2 Monday, December 2,1996 Students learn together through presentations ■ Some students say they prefer giving presentations to taking written exams. BY SHARIF DURHAMS ASSISTANT UNIVERSITY EDITOR Working for weeks to perfect a final paper for your class is one thing. It’s entirely different to have to read that paper to a room full of strangers. But students in history Professor Leon Fink’s class and many other graduate students will step up to the microphone when they give research presentations which are open for the entire University to see. Fink said this atmosphere, which mim E-mail used as gab line instead of information tool BY KELLY O’BRIEN STAFF WRITER While e-mail was originally brought onto college campuses for the academic opportunities it offered, most members of the University agree that students have come to use it primarily as a socializing mechanism. Students themselves said the main use was for interacting with friends. “It saves some money on phone bills, ” Elizabeth Nelson, a senior from Kannapolis, said as she communicated with friends via e-mail at the Under graduate Library computer lab. Look in Thursday’s DTH for special holiday deals from University Mall merchants! University Mall, Travel Agents International, & The Daily Tar Heel Team up to bring you a... HefM H©lidam n.bl. ■ Loci Olfta, (919) 966-7.94 *W " EC “" m0 " ' EDU “™ • ics the way research is presented at his tory conferences, helps students focus on appealing to their audience when mak ing their presentations. “I would hope the students find it quickens their own (academic) appetite and skills,” Fink said. Chad Morgan, a first year graduate student, said the classes provided a simi lar, yet safer, environment as compared to the conferences. “This is a chance to check it out with our friends before we go in front of the hard-core people,” Morgan said. Although his student Katherine Otis said the presentation would be nerve wracking, she said the presentations would develop her speaking skills. “I’m a pretty polished writer,” she said. “As far as conveying simply what But Deb Aikat, a journalism professor who teaches classes in electronic infor mation, said using e-mail for personal reasons was not necessarily negative. “Students do use it as a means to socialize, but that’s part of the educa tional process,” Aikat said. He said so cial use led to students using e-mail for other reasons and helped students com municate better when they graduate. And some students are already using e-mail for academic reasons. Many use e mail to receive and turn in assignments, to ask instructors questions and to sub scribe to class or group listserves. “The level of usage dedicated towards “Take a FREE BUS! Free buses run from Union Circle (the bank machines by the Pit) to University Mall every half hour beginning at 12pm. Free buses return to UNC approximately at quarter-past 6c quarter ‘til the hour. UNIVERSITY I’ve learned to an audience, I have a hard time doing that.” Condensing the research on which she spent a month into a 15-minute presentation would be the most diffi cult part, Otis said. Despite her nerves, Otis said she was excited about sharing her project, for which Professor LEON FINK said his students were probably nervous, but excited about their presentations. she traveled to Georgetown, S.C., to in terview tugboat workers. “That was the highlight of the project for me,” she said. “Personally, I Idee this classes and communication with profes sors is significantly on the rise,” said John Oberlin, executive director for Aca demic Technology and Networks. Currently, the School of Journalism and Mass Communication is the only school or department to require students to keep an e-mail account, but others might institute the practice. Linwood Futrelle, director of client services for ATN, said the use of e-mail as an educational tool depended on the instructor, not the department or school. “It is scattered across a wide range of departments,” he said. Donna Bauman, associate director of better than exams.” Steve Estes, a first-year doctorial stu dent, said his presentation about songs of the civil-rights movement would leave a bigger impact on his audience than would reading a paper. “I have a feeling they’d learn more facts by reading the paper, but I think the impression would lastlonger through the presentation. Estes said he planned to play recorded protest music and actually play a live song. Fink said the projects kept students learning together at the end of the semes ter instead of focusing solely on their individual studies. “It builds a sense of community within the department and a sense of intellectual connection which otherwise might not be there.” the Kenan Flagler Business School BSB A program, said students in the school were strongly encouraged to keep an account and may be required to do so when the school changes buildings next year. And as e-mail usage continues to rise, ATN is working hard to keep up. “Eighty-five to 95 percent of the stu dent body have accounts,” said William Graves, ATN chief information officer. “E-mail usage is way up. Starting as soon as possible, we will automatically assign accounts to students.” A system recently installed by ATN allows more users to log in, but there are still bugs in the system, Graves said. “It’s working a lot better than the old system,” Graves said. “It’s still being fine-tuned and it will get better.” *?ceittoU*ts s4ut6e*ttic 1 limn iij mu tAnd also try our delicious //1\ Oreo Cookie, S Ghirardelli Chocolate, Vanilla, Tangy Berry Flavors, IgfaJ & much, much more! Downtown Chapel Hill tkA 942-PUMP UOOURT cOl I North Durham | ] fv Jy Northgate Mall (New lo Carousel) DU IIIP 286-7868 p* f or PTemiutn 77 7 onofod calmot, / • / / with purchase of 1 doz. bagels Here’s a festive idea: feature Bruegger’s bagels at your holiday party and we’ll supply our finest premium smoked salmon at our cost: only $9.99/lb. Just add friends, put on the rumba records, and you’ve got an instant holiday party (try not to dance on the furniture). Now through the holidays or while supplies last. BRUEGGER’S BAGELS' Totally completely obcewej witk f'ecWfl"' RALEIGH: 2302 Hillsborough Street • North Hills Mall • Pleasant Valley Promenade • Sutton Square, Falls of the Neuse Rd. • Mission Valley Shopping Center 'Stonehenge Shopping Center, Creedmoor Rd. • Harvest Plaza, Six Forks & Strickland Rds. CARY: 122 S.W. Maynard Rd. • Preston Business Center, 4212 Cary Pkwy. DURHAM: 626 Ninth Street • Commons at University Place (1831MLK Parkway at University Drive) CHAPEL HILL 104 W. Franklin St. • Eastgate Shopping Center Open Seven Says a Week M H jSS - Ww _. H i imm W aßfefljlp- |j§ Sxj DTH/SERENA CUSTIS The Triangle Gay Men's Chorus performs at the World AIDS Day Interfaith Worship Service. The ceremony was sponsored by an AIDS support group. AIDS FROM PAGE 1 “For those of us living with HTV and AIDS in the Triangle over the past year, we have a lot to be thankful for, ” he said. “The discovery that new drugs used in combination with old drugs (has been important). For some people die effects have been miraculous. ” Atthe service, the Triangle Gay Men’s Chorus performed two songs sending • Announces: Essay Exam Workshop Presented by Allison Boylan Thurs., December 5 from 2-4 pm • Greenlaw 101 (For more information call the VWiting Center at 962-77101