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Wednesday, September 25, 1974
lincoln,nebraskavol. 98 no. 1 8
W
elsch confers with Smiths
By Deb Gray
Sitting in his office in Centennial College,
Roger Welsch leaned into a hands-locked-behind-head
position to discuss two subjects:
his recent trip to Germany and his candidacy
for Lancaster County's Weed Commission.
Recently, the UNL assistant English
professor has traveled on a fact-finding
mission for the Smithsonian Institute, an
educational research and resource center
located in Washington, D.C. In August, the
37-year-old folklorist left Lincoln for a
three-week trip to Germany.
Last weekend hs conferred with Smith
sonian officials In Washington. Monday he
announced plans for two more trips to
Germany this year;
His European visit, Welsch said, was
financed by the Republic of Germany. The
German people, he said, are interested in
participating in America's bicentennial
celebration, but they did not know how to get
involved. So the elicited American folk
jorists to advise them.
While most of his colleagues were
bicentennial-bound, Welsch said his mission
was geared toward the Smithsonian Insti
tute's 1975 Folk Festival.
Since 19S4, Welsch said, the Smithsonian
institute has sponsored the American Folk
Festival, which is held on the mall between
tha Washington and Lincoln Memorials. The
fair portrays the roots of American tradition,
ho said.
In 1975, Welsch said the fair will revolve
around an "Old Ways in the New World"
theme.
"We want to Include the countries that
have been instrumental In developing
American tradition," he said. "We want to
spotlight some Old World traditions and
show what happened to those traditions in
the American environment."' . .
Welsch said his trip was partially
successful. Although he didn't locats musi
cians and artists representing Old World
tradition, he did contact people who could
help him.
Welsch's trip centered in northwest
Germany. He said he visited with officials In
Bonn, Berlin and Frankfort. He said these
cities were "not the place to go" for a
complete picture of German tradition.
"Most of the customs we are familiar with
are from the southeastern part of the
country," he said. "It's from this area that
the German settlers migrated."
Welsch said the 1S75 folk fair will spotlight
the German wedding, depicting the cere
mony's dances, food and traditions. In future
visits, Welsch will finalize arrangsments for
German participation in the Smithsonian
exposition.
Welsch said the recent Washington
turmoil has delayed becentennial prepara
tions. "There were people who should have been
appointed to work on this long ago," he said.
"But Nixon was busy with other things and
right now the bicentennial is the least of
Ford's worries."
The direction of the national celebration is
undecided, Welsch said.lt could fall victim to
what he called "ethnic chauvinism."
See Welsch, pg. 5
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Assistant Professor of English end
Lancaster County Weed Commission
candidate Roger Welsch.
New parking Jot to open soon
By John KsSkowski , ' ."
Repair work has begun on a
259-space parking lot which UNL has
leased from the Missouri Pacific
Railroad, Ray Coffey, assistant
business manager of business and
finance said.
The parking lot lies between 14th
and 16th Sts., one-half block north of
"W" St., near the Harper-Schramm-Smith
Residential Complex.
According to Coffey, the parking lot
was leased to help accomodate
commuter traffic and to heip eliminate
soma parking problems faced by
students. .
The leasing of the lot was necessary
because construction of the Life
Sciences Building on the site of
parking area 13 forced faculty parking
to be moved to the commuter parking
lot west of 10th St., Coffey said. The
new parking lot will make a significant
difference in the number of parking
spots open to commuting students, he
said.
Before work could begin on the
parking lot, it was necessary to move
student's cars parked in that area,
coney said.'
Students had mm parking in the lot
for some time and tht university coufd
not have them clear the lot until UNL
held the lease, Coffey said.
"We did not want to issue any
tickets or tow any cars away," he said.
A notice was published in the Dally
Nebiaskan so students would move
their cars and repair work could begin,
Coffey said.
The university is clearing away
residual parts of buildings on the lot
and placing barriers to keep cars away
from the railroad tracks, Coffey said.
Work on the lot is being done by
contractors and should be finished in
about a week, he said.
"Our layout shows that 259 cars cm
be parked in the lot," Coffey said.
There have been counts of 150 to 170
cars In the lot and it seemed packed,
he said, bui efficient usd of the lot
wiil enable 259 cars to be parked
there.
Th'j parking lot is a solid base with
concrete slabs in some places, Coffey
said. He added that the university wilt
not hard-top the lot because it is
leased land.
The city of Lincoln had leased . the
lot before and used It as a street and
asphalt plant, according to Coffey.
Proud csils SGSsionj
xon calls 'fool'
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By Ivy Harper
Speaker of the Unicameral Richard Proud of
Omaha, acting as governor Tuesday, called a
special session of the legislature to discuss the
problems of home buyers, lenders and sellers.
The speaker of the Unicameral takes over when
both the governor and lieutenant governor are out
of town, as was the case Tuesday..
One solution Proud has proposed is to raise the
maximum interest rate.
This will encourage people to keep their savings,
in Nebraska, Proud said, and therefore the money
. available for loans will Increase.
Upon hearing of the surprise proclamation, Gov.
J, James Exon said he will veto any increase in
interest rates. He said Proud was a "fool" for
calling the session.
"it takes one to know one," Proud said in
response.
Proud said realtors are being forced out of
business because people can't get loans to buy
homes.
The tight money problem needs attention now,
Proud said, not in January, when the legislature is
supposed to convene.
Exon, who returned Tuesday night said he plans
to rescind the order.
Proud said If Exon rescinds the order, "that is
his business, but it wifi force him to take a stand."
He said the reason Exon does not want the
special session is because it is an election year.
"People who are campaigning don't like these
issues to be brought up."
Proud said his term ends in January and he is
not running for office again and he has ' no
political motives."
Asked about the constitutionality of the ordor,
Secretary of State Allen Beerrnann said Sec. 8,
Article 4 of the Nebraska Constitution gives the
governor power to convene the legislature for
extraordinary business.
Proud said he is acting according to the letter of
the law but now the question is whether the
governor has the power to rescind the proclama
tion. He said if the attorney general rules that he
does. Proud said, "I will have to accept it."
Ultimately, Proud said, the only way this can bo
settled Is through the courts.
He said he does not have the money to go
to court and that 11 z lime-consuming.
But be said the .real issue is that Exon is doing
nothing for people' who want to' buy homes,
lenders who want to lend money and sellers who
: want to sell. .
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