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Hitting home

Crowd control

NU claims top spot in hitting as it goes into Wildcat series

Bouncing Gate 25 offers student life, career experience

friday, april 18, 2014 volume 113, issue 136

living history Civil War reenactors take up residence outside union story by McCartney Martin photos by Amber Baesler

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bout 10 men in uniform stood at attention outside three white tents on the green space near the Nebraska Union. Four guns lay on a table near the tents, which were filled with camping supplies. One soldier carried a shiny, gold bugle. The soldiers built the Civil War encampment on Thursday morning and welcomed University of Nebraska-Lincoln students and faculty who stopped by with questions. UNL’s Phi Alpha Theta History Club brought in the Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War for its second annual event. The day-long event was an expansion of the history club’s Civil War event last year because of student interest. Life really The Lincoln-based group, who changed presented last year, transformed into soldiers during the day to ila lot in the Civil lustrate traditional roles of men War. It was during the Civil War. and uniforms drew stutransformational.” dentsGuns to the camp with questions, said Marc Witkouski, captain comMarc Witkouski mand of the Nebraska Rangers sons of union veterans and a member of the Sons of Union Veterans. Gold stripes on the shoulder straps of Witkouski’s navy uniform showed his rank: captain. The stripes are still traditionally found on today’s military uniforms, said fellow

Capt. Marc Witkouski checks his pocket watch Thursday evening on the Nebraska Union greenspace. Witkouski and his men like to portray the life of soldiers for Living History because it’s a more interactive way to teach than classrooms or books. Sons of Unions Veterans of the Civil War member Eric Bachenberg. “The captain would be a company commander, and a company could be about fifty men or so,” Bachenberg said. Some uniforms worn by the group have been made and some have been purchased. Most items found on the campsite can be found on sutler websites, which sell reenacting supplies. Bachenberg embodied a musician, carrying his bugle. “There always was a demand for music,” Bachenberg said. In the Civil War, buglers would often help command orders through music, since the sound of the instrument could be heard when voice commands could not, Bachenberg said. Musicians also had another job, although it didn’t pertain to music at all. “Musicians, since they didn’t carry arms they were the stretcher bearers,” Bachenberg said. “They got the charge of going out and picking up the casualties, which can be a pretty ugly job.” After packing up the camp in late afternoon, the reenactors presented Civil War uniforms, flags and weapons in the Nebraska Union Auditorium at 7 p.m. Weapons included

Ron Rockenbach pretends to fire his musket on the Nebraska Union greenspace on Thursday. Rockenbach has been a renactor for 20 years and has been with the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War for four. swords, bowie knifes and the many different kinds of firearms used in the Civil War. Many of the guns – shotguns, rifles and revolvers – were recreations. Members also presented the evolutions of the American flag and gave tips on correct flag etiquette. “Life really changed a lot in the Civil War,” Witkouski said. “That was the beginning of feminism because the men were all off, and so the women not only had to run the farm, they had to run businesses and the factories, all kinds of traditional male roles. It was such a transformational age.” news@ dailynebraskan.com

Jim Atkins, a member of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War stands in line on the Nebraska Union greenspace on Thursday morning. Atkins is representing his great, great uncle who was a sharp shooter in the war. Sharp shooters were the beginning of the special forces.

UNL objects to 20-foot trees near new greenhouses REECE RISTAU DN New greenhouses at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Innovation Campus will be filled with plant life, but administrators want to keep outdoor trees far away from the structures. University representatives objected to a city request to plant a 15to 20-foot tree along the south side of the complex on the old state fair grounds, according to Marvin Krout, director of the City of Lincoln Planning Department. Dan Duncan, executive director of Innovation Campus, declined to comment. “We’re currently discussing the matter with the city and I don’t want to discuss it at this time,” Duncan said. Lincoln’s Urban Design Committee approved designs for the Nebraska Innovation Campus head house and two greenhouses last week, but asked UNL to design a landscape plan. Current design standards require

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that trees be planted near public buildings, but UNL asked to waive this requirement. Krout said UNL’s concern is about attracting those who will use the facilities, which will be located at 21st Street and Salt Creek Roadway. “They’re concerned that the potential tenants – including UNL faculty and other people in the private sector in the future – would have concerns with the trees’ shade affecting research,” Krout said. Krout said the shade likely wouldn’t be an issue. “We understand that concern,” Krout said. “But with the trees being 50 feet away, 20 foot-tall trees wouldn’t shade the greenhouse.” Even so, Krout said UNL’s response was that the tree would be a perception problem. The potential trees would be planted along the curb on the south side of the buildings. The university hopes to recruit internationally prominent plant researchers by building the mechanically cooled greenhouses, said Matt Metcalf in a Lincoln Journal Star article. Metcalf is an employee of Davis

Design. Krout and his associates brought the issue to the Urban Design Committee, a board in the mayor’s office. The committee requested that a different landscape plan be developed, possibly one with shorter trees, Krout said. The goals of the Nebraska Innovation Campus are to facilitate new and more in-depth partnerships between UNL and the private sector. The land is technically owned by the city, which could plant the trees regardless. But the city planning department wants to work with UNL as much as possible, Krout said. He also said that the city typically asks the developer of the plan to pay for the planting of such trees. UNL plans to begin construction this summer on the 44,500-squarefoot complex. Krout said the tree issue would not interfere with these plans. UNL also plans to build two additional greenhouses at a later time, according to the Lincoln Journal Star. NEWS@ DAILYNEBRASKAN.COM

more Inside Coverage:

Suicide prevention for college students How the university can offer resources and relationships

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file photo by andrew barry | dn

Construction is making headway at the Nebraska Innovation Campus, an effort to create partnerships between the university and the private sector.

Lincoln tattoo shops offer many options Local business owners discuss the meaning of ink

@dailyneb | facebook.com/dailynebraskan


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