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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (May 5, 1989)
Sports NU volley ball players to play at Festival Student-athletes mistakes are forgiven, not forgotten It's the dullest time of the year. If you’re not a big fan of the Na tional Basketball Association and the baseball season has already dragged into the “who cares?” status, it is a boring time. You find yourself switching the channels on your television set, trying to find something that fits the description of entertaining. After what seems like hours of trying, you give up, feeling even more frustrated than when you began. But wait. Help is on the way. In just 117 days, the college foot ball season will begin. And along with the pageantry of America’s best pastime comes the human-interest side notes which often prove to be equally as entertaining. Already, baseball has delivered its portion of these memorable moments by giving us the story of Jim Abbott, a one-handed pitcher for the Califor nia Angels, and numerous stories about alleged affairs, unfair umpires and other scandals. There’s even a former major league umpire who plans on writing a book about homo sexuals in baseball. Why, with all of these interesting sidekicks, who could ask for more? While the college football season may not have the high slakes, blown out-of-proportion stories that the professional baseball world does, it does have the respect and prestige that America’s rumored favorite pas time is slowly losing. That’s right - despite reports of violence, sanctions and other prob lems - college football is still given a high rate of perception in the public eye. The reason: the American public expects young, 18 to 22 year-old athletes to make mistakes, but won’t accept such errors from profession als. While this may seem like a double standard considering several profes sional athletes fall into this age cate gory, it’s the way things should be. Professional athletes should not be excused for their mistakes, unless they are so minute or so common that no one cares. Collegiate' athletes, meanwhile, deserve to be forgiven. Even though they receive continual warnings from their coaches and other peer figures, young athletes are prone to make mistakes. This shouldn’t come as any surprise, considering the number of their fellow peers who make similar errors. The only difference between the two is the amount of attention they receive. While a student’s errors will often go unnoticed, a student-athlete will often be publicized to the point of near humiliation. Anyone who doubts this should attend a court hearing. The typical student will enter the court room, state his or her plea and pay a fine or agree to some other type of remit tance before leaving virtually unno ticed. But the student-aihlete, particu larly if they are involved in a high impact sport, will suffer through a completely different process even though they arc given the same judi cial hearing. The high-profile student-athlete will enter the court house and be greeted by a variety of TV cameras and other members of the news me dia. His moves will be scrutinized as a plea is made, and he will be swarmed as he leaves. While this niay seem like a cruel and unusual process, it’s the price individuals pay for being student athletes. It’s a process the American public - and the press - demands no matter how minute the mistake may seem. Apd is a senior news-editorial major and Is the Daily Nebraskan sports editor. —-- Connie Sheehan/Daliy Nebraskan A portion of Phase II of the new student recreation center is nearing completion. Phase II of the student rec center should be done by fall, director says By Nick Hodge Senior Reporter The second phase of the Campus Recreation Center will be completed by the time University of Ncbraska Lincoln students and faculty mem bers return next August Stan Campbell, director of cam pus recreation, said the second of three phases that will renovate die NU Coliseum should be done by Aug. 28. “The weather has been very good this year so it’s on schedule,” Campbell said. “All that’s left now is a lot of finishing work so it will be ready for students in the fall.’’ Campbell said general contractor work on Phase II of the project is scheduled for completion on July 18. He said carpet and utility work will than take a month to complete. Phase II recreational facilities will include: 13 racquctball courts, a squash court, a renovated swimming pool, a weight training and fitness room, four basketball/volleyball courts, a track, campus recreation offices, equipment checkout and rental area, a pro-shop and a first aid room. Phase I was completed in Novem ber 1987 when the Cook Pavilion indoor practice field was opened. Campbell said Phase 111 of the project still needs the approval of the Ne braska Legislature before construc tion can begin. The third phase has been approved by the NU Board of Regents. ‘‘If the Legislature approves the funding statement for Phase III, then construction can begin in January 1990,” Campbell said. If Phase III receives legislative approval, Campbell said, a construc tion period of 12 to 14 months will be required for completion. He said the expected finish would be in February or March 1991. The proposed Phase III project includes a gymnasium for either four basketball courts or five volleyball courts, and a performance court for Nebraska’s volleyball team. Also included in Phase III are a combative arts room for boxing, wrestling and martial arts, a multi purpose room for fitness classes, locker rooms, classrooms, offices and laboratories for the School of Health, Physical Education and Rec reation, women’s volleyball and soft ball locker rooms, coaches’ offices and a visiting team’s locker room, a women's athletic training room and a center for healthy lifestyles. NU to shoot for 13-11, Sanders says By Jerry Guenther Suff Reporter Nebraska baseball coach John Sanders said the Comhuskers face a must-win situation this weekend. The Huskers, 24-26, travel to Kansas State for a doubleheader be ginning at 1 p.m. today. The same two teams meet for another double header at 1 p.m. Saturday. The games were moved from the original schedule of Saturday and Sunday to allow Nebraska’s players more time to study for final exams next week. Nebraska needs to win at least three of the four games against the Wildcats to remain in contention for a Big Eight tournament birth. The Huskers, who arc sixth in the Big Eight standings with a 5-11 rec ord, could assure themselves a spot in the conference toumair *t by win ning seven of their final eight confer ence games. After the Kansas Slate series, the Huskers will be at home for a four-game series against Iowa Stale next weekend. “Our goal is to win the final eight games in the conference,” Sanders said.‘‘Ifwedo that, we’ll besittingat 13-11, which would get us into the tournament.” “But first wc have to win the first game Friday.” The last time the Huskers failed to qualify for the tournament was in 1978, the year Sanders took over the coaching chores at Nebraska. Kansas State, 27-19, is 3-13 and in last place in the conference. i banders said the Huskers got a needed “shot in the arm” by sweep ing Northern Iowa Wednesday. Ne braska posted 2-1 and 10-0 victories against the Panthers. Aside from a few areas of “sloppi ness,” Sanders said, he was pleased by Nebraska’s play. “Overall, we did a pretty good job,” he said. “We shored up our efforts and played better baseball. That’s positive going into the week end.” Joe Purvine, who was the starting and winning pitcher in Wednesday’s second game, said the wins lilted the Huskers’ confidence. “We needed the wins desper ately,” Purvine said, “but we could have scored some more runs in the first game. Maybe we’re saving them ' f6V thi§ weekend." Purvine, who made his first start ot the season against Northern Iowa, said he enjoyed his new role. The 6-foot, 180-pound junior from Moore, Okla., struck out three and didn’t give up a hit in four innings of work. “It’s a little different when you come in with no one on base,” Purvine said. Sanders said Purvine did well enough in his starting role that he might give him another start in the fourth game against Kansas State. “It’s a possibility, provided we go unscathed and don’t use him before then,” Sanders said. If the Huskers win two of the games this weekend, it will mark Sanders’ 500th career victory at Nebraska. By Craig Christensen _OCR Relations Director [1. Milk Bones (9-0) 2. Kegs on Legs (7-1) 3. Abel 7 (7-1) 4. Nocturnal Emission (6-1) 5. Demon Bunnies (8-1 > 6. Rebels (9-2) 7. ATO/A Phi (6-1) 8. St. Andrew’s Slicers (8-2) 1 9. ‘N’ Street Fuskers (6-2) , 10. Beta Slg/Gamma Phi (8-2? M \ i