OPINION
Nebraskan
Thursday, July 7,1994
Nebraskan
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Deborah D. McAdams.
Mall Woody ... . ..
Martha Dunn....
Derek Samson..
Brian Sharp.. ....
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Lost horizons
Everyone’s best interest is subjective
The earthly powers-that-bc come in all shapes and sizes, but
it’s generally true that they live in relative comfort. Some
of them live in relative comfort beyond imagination, and
they often make decisions that affect those who may not live so
comfortably. Such decisions arc frequently rationalized as every
one’s best interest, even if few things actually cover that spec
trum.
. Editor, 472-1766
. . Features Editor
. . .Copy Desk Chief
.Staff Reporter
... Staff RepoHer
When the City of Lincoln decided to run a highway through the
old Malone neighborhood, it was probably to bring more business
into the downtown area. More business would mean more jobs
and more money — everyone’s best interest.
The city began buying and condemning “substandard” proper
ties in the old neighborhood. Families who had known one
another for generations were scattered. When the city abandoned
plans to build the road, the properties weren’t offered back to
people in the neighborhood, but to the university.
The diversity-conscious university erected yet another monu
ment to mediocre architecture and laid some sod to appease the
remaining neighbors. A research center would mean more jobs
and more money — everyone’s best interest.
Shiny, new tract houses and apartment buildings have replaced
some of the run-down properties that were destroyed. Obviously,
anyone would rather have a new house than a beat up old place
where the screen door hangs from one hinge and the floors arc
uneven. Anyone would prefer sitting inside under central air
rather than sitting on the front porch with fan in one hand. That is,
anyone who thinks like the powers-that-be.
There is a chance that our understanding of everyone’s best
interest only goes as far as our own experience, and to constantly
impose our own experience on others is to be ignorant.
We may never understand the real cost of dismantling Lin
coln’s only, true minority neighborhood, where people recognized
each other and helped raise each other’s children. The true tragedy
is for the children who will never experience the support and
security of living in such a neighborhood.
Officials of all kinds have institutionalized desegregation and
espoused multi-cultural education. They’ve created quotas and
agencies to guarantee fair treatment for people in minority groups.
What they have failed to do is understand that there arc people
who prefer living in their old houses among their old neighbors to
having a subsidized split-level with powder-blue shag carpet.
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Staff editorials represent the official policy of the Summer 1994 Daily Nebraskan Policy is set
by the Daily Nebraskan Editorial Hoard. 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
I i 111 it I'm K n
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Student finds U.S. confusing
nited States is a place where
millions of students come to
from all over the world every
year. They stay here for periods rang
ing from few to many years, depend
ing upon their prospective education
al goals.
One of the biggest achievements of
a foreign student, especially one from
a third world country, is to get admit
ted to an American university.
The day he gets the visa he is a
changed man. He starts considering
himself a superhuman. Back in his
own country he starts hating every
thing around and brags of anything
associated with him. He feels he is too
good for his own country, and any day
that passes there is a sheer waste of
time.
Even among his very best friends
he is very formal and speaks English
more than his own native language
and sneers at those who do otherwise.
Walking down the street, if he finds
vehicles emanating thick clouds of
smoke—a scenario that used to go
unnoticed earl ier—he curses the driv
er most and talks of this as a major
crime because he knows in America
the environmental laws are very strin
gent and they hate such transgressors
more than they hate murderers, and so
does he.
Like every other foreign student,
his image of an American school when
he is back home is a very utopian one.
He thinks of it as a place full of the
most talented people of the world, and
also the most beautiful ones. Every
other day he dreams of being in the
United States among his beautiful girl
friends. He also dreams of every pass
erby giving him a great smile full of
love and respect.
At last his dreams come true and with
such emotions, dreams and attitudes
he reaches America.
Back in his country English (Brit
ish) is taught but not spoken. Anyhow,
he gets a good TOEFL (Test Of En
One of the biggest
achievements of a foreign
student, especially one from a
third world country, is to get
admitted to an American
university.
glish as a Foreign language — an
English proficiency test for students
coming from countries where Engl ish
is not spoken) score and is exempted
from any English remedial courses.
He is very confident of his English
proficiency, yet as the Persian proverb
goes:
They know that they know but they
don’t know.
The events that follow explain the
proverb.
He goes to a bookstore to buy an
eraser, but doesn’t find one, so he asks
a girl standing next to him.
“Where can I find a good quality
rubber?”
The girl stares at the gentleman
and retorts,
“Better go to a drug store,” and
turns away from him.
Shocked by such an unexpected
reply, he never finds the courage to
ask the girl why the hell the rubbers
are in the drugstore and not in the
bookstore.
A few days later while roaming in
his friend’s car, he sees a girl along
side a lonely street, impatiently wait
ing for a bus. He quickly pulls the car
near her and rolling down window
glass asks her most chivalrously,”Do
you want lift?”
The girl bursts w ith rage and threat
ens to sue him for sexual harassment.
Quite bewildered by this onslaught,
he flees the scene._
Back in his country shaking hands
or even kissing a cute, beautiful child
is generally considered a gesture of
love and appreciation.
In a supermarket, quite disgusted
with his recent encounters with pretty
girls, he is looking for a counter with
a male attendant. Meanwhile a very
cute preschooler with vcrmillion, fluffy
cheeks passes by him singing a kin
dergarten tune.
Touched by the innocent child he
shakes the youngster’s hands and as
soon as he stoops to kiss the child, the
mother appears on the scene. Seeing
this she goes amok and once again he
is threatened to be sued, but this time
for child abuse, a situation far beyond
his comprehension.
This all is happening to a person
who started to hate his own country
just because of his obsession for the
American culture. Now he starts to
feel so acutely nostalgic that he wishes
he could take the next available flight
back home. A place where he can buy
a rubber from a bookstore, can give a
lift (ride) to a person looking for the
same and can also intimately appreci
ate the cuteness and innocence of a
child.
After remaining depressed for a
couple of weeks he happens to read an
article on culture shock and comes to
know, to his great relief, that he is not
the only sufferer.
Muhammad Mohutdin li a graduate itu
deat In electrical engineering and a Dally
Nebraskan columnist.