SPORTS
A needed win
Nebraska got 21 points from Larry Florence and
20 points from Venson Hamilton for a 76-60 win
over Creighton on Wednesday night. PAGE 10
HEWS
The Nelson years
As he leaves office in January, Gov. Ben Nelson
can look back on eight years of high approval
ratings and close ties with Nebraskans. PAGES 8-9
THURS lAY
December 10, 1998
Clearly Cool
Mostly sunny, high 46. Mostly clear tonight, low 21.
VOL. 98 COVERING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN SINCE 1901 NO. 74
Police cite
man with
four counts
of theft
■ Officials say he claimed
to be a former NU football
player to acquire the trust,
and the cash, of his victims.
By Josh Funk
Senior staff writer
University Police on Tuesday
caught the man responsible for
defrauding many students with a story
of a broken-dow n car.
Police cited Lynn Finney for four
counts of theft by deception for his
scams, University Police Sgt. Mylo
Bushing said.
Finney, 45, approached students
for moriby, saying he needed to call a
tow truck.
Finney showed his victims news
paper articles about himself and vol
unteered his name, police said.
He told victims he was a Nebraska
football player in the early 70s and a
trainer for the Harlem Globetrotters in
the 80s. Police said Finney did not play
forNU.
All of the people who reported
being hoodwinked by Finney told
police that he was very nice, polite and
charming.
One victim said, “He presented
himself like a trusting friend which is
why I was suckered into lending him
iiiuncy.
Usually Finney took $20 to $40
from his victims under the guise of
having car trouble.
Then he exchanged phone num
bers with his victims, giving them a
false number, and promised to pay
them back the next day or later that
week, police said.
Four people filed reports with
University Police this fall after Finney
defrauded them.
A dozen other victims called
police after a Daily Nebraskan article
detailed two of Finney's recent scams.
Bushing said.
Many of the people who called
offered information but did not want to
file official reports. Bushing said.
Police presented a photo lineup to
four of Finney's victims, who all iden
tified him.
Police cited Finney at the
Lancaster Correctional Facility, where
he remains jailed for contempt of
court.
The first charge of theft by decep
tion is a class-three misdemeanor, but
each additional charge increases the
degree of the crime. Finney was
charged with a class-one misdemeanor.
Finney faces up to two years and
nine months in prison and/or $3,500 in
fines.
He will be in court Dec. 29 for his
initial appearance.
SCOTT MCCLURG/DN
FOLLOWING A YEAR AND A HALF in the RHA president’s office, Ben Wallace resigned Sunday to let RHA take a new direction without him. He also
wants to go a new direction personally and plans to become a residence hall student assistant next year.
KhA president quits to seek change
By Veronica Daehn
Staff writer
After y/2 years in the Residence
Hall Association, Ben Wallace has
decided it's time for a change.
For him, and for the organization.
Wallace, who stepped down as
president Sunday night, has dedicat
ed a good portion of the last four
years to RHA.
“(RHA) has affected every aspect
of my life since I've been here,” he
said. “It's given me the opportunity to
grow and realize my potential."
Though not sure if he will partici
pate in RHA next semester, Wallace
said he would become more involved
with the residence halls.
“I’ll keep trying to make an
impact and see that RHA is about
people becoming leaders,” he said.
Wallace believes every person
can be an effective leader and that
everyone has room to learn. People
need only the right encouragement,
he said, to realize their potential.
“The right words can make an
impact." he said. "I've enjoyed the
opportunity to help people grow, and
1 hope to continue doing that. Just
«-;
III keep trying to make an
impact and see that RHA is about
people becoming leaders A
Ben Wallace
former RHA president
because I'm not president anymore
doesn't mean I can't do that.”
Wallace credits the friends he has
made through RHA for helping him
deal with his decision to resign. He
said leaving RHA was one of the
Please see WALLACE on 3
Robak to speak at December commencement
By Jessica Fargen
Staff writer
Lt. Gov. Kim Robak cannot remem
ber who spoke at her undergraduate
commencement.
But she does remember when Ted
Sorensen, an aide to former President
John F. Kennedy, and a UNL graduate,
spoke at her graduation from the NU
law college.
The experience hearkened from her
memory as she prepared to speak at the
Dec. 19 commencement for her alma
mater, the University of Nebraska
Lincoln.
Robak said she and six NU law stu
dents had dinner with Sorensen before
Read the Daily Nebras<
graduation.
“1 only ate half of w hat was on my
plate, and he said to me. 'Are you going
to eat that?"'
Robak said she
does not remem
ber what Sorensen
said at her gradua
tion. which puts
her speech in per
spective.
“Graduation is
not about the
Robak speaker,” she said.
“It's about the kids
who are graduating.”
Robak, who will leave office Jan. 6
for a job at the University of Nebraska,
said she has often thought about what
tan on the World Wide Web at http:/ / wi
she would have liked to have known s
before graduation. ;
“If 1 had know'll some of the things I I
know' now', it would have made life easi
er.” she said. (
Despite the many students like her s
who also may not remember their com- <
mencement keynote speech, she was c
honored to have the opportunity.
“To think that 1 would have some- 1
thing of value to tell as they head out t
into the world,” she said. “It’s exciting.” t
Robak was elected lieutenant gover
nor in 1994, after being appointed by t
Gov. Ben Nelson in 1993. Previously
she was Nelson's chief of staff and his
legal counsel.
When students come back from
winter break, Robak will be the univer
vw.unl.edu/DailyNeb
ity s vice president for external affairs
ind corporate secretary to the NU
Board of Regents.
Herbert Howe, associate to the
hancellor. said Robak's work in state
government and her distinguished
ilumni status were instrumental in
hoosing her to speak.
Past graduation speakers include
'ormer Gov. Kay Orr, Sen. Chuck Hagel
md Franklin Sonn, the South American
imbassador to the United States.
Senior staff writer Todd
knderson contributed to this report.
For a look at Robak's work as
lieutenant governor, see page 9