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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 16, 1992)
Opinion Nebraskan Editorial Board University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chris Hopfensperger.Editor, 472-1766 Dionne Searcey..Opinion Page Editor Kris Karnopp.f.. .. ..Managing Editor Alan Phelps. ...Wire Editor Wendy Navratil.„.Writing Coach Stacey McKenzie... Senior Reporter Jeremy Fitzpatrick . . .k.... . Columnist Time’s running out Register and vote, or lose your voice This year, there is no excuse for not voting. Both the Republicans and Democrats are offering strong political candidates. And for those Americans who believe politics arc exactly what is wrong with the United States, Ross Perot brings promises of a different nature to the race. But you can't support anyone if you don’t vote. Time is running out for those who aren't registered. Eighteen days remain before the election. Nebraskans have only one week left to register to vote in the Nov. 3 election. Election officials have until Oct. 30 to mail out absentee ballots. If you aren’t registered — do it. All it takes is filling out a quick form at the Election Commissioner’s office or one of several special locations set up before the deadline. If you arc already registered, you don’t need to reregister unless you have moved, changed your name or wish to change your political .iffSIiohr.n After you have reg- istered — vote. Students registered in their hometowns should reregister in Lincoln or send for an absentee ballot. Election officials require a signature to send out an absentee, so getting one requires writing a short letter to the County Clerk or election official who handles the process. All who arc clieiblc must vflraafffe. / vote. Everyone, especially university students, has a vested interest in this election. David Badders/DN The man wjK) C()nlmls thc Qval Office for the next four years will have a direct impact on the chances of getting a job after gradua tion. He will hold the reigns on nominations to the Supreme Court, which has edged closer to a pivotal vote on abortion rights. And, as Perot points out, the next president will play an enormous role in shaping the world in which today’s students will raise children of their own. As the days in the campaign waruj, listen to what the candidates havc4o say about issues that matter to you. Pay close attention to the final debate. Examine what President Bush, Bill Clinton and Perot arc saying about the economy, the environment, health care and domestic and foreign policy. Decide which candidate best represents you and do what you can to get him elected. People who ignore their voting privileges are ignoring the one basic theory that built this country — democracy. Those who don’t use their voice on Nov. 3 lose their voice in government for the next four years: —' ^ Those who don’t vote and then complain that they gel nothing from the government do little to remedy the situation. People should register to vote before time runs out, and those who are already registered should plan on voting. Staff editorials represent the official policy of the Hall 1992 Daily Nebraskan. Policy is set by the Daily Nebraskan lidilorial Board. lidilorials do not necessarily reflect the views of the university, its employees, the students orlhc NU Board of Regents. I xiilorial columns represent the opinion of the author. The regents publish the Daily Nebraskan. Ihey establish the UNI, l\rblicalions Board to supervise the daily production of the paper. According to policy set by the regents, responsibility for the editorial content of the newspaper lies solely in the hands of its students. H H 'HieDaily Nebraskan welcomes brief letters to the editor from all readers and interested others. Letters will be selected for publication on the basis of clarity, originality, timeliness and space available. The Daily Nebraskan retains the right to edit or reject all material submitted. Readers also arc welcome to submit material as guest opinions. 'I'hc editor decides whether material ^should run as a guest opinion. Letters and guest opinions sent to the newspaper become the property of the Daily Nebraskan and cannot be returned. Anonymous submissions will not be published. Letters should included the author’s name, year in school, major and group affiliation, if any. RequesTsTd withhold names w ill not be granted. Submit material to the Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union, MOOR St., Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448, StM twe. )) coor<se. ^ Diploma doomsday yet to arrive Graduation. I’m surrounded by the signs of my impending yet unavoid able doom or freedom, depending on the job market. Lucky for me, diploma doomsday won’t hit for at least another year or so. Unlucky for me, that means for at least an other year or so, I will have to explain my rather lengthy stay at this institution to my family, friends and pro spective employers. Just because 1 have been in college for four years, everyone thinks I should be leaving soon. I try to explain that just because I’ve used up my four-year allotment doesn’t mean I have enough credits for a degree. I try to explain that I take only 12 crcuu nours every semester anu work two jobs on the side so I can pay rent AND cat while I get an education. I try to explain that if I hear, “So . . . you’ll be graduating soon?” one more lime, I’ll scream. And they still ask when I’ll be done. I’m tired of repeating myself over and over again like a broken record. I need something in writing that I can send to my inquisitors to make them stop torturing me. So the other day, I visited with the man selling graduation announce ments at the bookstore. “You’ll be graduating in Decem ber?” he asked. Holding back a scream, I said no. “In May?” Again, I said no. “Well then, when?” If I’m lucky, sometime this cen tury. “So what can 1 help you with?” I need some NON-graduation an nouncements. “Some what?” Non-graduation announcements— little cards I can send out to all these people who keep asking me when I’ll be done with school to tell them I’ll probably still be here in a couple years, so quit asking, I’m not graduat ing any time soon, it’s really none of your business, after all, it’s my money I’m blowing here, I’m the one work ing 6() hours a week on top of a full class load and rack ing up thousands of dollars worth of debt in student loans, so shut up. That’s what I need. “I think what you’re looking for is party invitations.” Oh ... well, thanks for your time. Maybe Hallmark will come out with something to cater to needs of us longtimcrs in the university circuit. Face it. Few people earn their bach elor’s degrees in four years or less. Most of us spend our first year dab bling in different things, and if we find something, we either flunk some classes or lake the wrong ones or take ones just because they looked inter V.11IIIJ-. Ill IIIV J/1V IV^KHIUIIWII puv As if graduation questions weren’t bad enough, those little packets are floating around again. I have to decide what I’ll be taking next semester when I can’t even re member what I’m taking THIS se mester or what I’ve taken in all the semesters since I’ve been here. Of all the theorems and hypotheses and facts and figures I’ve heard ut tered from the moulhsof ouresleemcd faculty, I haven’t retained much. But I’ve learned a lot: — How to prevent hangovers. • — How to parallel park into a space only 6 inches longer than my car. — That friends arc people who will stay with you when they would rather be anywhere else. — Where to cat and drink cheap. '— How to go from bedroom to classroom in less than 15 minutes. —That Union railroad rcpaircrcws were crucial to the success of Gen. William T. Sherman’s destructive march to the sea and, thus, Union victory in the Civil War. — How to belch. This week, I’ll meet with my advi ser and plan out the classes I need to take to finish my stay at this school. I think he’s trying to get rid of me, but I’m not in any hurry to leave. I’ve been in “the real world” and enjoyed it. I love working, and I some times wish I didn’t have to put my work down to go to class. If a good full-time job came along, I’d seri ously consider putting my degree on the back burner for a while or maybe forever. But I’m afraid that if education isn’t forced upon me, I’ll become lethargic and apathetic. Instead of + seeking out new things to learn, I’ll sit around the house eating com chips and watching Ed McMahon’s “Star Search.” That’s what I did while I worked last summer. I would wake up, go to my job, come home and watch televi sion like a dufus until bedtime. Sure, it was relaxing to be brain dead fora few weeks. Then I got bored with Ed and decided to do something ■. i .1 i* r_ wiui my i/dinim So I lived. 1 look long hikes along the beach. I read good books. I visited the different neighborhoods in the city and photographed the people, places and things 1 found. I learned a lot. 1 grew up. Make sure you step beyond the walls of this institution and discover the real world for yourself before you’re shoved into it. Take a semester off, get a temporary job, take a vaca tion, go on “Star Search,” go some where far away from your home for a while. Real life is where real education takes place, and before you graduate, you may never have a better chance to learn so much about yourself and still come back to familiar people, places and things. Unless you come back to get an other degree. Hmmmm. Nah, gel a life instead. Paulman is a senior news-editorial and history major and a Daily Nebraskan pho tographer and columnist. Parking I am writing about the political cartoon in the Oct. 14 issue of the Daily Nebraskan that implies the University of Ncbraska-Lincoln Park ing Advisory Committee meetings are nothing more Than a non-intelligenl waste of lime. I feel that I must make it clear how infuriating it was to see. I am a member of the committee, and I can tell you that what is done during our meetings is anything but non-intclligent. We cover all areas from secondary traffic violation ap peals to student concerns to budgets to parking problems and corrections. I also know that much of what we accomplish is done outside our com mittee meetings. I personally under took the task of visiting all residence hallson both campuses and announced availability to all Greek houses to arrange meetings in which students, faculty and stall were able to voice their problems and suggested solu tions to parking problems on and around campus. I have also conducted further in formal surveys and investigations aboul the parking garage that every body screams for — as long as they don’t have to pay for it. And the list just goes on and on. So, for your cartoonist to imply the things he or she did couldn’t have been further from the truth. Maybe the final quote of the car toon should have read: ‘'Waitaminute! This thing is aimed at the Daily Ne braskan cartoonist’s desk in Lincoln, Neb.!” Mark Goldfeder sophomore chemistry
