FRIDAY WEATHER: Today - A 30 percent chance of rain. Southeast wind 15 to 25 mph. Tonight ■ Thunderstorms, ..«««,>«<«»»»««», low near 40._ March 29, 1996 Leitzel accepts job as UNH president By Julie Sobczyk Senior Reporter Joan Leitzel officially announced Thursday that she will leave UNL in June to become president of the Uni versity of New Hampshire in Durham. “I’ve told them that I will come,” said Leitzel, senior vice chancellor for academic affairs. “The opportunity to lead a university like UNH is very attractive.” She said she had been asked to accept the position Wednesday morn ing. Although she was not looking to leave the University ofNebraska-Lin coln, Leitzel said, UNH presented good challenges for her. One challenge, she said, is working with the low level of funding the uni Keeping stu dents at UNH de- f spite high tuition will present another challenge, Leitzcl said. The similarities between UNL and UNH attracted her to the university as well, she said. UNH is a land- Leuzei grant institution and the flagship cam pus ofthe four-campus university sys tem, as is UNL. UNH’s commitment to undergradu ate education also reminds her of UNL, she said. Lcitzel said for the past year and a half, she had visited other universities when officials asked her to. But this ‘This one just seems right’ time, the visit turned into a position. “this one just seems right,” Leitzel said. Although she is excited about her new job, she said, she will miss UNL. “I care a lot about this university,” Leitzel said. “I will miss my colleagues, the vice chancellors and the deans. I think we have the best group of deans in the country, and I’d like to take them with me.” University officials Thursday ex pressed excitement for Leitzel,but said UNL was losing a strong leader. Chancellor James Moeser said Leitzel had helped him make the tran sition to UNL over the last two months, “I’m going to miss her,” Moeser said. “She’s a close associate on whom I rely a great deal. She’s extremely valuable.” Because of her leadership quali ties, Moeser said, UNH had chosen the right person for the job. “She deserves it,” he said. “I’m delighted for her. She’ll do a greal job.” Leitzel said her acceptance of the job had nothing to do with not being among the chancellor finalists last se mester. David Sellmyer, chairman of the chancellor search committee, would not say why Leitzel wasn’t among the finalists. “It was a confidential search, and I cannot discuss that,” Sellmyer said Thursday. But, he said, she would serve UNH well. “I’m sorry to see her go,” Sellmyer said. “I think she’ll do a wonderful job.” Herb Howe, associate to the chan cellor, said he had mixed feelings about Leitzel leaving. “I’m very happy for her,” Howe said. “It’s what she wanted. But it’s sad for me and for the university. I’m going to miss her.” Regent Nancy O’Brien of Water See LEITZEL on 3 Travis Heying/DN Franky Ramont signs to students Thursday during an afternoon class. Ramont, who is deaf, teaches American Sign Language at UNL. Not speechless Teacher signs on to aid Deaf py Emuy may_ Staff Reporter Franky Ramont’s classroom may be si lent, but communication still takes place. Ramont, a master’s degree candidate, teaches American Sign Language full-time at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. And when she signs ASL to classroomsof mostly hearing students, she is teaching them her first language. English is my second language,” she said through her interpreter, Frances Beaurivage. “I’ll help you with your ASL. You help me with my English.” Ramont teaches three language courses and one ASL literature course. She requires students to sign at all times during class. This helps them practice—and it ensures that she is included in all classroom conver See RAMONT on 7 ‘School is Cool’ stresses that education can be fun By Julie Sobczyk Senior Reporter For the past three years, UNL senior Billie Winsett has tried to make a difference for grade school students. This year, Winsett will use the motto of her national championship volleyball team to not only help elementary students succeed in athlet ics, but academics as well. Winsett will take the motto “One focus, one goal, one champion” to more than 14,000 stu dents in the Bob Devaney Sports Center at the fifth-annual Best of America “School is Cool” Jam on Monday at 10 a.m. “I, and the other seniors on the volleyball team, will speak about how that motto has focused us to reach the championship, and how there are other goals in life that require the same focus,” Winsett said. The event will show students that they need focus to succeed in academics, she said. “There are a lot of student athletes that put a lot of hard work and dedication into sports, but also education,” Winsett said. “I want students to see that athletics is great, but education is even greater.” And that’s exactly what “School is Cool” is trying to do, said Keith Zimmer, associate di rector of athletics/academics programs and co ordinator of the event. “We’re not just preaching about staying in school,” Zimmer said. “We’re teaching good messages about life in a fun, upbeat sort of way.” To show fourth- through sixth-graders that academics can be fun, he said, some student athletes—such as Winsett—and members of Golden Key National Honor Society will give motivational speeches about life and education. “It’s important for elementary students to hear from top role models,” he said. “These speakers are some of the best role models in the country.” After the speeches, the athletes and Golden Key members will have a slam dunk contest. The contest will have members helping each other make baskets to demonstrate teamwork, See JAM on 7 Spirit plates win first round Chambers says bill uses athletes, feeds off football success By Ted Taylor Senior Reporter Nebraskans who want Comhusker spirit plates scored a 30-3 win Thursday in the first round of debate at the Nebraska Legislature. - But one of the three sena Legislature t°rs opposed to the w 11 put up ■Q£ k quite a fight. Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha used most of the 30 minutes of debate allotted to LR1264 to admonish Omaha Sen. Kermit Brashear’s pro posal and the exploitation of student athletes in general. “The only reason they - want to do this is because tne football team wins,” Chambers said. “I cannot let a bill like this pass without remindingyou of the damnable conditions under which these players function.” Brashear introduced the spirit plate bill again this session after receiving many letters from constituents who asked why Nebraska couldn’t join the 21 other states — such as Iowa and Florida—that have similar plates. “This really causes us to focus on how uni fied the Comhuskers are for the University of Nebraska,” Brashear said. “The phenomenon we call ‘ Husker spirit ’ prevails around the state.” The plates also would make money for NU and the Department of Motor Vehicles. If 30,000 people purchased the $70 plates, Brashear said, more than $ 1.2 million would be generated in the first year alone. Brashear said the revenue generated also would increase each year because it would cost the same amount to renew the plates. The Department of Motor Vehicles would receive $30 of the plate costs, and the Univer sity of Nebraska would receive $40 of the plate costs. That money would be put into the spirit plate proceeds fund, which would be distributed in three wavs. • The first $3 million would be available to former University of Nebraska athletes who wished to pursue postgraduate studies at any of the university campuses. • The second $2 million would be given to the university to help fund academic services for student athletes. • All proceeds exceeding $5 million will be distributed equally among the three NU cam puses and three state colleges with athletic facilities for general repair and upkeep of those facilities. Sen. Jerome Warner of Waverly opposed the bill, saying license plates were meant for iden ti fication purposes only and became more diffi cult to read when cluttered with emblems. The license plates in Brashear’s proposal would feature a design with a scarlet “Cornhuskers” or “Huskers” on a cream back ground. Brashear said he was optimistic the bi 11 would advance through the next two stages of legisla tion this session.