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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 8, 1999)
Interns restore park sites ByBrtteanie Jackman Staff writer A little-known national park 40 miles south of Lincoln is accepting applications for internships in which students help maintain historical sites. Mark Engler, a 1981UNL graduate and superintendent of the Homestead National Monument, said not many people know about die park. That’s unfortunate, he said, because it is an excellent opportunity for stu dents, particularly those interested in the natural resources field, to get some experience before graduation. Students can either intern or just volunteer through the national Student Conservation Association. The intern ship prdgram last 12 weeks and is avail able depending on the season? — ~ “The SCA and the National Park Program provide ways for students and people to learn about the parks and gain experience in a field of study they are planning to pursue,” Engler said. Courtney Hughes, a recent college graduate, interned at the Beatrice park during college and now works there. “Not only was I able to work with A . fct - The SCA and the National Park Program provide ways for students and people to learn about the parks ” MarkEngler „' park superintendent . the rangers and natural resources, I was able to help with the park’s curricu lum,” Hughes said. Engler said the park works with volunteers through die SC A and also has the opportunity to work with the internship program at UNL. The interns and volunteers work .with the rangers to help maintain the 160-acre park, Engler said. They keep die sites within the park maintained to help visitors understand the various sites’historical signifi cance. - : Some of the sites include the Freeman School and one of the nation’s first homesteads, which was estab lished by Daniel Freeman. These sites are preserved to show m A m what life was like on the open frontier 100 years ago, and the people who work at the park are important in doing that, Engler said. People interested in volunteering at the Beatrice park or other national parks can apply through the SCA, based in Charlestown, N.H. The SCA is an educational organi zation that gives students 18 years or older die opportunity to volunteer their service and work for the conservation of the nation’s parks, public lands and natural and cultural resources. The SCA program has no fee and provides participants with a travel grant to cover the least expensive mode of transportation to the position and the return after completion. r ratermty says it s back on track TTT» iHiij i i\rim>T n + • . • ■ ■ ... ... rimimum 1 lrom page i. chance to ask them,” she said. “I feel like they’ve been realty accountable to this, and they’ve been serious about leading the way.” Victor Martinez, vice president of Chi Phi; said one of the goals of die fra ternity was to build a communication bridge between Chi Phi and Judicial Affairs." - “We’re just going to make sure they* know we’re doing our part,” Martinez said. One of the major challenges since being handed the sanctions, Martinez said, was trying to reorganize the frater nity. , “It took a lot of stepping up by members in die house in order for us to meet our requirements and exceed them,” he said. Luttich said the sanctions had a positive effect on the fraternity. He puuucu iu an aicuiiui sxuxis training program that each member was required to go through? “It was certainly positive,” Luttich said. “And something we’re not look ing to get rid of.” The maturity shown by current members of Chi Phi was a big help in keeping the house running, Luttich said. “We didn’t realize what all it entailed in running a fraternity and why things had gone wrong,” he said “Now, I understand more than ever how things can happen. “When we went dry, it was a strug gle. But we moved past it” Before the start of this year, frater nity members had discussed the possi bility that they would have to close their house because of lack of members and financial difficulties, Martinez said But this possibility has become less of a threat, he said, because die fratemi ty nas aueviaiea aeoi wim me neip or alumni and fund raising, as well as through building membership. Luttich added this about his frater nity’s future: “We can’t screw up. And that just gives us all the more motiva tion for what our fraternity was found ed on in the first place.” James Griesen, vice chancellor for student affairs, said the university’s decision to reduce Chi Phi in numbers was a big factor in getting it back on its feet Having a core group allowed the fraternity to focus on what it needed to do, he said. “I’ve been very impressed,” Griesen said. “I think they have a fine group of men who are committed to establishing a strong fraternity in accordance with the university’s rules.” Senior editor Lindsay Young contributed to this report Proposal may save university millions REGENTS from page 1 up dollars for academics, said Dara Troutman, NU communications director. In related business, the regents passed a resolution to direct the four campuses to standardize their administrative computing systems and make them compatible. After a presentation on student information systems by Walter Wier, chief information officer for NU, the regents discussed the importance of having the same sys tem universitywide. “The systems are relatively the same,” said Regent Drew Miller from Papillion. “To duplicate them four times over is ridiculous.” UNL Chancellor James Moeser said the uniqueness of the four campuses leads them to each have separate systems. “What bothers me is the word standardize,” Moeser said. “It sounds like one size fits all.” Miller said the systems would be adapted to fit the four campuses. “We want one system that has some differences based on each campus,” he said. In other business, the regents voted to approve the contract for the acquisition of the Sigma Alpha Mu property. The lot could be used in the immediate future for parking, Moeser said. The regents also voted to name the future home of the College of Journalism and . Mass Communications the Harold and Marian Anderson Hall. l •■■■■■. iiii 1 Parking Problems? Need a Place to Park? Guaranteed Parking Park by Day $2.00 Park by Month $25 Don t Fight for Parking Enter at 8th & S Streets, 1 block west of Memorial Stadium National Garages, Gold’s Galleria, Suite 120 • 474-2274 NU on Wheels drivers say riders well-behaved WffififtLfr from page 1__ out of control,” Petersen said. “Nobody’s even gotten close to getting sick.” - - _ - Petersen said another driver gave a ride to a student who was sick before getting in the cab but wasn’t on the ride home. Students could be on their best behavior because they have to show their student ID cards, Petersen said, so both the driver and program know who they are. Each NU on Wheels cab gives • about 25 students a ride home every night, Petersen said. Jerry Lyons, an NU on Wheels dri ver with more than 20 years experience (hiving cabs in Lincoln, said student riders were generally well-behaved. “You gotta look at the whole sys tem,” Lyons said. “Every once in a while you’re going to get a bad apple.” Lyons said one rider was “mouthy” to him but that he hadn’t had any major problems with riders. Many students took cabs home on weekend nights before NU on Wheels started, Lyons said. ' “I’ve seen it all,” Lyons said.~ “Nothing really surprises me. I’m an old-timer.” Lyons’ only complaint about NU on Wheels riders was when students used the program to get from party to party and not to get a ride home. Three weeks ago, one group of stu dents called NU on Wheels for a ride from a bar to a fraternity house where tne group claimed to live, Lyons said. The students later called from the house for a ride home. “Students don’t always know the rules and regulations of the system,” Lyons said. But Lyons and Petersen said they thought the program was good for stu dents and enjoyable to work for. Petersen said riders were often grateful for die ride and that tips were not uncommon. “It’s either all or nothing with tips,” Petersen said. “Some nights there’s nothing there; other nights it’s pretty good.” Petersen said he graduated from UNL in 1996 and that on-campus par ties were more common then. More students off campus on weekend nights raised the need for a program like NU on Wheels, Petersen said. The experience has not changed his view of the university, Petersen said. “I don’t think it’s any different. People are in college to do social things as well as academic,” Petersen said. When he took the job, Petersen thought most of the work would involve picking students up from bars. But Petersen said he’d picked students up or dropped them off from as far away as Old Cheney Road. Petersen said the program even has regular riders, students who use the program once or even twice a week. “There are definitely people who take advantage of the program,” he said