Students join against marriage amendment Floor CoHcepta Alrpariv low nrirpH ram*# ■ Nebraska college group opposes outlawing civil unions for gays. BY VERONICA DAEHN Because of an amendment that could make gay and lesbian civil unions illegal in Nebraska, more than 150 university and col lege students across the state have joined together in protest Huskers Against the Defense of Marriage Amendment is the University of Nebraska-Lincoln subsidiary of United Students .Against DOMA The two groups include stu dents from UNL, die University of Nebraska at Omaha, the University of Nebraska at Kearney, Nebraska Wesleyan University, the Lincoln public schools gay/straight alliance and the Omaha Public Schools gay/straight alliance. Angela Clements, student coordinator of the groups, said students will be key in defeating the Defense of Marriage Amendment when it appears on the November ballot “If this is defeated, it will be defeated by the youth,” Clements said. “They don’t have the hin drance of social stereotypes.” The amendment says: “Only marriage between a man and woman shall be valid or recog nized in Nebraska. The uniting of two persons of the same sex in a dvil union, domestic partnership or other similar same-sex rela tionship shall not be valid or Students at UNL were gn ed domestic partner benefit^ Aug. 14. If the amendment pass es, many think the benefits will become illegal. Faculty and staff at UNL have been fighting for domestic part ner benefits for years. Through organizations such as the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska’s Sexual Orientation Advisory Council and Allies Against Heterosexism and Homophobia, students have joined the fight in recent years. But Clements said Huskers Against DOMA was not just another “gay group.” “We are gay, we are lesbian, we are racial minorities,” she said. “Half of us are straight allies. If students take a stand against this amendment, they’re not going to be perceived as gay.” Former ASUN president Andy Schuerman said the pro posed amendment violates human rights. “It's a hateful measure,” Schuerman said. “Gay marriage is already illegal This seems like a blatant attempt by a small group of people to make second-class citizens out of gay and lesbian people.” The amendment was drafted this summer by a group of Lincoln residents. They needed to gather 105,214 valid signatures to get the amendment on the bal lot Secretary of State Scott Moore’s office announced Aug. 22 that the group had gathered 19,000 more signatures than needed.Clements said the stu dent group’s main pull is to edu cate other students. Starting this week, there will be voter registra tion booths and campus mail ings. Before November’s election, the group will hold several rallies and teach-ins. Clements said a teach-in would likely be held near Broyhill Fountain and would include speakers from a variety of cam pus and local groups. National Coming Out Day is Oct 11, and Clements said sever al campuses have planned to hold rallies that day. t Another preliminary idea was to hold a benefit concert, Schuerman said. Proceeds from that would go toward publicity and organizational efforts. But no definite plans have been made on that yet he said. Clements said the amend ment would not only affect gays and lesbians but would also reflect poorly on the university. Regents candidates speak on issues BY VERONICA DAEHN Come November, the University of Nebraska Board of Regents may have a different look. Four district seats are up for reelection. Seven of the eight candidates spoke with die Daily Nebraskan last week. Below is a compilation of their comments: ■ Regent Chuck Hassebrook, Lyons, 3rd District • Hassebrook said the regents needed to do a better job of addressing the “crisis in rural Nebraska.” The university could be uti lized more to spark the agricul tural economy, he said. Hassebrook also said it was essential the university remain affordable to Nebraska families. That will require a moderate increase in tuition each year and more need-based scholarships, he said. ■ Jeff Johnson, Blair, 3rd District Johnson said he opposes using fetal tissue obtained from abortions for research, and he also opposes granting an abor tion-provider faculty status. Johnson also said he was opposed to domestic partner benefits for faculty and staff because of the tax burden he said the benefits would create. “I’m disturbed at the lack of accountability that the board has shown Nebraska taxpayers,” Johnson said. "It’s definitely time for a change on the Board of Regents. There seems to be crisis after crisis after crisis.” ■ John Breslow, Lincoln, 4th District He said he was encouraged by the results of the primary. "The voters sent a clear mes sage in the primary election," he said in a press release. "They want a new, positive voice on the Board of Regents.” Breslow called the university “world class" and said he wanted to keep tuition affordable and retain and recruit quality faculty. ■ Regent Drew Miller, Papillion, 4th District Miller said he wanted to help the university reduce adminis trative costs and promote cost effective education. Miller also supports fetal tis sue research at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He said his support of the research affected the number of votes he received in May’s pri Please see REGENTS on 6 Historic farm, bypass threaten each other FARM from page 1 The plans for the bypass are not final. There are several steps that need to be completed first, said Kaosola, the Lincoln repre sentative of the Federal Highway Administration. A draft and final copy for an environmental impact study is being completed, which the Federal Highway Administration must approve. The environmental impact study, which will evaluate the social, economic and environ mental effect of the bypass, will be available for the public to scruti nize at a hearing around February. People can comment on the bypass at that time. Consultant engineering firms will then look over the comments. "We will evaluate the sub stance of the comments and see what we could do to address these comments,” Kaosola said. As one of more than 100 mem bers of the Citizens for Accountable Route Selection, Rickertsen said she hoped the bypass wouldn't run near her fam ily's farm. It's not just the bypass that will affect the rural setting, but all die things that will come with it, Rickertsensaid “\bu put a beltway out here in the middle of agricultural land, and soon a 7-Eleven and some houses pop up,” she said. These extra businesses and houses that pop up may be bad for the city of Lincoln, Nieweg said “When you build a quarter-of a-billion-dollar highway that Car outside the city, you get sprawl development,” he said. “It’s like leapfrogging from the city. It saps the economic vitality from the central city." But, Kaosola said, just because there might be a bypass built, doesn’t mean it will cause busi nesses or homes to be built in the area. Development would hinge on city zoning and whether land owners sell their land “It doesn’t always necessarily follow that there would be a 7 Eleven or anything else put up,” he said There are also three federal laws that protect the farm, which is listed on the national historical Donate your blood plasma to help save kids' lives Earn $30 Cash (for ippraK. 2 hours of your Urns). Cal or stop by Nabi Biomedical Center, 300 S. 17* Street, Lincoln 402-474-2335 N»«40MlM«MMym ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■a ! ATTENTION j {international: ! STUDENTS! | | Do you need to complete the student insurance waiver fora? i i ■ i ■ Warms can be completed at the * _ Universtty Health Center, 15th a U Streets. , Call 472-7435 for more Info. ■ . I" UNL requires insurance coverage to comply with immigration regulations. . International students are to show written proof in English of comparable * | insurance coverage or they will be billed for the UNL student health | | insurance plan on their tuition statements. 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