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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 28, 1995)
Scholars Continued from Page 1 OU offers $5,000 a year and in state tuition to its National Merit Schol ars through the Oklahoma Academic Scholars Program, Vaughn said. With many schools offering large scholarship packages to such students, it effectively ups the ante, said James Griesen, UNL vice chancellor of stu dent affairs. . UNL does what it can, though. “We do in fact give National Merit Scholars full tuition, at a minimum,” Griesen said. These students often qualify for other scholarships and can end up with a good package. Few receive only the minimum. For example, he said, if a student wins a Regents Scholarship from UNL, an award that covers tuition, he or she will receive $1,000 a year on top of that for being a National Merit Scholar. Bob Thune, a National Merit Scholar and OU senior from Omaha, said he had qualified for a Regents Scholarship at UNL when he was in high school. At that time, he hadn’t even been considering Oklahoma. But after receiving some informa tion about OU’s Scholars Program, he made a visit to Norman. “I felt like the National Scholars office would give a lot of personal treatment to the National Scholar stu dents,” Thune said. “I felt like if I came here, they’d take care of me.” And Oklahoma has taken care of him. “I love it here,” he said. “It’s a great school. It’s great to be National Scholar here. They really do come through on all the promises they make.” But UNL isn’t ready to start mak ing a lot of promises to attract Na tional Merit Scholars. While having many National Merit Scholars would give UNL some sort of bragging rights, Griesen said, the university is happier trying for “a rea sonable balance,” by attracting all kinds of top students and not just one category. “We have not thrown all of our resources at National Merit Schol-, ars,” he said. “Because it’s a national program, many schools have a dispro portionate amount of resources into attracting National Merit Scholars.” Given the higher price tag associ ated with those students, schools can spend too many dollars on too few students, Griesen said. UNL is about where it wants to be in terms of National Merit Scholars, he said. UNL wants them to come to Lincoln, Griesen said, “but we’re not gonna give ‘em the store.” Nelson appoints new member to parole board From Staff Reports, Gov. Ben Nelson has ap pointed Esther L. Casmer of Lin coln to the Nebraska Board to . Parole. Casmer, 46, has 19 years of experience in corrections and works as a unit case manager for the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services. She began her career with the department in 1972. Casmer also has served as a correction officer and a unit case worker. She has participated in the supervision of high security in mates, the enforcing of rules and regulations governing correc tional facilities, the training and counseling of inmates including crisis intervention and problem solving, and the development of ' treatment and parole plans. - She replaces Michael McLaughlin of Omaha, whose term on the board expires Sept. 9. Casmer’s appointment is sub ject to legislative confirmation. American Heart Association.^^ Fighting Heart Disease and Stroke ^ By Brian Priesman Staff Reporter What’s red and white and green all over? No, it is not the Comhuskers rolling down a hill; it’s the 1996 Plant of the Year — the Husker Red. Husker Red penstemon, a type of perennial flower, was developed in 1976 by Dale Lindgren, a plant breeder and associate professor of horticulture. Lindgren heads the NU West Central Research and Extension Center’s ornamental plant breed ing program. The program devel ops and provides low-maintenance plants that can survive in the Great Plains. Lindgren said he spotted “the mother of Husker Red” while look ing around the yard at Verla Heitman’s farm in Nebraska’s Nuckolls County. Heitman, a member of the American Penstemon Society, had a plant with red foliage. Lindgren, not knowing what it was, asked Heitman for some seed. Lindgren then began the seven year process of cultivating and in terbreeding the best offspring from the red plant with various types of white flowers. By 1984, Lindgren was ready to release his new plant. They decided to name it Husker Red, he said, because both he and Heitman were fans of the Comhuskers, and because of the plant'S red foliage and white flow ers. Husker Red produces red foli age in the spring and fall, and green foliage during the summer. It pro duces around 10 stalks when new, but after the third year, the average number of stalks is between 30 and 40. And it has a long life span. Lindgren has a Husker Red plant that is more than 10 years old. Husker Red became available at nurseries in 1987 and since then has steadily gained in popularity, mainly because of its color, Lindgren said. “I saw it growing over in En gland,” he said. Lindgren said he had also heard reports of Husker Red being grown in places as far as Australia. A European nursery wants to order 25,000 to 30,000 Husker Red plants in 1996, he said. Husker Red was submitted for the national Plant of the Year award along with about 50 other plants from across the country. It was selected in part because of its versatility and the wide adapt ability of the plant, Lindgren said. The Plant of the Year is announced long before the 1996 growing sea son, so that nurseries throughout the United States will have plants available to meet demand. “This is an NU product the gen eral public can use and enjoy,” he said. Sisters Continued from Page 1 - not decorated with Husker symbols; rather two Husker bumper stickers adorn the'convent’s only car. The nuns don’t get ESPN at the convent, but they do watch the games broadcast on local stations. Sister Marshall remembers watch ing a bowl game in the early 1970s and the Cornhuskers were in trouble during the first half. A nativity scene was near the television, so one of the sisters put the baby Jesus on top of the set for good luck. Sister Marshall said the Mother Superior then said, “Put the donkey on. He’ll kick for them.” Sister Marshall isupset that Herbie’s fate may be final. But sher said the convent won’t go broke if another mas cot is chosen. She is confident that if the stadium gates are closed to Herbie for good, he’ll still be in demand — if only as a souvenir. “I think we’ll still be making them for quite a while yet,” she said. DCXtdT S not his usual self. You suspect the salsa. % ■ ' ■ * So you call Dr. Nusblatt, your family vet back home. V The call is cheap. CToo bad about the consultation fee.) . r ' . <*- • Life can be complicated. AT&T True Savings is simple. Just spend $10 a month on long distance and we’ll subtract 25% off your AT&T billf Spend $50 a month, get 30% off. Guaranteed. This special offer ends soon, so you’ve got to call 1800 TRUE-ATT to enroll by September 15. No fees. No lists. And no circles. That’s Your True Choice™ AT&T. NU plant grows in popularity
