University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Wednesday, February 10, 1982
Vol. 109 No. 23
Lincoln, Nebraska
Copyright 1982 Daily Nebraskan
Lincoln senator says
students need to lobby
for higher NU budget
By Eric Peterson
Sen. Steve Fowler of Lincoln said students need to give
their opinions when the NU budget is formulated. His
comments came Tuesday at a breakfast meeting sponsored
by the ASUN Senate's Government Liaison Committee
and the College of Business Administration Advisory
Board.
''Students have an important role as consumers of the
service," Fowler said. He said students are one of the few
objective sources that Nebraska legislators have to inform
them -of the university's needs.
One frustration of student lobbying is the paternalism
of some senators, Fowler said.
"You might be asked if you want to close this building
to pay the faculty more money," he said about the Nebra
ska Union, where the breakfast was held. "Other interest
groups don't get asked that. I think it's perfectly fair to
say the state needs both things."
Fowler said it is essential for student groups to build
up a definite group of supporters in the Unicameral.
"If you have some influence with even five or six
senators, it can swing a crucial issue. I guess what I'm say
ing is you don'l need all 49."
More supporters needed
The senator snid UNL needs more supporters outside
the Lincoln and Omaha legislative districts. He said the
recently formed Nebraska State Student Association,
which may eventually represent all four-year state-funded
institutions, is a major step in the building of a statewide
student power base.
Fowler said one of the most visible effects of student
lobbying is the renovated Temple Building.
"The theater arts project would not have been built
without student lobbying," he said.
Fowler said student efforts moved the project from
20th priority for university capital construction to a
project that was actually worked on.
"It was some of the most sophisticated lobbying I've
ever seen," he said.
The senator said his proposal to raise the state cigarette
tax 4 cents, earmarking the revenue for capital construct
ion for higher education, was unpopular with smokers in
the state.
"It doesn't seem too likely that the Revenue Com
mittee will let it through," he said.
Fowler said capital construction is a subject often
ignored.
"I think there's a surprising number of the legislators
who have never been in those buildings."
Research the key
Fowler said student lobbyists should research legis
lative records.
"The key to good lobbying is to understand every
senator as an individual." Fowler, a former president of
UNL's student senate, said continuity of concern was the
biggest problem student leaders had when he was in
school.
"If you can build up a pool of information about each
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senator's history, it would help. One of the most success
ful lobbyists said he even knew where senators got their
hair cut," he said.
Students have a responsibility to defend their interests,
Fowler said.
"A lot of decisions, both nationally and locally, are
being made with a callous disregard to the needs of ed
ucation," he said. He said educational underfunding was
due in part to senators' wishes to be re-elected, but also
to their genuine convictions.
"Most legislators feel they are fulfilling a mandate to
cut government. They think they should stop the growth
of government - wherever that was. It certainly wasn't
in Nebraska," he said.
Lobbying efforts on behalf of government programs
have slowed recently, Fowler said.
"People are shell-shocked by the federal cuts. They
don't even know where to begin. We don't hear from
enough people." Faculty members, for example, don't
talk to legislators enough, he said.
"We hear a lot more from students than from faculty."
Campus rules change slowly
Fowler said the alcohol policy recently proposed
by the Residence Hall Association should emphasize a
student alcohol safety program to help reduce drunken
driving.
He said any change in campus rules is a slow process,
referring to a revision made in the residence hall visitation
policy during his term as senate president.
"The (visitation) changes were ridiculously slow in
coming," he said.
The senator said denying the senate president and stu
dent regent a salary is "a classic small-minded action of
the regents. They wanted to show who was in charge."
When asked if he is considering running for mayor
of Lincoln, since Mayor Helen Boosalis is not seeking
re-election, Fowler said he has not decided. He said he
hopes for student involvement if he runs. "I've never
been disappointed about student support when it comes
time for re-election."
Faculty Senate gets research report
By Jeff Goodwin
The UNL Research Council reported to the UNL Fac
ulty Senate Tuesday afternoon that the council's budget
may have to be cut as much as $3,000 next year.
The council's annual report, which covers the Fiscal
year 1980-81, said federal cutbacks are likely to increase
the number of applicants to the research council.
As a result of this, the number of successful applicants
will drop.
The council has also requested UNL Chancellor Martin
Massengale to forward the council's request for funds for
a new Professor-in-Residence program to the NU Founda
tion. Under the program a professor from another school
would be brought in for a month and perhaps even up to a
semester, to consult with faculty and students, lecture,
and aid the department's research program.
The council reported that a study of three of its pro
grams. Grants-in-Aid, Summer Fellowships, and Semester
Leaves, had proven very successful in generating outside
funding many times the value of the funds appropriated
by the council.
The report of the Convocation Committee was also
presented to the senate.
Thomas Myers, a member of the committee, reported
that $2,160 had been spent in the 1981-82 school year to
bring speakers to campus. The committee's budget is
$3,000, leaving it $840 for the rest of the year.
Myers said the Convocation Committee also has re
sponsibility for administering the Avery Lecture Fund,
which currently has a balance of $2,706.93.
Myers urged senate members to devote more time to
bringing speakers to campus.
"We have no real limitation on what can be funded,"
Myers said. "The only expectation we have is that an indi
vidual coming to campus would speak to an open convo
cation." Myers said the Convocation Committee often uses its
funds in conjunction with other groups to bring speakers
to campus.
In other committee reports the Central Planning Com
mittee said it was not being consulted enough on capital
construction projects, as is required in the university by
laws. The committee urged that all proposed capital con
struction projects be planned as early in advance as pos
sible and that input be sought from all interested parties,
including the CPC.
The Academic Planning Committee report said the
committee was reviewing UNL's Five-Year Plan.
The committee's recommendations will be presented to
the Chancellor's Planning Group who are planning to pre
pare an updated plan this spring.
Railroad officials say
overpass could solve
trespassing problem
By John Goecke
Officials are considering the feasibility of building an
overpass above the railroad tracks south of Harper-Schramm-Smith
Residence Complex as a possible solu
tion to students climbing over trains parked in the area.
Representatives from UNL, the Missouri Pacific Rail
road and the residence hall's student government dis
cussed the issue Monday for the first time at a meeting
in the State Office Building. The Nebraska Public Service
Commission organized the meeting.
In January, Harold Simpson, Public Service Commiss
ion chairman, reported to railroad officials that students
were endangering their lifes by climbing over trains
parked outside the complex on North 14th Street and
Avery Avenue. The railroad owns a track that cuts
through the university and crosses over 14th, 16th and
17th streets intersections. The section of track is used to
assemble trains and activate air brakes.
Students cross the track as a short cut when walking
to and from classes, and officials say they are concerned
someone will be hurt while climbing on a train that sud
denly starts moving.
Bob Skochdopol, attorney for Missouri Pacific, said the
railroad will examine the cost of building and maintain
ing an overpass and will report to the university in 30
days.
Skochdopol said he doubts whether an overpass is the
best solution because students have not developed one
clear short cut. More than one overpass may be needed,
he said.
"This is a situation where we will have to have some
cooperation from students and the university," he said.
Students often climb over trains because they block
intersections and students cannot bear to stand in freez
ing temperatures for 20 minutes, said Jim Gerndt,
Harper-Schramm-Smith Complex program director.
Although law states that an intersection can only be
blocked for 10 minutes, the railroad sometimes exceeds
the time limit, Gerndt said. In the last month, he doc
umented three incidences when trains blocked 14th
Street for more than 10 minutes. In one incident, the
train blocked the road for 43 minutes, he said.
If railroad officials could establish a set time during
the day when trains would cross the track and guarantee
they would only park for 10 minutes, students would
be less likely to climb on the train, said Bill Flack, pres
ident of Harper's government.
Flack agreed to work with students to make them
aware of the danger of climbing the trains.
Grant could replenish
libraries' book supply
UNL will receive $50,000 for library books if the NU
Foundation can match the amount. The dean of UNL
libraries, Gerald A. Rudolph, is confident it can.
"The University of Nebraska Foundation is attempting
to solicit large amounts of money from its sources," Ru
dolph said. He said corporations, individuals and other
foundations are possible targets for funds.
The challenge grant, offered by the Cooper Founda
tion Board of Directors, can only be used to purchase hu
manities and social sciences books, Rudolph said. Because
of budget limitations, the library has been acquiring more
periodicals and fewer books. Rudolph said the Cooper
Foundation acted soely on its own initiative by offering
the money to replenish the declining supply of books in
the humanities and social sciences.
Rudolph said this was the first challenge grant the li
brary lias ever received. He said challenge grants are a
"good way of having everybody participate," letting
others help out as opposed to just the Cooper Foundation
giving the money to the library.
Inside
Wednesday
Screen Test: The UNL Division of Continuing Studies of
fers classes in which the students watch television ....
Page 3.
Vinyl Exams: Reviews of new albums by everyone from
Conway Twitty to the B52s Page 8.
Letter Sweaters: A nation full of college football coaches
and fans sweat out the next fews days as the letter of
intent signings begin today Page 10.
