Morehead State University - Raconteur Yearbook (Morehead, KY)

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DOCTOR George T. Young prepares to hand out a large stack of pamphlets to a Ken- tucky Historical Tours class to guide them on their trip to Frankfort. LONG and tedious hours are spent in the cartography labs in Radar Hall as students like Bill Gregory, a senior geography major from Flemingsburg and Rodney Hall, a senior geologyigeography major from Pikeville demonstrate here in their deep con- centration. PHOTOS BY L. TACKETT Natural Arts and Sciences: Versatility Since September of 1984, Geography, History and Government have been combined under one department, Natural Arts and Sciences. The main objective of this department is simple, straight forward and what one would expect. T'We are here to teach, states Dr. Jackson, the department head. We train students for teaching positions; we give them background training for the legal profession, ministry, librarian work, journalism, political careers, and government offices, both civil and foreign. The undergraduate program of Geography allows students to choose classes according to special interests, while providing an i overall grasp of the field. Graduates have found successful and t rewarding careers ranging from teaching positions in the elemen- tary, secondary and university levels, to directing an oceanographic institute. The program also prepares students who wish to continue on with graduate work. The government program provides extensive background on the basic and intricate workings of the American court systems and political structure of the government. Courses are available to train students to fill paralegal positions aE well as prepare student who wish to obtain their law degree. Dr. Jackson points out that researching, writing, and publishing manuscripts, writing articles and journals, and reviewing them, are normal procedures for students and faculty in this department. He says even though on the surface the three programs may seem different, they are all interwoven. It does us no good to view them as three different disciplines, he says. iiWe must think of ourselves as one department working together for a common pur- pose. By TERESA HILL

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LESLIE TACKETT PAM HOFER, a senior paralegal major from Springfield, Ohio, and Kelli Knep- shield, a junior paralegal major from Newport, Kentucky, participate in a car wash in front of Druther's restaurant to earn money for Alpha Lambda Pi maralegal clum to attend a Cincinnati Reds game. Natural Arts and Sciences

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Mathematics: A Realistic Application iii can't say mathematics is absolutely critical to every student, that's foolish, admitted Glenn E. Johnston who has been head of Morehead Stateis mathematics department for the past 13 years. But, Johnston points out that students should have a broad background in their education. iiMathematics is critical, he adds. I am a firm believer that students should have a broad exposure in mathematics. It carries as much weight as any other discipline. Students get that exposure from the math department in general math, which has the largest enrollment among courses of- fered by a department. i'We like to show how mathematics models things on a day to day basis. In general math we try to do problems in statistics and problems with money. Students need to know what figures can do and what they can't do for them to function in society. Math can help them do that. For math majors, the department expands on the idea of a broad background and prepares them for the job world. iiWe want our majors to have good grounding in classical analysis and to be capable in each of the mathematics disciplines, such as geometry, algebra and statistics, said Johnston. He said the advent of the computer, however, has changed the field of mathematics from primarily a field for teacher preparation and abstract math to more realistic computational applications. Our largest number of majors are in computer math. Computer related jobs are biggest among our majors. They usually start in jobs as consultants to engineers and scientists or as statisticians, Johnston said. And the department cares about the career preparation of their majors. HThe department is concerned with equipping our majors with the necessary knowledge and skills to get a job, said Johnston. HWe try hard, although we may not be recognized for it, to take underprepared students and make them able to compete in the job market. He described the job market for math majors as taking an up- surge in recent years. iiWe went- from a high-volume demand for mathematics majors in the 19603 to a decrease in demand in the 19705. We are now seeing a surge in demand for them again, said Johnston. He said math majors fit typically into the campus scene and are active in various activities on campus. itMathematicians are not likely to be in the news, Johnston pointed out. But perhaps his statement about them being very active in campus activities is truer of their genre. One math major is very much in the news, or into the news. Janie Bowling, a senior from Grayson, Ky., is the managing editor of the TRAIL BLAZER, the campus newspaper. Math makes you think logically in everything you do, Bowling said. By JEFF SPRADLING Mathematics