 |
Top StoriesArtsFor the RecordCalendarJobsArchived ScarletsScarlet Info
|
November 30, 2000
|
Martin Gaskell (right) describes a telescope to Kelly Mendoza (center) and community members at Omaha Nation Public School in Macy. Star Watching Nov. 14 on Omaha ReservationKelly Mendoza, a UNL student in Teachers College's Native American Career Ladder Project invited Martin Gaskell, senior lecturer in Physics and Astronomy, to help students and community members study the stars and share cultural stories. The event began as Mendoza's student teaching experience for a fifth grade science class, but drew a crowd to the telescope set up on a busy street in front of the school. "High School students were just gaga over it," said Teachers
College Professor Jo Anne Ollerenshaw. "They kept coming
back." Scarlet Publishes Dec. 7, 14The final Scarlet of the fall semester will publish Dec. 14. The Scarlet resumes publishing Jan. 11, 2001. Deadline for that edition is noon, Jan. 4. World AIDS Day Memorial Service Dec. 1Westminster Presbyterian Church and Lincoln-Lancaster County/Southeast Nebraska Regional HIV/AIDS Task Force invite the community to participate in "Remembering World AIDS Day 2000," a Taize' prayer, healing and memorial service. Leading the 7:30 p.m. service on Dec. 1 will be Rev. T.J. McDowell, No Greater Love Fellowship Church, Rev. Melissa Draper, Cornerstone UMHE, and Rev. Mark Kemling, United Methodist Church. "Remembering World AIDS Day 2000" will take place at the Westminster Presbyterian Chapel, Sheridan and South streets. Refreshments, provided by Lincoln Interfaith Council, will be served following the service. A Taize' prayer service emphasizes becoming involved in one's local situation and the reconciliation between people, of trust among nations and of peace on earth. The goal of "Remembering World AIDS Day 2000" is to connect with the global and local situation of people with AIDS. World AIDS Day was first observed on Dec. 1, 1988, and serves to strengthen global efforts to address the challenges of the AIDS epidemic. Culture Center Celebrates Kwanzaa Dec. 1The Culture Center, in collaboration with the Afrikan Peoples Union, will present a celebration of Kwanzaa starting at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 1 at the Culture Center, Upper Multipurpose Room. The celebration will feature slide presentation of the early African American families in the Lincoln area, including the Trago family. Part of the program will include brief statements on each of the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Kwanzaa is a spiritual, festive and joyous celebration of the oneness and goodness of life, which claims no ties with any religion. The focus of Kwanzaa is centered on the seven principles (Nguzo Saba) with particular emphasis on the unity of Black families. This celebration is for all people, and is open and free of charge. Karamu, the (Kwanzaa feast) will follow the formal presentation. A sign language interpreter has been requested, and the venue is wheelchair accessible. For more information, call Rowena Pacquette at the Culture Center, 472-5500, or TTY at 472-8159. Holiday Stars Twinkle at Dec. 1 Observatory NightUNL's Student Observatory will be open to the public from 6 to 10 p.m. Dec. 1 for viewing of the stars of the holiday sky - or, to be more astronomically precise, the moon and planets of the holiday skies, including a crescent moon, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and two other much fainter planets. In early December, the moon and five planets are lined up along the zodiac across the evening sky. Early attendees at the viewing will be treated to a look Venus, the brightest of all the planets, which is shining brilliantly low in the southwest after sunset. The crescent moon will be prominent in the west. This will be a particularly good night for close-up views of the craters. The other big attractions of the evening will be the beautiful ringed planet Saturn rising in the east near the much brighter Jupiter. Both of these planets are near their closest to the earth and this is a very good month for viewing them. The telescope will reveal the beauties of Saturn's rings, activities in the clouds of stormy Jupiter and many of the moons circling these planets. "People never fail to be awed at the sight of Saturn's rings when Saturn is well placed like this," said UNL astronomer Martin Gaskell. "This is something everyone ought to see." There is no charge for admission to the observatory and children of all ages are particularly welcome. Visitors should note that the observatory is unheated and they should dress warmly. The observatory is located on the roof of the Stadium Parking Garage, 10th and T streets. The observatory will not be open if the sky is totally cloudy. In case of questionable weather call the observatory (472-4728) before coming. Paos' Retirement Reception Dec. 7A joint retirement reception will be held for Rosaline and Yen-Ching "Y.C." Pao from 3 to 5 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Wick Alumni Center. Rosaline started at the original University Computing Center in June 1968. With the creation of Central Administration, she joined the Computing Services Network in 1971, and in 1989 began working for Information Services at UNL. Rosaline has designed, developed and enhanced computer applications on mainframes, client servers and the Web. Yen-Ching is a professor and researcher in biomechanics, and has been with the Department of Engineering Mechanics for 34 years. The Paos will be retiring at the end of December. Dialogue on Social Capital Dec. 8The NU interest group Social Capital, Rationality and Community, will hold a dialogue about two of James Coleman's (rational choice sociology) works at 11:45 a.m. Dec. 8 in 222 CBA. Dialogue leaders will be Scott Steele and Jeff Chambers. The journal paper is available electronically. The book chapter will be on reserve in both Love and C.Y. Thompson libraries under G. Lynne, L. Kathleen, and L. Price, "Social Capital." Phi Beta Kappa Initiation Dinner Dec.7Phi Beta Kappa Fall Initiation Dinner will be Dec. 7 in the East Union. The social hour is at 6 p.m., the initiation ceremony at 6:30 p.m., followed by a dinner honoring the newly initiated members. After the dinner will be an address by David P. Forsythe on "Aiding Persons in Distress: The UN Refugee Office." The initiation, dinner, and talk are open to anyone interested. Reservations for dinner ($16) can be made by calling Monica McBroom (472-2891), or Don Jensen (472-3144) before Dec. 4. Maranville Retirement Reception Dec. 19Jerry Maranville, professor of agronomy, is retiring after 34 years of university service. The Department of Agronomy and Horticulture will be holding a reception in his honor from 2 to 4 p.m. Dec. 19 in the Cottonwood Room of the East Union. The public is invited to attend. Anyone wanting to contribute to a book of letters can send unfolded letters to Linda Roemmich, 101 KCR, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, P.O. Box 830817, Lincoln NE 68583-0817. Minority Business Directory AvailableAs part of the UNL Purchasing Department's continuing efforts to encourage and attract women and minority vendors as potential suppliers, extra copies of the 2000/2001 Minority Business Directory are available. This directory is published by the Great Plains Minority Supplier Development Council. It is a comprehensive listing printed exclusively for the promotion of ethnic minority firms in the Greater Omaha and Lincoln metropolitan areas. To obtain a copy, contact Bill Bode, Purchasing, (472-3609). Alumni Association's Children's Holiday Festival Dec. 9The Nebraska Alumni Association is sponsoring its annual Children's Holiday Festival from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Dec. 9 at Wick Alumni Center. Children and grandchildren of all UNL faculty and staff are welcome. Activities include seasonal refreshments, festive entertainment, gifts, holiday crafts, cheer and a visit from Santa. Call Kathy at 472-2841, kbuechle@zhuskers.com, to R.S.V.P. by Dec. 1. Century Teaching Club Meets Dec. 1Century Teaching Club will meet at 8 a.m. Dec. 1 in the Selleck Private Dining Room. The subject is "Making the Large Class Small," with Janice Lawrence, UNL School of Accountancy. She will share methods for effective large class instruction and lead discussion among participants. Lawrence extends a special invitation to graduate teaching assistants who are teaching large sections. Current research articles and teaching ideas will be available. Land Use in Transition in Spotlight for Dec. 5 MeetingAs urban areas sprawl into traditionally rural, agricultural areas, land uses are becoming major, sometimes pivotal community issues. These issues are the focus of the University of Nebraska's annual Agronomy and Horticulture Highlights program Dec. 5. Under the theme "Land Use in Transition," IANR researchers and specialists will address how changes in land use are affecting the buffer between rural and urban areas. They'll also discuss new uses for and additional income potential from traditional cropland. The annual event will be from 8:15 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lincoln's Cornhusker Hotel. The program will be webcast live and archived on NU Cooperative Extension's web site, Rural Routes, at http://ruralroutes.unl.edu. Several speakers will address land use planning and the issues and conflicts related to the growing urbanization of rural landscapes. Speakers will address the social and human aspects of this change. Extension faculty will discuss their work with Nebraska communities striving to resolve land use issues and develop local land use plans. NU Agronomist Chuck Francis will discuss how IANR is preparing students to deal with these and other social issues related to agriculture and changing land use patterns. Other speakers will discuss Nebraska's growing potato, dry bean and winter squash industries. They'll also cover new opportunities for earning income from farmland, such as carbon sequestration and growing switchgrass as a biofuel crop. Poster presentations will update participants and provide IANR research results on a variety of field production and horticulture issues, including fertility, site specific management, soil health, greensnap, analyses of new crop lines and poinsettia production. Participants previously have received Certified Crop Adviser Continuing Education Units for attending. Credits have been applied for this year. Registration is requested by Nov. 27 by contacting the NU agronomy and horticulture department at (402) 472-2811. Foundation Center Training Sessions Dec. 5 & 7Jeanetta Drueke, coordinator of the Foundation Center Cooperating Collection at Love Library, will present two public training sessions on using Foundation Center tools to identify appropriate foundations for grant proposals. The first session, at 10 a.m. Dec. 5, will focus on the Foundation Center and its Web site, which brings together a large number of resources related to grants. The second, at 10 a.m. Dec. 7, will focus on FC Search, the Foundation Center's database of grantmakers and grants. To register for the sessions, in Love Library, please contact Jeanetta Drueke, 472-2525 or mdrueke1@unl.edu. Ceramics Club Hosts Annual Holiday Pottery Sale Dec. 8-9The UNL Department of Art and Art History's Ceramic Club will host the annual holiday pottery sale from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 8, and 9 a.m. to noon Dec. 9, in the undergraduate ceramics studio in Richards Hall, Room 118. Come see the renovated ceramics studio, meet the artists, and support the arts by selecting quality homemade gifts during the sale. For more information, call Valerie Bender at 472-2631. Discover Your Real Colors at Dec. 5 UNOPA WorkshopUNOPA Professional Growth Committee presents "Real Colors Workshop," Session One from 8:30 to 11 a.m. Dec. 5 in the Nebraska Union, or Session Two, from 1:30 to 4 p.m. in the East Union. Guest Speaker is Judy Rastede on "Why does your boss react the way s/he does?" This program will help you understand different types of communication and teamwork. Real Colors Matrix is a simple personality style tool that helps participants understand themselves and others. It is based on the Myers Briggs system but is more user friendly. During the session, you will discover some tips to help you understand some differences in the way we work. The cost for the session is $8 for UNOPA members and $12 for nonmembers. To register, contact Barbara Homer at 472-4767. Flu Vaccines to Arrive Soon; Prevention Tips OfferedUniversity Health Center advises UNL faculty, staff and students that shipment of the influenza vaccine has been significantly delayed this year, but should be arriving soon. Anticipated cost for the flu shot is $8. A flu vaccination is recommended to help fight off the flu, with the flu season under way now, and continuing through April. Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is caused by the influenza virus which infects the respiratory tract. The virus is spread from person to person when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Typical flu symptoms include: fever, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headache, muscle aches and extreme fatigue. There are several preventative measures, in addition to a flu shot, that can help prevent the flu from affecting you. They include: adequate sleep (typically 7-8 hours per night), a balanced diet, frequent hand-washing and avoiding rubbing the eyes with hands. Poachers Beware: Campus Evergreens Laced with Smelly Fox UrineWith the holiday season drawing near, UNL Landscape Services is again protecting campus evergreens with a coating of fox urine to deter any would-be Christmas tree poachers. Fox urine is safe, organic, and really stinky inside a warm house. Enjoy the trees on campus where they belong. Groundwater Pesticide Data Available OnlineBy Steve Ress, Water Center A groundwater clearinghouse project at UNL recently released more than 100,000 results of pesticide and nitrate samplings from water wells in every Nebraska county. The quality-assessed results are available online at the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources Web site at http://nrcnt 3.dnr.state.ne.us/clearinghouse/index.asp. The database is a result of an ongoing, cooperative project between UNL's Water Sciences Laboratory and the state Department of Agriculture and Department of Environmental Quality to assess groundwater pesticide and nitrate contamination statewide. The clearinghouse database contains nearly 78,000 analyses for 90 pesticides and breakdown compounds of pesticides in more than 3,000 wells, and more than 23,000 nitrate analyses in nearly 11,000 wells. "The database enables legislators, regulators, planners and natural resources districts with environmental concerns to very quickly make assessments of groundwater quality, resolve controversy and propose solutions," said Mary Spalding, UNL School of Natural Resource Sciences hydrochemist who coordinates the clearinghouse project. This database contains 25 years of information from a variety of wells, including domestic, irrigation, public supply and monitoring wells. About 56 percent of the pesticide data is from domestic wells, while more than half of the nitrate results are from irrigation wells. The data has been collected from across Nebraska by agencies such as NRDs, the Nebraska Health and Human Services System, NDEQ and the U.S. Geological Survey. The database can be searched by county, NRD, well location, well registration number and other criteria. Results can be sorted and viewed on-screen, downloaded or imported into other applications, such as a spreadsheet or Geographic Information Systems. "The project is a result of known, extensive nonpoint source agricultural groundwater contamination in several areas of the state," Spalding said. "Strict adherence to quality ranking allows data covering a period of 25 years and from many different sources to be compared and imparts confidence in the use of the data," said Spalding. "In the past, these data would have been relegated to a desk drawer once they served their initial purpose. The clearinghouse provides a large, quality-assessed database to interested parties for incorporation into local and regional assessments and applications," she said. Crisis Leave Donations Due Dec. 4Employees are reminded of the opportunity to donate vacation leave to the crisis leave pool. The crisis leave program was established to allow UNL employees a chance to donate vacation leave to colleagues who are facing a health-related or personal crisis and have exhausted their accrued vacation, sick and compensatory leave balances and need additional paid time away from the work site. Regular employees (who have completed their original probation) who earn vacation leave may donate to the crisis pool up to three accrued vacation days per calendar year. Under exceptional circumstances, an employee may donate up to five days per calendar year. If you would like to donate vacation days to the crisis leave pool, please print out a Crisis Leave Donation Form from http://www.unl.edu /unlhr/crisis/crisisdonf.html and return the completed form to the Department of Human Resources by 5 p.m. Dec. 4. You may return forms by campus mail to 407 Adm (0438) or by fax at 472-9040. For more information on crisis leave call Human Resources at 472-3101, or refer to on-line information at http://www.unl. edu/unlhr/crisis/crisisprogram.html. USAID Speaker, Future of IANR International Programs Talk Dec. 8Felipe Manteiga, the new director of the Office of Agriculture and Food Security at the U.S. Agency for International Development, will speak about changes in agency policies and programs when he visits UNL Dec. 8. The changes at USAID will mean closer working relationships with land-grant universities and more opportunities for competitive grants. Manteiga will speak at noon Dec. 8 at East Union during a brown bag lunch. A question and answer period of Manteiga will follow, and then an hour-long meeting to chart the future of IANR International Programs. That 1 p.m. meeting is open to faculty, staff, students and the public. Participants are asked to call 472-2758 to let planners know of their intent to attend. Proper Disposal of Computer, Electrical Parts NecessaryAs with all UNL property, unwanted and/or broken computers parts and electrical components must be handled through the UNL Inventory Department. CPUs, monitors, keyboards, mouses, circuit boards, and similar items can contain metals that are illegal to dispose in the county landfill. Any computer parts that are not dispersed to other departments, or at auction, are handled through established recycling/refurbishing programs. However, if Inventory is not made aware of these items, proper management programs cannot be successful. Additionally, state law requires that all UNL property be disposed through Inventory so that it can be properly accounted for. For more information, contact Inventory at 472-2085. Refunds for Cancelled Mohr Appearance AvailableTicket refunds are available through Dec. 8 for those who bought tickets for the Jay Mohr performance. The comedian was unable to appear at a scheduled Oct. 24 appearance and he will not reschedule the event. Ticket refunds are available at the Lied Center Box Office, 301 N. 12th St. Proper Storage Required for Fluorescent TubesEnvironmental Health and Safety reminds everyone that used fluorescent tubes (from light fixtures) must be stored in a fluorescent tube box and must be placed in the designated storage area for used tubes. When changing a tube, put the old tube in the box in which the new tube came. Be sure to place used tubes in the designated storage area for your building so that the tubes can be sent for recycling. If you need a box, or need to know where your designated storage area is, contact Dale Ekart, UNL Recycling Coordinator, at 472-6099. Designations Required to Ship Dangerous, Hazardous GoodsIf you ship dangerous goods or hazardous materials, you must either be a "designated shipper" or take these materials to Mail and Distribution (1820 R St.) for packaging and shipment. "Designated Shippers" are those persons who have demonstrated proof of proper training to Environmental Health and Safety and are certified to package and ship dangerous goods/hazardous materials. (Dangerous goods and hazardous materials include most chemicals, radioactive materials, and biological or infectious materials, such as recombinant DNA, pathogens, and tissue specimens.) Shipping vendors, such as FedEx, have been instructed to pick up these materials only from "designated shippers." Alaskan Aviator Speaking Dec. 13Ellen Paneok, a Native American Eskimo pilot who flies to remote Eskimo villages during extreme weather, will share her story at 7 p.m. Dec. 13 in the Nebraska Union. Paneok, of Anchorage, Alaska, will be visiting the SAC museum Dec. 12-16 as part of its presentation of the Smithsonian Institution's Traveling Exhibition on Women and Flight. That display features 75 photos of contemporary women pilots by Carolyn J. Russo, photographer at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. The photographs are accompanied by quotes and biographical sketches that profile 37 women aviators and astronauts from across the United States. More information is available at: www.strategicaircommand.org. The presentation at UNL is sponsored by The National Organization for Women, Lincoln and UNL Chapters; the UNL Women's Studies Program; the UNL Women's Studies Association; the UNL Women's Center; and the University Health Center Sexuality Education eXchange. For more information, call 472-7447. New Travel Procedures Saving MoneyBetween May and October of this year, the new travel procedure has resulted in 5,113 tickets issued at a cost of $1.8 million. Some 261 tickets originally issued whose price was subsequently reduced cost $31,000. Cost savings was $317,000 Savings through reduced ticket prices/contract pricing with United and TWA was $189,000. Reduced University check processing (at $25/check) cost was $128,000. For reservations, contact Travel and Transport (T&T), 4433 S. 70th St., Lincoln, NE 68516. Domestic - 402-486-4111, 800-228-4395, 402-486-4566 (Fax). International - 402-486-4111 (Ask for International Travel Counselor - Emma, Nancy, Staci, Rose). E-Mail LNK@TANDT.COM, Online http://www.tandt.com/UNL/. Traveling and having a problem such as a cancelled flight, contact T&T's Emergency (24-Hour, 7-Day Service) 800-237-3950. Shopped Around? Found a Cheaper Airfare? Need Pricing Clarification? The university's contract guarantees that Travel and Transport will match all published fares from other travel agencies. If you find a cheaper fare, immediately call (402) 486-4111 and request an "Air Fare Situation Report." A form will be e-mailed or faxed to you immediately. This form can also be found at the following web site: http://www. unl.edu/purchase/travel/situationreport.htm. Complete the form and return it to Travel and Transport. Contact Persons: Travel and Transport, Penny Watermeier, client service manager, 402-484-4313; Sue Bernt, director of operations, 402-484-4312; University of Nebraska - Jim Vogel, University Services, 402-472-3330. New Keyword Searching Available in Libraries' Online CatalogOn Dec. 4, the University Libraries online catalog will be upgraded to include new and improved keyword searching. Keyword searching is often considered a broad search strategy because it allows the user to search in many fields at one time. Advanced Keyword Search strategies, however, allow more specific searches by searching particular fields and by limiting keyword searches according to specific parameters. Unlike the current keyword searching, Advanced Keyword Search searches multiple words as phrases. Limiting is done at the beginning of the initial search. Optional limits include language, location, material type, and date. Advanced Keyword Search allows wildcards (searching symp* will search symphony, symphonic, etc.). Boolean searching is possible, using AND, OR, NOT, NEAR, WITHIN. And finally, Advanced Keyword Search offers the option to sort search results by date, alphabetically, or by relevance. Some examples of possible searches are: environ* polic* (women and female) and prison au:twain and ti:huck comgress* legis* (cat or feline) and pets au:shakespeare and ti:sonnets For more information about Advanced Keyword Searching, visit the Libraries' online catalog at http://iris.unl.edu, or contact Beth McNeil, 318 Love Library, 472-2526. Management Courses Enhance Master of Engineering Degree OptionsThe UNL College of Engineering and Technology will offer engineering management courses in Omaha during the spring semester. Four classes will be offered through distance education, with one offered on campus at the Peter Kiewit Institute. The courses offered through distance education are "Industrial Quality Control," Industrial Decision Models II," "Advanced Topics Engineering Management-Value Engineering," and "Applied Physical Metallurgy and Design." The on-campus course is "Analysis of Engineering and Management I." All of the courses apply to UNL's master of engineering degree, a professional, practice-oriented advanced degree. The program is designed for individuals who have at least one degree in engineering or significant engineering practice and a degree in a related field. The non-thesis program is geared to working professionals and allows students to develop an individual plan of study with approval by a supervisory committee. The program requires 36 semester hours of approved graduate-level courses, with at least 18 hours in an area of concentration. Other areas of concentration are software engineering, telecommunications engineering, and construction. For registration and other information on the master of engineering degree program, contact Michael Riley, professor and chair of the department of industrial and management systems engineering, at 472-3495. |
Back to Top
For questions regarding the Scarlet's Web pages, contact:
(402) 472-8518, Fax: (402) 472-7825