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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 18, 1994)
Opindn Friday, November 18,1994 Page 4 Nebraskan Editorial Board University of Nebraska-Lincoln JeffZeleny.Editor, 472-1766 Kara Morrison.Opinion Page Editor Angie Brunkow..Managing Editor Jeffrey Robb.Associate News Editor Rainbow Rowell.Colunmist/Associate News Editor Mike Lewis.Copy Desk Chief James Mehsling.Cartoonist Power play Yanking scholarships to hurt students Throughout the entire engineering debate, nearly everyone — administrators, business people, community leaders and regents — has forgotten the people who should be considered first: the students. The disregard for students climaxed when Walter Scott, Jr. decided to yank engineering scholarships for incoming freshmen because too many of them were being given to UNL instead of UNO students. UNL College of Engineering and Technology Dean Stan Liberty was confused by Scott’s decision because he said Scott had been well aware of the breakdown in scholarships. Engineering students shouldn't be punished for choosing to attend the more developed of the two engineering programs. It is not these students' fault that the UNL campus offers more engi neering classes. The real reason for the scholarship suspension is clear. And in the political ploy, students will be the only losers. Scott’s actions were juvenile, reflecting much of the tone of the debate surrounding the entire engineering controversy. It appears to be a power play which is hurtful to those who stand to lose the most. Above all, the mission of the entire University of Nebraska system is to serve students. “Consequently, Walter (Scott) has maximum control over the program and can direct any changes that he wants to within the bounds of the original agreement. And, in fact, he has done this.” — Stan Liberty, dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the Unii>ersity of Nebraska-Lincoln, on the process of awarding Walter Scott engineering scholarships. “Bats shouldn’t terrify people, but I would have * been out of business if they didn’t scare some people. It is Important that kids everywhere learn the importance of not only bats but other diverse species.” — Television's Batman, Adam West. “Obviously, it’s no crime to be homeless. If we receive a complaint, our first question to the caller Is what specific problems are occurring. The union Is a public building. If they aren’t breaking any laws, we don’t even get Involved.” — UNL Police Sgt. Bill Manning on homeless men and women in the Nebraska Union. “I think It Is not right that they don't let him coach his last game, and I have mentioned it to the appropriate officials. I think not letting him coach is bizarre and not appropriate. I think a fine is an awfully harsh penalty and that should be appropri ate.” — NU coach Tom Osborne on lotva State coach Jim Walden's one game suspension. SuH editorials represent the official policy of the Fall 1994 Daily Nebraskan. Policy is set by the Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. Editorials do not necessarily relied the views of the university, itsemployecs. the studentsorthe 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. The Daily Nebraskan welcomes briefletters lo the editor fromall 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 lo 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 properly of the Daily Nebraskan and cannot be returned. Anonymous submissions will not be published. Letters should included the author’s name, year in school, major and group affiliation, if any. Requests to withhold names will not be granted. Submit material lo the Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union. 1400 R St., Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448. ©MfbNUf R&ffl&tfN jiSTsSf —«l L??_ -1— I Solomon revisited It has now been a year and a half since the recent debate over the fate of the College of Engineering and Technology has been raging in the state of Nebraska. Actually this debate has been flaring off and on since the mergers of the Lincoln and Medical Center campuses with the Omaha campus into ONE university. The first question that needs to be answered is not whether the state needs one or two colleges of engineering, but how many first-rate engineering colleges can Nebraska taxpayers afford? The obvious answer to that question for the foreseeable future is well-known: ONE (if you have any doubt, ask members of the Legislature and the governor). The next question that needs to be answered is where the engineering college should be located. Omaha and Lincoln (the largest urban areas of the state) are two possible locations. If it is in the best interest of the state that the college headquarters be relocated in Omaha, then that is what we should do over the shortest possible time. If it is in the best interest of the state to have the college headquarters in Lincoln, then we should get the debate behind us and do everything to unify and strengthen the engineer ing programs offered by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to the entire stale (including Omaha). We have worked hard over many years to offer an undergraduate engineering program to students in Nebraska that is second to none in the nation (sec our recent ABET accreditation). We must do every thing possible to preserve it and strengthen it. I have lived in Lincoln since 1967, and I have grown to love the university and the local community very much. If the discussion is that it is in the best interest of Nebraska taxpayers to move the college headquarters to Omaha, I am prepared to sell our new home and relocate in Omaha (as I hope most of my colleagues in the college are prepared to do). What we can least afford is some quasi-SolomoniStic solution whereby parts of the college arc located in Lincoln and parts in Omaha. The problem with this pscudo-Solomonistic solution is that wc actually end up dismember ing this baby rather than doing what Solomon actually intended to do. Let's hope wisdom and not politics prevails at the next meeting of the Board of Regents. Let us pray that members of the board have the courage not to pass the ball over to some other group and leave the problem to fester for many more years. Ezekiel Bahar George Holmes professor of electrical engineering Amy Schmidt/DN Stereotyping I went to the Nebraska Union last Friday to eat lunch, relax and do some last-minute studying for an exam. I sat down in a booth when the conversation from the next booth caught my ear. It was like driving by a car accident — 1 didn’t want to listen, but 1 was so appalled by what I was hearing that 1 couldn't stop. The man and woman were discussing Nebraskans. They were obviously from elsewhere and after what I heard, I’d like them to go back to where they came from. The man said, "Nebraskans arc a bunch of hicks. I’m not stereotyp ing; it’s a fact.’’ The woman quickly and willingly agreed. If that’s not stereotyping, then neither is saying that all blondes are airheads, the Polish are stupid, the Irish are | hotheads, everyone on welfare is lazy, athletes are stupid, people in band are dorks, or students who get good grades are nerds. I’d like to ask that man one question: If that’s not stereotyping, what is? The man went on to complain about the cultural diversity of Nebraska. I’m sorry if there arc not as many members of minority groups living in Nebraska as wherever he came from. I want to know what we’re supposed to do about it. We cannot force anyone to move here. We cannot be held accountable for who wants to live in Nebraska and who doesn’t. The few brief minutes of this conversation that I unwillingly heard caused me to lose my appetite. I immediately left the union feeling more agitated than when I came in. I hope the people who were having this conversation read this and see how easy it is for them to offend others. Discrimination and stereotyping do not only go in one direction. The directions arc infinite. Discrimina tion is a problem that all members of society face. It is not limited to one race or gender. We all face it on a daily basis and need to work together to end it. Kelly Farrell junior environmental studies and music major Thomas • I am writing in reaction to an article in the “News Digest” section of the Nov. 3, 1994, Daily Nebras kan. The article discussed a new book about the 1991 Supreme Court hearing of Clarence Thomas, now a justice on the bench. The book claims Thomas lied when he denied Anita Hill’s sexual harassment changes. The real issue in this case is one of race. The political left cannot tolerate a black conservative. A person like Thomas being in government undermines the left’s political domination of black voters. This exposes the left’s political motives and really shows that just like right-wingers, they couldn’t care less about blacks. Food for thought. Nathan Taggart sophomore finance