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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 26, 1990)
Editorial (Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board University of Nebraska-Lincoln Eric Pfanner, Editor, 472-1766 Victoria Ayotte, Managing Editor Darcie Wiegert, Associate News Editor Diane Braylon, Associate News Editor Jana Pedersen, Wire Editor Emily Rosenbaum, Copy Desk Chief Lisa Donovan, Editorial Page Editor Off the wagon Coors deal a new twist on UNL policy The Nebraska Athletic Department is using a six pack solution to solve a keg-sized problem. A deal with the Coors beer company that places the Herbie Husker logo on cans of Coors Light will raise about $5,000 for the department, Athletic Director Bob Devaney told The Associated Press. But that amount won’t even come close to making up for the $1.8 million the department lost last year. Devaney said the deal was made to help the department financially. The 500,000 cans will mark the beginning of the second century of Cornhusker football. Devaney also has said that other Big Eight universities have made similar deals. But UNL’s agreement has run into opposition. Football coach Tom Osborne has complained that putiing the wholesome, corn-fed Herbie on beer cans sends the wrong message to UNL students and to kids, on whom the football program makes a big impression. He may be right. But that’s not why the deal is wrong. After all, the relationship between advertising and athletes is nothing new. Sports stars have endorsed prod ucts for as long as advertising has been a medium. The marriage between beer sales and athletes has been an especially close one, and it won’t take Herbie Husker to testify to that. Former Los Angeles Raiders coach John Madden might be able to do the job. What football-loving Husker fan hasn’t seen Madden’s “Less Filling-tastes great” advertisements for Miller Lite beer during broadcasts of football games? Kids can watch television. But they can’t buy beer -- including those Coors cans with the Husker logo on them — at a liquor store. No, it’s not Herbie who makes the Coors deal wrong. Instead, it’s the University of Nebraska-Lincoln policy of prohibiting alcohol on campus except in rare, pre-ap proved circumstances when enough important people or money are gathered. On the one hand, UNL policy says, it’s wrong to associate alcohol with the university, even for students 21 and older. On the other hand, the Coors deal says alcohol is OK — if it’s kept off campus and if UNL makes money from it. As anyone attending a Nebraska football game can attest, UNL’s alcohol policy doesn’t keep fans from drinking - and it’s not just students who break the rule. Eny would occur if faithful Husker fans started e Herbie Husker cans into games, supporting i while at the same time breaking its laws. Id drive even Herbie to drink. - Eric Pfanner for the Daily Nebraskan , Divestment views ignorani I have ycl lo read in the Daily Nebraskan of anybody expressing an anti-divcsimcni opinion, so I want to give it a shot although I doubt you’ll print iL The whole divestment movement, I think, is an indication of just how confused liberals have become about the moral implications of commerce. It used to be that liberals thought trade was a wonderful way to civilize the world. If barbarian nations had traded with the enlightened West, they would realize the superiority of the West’s tolerant and democratic insti tutions and would discard their own backward ones. In addition, commerce would act as a coolant on traditional rivalries, because competing nations would now have a common interest in their mu tually profitable trade. World peace would result. The anti-apartheid movement turned their pro-trade attitude on its head. Not only were U.S. corpora tions which did commerce with South Africa incapable of exerting a benign influence on that country’s antiquated prejudices, but their trade actually reinforced and strengthened the op prcssivc elements of South African society. Now the same people who started the divestment movement are threat ening yet another evolution in the liberal attitude towards commerce. Jesse Jackson’s old pel organization Operation PUSH, is calling for a boycott of Nike shoes, because Nike allegedly docs not “reinvest” its profits in the black community. Whereas Coca Cola, according to these people, strengthens the oppressive whit< community in South Africa by selling them expensive shoes, and therefon owes them something (in addition u sHoes) in return. In the one case, a fre< market works to the detriment of th< consumer, in the other, to his benefit Liberals who make these argument; seem to have an incredibly palronis tic attitude toward American black; and their ability to make rationa decisions in a free market and ar equally incredible belief in the ability of Coca Cola to act as an elixir tha will cure whit South Africans of al their problems. Chas Baylor junior arts and sciences r^odR SPEECH 70 theV—: MERlCAfJ PUBLIC. J>/Da(»T iVoRK... THEIR I I I Lincoln razed into the future Downtown redevelopment plan bulldozes old joints, new dreams Wiicii i was a iresnman, i met a long-haired hippie peace freak. In my slight percep tion he was like all the baby boomer wannabees: He talked about the way the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the city used to be. But conversations between fifth year seniors and freshmen lend to resemble those of a grandchild sitting on a grandparent’s lap. He liked old things — old apart ments, his old Birkcnstocks and his long hair that had taken quite some time to get to the middle of his back. I, on the other hand, was enthralled with everything new - my new sur roundings, my new Eastland camp shoes and my freshly trimmed lady Di cut. When I began my college career in the fall of 1986, Mayor Bill Harris and the Downtown Lincoln Associa tion were just pulling the final touches on the coordination of the downtown redevelopment project. Since it was in the planning, I didn’t think much about it. You don ’t know what you have until it’s demol ished right under your feel. Once the buildings started coming down my awareness went up. Being typically human, I didn’t worry until the damage was done. And so it started - the destruction of Block 35, calling for the removal of businesses in the area surrounded by 10th, 11th, P and Q streets. The damage was begun. Now the removal continues and those dirty old architecturally unique buildings with lots of character arc being razed. In an interview with the Daily Nebraskan in fall 1988, Harris said he thought UNL needed to accommo date and cooperate in order to make the downtown redevelopment project successful. ‘ Translated: UNL needs to knock 5 down some buildings, too. ou we uiu our pari — we iook care of 11 ih Street between R and Q streets. And now wc have that less than mediocre architectural wonder - the Lied Center for Performing Arts. No longer do I roll my eyes at my friend’s nostalgia about the razing of the Bloomer’s building (formerly daVinci’s neighbor on 12th Street) where he once rented an apartment; the original O’Rourkes on 14th Street between O and P streets; the eventual razing of the original Bistro on 11th Street. Now folks walking out of the Post and Nickel, or Bistro patrons leaving the new location on 14th Street can watch the glorious Nebraska sun set behind the three-story parking ga rage. Sort of bitchin’ and romantic ail at once. But who am I to complain about progress. Lincoln should be commended for its first-place national ranking for fast growth businesses and eighth among booming cities in 1990 by a national business magazine. That’s in compe tition with Las Vegas and Washing ton, which rated first and second. But where arc these businesses expanding to? Business, like the city’s popula tion, is moving to the suburbs. What many intrepid businesspeople have forgotten is that the university popu lation is still downtown. The city is in the transitional pe riod of redevelopment, but when businesses that are virtually untouched by the redevelopment move out, who's going 10 want 10 move in: wncn a lump of stores move out of the Cen trum shopping center and a major department store (which put millions into renovation) closes -- small busi nesses aren’t going to want to risk it. Old joints like Bill’s Saloon or even Ted and Wally’s aren’t going to relocate in a shopping center’s retail space. So once the rest of those joints are tom down, students will have to go to places like the Reunion. While the Reunion serves its purpose, many don’t want to eat in a place that’s a cross between a dining hall and an airplane hangar. It doesn’t provide that close, personal atmosphere. The city’s redevelopment project shouldn’t stand in the way of its char acter. It’s not Seattle, Houston or even Omaha. Anyway, Lincoln should learn from the mistakes of its big brother. Omaha: new isn’t necessarily better. The “big” city has plenty of big “For Lease” signs in its new, modem downtown buildings. But Harris’ call for cooperation between the city and university will soon materialize anyway. Businesses neighboring the Temple Building are looking for new homes. Some more old joints will be tom down as part of the plan to build a park on the University of Nebraska L incoln linking it to downtown. The grand plan, at least physi cally, has been executed. In a few years, students can sit and look at all the nice new parking areas for the nice empty shops in the downtown. Now I’m a fifth year senior, I’ve got an old apartment and I’ve got my Birkenstocks. But I don’t want to take a walk in the park. Donovan Is a senior news-editorial ma jor, the DM editorial page editor and a colum nist. ! * **v L^any i>cDrasKan welcomes . brief letters to the editor from all ; readers and interested others. Letters will be selected for publi ; ;ation on the basis of clarity, original I ity, timeliness and space available , _ l'x_• ■ I he Daily Nebraskan retains the right to edit all material submitted. Anonymous submissions will not be considered for publication. Letters should include the author’s name, year in school, major and group affili ation, if any. Requests to withhold names will not be granted. Submit material to the Daily Ne braskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 K St., Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448. Signed staff editorials represent the official policy of the Fall 1990 Daily Nebraskan Policy is set by the Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. Its members arc: Eric Pfanner, editor; Lisa Donovan, editorial page editor; Victoria Ayottc, managing editor; Diane Brayton, associate news edi tor; Darcie Wiegcri, associate news editor; Emily Rosenbaum, copy desk chief; Jana Pedersen, wire editor. Editorial columns reprcsenl the opinion of the author. The Daily Nebraskan’s publishers are the re gents, w ho established the L'NL Pub lications Board to supervise the daily production of the paper.