Friday, February 3, 1934
Daily Nebraskan
Center
Women's E&esoiarce
Ignoring msjoiity's needs
sometimes it's hard to figure out just
how much value the Women's Re
source Center has on this campus.
Now, they're at it again. This time,
the WRC is leading the campaign that
could, if successful keep the Nebraska
Union from having a 24-hour student
computer center,
The Nebraska Union Board is con
sidering placing eight to 16 computer
terminals in the building before the
end of the spring semester.
Daryl Swanson, union director, told
the board that the only place the ter
minals could be accessible 24 hours a
day without major re-construction
would be the first floor room currently
being used as a women's lounge.
That's where the catch comes in. It
seems that some women aren't willing
to give up the lounge, even though it
would be to the benefit of all students.
The WRC collected 170 signatures
on a petition opposing the computer
room proposal and Deb Swinton, a
senior human development major, pre
sented them to the Union Board Tues
day nicht.
Swinton told the board the lounge is
a peaceful place for women to relax
and get away from the pressures of
school for awhile. She is correct, of
course, but there are other places on
compus where students male or
female can go to relax.
With 260 computer terminals on the
way, it seems only logical that some of
them should be placed in the building
with the highest amount of student
traffic. And it would seem wise to
make them accessible at all hours, if
possible.
It is unrealistic to expect the union
to finance a major reconstruction pro
ject just so the students who use the
women's lounge won't be incon
venienced. The Union Board should continue
with its 24-hour computer room pro
ject. It is one of those rare opportuni
ties to improve the educational re
sources at UNL and it should not be
halted by a few students wKo are more
concerned with their own comfort.
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fU . Letters
Faith Christian's methods
should not obscure the issues
Stand by your team
Concerning the tasteless remarks an
individual has made in the personals
column of the Daily Nebraskan calling
for the replacement of Moe Iba:
I would like to speak for another
class of Nebraska basketball fans. You
exemplify the faults of the new ticket
policy installed this year (reserving
student seats in the bleachers through
a lottery system). Fans who have been
going to games for years had to put up
with your remarks at a game during
Christmas break and your tasteless
remarks haven't changed since then.
You are part of the reason seats have
been empty this year and why crowds
have been dead.
If you so dislike Nebraska basketball,
give your ticket to someone who would
appreciate its use. Better yet, go up in
the ozone seats and give your good
seat to the loyal fan yelling his head off
in order to be heard below by the "mel
low" fans in Section A. He is probably
one of the fans who supports the team
through thick and thin and used to
stand in line for two hours before a
game to get a floor seat. Why don't you
stand up at the next home game and
identify yourself so the rest of the fans
can see what a fair-weather fan really
looks like.
I dont think Dick Vitale would coach
in a place filled with fans like you. I also
urge the ticket office to reverse this
Humanist
ridiculous reserved seating policy.
Let's bring back Nebraska's sixth man!
Daniel J. Samani
senior
life sciences
Column draws fire
Matthew Stelly's column comparing
professional sports to total institut
ions (Daily Nebraskan, Feb. 1) is the
most asinine piece of trash I think I
have ever read.
Honestly, Matthew, how can you say
that a professional sports player
wears a number which is reminiscent
of an individual being "mugged and
printed" before heading into prison
and still be able to face yourself in the
mirror?
Also, is it possible that the Los
Angeles Raiders are called the bad
guys of professional football simply
because they were the most penalized
team last year, or do you still insist
that it is just because they wear black?
These two examples are typical of
the entire article one gross, mislead
ing generalization after another. Occa
sionally, the Daily Nebraskan prints an
excellent editorial. Unfortunately,
yours was a total waste of space and
paper.
Scott Gerdes
senior
College of Arts and Sciences
A state task force, put together by
Gov. Bob Kerrey, favored Faith.
Christian School in its opposition to
teacher certification requirements; and .
the release of the task force report ;
C Eric
s ,j Peterson
last week probably gave Kerrey as
much relief as it gave fundamentalist
leaders a kind of vindication of their
protest.
The task force, led by Omaha attor
ney Robert Spire, recommended what
some Christian schools have been
demanding all along an end to the
certification requirement, which could
be replaced with testing of students
and -evidence that the school has a
structured program. Fundamentalist
school officials felt that the certifica
tion law, which requires that teachers
attend a state college and obtain state
certificates, was a violation of freedom
of religion.
Basically, parents, officials and sup
porters on the Faith Christian School
side proved too smart tactically for the
state to continue to actively suppress
the protest. Fund-raising and marches,
an ill-conceived but persistent
telephone campaign and sit-ins were
all used in an effort which for the most
part was an instance of classic civil
disobedience.
School supporters included Jerry
Falwell and Jesse Jackson. Rev. Eve
rett Sileven, who fled an arrest war
rant, went through the Deep South
and to the East Coast to stir up fun
damentalist supporters, making a brief
but dramatic helicopter return to
Louisville to address his people with a
bullhorn.
For state officials, their position was
a matter of pride and rigid acceptance
of the status quo; for church officials, it
was a matter of pride and what they
felt was their freedom of religious
expression and instruction. Sileven
acknowledged that his was a minority
position even in this state: "I'm not
looking for a grass roots swell of sup
port out of Nebraska," he told the Lin
coln Journal,
However, he and seven parents
involved with the school have all spent
time in jail for contempt of court
charges related to that involvement.
The fundamentalists have come
another step closer to winning because
of their firmness of belief and their wil
lingness to defy the state for it. Although
State Education Commissioner, Joe
Lutjeharms and Nebraska State Edu
cation Association Director Herb
Schimek have cried out against letting
four task force members decide the
fate of the Faith Christian School
something, they would never have
objected to if the task force had agreed
with them clear reason and social
harmony demand that the suggestions
of the report be accepted. As Spire put
it, "Let's reason calmly. We are not
arguing a case. We're trying to get some
reconciliation."
counterattack, begins, with Bible
Enough is enough. When fanatic fundamentalists
can force the state of Texas to pass a law saying that
biology textbooks need not mention Charles
Darwin's theory, it's time for. us atheistic, secular
humanists to counterattack.
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Krishna Madan
Although the law does not require textbooks to
actually drop the theory of evolution, this om
mission will be the practical effect of the legislation.
When faced with the choice of buying a contro
versial textbook that contains Darwin's theory or an
innocuous one that doesn't, it is obvious which way
the pussyfooted school boards are going to vote.
To fight back, we secular humanists are going to
have to hit those foggy-minded fanatics where it
hurts, Le., in their Bible.
If Charles Darwin is a disreputable character who
should be excluded from any mention in textbooks,
I can think of a thousand such characters who
should be excluded from any decent version of the
Bible. ,
Let us start with Cain and Abel. Since there
weren't any other women around at the time, one
can only imagine what tricks these two little devils
were up to with their mother, Eve.
I therefore propose that we pass a law requiring
all future editions of the Bible to omit the names of
Cain and Abel. Who wants our children to grow up
believing that our ancestors were an incestuous
bunch of fornicators? The same principle applies to
to Noah. This old seaman suffered so much from
cabin fever during his 40 days and 40 nights in the
ark that he lost all control when it finally landed.
Old Noah was so happy to see the land again that
he boozed it up, went into his tent and raped his
daughters.
Again, this is hardly the type of character we want
our children to believe is actually our ancestor. I
therefore propose that Noah's name be stricken
. from the Bible.
Fortunately, the Bible gets duller as it goes on.
There's less sex but more violence, especially right
eous violence. Therefore, by fundamentalist stand
ards, there's less to cut out.
However, let us not forget about this one bearded,
long-haired character who quit his well-paying job
as a carpenter to wander around the countryside
like a hippie. This i3 hardly the type of role model to
present to our children.
Even worse, this bum always talked like a pinko
subversive about peace and justice for the poor. In
addition, he consorted with prostitutes, pimps and
thieves and went about throwing things over and
knocking people around in church.
Consequently, I propose that the name of Mr. J.
Christ be deleted from the Bible.
Unfortunately, that book still contains yet
another odious character whose name also needs to
be excised.
I refer, of course, to that lecherous fellow who
impregnated Joseph's wife-to-be, Mary. Do we really
want our children to grow up believing in an
adulterous God who deflowers helpless virgins?
If we don't, our course of action is clear. We must
consign God like we do Charles Darwin, Cain,
Abel, Noah and Jesus Christ to the garbage can of
the fund