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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 3, 1997)
Diversity forums to address minority growth Aaron Steckelberg/DN FORUM from page 1 proving minority representation. Ricardo Garcia, UNL director of affirma tive action, said every department should show similar success. “Every unit on campus should have diver sity goals,” he said. Kelley warned forum participants to use caution in the language used to recruit minori ties. She said some minorities on campus think they were recruited for the color of their skin rather than the expected quality of their contri butions to UNL. This makes them feel restricted in their roles at the university, and turns them away from UNL, she said. ! Garcia said better communication between people of color and other faculty members could reduce this feeling. Student groups also could benefit from enhanced communication skills, he said. Today, many minority groups want to re segregate and go where they feel comfortable, he said. Students must be brought back together, and communication between the groups is essen tial, he said. Patrick Nickoletti, a lecturer in educational psychology, said effective cross-cultural com munication requires training and education. “We don’t expect administrators tojust drop down from heaven and administrate,” he said. “They have a lot of training.” Leslie Bell, president of the Afrikan People’s Union, said cultural differences remain between many campus groups. “Some of us see our differences as so great that we cannot come together,” Bell said. Nickoletti and other forum participants said communications training would help groups find common ground and come together. * Then minority groups could establish effec tive support groups and strength in working toward diversity goals, he said. Three more forums will be Tuesday through Thursday in both unions to continue work to ward setting diversity goals and to discuss cur rent diversity needs at UNL. Moeser will be present at one forum Wednesday at noon in the Nebraska Union. Omaha’s 911 goes up 911 from page 1 fundamental issue. “The time that we have spent goes beyond what this bill merits,” he said. “Essential services should be financed through general fund appropriations.” Chambers referred to an Omaha World-Herald editorial that said the first time the surcharge was put in place, some of the money ended up being siphoned to the general fund. “That money took wings and flew away,” he said. That money should be used to pay for better services instead of the sur charge, he said. Several possible amendments were discussed to try to appease Chambers and end debate. Sen. Deborah Suttle of Omaha pro posed an%rri|hdmiht that \frould not ebSi^e those Who had onfy basic tele phone service, and would charge cel lular phone users to help pay for the services. Preister said the bill was a good way to help fund the 911 system be cause those with cellular phones were heavy users of the service when they saw roadside trouble. “It’s the cell phone users who are creating the backlog in the service,” he said. “It’s only fair they should off set the cost of that system.” Chambers didn’t like the idea, even though the taxes would be coming from a group that could afford it. “No group should be sihgled out even if they were billionaires and even if they offered to do it,” he said. Sen. Chris Abboud of Omaha, one of the sponsors of the original bill, said he would offer an amendment that would provide rebate forms for the surcharge to those with Homestead Exemptions. The exemptions give full or partial waivers of property taxes to people, usually the elderly, disabled or. veterans, who own their own hones. “The really poor don’t own a home,” Sen. LaVon Crosby of Lincoln, said. Chambers didn’t like that either. “Some people may not be aware of (the rebate), and some may not go to the extra trouble,” Chambers said. “If anything, it would show the ineffi ciency and mean spiritedness of gov ernment. “They’ll feel like they’re seeking charity to get back what was theirs anyway.” Sen. John Hilgert of Omaha said the rebates would not be worth ,the trouble for most who needed the money. “In order to recapture the money, they would have to spend money,” he said. Extra costs could include pay ing for stamps to mail in the rebate or cabs to get to the office to pick up re bate forms. Sen. Doug Kristensen from Minden said the amendment was not efficient for government either. The amendment did not say who would print and distribute the forms and how they would let people know where to get them. “All this for $6?” he said. Others said the extended debate was good, and many yielded their speaking time to Chambers. “Too many times this year we have passed over bills too quickly,” Sen. DiAnna Schimek of Lincoln said. Suspect injured in chase CHASE from page 1 lot at 60th Street and Normal Bou levard. Believing the truck was empty, Humiston and Hurley approached the vehicle on foot. When they shined their flashlights inside, Casady said, the truck took off with Breitzman at the wheel. “We had very good reason to be lieve the person we were pursuing was involved in an armed robbery,” Casady said. Police pursuits are authorized only when the need to apprehend the suspect outweighs the danger, Casady said. He said because no drivers or pedestrians were on nearby streets that night, officers pursued Breitzman. From 56th Street and Normal Boulevard, Breitzman fled south, eventually ending up in the Fox Hollow subdivision, where his truck left the road and struck a tree. Casady said a camera in one of the police cars recorded the 4'/2-minute chase. “I can tell you that it was a very dramatic pursuit,” he said, adding that Breitzman’s truck spun out several times. Humiston and Hurley ap proached the truck, with Hurley on Suspect Pirsaii ^ I mmmmmmmmmmm. I 1 .The chase started at 60th r and Normal Street The car i headed north to South 1 Street A high-speed chase that ended up with a police officer shooting a suspect in east Lincoln started when the suspect allegedly robbed a convenience store on 2040 S. 56th St. The suspect crashed his truck into a tree near 74th St. and Fox Hollow Road. the driver’s side. As they walked, the officers shouted commands to Breitzman, who did not comply. When Breitzman reached under his seat, Humiston fired through the passenger-side window. Even after he was shot, Breitzman re sisted officers and had to be forc ibly removed from the truck. Breitzman was arrested on charges of armed robbery and flight to avoid arrest. Casady said Friday alcohol was possibly involved and more charges could potentially be filed in the case. Casady said police were now Aaron Steckelberg/DN looking to tie Breitzman to an al most identical case at the Coastal Mart on the southeast comer of 56th and South streets. In that Feb. 19 case, a man of the same descrip tion and same weapon took cash from the store. This was not Breitzman’s first run-in with the Lincoln Police De partment. He has been arrested four times in Lincoln on third-degree assault and possession of marijuana charges. Breitzman also served two years in a South Dakota peniten tiary for forgery and driving while intoxicated. TEAR OUT THIS COUPON WSIEU Of TOVI ROOMMATE'S Hill. 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