December 12

Page 1

dn 5 12 the

dailynebraskan.com

Friends in film

NU’s legends of the fall

Students bond in UNL’s Film & New Media program

DN Sports selects top performers of semester

thursday, december 12, 2013 volume 113, issue 072

NU Foundation purchases home for President Milliken REECE RISTAU DN

The University of Nebraska Foundation has purchased a $750,000 home for University of Nebraska President James B. Milliken. The 7,000-square-foot home, located at 2810 S. 27th St., was purchased using private funds and a major gift from a donor. The foundation has been supplying Milliken and his family $24,000 a year for housing, but those funds will cease when they move in. The decision to provide Milliken a home was voted on by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents in September 2012, Dorothy Endacott, a foundation spokeswoman, said. From the 1960s to the 1990s. However, after an electrical fire in the late 1990s destroyed the foundation-owned university residence at the time, a housing stipend was allotted instead, Endacott said.

The new house has space to accommodate university events and guests, as well as space for the Milliken family. Endacott said Milliken currently hosts university events for donors and students at his privately owned home. The board decided a foundation-owned home could better cater to these events. Tim Clare, the chairman for the regents, said in the Lincoln Journal Star that nearly all of the Big Ten schools provide houses for their presidents. The schools that provide an official residence are Michigan State University, Northwestern University, Penn State University, Purdue University, Ohio State University, the University of Iowa, the University of Michigan, the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Schools that provide a housing allowance are Indiana University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The previous owners of the pur-

chased home were Don and Jill Everett. Don Everett is the president of Runza Restaurants. Nebraska Watchdog, an independent investigative news organization, reported that Common Cause Nebraska, another watchdog organization, has opposed the purchase, saying it takes money off of the tax roll. The group said the money should be spent on lowering tuition or sending more kids to college. Student reactions to the purchase were mixed. Eric Reznicek, a senior finance and marketing major and a student member of the Board of Regents, said the new house will save money. “It will actually in the long run save us a couple dollars because of how many events he hosts,” said Reznicek, who is also president of the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska. “J.B. Milliken (currently) pays taxes on the house since it is through private funds. Now that the

money is going through the foundation, it’s tax-free.” However, other students are more skeptical of the decision. “He’s still a university employee, and that’s showing partiality to one employee over another,” said Jonathan Baker, a freshman advertising/ public relations major. “The amount of money they spent on it is what bothers me because it’s unnecessary.” Nebraska Watchdog reported on the other benefits Milliken receives. Milliken receives a supplemental retirement allowance of $12,000 annually, a university car with gas, insurance and maintenance covered, a country club membership and a $22,000 annual expense account. Baker asked why such a large amount of money is necessary. “What’s the purpose of a nearly million-dollar home?” NEWS@ DAILYNEBRASKAN.COM

courtesy photo

The University of Nebraska Foundation purchased this $750,000 house for University of Nebraska President James B. Milliken.

Keep calm and study on UNL facilities provide study areas, extended hours, snacks to combat Finals Week stresses

story by melissa allen | Photos by Tiago zenero

Taryn Smith, a freshman nutrition exercise and health science major, studies for finals in Love Library South on Tuesday. The library offers several rooms for students who want quiet places to concentrate on their homework.

A

s Finals Week approaches, University of Nebraska-Lincoln facilities are providing places for students to study and relax on campus. Love Library, the C.Y. Thompson Library on East Campus and the Wick Alumni Center will be extending their hours on the last days of dead week, and the Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center will be open 24 hours. “I was hesitant to do the opening, as I do not want to encourage poor sleep or study habits,” said Andre Fortune, Office of Academic Success and Intercultural Services and Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center in an email. “However, students told me they’re up anyway, and this gives them a great place to study and socialize that is not college

or major specific.” As projects and tests begin to pile up, the multicultural center, Love Library and the Campus Recreation Center will provide stress-relief activities for students as well. Stress can have a big impact on a person’s body, said Kimberly Barrett, the assistant director of Campus Recreation Wellness Services and Fitness Programs. “Performing stretches and yogic exercises helps you to work out the muscle aches and headaches that often come from your body carrying stress,” Barrett said. “(And they) give your body the opportunity to relax and say, ‘enough … time to sleep.’” news@ dailynebraskan.com

study spaces: see page 3

UHC sees increased Adderall requests during Finals Week As end of semester approaches, students request prescription drugs to improve last-minute studying Tyler Williams DN With finals quickly approaching, the University Health Center is seeing an increase in students reporting Attention Deficit Disorder-like symptoms. But health center officials want students to know that

there’s no shortcut to a prescription, especially for students looking to improve their last-minute preparation using drugs such as Adderall. Adderall and Ritalin are two examples of medications called psychostimulants that are mainly prescribed to combat the effects of ADD and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. These prescription drugs help keep ADD and ADHD patients concentrated in class, and when abused, can also be used by other students in their attempts at maintaining GPAs during the final weeks of the semester. Gail Lockard, a UHC psychologist, said she deals with many students hinting or outright asking for prescriptions for Adderall and other psychostimulants.

But testing for ADD is a long, multi-stage process, she said. In the first stage, the patient sits down for a minimum of an hour in a face-toface interview with a psychologist, who talks to them about all facets of their life, not just their academic performance. “The symptoms of ADD are cross-dimensional, meaning that you will see them in home, in social life, at work and in school,” Lockard said. This interview may also include several self-evaluations asking questions about the student’s past, attention span, restlessness and impulsivity, among many other things. After this interview is completed, the patient will then take a larger diagnostic test, which takes

about three hours to complete and costs $340 to administer. This test will specify in greater detail what the patient is suffering from and give the psychologists a better idea of how to handle the problem. After this test is taken, the psychologists will gather information from the initial interview, assessments and the diagnostic test along with family history. Using this information, they will have a follow-up session with the patient. It is at this point where first mentions of medication are made, if the psychologists think that may be a good form of treatment. The whole process takes about a month, and that’s if the

adderall: see page 2

@dailyneb | facebook.com/dailynebraskan

Photo illustration by Jake crandall | Dn

During Finals Week, the University Health Center has an increase in students asking for prescription psychostimulants such as Vyvanse and Adderall.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.