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Thursday with a 30 percent chance
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NewsD'gest,, Page 2
Editorial Page 4
Entertainment Page 5
Sports Page 6
Classified Page 7
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January 28, 1987
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Vol. 86 No. 90
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Focht
Andrea HoyDaily Nebraskan
Liimc)to9s 6Viimtsige Bang
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By Tami Schuetze
Staff Reporter
The stage is set. Out walks an energetic,
gray-haired man with a bright red tie around
his neck and two pingpong balls with holes in
them over his eyes.
He greets his audience, tugs on his tie and
complains: "Doc, I can hardly walk. What can
I do about this bum leg? He said, 'Limp.' . . .
No respect, I tell ya, no respect at all."
For more than a year, Leonard Focht, 71, of
Lincoln has entertained groups of people at
large conventions and small gatherings with
his comic "Vintage Dangerfield" act, an
impersonation of Rodney Dangerfield.
"I like comedy, and something about
Rodney just appeals to me. That is why I
started impersonating him," Focht said. "I
picked the name "Vintage" because it means
the best of the crowd."
The 34-year veteran of the U.S. Postal
Service said he had walked around his house
for years mimicking Dangerfield. Two summers
ago, Focht decided to perform for a small
group of friends. . .
Surprisingly, his friends showed some
respect.
"They liked it and suggested that I perform
in front of a larger crowd. I guess that's how I
got started," Focht said. The next weekend
he displayed his talents at the senior-citizen
center on 14th and 0 streets. From there he
went on to parties and larger organizations.
But Focht said he likes performing for smaller
groups best, especially for his family.
"My wife, Marie, wasn't in favor of my
performing at first; she thought I might make
a fool out of myself," he said. "After she saw
that the people liked it, she changed her
mind. Now she is pretty supportive. My kids
just chuckle about my act. They think it's
funny."
Focht said he has never seen Rodney live
but would like to go to the comedy club
Dangerfield's in New York to see a per
formance. He thinks they're two of a kind.
"When things happen to me, I'm kind of
like him. Maybe we are the same type. We get
no respect, but if others are laughing, we
don't really mind," Focht said.
Focht can be booked by calling 423-8432.
His rates depend on the size of the group.
"Ya gotta keep it flowing; ya gotta bounce
around and keep your audience alive and
interested. You also have to be a ham, and I
think I have more than my share."
DN debt rises as ad revenue sinks
Pub board stuggles to cut $20, 000
By Libby York
Staff Reporter
Due to a dramatic decrease in ad expenditures,
UNL's Daily Nebraskan could be facing a loss of
nearly $100,000 this year, said Daily Nebraskan
general manager Dan Shattil.
Causes for the decline in advertising, which
constitutes 93 percent of revenue, include: the
change in the state drinking age, because bars
and alcohol retail distributors now have a much
smaller target population on UNL; University
budget cuts, because departments w hich formerly
ran ads for promotional activities had their
advertising budgets cut; the withdrawal of
Michigan unique in college bill
businesses from the downtown Lincoln area;
and, finally, the decline in business of major
advertisers.
Three years ago, the Daily Nebraskan's three
main accounts were 24 Hour Nautilus, Electronics
Center, and World Radio. The first two are no
longer in business in Lincoln, and the third is
reduced to a mere tenth of its former ad revenue
worth. If those accounts had been retained they
might have generated in additional income,
according to a report dated Jan. 27, 1987.
Lesley Larson, Professional Advertising
Manager for the Daily Nebraskan, said the
predicted advertising slump will "remedy itself
if downtown development goes through."
Meanwhile, the Daily Nebraskan's size, content
and expense account may have to be adjusted.
The Publications Board met Tuesday for the
second time to discuss ways to cut $20,000 from
DN's suffering budget. So far, items elected to be
cut were travel expenses, seminar refreshments,
ad artist wages, publication board discretionary
funds and typesetting wages. They also voted to
reduce circulation by 500 copies. This still
leaves nearly $ 10,000 to be dealt with at the next
Publications Board meeting in two weeks.
Ideas to generate new advertising accounts
also were discussed, and options, such as
emphasizing the "Diversions" sections in the
newspaper.
CFA says
Union losses
too much $
By Rob Fraass
Staff Reporter
The Committee for Fees Allocation voted 10-0
to reject the Nebraska Union's 1987-88 budget
request at a meeting Tuesday night.
According to union sub-committee members,
the budget was rejected because the Nebraska
Union's food service, including the Harvest
Room, is projecting a loss for the sixth straight
year.
The projected 1980-87 loss is $1()6,0!)5 and in
the proposed 1987-88 budget, the services are
expected to lose $37,461 more. Of the losses,
$06,725 would be paid through student fees w ith
some money being removed from the utilities
budget to cover the rest of the deficit if the
proposed budget is approved.
CFA subcommittee members Paul Reynolds
and Dave Fiske said that by rejecting the budget
they are telling the union that it must make
positive steps to alleviate the food services'
deficit.
CFA chairman Rob Mellion said that the
unions must rework the budget and resubmit it
for approval. He said the budget will be nearly
the same as the one rejected, but said he hopes
the rejection will encourage Unions Director
Daryl Swanson to change the way the food
service is run in the future.
Also at the CFA meeting, UPC presented its
budget, including $882 for a proposed Gay
Lesbian programming committee.
Rec-eenter gifts
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Private donations fur the student recrea
tion centerindoor practice football field
have risen to about $1 million, NU Founda
tion President Ed Hirsch said Monday.
The foundation began soliciting funds
after the project was given preliminary
approval by the Board of Regents through
letters sent to season football-ticket holders
on Dec. 16.
Hirsch said the foundation is on sche
dule and plans to have the projected $3
million to $4 million in private donations
collected by June.
Hirsch said since the mailing cf the
letters to Cornhusker fans no other fund
raising attempts have been started. Hirsch
said foundation officials would like 1 0 wait
until football coach Tom Osborne and
Athletic Director Bob Devanery have time
in their schedules to help with fund
raising. -
In an earlier interview, Hirsch said that
Devaney and Osborne would be explaining
the importance of the project to possible
donors.
The remainder of the $16 million needed
for the project will come from a surcharge
on non-student and non-faculty football
tickets and the center would be main
tained by an increase in student fees.
Colleges look for ways to attract stuMeintts
By Kip Fry
Staff Reporter
The Michigan Legislature recently
passed a bill allowing parents of pros
pective college students to pay their
tuition bill in installments while their
children are still growing up. Accord
ing to a UNL official, no other state has
done anything similar.
"It was kind of a ground-breaking
decision," said Lisa Schmidt, coordi
nator of pre-admissions activities.
Other colleges around the country
are trying to attract students by charg
ing students from neighboring states
the in-state tuition rate, charging fresh
men and sophomores less than upper
classmen, writing half off a loan if half
of it is paid six months after graduation
and giving free room and board to out-of-state
students.
The only unique proposal for Nebras
ka students was a bill sponsored by
Lincoln senator Jim McFarland that
would have allowed children of univer
sity employees to take 15 free credit
hours every semester. However, the
Nebraska Legislature killed the bill
Monday in committee.
Still surviving is a proposal in the
Legislature for a state-sponsored work
study program, which could help the
financial situation for some students.
Many other ways exist at UNL for
students to finance their educations.
"The people of the state of Nebraska
are actually quite supportive of educa
tion here," Schmidt said. "But the bot
tom line is that there are so many ways
of attracting good students. There are
more things that the state and the uni
versity could be doing."
One option would be to offer more
scholarships and financial aid. Schmidt
said that more than test results should
be considered for scholarship guide
lines. More should be offered for things
like leadership ability, and minority
scholarships could also be improved,
she said. Although competition for
National Merit Scholarships at UNL is
intense, improvements also could be
made in that program. Students need
to be put in touch with key faculty members
and UNL should enlarge its market for
Merit Scholars rather than pursuing
only Nebraskan students, Schmidt said.
Unique programs like those now in
place at Michigan and more traditional
financial enticements may be the key
to reversing declines in college enroll
ment, college officials say.
Although UNL's enrollment has de
clined for the last three years, Schmidt
said she has personally been encour
aged by the increase in applications
received for next year's freshman class.
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