TuGSdsy, October 231 1 984
Vcathcr: After a cool morning, expect partly
cloudy skies once again with a high of about 55
(13C). Tuesday night, mostly cloudy and cold
again with a low of about 37 (3C). Wednesday,
partly sunny with a high in the mid-503 (13C).
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UNL deans ponder
literacy revisions
By Bsrbsra Contito
Diily Nehraskaa EtiHEtporter
Editor's note: This is the sec
ond article in a five-part ser
ies ex&siislsg ccrrent issssea
cn the quality cf education in
Nebrss!.
The expanding definition of
literacy, influenced by rising
expectations, goes far beyond
the ability to read label in
structions or to fill out job
applications.
In an Education Week pub
lication, Diane Ratvitch, edu
cation professor at Columbia
University, said, "We need a
kind cf literacy that includes
cultural literacy, historical
literacy, social literacy, a broad
range of understanding so that
when someone picks up Time
and Newsweek, it is simply not
a matter of decoding words,
but of understanding the con
text in which all of these sto
ries are written."
The measure of literacy,
which might once have seemed
irrelevant in higher education,
is the major consideration of
the Common Core Concept com
mittee, according to Stephen
Hilliard, assistant dean of
UNL's College of Arts and
Sciences.
The committee, consisting cf
deans from various colleges
within the university, is con
sidering the creation of core
courses in the humanities and
social sciences which would be
required for freshmen.
"You need to know certain
basic thinp about our society,
ou r world, to be educated," Hil
liard said.
Hi courses woold be
designed to give students a
bread introduction into var
ious disciplines, rather than
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! V
V
The Quality
of Education
0 &
S9l
dobu
the narrow view they might
receive of English literature,
for example, by taking a Sha
kespeare class, Hilliard said.
Before World War II, there
was more agreement about
what an educated person
should know, Hilliard Said.
Today, the only basic liter
acy people have is provided by
the mass media, he said, citing
Johnny Carson as an example.
The only Carson jokes assured
to evoke laughter are those
dealing with television, Hilliard
said.
In a published letter to
the Nebraska Committee for the
Humanities, James O'Hanlon,
dean of UNL's Teachers Col
lege, said, MI believe the prim
ary weakness of graduates of
Teachers College is in what
could be called general educa
tion. They do not have any
thing even closely resembling a
liberal education; they have a
limited understanding of how
their subjects relate to other
fields of study and they do not
have an adequate understand
ing of the character and diver
sity of our civilization and past.
Some of our feedback from
students indicates that they
view general education as a
waste of time they would
prefer to take more courses in
their major."
Ill the g&me Education
Week publication, William
Bennett, chairman of National
Endowment for the Humani
ties, said of students, They
talk as if their life were a job to
be held in the future... We have
talked too much about educa
tion as education simply for a
career."
Hilliard said the core courses
would be designed to balance
specialized education with
general education.
There is a relationship be
tween this new discussion of
literacy and basic literacy, Hil
liard said.
Ces&asad on Page 2
. . ;
JJniyersity oj JNebraskaLJncplrj
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Eab Fisher, Eonda Fisher
masks available for rent.
IMloween. .
winvo,
By Lisa Netting
Dally Nebraskan Staff Reporter
Halloween isn't just for kids
anymore.
If you happen to see a Grem
lin or two lurking in the dark,
don't worry chances are
they arent invading Lincoln.
And don't be alarmed if Darth
Vader or Yoda happen to "make
a visit." But, if E.T. knocks on
your door, well you might con
sider letting him phone home.
These and many other "char
acters" will be out and about in
Lincoln next week. Some will
romp the streets and knock on
doors. Others will be off to cos
tume parties or will enter con
tests hoping to, win a prize.
And others will just dress for
the occasion to celebrate
the more than 2,000-year-old
. JlC.
appa Phi returns to campus;
members recruit 4
By Ann Lowe
Dully Ne&rxji&ma Cerior Isporie?
National officers of Pi Kappa
Phi fraternity are at UNL to re
colonize the NU chapter after a
1 2-year absence from the campus.
Founded at UNL in 1915, the
chapter closed in 1 972 alter mem
bership dropped during the lC3s,
said Pete Duguid, a Pi Kappa Phi
leadership consultant.
The chapter was unable to
recover from the anti-fix ternity,
They folded under dire circum
stances, but knew all along that
they were going to come back"
Duguid, 22, a 1034 graduate of
Colorado fans a
bit unm
f
I
and Ann Smith, cf Fringe end Tassel, display a few of the many
The Fringe and Tassel h&a more than 150 m&sks available for
Garfield? 3
aejbincoi
nn
holiday. Halloween.
Where can avid celebrators
go to find an appropriate cos
tume? Fringe and Tassel, 735 O St.,
one of Lincoln's most popular
costume shops, has more than
2,500 costume pieces available
for rent all year round. There
are Pink Panther, Pac-Man,
Garfield and Tweety full-bodied
costumes as well as Boy George,
Wonderwoman and Raggedy
Ann and Andy characters. And
the newly added Michael Jack
son, Gremlin and a big fuzzy
yellow banana costume all are
popular this year, owner Janie
Lane said.
The average cost for a cos
tume, including all accessories,
is approximately $25 to $28.
This price includes the indi
vidual fitganddrycleaning
Michigan State University, and
Jay Stuckel, 25, a 1982 graduate
of Missouri University, are in Lin
coln to help Pi Kappa Phi return.
They will be joined later this
month by Gary Leonard, assist
ant executive director ofPi Kappa
Phi
The national fraternity, which
has 105 chapters and 10 unchar
tered colonics, petitioned the UNL
Interfr atemity Council for 8 years
for a chance to recclonfce at UNL,
Stuckel said.
But the petitions were denied
each time because the fraternity
could net find housing on cam
pus, he said.
Last spring, housing was made
,84,No.J3
y...Page 10
DiU Coarat Dally Nebrask&ii
J1 UK?
of each costume.
Fringe and Tassel also sells
many accessories like make
up, wigs, hats, jewelry, hoop
skirts, white tuxedo tails and
cigarette holders.
Bob Carroll, owner of Deluxe
Costume World, 1645 S. 17th
St., said the traditional scary,
flash-mortster-type costumes
arent as popular this year,
j "I think people are more in
'terested in dress-up costumes
than spook ones," he said. They
want nice stuff."
Carroll said that although
his business is more of a
theatrical-based costume shop,
Deluxe Costume World does
have costumes for other occas
sions. Carroll said costumes rent
for an average of $18 to $26
and specific accessory prices
vary
Vol
extw
iverse' group
available when Tau Kappa Epsilon
fraternity sold its house at 425
University Terrace to the univer
sity. A sale now is being nego
tiated to Pi Kappa Phi, Stuckel
said. If the sale goes through,
members will mow into the house
next fall, he said.
Jayne Wade Anderson, direc
tor of greek affairs and coopera
tives, said the IFC supports the
fraternity's effort to re-establish
its chapter.
"We're perfectly happy to have
them here," Anderson said. The
IFC would support them 1C0
percent"
Centred ca S