EDITOR
DougKouma
OPINION
EDITOR
Anne hjersman
EDITORIAL
BOARD
Doug Peters
Matt Waite
Paula Lavigne
Mitch Sherman
Anthony Nguyen
Naked truth
UNK actors stripped
of academic freedom
The naked truth of academic freedom
escaped administrators at the University of
Nebraska at Kearney when they told a UNK
theater professor to remove scenes of partial
nudity from a student play or be labeled “in
subordinate.”
The UNK professor, Jack Garrison,
made the first mistake by not challenging the
administration. His 28-year service and ten
ure gives him academic freedom, but Garri
son backed down without a fight He failed
to stand up for his students and his profes
sion.
UNK Chancellor Gladys Styles Johnston
justified her censorship by using a vague Uni
versity of Nebraska bylaw that states:
“Where the university’s interest as an aca
demic community is clearly involved, the
authority of the university may be asserted.”
It could be interpreted that this bylaw
gives the university free reign to do what
ever it wants. This contradicts the reign given
to academic freedom, and thus contradicts
the heart and soul of a public institution for
higher learning.
The bylaw should be reworded or elimi
_i-.J
uau/u.
Through state taxes, Nebraskans fund the
university. The people of Nebraska should
decide whether or not they want to see a play.
They should choose whether or not they want
to sit in the audience.
Chancellor Johnston, a state employee
paid by the university, should not pick and
choose what cultural activities the entire
UNK campus is allowed to see based on her
personal preference.
Fortunately, some members of the ad
■ ministration and faculty at UNL already see
through the dangers of executive privilege
ruling over artistic endeavors.
Chancellor James Moeser and Richard
Durst, dean of the College of Fine and Per
forming Arts, said they would not ban nu
dity from a UNL play and do not advocate
censorship.
Tice Miller, director of the Department
of Theatre Arts and Dance, says the UNL
theater has shown full and partial nudity and
will continue to do so in a tasteful, appropri
ate way if a production warrants. In feet, “Six
Degrees of Separation,” an upcoming UNL
play, will have nudity in it.
Miller, who has been at UNL for 25
years, says he has never been told what he
can and cannot put in a play. But, he says, if
he is ever told to cut something, “we will
have a serious discussion about academic
freedom.”
He said the decision at UNK “certainly
would not have been the decision made in
Lincoln.”
Chancellor Johnston’s move to put the
wraps on UNK’s actors may have muffled
Garrison, but it shouldn’t pull the wool over
the eyes of the rest of the NU system, leav
ing it blind to unwarranted censorship.
i
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Kasey
KERBER
might be eccentric ifL
There comes a time in every
opinionated columnist’s life when he
or she decides that they need to write
about a deep, touching issue.
That person makes a conscience
decision to cast away all the cre
ative, silly jokes and strive to make a
serious, idealistic point.
Thank God this is not the time.
Instead, I’ll be nonconforming
and doing my part to make people
laugh and forget about such nagging
issues as midterms, “what I did last
night” and the forever nagging
“Come on bell, I need to go plug the
freaking meter!!!”
Therefore, this week’s column
will be dedicated to finding out
whether you’re normal or not.
Yeah, I know what you’re saying:
“I’m normal. How dare you question
my normalness! Next you’re going to
question my He-Man tattoo aren’t
you? What nerve!!!”
Well, relax. I’m just going to see
if you can be classified as “eccen
tric.” It’s noncompetitive with the
term weirdness, which many people
would associate with two guys
running around a dorm floor half
naked racing vacuum cleaners.
Besides, beer causes that.
You see, there was an article that
appeared in USA Today exactly one
year ago about eccentricity or
“straying from the normal.”
The most interesting portion of
the article was a side graphic that
accompanied it.
It gave 15 “characteristics of
eccentricness.” If you have 10 of
these, you are, in all likelihood,
~ eccentric.
I could just tell you what these
are, but because I am such an
eccentric guy with unusual living
and eating habits, doing the normal
thing would just not be within my
capacity. I’ve decided instead to be
an eldest child of wisdom and scatter
each single characteristic throughout
the column for you to find.
Remember, if you have any 10 of
the characteristics, you are eccentric,
or in a more literal sense, abnormal.
Now, some of you might be
strongly curious—if I’m eccentric,
is it a bad thing? Should I go out and
buy a new wardrobe or get rid of my
He-Man tattoo? Am I doomed to be
considered weird by my peers—
maybe even more bizarre than the
new “E.T.” look-alike Herbie Husker
mascot?
Survey says... no!
You might not realize it, but many
celebrities we know and admire for
their intelligence have since been
classified as eccentric.
Men such as James Joyce,
Alexander Graham Bell, Ben
Franklin and Albert Einstein were
eccentric, as well Emily Dickinson
and Katharine Hepburn in the women
category.
Don’t believe me? Think I just
have a mischievous sense of
humor? Well, James Joyce carried
around a pair of lady’s bloomers with
him. Alexander Bell covered his
windows because he was afraid of ,
the moon’s rays. Franklin took air
baths, meaning he stood naked in
front of an open window, taking deep
breaths. And Dickinson? She wore
only white her entire life....
See, you can be eccentric and still
become famous. This doesn’t mean I
want you to stand naked in front of
an open window holding a white pair
of lady’s bloomers, taking deep
breaths—but you can hit the top of
the ladder even as an oddball.
For me, it brings back memories
of an old friend from junior high. His
name was Kurt Nolen.
Kurt must have known from his
childhood that he was different. By
the time he reached eighth grade, he
was the only guy in our class who
had enough facial hair to make up a
beard.
He was happily obsessed with a
hobby, which would be playing his
electric guitar. Kurt also believed
there was a band of witches in our
class.
Before I knew him, I once got into
a scuffle with Kurt. The dean of our
school sat us down and acted as a
mediator.
I don't remember what the heck
we talked about, but I remember one
thing Kurt said that stuck in my
mind. He said: “People say I’m
weird, and I say thank you! I’m
proud to be!”
Kurt was a guy that wasn’t afraid
to be different. I learned to admire
that in him. We became pretty good
friends—although I never did buy
that thing about there being witches
in our class.
I don’t really know what hap
pened to Kurt. He was an only child,
a sort of loner and moved around a
lot because his father was in the
military.
Maybe he’s playing an electric
guitar in some club somewhere.
Maybe he’s writing a documentary
about witches among us. Or maybe
he’s still challenging those who
challenge him.
All I know is that he’s out there
doing something different and
abnormal. Something... eccentric.
And he wouldn’t have it any other
way.
Come to think of it, neither would
I.
Kerber is a sophomore news
editorial major and a Daily
Nebraskan columnist
HS. Write Back
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