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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 17, 2000)
Opinion Tough act to follow Loss of Moeser is painful, but new chancellor can better NU You wouldn’t think a short man would leave such big shoes behind. But when Chancellor James Moeser leaves in July, this university will be challenged to find a successor who can bolster UNL’s academic reputation and continue to build programs while addressing important issues on campus. In his tenure, Moeser championed the liberal arts. Renowned for his skill in concert performance, Moeser approached his job as administrator with the same passion he held for his music. Yet he did so in an unpretentious manner. Moeser was willing to consider all sides of an issue, and he encouraged discussion. As the leader of the academic side of a football university, Moeser did not blindly cater to athletic wishes. We need a chancellor Wp nppri n who can make sure the uni' we rieeu u versity is known for more chancellor who than its runnin8 game. The move to the can make sure the University of North Carolina . is an excellent opportunity university is for M0eser< Wh0 Win now known for more bead one of tbe best Pubbc J universities in the nation. than itS running The choice for Moeser was clear. game. Moeser’s departure also presents an opportunity for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. We have the chance to find the right leader. The next chancellor should bring progressive ideas to this conservative state. As the premier university in Nebraska, UNL should be setting the example for and challenging the rest of the state. Whoever is hired must understand the dynamics of the NU system and the state that houses it. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is one of three in the NU system, but UNL is the flagship. This university should be more than one of three regional centers for higher education. The next chancellor must find ways to attract the best students from our state and elsewhere. Minority students are also painfully lacking on this campus. It will also be important to continue to expand the uni versity’s research efforts and increase faculty salaries. The next chancellor will have the chance to infuse new life and direction into this university, but he or she will have a tough act to follow. 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 Editorial Policy Unsigned editorials are the opinions of the spring 2000 Daily Nebraskan. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Neoraska-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 I----3-=.. ....1 I-I-i_/ >__t&Xmaar.A Letters to the EDITOR School is cool Sam McKewon, because you did n’t seem to have any main criticism of the School is Cool Jam, I’ll try my best to respond to your incoherent cynicism. You said “athletes have the abili ty to motivate.” These kids admire the athletes for their accomplish ments on the field, and the athletes use their influence to deliver positive messages about making good deci sions in school and in life. And they did. Eric Crouch spoke about the importance of character, Brian Shaw and Nicol&Kubik deliv ered an important message about studying for tests and keeping focused in school and Sharolta Nonen gave a moving account of the importance of persevering through adversity. Through your descriptions of the audience’s behavior, you seemed to argue that our efforts to connect with the kids were unsuccessful. First, it can be extremely difficult to maintain the attention of 12,500 fifth and sixth graders for an hour and a half. This is why we work in a variety of entertainment (the Rope Warrior, Lil’ Red, singing) to keep the kids’ attention. You made a good point - watching Lil’ Red isn’t edu cating in itself. But it keeps their attention so they will focus on the next speaker. Secondly, I believe our attempts to relate our message were success ful. I had the privilege of speaking at the North Platte Jam, and following the event, students and teachers sought the student-athletes and myself to thank us for our message. The teachers spoke in detail about why they thought the messages we had given were important. And the looks in their eyes, the smiles on their faces and the warmth in their voices were some powerful nonver bal confirmation that they were gen uinely grateful. You’re right, McKewon. The 2000 Jam was not perfect. But the planners always learn how to make the following year’s program more successful from our knowledge of the past years’ imperfections. However, you did not contribute to that process. The attack you launched on Thursday had little real substance. You didn’t offer any real suggestions, which I guess shouldn’t be surprising, concerning your cyni cal tone. And yes, I can hardly wait for next year’s Jam. >. . ... . .■ / Greg Krafka junior economics Golden Key Best of America Chair No prostate, no problem David Baker’s ignorance in genetics is exceeded only by his ignorance in sociology. His evidence for the lack of a genetic correlation to obesity is supported by his observa tion that Africa has few obese citi zens. A basic genetic lesson is that a gene or mutation usually gives a pre disposition for a condition, not nec essarily a guarantee of it. A simple example to demonstrate this is that my father had prostate cancer. So I may carry a gene that predisposes me for that, but will I get prostate can cer? No, because I don’t have a prostate! No one is saying obesity is strict ly genetic, just that it is a contribut ing factor. We have all known some one with the opposite condition who eats non-stop without ever gaining an ounce. The reverse logic applies to many obese people. Baker’s second assertion is that rich, lazy people are the fat ones. Wrong again. Rich countries have a larger population of obese people, but they are not primarily the wealthy. In fact, any small amount of research would have turned up the fact that weight and income in the U.S. have an inverse relationship. Poor individuals are more than three times as likely to be obese. There will always be a way to lose weight by increasing exercise and decreasing caloric intake, but genetics does help determine how much exercise and how little food it will take for any given individual to lose that weight. Tara L.Ward graduate student molecular veterinary bio sciences University of Minnesota Insisting interests Several letters and pieces in the DN have questioned the findings of the committee that investigated the actions of Professor Karl Reinhard. Many have suggested that the com mittee somehow acted improperly and that its decision was based more on political correctness than on the thoughtful and careful analysis of testimony. Why, writers ask, did the committee come to a different con clusion than the state patrol or the government investigation? The faculty committee’s decision to censure Reinhard was appropri ately different from the conclusions of police or similar investigators. The main reason is obvious: Being unprofessional is not the same as being a criminal. One can lose one’s tenure for not meeting one’s classes or one can fail to receive tenure for not undertaking and publishing one’s scholarly research. Clearly neither of these things is a crime, yet it is a derelic tion for which one can be denied one’s job as a professor. Similarly, falsified research, research deemed unethical by the cri teria of a specific discipline, research that improperly uses human subjects or other failed research, can be grounds for dismissal. Freedom of inquiry must exist within guidelines - otherwise, anyone would be free to make up whatever “research” one wanted. it is not inconsistent tor a com mittee on faculty rights and responsi bilities to find that a professor has failed in his responsibilities, even though no crime could be proven against the professor. Faculty com mittees are not supposed to replicate the ethical questions that, while con gruent with laws, are not defined by them. Committee decisions, like the actions of professors, are certainly open to question. I would ask, though, that we not assume that if a professorial action is not demonstra bly illegal, it is professional and ethi cal and should not be subject to any oversight by the university. I would also ask that we remem ber that up until very recently, it was considered both legal and ethical to treat the burial sites, funeral goods and physical remains of American Indian people in ways that were quite illegal in treating the remains of any one else. Insisting that the bodies and bones of Indian people are entitled to the same protection as those of any human is not special treatment. As writers question the decision of the committee, I would ask that they be very careful not to imply that some how the protection of Indian bones is unscientific special interest group politics, and not the same courtesy anyone deserves. Frances W. Kaye professor of English