SPRING 1999-00
Volume 43, Number 3

IN THIS ISSUE

Study in Summer? Almost 12,000 Students Say "Yes"

Listening to Students: President Coleman Finds Them 'Invigorating'

First and Foremost: Ten Standouts Launch Program That Gives High School Seniors an Early Start on College

Your Tuition Payment: Building Our Students' Future

Financial Aid: The Buffer Zone Between Students and Higher Education Costs

Investing in Your Student's Future

Accents: Problem or Opportunity to Learn?

A Challenge From Frank

Parent Times Briefs

University Calendar

Tis a great day to be a Hawkeye! A long time ago a gentleman named Frank relayed a few thoughts to me when I first started my college career. His thoughts were worthy enough for me to pass along to all of my four Hawkeye students. And since this is my last column (heavens, the applause was deafening!) and I choose not to squander this golden opportunity, may I pass them along for the next generation?

The opportunity of a college education has never been guaranteed by state, family, or circumstance; it is a prized possession that should never be taken for granted. Situations change and the occasion may evaporate, so seizing the moment would be prudent. Kindly consider Frank’s three principles:

Study hard.
Repeat, study hard. Isn’t that the essence of being a student? Hitting the books is not a cliché but a fundamental concept that is easily overlooked in the turmoil of campus life. Applying yourself is not a sentence of doom, but a challenge, driven by love, for you to blossom intellectually and emotionally. "In America, and in every other country of the world, only the educated are free," Frank often said. Besides, students who study hard graduate with strong grades, receive substantial and rewarding job offers, and rarely end up having to say "Ya wanna super-size that order for only 99 cents more?"

Play hard.
To complement rule No.1 and to be in total harmony with nature, this postulate must be served! Whether it is sports, music, theater, dancing, food, or yada, yada, yada, being enthusiastic and staying up late is fundamental to student life. Active participation is essential, urged Frank. Do not confuse this with "getting wasted," because binge drinking and illegal drug usage is a public declaration of ineptness that can only lead to permanent scarring of yourself and innocent bystanders. Good examples need to be set and followed. Start with you.

Explore, explore, explore!
This campus is bursting with unlimited possibilities to create, kindle, and satisfy your every curiosity. Have you ever caught yourself gasping at the evening sky, overwhelmed about the relationship of the stars, planets, and you? Have you ever envisioned yourself singing or learning to play a musical instrument? Dared to participate in a dance marathon? Ever dreamed about rowing down the Iowa River in the morning mist, rock climbing in a rugged, challenging terrain, or skiing in the beauty of freshly fallen snow? Have you wondered about the culture and disciplines of the six billion other inhabitants of Planet Earth, and what makes you unique? The Iowa course catalog addresses these concepts and more with a multitude of opportunities, and the campus and town support an incalculable number of clubs and organizations awaiting your inquiry. There are instructors, educators, and mentors everywhere willing to interact with you, if you are willing to turn off your VCR and hold out your hand. And the exhilarating feature of exploring is that there is never any failure–except if you don’t try. "I will try is an open gate; I won’t is a stonewall," was the phrase that Frank often quoted. So why not challenge your destiny and go exploring?

In spite of acquiring only a tenth-grade education after immigrating to America when he was 11 years old, Frank certainly seemed to know what he was talking about. Small wonder I passed his wisdom on to my students and am willing to share it with the next generation, because it is a priceless and timeless message. I often fantasize about what kind of a college student he would have been, how he would have inhaled everything in and about this campus. His exploration would have included astronomy, classic literature, and music, to mention a few. He would have buried Professor Jay Holstein with "Quest for a Human Destiny" questions and would have listened intently to Mary Sue Coleman during her fireside chats. And I know that he would have thrown marshmallows during football games, screamed Iowa cheers, and saluted the Nile Kinnick name. Pity that he never saw this campus because be would have been one bodacious Hawkeye! But he certainly was grinning in heaven on his granddaughters’ graduation days at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

So thank you, University of Iowa, for allowing me the privilege of serving on your Parents Board. How I got here is still a mystery to me that might be explained in two words–divine intervention. May this campus, staff, faculty, and student body enjoy continued success. Best regards to the Parents Association for its foresight and generous funding of many student projects, which have enabled my siblings and future generations to expand and fully utilize their college experience. A special thank you to university staff members Jane Hoshi, Anne Tanner, and Vince Nelson for their kindness, patience, and encouragement. I treasure their friendship. But most of all, thank you, Iowa parents, for allowing me to share the saga of Frank J. Pavlacic.

"’Tis a great day to be a Hawkeye!" says Frank.

—By Jim Pavlacic

Jim Pavlacic is a pharmacist from Peoria, Illinois. He and wife Rita are the proud parents of three Hawkeye graduates and daughter Katie is a junior.