A century ago, distance education consisted of schoolwork being sent hundreds of miles away through the regular mail, taking days to arrive. Today, with the advent of the Internet, students from around the world can connect with universities and colleges.

And it sure looks like they are taking advantage of it: Online learning is the fastest growing segment of education, with 3.5 million adults taking an online course or completing their degrees entirely online, according to the United States Distance Learning Association.

At last week's Sloan Consortium International Conference on Online Learning, it was reported that more than 25 percent of all college and university students may have taken at least one online class this year, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education.

That percentage may be even higher at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, which is celebrating 100 years of providing distance education Nov. 9-13.

Laura Wiese, recruitment coordinator for the Office of Extended Education and Outreach, said she wouldn't be surprised if the majority of UNL students have taken at least one online course.

Superior Bingo, located on the corner of 48th and Superior, regularly attracts a crowd of at least 125 people on a typical Friday or Saturday night. For many, bingo provides an opportunity to get out of the house and socialilze with others. This shared passion has led to what some call, "a great big bingo family."

The struggling economy has made if difficult for college graduates of every profession to find jobs. Joel Elson, a June graduate of Wyotech, has been searching for jobs at body shops across the Midwest in the four months since he left college.