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THE DAILY NEBRASKAN
Editorials
Commentary
Friday, December 15, 1967
Page 2
Outstanding Nebraskans . . .
Grand Sprix
by Geor&e Kaufman
With Pleasure
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Too often today individuals are ready
with a quick negative criticism of others
and too slow in recognizing and express
ing thanks for a job well done.
Today the Daily Nebraskan salutes
two individuals at the University, Dr.
Campbell R. McConnell and Al Spangler,
who we feel have contributed substan
tially to the growth of the University
academic community.
: If the award were given merely on
past recognition and committee mem
berships, Dr. MConnell would surely be
deserving of the honor. He was named
a Regent's Professor of Economics, is
member of the Student Academic
Freedom Committee, which is working
toward implementation of the Student
Bill of Rights and of the committee on
the Centennial College. He was also hon
ored with the University of Nebraska
distinguished teaching award.
Merely by his active membership
on the Student Academic Freedom Com
mittee and the Centennial College Com
mittee. Dr. McConnell has indicated his
ever-present interest in students.
But Dr. McConnell is not known just
on this campus. He is the author of a
textbook which is one of the most wide
ly used basic economics books in the
United States that has also been trans
lated into Portuguese -and Spanish.
To many students Dr." McConnell is
known as the man on the tube for he
lectures via closed circuit TV to some
600 sophomore-level economics students.
But never is his office door closed to the
inquiring student.
In the classroom, Dr. McConnell ra
diates enthusiam for his subject ulti
mately brightening a subject that many
students would otherwise consider mean
ingless at this time in their career. And
he is never afraid to tackle a question
asked by any student He may have to
stop and think about the question for a
few minutes and if he doesn't come up
with an adequate answer, he readily ad
mits that he doesn't know the answer.
But one can always be sure that he will
come back the next class period with
the correct answer.
Dr. McConnell truly makes learning
an exciting experience and not a drudg
erya quality that makes him an Out
standing Nebraskan to us and In the
eyes of his students.
If one were to award the Outstand
ing Nebraskan student, by the number
of offices and positions held, Al Spang
ler might be the last person at the Uni
versity to recieve the award.
But that is not how the award is de
termined. Spangler has provided the University
with more than could ever be shown in
a few offices or committees.
He is an ideal an ideal that is typi
fied by the well-informed, interested and
active person. But Spangler is more for
he has contributed a spirit many times
of controversy that has kept University
students alive and thinking.
As the Nebraskan said in an editorial
earlier this year:
"University students have complete
ly divorced themselves from the outside
world. Ask most students and one would
believe that there really is no outside
world . . . Instead they are bound up in
a world oi quizzes and tests, facts and
figures, dates and parties."
And yet these same students many
of whom think that parking, football
tickets and traffic are the main prob
lems of the ASUN Senate are supposed
to become the leaders of tomorow. And
it is unlikely that any of them would
have had an adequate interest in the
world affairs of today to make an in
telligent decision tomorrow had it not
been for Spangler engaging them in these
questions.
Without Spangler in the Senate it
might be doubted that the questions of
academic freedom, Vietnam and the
draft would have ever more than skim
med the surface of student minds.
Althought the Daily Nebraskan has
not always agreed with Spangler's judg
ments, it does recognize his ability to
sometimes forcibly prod students out
side of their own little University com
munity. For his ability to make University
students more aware of the world around
them, the Daily Nebraskan today recog
nizes Spangler as an Outstanding Nebraskan.
Left of Right?
"Since I have come to equate your
effort with the Daily Worker, and your
staff with members of the Red
Guard . . ."
When one nears the end of his term
of office, he begins to review his editor
ship and evaluate it. Letters, such as
the one quoted in the opening paragraph,
perhaps give some indication of what
kind of a job one has done. But then
again perhaps they do not for the letters
have come from both the Right and the
Left.
And if one were to count the num
ber of letters favorable to the editor he
would be lucky if he could find one. Per
haps that too is a compliment for an
editor that has not raised some contro
versy surely has not done his job welL
During the past semester which has
included such important issues as the
Student Bill of Rights, housing, coed vis
iting, Vietnam, the draft, deferred rush
and many, many others, this editor has
often found himself at odds editorially
with other University students.
Though this editor may disagree
with others on some issues, he has never
meant his criticism as a personal at
tack. And he would hope there would be
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those who have disagreed with his edi
torial opinions.
Nevertheless, this criticism has hope
fully stirred up some thoughts in Uni
versity students so they might make in
telligent decisions agree with the editor
or not
But perhaps the most under-rated
and least recognized individuals on the
newspaper are those who have actually
done the hardest work. To these people
one must attribute any accomplishments
which one has achieved.
One cannot express enough apprecia
tion for the guidance and leadership
shown by my senior staff members,
Cheryl Tritt, Jack Todd, Glenn Friendt
and Mark Gordon, and to my editorial
assistant Julie Morris.
These are the people with the titles,
but the real praise for endurance must
go to each of the copy editors and re
porters for their long hours of some
times unappreciated work and skill.
Mistakes have been made. There is
every reason to believe that my succes
sors have profited by these mistakes and
that the Daily Nebraskan can and will
continue its significance at the University.
OPINION:
THIS 13 BiSl AMERICAN HflUTS LEFT W HAS
BEEN REHAEb. NoqifOMli IT OlDNIFrflHOS,.,
By DAN DICKMEYER
With Dow Chemical and other war
related industries cleaning up on the
Vietnam (ahem) conflict, it wasn't much
of a surprise when I saw in the Sunday
paper that the toy industry likewise was
heeding its patriotic duty.
The toy soldier has long been an
important part of our culture. Some child
psychologists would say that in make
believe skirmishes the child is "acting
out" his agression while others claim
the soldier leads to putting less empha
sis on the importance of life.
Regardless of any such make believe
controversies (which serve the purpose
of letting psychologists act out their own
agression against each other) the child
will be able to decide for himself this
Christmas. For, lo and behold, the toy
industry brings us the talking soldier.
Yes folks, step right up and pull his dog
tag. and GI Joe croaks out the latest
"war talk."
One can imagine all sorts of Christ
mas eve debates between the GI and
his new dovish owner on the . merits of
the Vietnam war. Pull the chair . . .
scrak . . . "the fact is we're there" . . .
pull the chain . . .scrak . . . oops
censored . . Well they couldn't screen
out all the latest war slang. After all
it's realism they're after.
Oh, joy of all joys to the world,
though, the delight on that holy of holi
est Christmas mornings when from the
stillness of the living room, lighted only
by the warmth of a Christmas tree,
comes the sound of Peace On Earth . . .
scrak . . . "Kill" . . . scrak . . . "the
Cong." Fiendish laughter follows.
And for one of those toys that break
the day after Christmas, who can resist
giving their child the authentic replica
of the M-16 rifle so popular in Viet
nam. The kid's bound to be on your
nerves after 14 days of Christmas va
cation anyway. So why not send him
down to the basement with his M-16. It
usually happens on about the third use.
Pow a five year old war casualty .
The writer of Sunday's article didn't
mention the latest toy sweeping the
market the Little Brother doll which
contains, according to Time magazine,
all the natural parts of the (blush) norm
al male. I would assume one of two
things from this: 1) In Lincoln, where
sex is equated with pornography, the
dolls are banned or 2) the writer of the
article could not prove she was old
enough to see one in the raw.
If number 2 is the case it will be
another reason to get a fake I.D., girls.
I suspect, however, that number 1 is
the case and possibly it's just as well
that these sexually complete dolls do not
take over the market
It's not difficult to imagine what
would have happened had Barbie and
Ken been so endowed. Think of the fi
nancial loss to the. doll clothing industry
from making topless swimming suits for
Barbie. And one can imagine a little girl
marching Barbie up to the altar in a
somewhat loosely fitted wedding dress.
"Do you, Barbie, take this man, Ken,
to be your lawful wedded husband," the
little girls would say.
And Barbie, looking unabashedly up
ward at the little girl, "Good grief, does
it look like I have any choice?"
At least that's how it would happen
in Lincoln, land of the un-endowed dolls.
Since this is the Swan Song, so to speak, of Grand
Sprix (all right, hold that cheering down) I thought it
would be appropriate to thank all the people who have
really written this column for me all semester. "
So, with humble gratitude, I hereby extend thanks to:
CHANCELLOR HARDIN, who is alive and well in the
administration building.
GOVERNOR TIEMANN, for proving that disillusion,
ment is not dead after all.
THE LINCOLN JOURNAL-STAR, for their lucid and
well thought-out coverage of the campus scene.
SDS, for being.
DICK SCHULZE, for providing such dynamic leader
ship. ASUN, for being so bad that it deserves Dick Schulze.
GREEKS, for finding enough sand so far from a
river bed to hide their heads in.
TERRY CARPENTER, for being a human mirror for
& bsckwflrds st&tc
THE UNICAMERAL, which is so bad that it deserves
Terry Carpenter.
THE VOTERS OF LINCOLN who make this other
wise attractive town a place to get out of after gradua
tion. PRESIDENT JOIINSON. What would we do without
a target?
AL SPANGLER. If trying is a virtue, he is one -of
the few virtuous people on campus.
DICK GREGORY, for bringing it out in the open,
in a state which likes to keep it under wraps.
MY FANS, for keeping those cards and letters com
ing in.
OMAHA UNIVERSITY AND THE PEOPLE OF OMA
HA, for being kind enough to let us bail them out.
(Behind cJhe
out
age
By JULIE MORRIS
The Daily Nebraskan has both recorded and watched
with interest the fortunes of the political left on this cam
pus in the past three years.
The left generally identified with Students for A
Democratic Society, but also including the American As
sociation of University Professors, the now defunct SNCC
chapter and various independent individuals has been
copiously covered in the news pages and has provided
editorial topics dozens of times.
The Nebraskan's attention to this group and the cam
pus' preoccupation with their sometimes sensationalist
tactics has led to an obscuring of the presence of a po
litical right. And indeed there is one here.
The campus political right is a strange animal. It
cannot be identified with any one organization or spe
cific individual. One doesn't know quite how to go about
finding it and it is difficult to identify when it is found.
The campus right wing seems to express itself best
in letters to the editor of the Nebraskan letters that are
often vicious and usually unsigned and which attack their
victims with phrases like "Communist" and "Benedict
Arnold".
Typical of this type of letter are two the Nebraskan
received the past week.
The anonymous writer of one letter attacking Instruc
tor of Philosophy C. G. Marxer for announcing plans to
dispose of his draft card said:
"It is time we recognize the fact that leftist do in
deed exist on our university campuses. In fact, a few
years ago, shortly after some troubles at the University
of Michigan, something on the number of fifteen Com
munist were exposed as members of the faculty . . .
This was not publicized to the degree it should have been;
consequently few are aware of this."
The writer continues to base his arguments on simi
lar half-facts and ends saying:
"Finally Mr. Marxer, this reply to your letter does
not call you a Communist or imply that you have been
associated with Communism. But you certainly have the
tendencies."
Another letter writer attacked the Nebraskan's col
umnist Dan Dickmeyer for a spoof of Victor Lundberg's
"Open Letter To My Teenage Son" this way:
"You ask that you not be judged hastily and as a
Communist ... In this I have done my best and yet I
have failed because having read your article, there is lit
tle room for doubt."
j sslOU,
Guys,
Dear Editor:
I was extremely disturbed about the article appear
ing in the Daily Nebraskan concerning the window dis
plays about Santa Claus at Selleck Quadrangle. The Pa
triotic Student, it's too bad he doesn't have the red
blooded American bravery to have his name printed,
showed his immaturity by labeling the Selleck room oc
cupants in question as "campus Commies, subversives,
and questionables."
Everyone in our country has the right to his own
beliefs as long as they do not interfere with the lives of
those around him. Once his or her ideals become a threat
to our peaceful co-existence then it is our duty to right
that wrong through peaceful means.
In the author's definition of "subversive work of
Communist origin." I was shocked by his disregard for
the personal ideals and beliefs of those whom he con
demned. If we are to regress to such an extent as to con
demn others and judge them without due process of the
law then we are.no better than the. Nazis, Communists
and ancient Romans who crucified those who expressed
beliefs and ideals other' than their own.
L for one, ' question the intelligence of considering
Santa as "sacred and a God-given heritage." Not only
are we instilling ridiculous beliefs into our children (i.e.
Santa and the Easter bunny) but we are also making
those less naive than us believe in something in opposi
tion to our theological ideals. "Thou shalt have no God
before me . . ." including sacred Santas.
With tne Christmas season upon us. we should look
towards it as a time of great joy for the ne" wonders
bestowed upon us. Let us thank our parents who go to a
geat expense in order to procure gifts for us in remem
ance of the Kings of the Orient and their gifts of praise
and adoration.
Much to our societies' displeasure Christmas is a
time of worship and of far greater importance than the
office parties, floor parties and other forms of material
istic enjoyment Spiritual enjoyment has not gone from
Christmas but only from those who observe it.
Yes, it may be un-American to call Santa a troll and
post warrants for his death but is he really a necessity
in the comir g holidays?
John Mann
Dear Editor:
This letter is in regard to a Campus Opinion letter
of December 13.
An anonymous writer made some remarks concern
his (or her) dislike of seeing "Santa Claus Is A Troll" in
bold letters on my Selleck Quadrangle window. I am more
than somewhat offended, if not slandered by those re
marks. First I would like to dispel some of Patriotic Stu
dent's doubts. I did Dot cheer loudly at Dick Gregory;
I was repulsed. Nor did I cheer loudly at Joan Baez; I
wouldn't walk across . the street to bear her complain
about how bad life is treating her. No, 1 do not cheer
for such people: I have pride. -
I also, have some doubts as to whether Santa Claus
is one of the "truths" that have made our country great.
I would like to point out that a troll is nothing more
than a supernatural being, a wanderer. And indeed, San
ta Clause must wander on Christmas Eve; he hasn't
missed me yet
I hope that I haven't made a mistake in writing this
letter, as perhaps Patriotic Student was in actuality mak
ing some subtle, satirical comments about such things
as to which I am ignorant. Or perhaps his letter, just as
the sign in my window, was intended only to be a bit of
comic relief. Nevertheless, whether it was in jest or not,
I could not tolerate being referred to as a bearded, rabble-rousing
Communist
Steven D. Bartos
Government Failure
Dear Editor:
I believe the majority of students at NU have a com
mon feeling that their student government is giving then)
lousy service. They look at Daily Nebraskan headlines
and find ASUN has passed another controversial resolu
tion, but find little evidence of progress toward the solu
tion to problems of direct concern to tliem as studenU.
Students are wondering why their senators presume
to speak for their constituents on such issues as napalm,
General Hershey's stupid directives., and the drafting of
Steve Abbott. The. problems they, want ASUN to deal
with are parking, student, football tickets, traffic,' Union
and recreational facilities. University regulations, and
academic standards and procedures, probably in that
order. However, if work is being done on these problems
they hear little about it, and good work is being done
on some of these issues, since these issues have been
relegated to the background while resolution after resolu
tion from the radical Left is being debated.
The press is not to be blamed for concentrating their
coverage on the sensational topics that ASUN deals with,
rather, the Student Senate, itself, should be blamed for
allocating too much of its resources to these issues and
hot acting on the direct concerns of the students.
Al Spangler has succeeded in tying up the Senate on
issues and questions which are designed for purposes of
sensationalism and aimed at the sabotage of the estab
lishment (without care as to which establishment) in ad
dition to whatever bearing they have to student concern.
I am not saying these issues are outside of the Sen
ate's legitimate concern. But the fact that they have be
come the major concern of ASUN is a subject of concern
by the student body.
As a student senator, I am trying to find the issues
which the student body as a whole desires ASUN to deal
with, and I am open to suggestions as to what these is
sues are and how the Senate might deal with them. I
would suggest that the students start making known to
their seniors their feelings and desires along these lines.
Tom Greer
(The Nebraskan reserves the right to condense letters.
Unsigned letters will not be printed.)
DC. If, 1S67
Daily Nebraskan
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