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by Mary Voboril
I'he first promise was to abolish ASUN.
Other campaign goals: draft beer in fraternities
and a free (marijuana) joint "to anyone who wants to
turn on."
It was spring, 1970, and members of the Youth
International Party (Yippies) were staging a mock
ASUN campaign. Some names on the Yippie ticket:
Mescaline Mike, Frisco Freak, Old Milt, Mr. Natural
and Captain Piss-Gum.
Shades of Willie Wonka, Shaman Jack and the
Surrealist Light People's party (SLPP)? Yes. SLPP,
the joke party of this year's campaign, has had at
least two forerunners: the yippies of 1970 and the
Rocket Grease and Freedom party, founded in 1971.
The objective of all three has been to point to the
supposed absurdity of ASUN.
The Yippies made every effort to appear
ridiculous. An initial indication of this was the party's
official campaign poster, which read, "Yippie!
Unchallenged leader of swine breeding."
Diane Wanek, Yippie candidate for first vice
president, claimed she was qualified for the office
"because I'm beautiful-in every way." Wanek, then a
freshman, said her party would bring about legalized
dope and beer in Greek houses "by having ASUN
secede from the state and then from the nation."
Another Yippie claim: "The opposition plays dirty
pool. They ought to go into politics." That year
students voted in a circus tent.
A second jo' e party, Rocket Grease and Freedon,
emerged in 1971. Grease offered Ken "Rick"'
Apthorpe as its presidential candidate. Apthorpe was
the leader of Rick and Rockets, a '50s rock and roll
group.
draw up a list
it distributed a
of campaign
combination
Grease did not
promises. Instead
comic-coloring book.
According to Apthorpe, the 1971 ASUN
candidates were "all idiots except me. And sometimes
I'm not too sure about me."
He also criticized ASUN for spending $500 on a
photocopy machine for its office when there was
"hardly a pencil sharpener to be found anywhere on
campus."
During the campaign, Apthorpe said he tried to
make the Grease party look absurd "because the
current status of ASUN is absurd. When only a small
portion of the student body votes in an election, it is
ridiculous to think that ASUN power or support for
anything has meaning."
The Yippies, Grease and SLPP were not the only
groups to criticize ASUN. In 1971, ASUN Sen. Bruce
Wimmer said the student senate will never be
attractive to students "until it stops being a toy
where we go down and practice student government.
It's really a farce."
In the April 20, 1970, issure of the Daily
Nebraskan, columnist Bob Russell made a few
sarcastic observations about the Yippies and ASUN.
It's a pity to have a powerless organization above
you with no representation. We need someone to
represent our powerlessness and to approve all those
posters," he said.
Russell was referring to posters on UNL bulletin
boards which must be stamped "ASUN Approved"
before they can be displayed legally.
Aside from joke parties, a check on previous
student government campaigns unearthed some
interesting facts.
In 1947, one presidential candidate's platform
included "sending an outstanding senior girl to the
Drake or Kansas relays, where she may have a chance
to become queen of these events, thus enhancing the
University's reputation as an outstanding school."
-In 1935, men could file at the Student Activities
Office under party slates, but women had to run on
independent tickets.
-Also in 1935, there was a ruling that sororities
could not enter political alliances.
-In 1967, 43 per cent of the student body voted.
That record still stands.
A Parly
'liliciiomciioir
in polities
George Rhodes is a phenomenon in UNL
student politics: an ASUN senator running
for re-election.
And the agricultural economics junior is
running for re-election in an equally unique
way: at the head of a party which isn't even
offering an executive slate.
Rhones and seven East Campus friends
formed what they call simply "the Ag
Party." They figure if they win together
they also will be closer together after the
election, Rhodes said, and be able to work
kell together.
Rhodes, 20, from Bridgeport, is the only
member of the party running for senate. The
others are seeking seats on the agriculture
advisory board. One-third of the party's
members are incumbents.
They got together more to help each
other than to endorse the executive
candidates of another party, Rhodes said.
But Rhodes said he did agree with the
Unity and Progress (UP) plank urging
half hour bus service between the East and
City Campuses.
He said he seeks re-election because the
senate "needs some experience down there."
Rhodes said his time on the budget
committee would lend some expertise to
next year's appropriations discussions.
Rhodes said he considers himself a
conservative influence cn the committee. He
said his philosophy generally was to consider
whether a particular appropriation served
the entire University.
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b teve Strasser
I platforms of the two parties
ssr.'usly seeking office in Wednesday's
election are not noted for their
djs,jreetnents. The Get Off Your Apathy
(qYA) party and the Unity and
prcress (UP) party seem basically to
agr; on the problems of student life
neiing action over the next year.
he only real head-on clash in the UP
anG0YA platforms involves GOYA's
njr plank supporting a student lawyer
fOided by ASUN to advise student
gQyrnment and students themselves.
ji P's platform dismisses that plan as
'urttasible.
Tie student lawyer issue was the only
orfethat sparked substantial disagreement
dung Thursday's debates. UP claimed
the:oncept 0f group legal representation
waunethical in Nebraska, while GOYA
arcjed that group law was ethical unless
tfNebraska Supreme Court specifically
ruls otherwise.
iixcept on the lawyer issue the
pldorms are failrly compatible,
dlsgreeing on direction of attack more
trWion basic problems.
P's platform covers more ground
th GOYA's.
Stoth platforms concentrate heavily on
eduational reform and internal ASUN
reform. UP also has major sections on
"ASUN as students' advocate" and a
potjourri of stands labeled "ASUN and
thequality of student life" on everything
frn the book exchange to human rights.
i Both parties would add to campus
bureaucracy. GOYA would set up a
centralized advising office where students
arid faculty advisers could get
information on careers and the names of
resource persons in the community
practicing various professions.
f JP would institute a fines and fees
appeals board, an office of student aid
.Hi
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and recourse to act as a central
information center for students and to
co-ordinate student assistance
organizations such as Help Line and an
ASUN job referral center.
In educational reform, both UP and
GOYA support changes in the teacher
evaluation system, UP urges adoption of a
report which recommends systematic
teacher evaluation with results made
available to students.
GOYA, in its most detailed plank,
proposes that faculty be evaluated on
their advising ability as well as their
teaching ability. It also calls for a
standardized teacher evaluation system.
Both parties are for grading
innovations such as academic bankruptcy
and the "no D-no F" option.
The two parties platforms read as one
when discussing internal ASUN reforms.
Each urges increased emphasis on senate
as opposed to executive ASUN power.
GOYA calls for increased powers for
the Budget Committee in drawing up
ASUN's budget.
UP proposes a follow-through program
to ensure that senate legislation is carried
out.
UP opposes the recently released
Administration Student Fee Task Force,
but in its platform takes no stand on
Millard State Sen. James Dickinson's
LB362, which would outlaw mandatory
student fees used for student
programming.
GOYA has opposed LB362, but, in its
platform takes no stand on the fee task
force report.
Both parties support increased rights
for dormitory students specifically
through relaxed visitation and alcohol
consumption guidelines.
GOYA adds a plank on off-campus
housing, supporting the Uniform
Residential Landlord and Tenant Act
now before the Legislature and offering
the services of its proposed student
lawyer to deal with tenant problems.
UP and GOYA also have planks
relating to East Campus-City Campus
relations. GOYA promises to include East
Campus students on all policy-making
boards staffed by ASUN appointments.
UP promises to work for half-hour bus
service between the two campuses. The
two parties each support continuation of
the Associated Student Ko-op (ASK).
GOYA plans to look into expanding the
Ko-op statewide via the Nebraska
Association of Students. UP promises to
give precedent to student-owned
businesses in expanding the service.
WCnsatf
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George Rhodes . .the only Ag Party member running for election to the ASUN
Senate.
by Ken Kirk
ASUN candidates are spending from
$1 to $45 in campaigns this spring.
"It's not worth it, but every year
people do it," according to Karen
Richardson, first vice presidential
candidate from the Unity and P-ogress
(UP) party. Get Off Your Apathy
(GOYA) first and second vice-presidential
candidates Mark Hoeger and Todd
McDaniel agreed.
All three said that people run for
ASUN to improve the University by
working through the Senate. McDaniel
said, "There's not much glory involved."
UP apparently is spending the most
money with expenditures totaling around
$600, according to Ron Sindelar, UP
business manager.
Sindelar said each UP senatorial
candidate would contribute $17.50 with
executive candidates spending between
$40 and $45 each.
Senate candidates have a $35
campaign spending limit imposed by
ASUN. Executive candidates can spend
$50. The ASUN president receives a
salary equivalent to dormitory rates. First
and second vice-presidents get two-thirds
of the dormitory rate.
UP money went for posters, handouts,
badges and miscellaneous expenses. , ...
. "I wouldn't be willing to soend the
money unless I thought there wa a
pretty good chance of winning," tUP
presidential candidate Bill Fruedenhurg
said.
Freudenburg, who ran uvith l:he
All-University party; last year, had
reservations about spending the money,
but ASUN was important to him so he
went ahead, he said.
GOYA senate candidates are spending
about $13 with executive candidates
spending around $20, according to Ann
Henry, GOYA presidential canddateiit
GOYA spent $240, for posters, $,175
for GOYA badges and $25 on
miscellaneous supplies ""Henry said. 'The
party offers posters andibadgesto their
candidates as a service;, no one is forced
to buy them, McDaniel said.
Henry said she didn't mind spending
the money because she felt ASUN wtis a
worthwhile experience. She saidshe spent
$22 last spring when running for the
senate with the Student Cause party.
Henry agreed with Freudenburg's attitude
toward winning and saidr "You don't, run
if you think you're going to lose."
The Surrealist Light' People's party
(SLPP) plans on "spending as much asuve
can," according to "Willie Wonka," SLPP
first vice-presidential ' candidate. SLPP
executive candidates have spent a totlof
$25 already and their two senate
candidates have spent nothing.
SLPP's major expense was $12 worth
of bananas. SLPP spent the other money
on printing supplies.
"We gather together with other
humans and they donate their servicer to
help fight the androids, but we pay for
the materials," "Willie Wonka" said. . .
Shaman Jack Mason, SLPP presidential
candidate, said, "We have fulfilled all our
purposes. We havp gotten our monoy's
worth. It's not just our fun and games.
It s fun and games for thousands.
Advisory
DixiDsiirdls
by Robin Pilus
UNL's college Advisory Boards do not share
common goals, activities or aims.
While attempting to tackle problems within the
individual colleges, the multi-purposed organizations
serve functions ranging from reviewing curriculum to
voicing reactions on pending bills in the Unicameral.
The ASUN general election March 14 will place
continued on page 12
1 0 "" " J JW .. ."i I
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by Dennis Onnen
As the ASUN elections approach, a
student can go almost anywhere on campus
and be greeted by a mass of campaign
posters. But if one looks closely, some are
posters of candidates who have decided to
run independently.
Fifteen independent candidates are
running this year; that is 19 per cent of all
candidates. This compares to 17 per cent last
year, and 37 per cent in 1971.
Mark Rasmussen is running
independently because "parties are used for
voter identification only. Everyone forgets
who they ran with or why they ran after
they're elected." Susan Dusenbery dislikes
what she called parties mudslinging.
"The people in parties are tied down to
their platforms," according to Gary Hall. He
is a candidate for the Senate from the
College of Agriculture. He said the party
platforms didn't represent the East Campus.
Another candidate, Clarke Stevens, also
"didn't want to be dedicated to anyone."
Some of the independent ca Hidates said
they would have liked to become involved in
a party. They didn't because they weren't
asked or they didn't contact the party in
time to become affiliated.
Many of the independents said they think
there is a definite advantage in running with
a party. They cited more exposure, more
people working for their election, less cost
and the tendency of many voters to vote
straight party tickets.
Campaigning for independents consists
mosly of posters and talking to people.
"I'm about due to be elected," Kirk
Hemphill said. This is the third time he has
run for the ASUN Senate. He said he is
36?,v "''""""'7
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' ; LI W OD
disappointed with ASUN and hopes for
educational reform in the future. He also
would like to see more work done for Free
University.
Candidates Steve Kay and Steve Sanford
were roommates f irst semester. According to
Sanford, they both decided to run after
discussing the pros and cons. Sanford said he
favors discontinuing student fees and
adopting a "pay as you go" system. Kay said
he hopes ASUN can "gain some more
power."
Rasmussen said he hopes ASUN can
adopt a more business-like approach. Hall
wants more money for the College of
Agriculture Advisory Board. Developing
respect for ASUN on East Campus is another
of Hall's objectives.
Another College of Agriculture candidate,
Debbie Wurtele. hopes to create better
also said she wants to "straighten out the
bus system."
Wayne Gray said he hopes to show there
is ASUN interest in the department of
architecture. He also said he supports the
formation of a separate College of
Architecture.
The independent candidates include:
Arts and Sciences: Kirk D. Hemphiil, Bob O'Neal
Keith A. Scarborough, Clarke J. Stevens.
Agriculture: Gary Hall, Debbie Wurtele.
Business Administration: Jeanette Harder, Steve
Kay, Mark Rasmussen.
Engineering and Architecture: Wayne Gray, Steve
Sanford, Gary Tasich.
Graduate and Professional; Karl F. Cochrane.
Home Economics: Susan Dusenberry, Dean W.
Young.
. mil ' a , I f
r 1 fJ IV
ASUN first vice presidential candidates
Wille Wonka (SLPP).
(from left) . . . Karen Richardson (UP), Mark Hoeger (GOYA) and
" TIL UJi
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page 10
daily nebraskan
page 1 1
monday, march 12, 1973
monday, march 12, 1973
daily nebraskan
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