Spending lid, T-shirt antics
among concerns of readers
Reader confused
by greeks’ toilet
papering rituals
Several times during Homecom
ing Week I found myself walking
down 16th Street in awe of the huge
papier-mach6 lawn ornaments erected
outside many of the greek houses.
Being a first-year student, perhaps
I’m a little confused about some things.
Can’t they find something else to
spend ridiculous amounts of money
on? Also, I’m in the dark about the
toilet paper that litters the lawns and
trees of numerous greek houses on
campus. Although I think I see the
symbolism, I’m still wondering one
thing. Can’t they find a better use for
toilet paper?
Jeff Knoedler
freshman
teachers college
Reporters: Give
players privacy
in locker room
I have just about had it with this
garbage about reporters in the locker
room. People are going way too far
over something so ridiculous, it’s
absurd.
What started out as a grotesque
gesture of male attitude has turned
into a battle between professional
athletes and the media. There at least
two points to be made here: the issue
of harassment and the issue of equal
access.
Fust, no athlete, (or any other person
for that matter) should be able to do
what the New England Patriots ball
player apparently did. That act was
uncalled for and he should be and was
punished. Therefore, I would side for
the reporter in the harassment issue.
However, I would say there was
even a bigger issue than harassment
here. The big issue is access.
Not of whether or not a woman
reporter should be allowed in the locker
room, but if having the reporters wait
until the players are dressed is denial
of the press’ rights.
Granted if a male reporter is al
lowed in the locker room, female
reporters should be allowed in also.
But, do you think for a minute, Gayle
Gardner would allow another reporter,
let alone a football player, with a TV
camera follow her into her dressing
mom anu snowcr: t imiiK nui. inch
many reporters, male or female, would
like lo have a microphone and TV
camera shoved in iheir face either.
Remember Jimmy ‘The Greek’s”
reaction when he was being “har
assed” for the comments he had made
of National TV that cost him his job
and career. The “Greek’s” statement
was ill-advised and even degrading,
but have we ever stopped to look at
how pathetic the reporters were and
how awful they treated him? Ask him
how reporters treat the players now.
The problem here has many pos
sible solutions, none are very simple,
none arc fail safe, but as I have fol
lowed this story, the biggest argu
ment from the reporters is that “it’s
the way it has been done for years,”
"it’s league policy,” and so on.
To you reporters that call for status
quo, I offer you this. Many years ago
(I’m no historian so I won't sp&cify
exact dales), the public school sys
tems allowed open prayer in class.
This offended SOMF parents of chil
dren and the government stepped in
and passed a law — no prayer in
public schools.
Also, more recently for you young
reporters, smoking was allowed any
where and everywhere not loo long
ago. A few people complained about
breathing the smoke and the govern
ment stepped in and passed a law —
no smoking in public places.
In both instances, the “norm” was
not a law but rather the way this
nation developed. Since they both
received public disapproval, a rule
was made to accommodate these few
in protest. I suggest the same trend is
(or at least should be) occurring now,
in the locker room.
Sure there are those that don’ t care
if they are seen naked. But I also bet
there are a FEW that wish to keep
their privacy.
Why can’t a simple plan be drawn
up that satisfies all?
I have yet to read where a reporter
says they like to go into the locker
room, but yet no reporter wishes to
offer (or even accept) a plan that
would make their job easier.
Nebraska’s locker room policy has
NEVER been an issue. I have never
heard of a reporter complaining about
meeting deadlines after a Nebraska
football game, male or female.
While on the subject of deadlines,
what happens if the game goes into
overtime and lasts until your deadline
has gone by, do you not get a story?
What would you (reporters) do if
all the athletes refused to talk to you,
sue them?
i realize noi an lootoaii stadiums
have current facilities for an inter
view room, but it has worked at
Nebraska and should be given some
consideration as an alternative plan if
problems continue.
In the words of Bruce Willis in
“Die Hard,” “If you’re not a part of
the solution, you’re part of the prob
lem.”
Reporters and NFL Commissioner
Paul Tagliabue, this is the 1990s, quit
being a part of the problem and try to
be innovative. Try to make your job
easier and then give the players their
privacy. Just maybe you’ll meet all
your deadlines and even have a better
(non-harassed) story.
Jon Dalton
senior
electrical engineering
Bleak predictions
for spending lid
would come true
I am writing to comment on AS UN
President Phil Gosch’s letter (DN,
Oct. 10). I realize that since my last
letter was not on such a serious matter
as the 2 percent lid that I may not be
taken entirely seriously, but I am serious
now. I totally agree with President
Gosch on this issue.
As a UNL student, I am deeply
concerned about the impact that this 2
percent spending lid will have on the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I have
read arguments on both sides of the
debate, and it seems to me that the
dire predictions from the opponents
of the constitutional amendment will
come true. Simple logic dictates that
if the current inflation rate is 5 per
cent, and we can only spend 2 percent
over what we spent the year before,
then problems are going to arise. The
only way to raise more funds is to
hold a special election, which will
also cost money. Where will that money
come from? If we can’t spend any
more, how can we spend more on an
election to vote on whether to spend
more? It’s a Catch-22.
This amendment, Initiative 405, is
the wrong thing todo, especially with
a national recession coming due to
higher gas prices, among other things.
The initiative is not well-worded, and
some of the language is unclear. Even
proponents of 405 don’t know if it
would apply to certain aspects of the
state budget. So, if they don’t know
for sure, who does?
Also, I’d like to know who ap
pointed Ed Jaksha my spokesman,
anyway? He certainly doesn’t speak
for me in suggesting an unclear con
stitutional amendment that may in
crease my tuition while simultane
ously reducing my financial aid, which
1 need in order to be able to go to
school here. If this measure passes, I
may have to go out of stale to com
plete my education. Ed Jaksha should
just go crawl back under whatever
rock he crawled out from.
Finally, I would urge all UNL
Students to get informed on this issue
and VOTE. There are some excellent
references available in the ASUN
office, showing both sides of the is
sue. Also, you can fill out forms in the
office in order to register to vote, or to
obtain an absentee ballot. Do so to
day, and vote against Initiative 405
on Nov. 6.
John Sweeney
sophomore
general studies
T-shirt messages
treated unequally
in DN editorials
The hypocrisy expressed by DN
editorials continues to amaze me. The
statements made regarding the latest
fraternity T-shirt episode (DN, Oct.
9) show that staff members simply
aren’t being fair.
One panic ular sentence makes th i s
fact clear. According to the editorial,
the offense that would be created by
mocking a country’s flag “shows lack
of knowledge and respect about the
other cultures.’’
ii mat is me case, wny was UNL
Students for Choice so vehemently
supported last year when they created
a shirt that many Catholic students
found offensive? Why didn’t the paper
come down so hard on that organiza
tion?
Has it become acceptable to make
fun of one group of people (Catho
lics) while at the same lime making
fun of any other group (Mexicans or
blacks) is a sin? If you arc going to
support one group’s right to free
expression, I think you have to sup
port every group’s right to free ex
pression. And no, 1 am not Catholic.
Andrew Meyer
“The silly junior”
pre-med
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