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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (May 3, 1989)
WEATHER: Wednesday, partly sunny with increasing cloudiness in the afternoon, 20 percent chance of rain, highs in 70s, SE winds 10-15 mph. Wednesday night, scattered thundershowers, 50 percent chance of rain, low in 40s. Thurs day, breezy, highs in lower 70s. 9NDEX News Digest.2 Editorial.4 Arts & Entertainment.5 Sports.6 Classifieds.6 ay 3, 1989__University of Nebraska-Lincoln Vol. 88 No. 151 John Bruce /Dally Nebraskan ore freshmen are smoking; NL in step with the nation I By Larry Peirce Senior Reporter IT oc Lutes made it through high I school without smoking, but began lighting up as a freshman at the University of Ncbraska-Lin coln. ‘‘I got through the peer pressure 1 years,” he said. ‘‘I just picked it up d for some reason. I’m not at all sure f why.” Lutes, a senior political science f major, was sitting at a table Tuesday in what smokers refer to as the ‘‘smokers’ prison,” in the north end of Nebraska Union’s main lounge with John Crofton. Crofton, a junior English major, said he started smoking as a freshman in high school, but has since cut down, quit and started smoking again. The two students are among the 12.3 percent of UNL students who smoke, according to a 1988 survey done by UNL’s Bureau of Sociologi cal Research. Statistics compiled by the bureau indicate that smoking by UNL stu dents is consistent with smoking trends at colleges across the nation. A fall 1988 survey of college freshmen done by the Higher Educa tion Research Institute at the Univer sity of California at Los Angeles shows that the decline in the number of freshmen who smoke has stopped. The survey showed that the per centage of freshmen who smoke has No aquaculturalist for university By Jerry Guenther Staff Reporter Cn amendment that would pro vide $50,000 for an aquacul tural specialist at the Univer sity of Nebraska-Lincoln was voted down Tuesday by the Nebraska Leg islature. The Legislature, which spent Tuesday morning debating amend ments to LB813, voted 20-18 not to fund the proposal despite assertions by some senators that the specialist is needed to help the state diversify economically. LB813 is the state operations and state appropriations bill that provides funding for many of the operations at UNL. The amendment, co-sponsored by Sen. David Bemard-Stevens of North Platte, would provide funding for a fish specialist to work with farmers in the state through the Cooperative Extension Service Administration of the University of Nebraska. Bemard-Stevens said aquaculture is an industry that requires precise fish-raising conditions for success. See LEGISLATUREon 3 increased for the first time in 22 years. The institute reported that nation ally, in 1966, 16.6 percent of fresh men smoked. That percentage de creased to 8.9 percent in 1987, but rose to 10.1 percent among freshmen who entered college last fall. At UNL, 10 percent of freshmen smoke, according to a survey done by the bureau, said Greg Barth, informa tion systems manager at the Univer sity Health Center. One UNI. professor who has stud ied smokers’ behavior said he isn’t surprised that more freshmen are smoking. The increase in perceptions among high school students that tobacco is harmful leveled off in the early 1980s, said Ian Newman, a UNL health education professor. According to the bureau’s survey, 12.3 percent of all UNL students smoke. The survey showed that 8.5 percent of male UNL students smoke, while 15.4 percent of female students do. Those numbers are consistent with the UCLA survey, which shows that more college women than men are smoking. The higher percentage of women smokers shows where tobacco com panies arc pushing their products the most, said Chuck Stepanek, regional director of the American Lung Asso ciation in Lincoln. One example of tobacco compa See SMOKING on 3 JOW? Nq! * ConnieSheehen/DallyNebraskan Todd and Tracy Stark receive the news that they will be required to pay the tow fine despite ttta tact that they were laying carpet for the financial aid office in the Administration Building Tuesday afternoon. UNL police $a\d the brothers could possibly make arrangements for reimbursement later. 1 .< t: *i« ■ * <*| t* >* A —-...-......-—■-■■•.—*- M -— i,... ,. i. n Free immunizations continue as measles claims another victim By Larry Peirce Senior Reporter 3urth University of Ne raska-Lincoln student was iagnosed with rubeola measles Tuesday, and the University Health Center has expanded its dis ease control program to include some faculty and staff members. The fourth victim, a female under graduate, contracted the disease from an off-campus source, said Dr. Ralph Ewert, chief of staff at the University Health Center. Ewert said the victim works in the Telecommunications Building on East Campus. She works from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, he said, and was at work when she was contagious. The fourth measles victim also attended the following classes Mon day while infectious: Childrens Lit erature 216A, Section 010, 8:30 to 9:20 a.m. in Andrews 102; and Physi cal Geography 150, Section 003,9:30 to 10:20 a.m. in Avery 22. The health center has been author ized by the state health department to give free immunization shots to fac ulty and staff members who have been “in close proximity” to infec tious students, said Kunle Ojikutu, administrator of the health center. Anyone who was working during the weekend at the same building as the victim should come to the health center for a shot if they arc not known to be adequately immunized, Ojikulu said. As in the first three cases, class mates of the victim are urged to make sure they have been adequately immunized. Classmates of the fourth victim who need shots can come to the health center this week. Ewcrt said the measles virus could have remained in the air at the build ing for hours after the victim left. The victim was in contact with another measles victim in Lincoln about 10 days ago, he said. The Lin coln-Lancaster County Health De partment reported last weekend that there were three “suspect cases” of measles in Lincoln that were not connected to the first two victims at UNL. County health officials are mak ing immunization shots more avail able and have extended hours at 19 health stations. About 7,500 students have been processed — either given shots or provided immunization dates - since the outbreak began two weeks ago, Ojikulu said. About 5,000 remain, he said, and the health center staff is trying to get the highest level of immunity possible at UNL. “If we don’t get them this time, we’U get them next semester,” he said. The health center will continue to provide free immunization shots to students who need them on weekdays from9a.m. to 12p.m.and 1 p.m. to4 p.m. Staff Assistant Dee Layman said the health center is still busy giving shots to students. It takes students about five minutes to complete the entire process, she said. The health center is following the same guidelines established last week for giving immunization shots, Ewert said. People who were immu nized before 1969 or immunized before 15 months of age should be re immunized. People bom before 1957 are considered to have natural immu nity because measles epidemics were common before that year. “If anyone is not sure, we want them to come in,” Ojikutu said. Contrary to rumors around cam pus, Ojikutu said, the health center will not give out class excuses to allow students to miss final exams because they fear catching the measles. “That’s wishful thinking,” he said. Ewert said the health center will follow its usual policy for excuses for missing class. Only students who are ill will be able to obtain excuses from physicians. The third victim, a female gradu ate student, was diagnosed as having rubeola measles, Ewert said. Dr. Gerald Fleischli said her case was “highly suspicious” on Monday. students propose downtown development By David G. Young Staff Reporter Redeveloping downtown Lin coln to give it a stronger cul tural identity highlighted a city redevelopment plan unveiled by University of Nebraska-Lincoln stu dents Tuesday, said Rich Parks, a graduate architecture student. About 15 students and faculty members attended the presentation, culminating a 10-wcck study by stu dents in Architecture 855. The class focused on urban design issues, Parks said. “Asageneral plan we ultimately want Lincoln to have a cultural iden tity,” he said. “We already have the retail; cultural development is a place we have a good future.” The first phase of this develop ment would involve an expansion of a 12th Street cultural and entertain ment zone surrounding the Lied Center for the Performing Arts, the Temple Theater and the Sheldon Art Gallery, said Scott Sullivan, architec ture graduate student. This would include an expansion in Sheldon’s floor space, construc tion of low- to middle-income stu dent housing, and the location of more restaurants and bars in the area, he said. The completion of the first phase would help link UNL to the down town area, drawing more students to downtown businesses, he said. The focus of redevelopment then could be directed to problems existing in the remainder of the downtown area, he said. Parks said these problems include a scattering of buildings caused by previous redevelopment efforts. “The lack of infill has really ru ined the urban core,” he said. “Buildings are becoming isolated islands rather than a continuing street frontage.” A future addition would be the construction of the Lincoln Conven tion Center south of the Centrum between L and N streets, Sullivan said. This location would provide increased traffic for the downtown mall, and is centrally located be tween the three main hotels, he said. Other highlights of the plan in clude the creation of an open-air, See DOWNTOWN on 3