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“We ought to still be pursuing the truth. We ought to be trying
to uncover important realities about how people live."
Jeremy Vetter, who completed seven majors at UNL
Former UNL student holds onto passion for learnina
BY BRIAN CARLSON
VALLEY FORGE, Pa. -Three
years after graduating from the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
Rhodes Scholar Jeremy Vetter’s
passion for learning - and
changing the world - still burns
brightly.
After completing two years of
study at the University of Oxford
in England, Vetter is one year
into his pursuit of a doctorate in
the history of science at the
University of Pennsylvania in
Philadelphia.
For Vetter, a 1997 graduate
who became
the universi
ty’s first
Rhodes
Scholar in
more than 20
years, the
Vottol neldisaper
feet way to
combine his
interests in the natural sciences
and the social sciences.
He wants to use his Ph.D. to
fulfill his longtime ambition of
becoming a professor and study
ing the development of field sci
ences in the United States.
“It’s a really interesting field,”
he said. “I think science and
technology have been very cen
tral to the development of socie
ty, especially in the last couple of
centuries.”
Vetter’s broad range of inter
ests dates back to his days at
UNL. As an undergraduate,
Vetter earned accolades for
completing seven majors -
anthropology, economics, histo
ry, philosophy, physics, political
science and psychology - all
while maintaining a perfect 4.0
GPA During his last semester, he
completed 36 credit hours.
After graduating from UNL,
Vetter began two years of study
at Oxford. He earned a master's
of philosophy degree in eco
nomics and history and a mas
ter’s of science degree in human
biology, then began his study at
Penn during the 1999-2000 aca
demic year.
Earlier this month, Vetter
had a chance to meet up with
two friends from his days at UNL
who were in Philadelphia for the
Republican National
Convention.
Brian Buescher and Chad
Pekron enrolled at UNL in fall
1993, the same year Vetter, a
North Platte High school gradu
ate, began. They were part of the
first class of UNL honor stu
dents.
Although Buescher and
Pekron soon discovered that
their political views were com
pletely at odds with those of
Vetter, the three became fast
Mends.
Buescher and Pekron attend
ed this year's Republican
National Convention as guests,
staying in Vetter’s dorm room.
On the afternoon of the day GOP
presidential nominee George W.
Bush was to give his acceptance
speech, the three visited Valley
Forge, about a half-hour's drive
from Philadelphia.
While touring the grounds
where Gen. George Washington’s
troops spent the brutal winter of
1777-78 during the American
Revolution, Pekron saw a chance
to tease Vetter.
Noticing several tourists
wearing "Bush-Cheney* but
tons, Pekron said: "Hey, Jeremy,
look at all these Republicans.”
Please see VETTU on 5
Scott McGurg/DN
Thanks Mr. Alexander Nebraska 1-Back Dan Alexander adds his signature to the collection of ErkSeerets,11, of Norfolk during Photo Day at Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Fans endured
long lines in the sun to get autographs from the Huskers.
Domenici stumps for fellow Republican Stenbera
■ Alongside the attorney general, the New
Mexico GOP senator blasts Democrat Ben Nelson.
BY BRIAN CARLSON_
If Nebraskans want George W. Bush in the White
House and Republicans in control of Congress, they
cannot afford to send Democrat Ben Nelson to the
Senate, New Mexico Sen. Pete Domenid said Friday.
Domenici appeared in Omaha with Nebraska
Attorney General Don Stenberg, Nelson's Republican
opponent in the Senate race. Nelson and Stenberg are
vying for die seat of Democratic Sen. Bob Kerrey, who
is retiring.
Domenici accused Nelson, who served as gover
nor from 1991-99, of trying to act like a Republican to
improve his chances in a state with more registered
Republican voters than Democrats.
But in the Senate, Domenici said, senators must
work with their party if they want to be successful.
“You can't be a maybe Republican or a maybe
Democrat in the Senate,” he said. “\bu are one or the
other.
“If you send your attorney general, Mr. Stenberg,
to the Senate, let's make sure everyone knows he will
go there as a Republican through and through."
Although Stenberg would work closely with the
Republican Party, that would not prevent him from
being an independent voice in the Senate, Domenici
said. He noted that Sen. Chuck Hagel, who appeared
with Domenici and Stenberg on Friday, has often bro
ken with his party on Senate votes.
But with the Republicans holding a narrow 54-46
majority in die Senate, electing Stenberg would help
ensure the party retains a majority, Domenici said.
Unlike Nelson, he said, Stenberg would help elect
Republicans to committee chairmanships and other
leadership positions.
“It doesn't mean he has his hands tied," Domenici
said. “It does mean he’s with us in organizing the
Senate."
Domenici said Stenberg would help Bush elimi
nate the inheritance tax and the so-called marriage
penalty, which forces some married couples to pay
more income taxes than if they were single.
A Republican Congress would use die budget sur
plus to provide a sizable income tax cut while leaving
enough to decrease the national debt, increase
defense spending, reform Medicare and provide pre
scription drug coverage for seniors, Domenid said.
Nebraska has given its electoral votes to the
Republican president candidate in every election
since 1964. With Bush expected to cany the state this
year, Stenberg urged Bush supporters to vote a
straight party ticket
“We need a member of the Senate who will help
George W. Bush carry out his vision for the future of
America,” Stenberg said.
Nelson’s campaign criticized Domenici’s appear
ance, dting several of his Senate votes.
In a statement, the Nelson campaign criticized
Domenid for voting against ethanol subsidies, for the
bee-market reforms contained in the 1996 Freedom
to Farm Act, for a cut in student loan funding and for
slowing the growth of Medicare.
“Every time team Stenberg-Domenici gets up to
bat, they strike out for Nebraska,” the statement said.
Friday Arts Festival serves mix of music, dancing, crafts
THHeS BY GEORGE GREEN
listening Eddie Dominguez, a profes
sor of art, threw clay.
W me yj. Red did the Iimbo
different And Daryn Warner, a senior
milSiC theater major, relieved the
thirsty.
It Together, they and about 500
broadens Others enjoyed the Friday
Festival at the Arts Quad near
your Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery.
mind." The festival, organized by
the Freshman Year Experience
. .. Task Force and the University
Pr~~*ei“ Program Council, featured live
freshman music, dancing, arts, crafts,
food, raffles and ceramic
demonstrations.
“We wanted to have stu
dents and faculty participate in
academic activities outside of
class,” said Deb Johnson, an
academic adviser in general
studies and coordinator of the
festival.
Several festival participants
relished the variety of live
music.
“I liked listening to the dif
ferent music that is around
because it broadens your mind,”
said Kari Michaelis, a freshman
advertising major.
Kusi Taki, a seven-member
band from Lincoln, introduced
listeners to South American folk
music.
The music features a combi
nation of strings and a special
flute called a quena, said Erica
Biry Rios, Kusi Tiki ’s manager.
Rusty White, associate jazz
professor in the School of Music,
and Little Slim, a blues per
former, also entertained.
While listening to the music,
festival participants ate food
from Crane River, Flatwater
Grill, the NU Dairy Store and
Vien Dong.
Participants also built kites,
ornaments and box towers.
Dominguez noticed, “a lot of
creativity going on” around his
ceramics station.
Matt Wilhelm, a graduate
student in architecture, com
peted with his professor, Mark
Hoistad, associate dean of the
college of architecture, to see
who could build the tallest card
board box tower.
”1 thinks it’s safe to say it is
over,” Wilhelm said as he
watched Hoistad’s tower buckle
and sway.
Budget woes
force audit
of NU classes
BY VERONICA DAEHN_
Because of an expected budget shortfall, the
Board of Regents voted on Saturday to evaluate the
7,000 classes the university offers.
The prioritization of classes, which is the first
time each dass will be examined on all four NU cam
puses, could mean the combination or elimination
of certain classes or departments. University
President Dennis Smith said the regents' vote more
formally recognizes a process that has been sporadic
in the past
“This provides an opportunity, over time, to take
an internal audit of what exists at the university and
identify by consensus the top programs,” Smith said.
A Smith-appointed task force put together nine
criteria that will be used to evaluate . t
each academic program at the ■Plwntniopist
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the bestows record
University of Nebraska Medical dwthw on the
Center, the University of Nebraska at UiiIwj Jtu uf
Omaha and the University of ... .
Nebraska at Kearney.
The criteria include how well a MedkalCenter
program relates to the strategic plan See page!
of the university; the need and
demand for the program; the impact die program
has on the campus, the university, Nebraska and
society; and the amount and quality of research and
creative activities each program has.
The 26-member task force included members of
the Board of Regents, administrators, faculty, com
munity members and a student. Lincoln Regent
Charles Wilson, a member of Smith’s commission,
said the board was taking a big step in adopting the
criteria.
“They have the potential to make a positive
impact on the University of Nebraska,” Wilson said.
“It will involve some patience, but this will be a better
institution.”
The academic prioritization was necessary part
ly because of budget concerns. The university has
calculated a $50 million budget shortfall.
The Regents discussed a possible tuition increase
this summer as one way to make up for the short
age. Joel Schafer, student regent and Association of
Students of the University of Nebraska president,
said he had mixed feelings about the prioritization.
“It will be interesting,” Schafer said. “With a fund
ing gap, you have to do things with prioritization. But
at the same time, doing a wholesale audit of aD pro
grams is so daunting and difficult, it’s almost unat
tainable.”
narvey penman, uinl interim cnanceiior, said
the criteria would enable administrators to make
better decisions. But he said evaluating academic
programs is not new to UNL
“I’m enthusiastic about the process,” he said.
“But we have reallocated considerable dollars over
the last several years.”
Perlman said adopting the criteria only served to
make sure everyone involved with the evaluations
was using the same guidelines.
Even though die university has been evaluating
programs, Schafer said it now becomes a problem. It
will be difficult to compare different programs with
each other and list them in order of priority, he
said.Smith said he already had talked to the four
chancellors and asked them to identify the top 30
percent of programs at their campuses.
The academic prioritization should be done
within nine months, he said.
It is imperative that the university sticks to die
criteria, Wilson said.
“These are good guidelines, and they will make
us better,” he said.
“But we have to believe in it, and we have to
mean it”
