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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 10, 1995)
Opinion Friday, February 10,1995 Page 4 Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board University of Nebraska-Lincoln Jeff Zeleny. Editor, 472-1766 Jeff Robb.Managing Editor Matt Woody..Opinion Page Editor DeDra Janssen.Associate News Editor Rainbow Rowell.Arts & Entertainment Editor James Mehsling.Cartoonist Chris Hain.Senior Reporter Tough read Female faculty numbers are sad story Forget whatyou’ve heard about the chilly climate for women at the University ofNebraska-Lincoln. According to a study released this week, there are hardly enough women to get chilly. The report, which was written by the Chancellor’s Commission on the Status of Women, said UNL ranked ninth out of 11 peer insti tutions in its percentage of women faculty. This is unacceptable. Only 28 women at the University ofNebraska-Lincoln are full professors. This is the lowest number in UNL’s peer group. Only 17.7 percent of UNL’s faculty members are women, com pared with 21.2 percent at the 10 other peer institutions. To bring it up to the peer-group average, UNL would have to increase its number of women faculty members from 194 to 243, the report said. It’s hard to believe that this is the case and that the year is 1995. The facts tell the stoiy, and the story is not a fairy tale. Sure, the results of this»study make UNL look bad. But these other 10 universities don’t have much about which to brag. A fac ulty composed of only 21.2 percent women also is unacceptable. The only solution is to hire and retain more women. Of course, qualified male applicants should not be ignored. But neither should the truth. Quotes off the week “There’s a lot of anger among Native Americans that they’re studied as specimens in academics.... It’s im moral for us to apply a storage attitude toward Indian skeletons.” — Karl Reinhard, UNL assistant professor of anthropology “My ultimate goal is to get on the (Daily Nebraskan) quotations of the week list.” — Petar Malesev, NU high jumper “They (police) have harassed us... more than any other bar in the city of Lincoln.” — Chris Kugler, co-owner of Montigo Bay. 1435 O St. “It’s not something I would try to live on. It is a marked improvement for those individuals.” — Sen. Tim Hall of Omaha, on his proposed minimum-wage increase in Nebraska “This is not a power grab.” — Gov. Ben Nelson, on a proposal that would have members of the NU Board of Regents apjx)inted by the governor instead of elected by voters “Where’s the KA-BOOM! There was supposed to be an earth-shattering KA-BOOM!!! ” — Marvin the Martian, a Warner Bros, cartoon character, on the UNL computer system Herbie Editorial policy Staff editorials represent the official policy of the Spring 1995. Daily Nebraskan. ft>licy is set by the Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board Editori alsdonotnecessarily reflect the views of the university, its employees, the students or the NUBoardofRegents. Editorial columns represent the opin ion of the author. The regents publish the Daily Nebraskan. They establish the UNL Publications Board to su pervise the daily production of the paper. According to policy set by the regents, responsibility for the edto nal content of the newspaper Ires solely in the hands of its students. Letter policy The Daily Nebraskan welcomes brief letters to the editor from all readers and interested others. Letters will be selected for publican on on the basis ofclarity, originality, timeliness and space available. The Daily Nebraskan retains the right to edit or reject all material submitted. Readers also are welcome to submit ma terial as guest opinions. The editor decides whether material should run as a guest opinion. Letters and guest opinions sent to die newspaper become the property of the Daily Nebraskan and cannot be returned. Anonymous submissions will not be pub lished. Letters should included die author’s name, year in school, major and group affiliation, if any. Requests to withhold names will not be granted. Submit material to the Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St, Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448. i \ m m I WRST. .V~-. _ -- --- i vserew N/OTEfc SEXIEST W\E.^ C)E TWE Y&N* . Nebraskan ■:5' __ ' > -■ -v ■ ' ■' ' _J :: y Send your brief letters to: Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St, Lincoln, Neb. 68588. Or fax to: (402) 472-1761. Utters must be signed and include a i phone number for ^verification. Women’s basketball As an avid Nebraska women’s basketball fan, I have enjoyed the Daily Nebraskan’s player profiles and interviews. Most of the year, the Daily Nebraskan has had good coverage of the Lady Huskers, but recently it has not had any stories or scores of their recent road trip to the two Kansas schools. I hope the Daily Nebraskan will have the women’s basketball scores, stories and the Big Eight standings in the future. The women’s team is working just as hard as the men’s team. Our women play a great brand of basketball. Their games are exciting, especially with the spotlighted, music-enhanced in troduction of the Nebraska starting five. The team deserves the coverage. Donald D. Cunningham Lincoln \ . - Responsibility Abortion is an extremely delicate and controversial issue, but up to now nobody has mentioned the key work associated with it: responsibility. It is undisputedly valid that women have the right to decide if abortion is or not an option for them, but there is also an inherent responsibility in the utiliza tion of the right, as implied with any other civil right. Somebody who gets pregnant just for the fact of not prac ticing safe sex (and disinformation or naiveness are NOT excuses) will very unlikely be responsible for the child. What really bothers me is the pe dantic and pretentiously superior at titude of those who declare their op position to abortion based on their “religious beliefs.” I definitely agree with Michael Justice’s definition of “religion.” I do respect those for who religion is an answer and I expect the same respect from religious people about my position. I quit the Catholic Church because it did not give me a satisfactory an swer to my existential doubts; accept / . .. Amy Schmidt/DN ‘Fetus’ OK, once and for all. Would any abortion supporter pleas answer a question for me? How does a “fetus” miraculously transform into an ac tual human being at the moment of his or her birth? It seems that the definition of life has become an issue of location. If any abortion activist believes that these unborn do have souls, then who gives us the right to decide their fate? These children have done noth ing wrong—they haven’t even been given the chance to do something wrong. Their only crime, once again, comes down to location. They are in the wrong place at the wrong time. It’s time to stop rationalizing and start telling the truth. Karen M. Benes freshman undecided Offensiveness To the women deeply offended by the “Strip Pool” ad: we do not under stand why you are so upset. Or rather, we can see through your game, though you may not. Without such ads appearing, what would you do? What crusade would you have? (For the existence of this ad gives you the opportunity to separate yourself from “them.” If there weren’t “bimbos,” how could you be a “non bimbo”?) I am sure your eyes lit up at the sight of the ad, as you saw an oppor tunity to proclaim your political be liefs and lay your claim to victimhood. Nevermind that the ad had noth ing to do with you. Nevermind that the women consented to the ad, and others are willing to buy the product. You are being victimized! Apparently, some people cannot tolerate being offended. Why, we ask, are they so afraid of being called a bimbeaux?. But perhaps in this era of political correctness any offensive speech should be banned. So, we will not call you bimbos, as you would probably gain too much satisfaction and self righteousness from the “abuse.” But we adamantly urge the Daily Nebraskan to not censor ads based on content. Are these women that help less that the right to print the “Strip Pool” ad should be waived so that they can be shielded from its offen siveness? Eric Funkhouser senior philosophy Jeremy Ripley junior art Mitch Grady junior * art