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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 1987)
Febuary 20, 1987 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Vol.86 No. 107 ' 1 ! A cat at the Capitol Human Society looks through its cage while more on the Humane Society and its work see pages 6 and 7. Rec-center funds not from state, cuts are another issue, Warner says By Michael Hooper Senior Reporter Waverly Sen. Jerome Warner, chairman of the Appropriations Committee, said cuts in state appropriations to NU and the proposed recreation center and indoor prac tice field should be considered unrelated issues. Although critics have tied the project to state appropriations, Warner said Thursday, they should not because rec-center funds are not coming from the state. Omaha Sen. Vard Johnson has criticized the project because in QrawMiag' for cones Ice cream gives student explorers a taste for tunneling By Kari Hulac Staff Reporter A senior we'll call Jan X got her first taste of the legendary university tun nels as a freshman. She and about six others were determined to weasel their TL2 rrliry feature tZzl fauces ca the cSbcat cr unexplained way into East Campus's Filley Hall for eh after-hours ice-cream cone. They crawled down to a tunnel through a manhole and found a smaller ventilation shaft entrance into the ice J. V ' i I I - difficult economic times, he said, the university should spend money on improving academic quality instead of on a new athletic facility. "In an era of finite resources it is more important that we direct our resources to academic acheivement and accomplishment than to total domination of the football world," Johnson said according to Wednes day's Omaha World-Herald. Warner said Johnson's criticism is out of line because the project's funding is not coming from the state, and the athletic department probably would not allow a $5 sur charge on football tickets (part of cream store. So far, so good. But inside they were discovered by two security guards. A quick-thinking member of the ice-cream patrol told them that they were taking part in a secret society initiation rite. "We don't even know where we are," he said, his stomach full of ice cream. ! After sweating it out for four hours in a i patrol car, the police finally let them i go. That was Jan's last tunnel ex perience. Eat other students periodically have gone in and out of the tunnels. Some 1 have been in Love Library at 1 a.m. (T.eally cfTicer, we just got into this , really interesting conversation in the i stacks and didn't realise what time it ;wss.") What most students don't realize is that they could get more than tickets for trespassing or claustrophobia from invading the university's extensive utility-tunnel network. Gary Thalken, physical plant utili ! f Br""" Richard WrightDaily Nebraskan awaiting adoption or death. For the project's financing proposal) to be used for academic programs. "They're stretched as it is," Warner said, referring to the athletic de partment's budget. Warner said, however, when the university has to absorb a $3.1 mil lion budget cut by June 30, the tim ing of the recreation center and practice field is poor. Johnson has said he will attempt to block bonding authority for the project. The NU Board of Regents approved of the project last Saturday. ties manger, lays it on the line. "Some of these pipes aren't insu lated and can get up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit," he said. "If a pipe broke it would boil a person within minutes." Regular temperatures in the tunnels range from 80 to an unhealthy 115 degrees Farenheit. Legitimate visitors, like maintenance crews, never go in alone and always bring along radios. The tunnels were built in the 1920s and run to about three-fourths of all buildings on campus. Contrary to popu lar belief, the tunnels do not lead to the Capitol or East Campus. However, UNL does provide heat to the Capitol through underground heating pipes. The tunnels originally were made of trick, but sense brick has been replaced by cement-block walls cr concrete. The tunnels contain steam and cool ing piping, some electrical wires, and telephone and computer wires. See tu?:::els on 3 Maintaining quality tough, dean says By Kirk Zebolsky Staff Reporter When Dean of Libraries Kent Hen drickson began his job 1 12 years ago, he said, he hoped for computer auto mation and a budget increase. Neither has come about, and maintaining the quality of UNL's 12 libraries is getting more difficult, he said. Nine of the UNL libraries are on City Campus: architecture, biological sciences, chemistry, engineering, geol ogy, mathematics, music, physics, and Love. Three are on East Campus: den tistry, law and C.Y. Thompson. Hendrickson said he can't complain much about the lack of a budget increase, considering the cuts being taken by others at UNL. But to avoid falling further behind peer libraries, Hendrickson said, a computer-assisted arm winter lowers UN L energy ecsts By Libby York Staff Reporter Due to the mild winter and reduced utility rates, UNL saved an estimated $345,000 from Oct. 1 through Jan. 31. According to Vice Chancellor of Bus iness and Finance Kim Phelps, the average UNL expenditure for natural gas and oil is $3,962,000. The 1985-86 warm winter marked a record low energy cost year, costing the university only $3,489,000. Depending on the weather, this win ter's savings may even exceed last year's record amount. Phelps said some of last year's sav ings will be spent to replace instruc tional equipment or continue making energy-conservation improvements on campus. Because university housing and the Nebraska Union have had a reduction " " integrated library system is necessary. The present system, which keeps track only of circulation, is a "dino saur" and a "critical problem," Hen drickson said. The new system, similar to those in use or being added at five other Big Eight schools, would do much more, Hendrickson said. It would monitor circulation, acquisitions and periodi cals, and would replace card catalog ing, allowing users to check the hold ings of the NU libraries in Lincoln and Omaha, and eventually other libraries throughout the country. The system would "help us do our job better but also provide better ser vice," he said. Although automation is high on the administration's list of priorities, Hen drickson said, he doesn't feel hopeful that the Nebraska Legislature will allocate enough funds for it. Library officials requested that $75,000 be added to the 1987-88 budget for planning the automation, and $400,000 to the following year's budget for purchasing equipment. Total cost of the automation, including conversion, would be about $2 million, Hendrick son said. See LIBRARIES on 3 in heating prices, students may see a lower increase in student fees and room and board costs. But that could have troubling implications for some fee-supported organizations, Phelps said. "The action of CFA (Committe for Fees Allocations), can put some auxil iaries, like the union, in an uncertain position," Phelps said. If the union's energy budget is cut too drastically, arid "we have an extreme winter, the union could end up without the funds for heat and utilities." Because of the lack of snow this win ter, the university has spent only $6,400 on snow-removal services compared with the average $60,000 to $70,000, said Jay Schluckebier, assistant grounds director. "I'll take it this way every year," Schluckebier said. Brian BarberDasily NebrssS&n