OPTNTON Nebraskan
X^/l 1 1 IVy/l 1 Tuwday, March 30,1993
Net>raiskan
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Lincoln t
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
Park it
Raising fees won’t solve parking dilemma
The students have been heard. Their cries and pleas for
better parking have been answered by the university. After
months of bemoaning the issue, the solution has arrived.
A fee increase.
Actually the solution is somewhere on its way. On March 3,
the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska ap
proved the Parking Advisory Committee’s proposed budget. The
plan was then approved by the parking committee on March 11,
and it has been approved by John Goebel, vice chancellor for
business and finance.
What the solution amounts to exactly is an 8.7 percent increase
for the 1993-94 school year followed by a matching increase for
1994-95. The change, which jumps parking permit prices from
$54 to $58 next year, should raise $237,000 in extra revenue over
the next two years, money that will be used to improve parking cm
City and East campuses.
It seems strange that ASUN, a body that was so intent on
holding student fee increases to 0 percent this year, would be
willing to approve the increase in parking fees. After all, student
fees offer some true returns — the University Health Center, the
Campus Rcc Center and University Programs Council among
others.
The increase in parking fees offers what? A lottery. On City
Campus it amounts to a chance at a spot in a proposed lot at 19th
and R streets or in one of the improved gravel lots. On East
Campus, students who pay for the new, improved parking permit
can vie for a spot in a lot tentatively located near the Law Col
lege. Of course both of the new lots still require approval from the
regents.
Maybe someone should fund bike racks outside every class
building.
Face the changes
Reform more important than controversy
Monday, the Clinton administration took a first difficult
step toward health care reform.
Vice President A1 Gore opened the first public meeting
of the White House task force on health reform. Gore promised
that the Clinton administration would give Americans “freedom
from fear” about medical bills.
The task force is attempting to put together a comprehensive
health care reform package to submit to Congress by its self
imposed May 3 deadline.
The U.S. health care system now costs 5940 billion annually.
“Fixing the system will not be easy,” Gore said. “But the
American people have demanded that we fundamentally reform a
system that costs too much and serves too few.”
The health care task force has generated a great deal of contro
versy over the past weeks. That is understandable. Any attempt to
reform a system as entrenched as health care is in the United
States is bound to generate controversy.
But that controversy should not be allowed to eclipse the real
issue of health-care reform. Too many Americans today must live
in fear that financial ruin is only a serious medical problem away.
The controversy that has surrounded Clinton’s health care task
force is sure to grow more heated in the weeks ahead as the
commission begins to finalize its reform package. Americans
should not let those opposed to much-needed health care reform
confuse the issue with sideshow controversy.
Suff editorials represent the official policy of the Spring 1993 Duly 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 regenu publish the Daily Nebraskan. They establish the UNL
Publications Board to supervise the daily production of the paper. According to policy set by
the regenu, responsibility for the editorial content of the newspaper lies solely in the hands of
iu students.
-■ .;i
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Small world trek kills patience
Patience is a virtue. This I know,
for my fortune cookies tell
me so.
“Patience is the best remedy for
every trouble.” “You may have to be
patient now.” “Be patient — good
things will come your way soon.”
Stupid cookies.
My patience meter is on zero. The
next person who tells me to, “Take a
chill,” is going to have his or her head
removed in a violent, twisting motion
with my bare hands. Haaaa ha ha ha!
I was never like this before. I used
to be a calm, cool and collected
woman. Gandhi’s blood boiled more
than mine.
Then I went on spring break.
Day One:
After wailing for my traveling com
panions to arrive, waiting few others to
get breakfast, waiting for someone
else to go to the cash box, and waiting
for everyone to go to the bathroom,
millions of years later we finally pile
into two cars and begin our exodus to
warm, sunny Florida.
Doing 90 mph somewhere in Mis
souri, my muffler explodes and rips
the back tire. A bearded man offers to
change my tire for two live hogs or
$15. Lacking swine, I pay cash.
The other car asks us to "keep it
below 75." Thus, the “our car” vs.
“their car” game begins. To play this
game, bitch about the people in “their
car,” then disqualify any nasty com
ments bv saying, “But don’t gel me
wrong. I like so-and-so.” Repeat of
ten.
Somewhere down the road, we lose
“their car.” When “our car” arrives in
Chattanooga, Tenn., we find “their
car” is settled in and proposes that we
get another room, as if large rodents
roamed the floors at night. “Our car”
grumbles, whines and mutters down
the hall to “our room."
Day Two:
“Ourcar” hits the road earl v, doing
77 mph — damn their limits! — and
arrives in Florida first. Victory is ours!
After setting up camp in a hotel room,
we watch TV, procure some alcohol
and lottery tickets and promise to give
* ■ ■■■— ■ —^—
At day’s end, we
trudge back to the
communal car as if
Mickey and
company had
beaten all the fun
out of us with a
large stick. Disney
was a sadist.
everyone in “our car” $1 million if
one of us should win. And “their car?”
Screw ‘em! Haaaa ha ha ha!
Day Three:
“Our car” and “their car” gallivant
off to EPCOT for a day of fun and
frolic in one big happy commune of
friends and soulmates. And I grew
wings.
„ None of us can agree on what to do,
where to go or how long to stay once
we got there. We are so intent on
having fun that we forget to be kind,
considerate and loyal and help small
children cross the street.
Instead, everyone is caught up in
mass Disney hysteria. Like lemmings
rushing to a cliff, we run over little
kids trying to get on the rides, even
though most of hem are kind of silly.
The rides, not the kids. Sorry, kid! It’s
every Mouseketecr for himself. Haaaa
ha ha ha!.
Day Four:
During the day, it’s separate cars,
separate worlds. At night, we have a
great time together until someone’s
comment hurts someone’s feelings.
Maybe it was rude, maybe it was just
misunderstood, or maybe we all should
have iust killed each other right then
and there.
Day Five:
Beach, beach, beach! We’re all
lying together on a pile of sand, no
pets, no topless sunbathing and no
bitching — topless or otherwise —
allowed. Then it’s time to leave, and
everyone does, except me. Good thing
I’m within sighting distance. Plus, I
have the car keys. Haaaa ha ha ha!
Day Six:
An intercar (gasp) group heads to
Disney World for a day of fun and
frolic and five-story drops on a water
ride.
Again, lemming syndrome hits us
all. The “It’s a Small World” ride
makes some of my companions want
to pop the eyeballs out of the singing
dolls. I want to pop the eyeballs out of
some of my companions, but I remain
calm, cool and collected.
At day’s end, we trudge back to the
communal car as if Mickey and com
pany had beaten all the fun out of us
with a large stick. Disney was a sadist.
Day Seven:
The same people who have stayed
in the same hotel room pile into the
same car and start the same bitching,
the same whining and the same irritat
ing habits that I’ve lived with for
SEVEN DAMN DAYS! Visions of
handguns dance in my head. Luckily
for me and them, they sleep through
most of the trip.
Day Eight:
Finally, I gel home—ALONE AT
LAST — and kiss the carpet in my
apartment. While spitting fuzzies out
of my teeth, I vow that I will never
again in all my gosh darned life EVER,
EVER take a trip somewhere for so
long with so many people, no matter
how much we wax nostalgic after
ward.
Gandhi, I’m not.
Paulman is a senior news-editorial and
history m^Jor and a Daily Nebraskan colum
nist and photographer.
M W HIM B M f HlHIBIWBjIliiM
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‘Plastic models9
This letter is for Biology 101 stu
dents; you do not have to take the life
of an innocent creature to pass this
class. Each semester in Biology 101
part of the requirement is to have each
table of four to five students cut into
a freshly killed rat in order to see what
a freshly killed mammal looks like
inside.
I say this is wrong. I refused to do
it, was given the alternative of writing
a paper on animal experimentation—
which was much more educational—
and still got a good grade. I know
many feel like 1 do about this, but we
are brought up not to make waves or
stand out of the crowd in this society.
First of all, there is no reason that
students should have to do this in an
introductory class; a very high per
centage of these people will not be
{going to medical school or continuing
in a biological field.
Secondly, this practice is inhu
mane and wasteful! Every year about
2,000 students attend this class, which
means that around 500 rats per year
will be raised exclusively for dissect
ing purposes.
Thirdly, if local Mexican restau
rants can have plastic models of
chimichangas,enchiladas and burrilos
that literally make your mouth water,
the biology department can surely
order models so realistic they would
make those with the strongest stom
achs feel ill. Why needlessly kill when
there are alternatives?
I think it’s time we change our
attitudes toward animals. To me, a
true appreciation of biology is to ap
preciate and respect life, notdestroy it
when there are viable '* is.
Koester
senior
agronomy
