Opinion
IM/(Nebraskan
Since 1901
Editor Sarah Baker
Opinion Page Editor Samuel McKewon
Managing Editor Bradley Davis
Quotes of the Week
“We’ve worked too hard to just sign our
lives away. Too many bands are so eager to get
that deal that they end up giving away pub
lishing rights and everything else.
Record companies are so eager to get that
first single played and then throw the second
album out and hope it sticks.”
Curtis Grubb of Omaha band Grasshopper
Takeover
“At the high schooTshe was the assistant
coach although she did everything.
“The guy who was the head coach looked
like he was a custodian. But in China women
aren’t allowed the status of leadership posi
tions. I think she feels stifled.”
Volleyball Coach John Cook on former
Chinese volleyball player and current NU
volunteer coach Guo Jun Li
“Some people are so afraid of life and all of
its obstacles that they choose the easy way out
-highways manned with 24-hour Quick
Shops that stock false medicinals, fallacies
and fantasies.”
Columnist Yasmin McEwen, on the prat
falls of life
“Every once in a while, when I’m doing
laundry on a football Saturday, I'll flip on the
television to check the score. I’m happy if they
win. But I'm also happy ifjour underwater bas
ket-weaving team wins a match.”
Columnist Betsy Severin on the reality of
an indifferent Nebraska fan
“Did you see those four drives? Do any of
those guys have a chance? No.”
Nebraska Golf Coach Larry Romjue on
walk-ons trying for the NU squad
“Brook was not only a great football player
but also an incredibly great person.
“When we went to his funeral, the outpour
ing of prayers and support that was received
was unbelievable/’''
Keyboardist tlobie Hubbard of band
Sawyer Brown regarding the song dedicated
to former Nebraska quarterback Brook
Berringer
“It's hard to kill a sacred cow/’
Rhiannon Kenner, overall rush chair
woman for Panhellenic Council and summer
secretary for Greek Affairs on the changes in
rush
“You suck it in for a hot pair of pink pants.
Found on clearance. You bought them just in
case you shrunk. I watched you. I changed in
the next stall. Mine did not fit either. I saw you
tossing bras a size too small into your cart. You
needed two sizes bigger. You knew that. I knew
that. I also knew there was not a size below
mine.”
Columnist Emily Moran on the reality of size
“You put a beltway out here in the middle of
agricultural land, and soon a 7-Eleven and
some houses pop up.”
Marleen Rickertsen, owner of Stevens
Creek Farm, which may be in jeopardy
because of a proposed Lincoln bypass
"I don’t think we have anybody that spits in
each other’s mouth before a game like they
used to. Or anybody that throws up. I don’t
think we have anybody like that anymore.”
Nebraska offensive lineman Russ
Hochstein, on the lack of peculiar Husker rit
uals before a game
Editorial Board
Sarah Baker, Bradley Davis, Josh Funk, Matthew Hansen,
Samuel McKewon, Dane Stickney, Kimberly Sweet
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Unsigned editorials are the opinions of the Fall 2000 Daily Nebraskan. They do not necessarily
reflect the views of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, its employees, its student body or the
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solely the opinion of Its artist The Board of Regents acts as publisher of the Daily Nebraskan; poli
cy is set by the Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. The UNL Publications Board, established by the
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bMty for the edtorfai content of the newspaper lies solely in the hands of its employees.
Revisionist Husker history?
The article regarding Erwin Swiney needed to
be reviewed a little bit more, as there are several
instances that refer to Swiney in an unfavorable
light, and they are not right:
One, Erwin Swiney is a junior, not a sopho
more. Second, Kevin Lockett didn’t even play for
Kansas State in the year nor the game that John
Gaskins refers to, although it was his brother
Aaron. However, most of the big plays in that game
were made by Darnell McDonald.
Third, Erwin was not responsible for covering
Troy Edwards in the Louisiana Tech game; in fact,
that was All-Americans Ralph and Mike Browns’
job.
So, before you make references to the many
mistakes Erwin Swiney has made, maybe you
should research a bit more. I’m not saying he has
had a perfect career, but you are placing losses and
game-altering mistakes on his head.
Nathan Lake
Junior
Broadcasting
It's not the money
In reading Regent Drew Miller’s words pertain
ing to the Nebraska Right to Life’s concerns about
the efforts of the UNMC to find alternative sources
to aborted fetal tissue in research, I was rather dis
turbed.
Regent Miller apparently seems misinformed
as to the purpose of die Nebraska Right to Life and
the efforts of this organization. He reportedly
made comments in an e-mail response to the DN
saying that the efforts of NeRL were “a way to gen
erate publicity and donations for [their] cause”
(DN 8/30).
It is outlandish to think that he would make
such a comment. The NeRL and other pro-life
organizations are not involved in any aspect of the
pro-life movement for financial reasons.
The only interests are the preservation and
Letters to the editor
respect for human life. It is troubling to think that
Regent Miller, an individual who is supposed to
make informed decisions for our university, could
make such an uninformed statement about the
NeRL’s true purpose in this issue.
It leads one to wonder what other decisions
affecting our university Regent Miller has made
without being properly informed.
As a student here, knowing that Regent Miller is
making decisions that will affect my education and
ultimately my future, I am truly concerned.
Sara L. Fiedler
English/Psychology
Senior
Students for L.I.F.E.
Mass transit better
While something does need to be done about
traffic conditions on 1-80, I’m not sure that widen
ing it is the best solution. The traffic problem aris
es for one main reason - hundreds of people are
going the saine way at the same time. When this
happens in other states, mass transportation is
used as a solution.
If Omaha and Lincoln are “growing together
more every year,” it would only make sense to put
in an express route between points in the two
cities, or something else, like a commuter train.
It might even save money, and who wouldn’t
mind less construction?
It also makes sense on an environmental level -
less fossil fuel burned means less of an environ
mental impact.
It’s time for environmentalists, frazzled com
muters and everybody who wants their tax dollars
used widely to make some noise and remind the
Department of Roads that laying down more
asphalt isn’t always the best solution.
Katie Harr
. Senior
Economics
Going from riches to rags
After three years of having
my tuition and books provid
ed by the rest of you who pay
to go to school here, my gravy
train ran out
I never felt too bad about
getting my education and
bathroom reading gratis while
most of my friends gave
blood, plasma, saliva and
whatever other bodily fluids
josn
Knaub
modem science would trade lor cash to pay tor their
educations.
Besides, with rent for overdue books at Love
Library and love notes under my windshield wipers
from parking services, I probably paid as much as
most in-state students.
But now, thanks to a GPA a few hundredths of a
point below the magic 3.5,1 have gone from an elite
scholar to a billable source of revenue.
At the end of the letter informing me I would have
the privilege of contributing to the cause of higher
education here at Herbie Husker U, I was invited to
apply for upperclassman scholarships come year's
end - the same scholarships usually awarded to the
pretty sorority girls (or guys) with 3.98 GPAs who are
usually found doing some important job for ASUN or
raising money for disadvantaged intramural teams.
That’s like telling the kid who can’t even hit the
backboard of a 10-foot hoop: "Don’t worry, Johnny,
we’ll just raise this up a couple feet. And this mini-ball
is way too light”
So my video-game playing, real-food eating, lux
ury-cruise taking days are over.
Now, I’m not a math major, but after about 4 Vi
hours of number crunching, I have come to the con
clusion that the 12 cents an hour I am paid to write
this colwin won’t quite cover the regal lifestyle I’ve
becorh^fccustomed to.
Combine the fact that I’m taking 18 hours this
semester and the sad truth that I have virtually zero
employability, and you come up with the same
answer I did: fewer expenses, more untapped income
sources.
So I turned to the moneymaker that hadn't failed
me since I was 8: Selling baseball cards to younger,
more naive kids. Only problem: Someone forgot to
tell the younger, more naive kids baseball cards are
cool.
I did dump my Darryl Strawberry card on a 6
year-old who thought she was buying a first-issue
Picachu.
Good thing I run fast
With all my income sources tapped, I began look
ing for ways to tighten my belt
Cost cut numero uno: Parking pass. Seventy
bucks to park just west of Seward isn’t that good of a
deal, anyway. I thought about riding my bike to cam
pus.
It does cut down on dangerous greenhouse gases
and, more importantly, prevents my pocket change
from going to dirty, dirty Big Oil, but I decided the
downside was a little too steep. I like my body way too
much to have it used as a target by Lincoln’s mindless
driving crowd.
Because the “Chancellor Moeser” parking pass I
made became no good when our organist-in-chief
cashed in at North Carolina, I’ll have to either bum a
ride to class or paint "Alltel” on my car.
Cost cut numero dos: food.
I figure I can cutmy food bill in half simply by hav
ing one item on my grocery list each week: meat
I’ll also begin a secret program I’ve code-named
“stealing food from my roommates.”
I’m counting on these little reductions to save me
somewhere in the neighborhood of $3,000 this
semester.
If my frugal living doesn’t get me to my goal, I can
always apply for those upperclassman scholarships.
Scott Eastman/DI
Non-football
fans are a
dying breed
I have a con
fession to make.
What I’m
about to reveal
may cause me to
be ostracized,
spat upon, threat
ened and even
expelled, so you
have to promise
not to tell anyone.
OK?
oeisy
I don t like Husker football.
There, I’ve said it. Oh, please don't
run away. I’m sorry. I’ll take it back, I
swear.
Wait
No, I won’t take it back. I WON’T!
I’m out of the closet >
I've said it
I don’t bleed red.
Don’t misunderstand. I don't have
anything against the Huskers, as a team. I
don’t hate football. I’m just indifferent. I
feel the same way about the Wildcats and
the CU Buffs and the White Sox.
OK. I know the White Sox don’t play
football. They play hockey.
Nooo, please don’t give me a wedgie!
Let me explain. My indifference toward
football is probably rooted in a traumatic
childhood experience I had. I was 7
years-old, and my mom took me to a
Husker game, thinking it would be a big
treat And it was, until die opposing team
came up into the stands and ate her.
Really what happened was I didn’t
understand football at all, we were really
high up, it was cold, and I fell asleep. And
when I got to high school my indifference
turned to dislike. I was in flag corps, and
every Friday night Mr. Neilson would
march the band onto the field for pre
game. I stood there at attention, in the
cold, in spandex, as the announcer took
his SWEET time announcing the starting
lineup.
Only after did we get to perform the
pre-game show, which is what everyone
paid five bucks to see in the first place.
But I guess no one got word to the team
because after pre-game they ran around
for about 20 minutes before we could do
our half-time show.
After half-time I never stayed for the
game. I went home to thaw.
In high school I had a support group
of people who also didn't care about foot
ball. When I came to college I was con
cerned about making friends who didn't
bleed'fecTeither. I found them, but I’ve
alsfnfcttmd that as we get older, our num
bers dwindle.
As a freshman, I had a good friend
who (I thought) didn’t care about foot
ball. We even laughed together that
Halloween when the Huskers lost
because we knew everyone else would
soon return to the dorm, acting as
though someone had died. But last year
he had season tickets. I was devastated
when I found out
Another one bites the oust.
I also thought my former roommate
didn’t care for football. She never went to
a game, and we never talked about it
I guess I should have seen it coming
when she got one of those Husker
Helmet Silly Slammers for her birthday.
Over Thanksgiving break she had a friend
from Omaha drive to Columbus, just to
watch the game with her. Unbelievable!
As I have aged, my dislike has
returned to indifference, and blissful
ignorance. For example, here are just a
few of the intelligent things I said to my
friends last season:
“So it’s New-COME, not New-come
BE?”
“Do the offense and the defense play
at the same time?”
“There's a game this weekend? Who’s
playing?”
“Hey Valerie? Can you give me a
name of a college football team besides
the Huskers and the Wildcats? I need it
for a column for the paper. The CU Buffs?
OK, thanks." .
I really did say those things. Ask my
friend Andrea. She’s a reliable source. She
came to UNL so she could go to football
games. She also says that the rate of
domestic violence in Nebraska went up
last year because we didn’t have a very
good season. As if 25-6-2 is a bad season.
I think we’re really too hard on those
guys.
The longer I go to school here, the
harder it is not to catch Husker Fever.
This season will probably find me at a
football party, though it will be strictly for
the social aspect. I have to admit, in my
old age of 19, I’m starting to soften (both
mentally and toward football).
Every once in a while, when I’m doing
laundry on a football Saturday, I’ll flip on
the television to check the score. I’m
happy if they win. But I’m also happy if
our underwater basket-weaving team
wins a match. (No disrespect to under
water basket-weaving team members
intended.)
But if you see me wearing red down
there in the laundry room, rest assured
it’s all that was left in my drawer, which is
why I’m doing laundry in the first place.
At least during a football game I can
be sure I’ll never have to wrestle anyone
for a dryer.