Opinion
Quotes of the
WEEK
“Something we’ve always done is wear down teams.
This year, we’re going to have even more depth and
potential to wear people down.”
NU I-back Dan Alexander on the Huskers ’ chances of
showing their stuff in the fall
“If resolutions would still stand ... the current sen
ate would be spoken for. (The policy) allows the new
senate to speak on its own.”
ASUN President Joel Schafer, referring to the policy
requiring legislation to die at the end of each term
“It was calm.”
Hebron Sen. George Coordsen on the past year in the
Legislature
“The effects that the personal attacks have had on
my family leave me no ^alternative. The damage to my
family is irreparable.” j
Republican Senate hopeful George Grogan on his rea
sons for dropping out of the race
“Next time, they should invite Holocaust survivors
and have them talk right before Li’l Red stands on his
head.”
■ DN columnist Samuel McKewon commenting on the
problems with the School is Cool Jam
“Just because we’re at a white institution doesn’t
mean we have to act white.”
Leon Caldwell, co-organizer of the Black Male
Empowerment Summit
“It’s going to be difficult to sustain momentum in
many areas. It’s too bad he has to face this opportuni
ty at this point in time when there is instability on this
campus.”
James McShane, English professor, on Chancellor
James Moeser’s decision to leave while jive other top
level positions are open at UNL
“He is an excellent recruiter ... but he is also an
excellent basketball coach, both on the floor and in the
locker room.”
NU Basketball Coach Barry Collier on newly appoint
ed assistant Dave “Soupy” Campbell
“I find it amusing when I get a form from the uni
versity, and it asks me to identify myself by my race.
That is something that no one asks in my country.”
Adelaida Martinez on one of the differences between
the United States and Ecuador
“He has a way of taking hard stuff and making you
understand.”
UNL freshman Karl Albrecht on Outstanding
Educator Award winner Bill McLaughlin.
Editorial Board
Josh Funk (editor) • J.J. Harder • Cliff Hicks • Samuel
McKewon • Dane Stickney • Kimberly Sweet • Lindsay
Young
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Editorial Policy
Unsigned editorials tire the opinions of the spring 2000 Daily
Nebraskan. They do hot necessarily reflect the views of the
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body or the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. A col
umn is solely the opinion of its author. The Board of Regents
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Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. The UNL Publications
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strives to print fair and accurate coverage; any corrections or
clarifipations will £>e printed on page three.
Obermeyer’s
VIEW
Letters to the
EDITOR
The Omega
In your April 12 issue you ran an
editorial involving the Alpha Clarion
and the recent controversy caused by its
distribution in public high schools.
Although I applaud your defense of the
First Amendment, I fear you were too
quick to pass judgment on the content
of the underground newspaper itself.
First, the Alpha Clarion is not about
challenging authority or usurping the
power of the administration. It is, very
simply, a way for talented teenage writ
ers to have their work reach the masses.
A comedic forum for students, it was
established because none existed. We
do not attack faculty members or stu
dents, nor do we even mention them.
True, we use graphic language in
some stories, but it always is used in
quotes to establish character or used in
opinion pieces to reflect on the beliefs
of the writer. You would find that the
profane words used in our pages are no
different than the profane words used in
the New Yorker. We are not a paper for
Student X to say “_you!” to Mr. so
and-so because he failed him in biolo
gy
Some people assume that since we
are teenagers that our writing is sopho
moric by nature. They don’t look past
the four-letter words so, sadly, a num
ber of readers will miss the satire.
However, by focusing on our choice of
language, I am not doing the paper jus
tice. We rely very little on the shock
value “cuss words” provide. In most
cases we contain considerably less vul
garity than the contemporary literature
assigned in the high school courses of
the same name.
Only distribution has been banned
from high schools, not possession. So
we are doubling our print number and
taking the Alpha to the street. We might
have a case to aigue for in-school distri
bution to continue because we are not a
school publication and, therefore, fully
protected by the freedom of press.. But
we have decided not to challenge
authority and agree to a simple request
for a halt of in-school paper spreading.
Finally, I would like to state that not
everyone is against the Alpha Clarion,
as it may seem from reading the recent
articles. The majority of the teaching
staff at Lincoln Southeast has been
indifferent or extremely supportive.
Some English teachers even have dis
cussed the articles with their classes.
Student response also has been phe
nomenal. To those who we do offend by
our fictional stories, I apologize on
behalf of the staff; it was never our
intention. To the editors of the Daily
Nebraskan, I am happy that you are
defending our situation, I just thought
the Alpha Clarion needed a little
defense as well.
John M.Thorson
Alpha Clarion co-editor
Lincoln
The best money can buy
The first thing I looked at in
Thursday’s DN was the illustration that
depicted some of the bills passed by
this year’s legislative session. I was
flabbergasted to find out that
a bill, LB1217, was
passed that gave
w*
i-C
the University a half a million dollars
“for the recruitment of minority and
women faculty members.”
Now don’t get me wrong, I am not a
crazy redneck with a Confederate flag
hanging in my front yard, but this bill
concerns me. Because this university
insists on running itself as a dollars
and-cents business, I, as a student, con
sider myself a customer. There is one
stipulation though. I am a customer
here at UNL, and I don’t have much of
a chance, in most circumstances, to ask
for a refund if I am disappointed in the
“product” that I am paying for.
The point is, I am supposed to be
paying taxes and tuition in order to
receive a top-notch Education, which
quite often I find myself questioning?
So why pass a bill that asks for more of
a certain gender or race? Wouldn’t it
make more sense to pass a bill that
gives money to find the “best-quali
fied” applicants for these faculty posi
tions?
I have only a few criteria for the
people who I am paying to be my lead
ers here at UNL. That is, they teach me
and do not make me teach myself. They
speak to me with no language barriers.
They are competent in the subject mat
ter. Last but not least, they care about
teaching. This is regardless of gender,
race or religion.
All I am asking for is the best that
my money can buy, not a specified seg
ment of society. The passing of this bill
pretty much guarantees that I am not
getting the best my money can buy.
David Franzen
senior
agribusiness
f ;235,-\
Melanie Falk/DN
