Monument
proposal
draws fire
Nearly 50 people attended a public hearing
Wednesday at the state capitol on a proposal to build
a pioneer monument across Interstate 80 near the
Greenwood Interchange.
Following a slide presentation by monument
designer Jean Dunbar of Omaha, Stan Matzke,
director of the State Office of Economic
Development and chairman of a special governor's
committee, opened the hearing for public testimony.
Much of the opposition of the proposed 240-foot
high project was directed at possible development of
adjacent land.
"We are not a committee to determine land use,"
Matzke reminded participants.
Committee member Mel Kammerlohr voiced
concern over commercialization of the area, "If
someone can make some money they will try to
commercialize it"
Mike Epp, UNL architecture student, noting that a
motel and retail business area also were planned for
the area, asked the designer if the land was purchased
first or if the monument was proposed before land
acquisition.
Dunbar refused to comment, saying the question
was inappropriate for the purpose of the hearing.
Epp was one of the proponents of a joke plan to
place a large statue of a football player north of
Lincoln over Interstate 180. He later announced his
plan was a hoax designed to protest the "bulldozer
mentality of Nebraska architecture."
Another UNL student, Daniel Smith, expressed
cEH a .
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Proposed pioneer monument . . . would span Interstate 80 near Greenwood.
Epp's hoax . . . perpetrated to "protest the
bulldozer mentality of Nebraska
architecture'
opposition to the project which could be built ciose
to his home on a farm near Ashland.
"The state speaks for itself," Smith told the
committee. "We don't need to build a monument for
something that stands before us."
Saying the view of Nebraska would be marred by
its construction, Smith said: "Having a monument
reminds me of taking a bus ride through Yellowstone
(National Park)."
Bob Hanna of Lincoln told the committee if the
monument is built, "a precedent would be set."
There would be no guarantee, he said, that additional
monuments might not be built over the Interstate.
He also criticized comparison of the monument to
the giant arch in St. Lous, calling the Nebraska
construction a "super billboard."
Under the proposal for construction of the
monument Dunbar and Dunn, Architects Inc. of
Omaha-would build the monument with the state
having the option to take control in 30 years.
The building would be paid for by an admission
charge of $1 for adults and 50 cents for children and
souvenir and food sales profits.
A 388-foot beam crossing the four Interstate lanes
would be supported by two 150-foot towers. On top
of the cross bar would be four statues of a pioneer
family.
The glass walled towers would each hold an
elevator with observation decks and a photo mural
gallery would be inside the horizontal beam.
Mrs. Michael Edwards questioned whether it would
be a "true monument or a method to stop the tourist
and exploit his money."
She added that there seems to be an ulterior
purpose of commerically developing surrounding land
which could possibly lead to an "amusement park."
Edward's feelings were similar to Robert Schluntz,
who said the proposal was not a monument to
pioneers but a "device for making money."
"We are building monuments to our ability to
conquer the land," Schluntz said. "Is there a need for
such a monument?"
Tom Laurie, speaking for construction, said the
monument would be a method of "detaining"
travelers as they are speeding across the state. They
could then possibly see some of the beauty Nebraska
has to offer, he said. ,
Other supporters of the monument termed it a
"most thrilling and exciting project, something we
can be proud of."
One person said it could be a "painless way of
educating" children who are bored by traveling.
Support for the building came from the
Greenwood Village Board and the mayor of Ashland.
Matzke said the committee would be meeting in
early December to make their recommendations to .
the governor. The committee would continue to take
written testimoney for another 10 days, he said.
Committee
will alter
selection
of SAs
A new method of selecting Student Advisors (SAs), one that
will allow the individual residence hall director to have more
say in choosing his staff, will be initiated this year.
Dori Bush, residence director of Smith Hall and chairman of
the committee that decided on the changes, said; "What we
were after was something to shape up the system, something
to make the interview situation more real life. In the past the
interviews have been too time consuming, they usually take up
the month of February, now we hope to concentrate them
into a couple of weekends."
Georgia Glass, residence director of Womens Residence Hall
agrees that the time involved was a major reason for the
change.
"We interview three hundred students for sixty or seventy
jobs. We used to spend hundred of hours at it."
The applications, after being screened to make sure that they
have the mandatory 2.5 grade point average, will be sent to
each residence director who will choose the persons to be
interviewed for his residence from among them.
Those people chosen for interviews for a specific hall will
receive a notice in February to come to an interview in the
Nebraska Union where the residence director and a committee
of his choosing will decide on the SAs for the next year. .
Applicants who weren't asked to interview for a residence
hall that they may have especially wanted to be an SA will
have a chance on the next weekend to interview in that
residence.
For the last two years the SAs have been chosen through a
series to two interviews. The first was an individual one where
the applicant met with a committee formed of a residence
director, two SA's and two students.
The second invertiew had a group of applicants together for
a discussion with students, graduate students, and SAs.
In the interviews to be conducted this year there is a no
requirement that there be students on the interviewing
committee. According to Glass though, most of ft he residence
directors feel they want to have students on the committees
anyway.
People's Food Co-op
looks for new home
After only a tew weeks in its new location at 33rd and
Holdrege Streets, the People's Food Co-op has been forced to
move.
According to co-op member Jay Pashalek, the landlord of
the new bulding gave them 30 days to vacate. In place of the
co-op, patrons soon will find a slot-car race track.
The co-op sells bread, dairy and poultry products,
vegetables and fruits to members at near wholesale prices.
Pashalek said the store must liquidate its entire stock of
staples before moving.
Checks with both the City of Lincoln and the University
about vacant buildings have proved fruitless, according to
Pashalek.
Efforts currently are underway to find a new headquarters
for the co-op, but Pashalek said that unless another building is
secured before mid-December the co-op may have to move to
the Nebraskans For Peace building at 35th and Holdrege.
Since that building is owned by the Cotner School of
Religion, its board of directors would have to approve use of
the building, he said.
Union 'institution' moves
An institution in the Nebraska Union is about to change
locations. The "ride board" located near the elevator in the
Union will be moving shortly, possibly to the hall on the south
side of the Union.
"This is my fifth year at the Union and that board was here
long before me, according to Art Thompson, Union Programs
director.
The "ride board"' consists of two maps, one of Nebraska
and one of the United States, and hooks to hang cards on
underneath them. People looking for rides and drivers looking
for riders may both place cards on the rack. .
thursday, november 30, 1972
daily nebraskan
page 9
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