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

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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

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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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 Students with morning classes at Bruner Hall of Science streamed through the doors like spilled sugar into a Dustbuster vacuum while commuters circled the parking lots like hunters in search of rare prey. Students endured the pains of inconvenience as they crowded into classrooms, detoured around the Cushing construction site, and fought bumper tcr bumper for parking. “It's more like a hunting license than a parking permit said Witia Aguilar, Lexington senior. Jerry Payne, Overton junior, said, “I had this mistaken idea that if I bought a parking permit, I would have a space.” But parking has always been a campus problem, according to Bill Davis, director of Campus Security, in policy, renovation “In 1915, they probably looked for a place to hitch the horse and still couldn’t find space,” he said. However, Mike White, Lexington senior, doesn’t have a problem with parking on West Campus. His problem is finding a seat in two of his business classes. I usually get there early enough,” he said. “But four or five people are standing in class until another room is found.” Space became a rare commodity on campus last year with an increased student population of 9, 275 from 9, 381 in 1987, an increase of 4. 1 percent. To make room for everyone, construction on the Cushing addition began and plans for further building expansions were made. Administrators had many explanations for the ever-increasing student population. “The best salespersons for Kearney State are the current students and alumni who are telling friends that it is a positive educational environment ’ said President William Nester. Proposed Main Street” connecting Cushing Health and Physical Education Fa- cility and West Campus WW 8 Growth pains ( It’s more like a hunting li- cense than a parking per- mit. Aguilar “And the faculty is willing to be risk-takers for developing programs that respond to student and so- cietal needs,” he said. He cited the new tourism and telemarketing programs as examples. Wayne Samuelson, director of admissions, cre- dits the central location along the interstate which acts I i s c s c c t s I I I s I c s c c t c a F b b K a tl s. ii g si 1 0 g si b