Griesen says NebHELP
is unfair toward UNL
By Jessica Fargen
Senior staff writer
Thousands of dollars in public
money were given out in January to
31 colleges in the state for need
based scholarships, but UNL was
excluded from that allotment
That is one of the reasons why
representatives from a national con
sumer group met with university and
state officials Wednesday.
At issue is last year’s conversion
of NebHELP - Nebraska Higher
Education Loan Program Inc. - from
non-profit to profit NebHELP buys
and sells student loans.
In that transition, an estimated
$ 100 million in charitable money was
transferred to the Foundation for
Educational Funding.
That foundation issued $500,000
in scholarships in January to 31 col
leges that contract loans through the
Federal Family Education Loan
Program. UNL was not included in
this allotment because the university
participates in the federal Direct
Student Loan Program.
Although the foundation recently
gave $50,000 to the NU system for
scholarships for participants in Tom
Osborne’s Teammates mentoring
program, that allocation is narrow
and restrictive, said James Griesen,
UNL vice chancellor for student
affairs.
“It’s a far more restrictive grant
than was given to the others, and if
you would look at the UNL student
contributions over the years in build
ing up those assets, it’s not all in pro
portion,” Griesen said.
“We believe that if this is a truly
public foundation interested in serv
ing the students of Nebraska, there
would be no basis for excluding UNL
students.”
i Although Griesen said no specif
ic actions were planned as of yet, the
university would monitor the situa
tion.
Griesen met with Consumers
Union Educational Assets Project
coordinator Patrick Gardner, NU
Regent Chuck Hassebrook and Milo
Mumgaard, executive director of the
Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law
in the Public Interest
, Discrimination against UNL stu
dents was also a concern of Steve
Grasz, deputy attorney general, who
also met with Gardner on Wednesday.
“We are also continuing to look
into whether there is a restriction that
precludes UNL students from being
eligible for their grants,” Grasz said.
“As far as I know they still have a pol
icy against grants to students who
participate in the direct student loan
program.”
Gardner encouraged the attorney
general’s office to take more respon
sibility for prompting public involve
ment in the foundation.
“Their response was encourage
ing,” Gardner said. “They listened.
They took notes. They clearly are
thinking about this.”
Representatives from the FEF did
not return phone calls to the Daily
Nebraskan.
Wednesday’s meetings were the
result of an ongoing discussion about
whether the $ 100 million is the actual
amount of the money in the founda
tion.
Grasz said the Attorney General’s
office was going to look closely at
whether the $ 100 million was all pre
served in the transition from nonprof
it to for-profit. Their role is a watch
dog role, he said. So far, no evidence
of fraud was present.
Gardner said he felt confident the
attorney general would monitor the
money closely.
“They’ve given us every indica
tion they are going to look carefully
whether the assets are reserved,”
Gardner said.
Galligo takes the stand
GALLIGO from page 1
Hopkins was not upset about the ciga
rettes either.
That evening, Hopkins invited
Schmader and Galligo to the tunnels
under 48th Street to smoke marijuana.
Galligo said that when they got to
the tunnels, he stayed at the west end
while Hopkins and Schmader walked to
the middle of the 100-foot long tunnel.
When Galligo saw Hopkins start
stabbing Schmader, he ran from the tun
nel to a Kwik Shop more than 10 blocks
away.
Deputy Lancaster County Attorney
Pat Condon questioned why Galligo did
not call police then or at any other time.
Hopkins said that Galligo had
picked up a rock and dropped it on
Schmader’s head after Hopkins stabbed
him. Hopkins then slammed the rock on
Schmader’s head more than a dozen
times, he said
Galligo said Hopkins threatened to
kill him die next morning if he talked to
police, and Galligo said he feared for his
life.
One of the provisions of Hopkins’
plea agreement is that he must tell the
truth. If prosecutors determine he lied
they can revoke the agreement and
charge Hopkins with first-degree mur
der.
Staff writer Josh Knaub con
tributed to this report.
Birth control bill fails to advance
INSURANCE from page 1
tee, who was heavily chastised by
Chambers for his vote, said sexism had
nothing to do with the committee’s
vote.
Only a few mandates a year make it
out of his committee, he said. Keeping
premiums low and giving insurance
companies a choice killed the bill, he
said, not sexism.
“I believe the individual and not the
state should determine what the best
interest is in this area,” he said.
Landis said other statements that
insurance companies cover Viagra, but
not birth control, were unfounded.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of
Nebraska in some cases offers both
prescriptions as an option, and Mutual
of Omaha does not cover either, he
said.
Mandatory coverage of birth con
trol prescriptions is one issue in a long
line of discriminatory practices by
insurance companies, said Omaha Sen.
Shelley Kiel.
Mammograms, prenatal care,
delivery services and mandatory 24
hour stays after pregnancy, which are
now required, were not always mandat
ed by insurance coverage.
Chambers closed the debate with a
call for senators to realize the unspoken
sentiment he saw behind their vote.
“We understand the symbolism
which sometimes has more impact
than reality.”
Students rally behind
UNL biology instructor
ByIevaAugstums
Senior staff writer
e.- With the right formula of
activism and a few thousand signa
tures, some UNL students hope to
convince university officials of the
importance of student-instructor con
nections.
In an effort to keep a “highly
qualified teacher,” University of
Nebraska-Lincoln students launched
a petition and e-mail campaign, lob
bying administrators to award biolo
gy instructor Russ Benedict a longer
term contract.
“If you want someone who knows
how to educate at a research institu
tion, well, here’s.yOur guy,” said Zac
Roehrs, a senior fisheries and
wildlife major. “Students love the
guy- Students learn from him.”
Benedict, a lecturer in the UNL
biological sciences department, has
been teaching biology classes on a
semester-to-semester contract since
1997.
Benedict said he has signed a
contract to teach during the fall 1999
semester, but students would like to
see him around longer.
“Mr. Benedict is dedicated not
only to his work, but to his students,”
said Melissa Nootz, a senior biology
and English major. “He needs to keep
teaching here.”
Nootz said Benedict’s creative
teaching techniques, fun outdoor
classroom excursions and outstand
ing ability to relate to students are the
nuts and bolts of a university educa
tion.
Roehrs agreed.
“Isn’t he what we should have?
Someone who teaches and does
research and is also connected with
his students?” Roehrs asked. “I think
SO.
This is the second year UNL stu
dents have rallied for an instructor
and petitioned administrators to look
into longer-term contracts.
Last year students lobbied admin
istrators to extend chemistry lecturer
Bill McLaughlin’s one-year teaching
contract. McLaughlin-signed a three
year contract with the university last
April.
“I have to say congratulations to
students m seemg a good thing at this
university - teaching,” McLaughlin
said. “You cannot complain about
students wanting to receive a good
education”
Benedict said he was flattered to
see students raising support.
“Yes, I would love to stay here,”
Benedict said. “But I can only fulfill
the contract I have.”
Benedict said he is planning to
interview this month for three out-of
state tenure-track positions.
“As much as I appreciate what
students are doing, I have to continue
to look elsewhere,” he said.
Associate Vice Chancellor for
Academic Affairs Evelyn Jacobson
said all decisions on the hiring of fac
ulty members for tenure-track posi
tions are initially made at the college
department level.
The university does conduct a
search process for tenure-track posi
Itiods if requested by the college or
department, she said.
Brent Nickol, vice chancellor of
biological sciences, said he is aware
of the student petition, but the depart
ment had not discussed the issue with
students. /
“We would like to put the best
instructors in our classrooms, and I
am delighted student£&se happy with
Mr. Benedict,” Nickol said.
“However, seldom would (the depart
ment) recommend a person for a
tenure-track position.”
Nickol said if the department
would identify a need for extended
contracts or tenure-track positions,
proper actions would be taken to ful
fill its need.
Roehrs said he had talked with
ASUN members about Benedict, but
said he didn’t want the issue to turn
into a political battle between stu
dents and university administration.
“None of us are really political
I fighters,” he said. “We just want to
raise support.”
Roehrs said students are encour
aged to sign the petition and express
their concerns to the department.
“We just want to have his teach
ing influence as many students as
possible,” he said. “At the very least
we, the students, will give him the
appreciation and recognition he
deserves.”
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