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Skits put pizzazz in sometimes dull summer tours
Wednesday, Septembers, 1975
"Over that way is the 501 BIdg. They
were going to name it after this one
professor but his name was Poole and they
couldn't call it Toole HaUV
On campus tours given as part of the
summer orientation for new students,
comments such as this were common. They
came from the 14 summer orientation
hosts who tried to brighten the
sometimes-dull tours by cracking jokes.
Campus tours were only part of the
day-long activities designed to orient
freshmen and transfer students and to
straighten out schedules before fail classes.
About 2,500 students, parents and
guests attended the program between June
4 and July 2. Activities originated in the
Nebraska Union, but included tours to
Ilarper-Schramm-Smith Residence Halls for
lunch and tours of East Campus for
agriculture and home economics majors.
Name tags
Each day began with registering,
name -tagging and welcoming." Hosts
mingled with the guests, serving coffee or
tea and greeting familiar faces from home
towns. Most of the staff was from
Nebraska, although two hosts were from
out of state, Earl Singh from Minnesota
and Mae Cooper from the Bahamas.
Not all the orientation guests were from
Nebraska either. The program drew new
students from Iowa, Colorado, Ohio,
Illinois, Mexico and Germany.
The welcome sessions featured an
"informative, entertaining, and humorous"
skit, said Program Coordinator Mary Dean.
After Dean's introduction, audiences
were given 15 minutes of information and
one-liners by the orientation staff. The
skit, built on a television show format,
dealt with campus topics such as residence
hall life, bookstores, Campus Police, and
the costs of college.
Brought smiles
One line in the skit cracked a smile even
on the dreariest days. Chancellor James
Zumberge, portrayed by host , Greg
Rudebusch, was asked "What does Big Red
mean to you?
His reply: "Oh, the university has been toured campus and ate
operating in the red for many years now WhUe stuaerr is attended a
J5 I hope we continue in thai : ftojj JjJ "ftj? rf their child's
Red tradition tor many years to come, presenwn 3
The line even brought a smile from the college. ctlfWs returned to the
chancellor when he visited
Mini-sessions, 15 minute informational
sessions given by orientation staff and
other university personnel, sought to
explain aspects of university life. Nine
topics were offered and visitors were given
a chance to select three.
Session topics included First Few Days
at UNL, Housing Health Services, Cultural
Affairs and Financial Aids.
Some mini-sessions were slide
presentations and tapes, others were done
without either. Those hosts who didn't
have tapes repeated their speeches three
times a day.. The program lasted 21 days.
Retreat
The weekend before the program began,
the staff attended a retreat at Camp Esther
Newman near Louisville. The retreat was a
chance to meet other guides and receive
public relations training.
Orientation hosts from previous years
also helped with training by giving hints on
what to expect from visitors. The program
has been offered for 1 0 years.
Former hosts said students follow like
sheep and parents wander like cattle on
campus tours.
"Students will follow you anywhere,
even into revolving doors," the staff was
warned. Last year a host allegedly led three
students into the same section of a
revolving door at Sheldon Memorial Art
Gallery unintentionally.
The record this year reportedly was two
students and one host in the same section
of a door at the Union. ,
At the retreat, the staff also practiced
walking backwards and talking without
hitting obstacles.
Groups separated
After the mini-sessions in the morning,
students and parents were separated.
Groups then were divided according to
colleges and were led by student hosts
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advisors from their college. Advisers
discussed college requirements and
answered questions. They also explained
special programs, grading and alternative
studies, such as Integrated Studies in Arts
and Sciences. . .
Faculty members met individually with
students to discuss schedules, make
recommendations and answer questions.
The staff knew this was the most boring
part of the day for students and turned the
waiting room into a stage. Entertainment
ranged from tapes and slide shows to
occasional magic shows. Magic tricks were
introduced by staff members and soon
each host had a private repertoire of magic.
Transitions
Parents also returned to the Union after
lunch. They attended a session called
"Making the Transition," in which they
discussed changes in themselves and their
families with a daughter or son leaving for
college.
Student hosts were facilitators in small
group discussions. The afternoon session
was coordinated by Carol Carver
graduate clinical psychology student, and
John Breckenridge of the UNL Counseling
Center. 6 .
The discussion was a chance for parents
to ask hosts their opinions. Frequent
questions such as "which dorm is best?" or
"which is better-c dorm or a Greek
house?" "were answered by hosts with the
statement "each student has to find out for
himself." Sometimes a host offered
opinions but cautioned they were
"editorial opinion of the management" and
not "the last word."
The group talks were a chance for
student hosts to add bits of information
which might have been neglected during
campus tours, such as the location of the
laundries and hints on preventing theft in
residence halls.
About 3:30 pjm. parents and students
were reunited, although a stray student or
parent sometimes delayed the rendezvous.
Free University
Course variety increases
How would you like to take a course in
nature apathy? Or perhaps your interests
lean more toward camping or hiking, chess
or bridge, transcendental meditation or
yoga? Or maybe you've always wanted to
learn about photography or batik?
These courses are among the 40 to 50
being offered by UNL's Free University
scheduled to begin in October, according
to Jackie Learned, coordinator.
"Our goal for this year is to increase
public awareness of what Free University is
and what the program has to offer," she
said.
Students must pay $1 for each course
they register for. Courses will be taught by
students, faculty members and business
people, she said.
Learned said she hopes greater variety in
course offerings will , bring increased
enrollment this year. She added that the
program "may offer courses during the
summer sessions next year.
Information ort Free University will
begin to come out next week, she said.
Registration will begin the first week in
October with booklets listing course
offerings coming out one or two weeks
before registration. Classes should begin
the second week in October, depending
upon the class and the instructor, she said.
Learned said Free University has an
$800 budget from AS UN. Additional funds
will be made available as needed from the
AS UN programming budget, she said.
calendar
Wednesday
Noon-4 p.m.-ASUN Book
Exchange-Nebraska Union Conference
Room.
1:30 p. m.-Volunteer Coordination
Workshop-Nebraska Center for
Continuing Education (NCCE)
2:30 p.m. -Financial Aids
Workshop-Union Small Auditorium
3:45 p.m.-Accounting Club-Union i
Ballroom
4:30 p.m.-All University Fund-Union
337
6:30 p.m.-ASUN Senate
Meeting-Union 202
Work study utilized
7 p.m.-Recreation Dept.-Flag football
officials-Union Auditorium
7 p.m.-Interfratsrnity Council-Union
343
7:30 p.m. -Bowling League
Organizational Meeting-Union 222
7:30 p.rn.-Math Counselors-Union
225 B-C
7:30 p.m.-Students International
Meditation Society-Union 232
7:30 pjn.-Nebraska Public Interest
Research Group-Union 337
7:30 p.m.--Union Program
Concert-Memorial Plaza
Council
Student job market open
Ult Pi . ....
"Hey. Bunkie. . .feelina
just got your tuition statement? Mad at the
world caz ycu can't afford to eat? Sad
cuz you're broke and don't know what to
do? Cheer up, you can always get a job!"
If the same feelings are facing UNL
students today, they can cheer up. There
are jobs available.
According to Jack Ritchie, director of
scholarships and financial aids, there are
many off-campus jobs listed in the aids
office.
"The majority of the openings are
f.!!5todian nd waitress jobs," Ritchie said,
fne salaries range from waitress pay to
about $3 an hour." V1
Work study increase
Ritchie said he thinks more students are
looking for jobs this fall than before
pmgmsnCr lntere8t fa work-8tudy
"This year is a reversal of past vears "
Ritchie said. "More people are aSng
work-study positions. In the passman?
opportunities were rejected " y
Nebraska Job Service, said students
quitting their jobs and going back to 323
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said -IS tim or year " Ladkamer
"Id, employers assess their work
&TZ "d UTlly decld need
Schedule problems
One problem in finding students a jobii
trying to work around tneir schedule,
said. .
"We try to find a job that agrees with
their schedules," he said, "but 10 many
have confused hours that sometimes its
impossible."
Landkamcr complained that many
students come to the agency and fill out
cards seeking employment, but fail to show
up when notified of an opening.
"I think they do it just to please Mom
and Dad," he said.
Manpower openings
According to Kay Bowers, Manpower
customer service representative, usuai.y
there are many openings for PrJ",jJnJ
student workers on weekends and during
, vacations. .f t
She estimated that more than halt 01
Manpower employes are students, and saw
many students have worked for Manpower
for two or three years. She said most joo
available at Manpower are unskilled laoor
positions. A , .
"For the most part," she said, "student
workers do an excellent job." '
Dave Wolvin, research director for ins
Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, said w
believes the student job situation is g00-
"Many employers look forward w
hiring students?' he said. "Ihey (itudeW
really fill the need that high school
students make when summer is over.