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Weather:
Cloudy and colder today with a 20
percent chance of light freezing rain.
Winds northeasterly 5-15 mph with a
high of 28. Cloudy tonight with a 40
percent chance of snow. Low of 18.
Sixty percent chance of snow on
Tuesday with a high of 27,
Umfrid sets the stage
for UNL productions
Arts and Entertainment, page 11
Nebraska volleyball team
advances in NCAA tourney
Sports, page 9
t...v
December 9, 1985
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Vol, 85 No. 72
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Just clouting around c-,
Giant balloons were the primary attraction at the Star City Holiday Parade in
downtown Lincoln Saturday morning. An estimated crowd of 50,000 attended
the parade.
Shortage of teachers could
result in hike in enrollment,
Teachers College dean says
By Molly Adams
Staff Reporter
A national shortage of teachers could mean
larger enrollment in teaching programs, says
James 0'Hanlon, dean of UNL's Teachers College.
0'Hanlon was responding to the National
Education Association's assessment that between
now and 1990, America's schools will need an
estimated 1 million new teachers. As the demand
for teachers increases in the market place,
0'Hanlon said, more students likely will go into
teaching programs.
Several factors have created the shortage of
teachers, including the aging of the baby boo
mers who now are raising families of their own.
He said teachers who were hired to teach the
baby boomers are quickly nearing retirement.
"One indication that we are facing a teacher
shortage was apparent at our Teachers College
Fair last year," 0'Hanlon said. "We had school
districts come in and offer contracts to students
that very day."
Appeal lost ...... ,
Teachers College statistics indicate that over
the years, teaching has lost its appeal, during
the first semester in 1975, 2,780 undergraduates
were enrolled in the Teachers College. That fig
ure for 1985 is 2,098.
As career opportunities increased for women,
O'Hanlon said, the predominantly female profes
sion began losing its once-abundant teacher
supply.
O'Hanlon also said negative publicity about
schools tends to turn students away from choos
ing teaching as a career.
"People read and hear things about teacher
dissatisfaction and strikes that present a rather
gloomy atmosphere," he said. "Teachers just
don't encourage students to enter the field like
they used to."
Ten years ago, O'Hanlon said, 20 percent of
the nation's college students were preparing to
become teachers. He said that figure now is less
than 10 percent.
Above national average
Although enrollment figures probably won't
ever reach the peak they were 10 years ago,
O'Hanlon said, they will increase some. Despite
the decline in enrollment, he said, enrollment
has stabilized in the last four years.
"UNL had 1 1 percent of its undergrads enrolled
in Teachers College in 1984, which is just a little
higher
said.
than the national average," O'Hanlon
Teachers just don't encour
age students to enter the
field like they used to.'
James O'Hanlon,
UNL Teachers College Dean
However, students who graduate from Teachers
College can expect positive results when looking
for a job, O'Hanlon said. Placement percentage
of students is as good as it has ever been. Gradu
ates shouldn't have trouble finding a job as long
as they don't care what part of the country they
live in. He said UNL attracts administrators from
school districts in other states. He said they
want to hire students specifically from UNL.
"That is a good indication that Nebraska has a
very well respected teaching program," O'Han
lon said.
Part of UNL's teaching program includes ses
sions on how to interview, and encourges stu
dents to learn to teach more than one subject.
"Most of the students who choose to go into
teaching as a career have really enjoyed their
own school experience, or had a teacher who had
a lot of influence on them," O'Hanlon said.
UNL sets computer competency goal
By Sandy Gordon
Staff Reporter
UNL computer facilities are a disas
ter turning into a solvable problem,
says Douglas Gale, director of UNL's
Computer Resource Center.
UNL's computer facilities should
more than compare in quantity, type
and quality to competitive peer institu
tions by 1990 through a development
Dlan called "Project Hermes," said
throughout UNL.
Just as everyone once had to share a
telephone through party lines, compu
ter facilities have been connected in a
similiar way to the old telephone party
lines, Gale said.
Through "Project Hermes, the compu
The Wick Alumni Center currently is
conducting IBM microcomputer labor
atories for faculty and staff.
The laboratory, said George Veo
mett, associate professor of life
science, helped him get acquainted
with computers. Although course re-
ter "party line system" will be replaced cord-keeping was the principal reason
by specific bridges or "gateways," con- for attending, Veomett waid he might
necting local area networks, he said, look into software that he can use in
The cost-efficient gateway and network his coursework.
system is designed to increase compu- When the threshold price drops to
Gale, who develops UNL's computer ter hook-ups and allow computer users around $bU0, dale predicts that more
iacilities.
"Project Hermes," named after the
Greek messenger to the gods, is a mas
ter plan designed to interconnect
micro and mainframe computers
to communicate with each other.
- By developing and expanding UNL's
computer facilities, instructors will be
able to incorporate computers into
their coursework, Gale said.
students will buy their own computers.
If the current trend continues, by 1990
more than 50 percent of incoming
freshmen will bring their own compu
ter with them when they come to col
lege, Gale said.
Residence halls offer an ideal loca
tion to house the public computers
because students as well as the com
puters should be in a safe location, he
said. Students wouldn't have to walk to
and from these facilities.
"Though we know where we're
going," Gale said, reaching UNL's com
puter expansion goal by 1990 depends
on the budget allocated by the Legis
lature. Despite recent NU budget cuts, Gale
said he remains confident.
"We're moving forward," Gale said.
"We aren't behind the eight ball
anymore,"
Police action possible if snowball fights recur
By Diana Johnson
Staff Reporter
Although no arrests were made dur
ing a snowball fight Wednesday, UNL
police might take action if a similar
incident happens again, said Woody
Getz, Residence Hall Association ad
viser.
Getz spoke to RHA senators during a
regular meeting Thursday night about
the snowball fight between UNL hous
ing residents and fraternity members.
The snowball fight resulted in minor
injuries to participants and caused
traffic problems near 16th and Vine
streets. Neihardt Residence Center and
the Delta Upsilon fraternity house also
were damaged.
Doug Zatechka, UNL housing direc
tor, said in a phone interview he dis
cussed the incident with Getz.
"If this thing continues and becomes
damaging to both parties, then police
action may have to occur," Zatechka
said, "University kinds of judicial
action may also take place."
Getz and Zatechka suggested that
senators speak with hall residents
about the incident.
Please see RHA on 7
Student recovers
halls 'master key,
receives reward
From Staff Reports
The recovery of a grand master
key for UNL's Harper-Schramm-Smith
residence hall complex means the
Office of University Housing will
reinstall the old locks during Christ
mas breakt Assistant Housing
Director Glen Schumann said Fri
day. Schumann said Max Jacobs, a
freshman living in Schramm Hail,
found the master key in a snowbank
near the complex. The key had been
missing since Oct. 16, when it and
15 other keys on a ring disappeared
from the complex. All of the missing
keys were returned, said Mike
Hansier, Harper-Schramm-Smith
maintenance manager.
"Quite honestly, we had given up
on them,1' Schumann said.
For returning the key, Jacobs will
receive a $500 reward offered by the
Housing Office, .
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