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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 5, 1988)
INDEX WEATHER: Monday, mostly sunny and News Digest.2 warm, high in the upper 50s .winds from the S W Editorial,;.4 at 10-15 mph Monday night, mostly fair, tow Sports.1C around 30. Tuesday, partiy sunny arid cooler, Arts & Entertainment 12 high in the low 50s Classifieds .15 __Vo). 88 No. 68 Legislators meet to discuss financial aid By Eve Nations Staff Reporter Members of the Nebraska Legislature’s Education Committee heard testimony Friday in Kearney from students and officials of Nebraska’s colleges and university concerning financial aid availability and distribution for post secondary institutions. The comm i ttcc held the meeting to gel input on LR390, a resolution to make an interim study of financial aid and to make recommendations for change to the Legislature based on their findings. Those who spoke before the com mittee said their biggest concern was to keep tuition at stale colleges and university at an affordable level. James Griesen, vice chancellor for student affairs at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, told committee members lhat low tuition is essential. “Although financial aid is a great assistance,” he said, “die best assis tance iskeeping tuition at public insti tutions low.” Dennis Martin, a representative for technical community colleges, also stressed the importance of keep ing tuition at an affordable level. “Studies have shown that decreas ing tuition increases attendance,” Martin said. “Since tuition has stead ily increased over the four years, the percentage of students attending col lege has decreased.” Martin also said the increase of students using loans to gel through school is alarming. “In the last eight years, funding has changed from students using 75 per cent grants and 25 percent loans to 25 percent grants and 75 percent loans,” he said. “We’re debting the next generation. Keeping tuition low so students can have access u> education is very important.” Jim Armagosl, financial aid direc tor at Kearney State College, intro duced three students to the committee who will graduate with loan debts. The students, who also wdrked in the financial aid office at Kearney and received financial aid in order to at tend KSC, said financial aid is impor tant to help needy students attend college. One student said she had accumulated more than $10,000 in student loans during four years at Kearney. Debbie Fiddelke, student lobbyist for the Government Liaison Commit tee at UNL, voiced her concern about financial aid distribution. “My greatest worry is that student grant support at the state level won’t necessarily be received by the stu dents who have the greatest need,” Fiddelkc said. Fiddelke said she was concerned about recent proposals which would attempt to shift the distribution of Slate Student Incentive Grants to higher cost institutions. She also said she was opposed to giving grant support to students with adequate incomes which allow them to attend low-cost schools without aid. Aid sometimes enables those students to attend a more expensive See KEARNEY on 3 UNL officials battle increasing insurance costs High deductibles stabilize rates By William Lauer Staff Reporter Insurance: It’s a hassle to buy, but a neces sity of life — even for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. According to Roy Loudon,administrator for insurance and risk management at UNL, some of UNL’s insurance premiums have quad rupled in the last four years, caught in a national trend of spiraling insurance rates. When it comes to buying insurance, it al ways seems like it’s “feast or famine,” he said. In 1984, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln paid $5,300 for $5 million worth of directors and officers liability coverage. This year it paid $20,000. Increases in insurance rates occur about every six years, Loudon said, and another in crease can be expected in the next couple of years. Two critical types of coverage have been most affected by the trend: Directors and offi cers liability and general liability, he said. Directors and officers liability covers costs of suits filed against university officials, staff and faculty related to their decisions, such as an alleged discrimination case or a tenure dispute. General liability insures the university for personal injury and malpractice suits. Insurance premiums for colleges and uni versities were at a crisis level a few years ago, according to The Chronicle of Higher Educa tion. Some institutions could not afford the rate increases, spurred by large jury awards in lia bility cases, forcing them to find alternatives to commercial insurance, the Chronicle staled. An option fortfiany was to form a coalition of schools, pool money and underwrite them selves, the Chronicle stated. Joining a coalition is an option to consider, Loudon said, but they usually insure East Coast schools and wouldn’t represent the needs of UNL. Premiums also have increased because the cost of environmental liability has soared, Loudon said. . See INSURANCE on3 Alzheimer’s disease just starting to be understood in United States By David G. Young .Staff Reporter Jane Pierson vividly remembers the days leading up to her father’s death. He be came so restless he would stand up in his chair at his home in Omaha, shuffle his feel and sit down again. A few minutes later, he would stand back up and shuffle his feet again. Her father caught pneumonia thiee weeks before his death. He was given antibiotics, but never recovered. Eventually he died. But the cause of death was Alzheimer’s disease. According to the Alzheimer's Association, more than 2.S million adults suffer from the disorder in this country alone. Despite the distinction of being the fourth largest cause of death in America, Alzheimer’s is only begin ning to be understood. ,rFor years it was called a lot of other things — senility,” said Karen Noelle, executive di rector of the Lincoln chapter of Alzheimer’s Association. “It was misunderstood. It’s the disease of the ’80s,” she said. There are just so many people suffering from it now — we’re living longer.” Nebraska Gov. Kay Orr designated Novem ber as Alzheimer’s Awareness Month to con tribute to the group’s promotion of understand ing. The Lincoln chapter has initiated an ‘‘Apples for Alzheimer’s” program as part of the effort. ‘‘We’ve picked the apple as our symbol because the apple is usually associated with teachers, education and learning,” Noelle said. ‘‘They (Alzheimer’s patients) no longer can learn. They don’t even have the ability to dress themselves.” See ALZhEIMERTS on 6 ’Tis the season Robert Adams, a freshman architecture major from Omaha, ties a Christmas tree to the top of a oar Suodoy at the Christmas Tree Fair on the State Fairground*. Trees from Beithet, Blue Springs and Emerald are ..—.... ... ."" ' . Textbook wins merit for portray l of women By Lori Beckmann Staff Reporter Four University of Ncbraska Lincoln political science pro fessors recently received rec ognition for writing a textbook, which was chosen by the Woman’s Caucus of the American Political Science As sociation as the best introductory text - on American government “American Government,” which had its second edition published in January by West Publishing Co., was chosen for its treatment of women in the political process. The award was announced at the annual APS A meet ing in Washington, D.C. “Our focus wasn't women," said Susan Welch, professor of political science and co-author of the book. “But we did give them proper atten tion.” “Women are often invisible in texts,” she said, “we provided reason able balance by using women as ex amples when appropriate.” American Government, first printed in January 1986, defeated 114 competitors nationwide for the award. “We were very pleased,' said John Gruhl, associate political science professor. “We embarked on a project that was the hardest thing any of us had ever done before... and we were rewarded for our efforts.” Welch, Gruhl and faculty mem bers Michael Steinman and John Comer co-authored the book. Instead of devoting a specific chapter to women’s involvement, Welch said, the authors integrated women into every chapter. “We presented women and mi norities in a realistic light,” she said. “Our book isn’t the first, or the only book to do this,” Welch said. “We built on the work of others. Tex is have been changing over the past 20 years ... and I think the trend will continue.” The book should change the stu dents’ education of women in politics in a “variety of little ways,” Gruhl said. ' Women will see more women role models, Gruhl said. He said he also expects to sec an increase in the amount of confidence in female stu dents and an awakening in male stu dents, he said. But, Welch said, “We don’t intend to hit students over the head with it.” Students will be unconsciously sensitized through pictures and ex amples of minorities and women, Welch said. “We wanted to show an accurate portrait of women and minorities in politics,” she said, “instead of always using examples of white males.” Gruhl said some professors al ready do this in iheir classrooms. “Women have been important in influencing politics since the rebel lion against England,” he said, “and we show this.” The text has been used in class rooms for the last three years. Welch said. It’s being used nationwide in dozens, maybe hundreds, of junior colleges and prestigious universities, she said “The Woman’s Caucus has sensi tized textbook authors to the fact that someone is watching them in terms of this area,” Welch said.