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Smithsonian asks judge’s help with bug collection

By WTOP Staff

JESSICA GRESKO
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Carl J. Drake spent his life studying bugs, everything from aphids to water striders. When he died in 1965, the entomologist left his life savings and his vast insect collection to the Smithsonian. But now Drake’s will has become something of a pest.

The Smithsonian Institution says that after nearly half a century, it’s having a hard time carrying out Drake’s wishes, including fulfilling the mission he gave the institution for his money: buy more bugs. So, the Smithsonian is asking a federal judge in Washington for permission to modify Drake’s will.

The Smithsonian says it’s only had to ask to modify a will once or twice in the last half century. But carrying out certain elements of Drake’s will has “become impossible, impracticable, and wasteful,” Department of Justice lawyers wrote on the Smithsonian’s behalf in asking a judge in late April to approve the modifications it wants.

Lawyers wrote that over the years the Smithsonian has used Drake’s dollars to purchase about a dozen insect collections, but now buying new bugs is tough. Lawyers wrote that’s because of changes to an environmental law made in the 1980s. Those changes increased the red tape surrounding insect collecting, such as documents needed to prove the collections were made legally.

The Smithsonian wants to use the income from Drake’s investment, which has grown from around $250,000 to about $4 million, not only to purchase insects but also to buy supplies and to support scientific research on Drake’s collection and other “True Bugs” it owns. That’s the type of insects Drake collected, a group that includes bed bugs and other bugs with mouths like hypodermic needles.

The Smithsonian also wants to be able to loan items from Drake’s collection, a no-no according to Drake’s will because in his day, insects often broke during shipping.

And the institution wants to integrate Drake’s collection into its collection as a whole. Right now, Drake’s approximately 250,000 carefully preserved specimens — that’s dead bugs to the uninitiated — are kept in separate cabinets at the National Museum of Natural History, as he asked. But the Smithsonian says that taxes “increasingly scarce collection space” and is inconvenient for researchers who use the collection on the fifth floor of the natural history museum’s east wing, a space not generally accessible to the some 8 million people who visit the museum every year.

There, rows of white metal cabinets hold wood boxes that pull out like dresser drawers, revealing glass-topped cases of insects. Some specimens are so small that several would fit on a pencil eraser. Others are closer to fist-sized. The space smells like the chemical in moth balls, which is used to keep living pests away.

Drake spent the last eight years of his life working at the Smithsonian as an honorary research associate. While he was born in Ohio in 1883 and spent many years teaching at Iowa State University, he came to the Smithsonian in 1957 and worked six and a half days a week into his 80s.

Over the years, he identified nearly 1,500 new insect species and he studied a wide range of bugs, from grasshoppers to lace bugs, a particular favorite of his. He wrote hundreds of papers, including ones on a green stink bug that attacked crops in Florida and the influence of insects on alfalfa seed production in Iowa.

When he died at the age of 82, he left a three-page will. Drake, who never married, left his nephew and nephew’s wife $15,000. His nephew’s daughter, Kay Ann, got $5,000. The rest of his money went to the Smithsonian. Lawyers for the Smithsonian wrote that “out of an abundance of caution” they tried to contact Kay Ann to tell her about the changes they’re requesting, but they haven’t heard from her and don’t think she’d be able to intervene legally anyway.

For now, the petition is in a federal judge’s hands. It’s unknown when she will rule

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Follow Jessica Gresko at http://twitter.com/jessicagresko

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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