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Wednesday, October 21, 1981
lincoln, nebraska vol. 107 no. 41
Copyright Daily Nebraskan 1981
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Vehicle loan changes to students are criticized
By Melinda Norris
A policy change in loaning university vehicles to stu
dent organizations is "killing us with red tape," ASUN
President Rick Mockler said.
'The auto pool is using insurance premiums as an
excuse for not letting students use vehicles," Mockler said.
In a memo from the UNL's Business and Finance
Department, Ray W. Coffey, business manager, outlined
the conditions by which a student organization can
borrow a university vehicle.
Coffey said the Campus Activities and Programs office
will not make a firm commitment to supply a car to a stu
dent organization until 48 hours prior to the expected
departure time.
This assures that appropriate priority is given to basic
university functions of teaching, research and public ser
vices in which vehicles are needed.
Coffey also said that two surcharges will be added to
the mileage rate and daily rental rate. A charge of three
cents a mile will cover increased liability insurance and in
creased fuel prices, and a $5 daily charge will insure the
student organization in case of car damage.
Called unfair
Nancee Shannon, chairperson of the ASUN Campus
Life Committee, attacked Coffey's conditions, saying they
are "not fair."
Marsh: Students
influence senators
By Eric Peterson
Affirmative Action, UNL capital construction and the
study lobbying process were the major issues discussed at
Tuesday's legislative breakfast with Sen. Shirley Marsh
of Lincoln.
The breakfasts are co-sponsored by the College of
Business Administration Advisory Board and ASUN's
Government Liaison Committee said GLC chairperson
Nette Nelson.
Marsh said meetings between students and senators are
increasingly important. Student interest in university
issues has grown in the nine years she has been in the Ne
braska Legislature, Marsh said.
"I think the students themselves are better informed
and more numerous," Marsh said. "There were some very
dedicated students before, but it was a smaller number.
Now you find students from all across the state working
with the Legislature. And that's good because some legis
lators only listen to people from their own district."
Marsh said there has been a visible impact from student
involvement.
"Do not underestimate your value to the legislative
process," Marsh said. "I've seen additional dollars added
to the university budget because students became involv
ed," she told students at the breakfast.
Nelson said the Affirmative Action program at UNL
was a major GLC concern", noting that although former
Chancellor Robert Rutford committed $25,000 to the
program before he left, there has been worry about the
program because of federal government proposals to ease
or eliminate Affirmative Action restrictions. Marsh said
students should continue to support the program because
of state Affirmative Action requirements.
'There is state legislation relating to Affirmative
Action, which I helped sponsor and which was strongly
supported by the governor," Marsh said. "The university
falls under the state requirements for Affirmative
Action."
Nelson said the GLC is planning a major voter registrat
ion drive this fall, and mentioned the problems facing stu
dent voters in the election statutes. Eight notaries public
were required last year in the union for all the students
voting by absentee ballot, she said.
Marsh said she supports GLC efforts at student-voter
registration, and suggested that students consider register
ing as Lincoln voters.
"If you are interested in claiming Lincoln as your
future home, you can certainly register here," she said.
Marsh said that as a member of the Legislature's
appropriations committee, she is especially concerned
with capital construction and other UNL budget issues in
cluding proposed renovations to the Former Law building
and Bessie Hall on City Campus, and the Animal Science
building on East Campus.
"You can push for one project on this campus and one
one East Campus, but it's probably unrealistic politically
to ask for two major renovations on City Campus in one
year," Marsh said.
When asked about Lincoln Sen. Don Wesley's proposal
to install an air conditioning system in Morrill Hall, Marsh
said there would be difficulties getting 29 other senators
to vote for it, and to get enough votes to override a
possible governor's veto.
Continued on Page 6
"It's ludicrous," that the CAP office cannot guarantee
a vehcile to a student organization until 48 hours before
departure time, Shannon said.
Students can plan a trip for six months and not be
guaranteed a car, she said.
Shannon added that learning is also a primary function
of the university, in addition to the teaching and research
functions, mentioned by Coffey.
"Part of the students' education is outside the class
room," Mockler said. "(This policy) is making it difficult
to get outside the classroom and the campus."
The 3 cents a mile surcharge to cover the increased
liability insurance was an expected charge, since the Ne
braska Legislature revised a guest passenger statute last
year, Shannon said.
In an accident the owner or driver is not liable for
damages to a person who is classified as a guest in a car,
unless drunken driving or driver or owner negligence can
be shown.
The new guest statute limits the guest classification and
therefore increases possible liabilities for the owner or
driver.
Surcharge criticized
The $5 surcharge is "outrageous" Shannon said.
The previous policy charged an organization a maxi
mum of $200 for damages, if necessary, Shannon said.
The current policy charges for a possible accident, she ex
plained.
Shannon said the $200 charge was an equitable solut
ion, but if the students must pay the $5 a day, employees
should be charged too.
"I can't see responsibility being reinforced by employ
ment contracts," Shannon said.
"Students get tired of hearing how irresponsible we
are," she said.
Mockler said, "I am disgusted with the condenscending
and patronizing attitude to students.
"It would be a lot easier to run the university if stu
dents weren't here, and sometimes I think the administrat
ion thinks this way," Mockler said.
Mockler and Shannon will meet with the administrat
ion for the second time this year concerning student-use
of university vehicles.
In July, Shannon and Mockler met with the vice
chancellors of business and finance from UNL, UNO and
the NU Medical Center in an attempt to come up with a
uniform policy for the three campuses concerning
student-use of university vehicles.
This meeting was in response to a policy change in May
which restricted student organizations from using univer
sity vehicles.
"We agreed the problem could be resolved and that
outside classroom activities are important," Mockler said.
"I thought we had agreed in good faith," he said, but
I guess I was mistaken."
Photo by Dave Bentz
One of the sure signs that winter will soon hit the UNL campus is the sight of maintenance workers draining and
clearing Broyhill Fountain. Pictured above, an unidentified maintenance worker scours the fountain.
Tne process of "winterizing" the fountain is relatively simple, said Bob Bauch, assistant maintenance manager.
"We turn it off, drain it and clean it," he said. "We do most general repairs on it in the winter."
Bauch said that after the fountain is drained, maintenance workers use high-pressure water hoses to clean algae
and leaves from the bottom and sides.
After the fountain is cleaned, it is disinfected with chlorine.
Bauch said the fountain is usually drained at the beginning of the freezing season.
Cops can extinguish own burnout
By.Tricia Waters
When people consider police work, many think of the
high pressure involved in dealing with dangerous charact
ers. In many instances, police officers do risk their lives
when they walk into a situation, and they experience con
siderable stress.
Officer burnout, a stress condition caused by Jhe daily
anticipation of danger and pressures from others, often
prompts a temporary or permanent break in law enforce
ment careers.
UNL police Lt. John Burke and Sgt. Charles Clark of
the Lincoln Police Department said police are willing to
listen to each other's problems, but many officers work
things out for themselves.
Talking often relieves stress, said Clark.
"Some officers internalize pressure and it builds up
over a long period of time," he said. "Others have an
understanding spouse to talk to, or talk, to a friend."
He said some officers may release pressure by turning
to alcohol.
If the pressures can't be released and build up to a
breaking point, the officer may take a break or quit police
work.
Nebraska police are trained in crisis intervention to re
main outside of a fight or situation that they encounter,
Clark said. There, an officer's role is to help reach a
solution for both sides without becoming a part of the
situation. At other times, the officer directly intervenes,
causing a crisis for someone else and opening himself up
to risks, he said.
Either situation results in a need to relieve the pressure
that accumulated during the encounter.
Police who work at night are open to more risks be
cause of the type of people they deal with, Clark said.
Several of the people they handle are under the influence
of alcohol, he said. Continued on Page 9
Wednesday
It's More Tnan a Home for Prairie Dogs: Professor A.T.
Harrison says Nebraska vanishing prairies should be
preserved Page 6
Music Machines: Jukeboxes do not hold the dominant
place they once did in American pop music, but some
still hold forth in Lincoln bars Page 12
New Look: Coach Colleen Matsuhara's women's basket
ball team began practice Monday with several fresh
men players Page 16