The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, March 01, 1991, Image 1
A 70 percent chance of show ers today with a south wind 10 20 mph and the high 50-55. ITonignt, a 30 percent chance of snow with the low 25-30. Mostly cloudy Saturday, with a 30 percent chance of snow and the high around 35. — Governor signs athlete-aid bill into law By Lisa Donovan Senior Reporter Gov. Ben Nelson signed into law Thursday a bill that al lows student athletes at Ne braska’s postsecondary educational institutions to receive the full amount of need-based financial aid for which they are eligible. The law clashes with current NCAA rules allowing students to accept only a portion of need-based financial aid. In a letter to state senators, Nelson said he thought the majority of legis lators wanted to “send a strong mes sage” to the NCAA. By signing the bill into law, I have joined them (senators) in the fervent hope that this voluntary na tional organization will do the right thing and allow both needy and aca demically talented young Americans to draw all the student aid for which they qualify,” he said. Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha, LB69’s sponsor, who said he was criticized heavily for proposing the bill, said he was happy to see the governor sign it. “I was as pleased by die rationale he (Nelson) included in his letter as I am by his signature,” Chambers said. Chambers said he has been trying to get the bill, m some form, signed into law for about three years now. He said he will pursue another NCA A-violating bill that lawmakers voted down this session. The bill would call for paying members of the NU football team. Sen. Elroy Hefner of Coleridge, a long-time foe of LB69, said he was disappointed the financial aid bill passed into law. ‘‘I fought the battle all the way through,” he said. Hefner said he will work with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to examine how the law will affect stu dent athletes. He said he was pleased the law will not go into effect until June 1, i 1992, so the Nebraska Legislature I has an additional session to see if it is • what the state wants. Predicting Nebraska’s colleges and universities will be sanctioned, Hefner i said he fears the NCAA may revoke football teams’ television rights or not allow the teams to participate in bowl games. Rich Hilliard, a director of en forcement for the NCAA, said it would be up to the other members of the athletic association to sanction Ne braska’s college and university ath letic programs. Professors:Arab reactions unpredictable By Alan Phelps Start Reporter As the war in the Persian Gulf winds down, three University of Nebraska-Lincoln profes sors cautioned that coalition coopera tion won’t necessarily lead to im proved American-Arab relations. “I guess I wouldn’t anticipate any major change. It’s difficult to gener alize for all Arabs. There will be different reactions in different places,’’ said Lloyd Ambrosius, a UNL history professor. Jessica Coope, an assistant history professor, said the United States proba bly would enjoy improved relations with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, but cited Jordan as an example of a coun try with which relations would worsen. While David Forsythe, a political science professor at UNI., agreed that different countries will react in dif ferent ways, he said problems in the region would continue whether or not American-Arab relations were im proved. “I don’t think everything will be nice and easy for the U.S. in the Middle East. There will always be problems in the Middle East. It’s quite clear you have demonstrations in Amman, Jordan, and Cairo, Egypt, against the U.S. It’s not as if everyone in the Arab world was terribly happy with us. “Anyone who is optimistic about the Middle East doesn’t understand the Middle East,’’ he said. Forsythe said he had thought the United States casualty figure would be higher at the end of the war. “The Iraqi forces did have a track record of fighting well defensively. The collapse of their forces took everyone by surprise,” he said. He added that these types of ques tions of power are frequently answered on the battlefield. “No one knows ahead of time what the will of the armies is, or how effec tive the bombing will be,” he said. “There’s no way to be scientific about See REACTION on 6 If the member states decide to take ssue with Nebraska’s new law, Hil iard said, it probably would be at the uinual NCAA convention in January 1992. However, “the membership may tot find it a pressing issue” and may lot address it, Hilliard said. Bob Devaney, NU athletic direc tor, said he would work toward con vincing the NCAA to change its fi nancial aid rules so the slate would be in compliance with the athletic asso :iation’s regulations. “We’re (athletic department) not against it... (but) I do not want to be in violation of NCAA rules,” he said. Iraq agrees to talks about a cease-fire and return of prison ers of war. Page 2. ‘Big sister’ diver serves as a role model for teammates. Page 7. INDEX Wire 2 Opinion 4 Sports 7 A&E 9 Classifieds 11 vending machines to supply condoms in residence halls By Carissa Moffat Staff Reporter _ Although condom machines will not be placed in the residence halls, plans now call for the placement of discreet con dom packages in vending machines, housing officials said. Doug Zatechka, director of housing at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said the hous ing department has ruled out the installation of condom machines in residence halls because other schools that have them report they aren ’t used. “If we’re going to do something that tries to provide some attention to the prevention of disease, including AIDS, and the prevention of pregnancy, there is some merit in doing some thing that works,” he said. “What we’re look ing at right now is packaging the devices along with spermicidal cream, depending on the cost of all these things. “We also have to make the point that there are other means of protection, including absti nence,” he said. “Whatever we do, the packaging will in clude educational material." He said the housing department plans to put the packages in small envelopes and offer them through the vending machines in the halls. That way, if a student goes to buy condoms, he said, there is some sense of privacy. Zatechka said the deparunent first looked at ways to have condoms for sale in discreet ways across the counters at residence hall snack bars or front desks. But officials thought that might inhibit some students from purchasing the packages, he said. Belise Draper, RHA residential enhance ment chairperson, said the goal of the Resi dence Hall Association was to get condoms into residence halls in some form. “We would like to have condoms in the dorms because of the convenience of having them there,” she said. She said the University Health Center, which sells condoms from an honor system fishbowl, is not easily accessible for students who live in some residence halls and that the majority of the several hundred students she has talked to are in favor of having condoms available in the ha*Draper said RHA plans to infomi students of the availability of condoms through programs by peer sexuality educators from the Univer sity Health Center. ^ . . Zatechka and Draper both agreed that the cost of the packages should be kept low. but no price has been set. Robin Trlmarchi/Daily Nabraskan Kristi Truex, the ENERGY candidate for first vice president for ASUN, emphasizes her point during the debate at the Culture Center Thursday night as presidential candidate j. Matt Wickless listens. Candidates debate ASUN power for change By Dionne Searcey Staff Reporter Executive candidates of three parties running for ASUN said in a debate Thursday they will use ASUN’s power to change policies af fecting UNL students, but the parties disagreed about taking a day off from school. Andy Massey, presidential candidate for UNITY, said the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska currently has the G)wer to effect change in problem areas. e cited English fluency tests for profes sors, which would be more stringent under a legislative bill and higher admissions stan dards, which are being considered by uni versity administrators, as policies student government can influence. “Under the established power, students united can do quite a bit,” he said. J. Malt Wickless, presidential candidate for ENERGY, agreed. Wickless said that in the past, AS UN didn’t lack the power to make changes, but lacked energy to solve problems. “ASUN does have the power. It’s a mat ter of whether ASUN does it or not,” he said. ASUN members should have common goals to change apathetic attitudes, he said, and band together to lobby for student interests. Kristi Truex, ENERGY first vice presi dential candidate, said her party’s plan — action, involvement and public relations — would strengthen ASUN, which could then work more effectively to further student See DEBATEon3