page 4
friday, October 2, 1981
daily nebraskan
o)y0D(S(QGr0i
Money is no mark of a mind
A key flaw in elementary and secondary ed
ucation in this country is the myth that many
teachers push upon their students. The myth -that
going to college will atuomatically make
obtaining a job possible - is espoused by many
shallow thinking educators.
It's all part of the socialization process of ed
ucation. We go to college because it is expected
of us. We are told that better things will result
from more formal education.
There is no single aspect of life that can en
hance a person's position in life better than a
good education. Despite the growing costs of
education, as society becomes more complex
and transitional, the need tor education accele
rates. But too often, a person's education is solely
judged by the type of job he or she lands. The
priorities become convoluted.
We no longer care what a person learned in
college, but how much they are making a year.
Given two people who make $20,000 and
$12,000, respectively, we foolishly consider
the former to be $8,000 smarter than the lat
ter. Students in liberal arts programs have long
been the brunt of these childlike comparisons.
These students are working just as hard as stu
dents in technical science areas but receive
smaller rewards for their education.
But a rebirth of the value of liberal arts pro
grams has helped turn the tide back in favor of
students who prefer Shakespeare to slide rules.
The College of Arts and Sciences is to be ap
plauded for their efforts to help students stu
dying in liberal arts programs realize their full
potential in the job market.
The creation of a career information center
will be a valuable tool for sutdents. Students
majoring in philosophy, English and political
science often benefit from a four-year educa
tion but lack skills in selling themselves to pos
sible employers.
It is indeed a positive step that the College
of Arts and Sciences is attempting to aid its
students in this crucial area. All colleges should
evaluate how well they are providing informa
tion on careers and job application techniques
for their students.
A .college education will make a student
more "employable but it cannot guarantee em
ployment. Only by aiding students in preparing
for the job market can the university's educa
tion process be called complete.
15
Q WASH I N
OLIVER
WENDELL
HOLMES
"Brother, Can You Spare a Postage Stamp?"
Ifioryar
Barbarism would bring in the bucks
"The trouble," my friend insisted, "is that national de
fense is a losing proposition."
I looked puzzled, and she explained what she meant.
"The Postal Service costs too much, they say; it ought to
break even, or maybe even earn an honest penny for the
hard-pressed government. Raise the price; reduce the ser
vice. We cannot afford this, we cannot afford that; put an
end to free handouts. Except to the military."
Well, if we aren't willing to defend the country, the
other things won't really matter, I reminded her.
raoO
Qduddd
"I'm not speaking of not defending the country," she
said. "I'm simply telling you the Pentagon is not carrying
its own weight. Tiat really surprises me is that all those
Reagan administration hotshots haven't figured out the
most obvious way the Pentagon could be made to break
even, or even turn a nice profit. All they have to do is re
turn to the sterner, simpler virtues of our forefathers.
Everybody's forefathers, if you look back far enough."
"Back to what virtues?" I asked.
"Back to when a war, at least a winning war, was ex
pected to pay for itself," she said. "No enormous pay
rolls for the armed forces. Soldiers were paid in loot, a
splendid incentive for enthusiasm and efficiency.
"Conquered territory was portioned out among the
higher-ups, with the real plums reserved for the govern
ment itself. No foolishness about a defeated population
having to be fed, clothed and helped back onto its feet by
the victors. Those who could not be effectively enslaved
on the spot could be disposed of in the world slave mar
ket, and everybody with no market value could be knock
ed on the head.
"The Vikings, for instance, had no use for slaves, not
in those open boats or back home in the rigorous climate,
but they were canny traders with a market that extended
from the North Sea to the Mediterranean. Rich or royal
captives, of course, were held for ransom, and a lucky cap
tor might recoup his entire expense of arrning and main
taining his retainers with a single fortunate snatch."
"You're talking about a return to barbarism," 1 told
her.
"Nonsense," she said. "I'm talking about a return to
free enterprise, individual initiative, the play of the mar
ketplace, the profit motive, a balanced budget and all the
incentive in the world for ambitious, enterprising citizens
to provide employment and opportunity for their fellow
citizens and the development of some of the sternest, sim
plest virtues known to mankind."
1 admitted her idea intrigued me. The only problem, 1
told her, is that the Pentagon no longer is in the business
of war. The whole point of its massive expenditures is
to avoid war. And without war, there can be no looting,
no slaves, no ransom.
She didnt miss a beat. "Either we're going to fight, or
we're not," she said. "Either way, the Pentagon could be a
self-sustaining operation. A healthy chunk of the money
they spend is for new weapons systems that make the old
ones obsolete. There's a tremendous market for the old,
outdated stuff.
"Just Jhe other day, the White House security adviser
told us the AW ACS they want to sell to the Saudis don 1
represent a threat to Israel. They cant 'see' into Israel ter-"
ritory without moving in so close that they would be vul
nerable to Israeli fighters.
"In other words, the planes are no good to the Saudis.
Still, the Saudis are willing to pay us $5.8 billion for five
of them. The Israelis have bought billions of dollars worth
of military supplies from us. The 75 F-16's they've alrea
dy ordered from us carry a price tag of $7 million to $9
million each.
"Didn't you read where the administration is planning
to retire 52 Titan II missiles five years early? Lord knows
what those would bring on the open market.
"You see the potential. With a really first-rate market
ing team, we could place enough orders to the Third
World countries alone to put the Pentagon on a pay as
you go basis, with enough left over to put the Social Se
curity system on a sound footing.
Continued on Page 5
Old money melody
needs new verse
Same song. Next verse. The title: "That's Where the
Money Goes."
All together now: "There is no place like Nebraska
Good old Nebraska U. Where the boys run the fastest
But can't throw the passes, And the Director's Club
comes through."
Yes, it's the football money song again. This time
around we have the Director's Club. It's the brainchild of
the NU Foundation, kicked off this year to raise money
for the Athletic Department at good old NU.
Joiners to the club make a one-time "gift or pledge" of
$50,000 for membership. In return, foundation vice pres
ident Lee Liggett told the Daily Nebraskan, they get "no
tangible benefits."
Seems a hefty fee for nothing in return. Guess Direc
tor's Club members are just nice guys - who also happen
to be rich.
Liggett says inflation is threatening athletic programs
across the country and some schools are being forced to
cut parts of programs.
Seems other Big Eight schools already have contribu
tion programs of the NU club's magnitude. Seems Nebras
ka was the last team on the block without the new toy.
So they got their own Director's Club. After all, as Lig
gett said, "We found a hole in our coverage."
Bad puns notwithstanding, raising contributions for an
athletics is not an awful idea: every facet of the jocks'
world must be as hard hit by inflation as in civiliartsvtUe.
The money will be spent on new construction (a wo
men's Softball field is being planned) and renovation (the
running track, Schulte Field House and the visiting team
locker room are being spruced up).
The priority on these construction projects are up to
Bob Devaney. Makes sense; they named the club after
him.
Fact is, the foundation must be commended for get
ting 17 donors to let go of fifty grand. My gripe is that
"same old song." Why is there no Chancellor's Club? Or
President's Club? Or Dean's Club, or some other kind of
finger-pointing gee-whiz recruitment of big bucks for aca
demic programs?
Sure UNL has a renowned football team. Yea, they've
won some weighty gymnastic titles. And I know - the
basketball team fills the Sports Center. They all deserve fi
nancial supporters to defray rising costs.
But what about theater majors? Who will donate or re
cruit donations for the renovation of the Temple Build
ing? And what about English majors? Who will donate
$50,000 to build a film viewing facility in Andrews Hall?
And what about journalism majors? Where can they
find 17 fat cats to shell out the money for a new compu
ter system?
And what about departments that close their doors to
students because of overcrowding, that teach with out
moded equipment, that make do or do without.
While the NU foundation exceeded its donation drive
in the past year, they haven't succeeded or at least
made public any effort to establish a drive on the scale
of the Director's Club.
Where are the 17 donors with $50,000 for those inflation-wracked
programs? Where is a foundation official
saying "Rising costs wont cause us to abandon part of
our academic programs"? And where is someone singing
"That's Where the Money Goes" with a verse for acade
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