Fab Five
I ^ I The Daily Nebraskan explores the five
■ j I J key questions of tiie spring football
M ^ | § ^ ^ season. SPORTS, PAGE 16
a Ballet with Bite
Classical ballet and modem pop
music meet tonight at the Lied.
Tuesday, March 21,2000 dailyneb. com Vol 99, Issue 122 A&E>PAGE 9
__ _ _ Nate Wagner/DN
TYLER GEISBACIfT, a freshman exercise science ma]or and Delta Tan Delta member, helps David Nguyen, 6, create a paper bag
doll during Family Literacy and Multicultural Night at Clinton Elementary on March 7. Delta Tau Delta fraternity members serve
at Clinton Elementary once a week by working with the children and helping with fundraisers and book programs.
Fraternity helps school
By Lindsay Grieser
Staff writer
Amid the stacks of pancakes, books, paint, yam and ongo
ing children’s games, the students of Clinton Elementary
School scampered up and down the school’s crowded hallways.
Scattered in between sat volunteers from Delta Tau Delta
Fraternity, helping childrenplay games, paint pictures and draw.
Clinton held its annual Family Reading Night and Pancake
Feed a couple of weeks ago, and as a VIP partner to the school,
Delta Tau Delta helped prepare and run booths for the children.
“They always vphmtper at ail of, our family nights,” said
Angee Frahm, VIP liaison fpr Clinton and Delta Tau Delta.
“They help us set up, volunteer to work the games - and they
always stay and help with cleanup.”
For the past five or six years, Delta Tau Delta has participat
ed in Clinton^ math and science nights, family nights and car
nivals through the Adopt-a-School program.
All of the money raised from two of the fraternity’s fall phil
anthropies, Mud Tug and Floats for Clinton, was donated to
Clinton.
Mud Tug, the fraternity’s annual tug of war in the mud,
raised $560, and Floats for Clinton, a root beer float sale, raised
$2,640. These events have brought the contributions to Clinton
Please see FRATERNITY on 3
-ELECTION 2000
Overlooked
race drives
candidates
By Kimberly Sweet
Staff writer
The race is on for Nebraskans who want to hold a place on the
University of Nebraska Board of Regents.
Terms will be up for four of the eight regents currently on the board.
Of those four, only one is opting out of running in the upcoming
November election.
Robert Allen, the Hastings regent who represents the 5th district, is
not running for reelection.
He has served on the board for two terms.
That leaves three incumbents who will have to fight for their seats:
Chuck Hassebrook from Lyons, Drew Miller from Papillion and
Rosemary Skrupa from Omaha.
A number of opponents have entered the race against the incum
bents, hoping to challenge them once election night hits.
In the District 3 race, Jeff Johnson from Blair will challenge
Hassebrook.
Former state auditor John ✓✓
Breslow decided against running • • They SQy that
for the Senate to challenge Drew
Miller for the 4th District seat. Ollt QJ 100,000
Gary Rogge from Auburn and J
Bob Whitehouse of Papillion are VOteS CCISt, the
also running in that race.
With the 5th District wide regents might
open, three candidates have ° d
emerged. Jay Matzke of Seward, end Up with 50.”
Paul Toms of York and Robert J. y
Prokop ofWilber are campaigning
for the seat. „ o1
Randy Ferlic and Gary Rosemary Skrupa
Thompson are challenging Skrupa Omaha regent
in the 8* District race.
Both incumbents and newcomers to the race admit that campaign
ing for an office listed last on the election-day ballot is a challenge.
Despite the importance of the regent job, many Nebraskans seem to
be ignorant about the weight ofthe duty before them, said Skrupa, the
Omaha regent who is running for a third term.
The number of votes in the regents election proves it, she said.
“We’re at the bottom of the ballot,” she said. “They say that out of
100,000 votes cast, die regents might end up with 50.”
“And we’re responsible for spending $1.2 billion every biennium,”
Skrupa said, referring to the university’s state appropriation.
The reality that many citizens are indifferent about the job of the
regent hasn’t discouraged many candidates from campaigning as vig
orously as any other candidate for any other office.
Ferlic said he has spent hours pounding in signs, handing out
brochures and attending coffees with various groups around Omaha.
The retired heart surgeon said he is trying to raise awareness about
the importance of the job.
“I think the job of a regent is a serious one that needs some atten
tion,” Ferlic said. “The University of Nebraska is the only hope for our
area - particularly in our economic future.”
Matzke, a Seward physician, decided more than a year ago he want
ed to make a run for the Board of Regents position.
Now he is spending time and money campaigning and developing
extensive goals he would pursue if elected.
Please see REGENTS on 3
■i
By Kimberly Sweet
Staff writer
A professor responsible for coordinating
research on neurodegenerative diseases at UNMC
will leave later this year to become a prestigious
Fulbright researcher at one of the world’s leading
research centers.
Howard Gendelman, the director of the Center
for Neurovirology and Neurodegenerative
Diseases at UNMC, was selected by die Fulbright
Program to study nerve regeneration at the
Wiezmarm Institute of Science in Israel.
When he leaves, Gendelman will leave behind
months of controversy that have risen over the use
of fetal tissue in the research of neurodegenerative
disorders at UNMC.
Gendelman’s research, which seeks to under
stand how brain cells are damaged in Alzheimer’s,
Parkinson’s and other neuro-destructive diseases,
involves the use of fetal brain cells.
His and others’ work has led to the discovery of
ways to reverse AIDS-related dementia - a neuro
logical aspect of the deadly AIDS disease.
Gendelman said his selection as a Fulbright
researcher says something positive about die
research on neurodegenerative disorders going on
at the medical center.
“It makes a very strong statement that
Nebraska is on the map,” he said “A lot of univer
sities are studying the brain. We’re studying it in a
unique way.”
While many universities are researching the
things that kill brain cells and spur disorders,
UNMC is looking at ways to repair or prevent
damage to brain cells, he said.
In his research at the Weizmann Institute in
Israel, Gendelman will study with Michal
Schwartz, who is recognized as the world authori
ty on spiral cord regeneration.
Schwartz uses immune cells from the spinal
cord and brain on adult rats to regain motor func
tion.
Gendelman uses die same cells in his research
Please see FULBRIGHT on 6