' V •' . ; ' ,-T ... •. ■ ,
ft , .T . w. . . ' rS ' *
* ■:: r^>Sv
.. * . . 4~ fVj . . !
• jDaily\r ^
Nebraskan
’ Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Lincoln *•
. . , u ■„ .Editor, 472-1766
J. Christopher Ham..Managing Editor
DougKauma..Opinion Page Editor
f *7/ .Associate News Editor
°P w°a e. .Associate News Editor
Matt Waite.....
Round two
Pride, not practicality, drives debate
Here we go again. ; ** r;
The engineering debate between the University of Nebraska-Lin
coln and the University of Nebraska at Omaha has been resurrected
pn,_ujuuuM.i ^ _> 1 for our viewing pleasure.
Apparently, the ugly fight
of 1994 was only round one.
Last year, there was an
outcry from our neighbors to the
northeast that UNO should have
a separate engineering college, to
meet the needs of Omaha busi
nesses and students.
After much public debate
and a load of harsh words and hurt
feelings, the NU system said no.
That decision was the right
one then, and it is the right one
now.
This time, the members of
NU’s-Board of Regents are squab
bling over a proposal made Sat
urday that would establish an “In
stitute of Information Sciences
Aaron steckeiberg/DN and Technology” for UNO. The
proposed institute, in the words of Regent Charles Wilson of Lin
coln, “raises the possibility of meeting the real and perceived needs
for information technology and engineering education programs in
Omaha.”
One would think Omaha-area regents and UNO officials would
be happy to have the new institute.
Think again.
For UNO, apparently, it’s all or nothing.
Although the end result of tlie proposed institute would be the
enhancement of the existing joint program administered by UNL,
UNO backers want control. Without independence from the UNL
engineering college, some say, UNO’s program will always be sec
ond-best.
Those naysayers conveniently overlook the success of joint pro
grams that are administered by UNO and UNMC — criminal jus
tice and nursing.
But in the engineering debate, practical matters, such as budgets,
missions or functionality, take a back seat to pride.
It doesn’t matter that NU budgets are cut every year, that taking
from UNL to give to UNO would result in two mediocre,
underfunded Colleges of Engineering.
What matters here is who occupies the driver’s seat.
That has become very obvious with the renewed debate. It obvi
ously doesn’t matter to Omaha-area regents whether there is an en
gineering program based in Omaha, because Creighton University
is revamping and expanding its engineering curriculum to serve
. Omaha.
UNL and UNO are both quality institutions that do their best to
serve their intended purposes. But they are not the same, and that
fact is at the very heart of the entire engineering college issue.
UNL is the flagship of the NU system. UNO wants to be.
Editorial policy
Staff editorials represent the official
policy of die Fall 1995 Daily Nebras
kan. Polity is set by the Daily Nebras
kan Editorial Board. Editorials do not
necessarily reflect the views of die
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 die paper. Accord
ing to policy set by the regents, respon
sibility for the editorial 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 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.
NOT EXACTLY.
C>IVE MOOR TOYS.
^___
'
Public Access
I would like to sincerely thank
Mayor Mike Johanns, Councilman
Ken Haar and Lincoln Cable Vision
for their efforts in attempting to
bring about change in Lincoln’s
Public Access TV. n. i i m;.-,
It does not take a rocket scientist
to figure out that most Lincolnites
oppose the existence of a medium
which grants perverts (and other
assorted imbiciles) free reign to
masturbate and urinate in public.
Councilman Donaldson, by
casting your deciding vote for the
status quo (DN, Dec 5, 1995), you
have given your stamp of approval
for this type of nonsense to continue
to be aired on this community’s
television sets.
And by stating that those of us
who want change are “...making a
mountain out of a molehill,” you
have indicated just how far detached
from reality you really are.
Thomas K. Eads
senioi
political science and English
via e-maii
Mad about ads
As I read the Dec. 8 Daily
Nebraskan, I couldn’t help but
notice the juxtaposition on page 7 ol
the article on the unsolved murder
of Martina McMenamin and the
advertisement for BJ’s Hideaway
(with photos of two barely clad
young wctmen showing off then
flesh and crotch hair).
At first, I wondered if this were a
subversive self-commentary
on the journalistic practices (such
that they are) at the Daily
Nebraskan. But then, I considered
the alternative hypothesis that
the DNjust takes the money and
doesn’t pay much attention to what
comes or goes with it.
Steve Reichenbach
assistant professor
computer science and engineering
via e-mail
Interesting
Dear Mary McGarvey,
No one will disagree that
violence is an abominable act and a
few others may even agree with your
idea of a Judicial Board to
handle administrative discipline
against student violators of the
code of conduct. I do think, how
ever, that your article misrepre
sented your true motivations’ You
should be ashamed for trying to pass
it off as being an issue of university
“reputation and integrity” when the
real motivation is your own special
interest group. Your special interest
group supports partial birth abor
tions. How can you hypocritically
support violence against partially
born women while despising
violence against post-birth women?
By the way, where were you
when the Malaysian student was
beaten outside the Union and -
hospitalized? Where were you when
shots were fired in a UNL class
room, or when a student shoots a
UNL police officer? You were not
around then to save UNL “integrity
and reputation.”
Roger R. Johansen
senior
pre-dentistry
via e-mail
Bosnia
In response to Doug Peters (U.S. .
Mobilizes for Bosnians, Dec.
5), I take issue with your rationale
for sending troops to Bosnia'
and the ease with which you would
send your “contemporaries” to
their deaths. You have not made a
very compelling case.
I spent 13 months (before, during
and after Operation Desert Shield/
Storm) in the deserts of Saudi
Arabia wrestling with the issue of ;
why 1 had been sent there.- -- b’uow
I can’t say whether or not we
should send troops to Bosnia. I
do ask Mr. Peters to rethink his
approach to Bosnia and do several ^
things.
First, call your best friend up just
to say hi. While you’re talking to
him/her, ask yourself this question:
“Is Bosnia worth his/her life?”
Secondly, when you are at home
at Christmas, look at your mom,
dad, brothers and sisters. Ask
yourself: “Is Bosnia worth one of
their lives?”
Lastly, look in the mirror and ask
yourself: “Is Bosnia worth my life?”
Steve Hegemann
junior
accounting
Same song...
I am sick and tired of everyone
bashing Tom Osborne and
Nebraska Football. Anymore, it .
seems fashionable to pass judgment
on people you really don’t know.
Where were all the cameras and
reporters in years past when the
same type of things went on? They
weren’t interested, because what
kind of ratings would an expose of
the Iowa State football program get.
The national championship did
not create violent athletes, they
have always existed.
Kurt Nyberg
senior
construction management
NefcJraskan
Editor J. Christopher Hain Night News Editors Rebecca Oltmans
472-1766 Melanie Brandert
Managing Editor Doug Kouma
Assoc. News Editors Matt Waite 4
Sarah Scalet Art Director Aaron Steckelberg
Opinion Page Editor Doug Peters General Manager DenShattll
Wire Editor Michelle Gamer Production Manager KatherinePolicky
Copy Desk Editor Tim Pearson Advertising Manager Amy Strothers
Sports Editor Mitch Sherman Asst. Advertising Manager Laura Wilson
Arts*& Entertainment Editor Jeff Randall Publications Board Chairman Tim Hedegaard, 436-9253
Photo Director Staci McKee Professional Adviser Don Walton, 473-7301
http://www.unl.edu/DailyNeb/
FAX NUMBER 472-1761 ‘
The Daily NebraskanftJSPS 144-080) is published by the UNL Publications Board, Nebraska Union 34,1400 R St, Lincoln, NE 68588-0448,
through Friday. The putSicalso has access to the Publications Board. For information, contact Tim Hedegaard, 436-9253,9 a.m.-11 p.m.
Postmaster: Jend address changes to the Daily Nebraskan, Nebraska Union 34,1400 R St.,Lincoln, NE 68588-0448. Second-class postage
paid at Lincoln, NE.
^ _ALL MATERIAL COPYRIGHT 1995 DAILY NEBRASKAN__
