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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 18, 1992)
1 lx T Huskers win over Tk T | L/CUly <i Cuban Nationals I I V I Mostly cloudy today and ^^1 ■ m ■ M m cloudier tomorrow with a _ -jSSShoit81"___. Michelle Paulman/DN Down the tube Seth Sapp, 5, of 904 D St., goes head first down the twister slide at Hooper Park. Kelly Sapp, Seth’s mother, said she took Seth and his brother Jordan, 2, to the park to take a little energy out of the boys. Departments eye budget cuts Home economics, speech officials remain optimistic By Chuck Green Senior Reporter After brushes with elimination last year, the directors of two University of Nebraska-Lin coln departments are keeping a close watch on this semester’s university budget planning meetings. William Seiler, chairman of the speech communications department, and Karen Craig, dean of the College of Home Economics, said they both had been following with great interest the current discussions concerning possible budget cuts at UNL. Stale Sen. Scott Moore of Seward said last week the university faced massive spending reductions during the next biennium, which begins July 1, 1993, and ends June 30. 1995. He said UNL could face a 10 percent across-the-board cut. The cuts arc being discussed by the Nebraska Legislature because of the stale’s strapped budget. “It’s something that I’ve definitely been keeping up with,” Craig said. “I think everybody’s pretty concerned right now.” UNL Chancellor Graham Spanier began a series of budget planning meetings Monday with his cabinet and representatives from UNL col leges and departments to discuss pos sible cuts, as well as to find ways to combat UNL’s shrinking budget. Spanier said there would be 20 such meetings between now and the end of the semester. He met Monday with the deans from the colleges of journalism and business administra tion. Craig and Seiler arc anxiously awaiting their meetings with Spanier, especially since their programs came close to extinction last year. During the fall 1991 semester^ the College of Home Economics and the speech communication and classics departments were threatened with elimination by massive budget cuts. The programs were spared when university officials decided to reduce spending in all UNL budgets, rather than eliminate particular programs. Craig said she didn’t feel the same concern for her college as she did a year ago. “This year, it’s a different situa tion,” she said. “These budget hear ings were planned before the possibil ity of the cuts were announced, and these hearings arc an opportunity to brag about the colleges and look for alternatives to the cuts. “I’m looking at these hearings in a very positive way.” Seiler agreed. “Last year, we demonstrated that we arc a quality department, both in a leaching role and research function,” he said. “I don’t feel like our depart ment is under any further consider ation for elimination, but you never can be sure. “I’m certainly not going tobcoverly optimistic, tooting our horn and say ing that we’re completely out of the woods. No one ever is.” Seiler said he shared concern for the possibility of further budget cuts with other faculty and administrators See BUDGET on 3 Court battle angers liver donor’s family By Jeff Zeleny Staff Reporter A court battle over a liver trans plant that never happened has forced the family of a former Nebraska football player to relive a tragedy it has tried to overcome. The family of Brian Hiemer, who was a 21-year-old tight end for the Comhuskcrs, was shocked and an gered after hearing that Brian’s name was mentioned in a lawsuit against a Pittsburgh hospital that denied an uninsured patient Hiemer’s liver. Hiemer died of a self-inflicted gun shot wound to the head in 1985 at his parents’ farm north of Shelby, Neb. His organs were made available for donation. Carol El worth of Lincoln, Hiemer’s sister, said she didn’t blame organ donor officials, and added that the issue was re-opened to create public ity. “Our parents arc devastated and emotionally sick,” she said. “It’s like reliving this all over again.” “It’s hard to describe the emotions we experienced when we first learned of the lawsuit,” said Jim Elworth, Hiemer’s brother-in-law. Jim Elworth said the family didn’t know about the case until an article mentioning Hiemer and the lawsuit appeared in Thursday’s Lincoln Jour nal. The family is outraged by the publicity the case has generated, he said. Carol Elworth said the news media’s coverage of the case had distorted her brother’s image. The mediahave acted like Hiemer wasn’t a real person, she said. Reporters “talked about Brian as an object,” she said. “That just kills our family seven years later.” Hiemcr’s name and the memories See TRANSPLANT on 6 Survey to give UNL idea of its perception By Chuck Green Senior Reporter A recently formed task force soon will be helping the Uni versity of Nebraska-Lincoln take a long, hard look in the mirror. A survey designed to gain a belter understanding of how UNL is per ceived by students, administrators, faculty and staff will be sent today to determine what problems exist at the university and look at possible solu tions. The researc h com m i ttce of U NL ’ s Institutional Advancement Council, along with the Bureau of Sociological Research, is conducting the study. Jim Ballard, director of the re search committee, said the survey included 110 multiple-choice ques tions and would be sent to 1,500 people — students, administrators, and fac ulty and staff members. Completed surveys are to be re turned by Nov. 25. Ballard said the survey’s questions covered a wide range of topics, from the mission of the university to the relationship between City and East ‘ campuses. For example, a question might give one of the missions of the university, then ask the participant to rate the importance of the mission given. Results will be used as the first step in developing a communications plan that will help in public relations, re cruitment and retention of students and improved campus life at UNL, Ballard said. He said the committee expected a 70- to 75-percent response rate to the surveys. Ballard said the internal examina tion was only the first part of the study.-The next step would be an external survey next year. The sur vey, which would follow the same time frame, would be sent to Nebras kans to determ inc their perceptions of - UNL. In 1994, Ballard said, a third sur vey would be sent toother institutions nationwide. “It’s a long process,” he said, “but it will do a lot of good for the univer sity.” Woman’s death not homicide, official says From Staff Reports The woman whose body was found Monday in west Lin coln has been identified as 29 year-old Mcshcll Franzen, an official s>aid Tuesday. Lancaster County Attorney Gary Lacey said Franzen of 502 S. 12th St. died from drowning in a shallow pool of water south of Neiden Iron and Metal Co. Inc., 525 N St. Lacey said investigators had ruled out homicide as the cause of death but had not yet determined if the drown ing was accidental. He said the autopsy performed on Franzen’s body late Monday after noon indicated the body had been in the water for at least two days. A railroad employee on his way to work spotted Franzen’s body early Monday morning.
