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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.
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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
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.., i ^ u Nebraska Union, 1400 R St.,
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