Marijuana bill
wins approval
in first round
daily n
monday, april 10, 1978 lincoln, nebraska vol. 101 no. 96
A compromise bill which would decrim
inalize possession of an ounce or less of
marijuana on the first offense received
first-round approval in the Nebraska Legis
lature Friday.
. The amendment to LB808 also. would
stiffen penalties for subsequent convic
tions. The bill is a compromise between Sens.
John DeCamp of Neligh and Patrick Ven
ditte of Omaha. DeCamp wanted the de
criminalization provision and Venditte
wanted stiffer penalties for possession.
The bill provides for a maximum penal
ty of $100 on a first offense of possession
of an ounce or less of marijuana and the of
fender would be issued a citation, similar
to those issued for minor traffic violations.
First-time offenders would also be required
to attend a seven -day drug abuse program.
A second offense would carry a $200
fine and a possible five days in jail.
Subsequent offenders would pay a $300
fine and face a mandatory jail sentence of
up to seven days.
The bill was advanced on a 264 vote.
A bull rider at the 11th Annual Uni
versity of Nebraska Intercollegiate
Rodeo, held last Friday through Sun
day, appears to be having second
thoughts about his participation. See
page 6 for more photographs and
related story.
Photo by Bob Pearson
rr
People call the shots in pinball pastor's hectic life, job
By Joe Starita
It's 5:30 p.m. and the Satin Doll pinball
machine in the Nebraska Union basement
is lit up like an electrical storm trapped in a
wind tunnel.
Funneling a steel ball up the rack, a
bearded man in black boots, black jeans
and black shirt gets set to strike another
lode of neon paydirt.
" Watch him now. He's talking to the
machine, body-languaging the ball into
position.
"Come on now. Come on!" Thunk. A
ball careens across a bank of lights. Points
gang-blast off the board ticking like a cash
register gone berserk.
"That's it. That's a baby. Keep it .oiling
now." Tat-tat-tat-tat-tat. The steel ball is
caught in a savage cross-fire beween bum
pers. Lights pop. Points pump out in ticker-tape
fashion.
"Come on. Come on. Don't quit now!"
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A deft flick of a flipper pulls a Lazarus ball
out of the hole and another spray of light
pinwheels across the glass.
"I am a self -admitted pinball addict,"
confesses Bruce Berggren, 42, later in his
office at 535 N. 16th St.
If admitting to a pinball jones doesn't
make Berggren particularly unique, the of
fice he retired to after a Satin Doll session
does.
It's located at the Lutheran Student
Center and the sign on the door reads "pas
tor," a position Berggren, a native Lincoln
ite who is married and the father of four
children, has held since August 1975.
Lest there be any confusion that St.
Peter secretly said, "And upon this pinball
machine I will build my ahurch," Berggren
is quick to make a point.
"I really do enjoy playing, but I only
play when I have the time," he said. "I
play out of fun and relaxation like others
do with golf or racquetball."
Berggren said he plays the Satin Doll
game 95 percent of the time and limits
himself to one dollar per Union trip.
On one trip he took Satin Doll for 42
games on a single quarter, he said.
"But it can be an expensive habit.
That's why I take only a dollar. When I can
get into it, pinball can be very relaxing. As
a workaholic, it's a great way to release
tension."
Berggren's office looks like a place
where Excedrin headache No. 9 might
might frequently regularly.
Continued on Page 2
Hearing investigates charges
made by two campus groups
Photo by Bob Pearson
Rev. Bruce Berggren of the jitheran Student Center is a self-admitted pinball addict.
Nader is scheduled speaker
Consumer advocate Ralph Nader will
speak Thursday, April 27, at 7:30 p.m. in
the Nebraska Union Centennial Room, the
UPC Talks and Topics Committee
announced Friday.
Bonnie Lutz, co-chairperson for the
event, said Nader will conclude this
semester's speakers' series. His topic will be
"University Students as Consumers."
Lutz said Nader is scheduled to arrive
late Thursday afternoon when he will
address a group of about 60 consumer
affairs students.
She said Nader will deliver the main
address following a scheduled 7 p.m. press
conference. A three-member panel of com
munity professionals will question Nader
on his address before the event is thrown
open to a general question-and-answer
session, Lutz added.
Nader will receive $3,500 for his appear
ance, she said, which includes transporta
tion, costs and lodging.
"Because of the topic and personality
involved, we are expecting the largest
crowd of the year," Lutz said.
Admission is free to students and $1 to
the public, she said.
ASUN has a preliminary hearing Friday
to examine the constitutions of the UNL
Chapter of Young Americans for Freedom
and Nebraska University Public Interest
Research Group to determine whether
charges of constitution violation made
against them warranted investigation.
"It's hard to use the word 'charges'
both sides have made accusations, (against
the other) but nothing formal has been
done," said Dan Lamprecht, a junior agri
culture major from Bloomfield and a
member of the Special Topics committee,
which is conducting the investigation.
Both YAF and NUPIRG explained their
organizational structure, distribution of
their finances, purpose and understanding
of the controversy in separate sessions. The
committee then went into closed session to
discuss the issue.
ASUN president Ken Marienau, when
questioned after the meeting, said the com
mittee closed the hearing because Don
Macke, NUPIRG student director, had
several allegations to make against YAF.
Marienau would not elaborate on the
charges.
"All we've got now is lots and lots of
questions," said Lamprecht after the meet
ing. "It'll take a few more sessions to figure
out what we should do."
YAF, whose basic purpose is "the
furtherance of conservatism," is part of a
national organization and all of its dues
and funding are handled through national
headquarters, according to UNL chapter
president Jeff Chizek.
Chizek said NUPIRG is a politically
slanted organization and shop'ltj not receive
free office space in tb.t Nebraska Union
since "it doesn't present all the students
on campus.
NUPIRG serves as an educational lab for
people to learn research, governmental and
educational skills as well as provide a
mechanism for social change, according to
Macke. Although it does lobby in the
Legislature, each issue is decided on its
own merits, not in support of any political
group, Macke said.
NUPIRG is independent of any national
organization and has its finances centered
in the student activities bank. Macke said
NUPIRG was the victim of a statewide
slander attack by YAF during a letter
writing campaign.
The special topics committee will meet
again today at 12:30 to discuss the investigation.
insioej
mond&iJj
Housing office plan in cold storage:
Residence Hall Association votes
to continue control of refrigera
tor leasing page 5
Qose encounters of the literary kind:
Scientist-author J. Allen Hynek's
new book iooks beyond Holly
wood's renditions of UFO's
page 8
Nuclear non-proliferation not the an
swer: ABC science editor talks to
E-Fair Convocation about tech
nology page 3