Tliesday February 13,2001 Volume 100 Issue 106 dailyneb.com Since 1901 Jake G lazes ki has found a Web site that has made him an information god In Opinion/4 Ron Brown isn’t going anywhere in the near future, and it’s because o1 religion In SportsTuesday/10 The gallery in Richards Hall opens with an exhibit featuring seven Nebraska artists In Arts/8 BYJILLZEMAN And then there were two. After months of meetings and stacks of applications to delve through, die chan cellor search committee has narrowed its pool of candidates down to two. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Interim Chancellor Harvey Perlman and Bill Hogan, a member of the University of Minnesota Board of Regents, were select ed as finalists to take UNUs top leadership position. The search process was cloaked in secrecy, with all meetings closed to the media and committee members staying tightlipped. Perlman also remained silent throughout the process, neither confirm ing nor denying whether he was under consideration for the job. But now, Perlman said he’s honored to be chosen as a finalist "I’m more excited than I would have thought I’d be six months ago,” Perlman said. Despite being on the job since July, Perlman still hasn’t devised his own mas ter plan for UNL “Honestly, I’ve been so busy the past six months trying to get my hands around this job that I don't have a grand vision of what the university should be,” he said. But a "grand vision” shouldn’t come Perlman Hogan solely from the chancellor, Perlman said The 20/20 report, which outlines goals for the university in the next 20 years, has been a focal point for Perlman and other UNL administrators this year. "The faculty has spoken with the 20/20 vision report,” Perlman said. “There's no shortage of things that need to be improved.” Hogan said he wouldn’t comment on his specific goals about UNL before his formal interview, but he was “very excit ed” to meet with faculty members and students. Both Perlman and Hogan were nomi nated for the position of chancellor - nei ther applied. Hogan, who is chairman and chief executive officer of two Minneapolis-area companies, said he was “delighted” when he found out he was chosen as a finalist Although Hogan isn’t a homegrown Nebraskan, he said he was familiar with the state and UNL. “I think it’s an outstanding institu tion” he said. Hogan has been to Lincoln, visited campus and has even caught a few Comhusker football games. Another tie Hogan shares with the university is that he worked with former UNL Chancellor James Moeser at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. Hogan worked as assistant dean of die KU School of Electrical Engineering from 1973-74 and associate dean from 1974-76. He was also associate executive vice Please see CHANCELLOR on 3 Legislature Battle over MIP bill continues BY GEORGE GREEN If you use, you lose. And if LB 114 passes, minors caught with booze will lose bad. Under die bill, the state would revoke the drivers’ licenses of underage drinkers, stick them with hefty fines and might even write a letter to Mom and Dad explaining die citation. With these heavy consequences in mind, advo cates and opponents of the bill squared off before the General Affairs Committee on Monday. Pro-penalty testifiers dted increasing numbers of young drinkers and the dangers of youth armed with booze when they made their case. Opponents of die bill raised questions about its constitutionality and asked if its hefty penalties truly fit the crime. Sen. Mark Quandahl of Omaha said he intro duced die bill to “catch the attention” of minors who drink alcohol Quandahl said young drinkers frequently flaunt the law because they don’t fear the consequences of their actions. This bold mentality when coupled with an abun dance of available alcohol has culminated into a seri ous drinking problem in the state, he said “There is an epidemic of underage drinking in Nebraska,” he said. But Marty Conboy, a dty prosecutor from Omaha, said the bill would instill some healthy fear into the hearts of die young. Conboy cited a Daily Nebraskan editorial that criticized die bill as evidence that young drinkers were starting to show the law some respect. “They are scared to death of this bill,” he said. But, Conboy said, he could understand why young people thumb their nose at the law. “They don't have any common sense,” he said. In the minds of the young, he said, today’s activi ties simply override the importance of tomorrow’s consequences. Hal Hansen, a representative of the Association of the Students of the University of Nebraska’s lobbying arm, the Government Liaison Committee, countered Conboy’s claims with his own take on common sense. Hansen said the student association does not Please see DRINKING on 3 A drawing dass sketches a still life in the newly remodeled Richards Hail. Jennifer Lund/DN Richards Hall facelift finally finished BY UNDSEY BAKER February saw the arrival of a little more culture to campus with the opening of the newly renovat ed Eisentrager/Howard Gallery in Richards Hall. The three-room gallery, an $8.5 million project that was in the works for more than two years, will house student, faculty and alumni exhibits. “Art students need to be able to see work done by their peers and others outside the campus on a regular basis,” said Dan Howard, professor emeri tus of art and art history and benefactor of the gallery. Both Howard and professor Emeritus of Art and Art History James Eisentrager, for whom the new gallery is named, donated money to the reno vation of the gallery. During construction on the Eisentrager/Howard Gallery, art students and members of the art department used the Nebraska Union’s Rotunda Gallery to showcase exhibits. Chairman of the Art and Art History Department Joseph Ruffo said art students could still utilize both galleries. He said the Art League, an organized student art group, would use the Rotunda. “The Art League will be using (the rotunda), but the department won't be using it,” Ruffo said. Assistant Director of Student Involvement and Rotunda Supervisor Karen Wills said though the Rotunda was booked for the remainder of the semester, anyone was free to use it. "The art students still want to use the space because it’s so visible,” she said. The Rotunda is now playing host to a print and poster sale. The Eisentrager/Howard Gallery is now featur ing Seven Nebraskans, a month-long exhibit dis “Art students need to be able to see work done by their peers and others outside the campus on a regular basis." Dan Howard professor emeritus of art and art history playing art from seven art department alumni. Ruffo said the next exhibit would highlight stu dent work. He said the gallery would be used to house graduating students’ capstone and thesis exhibitions with a summer-long program of alum ni artwork. Catch-up not a problem for professors BYGWENHETGEN Returning to classes Monday after Friday's 10-inch snow fall, students were groaning about make-up tests and professors were playing catch-up. But several professors who were playing catch-up said they didn't mind the extra work load and agreed safety was more important than traveling through a snowstorm. The university’s closing on Friday was the first time classes had been canceled because of weather since the infamous October 1997 snowstorm, which snapped power lines and tree limbs across eastern Nebraska. Interim Chancellor Harvey Perlman makes the final decision when it comes to whether classes should be canceled or not. “We think university business is very, very important, but not more important than the safety of people at the university,” Perlman said. When deciding whether to cancel classes, Perlman said he first gets a report from Landscape Services, which is responsible for clearing the university sidewalks and parking lots. “If they can’t keep the sidewalks and park ing lots open, then we can’t conduct universi ty business,” he said. Then, Perlman said, he watches the weather forecast and checks with other insti tutions to see what they may be doing. The time of year and the events happen ing at the university also play a role on whether classes are canceled or not, Perlman said. Last semester, during finals week and commencement, the Lincoln area saw anoth er snowstorm. But because of graduation, finals weren’t canceled, Perlman said. “All you can do is make the best judgment you can,” he said. Venetria Patton, assistant professor of English and ethnic studies, agreed and said though it’s unusual for the university to can cel classes, it was the best decision because of Friday’s storm. “Safety is more important than getting to class,” Patton said. “I’d rather have a student stay home and miss class than be dead trying to get to class.” Laura White, associate professor of English, said former Chancellor James Moeser wouldn't have canceled classes, but she was grateful Perlman did cancel Friday’s classes. "I’m glad he did it,” White said. “If he did n't, I couldn’t have possibly gotten to school.” Moeser said in 1997 that he was “a firm opponent of closing school." Charles Kingsbury, professor of chem istry, said even though his classes were put behind a day, the weather merited a day off. “I had no objections to canceling classes,” Kingbury said. “But I had a Russian student who thought the weather was bad but didn’t think classes should be canceled,” he said. Mark Hinchman, assistant professor of architecture, said he wasn’t dependent on the condition of the roads to get to work because he walks. "I think more professors should live closer to campus,” Hinchman said, who doesn’t teach Friday classes. “Then, it wouldn't be a problem.” Weekend thieves hit parking meters BY JILL CONNER People digging in their pock ets for change to feed the park ing meters located in front of the Nebraska Union on Monday could have simply checked out the ground. When Public Service Officers checked parking meters in front of the Nebraska Union shortly before 4 p.m. Monday, they noticed quarters and dimes laying all over the ground, said Lincoln Police Officer B. Podwinski. The officers noticed a large amount of change lying around the bank of meters and called the Lincoln Police Department. Police later discovered that all the parking meters on R Street - from 12*" to 14*h streets -had been robbed. Podwinski said he couldn't say how much money was taken from the meters. Portions of R Street were blocked so police could investi gate the area, although they could not determine how the meters were cracked, Podwinski said. University shuttle busses had to be redirected during the Please see METERS on 3