Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 12, 1989)
Grades, ozone layer, crossword puzzles Readers ask DN to put puzzle last Everyone we know agrees with us that we are greatly inconvenienced when the crossword puzzle is placed on the next to last page. We study very much, so when we have a spare minute or two between classes to grapple with the literary conundrums we wish to avoid wasting precious time and energy performing intricate origami maneuvers. Speaking on behalf of all the members of the local chapter of the Eugene T. Malcska fan club, we be seech and implore thee, whenever possible, to place the latticework of vocables on the back page of the Daily Nebraskan. We exhort all those of like mind to write to the DN and voice your con cern over this vital issue; and close with an incitement to our comrades: Crossword workers of the world unite! Joel R. Burgeson graduate mathematics Bob Wolz graduate education Student uncertain who deserves A's I would like to thank Bill Parker and Bryan Dawson (DN, Feb. 28) for their letter expressing their concern for the academic standards at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. While I appreciate their concern for those standards, I also sensed some ambiguities in their letter and am therefore unable to form an informed opinion about the essential issues. They write, “We feel that since we work all night in Hamilton Hall we deserve A’s and nobody else docs. This is why we never give A’s in undergraduate chemistry courses (because everybody else is too dumb).” Firstly, docs ‘‘nobody else docs” refer to the fact that no one else works all night in Hamilton Hall or to the claim that no one else deserves A’s. Secondly, which interpretation is picked out by the “this” in the fol lowing sentence? The intuitive read ing that others don’t deserve A’s be cause they don’t work all night is unfortunately contradicted by the parenthetical claim. Thirdly, who precisely is being distinguished by the phrase ‘‘everybody else” — chemis try students other than themselves, non-chemistry students across the university, to perhaps everyone in the world who is not enrolled in an under graduate chemistry class? They continue, “We are really, really smart because we work all night and we resent other people in much easier disciplines making all A’s. For this reason we feel that Glover should be supported for his stand against students who want A’s.” I sense, however, a syntacuc amoi guity in the statement “We arc really, really smart because we work all night and we resent other people ...” Do they mean to say that their smartness is manifested in the fact that they work all night and resent others, or do they rather mean that working all night produces their smartness and resentment? We can see the distinction more clearly in the two statements ‘ ‘ Socrates is seen to be silling because he is sitting,” which is true, and “Because Socrates is sitting, he is seen to be silting,” which is absolutely false. Fifthly, there seems to be a philo sophical ambiguity in their statement “We resent other people in much easier disciplines.” Do they resent others for agent-neutral reasons, (It is intrinsically bad to be in a discipline beneath one’s smartness.), or do they resent others for agent-relative rea sons (It is bad relative to my own concerns that others be in a discipline beneath their own smartness)? If for agent-neutral reasons it seems unclear why they should personally resent them, and if for agent-relative reasons it seems unclear how it could be bad relative to their own concerns. Lastly, their statement “For this reason we feel that . . is also syntactically ambiguous in that “this” has no clear rclcrcnl. Should Glover be supported because they arc really, really, really smart, because they work all night, because they resent others, or because others arc in an easier discipline? Until all of these ambiguities arc clarified I am unable to respond accu rately to their argument, and hence unable to decide whether I should award any A’s to my undergraduate philosophy students. Bill Braun graduate student Rudeness in class frustrates student I was sitting in my history lecture, anxious to soak up the knowledge that the professor was sharing, when my attention was drawn away from the lesson to an obvious and loud conver sation a few students were having next to me. Shortly after being disturbed by this, I glanced over my shoulder to sec three people with their heads resting on their folded arms over the desks. Then I tried to focus on the teacher once again only to notice another stu dent blatantly reading a novel. I was irritated, and I felt as though the majority of the class had tuned out the professor and was doing various activities in addition to drawing my attention away from the lecture. I wondered, “Is there something wrong with me? No one else is taking notes!” This is not an exaggeration, al though it is not normally quite as bad as this in mostof my courses. But, it is common to sec students dozing off during class. But many times, it seems, I observe people who obvi ously are not taking notes, never mind listening to the discussion. The main question that continually haunts me is, if these people really do not care to take notes or even listen to lectures because they would rather sleep or write notes (an activity that should have been abandoned with other high school pastimes), then why do they make the effort to even come to class? It seems to me that instead of being rude to the professor and annoy ing those who want to learn, these boisterous students should not even bother coming to class. I cannot deny the fact that my mind sometimes wanders and I occasion ally find myself dozing off, but I am very conscious about note taking and getting the most that I can out of what the professor is saying. I am sure that everyone else who is concerned about the importance of their education may also find themselves in this same pre dicament from time to time. It is often unavoidable after an all-nighter of studying. It is not these students who want to learn to whom I am directing my complaint, but towards those who make a habit of coming to class and sleeping, talking, reading other mate rial, writing notes and whatever else one may do besides doing what they came to the university to do. I am positive that some may think “Well, at least I am going to class!” My response is simple: Only go to class if there is a desire to gain infor mation that the lecturer has to offer. Do not infringe on the rights of other students who want to learn by distract ing them. Julia Mikolajcik freshmen news-editorial Reader gives plan for saving ozone May I offer my solution to the problem of the dangerously depleted ozone layer? All chlorofluorocarbons should be internationally banned. Then, to re pair the ozone layer, implement the following method. First, manufacture liquid ozone. Then, load the liquid ozone aboard large military refueling tanker air craft. These planes would then climb to the lower level of the ozone layer at 40,(XX) feet. As they spray the liquid ozone, the strong upper jet stream winds will carry the ozone even higher into the ozone layer. The ozone layer could be maintained at its nor mal level after the initial restoration project by a minimal number of an nual flights. However, I estimate the initial ozone restoration will take from one to five years and cost be tween S50 and S70 million. Since this is a global crisis, cost should be shared by members of the United Nations. I urge everyone to clip this letter and send copies to scientists, environ mental groups, the Environmental Protection Agency, congressmen and senators and to President George Bush. Leonard DeFazio, Jr. Batavia, New York Anonymous submissions will not be considered for publication . Letters should include the author’s name, year in school, major and groupaffili ation, if any. Requests to withhold names will not be granted. Submit material to the Daily Ne braskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St., Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448. A SADD FUNDRAISER ■ 'WIN A _ CONCERT! Win a Pontiac LeMans GSE! GUESS HOW MANY TAPES CAN FIT IN THE PONTIAC MUSICMOBILE COME SEE THE Enfer Your school’s Drawing! PONTIAC MUSICMOBILE WIN: 1st Prize: Emerson Compact Disc Player and 25 top artist Compact Discs r>ATPG- APRIL 12, 13, 14 2nd Prize: 25 Compact Discs UM . 3rd Prize: 50 cassettes IN FRONT OF UNION NEAR D/ Af'F- broyhill fountain r'LMLrC.. ... Pius—all entries go mto a drawing for ORGANIZATION: KAPPA SIGMA FRATERNITY' & PI BETA PHI 4Pontiac LeMans GSE’sl Drawing to be held Donations will be contributed to your SORORITY during the 1988/1989 school year. Details sponsoring organization and SADD. provided at your Pontiac MusicmobHe. * Awarded to school raising most money for SAPP. -Friends don’t let friends drive drunk!