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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 5, 1993)
Opinion jsssss. Nebraskan Editorial Board University of Nebraska-Lincoln Jeremy Fitzpatrick. .Editor, 472-1766 Kathy Steinauer. ..Opinion Page Editor Wendy Mott.'.. • Managing Editor Todd Cooper.Sports Editor Chris Hop/ensperger.^'opy Desk ChieJ Kim Spurlock.Sower Editor Kiley Timperley..Senior Photographer Ugly tradition Fraternity hazing goes on causing pain The tradition of hazing at fraternities has put a University of Nebraska-Lincoln student in critical condition at Lincoln General Hospital. Jeffrey Knoll, a freshman and a Phi Gamma Delta pledge, fell from a bathroom window around 5:30 p.m. James Griesen, vice chancellor for student affairs, confirmed Thursday what rumors suggested: The incident was related to drinking and hazing. Griesen said Phi Gamma Delta actives found Knoll in the fraternity house when pledges were not supposed to be there. After Knoll consumed a quantity of alcohol, he went upstairs because he said he felt ill. Griesen said Knoll had been drinking “in a coercive environment.” A short time later, actives saw him lying on the ground outside the window. Hazing in fraternities and sororities is illegal under state law. Although the greek system insists hazing no longer happens, this incident shows that it does. The details of this case are being referred to the county attorney’s office, and any individuals - involved should be prosecuted and punished to the full extent of the law. Hazing does not promote the brotherhood or the loyalty on which fraternities pride themselves. It only humiliates members, at the least, or endangers their health and safety at the worst. Knoll personifies this problem; he remains in critical condition in the hospital because of the foolish hazing practices in his fraterni ty. “We're damned if we do and damned if we don't They're making a eunuch out of the board of regents." — NU regent Rosemary Skrupa, complaining that people criticize the board of regents for holding closed meetings “We're not into gay bashing. We don’t have a problem with what they are. ” — John Barrett, vice chairman of UNL College Republicans, who distributed stickers this week in response to the pink triangle stickers He didn’t say anything.... He took one step forward and punched me on the right side of my face. ” — Boon-Chung “Marco” Ong, describing how he was assaulted in front of the Nebraska Union on Oct. 17 “Russia reserves the right to use ail means at Its disposal to repulse aggression and crush the aggressors. ’’ — Valery Manilov, deputy secretary of Russia’s top policy making Security Council, stating Russia's willingness to use nuclear weapons if attacked with conventional forces “He said he lived for this one show, this time of year and he wasn’t going to miss it. ” — Lincoln Police Department Sgt. Sandy Myers, who testified Wednesday that Roger Bjorklund agreed to fill out a court-ordered handwriting form only after the Country Music Awards television show had ended -1 1 • Staff editorials represent 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, ita 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 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, if any. Requests to withhold names will not be granted. Submit material to the Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St., Lincoln, Neb 68588-0448 ^«^stAica\jow<m®93 tJHOUQKT WSSS i WOULD BE TOLM fOOO K OSK TO RUNTWt NKML KWEAvCN. BLOCVCNDtOf ^ ^TV. > Capital punishment I am writing in response to Mark Mercer’s letter (DN, Nov. 2). If it was wrong to murder Harms, how can Mercer justify the murder of an other human? Killing Harms’ mur derer won’t bring Harms back, but would be another murder that the legal system would justify by calling it justice. The killing of anyone is wrong, but Harms is gone and nothing we do will bring her back. Killing Harms’ murderer won’t change that. She would still be dead. Her murderer is living and should be allowed to stay that way. Brent Riensche freshman general studies Greek system In response to Steve Smith (DN, Nov. 3): I agree that every human being should have respect for anoth er’s feelings. I also agree that racial slurs arc childish and stupid. I am sorry that the incident with the two Asian students happened. However, why is this considered a reflection on the entire areek system? Smith admitted he “wouldn’t be writing this if it wasn’t so obvious what group the slur came from.” Why does that make a difference? If an independent student makes a racial slur, is it not as harmful as one com ing from a greek? There was no reason to mention the Alpha Tau Omega house, let alone the greek system as a whole. The incident has nothing to do with ei ther. It has to do with one insecure person. I am also offended that the greek system’s contributions to the com munity and national charities was belittled. My sorority’s philanthropy in October raised more than $1,000 for cancer research. I’m sure even the two Asian students would agree that this kind of contribution to soci ety is far more important than one ignorant student’s comment. Anne Skourup sophomore business administration ‘Absurd’ Maybe absurdity is the best word for what the College Republicans deem to be a joke. All right, let’s get down to what the pink triangle stick ers were meant for. “Coming Out Week” might have something to do with it. Gee, I don’t know. Now, let’s get to the main argu ment by the College Republicans. Why should we focus on one issue? If they focus on one issue during “Coming Out Week” then that’s wrong. Well, what happens on Moth er’s Day? We celebrate our mothers and all that they have given us. Do we try to bring our fathers into the picture and say, “Hey, why arc we giving her all the credit? Dad’s done a lot too; hey, that’s not fair!” No, I don’t think so. Are they saying we should celebrate the Easter bunny on Christmas? David C. Williams freshman F.nolish w James Mehsling/DN Stickers The recent distribution of mock sensitivity stickers by UNL’s Col lege Republicans should come as no surprise to the Daily Nebraskan or any other purveyors of political cor rectness. Surely the designers of the now infamous little pink triangle stickers knew that to single out homosexuals as the minority most oppressed and deserving of special professorial ac commodations would result in exact ly this type of public response. The Daily Nebraskan scaled new heights of hypersensitivity with the exclamation that, “They (the mock stickers) will not be taken seriously because they are so distasteful and immature (DN, Nov. 3).” While I have no affiliation with the UNL Col lege Republicans, I think it is obvi ous their intention was never to be taken all that seriously, and was pure ly jocular in nature. They masterful ly illustrated the absurdity of the whole ridiculous sticker folly. One’s sexual orientation is not a matter of relevance between a pro fessor and a student. If it becomes one, then I suggest that the student/ professor scholastic relationship has progressed far beyond acceptable boundaries. After all, are we, as stu dents. attending this university for an experience in educational enlighten ment, or are we here for some ill conceived, psychoanalytical group therapy session? Thomas K. Eads junior political science, English ‘The good life’ Even in Nebraska, home of the good life, we are constantly remind ed of the gay and lesbian demands for special treatment and distinctive rights. As a native of Lincoln and an active citizen of the state of Nebras ka, I was shocked to hear stickers depicting pink triangles were given to faculty and administration mem bers via the Affirmative Action Of fice and a gay/lesbian student orga nization. The so-called purpose of the stick ers was to promote a feeling of secu rity among gay students when talk ing to faculty or administration mem bers who displayed the stickers. How ever, being the father of a gay man, I realize there was a hidden agenda. Anyone who knows anything about the radical tactics of the gay political forces, such as Act Up or Queer Na tion, knows the pink triangle sym bolizes the legitimization and pro motion of the gay lifestyle. Ana the stickers hit UNL during “Coming Out Week.” Coincidence? Probably not. Thanks to groups such as UNL College Republicans and the state’s media, the pink triangle assault has received due criticism and informed people, like myself, of the occur rence. Thomas A. Williams Lincoln Movies I’m surprised Mark Baldridge even bothered to interview Frank Rhodes, the Douglas Theatre Company film buyer (DN, Nov. 4). “Dazed and Con fused” did in fact play at a Douglas Company-owned theater — the Q Cinema 9 in Omaha. A print of “Dazed and Confused” will be avail able to the Cinema Twin in Lincoln on or near Nov. 26. This information has been known for at least two weeks. Baldridge seems to have made a minimal attempt to research some thing he knows little about. I’m sure that in his years at UNL he has at least heard of supply and demand and the concept of capitalism. Any one who wants to succeed in busi ness is going to make decisions based on what will be likely to create the maximum profit. The Douglas The atre Company is just that, a theater company, not a film studio. They arc not responsible for what gets released. They also have much less control over what get played in Lincoln than what Baldridge must think. Film studios such as Fox, Para mount, Touchstone, etc., make cer tain demands in their contracts with theater companies, and the Douglas company can choose not to show a certain film if the contract doesn’t serve their business interest. The Douglas company makes a sincere effort to acquire prints of movies that Lincolnites will enjoy, even those that are artsy and oft the beaten path, such as rtThe Crying Game,” “Joy Luck Club” and “Much Ado About Nothing.” Matthew T. Bamason senior English
