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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 2, 1981)
page 4 daily nebraskan monday, march 2, 1981 Itudent group would voice educational concerns The old adage "there's power in numbers" is certainly true in assessing the potential strength of a statewide lobbying organization for students on Nebraska college and university campuses. Students must combine energy to become a forceful and respected representative current in order to effectively and efficiently lobby for sup port of higher education in this state. A vote in favor of forming the proposed State Student Association would be one step in that direction. Unfortunately, the issue of forming a com bined lobbying group to represent students who attend classes at public institutions has been clouded recently by a dispute about whether to place the question on the ASUN ballot. The issue will be on the ballot as a survey question to help UNL officials determine if there is enough sup port to warrant forming the organization. The disregard for student opinion the NU Board of Regents has exemplified historically and reinforced recently is just one way to illustrate the need to unify the voices of the students attending classes at Nebraska's public institutions for higher education. A clear and loud voice to rise above the continual rumblings of student dis content is needed and the SSA would provide that amplifier. Too often, college and university students on different campuses end up competing against one another, waging war and creating powerless fac tions that easily are ignored or disregarded. A State Student Association would enable stu dents to give lawmakers, education officials and citizens a broad look at higher education. That expanded view would provide insight into the benefits of providing and maintaining a viable public educational system on the postsecondary level. There are several common problems faced by students, faculty members and administrators at all public institutions for higher education. As could be predicted, money is the root of many of these shared difficulties and that will continue to be true as the dismal economy in creasingly threatens the livelihood and viability of colleges and universities. The university budget debacle experienced just last year adds fuel to the fire, offering another reason to support forming a strong, cohesive lobbying organization to work toward gaining support for higher education in this state. As a result of last year's stingy allowance to the university, students at NU already have suf fered the loss of programs. The discomfort will not subside without an increase in financial support. In fact, what appears to be impending budget slashing- on the federal as well as the state level is casting a frightening shadow on all college and university campuses. Implementing minimum grade-point averages to meet class requirements and initiating labora tory fees are hardships that appear imminent for many UNL students. These will only be a begin ning of what will evolve into continual chipping away at the potential of the university, and other institutions if adequate resources are not provid ed. It is a valuable message a message in support of higher education -that can be brought home to legislators, administrators and citizens through a statewide lobbying organization. The costs to be absorbed by students, 50 cents a semester, are minimal when seen in the light of potential return. Centennial: Someone has to pay for budget cuts Maybe you won't go to movies anymore. Maybe you can't eat out as often. Or maybe you'll have to drop out of school for a while to earn enough money to pay tui tion. Whatever you decide to do to stay within some kind of a budget, it will hurt -somehow, somewhere. Some parallels can be drawn between personal bud gets and those of universities and governments. As unre lated (in terms of size and scope) as they seem to be, all budgets are tighter nowadays. President Reagan has pro posed a leaner U.S. budget, and the NU Board of Regents has recommended we trim ours. o o o tion, which recommended to Hedges that Centennial be eliminated, had "vested interest in getting that money." He also said deans, when asked which programs they would cut, all listed Centennial. "No dean voted to cut programs in their colleges," Fuller said. Both statements may be' true, but that's not important anymore, as Fuller probably would admit. What matters is the program, which offered an alternative to the tradi tional method of teaching, is slated for elimination. Jerry Petr, former Senior Fellow and instructor at Cen tennial said, the elimination is "a significant loss to the campus, diminishes intellectual excitement, and takes away an outlet of faculty renewal." But the recommenda tion has already been made. Hedges said, "When you cut budgets and eliminate things, it hurts." After a recommendation was made to offer third-year Czechoslovakian courses every other year because of small enrollment, the Nebraska Czech community protested to the regents and succeeded in blocking the move. Cen tennial had support, Hedges said, but it had no "cohesive interest group." Based on this, if President Reagan's proposals make it through Congress, it will be because special interest groups, no matter how worthy their causes, are acknow ledged but not heeded. It's just too bad Centennial formed no interest group that would have supported it, even though it would have been ignored anyway. Like the personal budget, something has to be cut from the budgets of our school and our government. "Some thing" is the big word here. "Yup. 'Something' should be cut," you say. "As long as it doesn't affect me directly." Well, in this new era of reductions and restraint, re member that somebody has to pay, and that somebody will probably be the guy or group with the least power, money and clout. Take, for example, the Centennial Hducation Program here at UNL. Centennial, described in The Good Life as 'an interdisciplinary program founded on the occasion of the university's 100 year anniversary in 19," is being dropped from the curriculum. The Senior Fellow of the program, Robert Fuller, said "it was probably a miracle it (Centennial) lasted 12 years." Centennial, with a 1980-81 budget of SI 36,000, was a very weak program politically, Fuller said. Since it wasn't under the protective arm of a dean, didn't offer any degrees, had no tenured faculty and taught only under graduates, Centennial had none of the power prerequi sites listed before. It did have some money, however, although in the "grand scheme" S136,00O isn't much (Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Ned Hedges' budget is S50.6 mil lion). Fuller said members of the Committee on Fees Alloca- rMOw nebrasEian UPSP 144-080 Editor: Kathy Chenault; Managing Editor: Tom McNeil; News editor: Val Swinton; Associate news editors: Diane Andersen, Steve Miller; Assistant news editor: Bob Lannin; Night news editor: Kathy Stokebrand; Magazine editor: Mary Kempkes; Entertainment editor: Casey McCabe; Sports editor: Larry Sparks; Art director: Dave Luebke; Photography chief: Mark Billingsley; Assistant photography chief: Mitch Hrdlicka. Copy editors: Mike Battels, Sue Brown, Pat Clark, Nancy Ellis, Dan Epp, Beth Headrick, Maureen Hutfless, Alice Hrnicek, Kim Hachiya, Jeanne Mohatt, Janice Pigaga. Business manager: Anne Shank; Production manager: Kitty Policky; Advertising manager: Art Small; Assistant advertising manager: Jeff Pike. Publications Board chairman: Mark Bowen, 473-0212. Pro fessional adviser: Don Walton. 473-7301 . The Daily Nebraskan is published by the UNL Publications Board Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semes ters, except during vacations. Address: Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 14th and R streets, Lincoln, Neb., 68588. Telephone: 472-2588. Material may be reprinted without permission if attributed to the Daily Nebraskan, except material covered by a copyright. Second class postage paid at Lincoln, Neb.. 68510. DN has act together As a student who has never shied from criticizing the editorial policies of the Daily Nebraskan, let me be among the first to sound a cheer heralding the positive change our newspaper has taken. While there are still some of us who feel that the oped page should be more an amplifier of student opin ion and less an ample assemblage of liberal thought, on the whole, the newspaper lias gotten together its act. The Chicago Times wrote in 1861 that: "It is a news paper's duty to print the news and raise hell." What with the current student political activities concerning the SSA and the like, I trow the Daily Nebraskan will do just that. Willie Watters Senior, Political Science Student support surveyed Have you heard about the concept of a new indoor student recreation center? By now, almost everyone should know about the survey on the March 4 ASUN ballot concerning such a building. The Panhellenic and Inter-Fraternity Councils, Residence Hall Association, ASUN and every residence hall government has been shown the slide show developed by the Recreation Ad visory Board. These groups have been asked to inform the students they represent as to the status of the recre ation center, so students may cast an informed vote on this issue. The survey is being conducted to determine the ex tent of student support for the possible construction of a student recreation center. An affirmative vote support ing the construction of an indoor multi-purpose recrea tional facility will not increase student fees. The survey will give the Recreation Advisory Board valuable informa tion regarding the extent of student support for this project. It will also allow the student to express hisher opinion on what they would like to have included in the building. This survey wfll allow the Recreation Advisory Board to compile pertinent background information be fore proceeding with any planning stages. If the survey indicates student support for this pro ject, the Recreation Advisory Board will investigate the various aspects which are necessary in the planning stages of this facility. Once the building site, content and cost are determined, the students will be given the opportun ity to accept or reject the proposal. Hopefully, the plan ning stages will not take more than one year. If this is the Mm to the editor case, students should be able to vote on a specific propo sal during the 1 98 1 -82 academic year. We urge each student to vote on March 4. Your opin ion is vital to the success or failure of this project. Jim Brockman Recreation Advisory Board Junior, Natural Resources Plasma supplements fees I have a suggestion for the administration of UNL. Before you generously raise my student fees to help pay for my recreational facility, why don't you check the inside of my right elbow to see how I am paying for my student fees as they are now? Better yet, why not have all the members of the adnunistration make a visit to the friendly neighborhood plasma center at S 10 a shot to pay for our recreational facility? That way, we students could keep our strength up to use it. Pardon me if my cynicism is peeking through. It's due to a lack of white blood cells. I'm sure you understand. So while I appreciate your concern, dear administra tion, please stop trying to help me. Joni Jacobs Health aide, Schramm 4 & 5 The Daily Nebraskan encourages brief letters to the editor from all readers and interested others. Letters will be selected for publication on the basis of clarity, originality, timeliness and space available in the newspaper. Letters sent to the newspaper for publication become the property of the Daily Nebraskan and cannot be returned. The Daily Nebraskan reserves the right to edit and condense all letters submitted. Readers are also welcome to submit material as guest opinions, subject to the editor's decision to print or not to print the material, either as a letter or as a guest opinion. Anonymous submissions will not be considered for publication, and requests to withhold names will be granted only in exceptional circumstances. Submit all material to the Daily Nebraskan, Room 34. Nebraska Union. 1400 R St Lincoln. Neb. 68588.