landslide doesn’t bury losers’ spirits
Party suffers ENERGY loss,
takes pride in clean campaign
By Dionne Searcey
Staff Reporter
Silence filled Harry ’s Wonder Bar
as ENERGY presidential candidate J.
Malt Wicklcss received news by phone
that his party had lost the ASUN
election by a landslide.
Under the flashing neon lights of
the bar, 1621 O St., party members
ran their fingers through their hair
and guzzled drinks as they watched
Wickless write down the election
results.
“We didn’t make it, folks,” Wick
less said, “but we put in one hell of a
fight.”
ENERGY members sat in silence
as the song “Blinded By the Light”
blared in the background.
The ENERGY presidential ticket
of Wickless and Kristi Truex received
18.11 percent of the vote, with 413
students voting for them. Second vice
presidential candidate Chris Hal ligan
received 26.78 percent of the vote to
67.67 percent for UNITY’S Gwyn
Vaughn.
I
ENERGY campaign manager John
Gibson said he was “incredibly disap
pointed” by the loss.
“We ran a good clean campaign,”
he said. “We didn’t lie, cheat or rip
any damn posters down like other
parties.”
ENERGY members hugged one
another, said, “life goes on” and bur
ied their heads in their arms as Wick
less remained calm and managed a
smile.
ENERGY executive candidates
then raced to the Cherry Hut, 424 W.
Dawes Ave., to break the bad news to
students partying in support of EN
ERGY.
Wick less entered the room and
about 50 supporters stopped talking.
Wickless and Gibson announced elec
tion results from atop a picnic table.
“Well, we gave it a good shot, but
we didn’t do it,” Wickless said. “We
haven’t lost anything. I’ll wake up
tomorrow the same person.
“We haven’t lost anything. It’s
just that we haven’t gained anything.”
Staci McKee/Daily Nebraskan
ENERGY second vice presidential candidate Chris Halligan, first vice presidential candidate
Knsti Truex and senatorial candidate Wendy Nielsen wait as presidential candidate J. Matt
Wickless receives news of ENERGY’S election loss. Campaign manager John Gibson sits with
his head on the table.
CHANGE presidential candidate Matt McKeever expresses his disappointment with the party’s
loss in the ASUN elections, but said he was pleased that his party f»?ished close to ENERGY,
which was second place. Change had 15.08 percent of the vote to ENERGY s 18.11 percent.
UNITY won with 63.55 percent of the vote.
--—- un.r__ i_!_• iL.__i:
Party still promises CHANGE
despite decisive UNITY win
By Cindy Kimbrough
and Jeremy Fitzpatrick
Staff Reporters
CHANGE presidential candidate
Matt McKeever appeared in good
spirits despite his party’s loss when
he arrived at midnight at a small house
party at 2310 Holdregc St.
“Overall, I think, we did pretty
well,” he said. “We were the only
group that kept our credibility intact.
The three other parties each did a
little mudslinging.”
McKeever arrived about an hour
after the party received the results of
the elections at a CHANGE mem
ber’s house.
CHANGEgot 15.08 percent of the
total, or 344 student voles.
McKeever said the CHANGE party
was successful considering it was
organized in late December and Janu
ary.
He said he originally was a mem
ber of the UNITY party, but that he
formed his own party with members
of the Residence Hall Association
and off-campus and homosexual rep
resentatives after he saw that UNITY
was not equally representative.
But, he said, he thought ASUN
President-elect Andy Massey would
do a good job.
CHANGE first vice presidential
candidate Lynn Kister said from the
Electoral Commission headquarters
in Omaha that she was satisfied with
the vote.
“I’m impressed with the vote we
got because we didn’t do a lot of
campaigning,” Kister said. “It
would’ve been nice to win, but that’s
the way it goes.”
Kistcr and McKccvcr said this
would not be the end of their involve
ment.
“CHANGE came out in good
shape,” McKeever said, “and I bet we
will be back in one form or another.”
Kister said she plans to continue
working to implement the CHANGE
party’s platform in ASUN. One of the
party’s main goals was to restructure
ASUN.
“This isn’t the end. Matt and I and
our party members will still be work
ing towards attaining the goals we
want to attain,” said Kistcr, a member
of the Alternative Candidate Resource
Association.
UNITY
Continued from Page 1
elected to office.
Thurber agreed, adding that they
would integrate some of the other
parties’ good ideas.
Unlike past elections, Massey said,
he thought the campaign had been
relatively clean.
‘‘I think it was better than last year.
All the parties- tried to run a pretty
good campaign.” he said.
Thurber said he didn’t think accu
sations leveled against J. Matt \k ick-.
less, ENERGY presidential candidate,
af fected the race.
”1 would like to think that we were
elected because ol our proven leader
ship and effort and the accusations
against J. Matt were irrelevant,” he
said.
After a short celebration in Siger
son’s room, UNITY party leaders
walked to the Sigma Phi Epsilon house
to tell a crowd of about 75 supporters
the election results.
“Our supporters were so dedicated,”
Massey said while he walked.
Thurbcr added, ‘‘They sat out in
the snow for two or three hours at a
lime and told people about UNITY.
Thai’s why wc won.”
While Massey, Thurbcr and Vaughn
waited just outside the party room,
Sigerson and Hubka thanked the par
tygoers for their support in solemn
voices.
uviuiv ww uiing 111 uiv tunur
dates, we want to say, Thank you’ to
the people who gave 100 percent,"
Sigerson said. Faces around the room
were downcast, braced for poor re
sults.
Massey then walked in, thanking
his supporters.
“I also have one additional com
ment,” he said, stifling a smile, “not
anyone from UNITY lost tonight!”
As the room exploded in screams,
Sigerson stood on a table and read off
the numbers, once again setting off a
celebration with the words “63 per
cent.”
“It’s hard to run a campaign but I
think the outcome was worth it. I
know we’ll benefit the university,”
Massey said.
Professor: U.S. optimism naive
■ _ • _ . i _ _ , .1 “Puprurtnp nrfM/»nHe tr\ tv> inlAr.
By Juiie Skar
Staff Reporter , _
Americans’ assumption that win
ning the war in the Middle East also
means winning peace is naive, a UNL
political science professor said Wed
nesday.
David Forsythe, speaking at a
Persian Gulf forum in the Nebraska
Union, said the allied victory in the
Middle East docs not necessarily mean
an end to conflict in that area, despite
what Americans think.
He said Americans believe two
fundamental principles about the
Middle East — that America will
inject pragmatism into the area ana
that the Soviet Union no longer will
uc a majui ynayvi uicic.
As a result, Iraq cannot rely on the
Soviet Union any longer and will
have to stand alone, Forsythe said.
However, there are many things
that could spoil Americans’ assump
tions, he said.
“King Hussein of Jordan could be
overthrown and Israel could move in
and take over, and the fate of Kuwait
along with Saudia Arabia is faced
with general instability,’’ he said. “Five
or 10 years from now there could be a
lot more instability in the area and the
United Slates will be forced to keep
military in the area.”
He said there is “continuous bub
bling” of problems, and the war did
not change the political turmoil in the
region.
ested in peace, but no one wants to
make any concessions or choices when
it comes to dealing with it.”
For instance, the Syrians, Pales
tinians and Israelis probably will not
risk losing land for peace, he said.
But despite all the problems that
remain in the Middle East, there is
some hope for peace, he said.
A start would be for Syria and
Israel to recognize each other and
begin negotiations, possibly causing
a domino effect in surrounding coun
tries.
But Forsy the said he does not think
a domino effect will happen.
“Anyone that is optimistic about
the Middle East does not really know
the Middle East,” he said.
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