Daily
Nebraskan
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
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...Columnist
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BretGotlschaH/DN
Real life
Living on campus heps students acclimate
Most freshmen entering the University of Nebraska are faced with
a larger academic workload than they have ever experienced before.
They also find themselves with a sudden lack ofparcntal supervision.
The combination can be disastrous, and most students need time
to adjust.
The University of Nebraska requires all unmarried students under
the age of 19 to live in University-approved housing for their first
year of college.
Most of us wanted to live off campus as freshmen. Few of us were
mature enough to handle the responsibility.
The housing policy is meant to ensure that freshmen live in a
stable, supportive environment that encourages their academic suc
cess. Statistics show thatstudents who live in university housing earn
better grades and have a better chance of graduating.
The housing policy is a sound policy, implemented for the right
reasons, to help new students adjust to university life and ultimately
to succeed.
A freshman student at the University of Nebraska at Kearney
recently challenged the housing policy on the grounds that it violated
his constitutional right to freely practice his religion.
This student, a Christian, complained that the residence halls
exposed him to bad influences and behavior he considered immoral.
He cited the availability of condoms in the residence halls and
policies allowing “open visitation” by members of the opposite sex
as evidence that life in university housing was contrary to his
religious beliefs.
We have news for that student. No one is forcing him to buy
condoms or have overnight visitors in his room. No one in the
residence halls is preventing him from practicing his religion.
The student, who wanted to live in an off-campus Christian
Student Fellowship house, was denied an exemption to the housing
rule. UNK might use this opportunity to examine what constitutes
proper housing for its freshmen. If the Christian house provides a
supportive environment for new students, then perhaps UNK should
include it in its list of university-approved housing.
But part of any university education should involve some contact
with people of different beliefs and backgrounds. Residence halls
provide an environment where students can get to know people
whose views differ from their own.
We all have to learn to live together, even if we don’t approve of
each others’ lifestyles.
Editorial policy
Staff editorials represent die official
policy of the Spring 19% Daily Ne
braskan. Policy is set by the Daily
Nebraskan Editorial Board. Editorials
do not necessarily reflect die 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 die editorial content
of the newspaper lies solely in the
hands of its students.
The Daily Nebraskan welcomes brief letters to the
editor from all readers and interested others. Letters
will be selected for publication on the baas 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 die author’s name, year
in school, major and group affiliation, if any. Re
quests to withhold names will not be graded. Submit
material to: Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union,
1400 R St Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448.
TR05T
ME.
AjEW&Akl
‘FINE’ where it is
In defense of Mr. Willey, I agree
that the way parking is handled at
UNL is ridiculous. There have been
a few stories that covered this issue,
but I think there should be more,
with more input from the authorities
in on the parking policies. I agree
with one of the letters written, in
which the student told his story of
misinformation given by Parking
Services. An acquaintance of mine
had his car TOWED on a football
Saturday, after having been told his
car would be fine in the lot it was in.
He then had to pay the $25 ticket in
addition to the $60 towing fee. I also
appealed this ticket, and it did no
good. The reason it was denied was
for “no valid permit displayed,”
despite the two-dollar visitor pass in
the window. I believe Parking
Services should do a better job of
informing the students of the exact
policies, and that those who work at
Parking Services should be well
informed of these policies too, to
avoid giving out the wrong informa
tion.
And congratulations is in order to
Mr. Willey for taking a frustrating
situation and being able to laugh at
it!
Leigh Ramert
freshman
mechanical engineering
Name spawns
mistrust
In response to Paul Carlson’s
letter (March 11), I agree that Steve
Willey’s terming of those people
who hand out parking tickets as
“meter maids” is a sexist term, but 1
also view the official title of the
student workers as a bit excessive.
“Student Enforcement Cadets?”
What sort of militaristic Big
BretGottschall/DN
Brothers are these people? If I told
my father that I was applying to be a
“Student Enforcement Cadet,” he’d
probably wonder why I thought my
fellow students needed to be policed
by the military, then wonder where
he went wrong. Yes Mr. Carlson,
Steve Willey was wrong,,but 1 hardly
think the real title is any better.
These students arc just like the rest
of us; don’t create more animosity
toward them by giving them a stupid
name.
Cory Emal
senior
secondary education
Try: “the farce THAT
is...”
Although I have suffered through
the farce which is Bob Ray, Daily
Nebraskan columnist for the entirety
of this semester, I feel compelled to
inform you that his most recent
“column” (Melting Pot, March 8)
has pushed me beyond the brink of
endurance.
I have no doubt that the composi
tion of a thoughtful, well-written
column can take literally hours on
end, especially if the topic is a
particularly difficult one. Having
said that, I can only come to the
conclusion that Bob has never spent
more than 15 minutes composing
any of the semi-intelligible rants
we’ve been treated to this semester.
As a columnist representing a
university with 20-somc thousand
students, there is (or should be) a
certain expectation that you will not
present incomplete sentences for
final copy to your editors (see
opening paragraph of your “Melting
Pot” column). You should not
consistently misuse basic punctua
tion symbols. You should not dull
your message by using an exclama
tion point every other sentence, as
you did in your Colin Powell
column.
At this point, I would be remiss
to hold only you responsible for the
travesties wc read. In theory, your
editor is supposed to be editing your
columns. Either your editor is doing
this and missing your errors, or your
editor isn’t editing. Either way, your
editor should share some of the
blame.
I ask you not to misunderstand
my intent, Bob. I’m not simply
“nitpicking” your writing. I’ve
written this letter for two very
specific reasons. The first is that,
regardless of the message you’re
trying to send, no one is going to
take you seriously if you write like
their kid brother. The second reason
is a little more selfish — no one
reading a newspaper produced by
college students should have to read
such pathetically sloppy garbage.
Eric Odgaard
senior
psychology
Send your brief letters to:
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’"1 . 1 ^ Nebraska Union, 1400 R St.,
-1- Lincoln, Neb. 68588, or Fax
to (402) 472-1761, or email
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_ L=—1T- Letters must be signed and
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