friday, march 10, 1978
daily nebraskan
page 7
Presidential candidates discmss issues
Student involvement, regents major ASUN concern
i .
V V hat are the major issues of the 1978
campaign?
Jim Bachman (POOR): It is the NU Board
of Regents and its refusal to acknowledge
the legitimate interests of the student
body. A solution to this is unattainable be
cause the regents defy logic. The student
body should recognize this and channel
their efforts toward more rewarding ac
tivities such as free parties thrown from the
proceeds of the "scalped" ASUN Presi
dent's football tickets.
Another problem is ASUN. Some ASUN
members have insisted on playing political
games with an organization that has little,
if any power, resulting in a polarization of
issues away from the basic function of
ASUN, representing the interests of the
students.
Charles Engh (Independent): The most im
portant issue of the election is not an issue,
but a problem. It is the problem of stu
dent interest and their responsibility to
enforce that interest. A student who does
not vote in a student election does not
have the right to complain or comment on
issues that affect him as a student.
The regents take voter turnout at face
value. To prove that you, as a student,
are interested in your future, you must
support your interest by taking part in the
election. With a high turnout rate, the re
gents will begin to take notice .
Higher student fees and inflation ana
fact of life. The increases, however, can be
kept to a minimum. As for ASUN con
trolling Fund A, it should be our right as
students to allocate that money designed
for student use. ASUN should carry out
this responsibility.
Lyle George (ARF): It is the lack of issues.
The crux of this issue is twofold. First,
there is an epidemic of ignorance and
apathy among students. Second, the
regents, by turning a deaf ear to ASUN,
have prevented ASUN from becoming any
thing more than "A Real Farce." Until
these factors change, there will be no real
campaign issues.
Ken Marienau (SOAR): Direct student par
ticipation in all phases of decision-making
is necessary for active student represent?
tion. Currently, students can only
ence major university policies through in
direct lobbying. The rejection of manda
tory fee funding for speakers' programs,
despite strong student support, is just one
of many examples where input has been
rejected. ASUN carmot even amend its con
stitution without regent approval.
Student services such as the ASUN
Book Exchange, Student Legal Services,
and Free University are viable programs
that should be expanded. ASUN can re
spond to NU's weaknesses with its own
programs.
are your solutions to the prob
lems with student fees?
Bachman: If ASUN is viewed as the
student government at UNL, then it is
ASUN's duty to control student fees. This
control should extend to Fund A and B,
but this is doubtful because the regents
must approve. However, if the regents re
fuse to publish detailed financial state
ments concerning fees allocations a lawsuit
should seriously be considered.
Student organizations should not re
ceive funds. The fees should be used in the
best way possible for "non-political"
speakers, funding of supervisors to enable
the Bob Devaney Sports Palace to be uti- ,
lized by students and expanded programs
offered by the Union Program Council .
The 1978 ASUN election is
being covered by Daily Nebras
kan reporters Brenda Mosko
vits, Todd Hegert and Margaret
Stafford.
The special election issue
published March 9 was pro
duced by these three reporters.
Scents
This is the second year the UNL Innocents Society and
the Daily Nebraskan have joined together in questioning
ASUN presidential candidates. The Innocents are a 13
member senior honor society.
The questions were developed by the Innocents
The questions were developed by the Innocents
Society and Daily Nebraskan reporter Brenda Moskovits,
who covers the ASUN Senate. No candidate participated
in the selection of the questions.
The Daily Nebraskan reserves the right to edit answers
for clarity, to conform to style and space limitations.
Engh: The way to deal with the regents is
to first prove to them the student body is
able to back their claim of more right of
power with impressive voter-turnout statis
tics. As it is now, why should the regents
take us seriqusly when we don't even take
our own government seriously?
George: In my book, student fees are in
better shape this year than any other year
that I have been here. The regents elimi
nated some areas of student fee abuse, but
they may have thrown the "baby out with
the water" when they cut speaker funds.
George: I would deal with the Board of
Regents in a civil and lighthearted manner.
I would try to help them see themselves
the way the students see them.
Marienau: The regents make decisions that
affect our educations and lifestyles. There
fore, as student regent, I would actively
participate in policy formation responsi
bly and firmly. If student regents are em
powered with voting rights, as SOAR pro
poses, students would have a powerful
voice in UNL's policies and programs.
point, and to invite students to express
their opinions, solutions, and interests.
George: ASUN has to establish credibility
in the minds of the students on campus.
Marienau: ASUN should be concerned with
anything that affects students. Issues
should be researched and investigated be
fore initiating action. Groups, that special
ize in some aspect of programming,
researching, or lobbying are important or
ganizations. They should remain autono
mous, yet it is important that ASUN work
with them closely.
w.
hat are your priorities if elected?
Bachman: ASUN should be realistic.
Alcohol on campus and voting student re
gents are distant dreams. The time spent
on these endeavors should instead be used
to achieve realistic goals like a new parking
policy and open athletic facilities.
Engh : My. first priority would be establish
ing increased funding for the student news-
! TT751 I 1 F n 5
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ASUN Presidential candidates from left Jim Bachman, Ken Marienau, Lyle George
to them at the Student Alumni Board Candidate Fireside.
Ideally, it would be best if speakers could
be funded by the people who attend. If
that would not work I would have to
grudgingly endorse, mandatory fees.
I believe ASUN should have a very
strong voice in how Fund A is allocated.
Students currently have no recourse against
FAB if they disagree with FAB.
Marienau: Fees can be reduced by a com
plete review of Fund B programs. The re
view wduld incorporate value judgments of
services in addition to a quantitative
analysis.
These are decisions that should be made
by a board of elected student representa
tives. ASUN's proposal for a Fees Alloca
tion Committee is a progressive step, but
could be improved to ensure equity and
continuity.
hat interests or causes should ASUN
support?
Bachman: The first priority is finding a
wealthy alum that wants to buy 10 Nebras
ka football tickets on the 50-yard line.
Other priorities are; opening up the Bob
Devaney Sports Palace to all students and
a new parking policy.
Engh: The rights of the students always
should be first priority of ASUN. By this,
I mean the right to be heard, the right of
cooperative decision-making, and the right
of representation. To carry out these
ideals, it is in the best interest of ASUN to
keep its proceedings simple and to the
Photo by Mark Billtngsley
and Charles Engh answer questions posed
paper, aworking in cooperation with
ASUN. This could mean fewer funds for
other organizations, but would mean in
creased exposure for all organizations
which is as important as the funding.
George : My priorities are to impress upon
the student body the importance of taking
an active interest in the campus and to help
the regents remove their absentee landlord
status in the students' minds-eye.
Marienau: The No. 1 priority of
SOAR is to initiate action to give student
regents a vote. Other concerns are tuition
rate increases, parking fee increases,
student fee Fund B programs, student fee
allocation procedures and student services.
Thirty attend fireside chat
H
ow would you deal with the NU
Board of Regents9
Bachman : How can you deal with a group
that is out of touch with reality and de
fies logical solutions0
Engh: It is said that a body that knows of
all of its parts, can work better as a whole.
I do not pretend to have all of the answers.
I am only one part But with increased stu
dent self-exposure. I feel confident that
this new whole will be able to come up
with some pretty amainp answers
Although the fireplace was empty,
ASUN presidential candidates gathered
near the hearth Thursday for the Alumni
Association's annual debate.
About thirty students listened to pre
pared comments and questioned the four
candidates: Jim Bachman (Poor One On
down the Hatch For the Regents), Charles
Engh (Independent), Lyle George (A Real
Farce) and Ken Marienau (Students Organ
ized for Active Representation).
Discussion centered on student apathy,
voting student regents, mandatory fee
funding for speakers, student athletic facil
ities and ASUN services.
Bachman stressed dealing with "realis
tic goals" because "the amazing Board of
Regents" disregards student opinion.
Engh centered his comments on in
creasing funding to the Daily Nebraskan to
allow the paper to serve as a "focal point"
of student opinion .
George encouraged students to support
"pseudo issues", such as the Panama Canal
issue, because UNL students do not con
cern themselves with any real issues.
Marienau said that student government
suffer from a "significant 'lack of power"
that cannot be remedied until measures
such as instituting a voting student regent
are taken.