inside too'ai)
Ffece Your Bets:
Sports Editor Pets
Wesman ends his series
about gambling ... .p. 10
thurtday, cbccmbcr 16, 1976 vol. 100 no. 57 lincoln, ncbrcska
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By Gecrre R!
Ronald Roskens w3 take over as interim NU presi
dent in January, fresh from a 10-day tour of the Soviet
Union.
Roskens said Wednesday that he is spending this week
wrapping up his duties as chancellor of the University of
Nebraska ?! Omaha (UNO) before leaving on the UNO
sponsored tour Dec. 20.
lie said he will return Dec. 30, two days before he
takes over from D. B. Vamer as NU president.
Even though he is short on days to prepare for his new
job, Roskens said he does not expect any serious difficult
ies in settling into Vamer's job.
Roskens was appointed interim president Saturday by
the NU Board of Regents.
"There will be obvious difficulties," Roskens said,
"and yet it (the NU system) is not unfamiliar territory.
Hence, I think we'll be able to move fairly rapidly."
Roskens said he will not say in what directions he in
tends to move, until he has been on the job for at least a
few weeks. -
But as interim president, he said, he will take a hand in
guiding the university's proposed $111,926,708 budget
through the Nebraska Legislature this spring.
He said he will rely on help from other university staff
in representing Nu to the senators.
As UNO chancellor, Roskens said he came .to know
members of the Unicameral "reasonably well," But he
said he would not seek to influence Omaha senators more
than he would outstate senators.
"1 would rather tlunk in terms of persuading all
members of the Unicameral of the importance of the uni
versity," he said.
. "My intention will not be to concentrate any one seg-
By Paula Dittrick
Members of the NU presidential search committee and
NU Board of Regents were called Wednesday night to
decide on a date to resume the presidential search, accord
ing tQ committee member William Swanson.
Swanson, NU corporation secretary, said Wednesday
that the search may resume next Tuesday.
Swanson also said he had "no, idea what suggestions"
might be made concerning the second presidential search.
Paul Schorr HI, search committee chairman, predicted
that the "search process will start all over from scratch,"
following the same porcedure as if "there had been no
first search."
He said there would be a more extensive advertising
campaign to alert more people that the post is open.
Search committee member Ronald Roskens, now
interim NU picsident may be replaced on the committee V
by acting University of Nebraska at Omaha Chancellor"
Herbert Garfinkel, according to Schorr.
' Considering the holidays, Schorr predicted therejvould
"MBCTssarch progress fottwo'td three' weeks.""""-T-"r"
Schorr said the first search failed to find a president
because of press leaks. He said the list of candidates was
published two days after it was submitted to the regents.
Prospective candidates "can't afford to let it be known
that they are looking for new jobs. This puts them in a
terribly embarrasing situation," Schorr said.
He predicted that a third search committee would be
necessary if candidate names are leaked again.
Regent chairman James Moylan of Omaha said no new
target date has been set for the search committee's candi
date list.
"We want, the best man and if the best man takes a
little longer to come tut board, then we're willing to
wait," Moylan said.
The 16-membcr search committee had selected six
candidates, none of 'which took the presidential post
DJB. Vamer will vacate Jan. 1 .
Schorr has said the second search may take longer than
the first did this summer. He has said an interim presi
"dent relieves pressure on the committee to act quickly.
ment of the (Unicameral's) delegation," he said.
Roskens laid he also does not expect any "great
difficulty" in working with some on the UNL campus
who question parity in funding between the Lincoln and
Omaha campuses.
"My approach will be to be an advocate for the entire
university," he said. "I'm not fearful of any great hang-
UpS." ' '
He added that ne iu. received a number of expressions
of support, both in person and by mail, from all parts of
the university system, including UNL
He also said he expects to work well with the other
members of the NU Systems office. It was learned that at
one time the regents were split 4-4 between appointing
Roskens or Steven Sample, NU exea't?"? vice president
for academic affairs.
"The people in the systems office are cf high caliber
and competence," Roskens said. "I see no real difficulty
with our relationship at all."
As UNO chancellor, he worked closely with Sample
and William Erskine, NU executive vice president for
administration, he said. ,
Despite the fact that Roskens' name was mentioned in
the press as the likely choice for interim president before
last Saturday's regents meeting, Roskens said he was
surprised when he was picked by the regents.
He discounted the press , reports as being more
"speculation."
Roskens also said he does not know whether he will re
ceive an increase in his $46,000 annual UNO salary.
s He said he expects to serve as interim president for six
to eight months and expects a permanent successor to
Varner to be picked by July 1, 1977, or, at the very latest,
Sept- . , .-' t i r
He said he will not become involved in the search tor a
permanent president. As chancellor, Roskens served on
the 16-member search committee. He said his place on the
search committee will be taken by Herbert Garfinkel, who
was appointed to fill in for Roskens as interim UNO
chancellor by the regents. .
As for his own chances of keeping the job permanent-
- ly, Roskens said "it is not a factor of importance to me
now."
ids make neighborhood Santa a year-round eetebrity
By Mary Jo Pitzl
Framed by the two towering blue spruce trees in front
of his corner brick house on Calumet Court, Santa Claus
waves to the brown-eyed pixie skipping toward him.
"Hi, Santa Claus!" she yells with childish enthusiasm as
she springs into his open arms. Anna squeals as he sweeps
her up in his embrace and pinches her flushed cheeks. A
big hug and Anna's greeting is finished. "Put me down,
Santa. I want to go hang up my coat."
With a chucjde, the white-haired man with the flowing
beard releases his four-year old bundle of energy, and
watches her scurry toward the house. Neighborhood
children like Anna Martins are used to this Santa Claus.
"They don't kxpw me by any other name," Santa said.
In reality, Santa doesn't live in the corner house on
Calumet Court. The house belongs to Earl Amen, com
monly known as Santa Claus because of his striking re
semblance to the legendary Christmas figure.
. San& fejHWserssted
Amen, 67, stands abcut $ ft. 4 in. tall, his belly bulging
a bit under his flannel shirt. Any staunch childhood be
liever in the magical Christmas gift-giver would swear
Amen was indeed Santa Claus. ,
The neighborhood children come to visit "Santa
Chus," especially "when it gets around to this time of
year" Amen said. "But every year they get older."
Requests for gifts are few. A little boy walks across
the street from Amen's house holding up the toy dog he
received from Amen for Christmas.
"He's grown up now. He's going to school," Amen
said. .
Ahv ji has been referred to as Santa Claus by neighbor
hood residents for most of the 1 1 years he and his wife,
Kay, have lived in their two-story stucco house.
"Once in a while you hear a where is Mrs. Santa
CLus7" Amen said. '
Inus eavdepea
His irne first developed nine years ago when he grew
a beard to celebrate the Nebraska centennial. He won first
prise ia the full ttzii competition for Lancaster County,
and tzta wcrs lit prize-winning effort to the 1567 State
Fcf -jtirt, v.!-::; he earned s runner-up sward.
Amen then remained deanhavi until he tetgdfa
i974 from his job with Railway Express, iut imd-chest
fc'h beard has bsen growing for two and one ha.f years,
with crly occasional trims. Although he has cut ha hair
from time to time. Amen said he wfl grow his beard
"until I trip over it." . , ...
AT.m's home rrJ:ht easily pass for the red thg m the
North Fcle. Two stocking are r.ung on ins i-'cc
with the old-fashioned charm radiated by the home. A
pair of worn slippers sit on a wicker stool waiting for
Santa's moments of relaxation.
Although he isn't busy making toys like his North Pole
lock-alike, Amen fills his days with a variety cf hobbies.
He and his wife both admit they never have a problem
keeping busy.
Woodcarving, feeding the w2d squirrels that flock to
his forest-like yard, toying with, his citizens band radio
(his handle is "Cornhuskcr") and making jewelry out of
stones he polishes himself are a few of his pastimes.
Amen collects newspapers and comic sections, saying
he's saving them for his grandchildren. A 304b. Northern
Pike he caught is prominently displayed on the wall.
Amen has a 1930 Model A car in his basement, but added
that he has no sleigh of his own.
Christmas Eve will be spent at home with his family
instead of visiting the roof tops of good little boys and
girls. Amen has two grandchildren, but they are not de
ceived by his resemblance to Santa Claus; ,
"They're used to it now," he said, adding that he's
grown accustomed to the affectionate tugs on his beard.
fJ
C
candy canes
dsck the Christmas tree demoting one
decorations are scattered throughout the hou, mixir-g
Yes, Ansa, t!::re ttCly is a
shown hare eMm Ansa lZxtaa a nsl GmOma tzxJL
v-ta Claus" as! he lives at 23C3 Cslinnet Cocrt ia Uncsla. Lsd Amen ("oris) is
