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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 22, 1987)
SS3li|§; TVnlffifcl f| sunny. High around 50. I \Pl I £ g\ Si IV 3 Tl I Sons!:!!!! 1"!" X * IV IV* JL I4JI\|IA ft. |aa^hed^_^ October 22, 1987 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Vol. 87 No. 41 Gulf war takes toll in Lincoln, students say By James M. Lillis Senior Reporter While the United States and Iran take turns blasting each others’ oil tankers and platforms in the Persian Gulf, one might think the war is just over there. But one University of Nebraska Lincoln student thinks anti-Iranian sentiments may be heating up in Lin coln, too. Hassan Ferasati, an industrial edu cation student, said he has suffered verbal abuse at his job because he is an Iranian. “People talk to me and ask me what I’m doing here and why I don ’ t go back where I come from,” Ferasati said. He said he hasn’t had such prob lems on the UNL campus because students are “more open-minded and better educated” than the people he works with. Ferasati said the abuse is similar to what he experienced when he first came to the United States in 1978. “It was bad for the first couple years because of the hostage problem,” he said. Ferasati said people in the United States .unfairly blame Iranians who lfte here or people of Iranian descent for the problems between the United States and Iran.* Tensions in the Persian Gulf have mounted with the reflagging of Ku waiti oil tankers and the U.S. sinking of Iranian patrol boats earlier this month. Last Friday The Associated Press reported that Iranians attacked an oil tanker flying an American flag in Kuwait’s harbor. The United States retaliated Monday by destroying two Iranian oil platforms in the gulf. Navy commandos raided a third. Iran said the Americans had begun a “full-fledged war,” to which it prom ised “a crushing response,” the AP said. President Reagan called the attack a “prudent yet restrained response.” Ferasati said Americans don’l know who else to blame lor the con flict. “I wish people would realize that il the government of Iran makes mis takes, it’s not my fault. We are people just like anyone else,” Ferasati said. “When Reagan makes a mistake, do you blame your fellow man for it. Of course not.” Ferasati said he is not immune from the pain caused by the violence in Iran and Iraq. “When I hear about the bombard ment, I can’t study. I have family and friends back there,” Ferasati said. “It’s not a football game. It’s war, and people die, no matter who wins or loses.” Ferasati said his sister had to take a six-month leave for mental problems in her home town of Kemanshah, Iran, after the Iraqis bombed the school where she taught. He said he knows he will always suffer here because of his nationality, but he hopes some day most Ameri cans’ anti-Iranian feelings will settle down. “I just have to practice patience until then,” Ferasati said. “Sometimes that’s hard.” On the other hand, Ahmad Reza Kamali-Njad, a sophomore industrial engineering major at UNL, said his nationality has caused him no prob lems. “In a word, never,” said Kamali Njad. Kamali-Njad, who has lived in the United States one year, said he thinks this may be because his job and classes are on the UNL campus. Fellow employees on campus are used to Iranians’ presence, he said. ASUN debates engineering tuition charge By Lee Rood Staff Reporter , , ,__ ASUN president Andy Pollock urged stu dent government senators to attend the NU Board of Regents meeting Friday when offi cials will discuss the possibility of adding a 20 percent surcharge to the tuition of students within the College of Engineering., During ASUN’s weekly meeting Wednes day, engineering college Sens. Joe Wurtz and Cathy Peters told the Senate the surcharge, to be added during the 1988-89 academic year if approved, would be used to pay for needed research supplies. The supplies, Wurtz and Peters said, could help the college meet the standards of the National Engineering Accreditation Commis sion. At present, UNL equipment replacement funds do not meet the accrediting body’s re quirements, senators said. But, if the surcharge is added, several engi neering students might be angry, and the change could set a precedent for last minute tuition hikes to save colleges, senators said. Pollock told senators it is important they attend the meeting in Varner Hall at 1 p.m. Friday, so they can voice their opinions and listen to what the regents have to say. Regents will not vote on the proposal until November. Pollock said while he does not want this sort of last minute funding to happen in the future, he thinks the regents should approve the surcharge this time, because he doesn’t want the college to lose its accreditation. ‘‘I think we should let the administration know we do not approve of this ... it can not happen again,” he said. In other business, members voted to declare Nov. 7, the day of the Ncbraska-Iowa State football game, “Faculty Appreciation Day.” In an effort to recognize the dedication and contributions of UNL’s faculty, senate mem bers will coordinate several activities in con junction with the game to show their support. Activities such as a convocation, organized by students for the faculty, the display of red and blue balloons and stickers at the football game, and a halftime announcement were suggested. Pollock said the event would draw attention to the need for faculty salary increases, as well as show much needed support of the faculty. Senate members also voted to have Pollock request a judgment from the Student Court declaring the area of General Studies as an individual college. That decision, senators said, would help students in the General Studies area be recog nized as a body on campus and in the senate. Pollock said general studies students al ready receive individual advising, and that the judgment would help organize them into one group. Ward Williams/Dally Nebraskan Just Grate! Construction workers clean the floor of the indoor practice field Wednesday, In preparation for the installation of artificial turf next week. U.N. observer to speak Friday By Kip Fry Staff Reporter A United Nations observer for the League of Women Voters will speak at the United Nations Day banquet Friday evening in the Great Plains Room of the East Union. Linda Moscarella, who has kept track of the United Nations for 16 years, w ill speak on “The United Nations'. Funding, Reforms and Priori ties.” Moscarella, from New York City, also has served on a national committee for a na tional security study and took a NATO trip to Turkey. The banquet will start at 6:15 p.m., and the program is at 7:30. The event is co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters and the Lin coln chapter of the United Nations Association. Although it may be difficult to get the SH tickets for the evening program, the public can hear Moscarella speak on the same topic Friday at 1:30 p.m. in the Nebraska Union, said Jeff Kluch of Campus Activities and Programs. The room will be posted in the union that day. There is no admission fee. The afternoon program is sponsored by the Nebraska Model United Na tions, Women’s Words and Music of the Women’s Resource Center, and the United Nations Association. The United Nations Association was organ ized in the early 1950s as group of lay persons to “help people learn more about the United Nations,” said Jo Ritzman, chairperson of Friday’s events. There now arc many chapters around the world, Ritzman said. Moscarella will speak to two Lincoln High School classes Friday morning. She also will appear on “The Morning Show” on KOLN/ KGIN-TV. Tickets for Friday night’s banquet and pro gram are available from Jo Ritzman, 488-9286; Howard Holverson, 464-3670; or Marjorie Manglitz, 464-3607. ---- Griesen silences aid office By Mary Nell Westbrook Suff Reporter James Griescn, University of Nebraska Lincoln vice chancellor for student affairs, has requested that employees of the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid not speak to the press during regular office hours or without him being present. Monday a Daily Nebraskan reporter at tempted to talk with William McFarland, director of the financial aid office, but was told that Gricsen has to be present when anyone in the office spoke to reporters. Griescn said this was not intended to be a “gag rule." However, State Ombudsman Marshall Lux said Griescn’s action raises questions about the First Amendment right to freedom of speech. Lux compared the situation to a case in which a slate agency tried to limit and even slop its employees from talking to the Ne braska Legislature during former Gov. Bob Kerrey’s administration. Lux said he sees “very much the same sort of problem” with Griesen’s request to employees of the financial aid office. Gricscn said he isn’t trying to stop em ployees of the financial aid office from talking to the press. Lux said Gricscn’s presence may inhibit office employees from speaking as they would normally. Attorneys often say such an inhibition has a “chilling effect” on a person’s right to free speech, he said. Griescn said he made the request because the office is already overloaded with ap pointments. The media or other student delegations should not take the time of Griesen said he thinks he needs to be present when employees of the office talk to reporters because he has a broader perspec tive of what goes on in the office. Lux said it’s hard to tell when the prob lems within an agency conflict with the constitutional right of employees to speak their own minds. An agency has some right to control its employees, Lux said, but it’s a fine line whether the employer is controlling free speech. _