Qftnon Monday, February 26, 1996 Page 4 Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board University of Nebraska-Lincoln ■' I ■; J. Christopher Haiti....Editor, 472-1766 Doug Kouma...Managing Editor Doug Peters...Opinion Page Editor Sarah Scalet.;...Associate News Editor Matt Waite..Associate News Editor Michelle Garner ....Wire Editor Jennifer Mapes.\ t..Columnist Back to business UNL-UNO debatefinally ends Thank God, it’s over. According to many who have followed the engineering debate over the last two years, the debate that pitted Omaha against Lin coin ended with the establish ment of the University of Ne braska at Omaha’s College of Information Science and Tech nology. We support that move. This debate has gone on too long. Too many feelings have been hurt. Too many words and actions that never should have come up in an academic debate have been heard. Things around the Uni versity of Nebraska now should go back to normal. Enough of the inter-re - gcntal factions. Enough of the threats from Omaha businesses. hnough ot the territori ality between UNO and University of Ncbraska-Lincoln profes sors. If you believe NU President Dennis Smith, this is one univer sity with four campuses. It is high time that many people started acting like it. Better heads have prevailed. The long and sometimes dupli cative process has worked. All the task forces, all the meetings, all the debate, it all worked. Omaha got its college — and it got a college it needed. The information business in Omaha is a huge money-maker for the stale. It would only stand to reason that there be an institute of higher learning that supported that booming business. We hope the businesses this college will support see the same way. Omaha businessmen, nicknamed the “Omaha 100,” have tried to strong-arm the university for too long with threats of pulling donations and doom-and-gloom predictions of new business ig noring Nebraska. [" I hey have their college now and, according to their predic tions, the state should see a boom in new business. And, if they arc men of their word, donations should return to the levels they were before. If they truly care about the business community in Omaha, donations to the new college will be gen erous. It wasn’t taxpayer outcry that brought this college into being. It was business. Now it should be business that helps fund this college, not the taxpayer. UNO, the Omaha businesses and Regents Drew Miller, Nancy O’Brien and Rosemary Skrupa — the three regents who have pushed the hardest for expanded engineering — all should be happy. O’Brien provided the reason why. “We got exactly what we wanted,” she said Saturday. “We got a commitment to the institute, a timetable and board monitor ing.” Editorial policy Staff editorials represent the official policy of the Spring 1996 Daily Ne braskan. Policy is set by the Daily Nebraskan Editorial Boaid. Editorials do not necessarily reflect the views of the university, its employees, the stu dents or the NU Board of Regents. Editorial columns represent the opin ion of the author. The regents publish the Daily Nebraskan. They establish the UNL Publications Board to super vise the daily production of the paper. According to policy set by the regents, responsibility 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. [ Hl-YA FRAUKTOST STOFPLb bY^ TO TELL YoO VlHAT (A &RWT \ JOb,YO(WE &EEH bOlUfe M€> V that you're fired... say V HELLO 16 TIE VJlFE AK\t> tOW>. 1|EWW1b4 K lloFji* | 'Mfccffl f||| Opera review out of tune I can’t express how hurt I was when I read Jeff Randall’s review of UNL’s opera production of “A Room with a View”. He has a right to say he didn’t like the topic, but that doesn’t justify slamming the entire production. He only showed his musical ignorance by claiming that a good opera must include “passion, death, revenge and lust.” These arc unchangeable characteris tics of a plot that say nothing about the quality of the performance. If Jeff had researched opera before attending Thursday’s production, he would’ve discovered that there’s much more that makes an opera good. The whole idea of opera is conveying feelings and a story line by using music to represent these ideas. I suggest for the next production we do that the Daily Nebraskan ask for a guest reviewer with a back ground in opera so that the public doesn’t have to listen to an inaccu rate and biased review from an ill in formed j ourna 1 i st. Erica Corwin junior music performance via e-mail Kind words for the jcoacli Danny Nee is a first-class coach and role model for young student athletes. Our family got to know Coaches Nee and (Jimmy) Williams during the recent fall recruitment period. A Her scrutinizing dozens of offers, we came very close to entrusting them With one of our six beloved children. Mike chose, instead, to remain closer to home. We strongly feel that Coach Nee is a fine gentleman, who conducts himself with dignity, setting an example through respect and hard work, for others to follow. As caring parents, honestly, we would be just as proud if Mike had chosen to play for our friend, Coach Nee. You arc truly fortunate to have such an outstanding man, basketball coach and example for youth at your fine university. Jane and John McShane Salem, Ore. Not so kind words for tile columnist Bob Ray’s article regarding the homeless in the student union sickened me. His reference to the homeless man that died in the Union was insensitive and uncalled for. I believe he is referring to Dave Ball. I had the opportunity to become friends with Dave before he passed away. He was not a “loitering bum” as Mr. Ray insinuates homeless people arc. He was simply a good, kind man who was going through some very hard times. In my three years at this univer sity, I never have been approached by anyone soliciting change. However, when I do have spare change, 1 buy lunch for a couple of the people who are without a home. Perhaps Mr. Ray should try this and have a conversation with one of these people. He might just change his mind. Corinne Leahy junioi criminal justice Even less kind Well, Bob, you should be really proud. Usually, I’m one of those people who always talks about writing a response to some of those crackpot editorials, but I’ve never done it — until now. You pushed me over thc.edgc. In your article, you make the following statement: “There was an American Indian on a public phone.” You go on to say he had been there for about 90 minutes and you consider this loitering. Later, you say: “Nobody, I mean nobody, hangs out and talks on a public phone for an hour and a half. Where is the guy getting money for a call like that?” First of all, did you happen to even consider that this “American Indian” was a student? Second, did you consider that maybe he doesn’t have long-distance and was calling his parents collect? But no, since neither you nor your friends have ever had to do this, only homeless people loitering in your precious Union do it, right? How ridiculous docs your argument sound once your ethnocentric views are ex posed? I don’t know why you made a point of identifying the man on the phone by his race, but not the drunk puking in the toilet. Oh, yes I do, it’s called ignorance. One more thing—your last paragraph. 1 have a proposal for you. Don’t shower for a week, rub your clothes in the dirt to give the appearance you slept on the ground, then go into McDonald’s and apply for a job. When they ask you for an address, simply write “none.” Tell them you haven’t worked for 15 years, but that you’re trying to make a fresh start. If they hire you, I’ll recant my words. Jennifer A kerman senior English Post it Send your brief letters to: Daily Nebraskan, 34 .., i ^ u Nebraska Union, 1400 R St., -- Lincoln, Neb. 68588, or Fax to (402) 472-1761, or email L—-- Letters must be signed and [ IVTg=k C n include a phone number for \ -LM C U1