Club tears down cultural walls Women share problems, skills in social group By Michelle McGowan Staff Reporter The International Women’s Club of Lincoln is an outlet for friendship and support to women who have moved to Nebraska from other countries, club members said. “It’s nice to have a normal social contact here,” said Tanya Jajcayova, who moved to Lincoln from Czecho slovakia last August. “Foreigners often don’t find people to talk to.” Jajcayova, who brought her five year-old son with her, came to Ne braska to join her husband, Robert Jajcay, who studies mathematics at the University of Ncbraska-Lincoln. She also is studying mathematics at UNL. Jajcayova spent her first semester in Lincoln at home, she said, until the wife of her husband’s college adviser asked her to attend one of the club’s meetings. “These women are from all around the world, and we share many of the same experiences,” she said. “I can discuss everyday problems with these women, and they understand because they had the same problems when they came here.” Sammer Sahli, whose husband, Ay man, is a student at UNL, came to Lincoln from the West Bank about two years ago. Sahli said she found the cl ub to be a supportive network— and a good reason to get out of the house for a while. She began attending meetings two months after she arrived, she said. “At first I was alone,” Sahli said. “I wanted to find foreigners I could talk to. I started participating in (the club’s) activities and made new friends.” Club members participate in dif ferent activities each time they meet, she said, such as handiwork, cooking and giving presentations on the cus toms of their native countries. Last year, Sahli said, the club par ticipated in the International Bazaar at UNL, selling cookies and cakes made from recipes the women had -44 I can discuss everyday problems with these women, and they under stand because they had the same problems when they came here. — Jajcayova -ff - brought from their different coun tries. “(The club is) great for wives of students and students,” Jajcayova said. “You can improve your English and knowledge of different cultures and make new friends at the same time.” Ingcborg Ewoldt became involved with the group through a friend 20 years ago. Ewoldt said the club began when wives of UNL professors and the wives of teaching assistants got together for tea and conversation. Professors started the club in 1964. Today, about 15 women attend each meeting, she said. The club meets from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesdays at the First Presbyterian Church, 840 S. 17th St. RHA votes 12-6 to trash towels Senator says removal causes health concerns By Lesli Thorn Staff Reporter In its final decision of the year, the Residence Hall Association voted 12 6 Sunday night to recommend that housing remove paper towels from all residence hall floor bathrooms. During the half-hour debate, RHA president Matt Hammons instructed mem bers that housing would follow whatever decision the group made on “this ongoing con cern.” “Housing doesn’t want to take any stance on where the money will go,” Hammons said. “They want student input.” Abel Residence Hall Sen. Kevin Policky said he believed RHA should act quickly on the decision. “If we don’t act now, there will be paper towels,” he said. ‘That will mean another year of spending $30,000 on them.” However, Burr Residence Hall president Brenda Starr said passing the resolution would be foolish. Starr said health center officials were surprised RHA would consider this resolution. “Some officials I spoke to said students would get lazy, not wash their hands and spread germs,” she said. Starr also said that of the more than 700 students who voted on the issue, only 70 more students voted to remove the towels than to keep them, according to RHA’s paper towel sur vey, which was taken during RHA elections in March. “I don’t think that’s a justifica tion,” she said. In addition, she said, many stu dents were not informed about both sides of the issue. But Hammons said all residence hall students had equal opportunity to become informed on the issue. “It’s just like voting in the presi dential elections in November or May,” he said. And, he said, housing officials addressed health concerns when de ciding on the proposal. “Remember, we are keeping soap,” he said. “Paper towels are just a con venience. If you bring your own towel, it is cleaner.” Also, paper towels would be left in lobby bathrooms, Hammons said. Regents Continued from Page 1 ommendaiions than our time allowed,” he said. “Therefore we will withhold comment.” Officials received news of the proposed group Friday night. A com plete report on the consultants’ study will be available to officials later this week. The new peer group could replace UNL’s group of Maryland, Penn State, Purdue, Ohio State, Iowa State, Illi nois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michi gan State, and Missouri. This group was established in the 1970s. James McShane, former Academic Senate president, said officials needed time to evaluate the proposed group. “We have to look at the complex ity of the issues and ask ourselves, ‘Is this a pe«r group that we can live and grow with?’” he said. Fred Choobinch, an associate pro fessor of industrial and management systems engineering, said the new group seemed to be a wise choice. “On the surface it looks reason able,” he said. Choobineh and several officials at the meeting agreed that UNL used its peer group as a key source of faculty salary comparison. Jordan said faculty salaries at other universities did not play a major role in the consultants’ new peer group selection. “Salary data came last and late” because costs of living vary, he said. Schools within NU’s system com pete for salary allocations from the Nebraska Legislature. Universities with notable peer groups are apt to get more state-funded support. Mars ton said peer groups were a high priority in the university system. “Too much emphasis was put on peer groups at the University of Nebraska,” he said. The consultants found that in the proposed peer group, when compar ing 1990-91 academic year salaries of full professors, UNL ranked 4.51 percent below its peers. UNL now ranks 5 1/2 percent to 6 percent below other universities in its peer group. “It’s much better to have more of a comparative group,” Boling said. Jordan said the proposed peer group would offer UNL a better chance to rank above its peers because salaries would not have to increase as much. The university’s goal has been to reach the midpoint of its peer group’s faculty salaries. Jordan said he en couraged UNL officials not to settle for halfway. “I’d much rather work toward being the top,” he said. UNL Chancellor Graham Spanier said the university would strive to do its best. “We can’t be No. 1 in everything, but my goal is to pick out a few things that we can be,” he said. Regent Robert Allen of Lincoln asked if schools in the proposed peer group ranked about the same as UNL academically. Jordan said UNL was comparable academically to the other schools. He said he personally found that UNL ranked high on a general scale of research and academics. The process of selecting a new peer group is partly subjective, he said. “It is based on our knowledge of land-grant universities,” he said. “Beyond that, our decisions are based — very strongly rooted — on a siz able amount of objective data.” When creating the proposed peer group, Jordan said, the consultants did not include more than two institu tions from one slate. They used previ ous studies when looking into other universities. “We generated no data on our own,” he said. Jordan said the consultants began with 19 universities they thought were comparable to UNL. These schools were either land-grant or public uni versities, or a combination of both. The consultants made certain that these schools were geographically, demographically and fiscally compa rable to UNL, he said. Marston said universities chosen for the proposed peer group com pared academically to UNL, although some might have larger student bod ies. Ohio State, for example, has about 50,000 students, compared to UNL’s enrollment of about 24,000. “We’re very comfortable with this list,” Marston said. In other business, the regents: • Approved a joint doctoral pro gram in education between UNL and the University of Nebraska-Omaha. • Approved an agreement with Ueno College System of Hiroshima, Japan, to provide a study-abroad program with UNO. • Approved a 1992-93 University Program and Facilities Fees increase. The allocation will add $9.97 to the 1992-93 full-time student Fund B fee at UNL. • Approved a bid of $805,250 to replace the artificial turf at Memorial Stadium and a bid of $124,800 to re roof an area above the indoor track at Bob Devaney Sports Center. • Approved tuition increases of $3 for high school independent studies at UNL. |-NEWS BRIEFS Loan exit interview required — Federal regulations require all graduating seniors to attend an exit presentation if they have received one of the following forms of Fi nancial assistance: Stafford and Perkins loans or supplemental loans for students. The sessions will meet at the East Campus Union on April 15 at 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and on April 16 at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. The ses sions also will be at the Nebraska Union on April 20, 21 and 22 at 9 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. Room locations will be posted. Presentation topics include loan repayment options, consolidation, deferment eligibility, expiration of grade periods, interest rates, monthly payment amounts and consequences of default. 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Mandatory Training Provided for Employment August 18-21 CPR and First Aid Certification recommended prior to training. Applications available at... 55 Campus Recreation Center or 32 East Campus Activities Bldg. Application Deadline May 8,1992 t For more information contact Vicki Highstreet or Dawn Mertz at the Office of Campus Recreation 472-3467