r i
it ,f.
n
CM -- J 7f 5 ' r7rZt ,
friday, September 6, 1974
lincoln, nebraska vol. 98, no. 8
proof ems are majoi
re Derformsn
facto
rs to soive
By Randy Gordon
It will be at least October before
idlscussions on the funding of a new
performing arts center at UNL begin, the;
assistant director of business and finance
said Thursday; .... .
Ronald Wright said that at the. earliest,
these discussions will not start until plans for
the 1975-1976 UNL budget are finalized this
month. He said that before plans can be
drawn up for the center, the sources and v
methods of raising funds must be decided.
The search for money may be hampered by ;
i the high rate of inflation, according to
wnght;,
"The uncertain economy and the possibil
ity of a severe downturn make it tough to
raise money," he said. "If inflation is
brought tinder - control, funding could be '
easier to obtain and might move faster."
NU President D. B. Varner said the
University of Nebraska Foundation is con
sidering a fund drive, with the performing
arts center as one of the priority items.
But Varner said the exact sources of funds
have ridt been decided. ,
; "We have held back on action because of
the Foundation's low-level discussions," he
said, "it's been put on the back burner and
turned down, but not off."
He said the university might petition the
Legislature for money or private sources,
such as contributions from interested Lincoln
citizens, may be sought.
, Wright said funding might also be
avaiisble 'through partte: state funding $
Lincoln, fcond 'issue .or Student fees, But .ho::."
.said none of these possible sources has'been
decided upon.
The new 3,500 i to 4,500-seat center's
projected cost has been estimated at between
$13 . million and $15 million, by Wright end
Varner. Wright said the cost is risina because
oi-infiatidn;':. ''":';' i '-
Wright said proposals for the center were .
Initiated as early as 1963. ' . .-
g arfeeerrter be
i
'It's been in rough competition with other
areas of the budget' he said. "In the end,
academic areas have to come out on top of the
-heap,"; -j . " ''-'C
He safd other campus priorities include the
construction of a Life Sciences Building and a
new Men's Physical Education Building.
The original; proposal in 12S3 .called for the
: eticeaUcm of $4.5 roiSHan for the construction
of a 5,000 to 6,000-seat building.-;:. . -
: Wright said the first step in developing
plans for a center will be for the University's
Central Planning and Development Commit
tee to assigni a program subcommittee to
write an initial statement defining the
requirements the new building should meet;
The subcommittee will probably include
members of the performing arts and music
staffs, he said. Wright added that the
subcommittee might also decide to hire
additional consultants and interview others
who have had; experience in constructing or
operating performing arts centers.
Wright saldthe preliminary plans will then
be approved by Central Planning and passed
for the approval of Chancellor James
Zumberge and the regents.
The plans then will, be presented to the
State Building Division and the governor for
final approval before any contracts are let.
YaSs theater consultant George Izenour,
hired by UNL President D. D. Varner on
Sept. 6, 1973, wa3 the first consultant
employed by the university, according to
Wright. , . ;. . -, . '
f He said .'the.-sltuatien . was ' analyzed . by -JJltsr
and music staff pcopla' and there
were in-house proposals before Izenour was
hired. .;
Varner was acting on behalf of the NU
Board of Regents and with the concurrence of
Zumberge when he hired Izenour, Wright
'Said.;':v--';.'-:;rr -;. ' -.--
Varner safd izenour's-plans were only a
preliminary sjudy and that many of his
comes reality
suggestions my be incorporated into the final
'plans... ..
. But he said he agreed with UNL Music
; Director David Fowler and Jerry Lewis, the
technical director at Howell Theater, that the
; new center will need more than one stage.
izenour's plan for the performing arts
center involved the use of a moveable ceiling
to change the seating capacity of the center.
The smallest area that could be formed in the
theater would have a 900-seat capacity.
' Izenour's plan would have one stage to be
shared by university and community theatre
groups, traveling actors and musicians and
by personnel in the UNL music, opera and
dance disciplines.
- The center will be a Lincoln campus
project, according to Varner.
He said plans for the city of Lincoln to use
the center will probably be discussed and
decided by the City Council and Mayor Sam
Schwartzkopf. He said the agreement, if
there is one, will be made with UNL alone.
"The university will have priority In using
the center," Varner said. "But since It Is so
costly, it must be used as fully as possible or
it will become a burden."
City groups such as the public schools and
the community symphony might be inter
ested in using the new building, Varner said.
Wright agreed, saying that the "cultural
activities serve the entire community, so city
use is natural, if the objective is to provide as
many cultural activities as possible."
, "We will competing with Omaha End
Kansas City, among others," Wright added,
"sa LfnesfiT will have to attract a lsrS
audience if It is to bring in top talent."
Wright said the city will have to pay
operating costs if Lincoln sponsors an event
in the center. He said such costs could range
from $20,000 to $50,000.
Wright said the center will probably be
located between 12th and 13th Sts. and
between Q St. and R St.
Residence improvement more to come
1 ii'1 ill if l
''f t "
a .".a : a
C3 ;" o b
CI p GJ
1! fbZU
pm t?$
By; Rusty Rerio
About $300,450 designated for resi
dence hall improvements last January is
slowly being spent by the Housing
Office, according to Richard Armstrong,
housing director. ,
Many .of the projects are in progress, '
VA'rmstrohg, said, but shipping delays
have jslowed the Installation process.
Repair of the information desk, study
room and commonsroom at Cather
Pound Hall, and construction of a
partition and sound-proof room for the
piano in Abe! Hall's lounge are being
studied by the University's Physical
Plant, he said.'
Redecorating of the student lounges
will be started as materials arrive,
Armstrong said. Students are to decide
on. their, floor's lounge Improvements
ana tnen the materials win u viuered,
he said. Some floors haven't submitted
any requests yet, Armstrong said.(
Lounge improvements for Selleck
Quadrangle) are in question, Armstrong
said,, because "we an uncertain of the
future of Selleck and wo don't know how
much to invest."
The second and fifth floors in Sandoz
Hall have already been carpeted, but ,
carpet to cover the remaining 10 per
cent of Abcl-Sandoz -and Ourr-Fedds :
H&Hs . hss yot to arrive, he said.
Armstrong said all carpeting should be
completed by mid-November.
New serving trays and an Ice cream
. machine, havo been put -In the SeHeek -Quadrangle
cafeteria, ho said.
Installation of new drapes in the
rooms at Able-Sandoz and Burr-Fedde
halls will be finished by Oct. 15, he said.
Construction of a $6,000 multi-pur-.
pos6 room for Harper, Schramm and
Smith Halls will begin during Christmas
vacation or during the second semester,
Armstrong said. He said this may be a
conservative estimate.
Burr-Fedde Hall does not have any
floor lounges, but Armstrong said the
basement there will be developed In
phases to accommodate a lounge.
Because of an interior decorator's
advice, drapes will not be hung In the
Cather-Pound cafeteria because the
view is "pleasant to the eye," Arm
strong said. Rather than put In new
stalls in Abel-Sandoz bathrooms, locks
will bo places cn the cid doors. A
saving of $3,500 and $500 from the two .
projects, respectively, will be included
to cover rising costs since the plans were
designed in December 1973, he said.
j Equipment for a darkroom in Abel
'Hall has been ordered but has not
'arrived, Armstrong said, but a bicycle
rack there will be finished soon.
.Materials for the student kitchen in
Sandoz Hall are also on order, but the
new kitchen chairs have already arrived.
' A list of expenditures for each
residence hall follows:
Abel-Sandoz , $76,000
Burr-Fedde 22,450
Harper-Schramm-Smith 75,000
Gather-Pound , ,70,000.
i Married Student Housing 5,000
il
4
I.'
-1 j
r.:.
I J
w
I' i
K' M
' i if
it f .v-J '' ,-f.