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Daily Nebraskan
Monday, October 21, 1985
Vnitt4 Fnlurt Syndic tn
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TT TjTNL Chancellor Martin Massengale and Athletic
Director Bob Devaney's decision to ban basketball
coach Moe Iba and his assistants from five days of
A J practices and require a public apology is expediant
and appropriate.
The university issued a press release Friday that stated UNL
reported to the Big Eight Conference that a violation of the
NCAA pre season basketball practice rule did occur.
Rather than wait for possible NCAA or Big Eight Conference
punitive action, the university took the initiative to deal with
the rule violation after receiving the results of an in-house
investigation.
The university's prompt response to the coaching staffs
infraction is commendable.
Iba and his staff were penalized for a university investiga
tion of a basketball practice that took place before Oct. 15, the
date set by the NCAA on which basketball practice can start.
Much of the embarrassment and damage done to the univer
sity's reputation could have been avoided if Iba would have
immediately admitted that he made a mistake. Instead, Iba
took a stance that later contradicted the facts.
Here's what Iba said before the university investigation:
"We know the rules," Iba told Daily Nebraskan reporters.
"I just walked in, stayed there for a few minutes and left"
o Iba told the Omaha World-Herald, "I feel we're in the
right, so I'm not upset (about the Daily Nebraskan article)."
o About the existence of a tape recording of the practice,
Iba said, "I'll deny that, I don't know where they got that tape."
o According to a Lincoln Star article, Iba reportedly told
Devaney "that he did not supervise practice."
Yet last Friday, Iba issued the following statement:
"I made a mistake. It was poor judgment on my part. I
apologize to the University of Nebraska community and to our
supporters, and now I hope we can put this behind us and all
get together in support of our basketball team this year."
Iba's apology is appropriate, but Nebraska's reputation for
playing fair has been tarnished it will take a while to regain
it. That other schools cheat to win in any sport does not
make Iba's mistake any less serious.
The administration told Iba and his assistants they will be
asked to resign if they violate NCAA rules again. That shows NU
won't tolerate cheating, and it should act as a deterrent for
other sports programs.
The Daily Nebraskan
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-geaiE9 well-lasindlled.
NSSA bill would ensure student input on building changes
This is the stuff of student govern
ment at its best: righting wrongs,
protecting student rights and
doing it with dignity, albeit not without
seme justified outrage.
The HarperSchramm-Smith Senate,
with the help and support of the Resi
dence IlaM Association, managed to get
a new study lounge alter a Smith Hall
common area was made into a study
lounge for women athletes. The HSS
Senate, led by Mike Baacke and Sydney
Warner, set a precedent that will
encourage other student governments
to fight for rights. In the process, the
senate assured that the administration
will be more careful about getting stu
dent input
Chris
Welsch
HSS-scam, as I like to call it, started
when the NU athletic department found
itself in hot water. Many people were
mad that male athletes had the new
Hewit Training Table, complete with
computers and a study lounge, while
women were excluded and didn't have
a cdmparable study area.
The Legislature was grumbling about
taking action, so the administration
found a place for a women's study
lounge. Unfortunately, the people who
lived in Smith Hall and used the area
complained.
The HSS Senate protested the con
struction to UNL Housing Director
Doug Zatechka. He said he would have
consulted student government, but the
decision occurred in the summer, and
students weren't around. P.HA members
noted it in a letter to the Taily Nebras
kan that they were available RHA
members worked with housing staff in
Seaton Hall during the summer.
The decision was made improperly.
It violated HSS residents' landlord
tenant contract. Nebraska State
Ombudsman Marshall Lux told RHA
executives that RHA had grounds to
press charges against the administra
tion. Graciously, I think, RHA didn't.
The issue was brought to the atten
tion of the Association of Students of
the University of Nebraska, which had a
special session on the topic Vice
Chancellor Rudy Lewis said at the ses
sion that AS UN shouldn't get involved.
Zatechka told the senators he would
work with HSS residents to find a new
study area for Smith HalL The debate
was closed.
ASUN President Gerard Keating said
he felt the issue had been solved at
that time. In some ways, it was.
Zatechka said he should have con
tacted students before he made the
move, and he promised to correct the
situation. But ASUN could have looked
at the larger issue of student rights.
However, Keating said he already had
reached an informal agreement with
Zatechka that in the future students
would be consulted before similar con
struction decisions are made. That's
good, but it isn't quite enough.
HSS has a written agreement with
Zatechka that says he has to consult
hall leaders before any construction in
common areas, or other changes, are
made. It says Zatechka must consult
the senate before the study area can be
expanded and has to examine other
possibilities. The agreement says pro
cedures will be set up to get student
input on all housing renovation and
major policy changes.
But a campuswide policy on such
matters is needed. That's where this
weekend's Nebraska State Student
Association conference comes in.
UNL's delegation to the NSSA con
ference introduced a bill (which was
passed) that will have NSSA chapters
meet with their respective campus
administrations to create procedure to
ensure student input on all construc
tion especially construction on all
bond-funded buildings used by stu
dents, such as the University Health
Center and student unions.
Keating said he will be involved in
negotiating such a policy with UNL
administrators. Student leaders and
UNL administrators should make haste
in setting up the policy with luck it
will prevent similar snafus in the future.
Zatechka signed the agreement with
the HSS Senate Thursday. Although
Zatechka refused to sign an agreement
never to expand the women athletes'
study area in Smith Hall, HSS execu
tive Baacke said he is satisfied with the
agreement.
HSS deserves kudos, as does RHA.
They have shown what responsible stu
dent government is capable of. Al
though the administration made this
mess, it deserves thanks for dealing
with student concerns respectfully.
The administration could have just
ignored the complaints, but it didn't.
ASUN senators who supported the HSS
senate deserve applause, as does Keat
ing for supporting the NSSA assembly
bill. The UNL delegation and NSSA
deserve thanks, too.
This story has a happy ending for
HSS residents. Zatechka agreed to let
the HSS Senate plan and have built a
new study area for all HSS residents.
Baacke said it will be in the basement
of Smith Hall. From looking at the
plans, the women athletes probably
will prefer the new lounge to the one
assigned them. The deal is even sweeter
because the money for the area will
come from outside the housing office,
presumably from the athletic depart
ment. Still, the ending is not entirely
happy. Women athletes still have
unequal facilities. The NU Foundation
probably will continue to take dona
tions earmarked by gender. Accepting
money donated to one sport, or one
type of athlete, is one thing. But afacil
ity like the Hewit Center should not be
limited to one sex. After all, I doubt
very much the foundation would fund a
training table strictly for white athletes.
Letters
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Remedial courses limited, not drain on university
In response to the editorial on admis
sion standards (Daily Nebraskan, Oct.
17), I would like to see some facts or
figures on the remedial courses issue.
For instance, how many departments
offer remedial courses? The only ones I
know of are the ones in the mathemat
ics and physics departments, which
offer a couple of remedial courses.
If it is just these two departments, I
don't see that many "professors and
educational resources" are averted,
which brings me to my next point.
Aren't the remedial courses taught
by graduate students, whom it would
not hurt to receive some teachina
experience?
1 do not disagree with more string
ent admissions standards, which would
eliminate the need for remedial courses
but I do not see where these remedial
courses, at present, are draining the
university of a lot of money and time.
The few students who do take these
courses pay for them just like any other
student, which should take part of the
cost off the university.
I would think the editorial staff
would use some facts about remedial
courses to better inform the reader.
Pete Soukup
junior
political science