Opinion Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board University of Nebraska-Lincoln J. Christopher Hain.Editor, 472-1766 Rainbow Rowell.Managing Editor Mark Baldridge.Opinion Page Editor DeDra Janssen.Associate News Editor Doug Kouma.Arts & Entertainment Editor Jeff Zeleny.Senior Reporter Matt Woody. Senior Reporter James Mehsling.Cartoonist PLEASE KEEP ON^ i 6 ss Common ground Greenspace a fun forum Greenspace. The very word cried controversy just a short two years ago. Replacing the parking lot north of Broyhill Fountain with lawn and curvy sidewalks seemed like lunacy to some people then. It represented, they thought, a step backwards in the parking problem. But free city bus tickets and lots of green later, the idea seems like a dam good one — why didn’t we think of this sooner? It eliminates an eyesore and makes hanging out at the fountain — for those of us eager to do that while we still can this fall — just that much nicer. Visitors to our campus are greeted with a view that fails to contradict the beauty of other, more decorous parts of what is really, after all, a very pretty campus. And greenspace offers a perfect forum for a frisbee fling or, as ASUN proved just this Friday, a wonderful place for a carnival. And it should be used more, and for more exotic purposes. The Campus Socialists and Jews for Jesus should find, in the greenspace, a natural home. Cheer squads and Tai Chi practitioners should practice side uy siue. This is a university, after all, and for once we have a place near the union for a lot of things to happen all at once. Come spring, let us see barefoot guitarists and mad prophets of Jehova in equal numbers. Let there be lemonade and lawn chairs trotted over from stuffy dorm rooms. May there be bagpipes. And novice jugglers. This is our park, we are students — the two go together like hippies and sandals. Greenspace should be a place to speak, to play, to collapse in the middle of a hot day and rest in the sun. Let it be a theater, a forum and a place to lie down — all three and a half months of the school year we can actually stand to be outside. Editorial policy Staff editorials represent the official policy of the Fall 1995 Daily Nebras kan. Policy is set by the Daily Nebras kan 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 of the paper. Accord ing to policy set by the regents, respon sibility for the editorial content of the newspaper I ies solely in the hands of i ts 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 the right to edit or reject all material submitted. Readers also are welcome to submit mate rial as guest opinions. The editor decides whether material should run as a guest opinion. Letters and guest opinions sent to the newspaper become the property of the Daily Nebraskan and cannot be re turned. Anonymous submissions will not be pub lished. Letters should include the author’s name, year in school, major and group affiliation, if any. Re quests to withhold names will not be granted. Submit material to: Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St. Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448. N THE VM FINbS CAP! EVERETT GfSSM NOT 0OllTT ill-: (-1 THANK VOU. AN!) (H Not wearing 1 AN'i UNDERPANTS. -II-TTT-' Bible minute Krista Schwarting, Ifyou feel like you will be damned every time you enter a church or do something, (“Religion detached from reality,” Oct. 20) I suggest you exam ine your relationship to our savior. I assume from your column that you believe in Jesus Christ. He died once and for all, to cover all our sins. 1 hope you realize how much He loves you and everyone. I think you have made the choice to believe, have you made the choice to follow? Kevin Reid UNL Alumnus Bible second In reading Krista Schwarting’s col umn I saw some of my own experi ences and opinions regarding Catholi cism expressed really well. I also had wondered why the Church should have reason to be so threatened by Chiburis’ photos, and I wish they would put their energy into more worthwhile causes. Claire Larson Junior Geology Smells like... In response to Jessica Kennedy’s column, (“Smells Like...,” Oct. 19) I’d like to share my own story involv ing cologne. One day I was walkingaround cam pus with my girlfriend and one of our friends. A guy walked by and my girlfriend commented, “He smelled good! Why don’t you ever wear that cologne I bought you for graduation?” I guess I’ve learned my lesson. For every guy out there, if you want to meet a girl, wear cologne. It works! Neil Watson Freshman Pre-Architecture Spanish lesson Muy estimado Sr. Aaron McKain: I believe that what you meant to say “ HOLA! m lU&O Jesus? 7 Jasori Gildow/DN when you advised us not to make excuses, was: “Have the cojones to say...” IUs not the “drawers” (cajones) we’re interested in, but rather what’s in them! Colleen R. Baade Spanish Lecturer Animal lover I am thoroughly upset about Con gress wanting to cut back The Endan gered Species Act. All creatures from fish, to birds, to mammals, to even plants have just as much of a right to live here on Earth as do people. The Endangered Species Act was set up to protect all animals in this respect. To want to cut back on it is just plain ignorant. There are two main cutbacks that 1 have concern over: First of all, Congress wants to cut out the protection of habitat of these animals. By doing so, Congress is basically saying to animals that either you live where there isrno money, or you die. I must ask why. Is it so that another mil 1 ionaire can buy himsel f or herself another Mercedes? This just seems wrong to me. Would you 1 ike it if someone told you that you could no longer live in your warm house and had to fend for yourself in the wild? I think not. Seeondly, Congress wants to change the Act so that an animal does not have to be fully unendangered to be taken off the list. Am I the only one who sees the fault in logic here? The animal was obviously put on the list because it was in danger of being lost forever, but now i f someone feels like it, the animal can be taken off the list at any time regardless as to whether or not it is back in full. James Rabiola Freshman Veterinary Science Gay right The media, reporting that the Su preme Court is hearing arguments about the constitutionality of Colorado’s anti-gay Amendment 2, has repeatedly used the term “gay rights.” This has the effect of playing up the false notion that gays and lesbians are asking for “special rights.” In reality, anyordinance which outlaws discrimi nation on the basis of sexual orienta tion provides protection for hetero sexuals and homosexuals equally. I understand why the media uses such a short-cut phrase as “gay rights,” because the question of equal stand ing for gay people is the crux of the political dispute. There is rarely a need to assure the sexual orientation rights of hetero sexuals. However, there have been such cases. Not long ago I read about a man who wanted to turn the bar he owned into a gay bar, so he fired the heterosexual employees to replace them with gay ones, and promptly ran afoul of an ordinance prohibiting dis crimination on the basis of sexual ori entation. Equal opportunity is not a special right — it is a fundamental right. William C. Stosine Iowa City, Iowa ...to the \ Nebraskan > — Send your brief letters to: Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St.f Lincoln, Neb. 68588, or Fax to (402) 472-1761, or email Letters must be signed and include a phone number for verification.