editorial
Housing rate increase-who's to absorb costs?
Saturday's NU Board of Regents meeting
managed to be both predictable and surprising.
As expected, UNL residence hall occupants
were asked to bear the burden of an increase in
room and board rates for the third year in a row.
The cost of living index has pointed to that for
some time.
The surprise was the University's willingness
to share the burden to the tune of $45 an
occupant, even though residence halls are
supposed to pay for themselves rather than
gobble up the University budget.
The Office of University Housing had
requested a $140 increase in double room rates
for the 1975-76 academic year. The reason: to
mee the rising costs of food and labor.
Regent Robert Koefoot introduced a
resolution trimming the increase to $95. The
reason: to ease the burden on students and their
parents. The specter of large drops in occupancy
rates next fall also had influence, no doubt.
Only Regent Robert Simmons opposed the
reduction. It isn't good management to ask for
$95 when $140 are needed, he told the board.
To do so, would be "playing politics."
To students, a little politics didn't sound like a
bad thing, for once. The board passed the
resolution with little debate.
What went unanswered Saturday was the
question of where the missing $45 per occupant
will come from. Two options were
mentioned-reducing services in the residence
halls or simply absorbing the cost.
Of the two, the first seems most likely.
Students must realize that the price of
compromise now will be paid next fall, possibly
in the form of reduced food services. If paying
$95 more for less service seems a bad deal, it is at
least better than paying $140 more with the
likelihood of reduced services later anyway.
The Residence Hall Association should work
with Housing Director Richard Armstrong in the
coming months. The goal should be maximum
service with maximum savings.
Another solution was briefly touched upon.
The $140 figure was based on a projected
occupancy rate of 86 per cent. If that projection
is exceeded, the money situation would become
less critical.
If the board expects students to flock back to
the residence halls because room and board went
up only $95 instead of $140, it is in for an
unpleasant surprise. At best, the reduced increase
will only maintain the status quo.
The answer, of course, lies in making
residence halls more attractive to students. New
curtains and carpets are a step in the right
direction, but they only cover walls and floors.
They do not cover the central issue-alcohol and
visitation policies.
The regents are tired of talking about it.
Students seem willing to let the subject drop for
the time being. But perhaps this is the time to
present the arguments again in a logical,
unemotional fashion.
A university willing to gamble on a $95
increase when the cards point to a $140 one may
be vulnerable.
Wes Albers
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Last week a group of Indians from the Waimiri and Atroari
tribes in Brazil killed four government officials over the white
men's increasing encroachment on and destruction of their land
and heritage,
' The slow physical and cultural suffocation these people are
suffering is in many ways similar to the past treatment of Indians
in the United States.
Of course, we all know how successful the United States is in
solving its minorities' problems.
So, taking a cynical look at the future, let's pretend it is 19'
and 12 Waimiri have arrived on campus to attend school and to
become an integrated part of American life.
They are, however, immediately dismayed to find that, lo and
behold, the University does not offer even one course in Waimiri
literature.
The University, as always, hastily acknowledges its oversight and
immediately approves the teaching of a Waimiri literature course.
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There are problems, such as not having anyone qualified to
teach such a course, but this is easily solved by allowing one of the
Waimiri to teach the class.
The book list includes such classics as "Gone With the Waimiri,"
"Peyton Platroari" and "Dialectical Materialism and Brazilian
Headhunting."
But still the Waimiri are uneasy, for, as one of their leaders says,
"The Waimiri are left out of white men's history."
The University again humbly admits the validity of their pleas
and Waimiri history courses begin to be taught.
By this time the regents, who as we all know are concerned
about our education, believe that they must in some way help in
the Waimiri struggle and so establish a Cultural Awareness Week.
All these things, naturally, meet with enthusiastic response from
the student body. The literature and history courses of the Waimiri
are such that simply thousands of students, not just the Waimiri,
sign up for the courses.
They are so successful that the governor comments, "Yes folks,
all you need to wipe out racism are courses in literature and
history." And all the people cheer and go home feeling fine.
Yet there is still uneasiness among the 12 Waimiri, for to be
truly integrated one must be a property-holder.
One can imagine, then, the glad tidings experienced by all when
they find an ancient treaty which gives to the Waimiri large
sections of upstate New York.
The print on the treaty is undiscernable but it doesn't matter
because the Waimiri have their "oral tradition." And since all
Americans have played the party game, "Gossip" they know "oral
tradition" can be trusted.
President Ford is so overjoyed that he immediately signs over
the land and makes the present dwellers "go back to where they
came from"-Ireland, England, Italy, etc.
These people in turn displace those who are presently living in
those countries, who in turn displace those before them so that it
isn t long before the Neanderthal people are telling the Cro-Magnon
people to "go back to where you come from."
Some people begin to think the integration program is breaking
down, but others ay that it only takes political representation and
then the Waimiri will be equal.
So, floowing the logic of a new "Quota System," two pints of
Waimiri blood are pumped into four out of every 1,357 delegates
to insure equal representation.
Then all the people cheer, for they know political equality has
been achieved.
Yet, amid all this success there still are two Waimiri who feel
discrimination. They say that what is really needed is an Equal
Rights Amendment (ERA).
Ah yes, sighs the country, once we pass the ERA all will be well
and exploitation will disappear from the face of the earth.
And of course we all know it will.
page 4
daily nebraskan
monday, January 20, 1975
