O
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1969
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA
VOL 92, NO. 70 ;
1
P R)fP
Bill to safeguard black history
remains in Education Committee
by Susie Jenkins
Nebraskan Staff Writer
A legislative bill to insure inclusion
of black contributions to American
history in the Nebrska school cur
ricula was held for consideration by
the Education Committee Wednesday
after a lengthy hearing.
LB 178, sponsored by Omaha Near
North Side Sen. Edward Danner,
would also adjust an already existing
statute to prevent use of "any
classroom reading material, litera
ture, classics,, fiction or novels which
use any racial epithet considered
degrading or derogatory to any ethnic
student."
In presenting the bill to the com
mittee, Danner also introduced an
amendment to strike a sentence he
had orignally included in his bill. The
sentence read: "The following
publications are expressly prohibited:
Emperor Jones, Little Black Joe, Lit
Humlicek
Nebraska Free University is strug
gling from two basic problems:
money and leadership, according to
NFU Chairman Jim Humlicek.
He said Wednesday that a second
semester monetary deficiency is of
primary importance in NFU's pro
blems. But the financial problems are
also compounded by insufficient ac
tivity and interest of NFU committee
members.
Nebraska Free University is strug
gling primarily because most of its
allotted $450 budget was spent last
semester, pccoording to Humlicek.
"I was told by the ASUN executives
to spend pretty much what I needed
to do the job last fall," Humlicek
said Wednesday. "So I started spen
ding." Last semester's NFU was one of
the most successful ever, with more
than 50 courses and 1,000 registrants.
However, this semester, the Free
University is . offering only six
courses.
"WE PROBABLY 'spent in the
neighborhood of $350 last semester,"
he reported. Humlicek could not give
an exact amount because he kept no
records.
Most of the financial matters were
Dr. Magrath proposed
for new Dean of Faculties
Dr. C. Peter Magrath will be rec
ommended to the Board of Regents
as the new dean of faculties for the
Lincoln campuses of the University.
The Board is expected to take formal
action on the recommendation at its
next meeting, March 10 in Omaha.
President Joseph Soshhik said he
will recommend the appointment to
be effective April 1, 1969. Acting
Chancellor Merk Hobson had served
as Dean or Faculties since July, 1966.
-Magrath, 35, has been dean of the
college of arts and sciences since
June, 1968. He came to Nebraska
from Brown University, where he
served on the political science facul
ty from 1961 to 1968. He was associate
dean of the graduate school at Brown
in 196546.
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tle Black Sambo, and Huckleberry
Finn."
THE BILL drew a full house in
the hearing room, where for more
than two hours the committee heard
testimony on the bill. Testimony was
also heard on LB 177, which would
authorize consruction of a vocational
technical school in the Omaha area,
also sponsored by Danner.
"American history texts have not
reflected the contributions of
minorities to American society,"
Danner told the committee. "Negro
youth has been denied a perspective
on their heritage in the classroom,
and have learned it through the media
instead.
"We also ask for changes in the
history texts so that whites will have
the benefit of this knowledge," he
said.
THE UNCOMFORTABLE seven
says that
handled through the ASUN office, he
pointed out. He said that the ASUN
secretary kept most of the NFU
financial records.
Money matters in general are
handled pretty loosely in the ASUN
office, ' Humlicek . continued." The of
ficial budget was not adopted until
weeks after school began. In that
budget, the NFU was alotted $450.
No money was available, and to
compound problems, Humlicek's staff
dissipated. Almost as great a
problem is this lack of qualified help.
Only a small group of students worked
on the NFU coordinating committee
last semester. This semester
Humlicek is working alone.
"I told the ASUN executives that
I would no longer be able to serve
as NFU chairman," Humlicek said.
They agreed to search for a new
chairman.
Humlicek searched, too, but no in
terested person could be found. After
several weeks of the second semester,
with no chairman, it looked as if the
NFU would cease operation.
He then agreed to stay on and do
some work with this semester's free
school.
"I had told the executives that I
C. Peter
Magrath
-ii ml
Magrath is nationally known in the
field of political science. He has spe
cialized in the area of American con
stitutional law and the operation of
the U.S. Supreme Court. He is cur
rently finishing the writing of a major
textbook in American government and
is the author of a number of mono
graphs, articles and books.
. .
committeemen listened to a well
organized parade of speakers testify
ing in favor of the bill, most of whom
were blacks from Omaha.
Several students from Omaha Cen
tral, Omaha Technical and the
University of Nebraska at Omaha ap
peared, representing groups such as
"Black United Students of Soul" and
the Tech Legal Study Club.
Representatives from the Citizens
Coordinating Committee for Civil
Liberties (4C-L) also spoke, arguing
that the bill would protect minorities
in Nebraska from the "inherent"
tendencies in the classroom "to keep
blacks inferior."
DR. MAX POOLE, University
elementary education professor, spoke
against the bill. Poole commented
parenthetically that although he was
"not personally against the intent and
spirit of the measure," the bill was
NFU struggling
would work with the committee, not
as an administrator, but in planning
more for next fall's operation,"
Humlicek said.
THIS SEMSTER, all prospective
NFU committee members had higher,
more important priorities, he said. As
does Humlicek, who is now a graduate
student.
It was understood however, that not
all of that money would go to the
Free University, Humlicek pointed
out. Other ASUN activities could have
drawn from that fund if necessary.
HUMLICEK SPENT most of t h e
alloted sum, primarily because he felt
other money would be forthcoming
from other sources for the NFU's se
cond semester of operation. That
money was not forthcoming.
"I talked to Ron G. Eaglin,
coordinator of student activities,"
Humlicek said. Eaglin has a fund of
several thousand dollars which he
uses to bail student groups and pro
jects out of financial straits, he ex
plained. "I asked for $300," Humlicek said.
"But Eagl.in refused, saying he did
not want to set a precedent by gran
ting such a large sum to the Free
University."
N By this time it was late November,
too late to solicit funds from in
dependent foundations, Humlicek said.
The NFU should really have a
separate allocation from student fees,
Hearing set for
dorm financing bill
by Sue Pettey
Nebraskan Staff Writer
A bill which would authorize Uni
versity and state colleges to use bonds
to finance dormitories and similar fa
cilities remained in the Education
Committee following a public hearing
Tuesday.
If the committee takes positive ac
tion on the measure and it secures
legislative approval, the bill will still
4
.Dirty Work
unnecessary because of new ex
perimental social studies curricula
solving these problems in the
classroom.
"We are starting to recognize that
the Negro has made a contribution
to Nebraska," Poole said. "We
shouldn't set a precedent by teaching
about only black people."
Also speaking against the bill were
rwo teachers from the all-white
Omaha School District 66. Dan
O'Connor and Joe Higgins, teachers
at Omaha Westside, told the com
mittee they disagreed with
"legislative action in the area of cur
riculum," which O'Connor said should
be left up to the teachers.
Higgins said that the section calling
for disapproval of "derogatory"
material for classroom use "implies
censorship . by the will of the
students."
he said. It is impossible to obtain such
an allocation.
"OF COURSE, last semester, it
looked like I wouldn't be around
school much longer." Humlicek said.
"And at the time it seemed reasonable
that we would find more money,
if needed, somewhere."
"I just couldn't see running the
NFU like it was last semester for
the sake of appearance," Humlicek
stressed. "With a little money and;
four or five kids, we could have put
together about 25 courses and then
everyone would say 'look, there is
a free university after all. "
This is not the way to operate; this
is just half hearted, he stressed.
Humlicek envisions a continuing
committee which would pay staff
members to be responsible for the
NFU. Committee members received
no salary last semester.
-The basic problem is that ASUN
lacks sufficient money to do anything
well, he said. Consequently, special
projects such as the NFU also lack
adequate funding. Humlicek would
like to see at least a thousand dollars
appropriated for the NFU. The
ASUN's total budget this year is less
than $11,000.
"Ideally, the NFU should not de
pend on any University aid,"
Humlicek said. "It should not depend
on student government finding a few
jocks to run it."
have to appear on the ballot in 1970
as a constitutional amendment. Ac
tion by the committee is expected in
a week.
According to Sen. Terry Carpenter,
introducer of the measure, the bill
would legalize those bonds already is
sued and broaden legislative powers
in issuing bonds. University officials
in attendance at the hearing included
Joseph Soshnik, president, and Merk
Hobson, acting chancellor.
WARREN JOHNSON, attorney rep
resenting the University, lobbied in fa
vor of LB 810. He pointed out a 30
year precedent for Issuance of such
bonds, adding that the legality had to
be definitely establishd to reassure
bond buyers.
The principal legal doubt, as John
son saw it, was the question of wheth
er one facility, as soon as it was paid
off by bonds, could be used to support
the building of another facility.
Johnson explaned that dorms are
actually revenue-producing facilities
which pay for themselves. If there
are slack years in which dorm occu
pancy goes down, the drop can be ab
sorbed by funds included in bond is
sues for maintenance and surplus.
THE BONDS are actually saving
money for Nebraska taxpayers, ac
cording to Johnson- and are necessary
to continue providing high quality fa
cilities for students at rates among
the lowest in the nation. He added
that the bonds were an excellent way
of strengthening the credit of state
institutions.
Johnson introduced several amend
ments to the bill, expanding wordage
to include patient care facilities, labs,
student unions and parking facilities,
in addition to dormitories.
Soshnik addressed the committee
observing that with approximately
one third of the University students
residing in dorms, the facilities oper
ate at 95 to 100 per cent capacity. He
added that since only freshmen are re
quired to reside in dorms, the remain
der is comprised of voluntary resi
dence by upperclassmen.
No one appeared in opposition to .
the bill.
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Revamped history courses in Nebraska schools to include minority,
group contributions is the substance of LB 178, introduced by
Sen. Edward Danner of Omaha. The bill was discussed before a
full audience Wednesday. ; r
Schedule change l
for finals proposed
ASUN Wednesday passed a resolu
tion recommending that the Universi
ty eliminate the two week period after
Christmas vacation which is part of
the first semester and hold finals prior
to the Christmas break.
Labeling the post-vacation period
"lame-duck" and "bobtail," Sen. Tom
Lonnquist introduced the measure and
suggested first semester classes begin
earlier in the fall.
"Last spring there was talk about
changing to the quarter system but
it was dropped," he said. "Still
nothing was done about some of the
deficiencies in the existing system."
Lonnquist added that University
President Joseph Soshnik had reacted
favorably when approached with
the proposal but refused to make any
official statement.
The calendar for the 1969 -70
academic year has already been ap
proved by the faculty ad hoc com
mittee on calendar scheduling. Thus
the recommendation could not be
considered for implementation until
the 1970-71 year.
Senate also approved the seven
senators recommended by the ASUN
executive committee as delegates to
the constitutional convention. They
are Bob Zucker, Bruce Cochrane, Bill
Chaloupka, Sue Thompson Diane
Theisen, Tom Wiese, and John Wirth.'
Wirth.
First Vice-president Tom Morgan
declared the senate seats of Jack
Adkins and Mark Moseman vacant
and announced that applications will
be accepted to fill their seats. The
two senators were expelled for failing
to comply with a constitutional clause
which states that a senator shall lose
his seat upon three unexcused
absences from senate meetings.
Moseman and Adkins both had
missed in excess of seven times
Moseman was a senator from Ifii
College of Engineering and Architec
ture while Adkins held his seat "ii
the College of Agriculture.
Pot bill to be
reconsidered
by Bill Smitberman
Nebraskan Staff Writer
Legislative Bill 8, which provide
for the 30-day suspension of Nebrask;
college students caught with mari
juana, is scheduled fo
reconsideration by the Legislator
Thursday. The bill was vetoed bj
Governor Tiemann earlier thi
week.
LB 8 also provides for the in
vestigation and possible removal fron
office of administrators who fail
carry out its provisions.
Flavel Wright, attorney for tin
University, questioned Wednesday thi
constitutionality of the bill in its eur
rent form. "
WRIGHT SAID that he doubted tin
constitutionality of any law whid
deals more harshly with One grouj
than another. -
It is a matter of question whether
the bill could be amended to makt
it constitutional, he continued ,
However, it would at least be possible
to make the bill refer to existinj
criminal legislation on the subject, h
said. ,
As the bill now stands, he continued
it increases the penalty of the existinj
criminal statute without refering es
phcitly to it. , .