Smoking ban fails legislative test
From The Associated Press
A proposal (LB 121) to ban smok
ing in state buildings and vehicles
failed to pass its first major legisla
tive test. A motion to advance the
measure failed 21-14, four votes short
of the 25 needed.
Minutes later, lawmakers denied
first-round approval to a bill (LB216)
that would protect workers in the
private sector from being fired for
smoking when on their own time and
away from the job.
Omaha Senator’s bill
would give jail time
to first-time offenders
From The Associated Press
Drivers who get behind the wheel
after their driver’s licenses have been
suspended, revoked or impounded
would face jail time under a plan
reviewed Tuesday by the Transporta
tion Committee.
Omaha Sen. Dan Lynch’s bill
(LB518) would require first-time of
fenders who are placed on probation
to receive sentences that include 48
hours in the city or county jail. An
offender placed on probation for a
second or subsequent offense would
have to serve 30 days in the county
jail.
Law enforcement officials have
long complained that many repeat
offenders, especially drunken driv
ers, get behind the wheel even after
their licenses have been taken away.
The Lynch bill also would require
forfeiture of a vehicle to the county
where the owner is convicted of driv
ing on a suspended, revoked or im
pounded license.
Forfeited vehicles would be auc
tioned off with proceeds going to
cover liens on the vehicle, towing
costs and costs to the county. Left
over money would go to the perma
nent school fund.
Amendment would
increase governor’s
control over education
From The Associated Press
Putting the state Department of
Education under the governor’s con
trol would give Nebraskans more say
in the day-to-day operation of their
public schools, Gov. Ben Nelson said
Tuesday.
Nelson testified before the
Legislature’s Education Committee
in support of a proposed constitu
tional amendment (LR47CA) to give
future governors more control over
the department.
Nelson said the plan also would
streamline government by allowing
the governor to appoint the eight
member state Board of Education
subject to legislative approval.
Max Larsen, a state Education
Board member, opposed the mea
sure, saying future governors may
use the power against education.
Backers say scale will help
Minus grades a
plus for students,
professors say
By John Fulwider
Staff Reporter
Supporters of a proposal to add
minuses to UNL’s grading scale say
the change will not harm students’
grade point averages.
Instead, they say such a change
would make University of Nebraska
Lincoln students more competitive
with students from other universities
that already use scales similar to the
one proposed.
“I think our students are as good as
any students in the country, and they
can compete just as well nationally,”
said Denis Erickson, a professor of
veterinary and biomedical sciences.
“I don’t think this grading system
will hurt them,” he said.
The proposed change would add
grades of A minus, B minus, C minus
and D minus to the scale and elimi
nate the grade of A plus.
Under the new system, a plus
would add only .33 grade points to a
base-level A, B, C or D grade. A
minus would subtract .33 grade points.
Under the current system, a plus is
worth .5 grade points.
For example, a B plus currently is
worth 3.5 points, but after the change,
it would be worth 3.33 points.
Erickson said UNL students’
grades might appear artificially in
flated, and that would put students at
a disadvantage in competing with
students from other universities.
He said that though students might
see a no-minus system as an .advan
tage, it didn’t accurately reflect their
academic performance.
“They may appear more competi
tive on paper, but I think our students
would want to be competing from a
position of strength,” he said. “And I
think this is a way for them to demon
strate that they are.”
Dennis Muchisky, a UNL English
professor, said the new system would
give him more grading options.
“It allows me to record more accu
rately the student’s performance in
the class,” he said.
Students also would benefit from
a more accurate reflection of their
performances, he said.
Christina Brantner, a professor of
modem languages, said students in
her classes with borderline grades
would definitely benefit from the
change.
Muchisky said he understood stu
dents’ concerns about grades being
worth less. He said debating the value
of each grade was an option, but
adding minuses was needed.
“I do want to see the system bal
anced out by putting the minuses in,”
he said.
ASUN to vote on revised
grading scale resolution
By Angie Schendt
and Melanie Branded
Staff fteporters
ASUN senators tonight will vote
on a resolution to oppose a revised
grading scale change at UNL.
The change, proposed last week
by six faculty members, would add
minuses to the grading scale at the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Under the revised plan, a minus
would subtract .33 points from base
point values given for grades of A, B,
C and D. A plus would add .33 points
to the base level.
The proposal would remove the
grade of A plus entirely.
The resolution was drafted by
Andrew Loudon, president of the As
sociation of Students of the Univer
sity of Nebraska.
Loudon said the proposed grading
scale, which must be approved by the
Academic Senate, would not benefit
students.
He said a survey taken last year by
the Academic Senate found that the
majority of students and faculty
agreed with him.
A similar grading proposal last
year prompted the survey. That pro
posal was opposed by about 80 per
cent of UNL students and a majority
of the professors, the survey found.
“The survey reflected that the
majority of the people think that the
eight points are adequate,” Loudon
said.
Loudon said his resolution also
would emphasize what one public
school district in Nebraska had done
to remove minuses from its grading
system.
Lexington Public Schools re
moved minuses this year because they
had a negative impact on students,
Loudon said.
“The survey reflected
that the majority of the
people think that the
eight points are
adequate. ”
m
ANDREW LOUDON
ASUN president
The new grading scale at UNL
could lower students’ grade point
averages, he said.
For example, he said, a student
with straight A’s might have some
grades that translated to 91 percent.
If a minus system had been used, that
student could have a GPA as low as a
3.8 instead of a 4.0.
A misleading part of the new sys
tem is the addition of the grade of C
minus, Loudon said.
“When you implement a C minus
into the equation, a student thinks
that they are passing, but they get a
1.67, which is academic probation,”
Loudon said.
In addition, Loudon said, the new
scale would be different than those
used at the three other NU campuses.
“It will make it hard to transfer
grades between schools,” Loudon
said.
Loudon said if tonight’s resolu
tion passed, members of college ad
visory boards and ASUN senators
would start lobbying Academic Sen
ate members this week to vote against
the proposal.
mere are no smai
victories in the fight
against heart disease,
Plates >
Continued from Page 9
Brashear said that without a
special design for Comhusker
plates, the appeal would be di
- luted, and so would sales.
“It gives Nebraska Comhusker
plates no specialness whatsoever,”
Brashear said.
Cynthia Bowsman, Department
of Motor Vehicles legal counsel,
said specialty plates were a good
idea, but her department would
prefer to see them implemented
through LB465.
Bowsman said law enforcement
officials, the Department of Roads
and the Department of Corrections
all had problems with plates of
Budget
Continued from Page 1
reductions became essential once
the whole budget became clearer,
he said.
He also said the preliminary
special design.
Law enforcement officials
wanted to keep the white reflec
tive background, she said, and the"
Department of Corrections had a
problem with the special printing
of Comhusker plates.
Bowsman said LB465 also
would allow the Department of
Motor Vehicles to issue specialty
plates at any time without getting
statutory authorization, as is needed
now.
Brashear said other states, in
cluding Iowa and Florida, had is
sued special ly designed spirit plates
for their universities.
“Why should we have to do this
differently and fail?” Brashear
asked.
recommendation included new
funds for library acquisitions, a 2
percent inflation increase and a 3
percent salary increase.
“I think we’ve treated the uni
versity pretty well, at least since
I’ve been here,” Wehrbein said.
SB® t»R WE
UNDER THE SUN
t ■ ■ 11 11 ■■■" ■
You won't want to miss the first
Information meeting—this
Thursday, February 16—at 7 p.m.
in the International Student
Lounge at 1237 R Street. The
keynote speaker is Caroline Routh,
Assistant Director of Scholarships
and Financial Aid. She will give
you all of the information you
need to fund your adventure to
Australia, China, Germany,
Greece, India, Italy, Mexico, or
one of several other countries.
A very funny play by Beth Henley,
the Pulitzer-Prize Winning Author
of “Crimes of the Heart"
SNEAK-A-PEEK
Tonight $4
8:00 pm • General Admission
Cash tickets only for sneak performance.
Tickets available at the box office.
Continues:
Feb. 16-18,23-26, Mar. 2-5
Thurs., Fri. & Sat. at 8 pm; Sun. at 2 pm,
Sunday, Feb. 26 at 2 & 7 pm.
Student ticket prices:
$7 on Thurs/Sun.; $8 on Fri./Sat.
Make your reservations today!
Call 489-7529
Lincoln
connuniir
2500 S. Lincoln, NE
with support from the Nebraska Arts Council.
v
No Coupon~.No PROBLEM!
3 great ways to enjoy your evening
1) Dinner Buffet (Pizza, Pasta, Breadsticks, & Dessert)
Monday-Sunday, 5-8 P.M.
Dine In only just $2."
2) Meduim Single-topping Pizza .
Friday & Saturday, 5-10 P.M. just $4.
Dine-in or Carry Out only (" add*topping)
3) February Special:
Large 2 Topping Pizza of Choice* just $7
Monday-Sunday, 5 P.M. - Close
Dine In, Carry Out or Delivery ('excludes extra cheese)
_Limited Time Offers. Downtown (12th and "Q" Street) only. 474-6000_