~~~ ~ ' pw .| ; "TB^ "IT ^ JL-^cJL JL JL 1<\/ "lB WEATHER: Thursday, mostly o *v" jpS^ a 9 9 sunny, high around 50 with W winds at News Digest.2 lm I ^ W 9Bfc|| R|| nil I iwmi 0—*n m r*T9 10*15 "¥*• Thursday night, mostly Diversions.'!!!!!!!!!.'! 7 8 J® Nr '9r^BI Ws^-mT ^9 Jr 1 9 ®p ^9 cloudy, low in the mid 20s. Friday, fair sports.15 ^aBs. 1 mLrx*rn£m M Ism H 9fc*a-> 9^T 9 9 and miid, high around 60. Classifieds.19 l \Ct/lflji\ai t l l December 1,1988 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Vol. 88 No. 66 .__ _ _ , f , u'/ Student regents hope to acquire non-official vote By Ryan Steeves Staff Reporter Jeff Petersen, president of the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska, told senators Wednesday that he hopes to get student regents a non official vote on the NU Board of Regents. Petersen and NU’s two other stu dent regents will present a proposal at Saturday’s regents meeting asking them to approve such a vote. Petersen, UNL’s student regent, told senators the proposal would make student regents more account able to students. The vote also could increase student influence, he said. Currently, a student regent can attend a regents meeting without having to participate or lobby for student issues, Petersen said. According to the proposal, student regents would have to be accountable to students, he said, because each of their votes would be recorded. Although the vole would not count, NU students could review the record to sec if a student regent acted in their interests, Petersen said. “The point of this is,” he said, “if you have a bad student regent — they’re not doing their homework, they’re not speaking at (regent) meet ings — they’re held accountable.” Sen. Chip Drccscn of the College of Arts and Sciences said having to vote could motivate lazy student re gents. Drcescn said it also would enlighten them about student opin i on “It’s the closest thing to actually getting a student vote that counts,” he said. The proposal ignited some sultry debate, however, when Sen. Libby York of the College of Journalism asked Petersen how he plans to get UNL student opinion before he votes. ‘‘There arc many students who feel this body (ASUN) isn’t representing them now,” York said. York agreed with the proposal, but she questioned how Petersen would increase student representation with out increasing student input Petersen said increasing student involvement in ASUN is a separate issue. He said he disagrees with the idea that ASUN has not tried to in volve students. ‘‘We’ve taken more steps to get student involvement than administration’s of past years,” he said. Constituents who disagree with the student regents’ vote on an issue, Petersen said, can express their disap pointment at election time. Petersen said he, UNO student regent Joe Kerrigan and University of Nebraska Medical Center student regent Pat Hotovy, expect the regents to decide on the non-official vote at their January meeting. IIJ IMLJU, U..L * University of Nebraska-Lincoln physics professor Robert Fuller speaks about education Wednesday at the Wick Alumnc Center. Professor speaks in series By Eve Nations Staff Reporter Stressing his main theme of ' “Celebrate Knowing,” Robert Fuller, professor of physics and astronomy, encour aged faculty members to provide learning environments that pro mote “wonderful ideas ” Fuller was the first speaker in a series of programs Wednesday in the Nebraska Union called Archi tects on Learning, sponsored by the Teaching Council. Fuller said students often are encouraged to develop creative ideas by the setting they are in. Fuller explained that professors should provide a rich environment in which students feel corn Tollable taking risks by developing new ideas. **A student needs to know that they can risk an idea and know they are in an environment that is rich with ideas,” he said. “Students have to know it is all right to risk.”. Fuller encouraged faculty to help create environments that motivate new ideas. “It is our obligation to have new ideas and have students who have new ideas ” Fuller said. “We have to create people who are capable of doing new things,” he said, “not just repeating what others have already done.” He asked members of the audi ence, which consisted mostly of See FULLER on 6 UNL graduate boosts minority scholarship fund By Victoria Ayotte Senior Reporter he minority scholarship ef fort received a boost re cently with a $250,000 pledge from a University of Ne braska-Lincoln graduate. Vin Gupta, an Omaha business man, contributed the funds early in November. The fund will provide a stipend equal to room and board for minority * ■* students already receiving full-tui tion scholarships from other sources at UNL. Minority students enrolled in the College of Engineering and Technol ogy or majoring in a physical science in the College of Arts and Sciences are eligible. Financial need also will be considered for the scholarship. “We have a real lack of available students for engineering and the sci ences,” Gupta said in a NU Founda tion press release. “If we don’t meet that need, we will have less innova tion in this country.” Gupta is out of the country until next week and could not be reached for comment. i neresa Mein, director oi puoiic relations and publications for the foundation, said the money was set up in an endowment fund. Gupta will give the foundation $50,000 each year for five years for a total gift of $250,000. Next year, about $2,500 will be available for scholarships from the interest on the fund. When the fund is fully endowed in five years, the an- „ nual amount will be about $12,000, Klein said. The fund probably will be admini stered by the colleges involved, she said, and it has not yet been decided if the funds will be for a one-year sti pend or a renewable scholarship. Gupta set up the fund for minori ties so they wouldn’t have to work part-time and could concentrate on their studies, Klein said. Gupta, a native from India, came toUNLin 1967 with $50 in his pocket to pursue a master’s degree, Klein said. Enough money can be a “catalyst” to a good education, he said, and education is the “key to freedom, mobility and happiness.” “If they don’t have to worry about room and board, maybe they can avail themselves of this opportunity,” Gupta said. Gupta donated his gift specifically for a minority fund, Klein said. “It was very important to him, since he himself was a minority,” she said. Gupta received a master’s degree in agricultural engineering in 1969 and a master’s degree in business administration in 1971. He is cur rently president of American Busi ness Lists Inc. of Omaha. I Forum offers advice on student legal rights By Jana Pedersen Staff Reporter___ Students should be informed about legal rights and services available at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, according to Charles Hamilton, fund-raising chairman of UNL’s Pre-Law club. The club sponsored a forum Wednesday night to allow students to ask questions about their legal rights. The five-member panel included: James Griescn, vice chancellor for student affairs; Susan Tast, student legal services attorney; Jeff Gromowsky, chairman of the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska Special Topics Committee; Lt. Ken Caubleof the UNL Police; and Ken Handy, a Lincoln Police Deparlmcni patrolman. About 15 students attended the event. The panelists gave information on issues including the student code of conduct, snow ball fighting, dead week policy, parking prob lems, alcohol-related incidents, financial aid and residence hall food. In his opening remarks, Gricscn stressed the importance of students maintaining the behav ior outlined in the student code of conduct. The puiposc of the code is to protect the student’s right to learn, he said. “If we are going to have a harmonious community we’re going to have to have some rules and regulations,” he said. Caublc agreed, and said one of the main duties of the UNL Police Department is to ensure that students abide by the code of con duct. Snowball fighting can be a violation of the code, according to Tast. Tast said that the criminal charges brought against threcof four students taken intocustody during the Nov. 15 snowball fight had been dropped. But, she said, those students had been placed on probation for violating the student code of conduct. Caublc said most of the criminal charges resulting from snowball fights involve students who go beyond throwing snowballs. Handy urged students not to become in volved with snowball fights, because even though most students do not intend to do any thing but throw snowballs, they can be hurt by the minority of students who do more damage. “When rocks arc being thrown I don't think it stairtocaiiuasnowpaiingnt, nesaia. it s criminal.” Griesen agreed and said he was trying to inform students about the dangers of snowball fights. “We need to create a sense of understanding on the part of the student body that there is no . such thing as a harmless snowball fight,” he said. Griesen encouraged students to take admin istrative action before resorting to legal action in areas where they believe their rights arc being violated. He also encouraged students to voice their opinions. “You’d be surprised how many student problems can be solved if students arc just willing to take a position of advocacy,” he said. Jfr