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Early Morning Hours Find Drs. Chan, Konegni Already, On The Job
Vol. 76, No. 64
The Daily Nebraskan
Monday, February H, 1963
Five Students To Represent Algeria
At Midwest Model United Nations
Five University students
who will represent Algeria
and Nebraska at the Mid
west Model United Nations
have been selected, accord
ing to Dennis Christie, cam
pus chairman of MMUN.
The students are: Jeff Po
korny, Gary Radii, Susan Se
grist, JoAnn Strateman and
Carla Tortora.
This year's MMUN will be
held in St. Louis, Missouri, at
the Chase-Park Plaza Hotel,
March 27 through the 30.
Jeff Pokorny, a sophomore
in Business Administration,
will concern himself primar
ily with the economic and fi
nancial aspects of the ques
tions to be debated.
Gary Radii, a pre-law jun
ior, is interested in the trust
eeship committee.
Susan Segrist, freshman In
Arts and Sciences, has stated
her interest in the special po
litical committee at the con
vention. Carta Tortora,.. junior,- will
participate in the workings of
the political securities com
mittee. Jo Ann Strateman, sopho
more, will attend the meet
ings of the social, humanitar
ian and cultural committee.
The alternate delegate is
Everett Madson, a pre-med
freshman.
Miss Tortora's political and
security committee will con
sider the seating of the Peo
ple's Republic of China in the
UN and all its organs.
Pokorny will take part in
study of the improvement of
world -market conditions and
the UN bond issue in the ec
onomic and financial commit
tee. The trusteeship committee
will be concerned with South
West Africa, the possessions
of the United States and An
gola.
Miss Segrist will help de
termine the levels of radia
tion to which man is current
ly exposed and the effects of
radiation on individuals and
their descendants.
Miss Strateman's selection,
the social, humanitarian and
cultural committee, will take
up the following issues: UN
Relief and Wbfks Agency for
Palestine refugees in the
Near East; race conflict in
South Africa and the question
of refugees and the right of
asylum.
JWH Uliile Coach Trains
ietnainQSC W 1 1 1 asters
ByJOHN LONNQUIST
Nebraskan Staff Writer
"Most people just don't
realize how big an operation
that is over there," com
mented Sgt. Calvin, Ver
Meer on his return from
Viet Nam.
Sgt. VerMeer, who teaches
tactics, supervises the fir
ing range, and coaches the
varsity rifle team, is a
member of the Army ROTC
detachment at the Univer
sity. About a year ago Sgt.
VerMeer was sent to Viet
Nam as one of 11,000
American military advisors
who are stationed there. Ac
companying each regiment
of Vietnamese soldiers, is
one or two of these advis
ors, Ver Meer said.
While in Viet Nam, Sgt.
VerMeer's . job was to set
up a training center in the
village of Ninh-Hoa, which,
is situated about 250 miles
north of Saigon. This center
was designed to train the
Self Defense Corps.
The Corps is equivalent
to the Home Guard, which
was set up in many of the
United States during World
War II after the National
Guard was federalized.
Minutemen
The Corps is a minute
man type group of older
citizens. Most of the men
are between the ages of 40
and 60. They remain at
home while their sons are
serving in the National
Army.
After the training center
was set up, the villagers
and those in the surround
ing area came forth and
were supplied with several
types of rifles. They were
then taught the use of these,
their care and basic squad
and platoon tactics.
Do the Americans teach
them judo or any hand
Ski Trip Patches Now
On Sale In Union
The Student Union ski trip
patches for all those who
have been on a Union ski
trip are now available, ac
cording to Susie Pierce, chair
man cf the Union tours and
trips committee.
The patches may be pur
chased for 50 cents at the
cashier's counter near the
'north entrance tq the Union,
Mi&s Pierce said.
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Photo by Pixie Smallwood
HOME FROM VIET
NAM Sgt. Calvin VerMeer
relaxes after returning
from his teaching duties in
Viet Nam.
fighting? "Hah, they can
teach us that," said the
Sergeant. It is called Viet
namese boxing; they use
hands, feet, elbows, toes,
and eye gouges, "everything
goes," he added.
A typical day in the life
of this military advisor:
up at 5 a.m. and out train
ing at 6:15 a.m. The Ameri
cans do not train the troops
themselves, but merely ad
vise the Vietnamese officers
who are in charge. At noon,
when the temperature
reaches 120 degrees, the
Vietnamese take what in
Latin America would be
called a "siesta." All busi
ness stops for about two
hours.
Bugs 'Pleasant'
Three or four nights a
week, the troops are taken
out and shown the use of
flares and methods for
judging distances at night.
"Then we would come
home, spray each other, get
the leeches and ticks off.
They were very pleasant,"
the sergeant said sarsac
tically. "When I got there you
needed an armed escort to
go anywhere, but when I
left the communist ele
ment had been fairly well
cleared out of our area. In
spite of this, all the sup
plies and troops are flown
in by Army and Air Force
planes because the roads
weren't safe. The Viet Cong
have a habit of putting
holes in those who use the
roads," he said.
Living in constant danger
from the bullets of Viet
Cong rebels for a year
didn't seem to bother Sgt.
VerMeer much, but some
of the University's students
may find his ideas of danger
a little different from their
own. Commenting on ski
ing. Sgt. VerMeer grinned
and said, "You couldn't get
me to do that, they come
down there about sixty
miles per hour."
High School
Students See
NU Saturday
One hundred-ninety high
school seniors from 14 towns
in eastern Nebraska visited
the university Saturday to at
tend classes.
The conference was an
orientation program designed
to acquaint students with col
lege classes and procedures,
according to Dr. William E.
Hall, professor of education
psychology. .
The students attended col
leges of their choice to learn
how freshman level students
are taught.
Attending Saturday's pro
gram were students from Al
bion, Ashland, Ceresco, North
Bend, Palmyra, Papillion,
Schuyler, South Sioux City,
Syracuse, Tecumseh, Wahoo,
Waverly, Weeping Water and
Yutan.
Musk Committee
Sponsors Take 5'
The Student Union contem
porary music committee will
sponsor a half-hour of infor
mal entertainment every
Wednesday beginning this
week, according to Sue
Oberle, chairman.
The musical program,
"Take 5," will begin at 3:30
p.m. and feature small
groups, solos, readings, m
strumentals and various spe
cial acts. ,
Among those scheduled for
coming programs are Christy
Johnson, Marv Rubeck, the
Zeta-Tones and J a r v i s
Greene, said Miss Oberle.
Firemen Reach Dorm
To Find 'False Smoke'
Steam from a pop-off valve
in front of the Women's Res
idence Hall was mistaken for
smoke early Saturday morn
ing and for the second time
last week the fire department
was called to the University
campus.
The fire trucks were re
called when the false alarm
visa discovered.
NIA Week
Opens With
Talent Show
Foreign Students
Sing, Play, Dance
University foreign students
initiated International Student
Week Sunday night at the
Union with a Nebraska Inter
national Association (NIA)
talent show.
Norman Bray, representing
Canada, began the show and
Sm Sulchan followed with an
Indonesian folk dance. . A
group of Americans sang
American folk songs.
Iraj Saber! of Iran played
a Santie, an Iranian instru
ment similar to a piano.
The Nigerian Highlife
dance, a folk dance of that
country, was performed.
Combo
Las Tropicales combo mem
bers from Bolivia, Trinidad
and Jamaca played selections
from each of their countries.
Hosea Prendes of Cuba
played the trumpet and Nore
Coto played and sang Span
ish songs. Mrs. Jagiit bingn
of India did an Indian folk
song.
This disolav of talent was
only the beginning of a week
full of foreign student activi
ties. On Tuesday at 4 p.m.
three foreign students and
three foreign professors will
compare education in their
country with that in the
United States, riving the fiood
and bad points of each.
Dr. Franklin Houn, politi
cal science instructor from
North China, Dr. Maan, gen
etics agronomist from inoia
and Dr. oiKawa in law re
search from Japan are the
participating professors. Bill
Cawood of soutn Ainca, jacK
ie Eaglesone of Bolivia and
Yousef Meshiea of Lybia are
the students.
Several foreign students
and a professor will discuss
how Communism penetrates
a nation at 4 p.m. Wednes
day. Dinner With The Profs.'
Foreign students will dine
with American students
Thursday in students's living
areas. Also on that night will
be "Dinner with the Profs"
with Dr. Robert Sakai, His
tory professor. Fifteen stu
dents can, sign up at the Un
ion program office to join Dr.
Sakai at 5:30 p.m.
Las Tropicales combo will
play for International Jazz
'N' Java Friday at 4 p.m. in
the Union Crib.
A Polynesian theme will
prevale at the Annual Ag Win
ter Dance at 8 p.m. Friday
in the Ag College Union.
Fnreitm talent will perform
during intermission.
The Union cafeteria will
add foreign food to the menu.
There will be a European
travel display in the U n i o n
Lounge. It will present in
formation for different types
of European trips available
to students. Free bulletins
will be distributed,
EDITOR'S NOTE! Thli article la one of number (hat wll b DubUabet) by tbt
Dalljr Nebraakan tbla aemeater In an effort to ahow the nature an4 the extant
af work that (oa on oatilde the elaitroom and what makea nalrerilir great.
Early In the morning two young University dentists
cover themselves with pale-green sterile clothing, lay out
their equipment and begin work on an extensive and closely
coordinated research project.
Silently Drs. Bryon Chan and John Konegni lean over
their microscopes, squinting at tiny animal life.
At that hour they are the only iribving and visible
evidence of one of the most cooperative scientific staff
ventures undertaken at the University.
However tired the two graduate students might feel at
3 a.m., they draw comfort from the probability that what
they are doing will some day lower the cold statistics telling
that thousands of Nebraskans and one out of every 750
newborn babies in the United States suffer from a cleft
palate condition.
Tissue Failure
A cleft palate is the failure of the tissue of the palate to
close before birth, resulting in an opening in the roof of
the mouth that sometimes extends to the upper lip.
Seven years ago a joint effort was begun by the depart
ment of pharmacology and the graduate department of
orthodontics to develop an animal congenital cleft palate.
Cooperation snowballed under the direction of Dr. Sam
Weinstein, College of Dentistry, and Dr. Robert D. Gibson,
dean of the College of Pharmacy.
For the past several years, scores of academic and
research staff members of the University have committed
themselves to help the cleft palate research in whatever
way they can. This number includes proiessors or aenusiry,
medicine, pharmacology, mathematics, speach therapy,
anatomy, psychology, nutrition and veterinary science.
Willing Helpers
The men and women work behind Chan and Konegni as
advisors and consultants, and are unpaid and unheralded.
Working in their off-duty time, they are given a number
of tasks, but accept them in a cooperative spirit.
Chancellor Clifford Hardin described the effort as "an
example of the very substance or essence of the meaning
and direction of a responsible and dedicated university com
munity."
Among the many who have aided progress in research
Into the cause and prevention of a cleft palate Is Dr.
Thomas Morairity, a University research associate in
pharmacology. His efforts have been centered on the mechan
ics by which the palate closes.
He and the two young dentists have already success,
fully determined almost to the minute when the palate
closes in the growth of a normal rat.
Human Application
When they can apply their growing knowledge to hu
mans, discover the palate closure time for humans and
sophisticate their techniques, they will have found another
of the many answers needed for prevention of the con
dition. James D. Church a research assistant in mathematics,
and his professors Drs. Robert Harris and John Birch,
supply the dentists with experimental design and analytic
aid.
Rexford Beckham, science librarian, acquires scientific
manuscripts and books for all of the men.
Two blocks to the north of their research center, Chan
and Konegni find help in answering detailed computations
from Dr. John Christopher, director of the computing cen
ter. Months of calculations are boiled down to minutes in
the huge machines.
Cell Information
Information on growth and development of cells is ob
tained on the Ag campus from Dr. Donald M. Pace, director
of the celluar research center there.
They are often dealing with life smaller than a dress
sequin, and for confirmation of their work they turn to
Drs. John Latta, anatomist, and Edward Holyoke, anatom
ist and physician at the College of Medicine in Omaha.
Dr. George Young and other veterinary scientists at
the College of Agriculture are helping them find an animal
mouth that more closely approximates that of the human.
Dr. Hazel Fox, College of Agriculture nutritionist, offers
such information as how the diet at a certain time in
pregnancy affects closure of the palate.
Rat Handler
A graduate student in psychology, Mrs Evelyn Thf
man, lends help in the handling of experimental rats.
Glassblower Lloyd Moore at the University's scientific
stores, blows special glass protective covers for the tiny
tissue covers.
Kaz Tada, a University photographer, helps them de
velop techniques to study the celluar structure through
microscopic photography.
The names of people taking part in the project go on
and on. But the two graduate students in their early morn
ing, antiseptic world have their eyes on tomorrows, looking
for prevention and the stop-it-before-it-starts answers.
Help Today
But what of the misery of sufferers today? What can
be done for those who find difficulty eating, breathing and
speaking? What can be done for children who very soon
find out that their faces are not like others?
Here the cooperative effort gets even bigger. It spreads
among more University researchers concerned with therapy
to former students, men of learning in other institutions,
practicing physicians, dentists, psychologists, and social
workers in Nebraska.
Seven years ago Dr. Frank N. Stewart, a Lincoln
pediatrician, helped the Nebraska cleft palate, team under
way.
Dr. Stewart, dean of the Graduate College and Univer
sity research administrator, characterized the cleft palate
research project as an example of how a university works
and pulls together at its best.
Health Service Gives
Dental Project $13,148
The U.S. Public Health
Service has granted $13,148
to support a dental research
project at the University. The
proposed project is to deter
mine the relationship of
tongue and cheek to the posi
tion of the teeth in the mouth.
Dr. Edward Fry, associate
professor of anthropology,
will direct the study witn tne
assistance of Dr. Sam Wein
stein, associate professor of
orthodontics, and Dr. Donald
Haack, associate professor of
engineering mechanics.
Pressure of the . stronger
muscles, Dr. Fry explained,
can push teeth outward or in
ward from the generally ver
tical position they assume.
Sets of twins between the
ages of five and fifteen will
be observed over a period of
three years to determine any
possible genetic factors af
fecting these muscles. The
rate of growth and its effects
will also be observed.