dailu nebraskan
monday, September 18, 1978 lincoln, nebraska vol. 102 no. 13
Hawaiian halftime performance keeps spectators in seats
By Joe Starita
How do you keep 76,000 restless natives tuned to a
game that breaks with the home team five touchdowns
ahead?
Easy. When the turfs up, just fill it with 18 undulating
native dancers, sprinkle in seven musicians, add a pinch of
Ti leaves and a Polynesian princess and see who's keeping
score.
The recipe was baked to perfection Saturday afternoon
midway through a less than suspenseful Nebraska-Hawaii
contest at a sun-drenched Memorial Stadium.
For the first time in recent memory, the 28-member
Hawaiian troop of dancers and musicians put on a show
that dwindled the Coke trade, kept spectators perched
seat-side, sent photographers scrambling for more film and
reporters for pencil-sharpeners.
"One woman said it was the first halftime show she
couldn't see from the comfort of her box seat in 30 years
of watching Nebraska home games," said Kalani Poomai
healani, the group's choreographer, at his Hilton Hotel
room after the lopsided affair.
NU invitation
Arranged through Hawaiian and United airlines after
an invitation was extended by NU officials, the halftime
show, Hawaii-style, was one of many promotional pack
ages the group performs throughout the world.
All the performers, explained Poomaihealani, work for
Hawaiian Airlines as a sales team designed to lure tourists
to the Hawaiian Islands through song and dance.
Listening to the post-game banter in a room that
looked like a soundstage for a Honolulu musical, one
could predict that Hawaii may be seeing red this winter.
"The Nebraska fans were unbelievable," said hula
dancer Renee Asing, wearing a crimson-and-white Corn
husker cap that she proudly said was exchanged for six
kisses and a lei.
'That's spelled 1-e-i," said Poomaihealani amidst a
roomful of goodhearted laughter that released the tension
built up from the 14 shows the group performed during
their day-and-a-half Lincoln visit.
Hospitality extended
Everyone chimed in to recount the cooperation and
hospitality that marked the visit.
"They loaned us a rug for our fire-eater to protect the
Astroturf in case he dropped the baton."
'They had our state flag flying from the stadium 20
minutes after we asked if it would be all right."
"One guy proposed to my sister at halftime."
'The crowd was something to see. They made every
thing work."
"The football team gave us a box of Big Red candy
red gum, red suckers, red candy of every kind".
Asked if there were anything that didn't go right
during their mid-nation stopover, the group was hard
pressed to respond.
"Well, we kept forgetting to put our shoes down in the
Hilton coffee shop," piped Marlene Kalahiki Hugho, Miss
Hawaii 1974, who has spent five years with the travel
team and acted as the group's senior spokesman.
Don't wear shoes
"We just never wear shoes," she said. "We keep for-
getting and I don't think they were too happy about it,
but well try and remember next time."
After an hour of unwinding at the hotel, the bull
session was over and it was time for some of the group to
head for the airport for flights home; others were readying
for Saturday night performances at Misty II Lounge and
the American Legion Club.
How do you spend the grinding pace of Paris one week,
Philadelphia the next? Hotels? Buses? Airports?
'Travel, meeting people, going to different countries.
The wining and dining. It's all a lot of fun," comes the
reply in unison.
"It's the only way to fly," says Poomaihealani, his
glance sweeping the room of smiling, dark-skinned native
dancers.
Poomaihealani is smiling, too.
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Photo by Bob Pearson
Cornhusker fans saw a sizzling performance at Saturday afternoon's halftime show, when Hawaiian artists
brought a bit of Polynesia to the Great Plains.
Tommeraasen admits tossing Wagner-police report
By Brenda Moskovits
Miles Tommeraasen, UNL vice chan
cellor for business and finance, admitted to
having thrown away a report claiming that
Students cited
for ticket fraud
Two students were cited Saturday
during the Nebraska-Hawaii football
game for obtaining money under
false pretenses.
Sgt. Joe Wehner of University
Police said the two were arrested for
allegedly selling football passes to the
game.
Such passes are awarded to
stadium employees, members of the
press, and other persons who have a
specific reason for being there,
according to Wehner.
The names of the two students
will not be released until they are
formally charged later this week.
Wehner said the charge of obtain
ing money under false pretenses is
similar to that of petty larceny.
NU Regent Kermit Wagner accused Univer
sity Police officer and student security
supervisor of not doing their jobs.
"There was no offense. Why would any
one want to keep a record of it?"
Tommeraasen said.
He said that his office is "engulfed in
paper" and that even contracts are not
saved because the various departments save
them.
Parking problems "are standard around
here on (football) Saturdays because
you've got thousands of people converging
on about 20 square acres," Tommeraasen
Interviewed prior to Saturday's
Nebraska-Hawaii game, he told the Daily
Nebraskan he knew of similar difficult
ies earlier in the day involving a Nebraska
state senator, but refused to name anyone.
Tommeraasen questioned whether the
average person would even remember such
an incident if asked about it later on.
When asked how a public official should
act, Tommeraasen said "they should act
like all other human beings. What consti
tutes leadership, I don't know."
All but one member of the NU Board
of Regents has said they will bring no
action to the board. NU Regent Robert
Simmons of Scottsbluff could not be
reached for comment.
Regents Kermit Hanson and James Moy
lan of Omaha and Robert Raun of Minden
had not heard of the incident before they
were contacted by the Daily Nebraskan.
Regent Robert Prokop of Wilber said
he felt the incident was "completely blown
out of line." he said he thought that
Officer Barbara McGill was looking for
publicity in the matter, citing her participa
tion in police union activities.
He also said that Wagner had broken no
law or university polices.
Regent Robert Koefoot of Grand Island
said he was familiar with the matter and
said it should be dropped.
"He said it wasn't him and I believe
him," Koefoot said.
UNL Chancellor Roy Young still re
fused to comment on the incident.
The lincoln Journal Friday reported
that Wagner was in Europe and was
unavailable for comment.
Miss Nebraska dismantles pageant rumors
inside monday
Steam tunnel residents beware: Sub
versive faction vows to know the
inside story page 4
To be or not to be: UNL professor
balances teaching and acting
careers page 8
Alohii, Rainbows: Huskers send the
Hawaii Rainbows back to
Honolulu with a 56-10 defeat
page 10
By Joe Starita
Rumors of fear and loathing on the
champagne trail to Atlantic City were
roundly scotched Saturday night at a
Hilton Hotel reception welcoming home
Miss Nebraska.
UNL student Guyiyn Remmenga
returned from a three-day regional film
conference in Salt Lake City, Utah
Saturday, then went about dismantling a
week -long series of rumors connected with
her Miss America pageant.
One report had a Miss America pagaent
official telling Remmenga five minutes be
fore the new Miss America was crowned
that Remmenga would have won had she
paid the $500 entry fee.
Another fingered Texas and Oregon
state pageant directors for urging their
representatives to spread ill will against
Miss Nebraska for not going through
proper state qualifying channels.
Yet another linked Remmenga and her
family with lawsuits against Bert Parks and
company for conspiring to prevent Miss
Nebraska from being crowned Miss
America.
Not true on all counts, said the 21 -year-old
brown-eyed brunette.
No facts
"I had heard some of those rumors from
other contestants, but there are no facts
to back any of them up whatsoever," said
Remmenga, a senior broadcasting and
advertising major.
"Fm sorry that I lost but I had a good
experience. One that I wouldn't trade for
anything," added the Elwood native, who
used her background as a classical pianist
to tie for top honors in the talent portion
of last week's 58th Annual Miss America
Pagaent.
Remmenga said she would not have won
the Wednesday night talent contest or
qualified as one of the 10 finalists had
there been any substance to the rumors.
Added Jerry Jensen, executive director
of the Miss Nebraska Scholarship Pagaent:
"We're very proud of Guyiyn and we think
the whole state should be. If next year's
representative is as good as Guyiyn, well
be in good shape."
Remmenga said the national TV
exposure, scholarship money and contacts
gained from the pagaent have left her in
good shape for pursuing plans.
Of the options available in the pagaent's
wake, combining screenwriting with a law
degree look like the best bet right now,
Remmenga said.
Spring graduation
And Southern California will get the
nod as the place to start after a scheduled
spring graduation, she said.
"Law school would be a good backup
even though it's not my first love. But I
want to have it because it's (screenwriting
and TV) a hard industry to break into."
Remmenga broke into smiles when
she and Miss Hawaii, Elizabeth Kapu'u i
lani lindsey, were reunited after each had
spent a week hopscotching across the
x)untry.
While Miss Hawaii still faced a long
flight home, Miss Nebraska was lodfcing
forward to downshifting into a less frantic
pace.
"Let's just say I'm thankful to come
back here and finish school. It really is
good to be back home."