friday, december 12, 1980
daily nebraskan
page 9
New life is learning experience
By Kathy Harmon
Food, floor rugs and language arc three aspects of
American life that have been the hardest for the llisagais,
the School of Journalism's adopted family, to get used to.
The Japanese family began an adventurous learning ex
perience last fall when the head of the household, Kei.o
Hisagai, came to UNL as a Fulbright scholar. He will
spend about one year at UNL doing research, taking some
classes and just observing American life.
Hisagai said that during the stay his family is trying to
become as "Americanized" as possible.
To the Japanese family, this means becoming almost
more "American" than some natives. This includes leaving
their shoes on while at home a custom that is forbidden
in Japan.
"America has different customs," Hisagai said. "But, I
really don't feel relaxed with my shoes on it's a big prob
lem." Not to be entirely indifferent to their culture, a pair of
shoes sits beside the door of the ranch-style home they are
renting. The shoes, called Cieta shoes are actually wooden
thong-like sandles, which stand on wooden pegs that are
about a half inch high. Mrs. Hisagai says they are worn
with Tabi socks, which have seams between the toes and
are traditionally removed before entering a home.
Food a big problem
The family, which includes a 7-year-old son and a 3-year-old
daughter, cited food as another problem.
Hisagai said they try to eat American food most of
the time and reserve their native Japanese cooking to only
twice a week. He said this has been difficult for the
family, since they are not used to American food, which
his wife describes as "a little greasy" to us."
She said Japanese cooking consists of a lot offish and
many vegetables, in contrast to the meat-laden American
diet.
Hisagai said that language was the family's biggest
problem. Although both he and his wife, who has a bache
lor's degree in American literature, speak excellent Eng
lish. Hisagai said it is especially a problem for his children,
who did not know the language before coming here.
Vandalism . . .
His son is attending Hartley Elementary School in
a class designed for students whose native language is not
English, but he said the change is definitely causing some
anxiety. He said their daughter seems to be having the
least difficulties with this problem and plays with neigh
borhood children happily despite the fact she only knows
a few English words.
A working journalist
In Japan, Hisagai is a working journalist for the
Western Japan Daily which has a circulation of 650,000.
He said he loves to write and concerns himself with re
porting the facts.
Before coming to the United States, he wrote a story
on the plight of Japanese fishermen caused by the rising
oil prices. Hisagai said this has been a real problem since
fish is a main staple of the Japanese diet. He has also
written many news articles on nuclear power.
During his stay, Hisagai will concentrate on the sub
ject of U.S. energy policy, as well as other controversial
issues like the women's movement.
"The U.S. is a very influential country and the Japan
ese people need to understand it," he said. Hisagai said he
hopes to be able to write better about America and in
crease his reader's understanding after his stay here. The
Fulbright scholar said he is planning to write a scries of
articles about his visit when he returns to Japan.
Hisagai also visited the United States last February
when covering a professional Japanese baseball team at
camp in the western United States. The team, called the
Hanshin Tigers, was there to practice before the baseball
pennant game in Japan.
A spokeswoman for the National Fulbright Associa
tion, headquartered in Washington, D.C., said having a
scholar at a university is "an honor." She said that many
times the scholars request Ivy League universities like
Harvard or Yale, since they have heard about these uni
versities in their own countries.
The Fulbright scholars are chosen according to their
professional and academic records.
Continued from Page 1
"Ell personally offer a reward of $100
to anyone with solid information about
this incident," Coffey said. The Grounds
department also has offered a SI 00 reward
in this instance, Dasenbrock said.
Another example came last year bet
ween Thanksgiving and the end of the sem
ester, Coffey said.
"I think five cases were reported of
small pine trees being cut down or tops
taken out of the larger ones-obviously tor
Christmas trees," Coffey said.
Public fixtures such as outdoor lights,
fire exit signs, water fountains, rest room
fixtures, windows and doors are other tar
gets of campus vandals. Fey said.
Dasenbrock said trash containers, plant
ers, signs, signposts, bike racks, lawns and
lawn sprinkler systems around campus are
also vandalized.
All of these actions affect morale, Das
enbrock said.
"Earlier this year the litter problem
around Broyhill Fountain got so bad the
people on the crew were ready to walk otf
the job in protest." he said.
Doug Zatechka, director of UNL hous
ing, said he also sees staff apathy caused by
vandalism.
"A janitor who tries to do a good job
cleaning up a lounge one day comes back
the next and finds a mess with paper all
over and lounge furniture broken. Then he
thinksWhat's the use?' "
Administrative action
Administrators and police, however, are
not sitting idly by. Last year when the van
dalism problem on one residence hall floor
became so bad, Zatechka notified all the
residents of the floor that they would
be moved to other halls across campus.
Damage to the floor included more than 20
broken light bulbs, broken windows and
screens, three damaged doors and damaged
fire equipment.
Since no one admitted causing the dam
age Zatechka left the blame with the en
tire floor. Even though 13 students were
eventually allowed to stay, the majority
was split up and moved to other halls.
"I won't do that again," Zatechka said.
"Ell send the whole floor in front of a
bunch of faculty members and let them de
cide." Students reported for vandalism in resi
dence halls meet with their floor's student
assistants and residence hall director. It
the reports accumulate, the student is ask
ed to leave the hall. But if a student is
caught tampering with fire safety equip
ment severe action is taken, Zatechka said.
That action, according to Glen Schu
mann, assistant director of UNL housing
for maintenance, includes removal from
the residence halls, an automatic appear
ance before the UNL judiciary board and
a possible hearing in the civil courts.
"Two years ago we had 46 fire alarms
go off in residence halls. Then we told the
students, 'If you start a fire or pull a false
alarm you're out of the hall.' Last year,
we had seven false alarms," Zatechka said.
Although student most likely caused the
damage to the halls last year, which cost
520,000 for labor and materials, students
have also become involved in curbing van
dalism, campus officials said.
Damages tabulated
Last year, a pilot program was started
on some floors at the Harper-Schramm-Smith
residence complex, said Ron Hald,
a student assistant in father Halt and a
former resident of Harper-Schramm-Smith.
"The damages for each floor were
tabulated and included in the floor min
utes," Hald said. The program was "suc
cessful enough to try in all other halls this
year," he said, "as a system-wide test pro
ject." Efforts to provide a monetary incentive
to students who report vandals also have
been discussed, Hald added.
Such a program exists in Lincoln,
according to GailGade, director ot Campus
police. Crime Stoppers otters cash rewards
and anonymity to citizens who furnish in
formation about crimes. Gade, a member
of the board of directors of the organi
zation, said he will consider recommending
to the board the inclusion of a $100 re
ward for reports on vandalism.
Campus officials all mentioned the en
vironment and a sense of community as
important factors in the prevention of
vandalism.
"I think that when people care about
where they live and respect each other,
it (the campus) becomes a nicer place
to live," Schumann said.
Dasenbrock said "we also have to fight
desperately to keep the campus from Be
coming a slum."
Fey agreed, saying, "Vandalsim does
incur' more vandalsim-it really does,"
he said. "If an area can be kept nice you
can prevent vandalism."
Dasenbrock said "in the long run the
effort pays off. But it's a challenge to us
every year."
1 TO IT (I L SaB SUSSEX ,ffiSMllffi?
' jSst ad in for a
f 20 discount
lfflg on any
lilK non-sale item Y anc y.
Cy. come see us
1?) for all your
WIW T&3) Christmas
mm Gift Certificates kjQ( pet needs.j
anc books fjv y
t!p also available
n -JL.
