University of Nebraska Kearney - Blue and Gold Yearbook (Kearney, NE)

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 - Steele Becker: “We know that the Platte (River) has shrunk and has reduced flow, but we really don't know why.”Becker suspects that bridge con- struction may he a factor in the Platte's flow reduc- tion and has been researching to find if his suspi- cion is true.

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‘‘Resumes are more effective if they are not alone,” Enns said. “A supple- ment such as a cover letter greatly adds to a resume.” As with the resume, no one can write a cover letter for you. “Cover letters let individuals ad- dress or tailor themselves to a job,” Ro- senlof said. “A resume can be a door opener, but it needs to be precise and to the point. A resume needs to be able to be read through quickly and with ease as employers are looking through applica- tions. The cover letter may be more in depth.” Rosenlof suggested writing the let- ter just as if you were talking to the em- ployer. She said, “This is your chance to use sentences and paragraphs to say something about your- self.” Another opportuni- ty to impress your pro- spective employer will come from the image you convey upon your first meeting with the interviewer. “One important eti- quette item is the hand- shake, something that tells a lot about some- one,” Rosenlof said. When presenting yourself for the inter- view, have a neat, well- groomed, uncluttered look. Do not overdress for the area which you are applying. Look around and notice what people in the area are wearing. When buying a business suit buy con- servatively. Also, buy quality. A business suit can last up to five years because styles rarely change. The appearance of the suit can also be changed with the use of accessories. Nev- er let a salesclerk talk you into a suit you do not like. “A navy blue or dark grey suit and a white, oxford blue, or cream shirt are good interview combinations,” Rosenlof said. The money spent to look good will pay off in the long run. Rosenlof said, “Job searchers don’t always realize that a small amount of money is necessary to search for a job, whether it be purchasing an interview suit or a fee for an etiquette seminar.” Beside looking good, an applicant should know as much about the prospec- tive employer’s business as is known of the interview subject’s own skills and abilities. “One of the best ways to find out about a particular career is to conduct a career interview with a person who has the particular job in which one is interested,” Enns said. “Ask them questions and find out more about the actual job.” “Companies may ask questions about their compa- ny. Someone who is searching for a job, and will have an in- terview with a com- pany, should find out information about that company through the Vacan- cy Library,” Rosen- loff said. The Vacancy Library, located across the hall from the Counseling and Advising Center, lists the actual job Placement Center seminars offered at KSC each semester: - Discovering Your Interests - Exploring Your Options - Selecting a Major - Choosing a Career Special workshops offered for juniors and seniors: - The Resume - The Interview - Letter Writing - Dress for Success - Corporate Etiquette Jackie Rosenlof, director of placement vacancy in teaching, information on companies, federal government job in- formation and internships. In the Career Planning and Place- ment Office is located the Career Plan- ning Library. This library contains infor- mation on graduate school material and choosing a career. “Someone who is searching for a job also needs to remember, the first job is the time to make it or lose it. For most it is the first job without experience, in which one needs to be depenable and re- sponsible,” Enns said. .. . the first job is the time to make it or lose it. ” — Enns College should prepare you in as many ways possible for life after gradua- tion. However, there is a certain amount of work required to become a success that college can not dictate to students. In certain areas the college can only ad- vise, this is what the Counseling and Ad- vising Center was created for. Charles McGraw Jana Walz BE36 13

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s s u E s Bridge Over Troubled Water GEOGRAPHY PROFESSOR STEELE BECKER RESEARCHES THE PLATTE RIVER TO FIND THE EFFECTS OF BRIDGES ON THE RIVER’S CHANNELS AND ISLANDS U Research answers one question and asks a dozen more,” said Steele Becker, KSC geography professor, who has researched the Platte River since 1966 in several projects. His current project began May, 1987. The project asks, ‘‘What effect do bridges have on the channels and islands in the Platte River?” “We know that the Plate has shrunk and has a reduced flow,” Becker said. “But we don’t really know why.” Of these six variables, only bridge construction has not been researched as to its effect on Platte River. “Sometimes science is blind,” Becker said. “1 can’t find where anyone focused a study on bridges that went in before they stabi- lized the banks. Before they diverted it — they had to cross it!” The actual question popped into Becker’s mind “quite by accident” after a previous research project in 1986. The 1986 project, funded by Central Platte Natural Resources District (NRD) and the Research Services Coun- cil, involved making detailed maps of the Platte River in Dawson, Buffalo and Hall counties. By using infrared ariel photos from 1976 to 1985 of the Platte supplied by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Platte River Whooping Crane Trust, Becker and his assistant, Barbara Fis- kopp, drew maps of the Platte. Tbese infrared photos were also transposed on grid maps, which allowed the researchers to compare the changes in island and water area of the river. As an experiment, Fiskopp scaled the percentages of the changes of the 10- year period on a graph that ranged from west to east. She took the graph to Beck- er. They noticed that the river changed more dramatically in the west than the east. Becker then added the number of bridges to the appropriate places from the west to the east and observed that more bridges were pres- ent in the eastern part of the 112-mile area. No one told Fis- kopp to make the graph, Becker said. “If she wouldn’t have made it, I would have never asked the question.” Becker went to Central Platte NRD with the proposal and received $5,000 backing for his research. Already loaded with information from the previous proj- ect which is the only long-term accumu- lation of Platte River data, Becker plans U 1 think that is why we are successful... we deliv- er ahead of time.” —Becker to go even further. He has two computer statistics ma- jors, senior Dave Her vert and junior Chuck Ziska, working to complete the quarter-of-a-million bits of data in an Sometimes science is blind. I can't find where anyone focused a study on bridges that went in be- fore they stabbilized the banks. Apple Computer. This information will be used to simulate the river on the computer and further study came be made with simu- lated bridge construction and changes to find what these changes on Nebraska’s greatest resource will mean in the future. “The more information that we ac- cumulate, the better. Then we can allow maximum benefit and economic growth without destroying the river,” Becker said. “I want my grandchildren to enjoy the river as much as I do.” Becker has the personal satisfaction of knowing that his work will contribute to the preservation and utiliz- ation of the Platte Riv- er. “Our deadline is April 30, 1988. We’ll be done before then. I’ve never yet taken all the time alloted for a project,” Becker said. “I think is why we are successful... we deliver ahead of time.” And, he’s already asking two other questions which will mean even more re- search ... Pam Wood BE3fi 15