Opinion
Tuesday, August 23, 1994
Page 4
Nebraskan ,
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
.Editor. 472-1766
.Opinion Page Editor
. .. .. „... Managing Editor
.Associate News Editor
.Columnist/Associate News Editor
.Photography Director
.Copy Desk Chief
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EDI I'OKI \l
Hostile takeover
Student government should forget UPC
The Association of Students of the University of Nebraska
could find itself in an awkward position starting out the new
academic year. At worst, it could be seated in a federal courtroom,
courtesy of its student constituents.
This worst-case scenario, though unlikely, should be regarded
by ASUN as a serious commentary on its attempt to take over the
JeffZeleny....
Kara Morrison.
Angie Brunkow.
Jeffrey Robb .. .
Rainbow Rowell
Kiley Christian.
Mike Lewis....
James Mehsling
university rrogram
Council, a student
organization.
The takeover
attempt came after
ASUN voted during
dead week last May to
give itself the power to
select UPC executive
board members and
event directors.
To justify this
action, they cited a NU Board of Regents’ bylaw that said ASUN
may not distribute student fees to “groups or organizations that
are not established by and under the direct control of student
government.”
The Nebraska Civil Liberties Union has agreed to back UPC
members in their refusal to be taken over by the student govern
ment.
David Bolkovac, financial manager of the University Program
Council, said the NCLU promised to file a suit in federal court if
the matter was not handled internally.
The battle has now been taken to the university’s student court.
ASUN Speaker David Milligan has asked court members, who arc
appointed by the ASUN president and approved by senators, to
hear the case.
Though the dispute probably will not hit the U.S. Supreme
Court’s priority list, NCLU’s involvement finally should make
ASUN review its action.
The notion that ASUN can dictate the makeup of recognized,
independent student organizations is ludicrous. That the action
can be accomplished by a simple vote, even more so.
Legalities aside, the Association of Students of the University
of Nebraska’s biggest blunder was its outright refusal to represent
student interests.
ASUN has started out the year alienating a portion of its
student body, a result that will be felt to the detriment of all
students.
The student government ought to abandon the plan and concen
trate on more important goals.
I M I < »l<I M IN )l K \
Staff editorials represent the official policy of the Fall 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 ofthe paper. According to policy set by
the regents, responsibility for the editorial content ofthe newspaper lies solely in the hands of
its students.
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New plot breaks parking vow
Upon returning from my summer
vacation to the hallways of Delta
Upsilon Fraternity, I saw something
unusual: a sign. Its design was not
unusual — it was a typical Area 10
restricted parking sign, signifying
the sacred allotment of faculty
parking stalls — but its location
was.
The sign was not planted in the
newly “greened” plot north of the
Nebraska Union but in the back row
of the Delta Upsilon parking lot.
Unbeknownst to the DU undergrads,
the administration of our lovely
institution used summer vacation as
an opportunity to acquire 30 new
faculty spots, which comprise the
back rows of the DU and Sigma Chi
parking lots.
Without blinking an eye, the
university implemented Operation
Manifest Destiny and booted 15
DUs into the chancy wilderness of
remote lot parking.
What’s the root of this travesty,
you ask? Nothing more than our
esteemed Chancellor Grammy
Spammy’s pet project — green
space.
But before you mistake me for an
Alpha Phi whining about parking
garages, let me give you a brief
history lesson. Years ago, the DU
back row was not a back row but an
alley owned by the city and a strip
of land connected to a university
recreational field.
Through years of diligence on the
part of DU alumni, the city gave up
its alley to the university, and our
back lot was created. Yet again, the
strength of hardworking private
citizens overcame the gross incom
petence of bloated bureaucracy, and
the university gained a paved lot.
Let there be no mistake about it;
the newly established Area 10 lot
behind our house would still be a
city-owned alley, and the faculty
who now park there would be
carpooling with Spammy.
Year after year we have leased
the land from the university, so men
in the house could park close to
campus. That was, of course, before
Grammy Spam drove into town.
Without blinking an eye, the
university implemented Operation
Manifest Destiny and booted 15
DUs into the chancy wilderness of
remote lot parking.
Now it appears the university
turned its back on our gentlemen’s
agreement and made new use of the
land. A letter sent to our alumni
from the desk of Paul Carlson,
associate vice chancellor for
business and finance, informed us
that not only would the lot rent
increase (as it has for everyone on
campus) but that we would lose 15
spaces to faculty and stall whose
stalls are now under a layer of sod.
Well, thank you Chancellor
Spam. Arc you going to get together
with Ecology Now and find spots for
15 DUs to park? I doubt it. So much
for the pledge that the green space
would not displace student parking
“whatsoever.”
It seems odd that we heard no
talk of land thievery during the
green space debate. Evidently
Operation Manifest Destiny was
only discussed behind closed doors.
Not that it would have mattered.
Despite strong student objection to
the green space, Grammy-gram
Spam-a-jam continued with his
estimated $300,000-plus project.
Money that could have seen
better use subsidizing increases in
either tuition, parking, football
tickets or basketball tickets was
instead used to make DU asphalt a
rare commodity.
The decision to commandeer our
lot was short-sighted. It was the sort
of planning that is becoming
indicative of the liberal stock the
university has been hiring. What’s
Gram-I-am going to say when
donations to the university from
fraternity alumni stop coming?
If the institution can’t be trusted
to spend the money wisely, donors
would be prudent to put their funds
directly into the fraternity, where
they know it will be used to stu
dents’ benefit.
Even if the move doesn’t have a
financial impact on the university, it
raises the recurring question of the
administration’s priorities on student
issues. Quality education, tuition,
parking and football ticketprices —
these are the things that affect
students on a regular basis, things
that administration continues to
ignore.
The emotional well-being of
homosexuals, more grass to look at,
ugly sculptures to wretch at and
recycling bins in every hallway are
prime examples of the administra
tion making petty “improvements”
in unnecessary areas while ignoring
issues like top-heavy administration,
incompetent professors with tenure,
parking and runaway spending in
areas of students’ social welfare.
It seems our stalls arc gone for
good, but 1 won’t get overly con
cerned. Grammy Spammy said
everyone would have a place to
park, and we’ll just have to hold him
to his word.
When one of those 15 fine
fellows drives around campus
looking for a spot for his car, I hope
he remembers where his parking
stall went. Grass or no grass, there’s
a place just north of the union
begging to feel the weight of his
tires.
Tucker U a senior biology major ud •
Doily Nebraskan columnist.
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