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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 30, 2000)
Opinion Dollars and sense When it comes to student fees, it’s time for UNL stu dents to stop complaining and wake up to reality. For those of you who hate spending money on things that don’t directly pertain to you, listen up: The U.S. Supreme Court doesn’t care. So you’d better be glad the university does. Last week, the Court delivered an opinion that took away the rights of students who requested university fees back for activities they didn’t support politically. Any activ ities whatsoever. And there are plenty of schools that have plenty of activ ities that you wouldn’t support in one way or another. But in 1979 the NU Board of Regents changed the face of how students groups work. It eliminated student-fee use for all groups except Association of Students of the University of Nebraska, the University Program Council, the Daily Nebraskan, the j r Nebraska Unions, the Campus rOV trlOSe OJ Recreation Building (built later) and you who hate ^ University Health Center. j n rv,That s quite a change from a year Spending like 1975-76, when 43 groups like 6 the Judo Club and some group money on called BALSA were student-fee thiturv thnt supported. irlings iriui Right now, students can ask for don’t directly' * K°up: !he ^ DN, ASUN and UPC. The other pevtdin to three, called Fund B, are mandatory, j. because it’s hard to argue with com you, Listen munity, fitness and health care. 1jn . rTllf, T J C With the Supreme Court ruling, ' ' Fund A refunds can be called off Supreme limits — j , ASUNPpresident Andy C OUrt doesn t Schuerman was quoted in the DN as rnrp saying it may be time to close off Ctire. Fund A because it’s possible. WTiile it’s well within the means of ASUN to encourage the regents to do so, we say keep the status quo, and let finicky students know somebody’s watching out for them., and that those same students owe them one. Plenty of students asked for their ASUN funds back because of Schuerman’s opposition to a fetal tissue research ban. If things stay as they are, never again should they, or anyone else in opposition to these three groups, complain about a lack of voice. Because under our current system, they have one. ASUN and the regents hold the cards here. Our call: Bite the bullet and let students ask for their funds back. And every time they cry foul to a bill, or an article, or a UPC pro gram, rub it in their faces and let them know that this is as good as it probably gets - at UNL or anywhere else. Editorial Board Josh Funk (editor) • J.J. Harder • Cliff Hicks • Samuel McKewon • Dane Stickney • Kimberly Sweet • Lindsay Young 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 sub missions. Submitted material becomes property of the Daily Nebraskan and cannot be returned. Anonymous material 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, Neb. 68588-0448 or e-mail to: letters@unl.edu ! I Editorial Policy Unsigned editorials are the opinions of the spring 2000 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 col umn is solely the opinion of its author. The Board of Regents acts 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 publication of the paper. According to policy set by the regents, responsi bility for the editorial content of the newspaper lies solely in the hands of its student employees. The Daily Nebraskan strives to print fair and accurate coverage; any corrections or clarifications will be printed on page three. Obermeyer’s VIEW W smw m. A New BfiSKerBfilL com 155/5ES BH- 8WE To rue my... NBEb Son\BoN£^\ WHO CRN RECRUTTfRoUl \ IN-STATE, PACK VQJANpj, j AND 'TAKE US1QTHE J Tourney - ^7/- f\W OTHER Words, < // ( you NEED* MAN J I WITH A PAC£ / A \ pftiNTEP LIKE J u Vacat / Letters to the EDITOR A ship of their own Men go into combat and die. The men who have survived the horror on foreign and domestic land alike have done more for our country than we ever will, or possibly can imagine. Today’s technology and the mili tary’s knowledge of the past give us options for women and gays to serve. Americans have to decide if we want a feminine, mediocre military or a winner-takes-all super power. Gays and women handicap today’s force by corroding the military’s structure and suffocating moral. Who do you think will join the armed forces if gays are allowed to serve openly? I say give the women and gays a ship of their own, their own platoon and see what they can accomplish - surely not victory. Why should the military take risks that aren’t needed? Why wait until war to see the mistakes that have been made? War isn’t about gay rights or sexual harassment - it’s about killing and loss of human life. Don’t fear a ban on gays in the military. The men who served before we did surely wouldn’t. When you try to make everybody happy, you make nobody happy. That is our cur rent dilemma. John DeLair general studies freshman USN veteran Remains of the day As a recent transfer student, I still am confused by the double stan dards that the leadership of this uni versity continues to display. Apparently it was inappropriate for l— v • - Karl Reinhard to conduct research on American Indian bones because there was opposition from certain groups. This testing also was per ceived to transmit “unethical and immoral values” to the students. However, controversy over the use of aborted fetal tissue in research recently has drawn a tremendous amount of support from university researchers. To suggest that one researcher be fired for using human remains while supporting others at the university who also do this seems very hypo critical. The University of Nebraska should concentrate more on fairness and less on upholding its politically correct image. Daren Harmon senior fisheries and wildlife science To the circular file A number of serious issues can be raised regarding the findings of the Academic Rights and Responsibilities Committee on Dr. Reinhard, as reported in Monday’s Daily Nebraskan. The members of this committee were given consider able power, but that also carried with it the need to act responsibly. A review of their findings suggests strongly that they did not meet their responsibility. I go to great lengths in the cours es I teach in groundwater to separate science from the law and from per sonal values. There is no quicker way to lose credibility on the witness stand than to express a non-science opinion. You may feel that a person or group is being severely disadvan taged by the actions of others, but that is your individual opinion and carries no weight in a court of law, unless you can establish your expert ise in the area of your “opinion.” Further, the laws of this country, state and local government are the rule of the day. A person cannot be tried using laws of another citizenry. Neither the Nebraska Highway Patrol nor a legal counsel found grounds for legal action against Dr. Reinhard. Yet, a self-appointed policewoman and prosecutor (repre senting what citizenry?) brought charges, and some members of the faculty committee deemed them selves capable of determining the guilt of Dr. Reinhard under federal law and sentenced him to termina tion by the university. One is left to wonder if the major ity of the committee understands its capabilities and limitations, or if the members were applying their own personal feelings as guidelines for decision. Under these circumstances one also can question the findings of the committee regarding the two non legal points as described in the Daily Nebraskan. A short time ago there were arti cles regarding Dr. Reinhard’s drop ping his lawsuit against the universi ty and all parties reaching out to begin a healing process. It is time for Chancellor Moeser and the Academic Senate to stand up and rel egate the incredible committee report to the circular file it deserves and continue with the healing process. Darryll T. Pederson professor of geosciences *PS. Write V>ack Send letters to: Daily Nebraskan, 20 Nebraska Union, 1400 “R” St., Lincoln, NE 68588, or fax to (402) 472-1761, or e-mail letters@unl.edu. Letters must be signed and include a phone number for verification.