APR20

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poker face

Q & A with

cursive

The Village Council teams up with RHA to host Casino Night at Morrill Hall Page 3

Omaha-based band talks creation process of latest album, new sound page 5

Friday, April 20, 2012

volume 111, issue 143

DAILY NEBRASKAN Baring it dailynebraskan.com

As tuition spikes, students urged to speak out Emily Nitcher Daily Nebraskan

Political discourse was cast aside Thursday night to closely examine rising tuition and student debt. It was part of a University of Nebraska-Lincoln forum centering around the research of Edward St. John, a professor of higher education at the University of Michigan School of Education. St. John gave a historical context to the modern rise of education costs. He provided case studies from Michigan and North Carolina to better explain the modern issue. “One thing this lecture made clear is the issue is more complex than one side good, one side bad,” said Tarik AbdelMonem, a research specialist at the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center. “It has many layers.” Monem and the Public Policy Center teamed with the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska, the College of Education and Human Sciences and the College of Arts and Sciences to bring St. John to UNL. “Students have a lot of power to affect change and they don’t realize it,” Monem said. “Particularly because this is an election year I hope students dig deeper than just the noise their hearing on the radio, on TV or on the Internet. This in particular is what makes university such an opportunity for people.” Rachelle Winkle-Wagner, assistant professor of educational administration, brought her sociology of education class to St. John’s lecture. She hoped her students realized what an important issue public education financing is in the United States. “If it doesn’t affect their own life, it affects the student next to them,” she said. “It affects the world they’re entering and their children. Who gets to go to college increases life choices.” Winkle-Wagner worked with St. John on a book, “Academic Capital Formation Theory and Practice.” St. John calls Winkle-Wagner a “great young scholar.” Winkle-Wagner said it’s important for students at UNL to start “thinking about responsibility within our institutional and larger society for increasing access to college. Particularly for low-income students, first generation students and students of color.” When asked by a student if tuition problems could be blamed on political parties, St. John made clear he didn’t

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Nude models provide living blueprint for the sake of art

All

story by Daniel Wheaton| photo by Nickolai Hammar

D

arren McCarty’s job is similar to many others in Richards Hall. He walks into a classroom and attentively does the same thing for a period of time. But there’s one big difference — he’s naked. McCarty, a 47-year-old Lincoln resident and personal trainer, is one of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s art class models. McCarty, along with about five other models, spends several hours a week holding poses for a number of art classes for $12 an hour. The goal of modeling is to obtain a better understanding of human anatomy and transferring it to other subjects said Gary Rattigan, a UNL art lecturer. Rattigan is one of the two faculty members who teaches the art of figure drawing. Both beginning and advanced classes use models. “Sometimes you need a certain body type so you can see the muscles,” Rattigan said. McCarty’s toned figure allows Rattigan to teach the intricacies of the human form by literally copying the muscle structure. Rattigan said that realistic drawing stems from an understanding of anatomy. “Constructive drawing lets them (students) invent the figure,” Rattigan said. Thus, the knowledge of muscle structure and anatomy can be applied to any creation of the human form. Rattigan said that the rise of animation, including work by Disney, has allowed figure drawing to come back into vogue. “The human form is the most complex thing to draw,” said Audrey

Stommes, an art graduate student who also teaches some art classes. Stommes, like Rattigan, takes an anatomical approach to figure drawing. She has her students draw the skeleton, muscles and finally the figure. McCarty’s modeling career was rooted in the arts. McCarty was used for a black and white photo project in 1998, which was featured in a number of galleries. There, a friend encouraged him to try modeling. “I didn’t have a clue what they were getting at,” McCarty said. Initially unaware of the nudity aspect, McCarty was willing to give it a try. In addition to UNL, he now models for Nebraska Wesleyan University, private artists, studios in Omaha. McCarty starts his typical modeling day by making sure his body is in prime condition. He eats healthy and doesn’t work out a few days prior to prevent cramping. “You don’t want to be up there belching,” McCarty said. He said he feels that he has modeling down to a science and always keeps the artists in mind. “I always ask the instructor: ‘Is this a class that has never seen anyone naked before?’” McCarty said. If he is dealing with people who are new to drawing nude models, he actively lightens the mood by joking with the students and making them feel more relaxed. Sirui Wang, a senior theater major, said her first time drawing a model was awkward but she has become used to it. “Drawing naked people is easier because you can see their muscles,” Wang said. The conversation allows students to

Darren McCarty poses in Richards Hall for a drawing class Tuesday afternoon. McCarty is a Lincoln resident and also works as a personal trainer. At 47 years old, McCarty, also a personal trainer, spends several hours a week posing for art classes at $12 an hour. break down the misconception that models are exhibitionists, McCarty said. “Here you are, the only naked person in the room,” McCarty said.

Outside of the art world, McCarty is a personal trainer and works at a local YMCA. McCarty is willing to talk about his modeling career, even to people who might find it strange, he said. He

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Senator speaks to terminate death penalty elias youngquist daily nebraskan

As the smell of Italian food filled the air and the tune of a nearby worship service permeated the walls, Amnesty International gathered to discuss the death penalty. Yesterday evening, Nebraska Sen. Brenda Council spoke as an opponent of the death penalty at Amnesty International’s annual banquet. “Sen. Council has a long history of being an abolitionist of the death penalty in Nebraska, especially after the recent controversy with the drugs used,” said Tim Lundy, a junior English and classical languages major and president of Amnesty International. The controversy Lundy mentions is the shortage of a certain drug used in the lethal injection cocktail and the questionable methods Nebraska has taken to acquire more. “At the time (abolishing the

death penalty) was discussed, Nebraska was involved in the whirly swirly question of ‘Who did you get your sodium pentothal from?” Council said. According to Council, at first Nebraska was told by the Federal Drug Administration to get rid of its supply of sodium pentothal because its broker was not licensed. Later, after buying from the same broker, it was revealed the broker misled the pharmaceutical company he purchased the drug from. Council pointed to the state’s inability to execute by current means as well as the definition of cruel and unusual punishment as grounds for abolishing the death penalty. “The supreme court bases cruel and unusual punishment on the standards of decency and that is based on what everyone is doing,”

Kenyon/Nold page 4 downtown page 5

Council said. According to Christy Hargesheimer, Amnesty International Nebraska state death penalty abolition coordinator, the death penalty is no longer the social norm. Two-thirds of the world’s nations have abolished the death penalty, as well as 17 states in the United States. According to the Amnesty International statistics, the U.S. is among the top five nations in number of executions alongside China, Yemen, North Korea and Iran. However, according to Hargesheimer, Kyle Bruggeman | Daily Nebraskan if Texas were considered a Sen. Brenda Council views a gallery of photographs on country, it would be number the death penalty in America before her speech at the seven on the list. Amnesty International Spring Banquet on Thursday. “On a humanitarian level, the United States should abol- of the capricious nature of the abolition of prisoner torture ish the death penalty,” Coun- death penalty.” and for people who are upBesides arguing against the rooted from their homes. cil said. “Evidence shows the arbitrary application of the death penalty, members of “Every single person has death penalty, evidence of the Amnesty International act as a right to demand a certain discriminatory nature of the activists for people imprisoned quality of life,” Lundy said. eliasyoungquist@ death penalty and evidence for practicing free speech, the

dailynebraskan.com

baseball page 10

Weather | windy

Team Edward vs.Team Jacob

Giving Back

High stakes

Writers clash over ‘Twilight’ heartthrobs

Earth day festivities to give lincolnites tips for green living

Weekend series versus boilermakers biggest of season

@dailyneb | facebook.com/dailynebraskan

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