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thursday, november 8, 1 973
lincoln, nebraska vol. 97 no. 41
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Students grill Zumberge
on visitation, energy
'i U ,
UNL Chancellor James Zumberge
By Susanne Sch ?er
Chancellor James Zumberge warned ASUN
Wednesday evening that if the ASUN-Residence Hall
Assoc. (RHA) suit regarding visitation and alcohol
policies in the dormitories is decided in favor of the
regents, "you probably have closed the door on the
matter."
Any chance of reopening the matter would be
"lost for some period of time," he said.
The senate and RHA jointly have filed a suit
against the Board of Regents over housing policies on
alcohol and visitation rights in dormitories.
Zumberge, who said he supports a "more liberal
policy" regarding dormitories, said he alerted the
regents to the possibility of such a suit. He said he
does not know what the regents inaction to the suit
is, or what action they will take on the matter.
When asked by a student why he thought the
regents would be closed to a further discussion of the
policies, Zumberge said that, in the regents' eyes, if
students have left the decision up to the courts,
students should abide by the decision of the courts if
the decision is in favor of the Regents.
When questioned on the matter later, Zumberge
said that if the court decided in favor of the students,
the board still has the right to "deny students the
relief" they ask.
Attired in a gray sweater, which he said he
purchased for the occasion, Zumberge addressed the
senate on the energy and fuel crisis facing the
university.
He made mention of his Sept. 11 speech before
the Faculty Senate, which has been dubbed the
"Sweater Speech." In that speech he indicated that
faculty members might have to don sweaters in
I
classes this winter if heating in the university is cut
He said the university is faced with a serious
situation, because of a shortage in No. 6 fuel, which
the university uses to heat its buildings.
"We have no guaranteed delivery at any price, and
even if we could get it, we couldn't pay for it," he
said. "We may not get through the winter on the
supply we have."
He has instructed that an emergency plan be
idrawn up, to be complete, by the first of December,
to indicate in which buildings heating might be cut
Heat already has been reduced in some buildings,
and others are not heated over the weekends, he said.
Dormitories may expect to have the heat lowered
"from the present 72-75 degrees to perhaps 68-69
degrees." But, "We won't expect the 4,500 dorm
residents to be inconvenienced unreasonably," he
said. A number of buildings, such as Sheldon Art
Gallery, Kimball Recital Hall, and laboratories
containing experimental animals cannot reduce
temperatures, he said.
Zumberge reported to the senate on the latest
legislative hearing dealing with LB362 he had
attended. The bill, now before the Legislature,
proposes to cut student fees in Nebraska state
universities.
He urged the senate to form a "power base from
which to operate."
"One reason ASUN has not been more powerful is
because you leave yourselves open to the charge that
you are not a representative body," Zumberge
admonished the senators.
"Set up a system, make ASUN a mandate, so that
the regents cannot brush you off as a Mickey Mouse
operation," he said.
Schwartzkopf defends regents' alcohol stance
Regent Edward Schwartzkopf of
Lincoln said he thinks the most
positive approach to the question of
having the right to have alcohol in
dormitories is for students to abstain,
making abstinence an educational
experience.
Schwartzkopf said this after
making reference to a statement made
by Or. Dana Farnsworth, vice
chairman of the National Commission
on Matiuana and Drug Abuse, which
;aid i i tat alcohol was the worst drug.
Schwai tkopf answered questions
at an open meeting Wednesday evening
at the Abe! Sandoz complex.
Questions asked primarily dealt
with dissatisfaction with present
alcohol and visitation policies and with
an apparent breakdown in
communication between regents and
sin, lent ideas and proposals.
"I htoughotit the evening, about 35
,ti'i iciit-i pieseiit gave atguments lor
cii.mgi", in existing policies. But
hivai tkopf repeatedly said that the
,:l,)iimi.n!s were not sufficient to
convince him that changes were
I ii 'j 'I led
Schwartzkopf said he studied at
the University of Missouri, which
allows coed dormitories. In the two
years he was at Missouri, he could not
see how having coed dormitories
helped students get a better education,
he said.
Students asked if he knew whether
living in dormitories had been made
more enjoyable or if students'
education had been hurt in any
way-but at that point he fielded
another question.
Student arguments for changes
included discrimination and human
rights. It is legal in Nebraska for
anyone at least 19 years of age to
drink alcohol, but it is prohibited in
dormitories.
Another point was that dormitory
rooms, whether or not they have beds
in them, are considered "home" by
dorm residents. Students should bo
able to have a member of the opposite
sex in them to watch television, study
or even drink, they said.
Schwai tkopf has supported many
student ptoposals in the past, but he
has lemained against any easing up of
the alcohol policy.
The meeting was seen as an aid to
open channels of communication
between students and Schwartzkopf,
but the communication problem also
was discussed with reference to the
long road student proposals must take
before reaching the regents.
At a meeting before the first
football game, the regents passed a
proposal allowing 12 hours of
visitation on Saturdays, thinking they
were doing just what students wanted.
The original proposal actually had
been written to include Sunday.
Schwartzkopf said the regents had
never heard about the Sunday part of
the proposal.
Schwartzkopf said he had never
seen any petition asking for changes in
present policies and that he still
believed the majority of students did
not approve of changes.
NU Regent Ed Schwartzkopf
Regents plan to discuss
NU abortion controversy
9
doctors
file suit
against
regents
Two University of Nebraska
Medical Center doctors have filed suit
against the Board of Regents policy on
abortions, according to news reports.
The suit, filed by Drs. G. William
On and Marvin Dcitrich in U.S.
District Court in Lincoln, claims the
aboition policy is unconstitutional.
The plaintiffs contend the purpose
of the policy, which limits the number
of abortions performed at the medical
center to lb a week, is to prohibit
I hem fiom using their medical
judgment m )iegnancy termination
consultations with )alients.
By Steve Arvanette
Two doctors from the University
of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha
currently involved in a controversy
over their private medical abortion
practice were in Lincoln Wednesday
for a meeting with NU President D.B.
Varner and Medical Center Chancellor
Robert Sparks.
Sparks is scheduled to request that
the two, Drs. Marvin Dietrich and
George Orr, be j)laced on less than
full time status in effect so that they
could continue private practice at a
clinic specializing in abortions.
I hat request is part of the agenda
NU's Board of Regents will act on at
their meeting Friday at 9 a.m. in the
University Systems Bldy., 3835
Holdrego St.
The two doctors were returned to
full time status at last month's regents
meeting after working on a trial
part-time basis. University regulations
prohibit full time members on the
medical center staff from (jcrforming
abortions under private practice.
At their Friday meeting, the
regents are scheduled to take action on
Gov. J.J. Exon's special committee
report on the Hiram Scott campus.
That committee has recommended
against University acquisition of the
Scottsbluff site.
Also on the agenda is formal action
to approve the law firm of Hamilton
and German as attorneys for the Legal
Aid for Students Office. 1 fit.' firm has
been recommended by the ASUN
Senate and Ken Badei, UNI. vice
chancellor for Student Alfairs.