Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (June 5, 1984)
SUMMER EDITION UismJiy c Tuesday, June 5, 1984 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Vo. 83 Wo. WO if 5 . 4 1 El . Tolkien and the Hobbits live on in hearts, minds of UNL group By Ilira Sproula Eilbo Baggins lives in the hearts of a UNL Tolkien group! Baggins is one of several well-known and much-loved characters of author J. R. R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy one each week to talk about. "Rumors of our death have been grossly exagger ated "Richard Boohar, spokesman for Tolkien group, said. The group began meeting in 1969 as part of the now-defunct UNL Centennial Education Program and will continue to meet as long as student interest continues, Boohar said, despite rumors that the group was disbanding. Members come and go throughout the years, Boohar said. Although most members leave when they graduate, graduation does not exclude mem bership. The groups' constitution states that only UNL students are allowed to be officers in the organ ization, but anyone who is interested may join. The group attracts a wide variety of students, Boohar said. At present, he said, the group has about 10 members, all who are students. He said he hopes to recruit many new members for the fall. Many veteran members, he said, have read "Lord of the Rings" and Tolkien's other works several times. However, he said, it is enjoyable for the veter ens to watch new members as they read Tolkien for the first time. Boohar, an associate professor in the School of Life Sciences, said he first read "Lord of the Rings" about 18 years ago. Since then, he said, he has read the book 31 times. "I am hooked," he said. "Lord of the Rings," he said, can be related to everyday life and experiences. , "It gets inside you and helps you look at where you live," said Boohar. Every reading, of "Lord of the Rings" is a new experience, he said. Everyone lives a lot between readings, so the book takes on new meaning every time. Boohar said people interested in joining the group this fall can contact him at his office at 2-2306. VYSi'ilcm H. VViklnDsl!y Nabrwktn V. H V By Hare Simon The possibility of installing cable television in UNL's residence halls by the fall semester remains an uncertainty, according to Doug Zatechka, direc tor of university housing. Zatechka has been involved in forming a plan between the university and Cablevision that would allow for the installation of cable television to resi dence halls. He said he hopes to work out a plan with Cablevision that would be economical enough to present to University officials and others involved in the final decision to get cable. If cable arrives, people living in residence halls would subscribe to it in a way similar to telephone service. Everyone would receive the "basic service," which includes all channels except premium chan nels like HBO (Home Box Office). They would receive this basic service whether they wanted it or not. The cost for it would be absorbed into regular housing payments. Possible extras, such as pre mium channels and closed-circuit educational ser vices, may be available on an individual basis. This depends on contract specifications and feasibility. The desire for cable television among residence hall students definitely exists, Zatechka said. He cited a survey given to residence hall students in late April that asked if they would be willing to pay extra for cable TV- service. Ninety percent of those who completed the survey said they would be willing to pay extra for the service. 1 ' rr.5l'inii cllrncs since 1974. bean his third dents, faculty rjid people from Lincoh enrc;!.2d the:aeflp;::uiil5erll drop out because they want to try to quit c:ziz tneywant to or have to Hop, Annexe; sill The desire to quit is rxt enough; ic:rZ3; iB.ust'.hawstrenph wiUp wMM-&pl III ftiiliirtcMnic whfe meet for two hcum tx day, cost $15. Fcr more iM&rniatioS j ?call ;.UNL&, derifetnK Eruty;hMth::at::472'05p.:ili Gas leaks in city freauenL ddTtoerous By J&aa DaMsien Eonma Members of state and city government and the oil industry are concerned about a problem that is hazardous, expensive, hard to detect and even hard to clean up. The problem is underground gasoline leaks. According to Larry Cole, an inspector for the Lincoln Bureau of Fire Prevention, as many as one-third of Nebraska's estimated 30,000 under ground gasoline tanks are leaking, possibly spewing millions of gallons cf gasoline . per year into Nebraska soil. Vince Dreeszen, director of the UNL Conserva tion Survey' Division, said "In every case when, a tank isburied" an underground spill could even tually occur. Cole said the sources of underground leaks include abandoned gasoline storage tanks, residen-. tial fuel oil tanks and gasoline stations that fail to monitor their fuel inventory. The manufacturing and oil industries also contribute to gasoline leaks, he said. Many partially filled gasoline tanks were aban doned when gas was too cheap to be pumped up and hauled away, Cole said. He also estimated that homeowners abandoned thousands of fuel oil tanks when home heating systems were con verted to natu ral gas. Cole said he recently found two such tanks in Lincoln containing several thousand gallons of fuel. The problem is especially difficult considering the state has no record of tanks buried before 1882, Cole said. Abandoned tanks may remain undiscovered for years until someone acciden tally digs them up, he said. Dreeszen said the government's responsibility is unclear when dealing with underground spills. Cole agreed, saying the state has no funds set aside for cleaning up spills from abandoned tanks. Currently, the tank's owner is responsible for the clean up, Cole said, but if no owner is found, nothing will pa done unless danger of an explosion exists. Mike Swiggart, section chief in the water and waste management division of the Department of ...as many as one-third of Nebraska ys estimated 30, 000 undmyroiindgasoline tanlcs are leaking, possibly speiv ing millions of gallons of gasoline per year into Neb raska soil... Environmental Control, has a superfund availa ble for hazardous waste clean up, but it cannot be used for petroleum products.