An independent newspaper
A welcome addition *
Swedish cross country runner Hanna Smedstad’s
many travels have led her to Eugene. PAGE 7
Our house is your house
All students are welcome at the Multicultural
Center Open House on Oct. 6. PAGE 5A
www.dailyemerald.com
Thursday
October 5,2000
Volume 102, Issue 26
Weather
today
SUNNY
high 70, low 41
Since 1900 University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon
, ...... . ErinSwanson-DaviesEmeraiu
First-term students in Human Anatomy classes are learning about bones and the muscle structure of the human body before they move on to
the more hands-on experience of studying cadavers in the spring.
Anatomy students get hands-on
vvim bLdipeib
at the ready,
undergradua
tes in Human
Anatomy 1
prepare for
autopsies on
real cadavers
later in the
year
ay Lisa lotn
Oregon Daily Emerald
This isn’t an ordinary room -
— it’s full of dead bodies.
You’re instantly aware of the
odor emanating from the tissue
fluids keeping the bodies moist
— masking the more powerful
stench of other fluids that leak
from the corpses during dissec
tion.
Human bones cover the tables
while charts of body systems and
skeletons line the walls.
Human Anatomy 1, taught by
orthopedic surgeon and in
structor Dr. Gregory Strum, is
offered this term to undergradu
ate students through the exer
cise and movement science de
partment. Strum’s class offers
students a chance to learn about
the structure and function of the
human body with some real
teaching aids.
While the students won’t dis
sect the bodies this term, they
will observe their laboratory
teaching assistants in the
process of examining the struc
tures of the cadavers.
By the spring, Strum will teach
and supervise them as they pick
up the scalpel themselves.
Strum said the cotirse Jis chal
lenging because thei students
have to identify the many hu
man structures and systems for
the midterm and final.
“It’s like learning a foreign
language,” Strum said. “What I
Turn to Cadavers, page 3A
Abortion foes
find pill hard
to swallow
■ Is mifeprestone (RU 486) a blessing or a curse?
Strong emotion has risen since the FDA’s
approval of the controversial abortion pill
By Rebecca Newell
Oregon Daily Emerald
Women’s rights advocates hail Sept.
28 as the day women’s reproductive
rights took another giant step.
On that day, one of America’s most de
bated issues was thrust onto the private
citizen when the Food and Drug Admin
istration approved the controversial pill
mifeprestone, known as RU 486. Now
physicians, as well as abortion
providers, can offer patients abortions.
The pill, a two-step process, is prima
rily administered in a doctor’s office and
is followed with a second dose taken at
home. The risk of using the pill is signif
icantly less than that of surgical abor
tion, with less chance of infection or
damage to the uterus, and is six times
less hazardous than carrying a child to
term, according to recent studies.
Marie Harvey, professor of public
health and director of research for the
Center for Study of Women in Society,
said studies show that women want an
other option.
“[RU 486] allows women to have an
abortion in the privacy of their own doc
tor’s office, rather than at a clinic,” Har
vey said. “Clinics are targeted by pro-lif
ers. At a doctor’s office, people don’t
know you’re going there for an abortion.”
However, the reality of widespread
availability of the pill will not be
achieved overnight. It will be up to in
dividual practices and medical service
Turn to Abortion, page 6A
CC Clin ics
are targeted
by pro-lif
ers. At a
doctor's of
fice, people
don't know
that you're
going there
for an abor
tion.
Marie Harvey
director of re
search
Center for
Study of
Women in
Society
I he disease ot mathphobia has a number of cures
Mathematics
is one of the
University’s
most
intimidating
subjects, but
it doesn’t
have to be
By Brooke Ross
Oregon Daily Emerald
The thought of scientific calculators
and linear equations causes many stu
dents to flee in terror. Those who suffer
from math anxiety often let their insecu
rities hold them back, but there are a
number of resources to help students
make it through the academic adventure
awaiting them at Deady Hall.
“Every field has its own disease,” said
Richard Koch, director of undergradu
ate studies for the University math de
partment. “Unfortunately, math’s dis
ease is that some students end up feeling
like idiots.”
Students tend to feel anxious about
math for different reasons. Anna Seeley,
a sophomore majoring in pre-journal
ism, said math intimidates her.
“There’s a large margin of error and a
big chance for you to screw up,” she
said. “There are a million and one steps
you have to do to get to the end of the
problem. It’s scary.”
Whether it’s due to fear or insecurity,
mathematics tends to be low on the list
of students’ favorite classes. For some
students, high school math did not ade
quately prepare them for higher educa
tion. Others often feel behind their peers
in class and choose not to ask a question
for fear of looking less intelligent.
“Someone can be good at math in high
school, but it gets harder later and that’s
natural. Everyone has to spend more
time on it,” said Marie Vitulli, a Univer
sity math professor.
Students devote a lot of study time to
math classes. Doug Hintz, a math spe
cialist at Academic Learning Services,
said there are more students who come
to the center’s math lab for tutoring than
its writing lab. Students in lower-level
classes usually need more help.
“The class sizes are large, and that can
be intimidating to a student,” Hintz said.
Some classes that commonly give stu
dents trouble include Math 95, Math
Turn to Math, page 4A
Professor Marie Vitulli, an enemy of mathphobia, speaks to her Abstract Algebra class.