Fri Fcbrucry 24, 1C34
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Dally flcbraskan
o n
7
iinancialjsecurity
of unionization
UNL faculty members who still are undecided
about whether or not they favor collective bargain
ing should not be influenced by current proposals at
the Capitol.
The Legislature's Appropriations Committee, to
its credit, has recommended an average salary
increase of 1 1 . 1 percent for the UNL academic staff
in 1984-85. The recommendation was 8.1 percent
for UNO and 9 percent for the NU Medical Center in
Omaha.
The increase still must make it past the full Legis
lature and Gov. Bob Kerrey, which seems likely this
year. But even if it does, it offers faculty members no
financial security after the next fiscal year. Collec
tive bargaining may be the only way to bring about
that security.
Even with a union, the governor and Legislature
still could turn down pay proposals, but the chances
of that appear much smaller with the threat of the
Commission of Industrial Relations overturning it.
The commission last summer granted UNO faculty
members a 6.6 percent pay increase retroactive to
the 1982-83 school year. Opponents of collective
bargaining have argued that the UNO raise did more
harm than good because it led to some reduction of
programs. But the whole direction of this institu
tion, as evidenced by the 2 percent reallocation pro
gram, is toward a reduction of some programs to
strengthen others.
Collective bargaining should be a last resort, but
the situation at UNL has reached that point. The
administration and Board of Regents continually
talk about salaries being high on their list of priori
ties, but they rarely back up those words with
action.
Instead, they choose to support projects that
would stretch the university's resources even more.
Many officials continue to support the constructing
of a veterinary school at UNL and, just recently, the
Board of Regents offered its support for a perform
ing arts center that would require approximately $7
million in state funds $7 million that won't be
going toward higher salaries.
Some NU administrators probably do have good
intentions of raising salaries. Ronald Rosken's three
year plan of bringing UNL faculty pay up to the
national level is evidence that some are concerned
about our current standing. The fact remains, how
ever, that the state budgeting process only allows
raises to be granted one year at a time. That means
faculty members have good reason to be skeptical of
their long-range financial standing at UNL.
. - Collective bargaining may help assure that, in the
future, when the annual budget battle begins, most
university and state officials will put salaries at the
top of their agenda.
Unsigned editorials represent official policy of
the spring 1984 Daily Nehraskan. They are written,
by this semester's editor in chief, Larry Sparks.
The Daily, Nebraskan's publishers are the re
gents, who established the UNL Publications Board
to supervise the daily production of the newspaper.
According to policy set by the regents, the content
of the newspaper lies solely in the hands of its stu
dent editors.
I1
J
' . . T -) . '
Conservatives and liberals are misguided in that
they each emphasize certain essential elements in
human society to the detriment of others that are
just as essential
Conservatives emphasize stability, law-and-order
and patriotism, while liberals stress individual rights
and reform.
- -- - -. .,. , . i i
( 1 -. Krishna
? Macks!
There is value in the conservative emphasis on
patriotism. We do, after all, live in one nation and we
should be concerned about the welfare of our coun
try and its inhabitants.
The problem with conservatives is that they do
not distinguish between our nation (the American
people) and our often misguided leaders who ex
ploit out patriotism to pursue an aggressive military
policy that merely protects the interests of big busi
ness in foreign lands."""
Liberals, on the other hand, are disturbed by con
servative militarism. However, they are also mis
guided in the way they react.
Liberals do not tell it like it is and point out that
the existence of capitalism in this country necessi
tates military intervention abroad.
Instead, they oppose military aggression by deny
ing the value of patriotism, making fun of the mil
itary and asserting .heir "rights" to not serve their
country. .
This infantile individualism of the liberals only
serves to make the conservatives more nationalistic.
Conversely, the blind patriotic militarism of the
conservatives only makes liberals reject the idea of
patriotism and duty altogether.
Conservatives and liberals are like parasites that
feed off each other. The solution to this conflict does
not lie in creating a mutant, hybrid species Le.
"moderates", but in going beyond both conservatism
and liberalism.
What we need in this country is a political move
ment that synthesizes the values of conservatism
and liberalism -to produce a new, creative philo
sophy that bears little resemblance to the original
philosophies.
Actually, such a philosophy already exists. It
incorporates the conservative desire for duty and
responsibility to society with the liberal d
nationalism and militarism.
It also combines the conservative desire for
accountability to society with the liberal desire to
have basic human rights respected.
Obviously, any philosophy that can do all of the
above is very potent and very dangerous to those in
government and business who have a vested inter
est in maintaining political debate within its current
limited scope.
That is why this philosophy is the victim of intense
propaganda in the schools, universities and news
papers. I am referring, of course, to the philosophy of
socialism. Your immediate reaction to this word is
proof that the propaganda campaign gainst this
philosophy has been effective.
However, people in this country will not forever
tolerate the liberal and conservative mismanage
ment of the nation.
As more and more people become justifiably disil
lusioned with the Democratic and Republican par
ties, the opportunity will arise for the growth of a
socialist movement that really addresses our prob
lems and concerns.
Thanhs, but . . .
Bad overshadows good in Greekarticle
I would like to thank Daily Nehraskan reporter
Mona Koppelman for her attempt to present a
broad overview of the fraternity system here at UNL
Many different aspects of the fraternities were dealt
with in the article published in Tuesday's Daily
Nebraskan, but it is unfortunate that greater care
was not taken in presenting them.
Guest
Opinion
The UNL Greek system, like any other group or
organization, has both its good and bad points. We
do not profess to be perfect, but in the article the
bad certainly did seem to overshadow the good.
Probably the greatest reason for the discrepan
cies in the article lies in the fact that so few individ
u r. were cited as sources. I pose the question; Is the
opinion of Jen Stick, one disgruntled individual,
enough of a basis to draw the conclusion that fra
ternity life is disillusioning? As far as I can tell, Stick
is the only individual cited as giving negative re
marks for the Greek system as a whole. It is unfor
tunate that Stick did not find his experience in a
fraternity to be gratifying, but there is probably
another side to the story.
That other side could very well be addressed on
the topic of study hours and academics in fraterni
ties. Stick's statement about academics and study
"hours are heavily outweighed by the fact that the
all-fraternity grade point average ranked above the
all-university and all-male averages this past semes
ter. There also is the issue of hazing that was address
ed in the article. I will agree that hazing has not
stopped and it is distressing. If the incidents cited in
the' article did occur as stated, there is a definite
problem. It should be noted, however, that hazing as
it exists in today's UNL fraternity system is the
result of the actions of afc.v ignorant individuals
spread throughout various chapters. lining h not
condoned and h continually being monitored. It is
sad that the actions of a few can damage the entire
group, but the Greeks are just ar vulnerable as any
other group.
Many of the quotes that were used in the article
seem to be taken out of context. If a truly honest
picture was to have been presented then the infor
mation should have been given in the text that it
was taken. Several quotes reflect the pride of indi
viduals in the Greek system, almost in a boastful
manner. However, why is pride in the Greek system
most often interpreted as conceit vvhila pride in
any other organization is seen as pride in its truest
sense?
We, the members of the Greek system, are a group
of individuals who have chosen to live one way and
there is no reason for any of us to be pitted against
each other. Every living situation has its advantages
. and disadvantages and-I agdn thank Koppelman
for trying to present ours.,
" James .Willett
. president
Ir.tcrfratcrnlty Council