EDITOR
Doug Kouma
OPINION
EDITOR
Anthony Nguyen
EDITORIAL
BOARD
Paula Lavigne
Joshua GiUin
Jessica Kennedy
Jeff Randall
Erin Gibson
-• Quest Ha
VIEW
No. 2 is king
Pencils' obsolescence
is still far, far away
x
From the Sacramento (Calif.) Bee
For anyone fearful that the relentless
march of technological innovation will
trample life as we once knew it, there is some
enlace tn he found in
the Survival—indeed
the flourishing—of a
veiy simple and old
fashioned instrument:
the pencil.
The sale of pen
cils, from the classic
yellow No. 2 to red lip
liners, reached 2.8 bil
lion last year, up from
1.8 billion in 1983.
Most American
pencils are made, and
have been for decades,
in the hills of central
Tennessee, where there
once was a plentiful
supply of Tennessee
red cedar, the wood of
choice.
The red cedar is
now long gone, and
California incense ce
dar, imported from
sustained-yield forests
on the western slopes
of the Sierra, has taken
its place.
Revenue for
American pencil
manufacturers, which
ft —
Yet it seems
unlikely
that the
pencil,
which is
so
reminis
cent of the
early
school
years, will
he cast off
any time
boon”
still dominate the market in this country, was
$161.8 million in 1993, up from $38 mil
lion in 1973. That’s not a huge industiy, but
the Los Angeles Times reports that it’s a
thriving one.
It relies on such steady customers as the
U.S. government, which buys 45 million
pencils a year (and will probably continue
to do so for the foreseeable future, given the
slow progress in computerizing its various
agencies), and the New York Stock Ex
change, which buys a million annually for
floor brokers to mark their trading slips.
Yet it seems unlikely that the pencil,
which is so reminiscent of the early school
years, will be cast off any time soon.
In a fit of pique over writer’s block or
some vexing math problem, personal com
puters can’t be easily snapped in two; they’re
too expensive, and they don’t splinter as
pleasingly as an old No. 2. And the com
puter gods have yet to make a PC that can
fit behind your ear.
But let’s be careful what we wish for.
: ‘ ' ■(
' ' I
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Fall 1996 Daily Nebraskan. They do not nec
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Mehs ling ’s
VIEW
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1 (T \ jF
Jessica
KENNEDY
Cookin’ a smorgasbord
Life's recipe calls for work, kids, joy
' .... U. . •, t . .
Cooking’s tough, you know.
It’s all about balance; getting the
right mixture of beans, sauce,
crumbs in a green bean casserole or,
as I found out the hard way on
Saturday, the right amount of
Hershey’s chocolate sauce, brownie
mix and chocolate chips.
In my old age (such a ripe 21),
I’m finding that life’s a lot like
cooking—balancing a little fun and
work with family and friends and all
topped off with a dash of academics.
Cooking, as a metaphor far life,
makes a lot of sense. The little we
pull from here and there makes up
the batter (or fabric) of who were
are.
Recipes tor nappy, oaiancea lives
are as unique as your family’s secret
cookie recipe.
Traditional recipes tend to
include ingredients like spouse,
children, home, work, Fido, religion
and minivan. But contemporary
recipes might include sports, gallery
openings* volunteering at the
homeless shelter, ATVs and more!
So, what does it take to develop
the perfect recipe for life?
Barbara Walters says “Thist your
gut.” If it seems like all you do is
work or all you do is study, then
you’r&probably right.
Sure, everybody’s gotta make a
livin’, but what’s the point if you’re
too busy or too beat to enjoy the
rewards?
If you want to go for a bike ride
, or call a friend or take a nap, do it!
Then get on with what you need to
ent in life is the ability to dream.
Dreams have the greatest
potential to alter who you are and
who you will become.
Author Emily Bronte writes,
“I’ve dreamt in my life dreams that
have stayed with me ever after, and
changed my ideas: They’ve gone
through and through me, like wine
through water, and altered the color
of my mind.”
Dreams are like eggs. They both
bind the other ingredients together,
make the whole possible. Without
eggs, your brownies, cookies and
cake would be runny messes.
Without dreams, your career or
family would go all sorts of directions.
Dreams are your focus. They help you
stay on track, aiding your arrival to
wherever you may be going.
As things start to get hectic with
midterms and spring-break plan
ning, stop and think about what’s in
your recipe.
What kind'of things do you need
to survive? To be balanced? To be joy
ous?
For me it’s family, sunny days,
financial comfort, a few good
friends, a great book and plenty of
sleep. Just to name a few.
I can only hope that at some
point, my actual cooking ability
catches up to my metaphorical
cooking.
Kennedy is n senior advertising
and broadcasting major and a
Daily Nebraskan columnist. /
do. Don’t waste time whining or
wishing. Trust me, you’ll be happier
in the long run. Find room in your
life to have balanced, if not equal,
parts of work and fun.
SARK, an inspirational' writer,
recommends that “if you’ve lost your
sense of humor, find it fast.”
You know it’s going to be a long
(me wnen noming nmes you smiie,
everyone’s out to get you and
everything’s your fault.
That’s time for a big TIME
OUT!!
Obviously there’s something in
your recipe that’s not working out.
Maybe you added nuts and it turns
out you’re allergic to them. So take
them out.
If there’s a person bothering you,
don’t take them out per se, that’s
bad. But do try to address specifi
cally what’s bothering you.
Laugh at yourself, and don’t take
yourself (or others) so seriously. In
the end, how much do the stupid
political games and strifes matter?
In my opinion, for what it’s
worth, die most important ingredi