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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 4, 1980)
tuesday, november4, 1980 lincoln, nebraska vol. 105, no. 52 ji(pJlJl Tower in numbers chairperson says State student association could benefit UNL , . .fv till A it f I s r v c L i X i v Photo by Mark Billingsley Doug Tuthill By Betsy Miller Lack of a state student association in Nebraska hurts students across the nation, said Doug Tuthill, national chairperson of the United States Student Association. Tuthill spoke in the Nebraska Union Main Lounge as part of his five-day visit to UNL. lie said the state's senators in Washington have voted against educational funding. "When they screw you. they screw the rest of us, too,1' Tuthill said. He cited an example of a bill providing educational money which was passed last year by the House, but de feated in the Senate. Both Nebraska Senators voted against it, Tuthill said. The bill was later passed by the Senate, but not until more than a billion dollars had been cut out of it, he said. Tuthill also said he thinks Nebraska students are not as aware of their senators' voting records as students in other states. "That's a tragedy," he said. Tuthill said that there is power in numbers and that a large student association can be an effective lobbyist at the state level. "We need to bring all the students in the state together. You're going to have to go out there and educate the people," Tuthill told students in the audience. Nebraska has been recognized by USSA as a state which is "desperately in need of organization," Tuthill said. Some tunds which USSA received in a recent grant will be used to start a student organization at UNL, Tuthill said that syudents will have to form a broad-based coalit ion of support and battle some initial uneasiness that school administrators may have about a student assocait ion. "I think they (administrators) kind of like students spendiim their nfternnnns w:itcliin soap operas" Tuthill said, referring to a crowd ol students in front of a tele vision in another part of the lounge. However, Tuthill said that administrators should sup port state student associations because they can generate more university money from the Legislature if they lobby successfully. Tuthill arrived at UNL Sunday and will stay until Friday. On Monday, Tuthill will meet with UNL adminstartion and Panhallenic officials, minority organizations and the ASUN executive committee. This morning he had breakfast with UNL Chancellor Robert Rutford and met Lincoln Mayor Helen Boosalis. This afternnon he was to meet officials from the Cam pus Activities and Programs Office. Wednesday he will meet with state senators, Gov, Charles Thonc, the Facult Senate, ASUN and the Intrafra ternity Council. On Thursday he is meeting with Vive Chancellor for Academic Affairs Ned Hedges, Dana Steven Sample of the graduate college, Nebraska Coordinator of Post Secondary F.ducation William Fuller and the Residence Hall Administration. Of ficial, students await student loan information Financial aid offices and university stu dent across the nation arc still waiting in formation that will give the exact date when interest rates on several students' loans will be increased. Don Aripoli, director of financial aids, said he hopes the Department of Fducation will send exact information within the next two weeks on the law that will increase the interest rate on National Direct Stu dent Loans to 4 percent. The interest rates on Guaranteed Student Loans will increase to - percent. The law. which was signed by President Carter on Oct. 3, will also create a third loan program fro the parents of students, Aripoli said. Aripoli said a shorter grace period for repayment may also go into effect, but he wasn't sure if this will affect students who signed promisory notes before Oct. 1. He said his office will continue to make loans at 3 percent until informed differently. Aripoli said guarantee agencies informed him that the interest rate increase in guaranteed student loans will affect those making loans for the first time after Jan. 1 , ll)Xl. Students with loans prior to Jan. 1 stav at 7 percent, but the lederal gov- rnment could say something different. w The third loan program created for parents, Aripoli said, will allow parents to borrow up to S3, 000 at l) percent interest. Repayment will begin 60 days after the loan is received. He added that the parents can borrow no more than the cost of edu cation minus any financial aid the student may receive or any other form of student loan. "The cost of education at this university is $3,600. If the student gets a guaranteed loan for $2,000 and other financial aid totaling $1,000, the parents can only bor row $600," Aripoli said. Among the other changes made in (he bill, basic grants, if appropriated, can rise about $1 ,800 and reach as high as $2,600, Aripoli said. He added that part-time stu dents who take less than half-time credit will be eligible for student aid also. A reason for the increase in interest rates was to cut down the amount of inter est the government pays on loans, Aripoli said, which will lessen the burden on the American taxpayer. "We hope this is settled even sooner than students do because we are preparing information for the !l-82 financial aid programs and would like to know what is exactly available," Aripoli said. Soap opera devotees find shows addictive time killers By Hollie Wiclaiul An emotional moan rose from a group of people surrounding a television screen. As they found out that Rachel is marrying the man who shot her husband and baby. Soap operas seem to be famous for coming up with traumatic circumstances and from looking at the multitudes of people gathered around the television daily; it seems people love these dramas. Commenting on the popularity of soap operas, 2 1 -year-old Maggie Kane of Omaha, said "People's problems in soap operas even exceed your own problems, it makes you feci better knowing other people are worse off than you." Reasons for watching soap operas seem to widely vary. Sue Alvinc. 23, said she watched them to kill time between classes. "1 find them quite entertaining." Kane said. "I would rather watch them than any other television show." Other reasons for viewing include "add iction" to the soaps and having nothing better to do. Few people questioned said they could relate to soap opera characters. "Most char acters are quite ridiculous," Kane said. Most people watched the shows only a few times a week, but some said they watched them daily. One 20-year-old girl even admitted to arranging her class sched ule around her favorite soap opera. "General Hospital" was mentioned most often as a favorite soap opera. Kane said "General Hospital" was her favorite because things happened quickly. 'The events are not so drawn out like other soaps," she said. Soap operas do not seem to appeal to any one age group. Kane said she had watched soap operas for 13 years, start ing when she watched then with her moth er. Other reasons given for the soap's popularity included their difference from real life and their high level involvement.