Experts answer grassy questions New center will allow more study By Chad Lorenz Staff Reporter No matter where you stand in Ne braska, there is a 50 percent chance you will be standing on grass. Half of Nebraska’s landscape is grassland. Grass is an im portant natural resource in Ne Maaaengalc braska, because it has an impact on other areas of en vironment: soil, water, fish and wild life, agricultural, livestock ranching, landscaping, recreation and economy, said Martin Massengale, a former University of Nebraska president and UNL chancellor. With so much depending on Nebraska’s grassland, Massengale is establishing and will direct a Center for Grassland Studies to integrate all these disciplines. “It provides for one-stop shop ping,” Massengale said. The center is actually a union of experts rather than an actual place, he said. Those involved with the grasslands center offer to share their knowledge and research. They will organize workshops to study grassland, work to raise envi ronmental concerns, exchange ideas and act as a network of consultants and experts in various fields, Massengale said. Anyone can consult the center’s experts with questions or problems. The center is not limited to serv ;ng the university, but Lowell Moser, m agronomy professor, said the cen er could benefit the university in six ways: • New courses could be created through the integration of grassland studies. • Connections with experts in grass-related fields could provide a more diverse faculty. • Experts who work with the cen ter could be used as a teaching re source for environment-related classes. • The companies and institutions involved could provide internship opportunities. • Likewise, more graduate study programs would be available. • There could be more employ ment opportunities for students. The idea has been in the making for eight to 10 years. Massengale said the idea for such a center was dis cussed within different organizations. But nothing emerged until last year when a task force of university faculty began work on a proposal to create the center, he said. That proposal was passed by the Board of Regents in July, and the task force asked Massengale to direct the center. In addition to finding office space and hiring a receptionist for the cen ter, Massengale has been establish ing connections with organizations such as the National Parks Service, Nebraska Game and Parks Commis sion, Agricultural Research Center, Center for Great Plains Studies and departments in the university such as biological sciences, agriculture and turf management. Shaun Sartin/DN Republican gubernatorial candidate Gone Spence speaks Sunday at a debate among candidates for U.S. Senate, House of Representatives and governor. Debate Continued from Page 1 Kerrey, who is a member of a ‘‘mainstream" group of senators trying to pass a compromise health care plan, said he was disappointed that health care legislation wasn't enacted by Congress this year. The problem with health care, Kerrey said, was that people wanted high-quality health care and didn’t want to pay for it. He said people would need to take more responsibility in the future dealing with health care. Abboud said Stoney was wary of turning over one of the best health care systems in the world to the federal government. He said Stoney wanted to fix the problems of affordability and accessibility, but to not radically alter the sys tem. Spence said his son had cancer twice, and the second time, his in surance agent canceled the policy. He said there had to be some changes. However, Spence said, the changes have to be made carefully. “I don’t want a bureaucrat standing in between me and my doctor,” he said. Abramson said the governor had researched the health care needs of Nebraskans and had tried to help. He said the governor had tried to get doctors to areas of the state that did not have them before. Candidates were asked if Chris tianity was the religion of the United States, if they supported tax-funded vouchers for students wanting to go to private schools and the teaching of creationism in public schools. Protexter said Christensen sup ported vouchers to foster competi tion between public and private schools. He said competition would make the schools better. Government should not in fringe on people’s right to practice any religion, Protexter said. Schools should teach creationism in an academic format, not as a religious idea, he said. Hoagland said Christensen's religious views were extreme and challenged the idea of teaching creationism in schools. 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