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March 24, 1989 _ University of Nebraska-Lincoln_._ Vol. 88 No. 128
Gnesen supports COLAGE fund denial
By Eric Pfanner
Staff Reporter
James Griesen, vice chancellor for stu
dent affairs, announced Thursday that
he supports ASUN’s decision to deny
funding to the Committee Offering Lesbian
and Gay Events.
In a letter to Chancellor Martin Massengale
about his final recommendations for Fund A
student fees, Griesen gave two reasons why he
opposed specific funding for COLAGE.
One reason, Griesen said, is “my firm belief
that the student senate is in the best position to
reflect students and how student dollars should
be spent.”
For the third year in a row, Griesen has sent
his budget request for Fund A to the chancellor
unchanged from the recommendations of the
Association of Students of the University of
Nebraska.
Gricscn said this indicates that student
government at the University of Nebraska
Lincoln is doing a good job.
Gricscn said his opposition to funding
COLAGE as a University Program Council
committee is based on his4 ‘personal belief that
the decision of the ASUN senate was based not
on objections to views regarding user interest
of gays and lesbians, but on legitimate concern
regarding programming of student fee dol
lars.”
One ASUN senator, Steve Thomlison, did
base his argument against funding COLAGE
on moral concerns, he said.
However, Griesen said, the majority of
ASUN opposition to COLAGE funding was
not based on moral concerns.
Following the Committee for Fees Alloca
tion’s Feb. 6 recommendation to give CO
LAGE half of its budget request, ASUN voted
Feb. 15 to deny the $746 in student fee funding.
CFA voted 5-4 in favor of funding, and
ASUN voted 18-7 against it.
The “less than overwhelming decisions”
by CFA and ASUN make it “hard to sec that
either CFA or ASUN was cither for or against
(funding COLAGE),” he said.
Griesen said that a CFA subcommittee,
which voted against funding COLAGE with
UPC money earlier in the year, studied the
issue more closely than either the entire CFA or
the ASUN senate.
He said a clear-cut choice for or against
funding was difficult to make, since many
students, faculty members and parents sent him
letters for and against COLAGE funding.
Griesen said he has “learned a great deal”
about the COLAGE issue from the controversy
it generated.
Griesen said he “knew he would offend
people either way,” but is “not uncomfort
able” with his decision.
Those opposed to funding COLAGE as a
UPC committee have ‘‘bent over backwards to
show they are not against gays and lesbians.
They are just against a further subdivision of
student dollars, he said.
Therefore, he said, COLAGE still can or
ganize events next year if other UPC commit
tees co-sponsor programming with them.
Gricscn said UPC is not organized around
special interest groups. Funding for UPC
committees goes toward “themes and events”
he said, rather than to groups who only repre
sent “one little segment” of a “broad spec
trum.”
He said minority groups under the UPC
American Minority Council came under close1
scrutiny last year because of low attendance at
events they sponsored.
See COLAGE on 3
Senators pass amendments
on burial site protection bill
n.. n. j _■ .» n « %• . •«
uj jana ■ vUvi 9vii
Staff Reporter
Although several amendments
to the Unmarked Human
Burial Sites and Skeletal
Remains Protection Act were
adopted Thursday, the bill itself was
’ not approved before the Nebraska
Legislature recessed for Easter.
The bill, LB340, which is await
ing final confirmation, would pro
hibit the disturbance of unmarked
burial sites and outline procedures for
internment of burial remains that are
accidentally discovered.
One of the major concerns with
the bill was how disputes over the
definition of burial remains would
be settled.
Sen. David Bcmard-Stcvcns of
North Platte introduced an amend
ment that would leave the decision on
settling disputes to the Nebraska
Public Counsel, or ombudsman.
If cither of the disputing parties
disagreed with the ombudsman deci
sion, an appeal could be made to the
court system.
Sen. Emie Chambers of Omaha,
sponsor of LB340, said letting the
public counsel office settle disputes
would be a fair system because it is an
independent office.
But Sen. Jerome Warner of Wav
erly said he was concerned that the
role of the ombudsman did not in
clude such decision-making powers.
He also said the ombudsman did
not have the background needed to
understand disputes between the
Nebraska State Historical Society
dim uic < dwncc inuidii iriuc.
Options of having a thrcc-mcmber
committee comprised of one mem
ber from the historical society, one
member from the Indian Commission
and a third party also were discussed.
But Bcmard-Stcvcns said he did
not think the two groups could agree
on a third-party member.
The historical society should be
willing to agree to an ombudsman
decision, Bcmard-Stcvcns said, be
cause American Indians already have
made many compromises in the for
mation of LB340 and the historical
society “has not given an inch.”
The amendment was approved 21 -
10.
Sen. Dennis Baack of Kimball
introduced another amendment to
lurtncr clarity the dclinition ol burial
goods and to prohibit the display of
remains that arc “reasonably identi
fiable,” and Sen. Gerald Conway of
Wayne proposed an amendment to
define “reasonably identifiable.”
Conway’s amendment was ap
proved 28-0 and Baack’s amendment
was approved without the inclusion
of one section.
That section would have made
extensions available in the time lim
its imposed for the return of burial
remains if both sides agreed to the I
extension.
Baack said he thought the volun- j
tary extension section of his amend- ,
ment was a fair way to deal with i
problems the historical society is ,
having with the September deadline
See BURIAL on 3 -
UNL issues to be heard ;
By Jerry Guenther
Staff Reporter
With Nebraska's legislative
session more than half over,
a number of issues that
could affect the University of Ne
braska-Lincoln have yet to be ad
dressed.
Debbie Fiddclke, Government
Liaison Committee student lobbyist,
said the battle over faculty salary
increases, financing for the Office of
Scholarships and Financial Aid and
’ money for instructional equipment is
just beginning.
Although Gov. Kay Orr has re
quested a 9 percent increase for UNL
faculty salaries in her budget pro
posal, Fiddelkc said that request
could change during upcoming meet
ing of the Legislature’s Appropria
tions Committee.
Tom Bergquist, deputy director of
the Legislature’s fiscal office, said
the Appropriations Committee fin
ished public hearings March 17 and
will begin meeting in executive ses
sion Monday afternoon.
During executive session, the
Appropriations Committee will dis
cuss how to appropriate state agency j
financing and incoiporate its findings 1
into a legislative bill. c
That bill should be ready for de- c
bate on the floor of the Legislature in c
the middle of April, Bergquist said. '
Fiddelke said GLC made the fac
ulty salary increases its top priority (
this legislative session. GLC mem- f
bers are hoping for approval of the
pay raises.
* ‘We’re really glad that the gover- *
nor saw it as a need in her budget
proposal,” she said.
Nancy Hoch, chairman of the NU j:
Board of Regents, has repeatedly »
stated that the regents’ top concern ,
has been to increase faculty salaries. J
But, Fiddelke said, it is important 1
to have students give input to state 1
senators in order for the proposal to
pass.
Fiddelke said she would like to sec \
the Legislature provide money for ‘
improvements in the Office of Schol- s
arships and Financial Aid.
Gov. Orr didn’t include any funds j
See UPDATE on 3 i
Connie Sheehan/Daily Nebraskan
‘ 7 don’t do windows!’ ’
Workman Ron Hibbert struggles with a stuck window Thursday morning. Workers were
replacing window casings on the 3rd floor of Morrill Hall.
LrA says AS UN staff needs benefits
sy Kyan Meeves
!taff Reporter
Despite some long days and
comparatively low benefits,
Shelley Stall and Marlene
teyke said they enjoy working for
lie Association of Students of the
Jniversity of Nebraska.
But some ASUN members said
Itall, director of ASUN’s Student
xgal Services, and Beyke, ASUN
lirector of development, who are the
inly paid, full-time staff in the ASUN
iffice, don’t receive sufficient bene
its for their work.
As a result, a subcommittee of the
'ommittee for Fees Allocation has
ccommcndcd that ASUN eventually
mplement a retirement plan for Stall
nd Beyke. Currently, AS UN em
iloyees have no retirement plan.
Keith Malo, CFA vice chairman,
aid last year’s CFA allocated $617 to
tart a retirement fund for Stall and
leyke. AS UN also passed a bill in
:ebruary allocating an additional
11,000. Senators appropriated no re
ircment money for the 1989-90 fis
al year.
Malo said AS UN needs a retire
nent plan to reward the current staff
mu to make the full-time jobs more
ittractive to potential applicants
hould Stall or Beyke quit
Beyke said salary and benefits,
uch as retirement plans, are top
oncems among job seekers. She said
he retirement plan would help attract
applicants when she and Stall quit.
‘‘I think it’s a step in the right
direction,” she said.
Beyke, who has been with ASUN
for more than 10 years, said she has
no plans to leave.
Stall said she wants to get benefits
for all employees in the legal services
office.
“That has always been my goal,”
Stall said, “to get the benefits of
ASUN employees up to that of uni
versity employees.”
Stall praised past and present
ASUN members for supporting addi
tional benefits. Stall said that when
she first arrived at UNL in 1981, full
time employees didn’t have an insur
ance plan. Since then, ASUN has
p.ctahliehivl incnranri' rtlanc fnr
Beyke and Stall.
Kevin Lytle, chairman of CFA,
said ASUN should give more benefits
to Stall and Beyke. Lytle called them
dedicated employees who receive
low pay and few benefits. Stall makes
$26,000 a year, while Beyke makes
$17,331 a year. Their salaries will
rise to $27,300 and $18,200 for the
next fiscal year.
Lytle said Stall could make much
more money if she joined a private
firm.
“If she were in the general market
here in Lincoln, she could probably
make $40,000,” Lytle said.
But Stall said her salary is pretty
fair for a student services attorney.
Her salary is below that of public
defenders and county attorneys in
Lancaster county, she said.
Lytle said Beyke’s salary also is
“way below what it should be.”
Without Beyke, who helps ASUN
members with research and transi
tion, ASUN “would be a mess,”
Lytle said.
“She is crucial in educating the
new (ASUN senators) and in training
them and steering them in the right
direction if they get off course,”
Lytle said.
Malo said the $1,617 retirement
money ASUN has accumulated for
the retirement fund is in an account in
the Student Activities Financial
Services. When the new fiscal year
begins July 1, Malo said, the money
might be invested in bonds or trans
ferred to a savings account or a cer
titicate ot deposit
Stall and Beyke have no claims to
the current retirement money, Malo
said. ASUN plans to use the $1,617 to
start the retirement plan, he said.
To initiate the plan, he said,
ASUN must follow university guide
lines and make the retirement fund
part of its yearly budget.
A certain percentage of Stall and
Beyke’s salary would go into the
fund, he said. ASUN would finance
half of the fund, Malo said, while the
other half would be taken out of the
employees’ salaries.
Malo said he hopes ASUN begins
yearly allocations for the retirement
fund within the next two years.