Opinion
Nebraskan
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Chris Hopfensperger.Editor, 472-1766
Jeremy Fitzpatrick.Opinion Page Editor
Alan Phelps. Managing Editor
Brian Shellito.....Cartoonist
Susie Arth . . :. Senior Reporter
Kim Spurlock. Diversions Editor
Sam Kepfield.Columnist
JNo bigotry
ASUN should reverse CFAs decision
Mark, your calendars. Feb. 17 is the official date of ASUN’s
tolerance test.
Feb. 17 is the date of the Association of Students of the
University of Nebraska’s meeting when it will have the opportu
nity to overturn the recent denial of funds to the Committee
Offering Lesbian And Gay Events.
COLAGE’s funding was denied at a Committee for Fees
Allocation appeal hearing Feb. 4. The reasons for the removal of
the funding were largely political.
ASUN has the opportunity on Feb. 17 to make up for CFA’s
error. Our student representatives can decide at that meeting to
restore COLAGE funding.
Or they can choose to go along with a decision that was made
largely as an attack on homosexuals. The choice they make will
say a lot about what kind of leaders they are.
The issue that ASUN senators face is whether they are going to
treat all of the students they arc supposed to represent equally. If
ASUN does not reverse the removal of COLAGE’s funding, the
message they will be sending is that they choose to represent
everyone but homosexual students.
ASUN President Andrew Sigerson said he had political objec
tions to COLAGE because he thought homosexuality was merely
a personal choice. If ASUN goes along with the removal of
COLAGE funding, then they will be supporting the belief that it
is OK to discriminate against students because they have personal
differences with them.
Bigotry in any form is ugly and should be stopped. Whether
ASUN deserves that label will be be made clear by its decision.
Not all bad
Housing department filling students' needs
University of Nebraska-Lincoln students have little to argue
about with the proposed 2.8 percent increase in the price of
university housing next year. In fact, students who live on
campus this year can’t complain about the increase at all.
As part of a plan to fight declining occupancy in the residence
halls, students who return to live on campus next year won’t have
to pay the increase.
That is a nice change for students who are used to nothing but
tuition increases and rising costs. It may also prove to be a major
attraction for university housing, a business that needs all the help
it can get.
Students throughout the Big Eight are moving off campus. But
while other conference schools have closed residence halls in
response to declining occupancy,- UNL’s housing department has
fought rising costs as well as looked into student needs and
desires to improve the halls.
In the past, the housing department has responded to students
by installing cable television in every room, offering a variety of
meal plans and initiating 24-hour visitation. This year is no
different; the new plan includes ideas that go beyond the price
increase, points that would benefit both students and the housing
department.
In accordance with current residents’ wishes for more privacy,
Cather Residence Hall could be converted into housing exclu
sively for upperclassmen. The plan would allow for additional
single-occupancy rooms, computer rooms on each floor and 24
hour visitation.
The housing department should be commended for looking
beyond just its financial interests and into the needs of students. It
is a refreshing change.
-1 i
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THE GREET hUW CNPER
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Betrayal
I joined the Army out of high
school, during Vietnam: a volunteer.
I’ve served eight years under four
presidents, as an enlisted man and
later as an officer, in the infantry and
in armor.
Let me tell you something about
the Army. The finest aspect of my
service has been the diversity of the
soldiers encountered. I was a cadet at
West Point just before women were
let in. It didn’t hurt the Army. Not a
bit. I’m proud to have served with all
these people. I am grateful for having
had the opportunity.
The new president appears on the
verge of integrating homosexuals into
the service. Fine thing, as I see it.
Welcome any new group. I’d like to
see an Army “that looks like America.”
The Army stands today as the most
their commencement as well?
Shouldn’t they be allowed to freely
participate without fear of being ex
cluded?
Our commitment to the legality
and morality of democracy are the
rules we should go by here, not our
self-interest. If we want to pray, let us
do it in houses of worship. Let the
campus churches celebrate com
mencement as well as the administra
tion. Let this be a sign to all students ,
not to be harassed. I could apply this ,
toall the issues. But why don’t you do i
it for a mental exercise? i
Two personal, private thoughts I ,
want to share: Your freedoms end at
my rights and when you restrict others
rights you restrict your own. «
JL Meier I
senior ]
teachers college <
l
_ _ <
becoming more common and meet
ing much resistance.
Melodic Primrose
junior
sociology
Action
My political scienceclass this week
vas unable to decide whether or not it
s a good thing that the concept of
Affirmative Action may in fact solicit
:laims of minority status from groups
hat do not yet have such status, such
is gays and lesbians.
I am appalled and frustrated at the
ittitude expressed by some classmates
hat gays and lesbians should not be
granted any special status on the basis
>f their sexual orientation because
hey “choose to be gay.” I am also
lisgusted that this backward, funda
nentalist, arch-conservative attitude
s allowed to persist in an educational
mvironment, as it was in my class.
Toclaim that homosexuals choose
o be so is also to call every homo
sexual an idiot. Inherent in the verb
‘to choose” is the reasonable, free
selection of one thing rather than an
other, less desirable thing. But this is
lot what any homosexual does if he or
she “chooses” homosexuality; a ho
mosexual would be “choosing” the
worst possible option.
In our society gays and lesbians
:an be discriminated against on the
>asis of their homosexuality, they are
he object of hatred as well as hate
;rimes, they are in decidedly greater
langer of contracting AIDS,and they
ire labeled queers and fags, among
tther derogatory terms. If a homo
sexual declares his or her homosexu
ility, he or she often faces the loss of
friends and family. On the other hand, *
jo be heterosexual is to be healthy and
‘straight,” in short, “normal.” Why
would any intelligent, reasonable hu
man being choose to be gay?
miegraicu organization in America.
I support the president. Any sol
dier who doesn’t, outside of his own
vote, is worthy only of the citizens’
contempt. Soldiers serve the civil
authorities. Anything less is danger
ous impudence and a betrayal of the
trust ol the Republic (God bless it!).
Robert J. Tobin
graduate student
geology
Prayer
Advocates of prayer at graduation
aren’t just satisfied with a silent mo
ment for all beliefs to reflect or pray.
They claim that the religious denomi
nation of the preacher doesn’t matter
long as there is an actual prayer at the
ceremony. It makes no sense to me
that a group of predominantly Chris
tians would prefer having a Jewish or
a Buddhist preacher giving a prayer to
a God very different from the God
they believe in over having a moment
of silence when they can pray undis
turbed to the God they truly believe
in. This is very illogical. This whole
matter sounds more like a control
issue to me.
Paul Kocstcr
senior
agronomy
David Badders/DN
Dating
Bravo Kirby Moss!
Finally a person willing to explain
to the rest of the world that interracial
dating has nothing to do with race.
Maybe now people will get beyond
the stereotypes of athletes on campus.
News'flash: Not all black students on
campus arc here on scholarship. And
not all mixed couples are dating for
shock effect or recognition.
The hypocrisy that most people
express toward interracial couples is
getting old. How long is it going to be
before we can get beyond skin color?
The person under the skin is what we
should be worried about, not appear
ance.
Thank you Kirby for taking the
fime to write on a topic which is
Try to recall the day when you!
were 12 years old, that day on which
your parents sat down with you to
discuss your imminent decision on
whether to be gay or straight. I don’t
remember such a day in my life, and
neither does President Clinton in his
life. If prohibitions against gays and
lesbians arc codified, then so, too, arc
Lhc ignorant atti tudes of homophobics
modified. And this would truly be a
Lragedy. I commend PresidentClinton
for taking action on this issue and I
nope that people will look closely at
iheir own attitudes toward homosex u
ility.
Frederick Skretta
junior
history, Spanish and coaching
Time out
Time oul people! I keep hearing,
“My side is right because that’s how
I want it.” I, too, have knee-jerk reac
tions to all the important issues of the
day: public prayer, smoking,abortion
and ethnic diversity to mention a few.
Those are my private thoughts and I
won’t bore you with them.
Are we willing to restrict the as
sumed majority — say those wanting
prayer at commencement — for the
assumed minority — say those of
fended by adenominational prayer—
so they will be be able to be equally
participating in their commencement
loo? Haven’t the dissenters earned