Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 25, 1997)
KAY PRAUNER is a senior news-editorial major, and the Daily Nebraskan assistant copy desk chief and columnist. So, what do you know these days? As the Venus of obsessiveness, I should have known that at this tender track of my life - three months until my supposed graduation - that a question so simple would certainly hurl me further into my feelings of inadequacy and uncertainty. As I thumbed through my mental crib sheet of all re- and acquired knowledge from the past 4lA years, I reached a conclusion both im- and depressive: I know nothing, really. Actually, so as to contradict myself (a Gemini thing), I have to admit that I do know a few things, like how many picas go into an inch, and that the word “set” always takes an object. Similarly, I know that I share the same birthday as the late John Wayne, and that the only med ical nod toward the drug apomor phine is for making one puke. I’m a veritable river of trivial information. Nonetheless, when the curtain crashes down, I really can’t say what I know about the end of the show. In what portion of my story will I be able to plug these mental plots? Now I’m the first to admit that I’ve spent most classes cerebrally lounging atop Harry Connick’s best baby grand as he pounds out some thing like “Love is Here to Stay,” and launches into his daily mantra of how much he respects me. And I’m no stranger to staring vacantly into the blinking light of my VCR while pleasantly enjoying the fabric on my futon - anything to keep from study ing. But honestly, when have I been Fruits of knowledge Classes breed mediocrity allowed to learn what I want - or even in some cases, need - to know? So let’s see... I do know what peo ple want me to know, such people being school administrators and future employers. Similarly, I do what people expect me to do, thus inhibit ing me from inserting “I’d sure dig Cleopatra’s gig” into my cover letters. But if I’m following everyone else’s ideas of what I should know and do, perhaps I should look into perfecting my Bleat rather than my Frangaise. Truthfully, I find it repulsive that we spend all these years in education al facilities, and still, it seems as though we’re left with little to do with true knowledge. Yeah, I know, so much for a pro foundly ffesh idea - you don’t have to tell me twice. But that’s exactly my nAint WVldt r1/~i u;a VnAur tViot’o nmir9 What do we know, aside from what our schools choose to feed us, which normally consists of a balance between antiquated arguments, impersonal ideologies and trance inducing terminologies? And as for our professors ... those poor, poor people. How frustrating it must be for them to look around a classroom, know that they have so much to teach us, and yet they’re con strained by curricula and discouraged by the disenchantment of their stu dents. In fact, it was one of my flus tered professors who inspired me to look farther into this problem. So what is the method behind a university’s madness? Why would anyone want us to read books and take exams, only to forget as soon the book or exam is out of sight? Why would we desire knowledge that per tains only to a certain area? I think that theologian and philosopher John Henry Newman said it best - even after nearly 1 Vz centuries - in his work “On University,” where he wrote that “a university training is a great ordinary means to a great ordinary end.” Wow, who wants to be ordinary? And what does this say about any of our dreams and ideals? Sure, none of us wants to have to tell our loved ones that we can’t provide what they need. But this only covers our most primary purposes for earning a degree: A uni versity education (the ordinary means) is one of the best methods in this day and age for attaining basic survival (the ordinary end). Perhaps this basicness stems from the fact that our education is inces santly weighed and measured. Our education serves as our personal meter stick. We are weighed and mea sured according to what the current system requires. But who wants to build and build onlv to find that their constructed masterpiece doesn’t measure up to someone else’s standards? Who wouldn’t rather have their sidewalk supervisor tell them what they can do to improve the not-so-perfect struc ture, rather than simply dock their pay for doing something wrong? Who wants an F in a class? It’s almost as though we’re being reprimanded for trying things at which we have no previous experience. Isn’t trial and error all part of the learning process? Sure it is. But at the same time, the weight of our errors can bog us down so much that we cannot get up to try again. And if we no longer try, we give up our chances for greatness. To quote Newman once again, “a university ... does not promise a gen eration of Aristotles or Newtons, of Napoleons or Washingtons, or Raphaels or Shakespeares.” Certainly a university education may lend us the tools to build up to such greatness; but unless we find the means for this greatness, we may never reach a great end: true knowl edge. LAIN IS hlCKJSNBOTTOM is a senior news-editorial major and a Daily Nebraskan photographer and columnist. Why are there even more divorces in this country than there are construction sites at UNL? Well, I think it all comes down to the F word. No, not some dirty synonym for a physiological function (although that is a possibility); I’m talking about feminism. Now before you pass judgment and call me an antifeminist, read on, because I’m really not. I believe equality is an important issue, if not more important than any other issue in America. I think it is essential for a utopian society to have either mind control or equality. As an enemy of mind control, I oeneve irue equality seems to oe tne answer to any question as to how to make this country a better place. In the 1970s the largest women’s movement since the turn of the cen tury began. Tired of limited career opportunities, the monotonous life of a housewife, and the fact that society treated women as second class citizens, women made femi nism prevalent once again. And today the results are still unfolding, bringing women closer to equality. Women are now less dependent upon men. They have opportunities in virtually every possible career field. In fact, women are no longer limited to the lifestyles - or pay checks - of secretaries, nurses, ele mentary school teachers or house Feminists step forward Equality affords opportunities wives. 1 his has been a phenomenal advantage to women in terms of equality. However, as mentioned before, feminism has caused some other problems. These problems evolve from what I believe is a fundamental need for everyone: the need to feel appreciated. This desire to feel important has sparked not only the feminist movement itself, but also its results. In the past, a man came home after a day’s work to a home where his wife and children were happy to see him, and dinner was waiting. He felt appreciated because if it were not for him, none of this would be possible. There would be no money nor food nor children. But now that feminism has creat ed a society where there are two breadwinners, and independent women are in the mainstream, men _'i ii_ *VVI U1VU IVIVO CUV 111 VIV 111V111CU LilCUl in the past. They do not appreciate the wife’s role as a money-maker because it results in men’s roles appearing less important. When this happens, the wife feels less appreci ated for all the hard work she does each day. The end result: A more indepen dent woman who feels less appreci ated, and a man who feels less appre ciated, and all of a sudden there is a huge boom in the divorce rate, intro ducing an entirely new range of problems. Feminism has created an envi ronment where a woman does not require assistance from her husband. This relatively new situation allows a woman to remove herself more easi ly from the marriage. That develop ment, coupled with the woman’s capability of making her own living, makes maintaining a good life through marriage a less logical answer than it used to be. These circumstances have led to an influx of non-traditional families, which, like feminism, have advan tages and disadvantages. More and more families do not have the face of a mommy, daddy, 2.4 kids and Fluffy the dog. There is a huge population of single-parent families, re-married families, homosexual-parented fami lies, etc. Many sociologists agree that a confrontational marriage is more harmful to children than a non-con frontational divorce. Because of this, more doors are open for women and their children to leave abusive rela tionships. This outcome is a relief considering that studies suggest chil dren who witness domestic violence grow up to be violent parents and cnnilCPC I'Kpv alcn pnH nn in nricAti more often than children who come from a more loving environment. The more I think about this, the more problems I see in this whole divorce chain-reaction. Single par ents, usually mothers, often end up living in poverty. Children in poverty are more apt to engage in a life full of crime, (frugs and violence. Hell, this columnist who was brought up in a middle-class family has been taught to believe that bad things are more prevalent in an impoverished situations. Am I right? You decide. But at any rate, compare the fem inism movement to an old car with a constant backfiring problem. It is by no means a perfect ideology, (mode of transportation), but it is still better than walking. And most importantly, without feminism, the movement to equality for half of the country’s population would be crawling. .-you still have tlme-i ^nrito register for fail classes at Southeast Community College! An Fall quarter begins October 7,1997 and ends December 18,1997 ?r*n£T Academic Transfer and vocatienai/technlcal r w / classes offered the SCC-Lincoln - Call 402-437-2605 Vocational/technical classes offered at SCC-Mllford - Call 402-761-2131, ext. 8243 f ®r ehecK the SCC web page “Current Classes” *4^' Jnysf http://www.college.sccm.ccjie.us Southeast community college Dinosaur Theater and Auctionl Sept. 27th at Morrill Hall 14th A U Streets v'- Whats more fun than Pizza on a Saturday night? PIZZA, A CLASSIC FUCK A BIDDING ON COOL STUFFI 10 Bucks at the door gets you.~ Dino Classic "The Valley of Gwangi" in its exclusive Lincoln screenings at 4pm A 7pm Pizza A Cash Bar 4-9pm Bid on COOL STUFFI 4-MSpm Silent Auction 5:45pm Live Auction For more information call 472-8512. Sponsored by Friends of the University of Hebraaka State Museum ■ i ** ' | Put Big $$$ in Your Schedule $8.50/Hour* Immediate Evening Openings for I Outbound Telesales Flexible hours and relaxed environment Call Today 476-0445 M-F, lOa-Xp or Apply la Person \ 609 "P" Street Lincoln - J K> ITI Marketing Services * Varies based on status and hours worked. I.. iiiinnini
