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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 28, 1995)
Girls spend workday with moms and dads By Paula Lavigne Senior Reporter With a pile of highlighters, Laura McDowell was hard at work Thurs day coloring in the blanks of vehicle registration cards for UNL Parking Services. After sorting and stamping enve lopes, the smiling 6-year-old wel comed a trip to McDonald’s—com pliments of her dad, of course. Her father, Tad McDowell, man ager of parking services, brought his daughter to work with him for the national Take Our Daughters to Work Day. A group of about 20 girls from about six to 16, whose parents, aunts or guardians work at the University Bookstore, parking services, printing services, landscape services and mail and distribution, were treated to break fast and small gifts during a reception Thursday morning in Nebraska Hall. Tad McDowell said the special day let his daughter know where her father went in the morning. “It gives her a chance to see what dad does,” he said. “She’d come down once a week if she could. “Wouldn’t you?” he asked her. “Working on envelopes?” she said, hiding behind her Happy Meal. “Then when I’m done stamping, I’d leave.” She had fun Thursday, she said,but didn’t want to follow in her father’s footsteps. Even though she is only in kindergarten, she knew what she wanted to be when she grew up. “A nurse,” she said, smiling. Laura McDowell also made two new friends, Kylie Hill and Lindsay Wacker, who are both daughters of Tad McDowell’s employees. But Tad McDowell said it was dif ficult to respond to his employees who asked him why they could not bring their sons to work, too. “I think this is great,” he said, “but I think they should also have a Bring Your Sons to Work Day, too.” Cindy Kersey, who brought her 14-year-old daughter, Megan, to work, said her 12-year-old son was furious he couldn’t come along. “He said it was sexist,” she said. “But in a society so geared toward men having careers, it’s important to let young women know that the world’s open to them.” She said young women needed a lot of encouragement. “You can do it all,” she said. “And it can be done.” Cindy Kersey, a staff assistant to the director of budget and analysis at the central administration offices in Vamer Hall, had her daughter fill out ballots and work with the computer. Megan Kersey took half a day off from her classes at Irving Middle School but had to be back for an English test later in the day. “It’s a good chance to see where the parents work,” Cindy Kersey said. “Work always seems like an ominous place.” She said the experience would make Damon Lee/DN Laura McDowell, 6, highlights vehicle registration cards at parking services Thursday for her father, Tad McDowell, manager ofparking services. The elder McDowell brought Laura to work for Take Our Daughters to work Day. her daughter appreciate school, even if she had to get up at the same time. “Whose work day is longer than whose school day?” Cindy Kersey asked, grinning. Cindy Kersey, like Laura McDowell, decided to take a different career path than her parent and said she wanted to be a pediatrician. But the two will face a difficult task in deciding a college to attend. “I definitely want her to go toUNL,” Cindy Kersey said. Megan just grinned and looked away. 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Always wear your seat belt Legislation directed at changes By Matthew Waite Senior Reporter The bomb blast that ripped an Okla homa City Federal Building in half last week planted Midwesterners’ feet firmly on the ground, Sen. David Maurstad of Beatrice said Thursday. Maurstad introduced to the Ne braska Legislature a resolution ex - pressing sympa \ thy for the fami M B_ lies and friends of m ■ •n the victims in Oklahoma City. Maurstad said ill the resolution also n recognized that flOftJLJl the world was LEGISLATURE changing along with the Midwest. “It’s very difficult if not impos sible to answer a basic question like why,!’ he said. Maurstad asked senators to reflect on the bombing and the dramatically changing times that Americans would have to face. The resolution passed 25-0. Also Thursday, lawmakers ad vanced a bill that established a goal of connecting all Nebraska’s public schools to the Internet by June 30, 2000. “It is aggressive, but I think it makes a clear statement that we need to be aggressive in this area, (connecting public schools to the Internet)” m ARDYCE BOHLKE State Senator, Hastings Sen. Ardyce Bohlke of Hastings said the bill transferred money from a fund that was set to expire. The fund, which is used to repair weather dam age to schools, is made up of lottery money. “It is aggressive,” Bohlke said. “But I think it makes a clear statement that we need to be aggressive in this area.” Nebraska has many schools, Bohlke said, which makes the plan a big ticket item. About $14 million in lottery hinds will be available to the project.