ok people, made some progress...here is the new version of my code (attached) and my new list of errors...
any help is much much MUCH needed and appreciated. project is due tomorrow (sunday) by the way

linux2[23]% make
/usr/local/bin/g++ -ansi -Wall -c HashMap.cpp
In file included from HashMap.cpp:1:
HashMap.h:21: syntax error before `;'
HashMap.h:24: template declaration of `typedef struct Element<KY,VT> element'
HashMap.h:53: syntax error before `;'
HashMap.cpp:4: parse error before `{'
HashMap.cpp:13: syntax error before `*'
HashMap.cpp:14: ANSI C++ forbids declaration `buckets' with no type
HashMap.cpp:14: parse error before `*'
HashMap.cpp:15: syntax error before `<='
HashMap.cpp:15: syntax error before `++'
HashMap.cpp:20: ANSI C++ forbids declaration `hashfunc' with no type
HashMap.cpp:20: `h' was not declared in this scope
HashMap.cpp:21: parse error before `}'
HashMap.cpp:25: destructors must be member functions
HashMap.cpp:25: definition provided for explicit instantiation
HashMap.cpp:25: confused by earlier errors, bailing out
make: *** [HashMap.o] Error 1
linux2[24]%