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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 6, 1992)
■ ■ • t i Daily -g I Nebraskan Students wait to give parking-fee input Proposed uses of parking permit funds What the extra $20 dollars might pay \ox/ / / / \ U| | Im S *1 *. 3 || e 41 jHF A £ * I; ' l-U-l Forum scheduled to debate options By Sean Green Senior Reporter Some student leaders said they were taking a wait-and-see attitude about the administra tion’s efforts to include them in a decision to implement a $20 increase in parking fees. Andrew Sigcrson, president of the Association of Students of the Uni versity of Nebraska, said he was happy with UNL Chancellor Graham Spanier’s decision to have an open meeting on parking issues, but he was not ready to support the increase. Several students, including Siger son, complained after the Parking Advisory Committee approved the increase at its meeting last Tuesday. Spanier last week said he was unhappy the decision was made with out student input and announced that an open forum on the issue would be 2 p.m. Thursday at the Wick Alumni Center. “The forum is an excellent idea,” Sigerson said. “The chancellor has shown a lot of character in giving people on this campus a chance to respond.” Sigerson said he would do research on the parking situation this week and try to come up with alternatives to the one-time $20 fee to present at the forum. “I think that trying to accomplish all the improvements in one year is not fair, especially to seniors and commuter students,” he said. “It might be belter to spread the increase out over two or three years.” In 1991, the NU Board of Regents drew S75.000 out of a surplus bond parking fund, Sigerson said. One alternative he said he might suggest was using money out of that fund, as well as money from fines and maybe smaller increases in. student and faculty fees. Trent Steele, first vice presidentof ASUN, also said he was pleased with Spanicr's decision to include students See PARK on 6 Dual roles Society teaches professor By Kristine Long Staff Reporter Professor Shengming Tang teaches his sociology of marriage and the family students that socializing the young is a key function of the family. But Tang, who is originally from China, said teaching about the family in America was the easy part. Ac tually having a family and social izing his son in America is more difficult. Tang, who has been teaching at the University i ol Nebraska for thrcc years, said many people K^P^^R talked about | discrimination and prejudice — against international instructors. But, he said, “As long as you arc a good instructor, it won’t be that bad. “Most students are apprehen sive when they come to class and find someone whose nationality is different,” he said. Tang said he tried to relieve students’ apprehension early in the semester. “I think the.first class is very important for an international in structor because you have to cstab lish credibility,” he said. Students often think that inter national teachers are not good teach ers because of language barriers, he said. Tang said he solved that prob lem by admitting that his language skill was not perfect, but that ne was willing to learn. “On one hand I am a teacher, and on ihc other hand 1 am a stu dent,” he said. “That shortens the distance between the student and the teacher.” Tang also relieves apprehension by having a sense of humor. “I hate it when students look at me all puckered up,” he said. When students smile, he said, they loosen up and arc more alert. “If the class looks bored, I just throw in a few jokes,” he said. As well as teaching, Tang is a student at UNL. He said he hoped to get his doctorate in sociology this summer. Before coming to America, he received his bachelor’s degree in English and his master’s degree in American Literature from East China Normal University in Shang hai, China. Tang also taught for three years at that same university, and he said the differences between Chinese students and American students were amazing. It is not easy to become a col lege graduate in China, he said. Chinese students must lake a na tional entrance exam to get into college, he said, and about one in 10 have a chance of getting into college. For that reason, he said, Chi nese students arc hard-working and seldom miss class. America docs have bright stu dents, Tang said, but they arc mixed in with students ill-prepared for college. “When they sit in the same class, it’s hard to address both at the same time,” he said. Another difference, Tang said, See TANG on 6 Greg Bernhardt/DN Shengming Tang, a sociology instructor at UNL, said he tries to use his sense of humor to relieve students’ apprehension about an international instructor. Vice chancellor finalists selected I By Jeremy Fitzpatrick Senior Reporter*_ Four finalists for the position of vice chancellor for research at UNL have been selected and will be interviewed over the next two weeks, an official said. James Van Eiten, a UNL professor of plant pathology and member of the search committee that has been re viewing candidates for the position, said the committee had completed its task of narrowing down about 100 applicants to four candidates. The vice chancellor for research is one of two positions that University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Graham Spanier created in Decem ber. The position was formerly the vice chancellor for research and dean of graduate studies, but is now two separate offices. The candidates for the position are: • Anne K. Vidavcr, chairwoman of UNL’s plant pathology department and the former interim director of the UNL Center for Biotechnology. She has been at UNL for 27 years. • Henry Reeves, a distinguished research professor and deputy direc tor of the Arizona State University Cancer Research Institute. He was also vice president for research and a professor of microbiology at ASU. • Allan Mcnsc, former vice presi See SEARCH on 6 Bill Clinton and Jerry Brown spar over abortion rights in New York. Page 2 A UNL political science teacher says students are becoming more liberal, but ,Nnry most remain conservative and ",UCA Republican. Page 6 Wire 2 Opinion 4 Five years after their last Sports 7 release, Def Leppard’s "Adre A & E 9 nalize" proves to be worth the Classifieds 10 wait Page 7