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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 19, 1999)
SPORTS — Charlie’s basketball Charlie Rogers and the Nebraska women’s basketball team forged a key 82-62 victory over Kansas on Saturday. PAGE 12 A&E Message in a bottle Wine connoisseur Ken Meier believes there is more to wine drinking than high society. He shares his thoughts and wines with local residents. PAGE 9 TUESDAY January 19, 1999 On the Warmpath Partly sunny, high 50. Clear tonight, low 27. VOL. 98 COVERING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN SINCE 1901 NO. 82 Task force created for NU system efficiency ByIevaAugstums Senior staff writer NU President Dennis Smith announced Saturday the formation of a new task force that will focus on cost efficiency in the four-campus system. Smith told the NU Board of Regents at its January meeting that the eight-member adminis trative efficiency task force would allow people from outside the system to take an “objective and penetrating look” at the university's nonacadem ic operations. “I view the improvement of the university’s administrative processes and implementation of best business practices as among our highest pri orities,” he said. The formation of the task force is partly a result of heightened discussion over state spend ing. Smith said the group would help identify ways the university could streamline its opera tions without negatively impacting the quality of teaching, research and sen ices the university offers to students and citizens of the state. In 1995, Smith formed a committee that stud ied the best practices of the business community and public agencies. The committee submitted applicable prac tices to Smith in August 1995, and the recom Please see REGENTS on 2 Ryan Soderlin/DN PARTICIPANTS PROCEED INTO the State Capitol after completing a march from the UNL Culture Center. The procession was held in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. UNL, community join in celebration of King’s dreams Editor's note: This is the third in a series of three stories that will examine Martin Luther King Jr.'s life and legacy. By Shane Anthony Staff writer A beginning. That's what organizers called the first Martin Luther King Jr. celebration held on a day when classes were not. Starting with a morning pro- « gram at the Lied Center for Jf WQS emotional. It Performing Arts and continuing was just neat to see through the after- t noon, students, such a large part of faculty members and community the university here members joined together to honor celebrating the day” the slain civil rights leader and ESTRELLA HOWELL renew their com- event attendee mitment to today's struggle for racial equality. Some said numbers were small. But spirits were high. “I think we are off to a good start for something in the future,” said Ronald J. Stephens, assistant professor of com munication studies and ethnic studies, and co-chairman of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee. Stephens said he would like to have seen better atten dance. Generating interest m the events was a challenge for the committee, he said, but members worked hard to pro duce excellent programs. Please see KING on 2 l ---1 Web bookstores fight for student business ■ New online sites offer cheaper textbooks and convenience in attempt to win market away from traditional retailers. By Bernard Vogelsang Staff writer Some University of Nebraska-Lincoln stu dents have discovered they can save money on textbook purchases by going online. Web sites such as http://varsitybooks.com and http://bigwords.com offer an alternative to high prices and long waiting lines in campus bookstores. Saadat Shiblv Hossain, a senior computer science major, said ordering textbooks online at http://booksamillion.com saved him about 30 to 40 percent from regular bookstore prices. The University Bookstore also sells books online at http://efollett.coni. The bookstore offers textbooks online at the same price as on campus, said University Bookstore manager Viann Schroeder. “We think online bookstores are a good thing,” she said. "That's why we started one our selves.” John Bates, co-founder of San Francisco based bigwords.com, said lower overhead costs make it possible for his company to offer books at 15 to 40 percent below retail prices. “We often sell new books at prices for which you can get used books in campus bookstores,” Bates said. ■v_ UNL students have an additional advantage when they order books at bigwords.com, Bates said. Because bigwords.com is located in California, customers don’t have to pay Nebraska sales tax on their purchases. Students in Nebraska also can get their text books quicker than the national average of five Please see BOOKS on 2 Getting medieval --Lane Hickenbottom/DN MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY for Creative Anachronism combat each other during their Winter War Maneuvers in the Cook Pavilion on Saturday. Members from Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and part of Arkansas practiced against each other in preparation for a larger meeting in Phoenix. Please see related story on page 7. 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