friday, October 21, 1977
page4
daily nebraskan
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Some Homecoming traditions are like those old
dragons who survived the attempts by bright
knights to slay them. Alternating neglect and
frontal assault, they still live on.
The idea behind Homecoming traditions is not
bad: increase interest in oV NU and make it a
nice place for alumni to return to. But realistic
ally, what is going on? 4
Three years ago, the system was shaken when
a write-in candidate for queen, Gary Brantz, won
handily-although sponsors were not pleased and
tried to take the title from him. The following
year cartoon character Ralph Crabtree won, but
couldn't be crowned because he could not prove
he was a junior.
Brantz's candidacy prompted some changes
a Homecoming king added to the queen. Ralph's
victory did little.
Neither Brantznor Ralph ran to destroy the
system. Brantz, in fact, ran simply to increase
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interest. His point: the system back then attract
ed little interest.
He tried to spark interest by doing something
different. The result? Attacks against him and
minor changes that did little to raise interest.
Then there are the Homecoming displays.
Most violate the spirit if not the letter of the
spending limit. Hundreds of dollars and what is
returned?
We need to redirect activities. If some of the
Homecoming traditions are to be kept, they need
to be revamped and reorganized. For example,
quick now, who did you support for Homecom
ing queen? You mean you didn't vote? Join the
majority.
Let's make the events worth the time it takes
to put them together.
That's the message that Brantz, a loyal fan,
presented. We need at least to tame the Home
coming tradition dragon.
' "T" : v
it ' ,
A crowning achievement
Nancy Peck
Daily Nebraskan photo
. last year's Queen
Carter picks former f umigator as new Best Friend
The White House announced the appointment yester
day of Sam Scrapple of Peach Corners, Georgia, as Presi
dent Carter's new Best Friend.
Scrapple succeeds Bert Lance, who resigned from the
post last month after, revelations of banking irregulari
ties in his past.
White House Press Secretary Jody Powell said that
Scrapple, a 53-year-old-unemployed fumigator, had been
recommended for the $37,500-a-year job by a Blue Rib
bon Presidential Best Friend Study Commission.
Powell said the commission received more than 2800
arthuf hoppe
innocent bystander
applications for the position and interviewed 47 Best
Friend hopefuls.
The appointment of Scrapple, a political unknown, sur
prised Washington pundits who unanimously had picked
Vice President Walter (Fritz) Mondale for the post. The
consensus in the Capitol was that the President would
name Mondale his new Best Friend to appease the liberal
wing of the Democratic Party, with which he has been at
some odds lately.
It was also felt that having a former Senator as a Best
Friend would .help Carter in his thus-far-disastrous
attempts to pass legislation-as he could inform suspicious
Congressmen that "one of my Best Friends is an
ex-Senator."
But it was not to be. After three week's deliberation,
the commission recommended against Mondale 's appoint
ment on the grounds that his selection as Best Friend
would be attributed solely to political expediency.
A White House source close to the president said that
Carter himself, had independently rejected Mondale
following a softball game in Plains. While Mondale batted
.343, he committed two errors at shortstop.
"What President wants a Best Friend,4 the source said,
"who can't go to his right?"
Presidential Assistant Hamilton Jordan said the time
consuming effort that had gone into the choice of
Scrapple as Presidential Best Friend "shows how much
Jimmy means it when he says 'Why not the best?' when it
comes to a Best Friend."
"Jimmy really wanted to appoint a woman as his best
Best Friend," Jordan admitted, "but Rosalynn raised a
few objections."
He said, however, that Scrapple, a mulatto who has
converted to Judaism, would substantiate Carter's claim
to be the best friend of all Americans, regardless of race,
creed or color.
"Furthermore," said Jordan, "Sara Scrapple has never
accepted a deep freeze, a vicuna coat, a Persian rug or a
payoff from a vending machine company; nor has he ever
had a bank account to overdraw."
In view of the past histories ui Presidential Best
Friends, Jordan said that once Scrapple arrived iriWash
ington to take up his duties, he would be confined
incommunicado to the cupola of the White House for the
remainder of Carter's term.
"We think. Sam Scrapple will make the best Best
Friend a President ever had," said Jordan confidently,
"as long as he doesn't get loose."
Copyright 1977, Chroniclt Publishing Co.
m tor lucky mm Bff girlawshls oreat( i get Vm; Jw.i
r
letters
o She editor
I am concerned about the NU
Board of Regents proposal of higher
tuition rates for graduate students at
UNL.
Although it is true that graduate
students , enjoy more academic and
research facilities, most universities do
not discriminate them on the basis of
tuition. The reasons are not too diffi
cult to find.
A university becomes famous and
reputed because of its graduate re
search work it produces and not on
the basis of how much money it earns
through tuition. This is how one would
distinguish a business organization from
a university.
The regents should ask themselves
who is more benefitted by providing
better facilities for graduate work? Even
if you look from economic point of
view, the University owns the property
and patent on any major discoveries of
scientific or industrial significance
which is the outcome of strenuous work
of the graduate student.
- Most graduate students hold a teach
ing appointment, which takes a substan
tial amount of their time. They have to
work even on nights, weekends and
holidays, sacrificing a lot of their per
sonal life. Unlike research assistants,
they do not get paid for research.
Graduate students are a minor sec
tion in the University. I do not under
stand how a significant input in the
tuition fund could be achieved without
putting a burden on the shoulders of
graduate students.
An exterior survey committee al
ready has suggested improved salaries
for graduate assistants at UNL.
Should the regents therefore ig
nore the" silent contributions and sac
rifice of graduate students and make
their life harder with higher and higher
tuitions? that is my ultimate humble
question. .
Swapan Kumar Basu
Lesbian class
I'm responding to an article in the
Fjitertainment section of the Thursday
Daily Nebraskan.
The article featured an interview
with an English professor, Julia Stanley.
It concerned her plans to offer a course
next semester listed as English 3 ION,
"20th Century Lesbian Novelists."
I consider the class an educational,
valuable asset to the University. It
offers a unique look into an oft-ignored
and repressed aspect of the human
personality, as evidence in literature.
It is saddening to think she recom
mended only women take the course.
Her direct quote was "They (men) have
no place in there (my class). Lesbian
ism has nothing to do with their (men's)
.lives."
Lesbianism is simply part of human
nature, no more, no less. It is there
fore relevant to all humanity and not
just woman as Ms. Stanley seems to
believe.
I (a man) am very much interested
in taking the course, but I will not take
it if I feel the Instructor will discrimin
ate against me simply because I was
born male. I suggest she redefine her
statement if she hopes to maintain any
validity as an instructor.
James G. Walla
Flag fooiball .
I would like to discuss a serious
matter about intramural flag foot
ball: the roughness and general abuse
that occasionally occurs during games.
Flag football was created to supply
UNL students with a fun and compe
titive form of recreation. As the foot
ball finals quickly approach, I think it
wise .for the players to remind them
selves that it is the reason they are
there.
I have referreed and supervised,
far too many games where the sport had
disappeared and Avas replaced by con
stant arguing, unnecessary roughness
and sporadic fighting among players
and against referees.
These actions must stop to preserve
the spirit of the game. The refs are to
officiate, not defend themselves or
take unnecessary disciplinary action
against abusive players.
The referees are a fine group of men
and women doing the best they know
how. Unfortunately there are occasion
al shortages of personnel, so this leaves
the remaining ones to call the games as
close as they can.
They also are students like
yourselves, which means they make
mistakes. However, these .mistakes are
few and far between. Every call does
not have to be' contested. This arguing
slows down the game, upsets officials
and gets the teams all worked up.
I would like to a& everyone play
ing in the football finals to do his (or
her) part to preserve the spirit in which
the game is intended.
A football match can be exciting,
but the fun can fade if the winning of
the trophies becomes more Important
than the playing of the games. Good
luck to all participants.
DougEngh
UNL intramural supervisor