The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, October 02, 1996, Page 4, Image 4

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    EDITOR
DougKouma
OPINION .
EDITOR
Anne Hjersman
EDITORIAL
BOARD
Doug Peters
Matt Waite
Paula Lavigne *
Mitch Sherman
Anthony Nguyen
*
OUR MEW
On guard
UNL police presence
keeps students safe
UNL Police Chief Ken Cauble and the
campus police force are to be commended.
For three years, UNL has seen a steady
drop in campus crime
— the third largest
among U.S. university
campuses from 1993 to
1994.
The police force
may not be growing in
numbers, but it is grow
ing in determination.
And its efforts are mak- «
ing a difference.
Despite external re
views that have said the
UNL police department
is under-staffed, the
badge-bearing guardian *
a#gels of UNL havebe- (
come a real presence in *
campus night life—on
the streets and side
walks, in the dark park
ing lots and empty
buildings.
In 1995, UNL saw
decreases in larceny,
motor vehicle theft, ob- * <
scene phone calls and
indecent exposure.
ft
The police
force may
not be
growing in
numbers,
but it is
growing in
determina
tion.
And its
efforts are
making a
difference”
In the past two
years, violent crimes on campus have been
minimal. There have been two felony assaults
since the beginning of 1995; and police ex
pect 1996 to end with fewer misdemeanor
assaults than the 35 reported in 1995. The
count so far this year is at 19. ,
Larceny — by far the most common
campus crime — dropped 27 percent from
1993 to 1994. It then dropped an additional
5 percent from 1994 to 1995. And it is ex
pected to drop even further this year.
There is safety in numbers; and the num
bers say UNL is getting safer.
There is safety in the numbers of police
officers and community service officers who
patrol the University ofNebraska-Lincoln—
though having a few more officers out there
wouldn’t hurt. *
There is safety in the numbers of times
students look over their shoulders when
^valking a darkened path.
Safety in the numbers of Emergency
phones located at all comers of the campus.
Safety in the numbers of times students
follow their instincts and report suspicious
circumstances.
Safety in the numbers of people that stu
dents take with them when they walk out
side at night, rather than walking alone.
Safety in the numbers of nights students
lock up before going to sleep.
Safety in the numbers of students and
faculty members who have participated in
crime education programs.
UNL is getting smart. It’s getting tough
on crime.
Editorial Policy
Unsigned editorials are the opinions of the Fall
1096 Daily Nebraskan. They do not neces
sarily reflect the views of die University of
Nebraska-Lincoln, its employees, its student
body or the University of Nebraska Board of
Regents. A column is soley the opinion of its,'
author. The Board of Regents serves as put^
Usher of the Daily Nebraskan; policy is set by
die Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. The
UNLPnMicatioos Board, established by die
regents, supervises the production of the news
paper According to policy set by the regents,
t responsibility for the editorial content of the
newspaper lies solely in the hands ofitsSta
deat employees.
Letter Policy
The Daily Nebraskan.welcomes brief let
ters to Ac editor and guest columns, but
does not guarantee their publication. The
Daily Nebraskan retains the right to edit
or reject any material submitted. Submit
fc ted material becomes die property of fee
Pply Nebraskan and cannot be returned.
Anonymous submissions will not be
published. Those who submit letters must
identify themselves by name, year in
school, major and/or group affiliation,
if any. Submit material to: Daily Nebras
kan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400R St Lin
coln, Neb. 68388-0448. E-mail:
letters OnnHirfh iml wtn
MEHSLIXG'S VIEW
VElVOlteHIW
*ro wm thm fwn
W& m M IF
—v
GUEST VIEW
Education plays big role in politics
EDITOR'S NOTE: This guest
column was written by Secretary
of Education Richard Riley and
submitted for publication by the
College Democrats of America.
One of the most difficult chal
lenges a presidential administration
faces is keeping the public aware of
its accomplishments and informed
about its proposals. As the secretary
of education for President Clinton, I
face this challenge almost every day.
That’s why I’d like to take a
moment of your time to tell you some
of the things the Department of
Education has done for college
students over the last four years, and
what we have planned for die future.
In 1993, Clinton signed the
Student Loan Reform Act, which
created the Direct Student Loan
Program. Direct lending has made it
possible for students to bypass the
maze of big banks and middlemen
they normally face and borrow y
money directly from the federal
government through their student aid
office.
We’re very proud of the Direct
Student Loan Program. It usdS a one
page application from that reduces
paperwork. It transfers funds to
colleges and universities electroni
cally, so students don’t have to wait
in long lines to sign loan checks. And
perhaps most significantly, it offers
more flexible repayment options, so
fewer students go into default.
it
We plan on
continuing to make
college more
accessible and more
affordable for
students in the
future. ”
Overall, direct lending has in
creased competition in the student loan
field — improving services to all stu
dents.
We plan on continuing to make
college more accessible and more
affordable for students in the future.
Clinton’s HOPE Scholarship plan
is designed to make two years of
higher education as universal as a
high school education. To accom
plish this, the HOPE Scholarship
plan will give students a $1,500 tax
credit they c^n apply to their first
year of college tuition. On their
second year, if tjie students work
hard, maintain a “B” average and
stay drug free, they can expect
another $1,500 tax credit. $1,500 is
$300 more than the national average
for a community college education
and would, therefore, make a
community college education free for
the majority of students. The $1,500
tax credit can also be applied to a
more expensive four-year institution.
Additionally, the HOPE Scholarship
tax credit is paid for in Clinton’s
balanced budget.
Because parents and families of
college-age people already face a
great challenge in financing a
student’s education, we want to help
them by allowing them to deduct up
to $10,000 from their taxes for
college tuition and expenses. Often,
parents face the prospect of putting
more than one child through college
at a time. This tax deduction will
help them meet that challenge.
Again,this tax deduction is paid for
in Clinton’s balanced budget.
More and more, students are
working during college to finance
some or all of their tuition and
expenses. We are working to expand
the federal work-study program to
allow more students to find better
paying jobs. By the year 2000,
Clinton expects that this will help
more than 1 million students pay
their own way through college.
I don’t need to tell you that a
college degree is more important
now than ever before. wouldn’t
be in college now if you didn’t
believe that you need that advantage
to face the challenges of the 21st
century. I want you to know that, as
the secretary of education, I intend to
make sure that this administration
continues to help you meet those *
challenges.
letters to: Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska UnionJ JL4QQ "R"SkyLincoln,
NE68688,orfEai»(402)472-176i;6re-maiI<letterB@unlinfo.unLedu.