EDM) 1
Jo Stohlman, editor
Mike Kirkman,
Page 2
By LIZ AITKEN
I write this column from a sort of pe
culiar position in that I am a voting mem
ber of Student Senate and the subject of
my musings this week is the Faculty
Evaluation Book.
In writing this column I have no in
tention of speaking for the Senate, but
as an interested student who has heard
what the dispute is all about and who has
done some invetigation into the matter.
Before I go into specifics there are
two assumptions that I think are obvious.
First, the evaluations as they are to be
printed will have little or no effect in the
extention of tenure of University profes
sors. The heads of various departments
know even now, without an evaluation
book, "which of their instructors are no
toriously bad. They have talked with stu
dents or received complaining letters often
enough that they have a pretty good idea
of the student popularity of the men in
their department.
Ask any of them and they will tell you
that this factor has little to do with the
retention of professors, particularly see
ing as how it is a sellers market in t h e
faculty hiring field.
The second assumption which I work
under is that there would be NO, I repeat
no, professor who would actually sue any
member of the faculty or student com
mittees who had a part in the production
of the book.
Now this may be a naive belief that
holds too much faith in man as a species,
but I just don't think that there will be an
instructor who will be petty enough to
take offense at the book to a great enough
degree to haul his hurt pride to court.
Nor do I think he will have cause. If
anyone took enough time to read the ex
ample write-ups presented to the Student
Senate by Ladd Lonnquist he would see an
example of careful and studied evalua
tions which were prepared with a delicacy
that would make a politician jealous.
On the example sheet there were un
favorable evaluations but alon0 with the
mildly reported bad aspects of the profes
sors were good points in just as bold
print as those less favorable.
But being very lawyer-like about the
whole question, I must take into consid
eration the chance that one of our profes
sors might sue and with that in mind we
move on to the legal aspect of the case.
Having talked to a prominent Lincoln
corporation lawyer on the subject I found
out that there have been no libel cases
filed in Lancaster County for a good many
years and thus few lawyers have specific
facts on libel at their fingertips; but I did
find out this much
First, the book will contain defama
tory remarks (no matter how mild), sec
ond, people will be named in the book,
and third, the book will be published and
widely circulated.
With these factors, there is the chance
for a libel suit to be brought against those
responsible for the booklet's publication.
Now then, in Nebraska truth is not a
defense against a libel prosecution, the
defense must show that there was a jus
tifiable reason for the publication of the
material.
The fact that there has been no prose
cution for libel in the other 20-odd univer
sities which now publish a similiar book
By FRANK PARTSCH
I sometimes have to
laugh when I hear people
worrying about the "im
pending riot" at this Uni
versity. It should be obvious
to everyone that, since the
University takes such good
care of its students, any
frustration is completely
out of the question.
Today let's consider only
one phase of the Univer
sity's parent-like care. Now,
if I were to ask, "What
area on the campus is the
most efficient in terms of
number of people served
prr dollar of expenditure?"
what would be your ans
wer? Of course, it's Area Two.
The obvious use of Area
Two is for a parking lot.
But Area Two, that mag
nificent estate south of Vine
and east of Seventeenth,
bounded majestically by
lumber warehouses and by
the main line of the Rock
Island Railroad, is not an
ordinary parking lot.
Security there is so tight
that the campus cops don't
ven have to g u a r d it.
Lost Cool
let is no defense; the Nebraska defend
ants will have to show that there was suf
ficient reason to publish the book and
probably have to show how the book was
in the best interest of the school and stu
dents. There may be some defense In that
the book will merely be a tabulation of
many students opinions rather than sole
ly the judgment of the ASUN Senate com
mittee under Ladd Lonnquist. But the
questions for a line of defense are ques
tions that can only be answered by lawy
ers after many hours of research and
ntlimately by the judge who presides over
the case.
But there are two aspects to the ques
tion that are concrete and requipe no
questions which will be proved by time.
First, if the prosecution can find any
hostility in the Committee on Student Af
fairs or on the student Senate committee,
the defense's goose is cooked.
The second concrete factor in the pos
sibilit of a libel case is that even if the
defense won and subsequently does not
have to pay damages or court costs there
would be a BIG expense involved, mainly
in the area of legal fees. So, even if the
defense wins, they must pay out a g o o d
deal of monay, a factor which makes
even the possibility of a libel suit unat
tractive. So there are all the legal facts that
you are going to get without a thorough
(and expensive) research by a lawyer.
What do they all add up to? Well, I still
hold that the faculty is of a high enough
collective character to weather the storm
of an evaluation book with little more
than verbal gripes and grumblings.
It's not that I'm saying that the scru
tiny under which the faculty will be put
each semester is something that I would
want to face, but, as Larry Frolik pointed
out in his comments to the Senate last
Wednesday, come hell or highwater, that
book is coming out this spring whether
under responsible ASUN supervision or
under commercial management which
would have no supervision by a represen
tative of the University.
Last let's consider the resolution that
will come up before the Senate this
Wednesday after having been tabled at
the last meeting that of appealing to the
Regents.
This resolution will probably pass as
It is the only alternative presented to the
Senate that is at all feasible. If it doesn't
the book will be passed into commercial
hands.
But what if the resolution does pass,
how will the Regents respond to it? Well,
obviously they can either vote yes or no
on giving their sanction to the book.
Before they vote yes, they will most
likely want a complete legal investigation
into the possibilities of being liable (for
regardless of who sanctions the booklet,
the ASUN committee will remain prime
targets for libel) and this investigation
will cost money, as was brought up ear
lier. And then of course the Regents can
always vote no and avoid the time and
expense of an investigation. With these
two avenues of action, which one do you
think that the Regents will take?
Looks to me like the Faculty Evalua
tion Book is doomed to be commercial.
Cliit
Booby traps-well-disguised
pits lined with steel stakes
snake out at unauthorized
cars, keeping all looters out
of the student area.
Rumor has it that the cam
pus cops haven't even fig
ured out how to get into
the lot without breaking a
spring, and that's why they
spend more than the nor
mal amount of their time
giving out 3 a.m. tickets
in the Administration lot.
But the function of park
ing is only a small part of
Area Two's utility. It also
serves as a laboratory, a
recreation area, a landfill,
a bar, and, most important,
as the only place on cam
pus where it is possible
for lovers to whisper sweet
nothings without being
watched.
As a laboratory, the lot
is filled each morning with
physics students, measur
ing the dally deterioration
of paint on each car, the ac
celeration of wind-driven
rocks, and the rate of sat
uration of water into .the
ground.
business manager
Monday, Feb. 14, 1966
Cans
As a recreation area,
Area Two represents one of
the few remaining malls on
campus where it is possible
to play touch football with
out harming the sodded
lawns.
As a landfill and as a
bar (these functions are in
terchangeable) the perimet
ers of Area Two offer in
valuable space for the de
posit of metal beverage
containers, which one may
only assume were emptied
there also.
As a rendevouz for lovers,
last week-end Area Two
was the scene of four en
gagements, six pinnings,
ten fights and five reunions.
These are important events
in the lives of college stu
dents, events not meant for
public consumption, and, as
always, Area Two is there.
Yes, you can look back
with sadness at the loss of
a noted professor or at the
razing of an old building,
but, as far as I am con
cerned, the darkest day In
the University student's
life will be the day they
decide to build a dormitory
Area Two.
Sorry
Being a compendium of farce, ab
surdity and comment selected arbi
trarily by the Editor . . .
Ever try to cash a check in the Union?
It doesn't make any difference if you have
a driver's license, social security card,
draft card, passport, birth certificate,
military ID, department store charge
plates, gasoline credit card, bank account
ID or a monogrammed garter, you can't
cash a check without a CURRENT Uni
versity ID the one that has the green
adhesive backing measuring an inch
longer than the ID card. That is, the card
no one has yet.
Well, we understand the Union's prob
lem. They handle University money, have
to have University ID's. Anyone knowing
the whereabouts of any stray green stick
ers, let me know. There's a Union at
tendant whose mouth . . .
Talk about the growth of the insurance
business. You can insure anything from
your Aunt Millie's gold fillings to your
father-in-laws' crutches.
One University sorority received ad
vertisements for insurance to "eliminate
funeral bill worries." The plan "Pays in
full, regardless of how little has been
paid in."
Gee whiz. "A few cents a day pays
the layaway."
Lee De Jonge of the Teachers College
suggested the Daily Nebraskan publish his
release on national teachers examinations.
Wisely, he sent a personal note to the
editor with the release a note to "Joe
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Another Vieivpoint J
Dating Pattern Defective
Editor's Note: The fol
lowing appeared as an ed
itorial in the Kansas State
Collegian.
With the first semester
completed, some students
have discovered their most
prized possession is their
"popularity kit" complete
with guides on how to play
the game of dating.
Popularity seems to be
the Utopia of many college
students. Inevitably, a large
number of students assoc
iate popularity with a per
son's desirability as a date.
Since dating is one of the
most frequent occupations
of college students, many
feel that they must pursue
the prevailing dating pat
tern. If they can easily
adjust and conform, they
soon learn a ritual for dat
ing. Students who are trapped
by the college dating pat
tern learn the social refine
ments of the campus so
oF
About
they may avoid unwittingly
doing the wrong thing.
If "cooking" in the Un
ion is the thing to do, these
students must discover it.
If a bowling tournament
isn't considered suave en
tertainment, they should
find this out before it's too
late.
These students' eager
ness to do the proper thing
overrules any desire to do
as they please. So they take
their dates to the places
where all the other couples
go.
Always some students can
find consolation in being
sought after as a date, even
when their intellectual per
formance is poor. Too often
such students can boast of
a higher campus prestige
than the more intellectual
students.
Contradictory forms of
That!
Slohlman" with the salutation, "Dear Sir."
Uh . . . Mr. De Jonge . . . now and
then letters like this get stuck away in
my purse . . .
So you think the University has prob
lems? The South Coloradoan reports dis
cussion for a tavern to sell 3.2 beer close
to their campus is causing quite a bit of
controversy. One writer looked at the is
sue's ramifications:
"By now everyone has no doubt
heard of the 3.2 place. At least fun
and games will be within walking dis
tance for those under 21. However,
there are a few serious points to be
considered.
"First of all, if one walks down, how
does one get back? We suggest the license
be granted on the condition that a one inch
rope be extended from the bar to each of
the dorms.
"Also, when one has sufficiently
plied one's date with beer where does one
go to play huggy bearg Out on the side
walk? We suggest that park benches be
installed in front (under the street light
of course.)
"This should be a fine addition to the
local business district. Movies may not
be better than ever, but who cares if they
can go across the street and get winter
ized first."
And our parents say that the
world's problems don't plague Univer
sity students!
Received my grade transcript t h e
other day. To my parents I can only say,
Sorry About That!
behavior in the dating pat
tern often go unnoticed.
For instance, many coeds
are very insistent upon not
kissing on the first date, so
they will not create the
wrong impression. How
ever, the same coeds have
no inhibitions about it later.
Some students may pet
with joy in the back seat of
a car, but blush about a
slip of the tongue at a for
mal party.
Students who follow the
dating pattern usually re
frain from questioning It,
probably because they fear
finding something wrong
with the system and them
selves. It would appear that stu
dents involved in the dating
pattern are insulting their
intelligence. An intellect,
for example, could not put
up for long with the shal
lowness of the system and
most of its participants.
Why the Wait?
Dear Editor,
I should like to add only
one comment to your edi
torial dated February 9th m
which you stated it was
"sad that the Committee on
Student Affairs has not dealt
with or investigated the
problem of liability hereto
fore." Quite some time ago at a
meeting of the University
Senate Liaison Committee,
of which I am a member, I
went over extensively with
a representative of the Com
mittee and Mr. Ladd Lonn
quist the issue of liability.
I believe my views as a
member of the Bar of the
State of Nebraska coincided
exactly with those you re
ported in your paper to be
those of Mr. Flavel Wright.
Upon a later occasion I
also talked briefly with
Dean Ross about the issue
of legal liability and indi
cated again my views.
In view of this I believe
quite some time ago the is
sues were raised, and I too
cannot understand why the
Committee and the student
sponsors of this venture
waited so long to get "of
ficial" advice on this legal
point.
Dr. James A. Lake, Sr.
Professor of Law
Member of the Bar of the
State of Nebraska
Infringement
Dear Editor,
Treachery is among us in
the form of a new Adminis
tration decree. We the stu
dent body are about to be
had! In the future, starting
this summer to be exact,
the student body will be re
quired to buy (pay, fork-up)
University of Nebraska reg
istration schedules.
To pay for this form
which invokes fears of add
and drop in the best pencil
pushers in just one of the
insults that our mighty Uni
versity has heaped on our
poor souls in just the last
year.
Tuition has been hiked.
Graduate students with
assistantships have been
required to pay tuition (but
not all, for some depart
ments just increased their
stipends to cover the cost
which just increased t h e
damage to those that were
in less honorable depart
ments). Procedures for reg
istration have been changed
no less than every time we
register.
Do not think that this is
all that has happened to
you. You now have fewer
seats at basketball games.
In fact if you do not get your
ticket many hours prior to
the game, you just cannot
get one.
Do not believe what the
Administration tells you
Class Attendance-
Why Require It?
Editor's Note: Many stu
dents question the fairness
and the thinking behind be
ing graded on class attend
ance. One university, as re
ported in the following arti
cle, recognizes that attend
ance is not necessarily a
good grading criteria. It's
time that the University of
Nebraska did, too.
Bethlehem, Pa. (LP.)
All juniors and seniors at
Lehigh University will be
exempted from the regula
tions regarding class at
tendance beginning with the
spring semester. The an
nouncement of the faculty
approved actoon was made
here recently by Dr. Glenn
J. Christensen, vice presi
dent and provost.
Prior to this new change,
only junior and senior hon
or students, those who
maintained a 3-point aver
age or better, were relieved
of regular class attendance.
A 4-p o i n t average Is a
straight "A" at Lehigh.
The new regulation is a joint
effort of the Faculty Edu
cational Policy Committee
and the University Student
Life Committee.
While the University con
tinues to maintain its basic
principle that attendance at
regularly scheduled calsses
is expected of all students,
the new ruling does recog
nize that mature students
can make responsible de
cisions and does permit all
juniors and seniors to use
individual discretion con
cerning class attenadance.
The new and liberal
freedom of unlimited
about these changes. Yff.r
have heard their arguments
on tuition and tickets. But
wait until you have heard
the reason(s) for selling the
schedule books (which it is
understood, will be avail
able at the book stores for
cost).
We will be told that sup ;
plying 15,000 students with
free schedules is prohibitive
in cost; when in fact, it
should cost less per student
because of the larger print
ings. Have you ever known jfier
book stores to do anything
for cost? A probable rea
son could be that AdminisT .,
tration just does not wish
to take time to hand out the
schedules.
What good is Adminisfra.
tion to the student? What
can we do to stem this
tide of infringement on the
student? Ask any graduate
student which also was an
undergraduate at this school
how things have changed
over the last seven or eight
years.
Let him tell how the price
of football tickets has dou
bled. Let him tell you about
the loss of the all sports
activity ticket (other than
football).
Let him tell you about
the disappearance of stu
dent parking with the in
creased price of parking
stickers from $1 to $5. Let
him tell you about the free
bus service from the Ag
campus to the city campus. .
Just let him ten you! ':.
Gaylord Mannequimr
Too Many Mads
Dear Editor,
The student union, a place
where students can hang cut
and pass their leisure time
is very sufficient for thesa
and other functions. . ;
I'm uorv inhimiQ nhont
the adequacy of the maga
zine section. No, I'm not
asking for a Playboy or a
Batman comic, but I would :
find it surprising to be ab'e:
to purchase a Scientific
American there. " "
It may be true that th'jy
do handle these in their
rack, but is it too much for
them to order a few more
than they do, so there will
be enough for the student
aesire :
I could have gotten a Mad .
magazine; for that matter,
I could have purchased an
entire stack of them.
Is there some feasible ex
cuse for the shortage of in
tellectual magazines in the
Union? They just don't have
adequate space to bouso
both them and Mad, and, as
you can easily see, Mad gets
priority.
Don't get me wrong, Mad
is fine if you want to be
entertained, but I think the
major goal around here is
education (please correct
me if I am wrong.)
Mad Scientific American
"cuts" does not i n c 1 u d e
scheduled examinations and
special academic exercises
such as laboratory sessions,
where absences would im
pair the progress of fellow
students working on t e a m
projects.
Dr. Christensen said,
"The purpose of this action
is to recognize maturity
and responsibility amon2
the upperclassmen at t h e
university, where active
participation in academic
exercises is emphasized. "
"While the students are
now free to make their own
choice, they must recognize
their individual responsibili
ty to the work missed even
though the faculty will not
take into account the num
ber of absences viuan meas
uring a student's perform
ance. ":
"And the students are ob
ligated to assess the effects
of their action on both them
selves and others in the
same course," Dr. Christen
sen added.
Daily Nebraskan '
Member Associated ColltfgWC
Press, Nation! Advertisf
Service, Incorporated. Published
at Room 51, Nebraska Union,
Lincoln, Nebraska.
TELEPHONE: 477-8711, Ex
tensions 2588, 2589 and 2590.
ftubicrlplloa rates are M 9t fan"
ler er M for the academio year. -;'
Entered second elase matter al
the poet ifica ta Lincoln. Nrtrawnv
under the act of August 4. '
The Dally Nebraikan la published
Monday, Wednesday. Thursday and
Friday during the school year, ttmtt
during varatlona and exam period,,
ky itudenta of tha University of 2"-
braska under Ike Jurisdiction of .
Farullr Hubrommltleo on 8ludrnt Pub"
..ii.ii. ruuurauuns snail ud mi .
censorship by the Hubiommltlne or any ,
Person outside the University. Mrnv
ne Nenrasaea ara resin.
lor what lhay aauaa to ka print.