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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 30, 1978)
dailu nebraskan Wednesday, august 30, 1978 lincoln, nebraska vol. 102 no. 3 Shuttle buses not practical for university's employees By Kris Hansen A new shuttle bus between Lincoln and Omaha for state employees may not be feasible for UNL employees, according to Vice President of Administration William Erskine. The shuttle bus, which still is in the developing stage, is part of the State Energy Commission's conservation pro gram and is intended to cut down on the number of individual trips between the two cities. "The basic reason behind the shuttle is to conserve energy," said Steve Beiriger, deputy director of the State Energy Com mission. "Now, people are making about SO round trips a day in state cars. This is not counting the university, since they (UNL employees) drive their own cars." Beiriger noted the study indicated a savings of 17,500 gallons of gas per year. Beiriger estimated that 27 people will ride the vans each day, with the biggest loads iff the morning and evening; How ever, even though the trip in the middle of the day may carry as few as six people, stu dents and commuters cannot ride the buses. University help needed "Our biggest concern is to get the university's help," Beiriger stressed. "People all take their own cars and are reimbursed at 12 cents per mile, and that makes a big difference." However, Erskine commented, "The shuttle does not meet the university's needs, because too much staff time is involved in travel, and the hours are not the best." Erskine noted that UNL already has a shuttle system which is cheaper, incorpor ates intercampus mail services, and is open to students with classes on both campuses. He noted that the UNL shuttle stops at most of the same spots as the proposed state shuttle, and "currently satisfies the university's needs." Time presents problem "The biggest problem, aside from the time schedule, is that the projected savings is marginal and assumes that people would change from using their own vehicle and time schedule to a restricted vehicle and time schedule. This is hard to do, and one wonders if it would be worth the while," Erskine said. However, Erskine emphasized that the administration is looking at the program and cooperating with the state, and will reserve a final opinion until after the results of the pilot project are analyzed. Currently, the state plan includes pro visions for carpool and taxi services at each of the drop points for those who need to travel inside the city. "In time, our goal is to set up a centra lized taxi service so everyone doesn't have to split up and find their own transporta tion once they reach their destination," Beiriger commented. Two round trips will be made each day, at a cost of $6.00 per round trip. The buses will stop at Regent's Hall, City campus, Department of Roads and the city office in Lincoln, and at the Department of Roads, UNO, and the Medical Center and an area designated the Downtown Loop in Omaha, Beiriger said. Business foremost "This is not a shuttle to get people to work, but a means of executing state business." The shuttle will only service state em ployees on duty, and senators en route to committee meetings. "The state has to set the example for energy conservation" Beiriger added. "It's hard to ask manufacturers and companies to organize carpools with state employees driving back and forth." Police: bicyclists should curb urge to ride on sidewalks By Dorcen Charles Students who regularly ride their bicycles on down town sidewalks may be in for an unpleasant surprise. The Lincoln Police Department has been enforcing old bicycle regulations which police say have been ignored for the past few years. Increased accidents caused by careless bicyclists have prompted police to begin more serious enforcement of bicycle laws which have been 'on record for years, according to Capt. John Miller of LPD. According to Miller, one of the biggest problems has been the violation of the ordinance against riding on side walks. The law prohibits riding on sidewalks between the south side of N Street to the north side of P street and from the west side of 10th street to the east side of 16th street. Bicycles also are prohibited on sidewalks on Havelock Ave. from the west side of 61st St. to the east side of 63rd St.; 48th St. froni the south side of Bladwin Ave. to the north side of Madison Ave., and the west side of 48th St. from Prescott St. to Cooper St.; Prescott St. from 47th to 48th St.; and the west side of 66th St. from Holdredge to Fairfax. "Bicycles may be ridden on the sidewalks of any areas outside of this," Miller explained. "But students riding on sidewalks on campus interfere with students walking to and from classes. Students riding in the downtown area are hazardous to store customers." There have been many accidents caused by sidewalk bicyclists, according to police. Anyone caught violating this regulation will be ticketed in the same manner as any other traffic violation, Miller said. Court costs are $8 and fines can range from $1 to $10. Another violation police are on the lookout for is the absence of proper bicycle equipment. According to the law, bicycles are required to have brakes, lights, and reflectors. Bicyclists must be visible at night when riding through traffic. Group riding is an' additional hazard, he added. When riding in a group bicyclists should ride in single file, except on bike paths, according to the ordinance. Illegal parking is also prohibited, and although police will not leave a ticket hanging on handle bars, cyclists will be handed a ticket in person for any parking violations, such as parking a bicycle in such a way that interferes with vehicular or pedestrian traffic. Failure to yield the right of way, riding double (two on a bike), and malicious destruction of bicycles are other violations which police say they will be watching for. Registration of the bicycle is also required by law. If a bike is stolen there is a better chance it will be recovered if it is registered. Bicycle licences are sold at the 18th and Q streets fire station for 50 cents. "We've given out many tickets this summer, and I guess weTJ have to give out a whole lot more before people finally get it into their heads that this is serious," Miller said. inside Wednesday Buzz Book Blues: With membership dwindling in the UNL Builders, the Buzz Book may be in trouble page 1 6 Flying High: New show in for a crash land ing page 12 Huskers vs. Crimson Tide: UNL defensive co ordinator discusses Saturday's game strate gy page 14 A A s- 'VVi" - IU. I lj I A h. an .... i Linda Wegner legally rides her bike by the student union on city campus. Photo by Jerry McBrid Language barrier frustrates students By Mary Fastenau Wilkommen, bienvenue , welcome . It may be German; it may be French; it may be biolo gy; it may be accounting or it may be misunderstanding. Some UNL students say they are not sure what language their instructors and teaching assistants are speaking, but they say they do think there is a problem. Jennifer Richter, 20, an economics major, said that a misunderstanding in language put her back in lab two or three weeks. She said that when she could not understand the .instructor it created problems because there were strict deadlines and she fell behind. Ricther said she complained to the teaching assistant, and he helped her cat h up and "bent the deadlines." Sue White, 22, senior home economics major, said that frustration was the main characteristic of her laboratory with a foreign teaching assistant. She admitted the instructor knew the material but the language barrier frustrated the class which frustrated the instructor. Getting accustomed She admitted that problems lessened toward the end of the semester as the class became accustomed to the accent. A junior animal bcicnCc iiiajuf compared comprehen sion of her foreign student teaching assistant's accent to a smaD child's accent. Louise Beyea, 20, said that after listening a while you begin to understand. Beyea commented that the class was difficult and the language problem increased the difficulty. Joe Beckman, 21, a senior chemistry major, said he has had an "initial getting used to period" but foreign instructors have not slowed the learning process for him. He said you must become accustomed to the accent, which is more difficult in once a week lab than in a class which is held three times a week. Beckman said he has heard people complain, but he has not personally encountered the problem. Complaints filed Dr. George Nagy, chairman of the computer science department, said students' complaints typically come in after they have failed the course where a foreign student was the instructor. However, he said, if a complaint is filed, his department would investigate the teacher and the stu dent. If the problem was severe, Nagy said the instructor would be replaced, though he said that has never been done. Preference is given to 'native speakers" he admitted. Nagy also said that graduate students may only teach after they have been here at least a year. Russel Meints, chairman of the School of Life Sciences, agrees that students find it easy to complain about for eign instructors when they are not doing well. I iOwCVT, he Said thai when sOiTicOfic COmplains, they determine if the complaint is legitimate because they must protect the rights of the student and the faculty. In one situation, Meints said the problem was seen as continued on page it
