•-» Jana Pedersen, Editor, 472-1766 n ® 9 uauy Eric Pfanner, Editorial Page Editor ?e ( mimntl Nebraskan A m llfllllllll V Paul Domeier, Copy Desk Chief JL. JL BL JBl ^La^ "■ Editorial Board Brian Shellito, Cartoonist University of Nebraska-Uncoln Jercmy FitZpatrick, Senior Reporter Bully on the block Superpowers should beware of Iraq The casting off of nuclear weapons by world super powers comes as welcome relief to the generations that grew up in the shadow of the Cold War. For the late-20th-century information generation, the fear of nuclear destruction has been readily apparent, reflected in such mainstream entertainment as “War Games, The Day After and even the recent “Hunt for Red October.” But now that the iron curtain has lifted and the United States is devel oping friendlier relations with the remains of the Soviet Union, the term “global thermonuclear war” may be headed for a footnote reference in a chronicle of the history of film. That’s good news. Smile and rest a little easier * tonight. Meanwhile, the . world’s not-so-super I powers are scrambling to get their hands on the technology being aban doned by the United States and the Soviet Union. S * U.N. officials who » j were sent to inspect nuclear weapons capabilities in Iraq reported last week that Saddam Hussein’s techni .. r _ Claris weie wiuim a ycai iu oaHTBaddere/DN 18 months of building an implosion-type nuclear bomb. When the Persian Gulf war started, Iraq already was testing a missile system to propel such a bomb, the officials said. The news of Iraq’s impending nuclear capability did not surprise too many analysts. What was surprising was the magnitude and quality of Iraq’s nuclear project. “It was a well-planned, well-managed program,” said U.N. Inspector David Kay. More than 5,000 people were working toward nuclear weapons capabilities in Iraq, he said. And, the United States is at least partially responsible for putting Iraq on the nuclear map. NBC news reported last week that the U.S. government invited three Iraqi scientists to attend a Seattle conference on detonation devices for nuclear weapons during the late ’80s. Granted, the conference was held years before Iraq invaded Kuwait. Nevertheless, scientists from Iraq never should have been invited. Superpowers that provide the means for smaller coun tries to develop nuclear weapons are the information generation’s next nightmare. One means of regulating the spread of nuclear technol ogy is through the expansion of the international nuclear nonproliferation treaty started in the ’70s. The treaty, in essence, says that the agreed nations will not spread the technology they have about nuclear weapons and will not seek out information about nuclear weapons from other countries. The treaty’s power is in its significance. World powers such as the United States have signed it. South Africa was the latest nation to come aboard when it signed the treaty last summer. Until now, uneasy peace has been ensured by the knowledge that both the United States and the Soviet Union could destroy each other at the touch of a button. But one nuclear bomb in the hands of Iraq or another small country makes a‘bully on the block. While a nuclear attack against a superpower like the United States remains unlikely, an attack anywhere in the world probably would draw the United States into the conflict — especially if it was U.S. technology that aided the development of the bomb. So, while President Bush and Soviet President Gor bachev are making concessions to one another, the infor mation generation should get used to resting with one eye open. The little powers of the world are following fast behind us. __ —j.p. w-w HiSSu, WALTER GHOLSON Time taken to honor pioneer In our urgency lo move rapidly down the academic road, we often forget to honor the pio neers who made our present opportu nities possible. So this weekend, I look a sharp exit off the university freeway to witness a symposium in honor of a living model of literary excellence. That model, Arthur Paul Davis, has been called “a pioneering illumi nator of the works of black writers.” He was the first African-American to receive a doctor’s degree in English from Columbia University. Davis was bom in Hampton, Va., on Nov. 21,1904. He received a high school diploma from Hampton Insti tute in 1922. Davis was elected lo Phi Beta Kappa and received his undergraduate de gree in 1927. From then until 1944 he taught English at several colleges. In 1944 he joined the faculty at Howard University in Washington, where he remained until his retirement. In 1941, he co-cditcd the first comprehensive anthology of A frican Amcrican writers. The next year he received his degree from Columbia. In 1943, Davis published “The Life and Work of Issac Watts,” the story of an 18th century religious writer best known for his Christmas hymn “Joy to the World.” From 1933 until 1950, he also wrote a weekly column, “With A Grain of Salt,” for the Norfolk Journal and Guide, a weekly black newspaper in Virginia. In the 800 columns Davis wrote, he discussed everything from his fear that his son was addicted to comic books to the impact that Franklin D. Roosevelt’s death had on Americans of every race and creed. Since his first publication, Davis has written 27 scholarly articles, five introductions id books, 914 journalis tic articles, three published speeches, two pieces of short fiction, 12 bio graphical articles, 28 book reviews and two scholarly books, and he has co-cditcd four major anthologies of African-American literature. While he is noted for his writing, it is probably Davis the professor who most often takes center stage. In 1964, he introduced Howard’s first gradu ate-level black literature course in the English department., Davis said thal when he visited Howard back in 1943, a member of the department asked him why he was wasting his lime with black literature when he could be writing about the “real” literature. He said that was the general atti tude of the times, although Howard was more advanced than most uni versities because of the presence of pioneers such as Dorothy Porter Wesley, Benjamin Brawlcy, Alain Locke and Sterling Brown. Despite this criticism, Davis became absorbed in his work. “I felt here was a genuine field, a relatively new field and there were only a few people working in it,” he said in 1988 in an article in the Howard magazine, New Directions. Davis said he somehow sensed that* this work was an important segment of American literature. “When I started teaching,” he said, “the standard literature anthologies had no black authors.” During those days, blacks felt dif ferently about themselves and many scholars had generally negative alti tudes concerning the legitimacy of black literature. Davis’ “Literature of the Ameri can Negro” course proved to be right | on time, however, because of the black consciousness movement, and it quickly gained a popular reputation. But it was more than just a fad course; it was one of the finest educa tional productions composed by Davis I the teacher. His school of thought imparted wisdom laced with the wit and humor of a self-described ”po' country boy from Virginia.” Many former students in the course have gone on to become brilliant scholars. These students, from all races and nationalities, are now teaching and conducting research in the the field of African-American literature. In addition, Davis has taught stu dents from Japan and Germany who have relumed home to translate Alri can-Amcrican literary classics. While Davis rejects the notion of special formulas for good teaching, he stresses that effective teaching must instill in the students the belief that the teacher is really interested in them. He said he tried to give his students a feeling that honesty in scholarship was as important as honesty in life. It is because <$Tthc work of schol ars like him that today I know some thing about my heritage and its rich literary tradition. Thcrc’san old saying about giving people their roses while they’re still living. On Friday, during the opening of the seminar to honor Davis, he got his roses and I got a copy of his latest contribution, “The New Cavalcade: African American Writing from 1760 to the Present.” But more than anything else, I came back onto the freeway with a recharged motivation to follow his example, which is a tradition of ex cellence. Ghoison Is it senior news-editorial Jour nalism major and a Daily Nebraskan colum nist While Davis rejects the notion of. medal formulas for good teaching• he stresses that effective teach ing must instill in the students the belied that the teacher is really interested in them. He said he tried ta gire bis students a feeling . that honesty in schol arship was as impor tant as honesty, in life, -LETTER POLICY-1 The Daily Nebraskan welcomes brief letters to the editor from all readers and interested others. Anonymous submissions will not be considered for publication. Let ters should include the author’s name, year in school, major and group affiliation, if any. Requests to withhold names will not be granted.I Submit material to the Daily Nc-B braskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 RB St., Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448.