Daily
PT F rl i tnri a 1 Nebraskan I
4 M-J VI. X X XX X X d X Monday, November 21,1988
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( Daily t
Nebraskan
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Curt Wagner, Editor, 472-1766
Mike Rcillcy, Editorial Page Editor
Diana Johnson, Managing Editor
Lee Rood, Associate News Editor
Bob Nelson, Wire Page Editor
Andy Pollock, Columnist
Micki Mailer, Entertainment Editor
Don’t sign petition
N OW we’ve heard it all.
The Daily Nebraskan urges University of Nebraska
Lincoln students not to sign apetirion circ ulating that
could recall Jeff Petersen, president of the Association of
Students erf the University of Nebraska, and ASUN Senate
Speaker Matt Gotschall.
lister Barufkin, a fresdunan psychology major, and five
“friends” have organized the recall effort. They need 6,027
signatures from full-rime UNL students to recall Petersen
and 343 signatures from full-time undergraduate students in
the College erf Agriculture to recall Gotschall, who repre
sents that college.
The DN encourages students to be active in the legislative
process, and that includes recall efforts. But in this case,
Barufkin offers no solid reasons for the recall, particularly
the one for Petersen.
ffe said the group wants to expel Petersen and Gotschall
for not following the principles of democratic government.
Barufkin said they “are not representing their constituents’
interests.”
Barufkin needs to take into consideration that Petersen
developed the senator-constituent meetings. The plan failed
; miserably because the constituents rarely showed up at
meetings. That’s not Petersen’s fault, it’s the fault of the
constituents’.
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reiciscn aisu nas piuposcu suuciuiai cnuiigcs wiutui
ASUN that would reduce the influence of staff members. He
said the changes will increase the role of students in ASUN
and reduce student fees.
Like all ASUN presidents, Petersen has been under fire
concerning his relationship with his constituency.
On two occasions, he has had some problems communi
cating with students on campus. He remedied the problem
the first time. The second time he couldn’t.
Petersen’s first communication problem came early in the
semester, when ASUN was writing the minority recruitment
bill for UNL. He wrote the first draft of the bill without
requesting input from minority leaders on campus.
The result -a piece of legislation that was as flimsy as wet
cardboard. Big mistake, Jeff.
But Petersen showed a lot of character by consulting
'1 several minority leaders and rewriting a solid bill.
The second communication problem couldn ’ t be repaired.
Petersen supported an apology letter to Gov. Kay Orr and
t UNL Chancellor Martin Massengale after the student body
booed them at the halftime of the Nebraska-Oklahoma State
Homecoming football game. The letter apologized on behalf
of the entire student body.
Several students, as well as a few senators, criticized the
apology letter because Petersen and others who supported it
failed to consult students first. They should have.
By the time students complained, the damage had already
been done. It was impossible for Petersen to retract the letter
once u was sent.
Barufkin attacked Gotschall and Petersen for supporting
the letter, saying they were “kissing up” to local politicians.
Granted, ASUN’supper-crust has been singing the tuneof
local politicians and UNL administrators for years. Petersen
is no worse, or better, than any of his predecessors. But it's
by no means a reason for recalling him.
Yes, Petersen has made his share of mistakes during his
term. But he is a politician who has cast himself in the public
limelight, and he is open to constant criticism.
Right after Petersen was elected last spring, some ASUN
senators accused him of imposing a gag rule by not allowing
them to speak to the press. He denied the allegations, adding
that he only wanted the senators to be “team players” and not
discuss legislation with the media until after it was passed.
Petersen’s track record isn’t that bad, considering he is
working with one of the most apathetic ASUN senates in
years.
Petersen and second vice president Kim Beavers have
criticized the senate’s apathy during their executive reports
at weekly senate meetings.
Barufkin and his band of merry petitioners should follow
through on their original plan of dissolving the entire ASUN
senate. That’s where the problem lies — not with the
I executives.
— Mike Reilley
for The Daily Nebraskan
Bird droppings make a statement
Life requires that you own a car, but you don’t have to like it
lough I ve never mel Freder
ic J. Schwab, I must assume
at he’s big heat in his line of
work.
His stationery says he is senior
executive vice president of Porsche
Cars North America, Inc.
I know this because he has sent me
a personal invitation to drive one of
his Porsche cars. And maybe buy one.
In a burst of enthusiasm, he wrote:
“Imagine yourself behind the
wheel ofonc of the most powerful and
exciting automotive machines in the
world — a new Porsche 928 S4.”
I did as he suggested. I closed my
eyes and imagined myself behind the
wheel of a Porsche 928 S4.
The imaginary vision didn’t do
much for me. I could hear my wife
saying, as she always docs: “L)o you
mind not smoking in the car?”
Then 1 saw myself pulling onto the
madnessol the Kennedy Expressway,
being wedged between a giant truck
and a ’69 Pontiac belching black
fumes, and everybody slowing to five
milesan hour to gape at a family of 12,
who share 20 teeth, standing on the
shoulder of the road pondering a flat
lire on their pickup luck.
As fantasies go, it wasn’t much
fun, so I opened my eyes and went on
with Vice President Schwab’s letter.
“We’ve got one with your name on
it, and I want to personally invite you
to your local Porsche dealer for a
complimentary test drive.
“Come and experience the incom
parable handling, the smooth power,
the pure excitement of driving this
exceptional automobile. Sit behind
the wheel and surround yourself with
the sleek styling that made Porsche
famous.
“However, one word of caution:
After you drive a new Porsche 928 S4,
you may be compelled to own one.’’
No, Mr. Schwab, y ou’re mistaken.
I will not be compelled to own one.
After receiving your invitation, t
called a Porsche dealer and asked how
much your 928 S4 doo-dad costs. He
said between $75,000 and S80,000
depending what accessories I wanted
in it.
I told him that for $75,000 to
$80,000, the least I would expect to
find in it would be a couple of gor
geous blonde Kraut dollies. The staff
said those were not the kinds of acces
sories they dealt with. Well, if they
did, Mr. Schwab wouldn’t have to
resort to sending letters to the likes of
me.
In any case, he couldn’t have
picked a less likely prospect.
i-1
Not lhal I’m cheap, but I consider
$7$ .OCX) lo S8(),(XX)a bit sleep for a car
— even one with “incomparable
handling" and “smooth power."
How much incomparable han
dling and smooth power does one
need to gel around Chicago? T^hc
secrets of survival are to gel out of the
way of interstate trucks, remember
that Friday is drunk-driving night on
the expressways and never give the
finger to someone with a tattoo on his
arm who is driving a clunker that
looks uninsurahlc.
And w hile I don 't want to criticise
Mr. Schwab's product, frankly I don’t
see where they gel off charging
$80,(XX) for something that small.
If I was going to throw that kind of
money around, I would want some
thing long and flashy an old-time,
fat, bloated, Detroit gas gu//ler.
Then, with a big cigar clenched be
tween myiceuianu a pinny i mg on my
finger, I could pass for an alderman or
a Mafia elder and gel some respect.
Bui in a Porsche, people would
justifiably assume that I was a Yuppie
who trades pork bellies or soybean
futures, since those arc the sort of
people who buy Porsches. Who needs
that kind of humiliation?
As students of the auto industry tell
us, once you pass a certain prudent, ,
sensible limit in car buying, you are
no longer just buying transportation.
You arc making a statement.
My cars have always made a state
ment. They arc covered with bird
droppings, soot, grime, salt. The in
side is littered w ith ashes, grimy cof
fee cups, old newspapers, crumpled
candy wrappers and letters I forgot to
drop at the corner mailbox.
The statements my cars make is:
“Modern life requires that I own one
of those things, but I didn’t have to
like it.”
But if I bought one of Mr.
Schwab’s trinkets, 1 would be making
an entirely different statement.
I would be telling the world:
“Look, everybody, I have paid
S80,0(X) for a small car that is capable
of going 150 miles an hour, although
the speed limit is 55 where I do most
of my driving. And if I leave it unat
tended on a city street for more than
two minutes, the cur thieves will have
a lag team match over who gets to
steal it. Therefore, the statement I am
making with this car is: 'I am a real
jerk.’”
Finally, Mr. Schwab, I have to tell
you that I cannot buy your car because
it is not made in this country. I don’t
buy cars made in Germany or Japan.
I’m not spiteful, and I believe in
letting bygones be bygones. But I
have a personal policy of w aiting 100
years between wars before doing
business.
0 19XK liy I hr Chiutgn I rihunv
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Signed stall editorials represent the
official policy of the fall 1988 Daily Ne
braskan. Policy is set by the Daily Ne
braskan Editorial Board. Its members are
Curt Wagner, editor; Mike Reilley, edito
rial page editor; Diana Johnson, manag
ing editor; Lee Rood, associate news
editor, Andy Pollock, columnist; Bob
Nelson, wire page editor; and Micki
Haller, entertainment editor.
Editorials do not necessarily reflect
the views of the university, its employs,
the students or the NU Board of
Regents.
Editorial columns represent the opin
ion of the author.
inc uauy rsenrasiun s puoiisners arcfm
the regents, who established the UNL«
Publications Board to supervise the daily I
production of the paper. ^
According to policy set by the. regents. E
responsibility for the editorial content of E
the newspaper lies solely in the. hands of E
its student editors. I
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interested others.
Le tters will be selected for publication
on the basis of clarity, originality, timeli
ness and space available. The Daily Ne
braskan retains the right lo edit all mate
rial submitted..
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terial should run as a letter or guest opin
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