Stressing the final

What once seemed so distant has finally arrived — the end of the semester. Of course with it comes final exams, projects and papers. It can certainly be  a stressful time. That’s why I have decided to provide this list of seven simples stress-minimizing steps:

1. Allow plenty of time. Being busy is a big source of stress, so manage your time wisely.

2. Exercise. It takes your mind off the stress you feel and provides a nice study break.

3. Get pleny of rest and eat well. It’s not like you have to get up for 8 a.m. class anymore.

4. Discuss your problems with your friends. They can generally help you relax.

5. Take a timeout when the stress hits you. Time away helps you put the problem in perspective.

6. Take some deep breaths and think about something else.

7. Ask for help. You never know what someone else can do for you.

Good luck with the finals.

(Source: Palo Alto Medical Foundation)

What does it take to get a question answered?

On numerous occasions, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Harvey Perlman has lauded the university as a place of transparency. I am quickly realizing it isn’t.

This, of course, is not Perlman’s fault. But seriously, what does it take to get a question answered?

Last week for the NewsNetNebraska journalism class, we set out to write a story about what snow costs the university. We were hoping to find budget information about snow removal, winter weather supplies and the works. Although we found some interesting information, (click here to check it out) no one would answer our specific question. I heard everything from I can’t tell you that to … nothing. Some just simply ignored the question.

Unfortunately for my reporting and for my readers,  I didn’t press the issue. I was on deadline that day, and I have since had an unusually busy week, which has prevented my following up. This is a public university, and I am rather certain the money going to Landscape Services is partially mine, whether from taxes or tuition. I, no, we have a right to know.

Even worse, during my initial call to talk with landscape services, I was told they can’t talk to reporters without the reporters first talking  to the Univeristy Communications Office. What? Imagine having that job. I am not sure how much Kelly Bartling, the official spokeswoman for UNL, gets paid, but I’m sure it’s not enough if all she can get done is tell people at the university it’s OK to talk. As an aside, I’m sure I could find out how much she makes, but I would imagine just simply asking won’t do the trick.

This isn’t the first example. Three weeks ago, my reporting team and I set out to write some follow-up on the William Ayers controversy and whether the university will press charges. We knew we had to talk with Bartling first. We gave her a call, and she provided some very useful information. (Click here to see what we learned)

We then asked if we could talk with the UNL police chief about the issue. Bartling agreed and contacted him. After at least 10 calls and several messages from us to the chief, we heard nothing back. When we went to the police station, we were told that they would not allow us to talk with the chief nor schedule an appointment. Only the communications office can do that.

So again, we were back on the phone with Bartling. Again, she contacted the police office. After more calls and messages, we’ve still not heard anything.

So what does it take to get a question answered?

 

 

 

 

The preceding white space is my attempt, albeit a weak one, at some humorous irony.

iPod Idiots?

The student population is overrun with iPods, cell phones and many other gizmos and gadgets I can’t even name.

Just take a walk on the sidewalks after classes let out. Try to count the number of people who aren’t using some form of technology. I’ve done it 10 different times and only twice have I needed to use two hands to count those people who are not using an iPod or a cell phone.

Is it something we should be concerned about?

I guess that depends on your point of view. Personally, I think so. I find that I miss out on so many details of my surroundings when I use technology on the move.

Now I’m not saying that we should all spend our walk time “getting in touch with nature.” I just think that we have a beautiful campus, especially during the fall. And we miss so much of it being tuned into our electronic gadgets.

If listening to Bowling for Soup or Abba is what you need to get through the daily grind of school, then that’s your prerogative, and that’s absolutely fine. But when it’s turned up so loud or you sing along so that everyone has to listen, it become my prerogative, and quite frankly, I find it ridiculous.

I hope to continue exploring this iPod culture and what it means. Expect an update or two.

Silence before the feast

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus fell silent Wednesday after many students packed up and headed home for the Thanksgiving holiday. Dorms and greek houses close, forcing residents to either go home or find a different place to stay during the five-day vacation from class.

Campus will once again buzz on Friday as the Husker football team faces the Colorado Buffaloes in the final home game of the season. (I hope attendance in the student section is a disappointment to T.O. again … See post The seating fiasco.)

In the meantime, enjoy a much needed break from class, eat plenty of food and give thanks. We are truly blessed here at the University of Nebraska, even if Bill Ayers can’t come speak. (See NewsNetNebraska story Ayers spoke in Nebraska 17 years ago.)

Student Town Hall

The Association of Students of the University of Nebraska (student government) will be hosting a town hall meeting Wednesday to discuss student issues.

Student government representatives have been working on dozens of projects throughout the semester and hope to provide updates on those projects to the student body. President Emily Zimmer will discuss the progress of the major campaign platforms on which her party ran in the spring ASUN elections. Those projects include a peer financial education center, a more comprehensive mentorship and internship program and coffee vending machines around campus.

An open session for questions and concerns directly from students themselves will follow ASUN’s updates.

The actual town hall meeting starts at 7:30 p.m in the City Union. But ASUN will serve food and refreshments beginning at 7 p.m. The ASUN Senate will also have its weekly meeting in the Union at 6:30 p.m.

The seating fiasco

Student football seating remains a hot-button issue for thousands of fans throughout campus. After the athletic department moved student seats behind regular season ticket holders in the south end zone of Memorial Stadium last spring, students were outraged. When students with south stadium seats either didn’t go to the game or left early in Nebraska’s home victory against Kansas, the athletic department was outraged.

But as Emily Zimmer, UNL student body president, said, “Everyone just needs to take a deep breath.”

As someone who was in the student section for that game, I carry a perspective similar to a number of students and different than that of Athletic Director Tom Osborne’s.

The Kansas game was cold. Plain and simple. It was really one of the coldest days we’ve had this fall, and students weren’t entirely ready. The corner seats in south stadium aren’t what any fan would really call ideal. They are so far away from the game, the excitement and the atmosphere that it is easy to feel a little disengaged. When it’s cold and students feel disengaged, it’s easy to understand why they would want to leave. I’m not saying it’s right. But it is easy to understand.

Another factor during Saturday’s game was that students crowded toward the bottom. In a number of places, students were standing on the seats themselves and in the aisles between the seats. Had some of those students spread out, seats near the top would not have appeared so empty.

That the student section wasn’t completely full is no reason to panic. However, from the student perspective, that Osborne says he needs to look into student seating and maybe sell fewer student seats next year is cause for concern.

Osborne told student leaders during the week that he planned to evaluate student turnout during the Colorado game. That’s a perfect idea. Why not evaluate student seating the day after Thanksgiving when every dorm student is forced to leave campus because the dorms shut done? I wonder if we might see a reduced turnout from students.

The truth is, students will remain the No. 1 fans of Husker football. Sure, the athletic department could make far more money by selling tickets at the full price instead of at $21 to students. And maybe that’s what the department will do.  But everyone will lose if that happens. The student section is and always will be the leader in providing the game atmosphere that makes Memorial Stadium a great place to watch football.

Reducing student seating based on attendance at one game would be a gross overreaction.

Election results

Although anyone turning to my blog for election results might seriously need to reconsider how he or she obtains news, here are few results that matter for students.

U.S. President-elect Senator Barack Obama (D-IL), his wife Michelle and their daughters Malia (2nd R) and Sasha wave to supporters at his election night rally after being declared the winner of the 2008 U.S. Presidential Campaign in Chicago November 4, 2008. (REUTERS/Jim Bourg)

President: There is no question the election of Barack Obama as our nation’s 44th president holds implications for higher education. Don’t take my word for it, check out his higher education plans.

 Initiative 424: Nebraska has officially banned affirmative action with 58 percent of the vote. Now the real controversy begins as state and university officials sort out the true meaning of the ban on their current practices. The Lincoln Journal Star began to address these issues on Thursday. Only time will tell if Nebraska’s passing the ban was as shortsighted as it seems.

Board of Regents: Tim Clare’s convincing victory in the District 1 race for the board of regents will certainly affect university policy in the coming years. If the board decided to revisit stem cell research, look for Clare’s ardent opposition to embryonic stem cells to play a role in the policy the board sets.

Many Nebraska legislature races will also have an impact on the university, its funding and its operation. To learn more about their outcomes, visit the secretary of state’s Web site.

One word

Today is the day, and I only have one word to say:

VOTE

Decision ‘08 Presidential Results

Check out live election results tonight.

An easy no vote

Nebraska voters face few easy decisions at the polls on Tuesday. But one easy decision is a NO vote to Initiative 424, euphemistically named the Nebraska Civil Rights Initiative.

The Nebraska Civil Rights Initiative is a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at eliminating racial and gender preferences in public hirings and college admission decisions. Better known as the Ward Connerly Amendment, named after the California man who has taken his anti-affirmative action campaign nationwide, Initiative 424 would effectively eliminate affirmative action in Nebraska.

Affirmative action opponents argue that the practice often results in reverse discrimination by preventing qualified white males from getting jobs, scholarships or admission to colleges.

The problem for students with this proposition lies in its effect on the university. The University of Nebraska has programs specifically created and funded to foster diversity on campus, including scholarship for minority students. If this amendment passes, those programs will then go unfunded.

A number of university officials also worry about the unknown and unforeseen consequences of the amendment on higher education. Both UNL Chancelor Harvey Perlman and NU President J.B. Milliken have voiced their concerns about how this might affect university facilities such as the culture center and programs such as those of the women’s center. While there is no guarantee these types of programs will be affected, there is no guarantee they won’t be either.

Regardless of your stance on affirmative action, the Ward Connerly Amendment is not the right way to eliminate it in Nebraska. The amendment’s unpredictable consequences make it too much of a risk to higher education and to students. When voters reach Initiative 424 on the ballot, I hope its an easy no vote.