Nebraskans lead the U.S.
in returning census forms
By Margaret Behm
Staff writer
As advertisements try to warn
people of the consequences of avoid
ing their census forms, Nebraska res
idents have been leading the way in
responses.
The television ads show a teacher
who has class in a janitor’s closet, or
the waitress who can’t find day care
and has to bring her son to work with
.her. And if people would have filled
out their census forms, those types of
scenarios wouldn’t have happened,
they say.
“It’s an ad to make people aware
that the lack of an accurate census can
leave the community with less than a
.fair share of resources,” said Mark
Tolbert, spokesman for the U.S.
Census Bureau in Washington, D.C.
f So far, Nebraska has returned 68
percent of its forms by mail, the high
est in the nation, said Mark Patten,
.assistant manager of field operations
for the Omaha Local Census Office.
George Martelon, media special
ist for the Denver Regional Census
Center, said Nebraska is leading the
nation because the citizens care about
’their communities.
“I attribute that Nebraskans are
very civic-minded to why they are in
the lead,” Martelon said. “Aihd this
being the major civic responsibility
for the millennium, we are pleased in
Nebraska’s response.”
Nebraska had a response rate of
72 percent in 1990, Patten said!,.
“If we can hit what we did in
1990, we’ll be doing well, consider
ing the times,” he said. '
The census, which is taken every
10 years, decides how more than
$185 billion is distributed, Tolbert
said.
Even though the forms do not
have to be completely filled out, they
should be, Patten said.
“We encourage people to answer
every question,” he said. “Because
every question has a purpose.”
Census forms will be delivered to
residence halls at UNL on Monday.
The forms need to be returned to res
idence assistants by Thursday at 4
p.m.
A census employee will personal
ly interview people who fail to return
their census forms on time, said
Diane Chrastil, special places opera
tions supervisor for the Lincoln Local
Census Office.
“We’ll give it all we got until
we’re absolutely sure you don’t want
to be counted,” she said.
People will be hitting the streets
^ We encourage
people to answer
every question ”
Mark Patten
Census worker
on April 29 to visit people who
haven’t turned in their forms, Patten
said.
Census-takers are hired locally,
Martelon said.
“We hire people who are familiar
with and familiar to the local commu
nity,” he said.
Patten said the personal visit costs
the Census Bureau $34 more than
mailing the forms in. It costs $2 for
every response returned by mail.
Martelon said when people do not
fill out the formsy it hurts their com
munities.
“If one chooses to refrain, they’re
really not hurting anyone but them
selves and their community,” he said.
“It takes away from the community
the benefit of federal funds that are
distributed based on the census.”
Fraternities change
recruitment strategy
By Gwen Tietgen
Staffwriter
y After seeing a decade of declining
rush numbers, the Interfraternity
Council has decided to change its
recruitment process for the first time
rsince 1971.
1 The new fraternity recruitment
process, working in conjunction with
New Student Enrollment, will focus
on increasing retention rates and
attracting more out-of-state students.
NSE days are set aside during the
spring or summer for new students to
tour campus and enroll in fall classes.
Brad Carpenter, co-rush chairman
for Delta Tau Delta Fraternity, said two
goals for the new recruitment process
include getting the university’s sup
port for the fraternity system and
increasing rush numbers.
We will be able to reach a lot
more students because they can go
straight from NSE in the union to any
of the houses they want to go see.
Carpenter said.
Linda Schwartzkopf, director of
Greek Affairs, said the Interfratemity
Council studied several recruitment
models for a couple years.
Thai, IFC examined the reasons
that fraternities turned to an informal
process 29 years ago.
Schwartzkopf said the informal
fraternity recruitment process came
about at a time when it was vital for the
university to take its programs out to
the constituents.
As the university changed its
recruitment processes, fraternities did
not
Until this year.
Nick Hansen, Interfratemity
Council public relations chairman,
said the new recruitment process adds
more structure to the formerly
unstructured process.
Hansen said instead of spending
the whole summer visiting potential
members and sponsoring recruitment
events, fraternities will open their
j houses during NSE and wait for
potential members to come to them.
“Before (the new fraternity
: recruitment process) we only had con
tact with those students who handed in
rush applications,” said Hansen, also a7
member of Delta Tau Delta.
« We will be
able to reach a
lot more
students ...”
Brad Carpenter
Delta Tau Delta member
“Now we will have the potential of
seeing every student that comes
through NSE.”
Before the new recruitment
process, potential members had to
wait until high school graduation.
Now, they can join a fraternity
before they graduate from high
school. , (
Hansen said during summer visits,
recruitment chairmen would play golf
or eat dinner with the potential mem
bers. At this time, the chairmen would
talk to potential members and their
parents about the fraternity.
Now, instead of having the whole
summer to visit potential members,
udienuues wui nave one monm.
Then, starting in early June, frater
nities will concentrate all recruitment
efforts on NSE. Potential members
can join the fraternity at this time.
Joe Dierks, the Interfraternity
Council recruitment director, said one
aim of die new process is to create a
new level of understanding for the par
ents.
A week before classes start, frater
nities will hold a more formal recruit
ing program to target out-of-state stu
dents and those students who spent the
summer studying abroad, giving them
a chance to visit and join a fraternity.
Jim Cahow, 1998-99 vice presi
dent of recruitment and member of the
Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, said die
new process gives freshmen more
control.
“It takes a little bit of the responsi
bility off of the individual houses and
on to the rushees,” Cahow said.
Dierks said with the new recruit
ment process the number of potential
recruits could jump from just over 400
to 1,700.
“I think it’s going to be one of the
best things our greek system has seen
in a long time.”
Trooper
charged
in sexual
assault
By Michelle Starr
Staff writer
A 22-year veteran of the state
patrol was charged with first-degree
sexual assault Thursday and posted
bond the same day.
Kenneth Miller, 44, of Lincoln
was arrested Wednesday in the sexu
al assault of a 16-year-old girl
numerous times over about a year’s
time, court documents said.
At Miller’s arraignment, his
attorney, Mike Hansen, declined to
comment.
ii convicted, Miner could serve
up to 50 years in jail.
The prosecutor’s office requested
a $50,000 bond, but the Lancaster
County judge reduced it to 10 per
cent of a $30,000 bond.
The judge also ordered Miller
should not have any contact with the
victim or anyone under 16 years of
age.
According to court documents,
the victim reported that on numerous
occasions between October 1998 and
August 1999, Miller allegedly sub
jected her to vaginal penetration.
Also between July 4, 1999, and
Aug. 19, 1999, Miller allegedly fon
dled the victim’s breasts, removed
her pants and performed oral sex on
her.
He then masturbated and sug
gested the victim watch him, accord
ing to court documents.
In a statement issued by the State
Patrol on Wednesday, the patrol
handed the investigation over to
Lincoln Police as soon as Miller’s
supervisor became aware of the
alleged offense.
Miller was suspended from the
Nebraska State Patrol with pay.
Miller is scheduled to appear in
Lancaster County Court for a prelim
inary hearing May 11.
' ; -
V!
Experience events ef the first Easter' ^
This Day o£ a-$>5?
Resurrection ^
April 14, 15 & 16 • 7 p.m.
Matinee-Saturday, April 15, at 3 p.m.
Interpreted for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing- April 12, 7p.m. A
A powerful musical drama presented by /
South view Baptist Church f
3434 S. 13th SL • 423-5062 4 /
Sigma Chi Fight Night^
April 15, 2000
Tickets available at the a
^^Union this weekj^^fl
I
Try a Real Italian Experience.
NOW OPEN
Tues. -Thurs. - 5-9
Fri.-Sat. - 5-10
Sun. - 4-9
500 Sun Valley Blvd. - Lincoln, NE
For Reservations Call: 476-1212
Bring this ad in and enjoy a complimentary glass of wine.
-Thanks
Our website will tell you everything you need to know about watching the latest movies from
any of our nine theatres. We’ll show you what to see, where to see it and how much it’s
gonna cost. Relax, we promise there’s no exam once you log on.
www.doagtheatres.com
•DOUGLAS THEATRE CO.
HEY UNL, there's another
Ullrobfoihx
n twm & ifs Of Jnw^uniannenj
AprilUltrobfOflz Special
yw UllfobfUX TANS
3 MONTH *4495
MEMBERSHIP 524^
XaQ for details
Safe ends4/30
wow muuw Mmw wuuw sscmw mut— mow buum now
HOI Arapdhoe On Soutfi YMh& Arapahoe
■423-6022 aasa?
