doi
friday, march 3, 1972
lincoln, nebraska vol. 95, no. 79
Fowler
recalls
University
year
by H. J. Cummins
"Quality in student life" was the
central theme in Steve Fowler's campaign
in the spring of 1971, and on his mind
Thursday morning as he reminisced about
the year that campaign led him into.
The out-going ASUN President's
platform a year ago promised his party's
"overriding concern will be the expansion
of student initiative, representation and
commitment."
And Fowler said his and the University
Coalition's (UC) general philosophy
throughout the year has been to "work
for greater student serf-determination-students'
right to set their own directions
in education, housing, life in general.
"Things were accomplished this year,"
Fowler said. "A lot of energy and money
were expended."
Areas of concern have included
building student economic and political
power, encouraging students to use their
newly won votes, lobbying for students at
the state Legislature and providing
information of need or interest to
students.
Fowler said the controversy aroused
by some of ASUN's projects exists largely
outside the University community.
"Our projects, particularly the
mphasis on student services and
information are of interest, and value, to
targe portions of the student body.
"I'm concerned that groups outside
the University are making judgements as
to what is needed for students on this
campus," he said.
The Time-Out Conference on Human
Sexuality was better attended than those
in previous years, Fowler said, adding
that the up-roar from outstate Nebraska
was not as important to him as the
expressions of UNL faculty and students
that they "found it to be a topic well
worth discussion."
And the birth control
handbooks-ordered by last year's ASUN
administration and fully endorsed by this
year's-were defended by Fowler on the
same principle.
"There were 10,000 of them
distributed in less than a year and there
really was not a well-organized plan of
distribution. Most students had to make
an effort to pick them up someplace," he
noted, saying that proved a need for the
information existed.
Most recently, ASUN has actively
supported a threatened mass violation of
coed visitation rules by Residence Hall
Association (RHA) members.
Fowler said he believed the RHA plan
was "more than justified-they've been
very patient in their effort to eliminate
those absurd rules."
It is just another instance, he said, of
"students being allowed to determine
what is appropriate for themselves."
It is also an example of his contention
that UNL students are not apathetic.
Fowler said.
"Students, like everyone, are primarily
interested in an issue when it directly
affects them." he said, "and large
numbers of students were mobilized for
the visitation issue."
Outlining the year's projects, Fowler
said expanded student services include a
record store with twice as many records
as the year before (and the lowest prices
in town), an art and gift shop, copy shop,
two book exchanges (where students
could buy and sell used books among
themselves) and giving money to child
and infant day care centers.
Politically, ASUN helped with a
campus voter registration drive, and
expanded their Legislative Liaison
Committee which united with similar
committees from most college campuses
in the state.
Educationally, ASUN Free University
coordinated group independent study;
ASUN helped set up study programs for
the interim periods between semesters
and sent special inserts to all students
with their registration forms to explain
new pass-fail and independent study
programs.
In programs, ASUN sponsored the
Time-Out Conference on Human
Sexuality, a Prison Teach-in, and is
supporting the March 6-13 World In
Revolution Conference.
And in the area of human rights, birth
control handbooks were made
available-and Fowler said more may be
ordered; tenant rights handbooks will be"
mailed to all married students soon; and
an ombudsman to present student
complaints to administrators will begin
his duties March 11, due to efforts by
ASUN beginning early last summer.
Looking ahead. Fowler said he sees
some encouraging signs for the campus
and the senate that will be elected March
22.
A full-time dean of student affairs will
mean more administrative attention to
student needs, Fowler predicted, and the
adoption of a new ASUN
constitution-making the senate a smaller,
hopefully more cohesive, body-will mean
more active planning and implementation of
student programs.
He said his administration has carried
through on many programs begun under
his predecessor, and he said he hoped for
the same type of continuity in the future.
"If ASUN is to offer meaningful
services for students, it's going to have to
work on projects that take more than one
year to develop," he said.
Looking ahead to his personal future.
Fowler said he hopes to graduate at the
end of the summer. Asked what would be
next, he only said, "We'll see."
"A draft number of 49, and indecision
about what he really wants make his
plans "pretty tentative," he said.
Senators study
anti-war paper
State Sen. Terry Carpenter of Scottsbluff
received permission Thursday morning from
fellow senators to have printed in the
legislative journal a statement drafted by
Nebraskans for Peace and to hold a "public
meeting' on the statement.
Specifically titled "Indochina War
Resolution," it asks that "this body
(Nebraska Unicameral) urge the President
and the Congress of these United States to
immediately cease the air war, withdraw all
the U.S. troops in Indochina, end all support
for the Thieu dictatorship, and turn their
attentions to growing socio-economic
problems and growing unrest here at home."
The statement was not introduced in the
Legislature as an official, legislative
resolution.
Carpenter stressed that he does not
support the statement at this time but feels
an open, public meeting should be held on
the issue.
The resolution charges the Indochina war
with causing an "increasing disregard for N
domestic problems, growing unemployment,
ineffectiveness of our welfare system, and
deterioration of our environment."
"The current government of South
Vietnam is an open military dictatorship," it
added.
'This year's resoltuioh is aimed at the air
war in Indochina," Nick Meinhardt,
coordinator for Nebraskans For Peace said.
A similar public hearing was held last
spring on the north steps of the state capitol.
Meinhardt noted several senators had
been contacted about sponsoring the
resolution.
.The purpose of the planned meeting,
according to Meinhardt, is "to provide a
forum by which people can make their views
known."
He hopes the meeting may "possibly
attain. Unicameral consideration of the
resolution."
The resolution also states: "The once
proud image of our country continues to
deteriorate rapidly. . . the American people
have been bled white in a war that cannot be
won."
Carpenter could not be reached late
Thursday as to the date, time or place of the
planned meeting.
Post -game disturbances
close championship
Friday night's All-University intramural championship
basketball game between Kappa Alpha Psi. UNL's black
fraternity, and the Celtics, a team composed of off -campus
students, will be closed to the .public because of trouble
resulting after Thursday night's semi-final game between
Kappa Alpha Psi and Abel VII.
According to Phil Sienna, UNL Men's intramurals director,
Thursday night's trouble resulted from a technical foul called
by one of the referees on Kappa Alpha Psi because of their
storekeeper's abusive language. Avel VII missed the technical
free throw and Kap.M Alpha Psi went on to win 57-49.
'After the game the fans and referees discussed the call. A
Kappa Alpha Psi fan, according to Sienna, came down from
the stands and hit one of the referees, but not the one who
had called the technical. The fight was then broken up by one
of the Kappa Alpha Psi basketball players. The referee who
was struck was not seriously injured.
Sienna said in order to avoid another disturbance, the
public will be excluded from tonight's championship game
between Kappa Alpha Psi and the Celtics. However, KRNU
Radio will broadcast the game starting at 7:45 p.m.
