pegs 4
daily nebraskan
thursday, december 13, 1979
2. JUOlTUCL
J
n m n
DN
appreciates
urvey 9s results
Elsewhere in today's Daily Nebra
skan, we report that nearly 90 per
cent of 200 students, faculty and
administrators polled in an informal
survey believe the Daily Nebraskan is
a credible publication.
That is welcome information to
the staff members of this newspaper.
Unlike other professions, people in
communication fields rarely see the
audience's immediate-or even long-term-reaction
to the services they
provide.
That is one of the hazards of the
business, but even the most season
ed reporter will tell you how dis
heartening it is to walk into a
campus restroom to find copies of
the Daily Nebraskan scattered about
the floor with the reporter's byline
being walked on by a thousand
different people.
Yes, we are proud of the results of
this survey, however unscientific it
may be. It makes us want to work
harder for you. We are proud of
other things as well, however. Be
cause this is the next to the last issue
of -the decade, it seems appropriate
to look at the Daily Nebraskan
during the last 10 years.
Although we don't have detailed
records dating to 1969, we do have
copies of the publication which
appeared then. Suffice it to say that
we have changed drastically through
the years.
In just the eight years since 1972,
when our best records begin, the
Daily Nebraskan has grown from a
$70,000 to a nearly $400,000 opera
tion. In 1972, the average paper, was
about 1 1 pages long-now we average
about 17. Eight years ago the Daily
Nebraskan staff consisted of about
30 people-today we have nearly 130
staff members.
And in this fall semester, for the
first time in about 20 years (to best
of our knowledge) the Daily Nebra
skan became a five-day publication.
In every way possible, the Daily Ne
braskan has attempted to serve the
people of this campus to its greatest
capacity. We help the business com
munity by providing an outlet for
their advertising needs-students, ob
viously, are a large segment of
Lincoln commerce. And more
important, we also are providing
more news, sports and entertainment
information than ever before.
And we are doing it at less ex
pense to yoii than ever before. In
1972 student fees contributed to 43'
percent of our budget. Today, stu
dent fees are only 8 percent of our
budget. Our increasing efficiency
means that students annually pay
only about 1 Va cents for each issue of
the Daily Nebraskan.
We think you are getting a pretty
good deal. Not only are students,
faculty members and administration
officials informed of important uni
versity business-regents meetings,
faculty concerns and student govern-ment-we
provide a place- for
announcements and personals as
well. The editorial pages offer a
forum for. ideas and opinions, for
discussion and enlightenment. And
where else can you get all of that and
a crossword puzzle a day for little
more than a penny a day?
First Down, the football program
on home football Saturdays that
costs one thin dime also is brought
to you by us. Fathom; our magazine,
is published five times each semester
and brings you depth reports on a
variety of topics.
The Daily Nebraskan staff
members do indeed work hard to
serve this campus, work to do the
very best job they can and they
appreciate it when our readers say
their work is credible.
Thank you.
Life after graduation waiting,
no time to drop baekandpunt
Ah, the end of another season.
"It seems like we just get started and before you know
it, comes the time we have to say-so long."
Leaving.
It's a strange sensation. I know that when I finish with
finals and make my way home for a needed vacation, that
I will be coming back. I don't have to worry about getting
resumes and cover letters out, I don't have to worry about
life after graduation, and I don't have to think about leav
ing my friends-the people who saw me through four and
a half years of college. I can only imagine. .
I think I would feel a little sad, and possibly a little
old. I would probably think back on those years and kick
myself for not accomplishing everything I had wanted to
accomplish.
Why didn't I study a little more? Why did I always wait
until the last minute to do things? My term papers would
have been longer and more concrete, they might even have
had a few legitimate sources. I wouldn't have had to
amble humbly into my history professor's office and ask
how his wife and kids were, and if he was feeling really
generous, since it was Christmastime. I would have been
prepared so that I could have slept long and well during
finals week, and gone home fresh and rested.
But, no, I had to go. to every away football game,
spend the afternoons shooting the breeze with friends,"
watching ESPN until my eyes turned into test patterns!
and dropping back about seven and punting when things
got tough. .
Life would have been so much easier without those
midnight missions, or 3 ajn. tromps through four feet of
snow. You know, 1 really didn't have to burn my couch
in the 16th St. bonfire and I probably could have done
without throwing my typewriter out of the third floor
window when 1 couldn't think of anything to write.
I remember when I graduated from high school and
how we all promised each other we'd stay in touch. But
as everyone older told me, we didn't. '
I would think about my friends now, and remember
back on all of the good times we had, how much we
laughed, how much 1 had learned from them.
And, although I probably didn't do everything I had
wanted, to do, or done it as well as I would have liked I
would still look back on those years with fond memories
and smile. - ,
Right now, though, I have other things to worry about
I'm not graduating, I'm coming back. But, 111 miss those
who aren't.
Reverse case
of pragmatism
As wc students try to advance our causes here, working
at various stages with, without, along with and around'
each other, there are-important things that we forget at
. times. At times, wc only take our principles as far as con.
venience allows us, at which point those principles give
, way to pragmatism. I was reminded of what having
principles really means during a trip to Kansas State
University last month.
Eta Gamma Chapter of Delta Sigma Thcta Sorority at
K-Statc is like any other chapter of one of the largest pre
dominantly black sororities in the country. Things might
be slow at times, but the Deltas at K-State have their sis
terhood, and they are quite proud of it. Likewise, Krista
Hill is much like any. other Delta. I got a chance to talk to
her, as well as other members of the sorority, during my
visit.
I have been involved with many organizations during
the past few years, and I run into typical "organizational
values" like commitment, responsiveness, and open-mind
edness. Krista, the treasurer of Eta Gamma Chapter, spoke
of those values. She, like the others, is concerned about
, the activities of the sorority. They had helped raise money
for the Big Eight Conference on Black Student Govern,
ment, and will soon be celebrating their tenth
anniversary at K-State, and doing some community service
projects.
As 1 have said, Krista Hill is like most other Deltas. She
has a history of involvement in student organizations and
feels that she's had a lot to offer Eta Gamma, like the
others. The major thing that sets Krista apart from the
others is that she is the only white member of that branch
of the predominantly black sorority.
1 am not mentioning this to-get the Greek system here
at Nebraska to do anything, even though not a single
black student lives within any of the houses. Likewise, a
fraternity or sorority that is just starting out on campus
must find its collective identity and be secure in it before
all else. Nonetheless, there are lessons about identity and
principles to be learned here.
The women of Eta Gamma have obviously learned that
equality, human rights, etc. are absolute terms. Whether
you're black or white, Greek or independent, cheerleader
or football player or whatever, if you don't advocate
equality completely, you don't advocate equality. There
are many people in high positions who have advocated
selective equality" for a long time. IdenUty, a much
discussed subject, is also absolute. My trip south showed
meK u nC does not gain idcntity hy who he associates
with, but rather by coming to grips with who and what he
ts-a personal, private, irreversible process. If people must
isolate themselves for the sake of identity, then they never
had .hat identity in the first place. As we try tc relate to
one another across cultures, we would do well to
remember those simple things.
Hubert Brown
First Vice President, ASUN
