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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 21, 2000)
Recount has day in court RECOUNT from page 1 they perceived as tough ques tioning and pondered options that could include an emer gency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary. Carvin, buffeted by ques tions from Justice Barbara Pariente, appeared to suggest a GOP fallback position if the court rules against Bush. The law, he said in the hear ing, “makes it clear that the fed eral courts - federal law will not allow this court or the Florida Legislature to change the rules of the election after the election has taken place.” The justices were vigorous questioners from the outset, none more so than Wells, the 61 year-old Democrat who presided. Over and over, he asked at what point the state would risk missing the chance to cast its 25 electoral votes. Sometimes, he punctuated the question with Bush and Gore need those 25 votes to win the White House. Wells' questions at one point sketched a scenario in which recounts would continue, per haps into December. Democrats said Dec. 12 was when Florida needed to have its results final, six days before the Electoral College meets. But Joe Klock, representing Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris, said she was bound by a state law that required her to certify all ballots except for overseas absentees by seven days after the Nov. 7 elec tion. At the same time, asked by Justice Harry Lee Anstead whether the seven-day limit was absolute, Klock conceded, “Of course it's not absolute.” The justices ruled last Friday that Harris could not yet certify a winner and that the recounts could continue - though taking no position on whether those recounts must eventually be included. The Gore campaign, still trailing, hopes the recounts will give the vice president the pres idency. At one point on Monday, Wells seemed to suggest that Harris might be permitted to certify a winner soon, so Democrats would have time to challenge the next step in the process - appointment of the state’s electors - and still resolve the dispute before the Electoral College meets. Gore lawyer David Boies rebutted that Republicans would jump on any certification as evidence that the election was settled and “over with.” He asked the justices not to allow appointment of the elec tors yet, but added, “I’m not urg ing in any way that this court do anything that would imperil Florida’s electoral votes.” "They're asking, ‘How do we count the votes of people who have not been counted without jeopardizing those that have been counted?”’ said Laurie Levenson, professor at Loyola University Law School in Los Angeles. The proceedings were car ried live on the major television networks, providing Americans with a brief lesson in constitu tional and election law. Wells noted the extraordinary circum stances at the start of the hear ing. “The court is certainly aware of the historic nature of this ses sion and is aware that this is a matter of utmost and vital importance to our nation, our state and our world,” he said at the start Two former secretaries of They’re asking, 1How do we count the votes of people who have not been counted without jeopardizing those that have been counted?’” Laurie Levenson Loyola University Law School state, Warren Christopher and James A. Baker III, sat listening intently in their capacity as rep resentatives of the two White House rivals. Neither addressed the court. Boies told the justices that if left alone, the three counties conducting recounts by hand could finish in a matter of days. Democrats accuse Harris, a Republican who campaigned for Bush, of delaying and con fusing the counties as they tried to comply with their requests to recount. Recounts are allowed under Florida law if a candidate asks for them within 72 hours and the local elections board agrees. The state law is not clear on when those results are due, and much of the fight between Bush and Gore has been over whether Harris was right to impose a Nov. 14 deadline. Erwin Chemerinsky, profes sor of constitutional law at the University of Southern California, predicted the court will allow hand counts for a short period with a firm dead line attached. “I think they will rule that she can’t certify the election until the hand counts are done but they can set up a reasonable schedule.” Quantum leap for computing QUANTUM from page 1 bee-sized aerial vehicles are not your typical pollinators, gather ing military intelligence instead of honey. For the bee project, the engi neering team has worked togeth er on a device known as a cellular neural network that uses quan tum dots to process complicated visual information into a useful form. These futuristic mini machines will be able to travel into enemy territory and gather visual information as well as function as the proverbial “fly on the wall” by eavesdropping on top-secret discussions. “As small, powerful comput ers with wings, these bees have to be somewhat intelligent,” said Ianno, also an electrical engi neering professor. When asked if UNL was pio neering the way toward artificial intelligence, Ianno said quantum dot electronics do raise that pos sibility. “I am not so sure that artificial intelligence is possible, but if you shove enough information into a quantum computer it certainly can mimic thinking,” Ianno said. Bandyopadhyay and his col leagues - Ianno, Snyder, Williams, Rod Dillon and Latika Menon - have devoted years of study into quantum research, but they are probably five years away from demonstrating a quantum computer in the lab, and a com mercial version won’t be avail able for another 20 to 25 years, Bandyopadhyay said. As one of only a handful of groups in the country attempting to make quantum computers with quantum dots, the electrical engineering department has been recognized by the National Science Foundation as being a leader in the field. “The process is difficult” said Bandyopadhyay, "but the payoff is tremendous.” University Police teach women defense basics DEFENSE from page 1 "It's great to see them get up there and realize that they can do it,” Clancy said. The course teaches basic physical defense techniques that women of any age or physical ability can do without the exten sive practice martial arts moves can require. Some of the girls said they learned about the RAD course, which is taught in the Harper Schramm-Smith complex food service building, from their resi dent assistants or from floor sign up sheets. The other RAD course is taught at Abel and Sandoz resi dence halls. Peters said police were initial ly targeting residence halls in the program's first semester but hoped to expand in the future. Freshman general studies major Liz Shubert said that part of the reason she wanted to take the course was that she knows people who have been attacked. "I think it is a good program for women of any ability who want to defend themselves,” Shubert said. “I feel more confi dent in defending myself and I would recommend it to anyone.” Another RAD student, Janelle Bauer, said the course made her more aware of her surroundings, and she has even shown her self defense moves to everyone back in her hometown of Surprise. “It's very reassuring to know that you are prepared ... Oftentimes I think I am too secure, but now I can be secure because I am prepared (to defend myself),” said Bauer, a freshman business management major. RAD is the only program of its kind endorsed by the International Association of campus Law Jtnrorcement Administrators, Peters said. “The whole purpose of RAD is creating an opportunity to escape,” Peters said. Throughout the class time Peters becomes a human target, allowing a dozen women to prac tice kicking him in the groin repeatedly while he holds a pad. Except for Peters, men are banned from the classes. The only way men can become RAD instructors is if they are police officers or associated with advo cacy groups such as rape or spouse abuse centers. “Women are a lot more com fortable working together, and the defense techniques we teach men would be different than for women,” Peters said. The UHC will operate the following hours during the Thanksgiving holiday: •Wed., 11/22: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. •Thurs., 11/23: closed • Fri., 11/24: closed •Sat., 11/25: 10:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. •Sun., 11/26: closed Have a safe and healthy holiday!_ I n hi H 1 ■ 11 * TTrmmmizmfiniim^mimtKMim Disabled to meet with chancellor ■The students will discuss their complaints about the Students with Disabilities office. BYJILLZEMAN Students frustrated with the Services for Students with Disabilities office are taking their concerns to the top leader at UNL - Interim Chancellor Harvey Perlman. A group of University of Nebraska-Lincoln students wrote a letter to Perlman in October listing their frustrations about the office and its new director, Mary Thompson. The students will meet with Perlman on Monday to discuss these issues, and some said they hoped the meeting would result in finding a new director for the office. There are countless prob lems at the office, said senior special education and deaf edu cation major Jodie Engstler. For example, on the first day of classes, Engstler, who is hear ing-impaired, didn’t have an American Sign Language inter preter on hand to help her like she usually does. Rather, someone was there to transcribe everything the pro fessor said onto a small screen, which Engstler said wasn’t suffi cient. Several students also receive notes from their classes as a serv ice the office provides, she said. But not everyone is getting their notes on time, and some students are doing poorly in their classes because of it. The source of these prob lems, Engstler said, is Thompson’s new leadership at the office. When the group meets with Perlman, Engstler said, she hoped the students who didn’t receive notes would have their failing grades waived, as well as be reimbursed for the courses. Engstler also said she hoped Perlman would find a director for the office to replace Thompson. Kim Boyd, a senior special education major, said problems with the office have caused her to receive an incomplete in one of her classes. "We are not adequately pro vided for,” she said. Because of problems getting notes, Boyd said, she thought this semester’s grades should be waived. "I hope the chancellor can validate our needs,” she said. Boyd also said she thought the atmosphere of the office had changed. In past years, Boyd would go into the office just to talk to stu dents and hang out, she said. “Now, when I go in there, it's more, ‘What do you want?’” she said. “No one’s there to talk to us anymore.” Committee debates fetal tissue ■ Today the Nebraska Bioethics Advisory Committee will review several recommendations at a public hearing. BYJILLZEMAN Members of the Nebraska Bioethics Advisory Committee will hold a public hearing today to dis cuss whether research involving human embryon ic stem cells and tissue should be watched over by a review board. The committee will meet at 10 a.m. to discuss its October recommendations, said Deb Thomas, director of special projects at the University of Nebraska. It will meet in the Norfolk Room in the Nebraska Center for Continuing Education on UNL’s East Campus. The bioethics committee was formed by NU President Dennis Smith in response to public out cry over controversial research conducted at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. UNMC studies Alzheimer's and other brain dis eases by using brain cells from aborted fetuses. In October the committee recommended that NU require review and approval by the Institutional Review Boards for research involving human stem cells and fetal tissues. There are three Institutional Review Boards at NU - one at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, one at the University of Nebraska at Kearney and one at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. The boards watch over research involving human subjects. The committee recommended the boards pre pare a report for the NU Board of Regents once a year and that NU form a broad-based public advi sory committee to consult with the boards about bioethical issues in research. The recommendations also ask for the training of board members on the ethical responsibilities of conducting research on human participants. But a review-board system could cause prob lems for the university, said Vera Hassner Shaw, president of Citizens for Responsible Care and Research, a New York City-based advocacy group for research subjects. Most board members are chosen from the groups of researchers whose work is being watched over, she said. 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