Wednesday, february 5,
lincoln, nebraska vol. 9
9
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U status report
missed deadline
By John Kalkowski
A report to inform Gov. J. James Exon of the status of the
University of Nebraska compared with other Big 8 schools will not
be completed by the Commission on University Funding until
March or later, according to Gus Lieske, commission chairman.
The commission was formed last summer and was to deliver the
report by Jan. 1 of this year. . .
Exon said, however, he is satisfied with the way the commission
is operating and is pleased they did not pick an arbitrary date to
force out an incomplete report." M
"Time is not nearly as important as a factual report, he saia.
According to NU President D.B. Varner, the commission was
formed last year when he and Exon discussed ways to determine
the level of funding for the University of Nebraska.
Goal is Big 8 average
Varner said he suggested finding the funding average of the top
three schools in the Big 8, and make that amount the goal for the
Univeristy of Nebraska.
The discussion between Exon and Varner dealt with raising
faculty pay scales to make them comparable to other Big 8 schools,
Exon said.
When the commission was formed, its assignment was to study
NU funding needs as compared with the needs of Big 8 schools and
other area universities, he said.
According to Lieske, the commission got a slow start.
He said the 12-membcr commission was formed last August and
did not meet until September.
Need a year
"If we had a full year for study, we would have been able to
make substantial recommendations by now," he said.
Recommendations from the commission were to provide input
to gubernatorial and legislative decisions this year.
According to Lieske, the commission was not able to collect and
analyze the material in four months. The commission has met six
times since last September. ........ . u
"It has been my impression," Vamer said, "that they ve been
slowly dragging their feet."
Oral report
Exon said he has been told he will receive an oral report of the
commission's progress before the next meeting.
At the meeting next Wednesday, Lieske said, the commission
should decide whether to use per capita income, per student
expenditures or some other measure for a recommended level ot
university funding. . ...
Nebraska was listed in a previous report as 35th in population
and 27th in amount spent per person on higher education.
Nebraska is third in per capita government expenditures and
fifth in higher education expenditures per person among Big 8
schools, the report stated. UiMmiMM1.. " nimmnwiM
Same Jaffe, former ABC
TV newsman cHorgsptnngI inST t '
n AAnrlol I IN keynote sPeaker at Nebraska
UT IVlUUfc?! w I M Model United Nations opening
ceremonies Thursday. Jaffe
will hold an informal rap
session at 7:30 p.m. tonight in
the Harper Hall Main Lounge.
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D. B. Varner, NU president.
Photo by Ted Kirk
$1 RHA
proposal
defeated
Tuesday
By Lisa Brown
UNL students voting Tuesday in the Residence Hall Association
(RHA) election decided against paying an extra dollar for their
room and board contracts next year. ....
The money was split equaily between RHA and the dorm
governments.
Of those those students returning to the residence halls next
year 44 per cent voted to pay the extra dollar and 56 per cent
voted not to, RHA president Tim Evensen said. A two-thirds
majority of those returning was" needed to pass the proposal,
Evensen said
He said 38 per cent of the voters did not plan to live in the
residence halls next year and were not included in the outcome.
Evenson said he was disappointed with the results which, he
said, students still don't realize his organizations role, even
though there has been an increase in RHA services and more
communication about it this year.
RHA's objective is to represent dorm residents to the
administration and NU Board of Regents, Evensen said.
"RHA is comprised of representatives of the separate
governments and is a central organization linking all of them," he
said "not just a totally different branch of student housing.
Too many people just consider RHA to be an organization to
work toward improved visitation and alcohol rules, he said. "It's
real purpose is to make residence halls a better place to live in
many ways," he said.
Marie Hanson, coordinator for residence hall programs, said the
vote was an outstanding show of interest because 44 per cent of
the students were willing to pay more, It's a vote of confidence for
RHA and the governments, she said.
Jury rules shooting death justifiable homicide
Jr , .. Anit;0, ki rpmnwd a mncealed "He was supposed to take his medicine, bu
The coroner's jury at an inquest caned to
investigate a weekend shooting ruled Tuesday
morning that police officers acted justifiably in the
death of Elijah Childers Jr. Saturday night.
Ron Lahners, Lancaster County Attorney, said he
appointed Stan Schrier, Sam Marchese, Lloyd
Feerhusen, Trego McWilliams, Jim Huge and Paul
Amen as jurors. Lahners said the jury deliberated for
three hours before, it decided Childers' death was
justifiable homicide.
The jury selection was an attempt to represent me
community, Lahners said. State statute specifies jury
selection only as "six lawful men," he said.
Childers, 1317 L St., Apt D3, was shot three times
when he attacked Detective Don Buckner with a
knife. Lahners said two officers had gone to the
apartment to talk to Childers about an earlier
stabbing incident at the Red Rose Lounge, in which
Vincent White Magpie was injured.
Officers attacked
The officers were attacked when they entered the
apartment, Lahners said. Buckner and Officer Mike
Williams each fired twice, he said.
Childers was hit twice in the body and once m the
head, Lahners said, and died instantly.
Six police officers were sent to make the arrest
which is not unusual considering the circumstances ot
this case, Lahners said.
"They (police officers) knew he was dangerous,
i, cnM "Tvr defectives had removed a concealed
weapon from Childers two months ago.They also
knew he had a history of menial problems."
The jury criticized the procedures at the Lincoln
Regional Center (LRC), where Childers had
previously been committed, Marchese, a jury
member, said.
'Should be alive'
"That man should be alive today and being treated
at the Regional Center," Marchese said. "It really
bothers me. His superiors had tried to get him
re-admitted and his (Childers) admission was denied."
The jury released a statement signed by all six
jurors that explained their feelings in the case, he
said.
The incident was unfortunate, and the jurors do
not pretend to have all the knowledge, the statement
said. However, the jurors criticized the police
department for a "lack of a coordinated effort "
Marchese said the jurors were more critical of the
release procedures at the LRC.
"We urge a review of the policies and procedures
both at the Lincoln Regional Center and the Lincoln
Police Dept. to avoid this type of incident' in the
future," the statement said.
Questions judgment
Marchese said he questions the judgment of
Childers' caseworkers in recommending Childers'
release.
"The man was a paranoid schizophrenic," he said.
Hf was sunnosed to take his medicine, but no one
was checking on him. The man was ill and should
never have been released."
Ted Bastian, business manager at the LRC, said the
problem in cases like Childers is one of after-care.
"Childers was admitted to the Lincoln-Lancaster
Mental Clinic (LLMC)," Bastian said. "There is no
way we can follow them around 24 hours a day."
Childers' release occurred under normal
circumstances, and it appeared he was ready for
release he siid
Jim'puller, Childers' therapist at LLMC, said LLMC
does not have the controlling power over a patient
that the LRC does. Fuller recommended December
10 that Childers' case record be terminated.
Loses civil rights
A patient at the LRC loses his civil rights and is
under the control of a team of doctors and
psychiatrists, he said. The LLMC has no such legal
controlling powers, Fuller said.
Fuller said there was some question that Childers
could be a dangerous person, but there was no way to
determine this fact.
Childers was ready to go when the LRC released
him, Fuller said, but he hadn't been ready two weeks
before.
Fuller said Childers' release was an attempt to get
Childers back into the community where he could
feel he was making some contribution.
"We tried to get him back into the mainstream of
society and the more normal aspects of life," he said.
