The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, August 24, 1992, Page 4, Image 4
Opinion Nebraskan Editorial Board University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chris Hopfensperger.Editor, 472-1766 Dionne Searcey.Opinion Page Editor Kris Karnopp.Managing Editor Man Phelps.'...Wire Editor Wendy Navratil.Writing Coach Stacey McKenzie. Senior Reporter Jeremy Fitzpatrick.,.Columnist The three Rs Recycling, recruitment, renovation top list I It looks as though the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is finally getting around to the 1990s accompaniment to the “three Rs” of higher education. In his State of the University address Saturday, UNL Chancel lor Graham Spanicr charted a course for plans to improve recy cling, recruitment and renovation efforts on campus. But he steered clear of talk of the impending disaster the university may once again be headed toward this fall. The UNL Recycling Task Force that met after the end of the spring semester and the chancellor are headed in the right direction. t Spanicr announced his goal to make UNL “the state’s leader in recycling of paper, plastics, waste and other items” along with a new program that would consolidate the many smaller recycling drives across campus. His hopes are high for a - Scott Maurer7DN campus inai nas uraggcu us feet on the recycling issue. In fact, his proposal may go beyond a step in the right direction to a leap of faith in the campus community. To this point most of the accomplishments and drive behind the recycling effort have originated from a small group of dedi cated students. But Spanicr predicted the program would pay for itself — as well as the salary of a newly appointed recycling coordinator — after the first year. Spanicr also announced that the university had identified funds and would participate in a United Nations program to encourage black South Africans to do graduate work at UNL. The announcement came on the heels of his report that the number of undergraduate minority students enrolled at UNL increased 6 percent in 1991-92. The program did not address, however, the subject of race relations — an issue that continues to heat up under the surface of a predominately white campus. wnn me conclusion 01 improvements at tnc rcc center ana expansion of the College of Business Administration progressing, the chancellor also announced a pledge to give a higher priority to renovating existing space. Work to improve health and safely, handicapped accessibility, student convenience and employee comfort began this summer on classrooms and other spaces on campus. Even art students may be impressed by this new twist on the oft-repeated but never-completed pledge to make improvements at aging Richards Hall. The only obstacle missing on the university’s map of the future was the budget process looming over the heads of students and faculty members. As the university pieces together its biennial budget request and confronts the possibility of a budget cut, Spanicr mentioned the existence of financial worries. But he sidestepped the issue of the actual trimming process, and he left out the one “r” nobody at UNL wants to face — reductions. Stiff editorials represent the official policy of the Fall 1992 Daily Nebraskan. Policy is set by the Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. Editorials do not necessarily reflect the views of the university, its employees, the students or the NL' Board of Regents. Editorial columns represent the opinion of the author. The regents publish the Daily Nebraskan. They establish the L'NL Publications Board to supervise the daily production of the paper. According to policy set by the regents, responsibility for the editorial content of the newspaper lies solely in the hands of its students. Ihc Daily Nebraskan welcomes brief letters to the editor from all readers and interested others. Letters will be selected for publication on the basis of clarity, originality, timeliness and space available. The Daily Nebraskan retains the right to edit or reject all material submitted. Readers also arc welcome to submit material as guest opinions. The editor decides whether material should run as a guest opinion. Letters and guest opinions sent to the newspaper become the property of the Daily Nebraskan and cannot be returned. Anonymous submissions will not be published. Letters should included the author's name, year in school, major and group affil.alion, if any. Requests to withhold names will not be granted. Submit material to the Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St., Lincoln, Neb. 6858^-0448. Patriotism swells at baseball park I’ve never really gouen into the patriotic thing. Americans who drive Hondas, criticize the government or bum flags, more power to ya, I always say. I remember the day when Mr. _Shores, my junior high civics teacher, preached to us about the impor tance of respect for the flag. We should stand at attention, he said, when the national anihem is played at basketball _games. Respect the flag. From then on I pul aside urges to giggle with my pals while the Southern High School band mutilated the theme song of our country. I struggled to think about the soldiers who died in battle to defend our free dom. i expected 10 dc uooacd with emotions of patriotism for my great country. I tried. I really did. But the goose bumps never came. So I happily obliged when my brother asked me if I wanted to take advantage of this summer’s air-fare war and make a trek to our nation’s capilol city. Washington, D.C. The hotbed of American patriotism, or so I assumed. Last week I set off on this pilgrim age in search of my patriotic self. Obviously, many others were on the same mission. The line for the lour of the While House stretched all the way around the Ellipse. Camera-toting visitors crowded the Mall. Tonsof tourists packed into Ford’s Theater and the house across the street to see the blood that dripped on the pillow from Abraham Lincoln’s wounded head. I visiled ihc Capitol. I paid homage to the Lincoln, Washington and Jefferson memori als. I read the real Constitution and Declaration of Independence. I even walked by the spot outside of the hotel where former President Reagan was shot. During the course of events, I of ten looked down at my arms for a quick goose-bump check. Nothing. I finally thought I'd found what I was looking for at the Vietnam Memorial. It was nighttime. Rain was pouring out of the sky, dripping (town on the hundreds of names etched in the wall’s blackness. I watched a man run his fingers across the letters — all that remained of his war buddy. Aha. Goose bumps. This was it, I thought. True patri otism. But I was wrong. Those weren’t patriotic goose bumps. If anything, they were anti-American goose bumps. These goose bumps stemmed from a feeling of disgust deep inside of me. Disgust for a government that allows 19-year-olds to die in blood baths overseas. Hate for the same type of government that, as an unidentified official told the New York Times last week, now is pulling lives at stake to save a faltering presidential campaign. Sure it was great to see the places where the machine behind the United SLates functions in full gear. But it just didn’t do the trick. Obviously true patriotism for me lurked somewhere else. 1 look time out from my quest to catch a baseball game in Hagerstown, Md. 1 wanted to visit an old friend who had moved up from the top ranked Stanford Cardinal to play fora Baltimore Orioles farm team. I sadly discovered that more emo tions flowed through me silting in row 2, seat 17 than standing in the shadow of Abraham Lincoln’s statue. I watched my No. 1 player’s mighty arms swing at the ball to hit a single. I gaped in awe as he stole second base and cringed when the second base man stomped on his neck as he slid into the base. Call me sacrilegious, but my he roes aren’t the forefathers. My hero was right there on first base. Goose-bump-o*rama. Those people back inside the Belt way were missing out on what it’s all about. The heart of America beats strongest at a baseball game. Hagerstown is only an hour away from Washington, but baseball is miles away from the problems surrounding the U.S. government. From something as simple as bal ancing the national books to the intri cacies of the alleged CIA-drug scan dals, the government just can’t com pare to the whole-heartedness ol a good ol’ ball game. Even with the scandals ol Pete Rose and George Steinbrenner, the messes don’t match up to those ol Ollic North and Clair George. A better percentage of the people of Hagerstown attended that game than will probably vole. For now. I’ll pul my hand over my heart when the anthem is played. I II stand and soberly try to think about America and its being. But secretly, inside, chords of “Take Me Out to the Ballgamc” will be ringing in my head. Searccy is a junior news-editorial and French major and the Daily Nebraskan opinion page editor. ---1 P.S. Write back ■ , | , • . - ? H. ' • ‘ ‘ ■ The Daily Nebraskan wants to hear from you. If you want to voice your opinion about an article that appears in the newspaper, let us know. Just write a brief letter to the editor, sign it, (don't forget your student ID number) and mail it to the Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R Si., Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448. Or slop by the office in the basement of the Nebraska Union and visit with us. We're all cars. i