daily nebraskan
monday, march 10, 1980
More 'rhetoric' heard in third presidential debute
page 6
By Patti Gallagher
What one ASUN presidential candidate called the
Vspewing forth of bland rhetoric" continued Thursday
night in Schramm Hall lounge, as the candidates battled in
the last of three debates, accusing each other of being
vague and general.
The four candidates were questioned by a crowd of
about ISO after brief opening statements. In the open
forum, audience members capitalized on references to
past debate and platform statements.
In his opening statement, independent candidate Jay
Willhoft said an ASUN president must be objective be
cause "student interests are just one of the many things
that must be considered when dealing with university
policies."
He also said the president must work on a "people to
people basis" to get issues aired .
After student interest
Willhoft said Tim Munson (LSD party candidate) talks
about academic starvation, Renee Wessels (US party
candidate) deals with the budget, and John Parsons
(STAR party candidate) talks of regent responsiveness.
"I guess I'm the person iust out there trying to get the
students interested," he said. , t , n
In his opening statement, Munson referred to the Daily
Nebraskan March 3 story on John Parsons' platform.
Munson said he counted 13 "if clauses" in the article,
indicating Parsons has a lack of definite ideas.
Parsons, however, specified two plans for keeping
tuition costs down. Calling for public hearings on propos
ed tuition hikes during the school calendar rather than the
summer months, and the organization of an academic
union to make the regents more responsive to student
wants are part of his platform, Parsons said.
Parsons challenged
Parsons said the STAR party would work to elect
regents that will listen to students. When laterxhallenged
by Wessels to name the two candidates the STAR party
has contacted for the regents ticket, Parsons avoided the
question along with her query of how ajiew ASUN
senate, elected March 12, could persuade regent
candidates to file before the deadline two days later.
Parsons said that with a little cooperation, it would
not take much to get 10 people to donate the time and
money to campaign for the regent of their choice.
"1 1
-- - -
Hand in hand
Photo by Tom Ge$mer
A child holds tight to his mother's fingers in the
hustle and bustle of downtown Lincoln.
Wessels concentrated on her experience with the
Nebraska State Legislature and budget work, calling the
budget "a place to begin to rectify administrative
priorities that don't always agree with student priorities."
The budget 'Is where education begins and where
. education ends." she said.
Parsons said Wessels "does not corner the market on
the Legislature" because STAR has candidates that also
have done work in the Legislature.
Wessels, now an ASUN senator, received a question on
her decision not to vote on the Krugerrand issue. ASUN
initially condemned the South African gold coins but later
changed its stand to support the nearly million dollar
donation.
Wessels said she could not vote for the second proposal
because she had supported the initital ASUN stand against
the Krugerrands. She said she could not vote against the
proposal because she agreed with a clause in it commend
ing the donors for their generosity.
Munson fielded many questions about his platform
proposals, including the use of violence as a means to get
things done.
Past nates ineffective
Reminding the audience that he endorses violence only
as a last tactic, he repeated that the tactics employed by
past student senates have been ineffective.
"In the 15 years since ASUN has been called ASUN
not one thing has been accomplished " he said.
Munson said his party's first choice is to work through
peaceful means.
"I'm not saying that you have to go out with a
machine gun and shoot 45 people "he said. "Ill do that."
Citing historical examples of student revolutions at
Columbia University and Harvard, Munson said that today
these schools can undeniably be called prestigious.
An audience member asked Munson if he "might be
stepping on the toes of your would-be voters" in propos
ing elimination of the Greek system. Munson said he
could not support any institution that t4perpetuates class
and social discrimination."
The questioner continued that Greek houses have
traditionally received high grade point averages, thus stay
ing within the LSD platform of academic orientation.
Munson responded that "if someone wants to be
academic" he doesn't have to be Greek.
Munson also was questioned on his proposed elimina
tion of non self-supporting sports. He said the funds put
into sports should go to faculty salaries and academic
scholarships.
Although he said he "holds nothing against women's
sports, or women in particular," he said "we are here to
study and learn first."
Speaker: United States should avoid Afghanistan
By Mary Louise Knapp
"The United States should not get militarily involved
in Afghanistan," David Champagne, assistant director of
the Afghan Studies Center in Omaha told a crowd of
about 50 Friday night at the Glass Onion.
. , His speech, entitled "The Crisis in Afghanistan ," was
part of the "Glass Onion Chautauqua" series sponsored by
Nebraskans for Peace.
Champagne hast done, research in Afghanistan and has
spent three years' there working for the Peace Corps.
Champagne said tribal groups have always dominated
Afghanistan, and said that loyalty to family is vastly more
important than loyalty to a leader of a nation-state.
Champagne said Afghanistan has never been a nation
state, that it is instead a loose confederation that has
chosen to recognize one leader.
In the 19th century, Afghanistan became a buffer zone
between India and Russia the "Berlin of the 19th
century," Champagne said,
"Afghanistan is one of the few non-European countries
that has remained independent and free from coloni
zation," Champagne said. "The Afghans have a long
tradition of patriotism and for a long time were afraid of
opening the country to the influence of other nations
During the Cold War of the 1950s; Afghanistan
received aid from the Soviet Union, the United States and
China. After detente was established in the early 1970s,
however, most of the foreign aid was cut off.
The shah of Afghanistan asked for a mutual defense
pact with the United States in the 1950s, but the United
States did not approve," Champagne said.
During the 1970s, Afghanistan sent officers to the
Soviet Union to be educated, but had no fear of Soviet
influence because of Afghanistan's strong patriotic
tradition.
After a 1978 coup the. leaders of Afghanistan made
pacts with the Soviets for aid and defense. The leaders
let the contracts of Western officials lapse and eventually
sent the officials out of the country.
Many new laws were passed that were unpopular with
the conservative Moslem population of Afghanistan,
Champagne said.
Soviet advisers and military took up residence in the
country shortly afterward.
"The Afghans could not throw the Russians out be
cause they had no weapons," Champagne said "but the
opposition grew and grew."
In 1978 Amnesty International condemned the actions
of the Soviet Union in Afghanistan, but neither the
United States nor Western Europe did anything about it
Champagne said.
"If the United States had acted on Amnesty Inter
national's report, the Soviets probably would not have
sent troops in December of 1979." he said.
Champagne said the Soviets were not looking for a
major confrontation when they invaded Afghanistan.
"However, the signals were right. The United States
ha, not c.ted st0P mem, s why not?" Champagne
said he believes the Soviets will not pull out of Afghan
istan. "I don't think that we (United States) need to
apologize for not having acted in 1978 because Europe
did not act either." v
Champagne said he believes, although he is not certain
that the Afghan rebels are receiving aid from the United
States and possibly China.
Champagne said the Afghans have to fight in order to
keep their own culture and traditions.
"They think that it is better to be free and poor than a
developed country that is under domination," he said.
Party sponsors rally;
120 hear rock bands
"Hello, we're the Grapes and I'm Jesus Christ."
The audience greeted with laughter ASUN presidential
candidate Tim I. Munson's band introduction Saturday
night at a Let Students Dominate party rally.
During a debate in the Nebraska Union last Wednesday,
Munson said he saw similarities between his positions and
Christ's.
The rally was held in a rented hall at 732 S. 27th St.
The Town Dogs played 1960s rock V roll until the
Grapes took over at i0 pjn. By then the small hall was
filled with about 120 people who paid a cover charge of
$1.50.
Munson said the money raised would not go to the
LSD party.
"A rally is held either for economic reasons or to sup
port the party," he said. "This was to get people who
support the party together one last time."
Munson said after paying $149 to rent the hall, $30
was left to split between the nine, members of the bands.
Although members of the audience occasionally shouted
political slogans and jokes, Munson said there wasn't
much political atmosphere to the rally.
"Our party is an aggressive party and this rally is for
aggressive people," he said.
Munson predicted his party would be in a run-off with
the US party.
"We won't do worse than second," he said.