tuesday October 7, 1980 ( O ( O
lincoln, nebraska vol. 105, no 31
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Speaker: Inflation may hurt equity plan's progress
By Doreen Charles
Advances in affirmative action have been made within
the last decade, but problems with inflation and the
economy may affect further progress, according to vice
president of equal opportunity planning for Control
Data Corporation.
William E. English, former president of the Minne
apolis Urban League, spoke at theopening ceremony
of Affirmative- Action Week, sponsored by the State
Affirmative Action Office at the Nebraska Union.
"In 10 years, social values have changed," English
said, noting changes in disability compensation
policies to include pregnant women and people with
physical disabilities.
The hiring of less qualified people still exists,
English said.
"The increase of women and minorities in the work
force has not decreased productivity. We should be able
to hire without regard to race and sex and to give equal
pay without regard to race and sex," he said.
"We have not achieved this goal. Men are still being
paid more than women, and black college graduates are
paid the same as white high school graduates."
Managerial positions for blacks and women have
increased, but the current economic crises may present
a problem in finding jobs for the unemployed, English
said.
"Most hiring of minorities is done by small- and
medium-sized businesses. If we're looking for large gains
from large businesses, it's not likely to happen," he said.
He said companies such as IBM and Prudential have
been charged with noncompliance to affirmative action.
"Society, through public policy, must address the right
of every person to hold a job."
Modern technology must be used to provide jobs, he
said, suggesting the re-establishment of small farms and
Women find near equality in ROTC
By Patty Pryor
Women are succeeding with little difficulty in the
ROTC program here at UNL, according to people both
directing and participating in the program.
Very few differences exist between men and women
concerning involvement in ROTC, said Maj. Ned Chris
cimagna, assistant professor of Aerospace Studies in the
Air Force division.
Many of the same benefits attract both men and wom
en to the program, he said. One of the best attractions is
the scholarship offer, he said, which is based solely on
ability. It covers tuition, books and fees, and provides
an additional $100 a month.
Chriscimagna said the opportunity for overseas travel
is another major "benefit, and that women are now being
sent to remote locations.
In addition to tuition assistance, the Army division of
the ROTC offers the Simultaneous Membership Program,
said Maj. Alfred Harris, assistant professor of Military
Science.
Two income sources
This program allows dual membership in both ROTC
and some branch of reserve duty, and results in two
sources of income, one from each area of service.
Reasons for joining ROTC reflect some of these
opportunities, but some women have additional reasons
for becoming involved in the program.
Previous exposure to military life leads some women
to consider ROTC.
Rosa Reich, a sophomore physics major from West
Point, said that she grew to "love the people in military
life," while her father was in the Air Force for 20 years.
"It really develops into a community," she said.
Pam Leeper, a business graduate student in Army
ROTC, originally joined the program after looking un
successfully for an accounting job. She said that ROTC
helps in "developing close relationships" and she has
become "a better quality person" in the program, since
it takes more discipline.
o ;i j.
similar training
Within the program itself, there is very little variation
actual training routines, Harris said.
in
Even though women are prohibited from combat duty
by Congress, both sexes undergo the same training, he
said.
Slight differences do exist in specific physical require
ments, professors in both divisions said, but these are due
to basic differences in physical characteristics.
Women contribute to ROTC, because the more quali
fied people there are in the program, the better it will
be, Harris said.
"The requirements of an officer are the same for either
sex," Chriscimagna said.
Shannon Day, a junior mathematics major from
Lincoln, said that including women in the program
provides "a more balanced" outlook. Men work with
women in day -to-day life, she said, so' there is no reason
for the exclusion of women in the military.
Leeper said that the Army provides opportunities to
push one past accepted limits, opportunities that are not
ordinarily available to women in day-to-day life.
"You make yourself do things you otherwise
wouldn't," she said.
At UNL, sexual harassment of the women in the mili
tary is not prevalent, according to both professors and
participants in ROTC.
The national situation concerning this type of harass
ment may be misleading, said Karen McAfee, a sophomore
life sciences major from Fullerton.
"The media plays up the bad instances between men
and women," she said. "You never'hear about how well
they work together."
Darren Shrader, a Lincoln sophomore math major,
said she also found few cases of harassment.
"Women in the military are easily stereotyped," she
said and this misrepresentation can sometimes increase
problems between the sexes.
All five women agree that the sharing of a common
goal and the respect that is accorded each individual with
in the program are important factors in the lack of harass
ment. Chriscimagna and Harris said they do not foresee draft
including women in the near future. However, both said
that other than combat zones, no other military job is
closed to women.
Continued on Page 7
the use of urban agriculture as methods of increasing food
production and creating employment.
Constructing convenient, less noisy rapid transit
systems would provide jobs and also reduce dependent
on foreign oil," he said.
The rising rate of inflation and the inability of
institutions of higher learning to instill ideals of justice
and equality are dilemmas which society must face in the
1980s, English said.
"There is no question. Our educational institutions
have failed and are continuing to fail to educate our
young," he said, adding that the cost of education has in
creased to the point where parents wonder if they will be
able to send their children to school.
English said he believes the current dilemmas are
solvable.
"We must have the ability to put aside petty
differences," he said. "The question is whether our ability
to achieve these aims will live up to our rhetoric."
Photo by Jon Natvig
Although the leaves have fallen from many Lincoln
trees, birds still remain. Perhaps this bird is enjoying
the warm Indian Summer sun before leaving Nebra
ska for warmer southern states.
Landlord-tenant group formed to better relations
An attempt to alleviate the gap between landlords and
tenants is the purpose of the landlord-tenant coalition,
said a Lincoln Action staff member.
Florinc Martin said the group will try to promote
better relationships between landlords and tenants as well
as examining their legal rights.
She said some landlords have gotten by with unlawful
activity, some tenants have damaged apartments because
they don't care.
Martin said the coalition is a small, solid group. She
said a large group isn't wanted, and that the group consists
of 10 to 12 landlords and tenants from Lincoln.
Of the members, one or two are landlords and the rest
are tenants, Martin said.
Martin said the coalition is in the process of organizing
meetings and educational forums, and that they are "not
sure right now" what they will do.
Meetings are held in various places around Lincoln on
the third Monday of each month. Educational forums
meet about once a week, Martin added.
At these forums, an attorney from Legal Services
speaks on the Nebraska Landlord-Tenant Act and follows
the presentation with discussions, she said.
Martin said the forums will continue until Dec. 3.
The next forum is scheduled for Oct. 13 in Newman
Church, 2273 S. St. at 7 p jn. and is open to the commun
ity, she said.
Following the forum, visitors may sign a list to become
a part of the meetings, Martin said.
It's a "community effort all the way," she said.
Martin said the vast number of problems the forum and
meetings address are continual.
Some problems involve eviction laws, returning of de
posit money and moving notices, she said.
When a tenant is served an eviction notice, they have
three days to leave, Martin said. If the tenant hasn't left
by the fourth day, the landlord may file a complaint in
county court.
County court then sets a time for the tenant to leave.
If the tenant refuses to leave past that time, the sheriff
forces the tenant to vacate, she said.
The entire process may take up to 30 days, Martin
said. People believe the three-day notice is "the way it
should happen," but it isn't, she said.
Returning of deposit money can create problems also,
Martin said. A tenant's deposit must be returned 14 days
after moving out, she said.
It is the landlord's responsibility to make an itemized
list of the damages and subtract that amount from the
deposit money to cover the expenses, Martin said.
A copy of the list, with reasons for each item listed, is
given to the former tenant along with the remaining
money, she said.
Continued on Page 6