December 4

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dailynebraskan.com

wednesday, december 4, 2013 volume 113, issue 066

Former student pleads guilty to fraud charges staff report dn The 23-year-old former University of Nebraska-Lincoln student who was indicted in connection to a UNL computer security breach pleaded guilty Tuesday. Daniel Stratman, now an Omaha resident, had faced a dozen counts in the indictment, which was filed this summer. He agreed to plead guilty to a single count of fraud in connection with computers, as well pay restitution for the resulting loss. The U.S. Attorney’s Office agreed to recommend no more than two years incarceration on a charge that can carry up to 10 years in prison. State prosecutors agreed not to file charges. On May 23, 2012, Stratman “knowingly caused the transmission of a program, information, code and command,” which caused at least $5,000 in damage to a protected com-

puter owned by the University of Nebraska and Nebraska State College Systems computer system, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Russell in the Lincoln Journal Star. The UNL senior gained access to student audit reports and records, user account information and password information. According to the university, the Nebraska Student Information System contained the records of more than 650,000 students, alumni, parents, employees and applicants from NU campuses in Lincoln, Omaha and Kearney. The investigation later showed the database included information from Chadron, Perus and Wayne state colleges. University and state college officials said it didn’t appear that any information was transferred. Stratman was identified as a suspect by the IP address used to access the system, officials said. news@ dailynebraskan.com

Strong sisterhood

Hurricane warning

Lambda Theta Nu attracts multicultural students

Nebraska hosts Miami in Big Ten/ ACC Challenge

5 10 leaving a

legacy

Ross estate donates $7.7 million to its namesake media arts center

UNL works to implement bike share program The Mary Riempa Ross Media Arts Center recently received $7.7 million in donations from its namesake Mary Riempa Ross’ estate. REECE RISTAU DN Students may be able to check out community bikes at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln next year. A bike share program allowing students to check out community bikes is in development stages and if implemented, the program would install stations throughout City and East campuses where students would simply need to swipe their NCard at a scanner, ride the bike where they need it and drop it off at the nearest station. Thien Chau, a sophomore environmental studies and political science major, is leading the program. He said there are numerous benefits to the bike share program, including environmental and traffic benefits. “A lot of people travel from East Campus to City Campus

and travel to the surrounding neighborhoods,” Chau said. “(With the program), there would be less traffic, fewer carbon emissions and it’s a friendlier way for people to bike.” The biggest issue facing the project is where the funding will come from, Chau said. In order to figure out how to best implement the plan and decide how to fund it, Chau and his team are looking to the University of Nebraska at Omaha. UNO has had a bike share program, called the B-cycle program, since June 2011, according to the school’s website. UNL will likely model its plan off the one in place at UNO. Chau said he is also using UNO as a template for funding. “So what they did was get funding from Blue Cross Blue

story by Tyler Williams photo by Stacie Hecker She was really a consignment patron of the arts.” Danny Ladely ross director

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t’s the most wonderful time of the year for the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center. Mary Riepma Ross’ estate donated $7.7 million to provide an income to support facilities, equipment, academic and community outreach programs, hosting visiting media artists and more. Ross also donated much of her personal art collection to the Sheldon Museum of Art, which was first announced in 1990. Danny Ladely, director of the Ross, was surprised and shocked when he got the phone call about the endowment. “She was really a consignment patron of the arts – especially movies,” Ladely said. Ross, who died on Feb. 2, attended the University of Nebraska and graduated from Vassar College in 1932. She received her law degree from Memphis State University, and the University of Nebraska awarded her an honorary law degree in 1973. Ross moved to New York in 1946 and opened her own private law practice

in 1961. One of Ross’s good friends, and senior director of special projects for the University of Nebraska foundation, Lucy Comine said that Ross was one of the first people she contacted when she took her position as director in 1989. The two hit it off with their love of film and theater, becoming life-long friends. It was Comine who asked Ross for the initial $3.5 million donation in 1990, which lead to the building of the Mary Riepma Ross Media Center in 2003. Ladely remembers Ross at the grand opening of the center. “She was shocked at seeing her money used in such an amazing way,” Ladely said. Toward the end of her life, Comine and Ross began talking about legacy and what Ross wanted to be remembered for. It was then that Ross agreed to leave $7.7 million to the Ross. Charles O’Connor, dean of the Hixson-Lied College

ross: see page 2

bike share: see page 2

Brace Labs set for $8 million renovations Remodel will allow the School of Biological Sciences to expand course offerings next year Kelli Rollin DN An $8 million renovation will increase availability of lab courses for the School of Biological Sciences come fall 2014. The University of NebraskaLincoln is renovating Brace Labs, a 107-year-old building and the second oldest on campus. Once home to physics and astronomy classes, Brace’s renovation will open additional lab and general classroom space. This will be especially useful for the School of Biological Sciences, which had to turn down students at the beginning of the fall semester who signed up for lab courses because of lack of space, said John Osterman, an associate professor in the school of biological sciences. “Right now we’re in a crunch for lab space, so this is now giving us extra capacity for the teaching labs,” Osterman said. Because more lab space will be available, Osterman said the

Brace renovation will allow room for more course offerings to meet the needs of the department and the students. He said this year the school started a new program called “life courses,” which includes two classes involving labs. In order to teach the life courses this year, Osterman said the school of biological sciences had to change courses to make lab space. Construction costs will include security systems and the general contractor, totalling $6,346,000. Non-construction costs, such as artwork and insurance, total $1,654,000 for the $8 million project. Some of the renovations include updated heating and cooling systems, three life sciences labs, a 97-seat computer-based testing center and updated technology for classrooms. Information Services, which is located in the 501 Building and Architecture Hall, will have office, conference and storage space in the new Brace Labs building. The existing auditorium, which has tiered seating, will be updated and used as a classroom for any course that needs the space. Two other general classroom areas will also be available after the renovations. The Nebraska Legislature considered demolishing Brace Labs because it was cheaper than renovation, but Brace was spared be-

This is now giving us extra capacity for the teaching labs.” John Osterman associate professor

matt masin | dn

Brace Laboratory of Physics was named in honor of DeWitt Bristol Brace, former chair of the Department of Physics, who died of blood poisoning in October 1905 just as the building was nearing completion. The former physics lab will be used for innovative teaching upon completion. cause of its historic character, according to the project information

document. The document for the renova-

@dailyneb | facebook.com/dailynebraskan

tions states the building is in poor internal condition, and some im-

provements, such as asbestos removal, are required for people to occupy the building. Chad Lea, lead project manager and designer for facilities management and planning, said although Brace Labs is more than a century old, renovations won’t require more work or caution than other renovations would. “I mean, it just involves different steps,” Lea said. “I would say it’s a pretty traditional renovation project.” The historical look of the building will be kept and restored as part of the renovations, one example being the entrance. Because he sat in on planning meetings for the renovations, Osterman said he’s confident the historical aspect of Brace Labs will be kept. “They’re going to embrace everything that was good about it and get rid of the bad stuff,” he said. news@ dailynebraskan.coM


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