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The exodus
The UNL College of Law was given a much needed
shot in the arm when ground finally was broken on East
Campus for the college's new building. But law students
now are justifiably indisposed that another malady
threatens to weaken the college. The problem: four of
its best professors have been granted 1-year leaves of
absence, and at least one says he will not return to the
University known for its football team, academic
mediocrity and low faculty salaries.
Other problems plague the Law College, some of
which are outlined in a Page 1 story in today's Daily
Nebraskan. But of all the inadequacies-most of which
center on too little money allocated to meet too many
needs the most exasperating worry of the college is
getting and keeping a good faculty.
The Law College, of course, is hardly tione in its
plight with finances and defecting professors. But it's
unfortunate that one of the University's most
established and most revered postgraduate programs
must serve as a stepping stone to better universities and
bigger salaries.
State and University officials should take a closer
look at what the college has done for the state and the
University, considering its budget allows only for 18
professors for about 450 students. Of all Nebraska
lawyers outside of Omaha, 80 reportedly are graduates
of the UNL Law College. And although one professor
offered a somewhat myopic view that Nebraska
"traditionally has been a good law school," the college
sporadicall has done well in national competition
during the past 20 years.
The remedy to the professors' exodus apparently is
more money. Obviously,' more campaigning forfunds
and more lobbying for votes is needed. And the persons
best suited for this are the law students and faculty
themselves.
. , Mary Voboril
Victorian castles polluting city
Two of the most impressive buildings In
Lincoln are ignored by visitors and by the city'
government. The grand old castles on 1 9th and
D streets and 20th and F streets, once dignified
relics of robber baron capitalism, are now
deteriorating, unnecessarily, in their golden
years.
The state of these two houses represents a
form of pollution as offensive, if not as
obvious, as the poisoning of the air and water.
It's the area where economics, sociology and
politics come together to form a problem that
is insolvable now, but wouldn't be if people
cared.
One person who does care is Davs Murphy.
Murphy, a Lincoln architect and a UNL
graduate, has combined his vocation with a love
of history and a fondness for trivia. The result
is an extensive file on Lincoln's new remaining
reminders of its 19th Century.
keith fandgren
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There aren't many of those relic left,
surprisingly, but there could be. Llncoln'i
position as a teat of government end as the
economic center of southeast Nebraska led a
number of wealthy businessmen to build bomei
in Lincoln, particularly south and east of tha
r t 1
One of those businessmen was John R.
Clark. Clark came to Nebraska from Ohio after
he resigned his commission with the Union
Armv H went to work for the old First
National Bank of Lincoln and roso quickly in
the " orgnization. When ha became vies
president, he bought four lots at the corner ot
20t h and F streets, and in 1S37 a drawing of a
house at that corner appeared In a pamphlet
called Lincoln Illustrated and Lincoln'
Growth. The house is stlil standing, and
Murphy lives in it.
Wo- Hstrr!ht th hnii Ac thfl ortlv examoie
of the Queen Anne style architecture left in
Lincoln. He isn't sure tha Queen Anne is good
architecture: it's gaudy, complex and confused,
but the Clark house is a living paa from
architectural history.
Well, not exactly living, for the building
deteriorated steadily throughout the 20th
Century. Sometime after World War II it was
broken into apartments, a few changes were
made in the arrangement of rooms and the roof
went bad. Structurally, however, it remains
sound. 1
Not far from Clark's house (and on a most
important ridge) is tha Phillips castle. Captain
Hoilo Phillips, a Burlington Railroad executive,
built it shortly before 1890. The large house at
1345 D was constructed of Colorado sandstone,
and Phillips reportedly had a spur from the
main Burlington line laid for its construction.
The Phillips castle and the curious little
carriage housa on the lot are Romanesque
architecture, a style used in homes In the
Victorian era (and in cathedrals during the
Middle Ages). The castle isn't the only
Romanesque, or Richardsonian, house in
Nebraska; it's the best, though. It' been forced
through periodic identity crises, as a nursing
home and as a fraternity house. It's an
apartment building now and each of the
changes has taken its toll, slowly chipping away
at the integrity of the architect's skill.
The ridge the two homes are on is important
to Lincoln' Mitof y. Twrmcd by the ccr!f!'rc
of Salt Creek and Antelope Creek, it was the
site of three Capitols, including the present one,
and most of the important early architecture in
Lincoln. The lowlands on either side of the
ridge were In the floodplains of the creeks and
were thus left to less affluent folks.
As Lincoln grew, the wealth moved east,
across Antelope Creek and Capitol Parkway.
The Capitol area was left to apartment dwellers
and the grand old mansions of the area became
anachronisms, expensive to maintain, highly
taxed, ill suited for any use but as mansions.
Many of them were cemoushed during the
move cast.
What can be done to stop the rest, especially
the two castles, from going the same route?
Right now, very little. The govarnrmnt
pretends they are still luxurious homes, so they
w taxed on their asswisd vsfus, not on their
income producing ability. And they aren't very
good as multiple dwellings: grand stairways and
can ia-je houses ere out of p'ace in apartments.
Murphy believes some sort of allowance
should be made for old houses. Assuming
government ownership is unlikely and it Is, as
Jong as they are seen as property and not as art)
some property tax allowance for 19th Century
buildings might be the best solution. But if s
extremely urgent some changes made, for s
city without a past is a city without character.
Those old homes are Lincoln's past.
n
flop
Letter ppr In tha DaBy Nebraikan at tha editor's
discretion. A letter's appearance it bautd on its timeliness,
oriQinal'ty, coherence end interest. All fetters must be
accompanied by tha writer's true name, but may be
submitted for publication under a pen name or Initials. Use '
of such letters will be determined by the editor. Brevity is
encouraged. All letters are subject to condensation and
editing.
O Henry!
Dear editor, '
Time should be taken to commend the efforts of
outgoing ASUN president Ann Henry, first vice president
Mark Hoeger and second vice president Sue Overing. The
executive positions of ASUN are usually thankless jobs. No
one really realizes what the office of ASUN president and
other executive positions involves. They include numerous
senate meetings, special sessions and other student-faculty
related groups and committees.
With the lack of Interest of many students and senators
who resigned, Henry, Hoeger and Overing have done an
exceptional job. Henry has devoted most of ton time and
)jforts to ASUN and has been instrumental in drafting the
ricchc! rrJ v!;it?tion rvnpr:f All in all, the 1973-74
ASUN Ser e introduced many proposals and took action
for the benefit of the students' academic life and living
conditions. Henry, as president of this group, along with
Hoeger and Overing should be thanked and commended for
their efforts and hard work.
Concerned student
Straight on hate
Editor's not: Tha following letter refers to a comment
made in a story about a fight between gay persons and
"straights" at a Lincoln bar. Tha bar referred to in the
letter is in Omaha.
Dear editor, ,
I am writing In regards to the comments by Shellee Boits
about "Omaha's woman hater" (Daily Nebraskan, Feb. 22).
I think Botts doesn't know a damn thing. I'm a straight
girl who works tha bar, end I don't recall her name but
she's probably one of the women who usually causes
trouble every weekend and has to be thrown out bodily.
There are quite a few straights come down there but
many never come back after many of the drunken dyke
brawls. ' 1
If Botts wants to make comments about the gay
activists' behavior at the Lincoln coffeehouse, I find that
very childish and immature. ,
For five years I've been around gays, and I'm finding
that somebody better grow up and bring the gay
community together and not throw it apart.
Stoney Taitee
page 4 j
daily nebraskan'
Wednesday, march 20, 1974