*4.
Snow, budget cuts leaving some sidewalks treacherous
By Michelle Leary
Senior Reporter
Cniversity of Ncbraska-Lincoln students
may find themselves trudging through
almost a foot of snow to attend classes
because of recent storms and budget cuts.
The winter weather, which includes a chance
of more snow today, has packed the campus
sidewalks with cold, white powder.
However, the recent budget cuts have elimi
nated sidewalk snow removal in certain areas,
said Wilbur Dasenbrock, director of the UNL’s
Landscape Services.
Dasenbrock identified the uncleared side
walks as “ones people could most easily do
without.
“People can still get everywhere,” he said,
“but it may not be as convenient.”
Although there is no specific snow removal
budget, Dasenbrock said, the department usu
ally spends between $50,000 to $150,(XX) a
year. But because of recent budget cuts, land
scaping services has had to cut back on snow
removal spending this year by $11,500.
However, Dasenbrock said, if more money
is needed for snow removal, reductions in other
landscaping activities will be made. Already,
the service has decreased the number of flower
beds and trees on campus.
“Many people expect us to be a 24-hour
service, but there’s no way we could handle
that.
“Although we try to remove snow during the
off hours,” Dasenbrock said, “our primary goal
is to get both campuses cleared so that classes
can open.”
Some areas where snow remains include the
east and west sidewalks of the north addition of
Love Library, the ^Memorial Mall angle path,
minor entrances to buildings and the brick and
gravel paths on East Campus.
Many of these areas have been earmarked
with yellow signs that read “WARNING! No
snow or ice maintenance of this sidewalk.”
The landscape services deparunent has been
working since Saturday morning to clear side
walks and parking lots.
“We usually have 60 to 80 people scooping
snow from both campuses depending on how
many students are in town to help out,”
Dasenbrock said. The department has about 40
permanent employees and hires about 35 to 40
students as temporary workers for the year.
‘‘We’ll be back early Monday morning to
clear away the four inches that fell after we
started on Saturday . . . and to get ready for
Monday’s snow,” Dasenbrock said.
Today’s forecast shows considerable cloudi
ness, brisk winds and a chance of snow possibly
mixing with freezing rain. The temperature
will not be as cold with highs in the mid-20’s.
Search to begin for new NU president
Massengale announces he doesn’t
want contract extension in 1994
By Jeff Zeleny
Senior Reporter
After 17 years at the University
of Nebraska, Marlin
, Masscngalc announced Friday
that this year will be his last.
The NU president’s contract ex
pires Jan. 1, 1994, and he said he
would not seek an extension.
“Every institution needs to take a
fresh look at itself periodically,” he
said during a Friday press conference.
“The decision I am announcing now
will assist in that effort.”
Masscngalc, 59, refused to elabo
rate on his decision, saying that it was
based on personal and professional
reasons.
“With regard to the future, 1 am
fortunate to be in good health,” he
said. “I plan to continue to make
contributions in areas where my ex
perience can be of greatest benefit.”
The announcement came after a
week of speculation about
Masscngalc’s contract. He was evalu
ated last April, but regents declined to
release the results. His next evalua
tion was expected to take place this
spring, but now it’s a moot point.
Regent Nancy O’Brien of Waterloo
said.
“I have declined to comment on
whether I would have supported a
contract decision,” she said. “He is
entitled to a private evaluation.”
The search for a new president will
begin soon, according to regents, and
will focus on national candidates.
“It’s very unusual to find someone
from your own staff,” O’Brien said.
“The president of the University of
Nebraska is a prestigious job; (it’s)
better to promote someone from out
side under the circumstances.”
Regent Robert Allen of Hastings
agreed.
“Without an internal candidate it
will help attract a top candidate,” he
said. “TTic inside candidate hurt.”
Massengalc was appointed to the
presidency Jan. 1, 1991, by a 5-3
regent vote after all four search com
mittee-appointed finalists withdrew
from the race upon learning
Massengalc, who was acting as in
terim president, was interviewed for
the job.
Some regents said Massengalc
didn’t have full board support, which
made his term as president difficult.
“If you don’t have total support,
you are at a disadvantage,” Allen
said. “He’s done the best he could,
he’s worked hard.”
Allen voted against Masscngale’s
initial appointment and was a critic of
Massengalc’s work the past 4 1/2
years. __
See MASSENGALE on 7 .
Kiley Timperley/DN
NU President Martin Massenaale announces at a press conference on Friday that he will not
seek to renew his contract. Massengale’s term ends Jan. 1,1994.
Bill would require state approval
over university land acquisitions
Plans for park
sparked LB27,
lawmaker says
By Jeff Zeleny
Senior Reporter
A bill introduced in the Ne
braska Legislature was de:
signed to give lawmakers
more control over the university,
said Andrew Sigerson, president of
the Association of Students of the
University of Nebraska.
LB27 would
require legisla
tive consent for
the acquisition
of property by
the university.
The bill, spon
sored by Sen.
Ron Withem of Papillion and
Omaha Sens. Dan Lynch and John
Lindsay, was introduced after the
' senators learned about the construe -
lion of a park near the Lied Center
for Performing Arts.
“I don’t care about (the park),”
Withem said. ‘‘If taxpayer money is
being used, it just needs to be done
up-front.”
Lynch, a member of the appro
priations committee, learned about
the park ground purchase through
his work on the building mainte
nance program.
“If the university is going to
have a multi-million dollar capital
construction, we ought to know
See LEGISLATURE on 7
McElroys trial postponed; evaluation planned
f
From Staff Reports
The preliminary trial date for a
University of Nebraska-Lincoln stu
dent has been postponed pending an
evaluation at the Lincoln Regional
Center.
Court-appointed attorney Scott
Helvie said Arthur McElroy, 43, was
ordered by the court to receive the
evaluation.
McElroy was expected to be tried
today for attempted second-degree
murder, making terroristic threats and
two counts of use of a weapon to
commit a felony.
The charges stem from an Oct. 12
incident that look place in Ferguson
Hall, when Mcbiroy allegedly tried to
fire a loaded, semi-automatic rifle at
students in his actuarial science class.
No one was injured in the incident.
McElroy’s .30-calibcr, M-l carbine
gun jammed.
Hel vie said he did notcxpcct to see
the case tried until late spring or early
summer.
University officials say
prayer debate not over
By Chuck Green
Senior Reporter_
□ decision by University of Ne
braska at Kearney administra
tors to reinstate prayer at their
school’s graduation ceremonies has
some UNL officials hoping for a simi
lar change closer to home.
William Nester, chancellor at
UNK, said the traditional invocation
and benediction had been eliminated
at his school’s summer graduation
ceremonies, but were relumed to the
winter commencement.
He said the removal of the prayers
created a stir at UNK only after the
issue became controversial at UNL
last December.
The UNL Commencement Com
mittee voted on Dec. 3 to eliminate
theprayers from UNL’s winter gradu
ation ceremony. A week later, NU
regents voted unanimously to ask UNL
and UNK officials to return prayer to
the commencement program.
Nester said the UNK Administra
tiveCouncil had voted against includ
ing prayer in its winter graduation
ceremony, but reconsidered after the
appeal by the NU Board of Regents.
The decision was made, Ncster
said, based on the recommendation
from the NU Board of Regents. He
said further discussion would have to
take place before a decision is made
- 44
If there are people who
have a problem with
prayers at graduation,
we surely will hear from
them.
_ A/pctar
UNK Chancellor
- ft "
on whether the prayers will be a pan
of UNK’s spring graduation.
Nester said he received a few let
ters of praise after the prayer was
reinstiluted, and no complaints.
The appeal to the UNL Commence
ment Committee was sponsored by
Andrew Sigerson, UNL student re
gent and ASUN president, along with •»
See PRAYER on 6
