Opinion
Net)raskan •
1 Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Chris Hopfensperger. .Editor, 472-1766
Jeremy Fitzpatrick.Opinion Page Editor
Alan Phelps.Managing Editor
Brian Shellilo..Cartoonist
Susie Arth. Senior Reporter
Kim Spurlock.*.Diversions Editor
Sam Kepfield.Columnist
System overhaul
Governor should appoint regents to office
Ever since the suspicious firing of former NU President
Ronald Roskcns in 1989, the people of this state have
been left wondering who the NU Board of Regents
answers to.
The answer, of course, is the voters. Regents are elected
officials, and it is the voters’ duly to guarantee that they arc
doing their jobs. But recent events have drawn light to the fact
that the regents’ actions and misdeeds do not cam the attention
they deserve.
Last fall, it was discovered that some of the regents gathered
in private to discuss the coming evaluation of NU President
Martin Massengale. It was also reported that two of the regents
spent tax money on a chartered flight to Lincoln for the unoffi
cial meeting.
But those incidents, and others like them, received little
attention around election time.
Voters, of course, should know as much about their elected
officials as they can, but the regents don’t get the same news
coverage the governor does. That makes it difficult for voters
to make informed decisions and hold the regents to their duties.
Their lack of prominence makes it difficult to know when to
congratulate the regents for their successes, and, more impor
tantly, it becomes hard to hold them accountable for their
mistakes.
To combat that problem, Sen. Ron Withem of Papillion has
introduced LR3CA. The proposal would trim the regents’
terms from six years to four years. That measure, combined
with last year’s term-limit law, would limit the officials to
eight years in office.
The proposal has some merits, but it is riddled with faults.
Some of the regents have argued that four years is not enough
time to get acclimated to the office. If the regents don’t under
stand their job, it only makes it harder for the voters to know if
they arc doing it right.
In addition, the amount of attention the regents receive is not
likely to increase if their terms arc shortened. The move will
not help voters judge their performance.
And, most importantly, the plan is based on the repugnant
theory of term limits. Last year’s drive to limit the terms of
Nebraska’s elected officials was pushed through because
supporters said term limits would make those officials more
accountable to the people who elected them. Ultimately,
however, the bill is based on the belief that voters aren’t mature
or knowledgeable enough to make decisions on their own.
If there is a problem with the accountability of the regents,
limiting their terms is not the answer. The best solution would
be overhauling the system and giving the governor the power
to appoint the regents.
If those officials must be approved by the legislature, the
governor is sure to appoint people who care about education.
Because the regents’ performance would reflect on the
governor’s record, the governor is sure to appoint people who
would treat the office with the respect it deserves.
The regent position is not a high-profile office; once the
regents are elected, it is not likely their job performance will be
closely examined by the press or the people who voted for
them.
Some accountability should be restored to the system, but
the best way to do it is not Withem’s bill.
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 or the NU Board of Regents. Editorial columns represent
the opinion of the author. The regents publish the Daily Nebraskan. They 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.
The 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 are welcome to submit ma*£Nal as guest opinions. The editor decides whether material
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Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St., Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448.
WM X VOTE
THESE
’STORMS /
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TWa*..,■•-,#
___ _
Apology
Now that Sen. Robert Packwood
has apologized for his behavior, per
haps Daily Nebraskan columnist Sam
Kepficld should now apologize for
his misplaced defense of the Senator.
Pcicr T. Hoffman
laft professor
Vocabulary
Trying to decider the sophisti
cated vocabularyqf Gary Young’s
Jan. 11 column was like trying to
conquer a Daily Nebraskan crossword
puzzle. Perhaps Gary thinks that by
using long, impressive words some
body will take him seriously. Any
way, if I understand the gist of the
article, he is saying that the problems
of the black community arc not a
result of the attitude and behavior of
whites toward blacks.
By comparing the community life
of Africa before the French, British
and other Europeans conquered and
enslaved the African nation to the
community life of urban black
America today, it becomes apparent
that the current high crime and mur
der rates arc a result of the African
people being stripped of their culture.
Where do blacks Fit in to our mate
rialistic, exploitive, superficial soci
ety? How can parents raise their child
when they have no cultural back
ground except the white society they
hayc been put into which, not until 30
y^ars ago, decided to start acknowl
edging them as human beings?
This letter is not an attempt to
justify black inner-city crime, but is
an open-eyed view contrary to the
racist opinion that blacks arc inher
ently evil.
Paul Kocstcr
senior
agronomy
Snobbery
Snobbery docs not have a mo
nopoly on flannel shirts, “alternative”
music,record stores and KRNU. Snobs
are perfectly capable of wearing pas
tels, donning turtlenecks and buying
Del Amitri tapes.
I cannot speak for the record-store
personnel. As for the KRNU DJs,
most of them are cither volunteers
trying to get demo material or arc on
the air to fill a class requirement.
Some of them have never been ex
posed to “alternative” music prior to
their on-air experience. Even those
who know what they’re doing arc
asked not to overkill a song that is
being overkilled on MTV. Plus, there
arc only three slots reserved each houi
for requests. To demand that youi
request get played as opposed to the
other five requests that people atsc
demand get played is unreasonable
and childish.
Your argument in which you pi
geonhole flannel-wearing, MTV-lis
tcning and rccord-slorc “alternative”
punks is weak. I find it offensive that
you would so blindly seek to degrade
a singular socio-cconomical sub-class/
culture just because you consider
them, as a whole, “snobs.”
I can’t imagine the opinions that
would fly if you had singled out the
grcck system, the Chicano student
organization or Campus Crusade for
Christ. Surely snobs exist in these
circles, but I don’t see you categoriz
ing these groups according to one
individual slock characteristic and/or
personality trait.
Could it be that record-store em
ployees are an easy, defenseless tar
get?
Could it be that you arc ignoring
the individual and pickingon the whole
to reinforce your superior position in
society?
Or could it be that you’re some
what intimidated by a few individuals
who are better at being a snob than
you arc?
nmuruc luvcii
senior
music performance
and broadcasting
After reading Wendy Mott’s piece
in Monday’s Daily Nebraskan, I fell
compelled to respond. It startled me.
Ms. Molt. You arc worried about
snobbery?Condescension? Allow me
to quote here, if 1 might. “No latest
issue insight there, just halfway
friendly smiles accompanied by cheap
lies and dress pants they bought at
Jeans West.” Anyone who missed
your piece won’t recognize these
words, but I’m sure you do. I’m not
even going to dive into the whole
“KRNU punk” thing.
Snobbery? Condescension?
Look in the damn mirror, will ya?
Scan Doolittle
senior
English
Ycs, as you and dandruff shampoo
comrtiercials say, first impressions
are important. Thus, after reading your
article I’ve been able to get an accu
rate picture of your personality.
In your article, you managed to put
down flannel-shirt wearers,clerks that
greet you, people who wear biker
jackets, anyone who works in the
music industry and even Twinkic cat
ers. Then you have the gall not to j
include yourself in the snotty, preten- I
tious category.
I, as a consumer, welcome new
information, especially when it refers
to music. I’ve done plenty of shop
ping in music stores, and have come
to the conclusion that these sales
people possess an asset of great value
to the general consumer. They can
supply the public with insider infor
mation which they acquire through
industry magazines that arc not avail
able to the general public.
Maybe the reason you have such a
problem with music store personnel is
because you arc envious of their
knowledge. You enter these stores
thinking you know it all, but you soon
find out that your almightincss is lack
ing in music knowledge.
To all of the workers at Pick les and
especially Twisters, I thank you for
your insightfulness and your help to
those of us who aren’t alraid to learn
from others. Keep up the good work.
And to you Ms. Mott, maybe you
should buy a few more Spin maga
zines so you can become more secure
in yourself.
Justin Oldham
sophomore
general studies
Regents
I was rather dismayed to find the
NU Board of Regents decided to have
the so-called higher standards for ad
missions implemented.
(UNO) Chancellor Del Weber docs
not think the admissions standards
will exclude minorities but this is
precisely what it will do.
If we lived in the ideal society and
everyone was given an equal chance
to a decent education then this would
be OK. Unfortunately our country has
yet to provide this.
Minority students and persons who
attended inner-city schools arc at a
great disadvantage.
I realize there is a high freshman
dropout/failure rate, but I also believe
that education should be available to
all those who need a second chance.
Coric Leahy
freshman
elementary education