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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 3, 1997)
spoiits * o e_ MON Ay Kansas blasts NU U2 goes *Pop* March 3,1997 No. 1 Kansas rips NU 85-65 Sunday at the Devaney “Pop,” the new release from U2, is a step away Center. The Huskers’ hopes of making the NCAA from their Americanized past music and another IB LiKE A Lamb Tournament now are in question. PAGE 9 step toward the future of rock ‘n’ roll. PAGE 12 Partly cloudy, high 50. Flurries ' VOL. 96 ~ COVERING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN SINCE 1901 NO. 112 £ —“— -:-*----— ■ —. Seal approval _ PEARL THE HARBOR seal reaches for a fish during feeding time at the Folsom Children’s Zoo and Botanical Gardens, 1222 S. 27th St. For story and photos, please see page 6. . -—■■■■■ ■ - - -■ , . .. ■ - - . I UNLs racial environment evaluated Administrators discuss ways to improve cultural - differences at forum. By Erin Gibson Senior Reporter UNL must work harder to improve minority representation in the faculty and student body so the few minorities present do not feel like “animals in the zoo,” university members said Friday. Participants in an open forum held by the Chancellor’s Commission on the Status of People of Color said minori ties face obstacles to feeling comfort able on the University of Nebraska-Lin coln campus. Some minority students and faculty think they are wanted at the university only to increase its number of minori ties, participants said, while others think white colleagues constantly watch them like zoo animals because of their rarity. They said increasing the number of minorities on campus and setting goals to ensure positive changes in the cam pus climate could help remove such obstacles. Chancellor James Moeser said goals have been set and efforts have been made to improve recruitment and re tention of minorities at UNL. “As a university, we have made some progress, but it has been very slow,” Moeser said. He said the university administra tion is committed to speeding this progress. As a result, post-doctoral fellow ships could be offered to help retain minority students and funds could be used to challengedepartments to hire people of color, Moeser said. Venita Kelley, commission chair woman, said minority students need to see themselves represented in faculty and staff to be at ease in the university setting. She said a lack of representation can be intimidating. The group agreed certain departments, including human resources, have been successful in im proving minority representation. Please see FORUM on 6 911 service mav cost Omahans 86 more By Erin Schulte Senior Reporter The Legislature spent the entire morning Friday debating a bill that, if passed, would cost each Omaha phone customer $6 a year. And it wasn’t the first day they dis cussed the bill. Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha vowed to take the bill to cloture — which means debating the bill for eight full hours. He’s been on a relentless one-man mission since taking up de bate time on the bill. LB 104 would allow Omah& to charge residents with telephones an extra SO cents per month to help pay for 911 services. Omaha and Douglas County recently decided to combine their services, which Creates extra costs — such as better equipment and a new building for the 911 operating center. The surcharge would provide about $2.8 million a year. Because of a bill passed in 1994, Omaha is die only city s; in Nebraska not allowed to tack on an is extra surcharge for 911 services. y Chambers’ main opposition to the bill is that the poor may not be able to ii pay the extra $6 a year and will lose o their phones. ' n He told the senators they would regret passing the bill. n I u All thii for $6?” Sen. Doug Kristensen Minden “You didn’t help the elderly,” he lid. “You didn’t help the impover hed. You gave the infirm the back of )ur hand.” He said it would leave people say ig, “I needed to call 911, and I mldn’t because you taxed it beyond iy means.” Other senators agreed that $6 may >t seem like much, but people already pay a 50-cent per month charge for 911 services. Another charge could cause some to lose phones. ‘To double that would create even more of a hardship,” Sen. Don Preister of Omaha said. But another reason for extended debate, Chambers said, lies in a more Please see 911 on 6 Read the Daily Nebraskan on the World Wide Web at http: / / www.unl.edu /DailyNeb LPD Justifies use of -i—: By Matthew Waite Senior Reporter The internal investigation into the early Friday morning shooting of an armed robbery suspect by a police of ficer is expected to end today, Lincoln Police Chief Tom Casady said. un rnaay, Casady told re portersijLisde partment policy start an inter nal investigation Brelbnan if an officer uses a gun in the line of duty. “I have no reason to believe there was a violation of policy by the officer,” Casady said. He said police use of force is authorized when an officer is in dan ger, and only reasonable force is al lowed. Chester Breitzman, 28, of 209 Garber St., was shot by Lincoln Police Officer Launa Humiston after leading her and another officer on a high-speed chase after allegedly robbing a conve nience store. The chase ended with Breitzman’s truck slamming into a tree near 74th Street and Fox Hollow Road. When Humiston and Officer Bob Hurley approached the vehicle, Casady said Breitzman reached under the seat. Humiston then fired her 9mm semi automatic pistol, striking Breitzman in the abdomen. Officers found a 6-inch boning knife in his hand. Breitzman underwent surgery at Lincoln General Hospital early Friday morning to have the bullet removed. He is listed in fair condition. The chase and shooting stem from a convenience store robbery minutes before. At 1:49 a.m., a clerk at Kwik Shop, 2040 S. 56th St., called police to re port that a white male with long, messy hair, wearing blue jeans, an orange shirt and a wallet on a chain had just robbed the store at knifepoint. The suspect left on foot. Casady said that the streets were empty Friday morning while Humiston was driving to the scene of the rob bery, when she saw a 1977 Chevrolet pickup on the road three blocks from the convenience store. The man at the wheel matched the robbery suspect’s description. Minutes later, she noticed the truck parked in a day care center parking lot Please see CHASE on 6