Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 13, 1978)
daily nebraskan monday, november 13, 1978 ii mm : giT " ttt - mum- S " j"1" 1 " 1 11111 "" 1 " 1 1 ' I'-rinniin. iiiiwr im i; .wrn., Jl-Si. ii i i mi - , iin.ni., ,,i imi-iin. .Ii...iiri.....n-n , Photo by Bob Pearson Students on East Campus slaughter hogs and cut the sides of ham into pork chops, roast and sausage. Students learn skills necessary in meat processing as well as safety rules for slaughtering. From slaughter to the freezer, students study hogs By Sue Brown Animal Science 217 courses offered stu dents the chance to participate in the evaluation and slaughtering of hogs this month at the Loeffel Meat Lab on East Campus. The hogs were slaughtered Nov. 1 by the Animal Science 217 students under the instruction of Dwight Loveday, associate professor of animal science. According to Loveday, the meat lab is a federally inspected plant and follows all the rules and regulations set by the govern ment. A USDA meat inspector is at the plant during all times of slaughter. "We follow the Humane Slaughter Act, which says that all animals must be render ed unconscious before they are slaughter ed." he said. Electric stunner Loveday said the hogs are rendered un conscious by an electric stunner. Then, the main arteries around the heart are cut, using the heart as a natural pump to move the oxygen out of the body tissues. The animals then die of suffoca tion, he said. Before being put in a cooler, the hogs are cleaned and de-haired by being submerged into a scadling tank. The hair follicles undergo a change in the 140 degree tank and in about four minutes, the Bonfire . . . Continued from page 1 . The incident attracted national attention from at least one radio network. ABC radio carried a story on the two bon fires Friday morning. The incident Friday morning prompted a meeting between University administra tors, fraternity representatives and police, Dave DeCoster, UNL Dean of Students, said the 17 students arrested would be con tacted by his office, "to get the student's point of view." Afterwards he said, the matter will either be dropped, or the cases will be turned over the University Judiciary, depending on the conversation with each student. The charges against the 17 students in clude arson, assaulting a police officer, failure to disperse, larceny, disorderly con duct and disturbing the peace. Greek owned items According to DeCoster, the property that was burned in the fire was owned by hog is ready to be mechanically de-haired, Loveday said. Safety is of paramount importance in the course, according to Loveday, who said that a safety film is shown early in the semester. Students learn how to sharpen the knives and use all equipment properly, he added. Fun class Professor of Animal Science Mandigo also emphasized the safety aspect, adding that it is something that is constantly being worked on at the lab. The two credit hour course, which Loveday considers "a fun class," meets four hours and consists largely of lab work. Al though lectures are included, Loveday said, they are used where needed to allow more time for the students to actively partici pate in lab. Tests and pop quizes also are part of the course, he added. On Nov. 8, the students cut the sides of pork into pork chops, roasts, and sausage, under the instruction of Mandigo. The meat was then wrapped for freezing, he said. Makin' bacon The class will concentrate on curing bacon and ham sections on Dec. 6, said Mandigo. According to Loveday, students must be able to recognize cuts of meat and know their location on the carcass. They also Greek houses or the city of Lincoln. He said none of it was university owned. There were at least two injuries reported at the game Saturday, but no arrests. Police say one woman in her 60s broke her arm when the crowd behind her pushed her to the floor as they surged onto the field after the game was over. A student suffered an ankle injury when he fell off one of the goal posts. After tearing the goal posts down, fans paraded across the university carrying the long white souvenirs of the Nebraska victory. And, despite the fact that both goal posts are missing, officials say there will be two goal posts up for next Saturday's game against Missouri. Sports Information Director Don Bryont said the university has an extra goal post in storage, and they will borrow a second one from a practice field. learn many of the skills involved in meat processing. If a student becomes sick on the "kill floor" they may leave the room and get fresh air or watch the slaughter from the observation desk. "The way I lock at it is that certain things bother certain people," Loveday said. If a student could not handle the slaughtering, they are still responsible for the material and are given handouts, which cover it, he said. Forty-eight students are involved in the animal science 217 course this fall with 24 students in each of the two sections. Doug Schardt, a general agriculture major, decided to take the course after a friend recommended it to him. Student experience "I would definitely recommend it to others. It's a very practical course," jie said, adding that it will save him money to do his own slaughtering on the farm. Brent Whitefoot of Shelton, is taking the course as an elective after seeing slaughter demonstrations in another course last year. With the experience of taking part in a slaughter, Whitefoot, who is in the Agri culture Honors program, hopes to find summer work in a meat packing plant. Patti Lutter, a junior from Valentine, says she feels no discrimination in being one of four women in her section. "Everyone works together and takes turns," she said of the lab. The animal science-agriculture educa tion major is taking the course as an elective and said that she would recommend the course only to people who were really interested, since the class is limited in to a small number for individual instruction. The best hog Prior to hog slaughtering, Animal Science 101 students evaluated the hogs on October 30 and 31. The students spent a lab period evaluat ing the live hogs in the judging pavillion on East Campus. According to Keith Gilster, associate professor of animal science, the students evaluated the hogs on various criteria including live weight, average fat thickness, USDA grading, carcass length and must be able to recognize them after they are slaughtered. Their estimates are compared to the actual figures after slaughter and the stu dents get the opportunity to view the car casses before they are cut and wrapped. Gilster said the evaluation of the live animal is important since it is a common way of buying hogs in Nebraska. The stu dents are asked to pick the best hog, which Gilster said is sound legged, long, smooth and trim. cacpooS ) 1 HOTUNE 1 1 V MM J) to share