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Out on a limb
Carl Landenberg, front, and Matt Grahm from UNL Landscaping
Services trim pine trees outside Architecture Hall Tuesday morn
ing.
senators hear debate
on multicultural bills
LB179, LB52 supporters
express concerns, dislikes
to education committee
By Chuck Green
Senior Reporter
For more than four hours Tuesday, the
Legislature’s Education Committee
heard comments from supporters and
opponents of proposed bills that would alter
planned multicultural curriculums for Nebraska
schools.
More than 30 people addressed both support
and concern to the committee about LB 179 and
LB52—two proposed bills
that would amend a law
requiring Nebraska second
ary and elementary schools
to develop and implement
multicultural programs by
the 1993-94 school year.
The multicultural program
law stemmed from LB922, sponsored by Sen.
Ernie Chambers of Omaha and passed last
spring.
The bill’s multicultural programs were not
designed to add new classes or teachers to the .
schools, Chambers said, but rather to require
schools to integrate multicultural education
into existing programs.
The multicultural curriculum would be
implemented on a test basis for the 1993-94
school year, then revised and installed perma
nently beginning in 1994-95.
LB 179, also sponsored by Chambers, would
create a Multicultural Education Advisory Com
miuec, which would be established by the
Nebraska Board of Education tooversee imple
mentation of multicultural curriculums.
It also would create a permanent, full-time
position within the state Department of Educa
tion that would oversee the multicultural pro
gram omc it was installed.
“For something of this magnitude to work
the way it was intended, there has to be some
one present to see the whole picture, Cham
bers said.
The full-time position would not require
additional funding, Chambers said, because the
Department of Education’s budget already can
accommodate it. i
LB52, introduced by Sen. Kate Witek of
Omaha, would delay the first phase of LB922
until the 1994-95 school year because, Witek
said, multicultural programs in the state’s sec
ondary and elementary schools need to be
studied further.
“I have no qualms about multicultural edu
cation,” Witek said. “My main concern is that
for something that is supposed to be imple
mented next year, there are many, many ques
tions from all levels.
-44
My main concern is that for
something that is supposed
to be implemented next year,
there are many, many ques
tions from all levels.
— Witek
state senator
---tt -
This is such a large task, we simply need
more time to investigate this further.”
Doug Christensen, associate commissioner
of the Nebraska Department of Education, said
he supported LB 179, and that additional staff
ing was needed at the state Department of
Education to implement such a sweeping cur
riculum.
He said the current department staff was not
representative of the diversity of students in
Nebraska’s schools, and that it would be “abso
lutely arrogant” to proceed with the program
without better administrative diversity.
See LEGISLATURE on 3
Peace park, maze planned for rural site near Lincoln
By Doug Kouma
Staff Reporter
Inspired by the wave of freedom
that has encompassed the globe
in recent years, a group of Lin
coln residents is working to create a
new vision of peace and understand
ing for the Heartland.
The Prairie Peace Park and Maze,
» which is sponsored by the World Peace
Center and is being built seven miles
west of Lincoln, is scheduled to open
in June 1994. Featuring hands-on ac
tivities and exhibits, the park will
promote a belter understanding of the
principles of world peace, organizers
said.
Don Tilley, park director, said
-44
When the people of Nebraska see this wall, they will be moved by it, because they
will see themselves in It.
— Tilley
Prairie Peace Park director
Tuesday that one of ihe premier ex
hibits would be ihe World Peace
Mural,lobecreatedai ihe 1993 World
Clay Stomp. The clay stomp will be in
Flagstaff, Ai iz., May 24-27, and bring
together people from more than 50
countries to share their cultures and
ideas for the future.
Almost 16,000 “stompers” will
blend and condition 10 tons of clay for
the hundreds of artists who will create
the 80-foot-by-10-foot wall. Musi
cians from all over the world, playing
simultaneously on instruments indig
enous to their cultures, will create a
unique atmosphere for the event, park
promoters said.
“The whole intent of the project is
to transcend differences and cultures
of people and create a vision of com
ing together,” said Joel Pfeiffer, the
stojnp’s director.
Tilley compared the mural to the
Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial in
w w
Washington, D.C. But while the Wall
is a memorial to a tragic event, the
peace mural will be full of life and
positive emotions, Tilley said.
“When the people of Nebraska sec
this wall, they will be moved by it,
because they will see themselves in
it,” Tilley said.
Former Nebraska Gov. Frank
Morrison, a member of the peace
park ’ s board of di rcc tors. said the wal 1
would be symbolic of a new coopera
tion among different cultures.
Morrison said just as the Berlin
Wall was built to divide society, the
peace wall would be a symbol of
international unity. .
In addition to the mural, the peace
park will feature different exhibits
and learning centers, such as an elec
tronic light show, a life-size human
conflict maze and several sculptures.
“Amber Waves of Grain,” an
8,000-squarc-fooi exhibit of nuclear
warhead replicas, was permanently
loaned to the park by artist Barbara
Donachy as a call for nuclear disar
mament. *
See PARK on 3
Lr A works to prevent student fee increases
Fund increases
expected for
DN and ASUN
By Michelle Leary
Senior Reporter
The desire lo keep student fees
down for 1993-94 is ex
tremely important for students
at UNL, said Shane Tucker, president
of the ASUN Committee for Fees
Allocation.
“We’re trying to halt the student
fee monster that we’re burdened with
each year,” Tucker said. “We’d hale
to see an increase in student fees next
year.”
Last year, student fees rose $10,
bringing the total up to $ 171.
CFA members, who review fund
requests made by student organiza
tions, are working to prevent another
increase for next year, Tucker said.
Andrew Sigerson, AS UN president,
said one of his lop priorities was keep
ing student fees at the same level they
were this year.
“Students need a break from the
increasing tuition costs and the costs
of living, Sigerson said.
Student fee assessments vary ac
cording to the number of hours for
which a student enrolls each semes
ter. In 1992-93, students taking 6 or
less hours paid $80; those taking 7 or
more hours paid $171.
See FEES on 2
1992*93 Student fees allocation
Fund A Fund B
Total per student Total pgr student per
per semester: $7.89 semester: $163.11
Projected annual Projected annual
revenue: $368,847 revenue: $7,177,584
r\ ^ *
