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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 21, 1990)
! Da ilv mi mu n nia i iiwwp *S W m “m H B m# I Education Compact would include 12 universities. The compact would include all public TSSSfift W W&a mr ’^55 and private universities and community colleges in 12 states. The Daily Nebraskan ajaaSV j§ «§?§ W WM regrets the error. 1% 1 4T& -&M ^ R ~ : WEATHER News DigesPEX , IMk i Jgf Sar HH jjjr^ * W M ■ EH r Sr lH8l Today, partly sunny and cooler, northwest wind Efi(torial 4 ^Hkl !§ ® 1$ ^JK H fl§ 15-20 miles per hour, high around 70. Tonight, .7 X ^ %Z L/JL Cl.9 JVCLJL L £=::;* September 21, 1990 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Vol. 90 No. 19 Officials predict possible NU Foundation divestment By Ryan Steeves Staff Reporter Some UNL officials are speculating that the NU Foundation today will consider a step into line with state law by divesting of some companies doing business in South Africa. Michael Mulnix,director of public relations at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said the foundation would consider partial divestment today at its board of directors meeting. The foundation is not required to follow state law because it is the private fund-raising arm of the University of Nebraska. Although unsure whether foundation offi cials will decide to divest, University of Ne braska-Lincoln Student Regent Phil Gosch said today’s annual meeting of the foundation’s trustees created a good opportunity to announce their change in position. ‘‘Politically, it would make sense,” Gosch said. The Ixtard meets today and foundation trus tees will have dinner at the Comhusker Hotel tonight. The board decides foundation policy. Trus tees help support the university and the founda tion but do not vote on policy. Paul Olson, a UNL English professor, said he had heard that the directors would announce divestment today. ‘My understanding is that they’re moving toward divestment - partial divestment -- in accordance with state law,” Olson said. Terry Fairfield, foundation president, said he would not confirm whether divestment was on the agenda because foundation board meet ings are private. But Olson, a member of the Anti-Apartheid Coalition of Nebraska, said Fairfield had told him the foundation was evaluating companies in its investment portfolio. If the foundation divested according to state law, it would have to divest from one company, according to a letter Fairfield sent to Don Blank, chairman of the NU Board of Regents and an ex-officio director of the foundation. The organization invests in two companies on the state list of forbidden firms - Abbott Laboratories and McDermott International, Inc., the letter states. McDermott, however, has pulled out of South Africa since the state list was revised in March, according to the Investors Responsibil ity Research Corporation in Washington, D.C. At a UNL Academic Senate meeting two weeks ago, President James McShane said the foundation’s total investment in the company on the state list was less than one-half percent, or about $1 million, of its total assets. McShane reported Fairfield’s softer policy toward divestment at the last Board of Regents meeting. Since then, other officials also have conveyed the foundation’s willingness to di vest. James Griesen, vice chancellor for student affairs, said he thought foundation members were seriously considering being in line with state law. See DIVEST on 6 Time running out to fight against lid, official says By Pat Dinslage Staff Reporter Time is running out for students - who should be “the first line of defense” against the pro posed 2 percent spending lid -- to mount an effective campaign, NU’s vice president for university relations said Thursday. Lee Rupp said that even with the short amount of time left before the election, the “chancesarc good” that students could affect the outcome of the vote on the initiative. “But, when all is said and done, more is said than done,” he said. ‘ ‘There’s only seven weeks left (until election day). I realize students have other things on their minds right now, but it’s a now-or-never thing.” The 50,000 students at NU and Kearney Slate College could mount a grass-roots campaign to counter that of lid proponents, Rupp said. “ If we had 50,000 students make a commitment to discuss this with their parents and relatives back home, that would be a tremendous grass-roots organization,” Rupp said. Two or three weeks ago, Rupp said, a contest between UNL, the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Kearney State College and the Uni versity of Nebraska Medical Center was proposed to register voters who would be reaching 21 years of age by Nov. 6. "It was a good idea. But I’ve heard nothing since, and it’s almost loo late now,” he said. The voter registration deadline is Oct. 12 to register by mail and Oct. 26 to register in person. But students who attend school far from home, such as in Scotlsbluff, don’t go home until Thanksgiving, Rupp said. “It will be too late by then. “I realize that constitutional amend ments have no sex appeal and are sort of mundane,” Rupp said. “But it’s the biggest thing on the ballot and doesn’t seem to be getting the atten tion from students it deserves, such as a voter registration drive. “It (the spending lid) will proba bly be the biggest thing on a ballot in a student’s lifetime,” he said, “and will change the face of Nebraska.” Initiative 405, the spending lid, would affect all government spend ing in Nebraska on public services such as highways and schools, he said. And companies may not want to locate in Nebraska because of the “negative image’ ’ the lid would proj ect, Rupp said. “This (spending lid) is not just a lid on government, it’sa lid on growth in Nebraska,” Rupp said, “and would undo a lot of work that’s been done for the last 10 years on economic development in the state.” Supporters of the proposed amend ment have a good grass-roots organi zation, Rupp said. According to re cent public and private polls, the ini tiative would pass by a margin of at least 6 percent if the election were held todiay. The lid would impact students in many ways, he said, from how much they would pay for tuition to job opportunities in Nebraska after they See RUPP on 6 The NU Foundation’s return on investments 1987 1988 1989 1990 Investment Investment Investment: Investment $1,522,587 $1,886,481 $1,700,000* $1,700,000* J return: return: i $19,892,063 $*+,603,072 _ _ - f- - $26,500,000* ■ return: , - | $28,500,000* * approximate figure __ Brian Shafllto/Dally Nabraakan Fund raising proves profitable By David Dalton Staff Reporter NU Foundation fund-raising efforts have yielded a highcr than-average return for Nebraska’s university system, the foundation’s president said. “We had a very good year last year,” Terry Fairfield said, citing $28.5 million accrued at an ex pense of $1.7 million. This shows the foundation spent 5.9 cents for every dollar received through fund-raising activities. Nationally, the average cost of raising $1 at colleges and universi ties is 16 cents, according to a survey conducted by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and the National Asso ciation of College and University Business Officers. “A cost of fund raising at the national average of 16 percent is very good,” Fairfield said. “We’re delighted to be significantly lower.” The 1990 figures show an im provement over previous years. He said that in 1989 the foundation raised $26.5 million with expendi tures of roughly $1.7 million - around 6.4 cents per dollar. The foundation raised $21.8 million at a cost of $1.9 million in 1988, according to its annual re port. This averages 8.6 cents per dollar. Fairfield attributed the founda tion's ability to raise funds at a lower-than-average cost to “the history and credibility” of Ne braska’s university system, the active involvement of trustees, and planning. Another reason is that the effi See FUNDING on 6 Harvard museum returns artifacts to Omaha tribe Clifford Wolfe of the Omaha tribe performs a ritual blessing over 270 tribal artifacts returned to the tribe by the Peabody Museum at Harvard. By Sara Bauder Schott Senior Reporter Using an eagle feather, Clif ford Wolfe waved smoke ris ing from burning cedar needles over 100-ycar-old artifacts that had just been relumed to his tribe. Moments before, Wolfe had prayed for the 270 artifacts in his native Omaha language as about 35 people looked on in Nebraska Hall. The Peabody Museum at Harvard University returned the artifacts to the Omaha tribe because it was the appropriate thing to do, said Barbara Isaac, assistant director of the mu seum. “These objects were put into our safekeeping over 100 years ago,’’ Isaac said. “ ft is appropriate that they come back to the Omaha." The Peabody Museum received the artifacts in the 1880s and pul them on display. In the 1960s, some Omaha saw the display and disapproved, Isaac said. The items then were put into storage, she said. Isaac said the Peabody Museum would like to keep the artifacts be cause they are well preserved, but they are a part of the Omaha history and culture. “They should come back here,” she said. The artifacts were spread over three large tables and a few smaller desks. Those that are considered sacred were covered and never seen during the “cedaring” ceremony. Sacred bundles were among those covered items. Dennis Hastings, tribal historian, said the bundles contained iiemslhaiOmaha men gathered while on a four-day fast in the wilderness. On one desk lay a wolfskin orna mented with three eagle feathers. It was wom across the shoulders during war, Isaac said. Two friendship pipes ornamented with eagle feathers were accompa nied by a 100-year-old photograph of Omaha tribesmen with the pipes when they were presented to the Peabody. Wood flutes, lour arrows, bone tools, beaded items and a wooden ladle were among the artifacts re turned. The artifacts will be stored at the University of Nebraska State Museum until the Omaha tribe can construct a place to store and display them on their reservation near Macy. Hastings said a museum is being planned and could be ready to house the artifacts in five to 10 years. Thomas Myers, curator of anthro pology at the NU State Museum, said that in the meantime, an exhibit of the artifacts will be prepared for display in Morrill Hall. The university will work with the tribe to create a display dealing with the past and contemporary lives of the Omaha, Myers said. The exhibit will be ready in about a year, he said. Myers said he also wants to create a temporary traveling exhibit so the artifacts can be seen by more people.
