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EDITOR
Doug Kouma
OPINION
EDITOR
Anne Hjersman
EDITORIAL
BOARD
Doug Peters
Matt White
Paula Lavigne
Mitch Sherman
Anthony Nguyen
Downhill slide
As election time nears
things are getting ugly
Just when you thought it was safe to go
back to politics...
Nebraskans have been especially lucky
this election cycle. We’ve been blessed with
a kinder, gentler kind of politicking, not only
from our presidential candidates but from our
Senate candidates.
Until recently.
Oh sure, Ben Nelson, Chuck Hagel, Bill
Clinton and Bob Dole have taken a swipe at
each other from time to time. But it hasn’t
been the whole story — more the exception
than the rule.
It was rather nice, this being a time when
people are tired of politics — when
partisanism is a naughty word on the cam
paign trail.
Clinton and Dole, in their tirst debate,
openly said they liked each other. They dis
agreed, like most people do, but they didn’t
resort to name-calling and harsh criticism.
Nelson and Hagel bodi have said they
would run a clean campaign and a campaign
on the “issues.”
So why is everyone being so negative?
Dole tossed his first debate style of re
spect and decency and went after Clinton on
their first question of Wednesday night’s
debate.
Dole and Clinton even criticized each
other on a question about the ills of
partisanism and division. Ironic, isn’t it?
The Nelson/Hagel race was fairly quiet
up until a week ago, except for their last de
bate, which both candidates compared to a
boxing match.
Now, Nelson is buying thousands of dol
lars of TV time to criticize Hagel. Hagel is
saying the ads are lies and is launching his
own counter ads.
Hagel went so far as to ask for Nelson to
resign his position as governor Wednesday.
Nelson refused.
As little as a week ago, both the Nelson
and Hagel camps were saying they were pre
pared for their opponent to launch “attack
ads” and “smear campaigns.” Funny thing,
considering neither side was provoked.
In just 19 days, voters go to the polls.
Leads have to be guarded, deficits have to
be made up.
Desperate times, desperate measures, as
they say. But are these desperate times in ei
ther race?
Dole had a large deficit to overcome—
double digits in the home stretch is never an
enviable position in politics.
But before the debate, Dole was slowly
narrowing the gap in the polls. He had been
selling respect and dignity and wisdom for
months. It had appeal to many voters.
But we’re now in the final days of the
long campaign. Barring a miracle, the once
semi-clean campaigns of 1996 are going to
get dirty. And dirtier and dirtier.
And that’s unfortunate.
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ANDERSON
Living the American dream in France
Today when I was walking back to
my residence hall from the bus stop,
I paused at the curt) to let a two-door
Peugeot speed by at 70 kilometers
per hour. (This is good advice while
anywhere in Europe.)
Anyway, after the car passed, I
noticed a white sticker with a black F
in the rear window. This was really
nothing new; almost every car in
France has one, so that it can be
identified while being driven in other
countries.
But this sight, which has become
an everyday thing for me, sparked a
thought that has passed through my
head several times in the two weeks
since I moved to my new location:
I’m in France! Actually, I’m living in
France!
Don’t misunderstand; I’m not
writing this with a capricious attitude
(ppbbblt, I’m in France and you’re in
Lincoln). That’s not what I’m saying.
This amazing yet obvious
revelation carries a tone of disbelief
and wonder. Understand, this isn’t
supposed to happen to a mid
American poor student from Ne
braska —or so I once thought.
Seven years ago, I learned my
first French words. Then, Mrs.
Simpson’s eighth-grade tri-culture
class opened up a portal leading to a
completely different world: foreign
language and culture.
In the ninth grade, I decided to
study French, and throughout the
year, I learned the basics. Then, in
high school, my interest not only
carried me through three more years
of foreign language, but also drove
- me to devour any sort of French
material I could obtain.
I remember spending several
hours each week reading the high
school’s copies of “Paris Match” or
“Le Figaro” or renting films such as
“Belle du Jour.” Sure, I didn’t
understand everything, but the point
is, I learned. And more importantly, I
was drawn to the culture.
All of this interest in studying,
reading and film-viewing was leading
up to one thing: I had to visit France.
/
u
I didn’t think it
was feasible for a
kid raised on food
stamps and
secondhand
clothing to make a
trip across the
ocean.
At that time though, I thought this
idea was completely impossible,
even after my French teacher, Miss
Brown, planned a summer trip
through France.
I didn’t think it was feasible for a
, kid raised on food stamps and
secondhand clothing to make a trip
across the ocean. But still, the idea
grew on me and I couldn’t give it up.
I knew neither I nor my parents
could afford the trip, so I found a
part-time job. I sold Toblerones. I
sold Christmas wrapping paper.
Anything to raise money, I was doing
it.
Now, I don’t want to turn this into
some cheesy success story; but I did
it. So nowf how does that bring me to
the University in Angers?
,
Before entering the University, I
had a good idea I wanted to continue
with foreign language. Knowing that
it’s almost impossible to speak a
*
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foreign language fluently unless you j
are surrounded by it, I checked out
UNL’s study abroad programs during
my first campus visit.
*
After that, I stayed in contact with
International Affairs, and a year ago I I
decided to start the application
process to study abroad in France. |
After a year of forms, applications,
recommendations, tests and general
busy work, I made it once again. But
the whole time and even up until the
last moment before arriving at the
University in Angers, I doubted
everything.
Though I knew living and
studying in France was something I
had been wanting to do for the past
several years, the idea remained that
it just wasn’t supposed to be me.
Again, I thought, a 20-year-old
student from Norfolk, Nebraska,
doesn’t do these sorts of things. But
what I didn’t understand then and
what people were always telling me,
I understand now. It is possible and,
really, not that uncommon. Others
from Norfolk and any other spot on
the map in Nebraska have done it.
I’m learning what they’ve all
known: It is possible if you want it to
be, it just takes a little courage and
hard work.
So now, I’m growing used to the
idea that I live in Angers and that
Paris is only two hours away. It still
seems unreal that London is a six
hour train ride and that I’ll be in
Greece in December. But it’s all
coming true. It’s what I wanted, and
until now I didn’t know how that
really felt. 1
That’s what I mean when I
exclaim, “I’m in France!” A French
car might not be speeding by when
this feeling hits another student; it
could be any place or any time. I
only hope every student has the
chance to experience it.
Anderson is a junior French
and Spanish major and a Daily
Nebraskan staff reporter who is
studying in France thb semester.
