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Huskers take nitanny lions 70-58 Story on PAGE 10 ·Video online at www.dailynebraskan.com ·Photos online at facebook.com/dailynebraskan thursday, january 12, 2012

volume 111, issue 079

DAILY NEBRASKAN dailynebraskan.com

dan holtmeyer | daily nebraskan

State Sen. Brenda Council, flanked by members of Nebraska’s NAACP chapters and League of Women Voters, voices her opposition to Sen. Charlie Janssen’s voter ID law, LB 239. The state’s constitution forbids any hindrance to people voting, and “that is precisely what LB 239 does,” she said.

Supporters, opponents argue voter ID bill Proposed bill could inhibit student, elderly and minority voters, opponents say Dan holtmeyer daily nebraskan

State Sen. Charlie Janssen of Fremont, Neb., has found himself yet again in the middle of a passionate legislative battle. Last year, it was over an immigration bill, one of the

most controversial of that legislative session. This time around, political conflict is brewing over his voter ID bill, a requirement that Nebraska voters present official identification, most often a photo ID such as a driver’s license, before they mark the ballot.

Janssen, a conservative, maintains that his bill is meant to ensure the integrity of elections and retain confidence in the system by preventing voter fraud, such as when someone pretends to be someone else to vote again. It’s modeled after an Indiana law that was upheld

by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2008. Nonetheless, opponents charge the bill will disproportionately affect low-income, minority, elderly and student voters, placing another hurdle between those groups and their right to vote.

The bill, LB 239, was introduced last session, along with similar laws in dozens of other states, but held over by committee until now. After several amendments were added, the bill is significantly “watered down,” Janssen said in an interview, but is also now

constitutional. The legislature will likely consider the bill within two weeks. “The original bill was much more strict,” he said. The way it’s formulated now,

voter: see page 3

UNL improves recycling numbers Impact party Frannie Sprouls Daily Nebraskan

The results are in for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s performance in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Game Day Challenge last October. In the waste minimization category, UNL ranked second with 0.187 pounds of waste per person. UNL came in 14th in diversion rate, which was 43.32 percent. Waste per capita measures the amount of waste per person in the stadium, while diversion rate is the overall recycling rate. “We were very pleased with the results, especially when compared to the ranking from last year’s competition,” said Jeff Henson, a community and regional planning graduate

waste: see page 2 frye page 4

SCHOOLS AIM TO HAVE THE LOWEST WASTE PER CAPITA IN ORDER TO WIN Diversion rate = (Pounds of recyclables and compostables / Pounds of trash + Pounds of recyclables and compostables) x 100. Waste per capita = (Pounds of trash + Pounds of recylcables + Pounds of compostables) / Total attendance.

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Elias Youngquist

.35

Daily Nebraskan

43.32%

40

30

0.338

.30

.25

25.39%

20

.20

10

.15

0

0

2010 2011 Diversion Rate

0.187

2010 2011 Waste Per Capita SOURCE: U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

performing arts page 5

announces bid for ASUN race The race has begun with only one runner. Amidst confused students taking a lunch break and befuddled onlookers in the Nebraska Union, a group of brightly dressed students stood before an even brighter banner to unveil their party and plans for the upcoming Association of Students of the University of Nebraska’s elections. Calling themselves “Impact for ASUN,” the party announced its three candidates for the executive positions as well as its party’s platform of issues it will be supporting. Alongside the executives were 51 students that will be running for various senate positions as well.

sports page 10

impact: see page 2

Weather | cloudy

Growing up is hard to do

Labor of love

Track and field preview

expectation of being professional unrealistic, stifling

lincoln houses surprising variety of stage theaters

athletes to watch during 2012 track and field season

@dailyneb | facebook.com/dailynebraskan

Eric Kamler, a junior agricultural economics major, is Impact’s presidential candidate. Kaitlin Mazour, a junior English major, is the internal vice presidential candidate and Kyle Wroblewski, a junior civil engineering major was selected as the external vice president candidate. “I’m joined by two of the greatest people I’ve been blessed to call not only my running mates, but also my best friends,” said Kamler in the announcement speech. Since Aug. 29, 2011, the core executive staff has been at work forming ideas and planning for the campaigning to take place in the next eight

23°10°


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Daily Nebraskan

ASUN creates new budget, cuts $10,000 elias youngquist daily nebraskan

matt masin | daily nebraskan

UNL teaching assistant Emily Bruggeman’s unique PowerPoints helped alter the curriculum of her chemistry class.

Former TA influences Chem 109 format staff report daily nebraskan

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chemistry 109 students have one particularly ambitious undergraduate teaching assistant to thank for new curriculum. Professors and directors in the chemistry department approached Emily Bruggeman, a December 2011 UNL graduate, to help put together materials for teaching in the newly debuted chemistry labs. Selected for her experience as a TA and good evaluations from former students, Bruggeman has taught five lab sections of Chemistry 109 and one lab section of Chemistry 110. She said it was a critical and important part of

her time spent at UNL. Bruggeman designed PowerPoints to be shown in the new labs on six, large flatscreen TV screens. Bruggeman also gave feedback to Eric Malina, an associate professor of practice of chemistry, who created the new labs for Chemistry 109. Both Bruggeman and Malina said the PowerPoints provide the students with the purpose of the lab, why they are doing lab, how it relates to the lecture and the equations they will need to answer the post-lab questions. Bruggeman said she was given a lot of freedom in designing the PowerPoints as she saw fit. She included things she thought would be important and helpful to the

students, she said. “I always made it a point to get to know my students and create an environment that is capable of learning,” Bruggeman said of her time as a TA. Malina said being a student didn’t hinder Bruggeman in the least. “It’s tough when a student has an adult responsibility of coming up with a new course to enhance students’ education,” he said. “But Emily did it, and pretty much any student can do whatever they set their minds to.” Bruggeman said she wrote the PowerPoints after her students performed the lab so she was able to know where students struggled or needed extra guidance.

“If there were large changes that needed to be added or changed in the labs, myself and the other TAs informed Dr. Malina,” Bruggeman said. She made sure to include topics that were commonly asked by students while she was teaching her labs, but also in the time she spent in the chemistry resource center. Bruggeman said she was able to anticipate questions that the students had and she had and ways of helping the students to better understand the material. She hopes to attend physician’s assistant school next summer, according to a UNL press release. news@dailynebraskan.com

Senators flocked into the room as the gavel pounded and the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska’s first meeting of the semester started. Empty seats were scattered around the large square of tables while ASUN executives and committee chairs looked over their plans for the coming months. “We have until March 28, which is crazy because we have a lot to do,” said ASUN President Lane Carr, a senior history and political science major. Throughout the committees of ASUN, a number of projects are in various positions of completion. Most recently, Carr sat down with Director of Administration Marlene Beyke to set a budget for the upcoming year. The results were surprising – they ended up cutting $10,000. “We were to give some of our staff a meritbased pay increase, two lawyers in student legal services,” Carr said. “We also gave the staff of ASUN a merit-based pay increase since they’re on the low end of their pay scale. All of those big changes came and we were able to lower our allocation by $10,000.” According to Carr, the budget also added

$1,000 for graduate student programming and planning, $1,000 for environmental stainability community and added another position in student services. This isn’t the official budget, Carr said. The proposal still needs to be approved by the Committee for Fees Allocation. “This is all preliminary and if they don’t approve it, we’ll revise them,” Carr said. “But I’m very confident that they will accept the changes since we were still able to lower our funding.” Carr said he is also heading up the restructuring of ASUN to ensure the representation of graduate students and working with Faculty Senate to develop a bereavement policy. Similarly, External Vice President Matt Hilgenkamp, a senior accounting major, said he has been working on looking into parking fees, introducing zip cars to UNL and, most importantly, bringing TEDx to UNL. “There will be a lot coming down the pipe with that,” Hilgenkamp said. Other issues include working on additional meal plans, making UNL bike-friendly and assisting the plan to remodel or rebuild the East Campus Recreation Center. eliasyoungquist@ dailynebraskan.com

impact: from 1

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weeks until elections on March 7. “We started with candidates and who would be interested in running for positions,” Kamler said. “From there, we kind of got into campaign-strategy mode. We decided to pick out very deliberate colors with the orange and blue. In addition, we’ve done platform campaign research – it’s kind of been a real whirlwind these last couple months.” The party is running under three major umbrella issues, according to Kamler. Academics, outreach and student life are primary issues that Impact has taken on, with more specific issues underneath. “The Impact Party proposes a package of general studies programs, including the creation of a General Studies Advisory Board to guide these students as they discover their educational passions, future careers and life paths,” Mazour said. Under the issue of communication, Impact plans on helping to create a smartphone app with features that will assist students in the daily navigation of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “Too often we see that students have no real avenue for discovering the opportunities available to them,” Wroblewski said. “That’s why we’re focusing on opening up communication

student and one of UNL Recycling’s coordinators. “It was a nice improvement.” On Oct. 28, 2011, volunteers collected more than 7,000 pounds of recyclables and sent numbers to the EPA to be judged. UNL ranked second, only behind the University of Iowa, in waste per capita. The top winner of diversion rate for Division I schools was the University of Colorado at Boulder. While UNL didn’t win in any categories, the school improved compared to its previous numbers. In 2010, UNL’s waste per capita totaled 0.338 and the school was ranked No. 9. From 2010 to 2011, UNL improved 44.7 percent. UNL’s diversion rate was 25.4 percent in 2010 and it ranked No. 28. Compared to last year, UNL’s percent rose by 70.6 percent. UNL’s results are a positive when it comes to looking to the 2012 football season and hosting another Game Day Challenge. “We would expect to participate next football season,” Henson said. “I think the results will be helpful in recruiting

courtesy photo

From left: Kyle Wroblewsk, Impact’s external vice presidential candidate, Eric Kamler, presidential candidate, and Kaitlin Mazour, internal vice presidential candidate in an increasingly electronic world. One way we will be doing this is the creating of a Husker smartphone app made by University of Nebraska students.” According to Kamler, they got the idea from Texas A&M University. It will feature bus routes, a campus map, campus news and videos.

“It’s nice to have on a smartphone and at their fingertips,” Kamler said. The party’s final goal is the improvement of student life, especially through improved communication with the Nebraska Athletic Department. “It’s become increasingly evident that ASUN has failed to serve as the voice to the athletic

department,” Kamler said, “and we intend for student government to fulfill its role in representing students in this capacity. With the Haymarket Arena being built and last year’s football ticket shortages, it is crucial that this dialog with athletics begins now.” eliasyoungquist@ dailynebraskan.com

It’s exciting. We put so much effort into it. But it’s all about the students.”

Prabhakar shrestha

UNL recycling coordinator

(volunteers).” Prabhakar Shrestha, the other UNL Recycling coordinator, said the results don’t distinctly determine whether the Game Day Challenge will happen. “What I know, we’ll be equally motivated to do more about certain things,” Shrestha said. “It’s exciting. We put so much effort into it. But it’s all about the students.” Even if UNL were to participate in the Game Day Challenge again, the exact game date wouldn’t be known. UNL Recycling’s next recycling project is Recyclemania, a recycling competition among college and university programs throughout North America. The competition will have a trial run during the last couple weeks of January, and the competition will begin Feb. 5.

franniesprouls@ dailynebraskan.com

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Daily Nebraskan

voter: from 1 however, “doesn’t change a whole lot” for the average voter, Janssen added. If passed, potential voters would need to present a valid driver’s license, passport or other official identification before they receive a ballot. That means it can’t be expired and must have an accurate, current address. There are several exceptions to this rule, however. Nursing home residents are exempt, for example, as are early and mail-in voters. Those adjustments haven’t stopped a statewide coalition opposed to the idea. The Omaha and Lincoln chapters of the NAACP, Bold Nebraska, Nebraska’s AARP, the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska, State Sen. Brenda Council of Omaha and more than a dozen other organizations gathered in the capitol building rotunda yesterday for a press conference at noon. The plan: tell the legislature exactly why the bill was, in their view, a bad move. Barrier to Voting? Students and minority voters, which often overlap with low-income voters, move from place to place more often, many of them said. Because of that mobility, those voters are more likely to have an ID and a current address that don’t match up, meaning they would have some trouble on election day with this bill. For example, a student from out of town who registered to vote in Lincoln would have to get a new driver’s license every time his or her dorm or apartment address changed. With a license costing about $26

every time, that could begin to be a problem, opponents say. Tenesha McCraney, a sophomore studying elementary education, is in just that situation. She’s from Omaha, along with many of her friends. She lives in Lincoln, though, she said, and would want to vote here. But until she gets a license that says so, she’ll have to vote in Omaha. “I would still vote,” she said. But, she added, the cost of licenses or gas could be a significant pain. “We’re college students. We don’t have a lot of money.” On the other end are elderly and disabled voters who don’t have enough mobility to easily go to the DMV to get a new license or, often, a license at all, said Jeannette Eileen Jones, a UNL professor of history and ethnic studies. She was present as a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, which has historically been involved with civil rights. Janssen’s bill, however, attempts to meet this challenge. People who are registered to vote but don’t have a valid driver’s license will get a card every two years for free from their county, called a voter registration acknowledgement, that will let them vote. That takes care of about 30,000 people in Nebraska, or about 3 percent of Nebraska’s registered voters. Those cards will cost $15,000, Janssen said. Even if a voter forgets everything, Janssen pointed out, they can also vote with a provisional ballot, which is checked by officials later. If anything, he said, the acknowledgements will

actually help voters by clarifying when and where they should vote. Michael Wagner, a professor of political science, also co-wrote a report on the effect of voter ID laws in January 2009 for the Brennan Center for Justice, part of the New York University Law School. That report found little adverse impact on turnout from voter ID laws, though it stressed that such laws warrant some scrutiny. But many opponents questioned Janssen’s stated cost. Larry Dix, executive director of the Nebraska Association of County Officials, which opposes the bill, pegged the cost at between $170,000 and $620,000 every election, after taking worker training, voter education and staff to check provisional ballots into consideration. “The general public just isn’t aware of the detail and the work that goes into an election,” he said. A Solution Looking for a Problem The potential difficulties and costs for voters and counties come from a bill that has little to fix, many opponents also say. “No. 1, it addresses a problem that doesn’t exist,” said Adam Morfeld, executive director of Nebraskans for Civic Reform, a non-profit that works on civic education and election accessibility. Morfeld also serves on the UNL Publication Board, which oversees the Daily Nebraskan. “I think people are really burying their head in the sand,” Janssen told the

dan holtmeyer | daily nebraskan

Megan Jackson, 30, a UNL alumna, fills out a form detailing her meeting with a state senator. She was one of dozens of Nebraskans who turned out to tell members of the Legislature to oppose Janssen’s bill. “If I had to vote today, my vote wouldn’t be accepted” if the bill passes, she said, because she recently moved back from Seattle. Daily Nebraskan. He pointed out if voter fraud, such as pretending to be someone else to vote again, is successful, it’s not detected. “If you don’t check it, how do you know?” Opponents to voter ID laws, which are now in place in 31 states, have often repeated that voter fraud is almost non-existent in the U.S. Voter ID law supporters, often conservatives, contend that it’s a far more common and dangerous problem than liberals concede. Both sides cite their own research, which often comes from liberal- or

conservative-leaning groups, to back up their claims. But a number of elections experts, including a team of two lawyers, one conservative and one liberal, have concluded that there’s very little voter fraud around the nation, according to a 2007 report in The New York Times. “I’ve never had a case filed or something questioned on someone voting,” said Dave Shively, the Lancaster County Election Commissioner. Instead, he said, the fraud he sees is mostly in petition-signature drives. Nebraska’s State Department hasn’t seen any cases

in recent memory. “How much money do you spend to fix a problem that doesn’t exist?” Dix asked. Phyllis Hicks, 68, from Omaha, sat on the rotunda’s edge for most of the press conference, well-dressed and wearing a large black hat. She said she thought the bill’s exceptions, intended to make it more palatable to opponents, will actually sink it. “If you have to have that many exceptions, why have the rule?” she asked. “I think that was the part that angers me most.”

danholtmeyer@ dailynebraskan.com

opinion

Consumerism can’t excuse excessive waste

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marc koenig

onsumer privilege is a tricky thing. This weekend, while idly watching television with the in-laws, I was introduced to a new show on Food Network, called “The Big Waste.” The basic premise of the show is that, as Americans, our habits of food consumption produce a huge amount of waste. The majority of us are oblivious to the actual level of waste and the various ways we contribute to it. On the show, two teams of professional chefs are tasked to craft a gourmet dinner for 100 guests with one stipulation: the dishes must be made only from food that’s been discarded, and would otherwise decompose, causing — you’ve got it — a big waste. The show shocks you with how easy the cooks’ task is to complete. Supermarkets, we find, daily discard boxes of produce that’s been rejected by patrons. An orchard owner describes its waste level as near “40 percent waste,” thanks to people’s habits of picking, inspecting and immediately dropping fruits. In one of the more intriguing segments, a chef

accompanies a man who’s pledged to eat only foods abandoned by restaurants and supermarkets. The man tears open several heaped trash bags of discarded food, and immediately finds mountains of near-perfect quality tomatoes, still-soft bread and milk cartons whose expiration date is a day away. The vast majority of the recovered food — all of which must be first inspected by a health examiner — passes all tests for healthy consumption. In other words, most of the collected items are waste in name and actuality: good food lost without real purpose. The audience is repeatedly shown the chefs’ flabbergasted reactions. “Oh my god. This is a perfectly good apple. A tiny little blemish, so what. This is a beautiful fruit.” “Amazing,” they say, “amazing.” I agree with the chefs: the level of excess and loss built into the American system should amaze us. While some waste is unavoidable, what level should be acceptable? Is the problem largely with consumer habits, as discussed by the show? If we just stop expecting industrialized perfection, will food waste disappear? “The Big Waste” hits on some viable, immediate ways that we can change our habits for better. For example, choosing not to reject blemished goods in the store out of hand — and realizing that excessively handling goods often causes those blemishes.

What’s frustrating is that the show fails to acknowledge its own double binds and hypocrisies. Almost ready to get cooking, one of the chefs remarks without irony that their biggest problem was going to be not “using things just to use them, only because we have them.” The implication here: a lot of the show’s recovered food will likely end up in a different dumpster, off-camera. The problem of celebrity chefs in the first place is this: if food’s an art, you must be a picky, careful consumer of goods. Cooking, at a basic level, is very much about presentation. And to be a truly great cook, you have to distinguish yourself with a level of quality. This is the bind of many charitable reality TV series, much like “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” where the producers help those in need by renovating their crumbling homes. But I’m sure the vetting process is intense, and that only those families with a modicum of presentability and attractiveness can even be considered, for ratings’ sake. Watching “The Big Waste,” a whole host of questions arise. Would it be better to immediately donate the recovered food to a shelter or food distribution service, instead of serving it gourmetstyle? Would the chefs react graciously if, on any other food program, the fruits their assistants produced for them had obvious surface blemishes? What other waste factors do our food habits involve

– pollution, disease, cruelty? I think there’s a basic nobility to the show and the awareness it promotes. “The Big Waste” presents real problems. Yet there’s a certain inability to proffer real solutions, because of the constraints of the show itself, as a vessel of entertainment. Furthermore, I doubt there’s an easy solution. I suspect that the problems of consumers in supermarkets (abandoning less-than-perfect produce) can only be mildly alleviated by being less picky. Much of the waste is probably inherent to the industrial food system. If we wanted to be truly shrewd consumers, using only what we need, I think

we’d need to abandon supermarkets for farmer’s markets, and a brand of agrarianism or localism, as promoted by Wendell Berry. This sentiment’s a little harder to express on an entertainmentbased TV station, and less palatable. Ultimately, though, I think that “The Big Waste” is right. The brand of sweeping change necessary to reduce waste does come from the actions of individual consumers. That is, you and me thinking and sacrificing in unsexy ways on a regular basis. You don’t have to immediately achieve Peter Singeresque levels of integrity and consistency, but it’s important

to be moving in that direction, a little bit at a time. I feel stupid grabbing a crinkled package of Life cereal when undimpled boxes sit so close. And though I desperately want to take the milk at the back of the supermarket fridge, since it expires a few days later, I’ll try grabbing the one at front, and force myself to use it in a timely manner, instead of a convenient one. Consumer privilege is still that: a privilege. And one can choose to use it responsibility — or even cede it, happily, for the privilege of stewardship.

Marc Koenig is a senior English major. reach him at marckoenig@ dailynebraskan.com.


Opinion DAILY NEBRASKAN

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DAILY NEBRASKAN editorial board members ZACH SMITH

IAN SACKS editor-in-chief CHANCE SOLEM-PFEIFER

opinion editor

arts and entertainment editor

RHIANNON ROOT

HAILEY KONNATH

assistant opinion editor

news assignment editor

our view BAL

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bea huff | dailiy nebraskan

Proposed voter ID laws unfair to young, old, poor Across the country, state legislatures are ramping up efforts to pass “voter ID” laws, requiring voters to present some form of photo identification when they go to the polls. The trend has now hit the Nebraska legislature in the form of a bill sponsored by Sen. Charlie Janssen. On the surface, voter ID sounds innocuous, even an obvious reform to curtail voter fraud. And, truth be told, if the law simply required a photo ID, it wouldn’t do nearly as much harm. But Nebraska’s proposed law is different. The legislation, as it stands now, requires not just a driver’s license, but one with your current address, issued by the state of Nebraska. A few obvious problems arise, particularly for young voters. First, a number of Nebraska residents, including out-of-state students, are currently able to vote without holding a Nebraska ID. If the law passes, however, it would effectively force them to pay to get a new license in a state where they may not even own a car. Second, any time someone moves, he or she would be forced to purchase a new license with the current address. Students in particular are likely to move from dorm to dorm, then off campus at a number of different addresses. This is an additional impediment to young people voting. Third, the purchase of an ID in order to vote effectively amounts to a poll tax, amounting to about $26 in the state of Nebraska. Moreover, the poor, the elderly and rural Nebraskans often don’t have access to a Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles office open five days a week. This proposed legislation, though it seems initially reasonable, is nothing more than a disenfranchisement of the poor, the young and the elderly at the price of preventing voter impersonation, the rarest type of voter fraud in the nation. Students, both those from Nebraska and those out-of-state, should be outraged. The Daily Nebraskan urges the Nebraska Unicameral to vote down LB 239 next week.

opinion@dailynebraskan.com

editorial policy The editorial above contains the opinion of the spring 2012 Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. It does not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, its student body or the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. A column is solely the opinion of its author; a cartoon is solely the opinion of its artist. The Board of Regents acts as publisher of the Daily Nebraskan; policy is set by the Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. The UNL Publications Board, established by the regents, supervises the production of the paper. According to policy set by the regents, responsibility for the editorial content of the newspaper lies solely

lauren olson | dailiy nebraskan

Get involved, use your NCard

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ould you pay full admission to an amusement park and only go on two rides? What about paying for a 3D movie and not using the glasses? The notion may seem asinine. Still, many students pay large amounts in tuition and fees and never take full advantage of them. College isn’t cheap. Students are quick to snap up free T-shirts, free food – hell, free anything. So, why not get more bang for your tuition buck? You pay for a lot with your student fees and tuition. As such, there are quite a few perks that come with an NCard. It’s easy to find something to take advantage of with technology, sports and arts. The list is long, but there are a few at the top of mine. When I first came to college, I wanted to do film. To support this hobby, I bought a beefy desktop system, leaving me without the allimportant laptop. Luckily for me, the UNL computer labs had me covered. Any student can check out a laptop at Henzlik Hall, City Campus Union or East Campus Union. Students can either get a MacBook or PC, with all the bells and whistles. Laptops can be checked out for a 24-hour or seven-day period, depending on the location. Just be sure to bring your NCard and a valid government ID (a driver’s license), or you will be sent away laptop-less. I also never spent the money on a nice TV. So, if I ever had a movie night, I was left watching it on a tiny screen. Then, one day I accidentally stumbled on the multimedia department at Henzlik Hall. There, students can check out projectors for personal use. With one of these projectors, a simple white sheet can turn any room into a home movie theater. You can even play video games through the

kevin moser projector. Imagine pwning n00bs on a screen that covers the entire wall. Since multimedia checkout is Monday through Friday, you can check out a projector at the end of the week and keep it for the weekend. As with laptop checkout, be sure to also bring a government ID. If you spent a lot of time playing sports in high school, you may feel a void when you come to college. Luckily, the university offers multiple opportunities to bring back that sense of nostalgia, with a variety of intramural sporting events all year long. Certain sports even have different divisions, allowing for a good time without the extreme competition. If you wanted to take it a step further, you could even join a sports club. Sports clubs meet regularly to practice and prepare for competition. If they don’t have a sport you want, it can be added with enough signatures. While we are on the topic, if you haven’t been using the Campus Recreation Center, it’s time to check it out. UNL boasts two rec centers, one on each campus. Both have their own pros and cons. If working out around a lot of people makes you uncomfortable, then you may find East Campus Rec is your fortress of buff-itude. On the other hand, if you are the social lifter then City Campus is your place. In addition, Campus Recreation often hosts special events. One in particular is Free Skate Nights at the Ice Box. Once a month, students can

strap on their skates and tear it up on the ice. If you don’t have skates, you can rent a pair at the Ice Box for $2. This makes for a great date, as nothing is more endearing than watching someone with skating difficulties. If sports aren’t your thing, UNL also has lots of opportunities for the arts enthusiast. The Lied Center hosts some big events. Plays, musicals, comedians and musicians can all be found at the Lied. On rare occasions, you can even get tickets for free just by being a student. Otherwise, for every other show, students enjoy a healthy discount when buying their tickets. To make things better, you can charge to your NCard – making that “high-class” dream date a reality. Lastly, your funds help support this newspaper. The Daily Nebraskan is your newspaper. It’s constantly changing and can be influenced by anyone. I used to dislike the lack of science covered in the DN. Instead of complaining in anonymous comments, I got a job here and started writing science columns. After a while, I started to realize how much our website sucked. So, I got a job as web designer and am constantly working to improve the site. Think there’s a liberal slant to the newspaper? Then get a job writing conservative columns. There is no other place at the university where you can reach such a large audience. Retire the anonymous posts and find out what it takes to be a part of this newspaper experience. These opportunities are easily the best the university has to offer. It’s time to get off the couch and get involved – maybe have an experience for once. You’re going to be here for a few years, so why not take full advantage of it? Either way, you’re already paying for it.

Kevin Moser is a senior psychology major. Follow him on twitter @ Kevin_R_Moser or reach him at kevinmoser@ dailynebraskan.com.

Adulthood shouldn’t mean growing up entirely

“A

ll work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” You might think of “The Shining” when you read that quote, but lately it’s been on my mind for far different reasons. As I begin my final semester on campus, the “real” world looms larger and larger ahead of me. I find myself thinking about employment opportunities, brainstorming ideas for how I want my future classroom to run when I’m a teacher and even browsing stores for more professional– looking outfits. Seeing as this is a transitional period as I get closer to starting a new chapter, I feel this is perfectly normal. What bugs me are the other thoughts I’ve been having. Like when I think of something I want to go do, and I pause to think, “Would an adult do that?” Or when friends and I want to go

to a party, and I ask myself, “Is that what a professional would do?” It’s a valid question – you’ve probably heard stories of teachers getting fired over pictures that later surface on Facebook. There are high expectations out there. But here’s the question I ask: When do we get to be young? Sometimes it seems we spend our entire lives not only preparing to be adults, but trying to, and sometimes even being expected to, live up to those expectations in advance. Starting either in middle school or early high school we go from being “kids” to being “young adults.” It’s a moment of pride and even accomplishment – as if it’s somehow a major achievement that we’ve reached the ripe old age of 13 or 15. One of the greatest compliments to give a kid is “You’re so mature for your age!” Adult, mature behavior is seen as an admirable quality. To go even further, as a future

Jason Frye teacher I’m told to set high expectations for my students so that they can rise up to meet them. Setting a low bar never inspires anyone to achieve. It’s being challenged that allows us to grow. By setting a high bar for my students, I’ll be challenging them to grow into the best adult versions of themselves that they can be. But the temptation is seeing all students as mini-adults and forgetting they’re still teenagers. Sometimes, they won’t be able to see reason. There will be a

thousand things competing for their attention at once. And as they figure out their personalities and work styles, there will be drama. Adults sometimes still struggle with these things – so who on earth is surprised that teenagers do, too? This is where I have to temper my future expectations. Should I still set that high bar and expect my students to succeed? Absolutely. But at the same time, they’re going to need moments to act their age, not just the age they’re expected to act. There’s no way they can walk the tight-rope all day without a break or a few slipups. After all, they’re not professionals yet – they’re still young. Wait a second. Are we still talking about theoretical high school kids? Because that last sentence sounds more like I’m talking to myself. There’s a time and a place to be the future professional I hope to be. But there’s also a time and

a place to relax, to have fun with friends and to be young. No law says I shouldn’t go out and live life now just because a year from now I might not be able to in the same way. That’s like feeling sad today because you might feel sad tomorrow – there’s no reason to preview it now. Just as I try to remember my students are going to need time to be young, it’s important to remember I need space to relax as well – and odds are you do, too. Everyone needs that chance to take the business jacket off and just put on a T-shirt. So this year, dear reader, I’ve resolved to still be young. I have all of next year to be an adult. No reason to start now while I still have the chance to put things off. Besides, I hear adults aren’t allowed to procrastinate. So I may as well take advantage of that little perk while I still can.

jason frye is a senior music education major. reach him at jasonfrye@ dailynebraskan.com.


performingarts Labor of Love DAILY NEBRASKAN

thursday, january 12, 2012

dailynebraskan.com

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Lesser-known Lincoln theater companies, troupes offer varied stage experiences for performers, audiences katie nelson

daily nebraskan

Lincoln isn’t a city that’s often short-listed in discussions of vibrant theater cultures in the United States. However, when it comes to the stage, there’s enough diversity in passion and method to warrant troupes and theaters with different styles and specialties across the city. The average resident may not hold these names on the tip of their tongue, but just the same, Lincoln offers theatrical options beyond the illustrious Lied Center stage. Angels Theatre Company When Judy Hart moved back to the Star City, she found herself in need of a job. With a degree in acting from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and an established career as an actress, Lincoln wasn’t exactly bustling with the same employment opportunities as New York, Los Angeles or Chicago. So she decided to create her own job: the Angels Theatre Company. Lincoln offers a wide variety of theater choices, but many local companies struggle when trying to make ends meet, produce a signature kind of theater and gain a steady audience. The Angels Theater Company’s first meeting started as an invitation to 18 teachers in the Arts Are Basic program. Aside from Hart, two other women, Pippa White and Sherry Cole Weber, showed up and discussed issues that were important to them. From its beginning, the Angels Theatre Company has focused on women’s issues in several of their productions. “It’s been a man’s world for a long time ... especially in the theater world,” said Hart. “We try to have women guiding the company.” The company gave its first performance of “Grace, Zeal and Transformation” in 1994. Since then, it has put on numerous performances in locations around Lincoln, as it hasn’t had a permanent theater since 2009. Although the company rents the venues it uses for the final performances, it

relies on places like UNL and local churches for a free space to rehearse. Most of the actors in the productions are members of the Angels Theater Company, but they also allow non-members to audition. In March the company will produce two performances focusing on women’s role as caregivers. In addition to the production of the plays, it has contacted care-giving groups in the community, such as the Spinal Chord Injury Support Group from the Madonna Rehabilitation Clinic to speak with anyone who fits the caregiving model they will portray in the coming months. The company is in the process of contacting 15 similar organizations and plan to set a day at the Lied center for caretakers to come in and share their stories. Angels will later turn the testimonies into another production. “When we say we focus on the social issues, that doesn’t mean we just focus on the play,” said Hart. “We use the play as a vehicle for conversation.” However, Hart says it can be hard to keep Angels alive on limited funding. “It’s a chore to keep an arts organization alive in a place like Lincoln,” said Hart. “This is a city that just doesn’t always know about theater.” Haymarket Theater But on the other side of town, the Haymarket Theater is determined to teach Lincoln’s

youth about the art. Executive and artistic director Sean Schmeits said the company serves three roles in the community with its Nebraska Youth Theatre program, its ability to provide a venue for other theater companies in town (like Angels) and finally, they oc-

casionally produce their own adult shows. Each year the Nebraska Youth Theatre produces 10 shows – three each semester and four during the summer. This season, the kids’ shows will be “Cowboys! The Musical,” “The Comedy of Errors” and “Annie.” Interested youth are offered the chance to take classes through the theater. However, the classes are simply rehearsals with a different name. Students who pay the fee are guaranteed a spot in the show and roles are assigned during an audition process during the first few classes. While a participation fee is

prime real estate spot for other troupes to perform. However, it also prides itself on being a place where local artists can bring in and nurture new ideas. The theatre has the ability to bring a few paid professional actors and to pay the directors of their shows. “The goal is to break even and pay some of the artists,” Schmeits said. “The Mainstage season isn’t about making lots and lots of money.” W i t h money being a lesser focus for the Haymarket Theater, the company is able to bring in more contemporary shows instead of popular ones. Schmeits said the theater has developed an audience that is interested in and expects to see new works when they lauren vuchetich | daily nebraskan attend shows at the theater. “We’re a space where artBesides acting, Schmeits says the theater teaches students ists can do what they dream of the value kids of different ages doing,” Schmeits said. “These can bring to the program while shows always start with that also trying to instill a sense of kind of passion - a labor of responsibility into the young love.” actors. “(That’s) kind of the magi- Nebraska Repertory cal thing about theater,” Sch- Theatre However, not all of the lessmeits said. “You tend to work with people of all different age er-known theater companies are community-based or semigroups.” Students aren’t only required professional. Across the street to apply their own makeup from the Lied Center, the Johnand costumes, but most of the ny Carson School of Theatre backstage work (opening and and Film holds another profesclosing the main curtain and sional company: the Nebraska running fog machines) is also Repertory Theatre. While the previously-menstudent-run. tioned companies have producWhen it isn’t instructing kids, the Haymarket Theatre is a tions year-round, this theater’s season lasts about one month. required for most of the classes, casts for some of the more advanced classes are auditiononly. Children ranging in age from six to 18 years old can participate. Ages of participants often vary depending on the time of year, according to Schmeits.

But a short season doesn’t mean one show. In fact, the Nebraska Repertory Theatre produces five shows: three regular and two destination performances (shows that only occur once away of traditional UNL stages). On performance weekends, the regular shows are alternated from night to night. On the other hand, the two destination shows are performed just once during the season. The theater recruits professional actors from all over the country (primarily from Kansas City, Chicago and Omaha) to participate – for monetary compensation. Directors and technicians are also paid. The program also includes a few unpaid internships for those who want to participate but may not possess the needed skill level for payment. All are welcome to audition for roles on Jan. 28, but the theater predominantly employs professional actors. It’s also a gateway for students in the Johnny Carson School to move into the professional world. Like the Angels and the Haymarket, the Nebraska Repertory focuses on contemporary plays, specifically those written in the last decade. “(It’s) things that make you think, things that are very entertaining and surprising, things that really touch your heart,” said Virginia Smith, the artistic director. The Ties That Bind Each company struggles against different odds, but all face the difficulty of getting their names out and developing an audience. But quitting isn’t an option. Without Angels, Hart wouldn’t have a job. And without Nebraska Repertory, many professional actors and students would also face unemployment. No matter how rough a rehearsal is or how close a call they experience on a budget, it’s the love of theater that keeps them invested. “(It’s) all the reasons you go to see the theater,” Smith said. “I cried. I laughed. It changed my life.” katienelson@ dailynebraskan.com

Spring Mainstage plays Theatrix to use fire bound by humor, action as recurring theme kelsey haugen

tom helberg

daily nebraskan

daily nebraskan

In any theater company, the use of teamwork is vital to creating a successful performance. This semester the students of the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film will work together as a team, adopting an “all for one, one for all” attitude for the creation of their two Mainstage plays: “Three Musketeers” and “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940.” In the view of Julie Hagemeier, the general manager of the Johnny Carson School, these two productions are tied together through their comedic themes. “They are both great comedies, even though they have different styles,” Hagemeier said. “‘Three Musketeers’ will have much more stage combat.” “Three Musketeers” is originally a classical piece, but it was adapted by Ken Ludwig, a modern playwright. Ian Borden, director of the Johnny Carson School’s production of the play, is using Ludwig’s version, though he has tweaked it a bit.

It’s going to be a hot semester for Theatrix. That, of course, considering this year’s theme of “fire” at the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film’s student-run theater company. This spring, the theme of fire will be incorporated in two Theatrix shows, the New Artists Festival, which will run March 7-11 and “Almost Main,” which will run April 4-7. The fall semester’s productions included “Killer Joe” and “Project #1.” Now in his first year as the artistic director of Theatrix, Joshua Waterstone, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate student in directing, has chosen to go elemental. An Atlanta, Ga., native, Waterstone was inspired by the Nebraska State Capitol, while on a trip to Lincoln. Artwork all around the capitol impressed Waterstone, especially the gods of water, earth, fire and harvest. Waterstone walked on paths of the hand, the mind and the heart and ended his tour in the building’s Memorial Chamber.

Neil orians | daily nebraskan

“One of the things I’m doing with it is adding rock music,” Borden said. He is also including highly realistic fight scenes, since he is a certified teacher of stage combat. Borden hopes this addition to his version of “Three Musketeers” will make it even more impressive to the audience. “The play ties in one of the things we do very well, which is teaching stage combat,” he said. “We’re the only school in the country that has three certified teachers of stage combat.” After four weeks of

rehearsal, the students will be ready to show off their modernized version of this classical play about love, betrayal, friendship and teamwork. Performances will begin at the end of February. “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940” is more of an old-fashioned mystery. It’s a contemporary piece, even though it is set nearly 70 years ago. “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940” is a fairly broad comedy, yet it is classified

Mainstage: see page 7

lauren vuchetich | daily nebraskan

“I went elemental to inspire our virtues in the theater,” Waterstone said. “It’s an inspiration for the artists.” Waterstone was drawn to the University of NebraskaLincoln for the dual film and theatre directing major, something not many other schools offer in his experience. Waterstone hopes that the element theme will

continue and speculates that next year could feature “water.” As always, the first production this semester, the New Artists Festival, will feature new original pieces by students at the UNL. This year will see the debut of five new works ranging

theatrix: see page 6


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thursday, january 12, 2012

Daily Nebraskan

Small theaters also have value katie nelson Christmas break found me reading through a semester’s worth of my columns. I scanned through pieces about visual arts, some music and of course, theater. And then I realized something I have mixed feelings about admitting: I have a crush on the Lied Center. It’s not a specific person who works there. It’s the entire theater. Please don’t misread this; the Lied Center is an excellent asset to the Lincoln community and the UNL student body. However, I liken restricting your theater experience to the Lied to restricting your reading to classic novels. The theater brings in popular Broadway shows and world-renowned performers – things that appeal to a wide audience. It’s simple business: they have

more than 2,000 seats to fill. They bring in incredible things that you cannot find anywhere else in Lincoln. It’s a concept that begs the questions: What other theater exists in Lincoln? Are there any other theaters in Lincoln? The answer is “yes,” and in direct contrast to most of the acts the Lied brings in, most of these companies are producing contemporary theater. The Angels Theatre Company, Red Theater, the Nebraska Repertory Theatre, the Haymarket Theatre – and many more – focus their time on producing plays that will bring in meager audiences. It’s likely that most people have not even heard of these shows. Some deal with social issues, others simply set a dilemma in an era with which is easier to relate. It can be very difficult to watch and digest – it’s not always written to give you “warm fuzzies.” But it’s important and it’s necessary to experience. I’m not here to argue that one is better than the other. Just as it’s important to read classic literature, it’s also important to read contemporary literature

because each has a different lesson to teach. Theater is a historical record. Watching plays written hundreds of years ago educates audience members about cultural changes or differences while simultaneously entertaining them. People are able to soak up life-long, however limited, lessons. Contemporary theater is a different beast all together. It forces people to look at current societal issues. We are no longer learning that beauty comes from within as Belle prances across the stage hand-in-hand with the Beast. We’re looking at an interpretation of current issues or ideas our society faces done by actors whose names we will soon forget. In a way, we are looking into a mirror. Large professional theater companies cannot do the same thing. Their shows may touch on sensitive issues, but let’s face it, no one looks that great after their world has collapsed. It’s an industry driven by money. I can safely say that most local theater companies aren’t. In fact, most struggle to make ends meet and rely on volunteers

and charity from community organizations or grants. When there’s no money, what’s left to drive you? Passion. Volunteers pump hours of their time into building sets, rehearsing lines and choreography and creating costumes in order to put on something they believe in. Their names may never see marquees and their bank accounts may never see a paycheck, but it’s pure love for what they’re doing that drives them. Don’t read this and begin a personal protest against large professional theater companies. Go to shows there and enjoy them! But also set aside a night to attend a completely local show – maybe even a date night (as an added bonus, live theater is usually cheaper than the cinema). It will bring you up close and personal to yourself. But what is theater for, if not to make you laugh, cry and sometimes, scare the shit out of you? Katie nelson is a sophomore broadcast journalism major. reach her at katienelson@ dailynebraskan.com

theatrix: from 5 from comedy to tragedy to poetic pieces. The NAF pieces are visually connected by fire created by oil lamps and some are thematically connected, as well. The whole show will run less than two hours. The semester’s second show, “About Maine” by John Cariani, is fiery more thematically than visually. Sean Grosshans, a junior theatre directing and management major, is at the helm of the project. During his freshman year, Grosshans was cast in a scene from the show and was compelled to read the whole script. “When I read the whole play, I just loved and loved and loved it,” Grosshans said. “I need to put this on.” The show deals with themes of love in various vignettes. Most appealing to Grosshans are the play’s numerous metaphors. The opening scene features a girl carrying around her shattered heart, literally broken into pieces, in a bag. Grosshans said that

the show isn‘t over-the-top or over-written because its themes contain universal truths. “It’s realistic,” he said. “[The writing] is so strong, so truthful and honest.” Each of the show’s vignettes feature new characters. The characters live so far north in Maine that they can see the aurora borealis. During the transitions, lighting effects will cast the northern lights onto the background. “It’s not really fire, but it’s a pretty kickass effect,” Grosshans said. Auditions for both the NAF and “About Maine” will be held Jan. 25 from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Temple Building’s Lab Theatre on the third floor. Grosshans said that “About Maine” is one play he is driven to share with everyone and that its themes are highly relatable. “It’s about love lost, love found, drifting apart, coming together and burning passion.”

tomhelberg@ dailynebraskan.com

UNL professors archive Whitman material cameron mount daily nebraskan

Walt Whitman, one of America’s most influential and significant poets, isn’t an easy author to parse through. His writing is complex, dense and requires careful study of fragmented manuscripts to fully appreciate or even understand. Since the mid-1990s, the Walt Whitman Archive has been engaged in an ambitious project to digitize Whitman’s notebooks, manuscripts, essays, letters, journals and key contextual resources into an integrated and user-friendly website. In 2007, the Archive moved to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and under the co-direction of Ed Folsom and Kenneth Price, has made exciting developments into both the public understanding of Whitman, as well as the potential for digitization in the future of academia. “His textual record is complicated,” said Kenneth Price, Hillegass University professor of American literature at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and author of ‘Whitman and Tradition: The Poet in His Century’

and ‘To Walt Whitman, America.’ “He published ‘Leaves of Grass,’ famous for appearing in six different editions in his lifetime. You’d have to be at a very wealthy institution, like Harvard or Yale, in order to see all of the different editions and they’re usually locked away in rare book rooms.” Price said the project marked the first time all of this material and editions could be made freely available worldwide. While the tools used to distribute free information over the internet have changed dramatically since the Whitman Archive started in the 1990s, its mission has stayed constant. “The ambition was to build a huge site that incorporated all of Whitman’s work and presented it more accurately than a print presentation could do,” Price said. “But as we’ve gone along, our understanding of Whitman has been enriched and our understanding of what the electronic medium can do has been extended. Technology has changed and so new possibilities are now available to us.”

One of these changes is increasing interest in user participation and interactivity, allowing ever-more opportunity for accessibility and expansion. One of the more exciting developments happened in April 2011, when Price discovered approximately 3,000 previously unidentified documents in Whitman’s handwriting. “These are documents that he produced as a government clerk in the years just after the civil war from 1865 to 1873,” Price said. “He was working in the attorney general’s office, and this was a time right after the war when a whole lot of crucial issues were being worked out in the U.S.” Findings like this aren’t only intriguing for fans of Whitman, but will forever change the way people approach his work. “He was right there in the middle of key issues and debates about policy and politics of that time,” Price said. “Realizing what he knew and when he knew it is going to change the way people understand his poetry.” Brett Barney is a research

associate professor in the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities at UNL and senior associate editor of the archive. He offered his own insights into the way the archive will change the study of Whitman. “One of the chief things that the archive has contributed to the discussion of Whitman is the revelation that Whitman was a careful composer and an even better reviser,” Barney said. “By bringing to life his multiple drafts which are very heavily edited, it makes it hard to see him in the same way that he is often depicted historically, as a sort of romantic moment-of-inspiration kind of writer.” Because Whitman is one of the nation’s most popular and enigmatic writers, it may seem strange that a comprehensive undertaking hasn’t come about before. Price says i n the

c a s e of his recent discovery, Whitman’s signature wasn’t on the documents, requiring a special familiarity with his handwriting that make the finding all the more incred- ible. Price is more surprised by how long it took for Whitman’s poetry manuscripts to surface. “These are early drafts of some of the most famous poems ever written in North America, never collected before our project,” he

machines to zero in on linguistic, cultural and textual patterns we were previously unaware of throughout history. “Reading is changing,” Price said. “One of the things that people will need to figure out as we go forward is how to integrate a deep project like the Whitman Archive with the larger collections of texts like Google Books. How do you integrate the small, highly edited, highly cared-for texts, with these larger collections which are less carefully edited and controlled, but have the advantage of a far vaster amount of content.” On a personal level, both Price and Barney say the Archive has been a positive and influential experience. “There’s just so much,” said Barney, who came into the project with experience in studying literature rather than digitization process. “It’s so varied and multi-faceted. The technical aspects of the archive are endlessly challenging We ’ r e a n d gathering all interestof those po- Neil orians | daily nebraskan ing.” etry manuPrice agreed. scripts, pur“It’s a laborichasing high-quality scans of ous, time-consuming process,” them, putting them up on the he said. “But it’s very rewardweb, transcribing those some- ing because it shows you more times very messy manuscripts, clearly than anything else how and then providing annota- his mind worked, how he comtions, explaining them and dat- posed, what kinds of things ing them.” he contemplated doing and This process is laborious, to thought better of. It offers a be sure, but represents what is whole new insight into the way likely a massive switch in schol- Whitman worked as a writer.” cameronmount@ arly research. In Price’s mind, dailynebraskan.com the advent of technology allows said. “We’ve been going around to more than 30 different libraries and other kinds of repositories around the country and to some extent around the world.

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Daily Nebraskan

thursday, january 12, 2012

Vocalists to gather for cabaret adrienne anderson daily nebraskan

As a theatre with a tradition of entertaining shows and some of Lincoln’s most flamboyant vocalists, it’s no surprise that TADA Theatre decided to open the new year with a special cabaret show. The 2011-2012 Magical Musical Season has already featured shows like “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” “Big River” and “Nuncrackers.” Now TADA Theatre is looking to do something a little different, though still familiar to its supporters and fans. “TADA has a 10-year history of doing cabarets,” said Robert Rook, TADA’s executive director. “We do them around three times a year.” Combining the musical talents of prominent University of Nebraska-Lincoln faculty, students and returning TADA theatre actors and actresses, the cabaret performance “Art

Ain’t Easy” offers the chance to hear from both Lincoln and Omaha-based vocalists, as they perform musical theatre classics. The show will appear on the TADA theatre stage on Jan. 13 and 14, though the Friday performance is currently sold out. “This cabaret is very exciting because it is not only a fundraiser for the TADA Theatre, but includes some of the finest voices we have had in our main stage musicals over the past 20 years,” Rook said. “These are very, very talented people to get to hear sing.” One of these talented voices comes from UNL’s very own music department. Voice professor, Donna Harler-Smith, will be contributing her talents by singing two Stephen Sondheim songs. “I love performing in cabarets because each song involves a different energy and character,” she said. “The variety of performers and musical

mainstage: from 5 as a more intelligent type of comedy. Carrie Lee Patterson, who teaches acting and directing, is the director of the play. “We were looking for comedies and I’m particularly attracted to what I call ‘smart comedies,’” Patterson said. She believes that this type of comedy is important for all theater students to learn at some point during their time at the university. “It will teach the comedic skill set to the actors that work on it and it’s a new period for the designers to tackle costumes and lighting,” Patterson said. “The actors will really learn about the rules of comedy, which will help them in the professional world.” Patterson is excited to have the chance to work with the students, especially on stage.

iF YOU GO: Art Ain’t Easy: A Musical Cabaret when: Jan. 13, 14, 7:30 p.m. where: TADA Theatre, Creamery Building, 7th and P Streets how much: $20 performers are some of the cast members of TADA’s upcoming show ‘Little Shop of Horrors,’ which will open at the Lied later in the season. Between talented performers and the intimacy of the TADA theatre, the cabaret promises to be lively and freespirited, a simple gathering of some of Lincoln and Omaha’s top vocalists helping to raise money for the a theatre they love. “I highly encourage people to come,” Harler-Smith said. “It will be a very entertaining evening of awesome song.” adrienneanderson@ dailynebraskan.com

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selections can be terrifically entertaining in a way that is different from a typical music theatre production.” Rook agreed, noting that cabarets are another way to present musical theatre songs, without actually producing the entire musical. “This is a much more informal, direct manner as it simply puts the focus on the singers and the songs without any hamper from set or costumes,” he said. Harler-Smith has been in multiple Stephen Sondheim musicals before this, but looks forward to being able to perform his music again without producing a full-length musical. And she’s not the only UNL faculty member to be featured in the upcoming show. “My colleague, Bill Shomos, will be involved in this show and my former students Cris Rook and Scott Herr,” she said. “I love working with such talented people.” Among these talented

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One male or female roommate needed for a house. Rent is $200 a month plus utilities. Pets OK, one dog in house already. Call 308-940-2013. Roommate ads are FREE in print and online. E-mail yours to dn@unl.edu and include your name, address and phone number. Roommate needed. Starting January- December 2012. Rent $ 150 per month, plus cable and electric which is about $100-150 more. 5 min. away from East campus, and 15 away from City. Three bedroom apartment, I’m a quiet, clean, responsible senior in need of a third roommate to replace my current roommate who just got married. So, if you need a place to live for the next year I think you just found it! No drama would be great! E-mail if interested jjarec12@huskers.unl.edu. Three Female college seniors looking for a roommate to fill house. Address 2421 Sewell St. 402.610.0429. We are looking for a female roommate to share a three bedroom apartment right behind East Campus. The rent is $283.33/month plus gas and electric. Washer and dryer included. Complex includes an outdoor pool and weight room. Room will be available by January 1st. Visit ashleysquareapts.com for a video tour.

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ACROSS

“I’m really looking forward to working with the actors in character,” she said. After rehearsing for five weeks, the students will be prepared to entertain their audience with “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940” in mid-April. Patterson is sure it will be nothing short of hilarious for viewers. “I certainly hope a lot of people will be coming,” Patterson said. “It’s a night when you get to laugh for two hours.” With the amount of fun, energy and originality this semester’s plays provide, the Johnny Carson School faculty and students shoot to entertain audiences above all else. As long as those involved work together and keep the “Three Musketeers” motto in mind, all should go well.

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Daily Nebraskan


Daily Nebraskan

thursday, january 12, 2012

Track and field preview Men to Watch

Chris Peters Daily Nebraskan

This could be a big year for men’s track and field. The Huskers start the season ranked fifth in the country heading into Friday’s Holiday Inn Invitational at the Devaney Center, despite placing third at the Big 12 Indoor Championships last season. Nebraska’s high ranking is due in part to the four All-Americans returning on this year’s squad. All-Americans Bjorn Barrefors (combined events), Nate Polacek (pole vault), Chris Phipps (jumps) and Luke Pinkelman (throws) are all heading into their senior seasons. Head coach Gary Pepin, who is entering his 32nd season at Nebraska, named Phipps and Pinkelman as some of the biggest leaders on the team. “Both of them have had marks that would indicate that they can contend for a championship place in the conference meet and a high finish at the national championships,” Pepin said. Pepin said one of the best things about Phipps, a team captain, is that he is incredibly versatile. “He is good in multiple events,” Pepin said. “He’s very good in the long jump, and he’s good in the triple jump and he’s good in the short sprints.” Pepin said Phipps will continue doing the long jump and triple jump, in which he placed All-American and

Women to Watch

Luke pinkelman

Chris Phipps Senior Patterson, N. J. Four-time All-American

Senior Cozad, Neb. 2011 Big 12 Indoor Shot Put Champion

second team All-American, respectively, at last season’s NCAA Indoor Championships. He will also be competing in the high jump and running with the 4x100m team again this year, Pepin said Phipps will also likely run the 60m indoors. “He certainly has improved a lot,” Pepin said. “It’s one thing to have good marks, but a good measure of how good you are is how you achieve those marks and in which competitions.” While Phipps placed as high as fifth nationally in the long jump in 2010, 2011 was a down season for him mostly because of injury. Pepin said the time Phipps had off from competition should be good for his health this season. “Sometimes, in track and field and certainly in a number of events it’s not just a matter of hard work, but it’s a matter of learning your events,” Pepin said. “You can work real hard, but there’s got to be some recovery time and some rest time in there.” While injuries were a struggle for Phipps last season, senior thrower Luke Pinkelman was going through his own struggles. Pinkelman, Nebraska’s top thrower, lost his position coach in June when Mark Colligan unexpectedly died in his hotel room at the NCAA Championships. Carrie Lane, Nebraska’s new throws coach, will be

replacing Colligan, adding another bump in Pinkelman’s roller coaster, which began at Iowa State, then continued when he transferred to Nebraska for the 2011 season. “For Luke to then come in and really embrace me and my coaching style, I think it’s a testament to how much of a champion Luke is,” Lane said. “That kind of mentality pays off in big meets.” Despite all the change surrounding Pinkelman, his coaches, both Pepin and Lane, said he’s as consistent as they come. Pinkelman, who placed All-Big 12 four times in the shot put, qualified for the USA Championships in 2010, the year he sat out to transfer. He has never finished lower than sixth in the shot put at the Big 12 Championships. “He does things in meets that you don’t see in practice from Luke,” Lane said. “He becomes this predator at meets.” The “soft-spoken teddy bear,” as Lane calls him, will take the field Friday, his first opportunity to let the predator out in 2012. “I like to assimilate it to sort of a caged animal that’s kind of chomping at the bit and pacing around a bit, then you let him out of the cage,” Lane said. “That’s what the first meet is all about. It’s not a lot of pressure but it’s a lot of excitement.” chrispeters@ dailynebraskan.com

rifle

NU rifle team aims for top-eight finish J.C. Reid Daily Nebraskan

In most sports, a 1-6 record would be considered a poor start to the season. Try telling that to Nebraska’s rifle team. “We don’t really focus on win-loss records in our sport,” said head coach Morgan Hicks. “It doesn’t matter if you win or lose, it all depends on the score that you shoot.” Coach Hicks understands that most people have a hard time grasping that concept, but with four matches remaining in the spring season, the Huskers still have a shot at making the NCAA Tournament. So don’t be so quick to judge this team based on its record. All six losses have come at the hands of formidable opponents: No. 2 Kentucky, No. 3 West Virginia, No. 4 Army, No. 6 Mississippi, No. 12 Ohio St. and No. 14 Air Force. Currently, the Huskers rank 13th in the NCAA and have an aggregate score of 4,615.67. Only eight teams qualify for the NCAA tournament, so the Huskers will need to raise their average by 32 points in order to jump into the top 8.

On Sunday, the team travel to Murray, Ky. to face No. 11 Memphis, which will mark the team’s first match of the spring season. It will also be Nebraska’s first step in boosting its average score in hopes of qualifying for the NCAA tournament. “The better scores we shoot will replace our other scores, so every little bit helps,” said Hicks. “Every point counts.” One area the Huskers need to improve upon is the air rifle event. This event has essentially kept the Huskers out of the top 10 during the first half of the season. “We’re pretty solid in the smallbore event, but I need a couple players to step up in the air rifle,” Hicks said. “If we could just manage to get our scores up a little bit in the air rifle, then we would be sitting much higher right now.” When asked which player is the likely candidate to step up, coach Hicks pointed toward Janine Dutton, a member of Nebraska’s squad who isn’t a stranger to the spotlight. The junior from Eagle River, Alaska, captured five individual titles last season and averaged 585.71 points in the air rifle event. She earned

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All-America honors from the National Rifle Association at the conclusion of her sophomore season. “She has kind of had a rough fall,” explained Hicks. “Her scores are a little bit lower than what she’s used to. I know that she is very capable, she just got into a slump. I think we’ll see some higher scores this weekend, which is exactly what this team needs right now.” Teammate Katelyn Woltersdorf agreed with her coach. “Janine has great potential and a lot of talent,” Woltersdorf said. She’s trying to push herself harder, so I’m sure she will be able to help us out with our air rifle.” When asked about Nebraska’s chance of making the tournament, Woltersdorf was quick to point out that they still have a few matches left on the schedule. “We’re really not focused on the NCAA’s right now,” she said. “If we start thinking too far ahead, then we won’t end up doing what we set out to do. Right now we’re just trying to get back into it from break and get ready for this match this weekend.” JCREID@ DAILYNEBRASKAN.com

Mara griva Junior Ventspils, Latvia Four Big 12 titles in 2011

Chris Peters Daily Nebraskan

The No. 25 women’s track and field team is looking to maintain its dominance this season. The 2012 track and field season, which begins Friday at the Devaney Center for the Holiday Inn Invitational, will be the first season of Big Ten competition for the Huskers. In the Big 12 in previous years, Nebraska’s jumpers have been elite. This year will likely be no exception. The Huskers are led by Mara Griva, a junior jumper from Latvia who is in her second season with the program. In 2011, Griva placed first in the Big 12 in the long jump and triple jump in both the outdoor and indoor conference championships. “Mara is one of the better combination long jump/ triple jumpers in the U.S.,” head coach Gary Pepin said. He said success is in her blood. “You could just kind of see her confidence,” Pepin said. “It’s quite a bit different now than when she got here.” Griva’s parents, Baiba and Maris, are both involved in track and field in Latvia, her father still a coach. Pepin said she has an older sister who was one of the top ranked long jumpers in the world, as well as a sister who throws javelin. “I’ve never talked with her about this at length, but

ashley Miller Senior Tipton, Iowa 2011 Big 12 1,500 Meters Champion

I think she really wants to compete with and beat her sister,” Pepin said. For now, she’ll have to settle for beating a slew of new competition in the Big Ten. Pepin said he doesn’t think that will be a problem for Griva. “She has a chance to be a conference champion in two events,” Pepin said. “She has a chance to be an All-American in two events indoors and outdoors.” Another athlete on the track team who has an opportunity to be an All-American is 2011 second team All-American distance runner Ashley Miller, a senior. Miller finished the 2011 season as the Big 12 champion in the 1,500m and finished 11th nationally. “I really was running very well at the end of last track season,” Miller said. “I don’t have any specific time goals but I want to make some of the national competitions this year.” The most important way Miller and her coaches figure she can make the national competitions is by sticking to what she knows best. The four-year runner has gained the trust of new distance coach David Harris. “She’s going to put her nose in the race and she’s going to give it everything she’s got,” Harris said. “If somebody’s going to beat her it’s going to be because they’re better than her.” Miller is determined that

nobody in the conference will be better than her. While she said the Big Ten is much deeper in talent than the Big 12 was in distance events, she has already begun studying her competition to gain an edge. “I’ve always been the sort of person, yeah I know my competition,” Miller said. “(But) when it comes to race time it doesn’t really matter, you just compete. There are a lot of people with that attitude.” Miller was 0.17 seconds away from beating her personal best in the 1,500m in last year’s Big 12 Outdoor Championships. Pepin said that if Miller wants to improve this year and make it to a national competition like she plans, she’s going to have to beat that time, which currently sits at 4:18.53. “She’s getting better and she’s competing at a higher level and she’s moving into a new conference with a lot of good people in her event,” Pepin said. Pepin and Miller both stressed the depth the Big Ten has in distance runners. While Miller also said the Big 12 was stronger in sprinters, one thing remains the same: the team is hungry for a conference championship. “We are a top notch program and we expect the team to go in and win conference titles,” Miller said. chrispeters@ dailynebraskan.com

PRESSURE: from 10 said. “Lately it hasn’t been those kids to get that one out like that.” of the way. And it was hard.” Coach Doc Sadler noticed. Spencer admitted that plenHe could see ty of frusthe losing streak tration had wearing on the mounted “Our guys’ players as the over the last confidence has public wanted few weeks. gone up, but to know when At the the Huskers same time, that’s not to say would finally the Huskthat all of our get a tally in the ers were problems are Big Ten win colsapped of umn. the swagger fixed. “They’re getgained from ting asked strong nonabout it by stuDoc Sadler conference dents, parents, performancmen’s basketball head coach girlfriends, eves. NU shot erybody. As worse than a coach you understand,” 40 percent in its first three Sadler said. “Our guys’ confi- Big Ten games and although dence has gone up, but that’s that percentage climbed to not to say that all of our 50 against Illinois, the Huskproblems are fixed. There ers still ended on the wrong was a lot of pressure on side of the scoreboard.

“It’s kind of tough to lose four straight and stay as confident as you like,” Spencer said. “We still had players with confidence, but it’s tough when you’re on a losing streak. “If we had any gone, we got it back tonight.” So, a reporter wanted to know after the game, would the historic win warrant any kind of postgame celebration Wednesday night? McCray flashed one of his trademark smiles that have been fleeing in recent weeks, but admitted his plans didn’t include anything too exciting. “Probably going to go home,” McCray said. “Watch TV. That’s about it.” Dan Hoppen is a senior journalism major. reach him at danhoppen@ dailynebraskan.com

STREAK: from 10 above their average or hold NU well below its average, or both, in order to win. While all the statistics show NU as the superior team — the only thing the Badgers do better than the Huskers is shoot free throws — Yori doesn’t think the Huskers are yet at a level to look ahead on their schedule, even when facing a team like Wisconsin. “We’re not good enough

to overlook anyone,” Yori said. “We’re just not that good. We have the chance to be pretty good ... our kids won’t overlook anyone, or at least I’ll try to make sure that doesn’t happen on my watch.” Still, when factoring in NU’s hot streak and Sunday’s rematch with preseason conference favorite Penn State with the level of Thursday’s competition, all

signs point to Madison being a trap game of sorts. Except for one thing: According to the team, this year’s Huskers will not be caught looking ahead. “We don’t really look past anyone or look ahead on our schedule,” Moore said. “We play every game that game, and after that game’s done, we can move on to the next opponent.” seanwhalen@ dailynebraskan.com

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Sports DAILY NEBRASKAN

page 10

dailynebraskan.com

thursday, january 12, 2012

men’s basketball

Beating PSU lifts pressure off NU players

FIRST b1g win STORY BY ROBBY KORTH PHOTO BY BETHANY SCHMIDT

Dan Hoppen With 3:54 left in the game and Nebraska nursing a comfortable lead, a Penn State player fouled Toney McCray as the Nittany Lions pressed in an effort to get back in the game. The foul put the Huskers in the bonus and most of the players jogged or walked to the opposite end. But Bo Spencer hurried in front of the pack and planted himself at the free throw line in an attempt to steal McCray’s free throws. As the rest of the pack arrived, the referee shooed Spencer away from the stripe and the senior flashed something that hasn’t been seen much in recent NU games. A smile. Spencer admitted there weren’t a lot of good times during NU’s four-game losing streak that found the Huskers winless in league play. But the weight was finally lifted Wednesday night and, for the first time over two weeks, grins populated the postgame press conference. “We went out there and had fun,” Spencer said. “We finally got over that hump.” McCray said that in the midst of the losing skid, the Huskers just tried to continue to look at the season as a long one and not try to place too much importance on each loss. “Just thinking about the last four games and finally getting a win, you appreciate a win and the good feeling after games,” McCray

PRESSURE: see page 9

Toney McCray, who scored 13 points, battles for a rebound against two Penn State defenders in Nebraska’s win Wednesday night.

After starting 0-4 in Big Ten play, the Huskers notched their first win in the Big Ten Wednesday night, beating Penn State 70-58.

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ebraska basketball made history Wednesday night with its first Big Ten victory against Penn State by a score of 70-58. The Huskers beat their new annual football rival by shooting 55 percent and holding the Nittany Lions to 33.3 percent on the night. But despite the 12-point margin of victory, Penn State managed 20 more shots than the Huskers. Penn State had a neversay-die attitude that made it difficult for Nebraska to get its first conference victory in its fifth try, NU coach Doc Sadler said. “Overall it was a tough game,” he said. “Penn State’s tough, it was a good win it was hard earned. Every game is going to be in this league.” And the victory will let Nebraska players and coaches rest easy, point guard Bo Spencer said, after leading the Huskers with 19 points and five assists. “We got a big monkey off our

back,” Spencer said. “It was a big win for us.” However, the Huskers are already looking past their first win and toward another this weekend in Madison. They just hope they can play as well against the Badgers as they did against Penn State. “But now we’ve already proved that (we can win), it’s time for us to come into practice tomorrow and have that same intensity we did with against Penn State and translate it into Sunday’s game against Wisconsin,” Spencer said. An important element for NU’s victory was the returns of Dylan Talley and Jorge Brian-Diaz to their roles on the court, both had 27 minutes on the floor. “(Their return) is huge for us,” Toney McCray said. “You all know Diaz and his scoring presence and Dylan he can shoot it with anybody so you know that helps us out tremendously and gives us more depth.”

Talley managed 12 points and five rebounds while Diaz maintained an authority inside with three blocks and five rebounds of his own. And that presence gave NU something they needed inside, Sadler said. “You can’t play this game without having a low-post presence,” he said. “I don’t care what kind of guards you got.” But the guards were able to put up jumpers, NU only had 20 points inside the paint and many of those points came from threepoint land. The Huskers went 7-19 from behind the arc while nine separate Nittany Lions took three pointers with only three falling in out of 24 total attempts. “It just seems that we can’t make shots on the road,” PSU coach Patrick Chambers said. “That’s a credit to Nebraska, they played great on defense. Doc came up with a great game plan. But the game becomes

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very difficult if you can’t make shots, though.” One bright spot for PSU came from Tim Frazier. The guard from Houston put up 30 points and was on the court for the Nittany Lions for all 40 minutes. But despite the impressive point total, the Huskers did well defending PSU’s leading scorer, according to Sadler. “I thought we really did good in the first half,” he said. “He’s in every play offensively, so he’s going to score 30 points a game. “I think we did a really nice job on him, because he could have 40 or 45 because he’s in every play. I thought we did an excellent job.” After beating PSU, the Huskers turn to a game on the road against Wisconsin, so it’s not time to rest yet, Sadler said. “Our guys’ confidence is up,” Sadler said. “But that’s not to say all our problems are fixed.” robbykorth@ dailynebraskan.com

No. 15 Huskers take winning streak to Madison Sean Whalen Daily Nebraskan

After the Nebraska women’s basketball team went 1-13 outside its home state last season, the very idea of NU going into a conference road game this season as prohibitive favorites was preposterous. But that’s where coach Connie Yori’s Cornhuskers find themselves Thursday night at Wisconsin. NU has been on a tear of late, winning eight in a row, including a road win at then No. 16 Penn State. Those efforts have left the Huskers in great position: the team rose four spots to No. 15 in the latest Associated Press poll and finds itself in a three-way tie for first place in the Big Ten Conference with Purdue and Michigan State. Still, the Huskers aren’t exactly declaring themselves world champions just yet. “We want to win every game, that’s without a doubt,” junior guard Lindsey Moore said. “But we are young too. We aren’t expecting to go out and win every game, but we’re going

to go out and give teams our best shot. I definitely wouldn’t have thought we’d have won as many games as we have ... our younger kids are rising to the challenge.” The amount of success the team has had thus far in the season has been the major talking point this week. Yori called the team “ahead of schedule.” Moore said that comparisons between this team and the 32-1 team of 2009 are fair and Jordan Hooper said the team has gone out and “showed everyone what we’ve got.” While neither Moore nor Hooper nor Yori said they thought 14-1 was in the cards before the season, that’s the record the Huskers carry into Madison. And Meghin Williams may know why that is. “The team chemistry with this team is a lot like the team from two years ago,” the junior forward said. “We really enjoy being around each other, we care about each other a great amount. That shows up on the court a lot – when you’re down in tough times, you can kind of look at each other and be

like, ‘All right we got this’ and know that everyone buys into the same system.” The level of effort in practice hasn’t been dissipating during NU’s eight-game win streak. If anything, it’s improved according to Yori, who said the team has been practicing better since Christmas after she noticed a lull around exam week. “Recently, we’ve practiced really well,” Yori said. “Since we’ve come back from Christmas, we’ve been really consistent in our practicing habits, which is exciting. We had a stretch in December where we didn’t practice very well – some of it was around finals week, and that’s always hard for young players. I believe we’ve done a good job practicing recently.” The Huskers may need to keep that intensity up throughout the rest of the season. Yori noted that “it’s a long season” and NU’s recent success and high rank make them a great target for a team that’s searching for a momentum-building win — like Wisconsin. The Badgers are struggling through their campaign

file photo by kaylee everly | daily nebraskan

Jordan Hooper, who leads all Huskers with 20.9 ppg and 9 rpg, looks to keep the Huskers eight-game win streak alive as it takes on Wisconsin (5-11, 1-3) in Madison Thursday night. thus far and come in at 5-11 overall and 10 days removed from a 33-point home thrashing by the same Penn State squad the Huskers beat. UW will try to slow

down NU’s offense, which is currently chugging along at a nice pace: 75.9 points per game, good for second in the Big Ten. The Badgers rank last in offense at 56.1

points per game and will need to either score well

STREAK: see page 9


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