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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 18, 1985)
Friday, January 18, 1935 Pago 4 Daily Nebraskan 7 A Boffllistoi' 4 creates cosmnasao: fter more than four years, UNL administrators have finally made a decision on the University Bookstore relocation. If the plan is approved by the NU Board of Regents in February, the bookstore will be moved to the north end of the Nebraska Union basement in the space currently occupied by the bowling alleys, RecRoom, Rostrum and Cellar. The new bookstore is in the best interest of UNL students. But the decision-making was awkward. Administrators should have waited until students were back on campus and informed of the proposal, so misunderstandings could have been avoided. A state-of-the-art bookstore would benefit UNL students. Union Director Daryl Swanson said the 30,000-square-foot space could contain the two text stores, the supply store and possibly the office. The University bookstore then could compete with the Nebraska Bookstore, and students supposedly would pay lower prices ar.d have larger selections, Swanson said. The new bookstore would be an asset, but the timetable used to make the relocation decision is questionable. Many students claim the decision was made behind their backs. Administrators approved the plan during dead week and hired a contractor Jan. 10 a few days before students returned for second semester classes. Work WG3 to have started Monday, but last Friday, plans suddenly changed. The bookstore proposal was removed from the regents' January agenda because financial details had to be worked out and student input had to be gathered, said ASUN president Mark Scudder. Scudder said the bookstore decision was not made behind students' backs the move has been talked about for more than four years. For two years, a committee appointed by UNL Chancellor Martin Massengale has studied the bookstore relocation. The committee considered nine options for the new bookstore including a new building solely for the bookstore. But the committee concluded that the union basement still would be the best place for the bookstore. Few university officials are willing to talk about the whirlwind of decisions made on the bookstore move. A Daily Nebraskan reporter called Massengale's office. An aide told the reporter that the chancellor knew nothing of the bookstore relocation plan. She suggested that the reporter call John Goebel, the UNL Vice Chancellor of Business and Finance. Goebel's secretary told the reporter feat only UNL Business Manager Ray Coffey had information on the bookstore move. Coffey did not return the reporter's calls. Scudder, who attended the Jan. 10 decision-making meeting, said Massengale, Goebel, Coffey, bookstore consultant Ken White and Swanson all attended the meeting. The cdlildstrstors' lack of cooperation makes it appear that the move was made behind students' backs. Administrators ignored students' concerns about the removal of the bowling alley and RecRoom. Had the original timeline been kept, the contractor would have started tearing out the bowling lanes on the same day students started second semester classes. The plan has not been approved by the regents, but admin istrators are proceeding as though it has. Union RecRoom director Rollie Hughes told his staff of 12 students and two full-time assistants to find other jobs. Hughes also began selling bowling alley equipment bowling pins were sold for 50 cents each. Another serious problem with the proposal is the contractor's "design and build" plan. The contractor would tear out the bowling alley and basement rooms, then decide what to put in the revamped space. The "build-as-you-go" plan seems unusual for a university that studied plans for nine other bookstore proposals. The "design and build" plan is not practical. The blueprints for the bookstore should be drawn arid approved before construction begins to make sure the actual cost matches the estimates. If the bookstore decision had been handled more openly and if administrators had made an effort to cooperate with the Daily Nebraskan, most students would have realized that the bookstore move is in their best interest. After all, books are more important than bowling. Iv t ti Daily ?j EDITOR GENERAL MANAGER PRODUCTION MANAGER ADVERTISING MANAGER ASSISTANT ADVERTISING MANAGER CIRCULATION MANAGER NEWS EDITOR CAMPUS EDITOR WIRE EDITOR Chris Welach, 472-1 7SS Dsnisi ShettH Ksihrlne Poticky Torn Bymt KcSiy Msngsn Sttvs fsysr Michisia f human Leurl Hoppls Judi Kygren VSckl Ruhga Christopher Burbsch Chris Choete 472-8783 Don Walton, 473-7301 EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR PUBLICATIONS BOARD CHAIRPERSON PROFESSIONAL ADVISER The Daily Nebraskan (USPS 144-080) is published by the UNL Publications Board Monday through Friday in the fall and spring semesters and Tuesdays and Fridays in the summer sessions, except during vacations. Readers are encouraged to submit story ideas and com ments to the Daily Nebraskan by phoning 472-1 763 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The public also has access to the Publications Board. For information, call Chris Choate 472-8783. Postmastsr: Send address changes to the Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St., Lincoln, Neb. 63533-0448. Second c!2ss postaoe paid at Lincoln, NE 63510. flL PSsTfAl CQPYPiftHT PAfLY NTRAS SCAN H t ,S WHAT CAN A SENIOR CITIZEN WT SURVIVE REAGAN'S M V AMI) SHRINKING SOCIAL ittl 1 ML sm..m.. ' RAMS?- fIT DIGAKH SECURI BO TO TY PROG hi Vv J 1L w v v Di7n rrnnrj IV. mamw mm Prison release programs aid inmates, society J n response to Bill Allen's crticle, 1 "Penitentiary escapees pose threat to -a- Nebraskans' safety" (Daily Nebraskan, Jan. 16): While Allen enjoys the constitutionally guaranteed right to his opinion as well as to free speech and freedom of the press, he also shoulders the responsibility to pre sent the full story without prejudice, bias or inflammatory remarks. Guest pinion In this instance, Allen may have caused more irreparable damage than he is aware of by judging all prisoners in the light of the actions of two. If Allen would take the time to visit the work-education center, he would find that few prisoners leave. Of those who do leave the center, most either fail to return to the center on time or panic and are usually located within a matter of days. But by law, they have escaped. Allen's article seeks to panic the public by the continued reminder that both Krider and Vigil were convicted murder ers. There may be cause for concern, but the emphasis on the problem is specifi cally designed to inflame the public against the prison and corrections administration as well as the parole board. Had Allen done some research, he would have learned that outside of murder for hire, murder while in the commission of another offense (such as robbery in which a death results), most murders occur in the heat of passion. They are not planned. Statistics show average inmates who are in for murder are mild, easy-going people who mentally punish themselves for the rest of their lives. They are the ones who make their parole and go to live useful and productive lives. My advice to Allen is to go meet some of these murderers and talk with them. I'm sure he will reconsider his values. As for Krider, the press has found no proof that Krider murdered his wife. There are many possibilities. He may have come home, found her, panicked and ran. Some one else may have killed the two of them and buried Krider, taking the car and leav ing it in Oklahoma. This would make Krider a suspect. Until Krider is appre hended, the only one who knows what occurred is Krider. As for Vigil, it is clear to the administra tion or the institution. I think that Vigil, upon hearing of Krider, simply panicked and ran in fear of the loss of his earned trusteeship and job. To understand this, you must tell readers that a long time practice by past administrators of the pri son and correctional system was to revoke all gate passes and trusteeships of "lifers' and "violent offenders" when such a pri soner escaped. The present administration is attempt ing to change this practice by reviewing individual cases. Vigil's panic can be understood but not tolerated. Further more, there is no proof that Vigil commit ted any crime except escape and theft at the institution. The work-education program, while it is not the magic cure for crime, is probably the most efficient program designed to benefit society as well as the offender. Among those society benefits are: 1. The prepation of the offender for release into society. 2. Prevention of crime. Preparation may make convicts more capable to cope with the problems he may face. He can be financially prepared by his earnings, if on work release. If on education release, he will be more qualified to attain and keep a position in society allowing him to become an asset to the community instead of a liability 3. Relieving society of some of the burden of prison funding for those on work and education release who pay their own way (room, board, travel expenses). People on work release pay taxes as all other citizens, and the money saved can and is applied to other state-funded agen cies such as education. The work-education release program is not the failure that Allen suggests. As I stated, the program is not the cure-all for crime, it is only one more piece to the puzzle. As to the comments by Allen about the imcompetency of the staff and employees, this comment was unfair, undeserved and uncalled for. Nebraska's penal system, like every ether penal system across the United States, is overcrowded and the staff is not psychic. They don't have the ability to read what is in the minds of the offenders. They are not the miracle workers society expects,, They can only operate based on the records they have on the offender. Further, I did not hear Allen come up with the solution for the problems he sees fit to complain about Quite possibly, the best solution for Allen's inability to look at the overall situation is his failure to come and find out what he is talking about. A work-educsticn release participant Editor's Note: Because of exten uating circumstances the author's poslticn end the gravity of his subject he was allowed to remsin anonymous. Letter Policy The Daily Nebraskan welcomes brief letters to the editor from all readers and interested others. Letters will be selected for publication on the basis of clarity originality, timeliness and space available. The Daily Nebraskan retains the right to edit all material submitted. Readers also are welcome to submit material as guest opinions. Whether material should mn as a letter or guest opinion, or not run, is left to the editor's discretion. ' Letters and guest opinions sent to the newspaper become property of the Daily Nebraskan and cannot be ret urned. ' Anonymous submissions will not be considered for publication. Letters should include the author's name, year in school, major and group affiliation, if any. Requests to withhold names from publication will not be granted Submit material to the Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Unin 1400 R St., Lincoln, Neb. 68583-0443. icy Unsigned editnri Daily Nebraskan. Policy is set by the Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. Its members are Chris Welsch, editor in chief; Chris r i n MWUI P8 eouon Micnieia xnuman, news euiwi, Vicki Ruhga, copy desk chief and editorial writer, and Kelly Marfan occiofon r..v.:: - . 8""i wioin auvci using manage. Editorials do not nftraser;iv reflM htAa r.f i ht nnivprsitV. its employees, the students or the NU Bor-d of Regents. 1? ?aily N'ebraskan's publishers are the regents, who established the UNL Publications Board to supervise the daily production of the paper. According to policy set by the regents, responsibility for the editorial content of the newspaper lies solelv in the hands of its siuaent editors.
