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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 1973)
OQU Wednesday, febaiary 21, 1973 lincoln, nebraska vol. 96, no. 75 Senators debate fees question by Steve Arvanette The isue of mandatory student fees, before the ligislatures Education Committee Monday, provided an opportunity to discuss controversial speakers and conferences on NU campuses and to question the validity of student government. LB362, introduced by Sen. James Dickinson of Millard, would end mandatory collection of most student fees at state colleges and universities. "This bill is not designed to hurt the University stystem," Dickinson said, but would "strengthen its public image." ' "We are all familiar with some of the more notorious speakers and programs that have been paid for with student fees," he said. "Thousands (of students) don't even know they are paying them." He questioned the use of money collected from fees to finance the Child and Infant Day Care Center which, he said, benefits few students. "I had several phone calls and letters after introducing this bill, apparently from mothers thinking I wanted to redistribute these funds. They all wanted more money for the child day care center," Dickinson told the committee. One of the more vocal proponents of the bill was S.H. Brauer Jr. "It is virtually impossible to scratch the surface of misuse of mandatory student fees,"he said. Brauer said there was no way to get an account of how fees are spent. v He was critical of using mandatory fees to pay for the controversial Time-Out Conference on Human Sexuality in 1971 and the 1972 World in Revolution Conference on Justice in America. Both were held on the UN L campus. "I can't describe the dehumanizing effect that conference had on me," Brauer said of the Human Sexuality Conference. "We were dealing with homosexuals day in and day out." He characterized the presentation of gay leaders Jack Baker and Mike McConnell as an explanation of their "fraud and deceit to obtain a marriage license and become man and whatever he is." On another topic, Brauer charged that the Board of Regents "caved in to students and granted demands" for expanded coed visitation last February. He was highly critical of what he called ASUN's involvement in the threat by many dormitory residents to openly violate existing visitation rules. "Who led the action at that time? An astute member of this committee-Sen. Steve Fowler," Brauer said. Fowler served as president of ASUN during tlv visitation controversy. Sen. J. James Waldron of Callaway asked why, if gay speakers on campus had such an impact, students were requesting more liberal coed visitation policies. Brauer said the visitation confrontation was the "end result of this type of infection." He added thaj it was "all part and parcel of the revolt of our young people." Brauer was asked if he would approve the appearance of controversial speakers on campus if they were paid from the voluntary fees which Dickinson's bill would permit. "I don't think our University facilities should be given over to these kind of people," he said. NU President D.B. Varner, speaking against the bill, said he was also concerned with many speakers who are on the University campus. "In many cases I wish we didn't have these speakers." He said. Varner questioned, however, who should judge which views should be heard on campus. He said there is "no consensus about what is offensive." He told the committee he had never been involved in a university where fees were not mandatory. He said students who opposed certain fee expenditures had two options. They could decide not to attend a presentation or vote the existing student government out of office. "All of us are taxed for things we don't approve of' Varner said, comparing mandatory fees to taxes. UNL student James Ezersky questioned the use of fees for student government and the Daily Nebraskan. He told members of the committee that both were "leading catalysts" during the May 1970 student strike and occupation of the Military ancf NavaJ Sciences building. NU Regent Kermit Hansen questioned Brauer' s statements that the board had submitted to student coed visitation demands. 1 fx It ff I M S.H. Brauer Jr. ...said he was dehumanized by the Time-Out Conference on Human Sexuality. "There has been no change in the hours of coed visitation," Hansen told the committee. The only change has been the recognition of one additional person to serve as chaperone, he said. continued on page 3. Beecher: ASUN must be stronger "All things, must pass" says George Harrison ( a poster on the ASUN president's office door. , "Time was really the limiting factor," said Bruce Beecher as he sat below the poster and reflected on his year as ASUN president. His term will expire in less than a month. The year has impressed Beecher with the need to strengthen ASUN, he said. "If you can't have a strong student government," he said, "there's realty. f V V no way for students to change things." The Council on Student Life (CSL) and the UNL Faculty Senate are responsible for some of the draining of power from student government, he said. CSL was set up, Beecher said, to act as a liaison between student and faculty governments. ' "But it's evolved into equality with ASUN. There's an overlapping of powers that needs to be cleared up," he said. Defining the powers has not been necessary, he said, because of a "good working relationship" with CSL. But he said he sees CSL as gathering "much more powerful input into changing policies" than is granted ASUN. . Seven of the 15 CSL members are faculty and administrators. Beecher said that although he sees the value in ASUN President Bruce Beecher ... is proud of the Associated Student Ko-op begun during his administration. faculty and administrative roles in forming out-of-class policies for student, he believes there should be students on committees that determine classroom policies for the University. If he had it to do over, he said, he would refuse to appoint students to committees unless they were guaranteed equal representation. "Too often students are drastically outnumbered by faculty members. And the set-up doesn't allow for enough contact between ASUN and the student committee members once they get started," he said. The year has taught him about complications in starting projects, Beecher said. The student cooperative is an example. The Associated Student Ko-op (ASK), began this semester. Students may buy memberships that entitle them to discounts at 10 Lincoln stores. Proposals for new projects must be studied by a committee and resource personnel must be consulted. Complications always develop, he said. In this ASK case, ASUN decided it should incorporate the Ko-op, he said. The ASUN budget caused some problems, too. Budgetary re-ordering took almost an entire summer, he said. But he said he thought the new program-with budgeting in individual accounts-has made ASUN "finally accountable to the students." The new procedure limits executives to spending only the money approved by the senate, he said. So students can know where the student fees that support ASUN are spent The budget also took longer this year because of the "unbelievable Scrutiny" it came under, he said. The regents insisted on reading it for the first time ever, he said. The regents' request stems from the controversy in 1971 over spending of student fees for a Human Sexuality Conference and a 1972 World in Revolution Conference. Beecher last year advocated postponing the World in Revolution conference until public sentiment against the University settled down. He said that although he disliked the increased legislative intervention in University policies including a bill "to omit student fees-he feels the best way to combat it is to take a "low-profile Until "public interest can shift to other things." Of the ASUN projects of last year, Beecher said the two he's most proud ' of are the Ko-op and a library study. ASUN hired three professional consultants to study UNL's Love Library, because the senators felt students don't use the library, he said. "It's the first time student government has done something like this on its own," he said. "It's a responsible, professional way of showing concern by students." Beecher will graduate in May with a science major in secondary' education. Beecher said he doesn't know if he'll teach, but he plans to stay around Lincoln "at least for a while." Election list final x The list of ASUN senate and college advisory boards candidates was finalized Tuesday in accordance with electoral commission regulations. Electoral Commissioner Bill Grundman said the list includes three executive parties-the Get Off Your Apathy Party (GOYA), the Unity and Progress Party (UP) and the Surrealists Light People's Party (SLPP). Two additional parties are the Ag Party and Student Federalist Party (FED). None of the parties which appeared on last year's ballot have candidates this year. Because of errors in Monday's Daily Nebraskan many ASUN candidates were listed incorrectly. A correct list appears on page 3 of today's issue.