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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 18, 1988)
T Editorial 18,1M8 Nebraskan University of Nebraska-Lincoin Mike Rcilley, Editor, 472-1766 Diana Johnson, Editorial Page Editor Jen Desclms, Managing Editor Curt Wagner, Associate News Editor Chris Anderson, Associate News Editor Joan Rezac, Copy Desk Chief Joel Carlson, Columnist Quibbles & bits Prof promotes alcohol in classroom • A University of Washington professor wants to bring alcohol into his classroom, but only for educational purposes. Psychol ogy professor Alan Marlatt has proposed a three-credit course designed to reduce alcohol de pendence by teaching students about the effects of alcohol and how to drink in moderation, ac cording to National On-Campus Report. Marlatt said the course will give students the impetus to change their drinking behavior — not necessarily discourage them from drinking. Marlatt said four Washington students have died in alcohol-related accidents in the last 18 months. The proposed course is cur rently under consideration by the Washington administration. • A gay/lcsbian alliance at the University of Oklahoma is argu ing that sexual orientation is a private matter and shouldn’t appear on student records, ac cording to an On-Campus Report article. The group wants to keep students’, involvement in their organization private because, in the past, students have been dis criminated against when their participation in sexually oriented activities was listed on their rec ords. • Just when you thought George Bush was the only big winner on Super Tuesday last week, Bill “The Spaceman” Lee landed a flood of support in his presidential campaign. Lee, a former pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, emerged as the presi dential favorite for the Rhinoc eros Party — a party that prom ises never to keep its promises. According to an Associated Press story, about 1(X) people crowded into a Boston sports bar last week to support the party, a satirical political group founded in Canada in 1963 which is offi cially registered with the Federal Election Committee. “Rhinos arc an endangered species; humans are an endan gered species,” Lee said. “They just haven’t got around to realiz ing it yet.” Lee, 41, earned his nickname from his off-the-ficld antics such as claiming he sprinkled mari juana on his Wheatics. “The Spaceman” has spiced up what is basically a joke-free presidential race, Pat Robertson and Gary Hart notwithstanding. Petersen thanks GLC program supporters; faculty members, DN and students included The Government liaison Com mittee has completed its five week “Senators on Campus” program. Al though the program had some diffi culty getting off the ground, the final three weeks were well attended and extremely productive. I wanted to take this opportunity to thank die Daily Nebraskan and the Uudcnis and faculty mcmbcrsofUNL for then help with the program. Thauks to the extensive coverage provided by the DN in addition to GLC’sother publicity efforts, student participation rose dramatically re sulting in very successful program. GLC would like to thank the stu dents w ho took time out of their busy mid-day schedules to come and show support and concern for their univer sity. These student showed the senators a view which would not have other wise been known. I’m sure they had a very positive impact on the senators. I would also like to commend Faculty Senate President Jim Lewis and the faculty members of UNL. It was very impressive to see so many well informed and concerned faculty members at each luncheon. Lewis has continually gone out of his way to help GLC in its efforts this year. Alter having the opportunity to speak w ith most of the members of the Nebraska Legislature I’m sure they thought the visit to campus was well worth their time. In addition I know it proved to be very educational for the students. It is our hope that programs such as this will help build positive ties be tween the University and state gov ernment, thereby increasing support for education and UNL. Once again, thank you to everyone involved. Jeff Petersen Chairman AS UN Government Liaison Com mittee I gOOOOOOOOOOD1 \ MORNING NICARRGURy SPRING BREAK *88' I J \_* Foreign students often ignored Arrogance causes cultural understanding to fall by the wayside "Tain l what a man don't know that hurts him; it’s what he knows that just ain't so." — Frank McKinney Hubbard, “Kin Hubbard” Sometimes what’s most frus trating in the pursuit of a higher education is con stantly colliding with people who take up space on the road to enlight enment instead of getting out of the way. Here we arc, surrounded by infi nite opportunities to grow intellectu ally, and yet many people come here for no other reason than to take up space. At least that’s the impression I get after constant confrontations with people who refuse to use their limited time here to rid themselves of mis conceptions, hasty generalizations and unfounded prejudices. Look at the way many University of Ncbraska-Lincoln students con tinue to view international students and their native countries. There arc about 1,210 students on this campus from 90 different coun tries. And while no student, no matter how diligent, will understand every single one of those countries or its people, the opportunity is there to at least make an effort to respect another’s viewpoint of the world. Not only arc we surrounded by books, newspapers, professors and events that could help us to better understand the world, we have people here from all parts of the globe. And they’re ready and willing to tell us about their homeland. Yet many students not only con tinue to isolate themselves, but toss out gospel on their understanding of international students and countries they have never seen. “All the foreigners do is come here, take advantage of our country’s education and go back to use it against us,’’ many students say. “What the hell gives them the right to walk around and talk in another lan guage? If they come to my country, they can speak my language.” "Most of them want to find an American woman and marry her for a green card.” International students on this campus often arc neglected and mis understood. They’re a quiet minor ity, usually not by choice but because they are provided few opportunities for discussion except among them selves. -1---L Few American students make the effort to welcome them, offer friend ship and add to their experience in this country. Granted, we are all very busy and have priorities of our own. But mak ing an effort to get to know interna tional students can only enhance an American’s education and under standing. Many of my friends from other countries tell me that when Ameri cans come to their universities at home, people go out of their way to help them adapt and learn about the culture. Shouldn’t Americans do the same? I don’t expect Americans to walk up to every foreign student on cam pus and introduce themselves, but it would be nice for them lo interact when the opportunity arises. Just last week there was an inter national bazaar in the Nebraska Un ion. There are many similar events every year. The International Student Organization has an open door for any American wishing to become involved. Some of my American friends have said they wanted lo gel to know students from other countries, but said they feel intimidated because they don’t know much about other cultures. The only way to quit being intimidated is to make an attempt to understand. And then there arc some people who say they honestly don’t give a hoot about other countries or about foreigners. These people arc the ones who scare me. That kind of national istic arrogance is already getting this country in trouble. Americans cannot afford to ignore other countries. Everybody is always telling us today's students are the leaders of the future. But if the Americans at this university w alk around w ith the same type of “1-don't-need-to-know” arro gance that they do now, international relations will only worsen. We can't continue to make other countries adapt lo our culture just because we carry a big stick — the United States will not be on lop for ever. American students need to start listening to different ideas and start unifying instead of separating them selves from others. And if they aren’t interested in learning, they need to gel out of the way. Rood Is a Junior news-editorial major and a Daily Nebraskan senior reporter. me Daily Nebraskan welcomes brief letters to the editor from all readers and interested others. ^tters will be selected for publi cation on the basis of clarity, origi nality, timeliness and space avail able. The Daily Nebraskan retains the right to edit all material submit ted. Readers also are welcome to sub mit material as guest opinions. Whether material should run as a let ter or goest opinion, or not run, is left to the editor’s discretion. Letters and guest opinions sent to the newspaper become property of the Daily Nebraskan and cannot be returned. Anonymous submissions will not be considered for publication. Letter should include the author’s name, year in school, major and group af filiation, if any. Requests to withhold names will not be granted. Submit material to the Daily Ne braskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St, Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448. unsigned editorials represent 01 ficial policy of the spring 1988 Daily Nebraskan. Policy is set by the Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. Its mem bers are Mike Reilley, editor; Diana # • • * jonnson, editorial page editor; Joan Rezac, copy desk editor; Jen Dc selms, managing editor; Curt Wag ner, associate news editor; Christine Anderson, associate news editor and Joel Carlson, columnist The Daily Nebraskan’s publishers are the regents, who established the UNL Publications Board to supervise the daily production of the paper.
