A
friday, february 291980
Hncoln, nebraska vol. 104, no. 35
19IS1
APU planning to contact Mack football recruits
By Michelle Carr
, In protest of the NU Foundation's
acceptance of 1 300 Krugerrand coins, the
African People's Union will send letters to
recruited black football players to inform
them of what APU calls the "injustices and
racist practices of the Nebraska football
program."
James and Jessie Coe of Phoenix last
month donated almost $1 million of South
African Krugerrands to the UNL College of
Engineering and Technology for the pur
pose of buying equipment and financing
instruction. APU called the coins a symbol
of apartheid government and asked for thei
their return, but the foundation decided to
keep the coins.
The APU called a press conference
Thursday to outline further actions.
According to APU President Doreen
Charles, the organization "knows for a
fact" that black athletes at the university
are exploited.
In some instances, athletes' records are
falsified to make them eligible to partici
pate in sports, Charles said. Athletes also
are encouraged to take easy courses,
Charles said.
Black athletes are misled because they
are required to devote all their time to
athletics rather than academics, she said.
According to Shomari Asheber, APU
campus coordinator, black athletes receive
a "joke of an education." He said most
athletes graduate without basic reading and
writing skills.
In addition to a demand for the return
of the Krugerrands, APU demanded that
profit generated by black football players
be contributed to black community devel
opment projects and that the university cut
its ties with corporations involved in South
Africa.
If the funds generated by the football
program were used properly, the university
would not have financial difficulties and
would not have to accept the $1 million
donation, let alone a $1 million donation
of South African krugerrands, Charles
said.
Sending letters to recruits is an effort to
dissuade black athletes from coming to
UNL, APU member Hodari Sababu said.
"We don't want to see black athletes
come here under these conditions," he said.
Despite the fact that all football recruits
have signed letters of intent to attend
UNL, Charles said the letter will alert the
recruits to racial exploitation at the uni
versity. The group said it plans to send sim
ilar letters to potential recruits every year.
Tom Osborne, UNL head football
coach, said APU members have the right to
send out the letters. He said he did not
know what effect the letter will have on re
cruits. "I really don't know, but we will find
out," he said.
Although recruits have signed letters of
intent, these athletes are not obligated to
attend UNL, Osborne added.
When approached in early February by
members of the APU, D.B. Varner, chair
man of the foundation, "flatly refused to
return the coins," Sababu said. Sababu said
he inferred that the foundation would
accept anything.
"The foundation should be guided by
greater moral and ethical values than that,"
he said.
Because the foundation's policies are
strictly economical and not moral, Asheber
said APU's strategy is economic and moral.
For economic and moral reasons, the
group said it decided to send letters be
cause football is economically predominant
and because the university had "one of its
better recruiting years," he said,! .
The group plans to suggest a revision of
foundation policy at the NU Board of
Regents' meeting in March.
ASUN's reversal of its stand on the
Krugerrand donation stemmed from pres
sure from students and letters criticizing
the resolution in newspapers, Sababu said.
ASUN passed a resolution Wednesday,
which commended the Coe's contribution,
reversing a Feb. 6 resolution condemning
the acceptance of the coins.
Sababu said that ASUN's first resolution
"wasn't an emotional thing at all. This time
(the second resolution) it was made out of
emotions."
A petition will be included with the
letter, signed by persons who support the
return of the coins, including Sen. Ernie
Chambers of Omaha. A parallel exists be
tween the exploitation of South African
black miners and the exploitation of NU
black athletes", Asheber said.
"The black community concludes that
if the university will not understand the
oppression of black people in South Africa,
then they would not possibly want to,
understand their exploitation and oppres
sion of black people in Nebraska,'? the
letter stated.
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Daily Nebraskan Photo
Signs of life begin to spring up as the western Nebraska grasses replace the last snow of the winter. This land
scape scene was taken in western Nebraska where temperatures have been rising above 60 degrees.
Women's athletics
funding questioned
. By Gordon Johnson
State funding tor UNL women s athletics bnefly hung
on the balance Thursday during the Legislature's Appro,
priations Committee executive session when two senators
discussed cutting that item of the NU budget.
Also looked at was a proposed NU regional veterinary
college. The committee decided to appropriate $27,814
to investigate the need for the school, instead of approving
the $117,816 requested by the NU Board of Regents to
hire a dean and personnel for the non-existent college.
The appropriations committee looked at the NU
operating budget to determine the priority the requests
should receive. '
In the first round of talks, budget items are listed as
priorities, starting with priority one and going however
low a senator decides.
Sen. Donald Dworak of Columbus said that if an item
is not appointed priority one during the first round, it will
likely be cut.
Sens. Ralph Kelly of Grand Island and Donald Dworak
of Columbus said the UNL athletic program could be self
supporting if women's athletics were cut.
"If you eliminate all women's athletics, the athletic
department would he totally self sunnortinc " Hworak
1 j r 1 0) "
said.
At question was a $619,135 request for the operation
of the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
Dworak said that at a recent women's basketball game
he saw only 50 spectators, which compares to about
1 1 ,000 seen at a men's game.
Continued on Page 2
Fourth candidate files to spur student interest'
By Kent Warneke
It has come down to the final four.
A fourth candidate filed for the ASUN presidency five
minutes before the deadline Wednesday. Jay Willhoft, a
junior history and political science major, filed his letter
of intent as an independent candidate.
Clark Wilson, a senior in the engineering college, also
filed Wednesday for the position of ASUN first vice
president as an independent candidate.
According to Wilson, he and Willhoft are running
individually, but they know each other and share some
similar jtoals.
In his letter of intent, Willhoft stated two main policies
he would work for if elected: to make student govern
ment more accessible to students and to improve relation
ships between students, administrators and the NU Board
of Regents. v
Willhoft said by accomplishing these goals, the overall
Image of student covernment would be improved and the
student body would show more interest in student govern
ment. t
Willhoft said although he hopes to win the election,
one reason he filed was to attempt to increase student
awareness of the March 12 elections.
"I felt there needed to be more candidates. in the race
to stimulate interest which would hopefully get more stu
dents to vote," Willhoft said.- "I'm going to campaign
pretty hard and I'm hoping to win."
Wilson said he filed for the first vic president's posi
tion because he thought he could accomplish things for.
his college and UNL students in that position and he
wanted to be able to promote issues of importance.
Wilson attributed his last-minute filing to the natural
tendency to leave the job for. other people. He said he
realized that if he wanted an issue acted on, he would
have to try and do something about it.
Wilson said he knows the party system is strong and his
chances of winning the election may be slim.
"Even if I don't win, I hope to bring out some issues
that aren't being dealt with currently," Wilson said.
Israel defended: Zionist speaker defends Israel in Talks
and Topics symposium Page 3
On their own: Reviewer critiques three solo performer's
efforts. Page 8
Southern hospitality: Louisiana should be friendlier for
UNL gymnasts than Southern Connecticut. , . Pae 10
