Thursday, January 18, 1996 Page 4
Daily
Nebraskan
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
J. Christopher Hain...Editor, 472-1766
Doug Kouma..Managing Editor
Doug Peters. Opinion Page Editor
Sarah Scalet.Associate News Editor
Malt Waite.Associate News Editor
Michelle Garner..Wire Editor
Jennifer Mapes.Columnist
/
The American Council on Education sponsors an ongoing nation
wide survey that ventures to capture the shifting opinions of the
nation’s college freshmen. Its most recent conclusions drew up many
interesting trend shifts in more than 1.5 million first-time higher
education students.
Compared to less than a decade ago, a typical 1990s freshman now
mixes a splash of added conservative values with a dash of liberationists
while simultaneously being less likely to pay interest to or become
involved in the political process.
For example, common support for legalized abortion is on the
decline as is the advocating of casual sex—yet the same student is
likely to be more liberally oriented toward marijuana legalization.
Backing for that drug’s legalization is at a 15-year high. Endorsers
of casual sex have fallen 9 percentage points in the past eight years
while there has been a dramatic 20 percent declining shift in criticism
against homosexual relationships. Likewise, the steady 1980s rise in
abortion advocacy has now declined for the third year in a row.
One of the more startling inclinations of the modem freshman is
a growing apathy toward politics and influencing social values.
Today only one in four freshman make a commitment in keeping
abreast of political affairs, a drop of more than 50 percent since the
mid-1960s. This air of disfranchisement is bolstered by a continuing
decline of interest in environmental issues, racial equality promotion
and participation in community-sponsored programs.
Such freshman inertia is cultivated by a widespread political
ideology that drifts further and further to the mild center-right.
More than half of the survey population labels themselves as
middle-of-the-road, while those with specific liberal or conservative
viewpoints tend to have more polarized philosophies. If such behav
ior continues, American politics may soon rearrange itself in a bell
curve fashion. And as the majority drift toward middle-ground
patronage, there is a growing sense of powerlessness in bringing
about change.
Such marginalization is ingrained within a deep-rooted cynicism
toward an out-of-touch government that is run by too many dark
suited politicians with their ears firmly bent toward lobbying groups
instead of the common citizen. It should therefore be of little surprise
that one of the study’s findings was that more than one-third of
freshmen believe individuals can “do little to change society.”
Even though student apathy is at an all-time high, today’s average
freshman is more conservatively seasoned politically and more
liberally adjusted socially. Such contrasts are exemplified in a survey
finding that showed a general freshman reluctance toward support
ing affirmative action programs while concurrently offering broad
based sponsorship for the use of race as a basis for college admission.
Although many of the American Council on Education’s results
may come as little surprise and their conclusions basically mirror the
feelings of society as a whole, there is much to be concerned with in
regard to the future of this nation as a whole.
As stoicism rises, so too does a malaise with government and
authority. When this is intertwined with ambivalent conservatism,
the end product could easily result in a spiraling gap between the
individual and the political process.
— The Daily Athenaeum, West Virginia University
Editorial policy
Staff editorials represent die official
policy of die Fall 1995 [Daily Nebras
kan. Policy is set by die 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 die editorial content of the
newspaper lies solely in the hands of its
students.
Letter policy
The Daily Nebraskan welcomes brief letters to the
editor fVtxn 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
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quests to withhold names will not be granted. Submit
material to: Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union,
1400 R SL Lincoln, Neb. 685884)448.
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Tunes
I am writing to express my
disappointment in your coverage of
the Cornhusker Marching Band. I
believe I’ve seen one brief mention
of the band this season. We started
before the fall semester began, from
9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. with only two
one-hour breaks for food. Every
school day we met from 7:30 a.m. to
either 8:30 or 9 a.m. On game days,
we would meet usually at 7:30 or 8
a.m. and work up to the game. Our
band went to every game, home and
away. What does it take to get
noticed around here? I’m sure if we
didn’t show up, people would have
something to say. We traveled to the
Fiesta Bowl to watch the Huskers
cremate the Gators, and in March we
are traveling to Ireland to represent
not only the university but the state
of Nebraska. We also recently
earned a national award for continu
ing contribution to excellence. I
think we have earned some recogni
tion, especially from our own school
paper.
\ a
Rebecca McClung
freshman
English/pre-law
Toons
On behalf of your confused
readers, I would like to express my
displeasure with the nonsensical
drivel accompanied by random
pencil scratchings that is called “The
Monkey Cafe.”
I’ll be the first to admit that even
the best cartoon art could not replace
Calvin and Hobbes. However, the
DN knew that Calvin was leaving
weeks ahead of his exit. During that
time, why couldn’t the DN find the
truly humorous, nationally syndi
cated cartoon that its readers so
richly deserve? Why must I be
subjected to Jim Mehsling’s mono
syllabic, pseudocreative bunk on
TWO pages of your paper?
A cartoon should be humorous,
endearing or even enlightening. In
other words, it should nave a point.
“The Monkey Cafe” has none of
that. Many times, I cannot discern its
shapeless words from its formless
characters. The result is a meaning
I- ' -
less sort of pictogram that I couldn’t
decipher unless I regularly refer
enced the Rosetta Stone.
The bottom line is that the DN
needs a different cartoon, something
that will put your readers in a frame
of mind to use your paper’s only
valuable feature — the crossword.
How about Dilbert? Or Peanuts?
Good grief, even Mary Worth or
Ziggy would be better. Keep
Mehsling on the editorial page with
the world’s other unintelligible
information. Get a professional to
create a 10-second fantasy world
that, if not humorous, is at least
comprehensible.
Mark A. Byars
senior
accounting
via e-mail
Toons two
Instead of having Mehsling write
a couple comic strips a week, why
don’t you take the money that was
going to Calvin & Hobbes and put a
new strip in the paper, along with
Mehsling’s. I would suggest having
a vote on what strip to put in the
paper. You could have votes cast by
e-mail, dropping votes by the office
or filling out a ballot at some neutral
spot. I, and others, would like to see
something new to cover up the hole
Calvin and Hobbes left.
Ryan R. Horner
senior
architecture
via e-mail
A__l _ ■■ ■ r
James Mehsling/DN
Editor’s note: Because we agree
that no one comic strip can
replace the beloved “Calvin and
Hobbes,” we have begun evaluat
ing several strips for an expanded
cartoon section. Our selections
will be announced soon, and the
new strips can be expected within
the next few weeks.
Econ 101
On January 16, Kasey Kerber
wrote that $209 can buy 209
meatball subs. However, he forgot to
add the sales tax. After including
sales tax, $209 can buy 204 meatball
subs ($ 1 S)2 each with tax) with 92 '
cents change. I’m not going to tell
you how much to spend on subs.
Kerber wrote that the Library 110
course should be optional. Well, that
a lot of students know how to do
basic research in library does not
imply that they know how to utilize
library materials effectively and
efficiently. Education will not
produce a linear growth to your
knowledge, same as meatball subs to
your appetite. I agree that qualified
students should not be required to
take Library 110. One of the
solutions is to let students test out of
Library 110 and let them save their
money and time.
Plato Chan
graduate student
economics
oenu yuur uriei leuers 10: uany NeurasKan, 34 Ne
braska Union, 1400 “R” Street, Lincoln, NE 68588,
or Fax to (402) 472-1761, or e-mail
<letters@unlinfo.unl.edu>. Letters must be signed
and include a phone number for verification.
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