Opinion
ZM/vNebraskan
Since 1901
Editor Sarah Baker
Opinion Page Editor Samuel McKewon
Managing Editor Bradley Davis
“I write slowly. Some stories come out really
easily. Some take months to get right And some
stories are better than others.”
UNL English professor and short story
author Judith Slater on fiction writing
“But I have to give God the credit. He’s a good
designer Himself.”
UNL student graphic designer David Jan£
“The last few weeks have been a bit over
whelming. I’ve just been in the right place at the
right time. I always knew I was good enough to
play here. It’s just the biggest thrill in the world.”
Nebraska cornerbackTroy Watchorn on
playing during his senior season and his four
interceptions in four games
“Just to be able to hear my name in the same
sentence as him makes me proud enough to
where I could live the rest of my life without
hearing another comment or comparison
about it, and I would be fine.”
Nebraska quarterback Eric Crouch on being
mentioned along with Tommie Frazier as a top
signal caller at NU
“It was a good trip because my knee and
elbow are bruised, my muscles are sore, and I
have patches of skin missing from my body.”
UNL junior math and economics major
Nick Whitney on an Arkansas climbing trip
during fall break
“This is the guy who last week said we need
to be less dependent on foreign oil. Yeah, I
thought tentatively. So let’s drill more in Mexico,
he finished. Less foreign oil, so drill in Mexico?
Are we annexing it soon? I hadn’t heard.”
DN columnist Seth Felton on George W.
Bush’s domestic policy
“(I came out) because it was the truth. It’s a
truth that people haven’t recognized in the past
This is something no bne can deny anymore.”
UNL junior and Chi Phi Fraternity member
Jaron Luttich, one of two subjects in a Rolling
Stone article about fraternity brothers being
openly gay
“I’m not allowed to comment - I’m sorry.”
UNL senior and Sigma Nu Fraternity mem
ber Ryan Grigsby, the other subject of the
Rolling Stone article
“I look west, and the final remnants of day
light rest there, shining uninhibited over the flat
plains. I get out of my seat and nearer the front
window, chasing the sun and its trail of light but
stopped by my finitude. The lights of the gas sta
tion shine bright violet; the bus drivers smoke.
There is talk on the bus again. I am silent with
the plains.”
DN columnist Jake Glazeski on the plains of
Nebraska
“We’re either hanging out or being stupid.
Yeah, being stupid is a good way to put it”
Nebraska kicker Chace Long on passing
time in NU’s football practice
“All this work was finally going to pay off on
the 24th and then he backed out on us.”
University Program Council novelty com
mittee chairwoman Courtney Wachal on Jay
Mohr's canceling his performance
“They defended as well as anyone I have
seen since I have been coaching. They remind
me of a man’s team.”
Kansas State Volleyball Coach Jim
McLaughlin on the Nebraska volleyball team
Editorial Board
Sarah Baker, Bradley Davis, Josh Funk, Matthew Hansen,
Samuel McKewon, Dane Stickney, Kimberly Sweet
Letters Policy
The Daiy Nebraskan welcomes briefs, letters to the editor and guest columns, but does not guar
antee their pubfcation. 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 wfl not be published. Those who submit letters must identify themselves by name,
year in school, major arxVor group affixation, (tarry.
Submit material to: Daily Nebraskan, 20 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St Lincoln, NE 68588-0448. E
mait leU8ra0uninfo.unl.edu.
Editorial Policy
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
University of Nebraska Board of Regents. A column is solely the opinion of its author, a cartoon is
solely the opinion of its artist The Board of Ftegents acts as publisher of the Daily Nebraskan; pol
cy is set by the Daly Nebraskan Edtorial Board. The UNL Publications Board, established by the
regents, supervises the production of the paper. According to policy set by the regents, responsi
b*y for the edtorial content of the newspaper las solely in the hands of its employees.
*U dbrtt
'Jf . £
y Q"«
f ^ '^lK* «KttWs?'
k —r/Uo (Wen+,'
fie,:-:;€*4- %. NS—*
Riley Petersen/DN
lies... all lies
I was wondering how an article made up of “no
comments" and biased speculations made its way
onto the front page of the DN Thursday.
I found the front-page article (“Sigma Nu: ‘No
comment’ on gay story”) and the even more ridicu
lous editorial on the opinion page (“Secret’s out”) to
be downright accusational and unfair.
Is it right to judge Sigma Nu by the subjects they
care not to comment on?
Aren't we assuming a little too much by labeling
them "cowardice” and “an abomination to the spirit
of diversity” based on their refusal to comment to
the DN about Grigsby's article in Rolling Stone? I
think so. I fail to see how these articles were any
thing more than a vain attempt by DN writers to find
some trace of anti-gay, or not specifically pro-gay,
sentiment in this situation and exploit it
Way to blow the whistle on this one DN. I think
I’ll stick to the cartoons.
NickTariowsld
English
Junior
None of your business
I don’t know how the Daily Nebraskan’s
Thursday editorial (“Secret’s out”) can say that
Sigma Nu has “shown an act of cowardice by not
responding to the questions." If they don't want to
answer, then let it go.
Have you ever thought that you might be want
ing the answers to satisfy your own curiosity? Gay or
straight, they are brothers, and that is what is impor
tant.
If they don’t want to or can’t comment on the
article in Rolling Stone, then don't worry about it If
you want to know about it, just read the article. It
was a well-written article that explains a lot
Mandi Hohenstein
Freshman
Pre-law/ Psychology
Nothing to say
Since when does “no comment” take two pages
to say? They said nothing. There is nothing to say.
John Eurek
Mechanical Engineering
Senior
It's nice, but there's better
I completely agree with Dane Stickney on this
issue. I, too, was in Iowa City, Iowa, this weekend, as
well as Chicago and Jacksonville, 111.
The colors are amazing in those cities. The green
spaces on the University of Iowa campus are preva
lent and beautiful - more so than here. I think what
Dane was trying to point out - that Sam Mortensen’s
letter to the editor missed - is that this town sucks.
More broadly, I would add this state pretty much
sucks.
I have been to a lot of places, and I have traveled
all over Nebraska - not just 1-80 (although the most
aesthetically invaluable appearance of this boring
state is that ugly archway one views on the way into
Kearney). What I have observed is that Nebraska is
flat and boring. It lacks a sense of colorful diversity
(in more ways than one) and character. And, in the
great collegiate verbal competency utilized by the
majority of University of Nebraska students, it just
sucks man!
I don’t hate Nebraska, I just recognize there are
better places than here (like Iowa). I grew up here,
both in the city and the country. I like solitude, wide
open spaces and com, all of which are available in
mass to the locals. But I think most other states are
better than Nebraska in just about every valuable
aspect one can make, with the exception of football
Even the rest areas along the interstate are much
prettier in Iowa than Nebraska. When I want to
make a pit stop, it is nice to think the fine people of
Iowa want to make the very best of my experience in
their toilets.
Nebraska is relatively nice, mostly because it is
safe. As Mortensen put it “After all, there is no place
like Nebraska.” Thank Omniscience (that is a “big”
word that means something similar to God).
Evan Littrell
Sophomore
Philosophy/History
Barroom dancing atStudio 14
Last Friday I had one too
many shots of Boone's - two -
and one too many shots of
Pucker - one. As a result, I
ended up going with a group
of people to Studio 14.
For those of you who don’t
know, Studio 14 is the new 1—^-1
downtown dance club started Tony
by an ownership group of for- Bock
mer Husker football players. I mmmmmmammmam
was hesitant to go at first, but
after one of my friends reminded me that I owed it to
the guys who brought home the National
Championship, I reconsidered.
I went into it with an open mind, a stomach full of
booze, leopard-skinned pants and a fishnet top.
The following is a minute-by-minute journal of
what occurred:
11:57: As I cross O Street, I notice the WE HAVE
ALCOHOL marquee. “Thank God,” I think to myself,
“I'm gonna need it”
11:59: We have to wait in line 20 to 25 seconds
when none other than Lance Brown himself, the for
mer Husker who is running the club, greets us at the
front After I show him my IiT Red tattoo and get my
thigh autographed, he tells us to follow a man inside.
This was no ordinary man, though. He was
dressed in a dark hood and robe, like a Druid. After
my “Take me to Stonehenge” joke bombs, we get in
before the midnight cover charge increases - a sav
ings of $2.
12:01:1 immediately head for the bar in the lobby.
The two bartenders are so similar to the lead charac
ters in the American cinema classic “A Night at the
Roxbury” that it's scary. Real scary. I decide to grab a
drink later.
12:06:1 start to loosen up a little, and I realize it's
not as bad as I thought It's not just a football player
hangout. It's not, really.
12:07: Carlos Polk's “Now Serving” sign changes,
prompting girls throughout the dub to scramble and
find their numbers.
12:12: Oh mama! Things are starting to get crazy.
They do a thing called “shot specials,” and to promote
it, they have Studio 14 employees get up on the bar,
and here’s the crazy part, they dance and pour drinks!
Get this, no one stops them from dancing on the bar,
in fact, the owners encourage it.
And all the waitresses and bar staff wear crazy
masks and jewelry. Just like in them Hollywood
movies!
I
12:16: A lot of time and money were spent to ren
ovate the old State Theatre that is now Studio 14, but
all I can say about the interior is, if you paint a three
legged dog green, it's still a three-legged dog. But the
place isn’t that bad, in fact, I'm actually starting to
enjoy myself.
12:17: Carlos Polk's “Now Serving” sign changes,
prompting girls throughout the club to scramble and
find their numbers.
12:24: Whooooweeee! More shot specials. But
more importantly, more bar dancing. I decide to exit
the surprisingly small dance area and head for the
bar. I look up at the girl holding the bottle, and I see
fear in her eyes. I look at the guy next to her and see
the same look. They aren’t comfortable, and the
crowd isn’t sure how to respond to this insanity.
I'm beginning to think Nebraska isn't ready for
dancing in nontraditional places.
12:31:1 go up into the seating area, which over
looks the entire club. They have black leather couch
es up there, and at the top, a couple pool tables and
shuffleboard. Finally, the long overdue marriage of
shuffleboard and club dancing. After beating a 93
year-old man in a game, I head back out to the dance
floor.
12:36: After several workers replaced a couple
lights, Carlos Polk's “Now Serving” sign changes,
prompting girls throughout the club to scramble and
find their numbers.
12:40:1 get back out to the dance floor just in time
to hear my favorite (if it’s possible to have one
favorite) Christina Aguilera song.
12:51: Now I don’t know if it was my charming
personality or the attractive girls I was with, but on
our way out, Lance Brown talked to us in the lobby.
And by “talked to us in the lobby,” I mean talked to the
girls I was with and basically ignored me.
Just as I was getting ready to enjoy an infamous
Studio 14 after-hours party (I’d worn my swim trunks
underneath my leopard-skinned pants just in case
we hit the hot tub.), Lance looked at me and men
tioned that during games there are drink specials
when the Huskers score.
"When the football team scores or when you do?”
I thought to myself.
12:55: After peeling the girls off Lance, we left
Studio 14. As I walked out the door into the crisp night
air, I had a sense of deja vu. I remembered walking out
of various high school dances with the same feeling.
Looking back, I fondly recall now that the feeling
was drunkenness, and I will always take that away
from my night at Studio 14.
In spite of
rivalry, bond
develops
I poisoned
Brian when he
was three. I fed
him beans that
squirrels eat.
Squirrels pack
mem in tneir
cheeks, and so
did Brian. He ate Emily
them because I Moran
told him to. I was
his older sister. He had no choice.
The Poison Control Center made
him puke for hours, not me. I was
smart. I didn’t eat the beans. Instead, I
ate a Popsicle while he puked and tried
to remember how many beans he had
eaten.
I put the metal bowl on his head
one afternoon. I was the scientist. He
was the experiment. He whined that it
was too tight. So I tried to remove it He
wore the metal hat for hours.
The emergency room made him
hurt, not me. I was smart. I didn’t wear a
metal hat that needed to be clipped off
with wire cutters. He did.
1 had a smart face that I used as a
weapon. Brian hated it I would do the
smart face at dinner. He would pick at
his peas, and I would do the smart face.
He would then kick me, and I would
tattle.
I even tattled about anthills. He was
outside smashing anthills and making
grenade noises one afternoon. I told
him God was going to shoot a cannon
at his head. He wouldn’t stop stomping.
I tattled.
At other times I would bite my arm
so hard it would leave teeth marks.
Then I would run to Mom and tell her
Brian bit me. Brian would have to stop
playing with his G.I. Joes and sit in
time-out.
He was a Ninja Turtle for
Halloween, and I wore lipstick for the
first time. I was 8.1 rooted through his
Dag 10 snaicn
chocolate. He
was left with
Dum Dums and
a blue tongue.
Brian should
have ditched me
after the beans,
but he didn’t. He
should have
choked me after
the anthills, but
he didn't. He
should ' have
called me his
cousin. But he
didn’t. He called
me his sister.
Then I
dropped the ball
in high school.
Brian was 4.0
smart. I was 3.5
smart. I hated
him for it. I want
ed to be the
smarter one. But
I didn’t have the
discipline or the
brains. I didn't
have the smart
face anymore.
I had a
resume but not
the grades. I
wanted them so
badly that I lost
him over stupid
/ even
tattled
about
anthills.
He was
outside
smashing
anthills
and i
making
grenade
noises one
afternoon.
I told
him God
was going
to shoot a
cannon
at his
head.
He
wouldn’t
stop
stomping.
I tattled.
pride. I lost our
close relationship because of a stupid
competition over grades.
I headed to college. He still had a
4.0.1 didn’t. I was bitter, but I missed
him. I swallowed my pride and reached
out. I needed to be a bigger person and
an older sister. I hadn’t been for two
years. I needed to sack up.
I regret not reaching out sooner. But
perhaps this is how it was meant to be. I
know I am not alone in this depart
ment. Competition splits siblings more
than bread slices.
Competition between siblings
hurts relationships and self-esteem. I
thought I wasn't smart enough and
failed to notice what I was good at. I
failed myself and him.
I am more confident now. I know
who I am and am more comfortable in
my own skin. Solid relationships can do
wonders. I trust him with secrets and
tears. I confide in him. I even rant to
him about bad grades.
I want you to sack up, too. Call that
sister or brother. You know, the one you
only remember on birthdays. I used to
be there, too. But here is much better.
For those of you who think I am
Satan herself, Brian did send me to the
emergency room. I charged Brian and
kicked him harder than Jackie Chan. I
fell to the ground screaming. He
laughed. He wasn't hurt.
I deserved it. I know. I had to
explain to the doctor what had hap
pened. He laughed, and Brian made
the smart face. X-rays proved I didn’t
have a broken ankle, but I had one hell
of a limp. He was 14.1 was 17.