Opinion
Daily -
Nebraskan
Monday, Augurf 23.1993
Nebraskan
Editorial Boafti
University of Nebfaska-Lincoin
Jeremy Fitzpatrick ..
Kathy Sleinatter_
Wendy Mott.
Todd Cooper.
Chris Hopfensperger
Kim Spurlock.
Kiley TimpeHey
... Editor, 472-1766
Opinion Page Editor
. V. Managing Editor
.Sports Editor
... .Copy Desk Chief
....... Sower Editor
Senior Photographer
I D! IOKI M
Prove it
Action must follow Spanier’s good ideas
UNL Chancellor Graham Spanier discussed some of the
university's problems and introduced some good ideas in
his State of the University speech Friday.
Spanier addressed several issues, such as the recently-adopted
admissions standards and sold-out residence halls. Both show that
UNL is pushing for higher goals and working to accommodate
student needs and requests.
In fact, a recurring theme of Spanier’s address was UNL’s need
to continue to push for various improvements.
Spanier said 34 percent more racial minority students attend
UNL this year than did four years ago, and this improvement is an
example of UNL pushing to expand UNL’s atmosphere and make
it a friendlier and more racially diverse one.
But this fact most be weighed against the 136 complaints filed
with the Office of Affirmative Action between September and
July, Spanier said.
Apparently not all students, faculty and staff are satisfied with
what they find at UNL, and Spanier acknowledged this.
He was right when he said we must all promote a better
environment for minorities. Otherwise the number of minority
students seeking higher education at UNL will turn around for the
worse. In the long run, this would hurt the environment here for
all students.
Spanier also introduced plans to start a women s soccer team,
build student-family housing units on City Campus and remove
the employee parking lot north of the Nebraska Union and replace
it with an open spot—“a place for people,” he said.
adm/nStrators need to follow through and turn these good Seas
into reality.
Reno’s right
Nebraska s model curbing youth violence
Attorney General Janet Reno had nothing but good things to
say about Nebraska at the Governor* s Conference on
Violence and Youth on Friday.
She commended Nebraska’s leaders for taking steps to curb
youth violence in this state. She said it was encouraging to see
leaders from all branches of the government work together to find
a solution to the youth violence problem in Nebraska.
“You may very well set an example for the entire nation,” she
said.
She stressed investing in America’s youth to prevent the
problem from growing out of control in the long run. She ap
plauded Nebraska’s leaders for doing just that — finding a way to
prevent youth violence from starting rather than dealing with the
problem later.
Having this conference and involving teen-agers in it is a step
in the right direction. While Omaha has had several incidents
involving youth violence — and several lives lost — the problem
here is not the staggering, paralyzing problem it is in many
sections of the country.
But the only way to prevent the problem from escalating in our
part of the country is to follow Reno’s main suggestion in her
speech: Pass the Brady Bill and President Clinton's anti-crime
package, which could put as many as 50,000 new police officers
on the street.
“The time has come for the people of America to say that we
are sick and fed up with assault weapons,” Reno said. The weap
ons are only used to kill people, she said.
Too many of this country's youth have died to prove this true.
With the Brady Bill and Clinton's anti-crime package, maybe
conferences to end youth violence would not be needed.
I Dl inkl \l I'm k N
Staff editorials reprsecni the official policy of the Fall 1993 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 ofRefents. Editorial columns represent
the opinion of the author The repents publish the Daily Nebraskan. They establish the UNL
Publications Board to supervise the daily production of the paper. According to policy set by
the repents, responsibility for the editorial content of the newspaper lies solely in the hands of
its students
I i 1111< I’m it 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 space
available. The Daily Nebraskan retains the right to edit or reject all material submitted. Readers
also ere welcome to submit material as guest opinions. The editor decides whether material
should run as a guest opinion. Letters and guest opinions sent to the newspaper become the
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, major and group
affiliation, ifany. Requests to withhold namee will not be gnuited. Submit material to the Daily
Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St.. Lincoln, Neb. 6S3SS-044S.
^£<al$TWffWK
R'fq
r,fy7£ Tc*At‘*k
iP£RM(r«
Football
TICKETS
iritvevsi+y cf
Ul< II \KI> \\ Kl(.II I
Fishing makes escaping great
There’s a saying I remind my
self of from time to time.
“A bad day fishing beats a
good day at work.”
Yep, that about covers it.
There is no better way to relax in
this world than to grab a tackle box, a
couple of poles and find a pond to
drown some worms in.
This year, I found a farm pond to
try my ludi at.'> «••»*'» * *»
To me, sitting along the banks of a
pond watching the bobber is heaven.
There are only two things better,
watching my kids and walking through
a plowed field looking for pheasants.
The pond I fished this summer is
about a naif-mile from our house. All
I have to do to get there is walk out the
back door, over the railroad tracks,
across one hay field, a milo field, a
gravel road and jump a small creek.
Also, look out for the electric cat
tle fence. It’son, and it hurts when you
touch it, trust me.
Once there, I have to walk around
to the north end, which is easy enough
because of the cattle path that circles
the pond. All you have to do is watch
where you step.
Sitting there, waiting for the bob
ber to begin the dance that signals a
bite, I thought about all the fishing
I’ve done in the past.
One of the earliest memories is
f shing at a pond in Kansas. Dad rush
ing back and forth between my broth
er, sister and me helping to reel in the
bass we caught. He never did get a
chance to get any fishing in.
Granddaddy spent all of his time get
ting snagged.
There were the times spent fishing
at the lake not far from home. Only it
is a private lake, and we would have
to crawl under the fence to get to the
lake. We never did catch anything
worth keeping there.
Fishing in Colorado with my wife’s
uncle has always been a joy. The first
A good pair of boots, a tackle box,
fishing pole, bait and a pond, lake
or stream will always have more
meaning than any other form of
entertainment.
i
time wc -were there; Jack-and I both
caught our limit of trout in about two
hours. The last time, Jack outfished
me, which isn’t a surprise, as he, a
cousin and I fished in a lake at 10,000
feet. We stood there in the rain, sleet
and sun doing our best to get those
trout. I can't wait to get back there for
more.
At my pond, fishing is just a bonus.
Sitting there just listening and watch
ing is what getting outdoors is all
about.
The last time I was there, I watched
a muskrat swim across the pond until
he saw me and dipped below the
surface. I also got to watch a hawk
dive down for the kill.
To many people, it's a gruesome
sight, but in reality it is just basic
nature. The survival of the fittest.
Fishing is basic nature. Survival.
For hundreds of years, man and ani
mals have gone after fish. Either us
ing hands, spears or high-powered rod
and reels, men have fished as a basis
for survival.
Now it's sport. Just watch the Sun
day morning fishing shows. There is
money to be made on the professional
fishing tour.
What a job, being a professional
fisherman. To get paid to fish. Not
like they do on the coasts with a
trawler and nets, but with a rod and
reel. I wonder if there is a tour school
you have to qualify at to make the pro
tour, kind orlike the PGA.
Gee, just think of all the endorse
ments and money Michael Jordan®
could make from the fishing world. 1
He might even get a boat named after ’
him.
I look at fishing as a way of relax
ation. Whether I catch a fish or not
doesn’t really matter.
What matters is that 1, or my fam
ily and I, get out into the outdoors and
experience all it has to offer. 1 enjoy
going downtown to a movie, but get
ting away from people is preferable.
Some may see it as weird or bor
ing, but the beauty outside the city
limits beats any museum or restau
rant. How many of us have seen the
Sandhill cranes, bald eagles—not the
ones in a zoo, but along a river —
whitetail deer munching soybeans, or
a family ofbadgers scampering around
its den?
Getting away from it all is more
than a cliche. It is a way to recharge
one’s batteries. It’s a way to get a
grasp of what life is all about.
Cable, VCRs and made-for-televi
sion movies are meaningless forms of
entertainment. A good pair ofboots, a
tackle box, fishing pole, bait ami a
pond, lake or stream will always have
more meaning than any other form of
entertainment.
It may seem odd, sound hokey and
look funny, but when given all of that,
I’d rather go fishing.
WrlgkC b • gradate itadeat la jouraalbai
a ad a Daly Nebraikaa cohmaiit.
P.S. Write Back
The Daily Nebraskan wants to hear from you. If you want to voice your opinion
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.
