Depression help offered
By Sara Gardner
Staff writer
Almost everyone will be affected
by depression at some point in their
life.
Many times, it first shows up dur
ing the college years, said Bob
Portnoy, clinical psychologist and
department head of Counseling and
Psychological Services at the
University Health Center.
As a part of National Depression
Screening Day Thursday, University
of Nebraska-Lincoln students and
faculty can get free depression
screenings in the Nebraska Union
from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. An
informational discussion will begin
at noon.
Less than half of Americans with
depression don’t get treatment
becaus*e the problem is not recog
nized, Portnoy said.
Portnoy said if depression
remains untreated, it can affect a stu
dent’s life academically and occupa
tionally.
Statistics show that one out of
five adults will experience depres
sion, Portnoy said.
“That means that about 4,000 stu
dents at the University of Nebraska
Lincoln either have or will have
depression,” Portnoy said. “This
number is so large that no one is left
unaffected by it.”
Portnoy, who is coordinating the
event at UNL, said the university has
observed the day for more than five
years. This year, it will take on a new
focus, he added.
“We want students to recognize
the signs of depression not only in
themselves, but also in others,”
Portnoy said.
Jane McClure, Employee
Assistance Program counselor at the
UNL Counseling and Psychological
Office, said the office will offer more
than just a depression screening.
“We will also offer material on
how to respond to others with depres
sion. We are giving students, staff and
faculty the opportunity to assess and
treat it,” McClure said.
Dave Miers, coordinator of men
tal health services at BryanLGH
West, said treatment is 80 to 90 per
ce^successful when this illness is
defected.
«
Treatment is
necessary. There is
no snapping out of
depression.”
Dave Miers
coordinator of mental health services
at BryanLGH West
“Treatment is necessary,” Miers
said. “There is no snapping out of
depression.”
There are many signs to look for
in recognizing depression, he said.
Symptoms of depression include
feelings of hopelessness, low self
worth, problems with sleeping,
changes in appetite, withdrawing
from usual activities and thoughts of
suicide.
If these systems persist for more
than two weeks, it could be depres
sion.
Students can call Counseling and
Psychological Services at (402) 472
7450 for more information.
UNL organizations stir up ideas
International, American studenM invited to mixer
By Dane Stickney
Staff writer
Three University of Nebraska
Lincoln organizations are bonding
together to help international stu
dents make their voices heard.
The International Student
Organization, the International
House and the ASUN International
•Students Subcommittee are sponsor
ing a mixer for international and
American students.
The ASUN subcommittee is a
branch of the Association of Students
at the University of Nebraska that
deals specifically with the needs of
international students.
The mixer will be held from 7:30
to 8:30 tonight in the Blue TV
Lounge at Neihardt Residence
Center.
Dustin Manhart, a member of the
ASUN International Students
Subcommittee, said the mixer will
provide a laid-back atmosphere for
discussion.
“It’s just going to be a real infor
mal mixer for international and
American students to get together
and discuss issues facing the interna
tional students,” he said. “Since
ASUN is the voice of the students, it
is important for us to learn their
needs.”
Manhart said this is ASUN’s sec
ond attempt to interact with interna
tional students. Last year, a round
table discussion was held, but
Manhart said there will be changes
for this year’s mixer.
“We’re going to have an icebreak
er, a roundtable discussion over three
or four questions and then break into
groups,” he said. “We’ll just try to get
thoughts from everybody and reward
them with cookies and pop.”
A major focus of the program is to
open international students’ eyes to
the benefits of ASUN, Manhart said.
“There will be presentations from
each of the three groups involved,” he
said. “We’ll try to let them know what
student government is and that they
can vote and run for office.”
Guhanand Venkataraman, a mem
ber of the International Student
Organization, said he hopes the mixer
will bring together many internation
al students.
“Some international students
keep to their books,” he said. “This
mixer will give them an opportunity
to get involved with something
besides studies.”
Venkataraman said the mixer will
provide a valuable opportunity for
international students to learn about
each other and the university.
“It will be an open forum for dis
cussion and brainstorming,” he said.
“After they leave, they will know
what ISO, I-House and the subcom
mittee are.”
The International Students
Organization is a student organiza
tion that encompasses all internation
al students at the university.
International House consists of
international students living on cam
pus. Many of the members are from
Cather Residence Hall,
Venkataraman said.
Bank proposes move within union
■ NBC’s proposal would
move-the campus branch
to the north side of the
building.
By Aimee Green
Staff writer
The National Bank of Commerce
proposed to the Union Board on
Tuesday night that they move to the
north side of the Nebraska Union.
With a presentation to the board,
NBC manager of Retail Banking Jo
Kinsey said the move would enable
NBC to redesign the type of banking
used and place the bank in the path of
more foot traffic, she said.
In addition, the bank would be
able to offer more privacy to cus
tomers discussing accounts.
Union Board members tabled the
issue until its next meeting on Oct.
26.
Kinsey said that in a recent survey
issued by NBC, students suggested
that the current location of the bank is
inconvenient.
Most of the foot traffic in the
Nebraska Union is on the north side
of the building, she said.
“Banking today is no different
than any other retail environment,”
she said. “We depend on foot traffic.”
One of Kinsey’s proposals was to
move the bank to the lobby alcove,
the former Information Desk space.
If the bank moved to the alcove, it
would redesign the way its banking is
currently done.
In a space of 450 square feet,
Kinsey said, they would create a full
service branch with more privacy and
a new interactive kiosk.
The kiosk would consist of a full
service ATM and a self-service cen
ter, where customers could access
their accounts via the Internet.
If they had any questions about
their accounts, they could pick up a
phone and talk to someone in the
bank’s call center.
Not only would they talk on the
phone, but an interactive video screen
would enable the customer and
employee to see each other.
The customer would have a
choice, Kinsey said.
“It’s not your normal brick and
mortar you can see on a street cor
ner,” Kinsey said.
The kiosk would be available as
long as the union was open, part of
the reason NBC would like to try the
new technology at the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln.
“Students are the ones who like
non-traditional hours to access those
services,” Kinsey said.
The redesign and relocation could
be completed six months after
approval, Kinsey said.
Union Board members were
uncertain if moving the bank was a
good idea.
Student organizations currently
use the alcove, and they are beginning
to use it effectively, Nebraska Unions
Director Daryl Swanson said.
If the bank took the alcove, its old
space would become open, but stu
dent organizations would no longer
have access to such a central location.
“I think we need to look at what’s
more important to us,” Union Board
Vice President Todd Cruise said.
“Would we rather have a bank there,
that not all the students even use, as
opposed to all the things that it’s used
for now?”
One suggestion was that the bank
consider using its current space to
make it more convenient to students,
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Faculty salaries are
budget’s top priority
■ Research funding,
scholarships and child
care are also a part of
budget proposal.
By Shane Pekny
Staff writer
Faculty members got a prelimi
nary look at UNL’s budget Tuesday,
which put faculty salaries as a prior
ity and proposed money for research
funds, scholarships and improved
child care.
Senior Vice Chancellor Rick
Edwards presented a preliminary
budget proposal at Tuesday’s
Academic Senate meeting in place
of University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Chancellor James Moeser, who was
out of town.
The budget is in the early stages
of development, and the
Chancellor’s office is hoping to hear
comments from faculty and stu
dents, Edwards said.
Staff salaries make up the most
expensive item on the budget pro
posal, requiring about $ 19 million in
new funds, Edwards said.
“(Faculty salaries) will be,
almost for sure, priority number
one,” he said.
The budget proposal also asks
for $10 million to create a “research
challenge fund.” The fund would be
accessible by researchers only after
they matched it with outside grants,
providing a greater incentive to win
grant money, Edwards said.
“The state would become our
partner in funding research,” he said.
Another item on the budget pro
posal is a new scholarship fund that
would target needy and average-per
forming students. Those who earned
ACT scores between 26 and 30
would benefit most from the new
scholarships, Edwards said.
The Chancellor’s proposal
addresses the current lack of child
care on campus as well.
“We provide child care when
you go to the Rec Center, but not
when you go to the library,”
Edwards said.
The university will have to study
different alternatives to child care,
he added.
Other items on the proposed
budget include $2 million for
extended education and $500,000
for public works.
After Edwards presented the
budget proposal, David Lechner,
NU vice president for business and
finance, updated the Senate on the
university’s health insurance plan.
With the number of claims
increasing at 11 percent a year, the
university’s health insurance trust
fund will be $97 million in debt by
the year 2004, Lechner said.
The university will request more
money from the Legislature and will
have to raise prerhiums to solve the
problem, he said.
In other notes, the Parking
Advisory Committee will vote
Friday on the proposal to build a
parking garage at the intersection of
17th and R streets. The committee
has voted once before but will have
to vote again because of some con
fusion, said Gail Latta, Academic
Senate President.
Latta also reminded the senators
to attend the Campus Dialogue on
Race, which will be held today.
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