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Photo by Mike Dahiheim
UNL Electrical Engineering professor Allen Edison
By Mary Jo Howe
If you take electrical, engineering at
UNL you miftht expect to study under the
best professors in the field.
But, discovering your professor is Edi
. son would surpass any expectation.
Well, it's not Thomas A. Edison, father
of electricity, pouring over solar energy
equations in Room 140, Nebraska Hall.
It is Allen -Ray Edison and, true to his
name, he is a professor electrical
engineering.
"Just coincidence " Edison insists. Even
so, his famous name and accom
panying occupation have caused more than
one student of electricity to do a
doubletake. :
Related?
"Everybody wants to know if I'm re
lated to him," he said.
The answer? A definite "I don't know."
The famous "dentist and his Nebraska
counterpart have no physical similarities.
Professor Edison is a tall, slender, dark
haired man, unlike the scientist. But he
does have a similar itch toN build things
that use electricity.
Two years ago, he converted a
Volkswagon into an "electric car. Even
though it's greatest v speed 5 was only 35
miles per hour, the cost of electricity was
a mere 1 cent per mile, Edison said.
, , The car ran on eight large storage bat
teries. But had poor acceleration so he is
rebuilding it for better performance;
Edison also is a licensed amateur radio
operator, building some of his own equip
ment.. Does his name come in handy with his
profession?
Name draws attention
"Sure, the name draws a little atten
tion," Edison said. "Everybody has to
make a comment. But it really doesn't have
any effect on my work."
Edison became interested in electronics
during his service in WWII. He received his
B A. and M.A. degrees ; at UNL and his
Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico.
Since 1953, he has been a UNL instruc
tor. He teaches traveling waves, electronic
instrumentation, microwaves and an exten
sion course for FCC Radio-TV second-class
licenses.
Edison also is a consultant on electri-'
cal problems for engineering firms and is
involved in the solar energy plant at the
Mead Experimental Station.
The solar plant probably will be his
major project for the next three to five
years, Edison said. The plant, an experi
ment in pumping irrigation water with
solar energy, began operation in July.
Edison was the Agricultural Engineering
Dept. representative in the project, which
was co-built with the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology.
igger voice for
fee users urged
Student organizations funded by student fees should
have a bigger voice in determining how the money is
spent, according to Don Macke, director of the Nebraska
University Public Interest Research Group (NUPIRG).
NUPIRG and the Student Y have called a meeting for
, all effected organizations at 4 p.m. Monday in the Nebras
. ka Union.
The purpose of the meeting is to get fee users involved
. t into the fee allocating process and to make some policy
recommendations to ensure a more stable funding base,
he said.
A representative from ASUN will explain the ASUN
proposal to gain control of fee money allocation, Macke
said. " ' '
NUPIRG already has formed a conditional opinion
which supports ASUN President Greg Johnson's proposal,
Macke said. ASUN has trie legal right to establish policy ;
guidelines he explained, while the Fees Allocation Board
(FAB) does not.
' 7, About 80 organizations were affected by student fee
cuts or denials last school year, Macke said.
NUPIRG was one such group to lose its funding and is
now operating only on a grant from the Lincoln Action
Program and the4 final two months, salary of a paid
NUPIRG staff member, Macke said, -
NUPIRG sponsored the Consumer Information Center
and Hotline, but this year FAB insisted NUPIRG give ad
ditional reasons why the Center should be funded again.
"Our appeal wasn't good enough for them," Macke
said. "But what really happened, was that the board over
allocated to other groups.
NUPIRG will make a policy recommendation that
after the Initial funding of a group or program, the group
or program will be subject only to a "sunset review." This
means, a group would be denied further funding only if
it is not operating on its original guidelines, Macke said.
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friday, September 9, 1977 vol, 101 no, 6 lincoln, nebraska
Announcer has to cheer silently
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- By Mary Jo Pi tzl ,
; Twenty two years as a Big Red football spectator has
made Phil Sprague an advocate of the silent cheer.
Not to say Sprague does not get excited watching the
UNL Cornhuskers. He says he has as much Big Red fever
as the next fan. But watching the weekly games with a
public address system in front of you, you have to watch
what you say.
For the past 22 years, Sprague has viewed Big Red
gridiron action from his public address (PA) booth nestled
on the second level of Memorial Stadium.
"You talk about it (the game) when the mike is off,
but you're not vocal in cheering," Sprague said.
During the past five years, Sprague's has been the .in
; visible voice calling the action and identifying the players
- for the weekly, crowds of Big Red fans. Prior to that, he
spent 17 years as a spotter, dividing his attention be
tween player rosters and a pair of field glasses.
The five-man staff in the PA booth broadcasts the
essential play information.
"I'm not a play-by-play announcer," he said, explain
ing his job consists of "telling the people basically who is
carrying the ball or whd passed it, who caught it or made
the tackle, the yard line, the down and how many yards
to go."
Continued on p. 15
Foundation won't overlook Stuart gift
The University of Nebraska Foundation definitely is
not looking the James Stuart family's gift horse in the
mouth. However, a committee study determined it was
inadequate for use as a major performing arts center,
according to Harry Haynfe, Foundation president.
Five floors of the Stuart Building, 13th and P Streets,
and the Stuart Theatre were donated by the family In
hopes it would be used as a center for city and university
purposes, Naynie said. The conflicting report by the
. committee detracts nothing from the Stuart's "very fine
and meaningful gift," he said.
Stadium protest
ASUN senators are working against a 12:30 p.m.
deadline today trying to collect student signatures
on a petition protesting Memorial Stadium expansion.
ASUN senators will have a booth in the Nebraska
Union north lobby Friday morning, according to
Senator Mary Fejfar. Petitions will be circulated in the
Greek houses until noon, she said.
The petitions will be presented at the NU Board of
Regents 1:30 p.m. meeting by ASUN President Greg
Johnson, Fejfart said.
, ASUN opposes the expansion for several reasons.
Aesthetic detriment of the UNL campus, a surcharge
added to tickets to finance the addition and the
estimated $500 per seat cost of expansion are among
ASUN's complaints, Fejfar said.
Daily Nebraikan Photo
ASUN President and Student Regent Greg Johnson,
The study cited the theatre's limited seating, necessary
accoustical improvements and size of the stage as deter
mining factors of the final conclusion, he said.
Based on the results of the study and a recommenda
tion by UNL Chancellor. Roy Young Tuesday, the city
council plans to go ahead with a special vote on the $7
million bond issue for a new downtown civic center.
James Stuart, Jr., executive vice president of the
National Bank of Commerce, said he knows it would take
'money to develop the theatre into what all parties in
volved think is necessary. However, the price tag would be
much less than that of a new civic center, he said,
Although he has not seen the report on the theatre,
he said, "From what I have read in the newspapers, I
would be surprised if I could read the report and agree
with it."
The donated space probably will be run commercially
by tlie foundation with the profits "supporting academic
programs, Haynie said. One such program requested by
the Stuarts is an institution for the study of American
business systems.
Stuart said, "As far as I'm concerned, it (the theatre)
belongs to the University of Nebraska Foundation now.
It's their opportunity."
inside tf flclau
Beat the Meters: UNL campus police install parking
meters on 15th St. in front of Selleck Quad
rangle p, 8
Do Re Mi: UNL student makes big bucks on Name
That Tune TV show p. n
Mountain pop trickles in Nebraska: Although Coors
Brewing Co. workers on strike the beer continues
to sell in Nebraska , p. 9