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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 7, 2000)
www.dailyemerald.com An independent newspaper Men’s hoops debut * The Oregon men’s basketball team cruises, 102 59, in its exhibition opener. PAGE 5 Since 1900 University of Or Tuesday Beyond cute Artist Kelly Newcomer exhibits her latest works in the EMU Adel I McMillan Gallery. PAGE 4 November 7,2000 Volume 102, Issue 50 Weather TODAY high 51, low 42 Fairgrounds primed for Election Central 2000 Local candidates, organizers will converge on the downtown convention hall to watch as election results are reported By Emily Gust Oregon Daily Emerald The tables have been set up, the chairs wiped down, and the red and white tablecloths are be ing placed. When the doors of the Lane County Fairgrounds’ Performance Hall open at 6 p.m., everything will be ready to ring in the election results during Election Central 2000. Election Central has been held for “probably close to 15 years,” said Linda Roz Smith, sales and events manager for Lane County Fair grounds. This year, 48 tables, two big-screen TVs and lots of concessions are highlights of the Fairgrounds’ festivities. “About 300 people are likely to attend, in cluding representatives from political action committees and candidate supporters,” said Thomas Markham, event coordinator for Lane County Fairgrounds. Those scheduled to show up include mem bers of the No On 9 campaigns, State Rep. Vicki Walker D-Eugene, who is up for re-election in District 41, and contenders for the District 40 representative spot, including Democrat Phil Barnhart and Republican Dr. Bill Young. U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., and the De mocrats have their own private room reserved, and because the group wants to watch Fox Re gional News during the event, cable had to be installed. Republicans had a room reserved but later decided against it, though Markham said he wasn’t really sure why. Most of the action, however, will take place in the large hall, where 33 of the 48 tables are re served by campaigns and committees, said Sharon Kimball, operations lead worker for Lane County Fair Board. That leaves about 15 tables for the public. Even though the deadline to reserve tables at the event was Oct. 23, about a quarter of the calls came in just last Friday. Turn to Elections, page 3 Knee-deep in a complex Newtonian proof, Professor Richard Koch holds the attention of his Mathematics 411 class asking, “Isn’t that pretty?” ‘Saint in residence’ makes math fun Math professor Richard Koch’s enthusiastic approach to teaching keeps students' interest multiplying -ft By Kristy Hessman Oregon Daily Emerald Some students may not think the words “math” and “fun” belong in the same sentence, but those students have never taken a math class from pro fessor Richard Koch. “He is always asking questions aloud like, ‘OK, Richard, what does that mean, repeat it again,’” said Gulden Karakok, graduate teaching fellow for Koch. “Sometimes, he hits his head and call him self stupid, he runs from one part of the blackboard to the other. He is really full of energy.” Karakok added that students appreciate Koch’s enthusiasm. “He can easily see places where students are struggling,” he said. “They like to be in his class no matter what grade they Eire getting. ” Koch joined the University staff in 1966, after teaching two years at the University of Pennsylva nia. Currently, he’s teaching Math 231 and 411. His research specialty is geometry. “A colleague of mine had come to Oregon and told me that there were jobs,” he said. “It was al most a fluke that I came, but I am so glad Koch’s happiness with Oregon has also been re vealed in his dreams. “I keep having a recurring nightmare where I have just received my degree and the only job openings are in the Midwest,” he said. Koch originally planned to go into the field of physics, but ended up taking a math class with an inspirational teacher at Harvard, who made him decide to study math. Koch went on to graduate from Princeton with a Ph.D. in mathematics. According to Koch, people go into teaching be cause it is a challenge, and the next step for people who are fascinated with math is to teach it. “I don’t dance or sing, well, sometimes sing,” Koch said. “I just tell the mathematics and it’s his tory and the math speaks for itself. Mathematics is far more interesting than people imagine.” It is this enthusiasm which students like Peter Dolan say keeps them interested in math. “He is very interactive and always cuts to the es sentials,” he said. “He will also offer you money if you can prove something—and he gives it to you if you do.” , , .*.QW } ,,,,, OSPIRG keeping active, focussed ■ Due to a membership boom this year, OSPIRG focuses on making their events visible By Lisa Toth Oregon Daily Emerald It’s been a busy term for OSPIRG ac tivists — jamming the White House switchboard, encouraging students to register to vote and dressing up as corn for a Halloween press conference on genetically engineered food. OSPIRG is the Oregon student chap ter of the national Public Interest Re search Group, which handles issues involving the environment, public safety and health, among other public concerns. The group has been more ac tive this year compared to last year, due in part to the wide variety of proj ects and issues it’s tackled so far this term. Chapter Chair Michelle Ternus said the group is more active this year in mak ing their events visible on campus and addressing a broad range of issues, be cause of their increase in membership. Most recently, the group donned Halloween costumes Oct. 31 to discuss the dangers of gene enhanced produce. Organic food experts and OSPIRG ac tivists met outside Johnson Hall to warn people that some genetically en gineered foods pose as a health hazard because they are not safety-tested. “We wanted to educate people and make them more aware of what they are actually eating,” Ternus said. But the group has always made the environment its biggest focus. This year is no exception: OSPIRG has fo cused attention on educating students about the National Heritage Forests Campaign. “The goal [of the campaign] is to get [President] Clinton to protect the forests from logging, mining, road building, drilling and to have a strong roadless policy,” Ternus said. Research is currently underway on the environment and endangered species at the Fall Creek site in the Willamette National Forest. The site is known for tree-sitters who protest the cutting down of old growth trees. (( The goal [of the campaign] is to get Clin ton to pro tect the forests from logging, mining, road building, drilling and to have a strong roadless policy. Michelle Ternus Chapter Chair OSPIRG . . i
