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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 1996)
Partiers camp out on river, fill streets for Mardi Gras NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jim Marcus sat in a lawn chair Monday morning, beer cans heaped beside him, long strings of beads covering his chest. The 22-year-old University of Texas student was left amid the glitter and trash from a weekend of parades and partying leading up to Mardi Gras. “At first I couldn’t move, then I decided why bother,” Marcus said. “I might as well just rest here and wait for the next parade.” More than 1 million people began filling the streets for the annual event that will climax at midnight Tuesday, when the party shuts down for the start of Lent. Some, like Marcus, stayed where they dropped. Others, like Julie Rogers, 19, of New York, spent the night in sleeping bags along the Mis sissippi River. “A lot of college kids camp out here,” Rogers said. “I felt safe. It’s just a big slumber party.” Two dozen parades rolled through South Louisiana over the weekend. On Monday, or Lundi Gras as it’s known, a day-long music festival took place along the Mississippi River. It was “Atfirst I couldn’t move, then I decided why bother: I might as well just rest here and wait for the next parade. ” JIM MARCUS University of Texas student capped by the arrival of the king and queen of Zulu, a traditionally black carnival krewe that parades on Mardi Gras. People began taking up spots along parade routes before dawn Monday, dodging streetcars to stake out sections of St. Charles Avenue, ignoring the threat of rain and a long wait for the evening parade. “We got here at 6 a.m.,” said Mike Kimbrow of Midland, Texas. “You have to if you want the best spots. We’ve been doing this for about 20 years and by now we know everyone that spends Mardi Gras along here. It’s all families, cooking out, catching junk and just having fun.” All You Care To Eat Original Sauce Spaghetti &. Two Slices Garlic Cheese Bread _ Offer good for Lunch or Dinner Moa, Tues., & Wed. only. Must present coupon when ordering. Not valid with any other coupjn. Expires February 28, 1996 228 N. 12th St • Lincoln Comedy Might PeaturingTommy Blaze and Poppy Champlin Wednesday * Feb. 21,1996 ? p.m. Pree with UNL ID Catch us on the net! ^GeneH.' Adtnteio" upoSunlinfa.unl.edu You Oughts Go!_■ ■ w- _ Student Medical INSURANCE Question & Answer Session All Students Welcome! Wed., Feb. 21,1996 . 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. Regency Suite A NE Union Meet with representatives from GM Southwest and the University Health Center! Call 472-7400 for more information. a UNL is a nondiscriminatory institution. IRA explosion victims may include bomber LONDON (AP) — The IRA claimed responsibility Monday for a blast that ripped through a double decker bus in central London, kill ing one person and injuring nine. Police said they believed the bomb was detonated accidentally and the carrier may have been among the victims. Police said they were waiting to interview one of the injured — a young Irishman pulled from the wreckage of the bus who is being treated under armed police guard at St. Thomas’ hospital. They refused to say if he was suspected of being one of the bomb team. The claim for Sunday night’s ex plosion came in a shorter statement than usual, telephoned to the Brit ish Broadcasting Corp. in Belfast, Northern Ireland. “We can say at this stage we re gret the loss of life and injuries which occurred,” the caller said. The Irish Republican Army’s claims often include extensive com mentary about its target and its rea sons for taking action. The brevity of this statement could indicate the operation had not gone as planned and IRA commanders did not know what had happened to their own members. Moreover, in contrast to its pre vious attacks — which have usu ally come after telephoned warn ings, which it says are intended to allow police to evacuate the targeted area — the latest explosion came without any prior notification. The bus “was not the intended target,” said Commander John Grieve, the head of ScotlandYard’s anti-terrorist unit — although he couldn’t say what was. The Irish Republican Army had already killed two people in Lon don since calling off its 17-month cease-fire Feb. 9. Two people were arrested Monday under anti-terror ism laws, Scotland Yard said, but it refused to say whether they were connected to the Sunday night ex plosion. Police also said a weapon was recovered from the wreckage, but gave no details. 'Die mangled and burned wreck age of the bus continued to block traffic Monday while police tech nicians probed for clues. Buses carry video cameras, but it wasn’t known if they survived the blast. Londoners, meanwhile, settled into the familiar routine of bomb alerts, train cancellations ana im mobilized traffic. .“You have always got it in the back of your mind that you could be in the same street next time,” said , John Langton, who was delivering meat Monday near the scene of the bombing. Sir Patrick Mayhew, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, said the search for a peaceful settlement would continue despite the bomb ing. He rejected Protestant calls for the government to end all contacts with the IRA’s allies in the Sinn Fein party. “It’s perfectly clear that this (bombing) is part of a campaign designed to make the British gov ernment, a democratic government, comply with the wishes of terror ists. But of course that’s going to fail,” Mayhew said. Bertie Ahern, leader of the Fianna Fail party, said he planned to meet this week with Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams. Ahern’s party, the largest in Ireland, had enthusiastically welcomed Sinn Fein as a partner in the peace pro cess following the IRA cease-fire in September 1994. Conference challenges students By Joy Ludwig Staff Reporter The Big Eight’s Conference on Black Student Governments was spiri tually, physically and mentally inspir ing, a UNL participant said Monday. Kim Ross, a graduate student in communication studies, said the con ference, held this past weekend in Manhattan, Kan., gave students tools and strategies to use on their own cam puses. The theme of the conference was “Reunite. Restructure. Revolution. The Time Has Come Again.” Ross said she enjoyed listening to Angela Davis, a speaker and feminist, who metaphorically referred to Afri can-American struggles in life as a ticking clock. “Just as the time on the clock changes, the time around us changes,” Ross said quoting Davis. Ross said people had to be a defi nite part of those changes. Ahmed Yousef, a freshman in busi ness administration and political sci ence, said the conference was one of the best he’d ever attended. He said he also liked Davis’s speech about the treatment of black women because it got the crowd in volved. Besides the speakers, the Univer sity of Nebraska-Lincoln gospel choir was impressive and well-received by everyone, said Reggie Barnes, a fresh man psychology major The conference provided an oppor tunity for UNL students to meet many people from other colleges — people with whom he plans to stay in con tact, Barnes said. Tylonda L. Sanders, a senior En glish major, said the workshop “Broth ers and Sisters: Are You Blind to the Fact?” talked about the slaves being taken from their homes in Africa to the United States. Sanders said the workshop made her think about how the slaves had to make a new identity for themselves in a new environment and how they were no longer able to speak their language. The stimulation the workshop por trayed — the blindfolding of all the participants — helped her to appreci ate the fact she can talk to anyone and fit into any situation, Sanders said. Forum to address health insurance By Cory Waltemath Staff Reporter A health insurance forum Wednes day in the Nebraska Union will help answer students’ questions, a Univer sity of Nebraska-Lincoln official said Monday. Carol Ash, a health educator at the University Health Center, said that al though students enrolled in seven or more credit hours can go to the Health Center at no cost, some form of health insurance is still necessary. Basic appointments at the Health Center are paid through student fees, but extra costs — such as medication, laboratory work and surgery — are not, Ash said. Patty Helsing, business services manager, said the Health Center of fered a variety of different health in surance plans, starting at $400 per year. Although most college students think they probably won’t need insur ance, Helsing said, it is still necessary, considering that basic operations such as an appendectomy can cost about $4,000. The Health Center’s plan is from John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance, she said, and GM-Southwest under writes the policies. The main types of insurance cover accident and sickness claims, Helsing said. Wednesday’s forum will be pre sented by Helsing, UHC Insurance Clerk Sheryl Augstums and two rep resentatives from GM-Southwest in Dallas. This forum is the second sponsored by the Health Center and is the first one available to all students, Helsing said. The idea came from the Continu ous Quality Improvement Committee and from the suggestion box at the Health Center, she said. Wednesday’s forum will be from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Regency Suite A of the Nebraska Union. Campaign Continued from Page 1 very friendly verdict.” An emotional Dole, his voice wa vering, told his concluding rally, “I will bring America together.” Dole picked up the endorsement of a third GOP presidential dropout, Re publican Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen > Specter. “If you take the totality of his positions, I think he has the best pro gram for America,” Specter said. Dole earlier won the backing of former California Gov. Pete Wilson andTexas Sen. Phil Gramm, both one time rivals for the GOP nomination, forth across the state and dominated the airwaves with live interviews and In the final full day of campaign ing, the candidates darted back and campaign commercials. New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner predicted a high turnout, suggesting 76 percent of the state’s registered voters would go to the polls despite forecasts of freezing rain and snow. New Hampshire also holds a Democratic primary today, although President Clinton faces no major op position. NefcJraskan http://www.unl.edu/DailyNeb/ FAX NUMBER 472-1761 The Daily Nebraskan(USPS 144-080) is published by the UNL Publications Board. Nebraska Union 34,1400 R St.. Lincoln. NE 68588-0448, Monday through Friday during the academic year; weekly during summer sessions. Readers are encouraged to submit story ideas and comments to the Daily Nebraskan by phoning 472-1763 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The public also has access to the Publications Board. For information, contact Tim Hedegaard, 436-9253,9 a.m.-11 p.m. Subscription price is $50 for one year. Postmaster: Send address changes to the Daily Nebraskan, Nebraska Union 34, MOOR St.,Lincoln, NE 68588-0448. Second-class postage paid atUncoln, NE. _ ALL MATERIAL COPYRIGHT 1996 DAILY NEBRASKAN _