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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 22, 1987)
Editorial NetJraskan University of Nebraska-LIncoln Mike Reilley, Editor, 472-1766 Jeanne Bourne, Editorial Page Editor Jann Nyffeler, Associate News Editor Scott Harrah, Night News Editor Joan Rezac, Copy Desk Chief Linda Hartmann, Wire Editor Charles Lieurance, Asst. A & E Editor Watching schools Achievement check promotes learning A proposal by Education Sec retary William J. Bennett that would require colleges and universities to begin docu menting student achievement would serve as a long-overdue “check and balance” on the higher-education system. The requirement also would as many as 9,000 institutions, including trade schools and com munity colleges. Institutions would risk losing accreditation unless they prove that students are achieving specific goals. This would force universities to keep track of students’ pro gress. People would no longer "slip through the cracks” of the system like former Creighton Uni versity basketball star Kevin Ross. Ross couldn’t read when he graduated from Creighton. In a Sunday Washington Post article, C. Ronald Kimberling, assistant secretary for postse condary education, said, “With out measurements to assess whether students are learning, quality in education is meaning less . . . Diplomas shouldn’t be handed out.” The new rule raises questions of how to measure students pro gress. It is probably impossible to give standardized achievement tests that do not discriminate against certain groups. Grade point averages don’L reveal intelligence by any means or, for that matter, real learning. In many cases they simply mea sure memorization and regurgi tation skills. There was a stu dent who took all his classes one semester pass/no pass except a dancing class. He had a 4.0 that semester. The requirement also would help the undeclared-mqjor stu dent to get advising instead of being lost in the system. The new rules also would in clude student consumer protec tions. Accredit ing agencies would have to ensure that schools were honest about costs, refund poli cies and graduation require ments. These rules would be a great benefit to students who are some times misled by advisers. Some students are forced to spend an extra semester because they are a few credits short because of faulty advising. Reagan needs stand on AIDS legislation Ehe Reagan administration once again has found itself crossed up on a hot topic. This time it’s AIDS. Although members of the Reagan administration acknow ledge that people with AIDS have been discriminated against in employment, housing and school admissions, they still urge lawmakers to “deter action on specific proposals for substan tive rights or new enforcement procedures” aimed at protecting people infected with the virus. This doesn’t make sense. They say they know that people are being discriminated against, yet they want to prohibit laws that could help stop discrimination. In testimony prepared for a congressional subcommittee hearing, Dr. Otis R. Bowen, sec retary of health and human ser vices, outlined the administra tion’s stand. They also say there is no need to guarantee that AIDS test re sults remain confidential. The administration says it realizes that people may not seek tests and not get counseling or medi cal tests. That will just perpetu ate infection. Bowen says the decision should be made by states with regard to their particular needs. He says most states already have sta tutes protecting confidentiality of public health information. If the government doesn’t take a stand, there won’t be any more money for research and laws pro tecting victims of the disease. As a result, AIDS will never be con trolled. By prohibiting these laws, the Reagan administration shows its true mentality. It has lost sight of basic civil rights. Editorial Policy Unsigned editorials represent official policy of the fall 1987 Daily Nebraskan. Policy is set by the Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. Its mem bers are Mike Reilley, editor; Jeanne Bourne, editorial page editor, Joan Rezac, copy desk chief; Jann Nyffeler, associate news editor; Charles Lieur ance, assistant arts and entertain ment editor, Scott Harrah, night news editor and Linda Hartmann, wire editor. Editorials do not necessarily re » II. ■ — fleet the views of the university, its employees, the students or the NU Board of Regents. The Daily Nebraskan’s publishers are the regents, who established the UNL Publications Board to super vise the daily production of the paper. According to policy set by the regents, responsibility for the edi torial content of the newspaper lies solely in the hands of its student editors. .. .1 ... ... . ■ — Stop corporate raiders States must retain traditional role in governing corporations Nearly a year ago, a group of cor porate raiders led by British financier Sir James Goldsmith began its hostile takeover attack on Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. While the assault lasted only a short time, the experience left a permanent impact on I the Lincoln community where more than 2,000 jobs were threatened. In the course of stopping last Guest Opinion November’s takeover attempt, Goodyear incurred $2.6 billion in debt. This forced Goodyear — to cut costs and put the company back on its feet — to offer early retirement programs to some of its Lincoln employees and extend its five-year modernization plan at the Lincoln plant to six years. Clearly, Goodyear and its employees paid a high price to fight off the hostile takeover. But what were the costs, if any, to Sir James Goldsmith? He made a handsome profit from the deal — nearly $87.5 million in gross profits from the shares he sold back to Good year, and another $22 million for the expenses he incurred during the bid. The sobering lesson learned from the ordeal is simply that corporate raiders can strike whenever and wher ever they choose, and no community is completely safe from the threat of hos tile takeover. Nebraskans witnessed another cor porate-takeover horror story in 1985-86 when a corporate raider threatened to take over Internorth Corp. headquar tered in Omaha. To defend itself, Inter north looked to strengthen its position by acquiring Houston Natural Gas. Surprisingly, the smaller company, HNG, quickly took control of the corpo rate board and moved the corporation headquarters to Houston, costing Ne braska and Omaha thousands of jobs, economic activity and a damaged self image. Something needs to be done to pre vent these raiders from plundering American corporations for quick prof its. These "Wall Street Pirates" aren’t far different from the pirates of the Caribbean whose looting and pillaging disrupted commerce on the high seas. "Wall Street Pirates" who use abusive tactics and financial manipulation to reap short-term profits should be held accountable by reforms at both the state and federal levels. We must make the takeover process fairer to the shareholders, communities and workers involved. Because states traditionally have chartered and regulated corporations within their jurisdictions, it is impor tant that states continue to play a lead ing role in governing their corporations in this area States obviously have a natural interest in hostile takeovers — and since they are closest to the situa tion, they know best what needs to be done. State legislators also are more responsive to local problems than fed eral bureaucrats and are able to act quickly and flexibly to new abuses. In the case of Goodyear, Ohio’s respon siveness to the hostile takeover was one of the reasons Goldsmith eventu ally backed away from his bid. Congress soon will consider legisla tion which would take a counter pnv ductive approach to the hostile take over problems by pre-empting the states’ governing authority in this area. A move to shift this responsibility to Washington would strengthen the posi tion of Wall Street raiders while weak ening the ties that bind corporations to their communities. In essence, our congressional delegation will have to choose between local control or federal control, between Main Street or Wall Street, between Nebraska businesses or corporate raiders. I strongly believe we must maintain states' traditional role in governing their corporations and not allow the federal bureaucracy to take over this important responsibil ity. Washington must not act to pre empt the states’ role in this area — or we will soon see a bad situation become even worse. Don Wesely state senator Royko’s self-analysis reveals a loathable, loony columnist Note: Mike Royko is on vaca tion. While he is gone, we are reprinting some of his favorite columns. The following first appeared Oct. 10, 1975. I’ve always been hooked on the self analysis tests that frequently appear in the feat ures pages of newspapers and magazines. The questions have multiple choice answers, and each answer has a differ ent value in points. You add up the points and determine the kind of shape you are in. For instance, the question in a test on drinking might go: Q. Do you usually drink: (a) Only at parties? (1 point) (b) Only a nip after work? (2 points) (c) A pint before breakfast? (3 points) Or, if it is about your mental state, a question might go: Q. Do you spend a lot of time: (a) Worrying about bills? (1 point) (b) Thinking you are getting old too fast? (2 points) (c) Sitting in a dark closet by your Mike Royko self, whimpering and wringing your hands? (3 points) The various tests tell you if you are likely to have a heart attack, if you have a drab personality, if you are on the verge of a marital breakup, and just about anything else that might be of interest. The idea is that a bad score should warn you to change some of your habits. I’ve taken them all. And, on the basis of the results, I have discovered I died sometime in 1968, that I’m confined to a padded cell, that everybody I know hates me, or should, and that I’m very happy. But 1 haven’t changed any of my hab its. Why push my luck? Not long ago, a new test appeared in a column by Ann Landers. It consisted of questions about boozing and drugs and sex, and getting drunk and arrested, and getting young girls in trouble and all sorts of fascinating stuff The trouble was it was designed for teen-agers, to determine whether they were goody goodies (0 to 21 points), normal (22 to 35 points) or depraved and dissipated (36 points and up). See ROYKO on 5
