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Erin Gibson
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Cliff Hicks
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Brad Davis
Sam McKewon
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Our
VIEW
Right and
reasonable
Culture, education
take priority over cuts
Perhaps Minnesotans are now reaping the
rewards of electing a former pro wrestler to
govern their state.
Gov. Jesse Ventura, who rode a wave of
cynicism for traditional politicians to the state
Capitol in November, unveiled plans last
week to eliminate state funding for
Minnesota public television and radio.
Though the cut v/ould eliminate only 2
percent of Minnesota Public Radio’s budget,
Ventura’s message is obvious: Culture -
including MPR’s much beloved “A Prairie
Home Companion” program - is not impor
tant enough to be supported by state tax dol
lars.
Fortunately, the Nebraska state govern
ment seems primed to buck the trend of
penny-pinching at all costs.
In his 1999-2000 executive budget, Gov.
Mike Johanns recommended increasing state
funding for the Nebraska Educational
Telecommunications Division, the umbrella
organization for services including public
television and radio, as well as the state’s
growing distance-education infrastructure.
He proposed giving another $400,000 to
the division’s budget, which would raise its
annual state funding to $7.6 million - about
one-third of its total operating budget.
The division had asked for a $2.2 million
increase but said it was pleased with the gov
ernor’s support.
jonanns also supported buying an essen
tial $17 million public TV satellite transpon
der and spending $41 million to phase in dig
ital television over six years. The federal gov
ernment requires all public television stations
to broadcast in digital and analog, the
Nebraska ETV Network’s current format, by
May 1,2003.
These blocks of spending will undoubted
ly raise the ire of some traditionally tight-fist
ed Nebraskans calling for tax cuts and ques
tioning the importance of public broadcasting
and distance education.
The $58 million in technology update
projects is sure to cause debate inside the
Capitol walls, but the Daily Nebraskan hopes
that legislators will bear in mind the impor
tance of quality public programming.
State senators should respect Johanns’
telecommunications budget recommenda
tions and focus on Nebraskans’ cultural and
educational needs, not just their pocketbooks.
We hope our senators will understand the
importance of public broadcasting and of dis
tance education in a state where the miles
between towns, their inhabitants and state
educators can threaten cultural isolation and
impede technological progress.
For if Nebraskans, and the country, are to
continue to enjoy NETV-produced programs
such as “The Farmer’s Wife” - now ranked
among the most important PBS documents of
the decade - NETV must be fully funded.
If not, some of the most important U.S.
programming may be swept aside for the
World Wrestling Federation.
Editorial Policy
Unsigned editorials are the opinions of
the Spring 1999 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.
Acolumn 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.
Lenar Policy
The Daily Nebraskan welcomes brief
letters to the editor and guest columns,
but does not guarantee their publication.
The Daily Nebraskan retains the right to
edit or reject any material submitted.
Submitted material becomes property of
the Daily Nebraskan and cannot be
returned. Anonymous submissions will
not be published. Those who submit
letters must identify themselves by name,
year in school, major and/or group
affiliation, if any.
Submit material to: Daily Nebraskan, 34
Nebraska Union, 1400 R St. Lincoln,
NE. 68588-0448. E-mail:
letters@unlinfo.unl.edu.
Branch’s
VIEW
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DN
LETTERS
Honorable intentions
Several residence hall issues are not
understood. The UNL campus is devot
ed to diversity, as is the honors program.
For that reason, special-interest floors
have been created all over our campus,
and campuses around the nation.
Honors housing is just one of hundreds
of these special-interest housing
options.
The goal of special-interest floors is
self-explanatory: to create an environ
ment where everyone feels some com
mon interest. All of the non-honors stu
dents currently in Neihardt will be able
to live in Neihardt for a year and a half;
however, they have the opportunity to
apply to the program just like any other
on campus student. The deadline is
March 1.
The honors program does not dis
criminate on the basis of sex, age, dis
ability, race, color, religion, marital sta
tus, veteran’s status, national or ethnic
origin or sexual orientation. Not every
one who has stellar grades applies to the
honors program, and not everyone in
the program has a 4.00.
Brian Opplinger’s point was that
being in the honors program does not
make you smart, but being informed
does. Grades are not the only criterion
for diversity. The Pound 9 and 10 repre
sentatives seem to believe that diversity
and segregation can be based upon GPA
alone. The honors program contains
members from all backgrounds and dis
ciplines.
Being in the program requires an
application process just like any other
honorary organization, and the textbook
scholarship is, like its title implies, a
scholarship. Anyone who holds a schol
arship 6f any kind realizes that benefits
and responsibilities exist to maintain it.
Scholarships are decided on the basis of
the people who apply and are awarded
after a competitive process.
Academic segregation, as some
have chosen to call it, has always
occurred. Universities are set up to dis
tinguish people
based on
grades. Some people graduate based on
the grades they have earned, and some
people do not. The honors program is
not set up to say that it includes all the
smart people; it is set up to contain a
portion of people who desire a certain
path in their curriculum, much like
choosing a major.
The sociology department does not
let a math major just have a sociology
degree without doing the work or taking
the classes, and the honors program
does not admit any students who do not
apply ......
Having never lived in Neihardt, I
agree that some honors students will
choose to and are capable of living else
where. However, having special- inter
est housing for the honors program is
not any different than it is for any other
types of special-interest housing.
Crystal Lynn Keeler
senior
biology and sociology
honors program undergraduate
assistant
The line is drawn
As an author of a controversial Web
site, one must follow certain guidelines
in order to stay “within the bounds of the
First Amendment.” After reading the
story about the “anti-abortion terror
ists,” I caff t help but think, “What the
hell?”
We are fortunate enough to be
blessed with something so powerful
as the First Amendment. But in
order to use this
right effectively,
we must real
ize. that
our right
is not
absolute!
One cannot
go into a
crowded the
ater and yell
“FIRE!” This
would be in direct
violation of every
one else’s liberties.
It absolutely bog
gles me to hear
Sk the defendants of
this case believe their First Amendment
rights are being violated. As soon as one
uses their rights in a way that violates
the rights of another, they no longer
have the protection entrusted by the
Constitution. If I were to put myself in
the shoes of a doctor on this “anti-abor
tion hit list,” I would be running scared,
too. The Web can be a very powerful
thing. Its power is easily abused in cases
like this one. The question is: Where do
we drawthe line?
> I would consider the Web to fall
under the qualifications of “freedom of
press.” The problem is if we attack one
slander case (as in the case of the anti
abortion site), then it’s our duty to attack
them all. If someone feels the need to
publish a Web site that graphically slan
ders myself with a headline of, “Marcus
is a homosexual!” do I have the right to
prosecute this individual for slander?
Society and government need to reeval
uate these types of cases.
We could find ourselves swimming
in a world of a government-controlled
Internet if we aren’t careful. Right now
the Internet is probably the most free
form of ideas and communication. We
also have to realize it’s the simplest to
access.
Exercise your rights... but remem
ber (as my mother still says to me), “If
you don’t have anything nice to say,
don’t say anything at all.”
Marcus Graham
Lincoln resident
MattHaney/DN
