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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 23, 1998)
SPORTS Mac in Milwaukee Reporters Andrew Strnad and James Nicas and photographer Matt Miller see the Mark McGwire experience firsthand. PAGE 6 A&E One-man show Robert Shapiro has gone from working in the mail room at a talent agency to owning a production company. He will lecture at UNL on Friday. PAGE 9 WEDN :s: »AY September 23, 1998 A Touch of Gray Mostly cloudy, rainy, high 70. Cloudy tonight, low 53. VOL. 98 COVERING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN SINCE 1901 NO. 23 Sandy Summers/DN JAMIE GRAYSON, a junior sociology major, studies Spanish by candlelight late Monday night in Habitat for Humanity’s Shantytown. Grayson, who volunteered her time for the annual fund-raiser, said she feels strong ly about the Habitat for Humanity. “I’m only here for an hour,” Grayson said. “I can’t imagine living the rest of my life this way.” Project serves as reminder ■ Habitat for Humanity asks for $1 donation from each UNL student to reach its $25,000 goal. By Angelia Huntley Staff writer As students walk between Andrews and Burnett halls this week, a small, cardboard dwelling captures their attention. The inside of the structure smelled of wet cardboard Monday as cold w ind gusted through and water dripped from the ceiling. The occupants aren't perma nent residents, but they hope the shanty is a v isual reminder of how relatively easy most people’s lives are. The cardboard home, called Shantytown, was constructed by Habitat for Humanity volunteers this weekend to promote awareness and to raise money toward the building of real houses. “We are not focusing on home lessness, (but) people really live like this,” said Chris Stone, Habitat for Humanity spokeswoman. Habitat for Humanity’s campus branch is a volunteer organization that helps people in need of hous ing, raises money for projects and creates tutoring and mentoring pro grams for homeowner families. “We do not know what it is like to live this way,” said Jason Dubs, president of the campus branch. "We just want people to think about it.” Last year’s Shantytown raised $1,300, Dubs said, but volunteers hope to raise significantly more this year - about $25,000. “A buck to build" is the motto and goal for the Shantytown, and Stone said she hopes students take the motto to heart. The money will go toward building a house for a needy family.“I hope students will look (at the shanty) and think about the impact they could make,” she said. “If every student gave just one dollar, we could finish the house." The UNL house will be built by volunteers and members of the family who will live in it when the necessary money is raised. The new owners will be Please see SHANTY on 2 Union Board votes to limit some areas By Jessica Fargen Staff writer The Nebraska Union Board voted unanimously Tuesday night to restrict non-students from the new northwest study lounge after 6:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. Nebraska Unions Director Daryl Swanson proposed the scaled-down version Tuesday night after board members failed to vote Sept. 8 on a policy that would have restricted non-students from the Crib, northwest lounge and the unfinished basement billiard room and television lounge. During a 45-minute discussion, four people spoke in favor of the policy saying non-students have made threats to union staff, are dis tracting to students who are study ing and make some students feel unsafe. One student spoke in oppo sition to the policy. Saad Alavi, who has been the Nebraska Union night manager for three years, said he has been students. Swanson asked Alavi, “Have you ever feared for your own per sonal safety?” “Many times,” Alavi said. “I've had people in my face, threatening me, calling me names.” Alavi said the policy would make his job safer and easier by containing non-students in a small er area at night, when staff is limit ed. But Peter Murphy, a graduate student in philosophy, said he opposed the policy because stu dents could be just as disruptive as non-students. He said the poli cy would not make the lounge a more study-friendly environ ment. It's not students who are drink ing alcohol in the union, though, Alavi said. They're not the ones vomiting, threatening people and disrupting the climate of the union, he said. 44 I don't think this policy goes far enough. I think it should encompass the whole union." Al Koenig history professor Swanson said students empa thetic to homeless people who could be displaced to other parts of the union because of the policy can donate money to Daywatch, a homeless day shelter, in collection boxes that will be placed in the union. Al Koenig, a history professor who teaches at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Nebraska at Omaha, said, “I don't think this policy goes far enough. I think it should encompass the whole union.” The union should not be a “day care center for free-loaders,” he said. Koenig also said “mumbling” transients made it hard for students to study, which he said was a func tion of the union they paid for. “If you try and study in the union, it's damn near impossible,” he said. Swanson said a safe, comfort able study area is something stu dents need. The newly renovated lounge is more conducive to study ing with its bright lights, soft chairs and its television that is shut off at 6:30 p.m. Swanson said he chose the study lounge as the restricted area because the billiard room and the Crib can sometimes be noisy with different events scheduled through out the week. Signs will be posted by Sunday Please see UNION on 2 ASUN considers eliminating party system in elections By Ieva Augstums Staff writer University of Nebraska Lincoln students may not have to enVISION a COMMITment to an ASUN party system this year. ASUN President Sara Russell said student government is looking at ways to make elected positions more accessible to students, including the possibility of elimi nating the current party system. “We need to ensure student government is doing its best to see students' needs are met as best as possible,” Russell said. “Redefining the election party sys tem process is one way.” Last year during ASUN elec tions, the question was raised to both parties on whether or not stu dent government leaders should be elected by party affiliation. Russell said her party, COM MIT, was for dissolving the party a Without the party system student government would be more inclusive. People besides the greek system would be involved Christina Anhalt sophomore environmental sociology major system. The VISION party was for keeping it. “Last year it was an all-or-noth ing thing, but 1 don't know if that's the answer this year." Russell said. “Maybe there's a middle ground.” ASUN Electoral Commission Director Ryan Fuchs agreed. Fuchs said there has been criti cism that ASUN is dominated by the greek system. Finding some way to make ASUN elections open to all students is one of the Electoral Commission's goals, he said. Fuchs said ASUN is conducting surveys asking students to com ment on how they feel about the Please see ASUN on 3 Read the Daily Nebraskan on the World Wide Web at http: / /www.unl.edu/DailyNeb