DEC8

SLIPPING THROUGH THE NET

FROM SAPLING TO SPRUCE

Husker volleyball players reflect on weakest finish in 18 years PAGE 10

Local Christmas tree farm raises crop each year despite low profit PAGE 7

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

VOLUME 111, ISSUE 073

DAILY NEBRASKAN DAILYNEBRASKAN.COM

Study Abroad considers new online tool RILEY JOHNSON DAILY NEBRASKAN

It houses study abroad options, gives universities a risk-management tool, students processing updates and study abroad offices relief. And University of Nebraska-Lincoln officials have entered negotiations to bring the study abroad application optimizer to campus by as early as fall 2012.

Rebecca Luhrs, acting director of Study Abroad at UNL, said the university has secured approval and all but finalized the contract for Terra Dotta’s StudioAbroad — software that combines study abroad searches and the application process in addition to the student information system for universities across the country and world.

“It’s a little like a part-time employee,” Luhrs said.

A contract for the software’s licensing would cost the university $49,000 paid over five years and $8,800 annually after that, according to a Terra Dotta sales representative. Luhrs and other university officials said they hope the software decreases the paperwork and increases the number of UNL students choosing to study abroad.

“It’s not just getting students to go, but getting them to somewhere that works really well for them,” Luhrs said.

In the 2009-2010 academic year, 742 UNL students studied abroad, according to Luhrs. Nationally, 270,600 students traveled overseas to study, according to a Nov. 18, 2011 article by The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Tentative figures for 20102011 suggest a decrease

The Mills Squeegee gas station on the coerner of 17th and Vine Streets by Abel-Sandoz Residence Hall will be closing Dec. 16.

Mills Squeegee station to close after 15 years

Gas station by the Abel-Sandoz Residence Center can’t keep up with on-campus competition, according to owner story by Kim Buckley | photos by Mary-Ellen Kennedy The sign in the window of the Mobil convenience store and gas station on the corner of 17th and Vine streets reads, “Thank you for 15 great years.”

The Mills Squeegee Fill Station next to the Abel-Sandoz Residence Center on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus isn’t celebrating its 15-year anniversary, but showing the staff’s gratitude for its customers as it prepares to close.

“I hate to close the store,” said Stan Mills, store owner and CEO at Mills Squeegee Fill Stations. “I love being on the university campus. I love the faculty, the students, the support staff — they’re great people. It’s a vibrant community that keeps you young.”

The convenience store will close Dec. 16. The lease expires Dec. 31, but in those two weeks, the staff will clear the store and the gas pumps.

Mills said he made the decision because the store

Mills Squeegee cashier Keith Andersen enjoys one of his last days working at the gas station on Dec. 6. The station has run off the support of the student body for the last 15 years.

AT A GLANCE: STUDY ABROAD IN 2009-2010

742

UNL students studied abroad in 2009-2010

270,600 nationally

Top three study abroad destinations: Britain, Italy and Spain Michigan State sent

2,589 students abroad in 2009-2010

643

Northwestern students studied abroad in 20092010

297 UNL seniors studied abroad compared to

13 freshmen

At UNL, women studied abroad more than men

453 vs. 289

SOURCE: UNL STUDY ABROAD AND THE CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION

in UNL students studying abroad with Luhrs reporting only 655. She said she hasn’t seen final figures yet, but expects that any decrease could be a result of the tough economy.

A new study abroad database could help draw students turned off by the

STUDY ABROAD: SEE PAGE 2

Plus One vote postponed by Ph.D students explore career options NU Regents MARY REZAC DAILY NEBRASKAN

A tough job market has some Ph.D students thinking outside the box when it comes to post-graduation employment.

According to a Nov. 11 article in The Chronicle of Higher Education, this can prove quite difficult for students nation-wide as many professors, advisers and even peers tend to look down on careers outside of academia.

However, this doesn’t seem to be the case for Ph.D students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Director of Career Services Larry Routh said his staff is available to serve not only

LOGAN PAGE 4

had outlived its usefulness.

It was no longer profitable, he said.

Evolving traffic circulation and competition from the

UNL C-Stores made the current model outdated, Mills said.

“You got an NCard, you got a convenience store in

the dormitories, why (would you) go outside?” he said.

undergraduate students but also graduate students. He said Ph.D students considering employment outside of academia is common.

“It’s certainly not taboo to us,” Routh said. “Sometimes students are working with faculty who only know about academia, but they are able to come to us to explore different options.”

Routh also said opportunities depend on what students are studying.

“It’s going to matter tremendously what field they’re in when looking for employment,” Routh said.

Rebecca Wingo, pursuing a doctorate in history at UNL, said she has found the faculty to be supportive whether students plan on

going into higher education after graduation. She said a history department faculty member is even trying to arrange an internship at the Smithsonian for her this summer.

“I’d say the majority of them, they just want to see us succeed,” Wingo said.

James Redd, a Ph.D student in the creative writing program at UNL, also said he didn’t encounter much resistance to the idea of alternative careers among faculty.

“Creative writing I would say is mostly focused towards academia, but they also inform us of internships at places like the University Press or editors that work in the publishing industry,”

In the total number of jobs in this country, a relatively small percent are in higher education.”

FINE ARTS PAGE 5

GAS STATION: SEE PAGE 3

Scheduling conflict derails Board of Regents’ vote on proposal RILEY JOHNSON

LARRY ROUTH

DIRECTOR OF CAREER SERVICES

Redd said. “I would say they only encourage any creative outlet,” Redd said.

Redd said while the job market in his field isn’t the best, it’s also not the worst. And UNL students in his program stand a good chance of getting hired

PH.D: SEE PAGE 2

DAILY NEBRASKAN

The University of Nebraska Board of Regents won’t vote on the Employee Plus One benefits expansion proposal Thursday, according to a university press release.

Because of scheduling conflicts, the board decided not to vote on the proposal, which would extend benefits to the partners and partner’s dependent children of University of Nebraska employees, according to Board Chairman Bob Whitehouse.

BASKETBALL PAGE 10

A culture of peace?

The art of the matter

NU squeaks past FGU

COLUMNIST ARGUES ELITES USE FORCE, MASSES DON’T

COLUMNIST NELSON REFLECTS ON LESSONS OF FALL SEMESTER

NEBRASKA NEEDS LATE BUCKET TO ESCAPE WITH WIN AT HOME

@dailyneb | facebook.com/dailynebraskan

Regent Howard Hawks of Omaha is unable to attend the meeting because Tenaska, an independent energy company Hawks founded, will hold its annual meeting as well, according to university spokesperson Melissa Lee. “I have been asked to schedule consideration of the ‘Employee Plus One’ proposal for a later date,” Whitehouse said in a release. “The Board does plan to consider the proposal at a subsequent meeting.”

Regent Jim McClurg of Lincoln said he expects the board to vote on the issue either at its March 2, 2012 meeting, if not before.

REGENTS: SEE PAGE 3

WEATHER | SNOW

31°12°

2

thursday, december 8, 2011

Daily Nebraskan

Website focuses on student-friendly destinations

Senior thesis allows students to find local opportunities Lis Arneson Daily nebraskan

For many underclassmen, a senior thesis project seems like a vague, daunting task looming in the distant future. Megan Brincks, a senior news-editorial major in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications, believes it doesn’t have to be this way.

“An undergraduate thesis can be a lot of fun,” Brincks said. “It doesn’t have to include hours studying in Love Library reading old books and writing a 25page paper. The sky’s the limit.”

For her senior thesis project, Brincks created a website — livinglincolnproject. wordpress.com — geared toward college students living in Lincoln. Brincks drew on personal experience for her project.

“I grew up in Iowa, and I hadn’t spent a lot of time in Lincoln before moving here for college,” Brincks said.

After her freshman and sophomore years, respectively, Brincks had internships in unfamiliar cities.

“I know what it’s like to be plopped in the middle of somewhere new,” Brincks said. “Moving that much and moving to places I hadn’t been before really inspired me to do this project.”

Brincks identified a need

and tried to fill it. Her website highlights activities, local restaurants, shopping locations and free or inexpensive opportunities for college students, as opposed to families with children or people in professional careers.

“Lincoln in general doesn’t really capitalize on different opportunities for college students, so this is what I was trying to do,” she said.

Brincks said she thinks her website is useful for any college student, even those who grew up in Lincoln.

The website also features advice for new students.

“I think a lot of times students going from high school to college are looking for new things to do or new places to go,” she said.

“College is a whole new world. In college, your budget changes drastically and you’re looking for cheaper places to go.”

Like other seniors, Brincks sought advice and guidance for her thesis from her adviser, Charlyne Berens, professor and associate dean at the College of Journalism and Mass Communications.

“My role was truly an adviser,” Berens said. “She would get to a certain point and come see me. When she got the site to the point of looking at, I went through and pointed out things she could add or change.”

Berens emphasized the flexibility of a thesis project in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications.

Projects range from traditional academic papers to creating a magazine.

Berens said the main requirement of a senior thesis is that it should utilize “a lot, if not all, of the principles he or she has learned in the four years he or she has been here.”

“She had a very fine idea and executed it very skillfully,” Berens said of Brincks’ project.

With the creation of this website, Brincks said she wanted to help other students “expand their horizons and explore the city to its fullest.”

Brincks will graduate next week and head to Amarillo, Texas for an internship with the publications department of the American Quarter Horse Association.

She is looking for a student or organization to take over updating the website.

“After this much work, I would love it if it didn’t just sit on the Internet and become outdated,” Brincks said. “Once you put so much work, time and energy into it, you don’t want to see it just go away.”

Brincks believes the site has room for expansion.

“I would love it if someone were to approach me with new ideas (for the website),” Brincks said.

“It could be expanded to more current events, like a ‘Weekend Five,’ not just static articles.”

Brincks suggests that students go check out the site and contact her if they have suggestions or links they would like to share.

“It’s an undergraduate thesis,” she said. “It’s definitely not an end-all be-all.”

LISARNESON@ DAILYNEBRASKAN.COM

Matt masin | Daily Nebraskan

Megan Brincks created a website that serves as a college student’s guide to Lincoln for her senior thesis project. After moving around multiple times, Brincks knows what it’s like to be lost in a new city and believes her website can help students in similar situations. Brincks is now looking for people to continue the website after she graduates this month.

UNL gamers find community in club Resurrection of old club unites students for events, launches Larry Brown Daily nebraskan

The gaming culture has “leveled up” at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, thanks to the UNL Gaming Club.

The registered student organization strives to give UNL gamers a chance to destress and find fellow gamers in a relaxed and casual environment. Club president Scott Barrett is a psychology graduate student and a fan of the real-time strategy of video games. He restarted the club this semester with the help of some friends after he discovered the club was inactive.

“The little information I got was that the club fell apart,” Barrett said. After a new constitution was written, the club began again.

He said that getting new members can be challenging. He pointed to a product demonstration the club did in conjunction with Sony’s Playstation 3 earlier in the semester that brought in new members.

“They wanted to do a product demo on campus and were looking for a club to host it,” Barrett said. While Sony debuted its new products, including 3D-compatible games, the UNL Gaming Club took the opportunity to recruit new members. Barrett said from

courtesy photo

the Playstation 3 event and word of mouth, the club grew to 130 members.

Barrett said there are no requirements to join the club, giving gamers at all skill levels a chance to come play games and enjoy themselves.

“We host a lot of LAN (Land Area Network) parties, which is bring your own PC or console and play,” he said. Barrett explained that individual tournaments are put together for prizes and a registration fee is required.

“To just be in the club and attend regular meetings, there is no charge,” he said.

Club director, Natashia Swalve, a psychology graduate student, said she’s found the club to be a great way to connect with those who have similar interests.

Swalve said out of all the

events the club has hosted, she particularly enjoyed the Starcraft 2 tournament that took place in November in the Nebraska Union.

“We had people from all over the Midwest that came,” she said. Even though she said she’s bad at the game, it’s fun to go to an event and see enthusiastic gamers. When asked what her favorite genre of video games was, Swalve said she likes the big guns.

“I typically like first-person shooters,” she said.

When asked about the gaming culture, Barrett said, although it’s hard to gauge from one semester, he sees the weapons of choice for many gamers are varied.

“We do have a lot of PC gaming enthusiasts on campus,” he said. Barrett also said they have a “fairly large, but not as active”

console demographic. He said there are many gamers on consoles who play “Halo,” “Street Fighter” and various other games, but at most weekly meetings members prefer a good old-fashioned virtual beatdown.

“We usually end up playing ‘Street Fighter’ most Wednesdays,” he said.

Barrett said gaming is deeper than it seems.

“Gaming is a very pervasive and ubiquitous form of entertainment,” he said.

The UNL Gaming Club will host “Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition” and “Magikca” tournaments Friday, Dec. 9 from 6 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. in the Nebraska Union Heritage Room.

LARRYBROWN@ DAILYNEBRASKAN.COM

WeBHEAD: UNL club creates community for PC

study abroad: from 1 sometimes bulky, overwhelming process, she said.

With StudioAbroad, the university could better organize the plethora of study abroad programs available to interested students and make recommendations, which students can view even before setting foot in the International Affairs office, she said.

In addition, the electronic application process would require no paperwork and could use existing university data to streamline students’ checklists.

Among UNL’s Big Ten peers, the University of Minnesota, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Pennsylvania State University use the program, while many other Big Ten schools use their own home-grown sites, according to Laurie Bellows, a supporter of the program and assistant dean of Graduate Studies.

“We considered developing a home-grown database,

but we just don’t have the time or staff with the expertise to develop one,” she said.

David Wilson, associate vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, said the software would also provide the university a way to contact students and faculty abroad when disaster strikes — a program the university could have used when an earthquake rocked Japan last March.

“We didn’t know who we had in Japan,” Wilson said.

That wouldn’t have been the case if the university had the software, he said, because administrators could see exactly where students and faculty are located.

Overall, the prospects of the new program have Luhrs and her colleagues in Study Abroad excited to provide a better service to students and leave paperwork behind.

“We feel like we’re jumping into the 21st century,” Luhrs said.

RileyJohnson@ DailyNebraskan.com

ph.d: from 1 right after graduation.

“Much of the graduates of UNL are placed,” Redd said.

“Graduates from around the country don’t have as good of chances as graduates from UNL in the creative writing program. It’s one of the top 10 programs in the country.”

Routh said, realistically, there will be many Ph.D students who end up with jobs outside of academia due to the job market.

“In the total number of jobs in this country, a relatively small percent are in higher

education,” Routh said. “A large majority are going to be government or non-profit jobs.”

Wingo said the available jobs, as well as the long process of becoming a professor can be daunting, but it is often still the goal of many Ph.D students.

“We usually have (professorship) as a goal, but without giving up on our dreams, we must face reality,” Wingo said.

maryrezac@ dailynebraskan.com

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thursday, december 8, 2011

Daily Nebraskan

3

Great Plains Center names new director Varner Hall sign ryan kopelke daily nebraskan

Richard “Rick” Edwards, an emeritus economics professor and former senior vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of NebraskaLincoln, has assumed administrative duties at the Center for Great Plains Studies.

Edwards was appointed director on Nov. 18. He replaced James Stubbendieck and began administrative duties for the center the following Monday.

The Center for Great Plains Studies serves to enlighten the public about the past, present and future of the Great Plains region, Edwards said. Through a network of approximately 200 fellows in the University of Nebraska system, the center is engaged in numerous projects aimed to expand the public’s knowledge of its home region, he said.

As a former economics professor, Edwards began to take a series of administrative positions, first at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, then as the dean of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kentucky. He was the vice

chancellor of UNL in 2004.

“I had always intended to end my career as a faculty member,” Edwards said. “I enjoyed the administrative roles I had, but when one becomes an academic, they are attracted to teaching and research. I was ready for that challenge again.”

While Edwards is responsible for the administrative duties of the center, he said his position allows him the challenge of researching and teaching about the Great Plains.

Samples of his research and work can be found in both the Great Plains Quarterly and Great Plains Research, the center’s bi-yearly publication.

The appointment came as no surprise to Edwards, he said.

A series of interviews beginning in August and September, along with his six-year tenure with the center, left him as the obvious candidate for the job.

Fellow center member and associate director of the Plains Humanities Alliance, Wendy Katz, has confidence in Edward’s ability to lead the center.

“What impressed me with Mr. Edwards is how

knowledgeable he is about the Great Plains,” Katz said.

“He has a thoughtful approach to leadership and a wide breadth of knowledge, a lot like the former director, James Stubbendieck, had.”

Edwards’ plan for the center involves three goals. The first is to help further the digitization of records. Many of the center’s records exist only in their original paper copies, slowly fading in vaults in Washington, D.C., making them hard for scholars to access. The second goal is to make the center more useful in facilitating and aiding the research of its fellows. Finally, the center seeks to use its resources to better communicate both the region’s issues and cultural and historical context.

“When I stopped being a full-time administrator,” Edwards said. “I wanted to do research on whatever region I was in and become a practical contributor.”

Edwards has a personal and intellectual connection to the Great Plains as well.

“For the first 12 years of my life, I lived in North Dakota,” Edwards said. “As a matter of fact, both my maternal and

to be replaced after accident Staff report Daily Nebraskan

courtesy photo

paternal grandparents were homesteaders in 1902 and 1903. One thing that interests me about the Great Plains is how it’s not often associated as a region. The South, West, even New York are regions, but the Great Plains lacks such an easy distinction.”

The future of the center is in good hands, according to Katz.

“I look forward to working with him over the coming years,” she said. ryankopelke@ dailynebraskan.com

gas station: from Mills assured the station’s employees at a meeting last Monday that they would be placed in other locations at a meeting last Monday.

Bobbi Long, the assistant manager of the store, has worked there for 13 months.

She said she plans on staying with the company and working at another location.

“It definitely took us all by surprise,” Long said. “A little bit of shock, wondering what it means for us.”

Mills said the reaction of customers has been mostly disappointment. This is because the station offers a wider variety of snacks as well as Coke products, instead of the Pepsi products the university sells, he said.

Long said she’s seen disappointment among the store’s customers.

“Most of (our customers) are signing our shirts as a goodbye,” she said.

Cassandra Trgovcich, a junior nutrition major, said the store closing “stinks.” She said she likes its closeness to Pound Residence Hall as well as its hours.

She said she goes to the convenience store to buy snacks and energy drinks.

“It depends on what I want because the vending machines don’t have as much variety,” Trgovcich said.

She said she liked the fresh cookies the store has.

Long said she had no problem coming to work

and it would be hard to walk away from the store.

“Stan gave me a job when I was literally down on my luck,” she said. “It helped me greatly at the time, just the opportunity to be myself and grow in this company.”

Long said the employees have built relationships with the faculty and students who come into the store. It’s like losing your family, she said.

Mills echoed the sentiment.

“I run into people all of the time who went to UNL, and they say, ‘We used to come down there all the time,’” he said. “They all remember the store. It was their oasis on campus when they got a snack attack.”

Mills said he wishes there was another option to let the store stay on campus.

“I hate moving on,” he said. “There (were) a lot of sleepless nights in the decision to close the store.”

UNL students can park their cars in the store’s parking lot. Mills said, for the foreseeable future, they will still be able to use those parking spaces.

Mobil will meet Monday with NEBCO, who will deal with student-parking in the lot, Mills said.

“I want to let the university know I appreciate the business over the years,” he said.

kimbuckley@ dailynebraskan.com

A drunk driver crashed into the black and white sign outside the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Varner Hall Nov. 26, according to University Police.

Sgt. John Backer said the driver, 57-year-old Donald R. Owens, was heading east on Holdrege Street at 4:30 p.m. when he left the road and struck the sign.

During the crash, Owens suffered lacerations to the head after hitting the front windshield.

Owens wasn’t been wearing his seatbelt, Backer said, and he was taken to the hospital to treat his injuries.

Police cited Owens for driving under the influence and refusing a breathalyzer test.

They estimate damages to the “University of Nebraska Varner Hall” sign at $3,500.

University spokesperson Melissa Lee said the university plans to replace the sign.

news@ DailyNebraskan.com

regents: from 1 While the decision to put the proposal up for vote ultimately lies with Whitehouse, the Plus One initiative is too important to hold off much longer than that, he said.

“This is an issue that has enough energy and impact,” McClurg said. “This is an issue that’s important to a lot of people.”

Under the proposal, employees could elect dental, health, vision and other insurance for both same-sex and oppositesex partners, according to the University of Nebraska website.

University officials said the policy would likely apply to more opposite-sex employee partners than same-sex partners.

“I don’t care about anybody’s preferences or social engineering,” said Regent Randy Ferlic of Omaha. “I’m concerned about the costs.”

Ferlic said he wouldn’t know which way to vote Thursday even if the proposal were on the agenda because he hasn’t seen the financial figures he requested at the board’s Oct. 28 meeting.

“I wait for all the evidence to come in,” Ferlic said.

The board will consider the following items at Thursday’s meeting: ··Elimination of UNL Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering ··The budget for the replacement of the roof at the UNL Animal Science Complex ··Creation of a Ph.D. in exercise science at the University of Nebraska at Omaha ··Creation of a Ph.D. in biostatistics at the University of Nebraska Medical Center ··Installation of controls, HVAC renovations and energy commissioning in several UNMC buildings as well as an equipment-lease purchase agreement At the meeting, UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman will provide an update of the UNL Master Plan.

RileyJohnson@ DailyNebraskan.com

opinion

Good TV hard to find, even on go-to channels ryan duggan

M

aybe I’m b e c o m ing that old man who glorifies the past and sees nothing good about the future, but my God, TV just isn’t what it used to be.

Aside from the news, I watch a total of three channels: The History Channel, Discovery Channel and National Geographic. You can’t really go wrong with those, and – so I thought – there was only one choice of format: documentaries. I always assumed I’d have these channels to watch, but that’s hardly the case anymore.

The History Channel used to be nothing but documentaries, educational videos and historically-themed movies. The only negative thing about it was the boring unsolved crime documentaries. Other than that, it was golden.

When I turn the channel on now, I’m lucky to find anything of value. Periodically, The History Channel digs a good documentary out of the vaults, makes it into a high definition video and shows it on a weekend. But overall, The History Channel has sold its soul to the impurities of reality TV. Shows such as “Ice Road Truckers,” “Pawn Stars,” “American Pickers” and “Swamp People” fill most, if not all, of the airtime. Pawn Stars is merely a glorified version of the antique road shows found on PBS. It has little historical value mixed in with the tensions and

relationships of the shop owners. “American Pickers” is merely an offshoot of that, but with even less historical significance.

The other two shows, “Ice Road Truckers” and “Swamp People,” are absolutely worthless. Perhaps a season to show how these certain people lived would have sufficed as an interesting and educational show, but to include several seasons of family disputes, dim-witted actions and senseless conversations depreciates the integrity of The History Channel.

Then there is the Discovery Channel. This channel was once filled with great documentaries that focused on the world around us, both historically and environmentally. The first glimpse of reality TV seen on this channel was “American Chopper”

in 2003, but it was soon removed once it had run its course. The station wanted to return to its original intention of educating viewers about the many wonders in our world – not filling their heads with senseless gossip and irrelevant drama.

However, the channel gradually fell back into reality TV. “Dirty Jobs” was a hit show, but soon led to a more in-depth look at these jobs, which resulted in “Deadliest Catch” – a reality show that keeps you entertained by use of an arrogant captain ordering blockheaded shipmates to do gruesome work in terrible conditions. As I said before, a season to witness these jobs in depth and the people who do them wouldn’t be bad, but to focus the show

on the interactions and emotions of the individuals is where I lose interest.

“The Deadliest Catch,” of course, opened the flood gates for other reality shows to take their place. “American Chopper” is now back on the air with a new emphasis of Senior versus Junior. “Sons of Guns” focuses on the emotional tides of a family that makes guns. “Swamp Loggers” portrays ornery individuals pulling logs out of swamps for money.

I will admit, though, that the Discovery Channel has its redeeming reality shows, “Man versus Wild” and “Survivor Man,” both of which are very similar, they are rarities among their kind.

Finally, when I thought surely Nat Geo wouldn’t sell out, surely it would

hold true to its educational intent and play interesting shows, I was mistaken.

The channel has recently sold out to reality-based shows such as “Alaska State Troopers,” “Rock Stars” and “Rocket City Rednecks,” none of which I have the heart to watch, so I won’t bore you with the details.

However, a new show called “Knights of Mayhem” did catch my attention at first. It showed actual people jousting for the sport of it, and I was completely intrigued. But then the preview stated, “… but outside the arena, the real battle begins.” This statement was followed by members of the show fighting and pulling the usual antics found in reality-based shows.

Heartbroken, I changed the channel.

Discouraged and without a channel to watch, I flip between the three hoping to catch a glimpse of something worthwhile – a glimpse of the past documentaries that once held dominion, but are now displayed sporadically. But when they do decide to show a documentary, it’s usually “Ancient Aliens,” which can hardly be considered educational, and the guy with the crazy hair and fake tan – you know who I’m talking about – can’t be taken seriously.

I can only hope for the periodic showing of “Modern Marvels,” wait for Shark Week, or perhaps just turn off my TV, stop griping and find something else to do.

ryan duggan is a junior english and classics major. reach him at ryanduggan@ dailynebraskan.com.

OPINION DAILY NEBRASKAN

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

DAILY NEBRASKAN EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS ZACH SMITH

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NEWS ASSIGNMENT EDITOR

OUR VIEW

GABRIEL SANCHEZ | DAILY NEBRASKAN

Be respectful as finals week approaches The campus you know is gone. Doors are shut, eyes are bleary and the weight of 20,000 final papers, tests and projects is bearing down on the student body at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In what has become something of an end-of-semester tradition at UNL, it’s time for the total shutdown that marks the end of Dead Week and the start of Finals Week.

Or maybe the above description doesn’t fit you.

Perhaps you’re one of the lucky few (read: any liberal arts major) for whom the semester’s work has ended (read: Why, oh why, professors, must one week of the semester be cut off to fit every final paper into Dead Week?).

If that’s the case, the Daily Nebraskan merely asks you do the courteous and the obvious: respect those around you who are still preparing for final tests.

It may seem like tired advice, but it’s especially relevant for students in shared living spaces, such as residence halls or greek houses. Keeping track of who of 50 neighbors has finished his or her semester isn’t always easy, but it matters.

The temptation is always there to celebrate a successful final project or test. The DN encourages its readers to remember that one person’s partying is another’s irritation as he or she crams for biochemistry.

For those in need of a study break, check the Opinion section tomorrow to see what students of varying religions have to say about the Christmas season. Join us one last time on Monday to see our plans for next semester.

OPINION@DAILYNEBRASKAN.COM

EDITORIAL POLICY The editorial above contains the opinion of the fall 2011 Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. It does not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, its student body or the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. A column is solely the opinion of its author; a cartoon is solely the opinion of its artist. The Board of Regents acts as publisher of the Daily Nebraskan; policy is set by the Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. The UNL Publications Board, established by the regents, supervises the production of the paper. According to policy set by the regents, responsibility for the editorial content of the newspaper lies solely in the hands of Daily Nebraskan employees.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY The Daily Nebraskan welcomes brief letters to the editor and guest columns but does not guarantee their publication. The Daily Nebraskan retains the right to edit or reject any material submitted. Submitted material becomes property of the Daily Nebraskan and cannot be returned or removed from online archives. Anonymous submissions will not be published. Those who submit letters must identify themselves by name, year in school, major, and/or group affiliation, if any. E-mail material to opinion@ dailynebraskan.com or mail to: Daily Nebraskan, 20 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St. Lincoln, NE 68588-0448.

NEIL ORIANS | DAILY NEBRASKAN

Censoring violence not needed

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ast Tuesday, the National Football League suspended Detroit Lion defensive tackle and Husker legend Ndamukong Suh. For those who don’t know, Suh’s crime was stomping-after-the-whistle on Green Bay Packer lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith during a nationally televised Thanksgiving contest.

Not surprisingly, Suh’s actions drew the ire of sports columnists everywhere.

Paul Ward of the Bleacher Report called for a year-long suspension, in part because “violence needs a limit.” Other commentators called for an end to Suh’s endorsement contracts with Chrysler and Subway.

Such outrage regarding sports violence isn’t new. Fans of football and other sports are witness to an ever-decreasing tolerance for violence. The “no blood, no foul” dictum of ‘80s basketball now results in fines and suspensions. And what counted as stern coaching in Husker-years past is now the wine and cheese crowd’s call for dismissal. And just this past year, Major League Baseball, for the first time in my life, expressed concern over the “violence” of home plate collisions.

Yes, we’re pretty far from the days when little or no penalty was handed to old-schoolers like Ty Cobb or Dick Butkus, who reveled in the injury of an opponent. And in a sports-obsessed culture, I suspect these issues are causally connected with a changing attitude toward violence generally.

In his new book “The Better Angels of Our Nature,” Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker argues the human race is now less violent than ever. Pinker states that agriculture, democracy and human rights initiatives largely curtailed the violent attitudes of our ancient and medieval forebears. Pinker uses extensively gruesome accounts of murder and torture from times past to illustrate his thesis. Not surprisingly, Pinker favors the alleged decrease in violence as moral progress.

Obviously, Pinker’s arguments are quite controversial, since the largest number of absolute deaths occurred during the wars of the past century and not prior. A review of the book by

DAVID LOGAN Robert Epstein in “Scientific American” called Pinker out on this point, and worried for a future in which nuclear technologies could obliterate billions.

I think Pinker can avoid these objections, so long as he admits it’s only the masses who’ve become less violent, and not the wealthy or religious elite.

And haven’t we become less violent?

We used to guillotine Marie Antoinette.

Now we can’t even throw a punch in public, no matter how angry we become. And we can’t see violent images on the news or even experience violence in any context save our late night battles on “Call of Duty.”

However, when the elite need to drone bomb another Middle Eastern family to pieces, or kill hundreds of thousands of innocents to serve mining interests abroad, their actions are actively supported as a “war” for our safety or some other meaningless drivel. And ditto the religious fanatics who use violence as an excuse to push their radical agendas.

And so, it’s hard to imagine Pinker saying that burning to death in the Middle East, covered in white phosphorous, is any better than the Salem Witch Trials or another violent epoch from our past. During the last century, the code of conduct has increasingly become violence for a few, but not for most. And why not?

Anything other than a passive, obedient populace is bad for business.

Enter Ndamukong Suh. If Suh can be violent and aggressive to achieve his goals, who’s to say average Joe shouldn’t throw punches when corporate America stomps out his daughter’s health insurance? Suh needs to be reined in for the same reason as everyone else: any violent impulse harms the orderly functioning of the system. And

that’s not because NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is a real life version of a comic book supervillian. It’s merely because everyone has tacitly agreed to whatever value system supports our cultural hegemony.

I’d like to resist the idea that I’m overstating the relevance of professional sports. From the Roman Empire through today’s Generation Text, sports embodies our expectations about society and our rules of conduct. That is why, when we praise the signing of Jackie Robinson in 1947, we praise it not because he made the Dodgers a better ball club.

We praise the signing of Jackie Robinson because of what it meant to America as a whole. Ditto the sporting accomplishments of Billie Jean King, Arthur Ashe and autistic three-point wizard Jason McElwain.

Similarly, when journalists bash Suh for his conduct, they say something about the conduct of the masses: violence is unacceptable in any context ever, no matter how meaningless.

I suggest that Pinker’s view of violence is offensive to our normal intuitions.

Weren’t the Allies right to use violent force to end the mass extermination of the Holocaust? Wasn’t the threat of violence necessary to end the “separate but equal” racism of the Jim Crow South? And we generally think John Brown or the French and Russian Revolutionaries had a right to be violent, given their oppressive circumstances.

And so, we ought to be extremely dubious when Steven Pinker, or armchair sportswriter X, extols less violence is always for the best. We toss around words like “dirty player” and “asshole” very casually, but can we really believe them?

Are the on-field actions of Suh really so terrible? Considering the other horrors of the world, Suh’s actions aren’t so bad. Suh is just the latest casualty in the media/propaganda machine which teaches passive obedience for all but a privileged few.

AND WITH THAT, I’LL PUT ON MY FOOTBALL PADS AND BARREL INTO MY EDITOR, ZACH SMITH. DAVID LOGAN IS A NON-DEGREE SEEKING GRADUATE STUDENT. REACH HIM AT DAVIDLOGAN@ DAILYNEBRASKAN.COM.

Beliefs based on more than apparitions, food

I

n a few days, millions of Catholics will make a pilgrimage to Mexico City to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Dec. 12 is recognized by the Catholic Church as the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a miraculous apparition of the Virgin Mary that allegedly occurred in 1531.

According to the story, a Mexican farmer named Juan Diego was walking to church when he saw a vision of the Virgin Mary on a hill, dressed in Aztec attire and speaking Nahuatl, the Aztec language.

As a result of his vision, an image of Mary appeared on Juan Diego’s cloak. Despite being almost 500 years old, the frail cloak has maintained its structural integrity and is currently on display in the basilica.

The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is only one of countless miraculous “apparitions” that have occurred around the world, although most modern visions aren’t quite as glamorous. In 2005, “Our Lady of the Underpass” appeared on water-stained concrete in Chicago, and in 2009, a Texas couple discovered a Cheeto shaped like Jesus. More recently, a South

Carolina couple found what they were convinced was the face of Jesus in a Wal-Mart receipt.

Maybe you’re a believer in these fantastic apparitions, and you don’t understand how anyone could ignore these indisputable signs of God’s existence. On the other hand, maybe you’re a skeptic, and you can’t believe so many fools get suckered in by these obvious hoaxes. Who’s right?

Who’s wrong? Actually, both sides tend to misunderstand each other.

The debate persists because many believers and many skeptics fail to account for the role of faith in how people react to these phenomena.

In order to understand the various reactions to these mysterious occurrences, we must first consider the question of faith. For example, many Christians are enthusiastic when they hear about an image of Jesus appearing on, say, a grilled cheese sandwich. But most of them wouldn’t tell you that their religion is grounded solely in miracles like these. A religion is a world view, a life philosophy whose beliefs and practices promise some sort of spiritual good to those who keep them. It’s not simply a collection of

BEN KANTACK paranormal events, even if paranormal events play a role. That’s why Christians can go to a magic show and enjoy themselves without converting to a new religion in the process.

When religious people flock to the latest miraculous manifestation of God’s existence, it’s tempting to dismiss them as simpleminded for basing their faith on something that could be so easily faked. But faith isn’t based on miracles. “Our Lady of the Underpass” isn’t creating any lasting converts to Catholicism.

True, some people may be inspired to consider Catholicism more openly after seeing the image. But if they do convert, their newfound faith will be based on a philosophy that speaks to their core, not on a water-stained slab of concrete.

You might notice that my definition of religion didn’t include logic, rationality or reason. That’s because every religion, at some point, boils down to a question of faith – of believing something that logic can’t explain or confirm. Despite centuries of religious philosophy by the likes of Blaise Pascal and Thomas Aquinas, at some point religious belief requires making this logical leap.

This is the reason why the pilgrims to Our Lady of Guadalupe or any other alleged holy apparition seem foolish to those who do not share their religious beliefs. The “miracle” is visible and concrete, but the faith is invisible and abstract. Thus, it seems like the miracle is the driving force behind these religious people’s actions, when in fact faith is doing most of the work.

On the other side of the coin, those same pilgrims react with confusion to the people who ridicule them for their excitement. In the same way that it’s difficult for the faithless to comprehend others’ faith, it’s difficult for the faithful to comprehend the lack of faith in others.

For someone who already believes that Jesus Christ is allpowerful, the idea that He should appear on a three-cheese pizza (as He apparently did earlier this year in Australia) seems entirely plausible, if a little weird. But it seems plausible precisely because (and only because) the faith that they base their life upon dictates that it is so. Without that faith, they would be just as incredulous as the rest of the skeptics.

So the next time you’re about to have a laugh at someone who has discovered the face of Jesus on a Nutter Butter, remember that they’ve probably structured their religious belief on more than just Nabisco brand snack foods. Or, if you’re already packing your bags to witness firsthand the God of the universe in all his peanut-buttery glory, don’t forget that the people who are mocking your enthusiasm might not share the faith that allows you to believe such a miracle is possible.

BENJAMIN KANTACK IS A SENIOR POLITICAL SCIENCE AND SPANISH MAJOR. FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER AT @BENJAMINKANTACK AND REACH HIM AT BENJAMINKANTACK@ DAILYNEBRASKAN.COM.

AILYNEBRASKAN.COM

I very distinctly remember the summer day when I received a call from, A&E Assistant Editor, Chance Solem-Pfeifer, offering me a column about fine arts for the coming semester.

I also remember not saying “yes” immediately.

I was flattered, of course, but a column is a terrifying thing. It’s a 600-word hole in the paper that I was expected to fill with my thoughts and feelings about art or what I considered to be art on a weekly basis. And you, dear reader, have the opportunity to rip me to shreds or to praise me endlessly via my Daily Nebraskan email account.

You and I both know what my final decision was. I picked a vaguely pretentious title, “A Finer Art” and sat down at my laptop to begin justifying my opinions on various topics, ranging from visual artwork to theater itself.

Looking back, I suppose I was more concerned with how my opinions would be received than whether I could actually learn anything from my weekly endeavors.

I did learn though. In fact, I learned a lot. In light of the fact that my fingers are tired of typing final papers, I will limit myself to my top five lessons.

1. Despite what I may think, I don’t know everything.

KATIE NELSON

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

COLUMNIST REFLECTS ON YEAR OF GREAT THEATER, LIVE PERFORMANCES

ART

DAILY NEBRASKAN

Coming from a background rich in musicals, beginning with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s creations as a child through my involvement in theater and Thespians in high school (not to mention years of band and choir), I was convinced I knew what good art is. I have also been painting literally since my memory starts, to which ascribe my false sense of expertise. However, a meager background in these various subjects doesn’t make a master. If anything, it allows me to relate but hardly makes me an expert. I think this was best demonstrated in my columns about street art. I wrote two because my first condemned tagging as illegitimate. But I learned a short few weeks later how incredibly wrong I had been.

After partaking in a bit of vandalism myself, I realized that spray paint can sometimes be the best paintbrush, pencil or instrument for visual art creation.

Also, I stick by my original advice: don’t try it yourself.

And if you do, don’t you dare mention my name.

2. Sometimes the “art” is the venue itself. It wasn’t until I started writing this column that I began to understand that half of the reason I attend shows at the Lied Center is because I love the Lied

pERFORMINGaRTS

TH E

Center itself. I’m incredibly drawn in by the ambiance.

Honestly, though, it’s not just the expensive theaters with faux velour seats. Sometimes it’s the charm of a hole-in-thewall art museum or the makeshift stage of a coffee house that can draw an audience. A venue’s aesthetics are a matter of personal opinion, but don’t rule out the influence they can have on your overall opinion of a show. Next time you attend a performance, attend it from beginning to end. That is, from the time you walk in the door to the moment you leave and even go so far as to let the experience resonate with you.

3. Appearances aren’t always what they seem. I realize this lesson is cliché, but I’m not referring to artwork when I use it. Instead, I’m talking about those viewing and appreciating the art beside me. Given the look of the crowd that crawls from various nooks and crannies in downtown Lincoln on First Friday, it can be difficult to think an art connoisseur doesn’t have to wear Goodwill clothing or large, square-rimmed glasses. In fact, it doesn’t take a snobbish appearance or cigarettes to appreciate classical music or musical theater. And sometimes people attending

KATIE NELSON IS A SOPHOMORE BROADCASTING MAJOR. REACH HER AT KATIENELSON@ DAILYNEBRASKAN.COM.

theatrical productions are going to wear jeans or even cowboy hats. Instead of being offended they didn’t wear their best pearls, it’s important to remember and appreciate that they’re also interested in art.

4. The best way to get acquainted with fine arts is to immerse yourself in them. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times. Attend a First Friday. Attend a show at the Lied Center – they have free tickets, for crying out loud.

Watch a local artist perform at a coffee house. Get a pen and paper and doodle.

Whatever it is, don’t fight it.

I suppose the over-arching lesson I hoped you would take from my writing this semester is that truly fine art does exist in Lincoln. Yes, I realize we are in Nebraska, and as such, around 1500 miles from New York City or L.A., but the work here is good. It’s original. It’s genuine and people aren’t in it for the money. They’re doing something they love and supporting themselves on the side.

Now, I believe I owe you the final lesson I learned: 5. Sometimes vandalism is downright fun.

6

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

DAILY NEBRASKAN

Green Gateau’s savory meals keep regulars happy SAMANTHA KABOUREK

THE GREEN GATEAU

DAILY NEBRASKAN

You’ve been hearing your entire life that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Although The Green Gateau is famous for its early morning meals, the dinner service at the 10th St. restaurant is highly underrated.

The eatery is also celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

The Krueger family (Jamie, Jenny, Lylah and one bundle of joy on the way) come to The Green Gateau regularly for the savory meals and the excellent service at a reasonable price.

“This is by far the best restaurant in Lincoln,” Jamie Krueger said. “The cost of the food is great for the quality. We come here at least once a week.”

Julia Didier and her mother, Genenne, are also regulars at The Green Gateau, trusting the restaurant to never let them down.

“We come here often and always find a good meal to choose from on the menu,” said Julia Didier, a junior news-editorial major at the University of NebraskaLincoln. “This place always beats our expectations.”

The reputation of The Green Gateau is one that invokes images of both class and relaxation – not overly

330 S. 10th St. $15-25

Grade

A+

casual nor too formal for comfort.

Friday at 5 p.m. is an optimal time to visit this bistro, avoiding the rush of the dinner crowd. I was seated very quickly and my waiter, Mike Echternacht. He knew the menu like the back of his hand and has been an employee of The Green Gateau for roughly a year and a half. Echternacht, a UNL law student, recommended multiple dishes and noted the evening, breakfast, vegetarian, and gluten-free menus, both a surprising and appealing feature for the restaurant.

“On a Friday night there are six servers and I serve five tables,” Echternacht said. “Diversity, from young to old customers dine here.”

After being seated, I placed my order, deciding on the chicken artichoke dish and the Gateau Iced Tea. As I was waiting for my meal to be prepared, I was approached several times for my drink to be refilled and asked if my evening was going well. My waiter made

BRIANNA SOUKUP | DAILY NEBRASKAN

The Green Gateau, a downtown Lincoln restaurant noted for its breakfast and brunch menu, is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary. Over the years, the eatery has attracted many regular customers for its reasonably priced meals. good conversation and answered all my questions about the café sufficiently.

When my meal was ready to be served, it portrayed an elegant finish and embodied exactly how a highclass restaurant should present its dishes. The

chicken was just moist enough, topped with a savory artichoke sauce and vegetables served on the side. The cost of this dish was only $15, providing evidence that The Green Gateau does indeed offer high quality food for a low cost.

Additionally, the meal was quite large considering the modest price.

Ultimately the evening was defined by large portions and friendly smiles from the staff. Not only did I enjoy the bistro’s preparations, but so too has the

city of Lincoln for the last 20 years. The meal and service definitely exceeded my expectations and I hope to go back to try the breakfast that The Green Gateau has grown famous for.

ARTS@ DAILYNEBRASKAN.COM

Irish trio to bring classics, holiday favorites to Lincoln KATIE NELSON DAILY NEBRASKAN

For the past 11 years, the Irish trio has been touring, bringing their personal brand of traditional Celtic folk crossed with contemporary music to audiences worldwide.

Tonight, the Celtic Tenors, made up of members Matthew Gilsenan, James Nelson and Daryl Simpson are making a stop in Lincoln for a holiday show at the Lied Center for Performing Arts.

They will sing traditional carols, such as “O Holy Night,” “Silent Night” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” as well as old Irish hymns. However, Gilsenan said the show wouldn’t be completely holiday-oriented.

The group also plans to perform songs off their new album, which includes covers of songwriters, such as Bob Dylan.

The trio strives to make their show interactive and to keep it from coming off as a straight recital.

“We try to get in as much of the quality that we originally became famous for,” Gilsenan said. “Anything can happen. We try not to be too boring.”

Not only will the three sing, but Nelson will accompany some songs on piano and Simpson will play guitar. Gilsenan will join in with the occasional bout of percussion.

What is certain though is that the dominant feature of Thursday’s performance

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will be the vocals. The trio plans to sing “Nessun Dorma,” an operatic number, as well as an a capella version of “Danny Boy.” “You can physically hear the sobbing in the audience,” said Gilsenan of the trio’s performance of that traditional Irish number.

Gilsenan, Simpson and Nelson came together in 1999 in Dublin after Gilsenan took a six-month hiatus from his engineering job. The three come from different parts of Ireland and are all classically trained.

After a string of about 140 shows together, they decided to audition for a record label and after a quick audition of six songs, they signed on with EMI Records.

Since then, they have released six albums. Gilsenan, Simpson and Nelson allow their different backgrounds to influence their music.

However, their constant tours have allowed them pick up and try new music styles as well. The combination results in a zest for performance.

“As we’re touring consistently, it would be impossible to carry on if we didn’t like the music we were singing,” Gilsenan said.

“The quality of the songs seem to be the driving force now, and the origin is less important.”

So far, ticket sales have been consistent for

COURTESY PHOTO

Thursday’s show, according to Matthew Boring, the Marketing and Sales Coordinator for the Lied Center.

Some families make attendance at the annual Lied Center holiday show a tradition. One such person, Greg Jensen, the senior director of development for the University of Nebraska Foundation, is looking forward to the show, even though he isn’t familiar with the work of the Celtic Tenors.

“It will be a surprise and we look forward to it,”

Jensen said, “It’s unlike anything I’ve seen at the Lied Center during the holiday season ever.”

While local audiences look forward to the arrival of the tenors, Gilsenan, Simpson and Sullivan are enthusiastic to come to Lincoln. This is their first time in Nebraska, making it the 46th state they have visited in the United States.

“It’s going to be a very diverse show – each of the three tenors does have a very unique background,”

IF YOU GO A Celtic Tenors Christmas WHEN: Thursday, 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Lied Center for Performing Arts HOW MUCH: $36 (half price for students) Boring said. “It should be a very fun night of holiday music and Celtic music.”

KATIENELSON@ DAILYNEBRASKAN.COM

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Daily Nebraskan

thursday, december 8, 2011

7

Ugly sweaters remain popular holiday favorite Sarah lambert daily nebraskan

Crack open the drawers and dust off the dust bunnies; it’s time for the ugly sweaters to see fresh air. Re-glue the pom-poms, add some new tassels, spritz them up with a few jingle bells and voila, the sweater is as good as new.

The “ugly sweater phenomenon” seems to be growing more noticeable each holiday season as people jump on the “ugly sweater” bandwagon.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln freshman Libby Evans, an undeclared major, is the proud owner of three “ugly” Christmas sweaters.

“I love that they are cheesy and overdramatic,” she said.

“Plus Christmas is my favorite holiday and I love spreading the holiday cheer.”

Students often peruse Lincoln thrift stores to find discounted and vintage “ugly” sweaters. However, some will stray from the thrift store

gabriel sanchez | daily nebraskan

route and venture toward the free sweater collecting dust in Mom’s closet.

For many students, this is a gift that keeps on giving.

Audie Aguilar, a sophomore psychology major, received her one-and-only sweater as a present, but she’s still in search of others to add to her collection.

“I look in my mom’s closet

for sweaters, but that hasn’t really worked for me yet,” Aguilar said. “However, I would also look at Goodwill, because people always seem to be giving theirs away.”

Lincoln Goodwill locations seem to be the consensus best place to start looking for festive sweaters. The sweaters start at about $3.99 and though people donate these

sweaters year round, Goodwill doesn’t put them out until winter time, when they are a necessity to fight off the cold.

And though people may scoff at the aesthetics of sweaters that would suit elderly kindergarten teachers, people seem to be wearing them everywhere either as an ironic fashion statement or holiday enthusiasm. Either

way, it’s a look that’s in demand this time of year.

“The greatest thing someone ever said about my sweater was, ‘That’s cute!

Where did you get it?’” Evans said. “My sweater is a fashion statement.”

Even though these holiday sweaters are a “time and a place” clothing item, proponents of the adorned

pullovers are just happy to see them increase in popularity and acceptability.

“I like that it is acceptable to wear these sweaters in today’s society,” Aguilar said. “I like that my sweater has jingle bells and that I jingle everywhere I go.”

sarahlambert@ dailynebraskan.com

UNL’s multilingual professors report differing life stories brandon perchal daily nebraskan

Bethany schmidt | daily nebraskan

Don Spilker, owner of Spilker’s Pineridge Tree Farm, examines a tree while its excess needles are shaken off on Nov. 6.

The tree farm has been selling homegrown and imported trees for more than two decades.

Lincoln family’s Christmas tree farm survives on holiday spirit jacy marmaduke daily nebraskan

Don and Linda Spilker know the meaning of a Christmas tree.

It means holiday spirit – families sitting by the tree under strands of twinkling lights, waiting for the 25th to arrive.

It means history – they’ve been selling trees at Spilker’s Pineridge Tree Farm since 1988, although they first started growing in the 1970s.

And it means hard work.

The Christmas tree business is a year-round affair, starting in March with planting season and resulting in a field containing nearly 6,000 trees. They mow the trees, shape the trees, shear the trees. They water them, dye them, cut them, measure them. The price tag isn’t even the last step.

“When we started in ‘88, there were a lot of people that had maybe three to five acres of land and they got the idea they’d plant Christmas trees on it,” Don said. “But there’s not one of those people in business today and they’ve been out of business a long time because they found out how much work it was.

They didn’t like working

weekends, didn’t like working in the evenings.

And there’s a lot of that.”

But the process pays off for the Spilkers, who own one of Lincoln’s only Christmas tree farms. Since they opened for business this year the Friday after Thanksgiving, the customers have been pouring in to purchase Fraser firs, white pines, Douglas firs and Scotch pines. Some trees hover close to the ground with modest width and a height of a few feet, while others tower past the limits of many living room ceilings. This variety is a selling point.

“We had more customers almost than we could handle the last two weekends,” Linda said.

The Spilkers will usually receive two or three special orders for Christmas trees before their opening day from those families that want their tree displayed the day after Thanksgiving.

This year, they received more than three dozen of those early orders.

That means more work than ever. The process of preparing the tree for the customer is a long one, involving “shaking” the tree in a machine that levels out the bottom and loosens debris, drilling a hole

in the bottom of the trunk and shrinking the tree into a net for transport. On quiet weekdays, the Spilkers need little help – they can sense the approach of a customer with the slam of a car door – but on weekends, they enlist a few of their seven children and 12 grandchildren for help with the labor.

“People come in and think you just plant the tree and harvest it seven years later and sell it,” Don said.

“And they don’t understand why you get so much money for it. But you’ve got mowing, you’ve got shaping, you’ve got spraying.

By the time we’re done, there are a lot of hours in that tree.”

In fact, the markup on the trees sold at Spilker’s Pineridge is actually very little, according to Don. Pre-cut trees are a bit more expensive, but most of the cost comes from freight transport.

“If you’re looking for a big profit, it’s just not here,” he said. “You’ve gotta have love for it, for seeing these little kids’ eyes light up when they see it.”

And light up they do.

With hayrides, a giftshop and free popcorn, hot chocolate and apple cider, the farm is a winter paradise

You’ve gotta have love for it, for seeing these little kids’ eyes light up when they see it.”

Don Spilker

spilker pineridge farm co-owner

for children accompanying their parents on the hunt for the right tree. Don said they often cry when it’s time to leave. The Spilkers try to remember what Don called “the focus of Christmas” with an advent service at the farm in mid-December. This year’s will be held on Dec. 19, with singing of carols, refreshments and a message from a pastor.

“Christmas doesn’t last long,” Don said. “It’s a joyous time of year.”

The Spilkers’ own tree is a Fraser Fir – “the Cadillac of Christmas trees” according to Don, with its height and smooth needles. It stands seven feet tall – their ceiling is only eight feet, so they have just enough room for the angel at the top. In the evenings, Don likes to sit by the tree, illuminated in the quiet room. “(I’m) like a small child,” he said. “It makes my eyes light up.” jacymarmaduke@ dailynebraskan.com

Exiting the elevators in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Department of Modern Languages and Literatures in Oldfather Hall reveals a hallway lined with wooden doors. Nearly every one leads to a foreign language professor’s office. Many of these faculty members are bilingual; a few are multilingual.

The journeys that lead these academics to offices in Oldfather Hall, however, can and do diverge greatly.

Ikuho Amano, an associate professor of Japanese, is fluent in English, Italian and Japanese and can read French, Spanish and a little German.

She grew up in Japan and at the age 13, started learning her second language, English.

“It was relatively easy,” said Amano. “We just focused on the reading and writing skills.

The teachers did not focus on speaking it.”

Years later Amano started college as an international student in the United States, taking foreign language courses. Some courses, like Spanish, didn’t come easy.

“I believe my first grade in the class was either a C- or a D,” Amano said.

Studying Spanish allowed Amano to take part in valuable study abroad trips. She spent her sophomore summer in Italy and took up the Italian language around the same time, a class she particular enjoyed because of its similarities to her native Japanese. As the years pressed on, Amano took up German as well and began formulating a specific strategy for comprehension and memorization.

“I memorized through my handwriting,” Amano said.

“Before an exam I was writing, writing.”

Though the main theme of Amano’s early linguistic experiences seems to be volition and diversification of language, it’s not an experience shared by everyone in the UNL Department of Modern Languages and Literatures.

At the opposite end of Oldfather’s 11th floor is the office of Mila Saskova-Pierce, an associate professor of Czech and Russian. She is fluent in Czech, English, French, Polish and Russian. Saskova-Pierce grew up in the communist state of Czechoslovakia during the Cold War. “We couldn’t travel out of the country,” she recalled.

“The language was the metaphor for our freedom. We knew that we lived in a big metamorphosing law.”

At the time it was mandatory for all the students in Czech schools to learn Russian.

“Russian was the language I had to emotionally accept, even though the violence that happened to Czech nation

had nothing to do with Russian,” Saskova-Pierce said.

At the age of 20 during the Prague Spring of 1968, Saskova-Pierce crossed the Czech border and escaped the country.

“I needed to remember that I didn’t run away for better economic reasons, but to escape the impoverishment of intellectual life,” SaskovaPierce said. “My foreign language motivation changed greatly and I was clearly motivated to learn quickly.”

After leaving the country, learning multiple languages became a manner of everyday and of survival.

“It was practically, pleasurably challenging,” SaskovaPierce said. “Because I had to learn on the run, I had to learn very fast.”

The tongue of each nation she travelled to was something that had to be absorbed out of necessity, though Saskova-Pierce also recognized the intellectual benefits of having to do so. English though bore a special place in her educational experience.

“English was the language of rebellion,” she said. “It was clamor for freedom of expression because I was a flower child. English was (also) the language of freedom because when I came to the United States I was truly accepted and I never felt rejected.”

Learning Polish was a similar experience.

“Polish was a form of intellectual rebellion because the Poles were suppressed by Russia and Prussia,” she said.

“It was also the language of literature, physics and mathematics.”

Picking up French along the way, Saskova-Pierce came to view the learning of new languages as a privilege of intellect.

In 1999 she even returned to the Czech Republic with her husband and her daughters.

“It was an emotional moment because it was my home country,” she said.

Despite their vastly different roads to Lincoln, Neb. both Amano and Saskova-Pierce are both passionate about they languages they’ve learned and are eager to take in even more.

Amano wants to learn Chinese, Romanian and Russian, while Saskova-Pierce wants to give Spanish a try.

This zeal for education and sharpening the mind is a crucial faculty for any student of language to posses, regardless of age and experience.

“Choose something you are passionate about,” said Isabel Velazquez, a UNL assistant professor of Spanish. “It depends on your passion and your needs. It has to be relevant to you. Language is the window into what makes us human.”

brandonperchal@ dailynebraskan.com

8 thursday, december 8, 2011

Daily Nebraskan

volleyball: from 10 handed the Big Ten Championship trophy before the Northwestern match, Jordan Wilberger’s awesome performance on senior night against Wisconsin and hitting .600 in the final set of a win over then No. 1 Illinois. Or maybe instead they’ll think of the fifth-set victory over Penn State or Brigette Root’s calming influence in two home wins over the Michigan schools or sweeping a great

Iowa State squad in front of over 10,000 fans at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

But, there were undoubtedly some unpleasant moments from the season as well. The team struggled against New Mexico State in a way Cook called “as bad as I’ve ever seen them play” weeks later. They lost the next week to Colorado State, currently unranked and eliminated from the NCAA Tournament. They were beaten

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Need roommate ASAP. Apartment: 1826 B st. # 5 Rent-$247 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.

Washer/Dryer in Unit. Utilities run for about $40 a month. Call/Text Drew at 4022702092 or email at andrew.ramos@huskers.unl.edu One male or female roommate needed for a house. Rent is $200 a month plus utilities. Pets OK, one dog in house already. Call 308-940-2013.

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Roommate needed. Starting January- December 2012. Rent $ 150 per month, plus cable and electric which is about $100-150 more. 5 min. away from East campus, and 15 away from City. Three bedroom apartment, I’m a quiet, clean, responsible senior in need of a third roommate to replace my current roommate who just got married. So, if you need a place to live for the next year I think you just found it! No drama would be great! E-mail if interested jjarec12@huskers.unl.edu.

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A T S T U D

During the post-match press conference, a tearful Mancuso had something to say for those disappointed by NU’s showing in the NCAA Tournament, which happened to include herself.

“I can promise you that next year we’re going to come out fighting,” she said. “I promise you that next season won’t end like this.”

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middle blocker Brooke Delano graduates along with Wilberger and Root, the team returns three first team AllBig Ten performers in Lauren Cook, Gina Mancuso and Hannah Werth, second team All-Big Ten Morgan Broekhuis plus defensive stalwarts in Paige Hubl, Hayley Thramer and Lara Dykstra and add another top-ranked recruiting class, led by Elkhorn South star Lauren Sieckmann.

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off it, where she was co-captain with Wilberger.

“It was great. If I could do it all over again, there’s no one I’d rather (co-captain) with,” she said. “I thought there was a great relationship between us and the players and the coaches. It was a great year — I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

So, next season brings back a talented Nebraska side.

While former All-American

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easily in road matches against Penn State and Purdue and were upset by Northwestern.

Injuries shortened the seasons of Allison McNeal and Taylor Simpson, and down the stretch, NU lost four of its final 11 matches after winning the previous 16 in a row. And that’s not even mentioning the Lauren Cook situation.

Despite all of the trials and tribulations, Root enjoyed the season, both on the court and

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All-American ready for Intrasquad Nedu Izu Daily nebraskan

Producing All-Americans in Nebraska has become a trend during the last three years, especially for the women’s gymnastics team.

For the last three seasons, the Huskers have produced at least two All-Americans each year. The team has six All-Americans on the 2011 roster, including one senior, three juniors (one redshirt in Kassandra Nathe) and two sophomores.

NU coach Dan Kendig said the upperclassmen are great examples for their incoming teammates.

“I just think the recipe when you come in is do what you’re supposed to do,” he said. “Work hard, challenge yourself to get better every day and great things are going to happen for you.”

One of those All-Americans is sophomore Emily Wong.

Kendig said the Grand Forks, N.D., native’s attitude is what makes her stand out among her teammates.

“She came in last year and from day one has had a great attitude,” he said.

“She worked hard, got better every day and wound up as one of the most improved people we’ve had in one year.”

In her first season at Nebraska, Wong performed in every meet and tallied career-highs in the bar (9.90), beam (9.90) and floor (9.875). Her career-highs led to four event titles, including three on bars and one on beam.

Her 9.90 performance on beam at the Big 12 Championships helped earn her All-Big 12 Championship Team honors. Wong also helped the Huskers advance to the 2011 NCAA Super Six Team Finals.

The sophomore said getting to the postseason was one of her goals freshman year.

“I didn’t have any individual goals,” Wong said.

“For gymnastics, my goal was all team things and I feel we accomplished all of those.”

The Huskers took fourth place at the Super Six and Wong finished in 11th in

Huskers lose Carl Pelini, gain question marks Jeff Packer Daily nebraskan

FILE PHOTO BY MORGAN SPIEHS | DAILY NEBRASKAN

Sophomore Emily Wong, who earned All-American honors in 2011, has been praised for her attitude. the Event Finals with a for me to focus on gymnas- the year.”

9.8125 average score on tics.”

The Huskers perform this uneven bars. Wong said Kendig said he sees the Friday, and Wong said she’s she had academic goals as sophomore improving tre- excited. well. mendously this year.

“I’m very excited because “School-wise, I want“I coach bars, and I it will be at the Devaney, a ed a 3.8 GPA or higher think this time last year bigger venue,” she said. “It and I achieved that,” she she couldn’t hit a 9.70,” he will be good to show evsaid. The sophomore was said. “That didn’t stop her, erybody what we’ve been awarded Big 12 Commis- and this year her landings working hard at.” sioner’s Fall Honor Roll are better than they were a The Huskers next comfirst and second semester year ago. She’s a lot more petition is this Friday at the last year. She was also a confident, and I think she Bob Devaney Sports Center.

2011 NACGC/W Scholastic has the potential to work “It will be good to show All-American. on all four events for us everybody what we’ve been Wong said being named this year and do a great working hard at,” Wong an All-American was just job.” said. “Last year at my first an added bonus.

The Huskers performed meet I was really nervous, “I perform for the team; their first intrasquad meet especially in nationals. I had I wasn’t looking for any in- together Nov. 18 at Mabel no idea what to expect. dividual honor,” she said. Lee Hall.

“This year I feel more “Last year was an amazWong said it was great ready and prepared and ing year with both school first time back on the mat. now I know I can help the and gymnastics. I really “It was a lot of fun,” she freshman going into our enjoyed it. School wasn’t said. “It was very positive meets.” neduizu@ as hard as I expected it to and everyone did their best. dailynebraskan.com be and that made it easier It was a great way to start

9

His bags are packed and the questions abound.

As Carl Pelini’s full car heads to the land of retirement communities and “Burn Notice” scenes, Nebraska is down a defensive coordinator and up a few puzzles.

Who replaces Carl? Several scenarios and unknowns there.

We’re at that familiar point with the Bo Pelini regime where nothing more than speculation exists.

Mike Stoops, the former Arizona Wildcat coach, has had his name thrown around.

There’s history there. With the rich background that the Pelinis and Stoops hold through Cardinal Mooney High back in Ohio and Stoops record as a defensive coordinator for his brother at Oklahoma, he’s certainly a viable candidate.

Some have pointed to Bo’s tendency to hire from within.

He’s a loyal man. All signs would then point to defensive line and special teams coach John Papuchis. With Pelini since he arrived in 2008, Papuchis has coached some greats and produced some better-than-average results.

Other defensive minds are likely too new to the staff and not as familiar with things as Papuchis.

A first-time coordinator like Papuchis would probably be cheaper and his knowledge of the defense could help him. There is something to be said for a veteran who can hit the ground running though.

Could there be an unknown we haven’t considered yet?

With Pelini and the athletic department remaining mum on the situation, we can’t do anything but guess.

One more question deals specifically with Stoops.

Known for his fire and passion on the sidelines, Stoops hasn’t ever taken a vow of silence when coaching.

Carl was animate but almost seemed like a calming force for a frustrated Bo. Can the Huskers afford the possibility of another hot head?

It’s early, but there’s another question. Next to the sunscreen and the keys to the Florida Atlantic program, does Carl have an NU coach packed too?

FAU clearly isn’t a national powerhouse, but it’s the perfect place to give your coaching career a jump start. Might one of the position coaches be interested in a coordinating gig? Could Carl sway Joe Ganz into his first assistant coaching job?

Sure there are uncertainties that go with any coaching switch. It isn’t ideal, but it’s a fact of life in any profession. With the subsequent shifts, Pelini has a chance to go out and get some surprise hires. He could shock the Big Ten with a revamped staff and an easier schedule in the next couple of years. With the right minds in place, Nebraska could be poised for a run in the near future.

One thing you can count on is the atmosphere of the defense going forward. Pelini and the coaches value the culture that he has established here. Fans love the culture he has restored here. The loss of Carl, while intriguing, will not trigger a massive collapse. It gives NU a chance to shake things up.

Fun-in-the-sun jokes about Carl aside, he and Bo both have their work cut out for them. The Owls went 1-11 last year. Nebraska’s defense isn’t exactly in dire straits, but another year of these numbers will be a problem for Bo and whomever he hires. Will it get that bad?

Like every college footballrelated question, we can only wait. Should be fun to get the answers.

Jeff Packer is a senior Broadcast major. Reach him at jeffpacker@ dailynebraskan.com

basketball: from 10 night will be in the post between Hooper (17.5 pts, 8.6 rebs per game) and Nelson (14.4, 8.0), forwards who both come in leading their respective teams in points and rebounds. Nelson’s 65.1 field-goal percentage ranks fourth in the country, and she was named Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week twice in the first three weeks of the season.

But Hooper doesn’t need to be told any of that: She knows full well what Nelson is capable of.

“I’ve played with Sarah Nelson,” Hooper said. “I know her strengths, and I know she brings her A-game for everything and I know she’s going to for this game especially because it’s an in-state rival.

She’s a great player.”

This may be the toughest matchup Nebraska has left in its non-conference schedule. After the CU game, the Huskers head on the road to face Northern Arizona in Flagstaff and then return home for games with Vermont and South Dakota State. A win

Thursday over the 4-3 Jays, and NU, now 7-1, could be looking at an 11-1 record when they begin Big Ten play on the road against now-No. 17 Penn State.

Rivalry or not, NU wants to win Thursday night’s game badly. After all, last season’s Huskers squad started 8-1, only to drop three straight after, finishing 5-17 for the rest of the season.

What better way for the team to show its year-to-year improvement than by winning its eighth game a full three weeks before last year’s team did (Dec. 30 vs. South Florida)?

The team, however, isn’t thinking much about last year anymore. It’s way more concerned with being ready for that Penn State game and the rest of the Big Ten season.

“We just have to keep getting better day in and day out, especially defensively,” Moore said. “We have a lot of offensive strength out there on the court so, really it just comes down to our defense and getting stops.” seanwhalen@ dailynebraskan.com

fILE PHOTO BY ANNA REED | DAILY NEBRASKAN

Lindsey Moore and the Huskers always look forward to the Nebraska-Creighton game each year.

huskers: from 10 stemmed from NU’s inability to get the ball inside.

Gulf Coast ran a 1-2-2 zone that cut NU’s chances to get the ball into the post or elbows. The Huskers had 14 points in the paint, only two of which came in the first half.

Center Jorge Brian Diaz, the team’s second-leading scorer, took only five shots and point guard Bo Spencer, coming off a 29-point outburst against Creighton, had

his worst offensive game in a Nebraska uniform. He had six points on 2-for-11 shooting and turned the ball over seven times.

“I think their changing defenses may have confused us a little bit,” said junior Brandon Ubel. “We didn’t get into our offense set until maybe 10 seconds into the shot clock until we recognized what we were in.”

Coming off of three losses in their past four games, the

Huskers were searching for a confidence-building win.

At first glance, the Eagles appeared to be the perfect remedy.

Upon closer examination, however, the Eagles’ five losses prior to Wednesday’s game had all been by 10 points or fewer, including a one-point loss to TCU and a six-point loss to Maryland. They had chances in all those games to come out on top but failed to finish.

“We knew going into the game it was going to be very difficult,” Sadler said.

“I knew it was going to be a tough basketball game.”

With 1:21 left, FGCU’s Christophe Varidel knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give the Eagles a 50-49 edge.

Both teams traded missed 3-pointers until the Huskers got possession with 30 seconds left.

After a timeout, Sadler

called for Spencer to create off a pick from Diaz, just as he had a week ago against Wake Forest. Against Wake Forest, Spencer missed a wild runner. But Wednesday night, the senior kicked out to Talley, who pump faked and drove before knocking down a contested 15-foot jump shot.

“We needed that win big time,” Talley said.

Sadler wasn’t sure if he’d have Talley’s services

before the game. The junior is suffering from a thigh bruise and he said it hurt badly. But Talley gave it a go, played 26 minutes and saved the Huskers from seeing an embarrassing score on the ESPN ticker.

“That didn’t cross my mind during the game,” Ubel said with a smile. “But after we won, it was a relief to know that wasn’t going to happen.” danhoppen@ dailynebraskan.com

Sports DAILY NEBRASKAN

page 10

dailynebraskan.com

thursday, december 8, 2011

NU-CU rivalry game has Ladies motivated Sean Whalen Daily Nebraskan

“

“ EASY

Dylan Talley led the Huskers with 14 points and made the game-winning shot with 10 seconds left in NU’s 51-50 victory against Florida Gulf Coast.

PHOTO

IT WASN’T

BY KYLE

BRUGGEMAN

STORY BY DAN HOPPEN

A

s Nebraska coach Doc Sadler left his postgame press conference after a farfrom-positive media session Wednesday night, he had one last note to add.

“It’s a win, guys,” he said.

Forgive Husker fans for not feeling great after this one.

The Huskers needed a midrange jumper from Dylan Talley with 10 seconds left to survive against Florida Gulf Coast 51-50.

“They found a way tonight,” Sadler said. “It wasn’t easy.”

The Husker offense was stymied again, continuing a trend that has lasted during the past two weeks. The Huskers shot 40 percent

volleyball

Huskers attempt to find positives in 2011 season

from the field and averaged just 56.7 points during the last three games.

Last night, the struggles

huskers: see page 9

Sean Whalen

Robby Korth

BETHANY SCHMIDT | DAILY NEBRASKAN

Nebraska learned some valuable lessons while reaching all but one team goal this season.

Wildcats twice. While many and they’re a great team and of the players were devastat- they deserve to go far.” ed by the loss, none felt any While the 2011 season may anger at KSU. well be remembered by fans On the contrary, the Wild- mostly for the Kansas State cats may have even picked loss, the players will rememup a couple of fans. ber it for all of the good “Oh, (I’m) totally (cheering) things. for them,” Brigette Root said.

They’ll remember being “If they worked that hard and they can beat us, then I want volleyball: them to do the best they can.

I wish them the best of luck, see page 8

basketball: see page 9

Nebraska struggles to end tough first year in Big Ten

Daily Nebraskan

By most programs’ level of expectations, the Nebraska volleyball team had an extremely successful season.

NU won 25 matches, including 10 against ranked foes.

They claimed the outright Big Ten Championship, were ranked No. 1 in the coaches’ poll for a week and stayed in the RPI Top 4 all season long.

Unfortunately, Nebraska isn’t most programs, and its loss at home to Kansas State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament left a bitter taste in the mouths of many, including the Husker players and coaching staff.

Coach John Cook went out of his way to praise his team for the work it put in on the season after Friday night’s loss.

“As I told the girls, we still had a heck of a season,” he said. “We accomplished all of our goals but one, which is to win a national championship.

Only one team is going to do that. Sports teaches us some great lessons and we got taught some good lessons.”

Still, the fact remains that the Huskers failed to reach the top 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1993 and were one of only two of the eight Big Ten Tournament teams (Michigan State lost to No. 1 Texas) to fall in the first two rounds of the tournament.

Kansas State was to blame for that, shocking NU with play that everyone interviewed said far exceeded what the team was capable of in 2010, when NU swept the

There’s a lot of history between the Creighton and Nebraska women’s basketball teams. For the 29th straight year, the two teams will meet, playing at the Bob Devaney Sports Center Dec. 8. This will be NU coach Connie Yori’s 29th game in the series, in which she has served as a player, assistant and head coach on the Creighton side. For the last 10 years, Yori has been NU’s head coach and is 7-2 against the Jays.

That is a major reason this rivalry is so understated for both teams. Washington native Lindsey Moore said the Nebraska rivalry isn’t a negative one. She said that both teams have a high level of respect for each other and neither team is ever trying to make the other look bad.

NU heads into the game on a strong defensive note after holding Texas Pan-American to just 27 points in Sunday’s game.

The Jays, however, should pose a much more real threat than the Broncs offensively, as CU brings three players (Sarah Nelson, Carli Tritz and Ally Jensen) to Lincoln with double-digit scoring numbers.

And believe it or not, NU wasn’t completely satisfied with its defensive performance Sunday.

“Our defense was pretty good on Sunday, but coach Yori and (assistant) coach Sunny (Smallwood) said we have a lot to work on and I agree,” Jordan Hooper said. “There were a lot of times where we could have picked up charges ... We could have shut them down even more. We had all these opportunities and we just didn’t capitalize on them.”

For Moore, tonight’s game comes down to that defense. When she said Creighton is a fun team to watch even on tape, what she meant was that she saw CU as a team perfectly capable of putting up points. But NU is capable of stopping such teams: NU ranks second in the Big Ten in scoring defense at 52.9 points per game and is giving up under 45 per game at home.

All this has led to the best point differential in the conference for the Huskers. But Moore hardly expects the Jays to just wave a white flag when confronted with the numbers.

“We always look forward to the Creighton games,” she said. “They’re always good games. We know they always play hard and they want to win. We know we have to take it to that much (of a) higher level when we play them.”

A key matchup Thursday

Nebraska volleyball was on a tear.

The Huskers ranked No. 1 in the nation. They had a record of 19-1 through 20 games, and the single loss could be attributed to early season jitters for a loaded team replacing four starters.

It seemed like every week the Huskers would play a quality opponent. And win.

In fact, NU posted a 7-0 record against ranked conference opponents in its first 11 games as a member of the Big Ten, a conference that features six teams in the NCAA tournament’s round of 16.

This is when Nebraska won the Big Ten. It was on top of the world; most of its difficult games were out of the way. It held the tiebreaker over Illinois and started its newest road trip off with a victory over Ohio State at St. John Arena.

Then Oct. 29 happened, and things fell apart.

The Huskers were in the middle of their toughest road trip of the season.

It started in Columbus, Ohio, Friday night when NU had to take on the No. 23 Ohio State Buckeyes. Then for Saturday it had to hit the road for State College, Pa., to play the No. 8, and four-time defending national

champions Penn State Nittany Lions.

So on an overcast day, the Huskers traveled in. And on a snowy night they lost a humiliating match to PSU 3-1 on the Big Ten Network.

After that loss the Huskers returned home at about 2 a.m. The team was worn out. That loss was hard. The Huskers were previously the top-ranked team in the land. And their season took another turn downward when Lauren Cook was arrested for leaving the scene of a personal injury accident.

That was a distraction added to distractions that were never discussed in front of the media and never will be.

But the Huskers limped to the finish line with a 5-3 record where they went 2-2 against ranked opponents, won the Big Ten trophy against a pretty awful Iowa squad (1-19 in Big Ten play), then finished off the year with a loss to another cellardweller Northwestern (8-12 in conference play).

Then after a victory Iowa could’ve had over Jackson State, a team NU coach John Cook couldn’t find on a map, the Huskers lost a heartbreaker in five sets to unranked Kansas State.

It was the ending to be expected after such a crummy second half.

It’s possible to look at a season in two ways: It was a success or it wasn’t.

Nebraska accomplished all of its goals, John Cook said following the loss to K-State.

After all, the Huskers won the conference that sent eight teams to the NCAA tournament.

The Huskers had wins over some of the best programs in the country. Purdue, Illinois and Penn State could all very likely be in the final four teams remaining in the NCAA tournament come next Thursday.

But those aren’t the parameters to grade Nebraska on. Teams with regular season success aren’t remembered forever.

Isn’t that the knock on Husker football of late?

Nebraskans have high expectations. They want wins from their team, and when they can’t deliver it’s a disappointment.

Husker fans expect Nebraska volleyball players to be playing in Hawaii next weekend, not sitting in Lincoln worrying about their finals.

Expectations were high for this team: Everybody thought they could, should and would go all the way.

And that’s why I think the 2011 season wasn’t a success. The Huskers couldn’t capitalize on the momentum of winning the bestrepresented conference in the NCAA Tourney and even advance to the round of 16.

You can win all the regular season games you want, but if you can’t even sniff the big one in the postseason after dominating the SEC of volleyball, then your season is a disappointment.

Programs like Nebraska are designed to win national titles, not close out their seasons at home against K-State.

Robby Korth is a sophomore news-ed major.

Reach him at robbykorth@ dailynebraskan.com