tronaut
By Margaret Behm
Staff writer
On the 14th anniversary of the1
Challenger explosion, the memory of
one member lives on through a pro
gram dedicated to helping low-income,
minority or first-generation college
students.
The program was named after
Ronald Ervin McNair, who was a mi$r
sion specialist for the Challenger space
shuttle. McNair died when the shuttle
exploded on Jan. 28, 1986 - 14 years
ago today. He was the second black
astronaut.
“This program was named after
him because he was a good role
model,” said Vaughn Robertson Jr.,
assistant director of the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln McNair program.
“After he was killed in the shuttle
catastrophe, they wanted to do some
thing to honor his name.”
Congress provided funding in
McNair’s name for the national Ronald
Ervin McNair Post-Baccalaureate
Achievement Program, which was
started in 1989.
The McNair program’s long-range
mission is to help increase the diversity
of colleges and university faculties by
helping students receive their graduate
degrees.
Carl Libby, who is in the McNair
program, recommended the program
to students who want to obtain a doc
torate.
“If you’re interested in graduate
studies, this program helps you out a lot
in terms of introducing you and helping
you make contacts before you have to
make career decisions,” said Libby, a
senior electrical engineering major.
There are 159 McNair programs
nationwide. The program started at
UNL in 1995, Robertson said.
Students in the program receive
NASA/Newsmakers
RONALD MCNAIR (far right in the front row) was a mission specialist for the
Challenger space shuttle, which exploded 14 years ago today.
benefits such as being paired with fac
ulty mentors, conducting research as
undergraduates and being loaned a lap
top computer, he said.
After students do their research,
they can present their projects at
national conferences.
The program also will pay for some
or all of the students’ travel expenses so
they can tour other colleges, Robertson
said.
The McNair program has two com
ponents: a summer program and a pro
gram for the academic year.
The summer program is more
intense because it is shorter, Robertson
said.
If students participate in the sum
mer program, they will have their
room, board and some tuition paid
while they complete their research pro
jects, Robertson said.
During the summer, students can
travel to participating universities to
complete the program, Robertson said.
At UNL, a minimum of 20 students
during the academic year and 10 stu
dents during the summer program par
ticipate, Robertson said.
Other programs have stepped in to
help the McNair program by offering
financial support and research oppor
tunities for students.
“We’ve been able to leverage our
resources further by partnering with
other programs,” Robertson said. “It’s
more than one program in terms of how
we stretch our resources for students.”
Students have the choice of begin
ning the program during the summer or
academic year. They must be of sopho
more status to apply for the academic
year and of junior status for the sum
mer program, Robertson said.
Those who want to apply for the
program must first complete an appli
cation and undergo a financial assess
ment. Students then need to prepare a
statement on why they want to pursue a
doctoral degree. Students must also
have two references and at least a 2.8
GPA, Robertson said.
A minimum of two-thirds of the
students selected for the program must
be both low-income and first-genera
tion college students, he said.
No more than one-third of the can
didates can be chosen because of race,
Robertson said. Those chosen because
of race must be either American Indian,
black or Hispanic.
Those races have been defined by
the U.S. Department of Education as
underrepresented, Robertson said.
This program is not for students
who are seeking professional degrees
such as medicine, law or architecture,
Robertson said.
“Students who are pursuing profes
sional degrees are not eligible,”
Robertson said, “because this program
is designed to have the students
become university professors and
researchers.”
Phong Nguyen, who was in the
Meiame raiK/ui\
McNair program from 1995 to 1997,
said there aren’t enough students pur
suing a doctorate because they discon
tinue school after they receive a bache
lor’s degree. Nguyen is pursuing his
doctorate.
“Right now a lot of students are
struggling with the bachelor’s degree
program,” Nguyen said. “So they stop
there and enter the workplace.”
Nguyen wanted more students to
enter this program because professors
are currently in demand.
“There is a great need for more pro
fessors,” Nguyen said. “And more
minority professors is what this pro
gram is geared to do.”
Libby encouraged students to join
the program because their chances of
receiving a doctorate will increase.
“McNair students are more likely
than other students to enter graduate
school and receive a Ph.D.,” Libby said.
Osborne announces Congressional bid
OSBORNE from page 1
that he was in good enough health to
take on a two-year term in the lower
house.
Physicians determined that
Osborne’s health is better than it was
during the last two years, he said.
“They figured I had a few more
miles left,” he said.
Gov. Mike Johanns said he was
excited Osborne announced he
would run for the 3rd District, which
covers more than 60,000 miles of
the state.
“Tom Osborne is a candidate
with unquestioned integrity, hon
esty and commitment to purpose,”
he said in a statement. “He is a gen
uine Nebraskan, and if elected,
would be a powerful voice on behalf
of the 3rd District and all
Nebraskans.”
J.C. Watts Jr., a representative
from Oklahoma and former
University of Oklahoma quarter
back, said Osborne’s coaching
experience would make him a good
candidate.
“His coaching record has proven
he has what it takes to organize
resources, develop teamwork and
lead under difficult circumstances,”
Watts said in a statement.
Former Big 12 colleague Bill
Snyder - football coach at Kansas
State University - said Osborne was
qualified.
“Tom has the qualities and val
ues to become successful at any
thing he would attempt to do,”
Snyder said. “His honesty, integrity,
compassion for people, work ethic
and desire to help others lead suc
cessful lives are certainly traits
which would fare well in public
office.”
John Hanson, a former 3rd
District candidate who dropped out
of the race in order to support
Osborne’s candidacy, said he felt
Osborne was the best candidate for
the job.
“It is very clear to me that the
right person for the job at this time is
Tom,” he said.
When asked why he decided to
run for the 3rd District, Osborne said
his family ties drew him there.
He owns a small amount of
farmland, and his family owns an
irrigation business in the district, he
said.
Osborne and his wife, Nancy,
have a house in Ogallala where they
will maintain residence, he said.
If elected, he will live in
Washington, D.C., during the week,
come to Lincoln on Thursday nights
and spend the weekends in Ogallala,
he said.
His wife will be in Washington,
D.C., some of the time and will split
her time between the couple’s
Lincoln and Ogallala homes, he
said.
Even though Osborne quit his
job as football coach two years ago
partly to spend more time with his
family, Nancy Osborne said she was
happy about her husband’s decision
to run for an office that would put
him far away in Washington, D.C.
“Having him in the kitchen with
me has been unusual,” she said.
“This will be more the kind of life
we’ve been used to.”
On a day when his campaign
was officially kicked off, Osborne
said he had no money in the cam
paign bank yet.
During the campaign season<he
will continue to teach classes at the
University of Nebraska:Lincoln this
semester, he said.
His campaign headquarters will
operate out of Hastings.
When asked why he chose to run
for the House over the Senate,
Osborne said he didn’t feel passion
ate enough about the Senate to take
on a six-year term. 5
“I want people to know I can do
it,” he said.
“I don’t have any plan ofbailing
out of this anytime soon.”
Decision surprises residents
By Kimberly Sweet
Staff writer
Tom Osborne’s Thursday morning
announcement that he is the newest
candidate to join in the quest for Rep.
Bill Barrett’s seat took some Hastings
area residents by surprise.
Some had mixed feelings about
whether Osborne should run after
quitting his football position to relax
and spend more time with his family.
But most doubted that any com
petitor can come close to challenging
Osborne, who has a greater name
recognition than anyone in the state.
Employees at the Hair Connection
hair salon were sitting in their swivel
chairs discussing Osborne’s decision
to run just minutes after he made the
announcement.
“I think he should’ve not done it,”
said Laura Hargis, owner of the salon.
“He retired to stay home with his fam
ily.”
Harry Alexander, a self-employed
resident, agreed.
“If he wanted more time with his
family, he shouldn’t have done it,”
Alexander said.
But vying for a two-year term in
the House was a better decision than
going all out for a six-year term in the
Senate, he said.
Linda Coleman, owner of the local
Daylight Donuts, felt differently.
“I think he will be a wonderful
candidate,” she said. “He was fair with
his players, has Christian morals -1
think he’ll be great.”
Even though fie was surprised
about Osborne’s decision to run for
Congress, Paul O’Donnell of
Trumbull said he thinks the former
coach is capable of taking cm the chal
lenge.
After listening to Osborne’s
announcement on the radio,
■
Delan Lonowski/DN
O’Donnell said the candidate has his
finger on the problems of the district.
One of the problems Osborne
identified in his speech was the ten
dency of young people to move out of
the district because of the lack of jobs.
O’Donnell said he has witnessed
this first hand. His granddaughter
lives in Washington, D.C., and works
for Rep. Doug Bereuter.
His grandson moved out of state
after graduating from the U.S. Naval
Academy.
“We literally export our children
because the jobs are somewhere else,”
O’Donnell said.
The state of farming also discour
ages young people from taking over
the farms their families own, he said.
“It is not likely that my grandson
will ever farm,” said O’Donnell, who
has spent his entire life in agriculture.
Other issues that Osborne
addressed in his speech- including his
commitment to speak with a unified
voice on agriculture issues and find a
way to bring more business and indus
try to the district - resonated with
O’Donnell.
Despite residents’ disagreement
over Osborne’s decision to come out of
retirement, Alexander believed
Osborne would represent the district
well and vote with his conscience.
“I believe he will vote the way peo
ple want him to,” he said.
Most said name recognition will
ensure Osborne the post as 3rd District
representative.
“I think he will win,” Hargis said.
“He’s popular in Nebraska and so
well-known.”
O’Donnell said Osborne has a
good chance now, but he would have
to see where the campaign goes.
“Right now he’s a popular person,”
he said. “But it’s hard to know where
the campaign wifi lead.
“I don't know what it would take to
run against him and beat him.”