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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 19, 1999)
Diversity Council’s future rides on students By Dane Stickney Staff writer This fall, an idea to bond different diversity groups ran out of time and support. The Diversity Council failed to turn in new officer forms for a full year, and it was dropped from ASUN’s list of organizations. Currently, two members of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s faculty are trying to rekindle the council to improve diversity on cam pus, Tom Dake, assistant director of Student Involvement, and Chuck van Rossum, assistant director of the Minority Assistance Program and Multicultural Affairs, have pledged their support to any students wishing to restart the Diversity Council. “I would be glad to help, but I haven’t heard from any students who are interested,” Dake said. Van Rossum said a few students have expressed a desire to restart the program, but they haven’t had the time to do it alone. “If a few more students would get involved, it wouldn’t be that hard to get the council up and running,” he said. “I’ll certainly help in any way I 99 can. Dake also said the process of restarting the council would be pain less. “I’ve only heard whispers and seen no evidence of student interest,” he said. . “But it would be a very simple process if we just had student sup . port, and we really-don’t need that many students.” Dake described the organization as a unified body of all minority groups working to promote diversity. “Right now, there are a lot of slices of diversity out there,” he said. . “The Diversity Council would bring those slices together as a whole. They have a lot of serious similarities that could really help diversity on campus.” Dake said the group would give minority students and those who sup port diversity more influence over the university’s drive for diversity. If a few more students would get involved, it wouldn’t be that hard to get the council up and running ” TomDake Student Involvement assistant director Van Rossum has organized a meeting for those interested in restarting the Diversity Council, which will be from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 6 at the Nebraska Union. “Students can get together and dispuss the benefits of this organiza tion,” he said. “Hopefully, people will see that it can be a useful organization that can help unite the campus.” Van Rossum said students inter ested in getting involved with the Diversity Council should attend the meeting or contact Dake at (402) 472-2454. State congressmen to meet with ASUN By Veronica Daehn Staff writer Representatives from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will join their UNO and UNK counterparts today at a conference with Nebraska’s U.S. congressmen. Gov. Mike Johanns’ office will also be present at the open forum orga nized by the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska’s Government Liaison Committee. While not a debate, the open forum will focus on several issues sur rounding Nebraska right now, GLC Chairman Andy Faltin said. The purpose of the forum is to strengthen long-term communication between the student bodies of UNL, the University of Nebraska at Omaha, the University of Nebraska at Kearney and the government organizations. ASUN President Andy Schuerman said Sen. Bob Kerrey’s office called him with the idea for die forum. “They wanted to establish a com munication link between federal and state representatives,” Schuerman said. “This is a mutual project, and it behooves us to work together on it” Another important issue that rep resentatives will discuss today is their long-term visions for post-secondary education in Nebraska. “They should have a vision, and we want to know what it is,” Faltin said. “They’re representing us.” The combined 80,000 students on the three university campuses make up a large portion of eligible voters, and Faltin said representatives shouldn’t forget about them. “We’re still here,” he said. “Eighty thousand people — that’s a massive chunk of the electorate.” Other issues that will be discussed are long-term funding grants and how to bring Nebraska out of its agricultur al crisis. Faltin said he hopes the forum will also point out some key people who can stay in touch with these issues after the forum ends. The forum will be at the federal building, 100 Centennial Mall North, from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Faltin said it is not open to the public because of limited space. If students are interested, they should contact Faltin before 2:30 p.m. today in the ASUN office, 136 Nebraska Union, at (402) 472-2581. Schuerman and Faltin agreed that the forum was an important event. Students have a right to know the visions of Nebraska’s leaders, Faltin said. “What should our expectations be for them?” he said. “I can’t know every issue that’s coming across (all the time).” fj >1 f «r mmmm mijm 11 Online financial aid faces change ByEricRineer Staff writer Applying for financial aid may be a bit easier next semester for University of Nebraska-Lincoln students, thanks to a change being made by the U.S. Education Department in Washington, DC. Students nationwide have been using a Web site, www.students.gov, run by the department to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms. Starting this spring, however, stu dents using the electronic form will no longer have to send the department an additional form in the mail with their signatures on it. To make the financial aid process a bit faster and less expensive, the Education Department is planning to provide its applicants with electronic pin numbers. The PINs will take the place of sig natures and will allow students to rtion itor their accounts and apply for new loans and grants. The Education Department plans to distribute nearly 10 million PINs over the next year. Craig Munier, UNL director of Scholarships and Financial Aid, said the projected change was a step in the right direction. “I think the department is trying very hard to move the financial aid process more toward a student self-ser vice way of thinking,” Munier said. “I think they are sincere in being as user-friendly as they can be.” In the past, Munier said, it was sometimes difficult for his staff to try and match signature pages in the mail with the electronic forms from the Web. “That always struck me as kind of risky - trying to match data with a chunk of paper in the mail,” he said. Though some UNL students said they questioned the security of a per sonalized ID being used on the Web, Munier was optimistic. # “(The department’s) been working on solutions to that signature page for quite awhile,” he said. “The Web page is a secure site. They were so concerned about that before, but they’ve always made confi dentiality and security first and fore most.” Shane Ostermeier, a UNL graduate student, said he questioned the depart ment’s decision to switch to PINs. “I think it’s a great service, but you leave that security number there, a whole bunch of things can happen with that,” he said. Ostermeier said he thought the site was a positive one, however, because it was less time-consuming then sending applications in the mail. Matt Fish, a junior finance major, said even with a PIN, he thought it was still important for the Education Department to require a handwritten signature. “I’m still kind of leery about putting some of that information on the Internet,” Fish said. Women key players in mock campaign Class participants took on partisan roles ByGwenTietgen Staff writer If you want to know what running for the US. Senate is like, take Political Science 398: Women in Politics. A campaign simulation and final public debate between students Lisa Schultz, Republican, and Brandice Holley, Democrat, was Thursday in Burnett Hall. The debate followed rules set by the League of Women Voters and simulated a historic event because, if it were real, it would be the first time Nebraska had two women campaigning for a seat in the U.S. Senate. Students were randomly selected to represent Democrats, Republicans and the press. witnin tne Democratic ana Republican parties, students chose who was going to be the candidate, the press secretary, the campaign manager and public relations. The members of the press repre sented newspapers and magazines such as The American Spectator, The Washington Post and the Lincoln Journal Star. Lyn Kathlene, an associate profes sor of political science, said each candi date based her platforms on an existing U.S. senator and had to carefully craft the image of that senator. Candidates were required to come up with a platform, tape TV commer cials and simulate raising money for their campaigns by collecting cans of food. Kathlene said because early cam paign fund raising is so important, the candidate who collected die most cans would get 10 extra votes added to the final election count The class donated the canned food to the F Street Recreation Center chil dren’s food bank. Every Friday the class devoted its time to a political simulation. In turn, the members of the press wrote articles voicing the opinions of the publications they represented. The publications also had to endorse a can didate. Press conferences and a Meet the Press simulation were also held. Chris Bennett, a senior political sci ence major representing The Washington Post, said he learned the press really has to know the issues in order to ask the right questions. “I think the candidates worked hard. We didn’t cut them any slack, and they rose to the occasion,” Bennett said. Holley, a senior political science major, reflected on her experiences. “It was extremelyenlightening. I am a lot less critical ot real politicians - and how they physically present them selves,” Holley said. “The fact it was two women was the best thing about it because when com peting against a man you have to worry > about being overly feminine.” Schultz, also a senior political sci ence major, agreed. “It’s very educational and a ton of woik. If you want to make political sci ence your career or participate in public speaking, take this class,” Schultz said. Emily Zangari, a senior political science major and the Democratic cam paign manager, said the simulation was realistic. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s all going toward something because it mimics an actual campaign. Anyone interested in politics as a career should participate in this,” Zangari said. Expelled students start over DECATUR, HI. (AP) - Six high school students who faced expulsion over a football game brawl began enrolling in alternative schools Thursday as the Rev. Jesse Jackson continued to press for their return to regular classes. Jackson led five of the students and their mothers into the Macon/Piatt Regional Office of Education for a closed-door orienta tion session. They were later joined by a sixth student and mother. The students were to begin class es in one of die area’s four alternative education programs Monday. Five of the students were expelled for two years, and another withdrew from school after the Sept. 17 brawl. Another student who was expelled has moved out of state. Three of the students also face crimi nal charges. Under pressure from Jackson and at the suggestion of Gov. George Ryan, the district last week agreed to cut the expulsions to one year and allow the students to enroll in alterna tive school immediately. Jackson seeks a compromise that would make the students eligible for reinstatement to regular schools as early as January if they do well in the alternative schools. The school board hasrefused. During the past two weeks, Jackson has led marches, prayer vig ils and rallies and was even arrested during a school confrontation. A Macon County judge contin ued until Tuesday a hearing on a school board request to bar Jackson and others from demonstrating near the schools during school hours.