Hate crime victims receive help
Hot line creators
promise anonimity
By Melanie Branded
Staff Reporter__
Victims of hate crimes have a new
method of reporting violence.
The Lincoln Police Department
recently has implemented a Hate
Crimes HoLLine that will allow vic
tims of gay bashing, domestic vio
lence, rape or other crimes to report
incidents on their own terms.
Joanna Koba-Svoboda, an admin
istrator of the LPD’s Victim/Witness
Unit, said the hot line was designed to
create a safe environment for a victim
to call in.
When victims call to report crimes,
they are given identification numbers
to protect their anonymity, she said.
Victims arc asked to call the hot line
again in 10 days so the police depart
ment can follow up if necessary.
Koba-Svoboda said there was no
pressure on a victim to disclose infor
mation. They tell only as much as they
want.
“We won’t judge people based on
right or wrong,” Koba-Svoboda said.
“We’re here to help with their victim
ization.”
In the first month of service, though,
no calls have come in.
The caller’s information is record
ed on an informal report, which is sent
to the commanding officer in the
Crime Analysis Unit. The team cap
tain for the area where the crime
occurred may be notified and may
assign additional patrols.
“The more information we gather,
we can (better) identify problem areas
in the community and groups who are
targets of hate crimes,” Koba-Svoboda
said.
The concept for the hot line devel
oped from concerns voiced by Lin
coln residents after the summer 1993
homicide of Lincoln resident Harold
Grover. Law enforcement officials
have said that Grover’s death could
have been linked to gay bashing.
Neva Carter-Brown, public infor
mation specialist for the Lincoln
Lancaster Commission on the Status
of Women, assisted the police depart
ment in organizing the hot line.
Koba-Svoboda said there was a
definite need for the service.
“Over the years, I know there have
been crimes that haven’t been report
ed from talking to victims who have
had these crimes happen to their
friends,” she said.
Koba-Svoboda said she was un
aware if the hot line would prevent
hate crimes, but it could be the first
step.
“As it becomes more well-known,
we’ll be able to educate the public that
(hate crimes are) a serious crime and
that we are taking it very seriously,”
she said.
“We have to try everything possi
ble. If we can prevent a couple of
assaults because we identified a loca
tion (where a previous assault oc
curred), we’ve done our job and the
hotline is working.”
The number for the hot line is 441 -
7181. Calls arc taken Monday through
Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Ban leaves smokers in the cold
By Heather Lampe
Staff Reporter ___
Nearly a year has passed since the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln initi
ated its Clean Air Policy, but smoke
from the debate still hasn’t cleared.
Jack Goebel, vice chancellor of
business and finance who led the for
mation of the policy, said there had
been few complaints so far.
“We’ve had a very favorable re
ply,” he said. “I’d like to say that it
was our expectation that the campus
community would pull together and,
in fact, that’s what happened.”
The resolution, which took effect
last summer, put a ban on smoking in
all university buildings and in the
immediate 10 feet surrounding the
buildings.
Because of campus cooperation
and little negative reaction to the ban,
Goebel said he foresaw no immediate
policy changes.
However, John Snelling, universi
ty staff member and former chairman
for Smokers Against the New Smok
ing Policy, said the current pol icy was
not fair to smokers because state taxes
on cigarettes were used to pay for
some buildings and maintenance on
UNL’s campus.
“We feel that because we’re put
ting money to build and maintain
these buildings, there ought to be
something for us,” Snelling said.
Snelling’s group collected more
than 1,000 signatures on a petition,
but has since disbanded. Yet Snelling
has not given up the fight.
John Beacon, director of admis
sions, scholarships and financial aid,
initiated a petition in November 1993
for Administration Building employ
ees to support a smoking ban in their
building.
He said he used to have a problem
with secondhand smoke from the
employee break room flowing out
into his work area, but the ban had
helped his situation.
“The Administration Building is
smoke free,” he said. “Now, going in
and out of the room is pleasant for the
non-smoking employees.”
Beacon said it was hard to find a
compromise between smokers and
non-smokers and that designated ar
eas did not seem to work.
“My personal opinion is that if
they need to smoke, just smoke out
side. It’s hard to smoke in a contained
area and not have some impact on air
quality.”
UNL students, smokers and non
smokers also are in disagreement about
the policy.
Jennie Price, a freshman general
studies major, said the policy was
discriminatory.
“It’s unfair,” she said. “It’s another
way of segregating people into differ
ent little groups.”
Laura Hohbein, a sophomore busi
ness finance major, said being sub
jected to second-hand smoke wasn’t
fair, but maybe a compromise could
be found.
“I think it’s unfair for people who
don’t smoke to have to inhale the
nauseating fumes of those who do
smoke,” she said. “But maybe smok
crs could have the ir own private lounge
where they could feel free to smoke.”
Denice Carlin, a freshman general
studies major who smokes, said she
understood non-smokers’ concerns.
“I think the smoking ban is fair,”
she said. “If I didn’t smoke, I wouldn’t
want to be around it.”
Mark Byars, general studies sena
tor for the Association of Students of
the University of Nebraska, said the
winter months could bring more com
plaints from smokers who are left out
in the cold.
“I think that as we move into the
winter and things get colder, people
will like it less,” Byars said. “It’s
convenient and some smokers think
that smoking bans arc made to make
them quit, but I don’t think that’s the
main focus of smoking bans.
“It’s to protect non-smokers,” he
said.
Reaction
Continued from Page 1
quakes.
Mike Adolphus said he and his
brothers had experienced at least two
earthquakes in their 17 years living in
California.
“It wasn’t nice, I can tell you that,”
he said. “I’m kind of glad I’m out
here.”
Mark Wright, a junior consumer
science major from San Diego, said
earthquakes were a way of life for
Californians.
“I think people take it for granted,”
said Wright, whose parents live about
100 miles away from where the quake
hit.
Just as Midwesterners are trained
from grade school to seek shelter in
the basement during tornadoes, Wright
said, Californians were drilled to take
cover in doorways and under desks.
Mike Adolphus said he and his
brothers also had been taught safety
procedures for earthquakes at school.
The earthquake he remembers the
best hit when the triplets were in grade
school.
Mike Adolphus, then 13 years old,
said he and his classmates didn’t re
member what they had been taught
that day.
“We pretty much panicked,” he
said.
“... (The ground) just starts shak
ing,” Mike Adolphus said, recalling
the last earthquake he had experi
enced.
“Everything shakes ... you don’t
think it’s an earthquake, you just get
up and run. It’s nothing you want to
experience.”
Wright said Californians either
learned to love the experience or 1 i ved
with the hate.
Muhammad, for one, said he had
no love for the shaking streets and
falling pictures that accompanied each
quake.
An earthquake struck one morning
as his sister and brothers were walk
ing to the car with him on their way to
school.
Despite the panic he felt,
Muhammad said he could only stand
still and try to keep his balance.
Wright.wholivedinCalifomiafor
about eight years, said he didn’t share
that feeling of panic.
“Most (earthquakes) are fun be
cause they’re not big,” he said.
Wright said although he was glad
to have missed this most recent quake,
he liked watching the streets wave
and signs shake.
“If you live out there, you learn to
enjoy your earthquakes,” he said.
Wright, who has lived through
about 10 earthquakes, still remem
bers his first taste of a California
quake. The chair he was sitting in
began to recline, and the whole room
shook, he said.
Wright said all he felt was surprise.
“Earthquakes don’t scare me,” he
said.
Compared to the scare Muhammad
felt Monday, waiting for word from
home, he said he would rather have
been in California during the quake.
“1 was going to stay (by the phone)
all day,” he said.
Senior Reporter Kara G. Morriion con
tributed to this report.
King
Continued from Page 1
lized nation,” Garrison said.
He said educators needed to keep
King’s dreams alive by supporting his
ideas and not to be satisfied by simply
celebrating his birthday.
Linda Morgan, president of the
Afrikan People’s Union, said King’s
“I Have a Dream” speech still had
bearing today.
“Don’t walk away from the prob
lem because then you become the
problem, not the solution,” Morgan
said. “A dream cannot work if you are
not doing something to aid it.”
University of Ncbraska-Lincoln
Chancellor Graham Spanier said the
university should focus on education
to eliminate the ignorance that breeds
fear, prejudice, hate and violence.
Spanier said there was no fast track
to the solution to these problems.
“There are no elevators to the top,”
he said. “You have to take the stairs.”
Spanier responded to criticisms that
the university was making too many
changes too fast towards racial equal
ity.
“I reject that notion,” Spanier said.
“We have so much ground to make up
that we must act quickly."
Friends
Continued from Page 1
four social events for all the fami
lies and students to attend each
year.
Stadler, whose family pairs with
10 or 12 students each semester,
said the events allowed the stu
dents who weren’t matched with
families to get in on the fun too.
Like the Piesters, Stadler has
found her experience with foreign
students rewarding.
“I have a friend in practically
every comer of the world.”
But learning about one anoth
er’s culture isn’t the only benefit.
The students also can feel secure
they have someone to call for ad
vice.
Cindy Piester said Guillard
called her one night because she
had a plumbing problem.
“I feel good about being here if
any of the kids have questions or
problems,” she said.
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Free Computer
Classes!
The Computing Resource Center is offering free
microcomputer classes to UNL students. The classes will
feature an introduction to Microsoft Word for the
Macintosh and WordPerfect for IBM machines. No
reservations are required.
Introduction to WordPerfect for IBM
Tuesday, January 18 1:30-3:00 Sandoz lab
Introduction to Microsoft Word for Macintosh
Tuesday, January 1 8 3:00 - 4:00 Andrews Hall lab
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graduation day, they'll celebrate another milestone:
becoming an Air Force officer.
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University Health Center / GM-Southwest Student Insurance
The Student Insurance program is designed to work together with the
University Health Center to help off-set the high cost of medical care.
The program is open to both graduate and under graduates. Optional
dependant coverage is available at additional premiums.
There arc some changes this year in the procedure for enrollment that
will be affecting International Students. Immigration laws state that
non-resident students must be financially responsible to reside in this
country. The UNL policy requires mandatory insurance for Interna
tional Students. These students are required to show proof of
adequate private coverage or be billed automatically. Private policies
must be approved and waivers signed by 1/19/94 to avoid being billed
on your tuition statement for the Student Insurance.
Coverage dates for International Students Spring/Summer Sessions
are 1/10/94 - 8/11/94. No enrollment card needs to be filled out.
THE PREMIUM OF $211.00 WILL BE BILLED QN YQUR
SPRING TUITION STATEMENT.
Enrollment is open for US Resident students and ALL dependents
until 2/11/94. If you have not enrolled in the Student Insurance
program by then, you must wail until Summer Sessions begin.
Applications for enrollment of US Residents and all dependents are
available at University Health Center or by mail. Payments may be
made by check, money order. Visa or Master Card. No cash payments
please.
THE STUDEJMT IS REQUIRED TO COME TO UNIVERSITY
HEALTH CENTER WHENEVER POSSIBLE! Sorry, we can only
treat students, no dependents please!
