The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, February 11, 1998, Image 1
V _SPORTS_ _AAJ_WEDNESDAY pike- On the road February 11, 1998 XTITr UNL's Symphonic Band, directed by Rod NU forward Troy P.atkowsk. attempts to step out Chesnutt, will hit the road Thursday for a one- I’M A REAL MlLD CHILO o is rot er s s adow. PAGE 7 day Nebraska tour. PAGE 12 Decreasing clouds, high 40. Cloudy tonight, low 25. Fraternity aims to unify Latinos By Lindsay Young Assignment Reporter The founding fathers of a new fra ternity hope it will bring and keep minority students at UNL and get them more involved. Sigma Lambda Beta Fraternity, a traditionally non-exclusive Latino fra ternity. is the second fraternity to begin on the University of Nebraska Lincoln's campus since AgMen Fraternity was established in 1953. Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity also will recruit its members this semester. Sigma Lambda Beta planning stages began during the fall semester, and it may colonize before the end of this semester. Joel Rhea, national president for Sigma Lambda Beta, said he hopes the fraternity will unify' Latinos on campus. Tim Alvarez, the fraternity's faculty nrk i«ipr 5inrl this nmtv i« npprlprl 1 hope it brings a unity to pan of the Hispanic culture that sometimes is not done except with the Mexican American Student Association." Alvarez, also the MASA adv lser. said. This may also help with the reten tion and recruitment of Latino students - about 400 - at UNL. he said. Jess Sweley, Interffatemity Council president, said the fraternity will help expand the greek system and make it more welcome to minonty students. “They're going to offer so much to support a multicultural campus,” Sweley said. The fraternity will get more mrnori ties involved on campus and in the com munity, Juan Izaguirre, one of the stu dent founders, said. To achieve colony status, the group a They re going to offer so much to support a multicultural campus Jess Sweley Interfraternity Council president must volunteer in the community, have fund-raisers, and maintain a high acade mic standard. izaguirre. a sophomore social sci ences major, said the group chose Sigma Lambda Beta over the other pos sibility. Omega Delta Phi Fraternity, because its national headquarters is nearby in Iowa City. Iowa, and another chapter is at Kansas State University in Manhattan. In December, interested students met to discuss what they liked and dis liked about each fraternity. The group used a secret ballot to decide. Izaguirre said. Rhea said Sigma Lambda Beta is quickly expanding throughout the nation, and he is happy it has expanded to Lincoln. A group of students wants to bring Gamma Phi Omega Sorority, Sigma Lambda Beta's sister sorority', to cam pus. Organizers feel they are doing something that will leave a lasting impression at UNL, Izaguirre said. “It feels good. Everyone dreams about leaving their mark at the school they go to.” Programs proposed to aid deaf students By Joy Ludwig Staff Reporter Six-year-old Cody Contreras is deaf, but he thinks he will grow up and be able to hear. His teachers at Omaha Public Schools can hear. His principal can hear. Everyone he knows can hear, so he has no reason to think otherwise. He doesn’t have contact with people like him, and he has nowhere to go. With the closing of the Nebraska School for the Deaf planned for August, many students like Contreras and their parents voiced concerns to the Education Committee Tuesday after noon and wanted to know what action will be taken to help answer their ques tions. LB1276, introduced by Sen. Shelley Kiel of Omaha, would estab lish education and teaching standards and specific programs designed to aid the estimated 680 deaf and hard-of heanng^students m Nebraska. The bill would allow the students to receive education with special educa tion teachers as well as help from speech therapists and counselors. In addition, the bill proposes not to close Nebraska School for the Deaf until alternative regional programs are established and functioning. Funding problems threaten to close the state’s only school for deaf children. However, in June, board members of the Nebraska Department of Education voted to start a new deaf Please see DEAF on 8 Bbl___ £ m " i Daniel Luedert/DN KENDALL SWENSON (far left) congratulates (from left) John Wiechmann, VISION’s ASUN presidential nomi nee, Jill Maaske, first vice president nominee and Eddie Brown, second vice president nominee, after the VISION party announced its candidates in the Crib Tuesday. Party enVISIONs unity ■ Candidates announce their bid for the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska elections. By Ieva Augstums Assignment Reporter It has been declared: UNL students’ vision of their campus next year will change with one party, a group of ASUN candidates announced Tuesday. VISION announced its candidacy for the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska with the vision of creating a proactive, diverse campus community. Presidential nominee John Wiechmann said with the help of the whole campus, everyone will see and experience a better university. Weichmann said VISION will promote and enact activities that will unite the campus. “This university needs to have more all-university events, where everyone is on common ground,” Weichmann said. “VISION sees this happening.” Eddie Brown, second vice-presidential nominee, said in order for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to become a more proactive community, respect for fel low students and organizations needs to be practiced. He said one issue on VISION’s platform is to “fos ter and promote a campus community where all peo ple, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, culture and background, feel safe and wel come.” Brown and first vice-presidential nominee Jill Maaske think VISION will accomplish that goal. She said promoting a safe and welcoming campus community needs to start with next year’s freshmen. “As students we have to educate incoming fresh man about the wealth this university has to offer,” Maaske said. Everyone should focus on the wants and needs of students, she said. The university needs to promote « VISION wants UNL to be a student campus, a community ... Jill maaske first vice-presidential nominee such services as Student Involvement, Career Services and academic advising, she said. “VISION wants UNL to be a student campus, a community - a place were every student feels wel come,” Maaske said. Weichmann encouraged everyone to stay involved in the election process. “The more people that stay involved, the better chance we have to make this vision a reality,” Weichmann said. Other issues on the VISION’s party platform include: ■ Keeping tuition increases for 1999-2000 at a minimum by lobbying Nebraska government. ■ Making sure the $5-per-credit-hour technology fee is spent in ways that directly benefit students. ■ Creating a policy that would encourage profes sors and staff to review only material covered through out the semester during dead week if the final is going to be cumulative. ■ Working with parking services to stop over selling student parking permits. ■ Encouraging UNL to offer, perhaps require, teaching methods classes for all professors and staff. ■ Creating more East Campus class offerings. ■ Working with the UNL Police Department and parking services to protect East and City campuses so students feel safe. VISION will have party meetings at 3 p.m. in the Nebraska Union on Sunday, March 1 and March 8. Read the Daily Nebraskan on the World Wide Web at http:/ /www.unl.edu/DailyNeb