friday, february 1, 1980
lincoln, nebraska vol. 104, no. 15
By Mary Jo Pitzl
A UNL student and a UNL graduate said they plan to
file suit with ASUN early next week to protest Christian
activist Josh McDowell's speech and ask for the revocation
of the charters of the four campus groups who sponsored
him, the Daily Nebraskan has learned.
McDowell spoke to a Union crowd of more than 1,000
Wednesday about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The student, who requested anonymity, said the suit
vwould charge the four campus religious organizations
sponsoring McDowell with violation of the university's
religion policy. The policy forbids the use of university
facilities for any organized event featuring religious wor
ship or testimony. ,
The suit would ask that the charters of the Baptist
Student Union, Campus Crusade for Christ, Inter-varsity
Christian Fellowship and the Navigators-UNL be revoked,
the student said. '
The prospective plaintiffs charge that McDowell violat
ed the religion policy by giving testimony during his
speech.
However, the office of student affairs "has not yet
reached closure" on whether McDowell gave testimony,
according to Vice Chancellor Richard Armstrong. -
He said two questions cloud the issue: whether stesti
mony as defined by the NU Board of Regents' policy was
given Wednesday and if the policy statement itself is de
fensible from a legal standpoint.
"I'm just not in a position to say whether or not what
he gave last night (Wednesday), was testimony," Arm-V
strong said.
"It so happens that all this is going on at the same time
the regents' policy is being reviewed," Armstrong said;
He explained that Council of Student Affairs officers
and the NU legal counsel have been examining the religion
policy "rather intensively" for about two months. The
council is composed of the vice chancellors for student
affairs from. the. three NUcampuses.. :Z ., ,
"We find ourselves not so certain about the interpreta
tion and the enforceability of the policy," Armstrong
said. '
NU Attorney Dick Wood said he has been reviewing
several proposed modifications in the religion policy, but
refused to comment on them. Wood said he had no esti
mate of when the council would reach a decision on
s policy change.
Armstrong said the possibility of conflict arising from
bringing a religion-oriented speaker to campus while the
policy was under scrutiny did not come up when
'McDowell's visit was being planned.
Because of the cloudiness of the policy and the lack of
complaints to ms omce, Armstrong said that McDowell's
speech today in the Union Ballroom would proceed as
scheduled.
McDowell will address fraternity and sorority members
invited by the four religious organizations on "Options of
Leadership," at 12:30 pjn., according to Glen Maloney,
program consultant for Campus Activities and Programs.
. Maloney said the speech grew out of the enthusiastic
response McDowell received from the fraternity and
sorority members when he first visited campus more than
five years ago.
H 1
to
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;::Tift; world of religion ..and different beliefs can be a strange and unusual place. For this BanyNebra'skan00
reporter, seated beside a mural of the Tree of Life, the only escape was to vanish. For more on religion turn
1.11 lK IMl.flM acLiiiin,
Students for Life to file as official organization
By Patti Gallagher
UNL Students for Life, "an organi
zation dedicated to protecting the right to
life for every person" will focus on elimin
ating the "propaganda" created by pro
choice advocates and the notion that pro
lifers are religiously based, according to
president Judy Tiehen.
Students for Life will soon be
recognized as an official UNL organization,
Tiehen said, having applied to Campus
Activities and Programs in mid-November,
and filing a constitution Thursday.
In working for the rights of the Unborn
child, Tiehen said walls of misinformation
abortion groups.
Addressing issues from cries of violating
women's rights, to "using God," to quest
ioning "the exceptions" to their anti
abortion stand, Tiehen said Students for
Life are "trying to get around the propa
ganda" created , by those opposed to their
causes.
In attempting to break down these
walls, Students for Life will serve to
"educate on the university level,", about
pro-life matters, she said.
"We are definitely not against women's
rights," Tiehen said, because pro-life is a
"human-rights issue. A whole other being is
involved here " she said, taking the issue
out of the solely women-rights scope.
Freedom is a key word for feminists
opposed to pro-life, Tiehen said. "They
accuse us of eliminating freedom" for a
woman to choose between pregnancy and
abortion, she said, but "we are trying to
create freedom for the unborn."
Tiehen said the pro-life cause is often
termed religious, and therefore emotional,
but refuted this saying "we are not more
emotional than cerebral, and not trying to
push God on anyone.
'It is very clear to me only pro4ifers are
attacked on using God," Tiehen said,
emphasizing that "we are not religious
fanatics" with a majority of the group s
membership steering clear of religious
arguments because they are generally in
effective.
Arguments that there are exceptions to
abortion cases are not substantial for
Students for Life, she said.
"You can't allow any exceptions in
abortion," she said, because human life is a
basic, constitutional right. "Life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness" can only be
attained when the rest is made possible, she
said. ,
The "exceptions" of rape, incest, un
wanted children, and excess cost to society
are all .secondary to this basic,
constitutional right, Tiehen said.
Plans for the organization include
' attendance at legislative sessions to support
LB891 . The bill, sponsored by Sen. Donald
Dworak of Columbus, would exclude
group insurance abortion coverage paid in
part by public funds for state employees,
Tiehen said.
The group also plans national' level
action, with current opposition aimed at
the "Bouman-bill," Tiehen said. The bill,
which has been passed in the house and is
before the Senate, allows states to decide if
Medicare and Welfare funds are given to
abortion.
Tiehen said a majority of the group
attended the annual Walk for Life, in
downtown Lincoln January 19, at which
she was a featured speaker. Other organi
zational events will be planned once the
group gets on its feet, and the money starts
to flow, she said. .
'The ultimate goal" of Students for
Life, and all pro-life groups, Tiehen said,
"is a human life amendment to the
constitution."
Students for Life currently has between
70 and 90 members, Tiehen said, and will
hold its first organized meeting Tuesday in
the Nebraska Union at 7 p jri.
The group will become official once the
"formalities of the constitution bit" are
cleared, Tiehen said.
The process of becoming an officially
recognized university program begins with
submitting a letter of intent to CAP, said
Glen Maloney, CAP program consultant.
The proposed group must state its purpose
of formation,, include five members, and
have a faculty sponsor, Maloney said.
Roy Louden, UNL administrator s of
personnel and risk management, will
sponsor the Students for Life.
The program or group can then act for "
60 days, and is officially recognized after
the acceptance of their constitution, he
said. The constitution committee of ASUN
then reviews the. proposed constitution,
Maloney said, and upon approval by the
ASUN Senate, the organization is then an
official university program.
Artwork law stumps CPC
By Michelle Carr
A recently passed Nebraska law per
plexed the UNL Central Planning
Committee Thursday.
The statute, enacted as LB662, requires
that all new state buildings use 1 percent of
the construction cost to erect artwork on
the building grounds.
However, members of the planning
committee questioned the wording of the
statute and some of the statute's require
ments. Harley Schrader, director of the UNL
Physical Plant, said the definition of
construction cost is not clear. Schrader said
that some definitions include utilities,
movable machinery, planning and land
acquistion in construction cost, thus raising
the amount required for artwork.
The planning committee was scheduled
to approve policy for acquiring art for
construction projects; which was to be
recommended to UNL Chancellor Roy
Young and the NU Board of Regents.
However, the committee tabled the motion
until legal counsel issues a statement on the
statute's wording.
Schrader also said that 1 percent of the
construction cost should be used to pay for
the erection and the maintenance of the
artwork.
He said artwork, such as the Broyhill
Fountain, is "a real drag as far as main ten
ance is concerned." He said if a major
fountain breaks down, it would cost
$10,000 to repair.
"We can't afford $ 10,000 when we have
academic concerns," he said.
The statute also requires the creation of
a committee to oversee art construction on
the campuses. Schrader said that a
representative of the physical plant should
be included on the committee. Robert
Knoll, UNL English professor said that a
position on the committee for a student
representative also should be ensured.
In other action, the committee
approved a new name for the Former
veterinary Science building on East
Campus. The committee approved the
name, Natural Resources Hall.
Various faculty and employees of the
building said the old name caused
confusion among students and the postal
office.
ogdso( Mny.
No business, no president: Union Board
carries on, despite lack of an
agenda. Page 6
The high cost of loving: The traditional
Valentine's Day presents are more
expensive than ever, but with careful
shopping, you can still find a sugar cookie
for your sugar cookie Page 9
Shootout scheduled Saturday: Kansas
Nebraska track dual is quickly becoming
an annual thriller for track fans . Page 10