Opinion
Nebraskan
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Jeremy Fitzpatrick
Rainbow Rowell
Adeana LeJ'tin.
Todd Cooper
Jeff Zeleny.
Sarah Duey
William Lauer
Editor. 472-1766
Opinion Rage Editor
Managing Editor
Sports Editor
Associate News Editor
Arts di Entertainment Editor
Senior Photographer
EDI IOKI \l
Never forget
Students should give for Harms memorial
The news at the University of Ncbraska-Lincoln this year
has been dominated by the trial of Roger Bjorklund for the
murder of UNL freshman Candice Harms.
Now UNL students have the chance to contribute to something
that will serve as a permanent reminder of the woman who most
of us knew only after she died. Students have the chance to help
create a lasting tribute to Harms.
Planning is underway for a memorial to Harms that will be
located on the green space to be constructed north of the Nebraska
Union. The memorial is expected to be completed by the spring of
1995.
The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and the
Association of Students of the University of Nebraska arc plan
ning the memorial. They arc considering several ideas for the
memorial, including a small statue and retaining wall similar to
the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Students will be able to contribute to the memorial by helping
raise funds for its construction. Peg Blake, assistant vice chancel
lor for student affairs, said estimates for the memorial's cost range
between SI(),()()() and $15,000. Andrew Loudon, president of
ASUN. will appoint a steering committee this week to sum fund
raising for the project.
Students who want to help raise money for the Harms’ memo
rial should stop by the ASUN office and ask what they can do.
The memorial is a chance for UNL students to be a part of some
thing that will help keep Harms' memory alive.
Memorial rock
Stadium concerts would benefit everyone
This summer, many University of Ncbraska-Lincoln stu
dents will make four-hour road trips to sec supergroup Pink
Floyd. We’ll drive to Kansas City, Mo., and Ames. Iowa.
That four hours will turn into six or seven when we fight traffic
on the way home, pinching ourselves to stay awake.
In a few years, when major acts like the Rolling Stones. Paul
McCartney or U2 come through, we may be driving or even
walking to our very own Memorial Stadium.
For years, large tours have rejected Lincoln because the stadi
um's construction cannot accommodate the semitrailer tmeks
ur>cu tu muvt tilt; iuuio.
But Joe Sclig, University of Ncbraska-Lincoln’s athletic
facilities manager, said the university would consider a plan this
fall to renovate parts of the stadium so these shows would be
possible.
Holding concerts in Memorial Stadium would benefit everyone
involved. Cyclone Stadium at Iowa State University in Ames
clears about $3()(),()()() per concert per night from concessions,
parking and stadium rental.
Sometimes Iowa State even receives a part of the merchandis
ing profits. Because Memorial Stadium is larger, UNL would
probably make more than Iowa State.
Beyond this, concerts bring people into the city. Lincoln
restaurants, hotels and stores would also profit.
As Sclig said, “it would enhance the commerce for the state of
Nebraska.”
Finally, UNL students could sec their favorite bands without
falling asleep at the wheel.
Mmuki m I'm k \
SlalTeditorials represent the official policy of (he Spring IW4 Daily Nebraskan Policy is set
by the Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board Editorials do not necessarily relied the views of the
university, its employees, the students or (he NU Board of Regents Editorial columns represent
the opinion of the author The regents publish the Daily Nebraskan They establish the UNI.
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 U I’OI It \
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Nebraskan, .14 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St., Lincoln, Neb 68588 0448
/THETHING I LlkE MOST
ABoUT CAR J&CKIAG IS
THAT ITS SAFER
JHAM HITCHIIOWO...
PLCJ3 YOU GET To
KEEP THE CAR.
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Si i:\ k S\ii m
Pride takes the gold in sports
Iwas eating Easter dinner with
my future in-laws Saturday when
Arkansas beat Arizona in the
NCAA basketball tournament.
I didn’t get to watch much of the
game. But I read later that President
Clinton was in Charlotte. N.C., cheer
ing his Hogs on to victory. The Jour
nal-Star story kept calling Clinton
“the first fan.”
Even with his health-care package
on the ropes, new Whitewater allega
tions arising and his public support
dwindling. Bill still hastime to watch
hoops. But he is, after all, in office to
represent the American people, even
the ones that have “Rush is Right”
bumper stickers.
And what could be more American
than getting into sports? Besides bomb
ing a third-world country. I can’t think
of anything else.
Problem is, Americans lend to gel
waaaaaay into sports. A little Ux> much,
as far as I'm concerned.
Far UK) much social significance is
pul on sports in this country, and I
don’t know why. Major sports events
are now considered national holidays
and serve as the main forum for mer
chandising wars.
Sports have been around for a long
time. Before Nike and Reebok, before
ESPN and the Prime Sports Network,
they served as forms of recreation.
They were just games.
But lately it seems like things are
getting worse. If you’ve been to a
shopping mall recently, you know what
I’m talking about. Droves of adoles
cents meander through the stores,
wearing their favorite teams’ colors.
Mainly, they wearclolhes showing
Notre Dame, Florida State, M lami. all
those teal teams and the Dallas Cow
boys — most of which do well in
Sports have been around for a
long time. Before Nike and
Reebok, before ESPN and the
Prime Sports Network, they
served as forms of recreation.
sports.
Wc like sports because they spice
up our lives and give us a little con
flict.
It seemed that the Lillchammer
games—aside from the ice skating.of
cou rse—were short of con 11 ict. W i th
out the communist-bloc countries to
root against, wc were left with only
Tonya Harding.
After Lillchammer, many fans fell
empty. They were harkening back to
the days of the Lake Placid Olympics,
when the Soviet Union was the evil
empire and the fate of the free world
depended on the American hockey
team.
I’ve never understood the belief
that a country’s economic and politi
cal system could be proven superior
just because their athletes run faster,
jump higher or slide across the ice
better.
I think sports are a good excuse for
people to hate one another when they
really have no reason to. There’ll prob
ably never be a war fought over the
outcome of a basketball game .but it’s
not unrealistic to sec skirmishes be
tween angry fans and small-scale riots
after a championship game in any
sport.
Where did it all begin? Some
would say the conditioning starts in
high school. In the small towns of
Nebraska, sports teams rule the roost
In my home town, some judged other
communities by the strength of their
sports teams. Often, community pride
lived and died by the athletic success
of 15-, 16- and 17-year old children.
Something is just not right about that.
The hate often is fostered by the
national media. Prior to this year's
Nebraska-Colorado football game.
Denver Post columnist Woody Paige
wrote his annual column attacking
Nebraskans. He didn’t criticize the
Huskers' schedule or their inconsis
tent offense, he attacked the entire
stale of Nebraska. Automatically, to
most who read the column, much
more was riding on the game.
Sports don’t need the social bag
gage that all of us have placed on
them. It’s a disscrviCTto the fans and
the players.
To watch sports for the efforts that
the players put forth, for the strategies
involved and to wilncsscxlraordinary
athleticism can be very satisfying.
Impossible as it may be. I’d like to see
the ever-widening world of sports go
back to where it came: to the sandlots
and the backyards.
After all, they’re just games.
Smith ii a leaior aem-edltoHal major
and Daily Nehraikaa auoclatc a***' t-diior.
Ll l 11 UN in i III Lm mu
Indecent Beau
I want to address Beau Finley’s
column(DN, March 31,1994), Finley
thinks he’s funny, but his obnoxious
ness has passed the point of decency.
Finley wrote about NU tennis player
Brad Bcrnthal, Bernthal. like may
other athletes at this school, has worked
very hard for things he’s accompl ished.
To have these accomplishments belit
tled is a gross injustice. Finley should
be ashamed of himself and his sense
less battery of inane and banal col
umns. Maybe if he had an ounce of
athletic ability, he would appreciate
such laudable individuals. In the fu
ture, I’d advise him to be less reckless
and sensationalists.
David Spmar
graduate student
law
Cigarette tax
Almost 3,000 Nebraskans lose their
jobs every year. Because the tobacco
tax is so low, they continue to use
tobacco. They lose their jobs because
tobacco use kills them. The Group to
Alleviate Smoking Pollution wants
this tax to be raised $3 per pack to
reduce the huge yearly job loss—and
to reduce the number of k ids who start
this deadly addiction.
Mark E. Welsch
GASP president
‘Byrne’s tactics’
1 must agree with Athletic Director
Bill Byrne’s tactics regarding the stu
dents at football games. I have wit
ncssed firsthand how wc act at these
games and have to admit that we are
having way too much fun in that sta
dium. And the noise! Lord knows that
wc make far too much noise on “our’
end of the stadium when our oppo
nents have the ball. I understand that
Byrne is trying to make the stadium a
more friendly environment for the
other teams. Besides, it’s not I ike we’re
supporting our team — we’re just
there to socialize.
I’m guessing that the next step m
keeping students out will be to replace
these student-athletes with far more
entertaining professionals. I can hardly
wait.
Scott C. Boito
graduate student
chemistry
