SSKSM
JiudU
MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1970
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA
VOL. 94, NO. 47
Discrimination
"Fraternities are not for
college days alone.',
an old fraternity saying.
by GARY SEACREST
Nebraskan Staff Writer
University Regents and.
Regents-elect will probably
recall their fraternity days
when they discuss John W.
Robinson's report on racial
discrimination on the NU
campus.
When the new Regents take
office in January, the eight
member Board will have at
least six members who were
members of NU fraternities.
Three ar alumni of
fraternities that Robinson
singled out for "severe
reprimand" because of racial
discrimination and two others
are alumni of houses that
Robinson admitted he was
undecided about.
Board President Robert
Raun's fraternity, Alpha Gam
ma Rho, was recommended for
"severe reprimand." Also in
this list was Kappa Sigma, the
fraternity of two Regents-elect
Br. Robert J. Prokop and
Dr. Robert R. Koefoot.
Regents Edward
Schwartzkopf (D:lta T a u
Delta) and John Elliott (Alpha
Tau Omega) are alumni of
Liaison Committee
to view student priorities
An advertisement in today's
Nebraskan tries to find out
"what Improvements students
feel are needed in the
University and the relative
Importance of these im
provements," according to Ed
Eggleston, spokesman for
ASUN's Legislative Liaison
Committee.
That committee, which Is
sponsoring the questionnaire,
will use the resulting set of
student priorities to determine
its own priorities, Eggleston
said.
houses that were listed as
"uncertain" In their position
toward blacks.
Although Robinson's report
described the Greek system as
the "weak link" In the chain of
Implementing the Board's anti
discrimination policy, the
report also dealt with all stu
dent organizations.
"Racial prejudice is common
among students at the
University," the report said,
"This prejudice is often muted,
but not infrequently expresses
Itself in various forms of racial
discrimination." The "vast"
number of students on campus
are "gentlt people of pre
judice," according to the
report.
Noting the Regents' anti
discrimination policy is not
being entirely implemented,
the report lecommended that
the Regents:
Order programs of close
Inter-racial contact and educa
tion to reduce the level of pre
judice. Reprimand five fraternities
and one sorority for racial
discrimination.
Establish a permanent
Anti-Discrimination Committee
and a permanent Anti
Discimination Judicial Board
"for the continuous survey of
The Legislative Liason Com
mittee deals In research of NU
students and outstate speaking
activities to bring the
University closer to Nebraska's
people. It also acquaints the
state legislature with the stu
dent point of view on various
Issues.
Eggleston reported students
could get additional copies of
the questionnaire in the ASUN
office, 334 Nebraska Union.
Copies should be returned to
the ASUN office when they
have been filled out
See story page 2
Arms &dbbht,l&K
Jwcrt Pijxifgjtt J
report
the racial situation at the
University, and for the speedy
rectification of instances of
racial discrimination wherever
they occur."
Robinson, associate dean of
the College of Arts and
Sciences, noted that "with the
exception ol some fraternities
and sororities there is ... no
deliberate and concerted racial
discrimination in student social
organizations."
He found that racial
discrimination among selective
student organizations "was
much more common in the past
(including the very recent
past) than it is now."
There are also fewer in
cidents of racial prejudice in
residence halls so far this year
than last year, according to .
Robinson. However, he stated
there is "not much real in
tegration" in the University's
residence halls.
Greek reaction
by JOHN DVORAK
Nebraskan Staff Writer
"There's going to be some
hot alums."
"I didn't really think
discrimination on campus was
that common."
"No comment."
Those are Just a few of the
comments from officials in the
Greek system to the report by
Dean John Robinson on racial
discrimination. Even though
the report takes particular
issue with racial policies ef a
number of the campus's 45
houses, nearly all Greeks seem
to be reacting calmly. Some
are dismayed with the report;
others agree with it.
"I'm not going to try to de
fend any house If It selects only
white members," said Paul
Crist, president of the Inter
fraternity Council (IFC).
Although he Is disgusted that
the confidential document was
hits Greeks
The report also said pro
blems of discrimination and
prejudice were met by Indian
Americans and Mexican
Americans. However, most of
the complaints centered on
treatment of black
students.
The report does not deal with
a number of complaints, in
cluding one by blacks that
there are too few black faculty
members at the University.
Robinson reported finding
little indication of black
militance on University cam
pus. However, he concluded
that there is a growing ten
dency of black students to
become "separatlstic" because
of the "pressure" of pre
judice. About half of the approx
imately 260 blacks on campus,
the report said, belong to the
Afro-American Collegiate
on
'. released to an Omaha
newspaper by persons
unknown, he emphasized that
he "is not displeased" by the
report.
"It's high time some of these
houses get off their asses," he
commented. "If it takes a
reprimand to get them moving,
then there will be a repri
mand." Crist said he was upset at the
number of houses that say they
"aren't ready" to pledge blacks
or students of other minority
groups."That's ridiculous," he
said.
The IFC president, whose
one-year term expires this
week, said the Board of
Regents will have to decide
what, if any, punishment
should be meted out.
One alternative, he mention
ed, is suspension of a house
charter, which can only be
done by the Regents. Charter
suspension would force the
house to cease all opera
tions. "I'm frustrated and tired of a
Greek system that often func
tions as a white, elltest
establishment," Crist said. "I
have no desire to be put in a
position of defending it"
Crist said he is optimistic
that relations between minority
groups and the Greek system
have improved over the last
year. But there is a long way to
go. He pointed out that four or
five IFC meetings during the
Rozman meets press
Political science teacher
Steven L. Rozman will hold a
Kress conference at 3:30 p.m.
londay In the South Con
ference Room in the basement
of the Nebraska Union.
The case of Rozman, an
Society, which was described
as separatist.
"It would indeed be ironic
and disastrous," Robinson said,
"if, while the white students
were shedding some of thsir
prejudices, and their organiza
tions were opening up a bit to
black students, the black
students were becoming more
scparatistic."
The report said the current
"de facto" segrega'.ion within
the NU fraternity system stems
only partly from racial
discrimination since
fraternities which are willing to
accept blacks have had dif
ficulty because most blacks are
not interested in joining.
No blacks participated in this
fall's fraternity and sorority
rush week. One of the two
blacks who are now members
Turn to page 7
varies
Robinson report
school year have been
primarily concerned with
black-white relations.
An officer of one of the
fraternities recommended by
the Robinson report for sanc
tions, said the document im
plies that the Greek system is
making no attempt at all to
improve the situation.
John Madsen, secretary of
Sigma Nu Fraternity, said the
Investigation "did not dig deep
enough."
ne noted that a Nebraska
Free University course on com
batting racism has been meet
ing at the Sigma Nu house, and
as another example, a
Christmas party for orphans
last week was attended by
several black children.
Admitting that he was not
aware that discrimination on
campus was as big a pro
blem as the Robinson report
indicated, Steve Shanahan
said: "I'm not sure what we'll
do He speculated that some
programs for education or
other revisions of some kind
would be made.
Shanahan is president of Kap
pa Sigma' fraternity, another
house recommended for repri
mand. The president of Phi Gamma
D:l'a, one of the largest
fraternities on campus and one
of those recommended for
reprimands, declined to com
ment. untenured assistant professor
accused of acting "inap
propriately" during last May's
anit-war protest, was expected
to be discussed by the Board of
Regents at their Monday
morning meeting.
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