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November 29, 1988 _University of Nebraska-Lincoln_ Vol. 88 No. 63
All-university test file is yet to be a reality
uy jerry l>uenther
Staff Reporter
Anew bill co-sponsored by
Sens. Stan Mommacrts and
Geoff McDonald of the As
sociation of Students of the Univer
sity of Nebraska would enable UNL
students to look up their professor’s
old tests.
The bill, which has yet to be ad
dressed by AS UN, states that a file
would be set up within the UNL li
braries and would contain UNL pro
fessors’ past tests. The bill also slates
that the file would be accessible to all
UNL students.
Mommaerts, a graduate student,
said he sponsored the bill after one of
his constituents approached him with
the idea.
“On the surface, it looks like a bad
idea,” Mommaerts said. “But if you
look a little deeper, it might help to
promote academics because it will
encourage professors to rewrite their
tests.”
Mommaerts said the bill has the
potential to be unacademic if students
just memorize the old exams.
The bill also would make taking
tests more fair to students because
everyone would have access to old
tests, not just members of certain
organizations, he said.
Donald Taylor, associate profes
sor of physics and astronomy, said
some professors might not be willing
to turn in any tests for the file.
Some professors like to keep the
same test year after year as a way to
evaluate how currcntclasscs compare
with previous ones, he said.
Taylor said the astronomy depart
ment already has a system where 30 to
50 pages of old tests arc available on
microfiche for students taking astron
omy classes. The microfiche sells for
25 cents, he said, and the department
docs not make a profit on the sales.
“Not as many take part in it as they
should,” Taylor said.
Though some of the old questions
appear on current tests, Taylor said,
he doesn’t think it is unacademic
because students can’t memorize that
many questions, and new questions
arc added to current exams.
‘The purpose is just to give stu
dents some idea of what to study for,”
Taylor said.
Taylor said old tests provide an
other way for students to learn the
subject and can be a good review also.
Arthur Winter, associate professor
of history, said he thinks the test filing
system would work if professors were
required to submit old tests on a vol
untary basis.
“If you rubbed our noses in it,”
Taylor said, “we’d probably turn it
down.”
Taylor said he uses both old and
new questions on his exams, and
provides students with copies of old
tests during dead week.
But, Taylor said, students still
have to look up answers to the ques
tions.
“The professors can only point out
where the material is located.” Taylor
said. “The student has to be motivated
to look it up.”
“Thai’s one of the reasons why
higher education is not viewed as a
form of recreation,” he said.
Recall petition or executives
lacked interest of students
By David Holloway
Senior Reporter
□ petition to recall two members of the
Association of Students of the Univer
sity of Ncbraska-Lincoln was
cancelled last Tuesday, according to ASUN
Senate Speaker Matt Gotschall.
Gotschall said he met with two of the peti
tioners, Peter Barufkin, a freshman psychology
major, and James Finley, a freshman musical
education major, last Tuesday. Barulkin and
Finley told Gotschall they were going to drop
the petition due to lack of student interest.
Barufkin and Finley arc two of the alleged
six petitioners who started a drive to recall
ASUN President Jeff Petersen and Gotschall.
Gotschall said Barulkin and Finley wanted
to drop the petition and work together with
Gotschall on a new group they are forming
called SEASUNS (Students’ Eye on the ASUN
Senate).
rinieysaiomey nail signaiurcsior tnc recall,
but said he and Barufkin decided il was better
“to build then to tear down.”
“It was never anything personal against
Golschall or Petersen,” Finley said. “Alter
* talking to Golschall, he saw where we were
coming from.”
Finley said the petition was started because
he and others wanted students to be more aware
of the senators’ actions.
“I was a little weary of what happened, but
there were no hard feelings,” Golschall said.
“Something good came out of it.”
Finley said he w ould like the help of several
AS UN senators in the organization of the
SEASUNS.
Golschall said he plans to help Barufkin and
Finley organize their ideas for the group so they
can write a constitution.
“I have no regrets about what we did,”
Golschall said. “I would change the wording
around in the letter (to Gov. Kay Orr and
Chancellor Marlin Massengalc) so it wouldn’t
be so controversial, but 1 don’t regret writing
the letter.”
Petersen said he didn’t think the petition was
the best way to make a change, and said he
hopes the students get the change they need
through another means.
Finley said right now he is trying to make a
plan of action, set goals and see where
SEASUNS is going.
Sorority house looted
over Thanksgiving
From Staff Reports
Looters reportedly broke into the
Gamma Phi Beta sorority, 415 N. 16th
St., over the Thanksgiving Holiday,
according to CpI: Linda McEnlarffcr of the
University of Ncbraska-Lincoln Police Depart
ment.
A maintenance man reported the illegal
entry on Friday, McEnlarffcr said. She said the
kitchen window may have been used to enter
the sorority.
At this lime no estimates of reported prop
erty losses arc available, McEnlarffcr said.
Ann Gotch, Gamma Phi Bela president, said
a bicycle and jewelry were the most common
things reported missing. Once all members
have documented their losses the information
will be presented to the UNL police, Gotch
said.
It may be November, but Richard Eikmeier, a junior agronomy student, waters Christmas Poinsettias. Eikmeier is
inside the heated biological hothouse by Oldtather Hail.
Professors study cheap agriculture methods
UNL assisting under developed countries
By Tom Koenig
Slaff Reporter
The University of Ncbraska-Lincoln is
helping to curb agricultural problems
for Third World farmers, according to
agricultural experts.
Chuck Francis, an agronomy professor and
cropsspccialistatUNL.issludyinga low-input
system of farming that could reduce starvation
for people in Third World countries.
Francis said sustainable agriculture is a
management strategy that helps producers
develop a system to curb external costs, reduce
harmful environmental effects and increase
food production.
The system involves choosing prime crop
hybrids, a soil fertility package, belter pest
management, a tillage system and crop rota
tion.
“Third World farmers cannot afford the
farming methods that farmers in Nebraska
have,” Francis said. “We use expensive fossil
fuels to power big tractors and produce chemi
cal fertilizers and pest control measures.”
Glen Vollmar, UNL professor of agricul
tural economics and dean and director of Inter
national Programs, said the university partici
pates in other Third World projects located in
Morocco, theCaribbean, Niger and Costa Rica.
“We arc helping with die construction of
colleges, assist in die production of dry-land
crops and help with the improvement of man
agement skills,” Vollmar said.
The United States benefits by helping Third
World countries because those countries buy
more products from the United States in return,
he said.
Francis agreed that stronger rural econo
mics in Third World countries could benefit
trade opportunities here. Much of Nebraska’s
feed grain is targeted for overseas markets, he
said. Francis said an improved domestic agri -
culture program has aided Brazil’s ability to
import grains.
Although Brazil has competed with Ameri
can production of soybeans, it has steadily
increased itsimporisof soybeans andcorn from
the United States.
The same trend has occurred in South Ko
rea, too. Throughout the 1970s, South Korea
increased agricultural production by 27 percent
per capita. But U.S. food exports to Korea .
increased from S368 million to SI. 172 billion
and by 1983 Korea started paying 1 (X) percent
for U.S. exports.
“They increase their imports,” Francis said,
“because diets change and more meat and feed
grains are imported.
“When food supplies arc imported here and
in Third World countries, there is lessofa threat
of starvation and that contributes to greater
global social and economic stability.”
