Wednesday, October 8, 1975
page 8
daily nebraskan -
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Over forty and back in college - two versions
By Randy Blauvelt
Bob Overstreet and David Huffman are both UNL
students. They might blend in with the thousands of other
students, except they are both over 40 and have unique
reasons for going to school.
Here are their stories:
Bob Overstreet is 42. He already has a B.A. in foreign
missions from the Kansas City Bible College in Kansas City,
Mo. He has studied missionary medicine in Los Angeles,
linguistics at the Wycliffe School of Linguistics in Norman,
Okla. and French at The Commercial School in Nauchatel,
Switzerland. He has been pastor of a Lincoln church and
has been a missionary in Bamako, Mali for 12 of the last 16
years.
Now, he is working for a B.A. degree in journalism at
UNL.
Overstreet is back in school because he wants to help the
people of Mali develop their literature in their own
Bambara language. He thinks journalism will help.
To work on newspaper
"When I go back to Mali, Fd like to work on some kind
of a newspaper," he said. "A newspaper for the people who
are learning to read the Bambara language."
Because motivation to learn isn't high in Bamako, Over
street said a newspaper might act as incentive to create
"African authors."
"To get them to read and write they need incentive. So
we want to have a newspaper first and then get them to
contribute articles," he said.
I want to know how to handle written matter and be
able to tell others how to handle things they write," he
added, admitting it would be "tough" doing it in their
language.
Although he has a long history of education, Overstreet
said he had a problem getting used to studying again.
"For almost 15 years I've used a foreign language," he
said. "When you know a foreign language, you tend to
think in that language.' IVe had to readjust to that."
He also mentioned that finding time to study was a
problem, but he didn't have trouble relating with younger
students or his professors.
Because he is on leave of absence from his sponsor
group, the Gospel Missionary Union of Kansas City, Mo.,
Overs'treet is paying for his own education. Like many
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Photos by Randy Blauvtlt
Bob Overstreet and David Huffman explain their reasons for returning to UNL
students, he finds his financial situation tight.
"I have a part-time job at the Back to the Bible broad
cast and my wife does some work," Overstreet said. "But
we're still on a very low salary level."
"I'm not with my family much," he said. "I see them on
Tuesdays and Thursdays for about 25 minutes. Over the
weekend, I see them, but I still have to keep plugging with
my studies."
Overstreet who carries 13 hours, entered UNL as a
junior. He was allowed to transfer 80 credit hours from the
Kansas City Bible College toward hi; B.A. in Journalism.
He plans to graduate in May, 1977.
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At age 45, David Huffman says he is tired of bureau
cracy, red-tape and governmental meddling. For that
reason, he plans on getting a college education and earning
a law degree.
"In seven or eight years, youH need a lawyer to scratch
your ass, so I'd just as well be the one," he said. 'Then,
when I feel like scratching it, I can."
Huffman, who raises cattle on 1,300 acres of land
around Denton, Neb., said he decided to go to school after
an Otoe County Court found him guilty of not eradicating
noxious weeds.
"The judge found me guilty of having noxious weeds on
my land when the same weeds were growing under the
courthouse window," he said. "Nobody is going to tell me
what to do on my land."
Continued on pg. 10
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