Contest by Liu Bingsusen, vice-chairman of the Stand- 

 ing Council of Chinese Caliigraphers Association and 

 one of China's most noted practioners. 



May 28 



■ Exhibition Made possible by a generous grant from the 

 people of Chevron, the new permanent exhibition "In 

 Search of Giant Squids" opened to the public at the Na- 

 tional Museum of Natural History. Two enormous squid 

 specimens (the Tantngia danae is 7 feet long and weighs 135 

 pounds, and the Architeuthis dux is 9 feet long and weighs 

 440 pounds) help visitors investigate the mystery, beauty, 

 and complexity of the world's largest invertebrates. 



May 30 



ginia, began several new conservation initiatives. Train- 

 ing programs were expanded to include three-month in- 

 ternships for undergraduates as well as one-week 

 intensive courses. A remote sensing— geographic infor- 

 mation systems laboratory was established for use in in- 

 ternational training programs and biodiversity 

 investigations. 



June 



■ Visitor Publication Take Metrorail to the Smithsonian 

 Museums, a pamphlet designed by the Visitor Informa- 

 tion and Associates Reception Center, was produced by 

 the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to 

 promote the use of public transportation to reach 

 Smithsonian museums. 



■ Endangered Species Kigali, a female lowland gorilla, 

 was born at the National Zoological Park. She is the sec- 

 ond offspring of 12-year-old Mandara and 13-year-old Au- 

 gustus (Gus). Because lowland gorilla populations are 

 declining in the wild, the Zoo's gorillas are propagated as 

 part of a species survival plan. Kigali, named after the capi- 

 tal of Rwanda, symbolizes hope— in this case, hope for the 

 future of her species as well as for the people of Rwanda. 



Summer 



■ Internships Thirty students were offered awards 

 under the Office of Fellowships and Grants' Summer 

 Minoriry Internship Program. Latino interns repre- 

 sented 33 percent of these appointments. 



Summer 



■ New Facility A new occupational health unit opened 

 at LEnfant Plaza. The occupational health staff will use 

 the new space to enhance medical services and health 

 training for Smithsonian staff. 



June 



■ Publications The Office of Public Affairs issued up- 

 dated versions of its Institution-wide visitor brochure in 

 five languages— Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and 

 Spanish. The brochures are given out at museum in- 

 formation desks and by mail from the Smithsonian 

 Information Center. In September, an Arabic version 

 was issued. 



June 



■ Facility Planning The Smithsonian Institution Li- 

 braries hired an architect to design plans for a natural 

 history rare book library in the East Court of the Na- 

 tional Museum of Natural History. The facility will con- 

 solidate special collections materials in natural history 

 and anthropology and provide secure and environmen- 

 tally sound housing for the preservation and conserva- 

 tion of this irreplaceable library material. 



June 



Summer 



■ Internships A $240,000 grant from the National Science 

 Foundation allowed the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observa- 

 tory to provide 10- week summer internships for 13 college 

 undergraduates specializing in astronomy and astrophysics. 



June 



m Training Program The National Zoological Park's 

 Conservation and Research Center in Front Royal, Vir- 



■ Award The Office of Telecommunications film 

 Dream Window: Reflections on the Japanese Garden garnered 

 an Emmy Award for cinematography from the Academy 

 of Television Arts and Sciences. 



June 



■ Exhibition The National Museum of African Art's ex- 

 hibition "Beaded Splendor" featured an important new 

 gift to the museum's permanent collection: a beaded 

 crown from the Yoruba of Nigeria. In conjunction with 



28 



