page 4
daily nebraskan
monday, november 19, 1979
U
Student support needed for budget increase request
UNL students have won two
major battles in recent weeks. Vice
Chancellor for Academic Affairs Ned
Hedges announced two : weeks ago
that Love Library next semester will
not close on Saturdays or an hour
earlier on weekdays. And Fridaythe
NU Board of Regents reversed a two-year-old
policy forbidding the use of
student fees to pay political
speakers.
Some people will wonder what has
caused the big turnaround. "Are the
administrators and the regents ill?
Have they lost their senses," they
will ask. Student concerns generally
have had about as much chance for
success as the proverbial snowball in
hell.
Many people believe the closing of
the library (and its reopening after
student outcry) was simply a poli
tical move designed to raise student
support for proposed university
budget increases. But, we feel that a
good portion of the credit should go
to students, who, after the
announcement of the library closing,
expressed united opposition to the
move.
It indeed may have been a
political action, but there is no
doubt that without the united
student front, the library would be
closing at the ridiculous hours that
were proposed.
And the reversal of the policy for
bidding the use of student fees to
pay political speakers is a direct re
sult of organized student action on
its behalf. Regents Robert Koefoot
of Grand Island and Robert
Simmons of Scottsbluff told ' the
students as much at the meeting Fri
day. , , , .
But students should not let things
drop here. Another united student
front is needed -one supporting the
15 percent budget increase that the
regents will ask from the Legislature
this spring.
Tuition probably will increase 10
percent next year, forcing some
students to drop out of school and
preventing others from entering.
Funds for research, the measuring
stick by which quality is measured at
most universities, have been
drastically cut, making study more
difficult for faculty and students.
Faculty salaries are among the lowest
in the Big Eight, making it more and
more difficult for the university to
attract and retain quality professors.
All of this is interfering not only
with the ability of students to get a
quality education, it also is interfer
ing with the ability of the university
to function as the teaching and learn
ing center for the state of Nebraska.
This is the message students need
to take to their families and friends
this Thanksgiving. The entire state of
Nebraska benefits from the presence
of a high quality university. And the
rest of the state must help pay for
the operation, of it.
Gov. Charles Thone has said he
will not support more than a 7 per
cent budget increase for the univer
sity. In so doing, he is doing what is
politically safe, not what is best for
the university or the state. But, if he
will not support the increase the
people of the state must. And to get
it past the legislature the students
need to play a large role in generat
ing that support. The future of this
university depends on it.
I am a student at the University of Nebraska and:
even though I am an Iranian, I feel the situation of the
embassy take over in Iran is terribly wrong and has gone
too far. I feel humiliated walking to class and being point
ed at just because of my race. I think Ayatollah
Khomeini is making a big mistake by supporting the
people who took over the U.S. embassy in Tehran.
The revolution took place because people were un-'
satisfied with what the shah was doing to them. A lot of
families lost their members in. the revolution. The main
point of the revolution was to get rid of the Shah. Now
people should forget about him and spend their time try
ing to construct a new Iran that every Iranian can be
proud of..
Since the Shah left the country, the people who
thought of themselves as being the revolutionists were so
busy executing the Shah's people that they forgot there is
more in a country than that. The religion has gotten so
powerful that the government has no power. The country
is going down instead of improving.
I feel strongly that the U.S. should not hand over the
Shah because you never hand over your guest no matter
what the price is and besides no one should support terror
terrorism.
As an Iranian I am so ashamed of this situation that I
really don't know what to say.
Also I believe strongly that this country should deport
those students who are demonstrating or acting as leaders
of the political group.
I personally don't care for politics at all and I am sure
there are more Iranians who think the same way. I don't
think all of us should be blamed for the action of a few. I
am a member of nowhere and not anti revolution or for
revolution and not for the Shah or against the Shah.
Editor's note: The name of the above student is being,
withheld because he fears the reactions of his fellow stu
dents. One tyrant for another
A letter from the Moslem Student Association print
ed in the Nov. 9 Daily Nebraskan left me with the many
unanswered questions and no information. The letter ex
plained that "since the revolution, the U.S. government
has refused to pay any attention to the legitimate
demands of the Iranian people-concerning the mutual re
lationship between the two countries." So, what kind of
legitimate demands do the Iranian people have concerning
the mutual relationship between our two countries?
I have heard repeatedly reference made to the medical
treatment the Shan is receiving in New York as a sham or
cover for his presence in this country. Why is it so diffi
cult for the Iranian people to accept the possibility that
the man is gravely ill? Is it because they feel they will be
cheated out of causing his death? The question was asked,
why the Shah or the U.S. government did not allow the
Iranian physician to examine him? My question is, why?
It seems to me that the Iranian people are a bit paranoid.
Fantastic strides have been made in this country In the
last 10 years in the area of cancer research and treatment.
It does not ssem unusual at all to us for an important per
sonage to come to this country to partake of our medical
expertise.
A figure of 76,000 deaths were attributed to the Shah
last year, I can neither attack nor defend this statement,
but how many deaths have .been caused by the new
regime? It seems as if one tyrant Has been replaced by
another one.
- Continued on Page 5
Potomac fever last disease of decade
Sometimes I think the 1970s were full of. diseases.
The Hong Kong flu struck the nation at various times,
leaving people atraid to wander further than 10 feet from
the nearest bathroom.
An outbreak of a mysterious illness in Philadelphia
came to be known as the Legionnaire's Disease.
' GjLfD
mi
Now, our president tells us that we are suffering from a
"national malaise." Imagine that. The entire country in
the midst of a social disease.
In sheer numbers alone, this must be worthy of an
entry in the Guiness Book of World Records.
And now as we close out the 70s and head hesitatingly
into the 80s, we are faced with another illness that will
affect the nation.
Actually, this illness has only striken 13 persons-so
far.
It is called Potomac Fever.
POTOMAC FEVER is an illness that becomes highly
visible every four years.
Potomac Fever is a disease that causes normally sane
people to run for the presidency of the United States.
ft must be a disease because anyone who actually
wants the job of president must be ill.
The hours are Ions and the ceremonial functions often
tedious. The pay is good, but not great. The president of
Chrysler made more than the president last year, and we
all know what kind of a year he had.
But, when Potomac Fever strikes, politicians scratch it
like a bothersome mosquito bite.
The upcoming election is a good example of an
epidemic outbreak of Potomac fever.
The Republicans have 10 people seeking presidential
nomination. The Democrats have two challengers to the
incumbent president.
For some of the candidates, Potomac Fever is not an
illness. It is a way of life.
RONALD REAGAN, Edward Kennedy, John Connally
and Toward Baker are examples of this. .
Regan, in his third attempt for the Oval office will run
as Ion,; as his Grecian Formula hair dye holds out.
Kennedy is making his first run for the office. But, he
has be;n a possible candidate since 1972.
As children, while you and I were taking out the
garbage and mowing lawns, Kennedy was probably in a
Hyannisport treehouse with political aides mapping out
strategies for the 1980 election.
Baker and Connally, have long hinted at running and
are finally acting out their fantasies. Too bad they have to
act them out on us.
o Others running in the Repuplican party, like George
Busn, John Anderson, Benjamin Fernandez, Philljp Crane
and Larry Pressler have so little popular attraction that
they could probablystar in an old favorite movie of mine.
It was called "The Man Who Never Was."
ON THE DEMOCRATIC side, Jerry Brown makes his
second run for the White House. Brown espouses a basic
theory of "Save the People. Protect the environment. Ex
plore the universe." Or words to that effect. He keeps
changing them.
It becomes difficult to tell whether uVcandidates are
devoted to the ideals of the nation or just trying to gain
glory.
The only cures for Potomac Fever are election or re
jection. And unlike most illness, we the people, will be the
doctors We will prescribe for the nation a remedy to
hopefully cure its various wrongs.
So, let's hope that the people keep an eye on the presi
dential race and listen to the issues.
For if we don't make an educated choice, Potomac
Fever could result in a malpractice suit the people brought
on themselves. '
