thursday, august 28, 1975
daily nebraskan
page 5
bernsteh on vwds
Nine' magical to ancient Egyptians
By Theodore M. Bernstein
The mystic nine. A couple of items that
appeared here spoke of the number nine
being unusual or a symbol of perfection,
but not much was provided by way of
explanation.
. But now Wade Smith of Camden, Ark.
writes that when he was in the fourth grade
(he says he is now in the 1 1th) his class, in
studying about the Egyptians, learned that
'they regarded three as a lucky number
"much as we regard seven or 1 1 today."
"The Egyptians then reasoned," he goes
on, "that if three was lucky, then three
times three-that ' is, nine must be
magical." He thinks that the myth of a cat
having nine lives also has a connection with
the magic of nine, but does not know in
what way.
P.S.-He doesn't say anything about a
cat-o 'nine tails.
.
Prohibition. "Forbid" and "prohibit"
mean just about the same thing, but they
are not used in precisely the same way, and
errors are most often made in the use of
forbid. Frequently you will come across a
sentence such as, "All city employes were
'forbidden' from striking."
Idiomatically the verb "forbid" is
followed by a "to" infinitive, so that the
sentence properly should read, "All city
employes were forbidden to strike." A
mnemonic device for remembering this is
to think of two numbers, four and two,
and then associate them with "forbid to"
which should always be in combination.
On the other hand, prohibit" should
be followed by an object none ("The law
prohibits' the "possession of unlicensed
hand guns") or by a "from" phrase ("The
law 'prohibits citizens 'from' possessing
unlicensed hand guns").
The advice to follow "prohibit" by
"from" must have been taught to -but not
quite understood byan official on Long
Island, N.Y., because along much of the
Long Island Expressway there are signs
that say, "Trucks, Buses and Trailers
Prohibited From Left Lane." You cannot
be "prohibited from" a place.
Word Oddities. A "cat-o9nine tails" is a
flogging whip made of nine knotted cords
and a handle. But what's a cat got to do
with it? you may ask. And the American
Heritage Dictionary answers that it's
because the whip leaves marks like the
scratches of a cat. Purr-haps.
(C) 1975 Theodora M. Bamstcln.
SUN offerings increased; low-incom
e aid added
Four new course offerings, a financial
aid program for lower income Nebraskans
and a toll-free telephone system for
students are among changes to be started
by the State University of Nebraska (SUN),
according to its dean, Milton Hassel.
The new courses will double the number
offered last fall by the university program,
which uses educational television,
newspapers and mailed instructional
material to bring postsecondary education
to people in their homes, Hassel said.
The new courses include American
Economy, Characteristics of Learning
Disabilities, Classic Theater and Freehand
Sketching.
All courses will be telecast as 30 minute
segments, he said. Hassel said two courses
wUl be shown each weeknight from 6 pjn.
to 7 p.m. Repeats of courses will be shown
Saturday from 1 1 :30 a.m. to 5 pjn.
Courses will start Sept. 1 through Sept.
6, except Classical Theater, which will
begin Sept. 25. ,...,.
Hassel said most courses cost $20 per
credit hour for students taking the class for
credit, and $10 per credit hour for
noncredit students.
This year, The Omaha World-Herald,
Lincoln Journal and Star, Beatrice Sun,
North Platte Tribune, Grand Island
Independent and . Scottsbluff Herald will
publish the courses, he said.
Hassel said financial help for lower
income SUN students was made possible
by a $5,000 grant contributed by the Edna
McConnel Clark Foundation for tuition
waivers. Money from the grant would pay
for one-half of a student's tuition.
He said need will be determined by the
SUN central office in the
Telecommunication Bldg., on' the basis ol
three categories:
-High School students starting theii
college careers early. . -
-Two or more students of the same
family in the SUN program, in which case
one would receive one-half tuition waiver.
-All others applying for aid.
Hassel said SUN also will offer a
toll-free telephone line enabling students to
call offices in Lincoln and Omaha from any
part of the state.
The Omaha number is (800) 642-8445.
Lincoln's is (800) 742-7421.
Hassel said SUN will continue its policy
of open admissions. "There is no
admissions requirement other than the
desire to learn," he said.
Hassel said this fall SUN will receive
most of its financial support from a
$100,000 appropriation from the Nebraska
Legislature, and from tuition charges. Last
year, he said, the program had been
financed mainly through private
foundation funds and tuition.
Hassel said 1,110 students enrolled in
SUN last year. The average age was 39.
Courses to be offered by SUN, with
credit hours and material costs for each,
are:
-The American Economy (3 hrs.), a
practical course in general economics, $10
-The Characteristics of Learning
Disabilities (3 hrs.), intended to help
parents, teachers and others recognize and
counteract the handicaps affecting some
children's ability to learn, $23.
-Classic Theatre (3 hrs.), which uses a
British Broadcasting Company series of 13
plays from the 17th, 18th and 19th
centuries under the heading of The
Humanities and Drama, $20.
-Freehand Sketching, a 30-lesson
noncredit course with Disney artist Bruce
Mclntyre, for persons with little or no
drawing experience, $5.
-The Consumer Experience, a practical
appraoch to consumer problem-solving,
$15.
-Introductory Psychology (3 hrs.),
focuses on why people behave the way
they do, $17.
-Fundamentals of Computer Science (2
hrs.), an introduction to the world of
computers, $9.
-Accounting I (3 hrs.), the study of the
principles of accounting, $25, .
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n n i' cenr n vv n o n
I iiVii 1
THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE!
Take that needed course by Independent Study. Register anytime.
Study at your OWN PACE-WHEN you want and WHERE you want.
Choose from 1 40 UN-L college credit courses.
Make PRODUCTIVE USE of your spare time.
CONTACT: UNIVERSITY EXTENSION DIVISION
511 NEBRASKA HALL
CITY CAMPUS
CALL: 472-2171
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