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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 1994)
Nebraskan Editorial Board University of Nebraska-Lincoln JeffZeleny.’...Editor, 472-1766 Kara Morrison.;.Opinion Page Editor Angie Brunkow...Managing Editor Jeffrey Robb.Associate News Editor Rainbow Rowell.Columnist/Associate News Editor Mike Lewis.....Copy Desk Chief James Mehsling..Cartoonist F.DIIOKtVI More reasons One report shows engineering too costly Today, the engineering debate between the Lincoln and Omaha campuses of the NU system enters the homerun stretch. After nine months of waiting* the nine-member task force comprised of administrators, faculty and businessmen will be released to regents and the media. In 10 days, the NU Board of Regents will consider and possibly vote on creating a separate engineering college at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. This yearlong controversy is dragging on. First consultants, now a task force. Few new developments have been announced. But Wednesday, the Daily Nebraskan obtained a report that was conducted without commission by university administrators or regents. Robert F. Allen, the chairman of the economics and finance department at Creighton University, analyzed the consequences of expanded engineering education. “Only rather modest expenditures of taxpayer funds could be justified to expand engineering education within the state of Nebraska at this time,” Allen wrote in a letter to NU President Dennis Smith. Allen’s findings are logical. The cost of equipment, buildings and institutional support negates the need for another college. This study is a perfect example of how the state cannot support a second engineering college. It’s not only a Lincoln or Omaha issue. Now is the time for constituents to make their feelings known to their state legislators and regents. You have 10 days. Still owing And owing, and owing, and owing.... Wimpy would have made a fine college student. “I’d gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today,” the “Popeye” character said on more than one occasion. But today’s college students are borrowing more than ham burger money. The cost of a college education is increasing and financial help for students is decreasing. Students are turning to loans and credit cards to pay for their degrees. A higher education expert told the Coordinating Commission for Post Secondary Education on Monday that student financial aid has steadily decreased since the 1970s. Thomas O’Neill Jr. said campus-based student aid has declined 48 percent. The maximum Pell Grant award has declined by 38 percent. So students turn to loans. After four or more years of borrow ing, students graduate deeply in the red. Their years at NU leave them with a debt that will burden them for years. It is time for Nebraska voters and legislators to stop adding to the college students’ burden. Furthermore, it is time to stop relieving some of that burden. The commission sent a letter to the governor this month, asking him to increase financial support for Nebraska’s college students. The governor and the rest of Nebraska should heed the commission’s call. I DIIOUI \l Pol |( Y Staff editorials represent the official policy of the Fall 1994 Daily Nebraskan. Policy is set by the Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. Editorials do not necessarily reflect the views of the university, its employees, the students or the Nil Board ofRegeots. Editorial columns represent the opinion of the author. The regents publish the Daily Nebraskan. They establish the UNL Publications 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. 1 I I I I K I’OI l< } The Daily Nebraskan welcomes briefletters 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 are welcome to submit material as guest opinions. The 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. Requests to withhold names will not be granted. Submit material to the Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St., Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448. mm " rt)ip it hew-mm& FIRST J i * i CINDY LYNCiE-Kl HICK Mom, stop talking like a baby Last week I asked my 12-year old son if he “had to go potty before he put his jammies on.” 1 think I have a problem using the appropriate adolescent lexicon, and a bad case of “Momese.” (Momese is the habit of cooing, murmuring, clucking and otherwise making a fool of oneself around children.) There was a time when the words “potty” and “jammies” were appropriate and descriptive — about a decade and several develop mental stages ago, back when his toilet was plastic and had a lift-out bowl, and his pajamas matched his Bert and Ernie slippers. For a while it was getting better. The kids were older, and I was watching my p’s and q’s. We actually were starting to have intelligent, mature conversations that centered on things besides bathroom etiquette and toe jam. Then we got a dog — or should I say a “doggie.” Ever since Higgins appeared with his oh-so-cute canine pant and warm, wet nose, every word that comes out of my mouth is an octave higher than usual and in diminutive form. (This semantic shift is only natural, when one buys a pet, has a baby or falls in love.) “Want a tummy rub? Huh, boy, huh?... Oh yes, yes he does, good doggie, good doggie.” I realize that not all people digress into speaking a monosyl labic mumbo jumbo every time someone two feet shorter or furrier than themselves appears in the room. In fact, I had a friend who would ask her toddler, “Do you need to urinate in the toilet?” But I always thought it was odd. At the time, “Can you do pee-pee in the potty?” sounded a lot better. Maybe I was wrong. I mean, I don’t want my children 7 hen we got a dog — or should I say a “doggie. ” Ever since Higgins appeared with his oh-so-cute ca-, , nine pant and warm, wet nose, every word that comes out of my mouth is an octave higher than usual and in diminutive form. to end up at their junior high school physicals and be stymied at the question, “When did you have your last bowel movement, or BMT’ and have them answer, “I don’t listen to classical music,” or “We drive a Toyota.” And I can see them out on dates ordering a serving of “psgetti and meatballs with apple juice in a sipper cup.” It’s in the realm of possibilities at this point. Where have I gone wrong? The highchairs, bibs and diapers are long gone; why can’t I let them grow up? From now on I’m going to watch my tongue. I will remember that when a 10 year-old gets a scrape, it is not appropriate to call it an “owwie” or a “boo-boo” and then offer to kiss it and cover it with a Barney Band Aid to make it better. I may still get away with telling my 7-year-old that his “piggies need trimming,” but not for much longer. (They’re called toenails, Cindy, toenails. And it’s a train, not a choo-choo; a cow instead of a moo moo; it’s pretty, not purty; finished, not all gone; a blanket, not a night night; clock as opposed totick tock.) And when I catch myself calling my husband “Daddy” arid inviting him to eat a snack of celery and peanut butter with raisins and calling it “ants on a log” to boot, 1 will know it is time to catch an R rated movie with someone who is old enough to vote — and prefer ably childless. I just hope that when the movie is over and we go grab a bite to eat, I can refrain from helping cut up my date’s food. And heaven forbid I should mention, “Be careful crossing the street, and don’t forget to wave bye-bye.” I guess I’m one of those mothers who can’t quit mothering. But I’m not as far gone as some women I know. A good friend thought it was her duty to tell her husband when to blow his nose. “Let me get that snot for you, honey pie.” And I no longer spew out silly nonsense words like goo-goo, ga-ga and ka-ka. (What is ka-ka anyway?) But yet, it is a worry. I have this fear that I will slip and tell my boss not to forget to wipe after leaving the bathroom or rub her head and say “nighty-night” at the end of the day. I actually have a tummy ache just thinking about it I think I’ll call my mommy. Lange-Kubkkis a senior news-editorial and sociology major and a Daily Nebraskan columnist. The Daily Nebraskan wants to hear from you. If you want to voice your opinion about an article that appears in the newspaper, let us know. Just write a brief letter to the editor and sign it (don’t forget your student ID number) and mail it to the Daily Nebras kan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R Street, Lincoln, NE 68588-0448, or stop by the office in the basement of the Nebraska Union and visit with us. We’re all cars.