SPOBTS
Momeau than an Athlete
Versatility, intelligence and intensity have
translated into success on the soccer field for
defender Isabelle Momeau. PAGE 8
IA&E
This is Living
The Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts
provides a space for artists to live, create and
display their work. PAGE 7
September 29, 1999
Pleasant Valley
Mostly sunny, high 65. low 43.
UNL mourns
loss of leader
Vice chancellor1embraced Lincoln ’
By Kimberly Sweet
Senior staff writer
The university and Lincoln com
munities mourned on Tuesday the
death of an University of Nebraska
Lincoln official who transformed
UNL’s business practices and served
vital roles in the community.
Melvin Jones, vice chancellor
for business and finance, died early
Tuesday morning at George
Washington University Hospital in
Washington, D.C., after suffering
from a heart attack.
Jones, 48, was in Washington for
a meeting of the Institute for
International Research. He was hos
pitalized after experiencing a heart
attack Monday morning.
In an e-mail sent out to faculty
and staff members on Tuesday,
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Chancellor James Moeser
announced Jones’ death and
expressed his grief.
“It is a personal loss for me,”
Moeser said. “I think I can speak for
the vice chancellors in saying that
we not only came to respect Melvin,
we came to love him as well.”
Moeser said the date, time and
place for a campus memorial service
would be announced at a later time.
Jones oversaw a variety of uni
versity departments, including the
University Bookstore,
Transportation Services and the
UNL police department. He also
oversaw the budgeting and account
ing and maintenance departments.
During his time at UNL, Jones
was responsible for negotiating a
deal with Follett College Stores, Inc.
to take over the University
Bookstore. He also was an integral
part in the negotiation of the $24
million contract with Pepsi.
The contract included an $11
million endowment for scholarships
I and student
programs.
“During the
three and one
half years that
Melvin was
vice chancellor
for business and
finance, he
transformed the
w ay 111 wiiivii
Jones UNL did busi
ness,” Moeser said in his e-mail.
While being a core part of busi
ness operations at UNL, Jones also
served many leadership roles
throughout Lincoln at the same
time.
One of the roles was being the
1999-2000 chairman of the
Lincoln/Lancaster County United
Way Campaign.
His enthusiasm for the campaign
led Jones to set an 8.1 percent goal
increase for the next year, said
Sandy Rupp, chief professional offi
cer of United Way.
“He felt so strongly about raising
as much money as possible that he
didn’t feel any goal was insurmount
able,” Rupp said.
Serving as a board member for
the Downtown Lincoln Association
since 1997, Jones was an invaluable
link between the university and
downtown, said Polly McMullen,
president of the association.
“Not only was he a strong sup
porter of downtown, but he was
someone who helped forge a
stronger relationship with down
town and UNL,” McMullen said.
McMullen, who was on the com
Please see JONES on 3
NateWagner/DN
SOPHOMORE RICH KLUVER takes a Habitat lor Humanity flier from freshman volunteer Miranda Mueller Monday
evening. Mueller spent several hours in the Shantytown braving the cold weather. When asked how the experience
affectedher, she said. “It makes me want to go home more.”
Habitat’s Shantytown
helps raise awareness
By John Hejkal
Staff writer
People who live in substandard
housing don’t have a place that is
warm and dry to go to when it gets
cold and rainy outside.
But because of the activities of
the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
chapter of Habitat for Humanity
International, fewer Lincoln residents
will have to experience that situation.
UNL Habitat for Humanity is
sponsoring an event called
Shantytown this week. It started
Monday at 8 a.m. and is continuing
through the end of the Oct. 2 football
game.
Shantytown is an event designed
to raise awareness and funds for
Habitat for Humanity.
“We’re having students here 24
hours a day to give the idea that peo
ple who live in that kind of housing
can’t go somewhere else and go in at
night,” said Chris Stone, publicity,
public relations and education chair
woman of the UNL chapter of Habitat
for Humanity.
“It’s good that it’s in front of the
(Nebraska) Union this year because it
creates a little more awareness,” said
Kayla Dick, a junior pre-law major,
during her volunteer shift in
Shantytown Tuesday.
Last year Shantytown was located
in the area between Andrews and
Burnett halls.
Shantytown is a structure of card
board boxes designed to represent
substandard housing around the
world.
“We thought it was a really good
way to draw attention to the different
kinds of housing that people live in,”
Please see HABITAT on 3
Extravaganza sparks interest in study abroad
■ Students with travel
experience enlighten those
seeking the same.
By Gwen Tietgen
Staff writer
Getting out of Nebraska, earning
college credit and learning about a
country’s culture isn’t as impossible
as some students may think.
Students interested in studying
abroad found this out Tuesday night at
the Study Abroad Extravaganza in the
Nebraska Union. The extravaganza
provided information for anyone
interested in the study abroad pro
gram.
Students who had studied abroad
were available to answer questions
and share their experiences.
John Sypal, a University of
Nebraska-Lincoln art major, studied
abroad at Senshu University in
Kawaski City, Japan, during the fall
semester of his sophomore year.
Sypal said he had been interested
in Japan and wanted to study there.
One of his biggest experiences was
learning about the Japanese culture.
“Looking around and not seeing
another person who looks like you
anywhere really opens your mind,”
Sypal said. “It makes me look at
America differently. I had more of a
culture shock coming back into the
United States than I had going into
Japan.”
Merlin Lawson, dean of
International Affairs, said each year
the study abroad program introduces
students to a wealth of global cul
tures.
“Last year the program had 413
students studying abroad in 22 differ
ent countries,” Lawson said.
David Baker studied at Tanzania
in East Africa for one year and said he
has never been so welcome and
accepted as he was in Tanzania.
Baker spoke to students about his
experiences and encouraged all to
take the opportunity to study abroad
during college.
He also encouraged students to
meet a variety of people and get the
full experience of another environ
it-~~
Looking around and not seeing another person
who looks like you... really opens your mind.”
John Sypal
UNL art major
ment.
“I didn’t realize how easy it is to
learn another language until 1 was
immersed in it,” Baker said.
Baker said students study abroad
to have the opportunity to learn the
whole process of adapting to another
way of living. His biggest adjustment
was learning to be patient and not
always expecting things to be on time.
Dayna Coufal, senior elementary
education major, wants to study
abroad in a Spanish-speaking coun
try.
“I haven’t learned enough Spanish
by taking classes,” Coufal said.
“I need to be engulfed in the cul
ture to learn Spanish. This way I will
be able to communicate with
Spanish-speaking students in their
own language and know about their
culture.”
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