Dating:
childish
game
amy
struthers
brood
sid
One Christmas, when I was young and naive and a
Barbie Doll fanatic, Santa left me the neatest game I'd
ever seen. "Barbie Gets a Date," a spin-off from
Monopoly (the banker distributed Saturday Nights
dates instead of $200, and Boardwalk was replaced by
an orchid corsage) was one of those educational games
that prepares one for adult life.
The players had a chance to win a date with one of
the six fellas pictured on the playing board.
Naturally there was Ken, student body president, but
a bit stiff (he had yet to receive movable joints). At the
bottom of the barrel was Poindexter, the "egghead"
and any girl's last choice. He had red curly hair and
freckles and was great for helping with chemistry but
zilch on the dance floor.
It was Mattel's way of impressing little girls with the
importance of The Date as an established social
institution. I don't know how all the little boys got the
message, but somehow they did, and now we're all
living with the uncomfortableness of the American
dating system.
I ate lunch several weeks ago with a group of girls
and one male. Somehow, we got into a discussion on
the propriety of a girl calling up a guy for a date. All the
women had definite ideas about what was permitted
and what wasn't. They all seemed to think that, as long
as a guy was just a friend.it was perfectly all right to
call him up. But the moment a hint of romance entered
the picture, the telephoning had to be left up to the
man.
Oddly enough, with all the girls in agreement, it was
the man in our midst who asked, "Why?"
None of the girls could give him an answer, but they
seemed quite sure of their feelings. They couldn't
believe his remark that many men would find it a
compliment to have a girl ask them out.
The dating system is an artificial situation which
forces people into roles they often would rather avoid.
Many girls see it as a free night on the town.
The fact that the man is expected to pay is, rather,
the means by which a woman can find herself in a
compromising situation. And it forces the man on a
tight budget to stay at home.
If the situation continues in the manner of the past,
we'll have only each other to blame. If a girl allows her
social life to be directed by the whims and pocketbooks
ot the men around her, she will continue to be regarded
as incapable of taking the lead in situations. If men
continue to allow themselves to be forced into the
position of directing a relationship, they deserve to be J
Behind all-the -talk about the freedom of today's
campus hides the old inhibitions of those Barbie Doll
days. Like so many human relationships today, it lacks
the honesty and sincerity that could make life together
a lot of fun. ,
1 ' v
Dear Editor,
The Nov. 1 1 editorial on the World Food Conference,
although well-intentioned, was a misrepresentation of,
fact, as well as a narrow view of reality. ;
It states that feeding the hungry people of the world
should be looked at from a humanitarian perspective,
not a political one. That may be all well and good, but it
will not solve the problem.
The real problem today is not so much too little food,
but too many people. I suggest that any United States
famine aid be coupled with stringent strings
attached that those countries receiving aid cut their
population growth.
Your idea of practicing food conservation is
commendable. Meatless Thursdays might be a good
idea, but more programs will be necessary on national
and international levels if they are to be effective.
What is needed to promote all-out American far n r
production is the easing of shortages of farm
necessities, the stabilizing of the market by monitoring
and prosecuting antitrust food monopolies like A & P
and Safeway and a little foresight by Agricultural
Secretary Earl Butz, among others, to plan ahead for
the famines and bad crops.
True, we Americans are gluttons. That is bad. But
we, too, are the only nation willing and capable of
feeding a good part of the world. That is good.
This willingness should be translated into actuality
only if those countries who are gluttons In another way
make a concerted effort to cut their population growth
and increase their own production.
A few months ago, India exploded an atomic bomb.
That irrationality has caused, over the years, the
lighting of a fuse of another much more deadly bomb.
That is only years away from exploding in its face.
Kurt A. Hohenstein
Ticketed off
Dear Editor,
I would like an explanation from James Pittenger,
assistant athletic director and ticket manager, as to why
my student athletic ticket was not valid for Tuesday
night's intersquad game.
It seems' Wat; Yf students have had 4no&gh1Tv;t5tttnS
the Athletic DeptV io buy a seasorHicket f&f $&!f? dth?
nonstudents have bought a season ticket for a reserved
seat, then they should be allowed to attend a
"practice" game without paying any additional money.
Bill Noble
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to begin
pan
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Valentinos-ooih
off Commerce
1821 SIV St.,
Lincoln, USE 685
K mm tZ j Wr - t-
II i I J' i I
If" ..-r .-FT i'- It r i- '
1 1 feu..., --JSaii
...and probably the
most pleasant
dining room in town.
Now you can have your
3 Val's pizza in our spacious
new dining room. The
iKi authentic Italian decor is
complete with a fireplace,
wooden chandaliers and,
of course, our genuine
Italian pizza. So come on
down. You'll love our new
Valentino's-South almost
as much as our good
old Valentino's piiza!
Valentines South
South 483-2811
Valentines North
North 464-5947
2701 S. 70th
North 35th
& Holdrege
closed
Tuesdays
closed
Mondays
BOTH VALENTINOS HAVE PIZZA TO GO
1
friday, november 22, 1974
daily nebraskan
i
