Tidball
recipients,
nominees
honored
I
By Kelli Lacey
Staff writer
Sue Tidball loved butterflies.
For Tidball, butterflies symbolized
the freedom and open-minded spirit
that resembled people.
Before her death in 1976, Tidball,
who worked in campus ministry at
UNL, was known for helping students,
faculty and staff to care for each other.
Because of her caring personality,
the Sue Tidball Award for Creative
Humanity has been given out on the
UNL campus yearly since her death.
The 18th annual ceremony, honor
ing 12 nominees for their outstanding
contribution toward the development of
an open and caring environment at
UNL, was held Sunday night at St.
Mark’s on the Campus Episcopal
Church and Student Center.
Three of the 12 were named as
Award Recipients for the year.
“All of these people nominated are
winners,” Angie Splittgerber, member
of the Sue Tidball committee, said.
The fust recipient of the award was
Ardis Holland, who is the assistant to
the dean of the Teachers College.
Holland, who has worked for the
University for 25 years, serves on the
Teachers’ College Equity Committee
where she works with organizing multi
cultural faculty and staff events.
The second recipient of the Tidball
award was Claudia Price-Decker, who
is an administrative technician in the
psychology department
She served on the Chancellor’s
Commission on the Status of Women
^d was chairwoman of the commis
sion from 1993 to 1994. Upon helping
to create the anti-discrimination sexual
harassment policy, she has worked at
speaking out and advocating for others.
The third recipient of the evening
was Jocelyn Walsh, a junior ^ the col
lege of Arts and Sciences.
She served as the programming
chairwoman of the Neihardt Residence
Hall Council and now serves as presi
dent of the council. She also serves as
vice-president of Alpha Phi Omega, a
co-educational service fraternity.
James Griesen, vice chancellor for
student affairs at UNL, responded to the
recipients.
“I know the university appreciates
you all very much,” he said.
The ceremony was held not only to
recognize the recipients, but all of the
nominees, Splittgerber said.
“Everyone here is very much a win
ner.” V
High school
{
courses now
on the Internet
CLASS from page 1
“A student in Benkelman can talk to
a student in West Point can talk to a stu
dent in Valentine,” he said. “This is an
interactive classroom setting.”
While many at the conference
emphasized positive effects for rural
areas, Jerry Ice, a member of the com
mittee that helped develop the courses,
said the courses are “especially promis
ing” for education in urban areas.
Ice, vice president and provost of
Thomas Edison State College in
Trenton, N.J., said overcrowded
schools burdened with basic course
requirements would be able to add
classes for gifted students or students
with special needs.
Kerrey encouraged educators to
share thoughts on the courses.
“You are the customers and your
feedback is vital,” he said.
Web site challenges Cliff’s Notes
Schoolbytes.com hopes to take byte out of other literature summaries
By Michelle Starr
Staff writer
Look out Cliffs Notes Inc., a new
kid on the block said it wants to shut
you down.
Schoolbytes.com sprung onto the
Web on Feb. 24 offering free study
aides online.
The site, created by Mark
Saldanha, 22, and Michael Burgess,
21, received around 80,000 hits during
its first 10 days of operation.
The Web site presents brief plot
summaries of books and short stories
as well as free term papers. Other topics
will be added later.
Saldanha, graduate of Canisius
College in Buffalo, N.Y., said while
other companies offer book notes pre
pared by professors, Schoolbytes.com
set out to use simple language written
and understood by students.
“I was a lazy student,” Saldanha
said. “So, we wanted easy explanations
- the way a best friend tells you.”
For example, Schoolbytes.com
described the “Native Son” character
Bigger Thomas as “the main dude of
the story” and Mrs. Thomas as
“Bigger’s mommy. She’s a religious
nut.”
The plot summary online begins:
“Bigger Thomas is this dude who lives
in a small apartment in Chicago with
his mom, brother and sister”
Saldanha said he wants to shut
down businesses such as Cliffs Notes
by offering similar services for free. He
said students don’t want to pay for book
explanations.
Cliffs Notes President Robert
Covolik, who had been unaware of
Schoolbytes.com, said it presents
“muddy waters, but Pm not really con
cerned.”
Covolik said he thought students
would remain loyal to Cliffs Notes,
because it had been a quality product
for 40 years.
Cliffs Notes is also available on the
Internet, he said, although all services
are riot free. The site, at
http://www.cliffs.com, offers down
loads for $6 a piece.
Jonella Knight, Cliffs Notes senior
technology administrator, said the cost
is worth it
“I didn’t look at (Schoolbytes.com)
too closely, but it is not the same quali
ty when it is free.”
Saldanha disagreed.
“Just because (services) are free,
presented in a friendlier manner, it
shouldn’t be communicated that
they’re done in a sloppy manner,” he
said.
“They’re written by two college
graduates, both with 3.4 GPAs - one
44
... We wanted easy explanations - the way a
best friend tells you
MarkSaldanha
Schoolbytes.com co-creator
from Vanderbilt University.”
Covolik and Knight said they were
more concerned about copyright
infringement than they were about
competition from Schoolbytes.com.
Covolik said other study aide sites
have taken Cliffs Notes and copied
them onto the Web.
“We review the Internet daily and
will take aggressive action,” he said.
Saldanha, Burgess and their friends
maintain Schoolbytes.com, which is
primarily funded by a $6,000 loan from
Saldanha’s parents.
Along with presenting book sum
maries, Saldanha said, the site creates a
convenient way to exchange informa
tion between students.
Saldanha and Burgess have already
received summary suggestions and
term paper submissions from students
visiting the site. In return for the term
papers, the students will be receiving
SclKX)Ibytes.com stickers.
Saldanha and Burgess said they
plan to add a math section and an
American history section soon, and to
include a program that would provide
answers when students enter their
homework.
The Web site also has a section pro
moting a spring break tour.
Both Saldanha and Burgess said
they have made a full-time commit
ment to Schoolbytes.com, and because
the site is free they hope to make
money through advertisements.
Saldanha said he was excited about
positive e-mail responses die group had
received from students - including 13
year-olds, college seniors and 40-year
old men.
Saldanha said he looks forward to
helping other students through the site’s
continued expansion and taking away
some of Cliffs Notes’ business.
Burgess agreed.
“If you’re going to buy Cliffs
Notes,” he said. “You might as well
read the book.”
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