Voices STUDENT
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
SCHULTZ, PAGE 8 CONRAD, PAGE 4 WOMEN’S HOCKEY, PAGE 6 CBE adviser gives insight, Columnist encourages students Falcon freshmen provide guidance to students to search for “good” news assistance to place in NCHA TUDENTUNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN OICERIVER FALLS MarchS 7, 2008 www.uwrfvoice.com V Volume 94, Issue 17 Physics department gains recognition Acoustic guitarists perform at UWRF Ben Brewster [email protected] Despite not having state-of-the-art facilities, the UW-River Falls physics department stands out from other schools and was recognized when it was named to the Interactions Magazine Honor Roll last spring. Interactions did a study on production of physics majors in universities across the country since 1997. “[Ten years ago] was kind of a rough time for physics across the U.S.,” physics department chair Earl Blodgett said. “The number of people graduat- ing with physics majors was pretty low, and just like everyone else we were in a bit of a lull.” The department has made a comeback since then. According to the March/April 2007 issue of Interactions, UWRF had a 94 percent increase in physics undergraduate degrees granted in 2003 - 2005 compared to 1997 - 1999. “We grew really fast [since 1997] faster than most other departments,” Blodgett said. “So we were in the top 10 percent of all of the undergraduate physics programs in the country.” The department does research in several different areas. Their main project is called IceCube, which Kenny Yoo/Student Voice involves researching neutrinos in the South Pole. A fingerstyle guitarist, Michael Young, gave a performance in the Falcon’s Nest of the University Center March 5. A neutrino is a subatomic particle that lacks an electrical charge and can pass through solid matter Another guitarist, Tim Sparks, gave a performance following Young. Both Young and Sparks play an acoustic style. without colliding with other particles. IceCube’s Web site states “We are looking for extremely high-energy neutrinos that come from supernova explosions, gamma-ray bursts, black holes and other extra-galactic events.” Professors Glenn Spiczak, James Madsen and Rellen Hardtke have all spent time in the South Pole working on IceCube. Besides IceCube, professor Lowell McCann does work with optics and optical trapping, and profes- sor Eileen Korenic works with color science and liquid crystals. No matter what area of physics students are inter- ested in, there is a good chance UWRF has a major for them. See Physics, page 3 CampusStephanie Daniels strivPollinges Initiative, to a nationalachie effort tovtoe make sus and how tto ainabilitypay for them. began early despiton Saturday morninge cninghalleng test burns of a plant-basedes alter- [email protected] get students involved in the decision- About 300 of the students who may have contributed to the poor native to coal. The disks, about the making process related to a major responded to the initial project survey turnout. diameter of a cookie and double the The University Center stands in the public policy issue. said they planned on attending the The problem may also seem too big height, are made of ground and com- middle of UW-River Falls as a sym- UWRF students involved in the pro- workshop, but only a few dozen for the average student to solve in the pacted wood from recycled palettes. bol of the school’s commitment to gram were asked to offer their input showed up. time they are in school, Liesch said. This fuel has the advantage of being sustainability. Now a crew of faculty on how to reduce campus carbon “It was frankly a real bitter disap- “We stay here for four to six years, basically carbon-neutral and isn’t and staff are working to get the rest of emissions and energy use. pointment to me, the low turnout,” and then leave, so it is really hard to drastically more expensive than coal, campus caught up, sometimes facing The six-hour Feb. 23 workshop Trechter said. invest time and effort into something Michael Stifter, head of Facilities challenges along the way. involved a briefing by a panel of Honors student Mandy Liesch, a that we may never see,” Liesch said. Management said. A workshop was organized by agri- experts and a discussion between stu- moderator at the event, said she Meanwhile, workers at the UWRF cultural economics Professor David dent participants about what changes thinks that the fact that the event central heating plant have been run- Trechter as part of the Deliberative See Sustainability, page 3 tation, Virginia Tech had a big role in that.” By teaming up with the city of River Falls, Pierce County and Xcel Energy, the Vaccination clinic provides cost of City Watch goes from around $40,000 to approximately $9,000. UWRF multiple immunizations will also have to pay an annual cost of just Katrina Styx “For students who don’t under $1,000 for on-demand capabilities. [email protected] have insurance or whose City Watch combines two systems. As is, insurance doesn’t cover the University will be able to send out UW-River Falls hosted a immunizations, it’s really mass notifications to 250 people at a time. vaccination clinic Feb. 27 in nice,” Dianne H-Robinson, But with on-demand capabilities, UWRF the University Center for stu- the nurse administering the will be able to send up to 20,000 messages dents and staff members look- shots, said. an hour. ing to defend themselves The Feb. 27 clinic was not Immediately after the tragedy at Virginia against disease. offering flu shots, but those Tech, UWRF began looking for The clinic, which visits the are available at the November Emergency Notification Systems. In University five times each clinics. Kenny Yoo/Student Voice instances since Virginia Tech when cam- year, offers immunizations for The most requested vaccines Richard Trende, Roger Leque and Gregg Heinselman attend a presentation puses have had City Watch in place, it has students either free or at Feb. 27 were hepatitis A and March 2 that gave information regarding a system called City Watch. worked very well, according to Fry. reduced cost, according to B, according to Reilly- At the presentation Fry, River Falls Alice Reilly-Myklebust, Myklebust. Students traveling UWRF to establish City Watch Police Chief Roger Leque and Director of director of Student Health and over spring break are more Public Safety Richard Trende also dis- Counseling. conscious of the possibilities Caleb Stevens sages and e-mails. Special Assistant to cussed the importance of collaboration and Immunizations available of picking up a disease, she the Chancellor Blake Fry said the [email protected] prevention. include hepatitis A and B, said. University hopes to have the system run- “You can’t be exclusive, you have to be meningococcal meningitis, Wisconsin does not have any Prompted by the tragedies at Virginia ning by April at the latest. inclusive when working on emergencies,” MMR (measles, mumps and immunization requirements Tech and Northern Illinois UW-River Fry presented information about City Trende said. “Its all about communication rubella) and tetanus and diph- for college students, though Falls will be implementing an emergency Watch and projects dealing with emer- and sharing information.” theria, according to the health providers and the notification system as part of its compre- gency planning and prevention at a pres- The presentation focused on communica- Student Health Services Web University strongly recom- hensive emergency planning. entation in the University Center, tion, which will be implemented, but also site. mend students to get the The system, called City Watch, will Tuesday. on prevention and taking an all-hazards The lower cost of the vacci- meningococcal vaccine, espe- allow the University to notify students, “Emergency planning was pretty full approach. nations is helpful for those cially if they are living in the faculty and staff of an emergency by steam ahead,” Fry said. “But as far as the who can’t afford health care at sending mass text messages, voice mes- emergency mass notification implemen- full cost. See City Watch, page 3 See Clinic, page 3 Student Voice 2 NEWS March 7, 2008 VOICE SHORTS Former history professor dies suddenly Steve Feinstein, professor emeritus of history, died suddenly Senate Approves Student Fee Increase for HHP, Ramer Field Tuesday night. Feinstein was a professor in the history depart- Jerry Clark Senate president Derek Brandt that are in Wisconsin." conference, where UWRF stu- ment from 1969 to 1999. raised a point of opposition to Parliamentarian/Ethics chair dents will receive diversity [email protected] Feinstein died from an aortic aneurism that resulted in a car- fee increases. Nathan McNaughton proposed training. diac arrest. Student Senate met Tuesday "I just wanted to point out the idea of having a direct vote "[These conferences] are Upon retirement from UWRF, Feinstein worked as the to decide whether to approve that [UWRF] has the lowest (referendum) from UWRF stu- incredibly useful and valuable director for the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at student fee increases to fund family income of any four- dents due to the amount of to [UWRF] as a whole," Sen. the University of Minnesota. renovation of both Karges Hall year institution in the UW money that would be eventual- Tom Friant said. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. March 7. and Ramer Field. System," he said. "[The time ly spent by the students. Other funding was also The meeting opened with spent] now can determine the "I don't condone the use of a approved to send three sena- guest speakers Shannon next 20 years." Student fees referendum, we are the legisla- tors to "Legislative Days," Annual Beach Bash held in Karges gym, pool Zweifel and Connor Graves associated with the Ramer tive body of the students," where Student Senators will Prucha Hall will be hosting their 12th annual Beach Bash presenting a strong case for the Field Renovation will increase Brandt said.