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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 9, 1980)
n nn n tuesday, September 9, 1980 lincolrt, nebraska vol.105, no. 9 UNL's Special Services Office;loses federal money By Colleen Tittel A UNL program that supports disadvantaged students has been denied federal money this year, and its six staff member have been laid off, the program's director said.- Jimmie Smith, Multi-Cultural Affairs director, said he will submit another grant proposal next year for the Division's Special Services program. But, the government may decide to restrict the money next year to already exist ing programs, he said. The Office of Special Services for Disadvantaged Students Programs in the Department of Education has granted UNL money in past years, Smith said he doesn't know why the office rejected this year's budget proposal. "We really have not gotten a satisfactory answer," he said. This year's grant proposal differed in some ways from those of other years, he said, "but not enough so that we shouldn't have gotten the grant." Smith said although he believes such decisions are reach ed objectively by federal offices, evidence in this case points to the contrary. Three readers in the Department of Education sent the division a survey, in which specific budget proposals were marked as being either acceptable or unacceptable. A con sensus of approval from the readers contradicts the denial of the grant proposal, Smith said. Lucey stopover is vote-drive award By Steve Miller A successful petition drive to put presidential candi date John Anderson on the Nebraska ballot is to be awarded by a visit by Anderson's running mate. Patrick J. Lucey will arrive at Omaha at 3:3(1 pjn. on Sept. 18. Lucey is the former governor of Wisconsin, former ambassador to Mexico, and worked for Ted. Kennedy's presidential campaign. The tentative schedule for Lucey's visit includes a press conference, a fund-raising cocktail hour and a rally for Anderson volunteers, according to Joan Holthaus, state wide coordinator for the Anderson campaign. Holthaus said the visit showed that Anderson was inter ested in Nebraska. "Before the petition drive, I think they had written us off as Reagan territory," Holthaus said. "But the results of the drive were excellent. They saw a spark of interest and Nebraska is looking pretty good to them." The petition drive needed to gather 2,500 signatures from those who had not voted in the primary elections, Holthaus said. Some 5,000 signatures were gathered. Holthaus also said Anderson had made a good choice in Lucey. "We are working for the National Unity campaign," Holthaus said. "The fact that Anderson was a Republican and Lucey was a Democrat follows that claim." She said that Lucey would bring labor support to the campaign and that he had already won several Kennedy supporters to Anderson. Mike Barnes, departing director of Special Services, said one reader wrote "Yes" after each of the proposals, (about 20), and" the other two each assigned only one "No." Creighton University received Special Services funds this year for the first time, and Doane and Chadron State Colleges are continuing their Special Services programs, Smith said. Although UNL's Special Services 1980-81 budget was significantly higher than the norm, there were reasons for that, Barnes said. Barnes questioned why education officials didn't contact the Multi-Cultural Affairs office to negotiate the budget, as they have in past years and as they did this year with Doane College. "I was there the day they (Doane) got the phone call from the Department of Education tellingthem how to rewrite their proposal," Barnes said. Smith listed three factors that possibly influenced the governmenFs decision to deny the grant: 1) UNL does not have as large a percentage of minority and low-income students as many other universities and colleges. 2) UNL is an established, not developing, educational institution. Some federal funds are reserved for the latter. 3) UNL's Multi-Cultural Affairs office has not worked closely with congressional representatives because Smith was unsure how much a department chairman can conter with a federal representative about a budget matter, he said. Another Nebraska college that did receive funds this year had invited representatives to its campus to discuss the need for Special Services Programs, he said. UNL received its first Special Services grant in 1970. The Multi-Cultural Affairs office reverted to state funding in 1975. To increase Special Services resources, another grant was applied for in 1978. Smith learned of the latest proposal's denial July 7. When last year's grant expired Aug. 30, all Special Services jobs were terminated, except that of Barnes, whose position was extended until Nov. 30. Until then, he will draft final reports and assist with reading study sessions in the Learning Center. The Multi-Cultural Affairs office offers career planning and educational planning services, personal counseling, tutoring and social and cultural activities to students who are educationally or culturally deprived, physically handi capped, or are low-income. The Special Services division offered classes and tutor ing in math, reading and writing. Now, math classes will be discontinued, and after Barnes leaves in November, so will reading. Writing assistance will be available through the Learning Center now, Smith said. Debbie Cutcliff, Learning Center director, said she no longer will have time for one-to-one relationships with students she helps. Study problems will be dicussed in group study workshops, she said. Joe Renteria, Student Assistance director, said $10,000 less will be available for tutoring this year. Students will have to double up for tutoring, he said. When money runs out, tutoring will be finished for the year, he said. it t c An autumn sun sets, the wheel of time stands still ... for awhile. Photo by Jon Natvig Sunrise, sunset Director to organize water research projects By Betsy Miller The new director of the Nebraska Water Resources Center is a self-confessed jack-of-all -trades. William L Powers, the new center direct or said he has been a college instructor, an author and a water resources researcher. He assumed his UNL post on Sept. I . Instead of actively taking part in researching activities, Powers, 44, said he will work as an administrator organizing water research projects. "I'm going to take a hard look at water problems in Nebraska, put some kind of priority on the problems and then locate the expertise and the funds to do research," he said. Powers said he will follow a five-year water research plan prepared by UNL. officials before he assumed office. The basic problems on the list will deal with water quality and quantity, according to Powers. States with shortages Powers said Nebraska, Kansas, Color ado, Texas and Oklahoma are all states which are experiencing groundwater short ages. Rainfall, which saturates the ground and is absorbed as groundwater, is being used up before it can be replenished. "We must make the most efficient use of our water as possible," Powers said. He said that his main job at the center will be to look into different ways to conserve the water. The research projects he organizes will help find conservation methods, he said. Powers received his bachelor's degree from Colorado State University in 1958, and his master's and Phi), from Iowa State University in soil physics in 1962 and 1966, respectively. Taught soil physics He then began teaching soil physics at Kansas State University in 1966. Powers became the associate director of the Kansas Water Resources Institute at KSU in 1972 and was named the institute's director in 1974. Although he was a water resource direc tor in Kansas, Powers said the Kansas Cen ter was much different than Nebraska. "It was a much smaller organization and it didn't do research," he said. Powers will be leading a water resources seminar at UNL. That activity will be the closest he will come to teaching in his new job, he said. "Ill miss the students, definitely, but I hope to maintain contact through graduate students," he said. Besides teaching, Powers has done some writing. He co-authored a textbook on advanced soil physics and also helped write many publications regarding soil moisture conser vation and animal waste disposal. Powers said he felt one of his biggest accomplishments was helping develop guidelines for 'feed-lot waste disposal that is now used by many land owners in Kansas. Powers and his associates received an award from a livestick association, for the guidelines. However, at UNL Powers' main concern will be watching the Nebraska groundwater supply. Powers admits that a problem exists, he said he disagreed in part with a prediction made by a UNL professor that said the, Ogallala Acquifer, a large under ground water reservoir, would go dry. "I don't think it will ever go dry. They (irrigators) will quit pumping before that," Powers said. Continued to Page 3 The Iron Bug Bites: UNL women lift weights to tone-and strengthen muscles . . Page 2 That's Entertainment: New nightclub plans on spicing up local bar scene Page S A Bet from Beretuter: Congressman Doug Bereuter makes a "steak' with a Pennsyl vania congressman I . . Page 10