University of Nebraska Kearney - Blue and Gold Yearbook (Kearney, NE)

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Confetti showers on Jennifer Eastlund and Kristen Dill, South Bend sopho- more, at the 49er's rally for university status. Groups rally support I o time for napping at the sleep-in 1 1 sponsored by the Activist Campaign Team (ACT). They wanted students to write letters to their state senators supporting the name change bill. The group camped out in the Nebraskan for sev- eral days until 11 p. m. and asked students to write letters. “We’ve been running out in the hall to get peo- ple,” Jim Bachman, student lobbyist, said. Lynn Blickensderfer, Kearney senior, quickly wrote a letter. “I hope my diploma will say I graduated from a university,” she said. John Falconer, Kearney senior, wrote his senator to ask that KSC be properly funded. “They can’t ex- pect an institution to operate that is starving for money,” he said. ACT collected and mailed almost 70 letters be- fore the scheduled legislative hearing on Feb. 21. They also took a busload of students and faculty to Lincoln as representatives at the hearing. “We have every district represented in one way or other,” said Steve Saner, North Platte junior and group chairman. ACT began with only two members last Decem- ber. Membership grew to 15-20 in only a month. The group is a “grass roots effort” for pushing issues rele- vant to students, Saner said. The 49er’s also sponsored letter-writing cam- paigns and rallies to make students aware of the issues. Both groups work “hand in hand,” Saner said. “ACT is like a spare tire.” “If we get enough student support through letter writing, maybe we can convince the senators in the middle to support the name change,” said Darci Dill- man, co-chairman of the 49er’s. Bachman said, “It’s important for students to be part of the influence on the issue. In years to come, they’ll look back with pride for having influenced the progress of change.” By Pam Wood 6 Growth pains ( We have ev- ery district rep- resented one way or other. $ Saner $■ It makes no difference if we’re a univer- sity, we need more state funds. Radema- cher SC’s future lies in the eye of a storm. g Questions fly about university sta tus and demands whirl for more state funding. While legislators and lobbyists debate the vari- ous bills introduced to the Nebraska Legislature, stu- dents recognize the significance of the issues. “We have all the necessary qualifications to be called a university,” said Darci Dillman, Morrill ju- nior. “KSC has long been an university.” Meg Derr, Morrill junior, said, “I feel more people will view Kearney as a more established educational system (as a university).” Some disagree with university status. A univer- sity is more intimidating for high school students, said Marsha Bonne, Ord freshman. “Students won’t register in large numbers be- cause of fear of the unknown concerning university programs,” she said. Maggie Lammers, Kearney sophomore, said, “I suppose the gain of university status would also mean a rather substantial increase in tuition. But, the sacri- fice would benefit the students.” This year, two bills concerning the university sta- tus reached the Legislature. LB160 would change the name to University of Nebraska at Kearney. The col- lege would be part of the University of Nebraska sys- tem under the Board of Regents. “LB160 serves the best interest for a stronger University of Nebraska system,” said Lon Weber, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. Student Senate, Faculty Senate, and Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce, supported the bill. However, the Board of Trustees supported the other bill, LB760, which would change all four state colleges to universities. KSC would be Central Ne- braska University; Chadron, Western Nebraska Uni- versity; Wayne, Northeastern Nebraska University; and, Peru, Southeastern Nebraska University. All would remain under the Board of Trustees. Weber called LB760, “a quick reaction to 160.” The bill unnecessarily duplicates area community col- lege names, and drops the town designations, he said. Yet another bill, LB247, called for a study of higher education to address the name change issue. The Board of Regents supported this bill and Gov. Kay Orr’s recommendation for an 18-month

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1 J I ) ► sal ch 0 si- nd jst »ld a- jr- ill or lal it- as »8 ns fi- fe, ii- ut in s- Id ty Id ys :s. reflections neighbors voice unique concerns What you contribute to the world can make a differ- ence,” he said. Shelly Wonder, Omaha junior, said the legacy left by the World Affairs Conference was most impor- tant. “What it is, is a seed that will grow,” she said, Jennifer Eastlund, Omaha junior, said, “Even though it’s a political thing 1 think it affects all the schools in the college.” She thought it could spur inter- est among students considering an international stud- ies program or a political science degree. “At the end of the decade when history is written it would be a terrible mistake if we had not raised the consciousness of students,” Seepe said. “We need to be educated people in more than the sense of the books.” In some instances the conference does more than the classroom. “I learned one viewpoint in the text and then I got to talk to a living textbook,” Votek said. “You can't possibly imagine what you'll learn.” Eastlund said, “You use the text and then the professor talks about the subject in class. Sometimes the classroom is very broad. But when you meet the diplomats and representatives you talk issues and specifics. Their information is specific and up-to-date. It’s like you're learning in class only it's one-on-one conversation.” talking to students.” Changed views were common for those that talked to the dignitaries. “It opened my eyes up to the world,” Kritenbrink said. “It gave me interest in for- eign relations. I realized that the problems of the world are not simple at all. They are very complex.” The conference was also partially responsible for a change of major for him from math to political science and geography. Talking to a person from the U.S.S.R. changed views. “1 had such a cold point of view of the Soviet Union,” Votek said. “The diplomat was so western. He negated a lot of my misconceptions about the So- viet Union.” The interest wasn't all ours, according to Mock. The diplomats were more interested in finding out what we wanted to know rather than just answering our questions, he said. Magstadt said dignitaries were very impressed with the friendliness of the people they met here. “Many of the dignitaries said without the conference that they wouldn't be able to see the Midwest. They are fascinated by our farming methods,” he said. “The learning is a two-way street, they need to see us as much as we need to see them.” By Larry P. Magrath $■ i learned one viewpoint in the text and then I got to talk to a living textbook. $ votek Seepe said in the classroom you hear one point of view. “Bringing foreign people to talk here afforded the opportunity for students to hear an outside point of view about an issue that is different from Ameri- cans'.” Scott Mock, Holbrook junior, said, “Communism was an idea in a textbook, and it [the conference] showed me a reality.” He was able to talk directly with a representative of the Soviet Union about the U.S. agriculture policy, something which has been in- grained in him by his father. Some students found themselves rethinking their plans for the future. Delaying exchange plans to Japan, Eastlund said she wants to stay at KSC until after the next conference. Meeting with the diplomats was a learning expe- rience for those who got to participate individually with visitors. Talking with visitors was “not as threat- ening as it seems to be,” Eastlund said. “They enjoy Kristen Dill, South Bend sophomore, visits with a dignitary at an informal coffee Chat for students. Photo by Michelle Thompson World Affairs 5

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(j Crowds of students lis- tened to enthusiastic speeches and entertain- ing music at the 49er's rally for university status last Spring. Photos by Ken Kruse Growth pains T T ebraska t jState U niversity by any name? study by the Nebraska Commission for Post-Second- ary Education. Students in the 49er’s wanted the name change, but lobbied more for increased funding. “KSC needs funding urgently for a lot of programs which are in the stalemate right now,” Dillman, co-chairman of the 49er’s, said. “The university status and more funding issues are separate,” Earl Rademacher, vice president for f We have all the necessary qualifications to be a univer- sity. $ Dillman Administration and Finance, said. “It makes no differ- ence if we are a university or not, we need more state funds.” The Board of Trustees asked the State Appro- priations Committee for a 49.2 percent budget in- crease, or over $20 million for the next two years. This amount would be used to increase faculty salary, financial aid, replacement of equipment, addi- tional classroom instructional aids, and to reduce the student-teacher ratio, according to Rademacher. The board’s approved request did not recom- mend an increase in tuition, he said. However, Gov. Orr’s budget proposals for this session recommended a five percent tuition increase per year for the next two years and only a 23.9 percent total budget increase for all four state colleges. “Hopefully, there will be some increases made by the legislature,” Rademacher said. By Pam Wood