T T! Daily T
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
n rnaay, January id, vjvz Vol. 108 No. 5
Lincoln, Nebraska
Copyright 1982 Daily Nebraskan
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Students oppose crackdown at railroad crossing
By Mary Louise Knapp
This week's crackdown on trespassers
on the railroad tracks running west across
14th street is being greeted with dissatis
faction by students.
Officials of the Missouri Pacific Rail
road and the Nebraska Public Safety Com
mission announced Monday that people
who cross the railroad tracks at points
other than designated crossings may be
subject to arrest.
Unnecessary safety risks taken by stu
dents crossing the tracks, such as climb
ing under stopped railroad cars, prompted
stricter enforcement of trespassing laws,
the officials said.
The law. which is in effect whether or
not there are trains on the track, cuts off a
short-cut route used by residents of
Narper-Schramm-Smith residence halls.
Tom Mockler, a resident of Harper Hall
and a member of the Residence Hall
Association, said the rule would be unen
forceable. "There are 1,500 students living in
Harper-Schramm-Smith," he said. "It
would be relatively impossible to keep
them from crossing."
Mockler said trains frequently stop
across the intersections at 14th and 16th
streets longer than the 10 minutes the
trains can legally block the crossings.
"I can see their (the railroad's) point
that it is a potential danger," Mockler said.
"It will only cost students about half a
r.iinute in terms of walking time," he said.
Kathy Mach, an RHA representative,
said trains frequently block the crossings at
times when students are coming to and
from class.
"It's inconsiderate on their (the rail
road's) part," she said. "If the train is going
to be there when there's a wind chill factor
of 72 below, of course people are going to
go under them."
Doran Matzke, ASUN second vice presi
dent, said she questioned how the railroad
would enforce the law and what the penalt
ies would be.
In an article published in Monday's
Daily Nebraskan, Terry Kubicek, executive
secretary of the Nebraska Public Safety
Commission, said the penalty would be
determined by the frequency of the action,
vigor of prosecution, and the judge, with
possible civil damages fines of up to $500.
Trespassers might also be subject to
criminal trespassing charges, Kubicek said.
Dan Wedekind, ASUN first vice presi
dent, suggested that the central admini
stration, planning commission and the
senate examine the problem and try to
come up with a workable solution.
Being close makes regent accessible, informed
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Ed Schwartzkopf
By Mary Louise Knapp
Regent Ed Schwartzkopf has a unique perspective on
UNL - he lives closer to it than any other board member.
Schwartzkopf, a Lincoln native, is serving his third
term as regent and has been chairman of the board several
times.
He has been the supervisor of career development at
the Lincoln Public Schools since 195 1 , and is a member of
several community organizations. He graduated from UNL
with a master's degree in education, and was working on a
doctorate in education when he was elected regent in
1966.
Schwartzkopf said he discontinued his work on the
doctorate when he was elected, because of time commit
ments. "I saw no need to cause any conflict," he said. "I don't
necessarily think the degree makes me better."
Inflation is by far the most serious problem NU faces
today, Schwartzkopf said.
"We (the NU) need more support and that's true in all
areas," he said.
Tuition increases
Schwartzkopf said he does not favor yearly tuition in
creases, but said they are a fact of life wluch must be dealt
with.
"Ideally, I would have tuition much less (than it is
now)," he said.
A 10 percent yearly tuition increase was put into effect
for the university three years ago, to keep up with the rate
of inflation.
As a land grant institution, the university's primary
support should come from the state, he said. However, he
said the university must take responsible measures to keep
costs down and educational quality up in order to receive
needed funds from the Nebraska Legislature.
Another difficulty has arisen at the university because
of the increasing enrollment in the last 10 years, he said.
"The State Department of Education said to us that we
should anticipate a decrease in enrollment in the last 10
Proposal transfers county's burden
of indigent medical services to state
By Alice Hrnicek
A move by the NU Board of Regents last fall to discon
tinue providing medical services to indigents prompted a
legislative proposal to transfer the burden of care from
counties to the state.
LB602, introduced last week in the Nebraska Legis
lature, is an attempt to alleviate the burden on counties
which cannot afford to care for the indigent, said Sen.
Sam Cullan of Hemingford, the bill's sponsor.
"I don't believe the counties have the capacity to carry
on that financial burden," Cullan said.
But an official in the state Department of Public Wel
fare said the bill does not define the category of poor peo
ple to which the proposal would apply.
The issue arose when the regents voted to no longer
treat, except in emergencies, persons who could not af
ford to pay hospital costs at the NU Medical Center in
Omaha. The move was estimated to eliminate care for
about 10 percent of the patients.
The university denied the care because state law reads
that indigent care is to be provided by the county. But,
Cullan said, Douglas County did not have the money to
provide the care.
"Douglas County has a legal obligation that they can't
pay for," he said.
Cullan estimated the proposal would cost the state sev
eral million dollars, but he is awaiting results of a study on
the matter by the legislative fiscal office.
"A lot of time j hospitals absorb the costs, but then this
is passed on to other patients. This doesn't work in an
area with a large percentage of poor people."
Derald Lembrich, administrator of provider services for
the welfare department, which would administer the ser
vice, said a change is needed. He said some hospitals have
had trouble paying for care when counties do not have the
money.
But the bill does not define the category of indigent
for which the county would be responsible, Lembrich
said, making it hard for his office to determine how much
the move would cost.
The only guidelines he can offer would be a category
of persons who do not fall into current welfare categories,
such as "those traveling as itinerant workers."
years, but we did not anticipate the turnaround in the
business and engineering schools," he said.
Administration role
71ie role of the NU administration should be to provide
the best learning situation possible, he said. For example,
the administration should see to it that students who
graduate from the university should be able to compete
with students from any other school, and that students
wanting an advanced degree should be able to gain admis
sion to the school of their choice.
"The quality of the faculty is very important," he said.
"If we have that, we vill be able to have good educational
quality."
Faculty members should enjoy teaching ana try to use
timely material in their classes, he said.
Schwartzkopf said he makes special efforts to deal with
student concerns and problems. By being accessible to the
students, he said, he can get a clear perspective on student
issues.
"I have never turned down an invitation by a student, I
have visited a number of classes . . . whenever I get a
phone call from a student I don't just ignore it, I try to re
spond," he said.
Schwartzkopf said he is closer to students because he
lives in Lincoln and can be better informed about student
concerns.
Student regent
Schwartzkopf said the position of student regent is not
conducive to good student input to the board.
"I'm not enthused about it," he said. "I don't think
we're getting the real concerns of students now."
Schwartzkopf suggested that a group of about six or
eight students should serve on an advisory board to the
regents.
Schwartzkopf praised the university's athletic depart
ment, but said the academic departments at the university
do not have the great statewide support that the athletic
department does.
The university has experienced an increase in the
number of Merit Scholars from state high schools though,
he said.
Schwartzkopf said he is opposed to more stringent
admission requirements at the university.
"We owe it to the students, if they have a diploma and
have met all the requirements (of their high school) to
provide them with an education. There is no reason to
have any restrictions. We need to give them the oppor
tunity to succeed," he said.
He said entering university students are often misdir
ected into classes which are too difficult for them and
overloaded with credit hours, both factors which contri
bute substantially to the university's dropout rate.
Improved counseling and advising, especially for enter
ing freshmen, would help reduce this problem, he said.
Inside Friday
Moan over Miami: Although band members say they en
joyed the trip they still wanted to be included in the
bowl trip planning process Page 7
Splish Splash: The Daily Nebraskan presents coverage of
Thursday's men's swimming meet Page 9
Enos! After Them Duke Boys: The International Auto
rama brings "General Lee" and the "Tribute to Elvis"
Chevy to Pershing Auditorium this weekend. . Page 10