pegs 4
dally nebraskan
Time airtkle staoili lave Ibeemi dtedl
pla-gia-rize: to steal and pass off as
one's own (the ideas or words of
another), to commit literary theft,
present as new and original an idea or
product derived from an existing
source.
The meaning of plagiarize doesn't
carry very favorable connotations
and the sound of the word makes
journalists cringe.
But the definition is much too
accurate for this editor in last Mon
day's Daily Nebraskan editorial on
the FBI.
Written from much of the infor
mation presented in a Time magazine
article, a closer look at the editorial
will show plagiarism has occurred.
Some of the sentences were taken
word for word.
There are no excuses for such a
mistake and to attempt to lighten
the gravity 01 such an error would be
an injustice to the students on this
campus. It is an offense which carries
heavy consequences in the classroom
as well as any newsroom.
For this reason, only an explana
tion can be given.
, The editorial was the product of
infonnation from not only Time, but
U.S. News and World Report, News
week, the Lincoln Journal and The
Omaha World-Herald. To credit each'
source of information is difficult and
was obviously overlooked in this sit
uation." Terminology is another question
able area and lines must be drawn
when "borrowing phrases." The
word "sting" in describing the FBI
Abscam operation is an example of
terminology picked up by the news
media. -
The excuse that the public may
benefit from a specially termed
phrase doesn't work when credit
for that phrase isn't given. It can
only become one thing-plagiarism.
For some, an editorial, news
story and column mean different
things. They have different purposes,
formats and styles. But one universal
rule applies to 'all the material
should be original or carry an attri
bution to the source.
After a "long walk in the desert,"
this editor has come to grips with
plagiarism and recognizes its severity,
It is one person's acknowledgment of
a serious mistake and hopefully
won't be carried over to the in
stitution. Perhaps this is what is meant by
the "price of an education."
Harry Allen Strunk
n
ire
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G fc GoM?
About the draft, Carter says the 20 year
olds will be the first to go. It's my birthday
today; I'm 20.
A friend of mine from a fraternity told
me that a couple of weeks ago there was a
"We won't go party ," and that particular
weekend there was goint to be another
one. Feb, 22 there was a rally in front of
the Union supporting the same theme, Was
I there? Will I attend one of those gather
ings of protesting and rebellion? No. If
necessary, I would rather go to war,
The other night while being held in the
arms of my loved one, feeling safe, secure,
content, it all overcame me. don't want
to go to war. It's only my second year of
college; I'm just finding out what want.
What about my friends? don't want this
happiness taken away from me. Taken
away for reasons may not even know. I
know that not everything is released to the
public, am ready to kill for something of
which I don't even know all the facts? And
what do know of, are they worth to me
killing for?
Selfish, wasn't I?
But then I stop and think, "That's OK,'
because one of the things that the frat
parties and rallies symbolize is that we're
all feeling the same thing, , , , , scared,
f in response to ths Russians..lm sendingour bQst trained,
Amaricaafionting force to the Persian euif . . .
V r- " " ,
But they symbolize something else too.
Freedom! People saying that they have
their own choice to do what they want
this is a free country? But isn't that just
what we'd be fighting for, our freedom?
The facts of why we'd be in a war may not
be worth fighting for, but my country
would be.
. Are we so spoiled, have we lived so long
with having it so good that it is going to
take a war, a depression and whatever else
follows before we open our eyes and see
just how good we have it? Will we be able
to handle the consequences if we lose? Will
we blame it on our country and our
government when it is the people who
make these things up?
Well, I'm still scared. Probably more so
today because I feel like I am put that
much closer. But HI go. Maybe my
consolation is that I feel like I'll be one of
the first to "crack" under pressure, and
that 111 be taken out, But at least I'm going
to try.
Just like "Rocky" who fought to get to
the top of the stairs, just like our Corn,
huskers who fight it out till the end, like
the Olympic stars who break world records
just by "going for it," I may not come out
on top of the stairs, with the big eight title,
or a gold medal, but at least I've tried, And
to me , that's a part of winning,
C. Lohmeier
' Sophomore, Education
ir -
Breach of journalism ethics
found in recent editorial
I am willing to tolerate a lot of nonsense
from a new editor of any campus news
paper. I can also put up with trite editorials
on student government, apathy, school
spirit, and a dozen other perennial topics. I
don't even mind pious columns about the
professional standards and excellence of
the editor's own paper, But I draw the line
at blatant and unclever plagiarism,
When the editor of the student news
paper at the University of Nebraska
Lincoln stoops so low as to sign his name
to a so-called "opinioneditorial" which
has been lifted from the pages of a nation,
al magazine that is undoubtedly read by a
great many of the students here.it is not
. only ' deceitful and disgusting, it is also
rather dumb,
It was an interesting juxtaposition that
placed the ombudsperson's column next to
said editorial, That column talked a great
deal about the journalist's "standard of
conduct," and professional ethics, The
dishonesty of plagiarism is clearly stated
in the Student Handbook as a reason for
failure in a course at UNL. It violates
any code of journalistic ethics that I know
of, With all the . talk of professional
standards at the Daily Nebraskan, I should
think a few of them would be observed.
L. Brent Bohlke
' English Instructor
Two student groups declare 'war' on Wisconsin
The threat of war isn't just an international fear. It can
happen in someone's own backyard,
And it did.
Two Big Eight university student associations have de
clared war on the University of Wisconsin,
That's right, war!
a
n n
But how can universitks declare war on each other?
Alleged "badgering" in a questionnaire sent by
Missouri Student Association officialsTo the University of
Wisconsin student government prompted the formal
declaration of war from the MSA according to the
Maneater, student newspaper at the University of
Missouri-Columbia. '
The Wisconsin Student Association has considered it
self in an unrecognized state of war with MSA since Feb.
3, the paper reported.
An MSA presidential assistant said the Wisconsin stu
dents responded to a questionnaire with joke answers pro
vided by WSA President James Mallon, Mallon was elected
last year on the pail and shovel platform. His party is,
"dedicated to the four-year-old spirit in all of us," he said.
MSA President Garth Bare responded to the incident
by seeking the draft for all University of Missouri-Columbia
employees between 27 and 70 and threatening to blitz
Madison, Wise, with Village People music.
The WSA then said they would nuke the Missouri River
in order to flood UMC if they did not join WSA in their
quest to dominate the world.
Somehow, somebody got the idea that the destruction
of Kansas University was the key to peace.
Well, you guessed it. KU didn't like that idea and
joined 44 other schools known to be at war with WSA,
KU threatened Wisconsin with a grain embargo, Wis
consin then counter-threatened with a halt to all wine and
cheese exports.
And in the meantime, the 64 Wisconsin students
attending UMC have been asked to register and show
proof of current legal visas.
How will it all end? That is hard to say. It depends on
negotiations and the rationality of what appear to be
irrational people. '"'.'
There is another war going on in Norman, Okla., a fight
against noise.
Richard Fant is Norman's own noise control officer,
lowered with a 15-page document listing maximum noise
levels for virtually any noise possible, Fant is on call 24
hours a day,
If you happen to have a rooster than cackles above 74
decibels, don't take him to Norman.
And just down the road at Oklahoma State University
what started out as a simple prank almost became an all
out battle,
The front line was part of decorations for the Sigma
Nu annual Frontier Ball-and the target was the flag.
After a challenge from Sigma Nu pledges to the campus
many from the athletic dorm, decided to try.
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the destruction of the tower and made many people up-
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