Wednesday, September 30, 1981
lincoln, nebraska vol. 107 no. 26
Copyright daily nebraskan 1981
Album covers burned in protest of rock music
By Kim Hachiya
Grand Island - Amid cheers and jeers, about 200
album covers, most from rock 'n' roll records, were
burned here Monday night by members of a local church
who were seeking to repudiate the lifestyle and messages
of the bands who recorded the albums.
Tim Rust, youth pastor of the Abundant Life Christ
ian Center which sponsored the album burning in its park
ing lot, said rock music effects a person's subconscious
and behavior through lyrics and album cover pictures
which praise the occult, and encourage sexual promiscu
ity, drug use and rebellion against parents.
"I'm not getting on a big bandwagon and saying rock
music is the only problem facing us, other things need to
be brought out," Rust said. "But we ought to have a
standard and criteria for what we feed our minds. As a
man thinketh in his heart, so is he."
Toby Tyler, senior adviser for the church, said he
believes there is a definite connection between rock music
and some of the problems he sees in today's youth.
"Before I was saved, I was very deep into rock and
drugs and rebellion," Tyler said. "For instance the suggest
iveness of the Beatles. They encouraged drug use and out
right told peoople to rebel against parents.
"I definitely believe that Christian music is the only
answer. Lifting up the name of Jesus is the only hope for
us."
Country music called immoral
Tyler also denounced country music, saying it often
deals with immorality and alcohol use.
Tyler said it is impossible to be a Christian and still
enjoy rock music.
"The word says that man cannot have two masters. It
is impossible to serve the Lord with one foot in rock and
the other in Christ - you cannot make a true dedication
to Jesus," he said.
But Terri Miller, a 15-year-old student at Grand Island
Northwest High School, who is not a member of the
Abundant Life Christian Center, disputed Tyler's
thoughts.
"I am a lifelong Catholic, it (rock) hasn't affected my
life," she said. "The double meanings they see in the
music are just not there. God loves everyone no matter
what."
As Miller and her sisters were speaking to reporters,
one youth who was helping destroy the records came over
to her and said, "I hope your parents are proud that you
are here.'
They are always proud of me," Miller replied.
Melvin Fitzsimons, a 24-year-old employee of Monfort
packing plant in Grand Island, said he was supporting the
rally.
"When I got rid of mine (rock albums) thousands of
pounds were released off my chest," Fitzsimons said. 'I
didn't realize the bondage they had over my life until I
got rid of them. The music makes you excited and angry
and wanting to terrorize the town. It puts hate into your
heart."
The records themselves were not actually burned.
Continued on Page 6
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Photo by Mark Billingsley
Several Grand Island residents and members of the Nebraska news media watch as Chuck Oden, Clifford Dim
mith, Steve Brown, Tom Dimmith and Melvin Fitzsimons (left to right) throw record jackets into a bonfire at the
Abundant Life Christian Center in Grand Island.
Hall improvements foreseen
By Roger Aden
Improvements and renovations in the residence
halls, both unions and the UNL Health Center are one
step away from final approval, according to Union
Director Daryl Swanson.
Swanson said $717,497 worth of improvements,
approved by the NU Board of Regents at their Sept
ember meeting, are scheduled to go before the Nebra
ska Legislature for final approval.
Swanson said he does not foresee any obstacles in
gaining final approval.
"By that time, it's nearly routine approval," he said.
"Some senators may disagree with some of the
improvements, but any problems are usually ironed out
before it gets that far."
Swanson said the annual improvement funds come
from interest from accounts holding excess student
fees.
The excess results from a conservative estimate of
future UNL enrollment made 15-20 years ago when re
venue bonds were issued for the construction of resi
dence halls, the health center and an addition to the
Nebraska Union, Swanson said.
Fees exceed bond cost
He said because of the conservative enrollment esti
mate more money is received by the university through
student fees than is needed to pay off the bonds.
Last year, Swanson said the union used its share of
the money for the remodeling of the Crib and the in
stallation of a conveyor belt in the Harvest Room.
This year, he said the union's portion ($269,940)
will be used for a variety of smaller projects, the largest
of which is an $85,000 project replacing the divider
wall system in the union Centennial Room.
Swanson said that originally the dividers allowed the
room to be split into nine smaller rooms. But now the
divider system needs replacement, he said, and as a re
sult the space is not being used effectively.
"It's (Centennial Room) sitting there waiting for a
large activity," he said. "If the divider walls were in
place, we could be using that room daily for small
activities," Swanson said.
Planning for rooms
Swanson said the union staff has a five-year plan de
signed to improve the union meeting rooms.
"We've got one of the largest meeting room facilities
in the city," he said, "and there's an increasing
emphasis for that type of facility."
Most of the improvements planned for the residence
halls are also comparatively small, according to Douglas
Zatechka, housing director.
He said "the housing office will receive $374,000 -the
largest chunk of it going toward replacing outdated
food service equipment.
Zatechka said other improvements planned for the
residence halls include the painting and caulking of
metal window frames at Selleck Quadrangle, installing
new metal window frames at Neihardt Residence
Center and repairing roofs in the Harper-Schramm-Smith
Complex and Abel Hall.
"We're just beginning to build up a level of reason
able repair in things like roofs and energy efficiency,"
he said. "In the future, our maintenance costs should
go down because the improvements we're making now
will last for a long time."
Replacing and upgrading equipment is also being
done at the health center, according to health center
administrator Stephen Blom.
He said $30,000 of the $73,557 allocated to the'
health center. will be spent on a computer system,
which will be used to update accounting procedures.
Blom said the process of deciding where to make
improvements is done on a priority basis.
We take a look at what our needs are and what's
available," he said. "The things we are replacing are
just not working and replacement parts are obsolete."
Warrant evaders
facing stiffer fines
By Tricia Waters
The 9335 outstanding Lincoln municipal court war
rants for arrest take up several file cabinets in the court
clerk's office.
From February 1979 to February 1980, the processing
of warrant cases has cost taxpayers $162,260, Municipal
Court Clerk Charlie Fieselman estimated. That doesnt
include law enforcement costs.
The failures to appear have caused the court to set up
special warrant sessions and employ extra workers. Two
more workers are employed now by the courts than would
be needed if people would appear in court, Fieselman said.
The outstanding warrants reflect an increase in failure
of those arrested to appear in court. In a press conference
Tuesday, law enforcement municipal court officials said
they will crack down on these problems.
Jan Gradwohl, presiding municipal court judge, said
the police agencies will increase their arrests of persons
with outstanding warrants. She said the law enforcement
agencies and the court will push for legislation to address
the problem.
Gradwohl said the rate of people failing to appear for
all criminal arraignments rose from 16 percent in 1980 to
19 percent in 1981. However, 24.7 percent of all released
defendants failed to appear, she said.
Continued on Page 6
No News is Bad News: The CIA's request to exempt in
telligence agencies from the Freedom of Information
Act is discussed in a Daily Nebraskan editorial . Page 4
Endangered Species: The preppy look, featuring the Izod
alligator, may be on the way out Page 8
Getting Better: Junior varsity football Coach Frank Solich
says his team keeps improving every week . , . Page 10