University of Nebraska Kearney - Blue and Gold Yearbook (Kearney, NE)

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E C Believe or not Black cats, horoscopes, Mon- days, walking under ladders, and Friday the 13th. They’re only stupid superstitions, right? Except they aren’t so stupid if you believe in just one of them! Almost all people, KSC students in- cluded, have crazy superstitions. As I discovered, many students listen to, or read their horoscope every day. After an incident a few weeks ago, I think I might believe almost anything. I was involved in an accident with my boyfriend’s pickup; my roommate noted that we had missed listening to our ho- roscopes that morning. Perhaps my horoscope would have predicted this ac- cident. After that day was finally over, I think 1 would have believed that the earth was a triangle. It wasn’t a “good” day at all! Some people actually believe they’re going to have a bad day whenever Mon- day rolls around. Our fuzzy little friend Garfield even believes that Mondays should be dropped off the calendar! But why do people have such fears? I tried to find out. Many superstitions come from movies, like Friday The 13thf or maga- zines and television; but mostly they come from oneself. If a person really be- lieves in something enough it will hap- pen. Let's say that a black cat crosses my path on Friday the 13th. If I believe enough in those myths, something will happen to me. Whatever that something is, you can believe it’ll be bad! Remember back to when you were a little kid in bed at night, all alone in the dark with the exception of a few stuffed animals. Remember how afraid you were to get up to go to the bathroom or get a drink of water because of the boogey- monster in your closet or under your bed. A lot of students surveyed said that was their greatest fear — being eated by a monster! But why? Children could be afraid of some monster puppet they saw on Sesame Street. What kind of excuse is there for teenagers, grown men and women? There have been some crazy things that have happened here on campus. Two roommates, who wished to be anon- ymous, began to notice strange and ba- zaar things going on in their room. For four days one girl’s clock Tan back- wards. She kept setting it back to the correct time, but couldn’t figure out what was go- ing on. When she told some friends, they just laughed and said she was seeing things. Then they began to take note at one particular wall hanging they had. It would move around and turn sideways on the wall. Now they knew something was go- ing on. Another thing they said that oc- curred, was their beds would shake; not really bad, just a type of vibration. At the time of the interview, the beds still vi- brated. All the other occurrences have quit, but the beds still move. Do you believe them? Could it have really hap- pened? The oblong light fixture on the ceiling spins; the curtains blow from some wind (but all the win- dows are closed); there are flashes of light across the ceiling; and if you listen, a very, very dist-ant weeping can be heard. Another person, who doesn’t wish to be recognized, reported an incident he heard about in Conrad Hall. Many years ago, a college girl hung herself in one of the rooms. The occu- pants of this room today said that spooky things happen in this room. The oblong light fixture on the ceil- ing spins; the curtains blow from some wind (but all windows are closed); there are flashes of light across the ceiling; and if you listen, a very, very dis- tant weeping can be heard. Now if that doesn’t make you hate your room, I don’t know what would! But, are these true happenings or does the mind play such a trick on you that you can’t tell make-be- lieve from re- ality? Is it all in our minds, or do these things really happen? The mind believes what it wants to believe. I’m not saying that these things don’t happen. But if a person is superstitious enough about something, it will happen. The de- cision is yours. Believe it, or not. n 6 IT at CG w] T! th m W! ■3. KSmSctniltft HESS t

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billion dollar industry in the next decade. “Superconductivity” will be the most exciting new technology to develop in the next decade. According to Glasser, it may be used to levitate some forms of transportation. Superconductivity is the process whereby a current can be transferred without the loss of energy. Space ex- ploration, observation and commu- nication should also increase with the launching of an observatory — the space station along with the Gal- lilean probes to Jupiter projected to materialize before the end of the de- cade. The space station, which will take a decade to complete, will play a major role in developing industrial processes in space and in conducting scientific research into new materi- als and medications in the weightless environment it will provide. Glasser said these projections will become more “cost effective and feasible in the future but theyare no solution to overcrowding yet.” “Moon mining” also on the list of technological advances, is the mining of asteroids that approach the earth more closely uperconductivity is the process whereby a cur- rent can be transferred without the loss of ener- gy■ than the moon. These asteroids are meteor-type bodies that are high in valuable metals such as nickel. But what about here at home in 1988? How will Americans fair economically? Reno believes that businesses will turn to a more service-oriented nature because the demand is so high now and will only increase with the necessity of the two-income family. Reno is optimistic about an increase in international trade, with an emphasis on “where the best deal is.” This opinion is due to the increase in foreign markets and availability of prod- ucts. Businesses will update factories with new equipment to cut costs, making products cheaper while creating potential jbbs to service the new equipment. The formats of businesses will also change because they will be more moti- vated to be cost efficient and competitive, thus opening the door for new management and mar- keting concepts, financing and ideas for manu- facturing, he said. One of these manufacturing ideas Reno mentioned is a type of domestic system already being used in Japan, where people manufacture products in the home for use elsewhere. Japan uses this system to make parts for various prod- ucts, thus using a strong force of labor while al- lowing people to work with flexible hours and earn extra money for their households. Reno said this could work in the United States by way of the neighborhood. Reno sees higher education meaning better technology and business playing a part in making it possible. Multi-revolution space stations, high-speed and improved transportation, the doubling of the real GNP within the next 25 years to $8 trillion, oon mining is the mining of asteroids that ap- proach the earth more closely than the moon. a richer and broader consumer market, women and minorities comprising 80 percent of the work force, and marketing and ad- vertising through cable TV are among the ideas already surfac- ing in the business world, he added. Thus we will have more money and products to spend it on while the earth is slowly dying, but what about our political situation in the next 10 years? If we don’t agree with our global neighbors now, we may not be around to see 1988. Dr. Magstadt had a few speculations on the political out- look as a nation. Though things will remain about the same, “the U.S. is a liberal-conservative society and it has been for 200 years; I don’t think it will change in the next 10.” Magstadt said he feels there is “little likelihood of any type of space wars due to the lack of technology.” The mining of sea bed minerals has more international tensions than the fear of space wars, according to Magstadt. He said communism will stabilize. “The communist pow- ers won’t suddenly collapse but they won’t take over the world either.” In addition the relations between the U.S. and the So- viets will remain about the same, according to Magstadt. (if I There is little likelihood of any type of space - ■ wars due to the lack of technology — Magstadt “The countries have lived together for 40 years,” said Mag- stadt, “they haven’t gone to war yet.” Nuclear weapons will also neccessitate more collaboration and dialogue in the next 10 years. Magstadt said there will be “more arms-control agree- ments and eased tensions in some areas while also more conflict in others.” So what changes are forecast to happen in the next decade? Glasser, Reno and Magstadt all agree that the increase in space technology and the im- provements of present technology will dominate the next 10 years. These changes will be most no- ticeable in the areas of business and physics. Poli- tics will play the role of negotiator for international trade policies, space exploration policies and our relationships with the other countries inhabiting this earth. And although we may speculate on what may happen in the future how we deal with these changes is up to each individual to choose. Ande Rye BE3G Marvin Glasser: Physics and Physical Science De- partment chairman Sam Reno: Business De- partment chairman

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Making the Grade KSC MEN AND WOMEN ENGAGE IN A BATTLE OF THE SEXES OVER GRADE POINT AVERAGES. WOMEN APPEAR TO BE WINNING THE TUG-OF-WAR SO FAR. It’s the same old story. The battle of the sexes - who is the better? Boys are stronger; girls are smar- ter. Right? Isn't that the way it is? Well? Maybe ... On KSC s campus the gals out num- ber the guys. During the spring semester 1987. the total enrollment of KSC was 57 percent female — good news for the guys! The total grade point average during the 1987 spring se- mester was 2.974. The total male GPA was 2.767 and the total fe- male GPA was 3.128. Well» okay, there’s not much to brag about there. There were a mere 14 per- cent of the girls who had to look else- where, go without or share. But, here s something to ponder. The total grade point average for all those enrolled at KSC for the same se- mester was 2.974. The total male GPA was 2.767. The total female GPA was 3.128. Come on guys! The girls showed you up! What is it, guys? Is it that you were so busy being fought over by the girls you hardly had time to study, while the girls had time off occa- sionally? Not to worry. If 2.0 “C” is aver- age, all average GPAs were well above. The total undergraduate GPA was 2.803 while graduate students main- tained a higher GPA which to- talled 3.607. The trend is higher GPAs with a high- er class standing. For the spring se- mester 1987 fresh- men totalled an average GPA of 2.530; sopho- mores were slightly higher with 2.741; juniors again climbed with 2.878; and seniors held a 3.059 average GPA. Survival is possible as confirmed by those who received degrees during the 1986-87 yeaj. Out of the 1,196 degrees re- ceived, yes, the majority were received by women with 45 percent baccalaure- ate, 12 percent master’s and 1 percent specialist as opposed to the men’s 33 per- Conn’d. Male Female Combined 2.974 2.767 3.128 Undergraduate 2.803 2.624 2.952 Graduate 3.607 3.511 3.653 Xv». XvX X X X X XvVXX Xy X; ‘ v Ny i All freshmen (male female) 2.530 | All sophomores (male female) 2.741 1 All juniors (male female) 2.878 1 x- All seniors (male female) 3.059 1 cent baccalaureate, 7 percent master’s and 2 percent specialist. W'hat does all this mean? ... Maybe boys are stronger. Mehete Sizer BE36