By Kim Sweet
Staff writer
Students may get a chance to vote
on a constitutional amendment in the
upcoming spring elections that aims to
make the student senate more represen
tative.
The Association of Students of the
University of Nebraska discussed a pro
posed constitutional amendment
Wednesday that would allow University
'■* of Nebraska-Lincoln students to have
dual representation based on their
places of residence, their colleges or
five specially assigned seats.
Currently, students are represented
in the senate by electing members from
their own college.
The amendment proposes to elect
through direct apportionment 25 mem
bers from UNL colleges, 10 from a stu
dent’s place of residence and five mem
bers elected for special seats.
Each student voting in the election
would be able to vote for two categories.
AS UN President Sara Russell said
students’ eligibility to run for a special
seat would be determined on a yearly
basis by the senate. The special seats
would be allocated to underrepresented
groups on campus, such as certain
minority groups, she said.
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ASUN can govern better with your responses.
Respond to: asunl @unl.edu
ASUN Academic Committee
Chairwoman Kara Slaughter was criti
cal of the idea of having five special
seats being allocated to underrepresent
ed groups at the time of elections.
“I think the specialseats leave us
really open to politicking and manipula
tion and lead to hurt feelings and anger
that was never meant for underrepre
sented groups,” she said.
College of Arts and Sciences
Senator Urvanzo Gamez Jr,*agreed
“It would be really hard for a senate
to come up with groups of students that
feel more underrepresented than oth
ers,” he said
After first opposing the five new
seats, Speaker Matt Boyd changed his
mind and said he felt the seats would
indicate that ASUN was taking steps to
be more representative.
“It probably doesn’t solve the prob
lem, but at least it acknowledges it and
shows that we are trying to fix it,” he
said.
Jason Boykin, a graduate college
senator, disagreed with the criticisms of
the special seats. He said die decision of
having them should be left up to the stu
dents.
“Being a member of an underrepre
sented group, it’s not hard to figure out
who is underrepresented,” he said.
The bill was referred to the Special
Topics Committee where more discus
sion on the issue will take place.
In a separate bill related to the sen
ate’s composition, ASUN passed by
acclamation an amendment proposing
the elimination of the senate seat for the
Division of Continuing Studies.
The constitutional amendment will
appear on the March election ballot
The Division of Continuing Studies
senator is required to.be enrolled in
three credit hours, while all other sena
tors are required to be full-time stu
dents.
Russell said, eliminating the seat
would-not affect representation because
Division of Continuing Studies students
are allowed to vote in student govern
ment elections like all other part-time
students.
Appeal of no-poster zone continues
ByEricRineer
Staff writer
The Lincoln City Council voted
Monday to continue appealing a district
court’s decision that nullified an ordi
nance aimed at preventing anti-abortion
protesters from holding signs near
Westminster Presbyterian Church.
The ordinance, which was passed
Sept. 14, required a no-poster zone on
church premises throughout the city. It
banned signs, banners or placards held
within 50 feet of churches.
The anti-abortion group Rescue he
Heartland stirred controversy 22 months
ago when it began holding signs depict
ing graphic images of aborted fetuses to
protest a church elder, Dr. Winston
Crabb, who performs abortions.
In September, Rescue the Heartland
filed a lawsuit against he protest ordi
nance and won a preliminary injunction
from U.S. District Judge Richard Kopf.
On Jan. 3, Rescue the Heartland
announced it would no longer picket he
church because he Women’s Medical
Center of Nebraska, an Omaha clinic
where Crabb performed abortions, had
closed
The clinic’s closing met one of he
group’s demands.
A small group of people have con
tinued protesting at Westminster.
Dan Klaus, an attorney who repre
sents the city in he case, said a settle
i——1
ment agreement that would end the
protests was proposed to the city by
Rescue the Heartland. Since the occur
rence of the new protesters, however,
the council has reconsidered die propos
al. Gene Summerlin, an attorney who
represents Rescue the Heartland, said
the idea of die agreement was that pro
testers would not have any signs on
Ryan Street or 100 feet north and south
ofthe intersection of Ryan and Sheridan
Boulevard, near Westminster church.
The Dec. 22 proposal also asked
that the city not be able to pass addition
al legislation that would affect protest
activities at the church. Finally,
Summerlin said, it would pay Rescue
the Heartland’s attorney fees.
Klaus and Mayor Dale Young point
ed to a specific clause in the proposal
that prevented the city from accepting.
“There’s no restrictions on any
body’s activities other than anybody
who signed the settlement agreement,”
Klaus said.
On Sunday, a group of six protest
ers, led by Sam Schrock of Funk,
protested outside the church during its
worship hours.
Because of this, Klaus said, the
Council had to continue to appeal the
decision to overturn the city ordinance.
Schrock said he and his fellow pick
eters will be picking up where Rescue
the Heartland left off.
He said his group will picket
Westminster “until (Crabb) stops doing
abortions (in Lincoln) or until he is no
longer a member of the church.”
Larry Donlan of Rescue the
Heartland said his group felt it was vic
torious in its protest efforts, which
spanned most of the last two years.
“We think it’s great There’s one less
child-killing center in the state of
Nebraska,” he said.
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Meditative worship with
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Friday, Jan. 15, 7:30 pm
7:00 music rehearsal
Westminster Presbyterian Church
2110 Sheridan BfcdL
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6600 W. O St.
Hibler must respond
to harassment suit
■ A former student of
the accused teacher says
the NU regents took no
action when she brought
her claims forward.
ByIevaAugstums
Senior staff writer
Fired University of Nebraska
Lincoln English Professor David
Hibler has been given two weeks
to respond to a sexual harassment
lawsuit, or he will face a default
judgment.
U.S. District Court Judge
Richard G. Kopf said in an order
Friday that Hibler would face a
hearing to determine damages if
he does not respond to Valerie
Giunca’s motion by Jan. 22.
Giunca, a former student of
Hibler’s, sued him last February
alleging she was harassed while
she was a student in his class dur
ing the 1996 fall semester.
In her complaint, Giunca
alleges Hibler forced his way into
her apartment, where he proceed
ed to make unwelcome physical
advances toward her. She said
Hibler continued to pursue a per
sonal relationship after she made it
clear it was unwanted.
Giunca’s complaint also
alleges the university mishandled
the harassment charges and failed
to provide a safe learning environ
ment.
Giunca alleges Hibler and the
NU Board of Regents violated
Title IX and her rights to equal
protection.
Title IX of the education
amendments of 19,72 prohibits
sexual discrimination and harass
ment.
The regents, Giunca alleged,
knew of other sexual harassment
complaints filed against Jlibler
with the UNL Affirmative Action
Office and did nothing about
them.
The regents denied the allega
tions. On June 20, 1998, the
regents voted to revoke Hibler’s
tenure and terminated his employ
ment. Hibler was a part of the UNL
faculty for 33 years.
During that same month,
Giunca filed a motion for default
judgment because Hibler failed to
respond to her lawsuit.
Hibler then filed a motion stat
ing he was never personally served
with a copy of the summons and
complaint.
In December, Kopf recognized
the affidavit was addressed to
Hibler at UNL and subsequently
that Hibler did not receive the
complaint. Kopf extended Hibler’s
deadline to respond to Dec. 31,
1998. But Hibler has yet to
respond.
Upon the court’s review of the
docket sheet, Kopf said there is a
possibility the court’s prior order
was not mailed directly to Hibler.
Kopf requested the federal court
clerk to mail the order directly to
Hibler at his home address in
Valparaiso.
If Hibler fails to respond to the
motion, a hearing will be set to
determine the amount of plaintiff’s
damages once Giunca applies to
the court for the judgment.
Saturday
January 30,1999
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Dance auditions 10:30 am
Mabel Lee Hall
University of Nebraska
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