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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 18, 1994)
Opinion Netjraskan Monday, April 18,1994 Nebraskan Editorial Board University of Nebraska-Lincoln Jeremy Fitzpatrick Rainbow Rowell A deana Left in. Todd Cooper Jeff Zelenv. Sarah Duey. William Lauer .Editor, 472-1766 Opinion Page Editor .Managing Editor . . . Sports Editor .Associate News Editor Arts & Entertainment Editor .Senior Photographer Km iori w Byrne burns us Rise in basketball ticket price not justified Why stop when you’re ahead? Apparently, that is what University of Ncbraska Lincoln Athletic Director Bill Byrne was thinking when lie decided to raise the price of student basketball tickets. Specific details haven’t been set. but Byrne has confirmed that the price of Comhusker basketball tickets will be increased in the near future. This comes after Byrne moved students into poor scats at Memorial Stadium and then raised the price of their tickets. “I remember what it’s like to be a student. And I know it's hard to take ticket price increases sometimes,” Byrne said Friday. But if Byrne understands what it’s like to be a student, he isn't using his knowledge well. He needs to remember that the athletic department is here because of students, not the other way around. Andrew Loudon, president of the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska, has worked with Byrne to stagger the price increase over three years. But that is not enough. In a couple of years, the expanded Big Eight Conference will be receiving revenue from the largest TV contract ever signed. The athletic department doesn't need the minimal funds that will be generated by raising ticket prices. When Byrne raised the price of football tickets, many people called to complain. Apparently he didn't get his messages In the least, he didn't get the message. If students don’t want to pay more for basketball tickets, they should call Byrne and let him know — again. Preserving earth UNL does quality’ recycling job; do you? Although most people do not consider themselves environ mentalists, most of us are willing to do our part to protect the environment when it is convenient tor us. In the past few months, it has become much easier for students, faculty and staff members at the University of Ncbraska-Lincoln to help out. In buildings all over campus, including residence halls, recy cling containers have been popping up. Recycling newspapers and office paper on campus is now as easy as throwing it away. By reducing the amount of garbage UNL sends to the landfill, we preserve the environment and save money on landfill fees. As Earth Day approaches, we should all look for more ways to protect the planet. Although Earth Day should not be the only day each year when we try to be environmentally conscious, it is an opportunity to evaluate our lifestyles to sec what more we could do. Almost everyone could do more to protect the environment without seriously inconveniencing themselves. For example, now that recycling on campus has been made easier, we should try to recycle at home. We should try to buy products with recyclable packaging. If we, as consumers, expect products to be packaged simply with recyclable materials, companies will continue to improve and deliver this type of product. Dale Ekart, recycling coordinator, should be commended for helping to make recycling at UNL more efficient and convenient It is hoped that Ekart will continue to lead UNL in this direction and that the university will stand behind his efforts. Kill IDKI \i in h i< n SUIT editorials represent (he olTicial policy of the Spring IW4 Daily Nebraskan Policy is set by the Daily Nebraskan Lditonal Board luiilonalsdo not necessarily relied the views ol'lhe university, its employees, the students or the NU Board of Regents hditonal 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 IH< IN >1 It \ 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 (he author's name, year in school, major and group affiliation, ifany Requests to withhold names will not be granted Submit material to the Daily Nebraskan. 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St., Lincoln, Neb 68588 0448 AM TTTCT CT0_0 BWIS AND BJTT-HEI© QET CANED tTWASONW mntR OTTME. Li. i ikrs 10 mi Kim iok Cobain Forgel about Kurt Cobain, the hero. Forget Kurt Cobain, the martyr. For get Kurt Cobain, the drug user, the coward, the spokesman for a genera tion, the rebel, the corporate rock star, the artist abused by fans, critics and record company executives. Forgel Kurt Cobam, the star who couldn’t handle fame. Remember Kurt Cobain, the bril liant musician. Whether you like Cobain’s music or not. it had an effect in thousands of fans. That is a true artist. David A. Oldham freshman general studies Election The latest International Student Organization election was probably the most shoddy attempt at a demo cratic procedure I have witnessed in a long time. I personally feel the election was a violation of the ISO constitution and the democratic election system as a whole. The whole affair was so disorga nized, I was left totally disillusioned and disgruntled. According to the constitution, “all voters must provide evidence of their citizenship to the Electoral Commit tees for identification.” But I saw that voters were not required to present any proof of the sort (c.g., a passport). As I walked into the International A (Tail’s Building to vote, I was greeted at the door by someone who was ex ceedingly interested in whom I was going to vote for, and who seemed desperate to get my name on a piece of paper. I declined losign, because it looked I ike he was campaign ing for his side at the last minute. During the election, I saw that someone was standing close enough to the table where the ballots were resting to actually peck atthcpieccsof paperon which voters were scribbling their choices. The same person was asking voters to write down the name of his favorite candidate on their ballots. I recall that the matter of people hovering over the ballot box was brought to the attention of the Elector al Committee by one of the candi dates, but it didn’t seem to do any good. Being angry, I left the building without voting for cither candidate, not because I thought they were inca pable but because I did not get enough time and opportunity to decide. The following day, I found out the Electoral Committee had asked for the verification of four ballots before counting. Now my question is, what was so special about the rest of the votes? If they had to verify any of the votes. I think they should have verified each and every vote by asking voters to show proof of citizenship before vot ing. The constitution was cither for gotten or completely ignored. I personally feel the ISO is one of the most active organizations on cam pus. I realized this when 1 received a great deal of help when I first arrived at UNL from India. I want to bring the goings-on in the latest election to the public’s atten tion, especially to the international students on campus who are directly afTected by what goes on in ISO. I don’t know what good will come out of all this, but 1 would prefer it if the elections were held so that the principles on which democracy rest are upheld. As far as this particular election is concerned. I strongly urge that an investigation be undertaken into what went on during the election proce dure. and that a re-election be held, which I think is a fair and just thing to do. Tarun Mehta graduate student biological systems engineering t foi ftoo Melissa Dunne/DN Koester This letter is in response to all of Paul Koesler’s columns I’ve read this year. I’ve just got one thing to say to him: Gel a clue. I sec some major flaws in Koester’s views. For example, if everyone was going to be a vegetarian like him, the space needed to grow enough veggies for all of the world would take natural plant life away from the herbivores. This, in turn, would bring a slow, painful death to many starving wild animals. Gee, vegetarians are really think ing about our fellow, earth-dwelling animals when theyspeakoftheirdream worlds, aren’t they? Koester also says our frail Mother Earth will die becauscof human abuse. The earth has been here for billions upon billions of years. You think a couple of pesticides and plastics are going to kill the plan et? It might kill the people, but the earth itself? Gimme a break. If there is one thing I have learned about nature, it is that, sadly enough, every species ever made will become extinct, including humans. The extinction of the human race will come by other means if it isn’t by pollution and such. Koester’s ideas of“stopping pollu tion to save future generations" is just another self-important human attempt to meddle with nature. Humans are just another species. Charlie Adkins sophomore occupational therapy Parking Last semester it was green space and theadminislration’sdisrcgard for students’ concerns. This semester, it started with the football ticket price increases, and now it’s parking fees. We, as students, have a right to voice our opinions, but unfortunately, we don’t have the right to expect the administration to listen, much less act on our concerns. I disagree with Association of Stu dents of the University of Nebraska President Andrew Loudon when he says there is nothing ASUN can do. With the courage of a true leader, he could go beyond his symbolic du ties as president and encourage his constituents to react to the increases by refusing to purchase permits. Faced with the prospects of lost revenues, the administration would be forced to see us as more than wallets waiting to be picked. Imagine the influence the student body would have at this institution simply by acting as a unified force. Alan M. Green junior political science McAdams Every day on my way toclass. I pick up a copy of the DN to read in the 10 minutes I have before my instructor graces us with his presence. Wednesday morning. I began to read one of the columns. I normally just read the bold print and then may be a paragraph or two. but Wednes day. I actually found something worth reading. Deb McAdams’ column on success (DN. April 13, 1994) was very inter esting and made one think for a minute about how this could easily apply to many people and their failures. 11 the DN would carry articles like this one a little more often, people would have a reason to read more than just the back page. Billy Pettijohn sophomore computer engineering