Voter turnout 12 percent in runoff
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By Veronica Daehn
Staff writer
If 20 more students had decided to vote in the
ASUN election Wednesday night, next year’s stu
dent government may have had a different outlook.
A runoff election, held because neither party
garnered enough votes a week ago, was decided by
20 votes.
As expected, voter turnout was not as high as last
week. Out of a possible 20,511 eligible voters, 12.03
percent voted Wednesday, compared to 13.2 percent
last week. *
Voice party executive candidates Andy
Schuerman and Rachelle Winkle won this year’s
Association of Students of the University of
Nebraska election with 1,237 votes.
Focus candidates Paul Schreier and Jon England
received 1,217.
For second vice president, Focus candidate
Trisha Meuret defeated the Voice party’s Vernon
Miller with 1,289 votes. Miller obtained 1,124.
In the presidential race, six blank ballots were
turned in and seven ballots were deemed invalid.
There were 54 no-votes in the race for second
vice president. , '•
The runoff election was held because ASUN
election guidelines dictate an executive candidate
must receive a majority of the total votes cast in gen
eral election.
If a majority is not achieved, the candidates are
victorious only if their vote total is higher than their
opponents’ by at least 10 percent of the total number
of votes cast
Because no candidate gained a majority or won
by 10 percent, a runoff election was held
Wednesday.
No margin of victory is required in a runoff elec
tion. Parties can, however, request a recount. Both
parties will have until Friday to do so.
An electronic counting machine was used to
count ballots last week, but an election commission
of eight people spent more than three hours sorting
and counting the ballots by hand Wednesday night.
Because of limited finances, Marlene Beyke,
ASUN director of development, said the machine
could not be used the second time.
While the machine is more accurate, Focus sen
ate candidate Judy O’Brien said the commission did
agoodjobbyhand.
“The machine seems more efficient,” she said,
“They’re doing a good job guaranteeing that the
count is right by hand, though.”
O’Brien, who lost her senatorial race last week,
said the runoff created extra stress for both parties
V I J ' : h'\
3.2 percent (from last week)
3.5 percent
9.8 percent c .
1996 * 8.4 percent (18-year low)
1995 12.7 percent
I960 16.3 percent
JonFrank/DN
who were already worn out from die campaign.
“I understand why it was necessary,” she said,
“but it was hard on both sides to campaign for anoth
er week.”
Voice Senate candidate Nick Bums agreed. The
cost of campaigning was steep, he said.
“I would have liked to have seen it taken care of
last week,” Bums said. “A lot of people went for
broke that last week and it made it difTcult on every
one involved.”
Beyke said the work that the candidates did to
encourage students to vote in the runoff was impres
sive.
“The candidates really worked hard to get every
one out.”
Dole warms to presidential run
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■ The wife of former Sen.
Bob Dole, Elizabeth Dole
announces the formation
of an exploratory commit
tee while speaking in Iowa.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -
Elizabeth Dole moved a step closer to
a full-fledged campaign for president
Wednesday, announcing the formation
of an exploratory committee and say
ing she sees “a great American yearn
ing” that she is ready to fulfill.
Highlighting her qualifications in
the race for the 2000 Republican nom
ination, Dole said she had worked for
five presidents - and had held two
Cabinet posts - but she also sought to
separate herself from other political
candidates.
“What does a woman like me have
to offer the country?” she asked. “I’m
not a politician and, frankly, today I
think that may be a plus.”
She pointed to her experience as
secretary of labor and secretary of
transportation as well as her eight
years heading the American Red
Cross.
“That’s experience and that’s what
counts,” said Dole. “I’m not a seat
warmer. I want to get in there and
make a difference.”
Her speech, announcing an
exploratory committee looking toward
a campaign, was heavy on themes and
it
I think Elizabeth Dole is a fine person and
I’m glad she s in the race. I think its
instructive to America that the first viable
female presidential candidate is a
Republican.”
George W. Bush
Texas governor
i _
light on specifics.
“I want to hear from you. This is a
people-to-people effort on my part,”
Dole told more than 400 backers who
jammed a rally. “We’re going to be lay
ing out positions on all these issues,
but we’re going to be doing it in a
thoughtful way.”
During her speech, Dole moved
about the room much as she had dur
ing a presentation that won her high
marks at the 1996 Republican
National Convention that gave the
1996 GOP nomination to her husband.
Bob Dole did not attend
Wednesday’s event, and she didn’t
refer to him directly.
After her speech, Elizabeth Dole
left the room without answering
reporters’ questions.
Early polls have shown Texas Gov.
George W. Bush and Elizabeth Dole
far ahead of other potential GOP
rivals. And Bush issued a statement
welcoming her to the contest.
“I think Elizabeth Dole is a fine
person and I’m glad she’s in the race,”
Bush said. “I think it’s instructive to
America that the first viable female
presidential candidate is a
Republican.”
A Gallup Poll released Wednesday :
showed Elizabeth Dole with 50 per
cent support compared to 45 percent
for Vice President A1 Gore in a one
on-one matchup. Bush had a 56 per
cent to 41 percent lead over Gore.
Four out of 10 poll respondents
said that, all else being equal, a man
would make a better president than a
woman. Three out of 10 said a woman
would be better.
The telephone poll of 1,014 adults
was conducted Friday through Sunday
and had an error margin of plus or
minus 3 percentage points.
Few choose to complete honors program
nwrNurvo irom page i
The number of honors students
who graduate from the program fluctu
ates because students fulfill degree
requirements in different manners.
“For some reasons, students tend to
stick around longer,” Berger said.
“Sometimes it takes longer to fulfill all
of their requirements, i.e. the thesis.”
Alyson Goodall, an August 1998
honors program graduate, agreed.
“I stuck around for the summer just
to work on and finish my thesis,”
Goodall said. “I’m glad I did so.”
Goodall, who is currently a gradu
ate student at the University of Arizona,
said graduating with honors has
allowed her to excel in her graduate
studies. Goodall, who received her
bachelor’s degree in communication
studies, is pursuing her master’s in pub
lic administration.
“It’s amazing to me to hear not
many students graduating with hon
ors,” die said, “I cannot imagine myself
graduating from the university without
it”
Goodall said graduating with hon
ors has benefited her academically and
professionally.
“It was important to me to graduate
with distinction because UNL is such a
uig scnooi, vjoouau saia. 1 warned to
set myself apart from the rest, then and
now.”
Berger said each college and
department has its own methods of
determining what degree of distinction
an honors student can graduate with.
Students who fulfill all honors
requirements can graduate with dis
tinction, high distinction or highest dis
tinction, he said.
“It’s up to the individual colleges.
The honors program doesn’t decide,”
Berger said “But to graduate with hon
ors, students do have to complete a
research or creative activity, such as a
thesis, their senior year.”
Brian Buescher, a May 1997 hon
ors graduate, said the decision to write
an honors thesis may be hard for some
students.
“Writing an honors thesis is not for
, everyone,” Buescher said “But the fact
the students use and abuse the textbook
scholarship, well, that’s wrong.”
Neither Buescher, who is currently
a second-year law student at
Georgetown University Law Center, or
Goodall received the textbook scholar
ship. The scholarship was implement
ed in 1995, during Buescher’s junior
and GoodaU’s sophomore year.
“It’s sad to hear students are taking
advantage or me scnoiarsmp, uooaan
said. “Students should realty try to ful
fill all of the honors requirements.”
Buescher agreed.
“It wasn’t easy, but I did it,”
Buescher said. “It was definitely worth
it.”
Berger said the program would
increase opportunities for students to
pursue their thesis, including the con
tinuation of an honors thesis work
shop.
“The common trend we are seeing
is more students finishing their «
requirements and graduating from the
honors program,” he said. “We want to
keep it like that.”
Scott Schreiter, a junior honors
communication studies major, said he.
had been contemplating his thesis this
year.
“I don’t know what I want to do it
on yet, but I do know I want to do it,”
Schreiter said.
Buescher said he was pleased to
hear more honors students pursuing a
thesis.
“When you combine wonderful
students and the opportunity to suc
ceed, you have students who fulfill
their college goals,” Buescher said.
“Individual and academic success is
what the program likes to see.” '
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