Opinion
Nel?raskan
Thursday, January 27,1994
Nebraskan
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Jeremv Fitzpatrick.Editor, 472-1766
Rainbow Rowel/ . ;. .‘ • Opinion Page Editor
Adeana Leftin..Managing Editor
Todd Cooper....... :..- - • Sports Editor
JeffZeleny. .".*.... .Associate News Editor
Sarah Duey..Arts & Entertainment Editor
Stacie McKee. ...Photo Chief
i: i > 11 out u
All for one
Don't use UNL money for Omaha college
A tale of two cities.
Last August, a group of Omaha businessmen requested
that the University of Nebraska establish an engineering
college on its Omaha campus. They said it was inconvenient for
their employees to take necessary day classes in Lincoln.
The coalition offered to help defray most, but not all, of the $2
to $3 million it would take to establish a UNO college.
But who would foot the rest of the bill?
A new college must not be established by reallocating resources
from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Spending on engineering education in Nebraska already lags
behind other states. Maintaining one strong program is more
important than two weak ones 50 miles apart.
Regent Rosemary Skrupa of Omaha said money should not be
as important as need. She said we should not put our finances
before offering a quality education.
It would be nice if NU could routinely put needs before finances,
but this is unrealistic. In a time when university budgets are
routinely cut and criticized, need and money must walk hand in
hand.
The debate has caused an unhealthy competition between
campuses.This competition is inconsistent with NU Board of
Regents Chairman Charles Wilson’s one-university concept.
Now is not the time for intrauniversity squabbling. If NU can
establish a new college without hurting the Lincoln campus, then
fine. Certainly the generosity of the Omaha coalition should not be
dismissed too quickly.
But if a new college weakens the university as a whole, then the
idea should be dropped, as should rivalry between the two cities.
O I III U' \ II \\
It used to be executed publicly on a lawn or up on campus,
but today it is shrouded in secrecy and often denied by its
participants. Each year it claims the lives of unsuspecting
victims such as Texas Tech student Jed Halverson, who lost his life
in early January, and rivets repugnance in the public.
It is called hazing.
The real question is why it has persisted in the face of national
fraternity and sorority restrictions against it and a public repulsed
by it. Initiation and hazing occur annually at KU, especially at the
beginning of the spring semester, just as it does at many other
universities.
Inevitably, the argument is made that “the house that hazes
together stays together.” It may be justified if one considers that
initiation and hazing pledges are the events that have the largest
turnout among fraternity and sorority members. But what is the
value of members as brothers and sisters if the only events they
truly can be counted on to attend are ones in which they humiliate
new members?
The threat of hazing has turned more than a few qualified
candidates and quality people away from joining a greek chapter.
Young men and women choose instead to live in a scholarship hall
or volunteer for a community service organization, things greek
chapters strive to ingrain in their members. Hazing deters many of
the achievers greeks seek to fill their ranks. If you look at the
people that are sacrificed for hazing, it makes little sense to support
its proliferation or existence.
— The University Daily Kansan
— University of Kansas
I I>1 l< >l<l \l l*< >1 K \
Staff editorials represent the official policy of the Spring 1994 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 of Regents. Editorial columns represent
the opinion of the author. The regents publish the Daily Nebraskan. They establish the UNL
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the ifegents, responsibility for the editorial content of the newspaper lies solely in the hands of
its students.
I I II I U l’< >1 l< N
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Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St, Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448.
‘Wake-up call’
On Nov. 3,1993, when Jeff Knoll
suffered injuries from a fall at Phi
Gamma Delta Fraternity, a wake-up
call should have been given to the
entire greek system.
The underlying problem that
evening and a problem that faces the
entire greek system is the ongoing
abuse of alcohol. We encourage the
leaders ofother fraternities to proceed
with caution. The entire greek system
at UNL is important to us and, at this
time, in need of change. Change is
never easy, but when you can deter
mine your own courses of action, rath
er than having changes imposed upon
you, those changes arc a lot easier to
accept. Do not tall prey to the belief
that it cannot happen to you.
Accidents happen, but when alco
hol is involved, accidents appear to
occur more frequently. The greek sys
tem here at UNL has been very fortu
nate that more accidents have not
occurred. No one feels worse about
Nov. 3 than the members of Phi Gam
ma Delta Fraternity. Sanctions have
been implemented on our fraternity,
but no sanctions are going to make us
more aware of what Jeff Knoll and his
family have gone through.
Our thoughts have always been
with Jeff and his family. He is a part of
our fraternity and always will be. We
have shared a lot of good times with
Jeff and hope he will always accept
our friendship.
The members of Phi Gamma Delta
Fraternity
Conservative view
There has been much talk about the
proposal to restrict areas of campus
from bicycles and forcing those that
do ride to register their bicycles with
the university. 1 am fiercely opposed
to this proposal.
Although I do, in fact, enjoy riding
my bicycle to my classes, I am not
opposed to this for personal reasons. I
feel the university does not need to be
bogged down further with additional
legislation and regulation.
Being a bit of a conservative, 1
generally oppose government regula
tion. Instead I call for action from
those truly involved. The statement
that most accidents could be avoided if
both stroller and biker would pay more
attention is generally true. It is not in
the best interest of the bicyclist to try
to ride at top speed through the middle
of crowds during “rush,rtraffic times
on campus, as a potential accident
would be as detrimental to the bicy
clist as the pedestrian.
In closing, the idea of legislation
forcing bicyclists to pay to have some
one watch to make sure they don’t
misbehave is an insult to everyone's
THE. SPORT,
I i in ks i<> i m Km mu
intelligence. We’re all adults now,
and we don’t need university-appoint
ed patrolmen to tell us how to behave.
C. Aaron Hall
senior
electrical engineering
Chris McMaslers/DN
Bicycle lanes
I have been riding a bicycle to
campus now for almost 20 years. 1
have never been involved in an acci
dent on campus, and my bicycle has
never been stolen. Therefore, I am
surprised by the concerns expressed
recently by the Parking Advisoiy Com
mittee.
Ours is a big campus, and a bicycle
is an excellent mode of transportation
for getting around on campus. A no
ride zone, like the one proposed by the
committee, does not seem like a good
idea to me. A better solution would be
to have bicycle lanes, which can be
easily accommodated by the fairly wide
sidewalks on campus.
Finally, all bicycles are supposed
to be registered with the city. This
gives the bicycle an identification
number, which can be used to trace its
owner. 1 do not see how a $5 campus
fee would make a bicycle more then
proof.
I hope the Parking Advisory Com
mittee is not just looking for a way to
make money.
Sitaram Jaswal
professor
physics and astronomy
' NOPOO^T
tsm yt,
AM4- VJKi** JOOV*AUfc)ty
Quake
A story in the Jan. 26 DN about the
earthquake that occurred in Nebraska
Monday caught my eye. Nebraska,
and Lincoln in particular, is more
vulnerable to earthquakes than people
realize. About two weeks ago, the
Conservation and Survey Division at
UNL issued an updated report on earth
quakes in Nebraska, and I picked up a
copy of it for kicks. I learned:
• We had a quake that measured
3.3 on the Richter scale Monday.
• We had a4.0 in February 1989 in
Cherry County.
• Nebraska’s first recorded quake
was in 1867, the year it became a stale.
It was a Class IV, which means it
measured between 3.0 and 3.5.
• No earthquakes have been mea
sured in Lancaster, Douglas or Sarpy
counties, but there have been quakes
in neighboring counties Saunders and
Gage.
• Lincoln is a Zone 2 earthquake
risk area. A Zone 2 area can get quakes
that measure 5.0 on the Richter scale.
Los Angeles and most of western Cal
ifornia are Zone 3. All major build
ings in Lincoln are designed to sur
vive quakes of about 5.0. But no one
seems to know if the Capitol was built
with earthquakes in mind.
• A fault line runs straight through
Lincoln, apparently right (town O
Street.
Sleep tight tonight, and make sure
you buy your earthquake insurance.
Wayne Schlitt
junior
computer science
‘Hypocrisy’
The hypocrisy of my generation
frightens me. In response to Tisha
Smith’s letter (DN, Jan. 26), I must
disagree with her statement, “It is
selfish and irresponsible to bring a
child into this world without having
the resources to support it and give it
opportunities.” This is America, not
Ethiopia. Where there is a will, there
is a way.
Smith also wrote, “We need to start
our children on the right foot and at
least give them a fair chance at being
successful in the future.” When a child
is aborted, you are not starting its life,
you are ending it.
I ask, what “chance” does the abort
ed “tissue mass” have due to your
“loving decision?” And where is his
or her future? Smith also mentioned
the “logical and realistic” — not
loving—decision of the parents. lean
agree with that statement, in that the
parents chose to have sex.
I challenge you to start our children
on the right foot and at least give them
a fair chance at being successful in the
future. Let’s not hold the innocent
children responsible for our actions.
Aaron Zimmer
sophomore
architecture