EDITOR
Paula Lavigne
OPINION
EDITOR
Kasey Kerber
EDITORIAL
BOARD
Brad Davis
Erin Gibson
Shannon Heffelfingei
Chad Lorenz .
Jeff Randall
Our
VIEW
Planning
diversity
Fair representation
necessary for change
Last week, UNL students, faculty mem
bers and staff told federal investigators
about the racial climate on campus.
The representatives from the U.S. Office
for Civil Rights ruled the university had
broken no laws, for which it should be com
mended.
But the news wasn’t all good - investiga
tors said UNL’s climate was not welcoming
to minorities, and the government has
charged the university with drafting a plan
to improve race relations.
During the next two weeks, the affirma
tive action office, along with administra
tors, will discuss what the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln can do to change its
atmosphere.
for tne discussions to be productive,
though, UNL’s student population must be
fairly represented.
In the talks last week, only students
invited by the affirmative action office
could share their experiences with the fed
eral investigators - and most of them were
minority students.
It was appropriate for most of the com
ments during last week’s talks to come from
j experienced
ait UNL first
hand.
But during the talks throughout the next
two weeks, all students should be allowed to
participate in drafting a plan to change the
campus climate.
Because more than 90 percent of stu
dents on this campus are white, they too
should be involved in discussions about
racial climate if the ideas are to become
reality.
With all the talk of “diversity” at UNL,
certainly true diversity is achieved only
when all people can contribute to the race
relations discussion.
The Office for Civil Rights fairly identi
fied three areas in which UNL needs
improvement: its racial harassment policy,
the investigation of harassment complaints
and the need for diversity training. •
For the university to improve in these
areas, all segments of campus must pledge
to work toward a more welcoming environ
ment.
And all segments of the campus popula
tion - including whites - must be a part of
the discussion.
Editorial Policy
Unsigned editorials are the opinions of
the Spring 1998 Daily Nebraskan. They
do not necessarily reflect the views of the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, its
employees, its student body or the
University of Nebraska Board of Regents.
A column is solely the opinion of its author.
The Board of Regents serves as publisher
of the Daily Nebraskan; policy is set by
the Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. The
UNL Publications Board, established by
the regents, supervises the 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 student employees.
Letter Policy
The Daily Nebraskan welcomes brief
letters to the editor and guest columns,
but does not auarantee their pubfication.
The Daily Nebraskan retains the right to
edit or reject any material submitted.
Submitted material becomes property of
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Submit material to: Daily Nebraskan, 34
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Haney’s ,
VIEW
DN
LETTERS
A future Nebraskan?
My name is Jessica Gay. I go to
Clarendon School. Miss Eppley is
my fifth grade teacher.
I have three dogs; one of my
dog’s name is Oso. My mom and dad
have two dogs. I live in a house. I
like TV. When it’s time to go home
from school, I go home to see my
dog Oso.
My birthday is the first of July. I
live in Arizona. I’m writing a report
about Nebraska.
Please print my letter in your
newspaper so readers will see it and
send me information.
P.S. When I’m 16,1 might go to
college in Nebraska.
write to:
Jessica Gay
c/o Miss Heather Eppley
Clarendon Elementary School
1225 W. Clarendon Ave.
Phoneix, Arizona 85013
A question of drinking
I thought maybe the death of
Laura Cockson at the hand of some
one under the influence would
change a few minds.
As I read Shawn Meysenburg’s
commentary about his first experi
ence getting drunk in the April 15
edition of the Daily Nebraskan, I
was given the impression that
“drunkenness may be fun from time
to time.”
This statement not only con
dones the action of drinking, but the
nature of the column assumes that
everyone can learn from his/her first
experience with alcohol.
Well I have news for your
Shawn; I never had my first experi
ence with alcohol, and I don’t plan
on ever having it.
I represent the silent group of
students who do not drink, and it
would be nice if NOT drinking was
given as an option in the war against
alcohol-related problems.
What is drinking responsibly? Is
1 ^h^dn!
it hanging a ribbon up in memory of
Laura Cockson and then getting
drunk?
If we are ready to combat the
problems of drinking, we need to
stop.
That is the only way women will
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alcohol, people will not get killed in
alcohol-related accidents and vio
lence under intoxication will come
to an end.
Joshua Cramer
freshman
sociology major
A lot of thanks and no bull
The second ahnual Burr Hall
Bull Fry was not eating Bull Fries,
playing volleyball or dancing to Full
Choke, it was an opportunity to
unite individuals from many differ
ent backgrounds and living units to
help a friend in need, Adrian Regier.
We are pleased to announce, that
with your help, we raised $2,100 to
present to Adrian and his family. The
Regiers are an'amazing family who
personify courage and hope through
adversity and display humility with
all the thoughts, prayers and dona
tions that they receive.
We would like to thank everyone
who attended either the dance, at the
Pla-Mor Ballroom, or the Bull Fry
this last weekend.
It was an event that had a sub
stantial impact on many people and
especially the Regier family. We
were honored.to have Nebraska
Football Receivers’ Coach Ron
Brown attend Saturday’s festivities
and give inspirational insight to the
Regiers and others in attendance.
We wish that we could list each
person involved in the Bull Fry so
they could get the recognition that
they deserve, but since there are
numerous people, we will extend a
sincere mid heartfelt thank you.
Our gratitude cannot be summed
up in words alone, but we will offer
a sincere thanks to everyone froip
Burr Hall and the Ron Regier fami
iy.
' Philip Erdman
Burr Hall president
'5
