I
j :
1
EDITOR
Josh Funk
OPINION
EDITOR
Mark Baldridge
EDITORIAL
BOARD
Lindsay Young
Jessica Fargen
Samuel McKewon
Cliff Hicks
Kimberly Sweet
Our
VIEW
Contribute
a solution
Help eliminate hunger
on World Food Day
This week the Earth’s population
topped 6 billion. That means there are
now 6 billion mouths to feed world
- wide, many of which continue to go
hungry.
While billions of people in this coun
try and abroad fight starvation, univer
sity students complain that the line at
Burger King is too long.
Hunger and starvation have been
problems since the origin of humanity.
But as our num
bers grow, the
problem only gets
worse.
In the heart of
the most opulent
and omniscient
country of the
world, we should
combat hunger,
and today is the
perfect day to
start. Today is
World Food Day.
This is one
problem where
everyone can con
tribute to a solution. Events on campus
today and tomorrow highlight the
uncertain future of farming and dangers
to the world food supply through speak
ers, displays and live music.
The 16th annual event is designed to
inform students about the challenges to
the world food supply and what the
United Nations is doing to protect it.
But we can all work to combat
hunger. There is no reason why
American farmers should struggle to
put food on only their plates. There is no
reason why parents should go hungry to
feed their children.
There is simply no reason people
should go hungry.
Farmers struggle with low prices
because there is too much grain already
_ in storage while in other countries, peo
ple must survive on a few handfuls of
grain.
But before taking on the world, you
must deal with what is right before you.
Get involved on campus, in the com
munity or elsewhere. The benefits you
reap will outpace your efforts tenfold.
And it all starts simply.
Join an organization dedicated to
eliminating hunger, volunteer at a soup
kitchen or simply extend an act of kind
ness to someone less fortunate.
It doesn’t take much, but it does mat
ter. So quit complaining about the qual
ity of your happy meal and contribute
something to the solution.
66
There is no
reason why
parents
should go
hungry to
feed their
children
Editorial Policy
Unsigned editorials are the opinions of
the Fall 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.
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 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, 20
Nebraska Union, 1400 R St. Lincoln,
NE. 68588-0448. E-mail:
letters@unlinfo.unl.edu.
Oberme yer’s
VIEW
Find out who Paid For Tom Green?
STARE AT THE PICTURE OR. HOLD VoUR M056- uPTD IT ANI> MOVE IT AWAY AMP TRY 1o
DISCOVER WHO IS RESPONSIBLE'1
^ -7-fir-7-7^~r-/-rr-7?
Playing it by ear
Traveling in Africa does not include rigid itinerary
My three week trip across Africa,
beginning on the Indian Ocean Coast
and moving southwest, maintained
its spontaneous, erratic flow until the
day I returned to school in Dar es
Salaam.
Unlike the United States, Africa
has not yet seen massive industrial
ization and infrastructure develop
ments (for better or for worse).
Therefore, travel and transport on the
continent do not always follow a pre
determined. mechanized and pre
dictable route.
You have to adapt as you go.
When we arrived in Lusaka after
our adventurous train ride, we didn't
know where we were going to go
next, nor how we were going to do it.
We did know, however, that in
every country in the world, until you
have adapted to the country’s linguis
tic and cultural norms necessary to
integrate, there is always an elite
enclave of expatriates (people resid
ing in a foreign country) from a cul
ture not too different from your own.
They range from masochistic
shoestring backpackers living on $30
a week to old-farty millionaires
exploiting an emerging market by
day and the local prostitutes by
nignt.
They are a good safety net to fall
back on for information on how to
do what, at least until you feel com
fortable in your new setting.
After we got the relevant infor
mation from the ex-pats that we
needed, we quickly left their fortified
encampment and headed out toward
the Southern Atlantic.
The first thing you have to do to
be successful traveling in third-world
countries is put away your watch. In
fact, you’re better off selling it or
giving it away in exchange for a
favor at some point than showing off
the wealth it represents.
As a general rule, things happen
when they happen, so don’t be let
down when the schedule says the bus
leaves at 8 a.m., and it’s 8:05 a.m.
and the bus is still empty.
What time does the bus leave?
The bus leaves when it leaves.
Things happen when they happen,
but not because it is “time” for it to
happen.
Mostly, the bus or ferry or even a
small airplane will leave when it is
full, and not until then, in order to
maximize profits.
Never pay the bus fare until the
bus is well on its way. If I had a dol
lar for every time I paid for a phan
tom bus that was never there, never
left or never started, aye! Well, I’d
have a lot of money
We arrived at the bus station
quite early and found our bus to
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. By noon,
we were on our way, bumpily rock
ing down a gravel road at a modest
40 mph.
The bus stopped at an occasional
village along the road for a bathroom
break or to pick up and drop off oth
ers. Luckily for us, this bus only
broke down one time on our six-hour
ride.
Victoria Falls was spectacular.
The tourist industry that developed
around the town, catering to that old
farty millionaire crowd, was disgust
ing and humiliating to everyone
involved with it.
In the middle of south central
Africa, there was the “Big T-Texas
Steak House,” with the Zimbabwean
waiters and waitresses in full Roy
Rogers 10-gallon hats, cowboy
boots, spurs, chaps and Garth
Brooks in the background.
The place had a hickish appeal,
competing with the movie
Deliverance or a Texas State Fair,
spoiled only by a thick African
accent from the host.
That wacky town, artificially
spawned by some anachronistic
investor, almost destroyed the mag
nificence the falls generated.
Hypocritically, we couldn’t resist
a medium deep dish from the local
Pizza Hut or a giant sundae from the
British-imported “Wimpy’s.” It was a
much anticipated treat after not hav
ing any dairy products for five
months.
The next day, we visited the falls
again and noticed some locals active
on the banks of the river. As we intu
itively joined them, we found a rocky
path across the upper base of the
falls.
Foreseeing a remote and emanci
pating view ahead of us if we could
just bounce across the rushing river,
we staggered through the water until
we reached a natural pool perched on
the face of the falls.
Being as stupid and short-sighted
as we were, we went for a swim on
the edge of the waterfall in a natural
pool that formed right before the
water fell (and perhaps us as well)
112 meters to the green abyss below.
When we were ready to leave
Victoria Falls, instead of plotting a
course and waiting for the right
transport, we took the most conve
nient bus to our next destination,
which fate determined to be the
Caprivi Strip in Namibia.
The bus didn’t take us into the
town, but we did meet some Peace
Corps backpackers who we tem
porarily teamed with to pay for a
taxi.
They told us that to continue
traveling in Namibia, our best bet
would be to hitchhike, as the buses
were sporadic and relatively expen
sive.
Namibia was our first encounter
with white Africans, the Afrikaners
(Boers). We were told they were a
safe bet to pick up a white tourist for
a cheap ride.
The next day, at 10 a.m., we
planted ourselves in the official
“pick-up” spot where we were told
they would come by and give us a
ride. After five hours of baking in
the Kalahari sun, we were picked up
by a Boer trucker.
we roae wun nim lor i» nours,
ate fresh gemsbok at a travel lodge
and then slept in a tent that night out
side under the sparkling desert stars,'
dozing off to the sounds of a remote
coyote and some chirping crickets. <
The next day, we arrived in the \
capital, which would be the climax
of our journey. &
David Baker is a senior African studies, sociology and anthropology major and a Daily ~
Nebraskan columnist.
