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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 26, 1996)
H August 26, Hang time - ™ t • ;• Myron Moore/DN ADAM PROCpASKA JR, plays spaceball at the University of Nebraska Big Red Welcome Sunday. The traditional beginning-of the*year celebration moved to greenspace this year and featured dozens of informational booths, free food and games. New students flock to convocation ** . , - 'i, •' --.'gS- ' By Erin Schulte Senior Reporter An undercurrent Of pure school spirit gave t the Lied Center foflHifornung Arts a Memo rial Stadium-like fed Sunday as students eager to start their UNL years gathered for the first ev ** Student Convocation. llor James Moeset, decked out in aca demic black robes, betrayed die formality of his clothes and bellowed.out “There is No Place Like Nebraska” with the band as he led the crowd of more than 2,400 students in song. So many students showed up for the event that overflow crowds watched on monitors in Kimball Hall, which holds 1,200people, and in the Nebraska Union. Moeser was flabbergasted with the turnout for the convocation, which was a tradition he brought with him from Pennsylvania State Uni versity. “It was bigger this year than it everlwas there,” Moeser said a bit breathlessly. “Next year we’ll have to move it to the Devaney Center.” Moeser avoided stuffy commentary and in stead issued extremely practical advice to the group. “You will have more free time than anytime since you were in kindergarten,” he told fresh men. “It’s very tempting to squander it.” He uiged students to treat school as an “eight to-five” job and spend time in the library, not a dorm room, between classes. Convocation attendants also listened to some fatherly advice from Cofnhusker head football Coach Tom Osborne. He espoused the value of well-rounded health—physical, mental and spiritual. He said students should stay away from alcohol and drugs and avoid promiscuity. He then went on tQr|ess-often heard subject matter at a public university: God. “Consider this issue very carefully: ‘Is there a God, and what does he mean to you?”’ Osborne asked. Students listened with near reverence to Osborne, and didn’t mind the heavy advice. “It’s nice toseehinun person,” said Aaron Page, a freshman from Boelus. “You always just have to see him on TV.” Eric Marintzer, president of the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska, and Paul Kelter, associate professor of chemistry, spoke on lighter issues. Marintzer said students should get out and try everything during college, from volleyball games to cinnamon rolls at the Nebraska Union bakery. Kelter cracked up the crowd with the humor that helped him become last year’s outstanding educator at UNL. “How is it possible to prosper at a university with more people than the four counties near your house?” he mused. Kelter reminded students of what is come, though. “For those of you in 9:30 Chemistry 109, come prepared to think, because we start right away.” Regents discuss proposed merger for Med Center By Erin Schulte Senior Reporter The University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha will have to form a partnership with a health network if it wants to remain one of the state’s success stories, its chancellor told the NU Board of Regents Friday. Carol Aschenbrener urged board members to consider a partnership with Alegent Health System of Omaha. Aschenbrener said a part nership could provide a diverse and populous patient base and would bring in patient care rev enue, which makes up one-third of the money spent on research and two-thirds of UNMC’s budget. If the medical center doesn’t get a partner ship with a health network, it could lose patients because of the increasing trend of patients us ing managed care plans, Aschenbrener said. Under managed care, patients see only doctors wfidare members of the medical group. “Academic health centers must restructure because the health care system is restructuring,” Aschenbrener told the regents. “We must pre pare our students for the managed care envi ronment they will be working in.” NU President Dennis Smith was skeptical that die partnership was die best solution. “I worry that we’re responding instead of planning,” Smith said. Jumping into a partnership could be risky, he said, and is comparable to a marriage com mitment. ; “I think we need to locdt at the length of those marriages and the difficulty of getting a di vorce,” Smith said. Aschenbrener said that many other academic heaith centers around the country have been forming partnerships, and it was time for UNMC to follow suit Because the meeting’s format was a round table-type discussion, no decision was made on the issue. In other regent news: District 1 Regent Charles Wilson of Lincoln and District 2 Regent Nancy O’Brien of Water loo are both up for re-election in November. Their terms expire in January 1997. by Andrew Sigerson, former president of the ~ Association of Students of the University of Nebraska. He is also the son of Chuck Sigerson, chairman of the Nebraska Republican Party. Moeser outlines mew plans, projections for progress By Todd Anderson Staff Reporter As he looks out for the future of UNL, Chancellor James Moeser Fri day reiterated his three-point agenda during his state of the university ad dress at die Lied Center for Perform ing Arts. In front of the largest crowd to at tend any of the four past addresses — a mix of950 students, faculty and ad ministrators — Moeser thanked his predecessors Graham Spanier and Joan I-pjfw.l, as well as other administrators and faculty for their support “I have never been in another state where the people are so in love with their university,” he said. With this support, Moeser wants to create a university that attracts Nebraska’s best high school graduates, creates nationally recognized centers of excellence and develop&acampus wide “ethical core.” ‘To be a great university, we must have outstanding faculty and outstand ing students,” he said. Instead of losing Nebraska’s top high school graduates to neighhadqg states, Moeser wants a university that will be the first choice for Nebraska’s graduates. '•> “We are in an intensely competitive environment,” he sa& *This is not a competition for prestige and image, but how we define our university.” Moeser said academic recruitment at the university must function like ath letic recruitment He called for Uni versity of Nebraska-Lincoln faculty and students visiting prospective stu dents, building die endowment fund for scholarships and restructuring the honors program. He said if Nebraska could attract the state's top students, “the next tier of % ' very good students will follow, rais ing the level of discourse in every sec tion of every class on campus.” Moeser said the new 1997 admis sion standards would help ensure that incoming freshmen are prepared to re ceive a university education. Along with his plan to create a uni versity known for its academic pro jjram, Moeser envisions a university is home to several nationally rec 1 centers of excellence, cited the importance of UNL’s research programs, .which a record amount of $5Ctt;000 for the university lasryear. ^^_an economic force in this Mufltar liighlighted the success of UNL’s distance education program, which he said is “arguably the best in the nation.” The umviMgjy cannot he No. 1 in everything, flHKj, which means some <9 - — u--— We are in an intensely competitive environment. This is not a competition for prestige and image, but how we define our university.” James Moeser UNL chancellor ' " " . • programs and departments will receive priority. He said the university must reallo cate enough resources internally and bind together related programs. “If we continue as if the east and city campuses were two different in stitutions, we shall never realize otff full potential as a university, “ he said. Moeser said he will soon release the > names of a national advisory board *4 and, by spring, will identify the pro-j grams that will become national cen ters of excellence. Moeser also called for expanded use of technology and its availability. " Please tee STATE on 8 ■*“