Professor juggles
work and motherhood
Raising Carolina
often a challenge
By Jill O’Brien ___
Staff Reporter
Ann Pettus, an assistant professor
and director of forensics at UNL, shares
room 413 of Oldfathcr Hall with her
seven-month-old daughter.
Named after South Carolina, her
M father’s favorite
state,Carolina Pet
tus accompanies
her mother to work
three days a week.
After Carolina
was born, Pettus
—said, she wanted
to stay at home with her newborn for
more than four weeks. But because
the University of Ncbraska-Lincoln
has no malcmity-lcavc policy, Pettus
said she had to return to work after
using up her sick leave.
Finding a nearby child-care facil
ity was a problem, Pettus said. So she
discussed her situation with William
Seiler, chairman of the speech com
munication department. Because no
policy prohibited faculty members
from bringing their children to work,
Seiler gave Pettus permission to bring
Carolina.
Since then, Carolina has set up
residency in her mother’s office. But
Carolina is no slouch; she takes her
office job seriously.
Not only-docs she help her mother
clear her desk of unwanted paper
work, she makes sure the shelves arc
stocked with standard baby items such
as diapers, baby wipes, burp pads and
an assortment of toys.
While Pettus advises students,
Carolina cither sleeps, stares watch
fully from her playpen or jabbers in
her mother’s arms.
Carolina’s presence in the office
has created a special bond between
students and teacher, Pettus said, as
well as students and baby. When Pettus
teaches class or attends meetings, one
of her five graduate students watches
Carolina.
Pctlus, who coaches UNL’s foren
sics team, said team members also
babysat Carolina.
The forensics team, nationally
ranked in the top 10 for the past five
years, sees Carolina as more than just
a pretty face — she is the team mas
cot.
Carolina has a positive impact on
the students who visit her in Pettus’
office.
“It’s wonderful to have Carolina
up here,” Dave Gear, a graduate stu
dent, said.
Pctlus said Carolina was a bright
spot in the day for many members of
the staff and faculty, especially when
the department was threatened by
budget cuts. The chairman would come
in to hug Carolina once a day, Pettus
said.
Because of the interaction between
people and Carolina, her daughter
has turned into a people person, she
said.
But bringing her child to work has
created some problems for Pettus.
One frustration Pettus encounters
is Carolina’s crying, she said, which
elicits an occasional complaint. When
Carolina starts crying, she shuts the
door and tries to quiet her. Students
and staff members often step in to
help lull Carolina to sleep, she said.
If it weren’t for the understanding
and support of the staff and students,
Pettus said, she would have lost her
sanity while trying to divide her time
between job and baby.
Another frustration, she said, is
not being able to accomplish all the
work and research she would like to,
especially with Carolina in the office.
Pettus said her husband babysat in
the evening, allowing her to return to
the university to work without dis
•< •J&
Greg Bernhardt'DN
Ann Pettus, an assistant professor and director of forensics,
says she brings her daughter Carolina to school three days a
week because UNL does not offer maternity leave.
traction. Carolina. When the meeting ran late
and the student had to leave for class,
Pettus said she wanted to prove pclllIS shc brought Carolina along,
that she could be an efficient teacher,
researcher and good mother. Despite Carolina did not cry, but babbled
the complications of bringing Caro- and sal on Pettus’ lap — she was a
lina to work, Pettus said she hoped little distracting, Pettus said,
bringing her would influence UNL to .,
develop maternity and paternity leave. A,lcr lhc meeting, s^.c
dean approached her and said, By
She recently attended a faculty the way, we’re now working on a
meeting and hired a student to babysit maternity leave.’’
Death
Continued from Page 1
that his statement was based on re
search surveys and characterizations
in literature on death penalty meth
ods.
Walter Fricdlander, a physician,
medical ethics specialist and profes
sor emeritus of neurology at the Uni
versity of Nebraska Medical Center,
said there was no humane advantage
to lethal injection over electrocution.
Electric shock to the brain, if cor
rectly administered, could kill a pris
oner instantly, Friedlander said, while
lethal injection would involve find
ing a vein, inserting a needle, then
waiting for the lethal injection to take
effect. •
The lengthy procedure would likely
include shock, fright and the possibil
ity of collapsed veins for the prisoner,
Fricdlander said.
Jean Eden of Nebraskans Against
the Death Penalty testified that one
Texas injection execution took 24
minutes from the lime the chemicals
began flow ing. At one point, she said,
the needle came out of the prisoner’s
arm, and chemicals sprayed around
the execution room.
Many times, prison officials have
trouble finding strong veins in prison
ers who have been drug addicts, Eden
said. One Texas prisoner had to help
officials find a vein.
William Brown, a death penally
opponent, said he thought that since
lethal injection was perceived as more
humane than electrocution, judges
might sentence more prisoners to death
than they otherwise would have.
“I fear that there is an antiseptic
feeling about lethal injection,” Brown
said.
America
Continued from Page 1
buying their products,” she said.
Sullivan also emphasized the need
to send a message to other countries
and domestic consumers.
“Made in Japan used to be a joke
but it isn’t funny anymore,” she said.
Others present at the hearing voiced
opposition to the LB 1216 and said the
bill only would make a bad situation
worse.
Tom Beckers, a Nebraska beef
exporter, said LB 1216 would send a
negative message to countries such as
Japan.
He said Japan bought its beef from
Australia because of the Japan-bash
ing that had been occurring lately.
“Pulling a boundary around this
state is not the solution,” he said. “It
would only hurt those of us who arc
trying to bring some of the foreign
money back to Nebraska.”
Beckers, others who testified and
some committee members argued that
the bill only would alienate other
countries.
Sen. Edward Schrock of Elm Creek
said other countries could pick up on
the negative message LB 1216 would
send and retaliate.
Schrock said he doubled the bill
would have much effect on any other
country but could do a lot of damage
to Nebraska.
The committee discussed the bill
in executive session but took no ac
tion.
State employees
to host brown bag
From Staff Reports
Members of Slate Employees
Achieving Racial and Cultural Har
mony arc sponsoring two brown bag
luncheons in observance of Black
History Month. Both luncheons arc
open to the public and will be from
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Nebraska
State Office Building.
Monday’s luncheon will feature
Dr. George Garrison, associate pro
fessor and chair of the Black Studies
Department at the University of
Nebraska at Omaha. Garrison will
speak on “The Archaeology, History
and Religion of Ancient Africa” in
lower level room A.
The luncheon on Feb. 28 will fea
ture Bertha Calloway, director of the
Great Plains Black Museum. Calloway
will speak on “Black Women of the
Great Plains” in lower level room F.
>1 Tropical Trip Map Await
You At The Junior
Fashion Headquarters
for Spring Break!
Collage student*! Make your first stop at Younkers for the hottest new fashions
spring Ԥ2 has to offer. A special celebration with you in mind begins Spring Break
on Satwday, February 22, in participating Junior departments with soms of our
newest epring styles on sale.
Stop in and be one of the first SO students to fill out a Younkers Charge credit application
and receive 10% off any4 single regular or sale price Junior item plus, a free Spring
Bredk T-shirt! If you already have a Younkers Charge, show us your college 1.0. and
receive the same discount and T-shirt.
Plus, registsr for your chance to win our Spring Break trip for two to South Padre, Texas!
Trip includes airfare and six nights lodging in a hotel. You must be 18 years or older to
win. No purchase is necessary and you need not be present to win. Younkers associates
and their immediate families are not eligible.
*Eaclvdes Buasa & Value Price items.
Juniors
Cedar Falls, Iowa City, Ames A tincoln J___
