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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 8, 1983)
t v n OaiJiy n fc 3 p- . . i uesaay March 8, 1983 Vol. 82, No. 119 University of Nebraska-Lincoln j4 wooes SPA to get sfedeimfe more convolved n By Bill Allen Larry Weixelman is an idealist, lie admits that. Weixelman said the main purpose of the SPARE party (Students for Political Awareness Regarding Education) is to get students to take the initiative to guide their own future. Weixelman, a senior history major, is the presidential candidate for the party. He and Dave Sanden, his vice-presidential candidate and the only other member of the party, want UNL students to become active participants in the political process. "And 1 guess that's where the idealist part comes in," Weixelman said, "There's no way you can accomplish that in a year." Weixelman said the SPARE party wants to make a start toward this goal. He said one of the first things he wants to do if elected is to start an independent student lobbyist group. He said he realizes that the Government Liaison Committee also works toward student involvement but said that GLC is ineffective because it comes under the control of the administration just like ASUN. "GLC has no bargaining power," Weixelman said, "It's a group that can only make recommendations. We need a lobby group that can organize the students into a strong voting block." Weixelman said that the other parties, particularly the Reach Party, are stating that the NU Board of Regents is stagnating, "but I think ASUN is the one that is stag nating," he said, "that's evident by voter turnout." He said one of the problems of ASUN is the tendency to slide toward existing systems or use them as a model. He said the emphasis is on setting up committees or initiating studies. These people should get together and not be afraid to tackle the serious issues, he said. Weixelman said that tuition increases seem to be the main concern of the students he has talked to. He said that while the computer facility issue is a valid problem, many other issues addressed by the other parties don't really affect students, at least not where their education is concerned. i 4 ' - - ' J I. V,. . ( X ... i ( W v ASUN candidates: Greg Krieser, left, and Weixelman. Staff photo by Dave Bentz Laura Meyer; Beth Berigan and Joni Jacobs; Matt Wallace and Regina Rogers; and Larry Z3 Candidates respond to stadenft question s Editor's note: This is the final article in a five-part series profiling ASUN Senate parties. By Vicki Ruhga In the last debate before the March 9 elections, ASUN presidential candidates responded to questions in the Main Lounge of the Nebraska Union Monday. The de bate was sponsored by the University Program Coucil Talks and Topics Com mittee and moderated by Dee Simpson Kirkland, assistant to the dean of students. Bill Allen of the Daily Nebraskan asked the candidates what they hope to accom plish in light of : student apathy and lack of ASUN control of student funds and over student affairs. Laura Meyer, presidential candidate for the Action Party, said she will continue to encourage people to write letters to administrators, the NU Foundation and the Legislature's appropriations committee on such issues as computer facilities. Action also is looking at problems with the UNL Police Department and student apathy. Vice-presidential candidate Beth Berigan of the Anarky Party said student apathy would help her party achieve its goal of eliminating ASUN. Larry Weixelman, presidential candidate of the Spare Party, said his entire platform is to make students aware of university, state and national governments, and to use their power of voice by voting. Presidential candidate Matt Wallace of the Reach Party said he would try to promote a more positive student attitude toward ASUN by eliminating the snobbish attitude of some senators. A liaison between ASUN and living units and organi zations could help accomplish this. Wallace also said students need to realize ASUN is not a government with power to make policy decision on all issues, but a focal point for students to voice their concerns to chancellors, administrators and legis lators. Scott Drvol, Innocents Society president, asked the candidates how they view problems with the regents and admin istrators and how they deal with them. Weixelman said he would try to find a reasonable way to address all students, either through the Daily Nebraskan or by having ASUN senators contact students. Students should be more involved in plan ning curriculum, instructors and classes, he said. Action will work with the administra tion to accomplish its goals, but will not give up on issues, Meyer said. She said more student organizations need to get involved in ASUN, and more student support of ASUN proposals is needed. Wallace said he believes the current board of regents will be more receptive to student input, Reach advocates limiting the regents to two six-year terms to ensure fresh blood within the board. If ASUN were abolished, Berigan said, there would be no buffer zone between the regents and students, and regents would be held directly responsible for their actions. Joni Jacobs, Anarky Party presidential candidate, said that instead of writing letters or petitions, students need to have rallies, storm Regents Hall and possibly send blackmail notes. Martha Hughey of Mortar Board asked the candidates what they would do to maintain and improve the quality of education at UNL. Wallace said Reach would identify the problems, look at all possible solu tions, and give students the information so they could contact regents and sena tors. Weixelman said he would encourage people to donate as much money to the academic areas of the university as to the athletic department. Through LB570, a bill to give businesses tax incentives if they hire students or give them on-the-job training, Action would improve the quaJity of education, Meyer said. She said she would encourage private funding for the com puter system, and more state spending on instructional activities. 'J ..t' r-S2 ill Ulevisaon of UNL alcohol polic planned by Progressive Pasty i a.. ' ' " Staff photo by Craig Anaresen Progressive Party candidates Shelley Wolfe, secretary; Bob Wolz, president; Joe Studer, vice president; and Tom Lauder, treasurer. By Lauri Hopple Residence Hall Association presidential candidate Bob Wolz announced Monday the Progressive Party's plans to attempt to effectively revise UNL's alcohol policy. Wolz said his party considers this issue a major concern of residence hall students. Fie cited RHA's 1982 fall survey of 10 percent of all residence hall students, in which 48 percent of the respondents said the alcohol policy has an important issue. "We recognize (the Office of University) Housing's stand (of no alcoholic beverages allowed in the residence halls), but we think we could work out a compromise. . . where it would be allowed," vice-presidential candidate Joe Studer said. He added that the Progressive Party is not promising to get alcohol allowed in residence halls. Wolz said the party does not have a definite alcohol policy yet, but will survey students after the election. He said the survey will include questions about alcoholism among residents. Wolz also emphasized his desire to see more RHA involvement and support for East Campus residents. Wolz said East Campus residents have told his party members that their main problems concern maintenance of halls and lack of security. Wolz proposed a 24-hour. police patrol on East Campus. Improved communication between RHA and residence hall students is important, Wolz said. If elected, he said, a monthly newsletter will be published by RHA to inform students of what the organization is doing. The RHA survey taken last fall indicated that 88 percent of the students polled believed they did not have enough contact with RHA. Wolz said RHA needs to be turned around, and that this can be done through communication. "I've been involved in RHA for three years and the problems that are lurking in the minds of hall residents are not being solved," he said. "RHA is meant to be an effective way to solve students' problems. We want to establish a two-way communication."