Committee hears testimony on $2 million renovation
By Erie Pfanner
Staff Reporter
The Appropriations Committee of
the Nebraska Legislature heard testi
mony Thursday on LB645, which
would authorize exhibit renovation at
Morrill Hall.
State Sen. Don Wesely of Lincoln
introduced the bill, which would au
thorize $2 million for the renovation.
Two years ago, Wesely said, $4
million in funding for renovation and
installation of a climate control sys
tem was passed by the Legislature.
Now, Wesely said, an additional $4
million is needed to complete the
project.
"We got into it and discovered we
needed a little more,” he said. The
additional $2 million needed will be
raised through private funding, he
said.
Nancy Beck, chairman of the
Board of Directors of the Friends of
the Museum, said some money from
LB645 would be used for exhibits
rather than improvements on the
building when renovauon continues.
Museum Director Hugh
Genoways said the funding in LB645
would be a ‘‘one-time capital ex
pense” for project contracting. No
money would be allocated for perma
nent staff of the museum.
Beck said LB218, which gave the
museum $4 million two years ago,
improved the structure of the build
ing.
The climate control system pre
vents further deterioration of exhibits
in the museum, she said.
Genoways said the renovation and
climate control will allow' exhibits
like the nomads of the great plains
exhibit, which would have been de
stroyed before, to be displayed.
Beck said S500,000 would go to
replace the mammal exhibit on the
first floor, while $1.5 million would
go to renovate the paleontology ex
hibit on the second floor.
“All these things require money,
time and staff," she said. Passing
LB645 would send a challenge to the
university to match the $2 million the
bill proposes, Beck said.
Dave Sands of the Nebraska chap
ter of the National Audubon Society
said the primary function of the mu
seum should be education by its ex
hibits.
Sands said that 40 percent of the
museum would be empty if there was
no funding for exhibits.
Passing LB645 is important, he
said, so that Morrill Hall does not
"rest on the laurels" of its past
achievements.
William Splinter, acting associate
vice chancellor for research at UNL,
said the University of Nebraska-Lin
coln is officially neutral on the bill.
If an unlimited amount of money
were available, he said, the university
would be supportive of the bill. Then
fundmg for Morrill Hall could con
ceivably be included in UNL's
budget, he said.
Petersen upholds COLAGE fund cut
PETERSEN from Page 1
ASUN’s final consideration of the
enure Fund A and B fee budgets
March 8.
Griesen said Thursday night that
he has been “totally supportive” of
past student* senate fee decisions,
adding: “For all 1 know the student
senate could support someth mg to
tally different on March 8.”
"I respect student
government. I
think it's a good
process ... that's
democracy.. ."
-Grieten
Griesen said he believes “first and
foremost” that Fund A student fees
are “programmatic money to be
managed by three student organiza
tions - student government, student
programming and the student news
paper.”
That money, he said, is for the
students and should be decided upon
by the students.
“I respect student government. I
Forum organizers
hope to draw many
By Sara Bauder
Staff Reporter
An all-university forum planning
to draw members of fraternities and
sororities, residence hall students and
off-campus students together, is
scheduled for next month, according
to Marc Shkolnick, .vice president of
the Residence Hall Association.
Shkolnick said he and Kim Bea
vers, second vice president of the
Association of Students of the Uni
versity of Nebraska, arc setting up the
forum. He said he would like the
forum to be sponsored by ASUN,
RH A and the Interfraternity Council.
Finding pertinent issues and
choosing a date that will allow the
most students to attend the forum arc
the major concerns in the planning
right now, Shkolnick said.
Beavers said some issues they
have considered include scholarships
and financial aid. parking and oppo
site-sex visitation in grcck houses
and residence halls. Shkolnick also
mentioned minority issues, drug/al
cohol abuse and suicide.
Shkolnick said he hopes the forum
will help clear up misunderstandings
that often occur between members of
fraternities and sororities, residence
hall students and commuter students.
Shkolnick said he wants the forum to
provide an atmosphere allowing stu
dents to belter understand how other
groups feel on important issues.
Beavers said the forum is needed
so students can talk directly to the
student government.
* ‘ We got the idea from R H A ’ s Al 1 -
Residence Hall Open Forum,” Bea
vers said. “The neatest thing about
that forum was that people got to
voice their ideas directly to us.”
Beavers said the forum would help
ASUN get input and viewpoints from
its constituents.
think it’s a good process . .. That’s
democracy, that's how it is supposed
to work,” he said.
Petersen’s decision to pul into
writing his reasons for upholding the
ASUN decision “was very appropri
ate,” Griesen said.
When asked if he felt student fee
funding for COL AGE would help to
educate students about increasing
minority awareness - a topic of con
cern for the administration this year -
Griesen said:
“I have no hesitancy in saying that
programming aimed at eliminating
prejudices in our society has a very
I -
important place on our university
campus.”
He did not say whether COLAGE
serves that purpose.
Griesen said he will have to con
sider whether ‘‘present allocations
adequately provide for programming
that is diverse in nature yet balanced
in terms of political, ideological and
personal viewpoints.”
Petersen said he probably will
approve the rest of AS UN’s recom
mendation for Fund A fee users to
day. Fund A fee users include ASUN,
the Daily Nebraskan and UPC.
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