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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 4, 1991)
Computer lab available for math department done so, Shores said. This has al lowed the lab to get more computer equipment. The department received another $12,000 from UNL to install an air conditioner, a security system and several tables in the lab room. The lab opened last year for about six weeks and was temporarily lo cated in Room 308 of Burnett Hall until last fall, when the new, “perma nent home” was provided, Shores said. He said some sections of honors calculus, Differential Equations 221 and Linear Algebra 314 are using the lab. To use the lab, students must take an orientation session or have a math course with a lab component, Shores said. Anthropology and math faculty members and graduate students also may use the lab. The lab is staffed by math counsel ors and four lab attendants hired by the math department. The lab is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Historical objectivity questioned Professors try to avoid bias By Michelle Wing Staff Reporter The University of Nebraska-Lin coln math department has used a federal grant normally awarded to physical science laboratories to install a new computer lab in Bessey Hall. The new lab, housed in Room 105, contains 12 Next workstations and will serve students enrolled in post calculus courses, said Thomas Shores, mathematics and statistics professor. “The intent of the lab is to teach at intermediate levels and to use the workstation as a research tool,” Shores said. “We are on the cutting edge of mathematical sciences.” He said the math department re ceived the grant from a National Sci ence Foundation program called In structional Laboratory' Improvement, which is generally granted for labora tory upgrades in physical sciences. Despite that fact, the math depart ment applied for a $75,000 grant and received $51,000. UNL had three years to match those funds, but has already By Kim Spurlock Staff Reporter Grade-school children are taught that Christopher Columbus discov ered America in 1492, only to learn later that American Indians were on the continent long before Co lumbus. But it is no monumental discov ery that teachers interpret events based on society’s prejudices and their own backgrounds, three Uni versity of Nebraska-Lincoln pro fessors said. Agreeing with some experts at the American Historical Associa tion’s annual meeting, history pro fessors at UNL said historians can ’ t truly be objective. Professor Lloyd Ambrosius said he thinks scholarly ideals used to be objective, but in reality, objec tivity is impossible. “We strive to be definitive, but realize it’s impossible,” Ambro sius said. Ambrosius said he presents his lectures with a variety of perspec tives, including his own views. “There is no way to avoid pre senting your own views, but I don’t -u You must always be aware and guard against bias. Ambrosius UNL history professor --tt - try to document my views. You must always be aware and guard against bias,” Ambrosius said. At the historical association’s meeting in New York, professors and historians debated the ques tion of objectivity during research, according to a story in the Jan. 16 Chronicle of Higher Education. James McClelland, an associate professorof history, said historians can’t be objective, but they should state if they have assumptions, questions, outlooks or political opinions about the history they write. Historical writers “should state them (opinions) at the beginning, so that the reader can be aware,” McClelland said. McClelland said scholarly inter pretauon is not objective and usu ally depends on the interpreter. Some interpretation is in accord with facts, he said, but interpreters have dif ferent conclusions — some are more objective than others. McClelland said he begins his lectures with a few questions and then shows how they could have been resolved or answered. He said his interpretation comes out when he thinks his audience is confused. “I try to explain by ad-libbing. 1 try to think as if I was in the minds of the people” being studied, McClelland said. Professor Nels Forde agreed that no one really can be objective about history. There is always a personal element involved, he said. When Ford lectures, his views and opinions also are discussed. “I try to label my views as my opinion. ‘This is what I believe,’ I tel! them,” Ford said. He added that some of the greatest written history was one-sided. ‘‘Historians were writing to prove something and to persuade. It wasn’t objectivity and everyone knew that, but because it was so eloquent made it great history,” Ford said. Program to retain retirees From Staff Reports Faculty members whose careers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have ended soon will find it easier to stay involved with the university. Faculty members are creating a program that will organize volunteer services of retired staff members, said Bryan Van Deun, president of the UNL Alumni Association. “A lot of retirees have been offer ing their services in an unstructured way,” he said. “They like to stay involved with the university.” Lyle Young, a retired UNL associ ate dean of engineering and technol ogy, said the program will match re tirees with services they are inter ested in providing. Van Deun said participants in the program could volunteer in many areas, from academic advising to secretarial work. They could host visiting dele gates or help design curricula for courses. Van Deun said officials hope to have the program going this summer after a coordinator is hired and fund ing for paperwork is available. Israeli Continued from Page 1 remain in Tel Aviv. The students arrived in Israel on July 29, before the crisis in the gulf started. Koos completed his studies before returning, but said about 40 percent of the foreign students left early. Koos said he thought most of the students wanted to stay, but left because their worried parents pressured them. After the crisis in the gulf began, the program at Tel Aviv University continued unaffected, but students were issued gas masks and trained in their use, Koos said. He said they weren’t expected to carry their masks with them at all times, probably so they or their parents wouldn’t get too fright ened. The Israeli media portrayed the situation as less dangerous than the American press did, he said. He said the Israeli people were calm in the face of the crisis because of their experience with similar situ ations. Several of Koos’ American friends were scheduled to remain in Israel for the academic year and, though some left at the end of the first semester, a few are still in Tel Aviv. He also left behind roommates who were Israelis. From these sources, Koos has learned that missiles have fallen near areas he was familiar with during his stay in Israel. Lainof, a sophomore elementary education major, said she, too, is familiar with the sites of Scud at tacks. i “I was in all the places that are being bombed right now,” she said. Lainof spent eight weeks in Israel during the summer after her junior year of high school. Morrill Continued from Page 1 gents’ 13-item list of capital con struction priority projects at the Uni versity of Nebraska. “It would be nice to have them helping us instead of hurting us,” Wesely said. Regents Chairman Don Blank of McCook called the situation one of not enough funds and too many wor thy projects. He said prioritizing the projects was the “unfun part of being on the board and also administration.” Regent Margaret Robinson of Norfolk said the regents do support Morrill Hall. But what Robinson said she wants to see is “some action on the part of the citizens of Nebraska” for Morrill Hall renovations. LB828 is not the first legislation to appropriate money for Morrill Hall, but Wesely said $4 million is needed to “finish the job” that began with Morrill Hall building renovations. Hugh Genoways, Morrill Hall di rector, agreed. “We’ve got a world-class museum facility here . . . We’ve got collec tions as good as anywhere in the United States,” he said. “What we don’t have 0 is something to bring it all together.” | Legislative appropriations for I Morrill Hall in 1987 paid for such ■ things as a climate-controlled envi ronment, handicap accessibility, paint, carpet, a new roof and windows, Genoways said. However, Genoways said, 40 per cent of Morrill Hall still is “sitting empty.” He said that if LB828 passes, the funds would pay for biological and natural history exhibits on the first floor, paleontological exhibits on the second floor and anthropological exhibits on the third floor. DWI Continued from Page 1 surprised to learn that Lancaster County’s pre-trial diversion program doesn’t apply to DWI cases. Under the program, those under a certain age can clear their record by perform ing community service. Stall said the straight sentence for someone convicted of DWI is seven to 30 days in jail, a $200 to $500 fine anda six-month driver’s license revo cation. Stall said students often will re ceive probation rather than time in jail. The type of probation people convicted of DWI receive dependson their performance on an alcohol evalu ation test designed to measure their alcohol dependency, she said. Stall said a typical probation usu ally includes either in-patient or out patient treatment at a hospital, an alcohol education course, a two months’ driver’s license revocation and a requirement to stay drug and alcohol free for a year. “The police have started to peri odically urine test people on proba tion,” she said. ‘ Probation is really getting stricter.” Stall cautioned that Lincoln police officers are sensitive to driving viola tions in the downtown area. “The police have to have a reason able suspicion that the law is being violated. This can be anything from having a headlight out- to weaving, even in your own lane,” she said. “Particularly when you’re driving after one o’clock—when the bars close — in the downtown area, you’re going to be scrutinized.” Hand-held sirens to be sold next week From Staff Reports _' Hand-held sirens soon to be sold at the University Bookstore should alarm assailants and give victims extra time to find safety, said Kathryn Hind mand, a volunteer at the Women’s Resource Center. Dozens of hand-held alarms, which resemble key rings and emit a siren when a stopper is pulled, have been ordered by the University Bookstore, said Gwen Plummer, general mer chandise buyer. Hindmand said she contacted bookstore officials in December and suggested they order the alarms for retail sale. The alarms are needed to help anyone who feels threatened, she said. Gays, lesbians, Arab-Americans and women could use the alarm for extra security, she said. “This is an effective means to help women from being attacked,” Hind mand said. “And it’s not just for women.” “People who are genuinely con cerned about their safety on campus” will buy the alarms, Plummer said. The alarms will cost about $6, Plummer said, and will be available at the bookstore next week. Just caught a COLD? Harris Laboratories is currently looking for healthy males & females, I ages 12-70 who have recently caught I a COMMON COLD with a runny 1 nose. I If you qualify, you would be paid up | to $175.00 to evaluate the efficacy of I a nasal spray. I For more information, call Harris at f 476-6548 between 8:30 am and 4:30 I pm Monday thru Friday. | HARRIS I LABORATORIES, INC. I 621 Rose e Lincoln, NE 68502 I "Striving to improve the Quality of Life" | WhatDoAcuvue* And Vuamet Have In Common? AGreat Deal. 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