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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 5, 1988)
Landis urges students to link UNL, senators By Ryan Johnson Staff Reporter Students are effective in lob bying the state legislature by “providing a face” to a university which would otherwise be a group of buildings, State Sen. Dave Landis of Lincoln said Thursday night. “I do not represent buildings,” Landis said at a meeting of the College of Business Administra tion Action Committee and the Student Advisory Board. For the university, he said, students provide a link between constituent and senator—a “hands-on approach.” Students are essential in lob bying for the university, he said, because their “absence will be noted.” He said that of course the people who will be paid—teach ers and administrators—will be contacting their legislators ask ing for more funds. The problem with that picture, he said, is the absence of those who stand to gain nothing but an education. While teachers and adminis trators act in self interests, stu dents act on the public interest, he said. A student’s story, presented with valid concerns about the university, will give credibility to the cause because, in legislators’ eyes, students act in the public’s interest. The legislative process is a “contraction of forces,” he said; the force saying don’t spend any money is a strong one. Someone must say that the money is worth spending. In the case of educa tion, he said, students are some of the most effective lobbyers be cause they can tell their education story. “The only people who can talk about CBA are the students,” he .“ (Ward wlliiiims/baily lUraslcan Telling students how they can make an impact with their state government, state Sen. David Landis spoke Thurs day evening in the Nebraska Union. said. While everyone has a story to tell, he said, the students are the only ones who can judge the value of their education. Legisla tors see these stories as valid, and representative of more than one person, he said. Thousands of his constituents want a good educa tion for their children, he said. Therefore, one student’s opinion can be representative of “thou sands.” The only times that student input is not valid to a legislator, he said, is when a student pretends to be an expert where he obviously isn’t, intricate budget matters or the university budget trends up or ’down, for example. A student with simply a per sonal story or a well-organized student organization maximizes political impact. For the univer sity, he said, students could be just as effective by lobbying the Board of Regents along with the legislature. Since the board actu ally allocates the money that the legislature gives it, students emphasizing money for their cause while recognizing the needs of the rest of the university will be effective. Landis said the final budget recommendations will begin in two to three weeks, upon which time final budget cuts or raises will be discussed and amended. Students wishing to lobby their senator, he said, should do so before early March. Scribe fixes Torah in Lincoln SCRIBE from Page 1 Even though the war had ended, many Jews couldn’t leave the camps because they had no papers or identi fication. Travel was restricted in Europe. But Ray left England with a 24-hour pass and didn’t return. Because he was traveling illegally, Ray had to cross Europe strapped to the bottoms of trains. Group members then smuggled him into the camps, where Ray forged the proper documents for Jews to leave. Ray estimates he helped more than 1,000 Jews leave the camps. In 1948 and 1949, Ray fought in the Israeli War of Independence. He smuggled arms and ammunition into Palestine so the Jews could defend themselves from Arab attackers. Ray created the first map depart ment for the Israeli armed forces in 1948. He was wounded three times in the lighting. He planned to slay in Israel, he said, but the British govern ment announced that British citizens fighting in Israel would lose their citizenship. Ray went to England, expecting to return to Israel, but instead traveled to Canada and then the United States. Ray’s transition from artist to scribe led him to many professions. He became a biblical archaeologist and a synagogue architect. He has created illuminated Hebrew manu scripts and Jewish art. To become a scribe, an Orthodox Jewish male w ho is at least 13 years old has to complete a seven-year apprenticeship. Since Ray already had many of the skills scribes need, his apprenticeship lasted only five years. Scribes must make almost all supplies from scratch because no artificial materials can be used in making or repairing Torahs, Ray said. Ray follows daily rituals for scribes. He must pray or attend serv ices three times each day. He must wash himself each day in a mikveh, the ritual cleansing pool. Scribes do this to purify themselves before they write God’s name. He must follow about 400 of the 613 commandments for Jews that are found in the Torah. He must recite a blessing every lime he writes God’s name. He uses a different ink and quill for God’s name than for the rest of the Torah. Since Lincoln does not have a mikveh, Ray travels to Omaha to immerse himself before he writes God’s name. Because of these special require ments, writing a new Torah takes about three years, he said. This makes Torahs expensive. New To rahs are worth about S70,(X)0, he said, but cost about $25,CXX) because of help from the Jewish seminaries. When Ray returns to Lincoln with the Torah, the congregation will celebrate its restoration. And Ray will begin repairing other Torahs. “I feel that I’ve been moved in this direction by God,” he said. Alumnus gets GM award A University of Nebraska-Lin coln alumnus has been awarded the Charles L. McCuen Special Achievement Award for research that has “made a significant impact on the success of General Motors Corp.” Frederick Pinkerton, a 1976 UNL graduate in physics and mathemat ics. now works for General Motors Research Laboratories. The award was named in honor of the late Charles L. McCuen, former UM vice president of Research Labo ratories. Pinkerton, now a resident of Ster ling Heights, Mich., was given the award for his role in the development of Magncqucnch, a high-perform ance permanent magnet alloy. The alloy is a combination of iron, boron and neodyium and is produced by ultrafast quenching oflhe material in an oxygen-free environment. Pinkerton is credited with stabi lizing the mclt-spinmng process. Food Processing Center to sponsor workshop series From Staff Reports A University of Ncbraska-Lincoln Food Processing Center workshop series will teach entrepreneurs how to start a food processing business, said Steve Taylor, the center’s direc tor. The first workshop will be March 17 in Norfolk, Ta> lor said. A food processing business converts the raw form of food into a ready-to-eat product, he said. Stan Mat/ke Jr., executive vice president of the Nebraska Bankers Association, said he thinks the workshop series is good because the food processing industry has a strong growth potential in Nebraska. One-third of manufacturing jobs in Ne braska rely on the food processing industry, Malzkc said. “Nebraska should go with its strengths,” he said. Taylor said the food processing center also attracts businesses because it protects trade secrets. The center would not receive any busi ness if it didn’t protect them, he said. Although it is unusual fora state university to protect trade secrets, he said, no one has told him they opposed the practice. The workshops came alter the Nebraska Bankers Association awarded a S9,5(X) grant to the Food Processing Center Nov. 7. Ag economy improving, farm economists say By Julie Dauel Slaf f Reporter The farm economy appears to be on an upswing, but many agricultural economists question what lies ahead. A weak U.S. dollar, good yields and weather, and the surge of government dollars into farm programs have helped the agriculture economy, said Bruce Johnson, associate pro fessor of agricultural economics at the Univer sity of Nebraska-Lincoln. A weak dollar allows farmers to be more competitive in international markets, increas ing gram exports, he said. Johnson said some farmers have earned good profits in recent years. Last year was one of the best, he said. He said good weather, except in the Pan handle, high grain yields and favorable live stock markets have boosted the farm economy in Nebraska. “This is a breathing period or a period of recouping for some farmers,” Johnson said. Because some economists are still uncer tain about the future of the agricultural econ omy, farmers are being conservative, Johnson said. Some farmers will continue to make few purchases, minimize debts and use their farm equipment longer, he said. Many economists arc uncertain of what will happen after the 1985 Farm Bill ends in 1990. The bill creates price supports for farm com modities, while making''these resources com petitive in the world market. Larry Bitney, agriculture extension special ist, said he is uncertain what farm programs w ill exist after 1990. Bitney said net farm income was at a record high in 1987. Net incomes also reached d record high in 1986. “But how it is distributed from farm to farm is a different story,” Bitney said. George Beattie, assistant director at the Deparuncnt of Agriculture, said he is also optimistic about the farm economy. “We have turned the corner, but caution needs to be exercised,” he said. “There arc still some problems out there, but in short term agriculture economy, it appears to be bright” rJY 1, GET Buy any Pizza with | One or More Toppings ! rnd Get 2 More Toppings ( FREE! „„ c»<> 1 Medium 12" Cheese Pizza Plus 3 Toppings. Plus Tax Additional Items: Black Olives Pineapple Green Olives Green Peppers Pepperoni Sausage Mushrooms Ground Beef Smoked Ham Extra Cheese Onions Extra Thick Crust Hlapenos DOMINO’S PIZZA DELIVERS® .FREE. Our drivers carry less than $20. Limited Delivery Area. ® 1988 Dominos Pizza. Inc. 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