2
CAMPUS NEWS
Biological researchers Nancy and Jerry Jaax
speaic at Founders’ Day convocation
Jaaxes brave the
weather to speak to
MeredlUi about
their exciting
careers.
LINDSAY
SAUNDERS
Staff Reporter
Despite snow and ice,
Army Colonels Jerry and
Nancy Jaax still made it to
Meredith to speak at the
Founder’s Day
Convocation on global
spread of disease, bioterror
ism and other topics that
correspond to this year’s
campus-wide theme “The
Human Face of Science.”
The Jaaxes’ experiences
with the Ebola virus in
Reston, Va., inspired the
book The Hot Zone, by
Robert Preston, and the
movie Outbreak, starring
Dustin Hoffinan.
Jerry Jaax said that,
although he and Nancy are
both veterinarians in tiie
military, their job entails
more than just playing with
animals. “Our mission is a
very special one,” he said.
“That mission is to conduct
research to develop strate
gies, products, information,
procedures, and training for
medical defense against
biological defense."
Their research and other
parts of work is based out
of the United States Army
Medical Research Institute
of Infected Diseases
(USAMRllD). The bio
hazard and safety levels are
so high that sometimes they
must wear space suhs that
provide filtered air to
breath. Jerry led the team
of space-suited Army sol
diers who infiltrated the
“hot zone” and contained
the Ebola outbreak in
Reston.
While Jerry Jaax was
leading the infiltration,
Nancy was back at USAM
RllD in a top security lab
conducting emei^ency
autopsies on the monkeys
to determine the exact
cause of their deaths.
The Jaaxes said the out
break of Ebola in Reston
Dr. Jerry Jaax explalris the science behind biological
warfare.
Photo by Julio Stansbury
Alcohol
Continued from
Pa£el
Finally, the SGA
Executive Committee has
made a proposal to the
Board that the SGA
president be a voting mem
ber of the Board. This pro
posal stems from student
concern last year over lack
of student input and com
munication concerning the
tuition increase. The SGA
president currently attends
meetings of the Board but
is considered a "visitor"
and is not allowed to vote
on College issues.
The Executive
Committee researched stu
dent representation on other
colleges’ and universities’
Boards of Trustees or
Boards of Governors. This
proposal will also be pre
sented to the Board of
Trustees at the meeting on
Feb. 28.
Lora Tillman, SGA presi
dent and student represen
tative, strongly supports
this proposal. "I am
extremely proud of what
the SGA Executive
Committee has been able to
accomplish this year,” she
said. “With the progress we
have made on these propos
als in addition to our work
on the academic climate of
the College, we have made
tremendous strides in many
issues and policies that will
make Meredith a better
place for all students.”
SGA thanks all of the
students who completed
surveys, voted in campus
elections, and worked on
various committees to
make Our decisions repre
sentative of students'
desires.
was not really scary, but
exciting. They were well
aware of precautions that
needed to be taken though.
"I put on my space suit
for the first time not know
ing what to expect," said
Jerry. "Safety was our top
priority."
He also noted that, sur
prisingly, the majority of
the technicians there were
underpaid 18- to 19-year-
olds working under
anonymity.
Ebola is still a mystery —
even to the Jaaxes in some
ways. "This is a disease,
but we don’t know where it
is," Jerry said.
The Jaaxes had quite a
lot to say about the book
and movie when answering
questions from the audi
ence.
"He [Preston] did a real
service to those who are
interested in diseases," said
Jerry Jaax. "He clearly has
sparked an interest that
would not have been
sparked if he had not writ
ten The Hot Zone."
Both Jaaxes agreed the
movie is too sensational.
But Nancy Jaax said that,
although the book is also
sensational, it is still fairly
close to the real story. The
Jaaxes said, "There were
nothing in there that was
outright false."
"I was actually interested
in [the convocation]
because I liked the movie,"
said sophomore April
Garland. "I didn't think that
everything that happened in
the movie was true, but at
least the majority of it
was."
"I thought it was going to
be more about how they
felt and dealt with the situ
ation," said Garland.
"Instead they gave more
background on the virus
and how it's carried."
Immediately following
teh convocation, the Jaaxes
rushed back to the airport.
They had oiriy arrived
hours earlier, at 1 a.m.
Monday morning although
traveling conditions were
not very good.
“We’ve never missed one
of these yet,” Nancy Jaax
said.
Our chef is a procrastinator.
But, we're okay with it now. We've teamed
that just because he doesn’t want to press
youi fresh tortilla until you walk in (he
door, it doesn’t toake him a bad person
la fact, our customers bare pown
used to seeing our (ortilla press
cook-up their tortiflas tight before
their eyes. So wlien you see
our chef, don't be too bard
on him. he's waiting
on youI
Af^hAMLLO
tortilla
m fileowMl Art BaMtk. IK pNoe