The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, August 26, 1998, Image 1
SPORTS A & E Kelsay rising The bold & the bartenders August 26,1998 Nebraska senior rush end Chad Kelsay fulfills a Employees of the Brass Rail are stepping from life-long dream to play for the Huskers-and behind the bar to serve up the Rail’s third one-act THE TIMES, THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’ excels at it. PAGE 9 play. PAGE 12 Chance of rain, high 83. Cloudy tonight, low 67. Ranking doesn’t faze UNL By Lindsay Young Senior staff writer Administrators said the university shouldn’t be discouraged by UNL’s drop in the latest U.S. News and World Report undergraduate school rank ings. The University of Nebraska Lincoln moved from the second to the third tier in the recent U.S. News undergraduate school rankings, which means UNL ranks between 118-172 out of 227 national universities. The annual report rates schools on academic reputation, financial resources, alumni giving, faculty resources and student selectivity. UNL has beentnoving up and down in the magazine's rankings within the past few years. Last year, it moved from the third tier to the sec ond. “1 think it shows we are right 01 the cuff between the second and thir< tiers,” said Chancellor James Moeser University officials said tha despite the rankings, the university i the same as it was last year, when i was placed in the second tier. Via Chancellor for Student Affairs Jame Griesen said he believes UNL’s acade mic reputation has not changed. English professor James Ford saic UNL’s ranking appeared to go th< opposite way of its improved statis tics. “In all of the relevant statistics th< university improved, and it went dowi (in the rankings),” said Ford, who als< is the past president of the Academr Senate. “It shows vagaries.” Moeser said the report highlighte< some of the positive changes made ii the last year. “(The ranking) doesn’ come as a shock,” he said. “I an encouraged by a number of very posi Please see RANKING on ( 1 Matt Miller/DN ASUN PRESIDENT SARA RUSSELL spent part of her summer in Israel participating in a nine-day student government seminar. t - ■ Israel visit , enlightens ; ASUN chief i - By IevaAugstums Staff writer Soldiers walked streets with machine guns, t watching every move she made. She noticed the lack of security while visiting the U.S. Embassy in Israel, a couple of days after U.S. Embassy bombings in Africa. , She learned to negotiate conflicts peacefully, > along with Israelis and Palestinians. Those were just some of the situations the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska President Sara Russell came face-to face with during a nine-day student government seminar Aug. 6-14 in Israel. Russell, a senior math major, met with 12 other university student body presidents from the Midwest, Rocky Mountain and Plains states to heighten international awareness and discuss diversity in Israel’s society, people and history. “Life is not the same after you are ripped out of your comfort zone,” Russell said. “It’s uncom fortable and scary.” Through the program, organized by Project Interchange, an educational institute of the American Jewish Committee, Russell visited Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, the West Bank and Christian holy sites near the Sea of Galilee and in Bethlehem. She was selected to attend the travel seminar after completing an application and inter view. ASUN Director of Development Marlene Beyke said ASUN fully supported Russell’s endeavors in Israel. “Anytime when we have the opportunity to expose our students to other cultures and experi ences, it is a growing experience, which cannot be refused,” Beyke said. The $7,000 trip, paid for by Project Interchange, offered participants an overview of challenges within Israeli society, including human relation conflicts. Russell said meeting with elected Palestinian Authority representatives, Arab community lead ers and U.S. government officials helped her learn about national politics, the U.S.-Israeli relation ship and the Middle East peace process. “It was a crash course in U.S. international relations,” Russell said. “It was more intense learning than any university course could have offered me.” Please see ISRAEL on 7 Policy may exclude non-students from union By Jessica Fargen Staff writer About 20 transients who make then home most of the day and night in the Nebraska Union may have fewer places to go if the Union Board approves a restrictive policy next month. Nebraska Unions Director Daryl Swanson said the board will vote Sept. 8 to restrict use of the Crib, unfinished northwest study lounge, unfinished base ment billiard room and television lounge. After 6 p.m., those designated areas would be open only to UNL students, fac ulty members and staff. If asked, people in the union may be expected to show a valid University of Nebraska-Lincoln identification card, Swanson said. If patrons fail to produce a valid identification, they would be asked to leave the posted area. Swanson said the policy, which would go into effect immediately if passed, is the result of student concerns and safety issues. “Some people have expressed their objections to the homeless population (in the union),” Swanson said. “It varies from personal hygiene issues, to late at night, we’ve had some drunk and disor derly issues.” Swanson told the Union Board Tuesday night he wants the new union to be known as a safe place to study at night. Facilities at the union, such as the convenience store and copy center, will be open late, and the union will have bet ter lighting for studying, he said. A UNL community service officer would be at the union to enforce the poli cy. Swanson said people would not be asked to show an identification card based on appearance. “I will not put my staff in the position of selective administration of this policy,” he said. But, he said, “If you are blending in, you are not likely to be asked.” The policy would leave the food court and hallways for the 20 or so transients and the general public, Swanson said. He said the proposal is not aimed at wiping out union transients - which would be illegal because the union is public property. The union is allowed to set certain “house rules,” though, Swanson said. Patrons must follow all house rules, including the proposed policy, if enacted. Safety is another reason for the poli cy, Swanson said. Students have told him they don’t feel safe in the union, especial ly at night, he said. “I’ve never really been concerned that the union is not safe,” Swanson said. “Safety is a perception more than a real ity “We are trying to change that per ception.” Besides safety, Union Board mem bers said the presence of transients made them uncomfortable and was not conducive to studying. Union Board President Matt Luth said he sometimes felt awkward or dis couraged from studying in an area where several transients were present. “They can monopolize a pretty big area,” he said. Ryan Fuchs, Union Board member, said wiping out transients in study areas such as the Crib will make the union more study-friendly. “It will make it much more attractive for students to be here,” he said. The Union Board will vote on the new policy at its Sept. 8 meeting in the Nebraska Union. Read the Daily Nebraskan on the World Wide Web at http://www.unl.edu/DailyNeb