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daily nebraskan
monday, january 15, 1978
Iranian students runningshort on finances from home
By Alice Hrnicek
For a number of Iranian students, the semester ahead
may pose a financial threat in addition to worries about
their families' safety. Due to the turmoil in Iran, the stu
dents are not receiving needed financial aid from their
parents.
In response to their crisis, members of the UNL
administration met with International Educational
Services representatives Thursday and worked out a solu
tion which may alleviate the problem.
Upon recommendation of the IES, the administration
has agreed to defer payments on tuition in special cases,
according to Dean of Students Dave DeCoster.
Depending on individual circumstances, a schedule
for payments throughout the semester is set up with a
promissory note to bind the agreement.
DeCoster said that the policy has been necessary in
"very few cases." He added that the amount of time given
the students to pay the fees depends on their resources.
An anonymous member of the Iranian Student Associ
ation believes that the problem applies to a large number
of the Iranians.
"There is no money from abroad because the whole
Iranian economy depends on oil. There is no money in
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Photo by Mark Billingsley
Daily Nebraskan Ombudsman Jim Kay
the banks because many rich people took it and left the
country."
His farther, for example, was unable to cash any checks
and couldn't send him any money.
Terrible situation
Before the administration's decision, the student said
that the financial situation for the Iranian students was
terrible.
"Registration is almost over and many of them can't
register."
Because striking oil workers are resuming work, the
economy is undergoing a partial recovery. It is only a mat
ter of a few months, he said, before money can be sent
abroad.
In the meantime, he believes the Iranians in the U.S.
need the awareness and support of Americans.
An anonymous graduate student from Iran said that his
father has been unable to collect his salary from the
government for the last two months. The graduate has
received no money from home for the last seven months
and therefore is unable to pay his tuition.
He is willing to pay, "but I need more time," he said.
Forced home
Although some of the students remain unaffected, the
majority do not have enough money to pay. Those who
Jim Kay appointed
to ombudsman post
Jim Kay, a 21 -year-old Lincoln senior journalism ma
jor, has been named Daily Nebraskan ombudsman for the
spring semester.
Kay, who is beginning his seventh semester at the
paper, has served as a reporter, columnist and editor and is
the first person to hold the position of ombudsman.
"I see my job as being two fold," Kay said. "First,
handling complaints from readers and sources on matters
of accuracy, balance, fairness on professional standards,
and second, serving as internal critic for the paper."
Ombudsmen now work at 27 newspapers across the
country, according to Charles Seib, ombudsman for the
Washington Post.
Seib said most ombudsmen use internal memoranda to
communicate with the editors of the paper and respond to
reader's complaints by letter or phone call. Usually om
budsmen also write columns about the paper and the press
in general for their papers Seib said. Kay will be writing a
column for the Daily Nebraskan.
Readers wishing to contact Kay with questions and
complaints can reach him in his office at the Daily
Nebraskan from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Monday,
10:30 a.m. to 4 p. m. on Wednesday and Friday and by ap
pointment on Tuesday and Thursday. His office phone
number is 472-1756. Messages for him can be left by
calling the Daily Nebraskan at 472-2588.
FOURTH-NITE is a non-sectarian
fellowship and discussion program
open to students, faculty and staff
from UNL.
It meets on Wednesday evenings at
7:00 p.m. (starting Jan. 17, 79) at
Commonplace, 333 N. 14th.
Each week a topic will be announced
as a beginning point for discussion, but
the focus will be on the immediate
concerns and questions of those pre
sent. It is intended that each session will be
open to new persons, with additional
individuals and groups being invited
along with those who have developed
a continuing relationship in the group.
TOPICS FOR JANUARY:
Jan. 17 - Long Lines, Red-tape,
Bureaucrats & Creativity
Jan. 24 Careers and Personal
identity
Jan. 31 I'm Responsible; But To
Whom, and For What?
Further topics will be developed from
the interests of the group and an
nounced later.
I
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34.wjpRDAY I
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are forced to stop taking courses must return home, ac
cording to immigration regulations.
The students can also find employment and work their
way through college. The problem with this, according to
another anonymous ISA member, is that foreign students
can legally work only on campus and therefore must settle
for low -pay ing jobs".
"I haven't received money from home in three months
and I've paid half of my savings to the university," he
said. "There is not enough to pay both rent and tuition."
Students see no future
for Bakhtian government
Because the new Iranian civilian government headed by
Shahpour Bakhtiar has little support among the people
and no military, it will not succeed, said an anonymous
member of UNL's chapter of the Iranian Student
Association.
"This is not what the people are struggling for," he
said. "There will be a military coup with an absolute
dictatorship or the people will gain power."
A graduate student from Iran said he also believes the
people will not support the new government because it is
"not a servant of the people." He said he believes that its
association with the shah will cause it to collapse.
The graduate said he cannot understand how Bakhtiar
can use the term "civilian government."
"There are just two kinds of government-a govern
ment for the people and one that is not. This govern
ment will for sure be down because it is not of the
people," he said.
Although both Iranians are convinced that the shah
will leave the country, neither one accepts the policies
being set up.
"Any government that doesn't belong to the people
will for sure be down," said the graduate. "The shah has
one of those."
"I think he will leave because he has no powers now,"
said the ISA member. "He can't have any with 30 million
against him."
The ISA member pointed out that Karim Sanjabi,
leader of the opposition Nationalist Front, who would be
willing to head a new government is "not an important
figure. He wants a seat in the parliament, not to over
throw the government."
He added that the Nationalist Front has gained little
support among workers and others because of a number
of competing revolutionary groups. "Unless they all unite,
they will remain scattered."
Sanjabi would be "more useful for the people than
Bakhtiar," according to the graduate student. However, he
is not certain that the leader is anti-imperialist or anti
shah. But he believes Sanjabi would be a religious leader be
cause he has agreed to meet with exile Moslem leader,
Ayatullah Khomaini in Paris to plan a new parliament for
the Iranians.
7:00-9:00 P.M.
Beginning Jan. 17, 1979
Fourth
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COMMONPLACE AND FOURTH
NITE is part of tht work of United
Ministries in Higher Education at UNL
COMMONPLACE UMHE
333 North 14th
We've missed you! How about
celebrating the new semester with
a Valentino's pizza? Drop in and
eniov our comfortable dinina
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NORTH criT 467-36H
SOUTH
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77th I H,i, J
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483-28flj
423-3H3 1
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