By Jay Saunders
Assignment Reporter
For many, the years of shopping for family
members has made picking out gifts fairly easy.
But finding that special present, the one that
says I love you, for one’s treasured sweetheart -
not so easy.
Romantic gifts for girlfriends, boyfriends,
husbands and wives range from jewelry to fra
grances to clothing - intimate and otherwise.
And although Christmas is weeks away, some
UNL students have already started to shop for
their significant others.
“I kind of did a little general clothes shop
ping,” sophomore Ericka Hascall said. “I bought
him what guys would never buy for themselves.”
She declined, however, to say exactly what she
bought
Stores are seeing a lot of people like Hascall
who are getting their shopping done early. A lot
of stores are having both pre- and post-holiday
season sales. David Finkelstein, a manager at
American Eagle, said Hascall is not alone in
shopping for clothes.
“We have sold a lot of sweaters and flannel
shirts,” Finkelstein said. “Those are classic items
that never go out.of style.”
for her boyfriend before Thanksgiving break.
Some people weren’t not as fortunate.
Freshman Lynnae Westphalen said she has
some of her shopping already finished. She said
a lot of gift giving just comes from being practi
cal and knowing what a person needs or wants,
either person.
“I knew he needed cologne because he was
running out,” Westphalen said. “I usually think
what I would like. If I don’t like it, I don’t want
him wearing it anyway.”
A lot of people, both men and women, have
waited until now (or even later) to buy that holi
day gift Junior John Wisker said he tries to listen
to his girlfriend so he can get an idea of what to
buy her.
“I try to pick up hints about what she likes,”
Wisker said. “I take what I know of her and try to
find something she’ll like.”
This season, it seems women are getting a
head start on holiday shopping.
Sharon Endorf, manager at County Seat, said
she has seen a lot of college-age women coming
through the store shopping for their boyfriends.
Endorf said a lot of times that guys won’t come
through until the week of Christmas.
Senior Tony Rathgeber said guys are not bad
shoppers, but struggle finding creative things to
buy. One year, Rathgeber said he bought his sig
nificant other a teddy bear with a ring around its
• 1. ■ \ • - -ftfl 4 ■ * ' . «
a
I try to think of something that isn’t generic or run
of-the-mill. That is probably what makes it hard."
Tony Rathgebek
sweetheart shopper
finger.
“I try to think of something that isn’t generic
or run-of-the-mill,” Rathgeber said. “That is
probably what makes it hard.”
One store where men may be uncomfortable
is Victoria’s Secret. For years, television has
based holiday shows on the male character hav
ing trouble going into a lingerie store to shop for
his wife or girlfriend. Wisker said it’s not only
fictional characters who have that problem.
“(Victoria’s Secret) has that aura of women’s
only,” Wisker said. “It’s all-woman land.”
That is exactly how the store, which doesn’t
just feature racy undergarments, doesn’t want to be
known. This holiday season, the store is selling a
lot of robes and anything packaged, such as lotions
and fragrances. Store managers are more than wel
come to help men who need help shopping.
“We see a lot of people pacing in front of the
store before getting the gumption to come in,” a
manager at Victoria’s Secret said. “If you need
help, just come in and ask one of us.”
Students are buying a lot of clothes, but
accessories are another popular gift. Joe Molack,
an employee at Helzburg Diamonds, said a lot of
men are buying “appreciation gifts,” such as ear
rings and necklaces with their girlfriend’s birth
stone.
But don’t worry about spending big bucks for
a great gift. In talking to students, a common
theme is that the thought of the gift, not the price
or appearance, is what is important.
“People shouldn’t worry about getting the
perfect gift,” Rathgeber said.
Westphalen said her boyfriend didn’t get her
what might be considered “perfect,” she said she
would love it just because it was from him.
• “Even if he gets me the most raggedy-ass
thing,” Westphalen said. “I would keep it and
wear it for him.”
Area charities donate cheer
By Amanda Schindler
Staff Reporter
As the holiday spirit descends upon
Lincoln residents, area charities are
feeling its effects through the many
donations of time and money received.
The generosity during the holiday
season is wonderful for those who ben
efit from such services.
Unfortunately, their need does not
end when Christmas lights are taken
down, and many charities are left with
a lack of funds when the holidays are
over.
“Mostpeopje thinkof charities
during the Christmas months,” said
Randy Jones, executive director of the
American Red Cross, Lancaster
County Chapter.
“But human need is 365 days a
year.” -- r _;
Jones said another reason charity
donations increase during the holiday
months and decrease afterward is the
tax benefits for donations made before
Jan. 1.
salvation Army director and 35
year charity veteran Robert Boone said
holidays evoke a spirit of contribution
among people, but “need knows no
season.”
Other charities, such as the March
of Dimes Birth Defect Foundation and
the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which
grants wishes to terminally ill children,
do not see such drastic changes in fund
raising. Only those charities focusing
on basic human needs such as food,
clothing ahd shelter experience a
decrease.
these is help, however.
Along with 51 other organizations,
die Salvation Army and the American
Red Cross are seemed from such a post
season dry-spell by an entirely differ
ent charity.
The United Way of Lincoln and
Lancaster County is a fund-raising
organization that provides supplemen
tal funding for human service charities
like the Salvation Army and American
Red Cross. Affiliated with the
Combined Health Agencies Drive
y
(CHAD), it represents 53 different
health and human service agencies in
the area.
United Way Marketing
Communication Director Laura
Shomey said the United Way does its
fund raising before* the holidays start,
and leaves foe season to other charities’
events.
She said foe United Way does foe
majority of its fund raising through
companies, in which employees can
make donations in their company’s
name directly from their paychecks.
“It’s easy for them and for us,” she
said.
r, '*■ What the United Way collects is
then alfottedto eh&hagericy monthly
beginning in January.
Executive director Sandy Rupp
said such a system is beneficial.
“It’s a stability for the agencies,”
she said. “And it lends them credibili
ty”
This credibility has been
threatened in the past,
though, said Wende Baker,
annfliai> TTni tl/mr
although United Way does not
“There’s an environment now
where people aren’t as close to the
organization as before, but still want to
give,” she said. “The phone is away
they’ve become used to doing busi
ness.”
Even if the call is legitimate, some
of the donation collected will
inevitably pay for the phone service,
rather than helping those in need.
And tiie United Way is proud of its
low administrative costs, Shomey said.
‘Tt’s one of the most cost-effective
agencies around,” she said. “Ninety
ThisTk a high t& ’
some charities only using 14 per cent
of donations for charitable purposes.
The highest donor dollar percentage is
held by the American Red Cross, with
a 97 cents of every dollar benefiting
the needy.
■naiumer advantage to me uni tea
Way system of fund raising is donors
can give any amount, and be sure that it
will benefit 53 different agencies,
Shomey said. ■
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