Opinion
Nebraskan
Thursday, August It, 1
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Jeremy Fitzpatrick..
Kathy Sleinauer....
Wendy Mott.
Todd Cooper.
Chris Hopfensperger
Kim Spurlock.
" Kiley Timperley....
... Editor, 472-1766
Opinion Page Editor
.. Managing Editor
.Sports Editor
... .Copy Desk Chief
..Sower Editor
Senior Photographer
Open court
Coverage won’t curtail Bjorklund’s rights
Despite attempts to close the courtroom, the trial of Roger
Bjorklund, the man charged with murdering a UNL student
last fall, will be open to the press.
Lancaster County District Judge Donald Endacdtt ruled the
case open despite Bjorklund’s attorney’s statement that the trial
could not be feir if it were covered by the media.
Press coverage of trials serves a purpose. Having reporters in
the courtroom means the trial is a public one, and that means it is
probably a feir one. What is said during the proceedings will be
recorded in print and on film and likely will be read and seen by
thousands. This protects against peijury, and the publicity of it all
prevents possible abuse of power by judges, lawyers and juries.
And before ruling, Judge Endacott said the overriding principle
must be “that the defendant is presumed to be innocent until
proven guilty by the state beyond a reasonable doubt.” Obviously
Endacott was keeping Bjorklund’s right to a free trial in mind and
knows it should overrule the rights of the press.
Bjorklund’s rights are most important in this situation, and the
press’s presence should not interfere with them. But Nebraska
Press Association Attorney Alan Peterson was right when he said
a closed tearing actually would draw more attention to the case
than an open tearing.
And this case has drawn plenty of attention since Candice
Harms disappeared Sept. 22. The emotion involved may affect the
public’s view of Bjorklund. But if the press presents the facts in
the case as it should, feirly and objectively, its presence during
his trial should not affect how anyone views Bjorklund’s inno
cence or guilt.
Mock election
ASUN vote poor way to decide issue
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Graham Spanier
showed foresight and tolerance when he decided last
December to replace prayer at UNL’s graduation ceremo
nies with a moment of silence.
The decision was the perfect solution to the problem faced b>
public institution funded by public funds. Students who wished
pray could do so to themselves. Students who did not were not
offended by the silence.
It did not remove prayer from graduation. It simply made it
private.
Unfortunately, Spanier reversed his decision this summer and
has now decided to put the decision of prayer at commencement
in the hands of ASUN elections. Prayer was included in last
Saturday’s ceremonies based on March’s election results in favor
of prayer.
But of the 22,628 students eligible to vote in that ASUN
election, only 3,169 voted. That means 14 percent of UNL
students decided the issue of prayer at graduation for the rest of
the 86 percent.
Whether one approves of prayer at graduation or not, clearly
ASUN elections are no way to determine the issue.
And even if only one student did not wish to pray at gradua
tion, the issue would be the same. Is prayer at graduation right
simply because a majority of students decide it is?
UNL is a public institution with students of many creeds and
beliefs. There is no possible public prayer that could cover them
O to
an. , i
A vocal minority of students have demanded prayer, and
Spanier has conceded and given it to them. It is unfortunate he
was not able to stand by a moment of silence, which gave every
one the opportunity to be thankful for graduation in whatever way
he or she wished. _
l in ioki u I’m i< \
Staff editorials represent the official policy of the Fall 1993 Daily Nebraskan. Policy is aet by
the Doily Nobraakan Editorial Board. Editorials do not necessarily reflect the views of the
university, its employees, the students or the NU Board ofRegents 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 Student.'.
I I I I I U l’< >1 U N
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 apace
available. The Daily Nebraskan retains the right to edit or reject all material submitted. Readers
also are welcome to submit material as guest opinions. The editor decides whether material
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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, nutfor and group
affiliation, if any. Requests to withhold names will not be granted. Submit material to the Daily
Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St, Lincoln, Neb. 685SS-044S.
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Editor finds news niche in DN
I’ve beenaDN regular since I was
a freshman.
My first article printed in the
paper was on the Gulf War.
I got the assignment the night the
war started. I was in my dorm room
with the TV and radio off, trying to
catch up on the schoolwork I hadn’t
done that week.
1 had written my first story for the
paper that day, and 1 was tired.
J Waiting au day for people to call
me back on the story had been no
picnic. The grueling editing process I
went through seemed like hell.
So when the managing editor called
and wanted me to do another story, I
was surprised. I asked her if she re
membered I had just finished one,
then sighed and asked her what the
story was about.
When she said the war — which
had been passing me by while I poured
over calculus — I was at the DN in
five minutes.
My original story was scrapped,
but still, I was making calls and work
ing on a deadline.
I forgot about my calculus assign
ment. At the DN that night I was
involved with the real world, if only in
a small way.
I wag booked.
1 haven’t been disappointed since
my first opportunity to be involved in
covering meaningful, if sometimes
controversial, stories.
The DN has covered presidential
announcements and budget cut hear
ings. The neper has shown a day in
student life and the reality of being
homeless. •
The activities of a campus group
identified as a cult were brought to
light. When a chemical engineering
professor was arrested for sexually
assaulting a student, the Daily Ne
braskan broke the story.
Since I've worked here, the most
controversial story involved former
Comhusker running back Andrew
Scott Baldwin and the series of events
that eventually left him paralyzed
when he was shot by an Omaha police
officer.
I forgot about my *.
calculus assignment.
At the DN that night I
was Involved with the
real world, If only In a
small way._
When Baldwin was arrested for
attacking Lincoln resident Oina
Simanek, the Daily Nebraskan ran a
front-page picture showing him —
naked and bound — being put into a
patrol car by police.
The DN drew heavy criticism for
running the photo, which many be
lieved was racially insensitive and
offensive. But I supported the deci
sion to run the photo then, and I still
think it was right
Although the picture was disturb
ing, the Daily Nebraskan did not in
vent the Baldwin arrest, and it did not
slant the story. The paper simply
showed the reality of what happened
by printing the picture.
The events following Baldwin's
initial arrest—including the Sept 5,
1992, shooting that left him paralyzed
—showed the seriousness of his con
dition just as the photo originally did.
As those sad events demonstrated,
looking away from something you
don’t want to see doesn’t make it less
real.
There have been other controver
sies and other complaints since I start
ed. I’m sine there will be more this
year.
That’s news. It won’t always be
pleasant, but it is reality.
The Daily Nebraskan will deal with
criticism openly and honestly. The
DN is UNL’s newspaper, and it does
its best to serve its readers.
The people who work at the DN
may make mistakes in judgment. If
we do, we will correct than.
Our responsibility is to present an
accurate picture of life at the Univer
sity of Nebraska-Lincdn. If that pic
ture is sometimes unpleasant, the uni
versity should deal with that reality.
We are not cheerleaders.
But we do have the opportunity to
make all aspects oflife at UNL acces
sible to students.
Students who may never meet
Chancellor Graham Spanier can have
daily contact with him in the news
section.
Others who have never been in the
Legislature can keep in touch with the
state's budget crisis and how it will
affect the amount of tuition they will
have to pay.
Those who are concerned about
Calvin Jones’ Heisman Trophy chanc
es can find complete coverage of
UNL’s athletic programs in the sports
section. Profiles and features on stu
dent-athletes bring to life the people
behind the performances.
The opinion section offers students
the opportunity to express their views
on issues from the toilet papering of
sorority houses to gun control.
Students who want to know what is
Entertainment.
Even the classifieds serve readers.
They can lead to a date with someone
you made eye contact with in an ele
vator in Oldfather Hall.
There will also be breaking stories
like my first one in the Daily Nebras
kan. With the world's leaders consid
ering using force in the former Yugo
slavia such news seems all too likely
now.
Whatever happens, we will try to
firesent the news fairly and objective
y.
And if you don’t think we are
meeting that goal, write and let us
know, we need your letters to fill up
this section.
Fitzpatrick te a Motor poMUcal actooca
Malar aadtiM editor aftlM Daly Nabraskan.
f' ■
P.S. Write Back
h i uc Daily Nebraskan wants to hear from you. If you want to voice your opinion
B ..about an article that appears in the newspaper, let us know. Just write a brief letter to
^ the editor and sign it (don’t forget your student ID number) and mail it to the Daily
Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 ‘R’ Street, Lincoln, NE 68588-0448, or stop by
the office in the basement of the Nebraska Union and visit with us. We’re all ears.
_