ALAN PHELPS
Answers up Wal-Mart’s sleeve
In these dark economic times,
when millions of Americans are
out of work, when homeless
people line the streets of our cities,
when the foul grip of poverty threat
ens to strangle the population, some
sort of action must be taken.
Wal-Mart has the answer: Roll up
the sleeves.
A commercial running on TV
throughout the country right now shows
dedicated Wal-Mart employees duti
fully rolling up their sleeves to “roll
back prices.”
The TV spot makes it sound as
though Wal-Mart has seen the ter
rible slate in which our nation lan
guishes and it is going to gel to work!
My roommate works at Wal-Mart
in Grand Island. He said Wal-Mart
workers actually arc required to roll
up their sleeves. Apparently, every
one in the store from the managers on
down is going for that casual, rolling -
up-thc-slcevcs look.
I asked him if he thought he worked
harder with his sleeves rolled up. He
said he almost always worked with
his sleeves up anyway because it was
more comfortable.
Why didn’t George Bush think of
this? Wal-Mart isoncof the few retail
chains that actually had decent Christ
mas sales in these recessionary times,
and it seems as though it’s because of
this innovative sleeve device.
But will rolling up sleeves really
solve anything? In an effort to find
out, I called the most knowledgeable
person on campus — the university
operator.
The university operator I talked to
said the plan “might” work. Later in
the conversation, she changed her mind
and said it would “probably” work.
Satisfied that the Wal-Mart policy
was not just a bunch of hot air, I set
out to find what Wal-Mart competi
tors arc doing to retaliate.
While there arc no Wal-Marts in
town, the Omaha store casts a shadow
on the department stores of Lincoln.
Besides, I knew that if Lincolnites
saw on their televisions what the boys
next door were doing, they would
wonder why their local outlets were
n’t doing the same.
A Target manager here in Lincoln
said his store workers weren’t going
to roll up their sleeves, at least not in
the literal sense. But he did say they
had a new dress code over there.
Employees can wear short sleeves
At Wal-Mart. it is
easy to see whether
employees actually
have rolled up their
sleeves. But at
ShopKo. itys difficult
to see anyone's shirt
through that horrific
orange polyester.
now, which may allow them to work
a bit harder.
I suppose this has to do with under
arm perspiration and the unsightly
stains it causes.
While I had the Target guy on the
phone, I asked him what he though
about the people who pronounce the
store’s name as if it were a Frencl
word. He said he liked it.
One of Wal-Mart’s main rivals ir
this pan of the country is ShopKo
There arc two ShopKos in Lincoln
and yet I haven’t seen Karen, the
ShopKo commercial lady, informing
the public about any sleeve change a
the stores.
The ShopKo person I got ahold oi
wouldn’t make any comments. She
thought 1 should call headquarters ir
Green Bay, Wis.
Sure, thiscould bccxplaincd awaj
as some company policy. But maybe
they arc scared — scared that Wal
Mart’s little sleeve-rolling exercise
could pul the competition out of busi
ness.
I used to work at a ShopKo.
haven’t been in one for a while, bu
when I was there, ShopKo employee;
wore ugly orange jackets. Wal-Mar
workers, on the other hand, wear smar
blue vests. At Wal-Mart, it is easy tc
sec whether employees actually have
rolled up their sleeves. But at ShopKo, |
it’s difficult to see anyone’s shirt
through that horrific orange polyes
ter.
Perhaps the ShopKo lady was hush
hush because they’re rolling up their
sleeves in secret. When the time comes,
ShopKo employees will throw down
their smocks and the world will see
sleeves rolled up past the elbows.
The store manager at Richman
Gordman said his store had no plans
to require employees to roll up sleeves.
When I told him that Target employ
ees could wear short sleeves now, he
said Richman Gordman never had
any restriction on sleeve length, al
though the store made its workers
wear dress shirts, ties and slacks.
He said he wouldn’t have a prob
lem if any particular employee felt
the need to roll up the sleeves of a
dress shirt.
“I do it occasionally myself,” he
said.
That’s the kind of attitude we need
more of in this country. I wonder if
Lee lacocca ever rolls up his sleeves. ;
To get a more national perspec
tive, I called the K-Mart national
customer service line. The operator I
spoke with, Kara, claimed at first that
, she didn’t know what I was talking
about.
But I didn’t let her off so easily.
Demanding to know what, if any, .
\ changes K-Mart planned for its sleeve '
| policy, I repeated my question and
told her about the Wal-Mart commer
, cial.
“I haven’t seen the commercial,”
Kara said. “I don’t have any idea
! about that.”
Likely story. My guess is K-Marl
employees probably arc rolling up
sleeves in back rooms, perhaps, in an
• effort to throw Wal-Mart off-track.
As with ShopKo, K-Mart cmploy
| ccs arc set to emerge soon, sleeves
rolled clear the hell up. Sleeves rolled
up way past their shoulders. Or maybe
they’re just ripping the things off
entirely. Who needs ‘cm, anyway.
, They just get in the way of America’s
recovery.
There’s a sleeve race afoot in the
nation’s discount retail chains. Sure,
Wal-Mart is the only major store to
go public so far, but there will be
more. Oh, yes. There will be more.
Take that, Japan.
Phelps is a sophomore news-editorial ma
’ jor, the Daily Nebraskan opinion page editor
: and a columnist.
Baldwin should get needed funds, support
I think that Scott Baldwin’s medi
cal and legal expenses should be paid,
plus his family should be brought
here cxpcnscs-paid by the university
athletic department. That is the least
the university can do for him. People
fail to realize that Scott was and still
is a part of this university, and it is
partly because of pressure from ath
letics that pushed him to his breaking
point.
When Scott played football for us,
and made touchdowns helping our
team win, we supported him. It
wouldn’t be right if we didn’t support
him. Yes, if that means paying his
medical bills, we should. I don’tthink
that by paying his medical bills, the
athletic department is feeling sorry
for him. Nor do I think that they arc
applauding his actions. I think they
arc doing the right thing by helping
one of their own.
To the young lady who stated
“Baldwin shouldn’t get Ices paid,”
(DN, March 10), you arc an ignorant,
closc-mindcd person. I doubt if you
know Gina or Scott. Your letter was a
cheap chance to be in the paper. If
you watch the news and read the
Daily Nebraskan every day, not just
on Mondays, you would know that
Gina’s medical expenses arc being
paid, and yes, we care. Scott doesn’t
need to be behind bars; he needs mental
help. If he can’t afford it, how do you
think he will gel help? Exactly how
much and what kind of rehabilitation
(state funded) do you think Scott should
receive?
As far as Omaha, 1 don’t think
Scott will be walking the streets, and
the people don’t have to be afraid.
I support Scott Baldwin. I support
the athletic department’s decision to
pay his fees. By leaving him in jail,
that adds to his problems. Paying for
his medical expenses and getting him
the help he needs solves his problem.
Thank you, athletic department.
I’m glad to know you care about him
enough to do so.
Hope Burtlcy
sophomore
journalism
More coverage could lessen political apathy
I really have been surprised at how
little coverage the Daily Nebraskan
has given to this year’s presidential
campaign. Being a college newspa
per that speaks to an educated public,
I would think that it would be a per
fect opportunity to help battle the
political apathy that has been screw
ing up our election system recently.
Voting is way down, especially among
the college age group. Many people
who turn 18 don’t even bother to get
registered, and those who do may not
ever make it to the polls for many
different reasons. I’ve heard some
people say that they don’t feel that
their vote matters just because they
are in the younger age group, a result
of being conditioned to think they are
too young and inexperienced to have
a valid opinion. A vote is a vote, and
the more of them there arc, the more
accurately the population (everyone
from young children to senior citi
zens) will be represented. Another
excuse I’ve heard around campus is
lhat Nebraska is not the home slate of
many people, and that makes it diffi
cult to gel involved in politics. Per
haps no one knows about absentee
ballots because it never has been widely
advertised as an option, but it is a very
good one. The main reason, though,
for the lack of crowds at the voting
booth is undcrcducalion about the
candidates. Here is where the Daily
Nebraskan should be doing its part.
Mark Baldridge said in one of his
articles not too long ago that the Daily
Nebraskan is the fifth-largcsl news
paper in the state. A paper with that
much circulation has a responsibility
to its readers. Even with space,budget
and lime restrictions, I would think it
would be possible to have maybe a
running series of profiles of the can
didates and their stands on issues.
The more people know about who is
running for the presidency, the easier
it is for them to make a decision about
who they like and don’t like. Without
any information, the common atli
tudc is that all politicians arc the same
anyway, so why docs it matter which
one is up there? Freedom of the press
originally was guaranteed so that
people could be informed as to the
working of their government, and so
that we could know all our options
when it comes to changing it. Now
are we willing to just let our politi
cians slide by with a winning smile
and a clever TV ad? It also would be
helpful to a lot of people to know their
options when it comes to voting —
Kinds of questions like where to get
registered, how to get an absentee
ballot and how to find out what dis
trict you are in are all questions that
many people have, but they lack the
motivation or the time to gel them
answered. Maybe if it was offered to
them, they would be able to do some
thing with it.
Jennifer Nelson
freshman
English
%
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