Fall 1985 by Endeavors

E.II

Rockss

toEarttftGaobsic

eys

Euolution

Advanced technological research tools open new areas 0f

inquiry for geologists at UNC-CH.

the integration of field and lab studies. It

7E at Dr P

Geofh'ev Feiss, Choirman

of the

Ceology Deporlment Rockhammer, compass, map, and notebook in hand, a geologist collects rock samples on an exposed outcrop. After variously-sized pieces of rock are brought back to the lab, what happens? For students and faculty

the

UNC-CH Department of Geology, the physical rigors of field work combined with sophisticated analytical techniques lead to fascinating and significant discoveries. Petrochemistry, probably the strongest component of the department, is the chemical study of predominantly igneous rocks, which formed or apparently formed from sotidification of magma, and metamorphic rocks, produced by the transformation of pre-existing rock into texturally or mineralogically distinct

new rock. Metamorphic rocks result from high temperature, high pressure, or both, occurring without melting the rock in the process. Petrochemical studies determine the age, origin, and substantive history

of the

rocks, enabling the geologist to tie his or her findings into a broader picture of geological history.

Dr. P Geoffrey Feiss, associate professor and acting chairman of the geology department, comments, "One of our strengths is

has

never been our goal lo be simply theoretical. We do the nuts and bolts of sweat labor on one hand, and very analytical work on the otherl' The UNC-CH geology department conducts active programs on local, national, and international levels. Prolects are in progress in

earth) and extrusive (such as volcanic rocks).

Gold forms in shallow depths at the base of volcanic structures. Volcanoes and the chambers of molten rock that feed them are enormous heat anomalies in the earth's crust. Hot magma in the earth acts like a huge heat pump, drawing in water, which then

places such as the southeastern United States, Nevada, California, Africa, and India. Research has been supported largely by grants from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, private industry, and the North Carolina Division of Mineral Resources. Within each project, students and

faculty incorporate a two-pronged approach involving extensive field work and lab analysis.

Gold Mineralization Models in the Southeast Dr. Feiss, working primarily in the Appalachian mountains and the hills of the eastern Piedmont, is studying the formation of mineral deposits and is developing models to improve gold exploration. "We need to develop models sophisticated enough that if

we see only a portion of this mineral system, we will know what it is. This is especially true in Appalachia because very little rock is visible. There is no reason to believe that gold deposits are not present; they are iust very, very difficult to recognizel' he says. Feiss explains that most mineral deposits form around igneous rocks, both intrusive (rocks that never come to the surface of the

The Gold Hill group of rnines, situated fourteen ntiles sctutheost of SaLisbury, is one of the most noted mining districts in North Carolina. (The map is from o suruey by E. Housset 1860; reuised in 1882

)

spectrometry with the recently acquired electron probe pictured on the back cover. The electron probe operates a fine-focus electron beam approximately one micron in diameter that excites the x-ray spectra of elements in a sample. The x-rays are detected

by a curved-crystal wavelength-dispersive spectrometer, providing data about the chemical composition of the sample. Isotope analyses on the mass spectrometer yield information about the very subtle changes in isotopic composition of rocks.

This is helpful in age-dating and often in identifying the kinds of fluids occurring in the areas of mineralization. Ultimately, the models that Dr. Feiss and his students are developing will be applied to hidden deposits. Feiss notes that the process

= -b

Assistont Prcfessor Allen Glozner ond groduate student Ryon Tilrner, uho studied uolcanic ond structurol euolution of the Costle Mountoins in the Mojoue Desert for his master's thesis. A reseorch polarizing microscope uith camera ottochnent stands behind them. ln the breground are whctle rock os uell os ground ond puluerized

of developing these models is extremely painstaking, so much so that mining companies cannot spend the time necessary to undertake detailed mappine, research, and analysis. At least three students have done theses on projects with companies such as Texasgulf Minerals and Shell Minerals. "We are trying to give companies the wherewithal to understand the subtle thingsj' states Feiss. According

to Dr.

Feiss, the Southeast is

ripe for a gold discovery. He notes that the first gold mined in North America was in

North Carolina. "The West, however, had a more favorable climate for gold mining. That's changed a lot nowl' says Feiss. Mining companies are coming back to the Southeast. "We are on the verge of success. We are likely to see several significant gold discoveries within the next four or five years. The Southeast is close to having a mineral renaissancel'

Plate Tectonics California

in Southern

Plate tectonics, a theory that the earth's surface is divided into a few larqe thick plates that are slowly moving and changing in size, causing intense geologic activity at plate boundaries, is one of the areas of geo-

logic concern for Dr. Allen F. Glazner, assistant professor of geology. Glazner has spent several years studying the Mojave Desert, which contains 20-million-year-old volcanic rocks-20 to 30 times younger than the rocks in the Southeast. California was one of the first areas where intensive study 0f plate tectonics was conducted and where successful models were developed.

In the western United States, north

of Cape Mendocino, California, the ocean floor dives underneath the continental U.S.,

somples. rises and circulates through the rocks, producing what is known as a hydrothermal cell. As cold water migrates down, it is heated and picks up metals; then, ascending water deposits the metals as it cools, thus leaching

the gold from an immense volume of earth and redistributing it in relatively condensed deposits. The circulating waters greatly alter the original rocks in terms of mineralogy and chemistry. "We are trying to characterize these alteration areas and the fluids that have altered theml' says

Feiss.

For a better understanding of the very complex and relatively unexposed rocks of the Southeast, Feiss and his students study rocks elsewhere as well. Doctoral student Kent Ausburn is working 0n a very young system (less than l0 million years old) in eastern California and developing what is almost a direct analog to the much older rocks of the Appalachians. Ausburn's laboratory work includes chemical analysis to determine which elements were added to or subtracted from the rocks. He also employs mineral analysis to identily each mineral, using optical means as well as x-ray

o large portion of his time settittg up neu) onolyticctl techniques ond teaching students how to use them. Here, he and graduole student Bill Ussler operote o moss spectrometer, uhich uses a mognetic field to seporate ions ocutrding kt their ntctss/charge ratio, ollowing for the meosurement of isotc-tpic ctbundances of elements such os uraniunt, leod, rubidium, and strontium. Elements nre chemically seporoted from rocks ond minerals, ond indiuiduolly looded into the mass spectrometer on metol filaments uhere they ore therrnolly ionized, sorted, Reseorch geochemist Dr. Steuen Goldberg spends

ond

detected.

E.il

phenomenon called subduction. This plate is deep enough to melt and produce volcanic activity, such as the recent activity of Mt. St. Helens.

South of Cape Mendocino, however, there appears t0 be no subduction zone. Instead, there is a separation of plates known as a strike-slip fault, where two plates slide against one another. A triple-.junction occurs at Cape Mendocino, in which strike-slip faults, transform faults (similar to strikeslip faults),

and subduction zones join. Glazner hypothesized that this triple junction migrated northward 20 million years ago, passing by southern California and causing a tremendous amount of earthquake activity and volcanism. "Just about everything happened simultaneously, according to geologic time, over about I million years. Since then almost nothing has happenedl' Glazner says. Glazner proposed that the northward sweep

of volcanism occurred in response to induced

stresses

in the continent by subduction of

the

Mendocino fracture zone. His theory holds

that a moving, east-west zone of stress triggered volcanism, detachment faulting, and basin formation in the Southwest. Graduate students Jesse Sanner and Dana Loomis have found sedimentary evidence in the Mojave for the predicted northward migration. Presumably subduction took place under the entire west coast of North America, with subsequent production

ol volcanic

activity.

With this northward sweep, volcanic activity appears to have been turned off with no magma being produced. Dr. Glazner has studied aging and timing of volcanism in southern California and iound that the oldest rocls are farther south. He has been slowly working his way northward, and is now studying the Sierra Nevada. Glazner and Loomis are also studying the history of the San Joaquin basin, a very important area for oil exploration. Applying the theory of how plates interacted, they have looked at the depth of the basin and found that it shows the uplift predicted by the model. Other theories postulate that the basin subsided, or sank, when the triple junction moved by, causing the basin to deepen. Glazner, however, argues that uplift occuned. He has shown that this uplift was masked by the great weight of sediment in the basin, causing it to be somewhat depressed, appearing to have subsided, He adds that understanding the uplift history of the basin is important because it leads to knowledge of where oil might be found.

-"w

ffir.'

A researcher uiews a thin section of roch through the

eyepiece of a polorizing

microscope, on instrument thot uses polarized light ond a reuoluing stage for identification ond onalysis of thin sections of rocks ond minerols. Two prisms, one oboue and one below the stage, polarize the light tronsmitted through the thin-section

Calibration and Mathematical

ogy, the calibration

Modelc

eter, which could be used to estimate the water content of magmas prior to their eruption from a volcano. In geothermometry

Bill Ussler, one of Glazner's students, explains that rather than working in a

and geobarometry, the chemical composition of different minerals in cooled volcanic rock is used to estimate the temperature and pressures that occurred during formation.

specilic field area for his doctoral dissertation, he is studying a particular problem in geol-

of a practical geobarom-

R.S

Recent work has suggested that a practical water barometer could be developed to estimate the amount of water present at the

with the electron microprobe can be done. "This gives us temperatures and pressures for known compositions, providing us with data that can be used to calibrate a thermodynam-

time of eruption. Ussler notes, "[n order to have a working or practical geothermometer or barometer, it must be calibrated in the laboratory before

ically based mathematical modell' explains Ussler.

The mathematical model, expressed as a computer program where one can change the

applying it to rocks in the fieldl' Geothermometry/geobarometry has been an active discipline for the last fifteen years. From a pure academic viewpoint, it allows the working out of evolutionary detail of volcanic

parameters,

standing temperature and pressure. This area has been the site of a great deal of volcanism and earthquake activity, and may erupt again in the near future. It is important to know the volatile content (water, carbon dioxide, and other gasses) of the magma, and whether it is water saturated to predict how explosive and violent such an eruption might be. To calibrate the water barometer, Ussler will conduct laboratory experiments with small quantities of powdered rock whose composition is already known. The pressures and temperatures are pre-selected, and tested

by "cooking" or melting the rock in the presence of water, then cooling it until it crystalizes. At this point analysis of crystals

pressure

and temperature history of volcanic rocks collected in the field, with microprobe

rocks.

The Mammoth area of California provides good example of the importance of under-

is used to calculate the

analysis of its constitutent minerals. "[n reconstructing a temperature's history within a volcano, we will be closer to predicting volcanic eruption. We may be able to estimate, within a thousand years, when a volcano might eruptl' notes Ussler. The process of developing models is long and tedious, Ussler explains. "Once you get a workable model, you have really achieved

somethingl' Ussler adds that models are not the last word however, "You always have to test them against realityl'

The Origin

of Continents

John J.W. Rogers, Kenan professor of geology, says that he wants to learn why and how continents originated. India is a very old fragment of continent, Rogers points out, possibly

the oldest in the world. Northeastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, on the other hand, is a typical continent, but one of the youngest areas of continental development. By "youngl' Rogers says, he means that it was not a continent until about 600 million years ag0.

Rogers explains that there is a time during which a piece of earth passes from an oceanic regime t0 a continental land regime. Since the material forming a continent is different from that of an ocean basin, there is some point at which the fractionation process in the earth changes. Continents evolved from the earth's mantle, and at some point along the line in the evolution, were segregated. Oceanic areas are replaced by continental type rocks. "Not all geologists will agree with this scenariol' Rogers says. "lt is a very controversial area, as is all geology, because n0 one was there when the earth was being

formedl' Rogers points out that he and his students do a great deal of field work, trying to establish a sequence of events by mapping field

relationships between rocks. Using radiometric age dating and geochemistry to measure the rock and mineral compositions, they infer the processes that gave rise

to these

rocks.

One student, Tom Chacko, working in Kerala in southern India, has been studying the formation of a rock called charnockite. Scientists working further north postulated that charnockite was formed by the movement through the rock

of some

carbon

dioxide+ich fluids. Chacko found reports in scientific literature of similar rocks around Kerala, and began studying them to discover whether this mode of charnockite formation is a local phenomenon 0r a more extensive, far-ranging occurrence. "Because these are some of the oldest rocks in the world, we can start making inferences about how the earth's crust formedl' states Chacko. The earth is still dynamic, and its early records of formation have often been destroyed. For example, a

Dr. John J.W Rogers, Kenan professor of geobgy, and doctoral students Tom Chacko and Potricio Stroh discuss puluerized ond whole rock samples of South lndion Precombrion Tiondhjemites, 3 billion-yeor-old gronitic rocks, ond Precombrion Khondolites, netamorphic sedimentory rocks. For the lost ten years, Rogers hos concentroted his efforts in Indio, North Africo, ond the Arabian Peninsula, looking ot the euolution of lhe continentol crust, ond has recently begun a project on the deuelopment of the Red Sect and Gulf ctf Suez.

rock formed 4 billion years ago is likely to have its early history obscured by later geologic events. Because of this, only a few places in the world contain information about the early development of the earth's crust. Chacko estimates that his rocks could be 3,000 to 600 million years old. He has made two visits to Indra to collect rock samples for lab analysis. "Sometimes I have to bring back whole rocks, but I have been fortunate to work with a geological research organization in India and can usually have them crush

EilDEA

Y.O

the development of islands. "The evolutionary history occurs from an oceanic area through development of island arcs, and ultimately the segregation of continental material in the areal' he explains. "l expect much of our work in the future will be rn the Caribbeanl'

Wbrk in Progress 1 ':a

Dr. Feiss points out two growth areas for the

department: one in geophysics-seismology, and the other in hydrology, low temperature geochemistry. He notes that this is a very opportune time for seismologists because, with the advent of mini- and super-computers, they are not as "awash in data' as they have been. And with the use of new digital seismograph

.8:

---

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equipment, seismologists will have increasing to data and the means to process it. Tho seismologists recently loined the department's staff. Feiss explains, "The

access ,j

University has joined the Institute for Research in Seismology, which will mean that these people will have access to data and funds for research. The federal government is

)..

la. ,,,1

..*Wf'

in the Ncttiortctl Burcou ctf Standords Closs-100-tt'pe Clectn ktb, designed by Dr. Goldberg. Used for leod onolysis, the cleon lob has o t:ery specirtl filtrotion systerrt krtoLLtrt os o High Efficienc-v Particulote Filter.

dioxide occurs. Doctoral student Patricia Stroh, also working with Rogers, explains that her work in India differs from Chacko's in that she rs studying chemical variations across a broad range of

the seismicity of the southeastern United States, for example, and suggests that the ability to predict earthquakes and to build structures that might resist them has a great deal of significance for the greater population. He points out that the crust of the southeastern United States is one welded mass, rather than a mosaic of faulted blocks, as in the western United States. Because of this, if an earthquake occurred in this area, it would be

felt for greater distances, dispersing the energy over a much broader area than the earthquakes in the western states. "We know so little about it because these

Grctclttctte student Sctruh Wright exarnines sonr;tles

the rocks into powder,' he says. Dr. Rogers uses Chacko's research as an example in explaining how the development of indrvidual rocks relates to the development of a whole continent. Because analysis has demonstrated that the charnockite rocks have been chemically altered by carbon dioxide, geologists can infer that in the evolution of s0me continents, a massive output of carbon

anxious to consolidate data on seismologyi' Feiss notes that we don't know much about

rock types, trying t0 understand how the types relate to each other chemically. "These rocks were created over a range of almost billion years, so I have a good deal of variation with which to workl' she points out. One of the advantages of Stroh's work is that once she has characterized the lndian rocks, she can compare them with rocks from many parts of the world. "l am able t0 get an idea of how rocks have varied through time and space, and therefore how processes of continental formation varyi' Dr. Rogers has also focused work on the Caribbean, where there is modern activity in 1

occur s0 rarely here. A major concern, of course, is the safety of nuclear power plants, or factories that produce toxic materiall' Feiss says, "We have not had to worry about environmental concerns until recently, but now we are running into geological restric-

tions-for example, what to do with

high

level nuclear waste. Geologists are not unanimous about where to store it so that it won't contaminate the environmentl' Feiss points out that "man lives by geological consent. We depend on the earth for resources. To the extent we fail to understand that, we

will

limitedl'

*Ann F

Stctnforrj

Fieldwork and collaborative methodology result

in new perspectives on living

ritual.

traditional academe and extended into the churches to yield new perspectives both on contemporary religion and approaches to its study.

Professors and graduate students from the Department of Religious Studies, the Anthropology Department, and the Curriculum in Folklore have studied independent Protestant sects in North Carolina and Virginia since the mid-1970s by attending churches, video

taping services, and interviewing members. "What we've done differently is to apply the field approach to the study of religionl'said Professor Ruel Tlson Jr., a former chairman of the Department of Religious Studies, and one of the principal researchers. "We wanted

to examine how theological tradition has

been

translated through the religious services and lives of the people, and what better way to do that than by studying religion in its living form?" Co-investigators are Dr. James Peacock, professor and former chairman of the Anthropology Department, and Dr. Daniel Patterson, Kenan professor of English and chairman of the Curriculum in Folklore. Funding for the research has come from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the University Research Council, the National lnstitutes of Mental Health, and the WennerGren Foundation for Anthropological .9

Research.

The Approach Evolves A friendly dispute between Tlson

Distance is a word that could characterize the traditional academic approach to the study of religion. The focus has been on the texts and history of such figures as Martin Luther and John Calvin-with littte regard for

the manner in which their sixteenth-century creeds have been manifested in the real world. Research spanning nearly a decade and involving University scholars in three disciplines has crossed the boundaries of

and

Peacock inadvertently spawned the field

approach in the summer of 1976. The two were discussing the work of Max Weber, sociologist, political economist, and author of

The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of

E,.A

it for a year through attending weekly services and conducting intensive interviews with members and ministers. The

Capitolism. "We decided that one way t0 resolve our argument was to attend Protestant

and studied

churches to observe Weber's theory in practicel'Tlson said. They began by visiting

study design was later expanded to include two Lumbee Indian Pentecostal groups in the Robeson County area of North Carolina, and Primitive Baptists in the Blue Ridge Mountains of northwestern North Carolina and southwestern Virginia. The purpose of studying Pentecostals and Primitive Baptists was to compare two major veins of

a Protestant church in Durham on Sunday evenings.

Tlson had never attempted fieldwork before that time. "l was venturing out into a strange worldl' he said. Gradually the approach became less foreign to him as he came t0 appreciate the unique insights afforded by the "observer-participant" mode of research. For example, he became fascinated by the way people used language to relate their religious experiences. "lt struck mq having taught the literature of religion, that what I was hearing through people's testimonies was much like

Protestantism-respectively, Wesleyan and Calvinist. According to Tlson, these groups had not been studied extensively by the

interdisciplinary approach. While independent Protestants maintain standard beliefs and practices of the mainline

the spiritual literature of 0ld England and New England in the seventeenth centuryl' He and Peacock began taking notes from testimonies and sermons, and augmented their

Dr. Ruel Tyson, Jr., professor in the

observations with interviews conducted after

Shakers; and Peacock, Southeast Asian lslam.

the services. The twofold approach yielded what Tlson termed a "binocular vision" to the understanding of both the formal and informal modes of religious speech-a method that continued as the study became more systematic. The first formal expression of the research came the following semester when Tlson and

The three co-investigators have also taught and jointly directed the graduate work of many of the same students. A selection of master's theses, along with articles by Tlson, Peacock, and Patterson, have been combined into a book, A Field Sampler of Religions in North Carolino, now being prepared for publication. A sampling oi articles includes: "The Miracles of Healingl' "Primitive Baptist Womenl' and "The Devil Sits in the Choirl'

Peacock decided

to collaborate on teaching

in the religion and anthropology departments and the Curriccourse. The class, cross-listed

ulum in Folklore, combined fieldwork with the study of important texts in the theory of religion. Students were expected to write extended interpretations based on their perceptions of visits to area churches.

The interdisciplinary approach is especially suited to the study of living religion, according to Tlson. "The three disciplines have quite specific contributions to make to

this type of studyl' he said. "Since we attempt t0 examine religion ethnographically, we need the methods of study from both the social sciences and the humanitiesl' While drawing on the special skills of all the researchers, such as Patterson's knowledge of ethnomusicology and hymnology, the project

traditions:

Ilson, St. Augustine;

Patterson, the

Independent Protestants Tlson and Peacock continued their study of area churches in the summer of 1977. Under the auspices of a University Research Council grant, the two surveyed as many Protestant churches in Durham as they could in two months. "We put 10,000 miles on Peacock's car, and we didn't even come close to surveying all the churches in the city of Durhami' Tlson said. They did, however, accumulate extensive notes from attending services and conducting interviews with 35 ministers, both black and white, male and female. All of this was done in preparation for the next stage of

in the humanities

their research-to find churches willing to let them visit on a regular basis. It is at this time that the study began to focus on independent Protestant groups. 'llson and Peacock wanted to depart from the

independently studied non-local religious

mainline veins of Protestantism that they were accustomed to. "We wanted to study churches that were completely foreign to usl' Tlson said. They initially chose a white, independent Pentecostal church in Durham

converges

on one orientation: the interpreta-

Deportment of Religious Studies

tion of meaningful forms as through living religion.

expressed

Tlson noted that most examples of research have been solo efforts. "l think we've illustrated that the collaborative model works. With us, it's a practical policy and not just an academic pietyi' Prior to their collaboration, the three researchers had

system, there are some notable differences. Unlike such denominations as United Methodists, Southern Baptists, Presbyterians, and Episcopalians, independents do not locate

their churches in the center of town, attract their leadership from the wealthy establishment, 0r sponsor colleges or seminaries. "lndependents are not organized into large, centralized organizationsl' Tlson said. They usually build their churches on country roads or side streets, and they draw their leadership from the laity. "They favor preaching inspired

directly from God and are generally suspicious of the education in seminaries, which some call 'cemeteries'," he added, noting that Primitive Baptists do not even allow Sunday schools.

Another difference between mainline and independent Protestants is evident in the architecture of their church buildings, according to Tlson. While most Protestant architecture tends toward simplicity, at least in contrast to the elaborate mode of the Roman Catholic tradition, independents are at the extreme end of the spectrum. For example, Primitive Baptists favor clean, plain

"meeting housesi' eschewing such adornments as steeples, stained glass windows, and replicas of the cross. Parallelling architectural simplicity is the simplicity reflected in the independents' forms of worship. Robes,

or other such accoutrements are rarely used in ritual, Tlson said. He added that this contrasts sharply to their rhetorical power, color in preaching, and vigor in candles,

physical expression.

Pentecostals-f he Wesleyan

Iiadition Perhaps no other religious group reflects as

the Holy Ghost fell on me, and it just shook me all over the place....l just felt

much c0[0r and vigor as the Pentecostals, who take their name from Pentecost, the Christian festival commemorating the descent 0f the Holy Spirit. During the course of the religious ritual they might lay on hands, shake, hug, dance, run, and even swoon, according to Tlson. It is an optimistic faith,

like I was in heaven, Praise

Hallelujah! And you knoq I could speak through faith, or through a vision, or something or other. Jesus don't want us to cry when his children go to heaven. 0h God, to go home, it's wonderful!

with relatively little concern for the afterlife. Pentecostals don't bury, they "funeralizei' The

Holy Spirit, which they believe is immanent in the body, guarantees eternal life and cures aging. Pentecostals are eager to share "the Spirit" through missionary work and evangelism.

Tlson became particularly interested in the way people described their religious experiences in the context of the ritual, and in the Pentecostal tradition, this is most commonly

contrast to Pentecostal practice, conversion in the Primitive Baptist tradition is usually a

religionl'

described as manifestations of the Holy

Spirit. Sanctification in the Holy Spirit can also be manifested through 'Apostolic giftsl'

. . . Praise God. Hallelujah.. . .You

be the necessary condition for sanctificationl' he said. "The concern with speaking, whether one has the'tongues' or not, coupled with the ritual actions of praying, singing, preaching, and testifying, make it

is a speaking religion more than a scriptural

fison said that it is not unusual for a testimonial to include singing, weeping, speaking in tongues, and "dancing in the spiritl' all of which might be Pentecostal religion.

know it's

reaMt's wonderful! You don't have to fear, Praise God, when you come down to the end of life's journey, you don't have to be afraid, Praise God. Because you got something inside that'll take you home.. . .You know it's going to be

wonderful!....Y0u know one time I was in the studio, Praise Cod, and the power of

tification in the Holy Spirit.

Primitive Baptists-The Calvinist lradition

to describe Pentecostal persons as having a special relationship to speaking. lt

Testimonies reflect the ecstatic nature of

occurring as early as ages three or four, and child preachers can lead church services. Conversion is not considered a onetime experience, but rather, it is augmented throughout one's Christian life by sanc-

The transformation of speaking that Annie Mae refers to is an important Pentecostal self-description, according to Tlson. "The speaking in tongues is thought by many to

necessary

expressed through testimony.

such as speaking in tongues, interpretations, or healing. Portions of a testimony given by Lumbee Indian woman, "Sister Annie Mael' illustrate these common themes:

God,

for people to claim their first conversion

Testimonials also offer the richest source of data for elucidating the ways church members recount their important life transitions, particularly conversion, according to Tlson. Pentecostal conversion, or the transference of religious tradition, is often a highty social process, he said. lt is not necessarily the single, solo experience usually associated with a spiritual coming of age. A young Spaniard's testimony at the Pentecostal church Tlson studied in Durham illustrates the point.

"When the young man got up in front of the church and began to relate the story ol his own conversion, this required him to introduce the person instrumental in that conversionl' Tlson said. "But he didn't stop there. Before he was finished with his testimony, he had narrated the stories of his wife's, father's, mother's, and eight other people's religious conversionsl' Pentecostal conversion also tends to be youth-oriented, said Tlson. It is not unusual

single, quiet experience, most often occurring at or after mid-life. Absent are the child preachers indicative of Pentecostal life; Primitive Baptists, on theological grounds, even discourage children from attending church, Tlson said. The religious doctrine, in general, is more somber than that of the Pentecostals. Subjective, sentimental emotion finds little place in the religion; one must be

stoic in accepting God's plan. "They believe predestination has already determined who the 'children of God' arel' he said. "But

Primitive Baptists do not know who the chosen few arel' Although they do look for signs, or "evidencesi' they have no definite assurances. "They can only express their hopel' he said. Consequently, Primitive Baptists openly

discuss death and the afterlife as illustrated by an anecdote Tlson recounted: 'A Primitive Baptist service I once attended was inter-

rupted to acknowledge the presence of an 87-year-old deacon. An elder stopped in the middle of his sermon to say, 'Let us pause and give Brother Bill a rose because he's not going to be along with us much longerl " Ilson called the approach "an up-front, steady-eyed acceptance of mortality" that reflects an openness that he said is unusual in America today. "They'lt tell you that they talk'plain flatl and they dol' he said. Such frankness is also evident in their predisposition toward aging, which is assumed inevitable and reflects the belief that body and spirit are differentiated: "the spirit is willing, though the flesh is weakl' Healing has little or no place in the faith, for Calvinists believe

that nature is fundamentally flawed. The Primitive Baptist ritual is also usually quieter than the Pentecostal, though one can find the "clasped hands of fellowship, the washing of feet, and occasional, if restrained, shedding of tearsl' Ti,son said. Hymns, o cappello, are sung for a half hour early in

Classifications Defied Although broad similarities can be found between Pentecostals and Primitive Baptists, taken together the two define opposite poles

of Southern religious culture, according to Tlson. "'Southern religionl though often used along with such terms as 'fundamentalistl or 'Bible beltl are inadequate descriptions of the complexities and variegations found in the many independenl traditionsl' he said. The groups themselves do not adhere to such strict regionality. Ilson pointed out that Primitive Baptists from the North Carolina mountains travel freely to Alabama and Pennsylvania, but they perceive the Piedmont

area of their own state as a faraway place.

"The Pentecostals in Durham describe Dunn in eastern North Carolina as a national center of influence-along with Los Angeles, Californial' he said. Yet Primitive Baptists and Pentecostals, along with myriad other independent religions, are invariably lumped together by both academics and the media. Tlson said he believes that their study illustrates that such religions are less amenable to prevailing classifications and stereotypes. Such a point could not have been made quite so strongly, nor so humanistically, if professors and graduate students had not gone out of the libraries and into the world to study people and living religion.

The Elk Creek Printitiue Baptist Church in Allegheny Counly, North Corolino, exhibits the foaored ploin, unclutlered design. the service, usually preceding and following the one 0r more sermons delivered by "eldersl' or leaders. There are no paid ministers in the church; leadership is "called by God" from the laity. Sermons parallel the Pentecostal testimony as the primary mode of religious communication during the Primitive Baptist ritual. However, sermons are less personal than testimonies, relying not so much on experience and history as scripture, according to Tlson. "Their knowledge of the scriptures is phenomenall' he said. "Most of the elders have very little formal education; they are completely self-taughti' Sermons are not restricted to one theme, but often utilize as many as two dozen scriptural references from both the Old and New Testaments. "To see a Primitive Baptist elder preach is t0 see a whole memory system at workl' he said. An elder takes no notes into the pulpit so that he is certain that the words he speaks come not from himself, but from God, and he will sit down if he hasn't started "preaching" within ten or fifteen minutes, Tlson said. "Preaching" is marked by few pauses, and gradually ascends into a cadence much like singing or chanting. One young elder in Ashe County told Peacock he believed it was "good" that he occasionally was "not blessed" to preach: "Then I know I am not

just acting, that what I am doing is for reall'

A Primitive

times. "Through listening to the lesson of the scripture, one can construct an itinerary of the speaker's own religious experiences. A Bible passage might be quoted, and then the

elder will reminisce on another sermon he heard at another time by another elder who used the same passagel' Tlson said. The investigators often transcribed recorded sermons to analyze the literary structure and to identify the key events and people in a person's life. Transcriptions were then compared to church archives and to personal interviews.

Calvinistic &

(Primitive Baptist

Wo{

Todd-McLoughlin

n,'

{Pentecostal)

German Brethren)

conversion: mid-life Complexity of religious one conversion .i

Schedule of

life

you!h

eonrersion plus experiences

of,,sanctification

expenence

cycle:

preaching

Ritual form:

dominant

fmm song Modernization

Body/spirit

forces:

relation:

reiected

spirit and

embraced

body

spirit immanent in body

segregated

View of after-life:

emphasized

deemphasized,,,:

Healing:

private and

public and phpical

r,,:',',,'

spiritual Aging:

inevitable

denied and curable ).,-,

preaching and song merged

and segregated

Baptist sermon's focus is

always on the Bible, but the text is often also associated with other people, places, and

-Noel

Only four percent of the male leads on MTV were black. Black females on MTV were almost nonexistent. The few female performers depicted were most often shown as passive. "Women are usually walking around aimlessly, trying to interact with men through talking or dancing, but getting no responsel' Brown said. A typical video might depict a woman gazing at

a man who is looking off somewhere

said. "This rapid imagery may be cutting our attention spanl'

Although most viewers focus primarily on the main characters and their actions, Brown said that the "extremely busy" background activity may be processed unconsciously. "Passive learning could be occurring, which we have not even begun to measurej' she said.

else

and not paying attention to her. White men were usually the only characters "with purposel' she said. "The subtle message is that men are goal-oriented and active, while women are notl' Women portrayed on MTV were as likely

Dr. Jone Delono Broun

men t0 engage in antisocial behaviors. Fewer than half of the songs presented on the

Measuring Societal Effects of Rock Video Rock video is the pulsating form of entertainment integrating music and fantasy that has captured the wallets of advertisers and the imaginations of viewers. The phenomenal impact the new genre has had in merely four

years has prompted questions about possible effects on its young following.

A recent UNC-CH study conducted by Dr. Jane Delano Brown, associate professor of journalism and director of the Center for Research in Journalism and Mass Communications, suggests that music video's predominant themes may reinforce racial and sexual stereotypes. "Music video

is this generation's

cartoonsl' she said. Brown and graduate students in iournalism analyzed 112 rock videos to discern subtle or hidden messages. The videos were coded for sex and race ratios among lead performers, portrayal of sex roles, antisocial behaviors, sexual behaviors, and mood. The study, funded by the School of Journalism, also examined differences between the predominantly white videos shown on MTY the 24-hour cable channel, and Video Soul, its counterpart shown on the Black Enter-

tainment Cable Network. Findings were then compared to previous studies of network television.

About 86 percent of the lead performers in the MTV videos examined were white males. The few Blacks appearing in the productions were usually depicted in the background.

channel were considered "optimistic" in tone. "Rock and roll, with its heavy metal sound, lends itself to violent imagesl' Brown said. 'And it still carries the theme of adolescent rebelliousness that took on social significance

in the 1960s1' In contrast, Video Soul included twice as many females as MTV although this channel's videos were populated primarily by black men. Blacks portrayed on this channel were more likely t0 engage in prosocial and sexual behavior than in antisocial activities, Brown said. Students found a majority of these songs to be "optimisticl' which might reflect the "mellow" sounds of soul music. "Basically, then, we find MTV perpetuating and perhaps exaggerating a world view we have seen for many years now on prime-time televisionl' Brown said. "White men are the center of attention and power, and are more often aggressive and hostile than helpful and cooperativel'

Much attention has been devoted to the study of violence and sex on prime-time television, but the University analysis is reportedly the first to focus on music videos. While acknowledging that her research has answered some questions as to the effects of music videos on viewers, Brown said there

are still many unresolved concerns. For example, music videos may diminish

viewer's attention span. Brown pointed out that videos are images strung together in an attempt t0 tell an "often incomprehensible tale" in only a few minutes. "Like thirtysecond commercials, music videos require us

t0 process chunks of information quicklyl'she

Elizobeth Green and Richard Rosen

"Real World" Legal Education Both law students and low-income clients benefit from legal assistance clinics operated by the UNC-CH School of Law. The clinics provide law students an opportunity to learn practical skills while serving a segment of the population that might otherwise find it difficult to obtain legal services. The Criminal Law Clinic, begun in 1978, and the Civil Legal Assistance Clinic, started

1982, were established

to meet strong stu-

dent demand for more practical training, particularly in the area of litigation, said Richard Rosen, program director and associate professor of law. "lt's a new kind of legal education patterned after the medical school traditionl' he said. Students in the program handle cases much like practicing attorneys would. They interview and counsel clients, draft legal documents,

talk to witnesses, negotiate settlements, and participate

hearings and trials. Supervising

attorneys help students prepare cases, anticipate

problems, and,

necessary step

in during

courtroom

graduating class. "[t's absolutely valuable]' Frank Wells, also of the 1985 class, said the

require that all class papers be written on computers, providing valuable hands-on expe

Defender's Office, and Legal Services. All are low-income, and their legal problems range from assault charges to landlord-tenant disputes or parole eligibility hearings. According

experience had given him more confidence. "lt's like being a part{ime attorneyl' he said.

rience as a benefit of class assignments. Faculty members are preparing articles and teaching materials on the computers; graduate students are using them to write papers,

Writing High-Tech

theses, and dissertations.

A steadily increasing number of

Three of the faculty, Dr. Lindemann, Dr. Laurence G. Avery, and Dr. Joseph S. Wittig,

or administrative hearings. Clients are referred by the courts, the Pubtic

Rosen, clinic students perform an important public service by representing clients who couldn't otherwise afford legal counsel and by diminishing the caseload at the Public Defender's Office. Rosen said the trend toward practical legal training began in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when law schools across the country experimented with yarious types of legal clinics. The University's law faculty studied many other programs before determining that the best clinic is one operated by the school and supervised extensively by faculty members. Jean Cary and Lucie White, both lecturers on the law faculty, serve as supervising attorneys for the civil clinic. Bill Larimer, also a lecturer, serves as the supervising attorney for the criminal clinic. Larimer said that client contact is the primary educational benefit of the clinic. "Students get t0 meet real people with real problemsl' he said. "Many are seeing a side of life that they were totally unfamiliar with beforei' Cary agreed. "l think the clinics help students to gain sensitivity to the problems of low-income peoplel' she said. Cary said another benefit of the clinic experience is to teach students how to combine the theories they learn in the classroom with the particular facts of a case. "Learning how to integrate the law with the facts is very difficultl' she said. "l think that's one of the most important things we can teach through the clinicl' Students are s0 eager to receive the practical training that demand for clinic work far exceeds the number of positions available. The school used a lottery system to select 48 students last year, and Rosen said he hopes

that increased funding

will

assignments

in the

student

UNC-CH Department of

English-from the brief essay in freshman composition to the graduate dissertation-are being composed, edited, and printed out on computers. Eighteen IBM microcomputers in Greenlaw Hall accommodate approximately

600 users each week. The first eight computers were installed during fall semester 1983 as part of a computer courseware development program sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences and funded by the International Business Machines Corporation. Professor Joseph M. Flora, Chairman of the Department of English, explains that these proved so popular among faculty and students that additional machines were purchased in 1984 with

funds from the University. Dr. Erika Lindemann, associate professor and Director of Composition, points out the variety of ways in which students and faculty are using the computers. Several teachers

in use in

several UNC-CH composition

classes.

Doctoral student Randy Woodland, a teaching assistant, uses Plan as a teaching tool in his persuasive writing class. While acknowledging that gaining access t0 the machines is

sometimes a problem, Woodland notes that the students seem t0 devote more thought to

their arguments and revisions when working at the computers than when handwriting or typing papers. Lecturer Jo Koster Tarvers and

writing is less of a chorel' Snyder requires the students in his business writing course to prepare their assignments developed because

on the computers. "My students use the computers to experiment with different formats so that they can select the appropriate one for a particular assignmentl' he says. "They set up format style sheets that can be used again and againl' According to surveys taken at the end of

Legal

Services Corporation, and the Chapel Hill-

Carrboro United Way. Both past and present law students involved with the clinic consider their time well spent. "This is the only'real world' education I've receivedl' said Elizabeth Green of the 1985

already

and 33 classes write because they have to, not because they want tol' Tarvers says. "These are the students who benefit from using the computers. Composing takes less time and is less painful for them. The papers they turn in are more ambitious and more

expand the program

of Education, the

be useful in a variety of settings beyond the classroom, including writing workshops in business, and in homes where individuals want t0 improve their writing. Dr. Lindemann explains that the program will consist of two content modules; the first module, Plan, is

doctoral student Phillip A. Snyder agree. "Most of the students in my English 23, 30,

to accommodate more students in the future. The program is funded by the University, the U.S. Department

are developing an interactive instructional program t0 guide writers through the composing process. The program, entitled WRITE, is designed to help users plan, organize, draft, and revise written work. lt is also intended to

Dr. Eriko Lindemonn in the computer loborotory

fall semester 1984, students reported that learning to use the computer had not been difficult or frustrating. It had added to their enjoyment of the course, they said, and they looked forward to using computers for work

future classes.

Of Spaceandfime' Probingi theMysteries of theUniverse Astronomers at UNC-CH expand scientific frontiers Researchers in the Department of Physics and Astronomy are finding that the use of increasingly advanced technology makes pos-

sible heretofore impossible observations. From studying the beginnings of our own galaxy, to observing huge, distant, and recently-formed galaxies, they are able to see more deeply than ever into the mysteries of the universe. Dr. Wayne A. Christiansen, professor of physics and astronomy, Dr. Bruce W. Carney, assistant professor of physics and astronomy, and fellow, Dr. Barbara Williams observe the skies, but with different "eyesl' Drs. Christiansen and Williams use huge radio telescopes to observe energetic, violent galaxies (assemblies of between a million and hundreds of millions of stars, gas, and dust held together by gravity) and quasars (intense, starlike sources of radio waves) that exist in deep space, but are actually cosmologically young. Dr. Carney, on the other hand, travels to the largest optical telescopes to study individual stars 0r clusters of stars located in or near our own Milky Way. Research has been made possible by grants from the University Research Council, the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the Morehead Foundation.

How do scientists select the stars or galaxies they will study from the apparently infinite possibilities? Carney explains that while there is some serendipity in choice, there is also a great deal of well-thought

Dr. Bruce Corney ond Dr. Woyne Christionsen of the department of physics ond ostronomy strategizing. "There is a certain amount of

nucleus straddled by an elongated source of

detective nature to this work. You just learn to ask the right questions of the right objectsl' he notes.

radio waves. Radio astronomy is only about thirty years old. "As we develop more and more sophisticated radio technology, we are continually amazed at what shows up 0n a radio telescope that we have simply never seen before on optical telescopesl' explains

The Evolution

of Galaxies

Christiansen.

"The methods we now have of observing the universe are incredibly excitingl' states Dr. Christiansen, whose work primarily concerns radio galaxies and quasars. A radio galaxy emits radio signals generally characterized by

two giant lobes of emission situated 0n opposite ends of a line drawn through the nucleus of an otherwise ordinary elliptical appearing galaxy,

while a quasar has an intense starlike

A radio telescope, much larger than an optical telescope, typically measures 50 to 100 feet

in diameter. For best resolution, with

clear separation of close stars and fine details,

an interferometer, or grouping of radio telescopes, is necessary. The most sophisticated radio telescope currently in existence, The Very Large Array, or VLA, operates in the second least populated county in the United

of Albuquerque, New Mexico, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory's VLA consists of twenty-seven antennae mounted on railroad States. About 120 miles southwest

tracks to move over a Y-shaped grid about thirty miles in diameter. The VLA is comparable in size to metropolitan Washington, D.C. Because ordinary stars are weak emitters of radio waves, radio telescopes do not usually

A supernova, which is an exploding star, would probably show up, but an ordinary star like the sun would not generate much activity on a radio telescope. "The show them.

emphasis with a radio telescope is on more exotic objectsl' says Dr. Christiansen. Cosmic radio sources are essentially disturbed systems. Radio emission originates from jets of plasma that shoot into space around a galaxy. Astronomers ask, with each newly-discovered radio system, how it is collimated into such narrow jets or pipelines, and

if the emission is

steady

or intermittent. to involve explo-

Some radio sources appear

sive spurts of emission, some seem t0 be steady. "There are probably some of both

typesl' says Christiansen. With the VLA, Christiansen looks at quasars that are several billions of light years away, seeing them as they were billions of years ago. 'At large distances, we see the universe as it was earlier in its evolution, much more chaotic and turbulentl' he states. Furthermore, the active lifetime of radio galaxies and quasars is relatively short, lasting only 10 to 100 million years. "This

nearby companion galaxy. Christiansen notes

that when this happens, the ejected radio plasma may trigger star formation and other violent activity in nearby "target" galaxies. "We are looking for evidence of such interactionl' he notes. Doqleqs are often found among quasars, but seldom among radio galaxies. "lt may be that some galaxies and stars are formed by interacting with the radio jets from quasars which are crashing about in a chaotic environmentl' he suggests. One of the most exciting things for Christiansen has been the use of the VLA. "Because this instrument is such a tremendous technological advance, if you are lucky enough to get time on it, you are guaranteed t0 come up with something interesting and often unexpectedl' The computer-rendered photographs made by the VLA, such as the one shown on the back cover, yield fascinating, complex, and beautiful configurations. "Some of the radio images are as intensely colorful as stained glass]' he comments. Christiansen and colleague John Stockey, of the University of Arizona, recently used the VLA to discover a unique radio galaxy that appears t0 be shaped like a DNA double helix. Christiansen estimates the galaxy to be one and a quarter million light years across. The unusual helix-shape intrigues Christiansen, who comments that "something is going on in the middle of this galaxy that is spinning out this radio materiall'

Tladitional theories for evolution of radio galaxies will probably not explain this unusual configuration. "Rather than one central object,

I think there

may be two orbit-

ing nucleil' he explains. Significantly, this galaxy, 3C 436 in the Combridge Cotalog of Rodio Sourceg was

a few years ago with another radio did not have the capacity of the VLA. "The helix shape was not at all observed

telescope that

evident

in the original observationsl'

says

Christiansen. "There is an incredible difference in what we see with the VLAI' Using different frequencies, Christiansen and Stockey plan to take multi-band radio images with the VLA and from these, attempt to formulate a theory to explain the galaxy's construction and evolution. He explains that an astronomer "proves" a theory by weight of evidence. "This is such a new area, we are just trying to sort out which ideas are right and which are wrong. As for this most recent discovery,

all we know is that it is a

bizarre

sourcel' Dr. Christiansen says. For Christiansen, this work is particularly exciting because the conditions encountered

radio-sources strain the

limits of what

scientists know of the physical world. "These discoveries test physics at its most extreme high-energy limits. For example, how do we account for the tremendous amount of energy emitted from quasars? Their energy and luminosity is equivalent to lhe luminosity of 100

means that during the billions of years it has taken light or radio waves to reach our telescopes from a distant radio galaxy 0r quasar, the source of the radiation has already died away. The images we develop of these objects are like the ghosts of awesome events which took place long ago and far awayl' Christiansen adds. How galaxies and quasars were formed and evolved is a central concern for Dr. Christiansen. He explains that a radio galaxy has a central nucleus, probably a massive black hole, from which the iet of a radio-emitting material shoots out into space. Keeping in mind that a light year is six trillion miles,

the overall scale of radio-sources is huge, spanning distances of one million light years 0r more. The Mitky Way, in contrast, extends only about 100,000 light years from one end to the other. Among the quasars Christiansen observes, are distorted, or "Dogleg" quasars, so-named

for the characteristic sharp bend seen in the radio jet which sometimes appears to strike a

The rnost sophisticoted rodio telescope currently in existence, the Very Large Anoy, locoted in a desert near Albuquerque, New Mexico, enobles researchers to see heretofore unobserued details in distant radio galaxies.

o.R.s

D.E.A

E.il

such massive objects can be accelerated up to near light speed, howeverl' lt is entirely possible that the technology and physical insight gained far down the road in these observations might have important significance, especially in areas of energy release. Christiansen explains that nuclear energy, the great discovery of the twentieth century, is insufficient for quasars. "Nature's way is different. What is it? Finding the answer may have practical applicationl' he says.

Postdoctoral fellow Barbara Williams has

been examining eighty compact groups of galaxies for hydrogen content. Hydrogen is the simplest element and comprises ninety percent of matter in the universe. Galaxies begin as enormous clouds of hydrogen which fuse into helium, out of which stars form. Starlight

is a result of the energy released by this

This photogroph taken with the VLA shows o galoxy thot oppeors to haue o double-helix structure, which, if cc,tnfirmed, uould be unique omong rodio-eolaxies.

fusion. Normal galaxies come in many distinct shapes, from gas-rich S-shaped spirals to gas-poor ellipticals.

A central question in the evolution of galaxies

is whether the observed type is decided by heredity or by environment. lf the latter, the types and gas contents of galaxies should

ordinary galaxies, and yet their volume is only a little bigger than the solar systeml' he

differ in sparse versus dense clusters of galaxies. Williams explains that a compact group is

explains. Physicists are not sure that the application of known physical laws can carry

one that is so tightly packed that the separations between galaxies are about the size of a single galaxy's diameter, as opposed to loose groups, in which separations between galaxies are more than three times the size of the galaxy's diameter. "Right now the controversy is whether or not there is a correlation between hydrogen content and density of galaxiesl' says Williams. "What people have observed is that

them into this new realm of research. "Nature is doing incredible things with energy. We are involved

in frontier

sciencel'

says.

A closely related phenomenon is the discovery that some distant radio sources can be seen t0 move from year to year. This discovery was based on the application of ultra-high resolution technology which is called Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI). This is a technique for combining data from widely separated radio telescopes to synthesize the resolving power of a telescope the size of the

Earth itself. Using this VLBI technique, researchers have discovered that some sources appear

move

at about l0 times the speed of light. "Because Einstein says nothing can exceed the speed of light, this discovery seems to raise some disturbing questions about the Theory of Relativityl' Christiansen points out. "We think, however, that we are really witnessing a paradox. The radio sources appear to be moving at greater than the speed of light, but probably are actually moving at near light speed; in this case, relativity

itself then tells us how to interpret the para"lt still doesn't tell us how

doxl' he adds.

as the density of galaxies increases, the neutral hydrogen content decreases.

If the galaxy

in a denser environment, it

tends to have

A 'dogleg" goloxy, photctgrophed with the VLA by Dr. Christionsen, is unlike o regularly-structured straight line (or dumbbell shape) golaxy, in thot the sharp curue of its emission giues it the oppeoronce of the hind leg of o dog. thereby providing further investigations of the correlations between neutral hydrogen content

and local environmentl' Dr. Williams explains.

The Genesis of the Milky way "['m interested primarily in the beginnings of our galaxy's historyl' says Dr. Bruce Carney, who classifies his work as "stellar

less neutral hydrogen gas than one of a similar

archaeologyl'

type which is more isolated. We are looking at the relationship between gas content and environmentl' she adds. Williams notes that one of the problems in her kind of research is that there are not a

The Milky Way, which contains some 100 billion stars, assumed a disc configuration

great many rich clusters (sonamed the high number of members within nearby, and it is difficult to obtain resolution of individual galaxies in

because of the cluster) clear

the distant

clusters. 'At best, maybe four or five rich clusters have been looked at in detaili' she says. Poor clusters, however, which are nearer, have as many interesting environmental characteristics as rich clusters, and the individual galaxies can be easily resolved. "Because these are nearby, we can increase our samples,

long after its genesis, starting out in a spherical shape and slowly shrinking. As it did so, it spun faster and flattened out, much like our own solar system. Carney explains that the oldest things in the Milky Way still remain in what is known as the spherical halo. Looking at the clusters in the halo, Carney applies a physical theory to determine their ages. By measuring the ages of clusters which are the closest to and farthest from the center, he hopes to ascertain how long this flattening took as the galaxy first formed. "We are in the middle of this work right now We have just finished studying a few

hundred stars in several 0f the outermost clustersl' he states. Graduate student Richard lnman has lust completed a dissertation on the ages of globlular clusters from the center to the periphery of the galaxy.

Techniques

for Dating Stars

Researchers cannot use traditronal dating

methods t0 measure the ages of stars because they do not see them change in human or even historical time, nor can they bring a piece of one into a lab. "Because stars behave according

t0 fairly straightforward

physical laws, however, we can construct model stars 0n computers, and ascertain roughly how actual stars evolve. We use the sun as a test case, since we already know what it is made ofl' Carney explains. Some stars in clusters are redder or bluer,

brighter or less bright. All of them were formed at the same time, but the hotter and brrghter stars evolve more quickly, and the cooler and therefore less bright stars evolve more slowly. The distribution of stars in a luminosity temperature diagram changes with time, and can show how the stars as a group are distributed by model calculations. Carney, who works from the Kitt Peak

.\lk\l' l0 is one ti

tlrc prxtr (ftlsk,r.s ol qolct.ri.,: tltot Dr. l3arboru lltillictrrts sluciies. ['-iLte of tha ltriqhtesl rrtt'rrtbers rtf lhe clttslcr fornt o contpnrl subs_rs1r,nr. This ltltole.tqrctltlt u,us lukert ut the Ccrnt Tttlolrt lrtter-arrtericun Obserttolon irt Chilt'.

National Observatory in l\cson, and the Cerro Tololo Inter-american Observatory in Chile, says that his and his colleagues' findings are not consistent with the age of

the universe derived by others from data as to how fast the universe is expanding. "The ages they are getting are around l0 billion years.

0ur oldest clusters are apparently

billion lears old, which must obviously be a lower limit to the age of the universel' says Carney.

Elemental History Carney notes that one of the most intriguing things learned within the last twenty to thirty years concerns the history of the elements themselves. "We have to know the composition

of stars in order to compare them with the existing modelsl' he explains. Hydrogen accounts for ninety percent of the elements in the universe, and helium for eight or nine percent, leaving only one t0 two percent of

all the other known, heavier elements.

The

oldest stars have very little of these other "hearry" elements; the sun, for example, contains .4

phrioqroptt rtl the qlobLtlor clusler ,\tGC 67,52. oblairted bv Dr. Cornel' rr;ith the !-nleter

ll5E irtt'h) telestope ot C?rro Tttlokt lnter-ctrrrcri(on Obs(rLolor\

two percent of them, but globular cluster stars,

in some

cases, have

only .01 percent.

"The very oldest stars contained probably

made. "Hydrogen and helium were created during the earliest phases of the universe when it was only a few minutes old. Everything else was made later, in the cores of high mass stars, which died a rather violent

none of these elementsl' states Carney. "These 'heavy elements' comprise half the atoms in our bodies, s0 we are all in part made of the ashes of long-dead starsl' Looking at globular clusters, which are old

and poor in heavy elements, Carney also wants t0 learn where the heavy elements originated, when, and from what they were

tracted under gravity to become a later generation of stars. [n the fourteen billion years or so from the time the first stars formed, to when our sun was born, many supernovae occurred, and by then the healy element

death, known as a supernoval' he explains.

"pollution" had risen from zero to two

Carney believes that when these elements were blown out into space, they eventually found their way to other gas clouds that con-

percent.

Carney notes that "if the outer halo of the Milky Way is indeed younger than the inner halq its chemical history and enrichment has probably been much different. Unfortunately, the detailed observations are almost impossible

lago

to make due to the extreme distances of aso

5 o

6sB

400

L] ,r"r:l

2@A

51?6

5l9A

51BS

the

relevant globular clustersl' He adds that there is another possibility. He and his colleague, David Latham of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, have identified nearby single stars whose velocities are s0 extreme

3246

A portion of a stellar spectrum recorded using an Echelle spectrogroph ottached to the multiple minor telescope otop Mt. Hopkins, Arizona. Lines due to porticular elements ore identified. Most of the unlabeled lines ore due to the presence of iron. The exact wouelength at which these lines ore obsertted in the spectrum prouides informotion obout hou fast the stor is mouing touard or auoy from Earth.

that they belong to the remote halo, but are by accident now near enough for detailed high-resolution spectroscopy. "The velocities of some of these stars are so high, we have learned that for our Milky Way galaxy to retain them, its gravitational field must be four or five times stronger than we think it is, due to all the visible, luminous stars. Most of the galaxy is thus made of 'dark matterl but what it in turn is made of may prove to be one of the most exciting areas of astrophysics. Planets, black holes, or unusual sub-atomic particles are

all possiblel'

explains

Carney.

(d) M t3

Working from the sample of high-velocity

0.20 z=o.ooo4 (m-M) =14.18 Y=

stars, Carney and colleague Ruth Peterson

(currently a visitor at Kitt Peak) discovered two extraordinarily deficient stars. "These two stars are down by a factor of roughly 10,000 in comparison to the sun. It is still not zero,

but it is as close as anyone has come to finding the most chemically primitive starsl' Carney explains. From these observations, Carney believes he will find a key to the original creation of the elements. "We are essentially looking for the first generation of starsl' he states. As humans develop more sophisticated technology in their quest to bring order and design to the apparent chaos of the cosmos, more and more stunning discoveries continue to be made. Dr. Christiansen says, "This work

Mbot

is addictive. The biegest thrill is the idea of

3.84

3.80

3.76 log

3.72

3.68

exploration, of being an intellectual explorer,

3.64

By comparing theoretical stellar eur.tlution models for ages of 16-, 18-, ond 2O-billion years, with octual obserued dota for luminosities and temperotures of globular clusters, researchers can infer the oge of o cluster. Each stor is represented by o point thot denotes its absolute magnitude (luminosity) and spectrol class (surface temperoture). This porticulor cluster is infened to be about 18 billion years old.

of seeing something for the first time. I have a feeling of what it must have been like to be Captain Cook or Lewis and Clark, to see something no one has ever seenl'

-Ann F

Stanford

o.R.s

E.il

of fucationand

Professional Theater PlayMakers Repertory Company celebrates

a decade of progress and high

achievement

When Dr. Milly S. Barranger became chair-

man of the Department of Dramatic Art in 1982, she was charged with the task of creating an "educational symbiosis" of the academic program and the professional theater company. One of the few female administrators of academic theater in the country Barranger is also producer

PlayMakers

Repertory Company, the University's professional performing troupe that enters its tenth year during the 1985-86 season. Now well into her third year, she says she is beginning to see results. "The model may not be perfected yet, but it's workingl' she said. "We're able to put a company out therel'

Academic Program The UNC-CH drama program is divided into three parts: the bachelor of arts degree; the master of fine arts; and the PlayMakers Repertory Company, which employs full-time professional directors, designers, technicians,

and administrators. The company's actors include visiting professionals, faculty members, and students. The undergraduate program emphasizes a general theater education within a liberal arts context. Students may elect to take advanced courses in acting, playwriting, voice, movement, design, management, and production. Most undergraduate productions are performed

in a laboratory theater in the basement of Graham Memorial Hall and in the historic, newly renovated Playmakers Theatre. The master's program offers three degrees in a consenatory setting: the M.F.A. in acting, costume, or technical theater production. Resident artists of international

Dr. Milly S. Bonanger, choirman of the Department of Dramatic Art reputation teach the three-year program. While Barranger said that the University had been "very supportive" of the faculty recruitment program, competition for top artists is fierce. The drama department not only has t0 compete with other schools for its faculty, but also with the profession. "We have to hustlel' she said, but noted that

having a professional resident theater within

the confines of a nationally known research university is a "major drawi' The department is also discriminating in its acceptance of graduate students, who are generally selected through auditions held in North Carolina, New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. Enrollment is usually kept to

After Koch's death in 1944, the Playmakers gradually moved in new directions and eventually entered the mainstream of American theater. Noted alumni from this period who have made distinguished careers in the theater include: Andy Griffith of Mayberry fame; Louise Fletcher, Oscar-winner ior One Flew Ouer the Cuchoo's /Vest; James Pritchett, Emmy-winner for his twenty-year role in lhe Doctors; Jim Wann, author of the 1982 Broadway hit, Pump Boys and Dinettes; and hy Long, award-winning costume

Wiltiam

designer. .9 E

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The company became professional in 1976 under the leadership of Arthur Housman, former department chairman, and Tom Haas, the first artistic director. The two designed the company to be a professional performing organization and training program for students seeking the M.F.A. degree. With the new direction came the new name-PlayMakers Repertory Company (PRC). Although both are components of the Department of Dramatic Arts, the two

PloyMokers Repertory Conpony's innouoliue stoging of Shokespeare's Measure for Measure lost secrson is indicatiue of its commitmenl lo contemporary dramotic interpretotion. Aclors uore modern, futuristic costuntes. around 25 students because of the nature of the applicant p001, the job market, and department finances-all of which are "limitedl' according to Barranger. Students usually qualify as Equity candidates their third year in the program, and upon graduation, most are employed in professional regional theaters within the

of Resident Theatres (LORT). L0RT is an Equity-recognized network of approximately eighty theaters nationwide, and the biggest theatrical employer in the country. "We've had 100 percent employment among our costume and technical graduates so farl' Barranger said. The program graduated its League

first conservatory class of actors in May, and she is optimistic about its employment potential. "We've had some very talented studentsi' she said.

PlayMakers Repertory Central to all educational activities is PlayMakers Repertory Company, the only nonprofit, full-season professional theater company in North Carolina. Established in 1918 by Frederick Koch, a professor of English, Carolina Playmakers, as the group was called then, was originally an amateur troupe devoted to writing and pro-

ducing folk dramas with a regional flavor.

"Write what you knowl' Koch admonished his students. The result was a wealth of material dealing with local legends, superstitions, customs, and the vernacular of the "common folkl' According to Carolino Playmokers, a 1970 history written by Walter Spearman, UNC .journalism professor and former Playmaker, the company wrote and produced some 1,000 one-act plays between l9l9 and 1969. Such notables as Paul Green, Thomas Wolfe, Jonathan Daniels, and Bernice Kelly Harris were among Koch's protdgds. The group enjoyed so much success in

North Carolina that the company began to tour outside the state in 1925, making annual visits to Boston, St. Louis, and New York. An early review in the //era York Herald Ttibune described a Playmaker's performance as 'l..true to life. authentic in every detail... bona fide folk dramal' The touring company also performed at the White House for President Calvin Coolidge. In 1936, the drama program broke from the English department to become a department Koch as its first chairman. The department continued to promote

in its own right, with

folk drama, but also began to offer standard repertoire, such as outdoor performances of Shakespeare

in the

Forest Theater.

initially operated separately. Barranger said that three years ago, most PlayMakers' shows were cast mainly with professional "outsidersl' Such productions may

endeavors

have featured n0 more than one actor from the M.F.A. program. Barranger's work has been to bring the two

areas together-to "produce professional theater in an educational contextl' PRC has cut the number of outside performers tremendously; its present casting philosophy is to assign graduate students increasingly demanding roles, to place undergraduates in "appro-

priate rolesl' and to hire outside professionals

only when necessary. She described the company's primary goals as twofold: to develop young talent for the professional theater, and t0 stage first-rate, professional productions.

Provocative Productions In order t0 stage "firstrate productionsl' a professional company must be provocative and willing to investigate new methods of

staging,

producing, and dramaturgy, according to Barranger. "We are not interested in producing

what [British director] Peter Brook called 'museum' theaterl' she said. "Recreating historical productions cannot really be done effectively anyway. The text simply will not speak to

1985 audiencel'

PlayMakers has consistently performed what

could be considered "difficult" drama. "Since this is a training program, we want students

Costumes were also used to emphasize the distance between the street people and eovernment officials. Boyd and Bobbi Owen, resident costume designer and associate professor of drama, dressed the actors in modern, often futurrstic clothes. "We were l00king for some-

thing that would grab your attention and hold itl' Owen said. Male actors portraying street characters wore the garb of modern-day punk rockers; women's costumes reflected the sleazy images reminiscent of fashion photographer

Helmut Newton. Politicos were dressed in what Boyd called a "Nixonian, Watergate-ish" style.

Audiences accepted the contemporary staging of Meosure for Meosure, according to Boyd, who called it one of the company's "most successful productionsi' "They under-

o E

stood what we were trying to do, and they said, 'This makes sensel " But that has not always been the case. Boyd was new t0 town and campus when the company staged an avant garde production of Tennessee Williams' The Gloss Menogerie, and he was surprised by the "violent antipathy" that ensued. 'Audiences, at first, were amazingly parochial for this kind of environmentl' Boyd said. Barranger noted that one of the responsibilities of a professional company is to educate the audience, as well as the students, and the public seems to have responded to PlayMakers' nurturing. "l've noticed more and more that the public has become more

willing-even eager t0 see PlayMakers'

PloyMokers Repertory Compony consistently performs uhat could be considered 'difficult" droma. Last seosonb ploy list included a production of Sam Shepardb Curse of the Starving Class, o hord-hitting droma about olienation.

productionsl' Boyd said. Student attendance has increased one hundred fold in the last couple of years. 0verall attendance has also grown from 27,939 during the 1981-82 season to 34,390 in 1982-83; 36,731 in lg83-84; and 42,000

1984-85, according to company

publicist and audience development coordina-

to have contact with substantial textsl' Barranger said. "We don't need to be doing Neil Simonl' Last season's play list included Caryl Churchill's Cloud 9, an explicit examination

of sex roles; Sam Shepard's Curce of the Storuing C/ass, a hard-hitting drama about alienation; and Shakespeare's Meosure for Measure, a timeless play about the morality of justice and the psychology of sexual repression.

The company's treatment ol Measure for Meosure illustrates its commitment to contemporary dramatic interpretation, a sometimes controversial theatrical license often employed to keep classic plays limber. Although former artistic director Gregory Boyd

didn't change much of Shakespeare's text, he created contemporary images through scenery,

music, and costumes.

"lt's still

Shakespeare,

tor Jonathan Giles.

but it's Shakespeare transposed t0 a new conceptual vision so that it speaks to a modern

The company gets about 82 percent of its money from income-earned ticket, concession,

audiencel' Barranger said. "lt's a play about decadencel' Boyd noted. "So Linwood Taylor [resident scenic designer and faculty memberl and I created a set of stark concrete bars to serve as a metaphor for a sort of hellish undergroundl' Smoke wafted

and souvenir sales. The rest of its funding comes from the University's College of Arts and Sciences, government grants, and donations from local businesses and individuals.

across the stage t0 the contemporary strains 0f the Talking Heads, a popular American band, and Falco, a modern Austrian group. Contrasted to these metallic, electronic sounds were the soft, romantic waltzes of Johann Strauss. "The play is about the juxtaposition of the government and the low-life, so we used these extremely different types of music to illustrate that pointi' he said.

Unique Research Although faculty and students are involved in

"traditional" research activities, such as writing and publishing articles dealing with theater history drama, and biography, the department's principal form

research deals

with the text of a play and the performance. The collaboration necessary for the production

EIITDE

v.o

R.S

of that play is what is "unique" about the type of research done in the drama department, according to Barranger. "There has always been a sort of conceptual obscurity regarding the nature of research done in this fieldl' she said. "But it is highly collaborative, and it involves all the areas of the performing artsl' Bobbi 0wen, whose specialty is costuming, spoke of the "concept of the contributing artist" as it relates to collaborative research. She described how set, lighting, and costume designers, led by the artistic director, decon-

struct the text of a play to identify images that touch present-day audiences. Images are then integrated to produce a vehicle for actors, and to yield the tone and texture of a play. 'Above all, you have to trust the artists you're working withl' she said. The process is constantly evolving, and it can take weeks,

o E

months, or even years. No matter how much time the creative process takes, the product of that research is ephemeral. "Once that show is staged, it's gonel' Barranger said. 'All you have left are the photos, the prompt book, the light plot, and the costumesl' she added. "You don't have the art form or the product of the crea-

Lost yeor's produclion o/ Cyrano de Bergerac illustrotes the uide range of dramoturgy performed by PlayMaker:; Repertory Compony.

tive processi' Barranger noted that the very nature of dramatic art causes some frustrations in an academic setting. "How does one evaluate, for purposes of promotion and tenure, the crea-

tive artist and his or her accomplishment once it is no longer in evidence?" she asked, "You can try to measure the residue, but you no longer have the wholel' There are, however, some concrete indicators. The department came into the national spotlight for last season's world-premiere of a new musical comedy, Three Guys Naked from the Woist Down, which moved to off-

a E

Broadway and rave notices. Also, more than

100,000 people saw plays staged by faculty

and students in two theaters last year, Barranger said. Department endeavors this season should continue to attract attention, as well as large audiences. Under the leadership

and new artistic director, David Hammond, formerly of the Yale Repertory Theatre and School of Drama, PlayMakers will celebrate its

tenth anniversary with productions of 0liver Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer, in September and October; Alexander 0strovsky's The Storm, in November; Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, in April; and a yet-to-be announced cycle

of Barranger

of contemporary

American plays for Playfest, which

will

begin

The deparlmenl receiued notictnol ottenlion for lasl yeor's uorld premiere of a new musicol cornedy, Three Guys Naked from the Waist Down, which rnoued to Neu York ond rooe reuiews.

in January and run through March. The marriage 0f the haining program to the professional company will continue to evolve, said Barranger, who hopes the department will be eventually recognized as foremost in the country. While acknowledging Yale as

"the bestl' Barranger said the UNC-CH program is making "strides" in that direction. "We still have a way to go, but we're getting therel'

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