Hill, resents assess low turnout’s effect on unomciai vote
By Lisa Twiestmeyer
Staff Reporter
Although only 11.72 percent of
students voted in Wednesday’s
ASUN elections, ASUN President
elect Bryan Hill said low voter par
ticipation should not be a factor in
retaining the unofficial student re
gent vote.
Of 21,047 eligible voters, 2,466
voted in this year’s elections. Last
year, 2,726 of 20,743 eligible stu
dents voted, or 13.14 percent
Hill said he doesn’t think voter
participation among 18- to 24-year
olds in student government elections
“is any different than in any other
elections.”
“Politically, they are one of the
least active segments of society,”
Hill said, “but I don’t think student
concern should be overlooked (by the
regents) for low turnout.
“I don’t think voter participation
should be the main focus with keep
ing the ex-officio vote,” Hill said.
The regents approved the unoffi
cial student regent vote in January on
a one-year trial basis. During discus
sion of the vote, regents expressed
concern about low voter turnout in
student elections and whether student
regents are truly representing their
constituents.
Hill said the ex-officio vote makes
sure the student regent takes an active
part on the NU Board of Regents and
lets regents hear about student issues.
The elections for the board of
regents have a lower percentage of
voter turnout than the elections for
governor, Hill said, but that doesn’t
take away the legitimacy of the re
gents.
“Rather than looking at the per
centage of voter turnout, it is more
important to look at the good and bad
effects of having a student regent,”
Hill said.
Regent Kermit Hansen of Elkhom
-4 9
rarKing signs to be erected
By Amie DeFrain
Staff Reporter
As soon as weather permits, new
handicapped parking signs along the
entire west-side street of Selleck
Quadrangle will be erected, accord
ing to University of Ncbraska-Lin
coln officials.
Ron Fuller, staff assistant of the
parking services division, said about
six signs will be posted stating that
cars without handicapped parking
permits will be towed and the owner
fined $50.
Previously, Fuller said, people
complained that the signs now there
weren’t “specific enough” and were
“hard to see” when vans were
parked in the stalls. The signs, which
spread over only half the block, read
“Reserved Parking” and have a
handicapped symbol at the bottom.
The entire block was changed to
handicapped parking because more
handicapped students will be en
rolled at UNL next fall, Fuller said.
Christy Horn, coordinator of the
educational center for disabled stu
dents, estimated that the number of
handicapped students will increase
from 200 to 300 students by next
year.
However, UNL Parking Adminis
trator Lt. John Burke said the police
department decided to add more
handicapped parking stalls even be
fore they knew of the enrollment
increase.
Burke estimated that the new signs
are three times the size of the old
signs.
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had expressed concern over low voter
turnout at the January meeting. He
said that when the ex-officio vote
comes up for discussion again next
January, he would consider adding a
stipulation that if 20 percent of the
student body did not vote in student
elections, student regents would lose
the ex-officio vote.
Hansen said Wednesday night that
“it’s a darn shame” more students
didn’t vote, and he wants to discuss
his stipulation with the board again.
“I’d like to see what can be done
to see that there is a strong awareness
of students being for or against an
individual (student regent).”
Regent Nancy Hoch of Nebraska
City, chairperson of the Board of
Regents, said the decision to retain
the student regent vote will depend
on a broader range of issues. She said
Hansen’s 20-percent stipulation was
his own opinion and not that of the
board. Hoch said the vote should be
considered “in the context of how it
Regent Don Blank of McCook
said he was disappointed that there
was not a larger turnout in the AS UN
elections. , ...
“Students have a lot of priorities
- studying, getting to class, trying to
survive, ' he said. Many times, stu
dent government isn t the top prior
ity.”
But, Blank said, the low turnout
docs not change his opinion on the
student regent vote. He fought hard
for the student regent vote, he said,
and it is important that student re
gents are able to express their opin
ions to the board.
Regent Robert Allen of Hastings,
who voted in favor of the student
regent vote, said low election turnout
“isn’t going to help matters” on
keeping the vote. It is important that
the regents hear from students, he
said, and people should “get their
heads together’ ’ and sec what can be
done to increase turnout.
- A.. luie.Ju??oul) surprises
me, Allen said. “I would’ve ?
pcctcd at least 20 percent. ’ ’
Allen said he was impressed with
Jeff Petersen's work on the Ca
Petersen made “very informed com
ments, he said, and has done
heck of a job.” c a
If the new man is as good as Jeff
we’ll sure listen to him no mat'er
what the percentage is,” Allen said
Regent Rosemary Skrupa of
Omaha shared Allen’s opinion of
Petersen's performance as student
regent. Skrupa said she has been
“totally impressed” with the student
regents on the board.
“They are knowledgeable and I
into the facts and issues,” Skrupa I
said. “They are not afraid to speak I
their minds. They’re new young 1
people with fresh ideas.”
Skrupa said that although the low I
turnout is “tragic,” it does not I
change her opinion that student re- I
gents should have an unofficial vote. I
Eeny-meeny-miny-moe 1 N#br88kan
K^a%^^n^UCl4&r^ni0,' re8iS'6rS ,0 vote in ,he ASUN #toc,ions
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SLUMBR, BEER
accept their defeat
BEER From Page 1 _
pleased with the Association of Stu
dents of the University of Nebraska.
No executive candidates of t e’
SLUMBR party were present at tne
post-election party. .
Once SLUMBR declared them
selves a serious party, the only W
party left was BOER, who finished
3rd place. As of 12:30 a m. Tliursd y
BEER had received 11.9 percent ot
the vote. opPR
Greg “Jobby” Johnson, BEER
firs', vice presidential candidate, sat
BEER was most proud of the number
of election violations his party eoi
milled.
Bob Gcstring, BEER presidential
candidate, said thai since his Pa >
spent only about $^00 on the elccl1 ’
and w;s budgeted nearly 51,i •
“We had $800 of ‘funny money w
blow on fines.”
