Bill to support gifted programs advances
From Staff Reports
Although bad weather kept the
Legislature from reaching a quorum
until the middle of Monday afternoon,
senators were able to advance a bill that
would provide binding for gifted educa
tion.
The Legislature, which didn’t begin
its business until the 25th senator
arrived at 2:45 p.m., voted 28-0 to
advance LB 1229 from general file.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Ardyce
Bohlke of Hastings, would appropriate
S6 million for the fiscal year 1998-99 to
provide state support for school systems
that implement accelerated curriculum
for gifted students.
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Bohlke said participating school
systems would receive a base of $6,000
and $2 in matching state funds for every
$1 the local system spends on gifted
education.
Bohlke said test scores indicate the
United States’ top students are slipping
behind those around the world.
Nebraska, which faces a labor shortage
and has sought means of retaining its
top students, should ensure that bright
students are sufficiently challenged, she
said.
“If we want to keep them, we must
first properly educate them,” she said.
“To identify students is a start, but it's
not enough; we can do better and
should.”
Sen. Dave Maurstad of Beatrice
expressed concern that the bill would
encourage schools to develop only one
area of gifted education, such as drama
or math and science, to set themselves
apart and compete for students.
But Bohlke said the bill would
encourage school districts to work
together to offer a variety of gifted cur
riculum. “Magnet schools,” which
would each offer an especially strong
gifted education program in one or two
particular fields, would allow students a
range of options in selecting a school
she said.
The bill will advance to enrollment
and review to incorporate amendments.
After being reviewed, it will move to
select file, the next stage of debate.
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Dawn Dietrich/DN
DANA POTRATZ, from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
looks for her next step during the Flatland Climbing Competition on
Saturday at the Campus Recreation Center. The first-ever competition drew
competitors of all ages throughout the Midwest.
Competitors climb
at first UNL contest
By Ryan Brauer
Staff Reporter
Though the vital element in rock
climbing - a mountain - was absent,
Nebraska’s first climbing competi
tion happened anyway Saturday.
Dozens of competitors climbed
the Campus Recreation Center’s 37
foot indoor climbing wall during the
inaugural Flatland Climbing
Competition.
The University of-Nebraska
Lincoln Climbing Club sponsored the
competition attended by about 30
climbing enthusiasts of all ages.
Competitors in both intermediate
and beginner divisions had 314 hours
to complete five climbs to the top of
the wall.
Their goal was to score the most
points for each climbing perfor
mance.
Points, awarded based on the dif
ficulty of competitors’ climbing
routes, could be scored only if a climb
was completed using the specified
route of color-coded footholds and
handholds.
Routes were rated from 100 to
750 points.
Justin Reese, president of UNL’s
Climbing Club, said the competition
was open to anyone over age 5, and
attracted many out-of-state competi
tors. including some from the
University of Kansas in Lawrence.
Kan., and the University of Northern
iowa in Cedar Falls, iowa. Michael
Lary, a 19-year-old Kansas student,
won the intermediate division with
2,750 points.
Lary said he had been climbing
for a year and this was his third com
petition.
“I like the competitiveness,” he
said, “but the best part of these com
petitions is the people you meet.”
Shane Eckelberg won the begin
ner’s division with 2,025 points.
Frank Marek, 13, from Blair was
the youngest climber to compete and
placed fifth in the beginner’s division.
Marek, who has been climbing for
a year, said he learned to climb on a
climbing wall at the Blair YMCA.
“I’m having a real good time,”
Marek said. “I like the people I meet
and I just really like to climb.”
Stacy Fairbank, a professional
climbing-wall route setter from
Kansas City, Mo., who climbs with
the national competitive circuit,
helped the climbing club organize the j
competition and set up the routes on |
the wall.
“I helped out a little, but I’ve got
to give this club credit,” Fairbank
said. “They’ve done a great job and
are putting on a quality competition.” j
Reese said the event was both a j
fund-raising event for the UNL |
Climbing Club and a chance to build
interest and establish the club among
local climbers.
"The Climbing Club was instru
mental in the construction of the
wall,” he said, “so this was a nice
chance for us to show it off ”
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