The Daily’s opinion page tends to be a forum to discuss not just what in Iowa or the nation is screwed up, but how Iowa State University is screwing up. There’s been a lot to get frustrated about the past week.

The sound of “Jischke Hall” has an odd ring to it, doesn’t it? I was more than a little annoyed when we heard that the university had apparently decided to forget its own guidelines to honor a president who’s leaving for a pay raise and a high-profile university.

Not that I’m shedding any tears over his departure (how many days until Aug. 14 again?), it’s just that the regents being ever so ready to forget decorum just to stay on the good side of the soon-to-be ex-president shows that not much is going to change after he’s gone.

How can the university brass honestly assess what was negative under the reign of President Jischke and how it needs to be addressed and corrected when they’re so quick to honor him? And in five years, Jischke may be little more than an ISU trivia question, while we’re stuck with this elitist building marring central campus.

All this is official because the state Board of Regents voted last week to honor Jischke. Only one regent stood up against the idea (actually, because of the building’s location), and it was nice to see it was Lisa Ahrens, the student regent. Of course, one has to wonder where Ahrens’ allegiance to the students was when every tuition hike rolled around.

But there was good news to come out of the Board of Regents’ meeting, something that Iowa State should be praised for, because the university spends a lot of time and lipservice to diversity, but with lagging minority-retention rates and a mostly lily-white campus, it does little to back up its talk.

The regents voted for both Iowa State and the University of Northern Iowa to be able to provide benefits for partners of homosexual employees. Previously, gay and lesbian couples at Iowa State could have benefits, but the university didn’t provide them.

The University of Iowa, always seeming more progressive than the lot of us, already has this plan in place. It was approved by the regents during their June meeting.

Although some of the regents are probably more than a little nervous about this decision and how the Legislature and the people of Iowa are going to view them as a result, they did the right thing.

Whenever I’m talking about gay rights and related issues, such as why would it be out of the ordinary for gays and lesbians to adopt children, I always seem to get the same sort of response back. “Well, it might be hard on the kids” or “It’s never really been that way before. I’m just not used to seeing it.”

Well, the only way the atmosphere for gays and lesbians is going to change is if people start getting used to it. Change needs to come from the top down, and Iowa State’s voting to implement this policy is a very positive sign.

It shows that Iowa State cares about its LGBT employees enough to treat them like they treat heterosexual couples. After all, heterosexual, common-law couples can collect benefits from the university, so why shouldn’t gay and lesbian couples?

The policy also shows that Iowa State isn’t afraid to back up its diversity talk, and that maybe the multicultural mantra can become more than just good P.R.

Maybe Hillary Swank was right at the Oscars when she proclaimed that American society had come a long way on the issue of accepting gays and gay rights.

True, some people at this university are more accepting than others, and while there’s still the idiots out there who’ll rip down an Alliance poster, the largest crowd ever for an Alliance event listened to Matthew Shepard’s mother Judy speak at the Union last semester.

Of course, Ev “God Socks” Cherrington also was there, all too ready to be the first one to pose a question.

People with his attitudes will always exist. Indeed, one regent to vote against the same-sex policy at the board’s meeting was David Fisher, who had this to say to the Daily about the policy in an article published before the regent vote:

“I feel that it’s poor public policy. I believe in the sanctity of marriage, and I just didn’t think it would sit well with Iowans and the Iowa Legislature.”

“Sanctity of marriage.” I’m sure that other children of divorce like me are chuckling at that statement. It’s laughable that just because a person’s gay and in a loving relationship, they’re a threat to the institution of marriage. Who’s a good example of the “sanctity of marriage” today — Eminem and Kim?

There may still be a long way to go, but that’s true in any fight for equality, whether it be for people of color, different sexual orientations, disabilities, women and people with attitudes that just aren’t quite mainstream. The regents and Iowa State took a good step forward.

Kate Kompas is a junior in journalism and mass communication from LeClaire. Her roommate Wendy Rowsell is celebrating her birthday today by clipping coupons and watching The Animal Planet. Happy 25th!