Bands and Beer
Knickerbocker’s bar builds its
m reputation on live music and lots of
it. A&E, PAGE 10
I 1 Farming for Votes
«B^ GOP Senate candidates debate
Friday, April 28,2000 dailyneb.com Vol 99, Issue 150 & ne ws^pag
Partner benefits possible
Student coverage could be inclusive of gay partners
By Dane Stickney
Senior editor
A new student health insur
ance plan that could include
domestic partner coverage is in
the final stages of being formal
ized by UNL administrators.
The Chickering Group,
which specializes in student
health care and is based in
Cambridge, Mass., has been
selected to be the health care
provider of the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln.
Linda Henman, director of
the UNL Health Center, said the
Chickering Group will provide
broader coverage for students at
a lower rate.
Chickering also has the
capability of providing cover
age to domestic partners of
UNL students. The term
“domestic partners” refers to
two people who live together
and share financial responsibili
ty. This includes both heterosex
ual and gay couples.
“Chickering will cover
domestic partner benefits if the
university desires ” Herrman
said.
James Griesen, vice chan
cellor for student affairs, said
UNL has been exploring the
possibility.
“If we structure die plan in
such a way that individuals who
are sharing financial responsi
” It looks like this plan is an
all-go.”
Joel Schafer
ASUN president
bility with a UNL student would
be covered, then why not make
it available?” Griesen said.
Griesen said he was prompt
ed to look into the possibility of
providing domestic partner ben
efits to faculty and staff mem
bers after the Association of
Students at the University of
Nebraska voted overwhelming
ly on April 4 to voice their sup
port for the benefits.
Griesen then contacted three
health care bidders, and none of
them objected to providing
domestic partner benefits.
“All of the bidders have had
experience with providing
domestic partner benefits at dif
ferent institutions across the
country,” he said.
In the past, the term
Please see BENEFITS on 3
Heather Glenboski?DN
CHANCELLOR JAMES MOESER will be leaving office In July to become chancellor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Meeser said he hopes the next chancellor will have high aspirations for the university.
Moeser ends term with fond memories
By Kimberly Sweet
Staff writer
Being a chancellor of a university never
entered James Moeser’s mind as a possible
career when he was growing up.
At one time he wanted to be a lawyer.
Later, a politician.
Then a clergyman. An architect. A musi
cian. All were on the list of careers Moeser
once aspired to.
Today, as chancellor of the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln and future chancellor at
the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill, Moeser is far away from any architec
ture firm, chiffch, concert hall or courtroom.
But being a chancellor isn’t too far from
his childhood dreams, he said. Academia
has given him a taste of all his interests.
Lobbying the Legislature, serving as
dean of the College of Art and Architecture
at Penn State and performing and teaching
music as a professor have given Moeser a
chance to pursue all his interests.
“Through the evolution of my career,
I’ve been able to involve myself in all those
childhood fantasies - politics, religion and
architecture,” he said. “In a sense, I’ve been
able to do all those things inside the frame
work of the academy.”
Moeser’s love of academia - developed
as an undergraduate music student at the
University of Texas at Austin - has led him
to excel as a university administrator.
So much so, that Moeser told media in
mid-April he had been sought out by numer
ous search committees to apply for posi
tions.
It turned out that Moeser was hired just a
week later by one of the most prestigious
public institutions in the nation - UNC.
Moeser acknowledges the magnitude of
the accomplishment.
As the former provost and vice president
of the University of South Carolina, Moeser
jokingly said he had at least one strike
against him.
“North Carolina regards itself as very
superior to South Carolina,” he said.
But Moeser was serious when he said he
“He s been a good
salesman for the
university.”
James Griesen
vice chancellor for student affairs
didn’t think those in North Carolina would
want him as the next chancellor.
“I remember telling my wife before I left
for the interview, ‘I don’t know why I am
doing this,”’ he said.
But, Moeser’s administrative credentials
and talents were enough for him to get the
job. He will be foe first chancellor of UNC to
have no connections to the university.
“I am not a graduate and not a North
Carolinian,” Moeser said. “There has never
been a chancellor who didn’t have some ties
there.”
Please see MOESER on 8
Party lines
blur after
election
■ President Joel Schafer appoints his
former election rivals to leadership
positions in student government.
By JiU Zeman
Staff writer
As the storm of notoriety dies down from the ASUN
presidential elections, many of the candidates have spent
time reflecting on all that occurred.
They read about themselves and each other in the
Daily Nebraskan’s Inside the Campaign series.
They participated in debates, wrote letters and cam
paigned as much as possible.
You’d think they’d be pretty sick of each other by now,
right?
Not quite.
Association of Students of the University of Nebraska
President Joel Schafer was recently given the responsibil
ity to appoint leaders to ASUN groups, and some of his
top choices were his opponents in the ASUN race.
Schafer appointed Impact presidential candidate John
Conley and Empower presidential and first vice presiden
tial candidates Heath Mello and Cecily Rometo to various
leadership positions.
Schafer was quick to point out the rivalries between
^ the parties wereJblown out of proportion.
“I can honestly say Heath and I are friends,” he said.
Schafer said he felt the Daily Nebraskan’s Inside the
Campaign series was an accurate portrayal of what goes
on during a campaign but did not reflect the true feelings
of a candidate.
Schafer cited factors, such as the stress and emotion
associated with the campaign, that contributed to criti
cism and harsh words exchanged between the parties. The
Inside the Campaign series captured much of this, he said.
“It was the middle of the campaign, emotions were
high, and we really didn’t know each other that well,”
Schafer said.
When the senes ran alter the election, bcnaier said he
realized it brought up some hidden things within the cam
• paign that he could’ve taken personally, but didn’t
“Heath and I basically sat back and laughed at it,” he
said.
In making his presidential appointments, Schafer
said, he looked at the issues each student government
group focused on in the campaign.
“It’s a shame for someone who cares and wants to
make a difference and try to make real changes (to not be
able to participate) just because the votes didn’t stack
their way,” he said.
“That doesn’t invalidate their hopes or passions.”
Mello, Schafer’s opponent in the runoff election, said
the race elevated his interest in politics, causing him to
apply for a Government Liaison Committee lobbyist
position, which Schafer appointed him to.
Despite their heavy competition, Mello said he was
pleased he got to know Schafer.
“I got to know him as a person, not as a candidate,”
Mello said. “He’s a really good guy.”
Mello was enthusiastic about his new position as lob
byist and said he was pleased things turned out the way
they did.
“We’ve all taken on different roles,” he said. “ASUN
is going to rock.”
Mello gave nothing but praise of Schafer’s leadership
skills.
“He’s bringing a new perspective, in essence, to the
organization, and that’s great,” Mello said.
During his presidential bid, Conley focused on issues
dealing with the improvement of UNDs Culture Center,
and because of this, Schafer appointed him as project
administrator for the center.
“He knew more about it than I did,” Schafer said.
Conley said he was pleased to work on a project he
emphasized throughout his run for ASUN president.
“One of the themes throughout Impact’s campaign
was that if you are elected, you’re an ASUN senator, not
an Impact senator,” he said.
As Culture Center project administrator and newly
Please see ASUN on 3