Editorial
Daily
Nebraskan
Editorial Board
Univeraity of Nebraaka-Uncoln
Amy Edwards, Editor, 472 1766
Lee Rood, Editorial Page Editor
Jane Hirt, Managing Editor
Brandon Loomis, Associate News Editor
Brian Svoboda, Columnist
Bob Nelsor, Columnist
Jerry Guenlhcr, Senior Reporter
What others think
Harassment clause will cause problems
ey baby! Wanna tango this Friday night?”
Are these the words of a lascivious sophomore
leaning out the window of his lOth-floor dormi
tory room, or perhaps the twisted rantings of a student
soon to come up on criminal charges?
You make the sexual harassment call.
But as you do, consider that the university is also
playing this game. Friday, the University Council’s
f Executive Committee approved a new paragraph to the
Student Handbook that would make harassment — sexual,
religious or racial -- a punishable offense.
The new paragraph would prohibit “threatening,
■ intimidating, verbally abusing, impeding, telephoning,
£ following or persistently bothering or annoying ’ people
I on the basis of sex, race, religion or national origin.
I Violations of this paragraph s spirit would presumamy
mean a hearing with the Student Judiciary.
The executive council’s intentions are certainly good.
I No organization can condone the harassment of any of its
employees. But in practice the paragraph would create a
guessing game that’s worth avoiding.
Gauds-Leonard Davis, University Equal Opportunity
Office director, said the language of the paragraph is
extremely broad, such that it would be difficult to deter
J mine what is and isn’t harassment What might be one
1 person’s constitutionally protected free speech could
1 pciirtUrty Im ctnwu u*4 u ‘“annoying” to a person because
I of his or her race or religion.
And the paragraph isn’t in response to rampant harass
I ment at the university. To the contrary, harassment isn’t a
' problem said Bill Bracewell, Student Judiciary director.
If it might circumscribe free speech, if its language
f might be too broad, if it really isn’t needed at the univer
sity, why don’t we forget about this paragraph? Then we
I could forget all the attendant problems it would create.
- The Red and Black
3 University of Georgia
Lobbying group exists at UNL
1 am writing in response to Eric
Kaldahl’s letter (DN, Oct 27).
I would first like to address Eric’s
concerns about the constitutionality
of a student regent vote, in particular
relating to the “one man, one vote”
concept. This is a common miscon
ception that arises when the topic of a
student regent vote is raised. Ne
braska Attorney General Robert
Spire issued an opinion on Feb. 6,
1986, on the constitutionality of a
student regent vote. In regards to the
“one man, one vote” principle it
stated:
“The U.S. Supreme Court has
held that the ‘one man, one vote’
principle is irrelevant where an elec
tion is not involved nor required.
Sailors v. Kent Board of Education,
387 U.S. 105 (1967). Student mem
bers are not elected to the Board of
Regents. Article VII Section 10 of the
Nebraska Constitution in effect ap
points the student body presidents to
the board by operation of law. \
combination of elected and ap
pointed members is permissible for
non legislative state agencies. The
Board of Regents is essentially ad
ministrative. Therefore the ‘one man,
one vote’ principle docs not apply.”
Secondly, I was very glad to read
that Eric would have two willing
hands to offer as a volunteer to a
student lobbying group. There is such
a group on campus. It's called the
Government Liaison Committee and
it has an open membership policy. All
an interested student such as Eric has
to do is come to the next meeting -
today at 6:15 p.m. in the Nebraska
Union. GLC has lobbied effectively
in the past for issues such as the
approval of a student recreation cen
ter, higher faculty salaries, increased
funding for the Office of Scholar
ships and Financial Aid, and adjust
ment of a formula for distributing
state grant funds. Last year GLC also
lobbied to obtain funding for the re
placement of instructional equip
ment, especially for the College of
Engineering and Technology. The
funding was approved by the Ne
braska Legislature, yet was vetoed by
Gov. Kay Orr. GLC plans to once
again lobby state legislators and the
governor for funding of this vital is
sue.
If Eric, or any other student, is
particularly interested in the idea of a
student regent vote, a group has been
formed this fall in support of this
idea. It is called Students for the
Right to Vote and is chaired by Russ
Johnson. The group will be working
with the Government Liaison Com
mittee to lobby state senators and
other members of the state for the
adoption of an official student regent
vote.
I’m glad that Eric was concerned
enough to write his letter and I would
like to invite him to the next GLC
meeting. Like him, I hope that other
students are willing to get involves
and would extend the same invitation
to them.
Deb Fiddelke
chairman of the Government
Liaison Committee
senior
advertising/pol ilical science
CIA I
i INTERVIEW
I*-1 .—--"■"S
\}H PR06RESS ,f
COVERT OPERATIONS AT
Potential makes risk worthwhile
'
Environmental project could benefit the farmer and the land
Environmental concerns and
the almighty dollar were pit
ted against each other at an
agricultural Forum on East Campus
Thursday.
And the environment was win
ning.
At issue was a proposed move in
farming, from heavy reliance on pes
ticides and fertilizers to promote high
yields, to the use of crop rotation to
add nutrients to the soil and other
methods that draw upon nature for
answers rather than chemicals.
Scientists and a representative
from the U.S. Department of Agricul
ture were advocating spending
money to research the environment
and how it works, rather than just
exploiting nature to meet the de
r mands of society.
Incredible.
u is apparent tnat lett-wing envi
ronmentalists are no longer the only
people on this planet working for a
cleaner, safer earth.
But, advocates of these "new”
farming techniques, referred to as
Low-Input Sustainable Agriculture,
risk losing both political and profes
sional face.
Politically, they arc stepping on
the toes of the fertilizer and pesticide
industries. Talk of groundwater con
taminated by nitrates, which are pres
ent in fertilizers, amounts to bad
press, as do suggestions that a better
way to farm is on the research hori
zon.
Gary Myers, president of the Fer
tilizer Institute in Washington D.C.,
was quick to point out that fertilizer is
used today to produce half of the
world’s food supply. He then alluded
to the uproar that would result if
proven technology is exchanged for
the unknown and then tails to pro
duce comparable yields at prices af
fordable to farmers.
Myers summarized the dilemma
facing low-input researchers and
advocates succinctly during the
“From Plows to Politics” forum.
If researchers succeed in bnnging
the world environmentally sound
farming techniques at an affordable
price, they will be heralded as vision
aries who care about the earth. If they
fail, the low-input advocates will be
roughly tossed aside as dreamers who
wanted to resurrect farming strate
gics that failed in the past.
No doubt, the low-input advocates
know what is at stake. But the odds of
succeeding must be plausible enough
to warrant further low-input research.
The defensive stance of represen
tatives in the fertilizer and pesticide
industries almost did more to pro
mote low-input research than did the
optimistic speeches made by advo
cates Thursday.
If the industry leaders arc scared,
then the low-input researchers arc on
to something.
Specifics on these “new” tech
niques and how they differ from those
practiced by farmers long ago were
sparse Thursday. Successful test
crops that used these new techniques
were mentioned, but the need for
more researen was punucu uui ire*
qucntly.
The research will evaluate the use
of alternatives to commercial fertil
izer, including animal wastes and if
these also contaminate groundwater.
Although it is argued that crop rota
tion can inhibit weed growth, this
needs to be proven, according to Glen
Helmcrs, UNL professor of agricul
tural economics. The ability of crop
rotation to control insects also will be
studied, he said.
Separate from these field studies,
low-input researchers will determine
if new farming techniques save farm
ers money. Some money may be
saved by eliminating fertilizer and
pesticide purchases, but more could
be lost if satisfactory yields fail to
result with new techniques.
Basically, advocates admitted not
knowing all the answers. They told
farmers, industry representatives and
the media that the answers on how to
farm with fewer fertilizers and pesti
cides are coming, but it’s going to
take some time.
This request, for a little breathing
room to create and substantiate inno
vative techniques, is more honest
than wishy-washy. Often, research
ers on the “verge” of something new
jump the gun and make claims that
later prove unfounded.
For all the successful scientific
breakthroughs publicized, there are
certainly as many that fail to pan out.
Dollars are being risked on re
search that could benefit both the
farmer and the environment.
That’s a risk worth taking.
Carrol| is a senior news-editorial major and
Daily Nrhradian columnist and supplements
editor.
letter—,
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the official policy of the fall 1989
Daily Nebraskan. Policy is set by the
Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. Its
members arc Amy Edwards, editor;
Lee Rood, editorial page editor; Jane
Hirt, managing editor; Brandon
Loomis, associate news editor; Bob
Nelson, columnist; Jerry Guenther,
senior reporter; Brian Svoboda, col
umnist
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