The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, February 23, 1989, Page 3, Image 3

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    Banned South African speaks
WOODS from Page 1
When Woods was first banned
by the South African government
in 1977 for his views against apart
heid, 42 censorship laws existed.
Now 46 stand, one of which cen
sors all foreign media.
Also, most while/black relation
ships are on a master/servant basis,
he said. And most blacks are segre
gated by townships that are some
times located miles from white
populations.
Only after Biko’s death did Woods
realize the extent of South Africa’s
“apartheid craziness.” A craziness
that’s comparable to Nazi Germany
and devoid of all reason and ration
ality.
“It is to the extent that it’s an
obsession,” he said.
“They’re so locked into their
prejudice, it becomes a kind of
blind craziness,” he said.
Americans must continue to be
leery of any information which
comes from the South African
government, Woods said.
For instance. 242 armed clashes
occurred among white and black
factions last year, he said. But that
knowledge wasn’t available to South
Africans or the world.
Black leaders such as Biko have
advocated non-violent methods of
protest, Woods said But violence
sometimes occurs because blacks
are not allowed to demonstrate,
express their feelings publically or
vote.
“What else can they do?” Woods
said.
Economic sanctions from out
side sources continue to be one of
the most effective ways of stran
gling the South African govern
ment, he said.
“They are mortally afraid the
tap is going to be cut off,” he said.
Without sanctions, which help
cripple the economy, the South
African government has no reason
to end apartheid, he said.
That money feeds government
propaganda that tells Americans
not to increase sanctions because it
hurts the black population.
“I suggest at this point, you
consult the victims, not the non
victims,’’ Woods said. Most black
South Africans would rather suffer
economically in order to overcome
apartheid, he said.
The government’s propaganda
also suggests that the fight against
apartheid is actually a thrust to
ward communism, Woods said, but
democracy is what they’re really
looking for.
But U.S. citizens can stop ’ ‘apart
heid craziness” by expressing their
feelings to Congress by writing to
black anti-apartheid leader Nelson
Mandela at Pollsmoor Prison in
South Africa.
People can also make a differ
ence by supporting local apartheid
awareness groups.
“Racism is rambling everywhere
in the world,” he said. “We must
stop it by stomping on it wherever
its ugly head is raised.”
—— I— il l III ■»
Waste not public threat, official says
By curt wagner
Editor
Medical waste materials found in
a downtown alley Sunday did not
significantly threaten the general
public’s health, but it was not a good
public health practice, a Lincoln/
Lancaster County Health Department
official said Wednesday.
Bill Pugsley, assistant chief of the
health department’s environmental
health division, said that although the
general public wasn’t threatened,
certain citizens were. People who pick
through garbage for aluminum cans
or other trash could have been con
taminated by the waste, he said.
“It was not a good idea,” he said.
“The threat was minimal, but even
so, where do we draw the line?”
Because the waste had been scat
tered around the alley, it is possible
that someone had rummaged through
the trash, he said. If the person had an
open wound that came in contact with
die blood products, Pugsley said,
contamination could have occurred.
That threat was lessened because no
sharp objects, such as needles, were
found in the garbage, he said.
Empty blood bags, tubes and other
bloodied collection materials were
found on dumpsters and the ground in
the alley between O and P streets and
14th and 15th streets, near the Lin
coln Plasma Corp., 126 N. 14th SL
Pugsley, who led the investiga
tion, said the waste materials had not
been properly sterilized by Lincoln
Plasma Corp. employees before being
bagged and dumped. Pugsley said the
cause for the mishap had not been
discovered. _
viva Moore, assistant manager ot
the plasma center, said that as far as
she knew, the waste had been prop
erly sterilized.
The county health department is
sued a notice of violations to Lincoln
Plasma Corp. on Tuesday.
Gary Walsh, chief of the environ
mental health division, said the plasma
center violated regulations established
by the State Department of Environ
mental Control concerning proper
sterilization of waste before dumping
and proper containment of waste when
dumped.
Proper sterilization is achieved
through autoclaving or chemical treat
ment and proper containment of
medical waste is in locked metal
dumpsters, he said. Also, current city
ordinances require all garbage, medi
cal and non-medical, to be contained
in metal trash cans, he said.
Walsh and Pugsley said the health
department had not determined if it
would forward information on the
violations to the city attorney. That
will be decided after a meeting with
officials from the Lincoln Plasma Corp.
later this week, they said.
“If we come away (from the
meeting) feeling the problem will not
occur again, we won’t pursue it any
further, Walsh said.
The plasma center has had no
previous violations, he said.
Walsh said the health department
had not been concerned with reports
that the janitorial service hired by the
plasma center had improperly dumped
the waste.
“The ultimate responsibility is on
the person who generates the waste,’’
he said.
Pranksters call
plasma center
Some Lincoln phone prank
sters were apparently a little
confused T uesday and Wednes
day.
Patti Johnson, manager of the
University Plasma Center, 1442
O St, said die center had re
ceived about five prank calls
from people upset about im
proper dumping of medical waste
into the alley behind the crater.
The callers’ comments ranged
from “If you keep dumping well
slit your throats" to do
you think you’re 4oiftg?’’
Johnson said.
The calkrs apparently thought
the University Plasma Center
had dumped the empty blood
donor bags, tubes and other
collection materials found Sun
day in an alley betweeaPandO
su 0.46 and 14 th and ISA streets
site said. '’tyrk1/
The Lmcoln/£|R»castcr
County Health Draotteent has
iBuedn notice of vietadon to -
the Uncoln PUg CorjM2b
along die same alksy, Tor the
improper disposal
rials.
Moore said Wednesday she had
not gotten a straight answer as to how
the improper dumping had occurred.
She said the situation had been
taken care of through the hiring of a
new janitorial service to clean the
plasma center.
Photo ID card
system approved
By Pat Dinslage
Staff Reporter
A new campuswide student photo
identification card system for the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln has
been approved, Vice Chancellor for
Student Affairs James Griesen said
Wednesday.
Phased implementation of the
system will begin in April 1989. By
spring 1990, Griesen said, the photo
ID’s will be the “official ID card for
the university,” Griesen said.
Students will not be charged for
the cards until the spring 1990 semes
ter because of phased implementa
tion of the system, he said.
Students’ tuition statements for that
semester will include the one-time
fee of $7.50 per student to help cover
start-up costs for the system.
The total cost to implement the
system will be about $300,000, which
includes start-up and operating costs
between March 1989 to June 1990.
Griesen said $175,(XX) of that money
will come from the one-time fee to
students; $60,000 from the UNI.
departments using the card and $65,(XX)
from the student affairs auxiliary
operations budget.
“This is not impacting our state
aided budget in any way,” Griesen
said.
See ID on 6
Parents of student
announce reward
By Larry Peirce
Senior Reporter
The parents of University of Ne
braska-Lincoln student Todd Oelling,
who has been missing since Jan. 20,
arc offering a $1,000 reward for his
“safe return,” said Detective Sgt.
Joe Splichal of the Lancaster County
Sheriffs department.
Splichal said Ronald and Judccn
Oelling of Roca want anyone with
information about their son to call the
sheriffs department. Oelling, who is
a junior journalism major, was last
seen Jan. 20 at the Video Station,
4550 O St., where he worked, Spli
chal said.
Oelling’s car was found Jan. 22 at
Wagon Train Lake, three miles east
of Hickman. A week-long search of
the area turned up little evidence,
Splichal said. Foul play isn’t sus
pected, but the department has little
to go on, he said.
“We haven’t ruled anything out.’ ’
he said. “We’re open to all evidence.”
I i: .• ., i
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