Movin’ on up
Heather Glenboski/DN
SECOND-YEAR BUSINESS administration graduate student Todd Erickson climbs the stairs in the
east entrance to Architecture Hall on Thursday afternoon.
• -rye
Research eyes cause of cataracts
CATARACTS from page 1
the particles accurately enough to
determine what kind of changes
have taken place.
David Smith first got die idea
for using mass spectrometry 11
years ago when die couple was at
Purdue University in Indiana.
By seeing what changes in
mass have occurred, it’s possible
to determine the changes in the
makeup of die proteins in the lens.
Then the Smiths try to figure out
what changes in the proteins may
contribute to cataract formation.
Jean Smith said she hopes the
research can be applied to the
development of a drug that will
prevent or cure cataracts.
“It’s still rather preliminary,”
she said. “We see a lot of modifi
cations. We don’t know which of
these are important to the forma
tion of the cataract.”
Because cataracts are so com
mon, Jean Smith said she sees her
research as a true contribution to
society.
“I think it’s good to let people
know that there’s real, practical
things going on here (at the uni
versity) that might affect their
lives,” she said.
The Smiths’ grant extends for
about five more years, so the
research is an ongoing project,
she said.
The Smiths are working with
Majorie Lou, UNL professor of
veterinary science and biomedical
science, on the project.
Lou has developed a repair
enzyme for cataracts that she
hopes will be used to make a drug
that could slow or reverse cataract
development.
“We’re mainly trying to cure
cataract formation,” she said.
Jean Smith said research on
cataracts is important because
cataracts are so prevalent.
Cataract surgery is the most
frequent operation performed on
people over 60 years old, and
cataract expenses account for
about!2 percent of the Medicare
budget, she said.
Cataract surgery is generally
successful, but other issues, such
as cost, make research important,
Smith said.
One of the important parts of
the Smiths’ research is the work
that students put in, Jean Smith
said.
/e offered
y graduate
; few under
the univer
le research
done but a&o to train students.
And this is a good way of doing
it,” she said.
Homeless problem
in Lincoln examined
By Jackie Blair
Staff ivriter
Homelessness is a bigger problem in
Lincoln than most people realize, a group of
panelists said on Thursday.
The discussion was held at the
University of Nebraska College of Law. It
was sponsored by the Equal Justice Society.
Julie Post, a community development
program specialist in Lincoln, said 108 sin
gle people are homeless in Lincoln. Eighty
percent of those are homeless because of
substance abuse or mental illness.
Post said 163 families in Lincoln live in
transitional housing, mostly because of
eviction or poverty. Fifteen of those are led
by teen-agers.
“A big problem we have is the number of
homeless children we find,” Post said.
Most homeless children are runaways,
but a few of the teen-agers are homeless
because of Nebraska law, she said.
In the state of Nebraska, teen-agers are
legally emancipated from their parents at 18.
They have to be 19, however, to legally sign
a lease. This leaves many teens without a
home.
There is a shelter for homeless teens
open 24 hours a day. They are able to get a
decent meal and have a place to stay until the
next day, said David Traster, the associate
director of the People’s City Mission.
He said the majority of women end up at
the city mission because of child custody
battles, domestic violence, divorce or sepa
ration. The majority of men are there
because of warrants out for their arrest or
evictions, Traster said.
Steve Lauer, a nurse practitioner student
at the University of Nebraska Medical
Center, works with die homeless.
In his work, Lauer said he was once able
to help a homeless man keep his toes from
being amputated from frostbite.
“When you see the expression on a
homeless person’s face when they’re gen
uinely thankful, you’ll want to keep helping
diem,” he said.
Student fights disorders
DISORDER from page 1
:f \
Ironically, Larson found the help she
needed when she was tryinjg to help some
one else.
^ Last September, one of Larson’s
friends who also had an eating disorder
called her and asked for help.
Larson looked on the Internet and
found a clinic called First Step Wellness
Center.
JThere, Larson metlferesa Maas, direc
tor of First Step.
Larson began going to two support
groups through First Step - one for people
Igil^^p^ng anorexia and another for
raose overcoming bulimia. She also began
attending individual counseling sessions.
“(Maas) said the only things I needed
to do to get better were to show up and do
the assignments,” Larson said.
And, as Maas promised, Larson did
begin to get better.
Shortly after beginning the First Step
program, Larson went six weeks without
giving in to the urge to make herself throw
up.
And now, Larson said she hasn’t
thrown up in about 45 days.
Larson is lucky to have gotten help,
she said.
Maas said only about 15 percent of
bulimic women get help at all.
She said that with an estimated 2,500
women at UNL who battle eating disor
ders, problems such as Larson’s are a seri
ous issue.
Larson is enjoying her life now that her
thoughts are consumed with issues other
than food, she said.
“I’ve still had some rough times with
it, but I’m so much better,” Larson said.
“I’m so much more happy.
“I’ve got my hopes and dreams back.”
Switzer presents Osborne
with achievement award
From staff reports
Former Nebraska Football Coach
Tom Osborne received the Jim
Thorpe Association’s Lifetime
Achievement Award in Oklahoma
City, Okla., on Thursday night.
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Osborne is only the fifth .person
to receive the award named after the
man who was chosen in 1950 as the
most outstanding athlete of the first
half of the 20th century.
Former Oklahoma Coach Barry
Switzer made the presentation to
Osborne.
The award Osborne received is
given out only on special occasions,
said W. Lynne Draper, executive
director of the Jim Thorpe
Association.
“(Osborne’s) support of the
Thorpe Association and his contribu
tions to college football as a whole
make him deserving of the recogni
tion,” Draper said.
Past recipients include basketball
Coach Abe Lemons, baseball player
Allie Reynolds, former Gov. George
Nigh and ABC sportscaster Chris
Schenkel.
The Jim Thorpe Association is a
non-profit, charity organization,
Draper said.
Jim Thorpe was born in
Oklahoma. He won two gold medals
in track in the 1912 Olympic games
and placed Major League Baseball
for six years.
Osborne said he was honored to
receive the award.
He said he looked forward to
receiving it in Oklahoma - the
stomping ground of Nebraska’s
biggest rival during Osborne’s reign.
Before he left to receive the
award, Osborne said he was looking
forward to the award ceremony.
“I’m surprised and pleased,”
Osborne said.
Kerrey honors grade school student
HOPE from page 1 v
“Josie and her family were having
difficulty with their insurance compa
ny,” Beige said “They were afraid the
company was going to cut them
because Josie wasn’t getting any bet
ter.
“(Kerrey’s office) set up a fund to
help pay for her cure and the therapy
she’s receiving. Without this, Josie had
a chance of being institutionalized”
Patrick Decker, Maxey
Elementary School principal, said last
year Josie was presented with the
Maxey Gold Star award, which is pre
sented to two influential students at die
end of each year.
Decker said when he has a bad day,
he goes and finds Josie.
“Inspiration is the key word when
it comes to Josie,” he said “She never
complains, she’s never in a bad mood,
and she shows concern for other stu
dents when they’re feeling bad.”
Before Kerrey presented Josie
with the award, he sat down next to her.
“Do you know what a screwdriver
is?” Kerrey said as several little hands
popped up in the air.
Josie replied: “A tool.”
Kerrey said: “Yes, that’s what a
senator is - a tool that made a (insur
ance) company do what they didn’t
want to do.”
Ellis Goodman, co-founder and
chairman of Heroes of Hope, present
ed Kerrey, recipient of the United
States Medal of Honor for his service
in die Vietnam War, with a Heroes of
Hope award of his own.
Kerrey responded: “I got my
medal because of one hour in which I
defended my country. But you, Josie,
do this every day.”
Goodman said Kerrey has instilled
hope in others just as Josie has.
“It’s a humbling experience to be a
part of this miraculous union we have
in Senator Kerrey and Josie Moore,
who help us meet the challenges we
have to face everyday,” Goodman said.
“We’re in the hope-building busi
ness and die hero-making business.”
The whole auditorium stood and
formed a chain, while the fifth-grade
chorus, directed by vocal music
teacher Sylvia Bailey, sang Josie a ren
dition of songs to show their support.
Josie’s mother, Holly Moore, said:
“I thought it was a really neat thing for
everyone who takes care of her. Josie
works really hard for everything she
does.”
Josie’s night-time nurse, Linda
Bergholz, said Josie is a special little
girl with a strong spirit.
“She always has a huge smile on
her face when I come in,” she said.
“Josie definitely deserves this. She
inspires hope in everyone and jokes.
She has some pretty good jokes.”
CFA approves Union’sproposal for more money
By Sara Salkeld
Staff writer
CFA approved the Nebraska
Unions’ appeal for more money on
Thursday night and compromised with
UPC by adding to its original student
fees recommendation.
The budget appeals of the
University Program Council and the
Nebraska Unions were heard by the
Committee for Fees Allocation.
UPC requested CFA reconsider its
recommendation of $119,311 and
instead give it the total requested
amount of $124,695.
CFA’s original recommendation for
UPC suggested it work on advertising
and public relations. In the UPC’s
appeal, it promised more advertising
and the possibility of bringing Maya
Angelou next fall.
CFA member Nolan Gaskill said
that bringing in an event such as this is
a good idea but was not willing to rec
ommend the lull requested amount.
CFA member Andy Mixan said
some of the cost could be absorbed by
selling tickets.
Summer Spivey, CFA member, rec
ommended giving UPC a 5 percent
increase over last year’s amount,
$2,138 more than the original recom
mendation, for a total of $121,449.
This budget was passed with a vote
of 6-2.
The Nebraska Unions, in its appeal,
asked for $2,347,264, $5,436 more
than CFA recommended. According to
information provided by tire Nebraska
Unions, the item where CFA proposed
the cut was not an increase.
What appeared to be an increase
was only the result of moving existing
funds into a different location.
CFA approved the appeal with a
vote of 5-0, with two members abstain
ing.
The Association of Students of the
University of Nebraska will vote on
CFA’s recommendations on March 8.