Opinion
DaUy
Nebraskan
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Lincoin
JeffZeleny...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
Leader lottery
Committee should use in-depth search
Let the games begin — the University of Nebraska will soon be
starting another search for a top administrator.
Lately, searches at the University of Nebraska have gone rather
smoothly. Chancellors Graham Spanier, Carol Aschenbrener, Gladys
Styles Johnston and NU President Dennis Smith were hired with
out much controversy.
But we cannot — and should not — forget the previous infa
mous search that turned into a fiasco.
The controversy began when Ronald Roskens was fired in 1989
by the NU Board of Regents. It heightened in 1990 when the time
came to find his replacement.
A field ot four candidates dropped out of the race when they
learned that then-UNL Chancellor and Interim President Martin
Massengale was being considered for the spot.
That entire incident put a black mark on the university.
“I strongly feel those crazy, dubious days are behind us,” said
NU Regents Chairwoman Nancy O’Brien.
We hope they are, too.
If President Smith or the yet-to-be-namcd search committee have
any intention of hiring an internal candidate for the UNL chancel
lor position, they should say so up front.
But the Daily Nebraskan supports a nationwide search. While
that type of effort is more time-consuming and expensive, it will
net the best candidate.
As the search for the next chancellor of the University of Ne
braska-Lincoln begins, let us not forget those ‘crazy, dubious’ days.
Stifled liberty
Arrest is against American principles
Last week, one of Lincoln’s most famous residents was arrested
in Denmark.
Gary “Gerhard” Lauck, a neo-Nazi who had set up shop in town
years ago, had been wanted by German authorities for two decades.
They finally got their man.
As head of the National Socialist German Workers Party—Over
seas Organization, Lauck has been the largest supplier of Nazi pro
paganda to German fascists for years.
He is being held in Denmark, while Germany is requesting ex
tradition.
Many Nebraska leaders have had ear-to-ear grins since the news
of Lauck’s arrest.
The Daily Nebraskan is watching with mixed emotions.
We’re glad that Lauck finally is out of the state for good. He has
long been an embarrassment to Lincoln.
But we’re distuibed about why Lauck was arrested. Distributing
Nazi propaganda and symbols and encouraging racial hatred is ille
gal in Germany, as is the organization that Lauck heads.
But a government banning an ideology goes against the Ameri
can high principle of freedom of speech, even if it is the disgusting
Nazi view.
We should not ignore a stifled liberty even if we approve of its
results, like less Nazi propaganda and hate.
There’s a reason why our First Amendment is the one that guar
antees freedom of speech. It is one of our highest ideals and we
should support it at all costs.
Editorial policy
Staff editorials represent the official
policy of the Spring 1995. Daily
Nebraskan. Policy is set by the Daily
Nebraskan Editorial Board. Editori
alsdonotnecessarilyreflecttheviews
of the university, its employees, the
students orthe NU BoandofRegents.
Editorial columns represent the opin
ion of die author. Hie regents publish
die Daily Nebraskan. Hiey establish
the UNL Publications Board to su
pervise the daily production of the
paper. According to policy set by the
regents, responsibility for the edito
rial content of the newspaper lies
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 publication on the basis of clarity,
originality, timeliness and space available. The Daily
Nebraskan retains die right to edit or reject all material
submitted Readers also are welcome to submit ma
terial as guest opinions. The editor decides whether
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i
Lincoln High
As a respected student of Lincoln
High School, it can be assumed that
I have a personal bias against the
comments of Jamie Karl (March
16).
The school that Karl proposes
would foster lookism, or appearance
discrimination. Lincoln High, like
any other high school, has its fair
share of problems, but a general
acceptance of diverse appearances
prevails. That means that just
because I may not be “all decked
out in black leather, complete with
chains and spiked wristbands” like
Lisette, I respect her right to wear
those clothes and visually express
her individuality—just as Lisette
respects my right to wear what I
want to wear.
Yet the diversity of Lincoln High
does not end with clothes. Every
facet of the demography of our high
school is diverse—ethnically,
socioeconomically, linguistically,
geographically and ideologically. As
Lincoln High possesses many
different students of different
backgrounds who have different
needs, naturally Lincoln High must
provide many different programs to
meet these special requirements,
such as the English as a Second
Language program and the Teen
Parenting unit.
Karl attempted to belittle the
diversity of Lincoln High by
renaming it “Subculture Central.” I
think if Karl were to come down to
Lincoln High and talk with some of
its students, he Would discover how
proud we are to be “Subculture
. Central.” I am different than Lisette,
Marcus, Nata, Taura, Dion, Sarah,
Alex, Falla and Principal Kathryn
Filler.
So I am a member of a subculture
in “Subculture Central.” And
because I am different I have
AmySchrridt/DN
different views. Only in a diverse
environment where I am free to be
different can I truly be free. It is
freedom that will create the socially
responsible student who feels
comfortable accepting others for
who they are and how they dress,
correcting his or her own ignorances
and prejudices and demonstrating
Karl’s all-important character.
Neither Karl nor his educational
institution can reasonably expect
students to build this character until
they provide them with the ability to
accept all people as individuals who
are distinct and worthy of respect.
Eric E. Crump
senior
Lincoln High School
Easy way out
I am a teacher of English as a
Second Language at Lincoln High
School. I’d like to respond to Jamie
Karl’s comments (March 16)
regarding a recent article in Seven
teen magazine that supposedly
represents LHS.
First, had I not read Karl’s
comments regarding the Seventeen
article as well as other editorials he
has written during the school year, I
would have assumed a greater
degree of knowledge, perception
and even sophistication of one who
is a journalism major and a night
news editor at the Daily Nebraskan.
I don’t know what Karl’s
background is, but I might guess
that it has been and remains rather
sheltered and lacking in exposure to
diverse cultures and points of view.
Simply accepting at face value what
he has read in the Seventeen
magazine article indicates to me that
perhaps his own education is lacking
in teaching him to seek out the truth
and to question what is reported in
the media.
I would also have expected a
staff member of the Daily Nebras
kan to have understood that the true
picture is often distorted in the
media, and that copy is often written
specifically to appeal to certain
audiences in order to achieve
financial gain and/or power.
Second, I find Karl’s apparent
need to use sarcastic and elitist
commentary in place of real
communication sad. What is the
point in sarcastically stating that a
large ESL program and an in-house
day care program will “surely have
transfer students beating down the
doors”? Is it for Karl to appeal to
other UNL students who are perhaps
just as narrow-minded and judgmen
tal as he?
Finally, I want to tell Karl that
taking pot shots from the outside is
easy; getting involved and truly
trying to understand is difficult,
although infinitely more rewarding.
My hope for Karl and for those he
may somehow influence is that he
will at some point in his life choose
the more difficult path.
Constance C. Kingston
staff
Lincoln High School
