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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 14, 1999)
Lincoln takes part in study on Wages ■ Survey finds that wages in the Midwest have gone up while unemployment rates have decreased. By Margaret Behm Staff writer Students interested in how much money their future careers have in store for them are in luck. Lincoln was chosen by the Bureau of Statistics for a National Compensation Survey on wage earn ings of employees, completed this year. “College students and graduates use this information a great deal. It’s a useful way for them to know what then area of study will pay,” said Stan Suchman, the assistant regional com missioner for the Bureau of Labor Statistics in Kansas City. Advertising graduates jobs pay the highest wage in Lincoln at abQut $40 an_ hour. In contrast, cashiers rank the low est at about $6 an hour. Some occupations such as doctors, lawyers, judges, librarians and urban planners were not included in the sur vey. Suchman said these were not included to prevent people from identi fying the specific wages of more spe cialized jobs. Suchman said many college and high-school guidance counselors use the wage information. Students can also use this information to see if they are being paid fairly. “It’s useful for students who are employed to see if their wages are simi lar to people working in the same posi tions in their area,” said Dave McDermott, the regional economist at the Kansas City branch of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The survey information was col lected by professional economists from all over the nation. The economists con tacted 71 businesses in Lincoln about their companies’ wage levels. Employers were surveyed on a vol untary basis. It was very important for the companies to be cooperative for the survey to be successful, Suchman said. “In Lincoln, we’ve had a great deal of help from employers,” Suchman said. Wages throughout the Midwest have increased 3.7 percent since last year. McDermott said the Midwest was second in the nation for wages. The West was first, and the Northeast and South tied for third. “I am aware that the unemployment rate in Nebraska is low and has been very low for some time,” said Suchman, “As the economy continues to improve, the demand for workers continues to improve.” The Lincoln survey was conducted in June 1998. The survey found that the average wage was $13.59 per hour - including white and blue collar jobs. The highest-paying jobs were advertising and sales occupations, financial managers and elementary and secondary school teachers. The lowest paid workers were cashiers, followed by food service employees and early childhood teach ers’ assistants. One of the areas the survey includ ed was the unemployment for the state of Nebraska. The unemployment rate for August was 2.5 percent, which was down from 2.8 percent in August 1998. This is not the only time Lincoln has been chosen for a national survey. Lincoln is one of 85 cities included in the quarterly national Consumer Price Index. The Bureau of Labor Statistics will continue to include Lincoln in the sur vey for at least the next five years Suchman said. NU on Wheels begins first night of safe rides ■ The program offers students a new way to get - home safe. By Veronica Daehn - Staff writer A program designed to make the roads safer for everyone begins tonight. NU on Wheels, a safe ride home program, offers free cab rides to University of Nebraska-Lincoln stu dents from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. To use the taxi service, a student should call 475-RIDE and give a. name, pick-up location and home address. The student then waits at the pick up location and shows a valid UNL student ID to the taxi driver. This service is available only to ! students with student IDs and UNL students’ guests. ,j Only four people can ride in a cab at one time, said NU on Wheels co ? coordinator Molly Schmitz. Guests of a UNL student must be going to the same address as the student. .j,. Schmitz said the idea for the pro gram came about at LeaderShape, a leadership development program UNL students attend each spring break. i In March 1998, just before that year’s LeaderShape, UNL student Laura Cockson was killed by a drunk driver. Schmitz said that was why she wanted to start the safe ride home program. Money to run the free service until May was provided by the Cooper Foundation, the Sowers Club, the Student Alumni Association, the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety and the UNL Parents Association. After this year, Schmitz said NU on Wheels will have to apply for more funding or apply for student fees. Schmitz has no idea how many students will use the service this weekend but is excited for it to final ly start. “It’s finally here,” she said. “There’s no turning back now. A lot of information has been distributed so students should be aware of it.” Four cabs have been set aside for NU on Wheels to use. Schmitz said she will be monitoring the time stu dents have to wait to get picked up. “We’re working hard to improve the quality of service and wait time,” she said. While Schmitz is happy to see the start of the program, she is more eager to see the choices students will make. - “I’m excited to see the opportuni ty students now have to make wise decisions,” she said. We’re going down, down, down, if that’s the only way 2 make this cruel, cruel worked hear what we’ve got to say Put the right letters together and make a better day dailyneb.com Speaker shares data on UFOs By George Green Staff writer Everyone has heard myths about flying saucers and little green men. Robert Hastings believes in at least some of those myths. Hastings, a member of the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena, gave a lecture about UFOs on Wednesday in the Nebraska Union. About 70 people attended Hastings’ presentation, which was a free event sponsored by the University Program Council. Matt Mattke, a junior electrical engineering major, went to hear the lec ture to take a break from studying. “UPC events are usually pretty good, so I thought that this would be interesting,” Mattke said. The lecture was based on evidence that NICAP, a citizen research commit tee that studies extraterrestrial phenom ena, has discovered. Hastings, who works during the day as a lab analyst for Philips Semiconductors, joined NICAP in the late ’70s after he personally saw unidentified aerial objects while on an air force base in Montana. “When planes were deployed to investigate the objects they ascended in a nearly perfect vertical manner,” Hastings said about the incident. NICAP uses the Freedom of Information Act to petition for the release of once-classified government documents about UFOs. “I believe that the information deserves public attention,” Hastings said. Irrevocable changes in human Lane Hickenbottom/DN This 1966 photo was taken of an unidentified flying object that nearly two dozen witnesses, including law-enforcement officers, saw near Tulsa, Okla. It is part of Robert Hastings’ presentation he gave Wednesday night about once-classified government information. beliefs such as religion would occur if the existence of other life forms could be proven, Hastings said. Since 1947, the United States gov ernment has tried to cover up UFO sightings, Hastings said. Hastings presented several slides of once-classified government docu ments that acknowledged that UFOs have been sighted on radar. Even Nebraskans have been con tacted by extraterrestrials, Hastings said. According to Hastings’ slide show, on Dec. 3,1967, a Nebraska police offi cer was abducted by aliens. The officer communicated with the aliens and underwent a medical examination. When the man returned, Hastings said, he had forgotten almost every thing. Through hypnotism he was able to recall some of the events that tran spired when he was with the aliens. Hastings believes that there are extraterrestrials. He also thinks that they do not have malicious intents but admits that several aspects of UFOs are unknown. “I do not expect people to believe me, but people seem to appreciate the fact that I can document all of my state ments with data,” Hastings said. C'tKrttr 5tr\7ic.& Snapshot n a- r ...see what’s developing next week in Career Services U a . Make your reservation today for the... Business Dining Etiquette Workshop Thursday, November 4th 5:00pm City Union Stop by 230 Nebraska Union or call 472-3145. Just $18 for a social hour and 4-course meal! The Sartor Hamann Watch Fair Saturday, October 16th v, ... j r *'•* Gateway Mall: 10am-5pm /S'*' - ' . Comeview this season’s complete collections of Bnlova, Accutron, and £aravelle watches. Don’t miss your chance to preyiew a world class selection of Swiss watches inclining the fewest designs for this Holiday season. • Prices starting at $89: One-time opportunity to view all the new styles at special prices. We will ‘A your 10% down with another 10% towards your selection. • Double War ~ event, we will double the m warranty. , i l, • Free En • Interest
