David Friedli

By the Dashboard Lights

02/28/08

Poor Postman

The cost of a First Class postage stamp will be rising again this summer, according to an announcement last week.

Apparently, the recent glut of mail coming to the big white house on North Third Street hasn’t pushed the U.S. Postal Service into financial security.

I am astounded.

The stack of mail arriving for the high school senior of the family grows daily.

There are a dozen things I would like to see multiply as fast as the brochures, letters and catalogues from colleges and universities vying for the attention of the soon-to-be graduate.

Personally, I’d love to see my financial portfolio expand with the proliferation of college recruitment literature.

If memory serves me correctly, and it does mostly, I got one letter from the University of Nebraska during my last year of high school.

“You have been accepted into the University, pending receipt of your admissions fee, submission of your SAT scores, three letters of reference, a housing request application, parking sticker fee, completion of a personal information form, and verification of graduation.

“If you are unable to complete any of the aforementioned requirements, you will still be accepted as an incoming student if you are simply willing to spend thousands of dollars each year to prove to others and yourself you are capable of going to class and maintaining a grade point average above 1.5.”

Based on such personal attention, I knew UNL was the place for me. That and the chance to buy season football tickets.

It seems the process is slightly different these days.

The student in our house gets letters. College representatives make personal phone calls. There are email messages from colleges and universities across the state and throughout the Midwest.

College recruitment isn’t simply for the athlete with Division I ability.

If a student has the grades and a test score, it seems they attract attention just like a 6’3”, 220-pound cornerback with 4.3 speed.

Athletes signed letters of intent a couple of weeks ago.

Our recruit is still undecided.

And that means the postman will continue to make deliveries to our box, and the college pile will continue to grow.