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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 12, 1992)
■a t i Daily « 32/25 I I mmm Today, cloudy with chance of IjCPIdSKdl^^^ Governor examines university research, compliments efforts By Jeremy Fitzpatrick Senior Reporter Gov. Ben Nelson examined a laser beam, tried his skill at a behavior test designed for birds and discussed how research done at UNL benefited business during a tour of the campus Tuesday. Nelson was on campus to review University of Ncbraska-Lincoln re search facilities, and said he was impressed with the research he saw. “I was very definitely impressed,” he said. “It’s what people are really hoping to gel with tax dollars—when you are funding research and as a result of it there arc more people employed and more commerce cre ated.” He started his tour at the Center for Technology Management and Deci sion Sciences in the College of Busi ness Administration, a program funded by the Nebraska Research Initiative. Nelson said that as a person “with some influence over the budget, it is important for me to know what is going on (in research.)” Gary Schwcndiman, dean of the College of Business Administration, told Nelson that today, jobs were created from the application of scicn tific discovery and not from the dis covery itself. He said the center used that phi losophy to help spur economic devel opment in Nebraska. “There arc plenty of people with ideas out there,” Schwcndiman said. “What we have to do is help them know what to do with their ideas.” Nelson then traveled to Mantcr Hall, where John Osterman, an asso ciate professor of biological sciences, showed him a DNA sequencer. Osterman said the sequencer al lowed DNA and genes to be exam ined. The project is jointly funded by the research initiative and Li-Cor, a Lincoln manufacturing company. The DNA sequencer primarily is used for genetic engineering research, Osterman said. Nelson also examined a project headed by Alan Kamil, a professor of biological sciences, that studied how birds pick, discern and cal their prey. Don Weeks, director of the center for biotechnology, said the work could help prevent the death of birds caused by their eating seeds coated with in secticide. Kamil showed Nelson a computer test used on birds to determine how Staci McKee/DN Gov. Ben Nelson listens to John Osterman, an associate professor of biological sciences, as Osterman explains how DNA is determined for genetic engineering at the DNA facility in Manter Hall. they pick their prey. In the lest, the search was its accessibility to under- were able to use UNL’s facilities for birds must pick camouflaged moths graduate students. research. on a computer screen to receive a At the Walter Scott Engineering Phil Catsman, owner of Corrosion food reward. Center, Nelson heard from business- Proof Products in Arkansas, told Nelson Kamil told Nelson that one of the men who said they had located their ~ - advantages of animal behavior re- businesses in Nebraska because they See NELSONon 6 Bill to avert clash with NCAA, officials say By Wendy Navratil Senior Editor The Nebraska Legislature is con sidering abill today that would forestall a clash between a Nebraska law and NCAA financial aid policy. But Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha said Nebraska should risk a confron tation and stand by the law. LB963, pro posed by Sen. Chris Beuller of Lincoln, would postpone for two years the im plementation of a law that requires Nebraska colleges toaward student-athletes all the need based financial aid for which they qualify. The law was proposed by Chambers and passed by the Legisla ture last year. The Nehraska law however runs Policy on financial aid for athletes considered counter to established NCAA policy that limits the amount of financial aid that colleges can award to student athletes, and the number of athletes in each sport who can receive financial aid. UNL Chancellor Graham Spanier said he supported LB963, which will be considered by the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee today, because it would give the NCAA more time to react to the Nebraska law. “To me, this seems to be the best compromise and gives the university a chance to work on an alternative plan,” Spanier said in a letter to Cham bers dated Feb. 7. Chambers said his law should be implemented without delay. “Bculler wants to blink, the gover nor wants to blink,” Chambers said. “I sav the Legislature shall not blink. My law shall prevail.” Chambers predicted that the Leg islature would not delay implement ing the Nebraska law — and that the NCAA would take no action to pun ish the University of Ncbraska-Lin coln. “UNL is the goose that lays the golden egg for the NCAA,” Cham bers said. “They’re not going to mess with Nebraska in these kinds of situ ations.” Chambers said that UNL gener ated revenue for the NCAA because of its high-profile athletes and its consistent participation in bowl games. For this reason, the NCAA would not risk damaging its relationship with the university, he said. But Al Papik, the Nebraska assis tant athletic director for administra tive services and compliance coordi nator, said he supported the delay bill because the NCAA, at this point, would not be “sympathetic” toward the Nebraska law. “The university must work with the Legislature to convince them that we’re at a critical juncture,” Papik said. “We really have two choices: to delay the effective date of the law, or, in fact, to rescind it.” Most NCAA colleges support limits on financial aid, he said, because the limits arc designed to put all institu tions, regardless of their financial resources, on a “level playing field.” Otherwise, he said, wealthier uni versities such as Stanford would have an unfair advantage in attracting top athletes to their schools with finan cial awards. James O’Hanlon, the NCAA rep resentative at UNL. said that at the NCAA annual convention in January, UNL attempted to put a resolution on the agenda that would call for a study of the policy limiting financial aid to athletes. But the university failed to find the required seven other colleges to co-sponsor the resolution. However, a general resolution adopted at the convention may have been a step toward addressing the possible inequities of the NCAA’s financial aid policy, O’Hanlon said. The resolution stales that the NCAA will conduct a study of financial is sues, including the sources and bases of financial aid for athletes. The results of the study will be presented at next year’s convention, and any changes in NCAA policy would be proposed the following year in the form of NCAA legislation. “In a way, that resolution accom plished what we were looking for,’’ See NCAA on 6 Workload bills attacked at Legislature hearing By Sean Green Senior Reporter „ University students and faculty spoke out Tuesday against two legislative bills that would regulate research and instruction al the University of Nebraska. The two bills addressed at the Education Com mittee hearing were LB 1043 and LB 1044, both sponsored by Sen. Ron Withem ol Papillion, the committee’s chair man. Withem said the hearing’s pur pose was to focus on the role of in struction in state institutions, and address the issue of how much time some faculty spend teaching versus lime spent in research. LB 1044 would require faculty who hold the rank of assistant professor or above to teach at least six credit hours a week. George Tuck, president of the Academic Senate and a journalism professor at the University of Ne braska-Lincoln, said he opposed the bill. Tuck said the roles of faculty members were complex, and profes sors spent different amounts of lime in the classroom, depending on their assignment. He also said learning could take place in the research aspect of educa See RESEARCH on 6 Candidates make last ditch Women’s basketball team to play Missouri Tigers. Page 8 Trip Shakespeare to perform in Omaha. Page 10 INDEX Wire 2 Opinion 4 Sports 8 A&E 10 Classifieds 10 sV v. \ ■ Waste compact director urges broader education Out-of-classroom learning stressed By Angie Brunkow Staff Reporter Students need to expand on the knowledge they gain in the classroom by getting involved in activities and discovering things for themselves, a state official said Tuesday. Students come to college to chal lenge themselves by going beyond what they are taught by professors, said Gene Crump, executive director and general counselor of the Central Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact Committee. “The only place to be educated isn’t in the classroom,” he said. “Just learn. Your classroom at the Univer sity of Ncbraska-Lincoln isn’t just in Hamilton Hall, it’s everywhere.” Crump, a 1973 graduate of the University of Nebraska College of Law, spoke on his educational and career experiences to a small group of students at the Culture Center as part of Black History Month. He said students could not rely on teachers as their only source of knowl edge because teachers’ personal views influence the way they teach. For example, Crump said, teach ers use their own perspectives when they teach subjects such as African American, European and Native American history. Just because only five African See CRUMP on 6