OPINION
Netiraskan
Tuesday, April 12, 1994
Jeremy Fitzpatrick
Rainbow Rowell
A de ana Left in.
Todd Cooper
Je(/ Zeleny.
Sarah Duey.
William Lauer .
Daily
Nebraskan
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska Lincoln
Editor. 472-1766
Opinion Page Editor
Managing Editor
Sports Editor
Associate News Editor
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Senior Photographer
Edmoki w
Costly benefits
Health care plan effects must he studied
Many students conic to college to find careers where they
won’t be expected to flip burgers or deliver pizzas.
But if President Bill Clinton's health care plan is
approved, even some of these low-paying, part-time jobs may not
be available to college students.
The plan would require all small businesses to pay up to SO
percent of insurance premiums of all employees.
To pay for this, the business might have to eliminate jobs, and
most of these would be part-time jobs.
Mark Lutz, chief administrator of the Nebraska Restaurant
Administration, said “Anyone who works in a restaurant is going
to be hurt.”
This will include students.
Students often don't have time to work 40 hours a week, so
many rely on part-time jobs. Clinton’s plan could make it difficult
for students to find jobs.
Before adopting any health care plan, we must make sure it will
help more than it will hurt. If Clinton's plan cannot pass this test, it
should be rejected.
However, we should not reject the plan just because it may
inconvenience us if it will help the country at large.
No reform will help everyone. Any plan will ask for some
sacrifice from parts, maybe most, of the country.
But if this sacrifice will improve the accessibility of health care
in the United States, we should be prepared to adjust our lifestyles.
Justified air attacks
American bombs will save city's citizens
Imagine if tanks and artillery surrounded Lincoln and started
shelling the city. Imagine this city being devastated after a
two-week siege.
Now you have some idea of what life is like in Gorazde. a city in
the former Yugoslavia.
Gorazde is made up mostly of Muslims. Bosnian Serbs have
been attacking the city for two weeks, doing their best to kill
everyone who lives there. Under United Nations orders, Gorazde is
supposed to be a “safe area” for Bosnian Muslims.
On Monday, NATO warplanes dropped bombs for the second
straight day on the tanks and artillery shelling the city. The mayor
of Gorazde said in a radio broadcast that the air raids did not halt
the shelling of the city.
NATO and the United Nations need to keep up their air attacks
on the forces surrounding Gorazde until the city is safe. Gorazde is
not a military center. It is made up of civilians who arc being
slaughtered.
The planes making the attacks were American. The risks of
further military action will largely be to Americans. But through
air raids, the United States can do a great deal to help the civilians
that arc being slaughtered in Gorazde at little risk to our pilots.
The genocide in the former Yugoslavia simply mast be stopped.
If the United States can save lives without putting its pilots at
significant risk, it should do so.
till I < > l< I \l IN >1 l< \
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I I NIK IN >| |( \
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Week promotes greek benefits
During this week, Greek Week
1994, we all have a chance
to be reminded of the many
benefits the grcck system has brought
to the University ofNebraska-Lincoln
campus.
For those of you who think I’m
being sarcastic, think again. As a
member of a fraternity, I am a strong
proponent of “going greek,” though
there are some problems we grecks
need to fix.
When I was a high-school senior, I
never gave much thought to college. I
was busy enough already. When my
friend Jim asked if I was going to go
through summer rush, I told him that
they weren’t on tour and that I didn't
like their music anyway. Obviously, I
had a lot to learn.
That summer, I was taken out to
dinner, to the dog track and to lakes
for beach volleyball by the rush chair
men of almost every house. Even if I
had never signed a house, this experi
ence was worth going through for the
fun and the chance to meet other UNL
students.
However, 1 did become a member
of a house. Sigma Nu. and have never
regretted my decision.
The grcck system offers students
the chance to become leaders in their
own house. Those who take up the
challenge learn about paying and col
lecting bills, working with the admin
istration, planning and organizing
events, and enforcing rules.
Not everyone is cut out for this: 1
can think of a few failed officers we've
had, including myself. But, those
people who arc successful show that
they’re ready for the real world.
Even those whoaren’toflicers have
plenty of chances to be involved. Par
ties and philanthropies arc great ex
posure and usually have cool T-shirts,
but I ’m referring to being in a system
larger than yourself.
Intramurals and activities like
Homecoming give grceks chances to
plan and participate in events with
other members. I also have a common
bond with thousands of people across
the country, which could help me out
The greek system has brought
leadership to the university,
has offered large-university
students a small-college
atmosphere and, through
philanthropies, has given back
to the community.
with my career or just give me some
place to visit on vacation.
The statistics, straight from
“Ripley’s Bel icve 11 or Not.” also show
that grecks, on average, have better
grades than the rest of the university.
Greeks aren’t a bunch ofbrainiacs,
but the h igher grades aren ’ t just due to
good test flics, either. I know that I’ve
helped other guys in my house with
calculus and have proofread dozens of
papers, and others do the same things.
Having older members who’ve taken
your classes before can be an advan
tage.
Obviously, thegreek system is more
than just buying friends, just like liv
ing in the dorms is more than playing
hacky sack by Broyhill Fountain.
But the stereotypes persist, in part
because of our own mistakes. Some
problems still exist, but they arc ones
we can fix.
Lately, the greek system has come
under fire for hazing. 1 can honestly
say that this is mostly a problem of
perception. The few incidents that do
occur arc often assumed to be preva
lent throughout the system.
Most houses have moved away from
these old traditions, and this took
place long before the Jeffrey Knoll
accident.
I applaud the new anti-hazing law
and hope that all hazing can be elimi
nated but realize that we aren’t the
monsters we’re often painted out to
be. I also would like to see this legis
lation applied to gangs, but that’s
another matter.
A personal belief of mine is that the
greek system needs todiversify. Quite
simply, grccks arc pretty white.
Although there are some racists in
houses,just like there are in the dorms
or off-campus, their shrinking num
bers are no longer the source of the
problem.
Almost everyone, whether black,
white, Hispanic, Asian, or whatever,
who wants to sign a house docs. How
ever, practically 100 percent of rush
ecs arc European-Amcricans.
I can’t blame people from other
cultures for not rushing when we ap
pear so homogenous, but appearances
arc deceiving. Maybe rush chairs need
to recruit or something, but this prob
lem needs lobe solved because the rest
of the world isn’t so white.
The greek system has tarnished its
own image with stupid brawls, which
definitely don’t occur very often any
more, pranks and hazing. However,
the rest of the university should not
judge the entire system for the failures
of some individuals.
The greek system has brough t Icad
ership to the university, has offered
large-university students a small-col
lege atmosphere and, through philan
thropies, has given back to the com
munity.
This is why we have Greek Week:
to show off our accompl ishments over
the past year a nd also to have some fun
before the end of the semester.
For those of you who aren’t greek.
but think the system doesn’t sound so
bad, gi vc rush a try. You have noth ing
to lose, and everything to gain.
Baalis It a Jailor lateraidoail affairs
major aid a Daily Nebraska! coiumaist.
Ill 11 Ks KM III I IH IOU
Singapore
I n response to the editorial w i th the
headl i nc “S ingapore s ti ng” (DN, Apri I
11, 1994).
You say “Fay’s punishment is un
questionably too harsh. The United
States should protest the flogging...”
What I would like to find out from you
is.onwhatauthoritydoyoucxpcctthe
Unites Slates to protest the laws of
another country? The United States
has one of the highest crime rates in
the world, and year after year, the U.S.
system fails to lower these figures.
Therefore, I feel the United States is
hardly an authority to question the
laws of a country where the judicial
system works.
Also, I think it is time that those
protesting Fay’s punishment realize
that vou do not go to another country,
break the law and then expect to be
treated differently from the rest just
because you are a U.S. citizen ... it
doesn’t work that way.
Amar Patel
junior
finance
