Friday, February 1, 1035 Daily Nebraskan Pago 7 i ; Auto batte ry-related accidents cause blinding injuries, burns Injuries from one cf winter's greatest hazards the dead auto battery can be reduced If motorists take some precautious, according to the National Society to Prevent Blindness. An estimated 20,733 people were treated in a ho?pital emergency room in 1083 for a battery-accident-related injury. More than two-third3, or 13,673 of these were injuries to the eyes. Many may have resulted from the mishan dling and Improper jump-starting of automobile batteries, a society c facial said. "Some people don't know that a lighted match and cigarette, or a spark from a dropped tool, booster or charge cable can ipite a battery," said Bar bara Allen, executive director cf the Nebraska affiliate. "The explosion can throw littery acid into the eyes, causing severe burns, possible vision impairment cr even blindness, she ssid. To minimize this risk, the society urges motorists to carry safety goggles in their car and wear them whenever working around or jump-starting a car battery. "The best way to reduce the risk of a dead battery is to make sure it's in good working condition," Alien said. LIFE service shows elderly how to cope The following are some suggestions from the society that motorists can use to assure their car battery's peak performance: O Water level. Water lost through evaporation overcharging should be replaced. O Corrosion. Inspect battery ter minals on a regular basis and clean as needed. Any corrosion on terminals should be removed with a cleaning solution of water and ammonia or bak ing soda. Clean terminals can be coated with petroleum jelly after attaching cable terminals to battery. Replace any severely corroded terminals. Charge. The charging system should be checked annually partic ularly before cold weather season. Manufacturer's Instructions on batteries and in car's operating manual should be followed. Should jump-starting a dead battery be necessary, the society recommends that vent caps are tight and level; that a damp cloth, if available, is placed over the vent caps; that vehicles are not touching and that both electrical sys tems are the same voltage. O Do not jump-start if fluid is frozen. Attaching the cables (Do in ordtr listed): 1. Clamp one jumper cable to posi tive () terminal of discharged battery wired to starter or solenoid. Do not allow positive cable clamps to touch any metal other than battery terminals. 2. Connect other end of positive () cable to positive () terminal of booster battery. 3. Connect one end of the second cable (negative (-)) to the other termi nal (negative (-)) of booster battery. 4. Make final connection on engine block of stalled engine (not to nega t ive post) away from battery, carburetor, fuel line, any tubing or moving parts. 5. Stand back from both vehicles. Start car with good battery then start the disabled car. 6. Remove cables in reverse order of connections beginning by first remov ing cable from engine block or metallic ground. Even "maintenance free" batteries pose some of the explosive potential cf their non-sealed battery counterparts, according to the society. It is advised that drivers always wear safety goggles when performing any of these mainte nance cr jump-start tasks. Off! A Continued from Peje 1 ment on campus. "The black organizations got together end began attending stu dent body meetings to share infor mation and keep the vital commun ication open between us," Johnson said. Since then, Johnson said, black students' events on campus have been increasing. While black students are getting involved at UNL, the majority oftHJL students are not. Carla Johnson Kimbrough, who will pass on her Miss Black UNL 1084 crown Satur day, said that at a university where blacks make up only 1.5 percent of the student population, most of them have, turned "apathetic" in the last few years. "Many of them are ignorant," Jchnson-Kimbrough said. "They don't know the power they can have. They just criticize." Anthony said activities 'during Elack History Month include the Miss Elack UNL pageant, scheduled for Saturday night at 7:30 p.m.; the Big Eight conference on Black Stu dent Government; a speech by State Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha;' a "Blucks in Communication" seminar featuring black newsmen Ray Metoyer, Mike Jones and Hubert Brown. A movie, "Lady Sings the Blues" will be featured, plus a seminar on black women and careers and a gospel night. h ft II ORDER YOUR VALENTINE'S DAY I, .a i j u i - i j ; U U LuJkjaLr"4-! u b Li ULa L ukJJ J u Li GIFTS NOW FOR BEST SELECTION. 226 S. tlih 476-277S f 1 - - - - - By Csrla Jchs&onrirJmbrtmsh Staff Reporter Americans treasure and strive for independence. LIFE is helping Lincoln's elderly live independently. ' LIFE, or Lincoln Information Service for the Elderly, is an information and referral service for people age 60 and older in an eight-county region. "We're the one place where someone can go to get all this information," Tom Cardwell, a case manager for LIFE, said. But LIFE has become mere than a referral agency during the past 13 years, Cardwell said. It began taking cases that required counseling and other special services. LIFE counselors sometime? .intervene" for elderly people who face problems when they apply for services like nutrition and housing program LIFE has eight full-time counselors and two part-time counselors who help the elderly with insurance policies. Student internships are available with LIFE. The LIFE staff evaluates whether the student would have enough supervision to make tlz internship a valuable experience, Cardwell said. "They hive to be self-starters," Cardwell said. "We have a lot of autonomy hers." Students uswally work in counseling, assessments or techrded eisas, he said. With coiase!iz& students assist counselors en psrtkakr esses. Students wnkteg in the essessntent area have the responsibility of assessing elderly clients. After they finish this, counselors cm provide their clients with appropriate services aid court' -seling. Students also can woik with research and program evaluation at LIFE, Cardwell said. As a case manager, Cardwell visits about 10 hemes of elderly clients a week. Most of the people the center works with don't ha?e encash money, he said. Without nancy their independence is threatened. Money helps people deal with problems such as food, housing and mental and physical health, he said. However, elderly people probably would gay that transportation is their biggest problem, Cardwell said. Cardwell, who has worked with LIFE for eight years, said he has learned that you cannot tiereetRpe the elderly. 'They're as diSTcrent n night and day," he said. "Older people csa end do change." r f s m r If i i i ? i 1 "lis t i "' 1 f v U t J i - Ji k MUM M f K V J . L r M y J 1 s I n J i A V A I h i M ' M. .M J... . ! V t I r-j U rr j LI !-n'i L c I h H I h l K J """'i i D j ('it !t f t ' r ' " 1 fc 1 ' ' i ' 8 f -Vl ! ' I i : v i I. 1 4 J ' . - J i j '..!, ,. . . s t. i ; n