.
Weather: Wednesday, partly cloudy
and wanner, high in the low to middle
30s. Wednesday night, mostly clear,
low in the mid to upper teens. Thurs
day, mostly sunny, high in the low 40s.
A&E: Reviews, reviews,
and more reviews —Page
6.
Sports: Nebraska basket
ball coach Danny Nee
prepares to face Kansas
—Page 8.
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Kamada Kazuyoki glances at the overhead transparency during a vocabulary test.
Agriculture students yearn to learn
By Lisa Richardson
Staff Reporter
Akiro Iwata said he really wants
to be a cowboy.
After finishing college in Japan
three years ago. he wanted to visit
foreign countries and learn to farm,
he said.
Iwata is one of 32 Japanese men
now living with Lincoln host fami
lies and studying livestock produc
tion at the University of Nebraska
Lincoln’s East Campus. The men
were brought here through a two
year program financed by the Japa
nese Agricultural Training Coun
cil.
Most of the students, ages 20 to
26, entered the program after high
school graduation, but some have
college degrees and one is a veteri
narian, said Paul Guyer, program
coordinator and animal science
professor.
This is the 21st group of Japa
nese students to study agriculture at
UNL, said T.E. Hartung, dean of the
College of Agriculture.
After completing four weeks of
general livestock production
classes, the students study special
ized areas for eight weeks.
Iwata and 13 others study beef
cattle production. Others study
poultry, swine or dairy cattle.
The students spent one year
working on host farms in eight
states. Before that, they studied
English at a community college in
Washington and harvested vege
tables or worked in apple orchards
there, Guyer said.
The money they earned went to
repay the training council for the
program’s costs, Guyer said.
After 12 weeks at UNL, the
group will return to the host farms
for 2 1/2 months, Guyer said. Dur
ing their final two weeks they will
tour the United States by bus.
The young men enjoy life on
East Campus, said Bobbi Randall,
coordinator of the exchange pro
gram. They participate in intramu
ral basketball, volleyball and soc
cer.
The students also spend time at
the East Union and recently at
tended a Rodeo Club meeting,
Randall said.
Randall said it is common for
host families to visit former train
ees in Japan, a sign of the strong ties
formed oy the program.
Iwata said he is not homesick for
Japan.
“When! go back to Japan, I think
1 will miss America,” he said.
He said he plans to return to the
United States or possibly move to i
Australia to ranch.
Both Hartung and Guyer said the
United States benefits from contin- j
ued cultural exchange and im- j
proved relations with Japan be- I
cause of the program. Most of the ,
trainees return to Japan to work in j
agriculture; some get graduate
degrees, Guyer said.
Hartung said the program gives
the UniteaStatesinfluence in lead- ■
ership positions for Japanese live- j
slock production and provides a
two-way flow of information j
through shared experience and
technology.
Both men also mentioned the
possibility of bettering U.S. trade
stature with Japan.
* “Agriculture is the only thing
holding us as strong as we are with
Japan,” Hartung said. “They don't
have the land to produce feed for
livestock.”
Guyer said lie thinks teaching
American production methods will
strengthen Japanese demand for
U.S. products.
Iwata also said it was necessary
for the United States to balance
trade with his country. The weak
ness of the dollar makes it difficult
for Iwata and other students to pay
back the council in yen.
UNL dean dispels
UTEP offer rumor
By Ryan Steeves
Staff Reporter
Despite contrary reports, G. G.
Meisels said Tuesday he is not a can
didate to be president of the Univer
sity of Texas at El Paso.
The El Paso Times reported Satur
day that Meisels, University of Ne
braska-Lincoln dean of arts and sci
ences, was one of six finalists for
UTEP’s presidency.
James Duncan, chairman of the
advisory committee that chose the
finalists, said five to 10 names were
forwarded to the University of Texas
Board of Regents. Duncan said he
would not release the names of those
being considered, but would not deny
that Meisels was being considered.
Meisels said he went to Chicago
Nov. 23 to meet with a subcommittee
evaluating possible candidates.
Meisels said he met with the commit
tee to keep his career options open, but
never seriously considered the posi
tion.
“To be very candid,” Meisels said,
“ ... I wasn’t all that interested.”
Meisels said he prefers UNL to
UTEP because UNL offers more
doctorate programs, emphasizes re
search more and attracts a higher cali
ber of student.
Meisels said he has nothing against
UTEP. It simply doesn’t fit the type of
university where he wants to work, he
said.
According to the El Paso Times,
those being considered for the
UTEP’s presidency are: Ryan Ama
chcr, dean of commerce and industry
at Clemson University, Clemson,
S.C.; Robert Lincberry, dean of arts
and sciences at the University of
Kansas, Lawrence, Kan.; Samuel
Kirkpatrick, dean of liberal arts at
Arizona State University, Tempe,
Ariz.; John Palrns, vice chancellor of
academic affairs at Emory University,
Atlanta; and Diana Natalicio, interim
president at UTEP.
The El Paso Times reported that
three candidates were confirmed by
Judson Williams, who helped evalu
ate the candidates. He confirmed
Amachcr, Kirkpatrick and Natalicio.
The other three names were ob
tained through a source close to the
committee, the paper reported.
Downtown project unfeasible;
new plan to be implemented
By Victoria Ayotte
Staff Reporter
More than a dozen developers that
were initially interested in Lincoln’s
downtown redevelopment arc being
recontacted, Lincoln Mayor Bill
Harris said Tuesday.
Taubman Co., Inc., put together a
downtown redevelopment project
that would cost more than $120 mil
lion to implement. But the company
announced Monday that the project
wasn’t feasible.
The new redevelopment project
will be smaller and cheaper, regard
less of who the new developer is,
Harris said.
Three city councilmen said they
would favor keeping the original
schedule of next fall for acquisition
and demolition of Block 35.
Block 35 is bordered by 10th, 11th,
P and Q streets.
Gates Minnick, City Council
chairman, said providing parking for
the Lied Center for the Performing
Arts was the main reason Block 35
would have to be demolished.
“Wc have a commitment to pro
vide parking for the Lied Center, so it
(parking) would have to be in place at
the time of the opening of the Lied
Center,” Minnick said.
Council members Joseph Hamp
ton and Bill Danlcy agreed with
Minnick’s ideas.
“One of the most important things
to come out of the Taubman report is
verification that if you’re going to
have retail anywhere, parking is one
of the most important elements,”
Hampton said.
Harris said downtown redevelop
ment will take place fairly soon be
cause “we have the money to do it.”
Lincoln collected $12 million in a
bond issue for the redevelopment
project. The money is currently col
lecting interest.
Harris expressed some concern
that Lincolnites will lose interest in
the redevelopment issue and get rid of
the bonds.
“I want to move forward to the best
of my ability so we can keep the
people of Lincoln on board,” Harris
said.
Helmet bill fails; proponents vow to fight
By Amy Edwards
Senior Reporter
Sen. Dan Lynch of Omaha said he will
pursue the mandatory motorcyclc-helmet bill
even though it failed to pass final reading
Tuesday.
Nebraska legislators voted down LB428,
23-21.
Lynch said later that information from a
Nebraska Parent/Teachers Association poll
showed 75 percent of parents belonging to the
association support a mandatory helmet law.
Sixty-eight pcrccntof American Auto Associa
tion members also support the law, he said.
Lynch said members of the American Bicy
clers Against Totalitarian Action oppose the
mandatory helmet bill because about 80 per
cent arc underinsured or have no insurance for
their motorcycles. Uninsured motorcyclists
impose upon everyone else, Lynch said.
Sen. Scott Moore of Stromsburg proposed to
return the bill to select file for an amendment
that would mandate only motorcycle riders
under the age of 19 to wear helmets.
Lynch said a law that required only riders
under 19 to wear helmets would be hard to
enforce. That law would also cause police
officers to be accused of harassment if they
pulled someone over who was 19 or older.
The law would have to apply to everyone
because in 1987 most of the motorcyclists
killed in Nebraska were more than 20 years old,
Lynch said.
“It’s great to say that I saved a kid who was
18 years old,” he said. “But his 44-year-old
father got killed. Isn’t that great?”
Sen. Jacklyn Smith of Hastings proposed an
amendment in conjunction with Moore’s pro
posal requiring riders under the age of 19 to
show proof they attended a motorcycle safety
education course.
Both proposals fai led, and the bil I will not be
returned to select file.
Smith said she is proposing a bill in the near
future that will rcquircail first-time motorcycle
riders to provide proof of education to acquire
a license.
A public hearing for the bill, LB1152, has
not been scheduled.
Lynch said that although he supports motor
cycle education safety, mandating it without
the helmet bill would be hypocritical.
Lynch said that .54 percent of all licensed
motorcycle riders in Nebraska had taken the
safety course in 1987. He said even with this
low percentage, Nebraskans rank among the
highest in the nation for safety course atten
dance.
Lynch said one problem with Smith’s bill
will be that 48 percent of first-time motorcycle
riders don’t apply for a license.
If LB428 is not brought before the floor
again, it would be killed. However, Lynch said
the close vote and concern from constituents
assure him the bill will eventually pass.
”The bottom line :s rights,and in my opinion
self-destruction is not a right we have in any
case,” Lynch said. “We will have a motorcycle
helmet law in Nebraska.”