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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 12, 1979)
JUl) thursday, aprfl 12, 1979 n T lincoln, nebrsska vol. 1 02 no. 109 LrGJyuucLru With a 44-vote margin Guicsi feat Mot to ASUN t io pot By Shelley Smith In the midst of cheers and toasts, Bud Cuca, ASUN presidential winner, said he felt like he had just won the state basketball championship. "I feel like & burst of energy-I'm really excited1 he said. , , Cuca, with the Students of the University of Nebraska (SUN) party defeated Joe Nigra with the Students Organized for Active Representation (SOAR) party 1,187 to 1,143, according to Electoral Commissioner Nancy Eicher. Cued said when he learned he had won the election, he had to ask asain to make sure it was true. "It was noisy, and t heard Nancy (Eicher) say con gratulations you're the new student regent, I said you mean we won?' he said, Cuca said he was not only excited for himself, but also excited for his party Which he said "worked awful damn hard" to get him elected. 'A tot to learn Nigro said that while he was personally disappointed, he too was proud of his party. SOAR elected over two thirds of Its candidates and both vice presidents to the Senate "I still believe in the SOAR philosophy, he said, and added, "Bud's going Id hive a lot to leirrt." Cuca agreed there are some things he will have to learn about the presidency, but said he felt he has enough gen eral knowledge 'id learn theht c-uickly "joe nas experience mat l don't nave. But my per spective in the long run, I feel, will be beneficial to the students, h$ said. r Cuca said throughout his campaign he proposed many ideas that are favorable to students. Now he said, it is up to him and the senate; to carry them blitT ' lrh really excited about the changes we can make this yar,' herald. , ' J .' . - .-. ; "We can really go out and dd things for the students and really find out What interests them, he added. .. tCbaLs your ester Cuca said he felt the main difference between the run off election , and the first election held March 2 1 , was that Students had the opportunity to focus on two people. "They were able to get a better perspective of what each of us was really like, he said. "The last election Was as Bob Devaney puts it: a tie in football is like kissing your sister,' he said. However, Nigro said he felt this runoff was basically a Greekindependent race. "We really tried this year to break out of that syndrome, he said. "Instead it brought back those (living unit) prejudi ces. Cuca said if he could have changed one thing about the campaign he would have changed the ideas some people had that the runoff was a race of living unit factions. "What t respect most is people. People come first not if theyre Independent or Greek or Italian, he Said. .The runoff election Was necessary because of an NU Board of Regents rule passed last spring requiring senate executives to be elected by a majority vote. The Ifcrt balloting system wu implemented by the Electoral Commidcn to allow voters to rank their choices. By allocating trailing candidates Votes to the lead ing candidates, foe system should have allowed for a majority. , . r . - , , , However, because voters marked more than one first, second, or third choice, wrote in candidates, or declined to select a first choice, the system failed. election, --' v f ' ... - Kijro ssid the regents rule only alienated students from student government. - . . . "It wa hard financially, took me away from my studies, and it turned a lot of people off" ha said. I won oncc-ususUy thats tncudi, he ssidr r , Es!2j a rtppcrt . c -. - - Cuca add today as his fiat day as the ASUN president elect, he would first contact vice presidents Hubert Brown tsd Kim VeOand, r - -1 -' "I want to start building a rapport with them. We're all going to need to communicate freely," he said. With communication to students, and not only to stu dent senators, Cuca said he hopes the senate can become more effective this year. He praised the senate-elect for having a diversity of views and emphasized the need to relate those views with their constituents. "That's probably the main difference between Joe and I. I Want to work with students and not just student senators, he Said. Open doors He said he plans to have an open door policy with stu dents, and Will urge them to "come to me with their prob lems. "Our job is to help the students of the university, the regents and the state of Nebraska, he said. Cuca also praised Nigro, calling him, "a hell of a per son. "I respect him to the maximum and 1 hope he remains interested in student government," he said. Nigro wished Cuca luck and added that he hopes the students don't lose out. 1 He said CUca has always talked, aboutbeing a good listener, add. that he should put it t( police when he steps inofflci. He also Said he wasn't sure if he would remain active in student government. ' "111 never stop caring what happens to, students. I really wanted the challenge of leading the . students into a new deca, he iald.r ; :. 4 ''. , v is i : 'v '' Photo by Mark BillingsliV Newly-elected ASUN President Cud Cuca. Dipl oniat: Nicaraguan rebels failing tiy Mike Sweeney The balance of power In Nicaragua seems to have swung in favor of President Anastasio Somoza Debayle, whose administration has continuously violated basic human rights, a state department official said Wednesday. Daniel Welter, state department desk officer in charge of day-to-day American-Nicaraguan relations, said the Sandinista National Liberation Front opposing Somoza is losing international support, has failed to gain the confi dence of the country s peasants, and is militarily out numbered by Somoza s national guard. The national guard put down a month-long Sardinista rebellion in September, using-indiscriminate force, Welter said. Another Sandinista rebellion is almost a certainty, and could come as early as this month or as late as August, the New York Tfrnts reported last month; In any new uprising the Sandinistas would be decimat ed, Welter predicted. "The national guard eventually has won every encount er with the Sardinistas, Welter said, and the guard's strength has almost doubled since the September insurrection. If war breaks out again, America will befaced with difficult policy decisions, Welter Said. The Carter Admini stration is Concerned about Nicaraguan human rights, but does not want to interfere in the internal affairs of a foreign government, he saM. ft "Our resources are hmited, he said, Wert obviously beyond the point of sending in the Marines Complicating future VS. action towards Nicaragua was a switch in foreign policy set off by the September War, Welter said. Policy changed from one of non-intervention to one calling for mediation when the September war , brought report j of the national guard bombing and shoot ing at towns from the air, Welter said. TTiere were also documented reports of people in city streets""being mow ed down (by gunfire) with n6 questions asked, he slid. Attempts at negotiation fell through, and in February America cut $23 million of military aid and almost all economic aid to Nicaragua. Americs response' to a new outbreak of violence would probably be an effort to bring about a mulU4ateral non military settlement, Welter said, v Cuba, a, country which has aided rebellions in Africa, has' "shown restraint in Nicaragua, Welter said. He said Cuba has given some aid to the Sandinistas, but has not "gotten involved militarily, perhaps in hopes of improving relations with the US. and perhsps because it does not see theSandIrmtarevohUonas"vkble,hesdJ. ' ... America's noninterference policy toward Nicsrc?jan. politics is actuilly intervention, Siid.Jcumfei irof. Roberto Esquenazi-Mayo in a discussion of Nicaraguan -American relations later Wednesday evening at the Lincoln Center Building. without outside help, "how can the Sandinistas fight the national guard?" Esquenazi-Mayo asked. A positive approach to the problem in Nicaragua is to make clear-cut statements of policy, he said. "Clear-cut open discussion has a great deal Of in fluence," he said. "We should sit down and say, 'We are against Somoza because . . " he said his voice trailing off. Esquenazi-MayO warned that the continued presence of the SomOzas in Nicaragua could result in Russian inter vention, resulting in "another Cuba.' Welter said it would take a massive demonstration by . the Nicaraguan peasants to depose Somoza, whose family has ruled Nicaragua for almost 40 years. What we don't know is the mood of Hie people,' Welter said. "They seem frustrated and fearful. But since January, we have not seen a massive outpouring of anti government support. . The Sandinistas have garnered most of their support from the upper classes and children of government officials, he said. - "It has not been a peasant movement, he Said. The extent of popular support for the Sandinistas is un known, Welter said. He said about 2,000 people may belong to the movement, while the New York Times esti mated the national guard has 1 2,000 troops. Besides the Sandinistas, Somoza faces opposition from conservatives in government and young business leaders, Welter said. , However, the president has seemed unwilling to com promise, rejecting international appeals for a vote on whether he should remain in office. 'Tts impossible to see the mentality of Somoza." Welter said, "He may be saying "It's me or the Commun- if to Vr At hn rlnhr m.a4aKK. " m- mil vu vmvuio tlii tucuuuiljr. Attntie Em, Auntie-Em: University officials are making plans to provide a tornado warning system. .page 7 Hammer away: Album review looks at guitarless rock ... . . , .page 8 Back In the swinj: UNL gymnastics team back at work after its KC!AA ictoryV.s . ; page 1 0 n