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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 2001)
February 20,2001 Volume 100 h m dailyneb.com Since 1901 John Matzen, independent presidential candidate, said he hoped stu dents take him seriously in this year's ASUN election. Matzen said he ' wanted stu dents to get informed, inter ested and involved in stu dent govem § ment. David Oasen/DN ASUN candidacy no joke Matzen uses his eccentric style to help get students involved pi tfiuMnwn_____ John Matzen, ASUN independent presidential candidate, is running a race based on more than chicken. Although his main platform issue is bringing a i Chik-fil-A restaurant to Lincoln, he has got other priorities, he said. Like Peanut Butter Twix. * Matzen said he made a late-night drive to Omaha to buy his treasured candy because it was n't available in Lincoln. Matzen’s a joker. He knows that, and he thinks his sense of humor - and his average-student per sonality - can get him elected as student body president Matzen, a junior accounting major from I Milford, has acted silly to gain students’ attention. But he’s serious about being the next leader of the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska. Matzen, who's running independently with Holly Flanagan as first-vice presidential candidate, knows his competition have been active on cam pus and in ASUN. He hasn't been too involved, apart from school. He said he took his academics seriously - he’s a member of accounting honorary fraternity Beta Alpha Psi. v nw mam cAiidtuiutuiai dtuvuy iid5 uccii a continual hunt for Bigfoot with friends, he said. But he said he didn’t view his lack of on-cam pus involvement, when compared with the other candidates, as a disadvantage. In fact, he's doing everything he can to differen tiate himself from everyone else. "If you’re the funny guy, people might remem ber you and vote for you,” he said. Matzen sported a half-soccer ball hat during one of the ASUN debates. When he announced his candidacy, he wore a stuffed monkey around his neck in lieu of a tie. He dressed up as Waldo - as in “Where's Waldo?” - to ensure he was visible in the Daily Nebraskan’s photograph of the second debate. “I feel the students want a change,” Matzen said. “I'm the guy they can joke around with.” Apart from the Chik-fil-A issue, Matzen said his platform consisted of the three Is: Getting students informed, interested and involved. Matzen said he would like to see the president have a weekly column in the Daily Nebraskan to better inform the students. Students need to be aware about what's hap pening on campus, he said. A lot of Matzen’s plans to improve student life have stemmed from other people’s ideas. For instance, Matzen capitalized on the Score! 7 feel this university has gone without funk for too long.” John Matzen ASUN independent presidential candidate party’s idea of having a book exchange for stu dents. Rather than having it in the bookstore, as Score! suggested, one of Matzen's friends designed a pro totype Web site that allows students to trade books online. The wheels are also turning on an idea pro posed last year by ASUN President Joel Schafer and First Vice President Riley Peterson. The two suggested revamping New Student Enrollment to improve students’ first year at UNL The idea never panned out because there was n't enough money for ASUN to restructure NSE. Matzen proposes to hold a freshman day early in the fall semester to help freshmen better adjust to UNL and answer any questions they may have. Matzen said his first major piece of legislation he would pass as ASUN president would be Please see MATZEN on 3 Director for disabilities office hired ■ Leah Hall Dorothy will take Mary Thompson's position with Services for Students with Disabilities temporarily. BY JILL CONNER After student complaints, meetings with senior administrators and a voluntary reassignment, the Services for Students with Disabilities got a tempo rary director Monday. Leah Hall Dorothy, who will run the office part time, along with her job in another campus depart ment, promises to bring stability and positive student interaction to an office that was dogged by com plaints last semester. Dorothy was named the interim director of Services for Students with Disabilities after the former director asked to be reassigned in January. In addition to Dorothy’s new job, she also works full-time as the assistant director of sports clubs and special programs at die Campus Recreation office. Dorothy said she would have no problem divid ing her time between two offices because she has worked directly with the Services for Students with Disabilities office in the past After the former director, Mary Thompson, asked to be reassigned to a new position, Stan Campbell, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs, said edu cation and training were deciding factors when choosing an interim director. Thompson volunteered for reassignment to the Student Involvement office after student complaints regarding the office’s management and accessibility spurred meetings with senior administrators. Campbell said it was important the person cho sen as interim director of the office had a good history with students. Campbell said Dorothy was one of the lead con tacts for the Campus Recreation Center in terms of working with recreation needs for students with dis abilities. "Leah has a good history of working with students on campus, with her sport club programs, with the students she works with on a one-on-one basis and with recreation needs for students with disabilities," he said. j^orouiy saia wunang wnn siuaenis wnn aisaorn ties has always been a part of either her education or her job. “Its important to me,” she said. Services offered to students through the office include class notes, interpreters, test accommoda tions, taped texts and Braille services. Dorothy said she wanted to bring support and direction for her staff as well as create a comfortable atmosphere for students. Please see DISABILITIES on 3 UHL student receives nation's leading prize in mathematics PTPMAHUHHULPtl Imagine a trip to New Orleans - not for Mardi Gras, - but for math. When some of the nation's best undergraduate mathematicians gath ered in New Orleans last month, it was a University of Nebraska-Lincoln student who walked away with the top prize. As the winner of the Alice T. Schafer prize, UNL's Jaclyn Anderson, now a graduate student, was voted the coun try's top undergraduate woman in math ematics. J ___r_ a avovuivu uj uiv/ iioauviauuu iui Women in Mathematics, the award goes to a female undergraduate student who demonstrates an interest in mathemat ics, superior skill in mathematics cours es and mathematical competitions and die ability to do independent work. UNL math professor Gordon Woodward was one of the faculty mem bers who nominated Anderson for the Schafer Prize. “Jaclyn is one of die best math under graduates I have ever worked with,” Woodward said. As an undergraduate student, Anderson participated in a National Science Foundation-sponsored research program. For her research, Anderson worked on a project involving number theory. With applications in computer encryption, number theory is a popular K ML Sharon Kolbet/DN Jadyn Anderson stands in front of a chalkboard displaying the mathematical theorem she is work ing on. Anderson, a UNL graduate student was awarded the Schafer Prize for being the nation's top undergraduate woman in mathematics. field in mathematical research, Woodward said. "Jaclyn is a very exceptional student I would like to think that the math department helped develop her skills,’' he said Woodward said Anderson became the first UNL student to receive the pres tigious award Anderson received her undergradu ate degree in December and plans to continue her studies by pursuing a post graduate degree in the field she loves. Anderson said once she enrolled at UNL, choosing a major was an easy deci sion. “I really enjoy the problem-solving aspects of math,” she said. Students try to work around nagging flu ■ Many people on campus are trying to stay healthy and avoid the illnesses that interrupt their daily routines. BYGWENTIETGEN Sore throats, cases of bronchitis and the flu are sneezing their way around campus. And judging from what most UNL students who caught the bug said, the symptoms will stick around about a week. Becca Becker, a junior communica tions major, said she was sick last week and so was her boyfriend. Aching muscles, a continuous cough and symptoms of the cold and the flu were among the symptoms she experi enced, Becker said. “Every four hours I was downing NyQuil,” she said. Ryan Drahota, a senior film studies major, said a lot of drainage, along with a sore throat, was what he had last week. “A lot of people had runny noses where they would be blowing their noses every five minutes,” Drahota said. Jon Puett, a sophomore international business major, said he was hit with an ear infection, a runny nose and a sore throat. "I went home and was given three dif ferent types of drugs,” Puett said. John Lowe, a sophomore chemical “A lot of people had runny noses where they would be blowing their noses every five minutes Ryan Drahota senior film studies major engineering major, said he hadn’t been sick, but everyone in his family was sick with symptoms of the cold and the flu. Lowe’s advice for those who are sick is simple: “Sleep a lot and drink a lot of flu ids.” Staying healthy can be as simple as washing your hands before and after eat ing, after using the bathroom and getting a good night’s sleep, said Kristen Sukraw, a health aide in Pound Hall. Strep throat, bronchitis, a lot of differ ent versions of the flu and even some cases of mononucleosis have been com mon lately, said Sukraw, a sophomore exercise science major. Proper techniques for thorough hand washing include wetting hands with warm water and soap, working the soap into a good lather for at least 20 seconds, rinsing hands so the warm water runs back into the sink, and drying hands thoroughly with a paper towel.