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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 10, 1986)
WEATHER: A clear, cold morn ing Wednesday, then partly cloudy. High 20-25 and wind northwest 5 to 15 mph shifting to west 1 0 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Mostlycloudyand not as cold Wednesday night with a few snow flurries possible. Low 10 to 15 above. Partly cloudy and warmer Thursday with a high of 33. December 10, 1986 ( : V Paul VonderiageDaity Nebraskan Ohy Christmas tree Heather Brogan, 7, of Lincoln helps her parents Tues day pick out the right tree for the holiday season. The Drogans picked out their tree from William's Garden Center, which has sold over 700 trees since Nov. 23. Buy a Chris it tshe cure By Anne Mohri Staff Reporter College students away from home might bear responsibility for a boun cing balsam fir this Christmas sea son for the first time. One problem is keeping the tree fresh once it is home. Bob Berrier, co-owner of Scott's Garden, said cutting about two inches off the base of the tree just before placing it in water can help. Larry Westfall, of Earl May, and Berrier both sug gested buying Christmas-tree pre servative to mix with the water. Dry 'Christmas trees are a fire hazard, said Ron Peery, a Lincoln Fire inspector, especially when they Huskers hope to rebound against Southern Illinois vX; it ntn tree, are decorated with lights not listed or tested by Underwriter Laborato ries (UL). Because of the fire hazard, live trees and wreaths are not recom mended as decorations in residence-hall rooms, halls or lounges, said Bill Welsh, coordinator for residence-hall administration. Trees themselves are not the only Christmas hazards. Households with small children should keep small ornaments out of reach because they easily can be swallowed or choked on, said Frank Brauer of the Consumer Product Safety Commission in Washington, D.C. Sports, Page 9 University of Nebraska-Lincoln MU budget cut mdlvamices By Michael Hooper Senior Reporter State senators gave first-round ap proval to a $6.8 million budget-cut package that includes a $1.6 million cut to NU's 1986-87 budget. Without further debate over the cut to the university, senators passed LB1, 33-8. Senators are expected to continue budget debate Wednesday, when they could be faced with more amendments. LB1, which primarily consists of budget cuts assembled by the Appro priations Committee, did not advance to second-round debate until after lawmakers rejected amendments that would have spared public elementary and secondary education and mental-retardation services from cuts in state aid. Papillion Sen. Ron Withem proposed an amendment to preserve the $1.9 mil Supporters to try again to s aye nursing pro gr am By the Associate Press Supporters of a four-year nursing program at Scottsbluff plan to mount a push in the Legislature to reverse a decision to wipe out state funding for the program. "It's close, but I think there's a good possibility that the votes are there," Sen. Sandra Scofield of Chadron said Tuesday. Scofield said an amendment might be offered during second-round budget debate that would restore $100,000 for the new University of Nebraska nursing program at Scottsbluff. Lawmakers gave initial approval to the budget bill Tuesday and were expected to take up second-round debate Wednesday, The bill would trim $6.8 million from the state's current general-fund budget. By stripping the $100,000 for the By Merry Hayes Staff Reporter In reaction to reports claiming uni versity students cannot write well be cause the aren't taught proper writing skills in elementary or high schools, some UNL professors said writing needs to be emphasized in all courses and much earlier in a student's education. A recent report by the National Assessment of Education Progress stated that "performance in writing in our schools is, quite simply, bad." "The reports are right," said English professor, Robert Knoll. "Students can not analyze ideas, they cannot express themselves, they cannot handle the language." He said students come to the univer sity less prepared than they used to be. "Each generation is less educated than the generation before," he said. "It's a dreadful state of affairs we are in." Knoll said he does not think stu dents' writing is any worse mechani Profs; Winrfce eaiiy aiadl 4A Flea in Her Ear' Foppish French Farce lion in state aid to public schools that was suggested by Gov. Bob Kerrey before the special session of the Legis lature began last Friday. Withem's amendment failed in the morning, 24-19, one vote short of appro val. In the afternoon, Lincoln Sen. Don Wesley prsented a motion to reconsider Withem's amendment, but it also failed 19-22. Pleasant Dale Sen. Harold Sieck, offered an amendment to LB1 that would spare a $300,000 cut from state aid to the mentally handicapped. The motion failed, 20-20.. Sieck said the money is needed frr mentally handicapped people because "in the long run, it will save Nebraska dollars." He said mentally handicapped people are able to work and benefit the state economically. ' See LEGISLATURE on 7 Scottsbluff nuirsing program during first-round budget debate Monday, lawmakers eliminated financing for the program created by lawmakers ear lier this year. Another option for supporters of the Scottsbluff program would be the rein traduction of an amendment presented Tuesday by Scofield. The amendment would state the Legislature's intent for the NU Board of Regents to phase out UNL's nursing program over three years. Funds for the UNL nursing program would be transferred to the Scottsbluff nursing program. Scofield abrupty withdrew the amendment after debate and shortly before a vote. "Can you justify two schools of nurs ing that are 60 miles apart?" Scofield said during the floor debate, referring to nursing programs at UNL and the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. cally, but students do not have a feel for the language. "The problem Is not simply with skills, it's not having read the books from our history," he said. He said his students cannot read as well; many of them cannot read out loud in class. "They need the basic fundamental reading and writing," he said. "They don't need technical or career edu cation." He said cutting funds for education also hurts students. "The constant harping at education is eating our seed corn," he said. English professor Leslie Whipp said the reports should not be taken at face value because the behaviors tested are complex and the means of testing them fairly primitive. He said people should be careful when making generalizations because the United States has more people in schools trying to learn to write than in any other country and they all are being tested. Arts and Entertainment, Page 11 Vol. 86 No. 74 33 senators needed for tax petition By The Associated Press If 33 state senators officially agree to call a special session to raise the state's individual income ti-x rate, Gov. Bob Kerrey would have five days to convene the Legislature. Secretary of State Allen Beer mann gave this explanation of the procedures involved: Ordinarily, Beermann would take the petition circulated among lawmakers by Sen. Vard Johnson of Omaha, calling for the special session. Beermann would then survey those senators whose names didn't appear on the pe tition. However, Johnson said that il he didn't get 33 signatures, he wouldn't submit the petition to Beermann. "I've got 22 signatures frght now, and it's getting a little . tough," Johnson said. "It doesn't look real good right now, but we'll have to wait and see." If the petition is submitted to Beermann, he would poll the remaining senators by registered or certified mail. He said he could probably do that job quickly by sending the letters to the clerk of the Legislature, who could quickly give them to the senators who are meeting in Lincoln. Beermann has 10 days to com plete the polling, but said he would try to complete the job as quickly as possible. fftem However, Whipp said there is a lot of room for improvement. He said the emphasis is not on writ ing but on grammar in most writing programs. "We have known for 75 years that teaching grammar inhibits the learn ing of writing," he said. Whipp said significant changes won't occur until there is a much lower student-teacher ratio in teaching writ ing, writing is stressed in all courses and intellectual activities are elevated over athletic activities. "If we want to improve our writing, we must get something other than football as God in the state," he said. Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Robert Furgason said student writing skills in general are not good. He said there will be less resistance if writing is an expectation at the beginning of a student's education. "I have found that the only way to learn to write is to write," he said. "I believe we need to ingrain this in per ple's thinking much sooner." 3