Oh n ion
Net>raskan
Friday, February 18,1994
Jeremy Fitzpatrick
Rainbow Rowell.. .
Adeana Left in.
Todd Cooper.
Jeff Zeleny.
Sarah Duey.
Willian Lauer....
Nebraskan
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
.Editor. 472-1766
.Opinion Page Editor
. *. rrrv,..Managing Editor
/... Sports Editor
..Associate News Editor
.Arts & Entertainment Editor
.Senior Photographer
Ql nli soi l III W l I K
“Death row in the state of Nebraska is one of
the safest places in the state. ”
— Nebraska State Sen. Scott Moore of Seward, asserting he
would vote to carry out capital punishment law if elected
secretary of state.
“You can’t say how you feel, so I don’t know
what I can say. It was total bulls—t. It was crazy. ”
— Danny Nee, NU men's basketball coach, after the Huskers'
loss to Oklahoma Monday evening.
“It doesn’t matter if you vote for VISION or
RESUME... you can write in Bill the Cat... just
vote. ”
— J.B. Howell, ASUN presidential candidate for the RESUME
party, encouraging students to participate in ASUN elections.
“It feels really good. I’m tired, but I’m glad I’m
going. ’’
— Tonya Harding, Olympic figure skater, talking to the press
aboard her flight to Norway.
“I think it makes people a little too goofy. I feel
like / want to go out and party. ”
— Maggie Beck, freshman accounting major, commenting on
above-normal temperatures this week.
“We can’t win discussing homosexuality,
abortion or prayer. We have the needs of the
students that need to be met. ”
— Robert Allen, NU regent from Hastings, urging the
university to focus on different issues.
“Regardless of my opinion on the ruling, the
Olympics have begun, and it’s time to skate. ”
— Nancy Kerrigan, Olympic figure skater, responding to the
Olympic committee’s decision to allow rival skater Tonya
Harding to compete.
“Every game they (the Oklahoma Sooners) beat
you, they rub it in. That’s just the arrogance of
the coaching staff and the players."
— Jamar Johnson, Nil basketball player, planning revenge
before playing Oklahoma Monday.
“For too long and in too many ways, our nation
has been drifting. ”
— Bill Clinton, president, transmitting his first annual
economic report to Congress.
“There’s not really many more chances for me.
I’ll have to live my life without an Olympic 500
meter gold medal. ”
— Dan Jansen, Olympic speedskater, after slipping Monday
during the 500-meter race.
“I did pick the chocolate cake and the white
frosting. ’’
— Graham Spanier, UNL chancellor, taking some credit for
350 pounds of cake at Nil's 125th birthday celebration Tuesday.
“It’s like maneuvering your way through a
minefield. ”
— Nebraska men's basketball coach Danny Nee, lamenting
the team’s tough road to the NCAA tournaments.
I 01 inui \| |*i » |( \
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
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.
1.1 I 11 l< l*ol l< \
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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
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affiliation, if any Requests to withhold names will not be granted. Submit material to the Daily
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Kepfield
I had to laugh when I read Sam
Kepfield’s editorial (DN, Feb. 16). I
realize that he may have helped the
Mexican American Student Associa
tion’s boycott of the Multi-Cultural
Affairs Office due to unfair hiring
practices.
I am not writing to convince
Kepfield of my views, but to inform
DN readers who may not have been
following the MASA boycott and got
an incorrect perception from
Kepfield’s ignorant words.
Blatant racism like Kepfield’s is
precisely why students, who should be
devoting their time to studies, must
make time to take a stand on issues
such as this one.
Of course, as students who come
from “comfortable, sheltered, mid
dle-class existences,” we all have in
numerable hours to spend on the boy
cott.
It’s unthinkable that any of us work
for a living or spend time studying —
even though many MASA members
have high grade point averages and
are involved in activities apart from
MASA.
Kepncld s comment that one comes
to the university solely “to learn... not
to feel comfortable” is a contradiction
in itself. How can anyone learn in an
oppressive environment? Even white
students who come to campus from
small towns have to make an effort to
concentrate on learning because they
may feel “uncomfortable” adjusting
to their new environment.
Kcpficld writes that we do not know
the meaning of real life, or real dis
crimination.
Real life and real discrimination
are having your mother surrounded by
teen-age white boys, being taunted
and called a “spic,” helpless to do
anything about it because she is alone
with two small children.
Discrimination is being told in a
classroom by a fellow UNL student
that she hates all Mexicans.
Life is tough, yes. It’s full of dis
comfort.
I and other Mexican Americans
get used to this every day, but that does
not mean that we have to take it, or
bow our heads in acceptance as
Kcpfield would expect us to.
Taking a stand for what you bcl ieve
in is a positive change, a true form of
learning. Not enough students do this
because they are too busy stuffing
resumes or climbing the social ladder.
MASA, although the only organi
zation officially boycotting the Multi
cultural Affairs Office because of its
unfair hiring practices, is far from
“going it alone.” MASA is supported
by various organizations, faculty, staff
and community groups. Not to men
tion countless support from friends,
fellow students and especially parents
who, lest we forget, are paying this
institution to provide a decent educa
lion and learning environment for
their sons and daughters.
1 do not believe this campus will
ever be one perfect community, at
least not as long as people 1 ike Kcpfield
continue to exist.
I do believe, however, that in the
aftermath of all this, the UNL admin
istration has the opportunity to make
positive, long-awaited and necessary
changes on this campus. The Multi
cultural Affairs Office is as good a
starting place as any. Equity in hiring
practices and representation for all
can make UNL a better learning envi
ronment for all students.
Marcela Juarez
senior
graphic design
MASA member and boycott
participant
Amy Schmidt/DN
Standing up
Regardless of Sam Kepfield’s po
sition on the Mexican American Stu
dent Association (DN, Feb. 16), his
supporting views are very narrow
minded.
He states that people do not come to
college to “have a voice.” I can think
of no better setting than a university in
which to voice for improved relations
among human beings. The real world
certainly isn’t as effective a setting.
Sure, life is tough; I’ll credit
Kepfield on just that one point. But by
saying, “Screw you, life is ... full of
discomfort, get used to it,” he is also
conveying that it’s how it’s going to
stay, so why do anything about it?
No matter what he thinks about
MASA’s boycott, Kepfield should at
least applaud MASA for doing what
university students have historically
done—standing up and defying con
ventions that work against justice.
Maybe the fact that so many revo
lutions have started at universities
worldwide indicates that learning is
not just academics.
Kobpom Lulu Cha
junior
chemistry
‘Narrow-minded’
Regarding Sam Kepfield’s editori
al (DN, Feb. 16):
It’s unfortunate Kepfield even has
the audacity to write such an ignorant
view, which obviously reinforces how
out of touch with reality he is.
Coming from a sheltered and racist
white male, comments like, “People
come here for one purpose and one
purpose only — to leam. Not to agi
tate, not to protest, not to demand that
their (the Mexican American Student
Association’s) needs be met, not to
feel comfortable or have a voice,” are
expected.
It’s sad how Kepfield can be so
narrow-minded with his expressions
about a world he has never experi
enced, when instead he could be ex
panding his knowledge about other
cultures.
Geno Venegas
junior
psychology
‘Lighten up’
Sam Kepficld, in another brilliant
ly executed op-ed diatribe (DN, Feb.
16), declares: “You don’t come to
college to make anyone feel the heat of
your discomfort.” This comes from a
man who weekly feels compelled to
torture the University of Nebraska
Lincoln population with exacting de
scriptions of his mental hemorrhoids.
Kcpfield ought to proof his work
more closely. His disdain for “mal
content kids who obviously have too
much spare time on their hands and a
deep craving to see their names in
print” must only apply to those pesky,
young minority kids, not to aging
white grad student kids.
Kepfield is so entangled in his
maratnon graduate studies, he has
forgotten he is himself a second- or
third-year columnist who somehow
found the spare time to put on a neck
tie for his Daily Nebraskan column.
Lighten up, Kcpfield.
Paul Souders
graduate student at large
Orchestra
We attended a concert given by the
University Orchestra conducted by
Emil Aluas Feb. 11 at the Kimball
Theater. We were looking for an in
spirational and relaxing evening and
we found much more.
We thank them for their tremen
dous work and performance. We’ll be
back for more.
Nels and Janet Forde
Lincoln