Editorial
I Nebraskan
University of Nebraska-Lincoin
Curt Wagner, Editor, 472 1766
Amy Kdwards, Editorial Page Editor
Jane Hirt, Managing Editor
Lee Rood, Associate News Editor
Diana Johnson, Wire Page Editor
Chuck Green, Copy Desk Chief
Lisa Donovan, Columnist
Scholarships needed
Legislature should pass minority fund
The Daily Nebraskan urges state legislators to ad
vance from the education committee and pass a bill
that would establish a $1 million endowment for
undergraduate minority student scholarships at the Uni
versity of Nebraska.
The bill, LB453, is needed to increase the scholarship
base at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and other
colleges so recruiters can attract and retain minority
students.
The bill would appropriate $800,000 in state funds.
Private donations would cover the other $200,000.
The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha,
said he originally wrote the bill to include only black
students at UNL. But Chambers said Monday that he
would be willing to include black, Hispanic and American
Indian students at both UNL and the University of Ne
braska at Omaha.
This is a good move, considering the small numbers of
all min/vrin/ irmimv at invtiturifYne
« As James Griesen, UNL vice chancellor for student
affairs, said Monday, universities have been “moving in
the wrong direction” in terms of minority enrollment.
A need exists to reverse the trend of decreasing minor
ity enrollment in higher education. For example, Griesen
said black students made up 5.5 percent of the college
population nationwide in 1976-1977. This dropped to 4.9
percent in 1986-1987.
Enrollment of blacks at UNL in 1988-89 is 1.6 percent,
while the total enrollment of the targeted minority groups
is only 2.7 percent.
This is dismal, and the Nebraska Legislature needs to
address the problem. Legislators must follow the lead of
other concerned citizens, who have donated nearly
$90,000 to the cause. Former UNO football player Rick
Davis and his family, NU football coach Tom Osborne
and athletic director Bob Devaney all realize the problem
exists and are fighting for it to end.
Financial restrictions often rob minority students-of an
education. The Legislature can turn it around.
- Curl Wagn«r
for the Daily \ebraskan
Native American students say remains bill
a campus concern, should be considered
The attention given LB340 and
ASUN Senate Bill 65 have certainly
aroused controversy and revealed the
ignorance that is still prevalent in this
society.
As we were informed; the respon
sibility of the Association of Students
of the University of Nebraska is to
represent the student body - their
first and foremost concern. In which
case every student on campus should
be assured of proper representation.
Although this should be the case, it
seems that some ASUN senators are
not aware that Native American stu
dents also exist on this campus and
are a part of the student body. Does
ASUN only represent one group of
chiH/>ntc anrt ih#»ir rr»nr<»m«9 With
this realization LB340 would defi
nitely qualify as a student issue and
does have an effect on this university.
Most anthropologists and arche
ologists are employed by universities
because the profession itself is not
economically able to sustain them
otherwise. This being the case, we
must ask the question, “Who subsi
dizes their research, who pays their
salary? Who provides the forum by
which their research is acknowl
edged?” Primarily the university.
How is the university ably to do
these things? Partially through funds
from student tuition as well as taxes
paid as residents of this stale.
Therefore, this is even more evi
dence that LB340 is a student issue,
since all students must pay tuition
and some pay state taxes.
Furthermore, Indian people do nol
and never have considered anthro
pologists as being advocates for oui
rights or our issues. In fact the cxacl
opposite has more often been true
Anthropologists have done more tc
exploit our culture and beliefs foi
purposes of their own tenure than tc
help indigenous peoples.
This university by its very nature
is based on European philosophy and
thought, which ignores Native
American philosophy, so by indicat
ing a biased representation of the is
sue, they have totally ignored this
fact.
We agree that “ASUN’s eye
should be turned toward the better
ment of the University of Nebraska
1 UCICIUIC, wc suggest 11131
ASUN work for a university that in
cludes Native American knowledge
history and philosophy. This would
contribute to excellence at this uni
versity.
Incidentally, if ASUN has no
impact on the Nebraska Legislature,
as ASUN Sen. Jill Durbin suggested,
then: 1) Why have a Government
Liaison Committee? 2) Why has
Durbin taken a position on other
government issues?
Gail Spotted Tail
“Sicangu” Lakota
Renee Saunsoci
“Umonha” Tribe
Marcy Gilbert
“Minni Kwo O Jou” Lakota
People make excuses not to vote
Royko proposes combination of election day, national lottery
When the votes were counted
after Chicago’s primary for
mayor this week, about one
third of the registered voters were
elated. Another one-third were disap
pointed. And the final third didn’t
give a hoot.
Those who didn’t give a hoot are
the half a million or so who didn’t
vote.
That’s about the pattern you’ll
find in most city, state and national
elections. Atleastathirdof the voters
sit it out.
Now don’t worry, this is not going
to be a civics lecture on why people
should exercise their precious right to
vote.
I’ve never written such a column
and I never will. Actually, it has
always been a dream of mine that on
election day, everybody decides to
stay home — except me.
Tbnn I ■ 1 r\ kn I k a rvnln am/1
• • »» VUIM vv HIV VIIIJ » V/iVI UIIU
that would make me what politicians
call “a king-maker.”
If that happened, I’d have candi
dates flocking to me with offers of big
jobs and consulting contracts.
Candidates would tell me: ‘‘If you
gel me elected, you will always have
my car.”
Not that I’d want a candidates ear.
Even if the ear was sealed in plastic or
dropped in ajar of embalming fluid,
what would I do with such an object?
As a knicknack or paperweight, it
would be unsightly.
So I never urge people to get out
there and exercise their right to vole.
After all, not voting is also a citi
zen’s right, although I’ve never heard
anyone talk about the many brave
men who gave their lives for the right
not to vote.
Actually, I don’t believe many
soldiers have laid down their lives for
the right of others to vote. If you took
a survey of combat troops and asked
them about it, I’m sure I know what
their answer would be.
‘‘Hi, there, soldier. In about one
minute, you will catch a bullet. That
will be the end of you. But because of
your sacrifice, future generations will
have die right to vote. How do you
feel about it?”
Most would respond, ‘‘If it’s all
the same to you, pal, I prefer avoiding
that bullet. Can’t we skip the voting
and just pick our leaders’ names out
of a hat?”
But to get back to those who don’t
vote and why.
Some won’t vote because they arc
finicky and don’t like any of the can
didates. They are waiting for Mr.
Perfect to come along. Which means
they can live to be 125 and they’ll still
Others don’t bother because they
have become disillusioned. Many of
them arc poor and live from hand to
mouth, rent day to rent day. Some
voted in the past, believing that a
candidate would make their lives
fuller and richer. Instead they arc still
poor and miserable. So they figure
it’s a waste of precious shoe leather to
get conned again.
Still another group that sits out
elections in great numbers is the
young. Most studies show that those
between the ages of 18 and 25 arc
most likely to be indifferent to poli
tics. That’s because they aren’t mar
ried, don’t own homes, pay no prop
erty tax and don’t have children of
school age. So the candidates seldom
address issues that are vital to young
voters. Think about it — when was the
last lime you heard a candidate say:
“If I am elected, I promise all you
young voters that I will do everything
in my power to introduce new pro
grams that will help you get it on.”
And there arc always some who
have the misfortune to be incapaci
tated on election day. I’m not refer
ring to those who have permanent
disabilities, since they can get absen
tee ballots. I mean those who were hit
the night before by a flying grape. If
a person has a hangover so severe he
can’t go to work, it is inhuman to ask
him to go to a polling place, when
there is probably a bar even closer.
Finally, there is a group, probably
the biggest, that doesn’t bother to
vote because . . . how can I put it
diplomatically? Well, I suppose you
can say they’re just dumb. Chances
arc, they can’t tell you who the candi
dates are because they don’t read
anything and watch only soap operas,
wrestling and Gcraldo. If anything,
we’re better off if they don’t vote.
Every voter doesn’t have to be a po
lineal science graduate, but tne least
they should know is who they hate
and why.
There are those who will disagree
with me — do-gooders who believe it
is disgraceful that Americans don’t
exercise this (they always call it
“precious”) right.
Maybe they’re correct. It’s pos
sible that if more people voted, we
might have fewer inebriated con
gressmen and cliche-spouting presi
dential candidates.
But if they want a big turnout, they
won’t get it by preaching and yam
mering about “your responsibilities
as a good citizen.” Not if they want
98 percent of the eligible voters to go
to the polls, I’ll tell them how to do it.
Combine election day with a na
tional lottery. Give every voter a
chance to make a few million dollars
if his lucky number comes up. It
would not only bring out the voters, it
would be fair.
After all, why should the candi
dates be the only ones with a chance
to hit the big jackpot?
© 1989 by the Chicago Tribune.
Student says term ‘radical’ inappropriately applied by Howell
I would like to know why M ichelle
Howell, secretary of the Model
United Nations, finds it necessary to
refer to those of us who protest
against the wall of prejudice here at
the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
as “radicals.” I would think that
given her position within the Model
United Nations, she would applaud
student aspirations to eradicate fear,
ignorance and prejudices which are
rampant on this campus and through
out the world.
It is a sad reflection on our student
body and our society at large that
those who strive to facilitate peaceful
acceptance and equality for all arc
given labels such as radicals.
This is supposed to be a university,
not an exclusive club! The very word
university implies that folks from all
walks of life, of all cultures, creeds,
philosophies and lifestyles arc con
verging in one place with a common
goal of higher learning and broader
range of thought.
Lorrilyn R. Herd
junior
secondary education
student blasts writing service
Hard working, ambitious, intelli
gent --alio! these words describe Mr.
James Cannon, president of Inde
pendent Writing Service (Daily Ne
braskan, March 3). Congratulations
on not becoming a drug dealer or a
pandcrer. Most folks who arc social
outcasts turn to crime, but you have
cleverly circumvented the written
law and are now creating another
avenue for your fellow Americans to
take on our way to lethargy, igno
rance and moral decay. You’re a
great guy. Thanks!
Paul Knopp ^
senior
English
