Students find happiness at UNL
Story by Diana
sk some student scholars at
UNL what they think of their edu
cation and you're likely to get some
positive answers.
In fact, of the merit scholars
interviewed, their answers are so
positive, it might lead one to wonder
if these students are telling the whole
truth.
The fact that all of these students
applied and were accepted at insti
tution of greater prestige, such as
Harvard, Yale, Northwestern and
Stanford universities, make one
wonder even more.
But of the merit scholars inter
viewed, most say they have no
regrets of bypassing those Ivy League
or near-Ivy League schools for
UNL.
"A reputation doesn't mean a hill
of beans," says Jeffrey Talbott, a
senior theater major from Kimball.
"I could not have a better educa
tion had I gone to a more reputable
school." he said.
There is irony in Talbott's state
ment, he says.
During hisjuniorand senior year
in high school, as he visited out-of-state
colleges with his parents, Tal
bott became dead-set against going
to UNL.
The excitement of attending thea
ter classes at a more well-known,
out-of-state college pulled Talbott
toward the University of Northern
Colorado.
But for financial reasons, Talbott
ended up rehearsing lines for UNL's
theater professors.
A
Johnson
Colorado's universities do not
provide financial support for out-of-state
students, Talbott said, so
he came to U N L backed by a corpo
rate sponsored merit scholarship
and a Regents award.
Talbott's rationale to attend UNL
for financial reasons is not unlike
the situation other merit scholars
found themselves in near high school
graduation.
Mary Beth Trouba, whose choi
ces for higher education included
Stanford, Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, University of Chi
cago and Northwestern University,
said she decided it was in her best
interests to put off any debts until
graduate school.
Trouba's scholarship, sponsored
by the State Farm Companies
Foundation, also was supplemented
by with a Regents award.
Trouba said the "vast cost of tui
tion" at those schools discouraged
her from taking undergraduate-level
courses there.
Trouba said she also found the
university more helpful and more
willing when she was faced with
last-minute registration problems.
Part of that may simply stem
from the fact that she carries clout
with administration as a merit scho
lar, Trouba said.
"I wouldn't say with faculty that's
true, but with administration it's a
different story," she said. "Let them
know you're a merit scholar and
presto."
Michael Roe, a senior account
ing major, said he experienced the
same ease after filing his registration
at thelast minute when he suddenly
decided not to attend the University
of Iowa.
But the special attention encour
aged Roe's decision to come to
UNL.
Roe said that as he prepared to
attend Iowa, he felt he was treated
more and more as a number.
Roe said an earlier promise from
Iowa to provide financial aid went
by unheeded.
Then he said he was told there
would be no problem with housing.
A notice later was mailed informing
him that he would receive only
temporary housing. That's when he
made his decision to come to Ne
braska. Roe said he is pleased with his
decision.
Roe said ironing out problems
for registration for his freshman
classes took only 2 12 hours and
one adviser.
Beth Kolb. a senior anthropol
ogy major, said her merit scholar
ship from Goodyear Tire and Rub
uci company Funds, would have
allowed her to attend Stanford or
Princeton universities or Reed Col
lege in Oregon, which is well known
for its excellent anthropology depart
ment. Like other merit scholars, Kolb
said money also was a factor in her
decision to attend UNL.
But Kolb said she also was influ
enced by the university's involve-
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