Who Knew?

by Eileen Gilligan

Q. Just how big was that iceberg that broke off from the ice shelf in Antarctica recently?
A. In this case, size depends on one’s perspective. For readers of the Irish Times, the iceberg B-15, discovered by a UW–Madison researcher, would cover the counties of Mayo and Donegal combined. New York Times readers learned about an iceberg almost the size of Connecticut. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel readers were presented with an iceberg “twice the size of Delaware.”

At least the MJS put some numbers to its analogy: the iceberg’s area is estimated at 4,247 square miles; Delaware’s land mass is 1,932 square miles (which is approximately twice the size of Rhode Island, if you want to stretch the analogies even further).

Matthew Lazzara, a meteorologist in the Antarctic Meteorological Research Center, says a BBC reporter told him the berg would equal about half the size of Scotland or just about the size of Jamaica.

These analogies give “folks something they can grasp their arms around,” he notes. A part-time doctoral student, Lazzara says a colleague told him the iceberg would fit inside El Salvador – (it just wouldn’t keep its shape for very long).

Q. Now that the season is upon us, where do wedding bells ring on campus?
A. Aside from the traditional spots, like the churches along Library Mall, couples wed from Allen Centennial Gardens to the Arboretum.

Allen Centennial Gardens hosts about 40 weddings during the warmer seasons each year, according to Cathy Pryes in horticulture. Weddings are held during some extended weekends, Friday through Sunday, from May 1 through Oct. 30, she says. “But not on any football Saturdays,” she adds, when parking is too tight. (And who would want to miss the game anyway?)

The Arboretum is another wedding destination, but only for weddings that fall under the “less is more” category. Wedding party and guests are limited to 50 people with no chairs or refreshments permitted, says Pamela Nesbit, program assistant. A chuppah may be erected and one musician is allowed for “natural music;” no boom boxes allowed.

Most of the10 or so Arboretum weddings each year are held in the Longnecker Gardens or the Council Ring, she says.

But umbrellas may be necessary: There’s no indoor space for weddings that get caught in the rain.