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August 26, 1987 _' University of Nebraska-Lincoln Vol. 87 No. 4
Senators say plan
for research at NU
will help economy
By James M. Lillis
Senior Reporter
Several Nebraska senators say Gov.
Kay Orr’s $60 million proposal to develop
research at the University of Nebraska
over the next five years will help the
state’s economy.
Improving the university’s research
will attract businesses and corpora
tions to the state, the senators say.
Orr explained her plan to the U S
West selection team last Thursday in
an effort to attract the telecommunica
tions corporation’s planned $550 mil
lion research center.
State Sen. Chris Abboud of Ralston
said he would support Orr’s proposal
even if U S West decided against local
ing in Nebraska as long as the research
development had a “good chance of
translating into more jobs” for Nebras
kans.
U S West’s planned research plant
could result in as many as 1,500jobs for
Nebraskans if the company chooses to
locate its research here.
U S West will make its decision on
the location next month.
Orr has pledged to increase general
tax funding for university research by
$4 million in each of the next five years,
a total of $60 million at the end of that
time period. Orr’s proposal must be
approved by the Legislature.
The spending increases over the cur
rent base year-by-year would be $4 mil
lion, $8 million, $12 million, $16 mil
lion and $20 million at the end of five
years. This increase would be supple
mented by private donations — $7.5
million from a grant by the Peter
Kiewit Foundation and $10 million in
other private donations for a total of
$17.5 million.
The Legislature’s general fund dol
lars would increase from the present
$54.5 million annually to almost $75
million at the end of the five years,
according to-figures from the Legisla
ture’s Fiscal Office.
Orr hasn’t explained how the addi
tional $10 million will be raised.
Sen. Sandy Scofield of Chadron said
she is “generally supportive of spend
ing money for general education, but if
it’s all going to come out of the general
fund, forget it.”
Scofield said she was concerned
because she didn’t think it would be
possible to increase the university’s
research funding without budget cuts
in other areas or without a budget
increase.
She said she is willing to work with
the governor on the proposal, though.
Scofield said some of that money
should go to state colleges because
they are “definitely underfunded.”
The increase in research spending
should “go to the right areas of research
in order to be competitive in the long
run,” she said.
University officials and the NU Board
of Regents will present Orr a proposal
on Nov. 1, outlining where the money
should be spent, said Joe Rowson, the
university’s director of public affairs.
“1 think you have to watch to make
clear definite roles and missions for
the research,” said Sen. Jim Pappas of
North Platte. “Not something for ev
eryone, but specialized research.”
Abboud shared Pappas’s opinion.
“My feeling is that the University of
Nebraska should become more focused
on how the money is appropriated,”
Abboud said. “1 think if the proposal
will help get U S West and if the
expanded university research devel
opment will provide jobs for students
when they graduate, then the Legisla
ture will be supportive,” he said.
Pappas said that he didn’t think
that Orr was timing her proposal just to
lure U S West into Nebraska. He said
that the proposal is a part of fulfilling
one of her campaign promises to make
See ORR on 9
Mark Davis/Daily Nebraskan
On the rain line
Safe from the rain, a student returns home on 14th
Street, just south of Harper-Schramm-Smith.
Guards get
skill, money
By Kim Beavers
Staff Reporter
One night, Ayyaz Qureshi opened an
elevator door only to find that a gar
bage can containing muddy water had
tipped over and flooded the floor where
he stood. But the University of Ne
braska-Lincoln student says he has one
of the best jobs on campus.
Qureshi, originally from Pakistan, is
a student security guard.
Good times outweigh the bad for
Qureshi and about 50 other security
guards employed by University Housing.
Qureshi said it is a job where he can
learn skills and apply them, and the
things he does are unforgettable.
The job comes with a great sense of
responsibility, he said.
“Before this job I worked at the
athletic department as a checker, and
then I got a job as a night security
guard at UNL,” Qureshi said.
“I then realized that this had the
best time to study, good pay and a
uniform to wear, which makes me feel
, like a responsible person.”
Security guards work about two shifts
a week, in accordance with their class
schedules. Time is filled from 11:30
p.m. to 5:30 a.m. by making rounds of
the buildings, letting in students and
studying, he said.
Qureshi said two or three friends
recommended the night guard job two
years ago.
Sophomore Rose Ramirez spent many
late-night hours talking to security
guards in her residence hall. Conversa
tions with the guards led her to apply
for a guard position.
‘My roommate and I have always
been up to all hours of the night, and 1
just figured I might as well get paid for
my study habits and sleep during the
afternoons,” Ramirez said. Qureshi said
he studies during his shift.
"I try to do some light studying, just
enough to keep me up and make the
time go by faster,” he said. The Office
of University Housing employs about 50
student guards.
Starting pay is $3.50 an hour, the
J students said.
NCAA says no rules were violated
By Chuck Green
Senior Editor
No NCAA or Big Eight rules were broken by
Philadelphia attorney and sports agent Art Wil
kinson’s presence on the Comhusker sidelines
during the last two seasons, Nebraska football
coach Tom Osborne said Tuesday.
In a press conference, Osborne said he spoke
mwbjlmm;—i
Paul Vondeiiage/Dally Nebraskan
Osborne
on the telephone with Wilkinson Tuesday morn
ing and found Wilkinson had been at one
Nebraska game in 1985 and three in 1986.
Osborne said Wilkinson told him he obtained
one bench pass from a Nebraska assistant coach;
one from a photographer, one from a forgotten
source and once, he said, Wilkinson "just walked
in," apparently without a pass.
NCAA rules allow only 40 individuals in the
specified bench area, between the 30-yard lines
on the field. Osborne said the athletic depart
ment contacted the NCAA and was informed that
no rules had been violated.
Osborne’s comments came one day after the
Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Wilkinson
had a field pass for all Nebraska games and that
he was free to walk the sidelines in violation of
NCAA rules.
Osborne said he did not know that Wilkinson
was ever on the sidelines until Wilkinson con
firmed it during their phone conversation
Tuesday.
"The first I heard of it was when a Philadel
phia (Inquirer) guy called me two or three weeks
ago and started asking questions about it,"
Osborne said. "During a game my whole focus is
focused out on the field. I never look behind me.
"I never knew he was there."
Osborne said Wilkinson had been "hassled"
by other Philadelphia sports agents because he
was spending so much time on the UNL campus.
He said Wilkinson is in Lincoln two or three
times a year and other agents might have gotten
the wrong impression.
"He (the Inquirer reporter) had it in his mind
what he wanted to write when he called me,”
Osborne said. "That was the impression I got
from the tone of the conversation. He didn’t
seem interested in finding out what happened
— he was looking to nail Art.”
Osborne said Wilkinson told him that he had
discussed business with former Husker 1-back
Doug DuBose after DuBose was injured and his
college career ended. Osborne said Wilkinson
told him he had not discussed business with
other Husker athletes before their graduation
from UNL
‘‘I’ve asked him not to talk to players during
the season, and he says he’s honored tht agree
mnit," Osborne said. "Art did talk to Doug
DuBose after he was through playing here, when
he was on the sidelines on crutches, but that’s
all."
Osborne also denied allegations by the Inquirer
that Wilkinson was his personal agent.
"We’ve never had him up in front of the play
ers and told the players to sign with him or
anything like that," he said. "We have an open
door policy with agents."
He said the only agents Nebraska tries to keep
away from players are those who offer money
before the athletes’ careers are over, "and I know
three or four of those," Osborne said.
Osborne said Wilkinson was asked to look into
different shoe companies in the spring of 1985
for use by Nebraska players. The deliberation
resulted in a contract with Converse to supply
official team shoes.
At the time, Osborne said, Wilkinson said he
wanted a contract from the coaches in writing
that would ensure payment for his efforts.
“Apparently, he showed the letter to the Phi
ladelphia Inquirer and said that that meant he
was my agent,” Osborne said. "1 didn’t even
remember signing it, but he has it, so I guess I
did."
“He is not my agent and I have never specified
that he was to do anything else for me," Osborne
said.
Osborne said Wilkinson also approached him
in December 1985 and asked him if he were
interested in a coaching job for the Houston
Oilers of the National Football League.
“I met with the guys from Houston and Art was
present during the meetings," Osborne said
"They made a $600,000 offer and I thought that
was worth looking into."
Osborne declined the offer because he w asn't
interested in a coaching job in the NFL, he said.
Osborne said he has known Wilkinson since
1984 and his perception of him is that he is
honest.
“In a sense, he is my friend," Osborne said.
“In a lot of people’s minds, sports agents are
bad. In my mind, he’s good."
Osborne said he didn’t know if Nebraska
would have problems with Wilkinson on the side
lines again, but "1 told him flat out that he
shouldn’t have been there."
“I think Art assumed some things and got a
See OSBORNE on 10
