Candidates haggle
at Hyde Park
by STEVE STRASSER
Staff Writer
The five ASUN presidential hopefuls met at Thursday
afternoon's Hyde Park for 90 minutes of discussion, honest
debate, some sarcastic mud slinging 'from the audience, and
serious examination of ASUN's role mixed with comic relief
from the Rocket Grease and Freedom Party.
Independent candidate and ASUN Speaker Pro-Tern Tim
Kincaid said in his opening remarks that student government
has to become more responsive to its constituents.
Noting ASUN's $31,000 annual budget, Kincaid said it was
a mistake to call student senate "a Mickey Mouse organization.
"ASUN is not following the students' will," he continued.
' I want to involve a greater segment of the University in the
decision-making process."
Kincaid recommended continued use of referendums, more
random sampling polls, and increased use of ASUN's speaker's
bureau in order to bring student government more into line
with student sentiment.
Independent candidate Doug Voegler said he would rely on
his campaign slogan "Responsive, Reasonable, and
Responsible" to describe the type of president he would try to
be.
"Only 20 rcr cent of the studenttfwill probably vote in this
election," he said. "There is something the matter with ASUN,
because students ire not interested in it."
He said since most students are interested in learning a
trade rather than in student government, ASUN should "go
out to the students," rather than waiting for them to come to
it.
Voegler said in order for ASUN to be "an effective lobby"
before the Regents, Governor and legislature, it has "to gain
legitimacy."
Rocket Grease and Freedom candidate Kent Apthorpe
explained his candidacy by reciting a short autobiography.
"As a young man entering college I typified American
youth," he said. But "alas, with the flowing tide of time I
became less idealistic, more realistic, and more committed.
Apthorpe said now that he is back in college, however, he
has "achieved new pinnacles" of oratorical brilliance, and now
"I have it all together."
Six or seven Grease supporters cheered loudly after almost
every sentence Apthorpe spoke during the debate.
University Coalition candidate and ASUN Sen. .Steve
Fowler concentrated in his opening remarks on the growth of
ASUN over the last ten years and its future potential.
He said ten years ago the student council would argue over
"and not really resolve" controversies like changing the
Cornhusker mascot.
But since then ASUN has grown in power, Fowler
continued, and has accomplished things like elimination of
physical education and ROTC requirements, expansion of the
passfail credit system, and an increased number of ethnic study
programs.
"These changes came not because the Regents or
Administration wanted them but because students put
pressure on them," Fowler said.
United University Party candidate Gary Schleiger asked the
nearly 300 students listening to the debate "how has ASUN
affected you this last year?
"It is the function of ASUN to help students as individuals
and groups to be part of the decision-making process," he said.
Schleiger said "it's time we started to recognize that as
students on campus we have to have a voice in ASUN."
Schleiger said his campaign would be based on bringing
Turn to Page 3
THE BIG FIVE . . . (from left) Kincaid, Voegler,
Apthorpe, Fowler, and Schleiger.
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FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 1971
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA
VOL. 94 NO. 95
Unicameral may fund field house
by JIM PEDERSEN
Staff Writer
A new field-house for the University of
Nebraska, which looked so dubious when
Gov. J. J. Exon announced his budget, was
given new life by the Legislature Thursday.
The Government and Military Affairs
Committee sent to the floor by a vote of 5-0
with two abstentions a "bill creating ah
additional five cents excise tax on cigarettes,
half of which is to go for the building of a
field-house and half for a state office
building.
Sen. Roland Luedtke's original bill called
only for a three cent increase for the
purpose of constructing the state office
building. Luedtke amended the bill on the
suggestion of Sen. Terry Carpenter who had
consulted Athletic Director Bob Devaney.
The added excise is expected to raise
about $7,250,000 per year. The state offices
building is expected to cost around $15
million, but Devaney would not estimate the
cost of a new field-house until he could talk
with architects currently studying the
problem.
Carpenter had earlier proposed that the
recently built Educational Television
Building would be used for state office
space. The new excise tax would apparently
free that building for ETV. The Scottsbluff
senator, however, proposed Thursday that
the ETV building be used for a new College
of Law for the University.
No formal action has been taken on
Carpenter's latest proposal.
In testimony before the committee,
Devaney said the "quicker the fileld-house is
built, the less it will cost." He estimated the
cost will increase at about $1 million a year.
Devaney said the existing field-house
would continue to be used for football
dressing rooms. The new field-house would
be used for sports other than football, while
the existing Coliseum would be turned over
to the intramural committee for intramural
athletics.
Devaney assured the committee that the
money would be put to the best use, that
the new field-house would be of use to all
the state, and that the students desperately
needed facilities for intramural athletics.
Although Devaney's first idea had been to
lease land from the State Fair Board for a
site for the building, Carpenter suggested the
University acquire the land permanently for
three reasons:
The money to be paid the State Fair
Board could be used to improve the fair
grounds.
Parking could be provided for the
field-house and the stadium.
In case of any expansion in the future,
the University would own the land.
Devaney told the committee he had
talked with the fair board and reached an
understanding that the fair board would use
the field-house around State Fair time or
when they needed it and it could be worked
out.
The bills's only opponent was Ed
Zarinski, representing the Nebraska Tobacco
Association.
Zarinski pointed out that the tobacco
industry is already one of the most heavily
taxed industries in the state. He admitted
however that Iowa has a 13 cent tax, the
amount Nebraska wholesalers would be
taxed uner the bill's provisions, South
Dakota a 12 cent tax and Missouri a nine
cent tax.
"I came here originally to oppose a three
cent increase," Zarinski said. "Now it
appears as if I anvopposing motherhood."
Before the hearing was closed, Zarinski
asked Devaney if "No Smoking" signs would
be posted in the new field-house if it is built.
R
egent Hansen wants open speaking rale
by GARY SEACREST
Staff Writer
During a March meeting of the Board of Regents
an Omaha woman and an untenured faculty member,
who was not being reappointed, asked to address the
Board. However, they were denied permission to
speak because they had not placed their names on the
agenda in advance as required by the Regents.
The same fate befell Stephen L. Rozman in
February after the Regents voted not to rehire him
because of his actions during last May's anti-war
protests.
HOWEVER, IF Regent Kermit Hansen of Omaha
has his way the Board will soon bcome more
accessible to students, faculty and the pubuc. Hansen
said he plans to propose at Saturday's Regents'
meeting that a regular open period be established to
allow anyone to address the Board.
Hansen said Thursday he will propose that a
60-minute discussion period take place before the
Regents' public meetings. However, he noted that if
the discussion period is not carefully controlled "the
other work of the Regents will go begging."
Noting that he believes his proposal will be
adopted by the Board, Hansen said the open
discussion period would produce "better
communication and more opportunity to exchange
ideas."
ROBERT RAUN of Minden, Board president, said
the Regents "will consider any means that wiU
improve communication with students, faculty and
the public."
Hansen also said he plans to propose that the
Regents change their rule that requires 10 days
advanced notice for a person to appear during the
Regents public meetings. He said he would like to see
the rule liberalized so that a person could place his
name on the agenda up to 9 a.m. on the day of the
meeting.
The Regents have selectively enforced their rule
concerning speaking at their public meetings this
school year. Citizens, students, faculty and on one
occassion a state senator have been allowed to address
the Board without a prior request or a vote to
suspend the rules.
Saturday's Regents' meeting will be held in room
202 of the Nebraska Union beginning at 1 1 .m.