ASUN continues rei By Kim Sweet Staff writer Lengthy debate ensued for the second week in a row at Wednesday’s ASUN meeting, as two senators endorsed changes of a controversial proposed constitutional amendment After flip-flopping numerous times, the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska voted down both amendments. At issue in the senate composition debate were five at-laige seats intend ed to be allocated to groups that his ' torically have been underrepresented. Also included in the proposed amendment, which will be voted on by students March 3, is a group of 10 representatives voted in based on then place of residence. Human Rights Chairman Andy Schuerman proposed an amendment to precede any possible legal ramifi cations that could stem from designat ing seats for underrepresented groups. The amendment required candi dates to sign that they were represent ing an underrepresented group on campus. Schuerman said legally, the senate could not verify whether a candidate actually represented a minority group. He also said they would not be able to define which groups have been underrepresented. 66 This is not what I wanted to do with this issue.” Andy Schuerman human rights chairman While Schuerman said he was personally in favor of setting aside at large seats based on specific cate gories, he also said ASUN was limited in what it could do. “This is not what I wanted to do with this issue,” Schuerman said. “Unfortunately, we are all bound by democratic and constitutional bound aries that we have to stay in.” While the first amendment gained a majority of the senators’ support, it failed to get the two-thirds vote it needed to pass. Immediately after the defeat of Schuerman’s amendment, Graduate Studies Senator Jeff Woodford brought an amendment forward to get rid of the five at-large seats. After handing out a large packet of documents detailing laws and cases in the United States that have dealt ASUN hopefuls make their Voices heard VOICE from page 1 Shannon said the candidates will use their experience, dedication and desire to ensure that every student’s input is heard. Miller said one method of guar anteeing this would be passage of an amendment approvingsfive special ly assigned seats in the senate. Supporters of the seats have said the seats would be allocated to underrepresented groups on cam pus, such as certain minority groups. The senate recently voted to place the amendment on the March 3 ballot. Students have the final say in whether the amendment will pass. “The'Voice party is for at-large seats in the Senate,” Miller said. “That will allow all students to be represented.” In her four years at UNL, Winkle said, many students’ voices have not been heard. “I want to touch the people that haven’t been touched,” she said. Winkle postponed graduation and tabled a study abroad program to run for vice president, she said. Though her decision caused a major change in plans, she said it was worth it. “This is the last chance I have to make a deference on this campus,” Winkle said. “I’m committed 100 percent” In addition to promoting student involvement in ASUN, the Voice party also wants to develop a safe ride home program and a communi ty networking program, Winkle said. Schuerman said change is need ed in student government. He said the Voice party planned to collaborate with various campus media to keep students informed and also intended to hold periodic roundtable discussions for students to attend. “We will do all we can to bring together the collective power of the university - the students.” with discrimination and affirmative action, Woodford said the amendment discriminated. ASUN is considered a private body, he said. If it were a state body, Woodford said, five seats allocated to special groups would be illegal. While ASUN isn’t held to the same laws as other state bodies, Woodford said, the senate has obliga tions as a legislative body. “In many ways we here in the sen ate are like a jury, ” Woodford said. Woodford’s amendment failed to pass, though some senators supported it. Arts and Sciences Senator Kara Slaughter supported the amendment and criticized die special seats, saying the representation on the senate would be appreciated more if it was earned. She said reaching out to the cam pus would solve the problem at its roots andliring more respect to the senate. Working to reach underrepre sented groups, Slaughter said, would bring a more long-lasting solution to the problem of underrepresentation. Graduate Studies Senator Jason Boykin disagreed. He said the amend ment wouldn’t give seats away, but instead would give underrepresented groups the chance to earn a voice in student government. “I think we’re creating an opportu nity to earn that spot. In creating an opportunity to earn that spot, we’re saying there’s a seat there that you are qualified for, and you can run for it.” Man attempted to enter Capitol with explosives ■ The man, who had tickets to the impeachment trial, wascarrying a bag with a knife in it that he said was for protection. WASHINGTON (AP) - A Maryland man with tickets to the Senate impeachment trial was arrested last week when he tried to bring a bag containing an 18-inch knife and two Explosives into the Capitol, The Washington Post reported in its editions today. Walter Wilson Johnson, 36, of Capitol Heights, Md., was stopped by Capitol Police at 2 p.m. Jan. 20 when they checked the bag on an X-ray machine. At the time, President Clinton’s lawyers, led by special counsel Gregory B. Craig, were presenting their second day of opening arguments before a crowd ed Senate chamber. Johnson told police he kept the knife for “protec tion,” authorities said. Capitol Police said a search of Johnson’s bag also turned up two M-60 explosive devices, a “terror ist handbook,” weapons price lists, an article on the Oklahoma City bombing, survivalist materials and a Soldier of Fortune magazine. One law enforcement source likened the M-60 devices to bottle rockets and said Johnson had no match or lighter that day to ignite them. Johnson was jailed without bond on charges of carrying a dan gerous weapon and illegal explo sives. On Monday, a federal judge ordered he be held pending a psy chiatric evaluation and set a follow up hearing for March 17 after cit ing reports that Johnson has a bipo lar disorder. Authorities said Johnson’s arrest marked the first such inci dent during the impeachment trial. 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