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tuesday, October 9, 1979
lincoln, nebraska vol. 103 no. 31
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12 poetry students not contacted in investigation
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By Rocky Strunk
All English 253 A students interviewed by the Daily Ne
braskan Monday said they were not contacted by the
English Department in its investigation of an Aug. 29 in
cident concerning the two male students who were in the
class.
Twelve of the 20-mcmber 'Women and Poetry" class,
taught by Linnea Johnson, said they had not been con
tacted and were unaware of an investigation into the
alleged exclusion of two males from the class. The investi
gation was conducted by John Robinson, chairman of the
English Department, who presented a report Thursday to
Max Larsen, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Although the report was confidential, Larsen said then
that no formal vote was taken in the class and that the
male students were not excluded.
When contacted Monday about why the poetry stu
dents hadn't been questioned during Robinson's investi
gation of the Aug. 29 incident, Larsen refused to com
ment because he said he had been misquoted in Friday's
Daily Nebraskan. Robinson was unavailable for comment.
"There was no actual vote but a vote was suggested,"
said Kindra Foster, who has dropped the class. 'The class
was discussing whether to exclude the male students, and
the teacher (Johnson) suggested that maybe a democratic
vote would decide."
Ten other students in the class said no vote was taken.
Another student maintained that there was a vote to ex
clude the men.
"She (Johnson) said the class could decide what they
wanted to do, whether they did it democratically through
a vote or whatever," the student said. She said she did not
want to be identified because she still is in the class.
"There was a vote and I'm positive it was concerning
the men being excluded," she continued.
Several students contacted denied voting on the men.
They said there was a vote taken concerning whether the
class would permit smoking.
"There were two votes and I remember the distinction
because the vote on the men raised several hands, while
the smoking vote received no hands," said the unidenti
fied student. She added that several of the women had
taken previous classes from Johnson and suggested that
was why the discrepancy occurred.
When contacted earlier by the Daily Nebraskan, John
son said that the decision to vote "arose out of the class."
She did not specify whether the class actually carried out
the vote.
Johnson said Monday there was no vote in the class
and that she had been misquoted by the Daily Nebraskan.
She said a prepared retraction would be presented to the
student newspaper Wednesday.
Another student who wished to remain anonymous
said, "I was really mad about it (the Aug. 29 incident)
when I got home, but didn't say anything while in class."
She added that she is graduating in December and doesn't
want any problems.
Continued on Page 1 1
Due to a typographical error in Friday's Daily
Nebraskan, Max Larsen, dean of the College of Arts
and Sciences, was misquoted. The sentence should
have read: "Larsen said no formal vote was called
by the instructor." The word "no" was inadvertent
ly omitted in production.
Police chief: potential fires spark department concern
By Randy Essex
Lincoln Police Chief Dean Leitner said
Monday that his department "will make
every effort to identify those involved in
starting and feeding" any future illegal
bonfnes near the UNL campus.
Leitner said the department's first
objective will be to prevent fires like the
one held last Thursday at ISth and R
streets. Failing that, he said, identification
and arrest of those involved will become
the department's main objective.
We have to deal with what appears to
be an escalating problem," he explained.
Last week, university officials met with
representatives from the Lincoln Fire De
partment and city and UNL police to dis
cuss a plan of action concerning mass dis
turbances. The group revised a policy of
"containment" to a policy allowing the
police to be more assertive in enforcing the
law, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
Richard Armstrong said.
Armstrong said the containment policy,
in effect since March of 1978, called for
police to contain the disturbance to as
small an area as possible and to end it as
quickly as possible.
But, according to Armstrong, that
policy was not working.
ARMSTRONG and David DeCoster,
dean of students, cited bonfires before the
Oklahoma game last year and in the spring
when live turkeys were burned, as well as
the bonfire before the Penh StateNebraska
football game. DeCoster said the most
recent fire produced several dangerous
situations, including throwing of shotgun
shells and beer containers and several stu
dents jumping through the fire.
"When one of these tilings is over and
nobody is hurt, we breathe a Sigh of re
lief," DeCoster said.
Financial liability for any injury occur
ring at a bonfire could fall on the city,
Armstrong suggested, because most of the
illegal bonfires have been on city, rather
than university property,
Police have been criticized and com
mended for the same act," Armstrong said
of the containment policy.
"There is no planned confrontation or
mass arrest," he said of the new policy.
"The extent of confrontation would
depend on the deterioration of the crowd
situation," Leitner said. Circumstances, he
said, will determine police action. He add
ed that the Lincoln police do not issue
night sticks.
LEITNER SAID increased use of plain
clothes officers and the use of police
photographers will aid in identification of
those involved. Charges could be filed for
arson, destruction of property and "a host
of other violations," in connection with
the fires, Leitner said.
University police Capt. Robert
Edmunds said campus police will help city
police with the policy. He said he hopes
the plan to prevent the fires from getting
started will work, eliminating the need for
arrests.
"But somebody is going to get pushed
into one of those fires sometime," he said.
He added that he had heard an unconfirmed-report
that city police were able to pre
vent a fire after Saturday's New Mexico-
Nebraska football game by talking to stu
dents who were gathering materials for the
fire.
All officials contacted said they hope
students find other means to release their
tension, or if bonfires are held that permits
are obtained.
DeCoster and Armstrong said the inci
dents caused concern among citizens of the
state as well as among students. Armstrong
said one regent has expressed concern that
constituents in the regent's district have
had a negative reaction to publicity about
the bonfires.
"We want to clean up our own act
before somebody from outside the univer
sity asks that we do he said, adding that
he knew of no pull-out of support for the
university because of the incidents.
"I'm sure it hasn't helped our image,"
DeCoster noted.
We just wish students simply would
not engage in such activities," Armstrong
said. He said the idea of a bonfire is not
opposed by officials, but rather the illegal
starting of fires and the potential for injury
and destruction of property is the concern.
Vice chancellor Hedges : job sometimes like umpire
By Shelley Smith
This is the third in a tenet of six profiles on top UNL and NU
dministfitors.
Ned Hedges, vice chancellor for academic affairs,
said sometimes he feels like an umpire.
Phot brUarv Anm Golo
Ned Hedges tic chancellor for academic
affairs.
"It's the last half of the ninth , the score is 2-2 .there are
two outs and the count is full. The batter doesn't swing on
the pitch and I have to decide whether it was a ball or a
strike" Hedges said.
"And I don't have, the luxury of all the people in the
stands telling me what to do," he added.
Hedges, who was a former assistant vice chancellor
for academic affairs before coming the acting vice chan
cellor in 1977, said this was especially true during debate
about an independent Journalism college.
"It was a close call. There were advantages and dis
advantages but I was in support of a separation because
I thought it would be in the best interests of the faculty,
students and for the program itself.
Although die separation, which was approved unani
mously by the NU Board of Regents last month, will
mean extra work for Hedges, he said he felt program
considerations should not be sacrificed to administrative
convenience.
EXCLUDING THE DEANS from the Institute of
Agriculture and Natural Resources, all college deans aad
many directors report to Hedges and his two assistants.
He meets with each deaiuweekly .
There are a lot of ways to make things easier, but
I am neither a czar or a king and I donl have the luxury
of getting to make decisions without consultation, he
said.
The decision making process at UNL is neither demo
cratic or autocratic. Hedges said. He said the system UNL
uses is inefficient, but not bad, because it thrives on com
munication between many levels of administration.
And it is the nature of the communication, Hedges
said, that depresses him most about his job.
"I would like to spend more time with these people in
creative enterprises and positive situations than with nega
tive problems and pieces of paper.
Hedges explained that as an administrator, he must
take care of the .demands of students and faculty that are
at UNL now rather than the new programs, and innovative
issues he dealt with as a teacher.
HEDGES SAID, however, a little of his teaching back
ground keeps tugging at him, and calls for him to return
to the classroom.
Hedges received a Bachelor of Aits degree in English
from Nebraska Wesleyan University in 19S6. He received
his master's degree from NU in 1961 and his doctorate
degree also from NU in 1968. He taught English at UNL
for 18 years before becoming acting vice chancellor.
Continued on Page 7
Tires and mufflers: The lincoln City Council discusses
both, and what both should be like .... . . ... Rage 6
Long names: The. first play this year in UN1A studio
theater, Lu Ann Hampton Leverty Obaisnd, is
reviewed . j i . ; V; . . Pi-e 8-
First quarter: An other. important firsts in Nebraska's
Saturday destruction of New Uexico State. . . felO
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