HY 21,1998
Cubans finish preparing, await pope’s visit
Trip expected to be slight economic boon for the country
HAVANA (AP) - The faithful
sang and prayed Tuesday in the streets
of Havana, and Cubans of every per
suasion - Catholic, communist and
curious - awaited a papal visit that
many said could be a turning point for
their nation.
In a concession to the pope that
had some churchgoers in tears, a
bishop expelled from Cuba at the
lowest point of church-state relations
was allowed to return and celebrate
Mass Tuesday in his old parish.
On the eve of John Paul II’s first
visit ever to Cuba, the communist
government was still working to
patch and tidy up sections of the
crumbling capital, which has been
ravaged by a collapsed economy.
Crews poured and steamrolled
fresh asphalt over the cracked and
potholed roads, traveled by rusted
and creaking old cars and trucks.
Workers sprayed yellow paint on one
school’s faded facade.
While most Cubans agree the
pope’s five-day visit will leave then
country changed, expectations on
what will change depends on their
political and religious perspective.
Foes of Fidel Castro hope it will
weaken his communist regime, which
took power in 1959. Castro hopes to
gain stature for his revolution and
support for an end to the more than
three-decade-old U.S. economic
embargo. And the Cuban church
hopes to expand its influence.
A nationwide prayer vigil was
planned in churches throughout the
country Tuesday evening. Outside
downtown Havana’s Our Lady of
Carmine Church, boys and girls joy
ously swung each other around as
young and old worshippers sang and
prayed as excitement continued to
build for the pope, who is scheduled
to arrived at 3 p.m. today.
At Medalla Milagrosa Church,
10-year-old Claudia, dressed in a
pink Snoopy sweatshirt, dreamed of
shaking hands with the pontiff as she
and others finished work on the last
of 80,000 simple Cuban and papal
flags made at the church.
“The pope is like God, a beautiful
picture,” Claudia said.
While Castro sought to burnish
his government’s image and the pope
hoped for a spiritual awakening in
Cuba, it was unclear which of the two
men has the tougher task of evange
lization.
“Missions are more difficult here
than in Africa or India. We have to
start from scratch. We have to explain
everything,” said the Rev. Jesus
Luzaretta, a Spanish priest who
spends two months a year at Medalla
Milagrosa Church. “You can’t easily
wipe out 40 years of restrictions.”
Castro is scheduled to greet John
u—
I believe the visit will have an impact in
our country; a great impact ”
Elizardo Sanchez
Cuban human rights monitor
PaulII after the pope arrives at 4 p.m.
EST Wednesday in Havana, then
meet privately with the papal leader
the following day.
Castro has encouraged Cubans to
come out for the papal services in
Santa Clara, Camaguey and Santiago,
and the revolutionary leader says he
will attend the final Mass at die secu
lar government's most sacred meeting
ground, the Plaza of the Revolution in
central Havana.
The trip is expected to be a minor
boon to the Cuban economy - with
estimates the thousands of journalists
and visitors will pour some $20 mil
lion into the foreign currency-starved
nation.
“I believe the visit will have an
impact in our country, a great
impact,” said Elizardo Sanchez, a
prominent Cuban human rights mon
itor who spent 11 years years in \
prison. “Although regretfully, I’m not
expecting a miracle, nor do I believe
that the Holy Father thinks that there
will be a miracle.”
Man arrested for abuse
A Lincoln man was arrested on
tftrefe counts; of felony'child abuse
Monday night. .
Earl Crane, 28, was charged
with abusing his three daughters,
aged 7,9 and 11. He physically, ver
bally and emotional abused the chil
dren, Lincoln Police Sgt. Ann
Heerftiann said.
Crane was intoxicated when he
picked the children up from their
mother’s house Sunday evening for
an overnight visit. He then tortured
the children Sunday night and con
tinued until Monday afternoon.
Crane reportedly shot a staple
gun at the kids and stapled their
shoes to the floor with their feet in
them. Crane then shot himself in the
arm with the staple gun and forced
the seven-year-old to remove the
staples for him.
After hours of torture, the chil
dren were tired and haggard,
Heermann said. Crane then gave the
11-year-old a picture of a rifle, say
ing he would kill the girls, their
mother and their aunt.
The incident was reported to
police by the mother, Rhonda
Romero, when her children were
returned to her home Monday night.
Pedestrians robbed
Two pedestrians were robbed
Saturday morning around 7 a.m. as
they walked along 44th Street
A sedan containing four black
males stopped next to the couple
and one of the men demanded the
woman’s coat, Heermann said.
The woman was wearing her
boyfriend’s leather Nike coat, worth
more than $250. His wallet, contain
ing some cash, was also in the coat.
The male pedestrian told the
woman to run, then took off. The
woman began to run away also, but
was caught by the robbers.
The four men surrounded her,
put a gun to her head and made her
empty her pockets, though she was
only carrying a pack of cigarettes.
The men took the coat contain
ing her boyfriend’s wallet and left
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ASUN focuses on new issues
By Jessica Fargen
Assignment Reporter
A new semester means a new set
of goals for ASUN, President Curt
Ruwe saicf.
But that does not mean last
semester’s goals have been complete
ly dropped or met, Ruwe said. The
Association of Students of the
University of Nebraska is just moving
on.
Part of the moving-on process
involved miscommunication result
ing in a change to the new goals,
Ruwe said.
Originally, one of ASUN’s goals
was to lobby for a jury deferment bill
that would exempt college students
from jury duty if they would have to
miss classes or tests to serve.
But poor communication between
ASUN and the Government Liaison
Committee hampered movement
toward that goal.
Both groups soon realized the bill
was “not even close to hitting the
floor,” Ruwe said.
“The realistic thing to do is to say
we screwed up and switch our support
to a bill that has a chance,” he said.
John Wiechmann, chairman of the
GLC, said instead of the jury defer
ment bill, the committee will focus on
a bill proposed by Gov. Ben Nelson
aimed at keeping students in
Nebraska after college graduation.
As for last semester’s goals, Ruwe
said most of those goals remain on the
table this semester, but are not “high
er-priority items.”
“We are not just working on the
same issues,” Ruwe said. “There are
new issues at stake.”
Only one goal was physically
completed - the adoption of an NU
Board of Regents bylaw change to
allow student organizations to apply
for funds from the University
Program Council once every two
years rather than once every four.
ASUN goals are not very specific,
Ruwe said, because ASUN did not
want to be “locked into a potentially
bad idea” and be stuck with it halfway
through the semester.
He conceded that vague goals
have become the norm in student gov
% # r. *£
is a list of goals ASUN has set, and the progress It has made.
1. To credo succowful programming for Martin Lulher King Jt1. Day on Jan.
19 a» wel as create a Martin Lulher King Jr. Day coordnaHng commission
for 1999.
-ASUN President Curt Ruwe said he was pleased by foe everts sponsored by ASUN Monday.
On the average, Ruwe said, 75 people attended programming by UNL student groups at
the Nebraska Union. There was not a point when people weren't being exposed to Martin
Luther King events.’ Ruwe said.
Because of everyone's intense efforts in making Martin Luther King Jr. Day a success,
Ruwe said some senators did not have time to work on other ASUN goals.
As for next year, Ruwe said he planned on meeting with Omar Valentine, UNL junior and
member if the Afrikan People’s Union, to discuss appointments for the 1999 coordinating
commission.
3. Continue to woiktoHari implementation of a parking education class.
-This week, Senators Kaly Hofcchneider and Adam Anderson, who namely would wok on toe patting
class eftorts, were working onaptantogetabua shafter for toe area on East Campus near toe Anbnal
Scienoe complex Ruwe said ASUNbsacarm«tod to toe parking class, but no work had been done
last week toward implemenfngl.
wont ipwaroi huh tutregragaBonior gaseos.
—Ftowe said he prodded tost UNL students would be roistering for dassee onfne by spring semester,
1999. ARvughtob was rrtaprajed tost RuMrofeadmHsMton would see beoomea'tec^’ Ruwe
said he hoped work, which along wfcotoer projects, was put on hold Mb weektobegtotoeatablsh more
groundwork far toe project
5. Lobby for student eupport for the“Brain dnrinMn gain” ML
-John wechmam, chairman of toe Gcwemment Liaison Oormitoe, saidtoeM (taMrotogeaf
hi would look at wsyetoenoouwge Nebwaha odfage atudertatoalsy htoeatslB after gaduaion
torougb such tofags as scholarehtps tost would reqreealudantBto8lBy and woricfaNefaraskafaraperiod
dime.
6. WorkiowartJ keeping die Student ImpedTeem end Government Ueieon
Committee busy through woridng toward campus beouMcefion projects.
-Ruse said beauMcafon world artel Inkastog efcrts on toe part of SIT far toe purchase of tsee
to replace toe ones destroyed in last yearb October snowstorm. Ffawe said STThae not yet met Ms year
to dacuss fundraising eftorts. The QtCwft be lobbying far defatredmointononooblBtolmptOMB toe
aeetoeicsr of UNLfc campuses.
7. Reconstruct the Outdancing Educator AmrL
-Ruwe said he has not made any specie eftorts yet Mb yeartogatanew system implemented.
eminent, such as ASUN’s commit
ment to diversity issues and efforts to
improve interaction among student
governing bodies.
But Ruwe said senators working
on more specific projects from last
semester know they need to remain
committed to those. -
Wiechmann said the GLC was
still working with city officials to
address safety concerns near 14th and
Vine streets.
And the Committee for Fees
Allocation, Ruwe said, did spend time
last semester getting more student
opinion on fee allocations. But he
said this semester will focus more oh
determining what to do with that
information.
Ruwe said implementing a fall
break policy was a goal that did not
work out the way ASUN hoped it
would, with the Academic Senate vot
ing it down.
But surveys were submitted to the
University of Nebraska Calendar
Committee showing student support
for die policy, Ruwe said.
Only one goal, continuing to work
towards the implementation of a park
ing education class “benefiting stu
dents and parking services,” physical- j
ly carried over to the new list because
it was still a main priority, Ruwe said.
“We felt it important,” Ruwe said,
“to let the public know we weren’t
remaining stagnant.”