Morehead State University - Raconteur Yearbook (Morehead, KY)

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Star light, Star bright BY: Suzanne Smith The night sky as it appeared at Jesus, birth was seen again on Nov. 24, through Dec. 10. iiThe Star of Bethlehem , a presentation on the great star that marked the birthplace of the Christ child, was held in the univer- sity planetarium located in room 212 in Lappin Hall. After a brief survey of the late autumn - early winter sky, the show turned to the appearance of the star itself. Evidence tells us the star was first seen in approximately 8 BC. The Bible says that Jesus was born in the days of Herod the King. Before Herodis death, a lunar eclipse occurred on Mar. 13, 4 BC. Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem in order to be taxed. Taxes were collected only about every 20 years. According to an in- scription on a Roman pillar, only three great taxes took place during Caesar Augustusi reign, during which Jesus was born. One was in 28 B.C., many years before Herodls death, the second was in 8 BC. and the third in 14 A.D., several years after the death of Herod. After a tax was decreed, it took a long time for all the people to find out about it, then they had to travel to the town their family originated from to pay their taxes. So, it was at least 7 or 6 BC. when Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem. The presentation also tried to answer the question of what the star was. It sug- gested that it could have been a meteor. But a meteor would have been a familiar sight to the wise men who saw the star. An- other possibility was a comet, but none were recorded dur- ing these years and m a n y p e o p l e watched the skies, es- pecially Chinese astrologers. Also, everyone would have noticed a comet, not just the magi. The program also explored the idea of the star as a nova, or exploding star, but again, there were none recorded. A final possible solution was that the star was a planet. During this time three planets came together in the sky for a short time near the bright constellation of Pisces. The program also discussed the fact that Jesus was probably born in the spring. Shepherds, who visited the baby Jesus, nor- mally only stay with their flock during the spring, when the lambs are due. Also, early Christians celebrated Jesusi birth in the spring until Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Planetarium 24 ..m n -' 6666366 ia iiThe Star of Bethlehem,i program was presented by Steve Strunk, a sophomore earth science major from Morehead. He is a work-study for Dr. Jack Whidden. PHOTO BY? jefColquhoun empire. Then, the celebration of Christmas was changed to De- cember 25, the date of the pagan celebration of Saturnalia, a popular holiday among the Romans. Our custom of gift-giving comes from this pagan holiday. Steve Strunk, a sophomore earth science major from More- head, gave the presentation. He is the work-study for Dr. Jack Whidden, physics professor, who is in charge of the planetarium. Dr. Whidden tries to have a work-study each semester to help him with the planetarium. Dr. Whidden gives several presentations at the planetarium throughout the year. They include programs on the solar system, the search for extraterrestrial life, the origin and evolution of the universe, space exploration and the life and contributions of Albert Einstein to astronomy. The shows are presented through the use of slides, special motion projec- tors, which move beams of light across the ceiling of the planetar- ium, and a star ball. The ball is two feet in diame- ter and has 1700 stars arranged in their proper place to show the con- stellations. The light source for the ball is piped in from the projec- tor underneath ' 66 ' 666' ' 3 3 ' the ball. The ball can be rotated to show the daily m o t i o n of t h e earth and stars and can be manu- ally set to show any latitude. The programs are usually at tended by school groups, scout troops, parents from the commu- nity, and also uni- versity students. Dr. Whidden also uses the plan- etarium during his astronomy classes. He uses it to show students his various pro- grams, constellations, bright stars, the rotation of the earth and the seeming backward, or retrograde, motion of planets. Dr. Whidden built the planetarium in 1975 through a grant from the University. The ceiling is a dome which is held up by a series of 47 wooden arches. The surface of the ceiling is sections of quarter-inch wall board. People from the age of 10 to 50 have enj oyed the planetarium. It is not only for the serious astronomy student but also for the casual stargazer. .

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Schools of Applied Science and Technology Approximately 90 students are currently en- rolled with a major in agriculture or a related field of study. Students may opt for a degree in such programs as mining technology, agricul- ture science, pre-forestry, pre-veterinary medi- cine, and farm production technology. Probably one of the greatest aspects of the department is the farm, which enables students to gain hands-on experience in their held of study, said department head Dr. Judy Willard. iiWe are also very fortunate to have the modern greenhouse facility here on campus. Willard added that the agriculture department will always have a high rate of employment, because fanning is a large part of the income of Kentucky. iiInterest is growing rapidly in the areas of fashion merchandising and interior design. We have 160 students majoring in these two areas, said Marilyn Sampley, head of the de- partment of home economics. The depart- ment consists of six major areas, clothing and textiles, gen- eral dietetics, which is approved by the American Dietetics Service, interior design, vocational home economic educa- tion, foodservice administration and fashion merchandis- ing. iiThe faculty and staff are very helpful and the classes are funf said Tammy Boyd, sophomore interior design ma- jor from Morehead. iiTeaching tomorrowis technology today, is the theme that fits the department of indus- trial education and technology. Students are offered programs at the associate and bache- lor levels ranging from woods technology to broadcast technology. This department has proven to be committed to acquiring the newest methods of its students including the installation of a CADD tComputer Assistant Draft and Designi system and a robotics emphasis within the program. Brian Dickerson, an industrial arts major, said, students benefit from the small amount of students in the classes and, iithe hands-on experience that you gain at Morehead in comparison to other universities. The Department of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences includes a bachelor of sci- ence in nursing, an associate degree in radio- logic technology and a continuing education program for practicing RNis and RT,s. Patricia Barker, a first year RT student from Olive Hill says: I was very impressed with the professionalism and care under which my instructors operate. Health care education is crucial and they do not take their responsibility lightly. School of A.S.8tT 23

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The planetarium star ball is two feet in diameter with 1700 stars arranged . in proper order. Strunk shows a Brownie troop how the ball works. Planetarlum PHOTO BY: Jeff Colquhoun 2 5