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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 12, 1979)
n. mm monday, march 12, 1970 . Hncolrt, nebraska vol. 102 no. 03 Jll v3 kD Iks J u u u(J UL BBS Speaker favors going bade to rami lifestyles v By Mike Sweeney Rural Americans art the largest and most powerless minority in the country, according to a New Mexico authori Stan Steiner, author of The Vanishing White Man and The New Indiana Friday said imposing urban thinking on rural areas has destroyed the balance between city and country As a result, he said, rural Americans have allowed outsiders to control their lives. But Steiner said he was hopeful the balance would be restored by thd energy crisis and America's return to rural values and life styles. Steiner Was the keynote speaker at the third annual Prairie Project at the East Union, a conference concentrat ing oh the challenges facing the Great Plains. Rural America contains one-third of the country's bed pie, but also has 40 percent of the nation's elderly and 50 percent of the poor, Steiner said . "This means we art the poor, the forgotten, the elder ly, and worst of all the powerless," he said. Lack of power The recent clash between farmers and Washington officials is evident of rural America's lack of power, Steiner said. "Can you imagine . . the Secreiary of the Defense talking to soldiers the way the Secretary of Agriculture has cursed arid insulted farmers?" he asked. Steiner laid the imbalance between city arid country grows larger every yean and "it's as destructive to New York City aslt Is td Broken Bow.' - . Kleiner sald blg'city Ideas ddftSt Ht m Small: tdvAi, and pointed to hii hometown of Santa Fe as evidence 6f the clash between urban and rural thinking. ' " He said' the city Used to have stop signs instead of street lights. There were few accidents, however, because people would intelligently wait their turns at intersect iortShesaid ; '. Accidents increased But when the city leaders decided to Urbanize Santa Fe by putting up street lights, the number of accidents in creased because people tried to jump the lights, Steiner said. The U.S. Constitution also illustrates the clash of city and country, Steiner said Hie Constitution is an old-fashioned rural document, Steiner said, and "much to the consternation of courts since (it was written), it doesn't fit into the urban World," He said the constitutional guarantee of free speech works hi Sante Fe plaza, but disrupts traffic in New York. Presidential efforts to restore the balance have failed, Steiner said. President Johnson asked Congress to restore some power to the country, but "that was like asking a coyote td be a midwife at calling time,", he quipped. However there are indications the trend of city think ing to dominate the country is reversing itself, Steiner said. New migration He said the country is Witnessing a new migration from city to country. But instead of using covered, wagons, people are making the move in campers and recreational vehicles, he said . "I beKeve,theewirrmiigrant5 Will Urbardjte rural lifet but at the same time they will be ruralized," Steiner said, He said the rebirth of the countryside is reflected by his home state of New Mexico, which has one million people, two million cattle, and 21 million tourists every year. " ' - " ?'--" Steiner explained the growing interest in rural America by quoting Esquire magazine. " "As the country grows more and rndre complex, peo pie need simpler, and simpler values " he fcaid. "Some people art turning to God . . . but more and more are .turning td the cowboy hat. T . ' The energy crisis, which Steiner said he likes to call the urban crisis. Will speed up the reconciliation of rural and urban people,he said. People in the cities consume energy, Steiner Said, and do not produce it. Instead, they get ft from the country side, he Did. - -. V .' Vhen energy sources begin to dry Up, city people will be forced to turn more and more td country practices such a recycling, which is "currently beyond their oenei, ateinersaij. - , t He said the ruralizalion of energy will help return " decision making to a democratic and community-controll tdbase. - r 1 v v "Beneath the plastic uniformity, the democratic Ways of thinking still exist, Steiner said. Hiey have not died M They have wrvived. , t . m ft) u S jj Y- it Photo by Mark Billingsley Yesterday's Wttm temperature Is an indication that sprirtg'ls just around the corner and so are the electri cal storms that follow, such as this high intensity storm on the Nebraska-Coloradd border; $ellliy Mftith cause attendance would be "Contingent on Editor's note: This is the last story hi a five-part series of candidates and parties running in the ASUN election. Hie Candidates were interviewed in the order they will be placed on the ballot. ASUN needs to get back on the right rack, according to the Students Advocating innovative Leadership party presidential candidate Scott Brittenham. Brittenham, 20, a marketing major, said he thought ASUN has done "a general mediocre job" this year "In some programs they have been effective. But in others, like student impact, they havent,' he said- SAIL has been Unofficially campaigning since Novemb er. The party is comprised of 22 senatorial candidates from residence halls, Greek houses and off Campus living units, according td Brittenham. Td get ASUN "back drt the track," Brittenham said the SAIL party proposes td concentrate on four Specific prob lems on Campus: alcohol, parking, educational quality and speakers. -. Alcohol awareness Brittenham said he Would establish an alcohol aware ness education program for students dealing With alcohol use and abuse. He said students would show Up for these programs be- n " ,;:" y 7 , . t" ''".. I ... " '.'"'.' '" ..'.- . f v - . '''i. , V c ' ) y. : ( v .! . ..... ..s. f , . , : s l.y cause attendance would be "Contingent on getting alcohol in the dorms," Once the program is Underway, Brittenham said he would approach the NU Board of Regents with a proposal to allow alcohol on campus through a "closed door policy "This means once it Is passed, it would be up to each living unit td decide if alcohol will be allowed in their rooms with the door closed, he explained. He said he would also like to see alcohol served in the union on a selected room basis. Parking problem To solve the parking problem, Brittenham said he would change the metered parking lots to allow students to pay for the amount of time they will be in the Jot "This will solve the problem in two areas, he said. "It would eliminate tickets and allow more time for people to park, he explained . He said he would also like to require that UNL police do not oversell area lots. "I would like to pass it some way so that there are no more permits than places issued, the candidate said. He admitted that students will still have problems with parking spaces, but said he felt his proposals were the "most equitable approaches. Brittenham said he would also like to improve the teaching quality at UNL and emphasized the need tor stu dent input in teacher evaluations. Teacher evaluations He said he would encourage students to set up their own teacher evaluation forms and after compiled, publish them In the baity Nebmkan. "This way, if an instructor sees where he Is rated publicly, the incentive to raise his teaching level would bt increased and teachers who rated high would work to stay there,'.he said. Brittenham said he would also like to realign the budget td solve overcrowding problems in the College's of Business Administration and Engineering and Tech -nology He suggested re-allocating funds from otherccllcgei as a possible solution. He also proposed raising the require ments to enter the colleges to cut down on enroHrnent Continued on pe 3 oK2 SAIL 2T Sew v kJi Vui i . - ... ' Same song, third verse: Residence hall occupancy once again expected to be over capacity pre 7 .Lend him yotir ear: Leonard Nimoy comes to Iincoln witl i his play based on the life of VmcentVaijGogh.,.vv.p-8 Fond farewell: Sports columnist writes post season commentary , on the .Husker basketball season pe 10.