The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, September 19, 1996, Page 4, Image 4
\ EDITOR DougKouma OPINION EDITOR AnneHjersman EDITORIAL BOARD Doug Peters Matt Waite Paula Lavigne Mitch Sherman Anthony Nguyen - ■ Shooting at Perm State raises safety concerns Penn State student Melanie Spalla died Tuesday. The 19-year-old was with a crowd of her peers outside the university’s student union when 19-year-old Jillian Robbins pulled out a rifle and opened fire—leaving Spalla dead and another student injured. A similar incident could happen here. Indeed, one almost did. On Oct 12, 1992, Arthur McElroy at tempted to open fire with a .30-caliber semi automatic rifle in a full University of Ne braska-Lincoln classroom. By some strange twist of fortune, the gun jammed, sparing the lives of 20 students. They were lucky. And sb were we. What happened at Penn State could have happened on any college campus; it shouldn't happen anywhere. Worrying about tuition, parking and pop quizzes is natural for university students, but worrying about someone gunning students down on the way to morning classes is not A university is an institute of higher learning. It represents opportunity and free expression of ideas—but with that freedom comes vulnerability. , r Just as a university environment fosters communication and learning, it also can fos ter anger; frustration and despair—both for those directly involved with campus life and those who feel they are outsiders in an elitist world. It's an easy target for the unstable. Jillian Robbins, the woman who gunned down the Penn State students, was called “Crazy Jill.” She had a history of mental problems. Just last month she attempted sui cide. In the Nebraska incident, McElroy was pronounced not guilty by reason of insanity Neither has offered an explanation. Regardless of the reason for Wednesday’s outburst, an innocent student died and another was injured. There is no justifying that in the eyes of victims' friends and family. Paranoia will not bring Spalla back, but neither will a false security prevent such things from happening in the future. Safety at UNL and on all campuses must be approached with realism and responsibil ity. That’s the price of freedom. i i Editorial Policy Unsigned cdimriah ate the opinions of the Fall 1996 Daily Nebraskan. They do not neces sarily reflect the views of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, its employees, its student tody or the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. A column is sofey the opinion of its audKir. The Board of Regents serves as pub lisher ofthe Daily Nebraskan; policy is set by the Drily Nebraskan Editorial Board. The UNL Publicatkms Board, established by the wgnti, tnptrviacs Reproduction oftfae news 7-fL,. A , ar|tfr^,1 rh si intit ratlin rcsponsi Dili iy iui me ccuionu conicni ox me newspqxrlies solely in the hands of its stu dent employees. Letter Policy _ The Daly Nebraskan welcomes brief let ters to die editor and guest columns, but does not guarantee tiiek publication. The Daily Nebraskan retains the right to edit or reject any material submitted. Submit ted material becomes the property of the Daily Nebraskan and cannot be returned. Anonymous submissions will not be published. Thner who submit letters must identify themselves by name, year in school, major aqjtfpr group affiliation, if any. Submit material to: Daily Nebras kan, 34 Nebraska Unioo, MOOR St Lin coln, Neb. 68588-0448. E-mail: letters@unlinfo.tBil.edu. ... ^1 ■■ tfcWH- SMtowcn Heather LAMPE Uld enough to know better, still too young to not care People amaze me more and more everyday. Yesterday I pulled up behind a car at a stoplight and thought (was going to have to give die driver CPR. His head was bobbing back and forth and he was flailing his arms in a rhythmic sort of way. I was sure he was having an epileptic seizure. But what I saw next made me thinkl was the one who was going to have to have mouth-to-mouth. When the man turned his head, I saw his lips moving and, from what I could make out, he was mouthing the words to a Village People song. That’s right folks, he was singing and dancing in his car, in front of . , other drivers, in front of pedestrians^ for all the world to see. I wanted to walk up and shake the man's hand. What a brave soul! There have been a million times when a really snappy tune has come on the radio and I've wanted to belt it out But society has trained me that I must not act out or act silly in public, and most of all I must not reenact music videos in the car. I mean, my : God, someone might see me!! By the time we're 18, our parents have trained us to be totally inhib ited. We can’t do anything that would make us appear unukial. There is something truly sad about the time spent between childhood and old age. Small children and the elderly could teach us all something about how to enjoy life, because for the most part they just don’t care what other people think. Until their parents ruin them, children are totally uninhibited. Just take a 3-year-old to a restaurant and you’ll know what I mean. Mashed potatoes were really meant to be sculpted; not eaten. There is certain joy in blowing bubbles in your milk. And if you have to belch or perform any other bodily function, why not have an audience? It makes the experience all the more pleasurable. Children are completely comfort honest “Mommy, why doesnYthat ^ u———— There is certain joy in blowing bubbles in your milk. And if you have to belch or - perform any other bodily funcions, why not have an audience?” roan have any hair? Mommy, why is that dog licking his butt? Mommy, I think I have to go. Mommy, what is that big, ugly spot bn your nose?” Now imagine being able to walk up to complete strangers and ask their names and ages. They would look at you funny and ask which hospital you escaped from. If you’re 5, you can get away with it. Little kids will break out into a Barney song when in die car, indie department store, at church. And die more you try to quiet them, the louder they will sing. Now admit it, haven’t we all wanted to sing along with the Neil Diamond tunes at the grocery store? /‘.r; We could also take a lesson from the elderly people of this world. ~ : They’ve also §pent most of their Sg| adult lives worrying about what other people think of them. Now in the twilight of their lives, they want to be free. I don’t want any mail bombs from nursing homes, so I’ll use my' t ad) grandparents as examples. My grandmother has lost the will to be fashionable. Grandpa has lost the drive to be color-coordinated. He - wears black trouser socks with white tennis shoes. They just doesn’t care! And why should they? Their >•*< ! motives have gone from planning careers to planting carrots. Grandma has traded in her business suits for sweatshirts adorned with frizzy ^ bunnies. She also is donning terry * cloth pants. She doesn’t cafe what shoes are in fhshion, she’s only concerned with what will cushion her corns and bunions. I feel jealous. Imagine the , freedom of getting up every day and wearing whatever you happen to pick up first, whether it matches or not. Grandma puts her clothes on frontwards. But if you’re a 2-year old, no one will look twice if your shirt is on backwards. When my brother was little, his favorite look * was a Kool-Aid-stained T-shirt, a diaper and red cowboy boots. I feel the pressures of society everywhere I go. I was in a parking garage elevator recently and had an itch on my upper thigh. But when the security camera peered down at me, I couldn’t scratch for fear the operator might think I’m scratching my butt. Oh, to have been a small child at the time! I could have scratched, picked and.waved at the camera without thinking twice. The only person I guess you can ever fed truly comfortable and uninhibited with is your spouse. And even then you take die ride that you might someday become filthy rich and your husband will leave you and write a tell-all bode about how you liked wearing men’s underwear. Go figure. Lampe is a senior news-editorial and English auger and a Daily 34 Nebpfe Union, J400 "R" St, Lincoln, WW to MM 472-17fil nr a-mail cfctWafihi nlinformlprivt jgSSRJl must be signed and include a phone number for verification ~ __ __—.....