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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 4, 1994)
^A&E Memory Lane UNL art professor Dave Read uses photography to capture the American experience. Read's black-and-white display, "The Way We Live Now," opens at the Haydon Gallery this weekend. Page 9 Friday 65/33 Today, mostly sunny and mild, becoming cloudy at night. March 4, 1994 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Vol. 93 No. 117 Barney pleads guilty to Harms’ murder By Kara G. Morrison Senior Reporter Scott Barney pleaded guilty Thursday to the first-degree murder ofCandice Harms, claiming full responsibility for his role in the crime, but saying Roger Bjorklund directed his actions. “I was following what Mr. Bjorklund was saying to do,” Barney told Lancaster County Judge Donald Endacott. Barney said he was a willing participant in the abduction and rape of Harms, but that Bjorklund alone shot and strangled her. As part of apleaagreement, LancasterCounty Attorney Gary Lacey is seeking life imprison ment, not the death penalty, against Barney. Prosecutors also dropped all robbery charges against Barney for which he was originally arrested. Earlier this week, Lacey canceled an original deal to have Barney plead guilty to lesser charg es of second-degree murder and robbery after Barney failed a polygraph test. Endacott ordered a presentence investiga tion report that he said would be due May 23. Barney will be sentenced June 10. Barney, who by pleading guilty gave up his right to a trial and against self-incrimination, answered Endacott’s questions about the events on Sept. 22, 1992. He also read a statement where he apologized “for the pain that I have caused so many.” Barney said in his statement: “I have regret ted my involvement in this crime from the very beginning, even to the point that 1 could no longer hold it in. This was the reason that I led authorities to the burial place of Candice Harms.” Barney led police to Harms’ body in Decem ber 1992. Seated in the witness chair, Barney, 26, did not look up while he read from the statement. He apologized to Harms’ family and said he had found Christ as a result of soul-searching after committing the crime. “I wish to express my sorrow for the pain -M I wish to express my sorrow for the pain caused Miss Candice Harms. Though she is not here to personally address, I deeply regret having hurt an innocent young lady. — Barney pleading guilty to Harms’ murder caused Miss Candice Harms. Though she is not here to personally address, I deeply regret hav ing hurt an innocent young lady,” Barney said. Harms’ parents, Stan and Pat Harms, said they hoped Barney had converted to Christian ity, but said they had doubts about his state ments. “I don’t feel forgiveness totally because 1 don’t feel he has told the whole truth,” Stan Harms said. “I think he had a lot more to do with initiating the kidnapping. ... I don’t think he was the innocent bystander he said this morn ing.” Through his statement to the Lincoln Police Department and court testimony, Barney gave the following account of events the night of Sept. 22, 1992: Barney and Bjorklund were golfing at Pine Lake a week before the abduction of Harms when Bjorklund said he wanted to rape a woman “He was saying there was a good possibility we might be caught from a (credit union) bank robbery ... and he slated that he wanted to impose himself on some See BARNEY on 3 Merger may increase academic opportunities By Todd Neeley Staff Reporter__ he recent merger of the Big Eight Conference with four Southwest Conference schools may help to open a few doors in re search and academics at UNL. David Brinkerhoff, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said it was too soon to tell how the merger would affect academics at UNL. But, he said, the University of Tex as tit Austin, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University and Baylor University are strong academic insti tutions. “It’s a good thing; there arc some good schools there,” Brinkerhoff said. “It’s a merger that should have some academic value to UNL.” Donald Hclmuth, associate vice chancellor for research at UNL, said the four schools could complement UNL research. He said Texas was strong in agri cultural research, Baylor emphasized biological technology, and Texas A&M was a good science-oriented university. Texas Tech is strong in teaching and research programs in business, engineering, home econom ics, agriculture and law. “All these schools do something different,” he said, “so we hope to have a dialogue with them.” Hclmuth also said there was a pos sibility the merger would help UNL improve on larger research projects. And, he said, graduate students doing research at UNL may have bet ter chances of finding jobs after grad uating. If the conference merger helps to improve UNL’s visibility, he said, all areas of academics and research may benefit. However, despite the possible in crease in national exposure, Brinkerhoff said, it is not likely the merger will bring more faculty and students to UNL. Sally Wise, president of UNL’s Academic Senate, said it could take a while to understand the effects of the merger on academics at UNL. “I think it opens doors to us to do different research and outreach projects,” she said. “It has the poten tial to be positive at UNL academical ly as well.” Although it is an athletic merger, Wise said, it was important to address the academic side of the merger. “Academics are an important part of it, and they need to be considered and addressed,” she said. “I think the ball is in our court to see what oppor tunities this will bring.” Athletic Director Bill Byrne will speak about the merger at the Aca demic Senate meeting Tuesday. Bubble sheets, be gone By Melanie Brandert Staff Haportar_ Students registering for summer and fall semester classes will no longer have to fill out bubble sheets and registration worksheets. NRoll, a new telephone registra tion system, will soon enable students to register for classes using a touch tone phone. Complete instructions for the sys tem will be included in the Fall 1994 Schedule of Classes, which will be available Monday to students, said Suzan Marschman, information sys tems coordinator for the Office of Registration and Records. Marschman said the schedule ol classes would instruct the students when to call the system, depending on time, day and class level. Graduate students and seniors will be allowed to use NRoll March 14, the first day of registration. Juniors, soph omores and freshmen will be able to use the system shortly thereafter. When students call 472-7272, an electronic voice will be activated to guide them through the registration process. The voice will ask for the semester code, the student’s social security num ber and the student’s personal identi fication number, which recently was sent to UNL students. “It’s important for a student to listen to the prompts and to be pre pared,” Marschman said. NRoll will provide students with information on their status in a de sired class. They will know immedi ately if they are in that class or not, she said. “Once they punch in the call num ber, then the system will tell them if they are in that class,” Marschman said. If the class is full, the system’s voice will tell them so and will give the students alternative sections if they are available, she said. Marschman said the registration and records office was hoping for a positive reaction from students. The office is planning student focus groups, See NROLL on 3 ^ Jeff Haller/DN VISION party members listen to RESUME members Thursday at their second debate. Debate hits on diversity, drinking By Heather Lampe Staff Report*_ RESUME presidential can didate J.B. Howell respond ed to VISION’s claim of a diverse ticket by saying there was more to diversity than simply skin color. “Diversity is a value, Howell said during the second of three ASUN pre-election debates. “It’s not something you can take a pic ture of.” Judv Rishel, second vice-presi dential candidate for VISION, said her party had strived to put together a diverse ticket. “VISION will be the party that will reach out to minority students and get them involved. We will be the party that will listen to every groups’ concern on this campus,” Rishel said. Howell said RESUME, though they had fewer candidates than VISION, was just as diverse. “Where does diversity come from? What makesa groupdiverse?” he asked. “It is how they act, feel and think.” Robert Anderson, first vice-pres idential candidate forthe RESUME party, said ASUN traditionally did not meet the needs of minority stu dents. “Being a gay male mysel f, I know a lot of these issues have not been dealt with,” Anderson said. The RESUME and VISION par ties also discussed proposed grad ing changes, plans for a bicycle dismount zone, the possibility of UNL becoming a wet campus and student voter turnout. Other debate focused on RE SUME’S campaign for a wet cam See DEBATE on 3
