WEDNES t4«C33»»44»N4«C33»Mtte393 WEATHER: Today - Mostly cloudy 40% chance of showers. South wind 15 to 25 mph. Tonight - Mostly cloudy. Low in the mid 40s. COVERING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA SINCE 1901 VOL. 95 NO. 32 ..... . _ October 4, 1995 -— - --——— -' Not guilty: Jury sets OJ. free Campus, city come to halt forO.J. verdict By Rainbow Rowell Senior Editor Everything stopped Tuesday at noon. All of the wondering, all of the bickering, all of the speculation and exploitation, all of the jokes. And across campus — across the city, the nation, the world — people gathered wherever a television could be found. More than 600 people hovered in the Ne braska? Union. They began forming about an hour before the verdicts were announced. Food lines, nor mally packed duringthe lunch hour, were empty. Homework was set aside to predict how the 16 month-old case would come to an end. Others came to the Campus Recreation Cen ter to avoid the union crowds. People began filling the chairs and couches in the center’s TV room about 10 minutes before noon. By 11:55 a.m., no seats were left and people had begun to clump into groups on the floor. A man who had been snoring on the couch woke up and leaned toward the television. Employees gathered on the stairs leading up to the room. In an Avery Hall lounge, professors escorted entire classes to witness the verdict on four televisions. A few blocks away, business people and college students began drifting into Lazzari’s Pizza, 1434 O St., about 11:45 a.m. Two big screen color TVs blared pre-verdict coverage across the dimly lit restaurant. Patrons chatted and poked fun at the attor neys debating on Cable News Network. Even as the verdict was removed from the envelope offscreen, customers chattered and giggled over their pizza. Some of those people had followed O.J. Simpson’s trial as if he were their best friend... or worst enemy. Others never cared much be fore Tuesday. No matter what their opinions, their hopes or fears, race or gender, every one crowded in front of a television at that moment was silently, tensely asking the same question. Guilty or innocent? It took only two words to destroy that com monality: Not guilty. As the court clerk read the verdict, watchers responded with a near infinite number of reac tions, among them—surprise, joy and disgust. When the not guilty verdicts were called from the union’s four televisions, some students shot their arms into the air while others sank their heads into their laps. “I never thought he did it from the very beginning,” said Michelle McElligott, a sopho See REACTION on 3 United Press Intemational/via pool O.J. Simpson, flanked by his attorneys, Johnnie Cochran (right) and F. Lee Bailey, reacts to the not guilty announcement Tuesday. Simpson was acquitted of charges of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. Country reacts to overdue finale LOS ANGELES (AP) - O.J. Simpson headed home Tuesday, picking up a life of freedom instead of starting life in prison. Acquitted of murdering his ex-wi fe and her friend, he pledged to track down the real killers who are “out there somewhere.” In a courtroom on the verge of exploding with emotion, a hush fell as Judge Lance Ito’s clerk, Dierdre Robertson, read the two words: “Not guilty.” Simpson mouthed the words, “Thank you,” at the jury, then clasped his hands together and was embraced by his lawyers. Tears of anguish and shouts ofjoy burst from the three families whose lives werejom apart by the bloody June 12, 1994, slayings of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. “Oh my God!” exclaimed Simpson’s grown daughter, Amelle, embracing her brother Jason. - “We did it!” a family member exulted to lead defense attorney Johnnie Cochran Jr. Outside the courthouse, most of the crowd of more than 1,000 people pushing police barri cades cheered wildly as the not guilty verdicts were transmitted on portable radios. Some chanted, “Justice means acquittal, ac quittal means justice” followed by shouts of “Free O.J.!” as helicopters buzzed overhead. Further away, it was as if an entire nation was holding its breath and, in an instant, let it go in a sigh, a gasp, a whoop and a curse. There were exceptions, to be sure, but most blacks seemed relieved and pleased by the ver dict, while whites seemed far more divided. Some people argued that the verdict was a triumph of the justice system; others said it was a triumph of money and fame. Almost everyone seemed surprised. See VERDICT on 2 See more O.J. Simpson coverage on pages 3, 11 and 12. - _ i _ Senate considers student code, grade appeal policy Other affiliations aside, campus judicial process applies to all at UNL By Paula Lavigne Senior Reporter No matter what other affiliation students have, they are all judged by the university’s Student Code of Conduct, speakers at the Academic Senate meeting said Tuesday. Representatives from the student affairs office, the athletic department, the Comhusker marching band and ROTC ad dressed student conduct enforcement in their divisions. They were told not to bring up specific cases or names relating to violations of their codes. James Griesen, vice chancellor for stu dent affairs, said students and student orga nizations fell under the code of conduct for all on-campus and some off-campus events.v The code has jurisdiction over academic dishonesty and addresses behavior that vio ‘ lates city and state laws and the use of univer $ity property, Griesen said. TTie code is enforced by the UNL Judicial Board, and violations can bring sanctions from a warning to expulsion. The Residence Hall Association and See CONDUCT on 7 Prospective graduates with pending grades ; could attend ceremony By Paula Lavigne Senior Reporter To walk or not to walk. That was the question Tuesday as the Aeaddmic Senate tried to decide whether students should be allowed to attend gradu ation while waiting for a grade appeal. Currently, seniors cannot participate in the ceremony unless they have fulfilled gradu ation requirements. Because commencement falls the day af ter the end of finals week, potential gradu ates who are waiting for a pending grade are barred from the ceremony. The senate threw out a resolution that would have made the senate president re sponsible for defining the grade appeals com-, mittees in each college. It approved a resolution that would make the senate’s grading and examination com mittee accountable for emergency consider ation of pass/no pass and withdrawals rul ings. Some faculty members were not satisfied that either resolution would address the real problem._ i ~ . See APPEAL on 7