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Thursday, January 19, 1C34
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Volumo 3, No. 81
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Gov. Bob Kerrey announced Wcdnesd sy morning a
statewide mental health-care plan and called for
the state to take the lead in shaping Nebraska's
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Abo speaking at Kerrey's weekly press conference
v.T.3 Ronald Jensen, director cf Nebraska Depart
ment cf Public Institutions, who said the plan
focuses cn treating the chronically mentally ill
The plan recommends that the state's three
regional centers serv e only the chronically ill while
the private sector would serve short-term patients.
Jensen srli the plan probably will net greatly
increase the regional centers' current number of
patients, which b COO.
Kerrey said that for the first time the state has
established a mental health program defining the
goals for care in both private and public sectors.
"We are saying throughout the plan that we have
an obligation to attempt to provide care for the
most difficult folks ... which is essentially the
chronic care facilities" he said.
Jensen said the private sector does a good job
treating mental patients, but lacks the money to
treat long-term patients who cannot make it in the
community.
The Department of Public Institutes conducted
a three-year study on Nebraska's mental health sys
tem. The department's report showed that more
than 1 50,000 residents need mental health services.
Many of these people are under the care of family
doctors or other health care professionals, but more
than 32,000 are expected to need state services.-
State mental health services currently serve about
23,000 people.
Kerrey also discussed the state's budget. On his
recent tour of Nebraska, Kerrey said, he proposed
expenditures cf about $348 million. Of that amount
he said, 525 million would be used for educational
improvements. .
Kerrey said many cf the people he tallied to on the
tour recognized the need to upgrade teachers' salar
ies and administration systems at Nebraska's schools.
But people want to avoid substantial tax increases
to accomplish the goal, he said. . .
In an attempt to find ether means to improve the
state's schools, Kerrey said he will ask people to put '
pressure on local school boards because they are
responsible for hiring and firing the principal or
superintendent; the state is net.
"They must keep the pressure on at that point to
ensure that those increased salaries are paid to
teachers," Kerrey said.
Kerrey also announced a farm bill that may have
an impact on people who lease farm land The legis
lative bill which wa3 introduced Tu sday by ll co
sponsors, would give tax credit to lease holders
based on their land's value, Kerrey said.
Kerrey also discussed LB56, which proposes to
change the legal drinking age from 20 to 21. If the bill
advances to the governor's desk,Kerrey said, he will
sign it.
Nebraskans expect the bill to have miraculous
effects, Kerrey said, but people need to realize that
teen-age drinking and alcohol-related deaths will
not change until "grown-ups show and teach them
(children)" to use alcohol responsibly.
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Gov. Dab Kerrey
260 computers available for student use
Control Data donates coMDuter terminal
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Eight to 16 computer terminals may be placed in
the Nebraska Union by the end of the semester. The
topic was discussed at the Nebraska Union Board's
first meeting of the spring semester on Tuesday.
The computers, part of the special donation to
UNL from Control Data Corporation, would be
placed in what is now the women's lounge on the
first floor.
Don Nelson, professor of electrical engineering
and computer science, explained to the board that
UNL will receive 2C0 computer terminals from CDC.
One hundred terminals will be placed at general
usage locations throughout the campus, such as the
unions and dormitories. Another 100 will be set
aside for faculty and graduate student use and 60
PLATO terminals, designed to specialize in computer
aided instruction, have yet to be assigned.
Nelson said all 260 terminals will be connected to
a main computer in the basement of the Nebraska
Engineering Complex. -
Daryl Swanson, union director, said the terminals
would undergo an experimental period at first, in
which they would be accessible only during the
union building hours. The terminals would later be
used 24 hours a day, if students show enough inter
, est, Swanson said. Swanson said the lounge is the
only place the terminals could be located in the
union and still have 24-hour accessibility "without
major modification," he said. v
The plan would remove the popular lounge, which
Swanson said could cause some problems. The
board will hear any suggestions or objections to the
plan at its next meeting on Jan. 31.
The board also announced that the eligibility of
five members had concluded. Sid Pinney, president,
Pat Meister, vice president, Connie Kay Ebersp
acher, secretary, Susan Hansen, planning commit
tee chairperson, and Tracy Quevedo, food service
committee chairperson, will be replaced by new
members Feb. 4. ASUN started interviewing board
applicants Wednesday.
The board will present its budget to the Commit
tee on Fees Allocation on.. Feb., 2.. With Gov. Bob
Kerrey's suggested 8 percent raise for state
employees, the board's annual student fee request
would be $20.62 per semester, an increase of $2.00.
Insieb
Students are not'using all the scholar
ships end financial aids. available at UNL. . .
5
The UNL Athletic Department institutes a
new plan to help football players graduate
before they start professional careers
Pa-36
Hot tubs are fast becoming a hot topic in
Lincoln Pa;3 9
Inde
Arts and Entertainment 3
Classified 10
Crossword 1s
Editorial 4
Off Tha Wire 2
Sports G
ASUN opposes hike in drinking age
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The ASUN Senate passed a bill, Wednesday night
edvicing the Government Liaison Committee to
oppose LB56, which would raise the drinking age to
21.
The senate voted 16-7, with six abstentions.
The Legislature will consider a number of issues
this session that are of general concern to the stu
dent body, according to Ruth Doham, GLC chairper-.
son. . -
Andy Carothers, Arts and Sciences senator, who.
submitted the bill, told senators he believes there is
a problem with drunk drivers, but raising the drink
ing age to 21 isnt the answer.
Minors will drive to surrounding states where the
legal drinking age is lower, he said;
Carothers said that tougher drunken driving
penalties are needed to solve the problem.
President Matt Wallace also voice concerns he
had about raising the drinking age.
. A significant portion of 19 and 2Q year-olds can.
purchase alcohol hi neighboring states, he said.
"If drunken driving is the major issue, this isn't
solving the problem," Wallace said. .
Wallace and Bohara agreed that the bill would not
result in reduced alcohol consumption, nor would it
"decrease drunken driving. .
Wallace and Doham said they believed the drink
ing age has fluctuated greatly in the last fifteen
years and statistics have supported neither raising
or lowering the drinking age.
Both said that until the surrounding states have a
comparable age, it will not be feasible to make a
-change and will probably not affect the drinking
habits of 19 or 20 year-old citizens.
The bill sparked some opposition by Dolores
Kirkland-Simpson, assistant to the dean ofstudents.
Raising the drinking age will create some prob
lems, but drinking-related problems in residence
halls, including fighting and vandalism, create an
uncomfortable atmosphere, Simpson said.
"Drinking is a problem on this campus," she said.
Simpson said that people's lives have been snuffed
out due to alcohol
"We must look past this bill at the major issue," she
said.
. Reg Kuhn, Law College senator, said the senate
must look at ways to help solve the alcohol problem
and not simply vote cn the bill
