MAR30

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former mayor accepts AWARD Hal Daub receives lauded Hal Daub Mayoral Excellence Award MIDLANDS

.com.com breaking news

A WHOLE NEW WORLD

THE NEBRASKANFRIENDLY DIET

Expansive landmass discovered west of Grand Island MIDLANDS

Prepping for beach season while still eating every part of the pig LIVING

Daily World-Herald

nebraska edition

independent. in-depth. irresponsible

Friday, march 30, 2012

Omahans awaiting cranes’ flight marvel at crow By tyler keown Daily world-herald staff writer

courtesy photo, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

In eager anticipation of the storied Sandhill Crane migration in late March, Omaha residents gathered Wednesday morning at the intersection of 72nd and Dodge streets to delight in the movement of an Omaha treasure. Just as the morning traffic rush began, a crow was spotted soaring

from the top of a Crossroads Mall tower south toward Dodge, where it landed on the rim of a bus stop trash can. “It’s hard for me to make it out west to see the cranes given my 9-to-5 work schedule,” said Lance King, who works in midtown. “This is easily the next best thing. Maybe better. Just look at that thing.” King wasn’t the only one flooded with emotion watching this

inside

spectacle of aviation. Candace Shun, who was on her way to work when she paused to study the crow, was nearly moved to tears when the beast flapped its mangled left wing and let out several loud screeches. “I just get so excited for the crane migration and this is always the first sign, I think,” she said. For the others, this was the very first time they’d been in the See Crows: Page 2

Only in the daily world-herald

GARFIELD, DON’T DO THAT!

The heat is on

Garfield continues to behave in manner unbecoming of a normal cat. Don’t miss your favorite orange feline eat people food, sleep COMICS

the associated press

Chancellor Harvey Perlman practices his form moments before betting the state’s flagship university on a 3-under par

Swing and a miss

Who students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln want to vote for in their student government elections

UNL removed from Big Ten after illadvised golf-course agreement Page 4A

A recent poll at the University of Nebraska’s flagship Lincoln campus asked students who they would vote for in their upcoming ASUN (student government) elections. Which party should claim college victory?

Genius bedbug to improve 4-year graduation rate

All students Democrats Republicans Independents Impact Party 5% 3 5 2 Party Party 3 6 2 3 Don’t Care 92 91 93 95

morgan spiehs/daily world-herald

Omaha resident Margaret Schmidt tries to beat the heat downtown on Thursday afternoon. Schmidt spent the day sitting outdoors while temperatures clocked in at 74 degrees, three above the March average.

UNL officials campaign to include bedbugs in enrollment total Bedbugs to aid goal of reaching 30,000 students at flagship university IAN SACKS DAILY WORLD-HERALD BUREAU

LINCOLN — When University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Harvey Perlman took the stage last September for his first State of the University Address since UNL joined the Big Ten, he cited a need to increase enrollment to 30,000 students by 2017. Now university officials are saying that goal could be reached as early as next year. “It’s all about the bedbugs,” said Amanda Hunt, director of the Office of Admissions at UNL. “You just have to include the bugs.” Pending approval from the Nebraska Board of Regents at its April 16 meeting, Hunt said her office is ready to admit more than 75 of the bloodsucking insects, cimex lectularius, and is in the process of drafting applications for hundreds more. Hunt cited the decision as a necessary

step with Nebraska high school graduation rates declining since 2009. “We’re like a shark growing in a pond that’s way too small,” she said. “You have to use the resources available to you, and in our case, that’s a diverse, motivated pool of dust-sized, unkillable pests.” University administrators have also come out in support of the initiative, which takes advantage of the 188 rooms confirmed to have housed bedbugs during sweeps made by pest control companies earlier this semester. At a press conference at the university Thursday, Perlman called the development “long overdue.” “I kept thinking ‘How are we going to meet these numbers? How are we going to achieve this goal and step up in the Big Ten?’” Perlman said in front of a crowd at the Nebraska Union. “With just 25 bugs left in each room and modest amounts of highly active breeding, we could be looking at achieving our enrollment numbers by the beginning of next fall. Obviously we’re very excited.” Nebraska Regent Bob Whitehouse of Omaha agreed, predicting that with

TOTAL ENROLLMENT NUMBERS FALL SEMESTER 2007-08 2012-13 Total-enrollment increases at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have stagnated at about 2 percent per year for the last six academic years. University adminstration predicts that figure could more than double if a proposal to include bedbugs in total enrollment meets approval from the Nebraska Board of Regents on April 16.

60,000

50,000

40,000

30,000

20,000

0

2006-07 2007-08

2008-09

2009-10 2010-11 2011-12

2012-13 (predicted)

SOURCE: INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH AND PLANNING

Single insect poised to increase university average, academic ranking maren westra daily world-herald BUREAU

LINCOLN­— Ralph Watson, bedbug, is on the fast track to success. The first in his family to go to college, Watson is poised to not only survive at the University of Nebraska’s flagship campus, but thrive. Watson, a sophomore social sciences major, transferred to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln this spring after completing more than 40 credits at Iowa State University. He is minoring in Spanish and, unlike most students enrolled in multiple academic programs, Watson is set to graduate in just four short years. Watson’s arrival at UNL wasn’t intentional, but he said it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. “At ISU, getting to class was a struggle every single day,” he said. “But here, I always know I can catch a ride on a Husker Cat. They’ll take me anywhere I need to go.” Watson lived in what he described as a “shady” apartment in Ames, Iowa. On Jan. 5, a UNL student came to visit, and Watson accidentally fell asleep in

See Enrollment: Page 2

WARRENWATCH All you can eat, Buffett! Enjoys barbacoa tacos with medium and corn salsas, sources say Midlands

Chatelain: Still really sorry about that column, Martinez Seriously, they said I have to mean it. Let me buy you a beer sometime? Sports

See Genius: Page 2

COMING SUNDAY

Omaha weather

Startup rapping band 311 gaining popularity Omaha youths enjoy fresh beats, rhymes from underground hip-hop group GO

Today’s forecast High: Xallians Low: Humanity Full report: Page 6B

Index Advice..................3E Comics.................4E Marketplace..........4D Movies............4&5go Obituaries.............3B Opinion.............4&5B TV.........................6E 50 PAGES

75 CENTS

THE DAILY WORLD-HERALD is THE 2012 ITERATION OF THE DAILY HALFASSKAN. THE DAILY HALFASSKAN WAS FIRST PRINTED APRIL 1, 1975. THE EDITORIAL CONTENT OF THE DAILY HALFASSKAN IS MEANT FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY AND SHOULD BY NO MEANS BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY. ANY USE OF SIMILARITIES TO REAL PEOPLE OR EVENTS, SAVE FOR PUBLIC FIGURES AND EVENTS, ARE ACCIDENTAL AND PURELY COINCIDENTAL.


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