Huskers look to defend PlayStation game title By Josh Funk Senior staff writer Husker fans can finally challenge Tommie Frazier and Damon Benning on a level playing field - the Sony PlayStation. People can play EA Sports NCAA Football '99 against Frazier and Benning at Gateway Mall, 61 st and O streets, Saturday as part of an event to introduce the game. Game stations will be set up from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. to let people try some of the latest EA Sports games. There also will be a tournament Saturday afternoon to determine who really has the best game on NCAA Football '99. tournament qualifying will be from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and the competition will run from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Benning and Frazier are sched uled to be there during the tourna ment. Ihe winner of the event will go on to a regional tournament where he could win a trip to nationals in Tempe, Anz. on Jan. 1. Prizes will be given away through out the day, including free copies of the game. The event is organized by one for mer and one current University of Nebraska-Lincoln student. The pair turned their countless hours of video game playing into a job with Electronic Arts after winning a nation al collegiate tournament. Jeff Leur, a former general studies student, and Jerry Kuhl, a senior busi ness management major, said they played video games for six hours a day when they were roommates in 1996. So when EA Sports brought its two-on-two tournament to campus u Twelve credit hours and no job equals too much spare time. That was our formula.” Jerry Kuhl senior business major that fall, Leur and Kuhl were ready. "Twelve credit hours and no job equals too much spare time." Kuhl said. "That was our formula." Though endless game-playing has paid off for both Leur and Kuhl, nei ther of them advocate devoting too much time to the games. Kuhl and Leur won the campus tournament, regionals and then nationals, which were held at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. Both of them received a free flight to New Orleans and a miniature Sears Trophy for the video game champi onship. Leur used contacts he made at the national tournament to land himself an internship as a product tester with Electronic Arts during summer 1997. For Leur it was like a dream come true. “Since high school I’ve been working long hours on football games,” Leur said. Because he worked to develop NCAA Football ’98, Leur was dis qualified from the campus tournament when it came to town in late October. So it was all up to Kuhl to land the trophy — and he delivered. m_WmmmimMmm?' ___ny . \ Matt Miller/DN JERRY KUHL, foreground, plays a football video game Thursday evening against senior business major Jeff Luhr, right, as junior education major Jarrod Crouse tries to pick up some tips from the past national champions. Luhr organized a video game tournament that will be held at Gateway Mall on Saturday. In last year's one-on-one tourna ment, Kuhl not only made it back to nationals, he won it for the second year in a row. With another Sears Trophy for his living room and a little help from Leur, Kuhl got himself a job as a product tester with Electronic Arts. Kuhl and Leur worked side-by side this summer playing video games 12 hours a day, 6 days a week for the whole summer. “It was just like old times except we were getting paid, and we had input into the games,” Leur said. Kuhl came away from the experi ence ready to finish his degree in December, but Leur landed himself a full-time production assistant job working with the NCAA Football video game team in Florida. Leur starts with EA on Oct. 1, while Kuhl looks to work in business management after graduation. EA Sports is not bringing its col lege tour to campus this year, so this weekend’s tournament will be the only chance to get to nationals. Someone else will have to carry on the Nebraska tradition of winning, Leur said. “There’s gotta be someone out there doing nothing but video games.” Group starts social security talks By Todd Anderson Senior staff writer ■ Nelson says the chance of system in crisis threatens citizens’quality of life. Though the U.S. Social Security system is not now in crisis, it is a good idea to anticipate future reform before the system breaks, Gov. Ben Nelson said at a press conference Thursday. Nebraskans can be among people nationwide talking about the future of entitlement benefits organized by Americans Discuss Social Security, the governor announced at the state Capitol. More than 120 Nebraskans are invited to join 500 citizens from North and South Dakota, Montana and Wyoming on Oct. 10 to discuss reforming entitlement benefits for retired and disabled Americans at the Nebraska ETV Network studios, 1800 N. 33rd St. Americans Discuss Social Security, a non-profit, non-partisan group sponsoring town-hall meetings nationwide, has chosen Nebraska as a meeting site, along with five other Great Plains states. To announce the meeting. Nelson joined representatives from Nebraska organizations sponsoring the meet ing, including student government Sen. Kara Slaughter, UNL Young Democrats President Shane Jensen and Nebraska College Republicans President Tony Ferate. Nelson said the possibility of the Social Security system facing a crisis “undermines and threatens the quali ty of life everyone enjoys.” He said the entitlement program required reform before major prob lems arose, just as a leaky roof should be fixed before it starts raining. Slaughter, Jensen and Ferate agreed young people foresee a gloomy future and do not expect to receive the benefits of a system they will support all their lives. ■ I ‘if we're picking up the bill (for Social Security), it's good to be part of a group discussing the menu," Jensen said. Helen Boosalis, former Lincoln mayor and past president of the American Association of Retired Persons, said studies show the Social Security system will remain soluble until around 2030. After that, policy-makers are not sure what level of benefits future retirees - who now are paying Social Security taxes - will receive, if any at all. Boosalis said senior citizens want to ensure their children and grand children receive the same benefits they received. More than 287,000 Americans - including retired and disabled work ers - receive $195 million monthly, according to the Social Security Administration. U.S. Sens. Bob Kerrey and Chuck Hagel, as well as President Clinton, took part in the region’s most recent meeting in Kansas City, Mo., in April. Rich Lombardi, spokesman for Americans Discuss Social Security, said Nebraska’s congressional repre sentatives would participate in the Lincoln meeting via satellite. Nelson also said he would attend the meet ing. Lombardi said Nebraskans repre senting all age, social, geographic and economic groups are needed to make the discussion complete. Those from rural areas are espe cially important to the discussion among the Great Plains states, Lombardi said. He said his group was seeking more than 120 citizens from across the state to participate. Participants must register in advance for the free, daylong meeting by calling (888) 470-2377 or (402) 475-0727. The meeting will be broadcast on cable nationwide, as well as at http://wxvw.americans discuss.org on the World Wide Web. 1 SEPTEM BER 27, 1998 I I I 1 WHERE: North Of UNL Student Union (City Campus) I I I FOR: High School and Older I COST: $4