Bills direct focus to teacher wages EDUCATION from page 1 parts of the problem. Most senators agree that the plan they create should benefit equalized schools - or the schools who don’t generate enough cash to pay their bills. Some nonequalized schools can already pay their bills and even allocate extra money to teachers. Committee members also want the plan to hold school districts accountable for how they spend the extra state dol lars. Sen. Bob Wickersham of Harrison also wants the com mittee’s proposal to include special benefits for new teach ers. Impending teacher short ages and stiff competition from neighboring states for recent graduates will spell disaster for Nebraska’s educational system in less than five years, he said. “People know we graduate good teachers, and they’re will ing to pay for them,” he said. Sen. George Coordsen of Hebron acknowledged the com petition Nebraska faces from other states, and said he wants to see a provision in the bill that would forgive the college loans of teachers who chose to work in the state. “I have a warm, affectionate feeling for the loan program,” Coordsen said. Sen. Kermit Brashear of Omaha said he wasn’t opposed to forgiving loans, but he didn’t want the committee to advance a “potpourri” of several tiny pro posals. A more broad-based and sweeping proposal will affirm that the Legislature cares about teachers and students, he said. A piecemeal approach that squabbles over details will send the message that senators don’t value the work teachers do, Brashear said. "This is critically important well beyond money,” he said. Cheerleaders feel drop in funding CHEER from page 1 learn the moves for the first time, she said. Swanson said the package UNL offers to its prospective cheerleaders and Scarlets is still lucrative even without the tuition reimbursement. "It’s unfortunate that some students aren’t available to return," Swanson said. "We want to make sure that the kids value their education and understand that they’re here for a degree." Calen Cook, a freshman cheerleader from Louisville, Ky., said he will also be forced to leave UNL after this semester. “We just got our throat cut (Monday),” Cook said. “I feel bad because they've completely broken up the family." Several spirit squad mem bers said they, along with their coaches, had no idea that the cuts were in the works until the scholarships were already gone. “This is a major university where decisions like this don’t just get made over an hour,” Cook said. Others agreed. "It was very shocking,” said Cheerleading Co-Captain Courtney Hodges, a junior from Lewisville, Texas, who also said she’ll be forced to leave UNL after this semester. “I can't afford to pay the out ‘We just got our throat cut (Monday). I feel bad, because they’ve completely broken up the family Calen Cook freshman cheerleader of-state tuition,” she said. Hodges said the department could have cut other amenities given to the team instead of the tuition waivers - such as cloth ing, free books, meals and a $500 stipend. Swanson said there can be no grandfather clause guaran teeing the tuition waiver for all four years because squad mem bers try out for the respective teams every year. Because of this, there is no guarantee that anyone will stay on the team from one year to the next. “We do not have the money to fund out-of-state tuition waivers,” Swanson said. Deuel said she felt the Athletic Marketing Department might have been biased against cheerleading as a sport. “You can bet that if any ath letic team got second in the nation or sixth in the nation, they wouldn’t get their scholar ships cut,” Deuel said. Law & Order Lincoln man arrested for robbery, avoiding arrest Lincoln police arrested a man after he ran from police Monday night Sean Cortez, 19, was arrest ed for robbing the Shop EZ convenience store, 3739 N. 70th St., around 11:39 p.m. Monday night, Ofc. Katherine Finnell said. Cortez was described as a dark-skinned male in his twen ties wearing a dark sweatshirt, Finnell said. Cortez, armed with a hand gun, told the clerk to give him the cash and then ran out, she said. Police were in the area when they spotted Cortez driv ing a car with stolen license plates. Cortez saw the police and a two-minute chase ensued, Finnell said. It began near the 7000 block of Logan Avenue, and ended near 68th and Fremont streets, she said. Police found the gun, sweatshirt and part of the stolen money, Finnell said. Cortez was arrested for rob bery, possession of a stolen firearm, failing to avoid arrest, using a firearm to commit a felony and felon in possession of a firearm. Finnell said the investiga tion is still ongoing. Compiled by Jill Conner —dailyneb.com Platforms set at first debate DEBATE from page 1 detailed what professor would be teaching before students enrolled. “My goal is to make sure students have adequate choic es,” Luttich said. Claiming students were dis satisfied with current ASUN policies, Nathan Fuerst, Score! presidential candidate, said many of those in student gov ernment had not kept their promises. Fuerst said the Score! Party would take student com plaints to the administration. “We will take student voices to the top,” Fuerst said. NUForce presidential can didate Angela Clements said her party was composed of leaders from different back grounds. Clements outlined ways her party would make student government more accountable and improve the academic climate. "UNL is not seen as an attractive place for faculty to come to,” Clements said. Fuerst agreed with Clements and said the univer sity must focus on attracting good faculty. Luttich said he disagreed and named tuition as the biggest problem the university faces. “We need to bring in more outside dollars,” Luttich said. He proposed more corporate sponsors to help offset tuition costs. “We are a Pepsi university, so why can’t we be a Gateway computer university?” Luttich asked. Mixon said the most glaring weakness is the university's lack of top-notch programs. Matzen said he, personally, was happy at UNL, but wanted students to have a better way to report poor teachers. When it came time for the vice-presidential candidates to speak, they were asked how they would distinguish them selves from the shadow of their running mate. NUForce first vice presi dential candidate Erick Kinyungu said he and his run ning mate work together. “Why should there be a shadow?” he asked. Kinyungu said he and “We are a Pepsi university, so why can’t we be a Gateway computer university?” Jaron Luttich The One candidate Clements would be a unified front, casting the same shadow. Jessica Lopez, the Score! first-vice presidential candi date said she would help Fuerst in promoting student govern ment accountability. Melanie Mitzel, first vice presidential candidate for The One party said her previous leadership experience would help her make a difference in student government. “I am familiar and very comfortable with parliamen tary procedure,” Mitzel said. No Bull first vice-presiden tial candidate Bill Westering complimented his running mate, saying Mixon represent ed the "everyday student.” Dan Becic, a senior indus trial engineering major, was one of the more than 150 stu dents gathered in the Nebraska Union to hear the first of the three debates. “I came to see what the platforms were,” he said. Richard Brown, a senior chemical engineering major, said Matzen’s humor and visual aids were creative, but didn’t win his vote. “I am sure he is a great guy, but I am not going to vote for him,” he said. Senior psychology major Rebecca Overgaard agreed with NUForce candidate Clement's goal to make senators more accountable. "I thought the debate brought out some good issues,” she said. The debate was sponsored by the Daily Nebraskan. The next debate will be held Feb. 15 at 6 p.m. in the Nebraska East Union. di