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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 18, 1974)
M inority seniors get help By Harry Baumert i You're a senior in a Nebraska high school, you're a member cf ajrnmcrity group and you'd like to attend UNL next Tall. , But no one else in your family has ever gone to college. You're Confused with the application procedures, your high school counselor doesn't have all the answers, and you need financial help. J Minority Education Planning (MEP) to the rescue. MEP was formed to visit Nebraska's high schools and meet with j minority students to tell them about UNL, according to Joe Renteria,! special services counselor in the Office of Minority Affairs. The MEP committee is a team effort Including personnel from the Office of Admissions, Financial Aids and Minor ity Affairs, Renteria said. j Ron Glerhan, asst. vice chancellor for student affairs, is .MEP committee chairman. ! "Before we had MEP, each office attempted to reach out on its oWn," said Gierhan. "There wasn't much (coordin ation." j The MEP program, as it now exists, started in fall 1973. i According to Renteria, questionnaires are sent to every Nebraska high school by the Admissions Office to determine the numbor of minority seniors In each school. ' I ' Last year, 109 of 376 secondary schools in Nebraska reported having minority seniors, according jto UNL admissions records. The tptal 946 minority high school seniors recorded last year were divided. ipto the following: 554 Black Americans, 157 with Spanish surnames, 85 Chicanos, one Puerto Rican American, 75 Ameri can Indians, 37 Oriental Americans and 37 others. i i Special services sets up group meetings at each school, usually early In the fall, if the school has1 enough minority students to make group meetings worthwhile, Renteria! said. At the meeting a Financial Aids repre sentative explains what students should do to apply for aid and whatikinds of funds are available to them, j The Admissions office representa tives explain the forms to be completed before a student is accepted to !UNL and Minority Affairs representatives explain the programs available to the UNL minority student. i Gierhan said minoritv students have soeciai crobiems when coming to college. "One of the problems is just getting them interested in going to school," he According to Gierhan, minorities have a lack of models to follow. The problem is not as bad among blacks as it is with Indian students, who have few graduates to take example from, he said. "We recognize now how important it is to have minority faculty members," said Gierhan. Several black freshmen interviewed said they would have had more trouble coming to UNL if it hadn't been for MEP. "If they hadn't come, I'd be on East Campus, said Janice Saunders, a Schramm Hall resident. The former Omaha Central student, who is a business major said she didn't under stand the arrangement of residence halls and had signed up to live in Burr Fedde. Annie Cotton, an Omaha North high school graduate, said she "would have been lost" if it hadn't been for the school visitation by MEP. She said the committee had several meetings with students and was thorough in its approach. "We try to contact and communicate with not only students but with high school counselors as well," said Renteria, adding that MEP committee members make repeat appearances at the schools and try to meet with each student whenever possible. Informing the student is only one part of the problem, according to Al Papik, UNL admissions director. The number of registered minority students who actually show up for classes in the fall is lower percentage-wise than for white students, he said. ; f One reason may be that minority students ready to attend UNL are more likely to change their minds and either not go to school at all or go to another coliege, according to Papik. Papik suggests contacting the minor ity student as early as the sophomore level. , "That way," he said, "we could help them develop foresight and planning.'' In addition, there has to be improved communication between minority stu dents and their high school counselors he said. According to Minority Affairs records, 309 minority students attended UNL last year. This figure includes low income whites and oriental students, as well as black, Chicano and American Indian students including both fresh men and upper classmen. ATTENTION STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS Please be advised that the Office of Student Organizations and Activities will be conducting its fall orientation on Thursday, September 19, 1974, from 7:00 to 8:36 p.m. It will be conducted in the small auditorium located in the basement of the Student Union Building. This meeting will be important for all persons who are actively involved in their organizations for we will cover aii aspects Of the treasurer's responsibilities plus the re quirements and procedures to follow relative to activities and events conducted by student organizations.: Please plan to attend, j i ' ' - .I. ..II. i. i.i- T c . T H.I '. at Dirt I , and I plus special guest EL VIN BISHOP in CONCERT Thursday Oct. 3rd 8 p.m.. Pershing Auditorium. Tickets $5.00 in Advance and $6.00 at the door Tickets available at the Union South, desk, Cheap, Brandies, Miller & Paine, The Daisy Pershing Box office. University of Nebraska Bowling Team Tryouts Tryouts for the University of Nebraska Men's and Women's bowling teams will be held this weekend, Sept. 20, 21 & 22, at the Nebraska Union Bowling Aliey. Women's TryOUts: FRIDAY Sept. 20 at 4:00 p.m. Finals: SATURDAY 9:00 a.m. (8 game total Men's Tryouts: Saturday 12:00 noon (9 games) Finals: SUNDAY1:0Op.m. (9 game final) Any undergraduate or grad student may try out for the teams. Sign up at the Bowling desk for a starting time. $5.00 entry fee 472-2458 r MEMBER F.D.I.C IN THE STUDENT UNION free checking accounts savings accounts ! savings bonds j cash advances j night depository I AMERICAN EXPRESS 1 mmmm m .111111. Wk m jlHTtliL t ! I . I . I : ! ' l; . n I I (PA IWlWiT ; A TXTTTT Open. 8:30-0 ....... , M ) I I ! Nebraska Union "ITT) item ni ii i t y v Lincoln. Wednesday, September 18, 1974 daily nebraskan page 3-