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
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A TXTTTT Open. 8:30-0 ....... ,
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Nebraska Union "ITT)
item ni ii i t y v
Lincoln.
Wednesday, September 18, 1974
daily nebraskan
page 3-
