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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 15, 1988)
\t 1 Dail j INebraskan Weather: Friday, partly sunny breezy and mild, high in the mid to upper 40s. Friday night, consider able cloudiness with a low in the mid 20s. Saturday, mostly cloudy and cooler with highs in the low 40s. A&E: 'Raw' observations and Hyde and go seek — Page 10. Sports: Nebraska pre* pares to face Missouri Saturday at the Bob Dcva ney Sjjorts Center. — Page 9. Landis urges increase of faculty salaries By Shawn Hubbell StaffReporter Slate Sen. David Landis Thursday urged members of SlarVcnture, Lin coln’s strategic planning group, and “Friends of the University’’ to support Gov. Kay Orr’s $10 million proposal for increased salaries in higher educa tion. Orr’s bill includes increasing fac ulty salaries at all state colleges, the University of Nebraska-LincoTn, Uni versity of Nebraska at Omaha and the University of Nebraska Medical Cen ter. Originally members of StarVen ture were concerned only with raising faculty salaries at UNL. But Ann Campbell, chairwoman of the Star Venture’s education task force, said faculty salaries should be raised at other institutions as well as UNL. “Where we go with education in the 21 st century depends on what we do in education now,” Campbell said. “Students are our future and (we) cannot afford not to invest in them.” Landis presented the groups with a report that indicated UNL faculty i salaries ranked in the bottom 10 per cent of 168 other universities with Ph.D. programs. The report showed the average UNL salary for a full professor ranked 153 out of the 168 institutions. It also indicated that if Orr’s bill is passed intact, it could meet more than 75 percent of the funds requested by the N U Board of Regents and the State College Board. Landis said the odds Orr’s bill will pass are improving. He said new momentum for the proposal has drawn the support of people and institutions which, in the past, focused on other issues. “It is a winnablc fight,” Landis said. “We already have a pot of money to spend from.” Although the money is there to spend, Landis said, getting Orr’s bill passed will not be easy. He said the pressure and tension will probably start about the third week in February when the bill is introduced onto the floor of the Legislature. Landis said other legislators have proposals of their own they want passed. He added that Orr’s bill may not get support, if the legislators’ bills aren’t supported. It is important that thccampuses do not get into a fight over the distribn tion of the money, Landis said. Orr’s proposal docs not specify where the money should be distributed, only that it should be spent on faculty salaries. Landis said legislative action is needed that meets the vision of the governor. He said a fair way to distrib ute the money could be dealt with later. “We want and support a bold init iative for faculty salary increases,” Landis said. “Every ally is welcome.” Hall residents evacuated after bomb threat By William Lauer StaffRcporter Rcsidcnlsof ihc Harpcr-Schramm Smith residence complex on the Uni versity of Nebraska-Lincoln City Campus were evacuated early Thurs day morning because of a bomb threat. Sgt. John Lustrea, shift supervisor at the UNL Police Department, said a call was placed with the 911 emer gency service at 5:54 a.m. Thursday. The caller said an explosive device had been placed in the residence complex and would detonate at 6:30 a.m. Lustrea said residence hall super visors were notified about 6 a.m. and began to evacuate the buildings im mediately. Lustrea said fire alarms were pulled in the buildings to speed up the evacuation. The buildings were evacuated by 6:30 a.m. Residents were taken to the food service building while university police and the Lincoln Fire Depart ment searched the buildings. No bombs were found, and police allowed residents to return to the buildings around 7 a.m. Lustrea said all similar threats arc taken seriously. “You always have to assume the worst case scenario,” Lustrea said. “To do less would be foolish.” David Pringle, a freshman broad casting major who lives on the sixth floor of Schramm Hall, said he was awakened by fire alarms about 6:15 See BOMB on 5 Blasting away relaxes students By Victoria Ayotte Staff Reporter The quarter clinks. Armed with laser fire and directional control, destiny is in William Benner’s hands. Many University of Nebraska Lincoln students, like Benner, use video games as a way to relax. I— “It’s an attempt to escape from reality,” said Benner, a junior phi losophy major. Although he now plays video games only occasionally, Benner said he used to spend at least $5 a day on video games. He said he worked to support his video game habit Many students said the video games can be addictive. “Y ou always want to go that one last quarter,” said Mike Alberts, a sophomore computer science ma jor. Jeff Porter, a senior construc tion management major, agreed, saying it takes control and disci pline to stop. Freshman biochemistry major Robert Stewart’s favorite game is Time Soldiers. Stewart said he spends about $15 a week on video games, but can’t play Time Sol diers often because it’s always occupied. Most students in the Nebraska Union video arcade said they spend about $5 a week. Alex Cordry, an undeclared freshman, said he plays video games for about 45 minutes every day. Cordry said he plays the games because it’s something to do and get good at. Marv Buysman, union recrea tion manager, said he thinks most students play the games for release and enjoyment “It’s an excellent study break,” Buysman said. Mostly students play the games, but some union employees and university professors also play. Robert Brooke, an assistant professor of English, said he plays video games at the union a couple of times a week. Brooke said he started playing video games when he was a graduate student. “It’s a mindless way to get your mind off things,” Brooke said. ‘You always want to go that one last quarter. ’ Alberts Last year the 15 video games in the union collected $60,274, Buys man said. Buysman said the best year for the video arcade was in 1981, when the arcade took in $97,000. In 1984 the arcade went into a slump and hit See VIDEO on 5 J.P. Caruso/Daily Nebraskan Brian Hirsch, a sophomore meteorology major, takes a video break in the Nebraska Union video arcade. Professors say Soviet reforms exaggerated By Kip Fry Senior Hditor University of Ncbraska-Lincoln political science professors have mixed reactions to Time magazine’s naming Mikhail Gorbachev Man of the Year. Randy Newell, associate professor of political science, said Gorbachev’s rise to power in the Soviet Union is the moslexciting development in Russian politics since Nikita Khrushchev was in power, making him a good choice for Man of the Year. “There is potential for a lot of change,” Newell said. However, Ivan Volgyes, professor of political science, contended that when one looks at economic indica tors, the Soviet situation has worsened under Gorbachev. “The article (in Time) is vastly overblow n about Gorbac he v ’ s impact on Russia,” Volgyes said. Gorbachev’s impact so far is not noticeable, and it’s unknown if changes will be made in the future, Volgyes said. Time called Gorbachev “a symbol of hope for a new kind of Soviet Union: more open, more concerned with the welfare of its citizens and less with the spread of its ideology and system abroad.” From Gorbachev’s published statements, Volgyes said, the Soviet leader wants to make general mod ernization, but still hasn’t done much. Newell said that although Gor bachev has improved the Soviet situ ation, there has been a growing mood of dissension and skepticism there, which comes after the euphoria of having a new leader. “The question is,” Newell said, “will he survive politically or will he have to renege reforms to survive politically?” Americans will have to wait to sec if Gorbachev is truly committed to democratic values, Newell said. However, the Soviet people will bene fit, even if the reform is largely eco nomic. David Forsythe, professor of po litical science, said Gorbachev is a genuine reformer in certain spheres, such as economics and the military. “Whether this means a change in the political structure and human The question is, will he survive politi cally or will he have to renege re forms to survive politically?’ -Newell rights is yet to be seen,” Forsythe said. “It’s too soon to say if there are im provements.” Forsythe said he is concerned whether Gorbachev’s policy will change the life of persecuted Rus sians. Gorbachev has already instituted legal reform by changing the control of mental hospitals in the Soviet Un ion, so that they are no longer under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior, Forsythe said. Forsythe said he was not surprised by Time’s selection because Gor bachev has made some fundamental changes which, if they last, will affect the world. Although Time is fairly conserva tive, Forsythe said, it is looking for the person who has made the most impact in the world. -v*
