While NIU's Student Financial Aid Office is busy keeping up with technology, students receiving financial aid need to keep up with checking their e-mail.

Now, all continuing students will receive financial aid award notifications via e-mail rather than through the mail. All new freshmen and transfer students still will receive a paper award notification.

The notification will be sent to the e-mail address supplied on the student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid. If no e-mail address was on the FAFSA, students will still receive paper award notifications.

"We are moving with technology," said Director of Financial Aid Kathleen Brunson. "It's a way to get information out quicker."

NIU will use Sallie Mae to send an e-mail titled "NIU Financial Aid Award." A secure link will be in the e-mail, which will take students directly to their financial aid package information. At the same time the e-mail is sent out, a postcard will be sent to the student's home address reminding them of their online award notification. Brunson encourages students to reply promptly to their award notification to ensure a timely process. One week after the award notification, a reminder will be e-mailed to the student if they have not yet replied.

Students are expected to start receiving their online notifications in about two weeks, but there are no exact dates due to the state budget crisis. NIU joins the majority of other state schools in making adjustments in their financial aid processes. Brunson said that she has been working hard to get numbers out to the students.

"[The award notification] is going to be the best possible estimation of an award," Brunson said.

University Police will receive an award for exceptional service from Student Affairs.

"They have enhanced the services they provide to the NIU community in an effort to more effectively provide preventative outreach service and strengthen campus community connections," said Blanch McCue, one of the people who wrote a nomination letter for UP.

This award is intended specifically for organizations not part of Student Affairs.

"It was established in 1983 and it goes to people that developed unique and sustained relationships with Student Affairs, a department or departments within Student Affairs, and the students served by Student Affairs," said Mickey Emmett, vice provost of Student Affairs.

Emmett said awards go to those who have made significant contributions to programs and services provided by the university.

"This award reflects extraordinary service and commitment," she said.

The department will receive the award on Thursday at the Student Affairs annual spring convocation.

Also on Thursday, UP along with Kishwaukee Community Hospital, will be holding a press conference to announce that they have 28 EMTs and that by next fall, all 42 officers will be trained and certified.

"I don't know of another university in Illinois that's doing this," said Lt. Matt Kiederlen of the UP.

Police and Fire Reporter Rachel Helfrich and Weekender Reporter Casey Toner contributed to this report.

Strangely, Alan Zollman never was the smartest kid when it came to math. As a child, he struggled more than his classmates.

However, that changed when he hit high school, and today he is getting recognized for math prowess by being named to a leadership position in a leading math organization.

"I was never the smartest kid in math in elementary school," the 52-year-old associate mathematics professor said. "I was pretty slow actually. Then I got to high school and found that I looked at math differently than other people did and I liked it more than they did. Where others see a lot of formulas and rules and stuff to remember, I see a lot of integrated ideas that are interesting and challenging."

Zollman recently was elected director of the School Science and Mathematics Association, an international education think tank.

"It's pretty nice," he said. "It's both science and mathematics educators, and it's international. It's a nice honor that people know and respect you. It's a nice honor for Northern. It makes our program more visible beyond NIU."

The recognition doesn't come as a surprise to Zollman's colleagues, considering he has done more than 40 national presentations and published 50 articles on mathematics education.

"He's a very helpful, friendly person around the department and an excellent colleague who is more than willing to do his share," said John Wolfskill, mathematical sciences assistant chair. "It does really reflect on our mathematical education faculty. They have worked really hard for many years and it is important recognition for Alan's hard work all these years."

The admiration is mutual.

"I like the people I work with a lot because they are very bright, but not stuffy. I like the fact that it's a big university, but a small town. Most of all, I love teaching because of my great students. They always look at things differently than I would. It's great to see the different perspectives they all bring to the table every time."

In his spare time, Zollman likes to be with his family, including his wife Sharon and two daughters. He counts photography as his favorite hobby, particularly when he is snapping pictures of national parks, which he likes to do every summer.

Zollman hasn't always called a classroom home. He has worked as a welder in a ship yard and had a stint in the peace corp, teaching underprivileged children in Ghana.

"It was like a dream," he said. "Everything I did - how you got water, how you shaved, how you taught - was different from what I do here. I didn't even know where Ghana was before I got there. It was a great experience."

What's not a great experience is the stereotype of the boring nerd that afflicts mathematicians.

"I think everybody gets unfairly stereotyped," he said. "Math brings out more emotion when people think of it. If you go over to Molly's and say you are a math major, people probably don't come over and buy you drinks."

Maybe someone will buy Zollman a drink at his retirement party, but that's a long way off.

"I like working with teachers and I like working with kids. Even if I retired, I think I would still be involved with education at some level, but I don't intend to retire anytime soon."

The community is losing one its best University Police officers to retirement soon.

Sgt. David Wickstrom is retiring after 25 years as a UP officer, just before his 50th birthday. He began his career here at NIU in 1978 as a patrol officer and now is a shift supervisor. He originally was a sociology student here at NIU but had planned on being a police officer since he was 12 years old, Wickstrom said.

Wickstrom has had many positions throughout the years.

"In my time here, I spent seven years as a detective doing major case follow-ups, interviews and interrogations," Wickstrom said.

He currently is a shift supervisor for the patrol division at UP and is responsible for the supervision of the patrol officers' actions and the reports that they write. Throughout his 25 years patrolling on a college campus, Wickstrom has seen just about everything that there is to offer.

"I wish that I'd kept a journal with me from day one," Wickstrom said. "I've seen lots of things in my day."

The camaraderie between the police officers is something he'll miss the most, Wickstrom said. Since 1978, he has been a part of family of officers that have always been a part of his life.

"One thing that I won't miss is missing events with my family and not being with them on holidays," Wickstrom said. "I plan on spending more time with them, and also trying to watch every single Cubs game possible."

Not being around for family parties and missing holidays has been the hardest part of the job for him.

"I'm also going to miss the everyday challenges that come with the job. Every day there's something different and some new challenges," Wickstrom said.

Change is something that Wickstrom is going to have to get used to, seeing that today is the first day of his retirement. This new change is something that Wickstrom is welcoming with open arms.

"It's going to be a big adjustment not being here, I've spent half my life here," Wickstrom said. "I have no regrets though; I'd do it all over again if I could."

The last day of April concluded the last University Council meeting of the academic year.

The meeting was brief, with the entire council anxious to visit NIU President John Peter’s home for dinner and cocktails.

"Watch out for the rabbits when you pull up," Peters said. "If we’re lucky, we’ll even see the two fawns that have come up to the back door every night this week."

Before dinner, however, Peters mentioned a brief update on the budget.

"This is the end of the year update," Peters said. "Summer plans are in place regarding the four-day work week. I think [Human Resources] has done a good job implementing that."

Peters also said the 2003 budget is "finally put to bed, although we still have some hurdles to go through."

Peters informed the council that he had just prepared and sent a rather bottom-line, stern letter to the "Four Tops" of the state legislature about the impact of the cuts and what it means to NIU.

"I am very happy with its accuracy and its warning," Peters said.

The letter will go public after Peters believes it has made its impact on the legislature.

Usually, the Board of Trustees meets at the end of June each year to discuss the next year’s tuition. Peters said this year that won’t be the case.

However, a tuition meeting is scheduled for 11:15 a.m. on May 5 at the Holmes Student Center’s Clara Sperling Sky Room, Peters said. The board wanted to hold the meeting as soon as it could, he said.

Peters also brought attention to another letter he wrote to high school guidance counselors, informing them that NIU would process and admit all admittable students with the right documents if their applications were received by today. All other students would be put on a waiting list, being informed in July if there was room for them in the fall. If not, the students would have to wait until January.

NIU was awarded the Chancellor’s Cup on April 16 at the Governor’s Mansion for the university’s exceptional giving and participation in the 2002 SECA. Peters presented the plaque and cup saying, "Look, I’m Tiger Woods!"

Vice Provost Robert Wheeler was recognized at the end of the meeting for his hard-work and dedication at both NIU and on University Council.

According to a recent poll administered by The Associated Press, four out five Americans believe that it is important for colleges to have a racially diverse student population. Half of those found that affirmative action was unnecessary to help blacks, Hispanics and other minorities.

The University of Michigan affirmative action case went before the Supreme Court on April 1 to decide whether colleges and universities should consider race when admitting students, mainly into public educational institutions. Protesters were marching in Washington in an effort to support affirmative action. The Supreme Court's final decision is expected to come in July. If it decides to end affirmative action, any state-funded affirmative action will be ended.

According to FOX News, 89 percent of blacks polled said affirmative action is necessary, while 57 percent of whites believe affirmative action is unnecessary.

Andres Ortiz, president of the Organization of Latin American Students, said NIU is not as diverse as it claims to be.

"Even though NIU claims to be a diverse place, it really isn't," Ortiz said. "Minorities on campus are still underrepresented, overlooked and under-funded."

Ortiz also said that historically, minorities have been denied access to universities among other things and affirmative action helps to "level the playing field." He said the U.S. government and society has limited the opportunity for minorities to prosper.

"I don't blame some non-minorities for being against affirmative action, but I would love for them to live one day as a minority and experience some kind of racism or discrimination," Ortiz stated in an e-mail.

Steve Duroseau, president of the Black Student Union, also believes in affirmative action, especially in the education system.

Duroseau suggested an alternative to affirmative action.

"Minorities need to start owning their own business and becoming professionals," he said. He said that minorities should not trust the U.S. government structure; instead they should look toward God.

Kay Forest, an associate professor and chairwoman of sociology, said she is in favor of affirmative action when it is done correctly. Forest said that when it is done incorrectly, it creates distrust among minorities and whites.

"It is done wrong when it gives the appearance of promoting unqualified minorities and women over qualified applicants," Forest said. She also said that affirmative action still is necessary because discrimination still exists in America.

It's another dark and stormy night in the middle of a wasteland full of murders, mystery and one cheap motel that only encourages the carnage.

"Identity" is a gripping horror/mystery movie that will have you laughing at times you shouldn't.

The movie starts off showing a unique family that has a blown tire on the highway.

Then the movie cuts to a scene of an emergency midnight meeting about a prisoner who is going to be executed soon. A diary was found and is vital to proving his case of insanity.

Back to the action, John Cusack plays the limo driver that causes an accident with the family. Being distracted by his passenger, Cusack looks down for a brief moment only to hear the limo hit the mother of the family and throw her over the car.

After the accident, Cusack is the calmest of the bunch.

The father can utter only memorized phrases from safety manuals and the only child in the family, who has just witnessed the accident, is about as emotional as an ice cube. Cusack manages to get them all to the nearest motel.

Throughout the night random guests keep turning up at this dive - all of them having extraordinary reasons for stumbling on the place.

Meanwhile, talks of the prisoner's sanity are slowly but surely becoming more in depth.

Ten rooms fill up, and eventually they dwindle down to the original vacancy as "Identity" claims its victims.

Ray Liotta, who starred in "Goodfellas," plays a convict/cop who is jumpy and quite funny. Liotta makescomments that will have you laughing at very grisly situations.

Amanda Peet throws some spice into the movie by playing a hooker who is trying to clean up her act and go home but can't because she trapped at this hotel.

The flick will keep you wondering how the people dying at the motel and the meeting determining a prisoners insanity are connected.

Seeming simple throughout the first half, "Identity" throws you for a spin in the last act. While never actually giving you the plot, you think you know the answer to the infamous "whodunit?" question. Then the spin is put in and it makes sense.

It's not often when you have a movie that starts being clever and throws in the big plot twist and comes out in flying colors; "Identity" does this well. James Mangold, the director, incorporates the movie's two separate viewpoints cleverly. Mangold keeps you interested while leading you down a dead end and walks you right back to the main road to follow the story.

What you have with "Identity" is a thinker-thriller, meaning it's not the gore and violence that draws you in - though it helps - but it is the plot that keeps you interested.

That's not to downplay all the horror, though. There are realistic looking uses of neck wounds, car accidents and a good stabbing scene. The gore of this movie doesn't kill it, because you're not snickering at how fake the effects look.

"Identity" is one of those movies that leaves you with a creeped-out feeling. This feeling is similar to one you might get when you're sitting by yourself, at night, at a cheap motel - all while listening to the consistent sounds of rain hit an old tin overhang and the never ending buzz of a vending machine.