Follow two UNO students, fifty years apart, to discover how life at the University of Nebraska at Omaha has evolved from 1975 to 2025.
I began attending UNO while serving in the Air Force at Offutt AFB. I attended classes on base and when I completed my four years of service, I started taking courses at UNO in 1975. My major was Criminal Justice with a minor in Sociology. I will try to chronicle a day in my college life, but please understand that this was 50 years ago.
7:00 AM
A typical day began with getting up early and deciding to ride my bicycle or drive. As I lived in Bellevue, riding the bike took longer but it was a great way to get around; there was a bike rack in front of every building on campus.
9:00 AM
My first class of the day was Criminal Law which turned out to be the hardest class at UNO. It was 90 minutes, which seemed like an eternity.
11:00 AM
My next class was Fencing, one of my electives in the Sapp Fieldhouse. I still have my fencing helmet and foils. Sapp Fieldhouse was where most sports took place. I also took Swimming but as there was no pool on campus so I would go to Westside High School for class. I also took Dance (not a lot of electives to choose from) which was in an old Quonset hut behind the football field.
12:00 PM
After fencing I went to the student center just west of Gene Eppley Library. I generally made my lunch so I would purchase a soft drink and have lunch. The atmosphere in the student center was always upbeat. This is where I most enjoyed my college experience as there was not much nightlife on the campus due to it still being a commuter college at that time and no dorms.
1:00 PM
After lunch I would go next door to the library to do research for an upcoming paper. To find articles and books to complete my research I had to use a card catalog. This consisted of drawers filled with index cards organized by author, title or subject, helping me to locate books or articles within the library. I had to do a lot of notetaking to keep the information accurate. And then I used a typewriter to finish my paper. Thankfully, I had taken a typewriting course in high school, but it was still a lot of hunt and peck. And wouldn’t you know it…lots of whiteout.
2:00 PM
Time for my Sociology class in Allwine Hall. I would leave my bike locked up at the student center and walk over. This was one of my largest classes as there were over 100 students. I never really got to know many of my fellow students; large class sizes along with not staying on campus or going to sporting events made it difficult.
3:30 PM
After class, I head home to get ready for my part-time job at Kenny Shoes in Southroads Mall. Because I had a job, I did not attend any sports events as I never was on campus while games or events were being held.
My college was paid by using the GI Bill and money made at my job. I was able to graduate in June of 1977 with no college debt.
I am a second-year graduate student in Health and Kinesiology, concentrating in Exercise Science. I am also a STEM facilitator, mentoring young students in science and technology while advocating for representation in underrepresented fields. As a Social Media Ambassador for UNO, I use digital engagement to highlight student life, academics and campus initiatives. Here’s a look into a day in my life as a graduate student at UNO in 2025.
9:30 AM
I live about 15 minutes away, so I drive to campus in the morning and park at the Community Engagement Center (CEC) parking lot. From there, I’m on foot for the rest of the day, walking between classes, meetings and different spots on campus. I get here early enough to settle in, check my Outlook emails, review my to-do list on Canvas and mentally map out the day.
10:15 AM
I meet with my team at the CEC to double-check and finalize lesson plans for an upcoming STEM session. We sit in one of the collaboration rooms, throwing out ideas to make coding exercises more interactive. Before heading to lunch, I make a quick stop at the Maverick Food Pantry. The pantry is open for students to grab essentials, and I take a moment to pick up a few items.
12:00 PM
Food is always the priority at this point. I head to the Milo Bail Student Center, where there’s a line at Chick-fil-A (as usual). I grab lunch, find my usual crew and we spend the next half hour talking about everything except school.
1:00 PM
We’re done eating, so we head downstairs to the Maverick Store to check out some new gear.
1:30 PM
I walk around the student center interviewing students for the upcoming posts on the UNO Instagram page.
2:00 PM
I meet with my ambassador team to go over upcoming student engagement events. We brainstorm new ways to connect with students and discuss what’s next on the calendar.
2:45 PM
Since I have some time before class, I stop by the Biomechanics Building to see a friend and take a walk around the lab. This is easily one of the coolest spots on campus, with all the research and motion capture technology tracking human movement in real time.
3:00 PM
Advanced Exercise Physiology II keeps me on my toes. Today’s discussion is on control of muscle mass.
5:30 PM
After class, I need a reset. I head to the Creative Production Lab (CPL) in Criss Library and work on some digital art.
7:00 PM
Today’s workout at the Health & Kinesiology (H&K) Building is all about calisthenics. Pull-ups, dips, core work. I push myself to get stronger with every session. Even on tough days, this is my favorite part of my routine.
8:45 PM
Before calling it a day, I stop by the library again to check my planner and write down what I need to do tomorrow. With that, I finally head out for the day.
