drawer of shrew skulls,
tagged and catalogued.
Webster delights in showing off his
amphibians and reptiles. He delights, too, in
watching the squeamish reactions of curious
onlookers, as they come face-to-face with the
life size reptiles he pulls from the bins.
He loves talking and teaching about his
creatures. After all, he has lived among tham
for decades.
But he is sobered by the huge project that
lies ahead and his role as their protector
Thousands of specimens must be properly
preserved, packed, tinpacked, and then after
the building’s facelift, moved back to Friday
Hall.
“We have to be out by May
10,” Webster said. “Actually, I’ve
already started packing.”
And he’s figured out who his
moving assistants will be. “Next
semester in biology classes, I’ll
be training students in museum
science and the art of packing,”
he said.
“Many of the moves in our
campus buildings are done by
prisoners from the county jail,”
he said. “But the prisoners aren’t
going to touch the collection.
They can move the cabinets or lab
tables, but students will handle
the specimens.
“This collection is as valuable
to us as a Van Gogh to someone
else,” he said.
But Webster is realistic about
the need to renovate the outdated
building. “The roof leaks every
time it rains,” he said.
Steve Sharpe, UNCW project
manager for the renovation, said
I the leaky roof is a priority, in the
$10 million job. “We’re going to
install a new roof sprinklers and
new air conditioning,” he said.
“The third floor is unique in
that it houses collectibles, which
are irreplaceable,” Sharpe said.
“We hope to improve air flow to
better preserve the specimens.”
Chairman of the Biology Department
Martin Posey is excited about the renovation.
“Friday Hall is clearly outdated,” Posey said.
“It needs so much work. When it’s renovated,
we’ll have new, modem facilities.”
“Yes, moving is a big job, but in this case,
one that’s well worth it,” Posey said.
In Memoriam of Dr. Thad Dankel
The Seahawk staff is sad to report that retired UNCW Mathematics
professor Dr. Thad Dankel died last Thursday, Nov. 8 at Duke
Medical Center at the age of 62. Dankel batded with polycystic kidney
disease for seven years and received a successful kidney transplant this
summer from donor and UNCW Student Media Coordinator BiU
DiNome. Dankel started teaching at UNCW in 1971 and ser\dced
the UNCW community for over 30 years. He was also active with the
Wilmington Concert Association, Wilmington Choral Society, and
public radio station WHQR. On behalf of the entire Seahawk staff,
our condolences go out to all of Dr. Dankel’s family and friends.
M K