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monday, October 14, 1974
lincoln, Nebraska vol. 98 no. 29
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Regents approve
UNLombudsman
The NU Board of Regents approved Col. Dan
Babcock as temporary UNL ombudsman in a
meeting Friday afternoon in the Nebraska Union.
Babcock retired Sept. 1 as professor of aerospace
studies in the Air Force ROTC program.
Babcock temporarily assumed the duties of
ombudsman Oct. 1, filling the vacancy left by
James Suter. who resinned last summer.
Howlett, member or me
committee, a permanent
appointed before second
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Accordinq to Dave
ombudsman search
ombudsman will be
semester.
Babcock's appointment aroused discussion.
Regent Ed Schwartzkopf of Lincoln questioned the
need for an ombudsman on the Lincoln campus.
The ombudsman's $18,000 salary could be
channeled elsewhere, he said.
Not ideal conditions
ASUN President Ron Clingenpeel told the board
an ombudsman would be necessary under ideal
conditions. But since the university makes
mistakes, he said, an ombudsman is needed to air
student grievances.
UNL Chancellor James Zumberge agreed. In a
large university system, imperfections are inevi
table, he said, and students need an ombudsman
for "redress of grievances when all else fails."
In other action, the regents approved an
additional $490,000 to improve the Institute, of
Agriculture and Natural Resources, bringing the
agriculture institute's total budget to $3.3 million.
Duane Acker, vice chancellor of the Institute of
Agriculture and Natural Resources, orginally
asked the regents to approve an $800,000 budget
increase to place UNL's agricultural program first
among the Big 8 schools in salaries and programs.
At Friday's meeting, Acker said Nebraska ranked
last among the five sui rounding Midwestern
universities.
"More realistic approach"
Zumberge then recommended what he called
"a more realistic approach." The regents
approved Zumberge's cut from the $800,000 pro
posal to $490,000, which would place the agricul
tural institute salaries third in the Big 8. The
$490,000 budget package would bring institute
faculty salaries, now near the bottom of the UNL
scale, above all those except law, dentistry and
business administration. Zumberge said.
NU President D. B. Varner said these rules
would partially repay the agriculture institute for
the money and industry that agriculture has
brought into Nebraska.
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Rod McKuen gives his autograph to students during his visit In the Nebraska
Union Sunday.
McKuen: sneakers and 'honesty '
By Harry Baumert
For a guy whose favorite wardrobe
includes Adidas tennis shoes and a
"windbreaker jacket, he, looks right at
home among Guccis and mink stoles.
Rod McKuen doesn't stand out in a
crowd, with his soft sandy voice and
thin bearded face. He's usually in the
center of it, signing autographs or
talking current events. He was in
Lincoln this weekend visiting a friend,
Secretary of State Allen Beermann
making appearances at UNL.
At a garden party at the Beermanns'
home, the poet and song writer, who has
sold more than 10 million books and 150
million records, stressed communication
and the importance of living in the
present. He said being a poet carries a
lot of responsibility. .
"If you're a poet, you're a keeper of
the language," he said. "You've got to
say things in a straight forward way."
Songs he's written include "Jean"
and "Seasons in the Sun," and he's now
working on "My Country: 200," a book
of prose for the American bicentennial,
McKuen has been accused of writing
over-sentimental, . "marshmallow"
poetry by some, so what is it about his
writing that has made his works sell?
"HonestyI hope," he said.
Some of McKuen's poetry, such as
"A Cat Named " Sloopy" shows his
concern for animals. McKuen donates
money for scholarships for pre-veterin-ary
students through "Animal Con
cern," a foundation he started and
supports. He said money from the
foundation last year provided for more
than 1,300 scholarships throughout the
United States.
Dick Fleming, UNL director of public
relations, said McKuen gives $2,500
each year to the University of Nebraska
for pre-veterinary scholarships.
Student assistants: students or UNL employes?
By Lynn Silhasek
When are UNL residence hall student
assistants (SA's) university employes and
when are they students?
Their status will be decided by university
lawyers, according to Ken Sword low, assis
tant housing director.
A !3rnnQf?.ry ruling by housing officials
this fall prompted the request for a legal
interpretation of SA status, Swerdlow said.
According to the ruling, JAs are not
allowed to attend floor keggers, drinking
parties sponsored by floors of residence
halls, he said. The request for legal advice
was made by housing officials who plan to
use the advice in making future decisions
regarding the SA position, he said.
Swerdlow said he did not know when
housing would receive the legal opinion.
-According to Swordlow, 5As are con
sidered part-time housing employes. Their
room and board costs in the residence halls
are paid for under a contract with housing.
Not responsible for accidents
Swerdlow said the ruling protects SAs, as
representatives of the university, from being
held responsible for accidents and damages
which may occur at a kegger or for the
presence of minors. University staff i
ance does not cover persons participating
university function where liquor is present,
he said.
The ruling also creates some confusion as
to "when a student can take off his SA hat
and say I'm one of the boys," Swerdlow said.
Some persons view an SA as an authority
ii times .Swerdlow said. A housing
study fast year, however, showed that many
SAs actually were working only four hours
during a two-week period, he said. To earn
the money their housing costs are paid with,
SAs are supposed to work 17 hours a week,
he said.
Swerdlow said he worked at the University
of Wisconsin several years ago, where beer
was allowed on campus and where SAs were
required to attend campus drinking parties.
The SAs acted as supervisors at the parties,
according to Serdlow.
SAs must stay away
"We would like to toll an SA to go to these
thirKJS," Swerdlow said. "It would bo better
if the law permitted it a floor-sponsored
drinking party). But since it doesn't, we have
to tell the SAs to stay away from it."
Swerdlow said the ruling did not stem from
the death of a UNL student last fall who was
returning with friends from a floor-sponsored
kegger. the car in which the students were
riding collided with another vehicle.
Reactions of three SAs to the ruling ranged
from disappointment to an expressed desire
for a detinition or ineir sidiuo.
Mike Herring, an Abel Hall SA said he
could understand housing's viewpoint in
wanting to protect the SAs from being liable
in caseof an accident at a kegger.
But "we should be able to separate our
nprsonal lives from the iob." he said. , .
"The university has to decide whether the
SAs are full-time or not," said David
Howlett, an Abel Hall SA and ASUN second
vice president. The ruling "is kind of an
admission to me that SAs are full-time
people. If they are, they aren't being paid
full-time," hesaid.
Full cooperation
Al Thorson, a Harper Hall SA, said his
residence hall gives full cooperation to
housing officials. But he said he was
disappointed with the ruling because it "only
offers protection to us (SAs)."
"You get to know the people on your floor
by attending floor drinking parties, he said.
There are other ways to meet people, but a
kegger is one of the most popular ways of
doing so, hesaid.
According to Thorson, it is difficult for the
SA to have to refuse Invitations to keggers
and remind people they can't attend because
of their position.
i "Oh yeah, that's too bad, they say."
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