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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 28, 2000)
Thursday September 28,2000 Volume 100 I Issue 29 dailyneb.com Since 1901 Nebraska coaches, like Ron Brown, choose to stay In SportsThursday/10 One-person play gives a snapshot of school segregation In Arts/8 ^ i Group lauds research, avoids debate BY VERONICA DAEHN More than 100 Nebraska residents have joined together in a grass-roots effort to promote statewide research. But the group won’t be taking stands on Nebraska research that has garnered controversy recently, such as fetal-tissue research. The group, called Nebraskans for Research, wants to inform state citi zens about the accomplishments and promise of Nebraska-based medical . research, said Sanford Goodman, exec utive director of the group. “We feel it’s important as more medical issues come to attention,” Goodman said. The group is a non profit, volunteer organization that will not take sides on issues such as fetal tissue research, stem cell research or the genome proj ect, said Goodman, a retired Omaha businessman. Because the group is non profit, it will not pay taxes on donations received. With that financial advantage, Goodman said, there was a responsi bility to refrain from political activity. But members of the group do sup port medical research as a whole, he said. Nebraskans for Research is inter ested in promoting statewide discus sion on research, Goodman said. “There is a lot of support for research that has gone uncommented on,” he said. “It’s ironic that a lot of research accomplishments in Nebraska are much wider known out side of Nebraska.” Dr. Jerald Schenken, a pathologist and member of the research group, said most Nebraska residents do not understand the amount or significance of the research being done in the state. “We thought it would be good to get people together to understand research, understand the extent of it and understand its benefits,” Schenken said. Schenken said the group’s work would be a public service to Nebraska citizens. Those wishing to join the group may do so for a $15 annual fee. Goodman said while the group was just getting started, there were projects in the works. Nebraskans for Research is work ing on a Web site and on spreading the word about the group’s purpose, Goodman said. The advisory board for the group includes Nebraska residents from across the state. Goodman said statewide represen tation will aid in planning statewide programs. Research in Nebraska is important and should be more widely recognized, he said. “It’s an exciting era to live in because it could lead to a healthier life,” Goodman said. Hey, hold the Raid! Bugs burn rubber BY SHARON KOLBET What has six legs, can pull a toy cart and makes a hissing sound when approached? If you answered “Madagascar cockroach,” you would be correct. Many Nebraskans may not be adept at identifying different species of cockroaches. But fourth graders in the Lincoln Public School district have an opportunity to achieve bug brilliance, thanks to a collaboration between the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the school district. The Bug.Bash, held annually at the Folsom Children’s Zoo in Lincoln, is an educational program organized by UNL’s entomology department. The Madagascar cockroach and many other insects were on dis play during the fourth annual Bug Bash, which was held last week. UNL entomology professors Marion Ellis and Leon Higley are *hhimmmm—ammm credited with coordinating the “Bug bash IS a Way tO program. But both Ellis and . . . Higley said the entire entomolo- introduce young gy department is involved in the people to science." event. Ellis said the department cre ated the event so it could cater to Marion Ellis all the requests by teachers to UNL. entomology professor educate students on bugs. - “Bug Bash is a way to intro duce young people to science,” Ellis said. i he function is held in conjunction witn me science hocus Hign School, also known as the Zoo School, in Lincoln. During the week-long program, UNL faculty members and stu dents work with high school students to pass on their love of insects and science. The UNL team presents various experiments and demonstra tions in a two-day training period for the Zoo School students. The students are then responsible for presenting the information to Lincoln fourth-graders. “It’s a pyramid of teaching and learning,’’ Ellis said. With a core group of 15 UNL entomology faculty members and 40 graduate students, the program reaches out to 75 Zoo School stu dents and about 2,300 Lincoln fourth graders. The event has been so popular that Lincoln schools find it neces sary to reserve bus transportation a year in advance, Ellis said. Higley said the program has been praised for its ability to make science interesting and to involve the whole community. “Bug Bash isn’t just for kids,” Higley said. The stations are designed to be hands-on presentations that both adults and children can find interesting, he said. One such Bug Bash station demonstrates an insect’s chemical navigation process Dy drawing inree circles wun inree dinerent ^- — ... brands of pen - a PaperMate, a Bic and a generic brand - on a blank Sharon Kolbet/DN piece of paper. A Madagascar hissing cockroach known as "Herbie" approaches the finish line during the Bug Bash roach race. The roach race was just one of the many insect stations produced by the UNL entomology department Please see BUGS on 5 for the fourth-annual Bug Bash held last week at the Folsom Children's Zoo. Partner benefits ratified BY MARGARET BEHM Student government decided to take a stand Wednesday on an issue that administration and the Board of Regents has sat on. The Association of Students of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln voted to support domestic part ner benefits for students, faculty and staff. Senate Bill No. 7 passed unanimously, with two people abstaining. Arts and Sciences Sen. Angela Clements, author of the bill, said she hoped university leaders take the hint. “I think that such a strong vote should send a message to administration and the Board of Regents that this is what students want,” she said. “25,000 of us want this, and students won’t ignore domestic partner benefits.” George Wolf, an English professor, said passing the bill was an important step for ASUN to take, because members of the administration and the Board of Regents won’t. “When leaders won’t lead, leadership has to come from someone,” Wolf said. “This is our oppor tunity to lead.” The Board of Regents hasn’t had to deal with the issue because the universitywide Fringe Benefits committee permanently tabled the issue in August 1996. For the Board of Regents to put the issue on its agenda, either the benefits committee would have to untable the issue, or a regent would have to choose to bring up the issue. Wolf said he doesn’t expect university leaders to voluntarily make a decision on domestic partner benefits. we certainly near a good deal aoout equality and diversity from administration and the Board of Regents,” he said. “But when it comes to concrete actions, they’re often the ones who stand in the way.” Wolf said his male partner spends $2,000 more a year on health costs than he would if Wolf received domestic partner benefits. Joel Schafer, ASUN president, said not having the benefits has affected UNL!s chances of attracting fac ulty and staff members. “We talk a lot about bringing quality faculty to the university,” he said. “There is a large group of highly qualified faculty that won’t even consider this univer sity because we don’t offer domestic partner bene fits.” In other news, sophomore biological systems engineering major Adam Shaver said ASUN senators don’t mak&an effort to find out what students think about issues. “During the election was the only time my opin ion mattered,” said Shaver, who spoke during open forum. Because of this, whatever ASUN decides is point less, Shaver said. “It’s like a head and a body," he said. “The head can say whatever it wants. But, as long as the body does not follow, that head is useless.” ASUN members responded by encouraging stu dents who want to keep up to date with student gov ernment happenings to join its e-mail listserv. Students interested can e-mail Communications Chairwoman Vicki Geiser at vickigeiser@yahoo.com Sheldon receives operations grant BY SARAH BAKER In the midst of working to regain its full accreditation from the American Association of Museums, the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery has received a m.u . , $112,500 grant ■ Aftera rash of from the vandalism, Institute of Sheldon looks to Museum and secureitsart. Library See story on Services in pageS Washington, D.C. The grant, one of 177 given last week to museums around the nation, is awarded every two years to “exemplary museums.” "Receiving this grant is extremely prestigious,” said Eileen Maxwell, spokeswoman for the institute. “It’s by far our most important museum grant.” v v The grant, earmarked to sup port general museum opera tions, is only given to museums that excel in all areas, Maxwell said, and garners stiff competi tion. Janice Driesbach, Sheldon director, said the grant will help the Sheldon regain its AAM accreditation. “It will certainly help us meet those goals,” Driesbach said. The Sheldon’s accreditation was put on hold for one year ear lier this month. The AAM evalu ated the Sheldon in May, and the museum must improve in four areas - its relationship with the Nebraska Art Association, its budget planning, its upkeep of the collection and its relationship with the University of Nebraska Lincoln. Driesbach said the grant would support museum security upgrades, collection manage ment, programming, marketing and publicity over the next two years. The grant cannot be used for acquisitions of new art or build ing projects, she said. Maxwell said the grant is not awarded based on AAM accredi tation. “A museum has to excel in every facet to win this grant - from museum security, to care, to the collection itself,” she said. “It’s a mark of excellence.” The Institute of Museum and Library Services is an independ ent federal agency that supports museums and libraries around the nation. This is the fourth time in the past 15 years the Sheldon has received the grant. This year, V "Receiving this grant is extremely prestigious. It's by far our most important museum grant. ” Eileen Maxwell institute spokeswoman according to the institute, 823 museums applied for the grant and 177 received it. Most of the awards were around $100,000. “This grant shines as a mark of excellence by museum profes sionals,” Maxwell said. “The recipients are chosen by a panel of museum professionals who have been in the field for an aver age of 15 years each. It’s a tough sell” David Clasen/ DN Pizza sauce smeared on the "Fallen Dreamer" dam aged the outer patina, a fin ished layer that protects the bronze sculp ture. Repairing the sculpture will take an esti mated $4,000 to $10,000.