The Regents primary
In May, the state of Nebraska will have
the first opportunity in decades to alter the
composition of the Board of Regents drastical
ly. In the May primary, two Regents will face
re-election as their staggered terms expire
and two seats will be open in newly created
districts. Thus it is possible that in November
there will be four new Regents.
This is a golden opportunity for students
to seek out talented candidates and campaign
for them. The regents are elected to six-year
terms staggered each two years. The chance
to change the Board doesn't really ever come
along and the state seldom takes the trouble
to elect new Regents as often as they could.
Obviously, instability is not a goal, and
two new Regents every two years is not neces
sarily desirable. However, neither are Regents
who get virtual life appointments. Dr. Ben
Greenberg of -York is 66 years old and has
been a regent for 17 years. He comes up for
re-election. John Elliott of Scottsbluff is 75
years old and has been a regent for 17 years.
Richard Adkins of Osmond has been a Regent
for 12 years. He, too, comes up for re-election.
An objection cannot be raised so much
with the age of the Regents except for Green
berg and Elliott. (Adkins is 50, Robert Raun,
41, R. L. Herman, 49, and Edward Schwartz
kopf, 50). Objection can be raised to the
length of the term and the difficulty in get
ting new people on the Board of Regents or
"the people there to adapt to student needs and
opinions. It is hard to knock a Board of Re
gents who attract Durward Varner to the
University. It is easy to do so when the Re
gents refuse to listen to rational arguments
for graduate student visitation.
University students and other citizens in
the state should realize the uniqueness of
this year's election. If students don't have a
Regent directly chosen from the student body,
at least they can work for Kim Lauridsen of
South Sioux City, a student, who is running.
If students don't feel attuned to the age group
represented by the current board, they can
work for Robert J. Prokop of Wilber, a 30-year-old
Regent candidate.
The opportunity is here. If you want to
see any of the following candidates get elect
ed, help them: Third District: Richard E. Ad
kins, Osmond; Kermit Wagner, Schuyler; Kira
Lauridsen, South Sioux City; Francis A. Han
son, Decatur. Fourth District: Dr. Ben Green
berg, York; Philip C. Anderson, Crete; Robert
J. Prokop, Wilber; William R. Brown, York.
Sixth District: Robert R. Koefoot, Grand
Island; Wayne E. Barber, Columbus; Dana E.
Trowbridge, David City; Roger L. Fandman,
Wood River; William H. Norton, Osceola; M.
J. Gustafson, Aurora. Eighth District: Ross
C. Horning, Omaha; G. P. Spence, Omaha;
James H. Moylan, Omaha; Sydney L. Cate,
Omaha.
Jim Pedersen
THE DAILY NEBRASKAN
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' 5 Xf'l
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IfTtj. TH Rsjgj'w
ane) TnteM Sjrmi.ee,
News Item: Hundreds of slain Vietnamese found floating down Mekong River
from Cambodia.
Against the Wall
by CHUCK FAULKNER
The lead article in Thursday's rag
headlined 'Sorority fights national officers'
emphasizes a problem that fraternal locals
are having on campuses all over the nation.
It's really nothing new.
In fact, it's just a continuation of a
power struggle that has been occuring since
fraternities and sororities got so large they
needed national offices to, In some sense,
direct their activities. The racial issue has,
In most cases, been faced not very dif
ferently from that of finance, governing
structure, expansion, or community service
activities. The underlying question to this
particularly volatile Issue is once again,
does the national office-establishment exist
for service to the local or vice versa.
HISTORICALLY, the fraternity move
ment has not been particularly close-knit
Most nationals began as a loose confedera
tion of regional chapters whose main com
mon bond was a name and some attached
high-minded principles for living.
WHAT HAPPENED? To a point natural
organizational evolution can explain the
development of often autocratic national
offices. These "fraternities within
fraternities' controlled by "Interested"
alumni and a whole new class of status
quo bureaucrats make day-to-day decisions
that control the image the national
organization projects to its locals and to
the general public. As a result chapters
are often hamstrung on local issues by
what amounts to a national edict.
For example, ink the question of
membership, locals at Nebraska are tied
to a variety of rules governing selection.
Most still rely on the "one ball" system
In which one member can exclude any
candidate.
Some nationals have recently changed
back to the former system of local chapter
autonomy in membership selection. No
wonder IFC and Panhel are so reticent
to really handle the racism question. They
are merely a conglomeration of organiza
tions with many different rules and pro-
THE DAILY NEBRASKAN
blems. As a result, even Council on Student
Life's ultimatum will accomplish little ex
cept to foster phoney programs of education
on racism within the houses.
CONTRARY to popular Greek
misconceptions something can be done. A
few suggestions:
Examine the power structure of your
national organization. Find out who really
controls the national office. Invite these
officers to come and speak. Then let them
know which way the wind Is blowing.
Read your national constitution.
Fraternity members often find they have
considerable sources of legitimate power
in dealing with national officers.
Prepare for national conventions. Get
In contact with other chapters directly.
Most often undergraduate chapters have
the majority of votes at any convention,
but they just can't seem to get organized
enough to enact legislation and select of
ficers in their own TnteresL In some cases
it may even be necessary to propose con
stitutional amendments aimed at reducing
the amount of decision-making authority
at the national office-level.
Don't be afraid to stand up for your
rights. Fraternities and sororities are for
the benefit of undergraduates not old peo
ple. Their rules should be made to facilitate
that objective which should include chang
ing with the times.
National organizations can be valuable
aids to the development of local chapters.
They can serve as needed watchdogs on
financial and scholastic problems within
chapters. They can be points of com
munication and centers of Information.
They can even be valuable allies In local
problems within the university. In order
to make them these valuable servants in
stead of masters, however, undergraduate
members must be willing to fight an oftea
pdds-against fight.
So, that leaves it up to the un
dergraduate to provide the impetus. If they
don't, there will be no question of blame
when fraternities and sororities finally stifle
in their own inability to change and
adapt.
FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 1970
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