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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 30, 1992)
Wearing two hats is hard, grad students say By Juliet Yenglin Staff Reporter They face a combination of heavy course loads and intensive research, long hours of grading papers and meetings with confused students. But despite the difficulty of bal ancing responsibility with stressful schedules, graduate teaching assis tants at UNL have made room for the experience of teaching, and most said they often found it worthwhile. Nancy Welch, who is working to ward her doctorate in English compo sition and creative writing at the Uni versity of Nebraska-Lincoln, said she viewed her experience as a graduate teac h i ng assistan t as an opportun i ty to encourage growth in her students — and in herself as well. Welch’s scholarly pursuit involves writing, she said, and she was able to make a connection between her own growth as a writer and a researcher through her teaching. “My research is largely devoted to teaching and to the teaching of writ ing,” Welch said. “I have to work hard to show my students what kind of knowledge 1 have to give them.” Mike Ryan, a graduate teaching assistant for Calculus 106, said he had received a positive response to his teaching from the students in hisclass. Because he is only in his first year of graduate school, Ryan said he still recalled how students related to the material. I m not so far out of the class, so I am able to help them understand concepts that may be troublesome,” he said. Students often will be less appre hensive about asking a question of their teaching assistant than their pro fessor, he said. Mark Gicslcr, who is working to ward a doctorate in theater, said it often was difficult to change hats from student to teacher, but that the two roles complemented each other. “(Teaching) is a performance of sorts,” Giesler said. “Our goal is to make our students aware that theater is valuable in society. “We’re introducing something fresh and new, which is a nice chal lenge. We’re able to mold views and attitudes about the theater.” But an effective learning atmo sphere can be produced only through the efforts of both the teaching assis tant and the student, Gicslcr said. Joe While, who is working toward his doctorate in modem European history, said the “mediocrity” of sec ondary education was one problem infecting college-level teaching. The absence of both good writing and public speaking abilities, he said, leaves students without the proper skills necessary to “attack” an essay exam. By keeping his expectations of stu dents high, White said, he creates a “shock effect” that forces sludcnts^to realize they will have to Icam. Mark Giesler, a theater graduate student, sits in the Temple Theater. He teaches beginning theater classes. Enthusiasm often is difficult to maintain, he said, but he said a genu ine interest still cxistcdJn his stu dents. Clif Bridges, who is working on his master’s degree in military his lory, said that instead of viewing teach ing assistants only as “graders,” stu dents should take advantage of their experience. Bridges said teaching had given him firsthand experience with stu dents as well as the motivation to make sure they understood the mate rial. “It’s a daunting task,” he said, “but very rcwaftlin^ when they say, ‘A-ha, I understand.’” Pizza Hut Ddhas on Campus Fresh, Hot and Free! During Ub Day Beaten Bei/ea/s hi.s ftnJtny Uurqtr- /fl&ss Qjonsvmphon! Dine-In, Delivery or Carryout Delivery or Carryout City Campus East Campus 239 N. 14th Street^ 2340 N. 48th Street 475-2281 466-5533 © 1992 Pun Hut, Inc, r |_|i IWo Medium Cheese Pizzas | * Toppings extra ■ | Offer waiw» Wtoedi 31.1993 ] I I n i *2off s3off any any Medium Large Pizza Pizza | Offtr «mlm Muh 31, lwi Pizza to-,4s 5lut mention vouptm whenordering < toe untpon per partv per vml at pa>t<ii|t*tirtf Pula Mut restaurant* and delivery% am out unit* \ot valid avith ^nv other otter l imited deliver* area ^hj|IV»lli,l In I i.t'th rfjiniplion ri _\i 6-Pack of Pepsi-Cola® FREE! with the purchase of any Large Pizza or any two Medium Pizzas Delivery Only I Offtr tiulrw M»rdi 31, IS93 | I'teaM mcnliiMiK-upiin when • >rtfcfinjt linv umpirti p»-parti per vital jl paMuipalum Pin* llul rvMiurjmnaniltfcltveOlamuui uml» \i4 v«IhI with am ill her "Ihr Hitotilutv i lllvr Mile at fUNi tf it* Ui i'ur* h.»Jet.»emmarr— - - --— - - ■ «l HeJ*»ii " Iru I " UNL, Hungary team up on environmental study By Jennifer McClure Staff Reporter_ The University of Ncbraska-Lin coln is cooperating with the Univer sity of Science in Budapest, Hungary, to study the environment, said Istvan Bogardi, a professor of civil engineer ing at UNL. One of two programs began last September with a $70,000 grant from the U.S. Information Agency and an $18,000 matching grant from the Re search Initiative Fund, Bogardi said. The program combined political sci ence and civil engineering. Bogardi, a native Hungarian, said he became involved in the program through the International Affairs Of fice. He said it notified him of the U .S. Information Agency grant, which he applied for with Ivan Volgyes, also a political science professor at UNL. Bogardi said it was important for people in different disciplines to work together. “The point is to integrate social science and engineering for good so lutions,” he said. Bogardi said the universities se lected critical environmental issues worldwide, such as air pollution and nuclear waste disposal, to study. He said education and research were the two components of the project. Last summer, UNL faculty gave presentations in Hungary on how to deal with environmental degradation, Bogardi said. In the spring, experts from Hungary will speak at a seminar series, “Global Perspectives of Water in the Environment.” Bogardi said the Ministry of the Environment in Hungary asked some UNL faculty to provide a one-week course on environmental risk analy sis. Bogardi said UNL also was par ticipating in environmental research. He said the National Science Founda tion awarded a three-year grant to the program to study the effects of cli mate change on Nebraska and Eastern Europe. The program is al i i I iated with the department of meteorology at the University of Science in Budapest. “Both Nebraska and Hungary have very similar topographic and climatic conditions,” Bogardi said. Bogardi said that, as a byproduct, the programs might boostagribusiness between Nebraska and Hungary. “Hungary is changing to a farm market economy,” Bogardi said. “We can offer them a lot to establish a system. I believe Nebraska has poten tial to enter Eastern European mar kets by utilizing trade in farming ex ports. “In order to enter markets, engi neers, social scientists and econo mists must learn conditions and learn how to think internationally,” he said. McElroy Continued from Page 1 set the date for his trial. McElroy has been charged with attempted second-degree murder, making terroristic threats and two counts of using a firearm to commit a felony. On Oct. 12, McElroy, 43,. alleg edly attempted to fire a loaded semi automatic rifle at students in his actu arial science class in Ferguson Hall on UNL’s City Campus. I The rifle jammed, and no one was injured. Lancaster County deputies arrested McElroy at his Bcnnct home about 30 minutes after the incident. McElroy has since filed a civil rights complaint in U.S. District Court claiming UNL students and profes sors had interfered with his education. Richard Wood, general counsel for UNL, said the university had not yet been served with the charges. “When service is made, we will respond,” he said. In addition, McElroy filed a suit claiming that Lancaster County depu ties, a UNL police officer and a Lancaster County judge illegally sei/.cd items from his home and car. On Oct. 21, UNL police searched McElroy’s home and confiscated blood-stained clothing, ammunition and loaded handguns. Regents Continued from Page 1 general counsel, said no investigation into the incident was planned. “Nobody did anything wrong,” he said. Payne said the chartered flight was “simply a matter of convenience.” “A round-trip drive for me (from Kearney) takes about four hours, and it’s about seven hours for Don (Blank),” Payne said. “It just doesn’t make sense lo drive for lhal long when you can fly.” Blank said that although a com mercial flight would have been cheaper, it would have taken much longer. Blank and Payne said they were surprised at the attention paid lo this particular incident. “This is nothing that hasn’t been done before,” Payne said. “It’s not precedent-setting, and it was perfectly legal and ethical."
