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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 26, 1992)
153/30 ' Today, mostly sunny, breezy and warmer, northwest winds 10 to 20 mph. Tonight, partly cloudy. Thursday, partlysunny and mild with a nigh near 55. 1. Mh mm g. m .. t M H. JiJHg.ru , I--- ^ . . _ ’ 5 Cliff Bettis, a UNL physics and astronomy professor, holds a lute that he made recently. Bettis also makes scientific projects for the Lincoln Children’s Museum. Myriad wizardry Professor’s imagination leads him in science, art fields By Lori Huff Staff Reporter Physics, astronomy, ballet, music and Mr. Wizard. This curious combination repre sents just a few of the many pathways that Cliff Bettis’ imagination has taken. Bettis, a University ■nwnni— of Ncbraska-Lincoln astronomy professor, has put his knowledge into practice a(r for more than just UNL 77 In addition to work- ■ ing at the university, Bettis donates inven tions to the Lincoln Children’s Museum and teaches students of all ages. I Bettis’ position at UNL, which began as a one-year appointment in 1976, has be come permanent. “I have kind of a unique role,” he said. Bettis is in charge of the physics depart ment’s lecture and demonstration equip ment. He spends most semesters preparing demonstrations and teaching professors how to use the equipment, he said. A member of the original board of direc tors of the children’s museum, Bettis has maintained his link to area children by donating inventions for display. He said a major challenge in building an invention for the museum was designing it to withstand the wear and tear of children. “I have to figure out how to make it so that all sorts of kids can interact with it without destroying it,” he said. One of Bettis’ inventions, a pendulum apparatus on display at the museum, already must be repaired. “Kids seem to enjoy it,” he said. “In fact, they’ve enjoyed it so much that it has to be repaired.” Another local exploit of Bettis’ is UNL’s “Saturday Science Program,” which began Feb. 8 and runs for five weeks. The pro gram, which was started 15 years ago, is designed for 5lh and 6lh graders interested in science. Students attend a one-hour demonstra tion in Brace Laboratory’s lecture hall and participate in lab activities where they make projects to take home. For example, students at one session made a musical instrument made of different lengths of pipe, he said. Bettis’ inventions also have enjoyed See BETTIS on 6 UNO, UNK peer groups reevaluated Director expects schools to rise in group rankings Editor's note: On Jan. 28, a consulting team visited UNL to analyze and recommend whether the university's faculty salary peer group is viable. This series will examine the various aspects of UNL’s peer group and how it is determined. By Cindy Kimbrough Senior Reporter Despite UNL’s ranking of average fac ulty salaries within its peer group — tenth of 11 schools — other University of Nebraska schools have fared well in their own peer groups. Randy Haack, NU assistant vice president and director of budgets and analysis, said both the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the University of Nebraska at Kearney should place in the middle of their individual faculty salary peer groups this year. UNO, which had a 1990 average of $46,200 for professor salaries, should move up in its peer group, taking into account a 6 1/2-percent projected salary increase this year, Haack said. UNK, which had an average professor sal ary of $44,900, should also approach and pos sibly surpass its peer group midpoint, he said, with an 8.7-pcrccnl increase in faculty salaries. See CAMPUS on 6 Party pledges clean campaign in ASUN race By Angie Brunkow Staff Reporter The COMMIT parly reiterated Tuesday its decision to run a clean student elec tion campaign. At a press conference in the Nebraska Union, An drew Sigerson, the party’s presidential candidate, said that by repeating COM MIT’S position on this is sue, he hoped the message would gel through to both COMMIT and ACTION, the competing party. “This campaign will be absolutely spot less,” he said. “Not only will there not be dirt, See COMMIT on 6 Minority committee budgets reduced By Phuong Vu Staff Reporter Three UPC committees focus ing on minority groups are frustrated by cuts from their proposed budgets for the next aca demic year, committee chairwomen said. The Chicano Special Events Committee proposed a $5,925 budget to the Committee for Fees Alloca tion, and $4,252 was approved. The Asian-American Committee proposed a budget of about $3,025, and CFA approved about $2,332. CFA also cut $250 from the Afri can-American Special Events and Entertainment Committee’s proposed budget of $6,200. Not all budgets proposed by mi nority groups were cut, however. Frank Forman, president of the University Program Council, said the Native Member says cuts hypocritical American Special Events received a $973 increase. Rob Broomfield, CFA chairman, said the committee reviewed the pro posals and cut what its members thought were excessive costs. Most of the budget cuts were for advertis ing and food, he said. But CFA did not cut any program ming costs, he said. Cathy Maestas, chairwoman of Chicano Special Events, said the budget that CFA approved for that commit tee was the lowest since 1988. CFA not only cut funding for advertising, she said, but also for programming. Ha Do, chairwoman of the Asian American Committee, said the mes sage she received when appealing to CFA was that advertisements were not important. Less advertising would have an indirect affect on attendance at events, she said. Angela Green, chairwoman of the African-American Special Events and Entertainment Committee, said the group’s focus was not to inform mi norities, who already know their own culture, but rather to reach the white culture. The best way to do that, she said, is through advertising. CFA is hypocritical in saying that it wants to be more diverse while it cuts minority budgets, Green said. Emilia Juarez, president of the Mexican-American Student Associa tion, said she felt “powerless” during CFA’s budgeting process. Juarez said her group was asking for basic necessities to complete its prc unming. e of MASK’S most important functions is sponsoring a yearly dance that gives Hispanic students on cam pus a chance to interact with the His panic community, Juarez said. Because of the budget cuts, an other program must be eliminated to bring the dance to the community, she said. Angel Diaz, a member of MAS A, said CFA’s cuts were limiting the group’s ability to share with other people activities that reflected His panic culture. Maestas said she thoughtCFA was taking the cuts lightly. When the university does some thing for the African-American group, she said, it thinks it has covered all minority groups on campus. “They can’t forget about the other minority groups,’’ she said. Maestas said that when she ap See CUTS on 6 Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey takes primary win in South Dakota. Page 2 ASUN set to vote on Affirma tion Day resolution. Page 6 Newly ranked ^ Comhusker men’s f\ \' basketball team sets its sights on \ Oklahoma State. \ \ Page 7 Lincoln recording studio of fers a personal touch. Page 9 INDEX Wire 2 Opinion . 4 Sports 7 A&E 9 Classifieds 11