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
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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.
