EDITOR
Josh Funk
OPINION
EDITOR
Mark Baldridge
EDITORIAL
BOARD
Lindsay Young
Jessica Fargen
Samuel McKewon
Cliff Hicks
Kimberly Sweet
Quotes
OF THE WEEK
-We are trying to understand the fun
damental biology of human brain
cells.
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Vice Chancellor Dr. William O. Berndt,
on fetal tissue research at UNL
Here I am. What have I done? I’m just
a student.*
Bruce Kroese, explaining his role in
recent trade meetings in China
We got in a dogfight.
Charlie McBride, NU defensive coordi
nator, on NU’s narrow win in Boulder
I just got this horrible feeling that
we’re not going to win.
William Safris, Lincoln property owner,
on his efforts to prevent a widening of O
Street
When I look at it, Mr. Choma, I am
struck by the fact that not only did
you invite the altercation, but you
brought a gun to it.
Judge Karen Flowers, sentencing
Kenneth Choma for the murder ofDavid
Higgins earlier this year
American values and culture are
sweeping the world, and I think
there’s some jealousy among ancient
civilizations.
Bill Avery, a UNL political science pro
fessor, on protests in Greece over
President Clinton s recent visit
It’s virtually certain that Nebraska
cannot catch Virginia Tech.
Jerry Palm, of www.CollegeRPI.com,
which analyzes the Bowl Champion
Series poll
(The university) spent a lot of money
on a lot of doodads, but since I use
Macintosh, I’m locked out of the sys
tem.
Ruben Donis, an associate professor of
virology, on Lotus Notes
Do I wish things had turned out dif
ferently today? You bet. Don’t you?
Seattle Mayor Paul Schell, on Tuesday’s
riots
He’s not prepared to expedite the case.
Kirk Brown, state assistant attorney gen
eral, on Carey Dean Moore s attempts to
avoid his death sentence
Yes, we should broaden the base of
democracy, but surely not through
women.
Ahmed al-Shraian Kuwaiti, a tribal
leader, rejecting an attempt to give
Kuwaiti women the vote
After a quarter of a century, the cur
tain is finally coming down on direct
rule.
Britain’s Northern Ireland Secretary
Peter Mandelson
It’s not the easiest thing to play a god.
Mollie Cox, appearing as Dionysus, in a
UNL production of “Dionysus in 99 ”
Mltwial Policy
Unsigned editorials are the opinions of
the Fall 1999 Daily Nebraskan. They do
not necessarily reflect the views of the
University of Nebraska-Lincoin, its
employees, its student body or the
University of Nebraska Board of Regents.
. A column is solely ttie opinionof its author.
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LETTERS
Out (math )landish
Your editorial of Dec. 1 about the
Mathland program, as well as the
Mathland program itself, are typical
examples of misunderstanding of
what is mathematics and how it should
be taught.
Mathematics is not an “adding and
subtraction of actual items,” and it is
not counting a million beans.
If you want our kids to learn these
kinds of things in schools, it is another
story, but please do not call these kinds
of exercises “math.”
Mathematics, first of all, studies
relations between abstract objects,
independent of their nature.
Unfortunately, this approach to mathe
matics has deteriorated in U.S. school
math programs.
One of the major reasons for this is
involving computers and graphing
calculators in teaching “math.”
The learning process is reduced to
manipulation with numbers, which
has nothing to do with teaching math
ematics. A computer might be a very
powerful tool for a mature researcher,
but it certainly causes a lot of harm in
teaching math at schools and universi
ties.
Unfortunately, the attitude of the
general public and school administra
tors is: “The more computers the
better; let us start computer involve
ment in teaching math at the
kindergarten level.”
As a result, undergraduate stu
dents are coming into physics classes
without a slightest idea how to solve a
simple algebraic equation, how to
make sketches (not graphs!) of func
tional dependencies and how to do
estimates.
Moreover, they are less able
to learn these elementary skills
in the university because they
are already spoiled by the
uigiuti euutauoii.
Most domestic gradu
ate students are not pre
pared enough in mathe
matics to take graduate
courses in physics.
I do not understand
why unqualified people
who have no idea what
mathematics is make deci
sions how to teach it in
schools. I beg all developers
of innovative math pro
grams, “researchers” in math 1
education and the school )
administrators: please stop
developing “new approaches” to
teaching mathematics!
Look at Europe. Nobody there
wastes money for “developing” new
programs. They use traditional meth
ods in teaching mathematics, and their
kids, on the average, perform much
better than American kids.
Dya Fabrikant
professor
physics and astronomy
Flashing Sign
The basketball poster recall is real
ly asinine.
I really don’t see what the fuss is
all about - after all, the players weren’t
flashing actual gang signs.
But maybe the University cares
more about an outside group than the
students of this institution.
As for bringing a negative image
to the basketball team, maybe it should
concentrate on winning a few games,
that might help.
But I guess now that we have more
HuskerVision screens, that is going to
make it all right.
Sam Mortensen
junior
agriculture education
Money Matters
While I appreciate the points
raised in the editorial about faculty
salaries, (DN, Thursday) it’s only a
part of the picture.
The support staff are no less
underpaid than the faculty and no less
vital to its mission.
Who is it that processes class reg
istrations? Who is it that mows the
grass and shovels the sidewalks? Who
takes care of the upkeep of the build
ings? Who checks materials in and out
of the library and keeps books orga
nized on the shelves?
As a general rule, it’s not the facul
ty doing these tasks, and I don’t say
that to criticize them.
However, while the faculty are
doing the research and teaching that
are the purpose of a university, the
support staff is holding together the
infrastructure that makes it possible.
The support staff doesn’t have the
luxury of choosing between staying
for $82,000 or leaving for $ 100,000.
Speaking for myself, the increase
in parking fees and the insurance plans
that cost more and cover less will more
than eat up my annual raise, and that
doesn’t even take into consideration
the increases in cost of living.
While I understand the need to
give the faculty tangible expressions
of appreciation, for the rest of us,
we’re wondering how we’re going to
be able to pay the rent or the mortgage.
We’re wondering how we’ll be
able to pay the medical or dental bills.
We’re wondering how we’re going
to get the car fixed if it dies in the mid
dle of the winter.
For us, it’s not a question of appre
ciation or welcome. It’s a question of
survival.
Brad Pardee
support staff member
Love Library
Melanie Falk/DN
