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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 24, 2000)
Opinion />«/)Nebraskan Since 1901 Editor Sarah Baker Opinion Page Editor Samuel McKewon Managing Editor Bradley Davis Clock's ticking Register to vote, and make your voice heard The political candidates, presidential or otherwise, don't seem to care what voters our age think. And they actually have good reason not to: The block of voters aged 18 to 25 is consistent ly the most apathetic in the electorate. That includes the vast majority of people on this campus. Near the end of the third and final presi dential debate, a college professor in the audi ence asked the presidential hopefuls, A1 Gore and George W. Bush, what they offer the apa thetic young person who does not plan to vote. The vice president gave brief lip service to the notion that idealistic young people may stay away from the messy battles and com promises of politics. That lasted for two paragraphs before Gore moved into the rest of his two minute spiel on campaign ers it is, finance reform, social security political and prescription drugs. candidates “We need campaign-finance - not even reform, and we need to shoot the third straight with young and old parties - alike, and tell them what the won’t waste rea* c^°ices are,” Gore said. their time Texas Gov. Bush did not . waste nearly as much time talk courting ing about the youth before he young promised to change the tone in voters Washington and fix Medicare. because we "... Medicare is relevant for won’t hold all of us, young and old alike,” them Bush said. accountable Thanks, George, but some of with our us can st^ dream of being filthy . vote It$ rich by the time we retire. In the meantime, we may have some up to you m0re immediate concerns. to change But the candidates don’t that have to bother to find out what - issues may be important because we don’t make them. As it is, political candidates - not even the third parties - won’t waste their time courting young voters because we won’t hold them accountable with our vote. It’s up to you to change that. This Friday is the deadline to file your registration in per son. The mail-in deadline has already passed. As students you can register here in Lancaster County with your school address or in your hometown, but at this point, it must be in person. This week you can register at three satellite sites, in addition to the Election Commissioner’s office in the County/City Building. Today you can register at the Lincoln Square Food Court downtown from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, you can register at the 27th Street and Cornhusker Highway Super Saver from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. On Thursday, you can register to vote at the Gateway Mall food court from 3 to 8 p.m. and at the same location Friday from noon to 6 p.m. Unless we show the politicians that we care what they do to our country, they will never care what is important to us. The only way to be recognized by those in power is to participate. Make your voice heard Nov. 7. Editorial Board Sarah Baker, Bradley Davis, Josh Funk, Matthew Hansen, Samuel McKewon, Dane Stickney, Kimberly Sweet Letters Policy The Daly Nebraskan welcomes briefs, letters to the editor and guest columns, but does not guar antee their pubfcafcm. The Daly Nebraskan retains the right to edit or reject any material submitted. Submitted material becomes property of the Daly Nebraskan and cannot be returned. Anonymous submissions wH not be published. Those who submit letters must identify themselves by name, year in school, major anchor group affiliation, if any. Submit material to: Daly Nebraskan, 20 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St Lincoln, NE 68588-0448. E mat: lettersOunknfo.unl.edu. Editorial Policy Unsigned editorials are the opinions of the Fan 2000 Daily Nebraskan. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, its employees, its student body or the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. A column is solely Ihe opinion of Its author a cartoon is solely the opinion of Its artist The Board of Regents acts as publisher of the Daily Nebraskan; poli cy is set by the Daly Nebraskan Editorial Board. The UNL Publications Board, established by the regents, supervisee the prcxtoction of the paper. Accorckng to pokey set by the regents, responsi blty tor Ihe editorial content of the newspaper lee solely In the hands of its employees. IEAMj 'twe'^l ,H1U(M6H msceutl£ W kIpw tf£ OW AHp 1 'WT WP «*#5 OV-TNe mourn \MAok snu, NU«eeR one , -tmwAn issue, -wr match up L we IM CHINA’S top 25 ^ eSlSf f1 m«Sj!unH _4 Neal Obermeyef/DN Remembering UN This time of year, most of us are bogged down with tests, papers and thoughts about whether the Huskers have a chance at a national champi onship, and usually Oct. 24 passes like any other busy college day. But Oct. 24 has been designated United Nations Day. A day to celebrate the achievements the UN has made in assisting developing countries with sustainable development, fighting for human rights for every citizen in the global community, assisting children through UNICEF and protecting peace and security throughout the world. Whatever your feelings about the United Nations and the United States’ role in it, we invite you to attend a simulation of the Security Council today at 4:15 p.m. in the City Campus Union Auditorium. The simulation will deal with sanc tions on Iraq. Becky Gould third-year law student Bring in the downs. UPC Folks, there's a problem on campus. The University Program Council is losing money, big time. With want ing to bring in "major enter tainment” it has, once again, turned to the wrong “major entertainer” for help. « Alas, I will not poke fim at IVarerl the UPC; I actually feel quite BrOWTI sorry for Karen Wills, ^1 Marlene Beyke and Courtney Wachal who first tried to bring non-funny ex-Saturday Night live guy Jay Mohr to our budding campus this week. Now the UPC is losing money on the big mem, David Spade. I think we’d all like to forget about "The Tom Green Incident of *99” in which a certain emblem of our great university was assaulted - the victim’s name-LiT Red. Now, I don’t know about you, but is David Spade that much better? Cleaner of the mouth, if you will? How about funnier, better-looking and more popu lar with the kids? I would say “nope,” but maybe I’m not down with kids’ humor now-a-days. We, the students, want someone who’s actually going to provide quality entertainment to please everyone, I suppose. Someone who won’t try to hump animate objects sheathed in a balloon-type thinev. At my high school, we hired "Bill the Wonder Clown,” and he did a gnarly balloon-animal circus, and let me tell you, I still have stitches in my side - not from laughing, however. Bill’s balloon animal attacked me suddenly. It had rabies; I had soft skin. I think the students want someone like the two leading presidential candidates, George W. Bush and A1 Gore — not Ralph Nader, however, because he is actually witty but too dangerous for young minds. These two may not be “comedians,” per say, but they sure are silly and can crack jokes quicker than you can say “fry 'em, boys.” (I stole that one from George W.) Students gripe about lack of entertainment on campus, but then when it is provided for us, it is not supported. I suppose we should just can homecoming (It’s Greek-laden anyway, and I want freaks to rule.) and try to direct our money in other areas, but my ideas are all illegal. To further save money to hire someone cool (because money is what it takes) is to oust oodles of second-rate items on campus or just items that derive from the “crazy” idea that education is the No. 1 priority here at the University of Nebraska Lincoln. I would suggest that we quit hiring private dancers for the deans and upper officials (what deans are left, may I add), get rid of the football team and quit freezing buildings (especially the Law College and CBA) where staff and students are required to wear sweaters during the hottest summer days. Even if we were to save money in these previously stated silly and irrational ways, we would not see the effects of it anyway. Bringing in someone of quality entertain ment value to perform for die students in lieu of a few new printers in the honors lab just ain’t gonna happen. It just seems that the university saves money for technology and football, not for entertainment and education. Should it? Education, of course, but stu dents need to feel like their university is using their hard-earned money for top quality per formances. We are simply saving money in certain areas that allow zero benefits to students, and UNL is keeping it somewhere. Their No. 1 sham: They don’t want students to graduate! I’m going for two majors and one minor, and although I realize everything traumatic that happens in my life is, indeed, my fault, I want to have a life and be a student I like to have fun when necessary, but I also believe that school comes first And, oh Lord, on top of this fim/study routine, I have to work 25 hours a week to pay for school. Paying for college becomes quite serious when I’m speculating to graduate soon, so when I become that private dancer (for faculty and upper officials) I won’t always make it to class the next day. Take pity on a working girl. I must admit that I could have been out of here on time if I hadn’t taken a few superfluous classes. It’s just that my brain is too small to compute all the sentences (for two majors and one minor) that begin with “of the above 36 hours, 16 hours must be taken at the 300- or 400- level, of which at least 12 hours must be taken at the 400 level. However, stu dents must take courses in at least three depart ments; no more than 12 hours can be taken in any one department, not counting core courses.”) Pooh, I read that middle part wrong, and now I’m looking at my fifth year of summer school. Damn and blast! So, when I look down the schedule to fill in the courses I missed I see the word “STAFF” at the side and can almost guarantee to myself it will be a waste of time. I want a professor's name beside every class because then I can almost guarantee a quality edu cation. Trust me, most students care who teaches them and want to know ahead of time. Don’t misunderstand my blanketed accusations because some STAFF do an excellent job. I simply want students and STAFF to realize that the univer sity is just trying to “pull a fast one” on all of us involved. By giving us STAFF, not professors, they can save tons of money in salary expenses and in turn we are spared the coveted wisdom of top edu cators. Now, if UNL wants to save money, I know a truckload of highly educated yaks that the universi ty could hire at a bargain basement price. (They’re staying in my basement, so it’s a bargain.) All the university needs to pay for is hay for din din, and pooper-scoopers (although one yak, Ted Grove in die finance department, is potty-trained). I guess it doesn't matter that the university is saving money by not bringing in more top profes sors because we truly won’t see the effects. It’s a no win situation because we need to save money to hire better educators, but that's the area we skimp on. I’ve given up this fight, but we can still hire bet ter people for homecoming antics. Together, we will fill those 12,000 seats, not just 2,600 of them. Together, we can bring uncontrollable laughter to this campus in the form of a funny person, not campus monetary politics. Shawn Ballarin/DN Greeks can exdude:They have the right The greeks vs. the gay com munity at UNL: What more could we have asked for? The Rolling Stone article published on JUlie gay fraternity Narans brothers here at UNL has caused a great deal of contro versy within the school. Now, the brothers of Sigma Nu are required not to talk about it The whole thing is being hushed. But why? Because they don't want the mem bers’ voices to be heard speaking out on gays and lesbians, or is it to keep them out of the papers, or is it to pro tect the image of Sigma Nu for next summer’s recruitment? The gay and lesbian community voices its disapproval of the greek sys tem, claiming homophobia and incoming freshmen’s hesitation at greek recruitment because they feel like they aren’t allowed to be them selves - that if they came out and said they where openly gay during rush, they would be crossed off the list. The greek system has that right to cross from their list anyone who does n’t “fit’’ the mold of the house. As unfair as this might be in a literal sense, it is, in fact, what rush was meant to be. You are interviewed, tried on for size, and tested to each houses person ality and image. You fit, you are asked to join; you don’t fit, you are not There is no guarantee that you will be select ed to be in a house. Everyone is noti fied of it. It takes a certain personality to fit in with certain houses. To people who have never been involved in the greek system might not have a full grasp of this understanding. But ask someone who is, it’s very true. If you are selected into a house, you will be surrounded by these indi viduals for the remainder of your col lege career. You will party with them, cry with them, and most importantly, live with them. If being a homosexual disqualifies you from meeting this criteria, then you should be crossed off the list. If it would pose potential problems within the house, then steps must be taken to avoid it. If I were interviewing a fresh man for rush, and she openly told me she was a lesbian, I would not recom mend she be asked back. Cry if you want. Life is not fair. The greeks are obsessed with the images of their houses. They want to look responsible, academically focused, morally upright. It helps recruitment numbers. It keeps the alumni happy. So let’s say a lesbian (because Rolling Stone addressed males) decid ed to go through rush. She interviews at a couple of houses. She decides to tell everyone she is a lesbian because she doesn’t want anyone to think she is something she’s not (which she should; this world is full of too many fake people). The next day, she finds that she only gets asked back by three houses. She interviews at those three and the following day doesn’t get asked back by any houses. This girl feels left out and discriminated against. It is obvious that she didn’t get asked back to any houses because she didn’t fit their per sonalities. It would be tbe same it a straight girl went through rush and made it a point to tell the interviewers that she was promiscuous. They too would be judged on that and most likely crossed off the list. It's what rush is all about. I went through rush. I was lucky and got asked back to my houses of choice. But on the final bid day, I did not get my first choice. I had friends in that house, I had a good recommenda tion to that house, I had good grades, a good resume. I could not figure out what went wrong. I later discovered that by talking to a friend of mine in that house, the reason I was not cho sen was because of my year in school. I rushed a year late; I was a sopho more. I didn’t fit with die pledge class because I would have been the only sophomore, and the house couldn’t take anymore. I was judged on some thing I had no control over, and it had caused my name to be crossed off the list. Life is not fair. The same would go if there were a prominent homosexual greek house on campus. If I would rush for that, I would not be taken because I was heterosexual and didn’t fit the personality of the house. My point is, sororities and fraterni ties should not be labeled as homo phobic or prejudiced against the gay community. They have a right as pri vate institutions to cross anyone from the lists of potential members if they do not fit the personalities of the hous es.