monday, november 23, 1980
lincoln, nebraska vol. 105, no. 66
Regents tell UNL to keep yearly Czech courses
By Jim Fad J is
Regents Hall was transformed into a
mini-Czechoslovakia Friday as 1 00 Ne
braskans of Czech heritage voiced their
opposition to a planned reduction in the
frequency with which Czech language
courses are offered at UNI..
Although some of the complaints were
spoken in Czech, the NU Board of Regents
got the message.
The complaints concerned a plan by
the UNI. Department of Modem languages
and Literal lire lo offer beginning Czech
courses on an every-othei -year basis,
rather than eveiy year as they are now
taught .
The reduction was planned to save
money because of low enrollment in the
classes.
But after five speakers told the regents
that Nebraska's sizable Czech population
wants the Czech program strengthened and
not reduced, the regents instructed UNL
Interim Chancellor Robert Rut ford to
offer the classes every year.
Nebraska is the country's leader in
Czech heritage and the university should
help teach that heritage, Joe Vosoba of
Wilber said.
Agreeing with Vosoba. Jaroslav Jizba
of Omaha told the board that Nebraska has
a responsibility to preserve the Czech
language because the state has the highest
Czech population percentage in the
country.
Nebraska Czechs arc willing to raise
money for the language courses and work
to increase their enrollment. State Sen.
Don Wesely of Lincoln said.
A lack of money is the biggest problem
the university faces and is why the re
duction was planned. NU President Ronald
Roskcns told the group.
He said he supports the Czechs, "but we
need you to tell the Legislature that you
want programs like this continued."
Regent Ld Schwartzkopf of Lincoln
said he was "tremndously impressed"
by the Czechs' concern for the courses.
Regent James Moylan of Omaha said the
Czechs had shown that the university
had "underestimated the feelings of a hell
of a lot of stockholders in this university."
But Rut ford warned the board that cuts
like this will have to be made.
"We are not going to overspend the
budget," he said.
"Now whenever other changes are
planned, special interest groups are going
to try to influence you," Rut ford said.
In other action, the regents unanimously
approved a reorganization plan of the
UNL Teachers College.
The changes will combine the elemen
tary education and the secondary educa
tion departments into a Center for Cur
riculum and Instruction.
Also, the Department of Educational
Psychology and Measurements and the
Department of History and Philosophy
of Education will be combined into a De
partment of Educational Psychology and
Social Foundations.
Dean Robert Egbert has said that the
changes will give students a broader view
of education and reduce costs at the
Teachers College.
The regents also approved the spend
ing of $236,880 to make alterations in
the Nebraska Union Crib.
Also at the meeting, the board awarded
regents' professorships to eight UNL
faculty members.
The eight were chosen because of
their "distinguished reputations world
wide," Rut ford said.
Each regents' professor will receive
S5.000 a year from the NU Foundation
in addition to his or her normal salary.
The eight chosen were: Nicholas
Babchuk, sociology; Ezekiel Bahar,
electrical engineering; Paul Johnsgard,
life sciences; Robert Knoll. English;
Norman Rosenberg, agricultural meteoro
logy and climatology; James Samson,
physics; John Schmidt, agronomy; and
Susan Welch, political science.
Bonfire makes police burn
Six students arrested at Friday morning fires
By Suzanne Sayed
Six students were arrested by Lincoln and UNL police
early Friday when about a dozen bonfires were started on
campus by a crowd of more than 1 ,000 students.
Vandals caused S350 damage to a city firet ruck, while
police cruisers sustained slight damage from bottles and
rocks. A pine tree was also burned to the ground, police
said.
The crowd, according to one police officer, turned
"ugly." yelled obscenities and threw rocks and bottles
at police officers and firefighters attempting to control
the crowd and put out the bonfires. Four police officers
suffered minor injuries.
The six students were jailed for offenses including
arson, resisting arrest, vandalism, assault and disorderly
conduct. Several others were issued citations, police said.
A total of 52 officers and 14 firefighters were at the
bonfires, which were fueled by furniture, barricades and
"anything tht could burn." according to Bob Fey, UNL
police investigator.
Police were unsure where furniture came from, al
though they said they assumed that students brought it
from fraternities, sororities and residence halls. Some
personal property may have been stolen, according to
Lincoln Police Lt. Doug Ahlberg.
The activity began about 1 a.m., Ahlberg said.
Ahlberg said the consensus of the police officers was
probably one of surprise more than anything else.
"Most of the officers had felt the kids were well behaved-we
had thought there was a pretty good working
relationship between students and police. It was dis
appointing," he aid.
"The officers were subjected to a lot of abuse," said
UNL Police Lt. Joe Wehner. "They showed incredible
resistance." he said.
Police said the activity on campus continued to a
lesser extent Friday night, as the back window of a police
cruiser was broken out while it was on campus that night.
"Police must intervene anytime property or personal
safety is threatened," Wehner said. "No one can pre
dict what will happen with a large crowd like that."
"The affair seemed more like a riot," once student
said. "Everything got a little out of hand."
"The cops got real thick," said another student.
"It seemed like they had too much control."
However, another student said, "The policemen were
just doing their job and it probably wasn't easy."
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Photo by Jon Nctvig
UNL students attempt to thwart police and firefighters efforts to put out one of Friday morning's bonfires.
The students' cries of, "Defense, Defense" were no match for the water hose.
Photo by Jon Natvig
Sparks and Adrenalin ran high early Friday morning
as UNL students celebrated the victory that never
was. Shortly after this picture was taken, this Daily
Nebraskan photographer was arrested. The charges
later were dismissed.