Thursday, August 25, 1994
Page 4
Nebraskan
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
. . ..Editor, 472-/766
.Opinion Page Editor
.Managing Editor
.Associate News Editor
.Columnist/Associate News Editor
.Photography Director
. . .... Copy Desk Chief
... Cartoonist
Kill IOUI \l
Cramped quarters
Freshman housing should he top priority
Two years ago, it would have been a dream come true for
university housing officials. Now it’s more like a nightmare.
It seems no room is left in the inn for University of Ncbras
ka-Lincoln freshman. Residence halls are full, and 300 students
are left without shelter... well, almost.
Housing officials have given 186 freshmen temporary room
assignments, such as the TV lounges of Abel Residence Hall.
Staying in rooms with carpeted walls might seem like an
adventure, but it actually could spell trouble for new students.
It is challenging enough fostering an academic environment
living on campus, but if students don’t have a room in which to
study, academic problems begin.
JeffZeleny...
Kara Morrison.
Angie Brunkow.
Je ffrey Rohh . . .
Rainbow Rowell
Kiley Christian.
Mike Lewis....
James Mehsling
i he first semester or classes is critical to tne success or any
student. Freshmen are busy buying books, finding their way
around campus and getting used to living away from home.
They shouldn’t have to worry about whether they will have a
place to sleep at night.
The university doesn’t promise students they will get the
classes they request or an easy ride through university bureau
cracy and red tape, but it did promise freshman a place to sleep.
The housing nightmare needs to be solved immediately,
before students’ academic careers arc affected. In the future,
adequate room must be made for freshmen, even if that means
putting a cap on uppcrclass students living in other residence
halls.
Misguided focus
Gun debate misses crime bill target
As the crime bill nears a Senate vote, questions coming out of
Congress arc as unhelpful as the partisan banter.
So far, the biggest debate on the bill has been on whether every
American ought to be able to own a semi-automatic assault
weapon.
The name “assault” weapon says it all. Hunting and self
protection arc not the issues. Allowing private citizens to
unrestrainedly possess weapons made for the sole purpose of
killing people defies all logic.
So what arc the issues?
The $30.2 billion crime bill contains $8.8 billion for 100,000
new police officers, $6.9 billion for crime prevention programs
and life in prison for three-time violent felons.
There is much to debate other than conservative Republicans’
insistence on assault weapons.
Guaranteeing each American the right to an assault weapon has
nothing to do with solving crime. Nor have Congressional debates
shown much commitment toward finding long-term answers.
I DlliiKI \l I'OI l< \
SUIT editorials represent the official policy of the Fall I *W4 Daily Nebraskan. Policy is set by
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NjtfKSK
I'.h I II I<S m I III I Dl low
Accountability
Like most students, I am growing
weary of the constant bickering
between the University Program
Council and the Association of
Students of the University of Nebras
ka. I feel both UPC and ASUN arc
ignoring student needs by the
ongoing debate on who should choose
UPC members.
It seems to me that this debate is
progressing on two different levels,
and this is the core reason that the
sides cannot come to a consensus.
ASUN wants more accountability for
students. This is the reason many
senators have given for their action
last semester. ASUN consulted Dick
Wood, the University of Nebraska’s
legal counsel, and he suggested this
action was appropriate and necessary
to increase UPC’s accountability to
students. This, to me, is a bold stroke
for ASUN to increase accountability
and to look out for student fees.
UPC, on the other hand, has
challenged this as a bold stroke to
negate the programming UPC has
done in the past, and it has said the
change would destroy UPC. They
suggest amjn members, as elected
officials, are not able to be account
able to students’ needs the way UPC
has.
I cannot disagree more, however.
UPC docs not have the accountability
that ASUN does. The only account
ability that UPC has is by means of
ASUN’s throwing money UPC’s way.
This is not accountability. The Daily
Nebraskan (that is clearly not a “unit”
of ASUN that UPC suggests it will
become) has its Publications Board
appointed in a similar fashion as
ASUN suggests for UPC. UPC must
have more accountability to students
— this is not a challenge to credibili
ty, but a challenge to listen to the
voices and needs of students. As it
stands now, I would never have the
access to UPC that I would to my
senators.
This is why I find it incredulous
that UPC docs not wish to be
accountable to the students it serves.
If ASUN appointed its senators by
interview and not by election, there
would be an uproar. Already, the
University of Nebraska at Kearney
and the University of Nebraska at
Omaha appoint their programming
the way ASUN proposes.
I can’t sec why UPC would not
want a more public process to appoint
its members, unless that process was
exclusive. Many would challenge that
ASUN is not accountable. However,
if UPC or any other organization or
person feels that way, they should
quit their complaining and do
something about it.
ASUN is far from perfect, but it is
up to the student body to vote. Each
student has a voice in a vote. If they
failed to express that voice last
election, they should look to do so in
the future. However, if they are to
challenge what their government does
for them without taking the five
minutes out of the entire school year
to vote, they should act in the future
to make student government account
able to their needs.
However, at least there is a
mechanism there for the students’
voice that is clearly lacking in UPC.
James A. Collura
senior
biological sciences
1
f. ■" —
Bret Gottschall/ON
“Who Cares?”
In response to Shane Tucker’s
column (DN, Aug. 23,1994), his 18
paragraph-Iong whimpering com
plaint about how fifteen Delta
Upsilon boys will have to go out each
day searching for parking spaces with
the rest of us — all because of the
new green space — left me thinking,
“who the hell cares?” Probably about
15 of your readers.
It appears to me that this incident
has badly scarred Mr. Tucker so
much that it has forced him to stoop
so low a as to mock Chancellor
Spanicr’s name seven times. Such
wit! Names lik^ “Grammy Spammy”
prove that originality and imagina
tion arc unnecessary to become a
Daily Nebraskan columnist. It also
pushed Mr. Sucker toward threaten
ing the very livelihood of the beauti
ful green space by suggesting that the
unfortunate DUs park there.
I hope Mr. Tucker and others who
feel so strongly about this devastating
event will be able to get on with their
lives and maybe even face some real
problems.
Brice Sullivan
sophomore
general studies
Takeover
The University Program Council
was subjected to an attempted
takeover by the Association of
Students of the University of Nebras
ka during dead week last spring.
Because of the timing, UPC had little
opportunity to respond and inform the
student body about what was happen
ing. Although ASUN’s bylaw change
was passed, giving ASUN the power
to select the membership of UPC, the
fight over this issue is not dead.
UPC voted to refuse to rccogni/e
the proposed changes to its constitu
tion and selection process as mandat
ed by ASUN’s legislation based upon
legal counsel. The fact is, ASUN did
not have the authority to lake such
action against UPC.
now, AbUN is trying 10 torcc
UPC to submit to this unjustified and
damaging action by taking it to
Student Court. Since the original
takeover attempt was orchestrated to
exclude as many students as possible,
now would be a perfect opportunity
for those who were left out before to
voice their opposition to ASUN.
UPC needs the students to show
their support for UPC and let ASUN
know it was not acting on their behalf
when it took this action.
ASUN’s arguments for taking
over UPC hinged on Andrew
Loudon’s misinterpretation of the NU
Board of Regents’ policy and
ASUN’s own constitution. The
decision made by the senators last
spring was railroaded through
without giving UPC an opportunity to
adequately defend itself. Although
ASUN supporters used the word
“accountability” as justification for
taking this action, the truth, as UPC
and the Nebraska Civil Liberties
Union have interpreted it. is that
ASUN is attempting to control the
programming offered on this campus,
and in effect to violate the right to
free speech.
1 encourage all students who do
not want ASUN censoring the type of
programming offered on this campus
to make their voices heard by calling
ASUN senators and writing the Daily
Nebraskan. ASUN is under your
control if you take action.
David Bolkovac
UPC financial manager