Editorial
*| Curt W'agner, Editor, 472-J766
^UailV ^ Amy Edwards, Editorial Page Editor
Ink. 1 >>lab ,-ol i , ^ _ Jane Hitt, Managing Editor
I \ r* 11^ mT T| Lee Rood, Associate News Editor
X ^ ^ J5 ft. Diana johnsoni Wire Page Editor
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chuck Green, Copy Desk Chief
Lisa Donovan, Columnist
Prop. 42 supported
Academic standards must apply to athletes
Earlier this month, the NCAA voted to tighten en
trance requirements for student-athjetes into univer
sities, stirring debate among coaches, administrators
and black educators across the nation.
Proposal 42, passed by the NCAA in a narrow 163-154
vote, prohibits students who are academically ineligible
from receiving scholarship aid. The new proposal stiffens
rules under Proposition 48, which sets academic guide
lines for incoming freshmen student-athletes.
When 42 becomes effective in 1990, student-athletes
who do not achieve scores of 700 on the Scholastic
Aptitude Test or 15 on the American College Test and a
2.0 grade point average in 11 high school core courses
will be denied athletic scholarships.
Proposition 48 asks for the same academic standards,
but partial qualifiers can still receive athletic scholarships.
Partial qualifiers must sit out their freshmen season, and
are eligible for only three years of play.
The problem with 42, opponents say, is that it is unfair
for minority and underprivileged youth because the ACT
and SAT are conceded to be biased against those students.
Statistics done by the College Board, an independent
group that writes tests, show that whites have consistently
outperformed minority students on the test. But the
statistics also show that the new standard for student
athletes is within reach of the average black student. In
1988, black students scored 37 points above the Proposal
42 limit of 700 on the SAT.
I Proposal 42 is not racially-based, it's based on the way
student-athletes and student non-athletes are treated by
universities.
It’s based on coaches’ current abilities - under 42 ina
bilities — to exploit these youngsters in the name of
victory.
Student-athletes should not be allowed to waste four
years of their lives playing for the glory of their univer
sity, with little or no hope of earning a degree or skill
they can use in the workforce.
, As sad as it sounds, this currently happens.
Universities are doing a disservice to the athlete and the
public when a student-athlete leaves the institution only to
play professional sports. According to USA Today, only
2 percent of all college athletes do become professionals,
and 60 percent of those end their careers within three
years.
I A university s mission is to educate those attending it,
and to award those who work at gaining that education.
Under 42, those deserving student-athletes will be
awarded scholarships.
Why should a university award scholarships to an in
dividual who has not worked in high school to reach the
university level? Why should that athlete’s friend, who
wants to continue learning and excels at a non-athletic
skill, not have the same chance?
Talentrbased scholarships do exist, but they are not as
readily available as athletic scholarships. ^
The student athlete, like any other student, would be
entitled to grants and loans on a need basis during the
freshman year. The student-athlete, like any ocher stu
dent, could get a job as a freshman, or attend a commu
nity college until grades had improved.
Then, as a sophomore, the student-athlete could
receive a scholarship, play and continue to work on
grades.
[All 42 proposes to do is start the student-athlete’s
good study habits in high school, and eventually provide
the student-athlete with an education that, in the long
run, will result in a job lasting longer than athletic
abilities do.
And for that, many individuals will benefit from
Proposal 42.
•* Curt Wagner
for ike Daily Nebraskan
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Student chatter amuses columnist
Conversationist make daily pilgrimage to Love Library
Love Library is a great place to
gel studying done if you can
find a nice, quiet little comer to
do your homework.
Unfortunately for me, I didn’t
look too hard for that “quiet little
comer” last Saturday, when I studied
for 6 1/2 hours for an exam I have
today.
But while looking over my notes
in that southern most lounge on the
2nd floor of Love, those 6 1/2 hours
seemed to fly by.
Why? Because students at the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln are
so entertaining. Anyone who has ever
tried to study there knows exactly
what I mean.
That particular area of Love is far
from quiet. It’s more like a confer
ence room, a Mecca for students who
don’t want to talk outside, where it’s
cold and rainy.
People walking through the corri
dor on their way to the stacks or the
periodicals section are usually en
gaged in some last-minute, full-vol
ume conversation before they gel
down to some serious whispering or,
maybe, some studying.
Luckily, I had only two weeks of
notes to study, so I allowed the full
amusement of some of the comments
I heard to sink in.
I decided to write down a few of
the choice monologues as the day
progressed. They were just too good
to keep to myself, so 1 thought I’d
share some of the better ones with
Daily Nebraskan readers.
Several things that I heard were
just loo offensive to put in this col
umn. But I did included a few that
might offend some people. Just lake it
with a grain of salt. I did.
These are just a few things 1 heard
spill forth from the mouths of several
students. Honest...
“My English professor embar
rassed me in front of the whole class
Friday. He asked me where I was
Wednesday and made me answer in
front of everybody. I don’t see where
it’s any of his business if I sleep
through his class.’’
“My girlfriend says I’m insensi
tive and uncaring, but I think the bitch
is wrong.’’
“God, can you smell that? Whoo,
that was a bad one. Glad we weren’t
in the car. Hch heh heh!’’
“I hate this weather, but I guess I
won’t be mowing the lawn tomor
row.”
“I’m gelling preuy sick of my
boyfriend, but I guess I’ll keep him
until after Valentine’s Day.”
"I’m not too worried about it.
When all else fails, there’s always
plagiarism.”
“I haven’t been in this place fora
long time. My grades show it, too.”
“Why is it that every time I come
in here, people arc always talking? I
thought this was a library.”
‘‘All night long. That parly went
on all night long. I should have gone
toil.”
“I got a personal last week. It was
great, except my name was spelled
wrong.”
“Something in this library really
smells...”
‘ Geeez! What died in here?”
“That movie really sucked last
night. I’m glad I didn ’t have to pay for
it.
“That guy won’t leave me alone.
He’s such an (expletive).”
“I forgot what it was like to puke
my eyeballs out.”
“I’m starvin.’ Hey, let’s go do a
little donut action!”
“The basketball game . . . what
was the final score? ... Damn it!”
“Norm Stewart’s a bigger clown
than Danny Nee.”
“My sunglasses! Where the hell
did I leave my damn sunglasses?!”
“This girl I know’s havin’ a party.
That should be good for a few
laughs.”
“My job sucks. I’m gonna tell my
boss that I can’t work as many hours.
I’m not his slave.”
“It would suck to die.”
“I can’t wait for Spring Break.
I’m gonna get laid so-o-o much.”
“That party had too many cretins
at it.”
Nodoubl! (I his was hearil lour
limes Saturday -- three of which
came from the same guy in a span of
15 seconds).
“Is it supposed to snow tonight?
Glad I don’t have to shovel it. I shovel
enough (expletive) at that house of
mine.”
There were several slurs directed
at UNL professors, other students and
various other people making news
these days, and there were a few ac
tual names mentioned as well. If stu
dents knew how funny they arc some
times, they’d never get out of bed
(myself included).
Who says higher education is tix)
serious?
Greco Is a senior news-editorial and
criminal justice m^ior, the Daily Nebras
kan’s copy de* chief, and a sports and edito
rial columnist.
Campus Notes
I
by Brian Shellito
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