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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 9, 1985)
Friday August 9, 1985 Page 2 The Nebraskan Black enrollm eitt decliitiit (AP) A shrinking pool of college bound black students, a result of scarcer federal student aid, may be dooming prospects for ending racial segregation in the nation's public colleges and universities. Battles over integration plans in the 19 Southern and border states under federal court order have raged for more than a decade and will certainly con tinue this coming school year. Among the hottest spots: Tennessee, where courts, lawmakers, educators and the U.S. Justice Department have been grappling for 17 years over how to integrate and upgrade predominantly black Tennessee State University. Amont the goals of such integration plans have been to boost the quality of black public colleges, and break down the prejudices and financial barriers that have kept blacks a near-invisible minority on predominantly white pub lic university campuses. But college integration is being dealt a double blow from Washington, black school officials say: from a Justice Department opposed in principle to many court-ordered desegregation plans as having unacceptable racial "quo tas," and from President Reagan's stu dent aid cuts that many believe have lowered the number of minorities at tending college. States found by federal courts to have racially segregated "dual" higher education systems have typically been ordered to spend millions to boost faculty salaries, start new academic programs and repair rundown build ings on black campuses, and establish so-called "other race" scholarships on predominantly white campuses to at tract more black pupils. Historically black Southern Univer sity in Louisiana, for instance, has got ten a new library, a new school of nurs ing and spruced-up dormitories. Langston University in Oklahoma received about $7 million in state funds to renovate existing buildings, start new nursing, computer science and health care programs, and estab lish campuses In Tulsa and Oklahoma City that have attracted white students (though the main campus remains vir tually all black). In June, Maryland and the U.S. Department of Education reached a settlement In which the state agreed, among other things, to spend some $75 million in the next five years to upgrade black institutions and increase black enrollments at white schools to 15 percent by 1989. The trouble is, fewer blacks are going to college nationwide, and those who do are getting less federal help. A recent study by the American Associa tion of State Colleges and Universities found that 33.5 percent of blacks aged 18 to 24 enrolled in college in 1976, but only 27 percent did in 1983-84, the latest statistics available. The American Council on Education calculates that 52 percent of all blacks attending graduate and undergraduate school get some form jf federal aid, compared with 32 percent of all white students. But the percentage relying on such aid commonly exceeds 80 percent at historically black institutions. A recent study showed that 533,596 minority students got financial aid to attend public colleges in 1983-84, down 12.4 percent from 609,303 students in 1981-82. Some predict that desegregation plans are therefore not only unlikely to meet court-ordered goals, but they may simply wind up intensifying the tug of war between black and white colleges for a dwindling pool of academically able black students. Private black colleges and universi ties, though not directly affected by court-ordered integration plans, are caught in a similar bind. All but the best private black schools will find it harder to compete both with black public institutions being improved by court-ordered integration plans, and with white schools under pressure to recruit more blacks. "There is no question that we have to compete harder for able students," said William Harvey, president of Hampton University in Virginia, one of the nation's most prestigious and pros perous private black schools. William Harris, president of private, historically black Payne College in Augusta, Ga., said he did not oppose desegregation in his state, but com plained that prospective students are being siphoned off by cheaper public colleges. Continued cn Page 3 Will Kerrey seek re-election? 1 r 1 (L T I kft rl i-v. 57 R A RWk Si? 1 $X ISO Hi Slaw 1873 , VARIETY IN FOOD . BreaJkfast Lunch iiiitfp UF 8:20 a.m. 4 p.m. Any Sandwich (under $1.00) & Curley Q Fries n WITH COUPON Expires Aug. 15, 1935 BBSS! Ml San MiaMRSI 1123 R" ST. WSXT CCfta Exp 1 By Deb Pederson Senior Reporter Governor Bob Kerrey said at his weekly press conference Wednesday that he hasn't decided yet, but will announce soon, whether he will seek re-electioa He said he enjoys being governor and is "wrestling with whether to go back to business or stay in politics." One of the positive aspects of the governorship in Nebraska is that it's possible to make decisions based on principle and not have to worry about the political implications because the people will respect the decision even if they don't agree with it, he said. Kerrey also talked about program cuts at NU and was asked why reduc tions in NU's budget were targeted at academic rather than extension ser vice programs. Kerrey said everything was fair game. Academic programs attracted attention because of UNMCi Chancellor Charles Andrews' proposal 1 to phase out the Pharmacy College and the Lincoln nursing division, he said. It's up to the Regents as to what pro grams and services may be eliminated, but the scope will have to be narrowed if the NU Board of Regents want to achieve excellence, he said. International trade and agriculture were the two main topics Monday and Tuesday at the Governors Conference, Kerrey said. Projections indicate that agricultu ral problems will be worse this year, especially with the strong U.S. dollar hurting exports, he said. An agricultural credit proposal was discussed and the need for injection of federal funds was forecasted. Kerrey said he preferred a direct injection of federal funds rather than establishing another government agency. At the school administrators confer ence scheduled for Friday, Kerrey said he planned to talk about the LB662 school consolidation measure and the need for people to get involved in the educational system. "The programs aren't interference but assistance from the state," Kerrey said. Educational resources need to be redirected to the basics like mathe matics, English and history, he said. Teacher salaries need to be raised to promote excellence, he said. Police Report Single & Pregnant? It can be a difficult time to make decisions. Child Saving Institute provides iiss. and confidential pregnancy counseling services to help you explore the alternatives in planning for this new life. For more information, call collect Child Saving Institute (402) 553-6000 115 South 46th St. t ,TT1 Chiid Saving Omaha, NE institute The following incidents were reported to UNL police between 11:15 p.m. Mon day and 8:25 p.m. Wednesday. Monday 11:15 p.m. Minor foot injury reported at Nebraska Union. Tuesday 11:25 a.m. Vandalism reported to lights south of Nebraska Union. Wednesday 1 p.m. Security alarm reported sounding at Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery. 4:26 p.m. Fire alarm reported sounding at University Health Center. 6:33 p.m. Allegedly intoxicated person reported at the Nebraska Cen ter for Continuing Education on East Campus. Person was taken to a detoxi fication center. 8:25 p.m. Juveniles reported attempting to cause damage to a building. There are the gEha!f 61 IT B 2 U3 W B IS Quick Turnaround No Hassle Freshmen to Graduate Students Customers and Non-Customers Hio Ksvo Osnkc Hsvo What Call Today 467-1161 nnn haveiocEc bank Member F.D.I. C. 6 1 45 Havelock Ave. 70th & Adams Americans reported freed by Nicaraguan rebels WASHINGTON (Reuter-AP) A group of American pacifists have been freed after being seized by Nicaraguan rebels on a river between Nicara gua and Costa Rica, a spokesman for the Witnesses for Peace pacifist organization said Thursday. "We understand they are all unharmed and that there were no condi tions for their release," said organization director Yvonne Dilllng. She said in a television interview that the organization's office in Managua had reestablished radio contact with the expedition at 2:30 p.m. EDT Thursday and had been informed they were free and continuing their journey on the San Juan river. The group had spent 29 hours in captivity, she said. The Witness for Peace group and the Nicaraguan government said the 29 American activists, who oppose U.S. policy toward Nicaragua, were kidnapped along with 18 journalists further down the San Juan River Wednesday. The government and the group said the kidnapping had been carried out by Contra rebels led by Eden Pastora, a former Sandinista who broke with the Managua government when it turned to Marxism. Pastora's group issued a denial Thursday from its headquarters in Costa Rica, saying the Contras had not seen the American group, and that the alleged kidnapping was a show staged by the Nicaraguan government. Americans killed in car bomb attack FRANKFURT, Germany (Reuter) A car packed with explosives and bearing phony U.S. forces license plates blew up at the Rhein-Main air base as people arrived for work Thursday, killing an American airman and the wife of another senior airman in a blast that shattered windows up to 450 feet away. The soldier was identified as U.S. Airman 1st Class Frank II. Scarton, 19, of Woodhaven, Mich. The Pentagon later named the dead woman as Becky Jo Bristol, of San Antonio, Texas. She is the wife of senior airman John Bristol, who is assigned to the U.S. Aero-Medical airlift squadron based at Rhein-Main base. Seventeen others were wounded in the attack, which the United States condemned as an "act of terrorism." No warning was received before the blast and there was no claim of responsibility, but the West German chief federal prosecutor, Kurt Reb mann, treated the attack as the work of the left-wing Red Army Faction (RAF) and said 12 suspects were being sought. Reagan signs $25.4 billion aid bill WASHINGTON (AP) President Reagan signed a $25.4 billion foreign aid bill Thursday, saying he was "particularly pleased" it provides for the resumption of U.S. aid to the rebels in Nicaragua. But Reagan also criticized the measure the first such legislation passed by Congress in four years as offering "substantial reductions" in military assistance, a development he termed "disappointing." The bill authorizes $12.7 billion in foreign aid for each of the next two years. It authorizes foreign aid spending in scores of developing nations around the world but awards the largest amounts to Israel and Egypt. Not since 1981 were both houses of Congress able to agree on foreign aid spending authority. Attempts at passage always broke up over policy disputes, forcing the Reagan administration to use stop-gap financing measures for foreign aid. The bill Reagan signed into law includes spending authority of $3 billion for Israel for each of the two years, plus a one-time infusion of $ 1 .5 billion in emergency economic aid. Egypt will get $2.1 billion for each year plus $500 million in emergency economic aid. Over the two-year period, the bill authorizes $27 million in non-lethal assistance to the Contra guerrillas in Nicaragua, but it bars either the Central Intelligence Agency or the Defense Department from administer ing the aid. U.S. protests detention of reporter WASHINGTON (Reuter) The Reagan administration Thursday pro tested to the Soviet Union over the three-hour detention in Leningrad of an American correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor. State Department spokesman Bernard Kalb told reporters that Soviet Customs officials detained Gary Thatcher Wednesday and confiscated notebooks and possible tape recordings before releasing him. He said Thatcher was returning to his Moscow base from Helsinki, where he covered last week's 10th anniversary of the signing of the Helsinki accords for his Boston-based newspaper. The protest said Thatcher's detention was contrary to the accords, which in part were aimed at promoting better exchange of ideas and people, including journalists, between East and West. Reagan: Contra aid breaks no law WASHINGTON (Reuter) The administration Thursday acknow ledged having had contacts with anti-government rebels in Nicaragua, but President Reagan denied violating U.S. laws on aid to the guerrillas. "We're not violating any laws," Reagan replied when asked by a reporter if the National Security Council (NSC) was directing rebel operations and, if so, was breaking the law. In a separate, written statement, the President pledged "to continue to work with Congress to carry out the prcgram...and take care that the law be faithfully executed." Reagan's denial, during the signing of a foreign aid bill, followed a similar statement by White House spokesman Larry Speakes. Speakes did not deny a New York Times report that NSC officials had had contacts with the rebels, but he said no NSC member had violated the law. Rep. George Brown of the House Intelligence Committee Thursday said the administration had provided military advice to the rebels through the NSC and thus violated the spirit if not the letter of a 1985 law banning aid to the Contras. The California Democrat told a press conference that the Intelligence Committee was told last year of the NSC activities. He said the Central Intelligence Agency removed itself from Contra operations last year after Congress banned aid and CIA involvement in the Nicaraguan conflict. But he said the White House was so determined to continuesome U.S. support for the rebels.J'it fell to him (an NSC military official) to see if he could hold the pieces together by trying to do what he could."