THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2012
PAGE 3
NEWS OF THE WORLD
Associated Press
RUSSIA
Reports of possible weapon exchange with Syria raise international concern
MOSCOW — Russia has signed a contract to sell combat jets to Syria, a newspaper reported Monday, in apparent support for President Bashar Assad and open defiance of international condemnation of his regime's bloody crackdown.
The respected business daily Kommersant, citing an unidentified source close to Russia's Rosoboronexport state arms trader, said the $550-million deal envisions the delivery of 36 Yak-130 aircraft. A spokesman for Rosoboronexport refused to comment on the report.
If confirmed, the deal would cement Russian opposition to international efforts to put pressure on Assad's regime over its attempts to snuff out the country's uprising. The report of the sale comes the same day that Human Rights Watch called Russia's backing of the Syrian regime "immoral."
In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said that if the report is accurate "it would be quite concerning" and would be raised by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, who is currently in Moscow.
"As we've been saying for months, you know, our firm belief is that any country that is still trading in weapons and armaments with Syria really needs to think twice because they are on the wrong side of history, and those weapons can be used against innocents and have been," Nuland said.
NATO
Summit in May will address threats coming from Middle Eastern countries
LONDON — The U.S. Ambassador to NATO said Monday one of the key goals of an upcoming summit is to ensure the alliance is prepared for new threats — comments that came as Iran threatened to shut the Strait of Hormuz in response to an EU oil blockage.
Iran says its program is peaceful, but the U.S. and other nations suspect it is trying to build nuclear weapons. Iran is now under several rounds of U.N. sanctions for not being more forthcoming about its nuclear program.
United States, British and French ships were recently spotted on the strait where a fifth of the world's crude oil is transported, but Ambassador Ivo Daalder said Monday it was not a NATO flotilla. The EU's 27 foreign ministers imposed the oil embargo to pressure Tehran into resuming talks on the its nuclear program.
President Barack Obama is hosting the NATO summit in his hometown of Chicago in May. NATO leaders will look at military strategy throughout 2014, funding issues and how to boost the alliance's capability — both in intelligence gathering and through its missile defense system.
The NATO meeting follows last year's summit in Lisbon, Portugal. At that time, the U.S. and its allies agreed 2014 would be the year Afghan security would be turned over to the Afghan government, but Europe's financial woes have called some commitments into question.
Kim Jong II's mourning period ends as North Koreans celebrate the New Year
NORTH KOREA
PYONGYANG, North Korea — North Koreans bundled against the freezing cold paid respects again to late leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang's main plaza Monday and celebrated the Lunar New Year holiday with colorful flowers and children's games.
A massive portrait of Kim Jong Il, absent after the mourning period for his death last month, has been restored at the vast Kim II Sung Square. People stood in line to bow and lay single red flowers — the late leader's namesake "kimjongilia" begonias — made of fabric.
The capital city that was barren and somber for several weeks is filled with color again: flower beds and planters bursting with blossoms and the red, white and blue national flag fluttering from signposts. Banners celebrating the year and posters marking the holiday called "Sol Myong Jol" here were pinned to buildings and walls.
At the plaza in front of the Pyongyang Grand Theater, hundreds of children scampered and shouted as they flew kites and played traditional Korean games in freezing temperatures.
Pyongyang residents said they were encouraged to celebrate the holiday as they usually do, despite the death of Kim Jong Il, only the second leader North Koreans have known since the Democratic People's Republic of Korea was founded in 1948.
Mexican troops kill prominent cartel member, capture another in attack
MEXICO
MEXICO CITY — Members of a Mexican army special forces unit fatally shot a high-ranking aide to the country's most-wanted drug dealer in a gunfight in the northern state of Durango, officials said Monday.
Luis Alberto Cabrera Sarabia was responsible for the operations of Guzman's Sinaloa Cartel in Durango and part of the neighboring state of Chihuahua, army spokesman Gen. Ricardo Trevilla said.
The army says Sarabia is know as "The Architect," and was named to the role after the December arrest of his brother Felipe Cabrera Sarabia, or "The Engineer."
Sinaloa gunmen traded fire with troops during the operation to arrest Luis Cabrera Sarabia on Friday. One of the gunmen was slain and 11 others were captured. Four soldiers were hurt in the gunfire.
Mexican officials said that another high-ranking member of the Sinaloa cartel, Fidel Mancinas Franco, was arrested in the northern state of Sonora on Saturday. Mancinas had been extorting money from immigrants seeking to travel to the United States, they said. Mancinas is wanted in the U.S. in connection with the deaths of 11 migrants during a car crash in Texas in 2009, officials said.
NATIONAL NEWS
World Trade Center project may halt
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — An 80-story skyscraper under construction at ground zero will have to stop at seven stories unless the developer can line up more tenants, planners said Monday, adding to problems that have plagued the $11.7 billion World Trade Center project.
Silverstein Properties Inc. said it is still looking for tenants to fill the first 10 floors of Three World Trade Center, the third-highest building in the planned office complex. Without those leases, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will not guarantee the financing that Silverstein needs to finish the building.
Construction would end at the "podium" level on the seventh floor, with the option of building up later on, and the floors below would be filled mainly with retail stores.
Many companies in New York are reluctant to invest in new offices because of the poor economy, and dozens are negotiating lower rents as five-year leases signed before the housing crash begin to expire. But both Silverstein and the Port Authority said they are confident the developer can get enough tenants lined up.
"We are currently speaking with a number of potential tenants and remain fully optimistic that we will sign a lease in time to complete the tower as scheduled in 2015," Larry Silverstein, the company's chief executive, said in a written statement.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that he would be disappointed if Three World Trade did not go higher, but that the city would not extend any aid to keep it going. The most important part of the project, he said, is laying the infrastructure for future construction.
depend on the marketplace and investors. That should be up to them."
The 10-story "pre-lease" requirement is included in a 2010 agreement between Silverstein and the Port Authority.
The second-highest building planned for the complex, the 88-story 2 World Trade Center, is also on hold because of a lack of tenants. Workers are finishing the underground parts of that building but will cap it at ground level.
The difficulty in finding tenants comes amid other problems that have dogged the World Trade Center project.
Work on a museum at ground zero has stopped because of a dispute between the Port Authority and the National September 11 Memorial & Museum over who should pay for infrastructure costs. The Port Authority says the foundation owes it $300 million, while the foundation says the bill should be closer to $140 million.
Planners had hoped to open the museum on the 11th anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks, but Bloomberg has said that's no longer possible.
Work has also slowed on One World Trade Center, the spire formerly known as the Freedom Tower. Workers had been averaging a floor a week in mid-2011, but photographs have shown little growth in recent months.
The Port Authority's executive director, Patrick Foye, blamed rainy weather and high winds at the top of the building, which is now 90 stories high. He spoke to reporters following a panel discussion on infrastructure at Fordham University.
The authority also says it is having trouble finding space for the trailers that move upward with the workers. As the tower narrows, there is less space on each floor, and transferring the trailers upward takes more time.
CAMPUS
Look into the lens of KU's Digital Media team
JESSIE BLAKEBOROUGH jblakeborough@kansan.com
Hundreds of historical moments have been recorded at the University, ranging from professor profiles and Commencement addresses to national recruitment and this year's Traditions Night.
The task of recording and producing videos for both University and national level audiences falls on the shoulders of the threeperson Digital Media Team in the Office of University Relations. Their work makes up 90 percent of the University's YouTube page content and can be described in two words: controlled spontaneity.
THE PUPPETEER
For 30 years Frank Barthell watched generations of students come and go through a camera lens. As the oldest member of the digital media team, Barthell has worked through technological changes.
"Over time what doesn't change is needing to know how to tell a story." Bartell said.
After completing a master's degree in Radio-TV-Film with an emphasis on TV and Film production in 1981, Barthell began working at the Office of University Relations as the Electronic Media Coordinator.
Limited by the means of an all radio era, originally Barthell produced all of the TV news and commercials using analog media. The video storage filing system consisted of hundreds of labeled VHS tapes on a shelf.
Now the Digital Media Producer, Bartell works primarily in pre-production and organization. Bartell spends a lot of time researching for projects, conducting pre-interviews and paying
"Staying up to date on technology provides a great deal of humor for my colleagues for some reason," Barthell joked.
attention to the details as well as organizing plan b's and c's.
"This is not just showing up with a camera- 60 to 70 percent of our work is in pre-production," Barthell said.
But that doesn't mean Barthell works at a desk. Instead, Barthell shoots on location with the rest of the crew and assists in collecting sound bites and lighting.
"Everything we do is collaborative, but we do have our individual roles." Barthell said. "One of the great satisfactions I get from my job these days is working alongside a production crew who is so dedicated to the University."
"Right off the bat it was all excitement," Attig said. "We didn't do a lot of the athletics side, but we helped shoot the homecoming and celebration."
Currently, Attig is in the ABD, or "all but dissertation," final stages of obtaining her Ph.D in Communication Studies at the University. After graduating from the journalism Master's program in 2003, Attig decided to avoid the typical teaching assistant position in favor of a full-time job working for the digital media team.
THE DIRECTION
Heather Attig will never forget her first day of work in Jan. 2008, the day the football team won the Orange Bowl.
"The great thing is we don't have a normal day," Attig said. "We are always all over campus shooting and interviewing incredible researchers and
the small production team. Attig is involved in every aspect of production. She acts as director for on-location video shoots, including a trip in the aerial helicopter in fall 2010 to film campus aerial shots for a new admissions video. Using one of the two editing bays located in the digital media team's office located in the basement of the Office of University Relations, Attig helps to create the finished product video editing with the assistance of student workers.
With a self-proclaimed "teacher's heart", Attig enjoys directing student actors and working with the media team's student hourly's. Ultimately Attig wants to teach full time.
"One of the joys of this job is to be able to have students working with us," Attig said. "It's fun to watch them grow in their time here."
"What I love about being both a director and editor is being able to be part of the full project," Attig said.
In Chuck France's unique list of jobs (filming for national Sonic and Wal-Mart commercials, working on a TV pilot set and a stint as a photojournalist for the KC Star), no one would guess he had originally majored in history, anthro-
THE TALENT
"This is not just showing up with a camera-60 to 70 percent of our work is in pre-production."
talking with University higherups. This is my dream job."
As the Creative Director/Editor for the digital media team Attig wears multiple hats in terms of her job responsibilities. Because of
FRANK BARTHELL
KU Digital Media Producer
polylog and psychology.
"I always knew I wanted to be a photographer, I just didn't have the courage to start until I was in my 30s," France said.
In 2008,
France became
the third and final staff member of the digital media team as photographer/videographer.
France said.
"As cheesy as it sounds I like getting up in the morning and saying 'I'm going to work today'"
Outside of France's responsibilities to the digital media team, he is in charge of the photography beat for the School of the Arts . His photos are used by University Relations and the Office of Admissions in University view books.
"We have assignments and also freedom to go shoot what we want," France said. "The people who want a video value our input and opinions."
France prefers
"It is a balance between being a news cameraman and working on a feature film set where everything is planned out." France said. "It's truly controlled spontaneity."
"We have assignments and also freedom to go shoot what we want."
IN THE WORKS
In 2009, the media team upgraded to 5D cameras. Attig
CHUCK FRANCE
KU Photographer/Videographer
France prefers the friendly, fluid working environment of the digital media team to the regulated positions he experienced on corporate film sets.
media team cameras. Attig spearheaded the work, archiving the new HD system after the change from files to cards.
"The new technology ups the ante in terms of quality," Attig
said. "Everything is becoming more portable now."
With a green screen, 5D cameras and a full arsenal of lights, all
videos are produced in-house.
"Over the years, video has changed how we cover the University," Barthell said. "It's harder to find an audience for web stuff because it's so wide."
Currently, the digital media team is working on seven videos with varying turnaround rates.
"The sole benefit I've got from my experience at KU has been working here," Singleton said.
At the end of the day, it's not just about how many videos the digital media team produces. For Lucas Singleton, a senior from Hutchinson in Film and Media Studies, his four years working for the team and being able to film and edit a product from start to finish is what matters most.
— Edited by Bre Roach
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