rj o -j n if U rr January 21, 1933 Vol. 82, No. 87 University of Nebraska-Lincoln e j I I . if U J" ' pi i i v s jf m it iv U ( c ji VJ x, i s L T1 ni. ft By Ward W.Triplett III After nearly two hours of emotionally charged debate Wednesday, the Nebraska Union Board approved funding for the renovation of Terrace Hall, 420 University Terrace, for a new culture center in its 1983-84 budget request. The final vote of 6-4 with one absten tion came after 95 minutes of discussion. Part of the board favored waiting to see if a new building could be built. Other members favored moving the culture center into Terrace Hall now because of its availability and -the unlikely chance that funding for a new building could be raised. The building at, 1012 N. 16th St., which currently houses the Culture Center, was intended to be a temporary site when the center moved in lO.years ago. A task force to find a new location for the center was organized last spring after the UNL Physical Plant Administra tion declared the building unfit for renova tion. Before that, the building's activities already had outgrown its space. The task force concluded that the university-owned Terrace Hall, occupied by the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, was the best location for the center. It was also agreed that the center needed to move closer to the campus. The feasibility study was completed during semester break and the additional cost of operat ing the Culture Center in Terrace Hall was included in the union's 1983-84 budget request. The proposal still has to be approved by the Committee for Fees Allocation and the NU Board of Regents. The regents must be petitioned for use of bond funds to renovate the building as well. The esti mated cost is $180,000. Union Board President Laura Meyer began the meeting by stating her object ions to the proposal. "I'm not trying to say Terrace Hall is not a good option," Meyer said. "But I just want to make sure it is the best option there is." Meyer said she did not feel that the Union Board had adequate time to study other options, including a new building for the center. The meeting was attended by several members of the Culture Center Task Force and by students who felt the Terrace Hall option was the only option. Fugene Tolston, president of the Afri can People's Union, said that group was in favor of moving to Terrace Hall. "We do not look at it as just a minority center," Tolston said. "The Culture Center has always been for everybody." The center needs to be closer to the center of campus because its present location discourages students from walk- a wants CPA mte ing there. Tolston said. Board member Pat Meister said his only concern was the residents around the proposed center. "I don't foresee any problems there," Meister S3id. "But I do believe they should be asked about this." The area previously has been entirely . residential, and as of Tuesday, none 'of the people living in the three Greek houses and one residence hall had been told the Culture Center was being moved to the area. Meister said. Wardell Smith, a graduate assistant who manages the Culture Center, said Meister's concern was legitimate, but the decision to move to Terrace Hall was not finalized until December. The residents' attitudes would pro bably not have a direct effect on allo cations for the center anyway, Smith said. "1 know there might be some con cerns," Smith said. "We all have our prejudices. But when I was an under graduate. I used to walk up 16th Street and I never thought the loud music and actions from the fraternity houses were offending me. Your attitude seems to be if you bring those guys (blacks) into that area, you're going to see something you haven't seen before, and that's not true." "Putting the Culture Center at Terrace Hall is crucial, because it would make minority students more visible and would help, not hinder, relationships," Smith said. Rose Perez, an assistant at the Culture Center and a member of the task force, icminded the boaid that the Culture Center is open only limited hours on weekdays and for occasional parties on weekends. "There wouldn't be any problems with noise or anything like that, for the simple reason it will not be open that long," Perez, said. Union director Daryl Swanson said the issue of what the neighbors thought about the center had not come up until two weeks ago, but he could see a point in informing the residents about the deci sion. "I'm not going to ask their permis sion," Swanson said. "I am going to get their understanding, their support, inform them and communicate with them." Swanson reminded the students that only the regents could make a final decision on the issue and unified opinion had to be established. "I do not want, in the same gallery, three different factions representing dif ferent ideas." Swanson said. "Believe me, that will blow this thing right out of the water." Continued on Page 7 , i j It i! M 1 i I o r r1 r - . , ,1111" - I I I 1,1 ! I I II 1 NT 1 I 1 1 ! sl , f : LJLJ LJ Li fj- (TJ'Tl if i. 4 r -i a i r n in n UJ ii o o On UNL I- By Mona Koppelman "We're going to be meeting with repre sentatives trom the university, the Lxecu- Prospects for a legislative-UNL research tive Board, from the Legislature and the liaison proposed last year are "more hope- executive branch," Wesely said. ful" this session, project sponsor Sen. ' Sen. Shirley Marsh, vice chairman of the Don Wesely of Lincoln said. Executive Board, said she thought the pro Last year the proposed liaison wasn't posal "would be a very positive thing to developed further because of tight budget ' have happen." restraints. This session, Wesely said, early "It would be an important additional talks with officials in the Kerrey admini- tool for researchers at the Legislature," stration and the new Executive Board were Marsh said, encouraging. The university formally Rosemary Bergstrom, administrative endorsed the concept last year, he said, assistant for the Great Plains Center, said The proposal calls for a formal working the OPS would serve primarily as a coor rebtionship between the Legislature's dinator in locating faculty and resources Research Office and the Great Plains for legislative research. Center's Office of Political Studies. The OPS "Our main concern would be with would locate faculty members with the short-term projects. . .one or two months necessary expertise in the area to be of research," Eergstrom said, researched. Faculty members would then Such research projects would be state put together detailed reports and submit funded. Rates of compensation would be the information to the LRO. set relative to universtiy salaries of parti- "It's not a major request, but it results cipating faculty, according to the in .major improvements in utilization of December 1931 proposal, faculty and improvement of our own "It would 'be a mutually beneficial research capabilities," Wesely said. arrangement, the public would be wcll- The propord states that many served by it, and the cost factor is mini-- ""conipkx cr.d rr.uhifsceted areas of policy mal," Wesely said. The proposal gives a research" 'nni'irb! Emiysis by reori-2 base figure of $16,860 to set uo the with is.i-ei expertise" currently ;:tn little techr.teal support c :-s f teti'h liaison. The funds would come from the carried cut by le:!ative reseerehers legislative research budget. "It's a new idea in Nebraska, and so:ne titute faculty thinn. new is always more iHfHedt to start," Wesely said. Several other states, including Pennsyl vania, Michigan and Arkansas, have insti- between C.i I Lt:i t . i:::::':y, 11!: rn rn C---'l "11 y:' v. .t to lnr:i v!-;y To i ' .'1 research for our own research staff, Vesely said. "However, we would get more iTsearch for our money with faculty sup- : ementary research than by hiring outside tuted research arrangements ccnaultants or enhrjing the legislative universites and lerlative bodies. research staff." "My feeling is that a research liaison For the 1932-83 fiscal year, a total of would not only help the Legislature, but $1,392,160 has been set aside by the would also benefit the university," Wesely Lff.'cliture for legislative research services, said. "It would develop a closer relation- Wesely met Thursday with Larry Swan- ship between the university and the sen, CT3 2ir.istrator. Wesely said they Legislature. It would also draw rulwa tyre cf approach to the support for tax dollars jpent for a very U'efal purpose." 1. .