Dec. 7

Page 1

dn the

dailynebraskan.com

friday, december 7, 2012 volume 112, issue 073

Inside Coverage

Dimensions of the future Films advance possibilities of 3-D substance in 2012

Bluejay Beatdown

Creighton proved to be too much for the upset-minded Huskers Thursday night as new Nebraska coach Tim Miles got his first taste of the in-state rivalry. The No. 16 team in the nation knocked off the Huskers 64-42 in front of a sold-out crowd at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

C

5 They’re ‘Pheasants Forever’ New club focuses on protecting habitat, hunting

2 Volleyball ready for Omaha The Huskers prepare for NCAA regionals

10

Philip Schwadel poses in his office in Oldfather Hall on Thursday. Schwadel, an associate professor of sociology, studied changes in religious affiliation strength over the years and found that while many traditional religions like Catholicism have declined, evangelicalism has increased in America.

FLUCTUATING FAITHS

4

@dailyneb facebook.com/ dailynebraskan

Story by CL Sill Photo by Kevin Moser

STUDY CONDUCTED BY UNL PROFESSOR SHOWS THAT OVER THE YEARS, EVANGELICALS HAVE SEEN A RISE, CATHOLICS A DECLINE IN MEMBERSHIP

Finding Love online Are online dating sites favorable?

10

UNL professor proposes new route for pipeline dan holtmeyer dn As Nebraska’s role in finding the best route for pipeline company TransCanada’s controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline nears its end, Roy Spalding, a University of NebraskaLincoln agricultural hydrochemist, has proposed a route he says would avoid the most risk to groundwater. This route, slightly different from any current proposal, threads over areas in northeastern Nebraska where groundwater is already too contaminated by agricultural chemicals for consumption and is relatively deep in the ground – a sort of bestcase scenario to protect more pristine water elsewhere from the risk of an oil spill if the pipeline is eventually built. Spalding, who teaches courses in water quality, developed the route with graduate engineering student Aaron Hirsh. Their guidelines for a “risk-managed” route were published in Tuesday’s issue of the journal Environmental Science & Technology and are available online. Above all, Spalding said in a phone interview, the study is intended to help TransCanada and any other pipeline companies find the safest pipeline routes across the state, as well as the state of Nebraska. “It was basically to introduce a new approach to siting pipelines,” he said. “It was written not only for the XL pipeline but also for any future pipeline proposals that are going to carry liquid fuel.” TransCanada proposed the Keystone expansion project more than four years ago, intending to connect

keystone: see page 2

UNL PROFESSOR PROPOSES NEW KEYSTONE XL ROUTE TransCanada proposed the Keystone XL oil pipeline four years ago as an addition to the Keystone pipeline that already runs through the state. The company then bowed to pressure within Nebraska to move its route outside of the state’s Sandhills. UNL water quality professor Roy Spalding recently published a separate route proposal that minimizes the risk to groundwater. SOUTH DAKOTA

NEBRASKA IOWA

Original Keystone pipeline Original Keystone XL proposal

TransCanada’s Alternative Spalding’s Alternative Steel City KANSAS

hanges in religious affiliation occur across time periods, not across generations, according to a University of Nebraska-Lincoln sociology professor. Philip Schwadel, a UNL associate professor of sociology, recently released an analysis of the strength of religious affiliation in the United States. Using data collected between 1974 and 2010, the study found that strong religious affiliation among Americans has remained stable throughout time. But Schwadel said that doesn’t tell the whole story. “The overall findings (of the study) weren’t tremendously surprising,” he said. “But this masks important changes.” He noted while strong affiliation has remained constant in general, several individual religious groups have seen a shift in their support. Evangelical Christians have garnered more support in recent years, while strong religious affiliation among American Catholics has dwindled slightly. As for the reasoning behind the change in Catholic constituency, Schwadel said there’s no definitive answer. “I think there are various factors that probably went into that,” said Schwadel, who went on to say the decline in support took place during the mid- to late-1980s, when many American Catholics were discontent. He said many sociologists cite the rise of birth control in the late 1960s, as well as the publicity surrounding sex abuse scandals within the church in the early 1980s, as possible reasons for the decline. Logan Burda, a FOCUS missionary at the UNL Newman Center, said he thinks people’s inability to practice their beliefs in the social climate of today’s world is to blame for the decline in strong affiliation. “It’s the social norms I think,” he said. “If you’re not allowed to take a stand for what you believe in, it ends up meaning little to nothing.” Senior secondary math education major Mikayla Wagner agreed, saying the changes societal attitudes has lead to a decrease in understanding of the Catholic Church. “It is the loss of an objective right and wrong,” said Wagner, who has been working as a secretary at the Newman Center for nearly three years. On the other side of the spec-

religion: see page 2

Sheldon teams up with community groups for concert

year allows the event to “really tap into the community in a new way and really make it less about Christmas, but to have it be both about that holiday and about all of the ways in which we can connect with each other at this time of year.” The event centers on “Kindness Cards,” some of which are made kelli rollin of paper infused with wildflower dn seeds, Nosan said. Positivity Matters and the CamThe Sheldon Museum of Art, in coleron Effect organized the project, laboration with the University of Ne- where people are encouraged to braska-Lincoln Chamber Singers, is write kind words or acts of compasholding its annual choir concert and sion they have done on the cards, festivities this weekend – but with which can be found at supporting a bit of a changeplaces such as First up. This year, the Plymouth Church, “I think Sheldon has also Hy-Vee stores, teamed up with the KZUM, Lincoln that makes Cameron Effect and City Libraries and Positivity Matters, it all the more the Sheldon. Nosan two community orsaid people will still meaningful.” ganizations that aim be able to fill out the to spread compascards at the event, greg nosan sion, for the Seeds of as Positivity Matdirector of education Kindness event. ters and the CamThe event ineron Effect will be cludes multiple there. The kindness activities throughout the weekend, cards will be collected and made into starting with the UNL Chamber “Kindness Quilts,” which will then Singers on Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 be displayed at the Sheldon. p.m. and various performances and In the spring, Nosan said the activities starting at 1 p.m. on Saturcards embedded with wildflower day. seeds will be planted. “This year the opportunity preOn Friday the UNL Chamber sented itself to work with a project Singers will roam the art museum that’s been underway in Lincoln for while singing. a number of months, which is this 7 “It’s always so nice to always Acts of Kindness project,” said Greg be embraced in a wonderful way by Nosan, director of education and the Sheldon to be a part of this,” said publications at the Sheldon. Nosan Therees Hibbard, director of Chamsaid collaborating with the Cameron Effect and Positivity Matters this sheldon: see page 2

Cameron Effect, Positivity Matters promote kindness, compassion


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.