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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 28, 1996)
THURSDAY WEATHER: Today - Cloudy. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph. Tonight - Cloudy. Low in COVERING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA SINCE 1901 VOL. 95 NO. 131 the lower 3O'S ■ 1 March 28. 1996 ---I Leitzel expected to take N.H. job By Julie Sobczyk © 1996 Daily Nebraskan UNL senior vice chancellor for academic affairs Joan Leitzcl will be named the next presi dent ot the University of New Hampshire in Durham today. James Gricscn, vice chan cellor for student affairs, said Leitzel told him Wednesday that she would accept the presidency posi tion. “It’s supposed to be an . nouncca at i o clock that Leitzel she has accepted the posi tion,” Gricsen said. Phone calls to Leitzel were not returned Wednesday night. A member of the presidential search com mittee confirmed Wednesday night that Leitzel would be asked to be the next UNH president. Tiffany Houston, a student member of the committee, said the university would announce Leitzel as its choice this morning. “We had a unanimous vote on her becoming our next president,” Houston said Wednesday night. “Going into the 21st century, she is go ing to lead the way.” Leitzel visited the campus in February, Hous ton said, and again last week on Tuesday and Wednesday. The committee really warmed up to Leitzel during the visits, she said. “She was totally engaging,” Houston said. “Everyone from the committee came away just amazed. Everyone felt good that we had a strong candidate.” Houston said she talked one-on-one with Leitzel last week. “I got to talk to her on a personal level,” she said. “She had good ideas about the campus for athletics, fund raising and internationalizing.” Steve Hardy, a University of New Hampshire faculty member of the search committee, said he was impressed by Leitzel. “I think Dr. Leitzel has been outstanding,” Hardy said. “She has a wonderful record at Nebraska.” Leitzel, who served as UNL’s interim chan cellor from July 1995 until Feb. 5, came to Ne braska in 1992 from Ohio State University. She is the highest-ranking female administrator in UNL’s history. Earlier this month, Leitzel told the Daily Nebraskan she was happy at UNL and did not want to leave the university. In last Friday’s edition of The New Hamp shire, the student newspaper at the University of New Hampshire, Leitzel said that while she didn’t want to leave Nebraska, she saw a prom ising opportunity at UNH. “I have to ask the question — can I accom plish more here? This university needs some one who is strong, and we need to look at whether my talents match those needed by the university,*’ Leitzel told The New Hampshire. If Leitzel’s selection is an indication, UNH officials must feel she is a match. The univer sity had more than 100 applicants for the presi dent position and narrowed the search to four candidates late last month. Once the search committee recommends Leitzel for president, the recommendation must be approved by Chancellor William Farrell, Houston said. From there, the chancellor must make his recommendation to the university’s Board of Trustees. The board gives final approval of the recommendation. In Leitzcl’s three years at UNL, Gricscn said, she has made a strong impact. I can’t imagine anyone making an impact in such a short time,” he said. “She had made a remarkable impact in comprehensive education, information technology and she handled the engineering issue in Omaha very effectively.” Griesen said although Leitzel was high on the list for candidates during UNL’s recent chan cellor search, she was disappointed about not being among three finalists. Leitzel was chosen as UNH president over Myron Henry, provost and professor of math ematics at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. Although the new position is a good oppor tunity for Leitzel, Griesen said, UNL will miss her. “She has shown at Nebraska that she is an executive officer,” he said. “She has endeared herself to a lot of Nebraskans. Everyone has enjoyed working with her.” Lawmakers advance speed limit measure By Ted Taylor Senior Reporter ~ The Nebraska Legislature ad vanced Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers’ speed limit bill to the final stage of legislation Wednes day, but not before narrowly thwarting another effort to keep speeds down to 70 mph. Senators were split 21-21 on an amendment that would have raised the speed limit to 70 mph on the 100 easternmost miles of Nebraska inter state. The remaining 350 miles of inter state, Sen. Elaine Stuhr of Bradshaw said, would increase to 75 mph. Stuhr said she introduced the amendment as a compromise to LB901 — the bill that would increase the state’s interstate speed limit to 75 mph. “This focuses on the most heavily traveled miles of the interstate,” she said. “Safety, in my view, is the most important factor.” Ewing Sen. Cap Dierks supported the amendment and agreed that safety was the main concern. “I think everyone accepts that an increased speed is going to kill more people,” he said. “We need to be real istic and provide some levity to the bill.” Chambers proposed the amend ment, saying it was the same thing senators voted against when the Leg islature debated the bill in general file. Many amendments that would have lowered the proposed speed limit were voted down. The bill could face additional de bate during final reading — the last step a bill faces before becoming law. Hagel stresses listenins By Chad Lorenz Senior Reporter " Nebraskans need to take control of their government again — and U.S. Senate Republican candidate Chuck Hagel wants to lead the movement, he told a University of Nebraska-Lincoln political science class Wednesday. Hagel, a Columbus native, spoke to students in Terry Feinberg’s American Government course about his plans if elected to the U.S. Senate. To be an effective senator one must be an effective listener, he said. Hagel said he had campaigned across the state and listened closejy to Nebraskans’ concerns. “You know what the problems are here better than people in Washington,” Hagel said. Nebraska should have control of its education and welfare programs, he said. Hagel, addressing a question on nationally mandated education stan dards, said the federal government should stay out of states’ business. “I think it will end up a mess just like everything it touches ends up a mess. It’s just too big.” Hagel said school boards, parents and teachers should decide policy for school districts because they arc di rectly involved with education. Nebraskans need to take responsi bility for a cultural renewal that brings back wholesome American values — dignity, responsibility and hard work, he said. “We have a society that’s full of excuses,” he said. Religious values are a private and separate matter, Hagel said. The United States should focus on improv ing values that benefit the society. That kind of renewal would help cure social ills more than an inflated welfare program, he said. “There’s no connecting a welfare check with values.” The state should take care of those who can’t take care of themselves, Hagel said, but those who are capable should be productive to society. Other institutions outside of gov ernment — business, volunteer groups or the church — should get involved to make those people productive, he said. People have lost respect and trust for government because it has tried to See HAGEL on 3 f Travis Heying/DN night*President Eric Marintzerawaits his inauguration at the Wick Alumni Center Wednesday Out with the old ... Hurtgen urges officers to ‘start now’ By Kasey Kerber Staff Reporter Chancellor James Moeser opened Wednesday night’s inaugu ration of ASUN senators and offic ers with words of encouragement. “1 feel that student government is essential to what we as a uni versity want to obtain,” Moeser said, “and hope that this govern ment will work hard for the stu dent body which has elected them.” The next generation of the As sociation of Students of the Univer sity of Nebraska was sworn into office at a ceremony in the Wick Alumni Center after the final meet ing of the 1995-96 senate. Almost 30 new senators were in troduced by their predecessors. Af ter being introduced, each senator elect traded seats with the previous senator. President Eric Marintzer, First Vice President Jason Bynum and Second Vice President Kara Marshall were sworn into office by their predecessors: Shawntell Hurtgen, Steve Korell and Brent Goertzcn. “Do everything you can,” Hurtgen said. “My greatest chal lenge to you is to start now. Do not wait until next fall. You can begin making progress now.” Marintzer emphasized what he hoped ASUN would achieve. “One thing we will strive for is to increase the recognition of ASUN on this campus,” he said. “It is amazing what student govern ment can do for students, and I want everyone to be aware of it.” Marintzer also stressed keeping the price of education from rising and helping student groups and in dividuals instead of trying to “un realistically try to appease all 20,000 students at once.” James Gricsen, vice chancellor for student affairs, swore in Marintzer as a student regent for the University of Nebraska and spoke of past perceptions of student gov ernment and what he hoped it might one day aspire to. “Shortly after the election there was a large focus on the low stu dent turnout at the election,” Griesen said. “Yes it’s low, and af ter working with this student gov ernment, I find it a shame that the student body is not more willing to support the government which works hard for it.” At the meeting, Paul Kelter, a visiting associate professor of chemistry, was named “outstanding educator.” Students voted on their choice for outstanding educator in the recent ASUN election. Malcolm Kass, chairman of the Committee for Fees Allocation, was named “outstanding senator,” voted on by the senate. “The other candidates were just as deserving if not more so,” Kass said. “I really appreciate it.”
