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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 13, 1989)
Editorial Curt Wagner, Editor. 472-1766 Amy Edwards, Editorial Page Editor Tk T "I 1 , _ __ Jane Uirt, Managing Editor I^Xl O || rpi w K ^1 Tl Lee R°0<L Associate Sews Editor X ^ A. M CrXXU J l Diana Johnson, Wire Page Editor University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chuck Green, Copy Desk Chief Lisa Donovan, Columnist Look before leaping Study into Kearney decision suggested The NU Board of Regents recommended Saturday that the Nebraska Legislature hold further debate on two bills to add Kearney State College to the univer Isity. The regents think that legislators should authorize a 10 month study of restructuring higher education, and wait for the results before they make any decisions. The Daily Nebraskan thinks so, too. LB 160, introduced by Sen. Jerome Warner of Waverly, would make Kearney pan of the NU system. LB760, introduced by Sen. Sandra Scofield ot Chadron, would I make ail tour state colleges regional universities. Regent Donald Blank of McCook said he thinks that Kearney State will eventually become part of the univer sity, but that before it does, people should know what the long-range effects of the merger might be. Blank’s prediction about Kearney becoming part of the university seems to be a consensus. But Regents Kermit Hansen of Elkhorn and John Payne of Kearney opposed the resolution. Hansen said he tjiinks the resolution is telling people that the regents oppose LB 160 and LB760. ' politically, i minx mat s unwise, nanscii saiu. Whether it’s politically unwise or not, a 10-month study is still a good idea. Before everyone jumps willy nilly into adding Kearney to the university system, they should stop and think about what effects it will have. The regents want several issues studied, including: • Which changes, if any, would be best for the state of Nebraska. • The financial impact of such changes. • The role of the orher three state colleges. That’s not too much to ask when the decisions involved could change Nebraska’s entire university system. •• Am}1 Edwards for the Daily Nebraskan [ | "ZZ- pVKipiil^HNV If ! o^flw ~VoP. 'F THfV HAD LET \ | ME HAVE ANOTHER TERM ' A I D HAVE TAKEN ON Lf~ * \ . THAT OL’ &UP6ET U DEFICIT ALi-RvS^T ... \j V Ves-S'R-ee bit sncet j fi i Student says signs served their purpose The signs are down but racism and prejudices still exist. On Feb. 8, various individuals posted signs around campus with the goal of stimulating awareness of the but were the result of thoughtful plan ning and input from organizations such as Early Warning!, the Afrikan People’s Union and members of the Association of Students of the Uni versity of Nebraska. Legislation is not socialization. The fight for equal rights is not over as long as the biases and prejudices remain. The U.S. Pledge of Alle giance ends “. . . with liberty and justice for all.” Is this truly the American experience? Liberty and justice for all? Are groups such as Early Warn ing! righteous because they bel ieve in fighting for equality instead of living in ignorance? Is the dream for equal rights offensive? Professor Charles Lawrence said. ‘‘Racism in America is much more complex than cither the conscious conspiracy of a power elite or the simple delusion of a few ignorant bigots. It is a part of our common historical experience and. therefore, a part of our culture. It arises from the assumptions we have learned to make about the world, ourselves and oth ers, as well as from patterns of our fundamental social activities.” And this is precisely what groups such as Early Warning! are strug gling against -- the prejudices in grained in our culture and social upbringing. If the signs posted Feb. 8 caused any emotion or stimulated any thought, then their purpose has been served. The prejudices that abide in our society are rising to be confronted so that the socialization of racism might end. Sarah Cada sophomore English, biology nnipina -^K^Mreader i Objection to funds This letter is in response to what seems to be an effort by the Daily Nebraskan staff, the University Pro gram Council and the Committee for Fees Allocation to convince the stu dents that the most important issue on this campus is the issue of gay men and lesbians. The DN has hardly missed a week without having a front page article encouraging the gay/lesbian cause. Despite overwhelming student disapproval of student fees being used to sponsor gay/lesbian pro grams, UPC and CFA have either directly or indirectly given the Com mittee Offering Lesbian And Gay Events or the Gay/Lesbian Student Association money to do whatever they want. CFA and UPC now want to grant COLAGE $1,691.25, which comes from student fees, regardless of how much opposition there is. As a stu dent, I feel this is misrepresentation of the students and an irresponsible use of funds. 1 urge all students to take a little time and energy and go to the Student Activities Financial Services Office, 222 Nebraska Union, and request your Fund A refunds. Tell them why you want your refund. We should also request that UPC and CFA honor this request of the stu dents by not indirectly giving CO LAGE the money they want through other committees. Jim Wicbelhaus senior mechanical engineering Editor’s Note: CFA presented its Fund A fee recommendation Feb. 5, after granting COLAGE $746 for 1989-90 programming. ASUN will review the recommen dation Feb. 15. Alumnus lauds fees In response to “Readers oppose funding of COL AGE” (DN, Feb. 8), I am in total disagreement. The re quest by the Committee Offering Lesbian And Gay Events for student fees is not a misuse, but a legitimate request for a legitimate programming committee. It is a valuable use of funds for cultural, historical and edu cational programming about the gay/ lesbian community, which is the larg est minority group on campus (10 percent of the student body). Mark Vosika and Christine Lilius, have you ever heard of Harvey Milk, Willa Cather, Leonardo Da Vinci, Liberace, Rock Hudson, The Com munards, Lynn Lavner, Phrance or Romanovsky and Phillips? These figures represent the gay/lesbian cul ture as much as Martin Luther King Jr., Jesse Jackson, Margaret Sanger and Susan B. Anthony are representa tives of other minority cultures. Many services are paid for by stu dent fees, but few students choose to use them. Does everyone care about the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska? Does every one read the Daily Nebraskan? Do all students attend all University Pro gram Council events, use Student Legal Services or the Student Infor mation Center, or even step inside the Nebraska unions? As the originator of the proposal to create the Gay/Lesbian Program ming Committee, now called CO LAGE, I am irked that the “unrepre sentative” student government put the COLAGE funding issue on the ballot again! Voting in student elec tions is not a representative sample of ihc student population. ASUN is not an accurate representative sample of the student population. ASUN is not an accurate representation of the University of Ncbraska-Lincoln’s diversity. As a student, I view them as part of a bigoted system of repression of minorities. Twenty years ago, black programming committees would have been pul on the ballot. The COLAGE ballot question is the same. First, I propose that all of the stu dent funded services be pul to the vote. Why discriminated Second, 1 propose that if COLAGE is denied funds that a discrimination suit be filed on the basis of repression of the U.S. Constitutional rights of freedom of speech and expression. Finally, I am declaring a personal war on homophobia at UNL. Rodney A. Bell II UNL alumnus Lincoln Parent favors fees An open letter to the Association of Students of the University of Ne braska, Chancellor Martin Massen gale, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs James Griesen, Yes, I do want part of my student fees to be used to pay for events sponsored by the Committee Offer ing Lesbian And Gay Events. And l<\ the record show that the Daily iNc braskan headline, “Readers oppose funding of COLAGE’ ’ (DN, Feb. 8), does NOT include all readers as it tends to imply. Why couldn't the let ter from Mark Vosika and Christine Lilius have been headed “Some oppose—” 1 am the parent of a gay man who attended the University of Nebraska Lincoln a number of years ago, two straight sons who arc currently stu dents, and I am a graduate student here. Not only are 10 percent, or perhaps more, of the student body gay men or lesbians but they have parents, brothers, sisters and friends who care about them. Any of you reading this may have, as parents now or in the future, a child who will discover that heterosexual ity docs not define him/her. Will you reject your gay child? Or will you celebrate his or her positive diversity in whatever form? I have nothing but admiration for the students who are gay and who choose to remain an ‘invisible mi nority” when homophobia is as ram pant as it is on the University of Ncbraska-Lincoln campus. A place of higher learning should be where unbiased learning is the norm instead of a clinging to prejudices and myths. If we were discussing racial, ethnic, or religious issues there would be, rightfully so, precious little tolerance for the bigotry that is expressed against gay and lesbian people. We are all apartof humankind, and if one of us is denied the right to live freely, and without harm toothers, then all of us are in danger. As the parent of a gay man, I speak on behalf of many other such parents who cannot speak out for their own sons and daughters because to do so would endanger them (the children), either to actual physical attack, or the kinds of verbal attacks and harass ment 1 have seen here all loo often. The money being spent by and for COLAGE serves a much greater number of students, who also pay fees, than is visible. The program ming is attended in spirit by many (10 percent ol the student population plus family members and friends), and therefore serves them as well. Until discrimination is eliminated it will take the courage of the few' gay people who are willing to brave the pain of bigotry to forge the path for others and keep the torch of freedom lit. COLAGE and the Gay/Lcsbian Programming Committee that pre ceded it are important far beyond the visible numbers who attend their events! Jean Durgin-Chnchard, president Parents & Friends of Lesbians and Gays Comhusker. Inc. Users should pay Inspiration struck when first I read about yet another year of tuition sur charges for engineering students and another increase in student fees for the Campus Recreation Center ex pansion (DN, Feb. 3). I have a solution for engineering dean Stan Liberty using the same logic that campus rec director Stan Campbell uses. As I interpret his message, Campbell believes that by paying for the rec center we arc all improving our health whether we use the facility or not. In a similar vein, why not have everyone pay a sur charge for lab equipment so that everyone can benefit from it? Makes sense, doesn’t it? I don’t have any problem with people using the rec center but I do believe that those who use it should be the ones who pay. Why not sell memberships or charge a fee at the door like the “real world’ ’ people are so fond of speaking about? But if that happened, I guess the funding wouldn’t be there when it was lime to expani1- Mark Stark senior civil engineering