Opinion
«
Nebraskan
* Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Chris HopJ'ensperger..Editor, 472-1766
Dionne Searcey. . . ..Opinion Page Editor
Kris Karnopp. Managing Editor
Alan Phelps.Wire Editor
Wendy Navralil.Writing Coach
Stacey McKenzie ......Senior Reporter
Jeremy Fitzpatrick.. ... .'••.. Columnist _
Acing the ACT
Spanier's plan would put Nebraska at top
ebraska’s high school students have made the state proud
again for the third year in a row.
They have managed to score above the mean on the
American College Test.
The ACT is based on a 36-point scale and tests students in the
areas of English, math, reading and science reasoning.
Nebraska’s average of 21.2 was above the national average of
20.6 on the ACT.
But really, the students’ good showing is nothing to write
home about.
Nebraskans’.6 lead is hardly impressive for a state that brags
about its strong emphasis on secondary education.
The state’s low population ^nd smaller classroom size should
allow high school students thebxtra attention they need to score
far above the national average.
And even these same students who score high on the ACT
wind up dropping out of college.
The average ACT score for UNL’s incoming freshmen during
the 1991-92 school year was 22.4.
UNL admission standards require students to obtain at least a
20 on the ACT, graduate in the lop half of their class or complete
a set of core courses.
Most prospective students requesting admission to UNL arc
score a 20 on the test, Lisa Schmidt, UNL director of high
school and college relations, said.
Yet many students give up on school after their first year at
UNL.
UNL Chancellor Graham Spanicr’s plan to step up admission
standards would save these students the trouble of coming to
school only to find out they couldn’t cut it.
No matter what they scored on the ACT.
The plan would also require students to take more core courses
before entering the university. These college-prep courses surely
would help students improve their ACT scores as well.
Better ACT scores would put Nebraska’s high school students
where they should be — far above the rest.
Stilling the gossip
Campaign needs to focus on real issues
During this election year, tales ol extramarital affairs, drug
use and youthful transgressions dominate the news. Hardly
the meat and potatoes of a political campaign, but with
cynicism toward government growing steadily, we have gotten in
the habit of scrutinizing every aspect of our presidential candi
dates.
At the forefront of political gossip this year have been
service records — who’s got them, and who managed to get
out of having them. As the story goes, Bill Clinton finagled his
way out of the draft during the Vietnam War. But for that
matter, so did Vice President Dan Quayle. And probably
thousands of other young men who were afraid to die. So why
all the flap?
If Clinton ever wants to put this matter behind him, he should
simply confront it head-on, like he did with rumors about an
alleged affair with Gcnnifcr Rowers. But we need to be careful
about being distracted from the bigger picture by characteristics
that really don’t affect the president’s ability to do his job.
The Daily Ulini
-1 1
Staff 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 orthc NU Board of Regents. Editorial columns represent
the opinion of the author. I he regents publish the Dai{y Nebraskan. 'Ihcy establish the UNL
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.
Ihe Daily Nebraskan welcomes brief letters to the editor from all readers and interested others.
Letters will he selected for publication on the basis of clarity, originality, timeliness and space
available. The Daily Nebraskan retains the right to editor reject all material submitted. Readers
also are welcome to submit material as guest opinions. The editor decides whether material
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published. Ixllers should included the author's name, year in school^ major and group
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Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union; MOOR St , Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448.
He* bupp^, m ok^. i h veRe soo.
Security
This letter is in reference to the
actions of the students and lack of
action of security at the Middle Ten
nessee State game on Saturday. I am
embarrassed of the destructive and
abusive behavior of the students at the
game.
By being at the game, I thought the
students were showing their pride and
support of their school and team.
Silly me.
Little did I know it was an excuse
to be drunk and abusive to other stu
dents and school properly, which was
paid for by their tuition and fees.
To stand there and watch as the
marching band was harassed, cursed
at, injured, uniform parts stolen, and
puke in acup was thrown on them, and
to see the students of the fraternity
behind them brag and cheer of how
they were able to steal something or
sec how happy they were that they hit
a horn player and drew blood made
me sick!
But the most maddening and stom -
ach-chuming came when the security
refused to intervene. The damage done
was obvious, butbccausc the security's
haeje was turned from the crowd to
watch the game and did not see the act
of aggression for themselves, they
rmilH (In nnthirm
-c
I understand not trusting the word
of a drunken, smart-mouthed student,
bdt when the director of bands, a
professor and University of Nebraska
L.incoln staff member complained
numerous limes for extra security,
they were given the same respect as a
drunk fan.
I paid tuition for five years in the
belief that, as a student, I would be
protected. As a former UNL staff
member, I believed I would be re
spected. I was obviously mistaken.
UNL security is slow to respond,
ticket-happy and disrespectful of the
reason why they arc here: to protect
the students, faculty and campus prop
erty.
I have had good experiences with
security, and not all UNL officers arc
the same.
However, if the UNL band, which
has not only been taken advantage of
by the athletic department and on the
top of Bob Dcvancy’s hate list for
years, been abused by the system and
ignored for all its hard work and dedi
cation to this university, docs not get
the proper protection it needs, I sug
gest they boycott the games until they
once again can enter into their own
home stadium without fear of injury
from their own classmates.
I have had the opportunity to see
many different college bands across
the nation and the Comhuskcr March
ing Band is one of the finest in the
United States with an extraordinary
program and deserves the respect it
once had from its own university.
Ranelle Luthy
UNL graduate
Editor’s note: UNL campus police
are in charge of security at home
football games.
Lincoln Christian
I am a 58-year-old woman who has
been employed with the university for
21 years. My I i fcslylc is really conser
vative — and I am a member of the
Lincoln Christian Church.
I had to chuckle at the thought that
my church might be a cult.
We take our teachings from the
Bible; and our Sundays arc energetic
and enthusiastic. There arc many out
side activities in thcchurch, which,as
in any church, people arc encouraged
to attend if they can, but arc not forced
4 d
There are many out
side activities in the
church, which, as in any
church, people are en
couraged to attend if
they can, but are not
forced to.
-ft -
lo.
Many limes in church, Jay Kelly,
our minister, has said to the college
members—don’icomc to mid-week
activities if you need to study; espe
cially during the weeks around finals,
he requests that they notaticnd activi
ties until they arc done with finals.
Kelly goes out of his way to be
concerned about students’ study hab
its and their grades; he integrates this
into their church membership.
Margaret Cullinanc
Lincoln
Racism
1 am writing in response to Sam
Kcpficld’scolumn (“Enddiscrimina
tion, make it legal,’’ DN, Sept. 16).
In it, Kepficld claims to have the
answer to America’s problems of ra
cial tensions and inequality — simply
make it all legal.
First off, I find it highly hypocriti
cal that one week he calls for censor
ing the views and artistic expressions
of an oppressed minority (in the form
of rap music) and then has the audac
ity to proselytize his own form of
obscenities the next week.
Now, obviously longing for the
“good old days” of McCarthyism and
forced segregation, he proposes to
pass a law that would return us to the
days when minorities were pushed to
the back of the bus.
This Racial Preference Licensing
Act would allow anyone who wishes
to discriminate to purchase a license
and pay a tax, the profits of which
would go into a so-called “equality
fund,” and then simply advertise that
they wish to discriminate in the course
of their business.
Kepficld’s plan to legalize dis
crimination will not bring about the
betterment of discriminated minori
ties as he so claims. It would have the
opposite effect.
Who in their right mind would buy
a “scarlet letter” license to discrimi
nate? The answer is no one, well,
cxccpl for Kcpficld, but it’s arguable
whether he’s in his right mind.
This is exactly why the Ku Klux
Klan wear hoods. They want to prac
tice their ignorant and intolerant be
liefs in secrecy, immune to rctribu
lion and attacks. Racists do not want
to admit that they arc racist, not even
to themselves. Like Kcpficld, people
who wish to discriminate against oth
ers often hide it under the guise ol
morality, conservatism, or even eco
nomics in order to justify it in their
own minds.
Rare arc the people who can be
honest with themselves and admit
their hateful feelings. Yes, even David
Duke won’t admit that he’s a racist.
So, what would be the ultimate
effect of this Racial Preference Li
censing Act? It would be a precedent,
or foot in the door, for those to legiti
mize their own polilicsof intolerance,
■and to bring this country toward a
Fourth Reich of fascism.
Despite any self-proclaimed good
intentions on the part of Kcpficld, all
I can answer is thaievcn Hitler thought
he acted with good intentions. All the
education in the world cannot cure the
affliction of ignorance if one chooses
to live his or her life blind to the world
around them.
Keith Pccha
law
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