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daily nebraskan
letters
o She editor
Casey McCabe's review of the Crosby, Stills and
Nash concert (Daily Nebraskan, Oct. 31) was very
nicely done and described well the atmosphere of this
fine concert.
Steven Stills "Love the One You're With" however,
was not the first but the second song of the concert.
The automobile and railroad traffic was heavy before
the show, so "perhaps Casey missed the first song which
was a pleasingly electric version of Graham Nash's
"Pre-Road Downs".
Also, the group has four, not three, albums to their
credit as reported in the review. I was hoping too that
the review would have contained a complete list of
songs played. The review left out at least a couple of
my favorite such as David Crosby's "All Along the Lee
Shore" and "Just a Song Before I Go."
Curtis W. Roelle
Audience detracts
Tiic promotion for the Crosby, Stills and Nash con
cert claimed that the acoustics and seating were ideal
and without obstruction.
The acoustics were perfect with the exception of
one drawback: the audience.
I spent the first half of the concert listening to
stories of another concert-goers other concert appear
ances and dope-selling antics.
I cut short my attendance at a business meeting in
North Platte and drove back just for the concei t. Those
who pay to the likes of CS&N pay for the right to hear
them. Those who can appreciate their music only as a
background for their own tales of egomania should
stay at home and turn on their stereos.
Finally, I was forced to move to empty seats
directly behind the stage to find a quiet audience.
Apparently those who forsake the sights for the sounds
of CS&N are the true lovers of music.
Chris Knowles
Homecoming publicity
This letter is in regard to the article on Home
coming (Daily Nebraskan, Oct. 24). Specifically the
last paragraph: "Arterburn attributed the small concert
crowd to a lack of publicity. The concert was spon
sored jointly by Corncobs, Tassels and the Union
Program Council (UPC). UPC handled publicity."
I spoke with Mr. Art -burn about his comment
since the way in which it was phrased sounds as though
UPC botched its part of the deal. This assumption is
incorrect. Since student fees were used it is important
that the students know what really happened.
Since I handled publicity, I can state that there
wasn't a "lack" of publicity. Granted it could have
been more but one can always look back and say I
should have done more.
I attribute the small crowd to three things: 1)
partial lack of support from Tassels organization. I
talked with Tassels personnel and they realized this and
were upset about it. 2) total lack of support from
Corncobs. I spoke with Mr. Arterburn about this and
he admitted that no one from his group wanted to
come. 3) General apathy towards Homecoming.
When two major co-sponsored organizations do not
support their own program, it is bound to be poorly
attended.
Judie Braun, Chairperson,
UPC PerfoYming Arts Committee
Wednesday, november 2, 1977
UPC deserves
fhree sCueeirs
One more time ....
After the recent performances, speeches and
events there 's still one more round of applause
to be given.
It should go to the Union Program Council
and its committees which have sponsored or help
ed sponsor these events.
First it was Fleetwood Mac, the first concert in
the new Sports Complex and a success. Then it
was a speech by William Buckley, the conserva
tive columnist.
More recently actress Jane Fonda, a radical
from the '60s, and the reunion concert of
Crosby, Stills and Nash. Toss in a few other con
certs and events and you have a fairly wide range
of entertainment that can please almost any
palate.
Sure, there has been some controversy. Buck
ley's and Fonda's appearances drew criticism.
There were some complaints about the concerts.
Maybe you can't please everybody all the time,
but UPC has pleased a good number of people
quite a bit of the time this semester.
Lots of people deserve plaudits. Gary Gilger,
UPC program adviser, has put in time and effort.
Several committee members also have worked
hard.
The Council's work stands out as an excell
ent example of student fee use. Of course not all
the money for the events came from student fees.
Ticket receipts helped pay for some of them.
But the success of such things as Buckley's
and Fonda's appearances would not have been
possible without fees. Officials agree that if
everyone had to pay to hear the speeches (UNL
students were admitted free) not as many would
have come.
In other words, the fees are providing for some
thing that enhances the education of students
that otherwise would not be possible.
That's the philosophy behind student fees.
With fees, everybody pays a little to help support
events for the common good.
This idea probably is why most of those testi
fying before the university's task force on student
fees supported fees.
Now, how about some encores?
Government rules cause auto industry 'revolution'
Dearborn, Mich. -Auto' makers have trumpeted the
wonders, of their new models for so long that we tend to
turn a deaf ear to this enormous industry. But now the
rulers of autodom have a message worth listening to. It
tells us what we will be driving in the next few years and
how our economy will change because of it.
Simply put, most people won't be able to buy the cars
they are accustomed to, what they will drive will feel
different, will eventually cost more, but will be less ex
pensive to operate.
"This is a revolution," says Robert Alexander, vice
president of product development at Ford Motor Co.
"Our industry tended to be evolutionary rather than
revolutionary. We used to design and style cars for what
we perceived was consumer demand. Now we do it to
meet government-mandated requirements. The big ice
" cream cone is always what sold. Now the government tells
us what ice-cream the cone must be."
nick thimmesch
Detroit is spending billions to trim down future
models, so their performance will improve from an
average of J 8 miles per gallon in 1978 to 27 H m.p.g. by
1985. Federal laws caused Detroit to engage in a "down
sizing' effort, as it is called here.
Consider how formidable the auto industry is in our
economy.
One of every six workers makes his living from motor
vehicle . and related industries. When auto sales drop $1
billion, 57,000 jobs arc lost. The industry's whopping
appetite consumes 60 percent of all the synthetic rubber
produced in the United States and also these amounts:
malleable iron, 47 percent; steel, 19 percent; zinc, 33 per
cent; aluminum, 12 percent.
Can, cars, cars
Americans spend nearly 10 percent of their disposable
income on cars. While the United States has 6 percent of
the world's population, 41 percent of the world's passen
ger cars are here. There are now some 140 million cars and
trucks on our highways.
If the statistics arc heavy, the future car won't be,
At Ford, cars produced now average about 4,000 pounds.
By 19S0 that number will be 3,500, and by 1985 only
3,000 pounds.
To cut weight, Detroit will build more front-wheel
drives (allowing a lighter frame), create thinner doors and
use more aluminum, high-strength, low-alloy steels and
plastics.
Only last week Ford announced it was using super
light, expensive, graphite fiber in some of its better cars
and will eventually build a prototype 1979 car, using
graphite extensively, weighing only 2,750 pounds. A
graphite drive shaft weighs five pounds less than one of
steel, and a graphite hood is 25 pounds less than a steel
version.
Economy altered
"The U.S. economy will be altered considerably,"
Alexander says. "Radial tires will virtually become stan
dard on future cars because they affect fuel economy
favorably. There will be more and more cars on the road,
but gasoline consumption is, going to drop substantially!
"We are moving toward a maintenance-free car
requiring no scheduled work for the first 50,000 miles.
We're already into engines where the oil needs to be
changed only at 7,500 or even 10,000 miles. New cars
with four cylinders need tune ups only every 30,000
miles.
There's wholesale application of electronic ignition
devices on 1978 cars, and electronic engine controls are
coming. This means the viability of the small service
station could be threatened because they'll need more
sophisticated tools, diagnostic equipment and skilled
technicians. We've already seen the trend to self-service
gas stations which got out of the repair business.
"I think there is misunderstanding in the consumer's
mind about what's happened to our industry. The con
sumer might want one thing, but the government tells us
to build somethinp else and that's a permanent condition
we are willing to live with."
Not easy
The term "horsepower" is as much a part of American
1
folklore as "Panama Canal," and it won't be easy for
Americans to drop it and start thinking in terms of
"horsepower-to-weight-factor" or "cubic-displacement."
"Horsepower won't mean much," Alexander explains,
"because less will be needed for these much lighter cars.
In the '30s, we had a Ford V-8 engine with only 65 horse
power." Car buyers, five to 10 years from now, will see much
smaller models, but they still will be loaded with popular
options like automatic transmission, power assists and
air-conditioning. There will be less emphasis on styling,
and buyers will have to pay premium prices for larger
models.
"All the companies face the same problem of conform
ing to the new laws, so that gives us a chance to change
our traditional share (25 percent) of the market. Whoever
does the new work best should improve his share of the
market," Alexander says.
Unrealistic
Prod any auto man and hell grudgingly agree the new
standards are nercssary but he will also mutter that the
federal timetable is often unrealistic.
"It implies that invention can be legislated, which we
know isn't true," Alexander says. "It's difficult to meet
tougher emission standards, which cut fuel economy, and
at the same time meet new standards for fuel economy."
Whatever, there is no sign that Americans want to give
up their beloved cars. As one of Jimmy Carter's own
officials in the Department of Transportation observed:
If the car didn't exist, the first thing I would do is invent
it because it is such a marvelous transportation device. I
don t see a substitute for it in the next 50 years."
Those arc words Detroit likes to hear, while fending oif
imports (now about 20 percent of market), coping with
federal regulations and trying to persuade customers
accustomed to big, soft-ride cars, to the new, stiff-ride,
more basic models coming up.
Copyright 1977, Lot Angelas Times Syndicate
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