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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 4, 1994)
Sports ■ Berringer start possible for Oklahoma State, Page 5 Arts & Entertainment ■ American Indian musician In residence, Page 6 PAGE 2: Agriculture Secretary resigns COVERING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA SINCE 1901 VOL. 94 NO. 30 Look, mom, no tears —'—;-‘■mf-i 5 -HHn ^_K__< Mt Hall«r/DN * . .. Todd Mlddafh, a Junior psychology major, roacts with a smllo as ho Is InJoctod with a flu shot Monday afternoon at tho Unlvorstty Health Cantor. Few minorities chosen for royalty By Fatty W>w>l Staff Reporter Eighteen finalists for homecoming royalty were announced Tuesday and at least a few students are unhappy about the make-up of the group. Andy Vuko, chairwoman of the homecom ing royalty committee, said only one member of the group was a minority. That same finalist, Joyce Yen, an Asian-American, is the only non-greek. Kwani Stewart and Ayanna Boykins, who both applied to be on the court, complained to several organizations last week that the selec tion process was biased against minorities and non-greek students. They asked for a delay in the selection process but were denied. Of the 33 semifinalists, all but one of the 15 men were greek and none were minorities. Four of the 17 women were non-greek and two were minorities. In a letter to the committee, Stewart ami Boykins stated the homecoming selection com mittee was not diverse enough to understand applications submitted from minorities. But Vuko said the selection process was fair to everyone. The committee met last week to consider applicants based on university activi ties, community involvement, written essays, awards, scholarship, honors and GPA. Race, she said, was not a factor. “There is nothing (on the application) that says please mark your religion, your race,” Vuko said. The composition of the homecoming roy alty committee, she said, helped it weed through greek applicants. The committee is composed of four students, one staff member and one faculty member. One student member was non greek and one of the members of the committee was a minority. Vuko said the greekson the committee could see through applicants whose activities were based on required involvement in their houses. James Griesen, vice chancellor for students affairs, served on the selection committee and said he thought the process had been fair. Griesen said the two students probably were disap pointed they hadn’t made the cut. “I have been contacted by the individuals,” he said. ”1 understand their concerns, but I think it’s a matter of disappointment.” But Stewart, a senior biological sciences major, said her concerns went further than that Stewart decided to complain based on com ments made to her by the only minority mem ber of the selection committee, she said. The committee membertold Stewart the committee was unable to identify with her involvement and her essays, she said. He said the applicants of color were not looked at closely and did not get a fair shake, Stewart said. See HOMECOMING on 3 UNL committee to investigate role in death By Mattlfw Waite Senior Reporter Chancellor Graham Spanier announced Monday that a committee would investigate the UNL Police Department’s role in the Saturday death of a Lincoln man. The committee of faculty members will re view University of Nebraska-Lincoln policies and procedures that are relevant to the case, said Jack Goebel, UNL vice chancellor of busi ness and finance. Francisco Renteria, 30, died Saturday after noon at Lincoln General Hospital. Renteria, who was mistakenly identified as a man violat ing a protection order, wasinvolved inastruggle with five Lincoln Police officers and one UNL police officer Friday night. Results of an autopsy performed Monday morning were not released by the Lancaster County Attorney’s office. Jeff Hanson, a spokesman for the Nebraska State Patrol, said Monday the patrol’s investi gation into Renteria's death was continuing but did not know when it would be completed. Renteria, who did not speak English, was walking near 24th and Holdrege streets when University Police officer Charlotte Veskma contacted him, authorities said. Veskma, a 2 I/2-year veteran of the depart ment, approached Renteria and then called for assistance. Authorities said Renteria resisted arrest. Witnesses said officers kicked Renteria in the groin and repeatedly hit him with their fists. Authorities said Renteria had a seizure after the struggle and medical personnel were called to the scene. A Lancaster County grand jury will convene within two months to examine evidence from the state patrol investigation, the county attorney’s office said. Lincoln Police Monday released the names of five officers involved in the incident. The officers involved were Luke Wilke, a 2 172 year member of the force and the first LPD officer to arrive; Stephen Schellpeper, a seven year veteran; Greg Si ms, a 19 1 /2-year veteran; Brian Jackson, a seven-year veteran; and Michael Schaaf, a six-year veteran. Lincoln Police ChiefTom Casady said some of those officers were placed on administrative leave for an undetermined amount of time. Casady said police arrested the man whom they were originally seeking for allegedly vio lating a protection order. Goebel said the university police would have broad jurisdiction in investigating the incident. “It’s a tragedy, and we want to make sure we are responsive,” Goebel said. See INVESTIGATION on 3 Big Eight students may need own computers By Paula L«vlg«w Senior Reporter UNL is one of many universities grappling with the decision of whether to require their students to purchase computers. The College of Architecture at the Univer sity of Nebraska-Lincoln will require architec ture students in years three through six and interior design students in years three and four to buy a computer package totaling about $3,000. State universities in Iowa, Kansas and Colo rado are divided about the need for architecture students to have full access to computers and about who should cover the cost. Ray McCall, associate professor of environ mental design at the College of Architecture and Planning at the University of Colorado Boulder, said the requirement was unneces sary. Computer-aided design is not useful to studio work, said McCall, who also is a com puter programmer. "It's a case of the emperor’s new clothes,’’ he said. “There’s one thing computer-aided design doesn’t do — aid design.” CU doesn’t require students to buy comput ers, but at Kansas State University, that may become the case. Kansas State may begin re quiring students to buy computers within two years, said Ray Weisenburger, associate dean of the university’s College of Architecture. The procedure would allow the college’s 700 undergraduate architecture students to buy or rent computers during their first two years. They will then be able to buy an updated com puter for their remaining years. “If sreally becoming critical,” Weisenburger said. “It’s something that a great number of firms find necessary.” The interior architecture department at Kan sas State already requires its students to buy computers. Stephen M. Murphy, department head, said students suggested the requirement. “The students recognized that the market place is changing in the future, and it’s going to be important for students to have computer aided design education,” he said. Iowa State University at Ames also is con sidering the issue, said Robert Segrest, chair man of the department of architecture in the ISU College of Design. “We’re just beginning to operate on the basis of a computer laboratory,’’ he said. The department has four computer labs, but Segrest said they were “marginally adequate’’ for the intensity of its computer-education classes. “It’s both an essential part of technology of representation in architecture, and it’s an in creasing part of the design process itself,’’ he said. Students can create three-dimensional en hancement and“walks through space,” Murphy said, and they can put their work on videotapes and send it to potential employers. “There’s a lot you can do with a computer,” he said. “You can use it as a tool. It’s something students have to be aware of.” But administrators at all universities agreed that cost was a major factor to be decided before making the requirement. McCall said it was a “politically hot topic” in Colorado, which is trying to lower taxes and tuition. Weisenburger said the computers would help Kansas students in the job market, but the cost could deter some students from studying archi tecture. “Architecture is a profession ... that has not attracted enonnous amounts of low income and minority persons. We’re concerned about put ting up a requirement that would prevent them from joining us,” he said. Weisenburger said that complication had slowed the college from immediately embrac ing the requirement. The college was trying to work out a financial aid package. “We’ve had a very, very tight budget for the past 10 years,” he said. "We have a computer lab, but we can’t keep up with the technology.” Manyofthe universities were working out a plan to get businesses and the state to carry See ARCHITECTURE on 3 • /
