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LESSONS FROM SRI LANKA UNl student shares experience abroad at local TED event page 2

Huskers prepare for season openers, first year in Big Ten Conference page 10

thursday, november 10, 2011

volume 111, issue 056

DAILY NEBRASKAN dailynebraskan.Com

Pratt prepares to step down, return to teaching poetry

psu’s spanier, paterno fired amid scandal StAFF rEPOrt

1999.

News of the firings came the same day Paterno announced his resignation effective at the end of this season, his 46th as head football coach. Spanier, who became Penn State president in 1995, served as chancellor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln from 1991 to 1995.

“I was stunned and outraged to learn that any predatory act might have occurred in a university facility or by someone associated with the university,” Spanier said in a statement released to the Associated Press Wednesday night.

daily nebraskan

The Pennsylvania State University Board of Trustees fired head football coach Joe Paterno and President Graham Spanier, a former University of Nebraska-Lincoln chancellor, Wednesday night, after anger regarding the university’s handling of sexual assault allegations against a former football coach boiled over, according to the Associated Press.

Both faced intense scrutiny regarding a failure to notify police after allegations of sexual abuse against former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, who retired in

UNl combats low engineering retention rates

linda Pratt has served as executive vice president and provost for the University of Nebraska since 2007 and has worked for UNl since 1968. Next fall, she will be returning to the classroom to teach Victorian and modern poetry, her areas of expertise.

univ e rs i t y of n ebr as ka provost linda p ratt wi ll le a v e her pos t a ft er six years, cit ing the de s i re to go bac k t o t eaching english

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university’s chief academic officer — and Pratt, then a UNL English professor and department chair, was his choice.

Her six months as the interim second-in-command turned into six years as the permanent provost, and in July 2012, Pratt will step down and return to teaching Victorian and early

math) fields. The University of California at Los Angeles recently reported 60 percent of students in engineering and pre-medical majors end up switching to other subjects or failing to get any degree altogether.

David Jones, associate dean of UNL’s College of Engineering, said student retention is always a concern when it comes to

cONOr DUNN daily nebraskan

story by riley johnson | photo by anna reed inda Pratt had intended to return to teaching English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the fall of 2006. That’s before she got a phone call that July.

It was University of Nebraska President J.B. Milliken. The University of Nebraska needed an interim executive vice president and provost — the

penn state: SEE PAGE 2

modern poetry.

“When I thought about coming to the end of my career, I wanted to return to the subjects I had most often taught and researched,” Pratt told the Daily Nebraskan.

With the Nov. 4 announcement of Pratt’s plan to resign her position June 30, 2012, the national search for a new

pratt: SEE PAGE 2

When Sara Hutcheson, a freshman biological systems engineering major, came to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for her undergraduate education, she knew she would face a tougher challenge than most students.

The New York Times recently reported that the entire nation is struggling in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and

engineering: SEE PAGE 3

laboratories top list of energy-use on UNl campus

CROGHAN PAGE 4

Keeping buildings on campus comfortable is a complicated process, requiring large amounts of money and energy.

Here are the most and least efficient buildings on UNL’s campus.

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On Nov. 4, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s energy dashboard received a facelift. With dropping temperatures and the prime heating months approaching, the new dashboard provides a surprising view of which buildings draw the most power.

At the top of the list are laboratories such as Hamilton Hall or Agriculture Hall. Heating and cooling of buildings tends to be the largest draw of power for any building, especially for labs requiring outside air to be heated, said Kirk Conger, a UNL energy projects manager.

“Buildings that can return air have a much lower energy use than others,” Conger said. “If you go to an office or classroom building, a lot of that air can be reused or circled through.”

Other than large laboratories, most offices or classroom buildings use less

CAMPUS ENERGY USAGE

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daily nebraskan

energy for a number of minute reasons, Conger said.

“Amazingly, it doesn’t have as much to do with insulation as it would in your house,” Conger said. “Not that insulation is unimportant, but a lot of our buildings are self-heating down to about 40 degrees.”

The heat of equipment, computers and people actually offsets the temperatures outside, Conger said. Computer labs especially don’t require heat because of heat given off by the machines.

Office and classroom buildings are also closed down during the nights and weekends, reducing electricity usage, he said.

Of the dormitories, the older the building, the less efficient it tends to be, said Glen Schumann, associate director of Housing Facilities Operations. Buildings like Cather and Fedde don’t have the same building codes as newer dorms like Knoll Hall.

“If you went into a room in Cather, there’s about three

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SOURCE: UNL UTILITY & ENERGY MANAGEMENT

BEA HUFF | DAILY NEBRASKAN

and a half inches of concrete, that’s it,” Schumann said, “It takes about three

PERFORMING ARTS PAGE 5

feet of concrete to equate to four inches of fiberglass insulation.”

On the other hand, some of the more energy-efficient buildings can be efficient

BASKETBALL PAGE 9

WEATHER | SUNNY

Journalists are superheroes

Actor in motion

Stepping in for Jeter

TyPICAl OCCUPATION OF COMIC BOOK STARS NOT JUST FOR FICTION

JOHNNy CARSON STUDENT GROUNDS HERSElF WITH THEATER

HUSKERS lOOK TO SPENCER, RICHARDSON FOR lEADERSHIP

@dailyneb | facebook.com/dailynebraskan

buildings: SEE PAGE 3

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thursday, november 10, 2011

Daily Nebraskan

UNL student to share lessons learned abroad Emily Nitcher daily nebraskan

Ideas will flow freely Thursday when Lincoln plays host to its own Technology, Entertainment and Design Conference with TEDxLincoln, Bringing Nebraska to the World: Innovation on the Prairie.

The independently organized TED event relates all speakers and presentations back to the Lincoln area.

TED conferences, which promote “ideas worth spreading,” have become Internet phenomena.

TedxLincoln coordinator Randy Bretz, senior vice president of marketing and communications at Nelnet Business Solutions, said he saw the videos on the Internet and began sharing them with friends. When he noticed he could apply for a license to do a TED event locally, he decided to bring it to Lincoln.

“Sharing ideas is a way to grow,” Bretz said. “I’ve grown by just reading the proposals people submitted.”

Paige Cornwell, a junior journalism major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, will be one of the speakers at Thursday’s inaugural event.

Her speech, titled “From a few cents to thousands of rupees: How Lincoln helped rebuild a community,” discusses how Lincoln residents came together to raise money for the people of Sri

Lanka after their country was devastated by a tsunami in 2004. Cornwell traveled to Sri Lanka in the summer of 2011 with a group of students and faculty from the College of Journalism and Mass Communications and met some of the people the money helped.

“I was able to see the good the money did,” Cornwell said. “All the people we interviewed were eternally grateful for the money from people halfway around the world.”

Cornwell’s speech focuses on what happens when a community comes together for a common good, she said.

A native of Leawood, Kan., Cornwell said she has a TED application on her iPad and watches TED Talks nightly.

“I think that everyone that comes to TED comes with an open mind,” Cornwell said.

She said she’s excited to talk about something she cares about in front of people who will care about it.

A lot of people only know about Sri Lanka through recording artist M.I.A. or have only heard about the civil war or tsunami, Cornwell said. “But there’s a lot more to it,” she said.

Cornwell met a Sri Lankan woman who lived with her three sons in an apartment solely built from funds donated by Lincoln residents. She told

andrew dickinson | daily nebraskan

Paige Cornwell poses for a portrait on the east side of the Nebraska Union on Wednesday. She will be participating in TEDxLincoln, an event featuring speakers and presentations with innovative ideas. confirmed for Thursday’s event, including 17-year-old catering entrepreneur Tanner O’Dell.

“The basic idea behind TED is just to share ideas and help people grow through their education,” Bretz said.

Bretz and his team hope to make TEDxLincoln an

Cornwell she was forever grateful for donations from Lincoln residents and she thinks about them every day.

“I was struck by the gratitude and resilience of the people I met,” Cornwell said.

In addition to Cornwell, 11 other speakers are

be streaming live from the Lincoln Community Foundation building at 215 Centennial Mall in downtown Lincoln.

For the order of speakers and brief biographies, visit www.ted.com/tedx/ events/3115. emilynitcher@ dailynebraskan.com

penn state: from 1

PRATT: from 1 No. 2 begins. Milliken said he hopes to hire a new executive vice president and provost in time for the 2012-2013 academic year.

In the last six years, Pratt spearheaded many university-wide initiatives, such as the William H. Thompson Scholars Learning Communities and the new Student Information System and worked with faculty to help start the Buffett Early Childhood Institute.

But the next few years are for poetry and her students, Pratt said. And several university officials say that’s indicative of the 43year UNL veteran with a smooth Southern accent.

“Linda Pratt has served this university in so many ways over more than four decades, and while I hate to lose her great skill in the provost’s office, it is fitting that she is going to finish her career in the classroom,” Milliken said.

After a career Pratt defined as surprisingly fulfilling, she said it’s time for closure to her professorial life and plans to retire in a couple of years.

Pratt came to UNL in 1968 and taught English, chaired the English department from 1995 to 2005 and served as the interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences from 2000 to 2001.

But from her early days at UNL, Pratt never imagined she’d climb so high at the university.

“I’m a person who doesn’t plan out my life in advance,” she said.

Throughout her career, Pratt said she also enjoyed serving on various national

annual event.

“It’s great to see the different minds that are here in Lincoln,” Cornwell said.

“I think it will be a really cool event that hasn’t happened in Lincoln before.”

The live event at the NET building, 1800 N. 33 St., is sold out, but starting at 1 p.m. the talks will

committees, including a stint as the national president of the American Association of University Professors.

Despite all of her experiences at UNL, taking on the position of executive vice president and provost was a challenge, she said.

Pratt was permanently appointed to the 14-hoursa-day job in March of 2007.

That job required an understanding of the four campuses’ happenings and an undertaking of large academic initiatives to improve education and research, she said.

Among her biggest challenges was implementing the new Student Information System, a project that encompassed UNL, the University of Nebraska at Kearney, the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska at Omaha, as well as the three schools in the Nebraska State College System.

“There was nothing about teaching Victorian or modern poetry that prepared me to be executive sponsor for a major software implementation across seven campuses,” she said.

Although Pratt and her colleagues had only two years to complete the major project, they finished on time and on budget.

Large projects such as the Student Information System made big headlines for the university and Pratt’s leadership.

But Pratt said that’s not what she’s about.

“People tend to give evaluative comments based on the big project,” Pratt said.

“But the day-to-day, small events of an office are often the most fun and make up the texture of your job.”

Working with the talented faculty and staff across the university system has been the real joy, she said, and they are reason for the university’s success.

As next summer turns to fall, Pratt won’t work as closely across the campuses but will return to an office and classrooms in Andrews Hall.

Ken Price, a UNL professor of English and friend of Pratt’s, commended Pratt’s decision.

“It’s a testimony to the fact that her heart’s in the right place,” Price said.

Pratt recruited Price to come to UNL in 1999, and he said he’s seen her prove her forte for administration grow ever since.

But Price said she’s unlike other administrators, who make the climb to the top spots in academia and retire as an administrator.

Pratt’s return to the UNL English department means the addition of another established and esteemed literary scholar, he said. And Pratt will have a chance to experience the classroom for the first time since 2005.

Although she doesn’t know which courses she will teach yet, Pratt said she’s excited to interact with students again and hear poetry read aloud.

University of Nebraska Regent Bob Phares of North Platte said finding the right person to fill the executive vice president and provost role can be tough. Some people might be great teachers but

ineffective administrators, while others show a flair for administration but lack strength in the classroom, he said.

To be the chief academic officer, Phares said the person needs to have a command for the administration and academic ends of the university’s operation, or “house.”

“Linda is one of those people who’s good on both sides of the house,” he said.

Fellow Regent Jim McClurg of Lincoln agreed.

At a time when many universities focus their efforts on financing higher education in tight economic times, it’s easy to lose sight of the academics.

Under Pratt, the university avoided that fate, McClurg said.

Now the challenge is to find someone who can continue to build off of Pratt’s success, he said.

“I only hope that, through this search process for the next person to fill this role, that we are able to find a person with the skills and talent and commitment to the institution’s academic core that matches Linda’s,” McClurg said.

As for her successor, Pratt advises whoever serves as the next executive vice president and provost at the University of Nebraska to prepare for the thrills and challenges of an institution on a “fastmoving plane.”

“We are not yet at the best that we are going to be,” she said.

RileyJohnson@ DailyNebraskan.com

courtesy photo

“I would never hesitate to report a crime if I had any suspicion that one had been committed,” he continued.

Current UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman called Spanier a close friend and said he left UNL better than when he arrived.

“Everything I know about Graham makes it difficult for me to believe he would ignore clear allegations of child abuse,” Perlman said in a statement to the media Wednesday night. “I can only wish him the best as he works through these tragic events.”

Perlman said he wishes the best to the children alleged to have been exploited. If the allegations of abuse are true, Perlman said they reflect personal failings, not the institution.

“This university is a large and complex institution, and although I have always acted honorably and in the best interests of the university, the buck stops here,” Spanier said.

The Husker football team travels to Penn State this Saturday to play the Nittany Lions. It’s Penn State’s last home game of the season.

Defensive coordinator, Tom Bradley, will serve as interim head coach.

Perlman said the game shouldn’t be seen as anything more than an athletic contest.

“Nebraska’s participation in no way condones the conduct that has been alleged or makes a statement about the truth or falsity of the allegations. In the end, the game is about the student athletes from both institutions who have worked hard to be in a position to play football on Saturday. I hope all fans will be respectful of the contest between these student athletes, even as we share in the outrage of what is alleged and the pain suffered by the victims.”

Riley Johnson contributed to this report. news@ dailynebraskan.com

daily nebraskan editor-in-chief. . . . . . . . . . . 402.472.1766 Ian Sacks managing editor. . . . . . . . . . . 402.472.1763 Courtney Pitts news. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .402.472.1764 associate editor Ellen Hirst

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Founded in 1901, the Daily Nebraskan is the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s only independent daily newspaper written, edited and produced entirely by UNL students.

General Information The Daily Nebraskan is published weekly on Mondays during the summer and Monday through Friday during the nine-month academic year, except during finals week.

The Daily Nebraskan is published by the UNL Publications Board, 20 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St., Lincoln, NE 68588-0448.

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every attempt to go green and follow the guidelines, the LEED design criteria don’t apply to Housing, Schumann said. Oftentimes, the push for green cannot apply to housing, like when renovating Abel Hall, he said.

“We renovated it, we tore out all the plumbing, and, on the men’s end, we put in new plastic pipes for low flow-urinals,” Schumann said. “Within two years, people were complaining about leaks.”

Schumann then put a camera into the pipes and said he was surprised at what he found.

“Within two years, the four-inch pipe had shrunk to one inch in places due to crystals,” Schumann said.

Neither Housing nor the low-flow experts the department talked to realized that the amount of salt in urine would crystallize if not washed down with enough water.

“It cost us $5,000 to clean all the floors out,” Schumann said. “My point being that sometimes an idea looks good in theory, but you have to apply basic physics and chemistry to it. We just weren’t using our common sense.”

Another issue newer buildings are encountering is “sickair syndrome,” Schumann said. If not enough outdoor air is brought into the building, the air will become stale and uncomfortable, he said. At times during the summer, he said this can become problematic.

“For variable heaters in Kauffman, you bring the air in at 98 degrees, then cool

it down to 55 degrees to suck out the humidity, then heat it up again,” Schumann said. “If you have the thermostat set at 72, you have to cool it down then heat it back up.”

Both Schumann and Conger agreed the best way to improve energy efficiency is the little things.

One of those little things is the improvement to the energy dashboard for UNL. “If you put a meter on a building, you can see a 3 percent decrease in energy use as a rule of thumb,” Conger said. “Three percent isn’t huge, but it’ll buy a couple of professors.”

On a personal level, Conger suggested faculty and students do simple things like not opening windows on cold days, completely shutting off lights and computers and not using electric heaters.

“It’s picky stuff, things your dad would tell you to turn off,” Conger said.

Similarly, Schumann asked that students unplug everything when they leave for a weekend and leave thermostats at 68 degrees in the winter and 78 degrees in the summer.

“The future will be even more critical, energy is only going to get more expensive,” Schumann said. “The population of our planet is now 7 billion, as the population keeps growing, it keeps depleting more and more resources. So the challenge is to construct buildings with as little energy draw and still be acceptable.” eliasyoungQuist@ dailynebraskan.com

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An open letter to students, Recently, the debate surrounding the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline has taken the state, and the nation, by storm. Many question why the Association of Students at the University of Nebraska (ASUN) has not taken a stance on this issue. Indeed, considerable attention has been given to this very question from various sources inside the campus community and in the public, including this very paper. We feel it our responsibility to respond.

As many of you know, ASUN aims to serve students primarily by relating the student voice to administrators.

In addition, ASUN’s Government Liaison Committee actively engages local, state and national lawmakers in an effort to positively influence policy toward postsecondary education related issues that affect students. Furthermore, ASUN seeks to engage the student body in civically minded activities through voter registration, forums and debates.

ASUN represents the student voice and advocates issues that affect a student’s education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. ASUN has upheld this policy for the past

several administrations. In the past, ASUN has taken stances on important issues like Pell Grants, sales tax on textbooks, state budgetary issues that have an impact on the university, the campus rec center renovation projects and even more controversial issues like the Federal Research Public Access Act and the Nebraska DREAM Act. These issues affect the educational wellbeing or futures of our University and of our students. While the Keystone XL pipeline is undoubtedly an important issue for the state of Nebraska, we feel it does not impact those education-related aims and therefore falls outside our purview.

Still, we do not take the pipeline lightly. Within ASUN we debated significantly about the issue, a dialogue we are working to extend to the student body. Instead of focusing on our singular support or rejection of the pipeline, we would rather ensure that students are properly informed on the issue. To do this, we are planning an informational session featuring both proponents for and opponents to the pipeline. We believe this will not only help students form their own opinions, but also provide opportunities for them to get further involved on a level more meaningful than any resolution we could pass.

Never do we wish to stifle student opinion, never do we wish to keep silent on important issues, and never will we shy away from an issue simply because it is controversial.

However, we do not see this as something that falls within our jurisdiction. We look forward to continuing the dialogue on this issue and actively providing students with the information necessary to develop an informed opinion.

Please feel free to contact us about this or any other issue.

You may contact us at asun1@ unl.edu or 402-472-2581.

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college. He said he believes engineering majors, especially first-year students, face a difficult transition from high school to college.

“They don’t always have the skills needed to take on the challenge of being an engineering major, so they aren’t able to handle the heavy coursework,” Jones said.

Some engineering students switch their majors before they even get to the hands-on experience that upperclassmen study.

“Right now the prerequisites are a pain, like CHEM 109 (General Chemistry I) and MATH 107H (Advanced Geometry and Calculus II) and all of that,” Hutcheson said. “So I can definitely see why people find it boring and difficult.”

David Williams, the director of retention at the College of Engineering, said engineering is more academically rigorous for students, especially for first years.

“They’re noticing they have to study a lot more than they were required in high school,” Williams said.

“Sometimes they’re seeing this stuff for the first time.”

A national effort is being made to bring engineering courses into high school curricula, he said. It’s called “Project Lead The Way,” and Lincoln Public Schools instituted these engineering courses into its curriculum this year.

“I believe it’ll truly make a difference in terms of retention once these students get to college,” Williams said.

Williams said there are numerous things the engineering college is doing to increase its student retention. Since 2001, engineering students have been going on trips during spring break to cities like Boston and Chicago to visit different engineering industries.

They’ve visited the NASA Johnson Space Center, a Boeing Apache helicopter plant, nuclear stations and various other places where students get a view of what’s going on in the industry.

“I think it’s really beneficial to first- and second-year students because they get to see what awaits for them in their future careers,” Williams said.

First-year engineering students also have the option of going to “NUBE camps” (Nebraskan Undergraduates Becoming Engineers) prior to the start of the semester.

These overnight retreats exist so engineering students get a chance to meet one another and connect with faculty.

“It really allows students to connect right off the bat,” Williams said. The retention rate is 10 percent higher in the students who have

attended the NUBE camps.

Williams said the overall goal is to make students understand that engineering isn’t just about calculus, physics and chemistry.

“We need to motivate our students to persist through these challenges because once you get past all of the basics, you’re really going to get your hands dirty,” he said.

President Barack Obama recently called upon colleges to start graduating 10,000 more engineers and 100,000 more teachers in STEM fields. Although this is a large number, Williams said this challenge must be met.

“China is currently graduating way more engineers percentage-wise than the U.S.,” he said. “We have to meet the demand.”

According to Jones, the United States is facing a shortage of engineers. He said the number of engineers retiring is growing and when the economy turns around, the demand for engineers will rapidly increase.

“I think the engineering students we currently have are studying at a very opportune time,” he said.

conordunn@ dailynebraskan.com

What is public health?

letter to the editor ASUN responds to DN’s request to take stance on Pipeline

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buildings: FROM 1 for strange reasons.

“One of the best is the Military and Naval Sciences Building because they don’t care about it being uncomfortable,” Conger said. “It’s actually one of our lowest energy buildings, but I wouldn’t talk about it being greenest. The buildings that use the least amount of energy are the ones we expect the least out of.”

All office and classroom buildings are required to comply to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design specifications, Conger said. LEED is a national organization setting standards for environmentally friendly building design.

“It’s a nice little program that comes out of the buildings council,” Conger said.

“It’s a set of criteria that, if you achieve a number of points, then the building is a particularly green building.”

Since 2005, each new office or classroom building has subscribed to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver-level classifications, said Ted Weidner, assistant vice chancellor for facilities management and planning.

However, with certain buildings, achieving a degree of energy efficiency is a complicated topic.

“Hamilton Hall is a weird duck to begin with,” Weidner said. “A chemistry building that can meet LEED sliver would be rather unusual, particularly a great big high-energy-use one like Hamilton Hall. Never say never, but it’s just difficult.”

While Housing makes

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a graduate-student task force.

McElravy said ASUN needs to do a better job providing services for graduate students. “Forming a committee is the right direction and in the direction grad students want,” he said.

The senate to appointed four students for the Grad Student Task Force, which was created at the meeting last week. Jons, who was appointed chair of the task force, said she was looking forward to working and reporting back to ASUN.

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The Association of Students of the University of Nebraska held a closed session during its Wednesday meeting.

Only senators were allowed to participate in the closed session, the purpose being to evaluate ASUN’s performance. The closed session occurs with every administration and is considered to be a midterm evaluation, said speaker of the senate Emily Schlichting, a senior communication studies and political science major.

“It’s really just an

evaluation for us to improve on what we’re doing internally,” Schlichting said.

No new legislation was voted on at the meeting, which mainly consisted of executive and committee reports.

During open forum, senators LJ McElravy, a human sciences graduate student, and Sylvia Jons, an educational administration graduate student, spoke about the graduate student survey mentioned the previous week. McElravy and Jons presented their opinions and their gratitude toward ASUN for creating

National statistics show about 40 percent of engineering and science majors either drop out of school or change their majors. At UNL, retention rates overall have steadily increased over time, but leveled out in recent years.

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ASUN holds closed meeting for evaluation

thursday, november 10, 2011

You can follow us on Twitter (ASUN_UNL) or “like” us on Facebook (ASUN Student Government) for more information on what we are doing and how we are representing you.

Best wishes,

lANE CARR

Friday, November 18th, 2011 9:30 am - 3:30 pm

president

JEFF lOPEZ

internal vice president

MATT HIlGENKAMP

eXternal vice president

EMIly SCHlICHTING speaker of the senate

To register or ask for information email coph@unmc.edu or visit the website at www.unmc.edu/publichealth.coph-openhouse.htm

OPINION DAILY NEBRASKAN

dailynebraskan.Com

PaGe 4

thursday, november 10, 2011

DAILY NEBRASKAN EDITORIAl BOARD MEMBERS ZACH SMITH

IAN SACKS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ANDREW MCCLURE

OPINION EDITOR

COPY CHIEF

RHIANNON ROOT

HAILEY KONNATH

ASSISTANT OPINION EDITOR

NEWS ASSIGNMENT EDITOR

OUr ViEW

bob lausten | daily nebraskan

West doesn’t support rights Veterans should gabriel sancheZ | daily nebraskan

be honored on Friday, always

Thanksgiving may still be more than two weeks away, but this Friday marks another holiday, equally American. And while it may be the less anticipated of the two, its observance is undoubtedly more important. While Nov. 24 pays collective thanks to ancestors and circumstances, Nov. 11 will pay national respect to a living group of heroes.

Friday is Veteran’s Day. The Daily Nebraskan encourages any students at the University of NebraskaLincoln who have overlooked the day before to find a way to participate this year.

Each year brings a variety of excuses for letting Veteran’s Day pass by without a thought. It’s not ceremonial; there are no gifts or cards. Decades of controversy concerning U.S. military actions may also — while it seems particularly disrespectful to the individuals involved — fuel a disinterest in the day for some.

None of these properly excuse the failure to dedicate a portion of Friday to observance and respect for the individuals who have served or are serving in the military. Politics aside, there is no harder job than risking one’s life and safety on a daily basis.

There are a number of ways for students to recognize Veteran’s Day. UNL’s Government Liaison Committee has organized a flag ceremony at the flag pole between the Nebraska Union and Canfield Administration Building at 6 p.m. Friday. Students can find professors who have served in the military. They could simply express thanks to a veteran family member or friend.

No matter how students observe Nov. 11, it’s important that they do so. Veterans are sitting in faculty offices and classrooms across UNL. Those still in the service are risking lives overseas at the same time.

opinion@dailynebraskan.com

EDitOriAl POlicy The editorial above contains the opinion of the fall 2011 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 in the hands of Daily Nebraskan employees.

P

sst! Have you heard any good jokes lately?

One of the best was when I listened to the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, comparing the Arab Spring to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Communist Block.

But what side was he on during the uprising? What position did his foreign minister take? The side of the protesters or the side of the dictators?

History shows that Western powers have tirelessly shored up controversial regimes. France, Britain and the U.S. have financed and offered intelligence services for dictatorships in the Middle East and the Arab world.

Why? Because this colonial facade simply fits into their economic interests in the region and helps topple any possible Islamic resurgence.

No Western ruler cared the least over a century about the torture, repression, lack of freedoms and rights swept across the region. The recent statement made by former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger is significant: “We’ve had five presidents that considered Hosni Mubarak the best way to achieve U.S. objectives in the region.”

The drastic change in policy came recently. After inspiring several movements across the world, Tunisian people, in unprecedented masses, lined up across polling stations to experience a free, fair and democratic election for the first time ever in the Arab world. This was the result of the long transition since the ouster of former President Ben Ali. October’s election nominated a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution and create an interim government of one year, leading to another round of free, fair and democratic elections.

The international reaction was split between cheering transparency and turnout on one hand and a sense of fear and vigilance on the other. The latter fears the return of Islamic parties haunting “Western values” throughout the Arab world.

Yet, the slight victory of Ennahda (Renaissance), the Islamic Party, was

beligh ben taleb all but predictable after systematic media propaganda demonizing it.

Official results showed that the party won more than 41 percent of the vote, providing it with 90 seats in the 217-member new Constituent Assembly, or parliament.

To mollify fears of Islamic resurgence, Ennahda’s Secretary General, Hamadi Jebali, likely to be the next prime minister, reassured, “secularists and investors, nervous about the prospect of Islamists holding power in one of the Arab world’s most liberal countries, by saying it would not stop tourists wearing bikinis on the beaches nor impose Islamic banking.”

Now that Ennahda has won Tunisia’s elections, the Western view of Tunisia’s future under an Islamic-led government actually has little to do with human rights and democracy.

The crux of the matter remains entirely political, and Western powers have little interest in allowing Tunisians to seek true sovereignty and independence.

Take the example of the French Foreign Minister, Alain Juppé, who said in a recent interview in France Inter: “France will remain vigilant. France will say: Be careful, there is a red line you should not move beyond and for us the red line is a certain number of democratic values and principles, such as the democratic changeover of power, human rights, equality between men and women … We will set up an assistance … it is in our interest. This assistance will take place to make sure that the red lines are not violated.”

Are you wondering whether such rhetoric of colonial administration of “us,” “our,” “we” is still useful to address a new free people? Who is Juppé to list do’s and don’ts for a new democratically elected government? Has he

forgotten that Tunisia is no longer a French protectorate, that it isn’t 1881 anymore and he isn’t foreign minister Jules Ferry?

It’s easy to come up with a plethora of Western rosy declarations praising those dictators’ accomplishments.

Other Western voices mourned the election and started to draw lines and outcomes.

The Middle East “really worries me,” said Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.). He asked Secretary of State Hillary Clinton what the Obama administration “plans to do to make sure that we don’t have a radical government taking over those places.”

“I think a lot of the leaders are saying the right things and some are saying things that do give pause to us,” she said. “We’re going to do all that we can within our power to basically try to influence outcomes.”

Are they now teaching the free people what to choose and how to draft their constitution?

I recall the French president Sarkozy after the division of Sudan into two states: “In Sudan, it was the overwhelming and freely expressed will of all concerned populations that brought an end to a civil war lasting more than 20 years and gave rise to a new, still fragile State: South Sudan.”

What would have happened if he congratulated the performance of the election and wished Tunisians good luck?

The Western voices truly lie within the classical campaign of containing any threat to their imperial interests in the region. It has nothing to do with using alibis such as human rights, equality between men and women or democratic change.

One thing these voices failed to fathom is that the Arab uprisings delinked themselves from the structures, institutions and agencies of the colonial legacy.

Is it even possible for Western voices to create a discourse that avoids criticizing the people and thus the imposition of power?

beligh ben taleb is a masters’ student in history and a former fulbright scholar from tunisia. reach him at belighbentaleb@ dailynebraskan.com.

Journalism requires superhero dedication

I

t’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s a journalist!

Journalism is the only profession that has produced two superheroes (Superman and Spider-

Man).

Recently, a lot of people have asked me why I’m pursuing journalism as a career. They act like it’s a death sentence. I guess, in a way, it is. My word-processing program and I are best friends.

Most cringe at the thought.

There’s also the generally low pay compared to other professions.

But I like to think of my profession on more positive, grandiose terms.

The only other “profession” that has produced two superheroes is “billionaire philanthropist/vigilante” (Batman and Iron Man). However, their credibility as superheroes is debatable because of their lack of superpowers. Also, this so-called “profession” yielded Superman’s nemesis, Lex Luthor.

I think the use of journalists as superheroes is an ongoing

metaphor of the hard work and dedication that goes into the profession.

First, there’s ingenuity.

Many people often diss Clark Kent’s disguise, thinking that the glasses wouldn’t fool anyone.

However, everyone in Metropolis believed the disguise. They never suspected a red-and-blue costume was hidden underneath his business attire.

His co-workers, lover (Lois Lane) and everyone else in his life saw him as just another journalist. Likewise, journalists in real life have to put on a show of normalcy in order to be good at investigating. This “disguise” is crucial for undercover reporting, which has uncovered corruption and helped serve justice to wrongdoers.

Next, there’s vision.

Unlike Clark Kent, Peter Parker is a photojournalist. He uses selfportraits of his alter ego, SpiderMan, to get notoriety.

Despite his debatable ethics (he’s lying to the public; his “anonymous source” for photographs is himself), he’s still

damien croghan a good role model. You need decent morals to keep saving the world from harm, right?

My point is that Spider-Man finds a way to take full advantage of his radioactive spider bite.

His vision of becoming a famous photographer isn’t compromised; instead, it’s enhanced by adversity. Peter Parker found ample opportunities to pursue a career AND save the world. That’s the best example of time management and multitasking I know of.

There’s also the “spider sense.”

You know, that heightened sense of intuition Spider-Man has in the comics. The drive to find something note-worthy in the seemingly mundane could be referred to as a “spider sense.”

“With great power comes great

responsibility” is a quote echoed throughout the Spider-Man franchise. This could easily apply to a journalist’s responsibility to publish quality, truthful information.

People say journalists are a part of this liberal machine, constantly striving to push an agenda onto an unknowing populace. That negative outlook is a journalist’s kryptonite.

Rather than a liberal machine, imagine a superhero team looking out for your best interest.

If honest story-telling is radically changing the world, there’s something wrong with the world, not the storyteller. You can’t blame the hero for trying to save the world. Be proactive rather than blame those attempting to be.

People often read an article, online or in print, and believe in its legitimacy. Why? Because most of the time, journalists work their asses off to make sure it’s accurate. I’m not saying to believe wholeheartedly everything you read. My point is that many already do – those who don’t

reference this “liberal bias” that is “apparent” in most things people read.

Fact: bias is unavoidable in ANY profession, including journalism. However, objectivity is crucial and obtainable.

The protagonists in comic books often come to a fork in the road, where they choose living a normal life or give up that option up to save the world from itself.

Likewise, journalists also have that choice. If you pursue a job in the profession, you do so under the impression that you will lose sleep, credibility amongst peers and oftentimes risk our livelihood to report the simple truth.

There’s something heroic in that.

So, the next time you open the paper (or read the online edition), recognize it took superhuman willpower to get all of that published by a deadline, the most sinister villain of all.

damien croghan is a senior news-editorial and international studies major. reach him at damiencroghan@ dailynebraskan.com.

performingarts DAILY NEBRASKAN

dailynebraskan.com

thursday, november 10, 2011

You’re trying to control your rage after a crying baby just threw up on you, on a bus.

You just found out your favorite TV show got cancelled.

Your dog just got run over by a bus.

ACTOR IN

STORY BY KATIE NELSON PHOTO BY NICKOLAI HAMMAR

MOTION

UNL actress uses life experiences within military family to bring her characters to life on stage

R

oom 16 was practically barren. Chairs were pushed up to the wall, mats lay in a stack. No decorations covered the walls or ceiling, and even the whiteboard had been wiped clean.

It’s a room that looks like it has been packed up – a sight with which Meghan Modrovsky is all too familiar.

The sophomore theater performance and Latin major grew up in an Air Force family and is unsure of how she will deal with staying in one place throughout college.

Modrovsky sat cross-legged at a small table, clutching coffee that was intended to wakeup her brain.

Since Sunday, she has been undergoing intensive technical rehearsals for “Lady Windermere’s Fan” which opens Thursday.

Modrovsky got her unofficial start in theater in third grade.

She began watching the “Monty Python” television show and “memorizing things.”

She didn’t see a stage until her freshman year of high school, but her addiction had already begun.

“I realized this is a lot of fun – I really enjoy doing this,” she said.

Modrovsky tried out for “Blithe Spirit,” snagging the role of understudy of the character Edith. The actor originally cast for Edith, however, was academically ineligible, which gave Modrovsky her first taste of the spotlight.

“It was the first thing she went out for, just to have a place to be in her new school,” said her mother, Gayle Modrovsky. “It’s her outlet.”

During high school, she realized she wanted to pursue

a career in theater, and settled on the University of NebraskaLincoln.

“I’ve been sucked in by the theater monster ever since,” Meghan Modrovsky added.

And then it was time to pack up – something she has done a million times.

Modrovsky has lived in Nebraska once before – along with California, Virginia, Alabama, Texas and Germany.

She has spent no more than

modrovsky: see page 6

Victorian play recieves update Katie Nelson Daily Nebraskan

Actors were required to learn British, Irish and Australian accents as well as fan language for tonight’s performance of “Lady Windermere’s Fan.” The performances will take place in the Howell Theater in the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film at 7:30 p.m.

Through the multiple dialects and fluttering fans, actors will be portraying the story of Lady Windermere (Emily Martinez), a woman who sees and judges everyone as good or bad, with no exceptions.

On the night of her 21st birthday, Lady Windermere is told shortly before her party that her husband, Lord Windermere (Nate Ruleaux) has been having an affair with Mrs. Erlynne (Cali Daby).

“Then things get crazy from there,” said Martinez, a senior performance and management major. “There’s a big twist.”

Over the course of 24 hours, Lady Windermere’s ideas and judgments about people are challenged.

Playwright Oscar Wilde takes serious topics, such as relationships, trust and judgment and injects humor into them.

The play was written in the late 1800s, but director Carrie Lee Patterson decided to set it in 1904.

Twenty-seven actors, ranging from first-semester freshmen all the way to fifth-year seniors, have spent the past four weeks in rehearsal, six days a week for four hours a night.

All were required to attend dialect lessons once a week leading up to the start of rehearsals.

Actors playing aristocratic women learned more than 30 different fan signals as well, how to sit without first looking at the chair and to walk

if you go “Lady Windmere’s Fan” when: Nov. 1-12, 1619, 7:30 p.m. where: Howell Theater, 12th and R Streets how much: $16 general, $14 staff & seniors, $10 students on their toes.

Sets were built to mimic the Victorian era it’s set in, and more than 40 costumes were constructed.

Mallory Prucha, a graduate student in costume design and head of costumes for the show, spent the eight weeks leading up to rehearsals researching period clothing, attending meetings and creating designs. Only a few of the costumes were rented or put together from existing garments.

Armed with sketches and a crew of costume technicians, Prucha began working on the costumes.

Symbolism is a large part of the show and is expressed through the sets and costumes.

Just as Lady Windermere’s view of people is black and white, so are all the costumes.

“We thought that … really expressed more of the text in a way that isn’t typically done,” she explained.

Lady Windermere begins in a white costume to show her “goodness.” Throughout the show she changes twice, ending in a costume that is a mix of black and white, symbolizing moral gray areas and her newfound understanding of people.

The actors portraying aristocratic women on stage will not only be wearing dresses from the time period, but also traditional undergarments.

All in all, each performer’s costume will weigh an extra 12 pounds.

“Lady Windermere’s Fan”

pagE 5

NEIL ORIANS | daily nebraskan

Cooking simple for those willing to learn craft City of Lincoln provides variety of options for amateur chefs.

Adrienne Anderson Daily Nebraskan

For college students, moving into the dorms means the abolishment of home– cooked meals and the introduction of dorm food.

Even those who have moved into apartment buildings or suite-style dorms are faced with the daunting task of cooking on a limited budget and an even smaller cooking space.

So for those who are hoping to learn to cook on a college campus but

seem to have too many factors working against them, students may not realize their options. Luckily, there are a half dozen places around town that offer culinary classes catering to people who don’t want to spend more time and money taking collegelevel cooking classes.

The Saucy Cook, located on 70th and Van Dorn streets, offers two different kinds of classes, one of which is catered specifically to beginners.

“We have what I kind of call ‘tasting seminars,’ where we sit down and taste cheeses or talk about how to use oil and vinegars and cooking,” said

cooking: see page 6

Opera still has meaning in modern world Brandon Perchal Daily Nebraskan

neil orians | daily nebraskan

contrasts the contemporary humor of this season’s previous Mainstage show, “Bright Ideas,” with its Edwardian-era comedy.

Despite the age of the script, Patterson thinks audiences will easily understand the plot and even relate to the characters on stage.

“The manners are very different, but people aren’t,” said Patterson. “Manners are manners.”

Patterson looks for the

combination of script, tech and actors to reel in the audience.

“It’s entertaining; it’s a very witty comedy,” she said. “The scenic design, the costume design – it’s just visually arresting.”

Martinez agreed, adding, “I think it’s a good piece of theater. They’ll (audience members) learn and also get a good laugh.” katienelson@ dailynebraskan.com

A man trying to sleep with a girl who’s already in a relationship sounds like the whole summary of this season’s “Jersey Shore,” but situations like this occurred centuries before.

The Kimball Recital Hall is hosting a student production of Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” The two-night production features both undergraduate and graduate students from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s School of Music, and they will be preforming all four acts in Italian with English supertitles.

The opera is set in the 1700s in a palace outside of Seville, France. According to William Shomos, UNL director of opera, the play was written before the French Revolution, and Mozart later composed music for it, creating it into an opera.

“This opera is basically about the power of love,” Shomos said. “It takes place on the wedding day of two of the servants.”

However, unlike a regular 18th century wedding, the master of the palace

if you go “The Marriage of Figaro” when: Nov. 11, 7:30 p.m., Nov. 13, 3 p.m. where: Kimball Recital Hall how much: $20 general, $10 students

wants to sleep with the bride to be, Susanna.

“She’s really smart, humorous and kind of controls everything around her,” said Karina Brazas, playing the role of Susanna in the production and graduate student in music and vocal performance.

“She’s the smart, spunky girl that everyone likes.”

Susanna tries everything to outsmart the master of the palace to avoid the Count, creating a cat and mouse game that takes place throughout the opera.

“In a great opera, like ‘The Marriage of Figaro,” the music takes the lead in telling the story,” Shomos said. “The audience needs

figaro: see page 7

6

thursday, november 10, 2011

Daily Nebraskan

When attending Lied, Miller play satirizes modern issues attire not main focus A FINER ART

Katie Nelson A few nights ago, I stood in the entrance of the Lied Center for Performing Arts, waiting at the ticket booth.

In a few minutes, I would have, in my hand, the key to seeing one of the world’s best live music performances: the Munich Symphony with the Gloriae Dei Cantores choir.

Of course, I was determined to look my best for this.

I made a point of wearing my best black dress and heels. Despite the blustering winds and torrential rains, I even attempted to do my hair and makeup.

And then I saw him.

Don’t get me wrong – I know I’m a snob when it comes to these things. If any of you have read just about any of my previous columns, you know that I have an awkward obsession with the Lied Center.

But I digress.

And then I saw him: the guy who doesn’t just stop at wearing jeans to a theater.

No, I’m talking about the guy who also refuses to change his shirt after a day’s work – wherever you can attain a grease stain – and to top it off, a cowboy hat.

A large, black, “I-think-I’mparticipating-in-a-rodeo”

hat.

Had I decided I would rather watch the Munich Symphony wearing one of the many sweatshirts in my tractor-pull sweatshirt collection, I think I still might have beaten this guy in the appearance category.

It was at this point that my jaw became unhinged and hit the floor. Why on Earth was this guy here? Who was he kidding? He’s going to stain the beautiful theater seats!

And, conveniently, his seat was immediately in front of mine. And at the very end, he was the first out of his seat for the standing ovation.

I sat throughout the show, completely amazed, not only by the performance, but also from the fact that I had learned something from this guy.

Here was a guy who wanted to see and hear brilliant music, and I was freaking out because he wasn’t dressed correctly for the theater facility.

But that’s really not the point of fine arts, is it? No painting or instrument or stage is going to reject you because you’re not “dressed correctly.”

It’s about the willingness to accept the arts the way they are presented to you, not the way you present yourself to them.

And after I got over my

initial shock of the grease stains, I began to look around the Lied. It was nearly full.

This may not seem to mean anything, but that is an incredible thing for Lincoln.

People are most likely to go to “entertaining” shows: the ones with the most movement, brightest costumes and intricate sets.

When a symphony performs, those things don’t exist. The stage is opened up and stripped down. The set is nothing more than a series of chairs, risers, music stands and a conductor’s podium.

The only movement is that of bows being drug across stringed instruments and a conductor’s arms moving in obscure patterns, only those on stage recognize and understand.

And the Lied Center’s house was full!

This demonstrates a growing demand for classical music in Lincoln, which adds another layer to the diversity of fine arts that can be found here.

No, not all theater-goers may wear their finest pearls, but the fact that they are coming as they are – the fact that they are attending at all – says a whole lot more.

And, so, to the man in the egregious hat, I say, “Wear your hat! And attend theater to your heart’s desire.”

Who knows? Maybe next time I go to a performance, I’ll sport a tractor-pull sweatshirt instead.

Katie Nelson is a sophomore broadcast major.

Reach her at katienelson@ dailynebraskan.com.

modrovsky: from 5

two years in each place. Even though she lived in Texas for four years, she still attended two different high schools.

“I’ve got this two-year timer in my head,” she said. “I have no blockade about moving anywhere. I’m like ‘OK, let’s go.’”

She was conditioned to the military lifestyle from a young age – she didn’t attend a school for two consecutive years until she lived in Germany. Over the years, moving got easier as she looked forward to each new place, she said.

“I always ask people who grew up in one spot, ‘How was that?’” she said.

And, now, she is into her second year of college with two more to go and she isn’t sure how she will cope.

She worries she will begin trying to find reasons to move once the two-year timer sounds.

However, a combination of her studies and the people she has met at the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film may be enough to punch the snooze button on her internal alarm – at least for a few more years.

Since her freshman year at UNL, she has been cast in three productions: “Complete

Female Stage Beauty,” “Twelfth Night,” and now “Lady Windermere’s Fan.” However, university productions are much different than high school. Students are no longer doing theater to have an extra-curricular activity under their belts – they are studying to pursue a career.

For “Lady Windermere’s Fan” alone, Modrovsky describes four-hour rehearsals, six nights a week for the past four weeks. Before that, she attended weekly dialect lessons to perfect her character’s British accent.

Some of her best lessons have come from her years of moving.

“She’s interacted with people, not just all over the country, but all over the world,” said her mother.

After moving so frequently, Meghan Modrovsky said she quickly learned how fickle people can be, saying they will write or visit, but never do.

Moving has subjected her to meeting many people throughout the years. To deal with large numbers of new faces, she began categorizing people before deciding whether or not to pursue a relationship beyond acquaintance with them.

“After a while you sort of form a bit of a shell around yourself,” she said.

Overall, she said she discovered people are very similar at the core. And while that knowledge may help her characters, her “shell” has hindered them.

For the eight sophomores studying theater performance, this has been a year of “breakdowns and breakthroughs.”

Modrovsky has learned to ease out of her shell in order to create convincing characters on stage.

“Shelled Meghan” doesn’t allow the little things to bother her. But things do bother characters, so she has begun the process of chipping away at her shell – at least while she is on stage.

“If you have a giant shell on, nobody’s going to see the truth,” she said. “They’re going to see the shell.”

Down the road, Modrovsky hopes to continue acting.

Where she will be, she doesn’t know, but she knows it won’t be long before she packs her bags again.

For right now, though, another two and a half years lie ahead of her. And she’s here to stay. katienelson@ dailynebraskan.com

Tom Helberg Daily Nebraskan

Some ideas are timeless, whether the year is 1692, or 1952, or even 2011.

That’s the driving idea behind a new production of Arthur Miller’s classic allegory, “The Crucible” being staged at the Sheldon Museum of Art Nov. 11 -13 at 7:30 p.m. The show is being updated from its 17th century setting to the present.

“By making it contemporary, we could make it more accessible to modern audiences,” said the show’s director, Becky Key Boesen. “There are certain things that go on in today’s world that are reflected in the script.”

The show, which is a collaboration between Lincoln’s Angels Theatre Company and the Nebraska Girls Shakespeare Theater, has been stripped of its period costumes and will be performed with minimal sets. The idea is to make the audience reflect on current issues, Key Boesen said.

Miller wrote the play in 1952 when the Red Scare was a pressing issue. It dramatizes the Salem witch trials that took place in the Province of Massachusetts Bay starting in 1692. Miller wrote the play as an allegory of McCarthyism and the U.S. government’s blacklist of supposed communists in the early 1950s.

Scott Herr, who plays the farmer John Proctor, believes the cautionary tale is as relevant now as when it was written.

“The fact that it is set in Salem in 1692 is inconsequential,” Herr said. “(It’s about) this kind of hysteria that overtakes a community, and what can happen when that takes place.”

Miller was concerned

if you go The Crucible when: Nov. 11 to 13 at 7:30 p.m. where: Sheldon Museum of Art, Ethel S. Abbott Auditorium how much: $15 general, $5 students with forgoing the idea of innocent until proven guilty, Herr said. Herr likens the events of the Salem Witch Trials to the current suspicion and profiling of terrorists. The script makes Key Boesen think of bullying, and the tragic Columbine High School shooting in particular. Ultimately, the audience can attach whatever issue seems fitting.

To make the play resonant more in the present, Key Boesen is adding some contemporary touches to all aspects of the production. Music by modern bands including Radiohead and Mumford and Sons will pepper the soundtrack. Locations will be suggested with images via a digital projector. The costumes will all be modern as well.

One thing that hasn’t been changed is Miller’s text itself. “We’re using all of Arthur Miller’s language,” Key Boesen said.

“We haven’t rewritten anything. We’re using his play from the 1950s, but we’re treating it like contemporary dialogue.”

In order to get into character and understand the text, younger members of the cast have created the Facebook group “The Salem Girls” in which they post comments in character. The girls from the Nebraska Girls Shakespeare Theater didn’t need much help understanding the antiquated dialogue. Ages of

GABRIEL SANCHEZ daily nebraskan

actors in the troupe begin at 13, and the company was founded around four years ago as the girls produced and starred in classic plays.

“I don’t remember knowing girls like that at such a young age,” Key Boesen said. “They seem to know everything.” she said.

Every aspect of the show has been crafted in order to get its messages across to a modern audience.

“It’s such a well written play,” Key Boesen said.

“The issues of the play are timeless.”

tomhelberg@ dailynebraskan.com

cooking: from 5 Carol Wells, president of the corporation. “You absolutely don’t need to know a thing about cooking to enjoy those.”

The Saucy Cook also offers traditional cooking classes, both for beginners and experienced chefs.

Art and Soul, which opened recently on 56th and Pine Lake Street and Pine Lake Road, offers cooking classes as well, though they are catered more to specific events.

“We have ‘Courage in the Kitchen,’ which is definitely for beginners and is to learn how to make an elegant dinner,” General Manager Justina Slattery said.

“We also have a wine class, and we’re doing a gingerbread house making class in December. Most of them are for beginners.”

Art and Soul not only offers culinary classes, but

has a variety of art classes as well.

Even unexpected places offer cooking classes – Open Harvest, an organic food co-op in south Lincoln, offers a variety of classes catered to certain dietary needs.

“We educated on how to use seasonal produce, basic cooking techniques and implementing new and exciting foods in the kitchen,” Sherri Clark, the outreach and membership director for Open Harvest, wrote in an email. “Classes are open to anyone at any level of experience.”

Each of the three venues places an emphasis on the importance of the culinary arts in everyday life.

“Food and food preparation is historical, emotional and generational,” Clark said. Slattery agreed, adding that culinary skill is simply another way of expressing yourself – an art form. Besides that, it brings families together.

“We’re starting to get away from cooking at

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home,” Wells said.

As Clark put it, families come together around the dinner table; it is crucial to use basic cooking skills to continue those traditions.

But cooking is easiest when done in the home.

For those college students who are struggling to incorporate a home cooked meal into their schedule, each of the venues has tips. Clark suggests pooling resources among a group of friends and sharing cookware and utensils, and starting with a favorite food and learning how to prepare it.

“Sometimes you can take a really simple dish, like noodles, and find a thousand ways to do noodles,” Wells added.

Cooking in a dorm or small apartment isn’t impossible – it merely takes creativity and willingness.

“Food is our fuel,” Clark said. “Why not gain the skills you need to create wonderful food that you like to eat?”

adrienneanderson@ dailynebraskan.com

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figaro: from 5 to surrender their senses to the music to allow their senses to communicate directly. It is a marriage of drama and music.”

Opera is a unique art form that fuses together parts of theatre, like acting and music into one unified piece of art.

“It’s a complete art form of acting and singing,” said Brazas. “I like to go and watch operas because you can’t experience anything like this when you go the movies. It’s a unique combination of emotion and power.”

Although both theatre and music performances can separately express emotion, opera melds the two into one emotional experience expressed through an actor’s or actress’ acting and singing.

“What someone new to the art form needs to embrace is that the emotions are intensified through the music, and emotions are

The opera has a plot and a meaning that is still relevant today.

also shown through the music,” Brazas said.

The general discrepancies many people have with opera is that it’s not relevant to today’s society and it’s sang in a foreign language no one can understand.

Many operas are relevant to today’s society because many of the story lines in operas have been used in modern culture. For example, the musical “Rent” was based on the opera “La Boheme.”

“People, in general, have no fear in watching a television show, or a movie that has no plot or meaning,” Shomos said. “This opera has a plot and a meaning that is still relevant today as the day of when it was written and composed. It’s as entertaining as moving as anything anyone is going to see on TV. The difference is everything is set to music.”

Although a majority of members in the audience will not understand the

unl director of opera

Italian being sung on stage, the crew has set up supertitles to allow members to fully understand what is happening on stage.

“Supertitles are projections over the stage that translates what we are saying into English,” said Hannah Kurth, playing the role of Cherubino and a junior vocal performance major.

Shomos also seeks to gain more general interest in opera from students and the general public by making opera accessible on a local level. And the responses from the students and public have been overwhelmingly positive according to Shomos.

He also notes the easiest

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thursday, november 10, 2011

Daily Nebraskan

women’s basketball

Ladies have depth, work ethic Sean Whalen daily nebraskan

Something better. That’s what the Nebraska women’s basketball team promises its fans following a last place finish in the Big 12 conference last season.

“There’s a really good chance we can get closer to the team we were two years ago (NU started 30-0 in 2009-10),” junior guard Lindsey Moore said. “It’s hard without experience and we don’t have an AllAmerican (like Kelsey Griffin in 2010). The only thing we lack is experience, and the more experience we can get our younger players, the closer we can get.”

They were pretty far away at times last year. The box score of the Feb. 26 game at Kansas paints the picture of how NU went 3-13 in the conference. Moore had one of her finest performances of the season, shooting 14 for 21 from the field, including four of five beyond the arc, had five assists and didn’t leave the court the entire game.

Despite Moore’s 33 points, the Huskers lost 77-61 to a Jayhawk squad that finished 6-10 in the conference.

The reason? As in many games, Moore had to keep NU in the game all by herself. The Huskers didn’t get a single point from their bench. The top four frontcourt players (Jordan Hooper, Catheryn Redmon, Jessica Periago and Katya Leick) combined for more fouls (11) than rebounds (nine) while allowing KU’s Carolyn Davis to go 16 of 19 for 36 points, with seven free throw attempts. This led to a points-in-the-paint discrepancy of 50-26, a hole even Moore couldn’t dig the team out of.

If the KU game had been a one-game incident for the frontcourt – or for Kaitlyn Burke, who had five points in 36 minutes as the shooting guard – that would be one thing, but that game showcased the three I’s that wrecked last season for the Huskers: inexperience, injuries and inconsistency. Only Redmon and Moore had been key figures the previous season, when Moore was a true freshman.

The KU game was hardly the first time only seven players had played five or more minutes; at that point in the season, NU didn’t have a single true guard on the bench due to injuries.

And Hooper would gravitate wildly from ace sniper and All-Big 12 candidate to

Sean Whalen

file photo by morgan spiehs | daily nebraskan

The Huskers weren’t pleased with the end result in 2010-11. They’re looking for something better in their first season with the Big Ten. foul-happy gunner unable to stay on the court.

Fixing the fact that Moore was the only truly reliable player last year is the first priority this year.

“We have guards this year who can shoot the ball really well and we’re working on our post game,” Hooper said. “There will be other options … As good as Lindsey is, she’ll still be a huge factor, but it’ll be more dispersed than it was last year.”

NU’s move to the Big Ten may help as well. While the Big 12 has perennial Final Four contenders like defending national champion Texas A&M and Baylor, the Big Ten has just two AP-ranked teams this preseason, No. 12 Penn State and No. 17 Purdue. The Big 12 has four.

With Moore at point and Hooper, who is working on being more efficient on offense and tougher on defense, in the frontcourt, two spots for NU seem in good shape to compete in the new conference. Burke will start at the two, providing strong leadership, defense and, hopefully, more offense than last year. Highly touted recruit Emily Cady has entrenched herself at another frontcourt spot, but the last spot remains up in the air.

After the season, Redmon and Periago graduated and Leick transferred to Kansas State, leaving behind only Hooper and seldom used center Adrianna Maurer from last year’s frontcourt.

Coach Connie Yori is toying with two ideas: playing Maurer at center in a

traditional lineup, or making Hooper a nontraditional five and starting freshman Hailie Sample at forward.

Either way, Burke expects a much more balanced team.

“We have a lot more depth this year, and that is something that is definitely going to help us,” she said.

“We’re all not going to have to play 40 minutes a game.

We have a lot of players who can knock down open shots and make plays.”

Hooper certainly has so far this year, averaging 26 points per game on 50 percent shooting in two exhibition wins. While exhibition games rarely showcase future success, the fact Hooper has had such a hot hand thus far is certainly encouraging. “(Jordan’s) an amazing scorer, a great shooter, she can put the ball in the hoop, that’s for sure,” Burke said.

“I think we’ll continue to see that, but we’ll also see other players step up and do the same.”

Some of those could come from the six freshmen NU will play this year – four a part of this year’s class, which was ranked 29th in the country by ESPN, and two redshirts from last year.

Particularly impressive have been Cady, who Moore said was the “best worker all year” in practice, and guards Tear’a Laudermill and Brandi Jeffery, a duo Burke called “the hounds” due to their tough defense.

The duo should get first crack at spelling Moore, who averaged more than 39 minutes per game in Big 12 play after Kellie

McCann-Smith transferred in the offseason.

While there are many positive things going on in the program, an area of concern regards the coaching staff. After a seemingly routine knee operation during the summer, Yori had several negative complications, resulting in a lot of time in the hospital and away from the team.

In her absence, assistant Sunny Smallwood has done what Moore called “a remarkable job” of keeping the team focused and on track during practices. When Yori got out of the hospital, where Moore and the gang visited during their coach’s long September stay, the 2009 National Coach of the Year came back to the team with aid from crutches and a scooter.

While her mobility may not be at its best, her mind and tongue are as sharp as ever, and she has regained many of her previous duties.

“Well, I wouldn’t underestimate her,” Hooper said, laughing, two weeks ago.

“She can still let you know if she isn’t happy, believe me.”

The team hopes that won’t have to happen as often this season as they plan on putting a much better product on the floor for her to see.

“Everyone has gotten a lot better from last season – scoring wise, defensively,” Moore said. “Obviously, last season wasn’t what we wanted, but it’s a new season and we’re ready.” seanwhalen@ dailynebraskan.com

»wrestling »

Husker trip highlights four duals Staff RePort daily nebraskan

The Nebraska football team won’t be the only Husker team heading out east this weekend.

The Nebraska wrestling team will begin its 2011-12 season with four duals in Pennsylvania.

The Huskers will make a stop in Lewisburg, Pa., Thursday to take on the Bison of

Bucknell before three matches on Saturday in Harrisburg.

NU coach Mark Manning is excited for the team’s newest season, its first in the Big Ten Conference. The 11-year coach has called the team’s

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Nebraska looks to build in Big Ten beginnings

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offseason the best he’s had at NU. “Our guys have done a great job starting the week after the NCAA Tournament, and working out and training through the summer,” Manning said in a release. “They’ve had a great focus this fall. Our preparation has been tremendous and we just have to keep building momentum going through the season with how we trained in the offseason.”

The Huskers lost future Husker legend and two-time national champion Jordan Burroughs to graduation, but return three national qualifiers at different weights.

Heavyweight starter Tucker Lane is one of two seniors on the Huskers’ roster in 201112. With 78 career wins, Lane has qualified for three straight NCAA championships and will offer a young roster valuable experience.

Josh Ihnen is a two-time NCAA qualifier and will be the go-to Husker at 184 pounds and junior Ridge Kiley was also an NCAA qualifier last season at the 133-pound mark.

The Huskers will take part in the second annual Wrestle for a Cure Duals. For the duals on Saturday, Nebraska has No. 24 Kent State, North Carolina and Navy.

Sports@ dailynebraskan.com

There couldn’t be a more symbolic place for the women’s basketball team to practice than the Hendricks Center.

The moment you step inside the Hendricks, you’re hit with a powerful paint aroma and nearly blinded by all of the white. Save a few black panels near the guest relations kiosk, the entire lobby area is just white walls reflecting fluorescent lights. When I was there, workers were scurrying around fixing and cleaning any number of areas.

There’s not much furniture and where one expects plasma screen televisions, there are none in the Hendricks lobby. It’s certainly not a finished product, but it’s getting there — much like this year’s Husker squad, which will also be simultaneously open for business and under construction.

Covering last year’s team was comparable to a roller coaster ride. People forget, but this team was ranked in early December and started 8-1. Afterwards, though, it went 0-3 in a tournament in Vegas, lost Dominique Kelly and, as soon as Big 12 season started, completely fell apart.

For a number of reasons, this season will be better. For one, the team will be healthier and deeper, which should increase its effectiveness toward the end of games and give it more strategic options. For another, this year should find Jordan Hooper a much more efficient player. And third, I just don’t see coach Connie Yori fielding back-to-back last-place teams.

Still, this team needs to show improvement in a hurry. In a two-week span, USC comes to town for the third game of the season and NU takes road trips to Florida State and Georgia Tech. While the conference season may be a bit less taxing (no Brittany Griner in the Big Ten) Nebraska will be tested before it gets to its Big Ten opener, a road game against league favorite Penn State.

So, what needs to happen for NU to compete? Four obvious areas of improvement come to mind.

1. Frontcourt foul trouble: this was ridiculous at times last year. It felt like hardly a

game would go by without at least one Husker player on the bench with two fouls eight minutes in. NU should be deeper in general, but there is no proven post player besides Hooper, and Adrianna Maurer is the only true center on the roster. Simply put, if Hooper or freshman Emily Cady finds her way to the bench in the first 10 minutes, the Huskers are going to have a hard time winning.

2. Win the steals battle: In 16 conference games, Nebraska recorded 66 steals. The Huskers’ opponents had 127.

Pushing this number to even will give NU many more opportunities on offense and limit the number of fast-break points given up on defense.

3. More offensive efficiency from Hooper. Hooper is an extremely valuable player, but her ability to do more with her gifts is perhaps the key to the season. While the 13.6 points she averaged in Big 12 play as a freshman sounds impressive, she did so on 31.4 percent shooting. Hooper is aware of the problem and — it should be noted — is considered the best shooter on the team. But another season where, in conference play, she has more field goal attempts (236) than points (218) spells doom for NU. 4. Travel better: While 13-18 looks awful, NU did well at home with a 11-5 overall record. Away from Lincoln, Nebraska was 2-13, with a win against Creighton in Omaha and a victory against 8-23 Washington State in Pullman.

Needless to say, one win outside the state of Nebraska won’t cut it any year, including this one.

With all of this accomplished, Nebraska could contend for a middle seed in the Big Ten Tournament. While the Big Ten may not be as top-heavy as the Big 12, it is still a tough conference and Nebraska will often be playing against teams with far more experience. With only two seniors (Kaitlyn Burke and Harleen Sidhu) this season, the Huskers are in good position for the future, and just added another highly touted player, Rachel Theriot, to their backcourt for next season.

So, while the Huskers may not be anywhere near as good as they were two years ago, they should be much improved from last season.

For now, the construction continues. sean whalen is a senior News-Editorial Major.

Reach him at SeanWhalen@ dailynebraskan.com

hooper: from 10 paint, she said.

Hooper’s game also improved overall through pickup games in Alliance against former coaches, friends and teachers, she said. The games helped the sophomore’s ability to communicate and rebound better, she said.

“It was different playing with them because they were older and we played with different people each game,” Hooper said. “It forced me to talk more.”

When Hooper joined the team for summer workouts, the communication aspect of her game went smoother, according to the sophomore.

“When I came back and played with my teammates for summer workouts, I was more comfortable talking though I still have some work to do,” Hooper said.

So far Hooper’s work in the offseason has shown on the court for the Huskers. She has scored 27 and 28 points respectively in each of Nebraska’s exhibition games.

Also, during Nebraska’s 11-day trip to Europe, Hooper averaged 23 points and ten rebounds over four games, including 33 points against the Danish national team and 21 points against the Swedish national team.

NU coach Connie Yori has also noticed the offseason

work put in by the sophomore. Hooper is a much more versatile player than she was in 2010, according to Yori.

“It is hard to guard a player that can do so many different things,” Yori said. “Hooper has become a better off-theball shooter and she is passing the ball; I think she had two assists last year and now she is distributing the ball nicely.”

Opposing coaches have also seen a difference in the sophomore’s play. University of Nebraska at Kearney coach Kevin Chaney has witnessed Hooper for two years and after an exhibition against the Huskers on Nov. 6, said that the forward is a building block for Yori and Nebraska.

“Hooper is a very athletic, disciplined player that is extremely difficult to defend because she is so smart,” Chaney said. “She knows when to go down into the post and also when to step outside and take a shot. “She will be a great player in the Big Ten.” As far as Yori is concerned, Hooper is already a fantastic player.

“Jordan is one of the best players the state of Nebraska has ever produced,” Yori said.

andrewward@ dailynebraskan.com

Daily Nebraskan

thursday, november 10, 2011

9

men’s basketball

NU reorganizing after loss of Jeter Robby Korth daily nebraskan

Lance Jeter did it all.

He led the Huskers in assists from the point guard position with 4.5 assists per game and was the Jack Moore Award winner for Most Valuable Player on the Nebraska squad as well as a member of the Third Team All-Big 12 squad.

“Lance brought a point guard mentality that no one was going to beat us,” former teammate and current Husker Brandon Richardson said.

“His presence down there especially on the offensive end with him dominating the ball.

“It’s going to be very hard to replace him.”

Jeter’s mentality helped him perform well, especially down the stretch as NU tried to qualify for postseason play. In his last five games Jeter attacked the rim and averaged 16.4 points, 5.2 assists and 6.4 rebounds. But Jeter is a player that can be replaced.

“Lance is a missed player, and he’s a good guy and we’ll miss him,” senior Caleb Walker said. “But that’s why you go out and recruit, we’re putting pieces back together and we’re right there.”

Jeter started all 55 games he was on NU’s roster, but now it’s time for a new era of Nebraska point guards, and this season the Huskers will replace Jeter with two players.

Bo Spencer and Brandon Richardson will be looking to replace Jeter.

“Hopefully Bo Spencer and myself can fill in his shoes a little bit,” Richardson said.

“Those are big shoes to fill.”

But Spencer, a transfer from Louisiana State, feels like he can do it.

The 6-foot-2 guard averaged more points than Jeter ever did at Nebraska his junior season, with 14.5 a game while giving out 2.7 assists.

However, Spencer believes that he can come into the point guard role at NU and contribute on the floor as

well as off it.

“I feel like I can come in and take (Jeter’s) leadership role he had with the team,” Spencer said.

But it won’t be easy, and Spencer still sees lots of room for improvement on his game.

“I’ve got to be more vocal and be more of a leader and make more smart plays,” Spencer said. “Try to keep the team under control and keep everyone involved. And knock down the open jumper and use my quickness to (the best of) my ability.”

Even though the freshfaced Spencer will be looking to take over Jeter’s production, he’s going to have help from Richardson.

Richardson agrees that he also needs to be a leader, but he sees the importance of getting the ball inside to NU’s big men for easy baskets.

“The posts are our bread and butter,” Richardson said.

And if the posts are getting doubled, Richardson said, it will be even more crucial for the outside players to hit shots when they’re left open.

“It all starts with me and Bo,” he said.

And the two recognize that they both need to communicate with NU coach Doc Sadler. “(Sadler) and his point guard have to have a good relationship,” Spencer said.

“He just be telling me certain little things I need to do. I go and talk to him on the side at least every free throw, or try to get a call or some kind of eye contact with him.”

And Sadler sees Spencer as a player who has potential, along with the rest of his squad. It all starts in practice and having a healthy team, and he feels his squad can make it to the NCAA tournament.

“We’ve been really close to getting that opportunity,” Sadler said. “Maybe an inch here, a half-court shot there or maybe a missed free throw from making the NCAA tournament.

Dan Hoppen

patrick breen | daily nebraskan

A transfer from LSU, Bo Spencer is hopeful he can make an immediate impact for the Huskers.

patrick breen | daily nebraskan

NU guard Brandon Richardson is looking to embrace more of a leadership role this season.

“If we (improve) each and every day the talent is there, and if we do that and everybody is healthy, we do have a chance.”

But Sadler and NU have a lot of injuries to deal with at the start of the season.

Toney McCray missed a few practices last week with a minor foot injury, along with the exhibition against Doane College, and his health is crucial to NU, Sadler said. However, McCray should return for the start of the season.

And center Andre Almeida is out indefinitely, so Christopher Niemann should pick up minutes until his return, Sadler said. Almeida’s return is also unknown, but “not

until he can get up and down the court,” Sadler said.

Injuries aren’t the only thing keeping Huskers off the court.

It’s also likely that Ray Gallegos will redshirt because of a lack of playing time, unless the Huskers guard depth thins because of injuries.

But the injuries and Gallegos absence aside, Sadler sees this squad as one that can perform well. The Huskers just need to execute and take advantage of their talent to make it to the big dance.

“We have to take that next step,” Sadler said “This team talent-wise has the best chance to do that of any team since I’ve been here.”

or nine? Right now, I don’t know that any of them are,” Sadler said. “But they get to make the decision if they want to keep competing.”

Sadler has cautioned the players that playing time might be more sparse than in recent years. NU has fielded a weak non-conference the past couple of seasons, allowing the younger players to get some time in blowouts. But Sadler doesn’t believe this year’s non-conference slate will allow for those same chances.

“This year’s going to be a little bit different than some of the other ones because you look at this schedule that we’re fixing to play and there’s not going to be a lot of opportunities except for the eight or nine guys slated

to play,” he said. “I don’t think we’re going to have any blowouts.”

One player who could redshirt is Ray Gallegos. The junior played in 25 games last season and averaged 2.5 points, but has wanted to redshirt for two seasons now.

The 6-foot-2, 176 pound Gallegos wants a year to bulk up and work on his ball handling.

“For two years going into this part of the season he’s been in the top eight,” Sadler said. “I told him when we recruited him, if he wanted to redshirt he could. It’s they’re one and only chance, and they need to do what they think they need to, to be successful.”

robbykorth@ dailynebraskan.com

mccray: from 10 showcase his offensive skills.

“Toney’s a guy that could be a terrific defender,” Sadler said. “He’s long and he can cause problems. Toney’s probably one of our best perimeter shooters. If he’s healthy, he’s a guy that can add some points for you, no question.”

McCray spent the summer healing, preparing for what he hopes will be a relatively injury-free senior season. Once able, the senior worked hard on his pull-up jumpers and shot fakes, exploring new moves to free up open looks.

His personal goal for this season? Doesn’t have one.

But there is a general goal on this Huskers team, and that’s to make the NCAA tournament. NU has never

won a tournament game and hasn’t made an appearance since 1998.

“That’s our No. 1 goal,” McCray said. “Everything we do in practice each and every day is to get ready and prepare for a good postseason.

There isn’t another goal.”

Note: As of now, Sadler doesn’t have plans to redshirt any of his freshmen players. He has made a habit of sitting down with each freshman and talking to them about their chances at playing time and lets them have most of the say in the decision whether to play or not.

Josiah Moore, David Rivers and Corey Hilliard are all freshmen eligible to redshirt this season.

“Are they in the top eight

BigTen offers fresh start for uneven team

danhoppen@ dailynebraskan.com

Going into each Nebraska basketball season, there are basically two assurances.

At times, the Huskers will make you so excited you can barely contain yourself.

At others, you will wonder what ever possessed you to invest emotionally in them.

During the Doc Sadler era, the Huskers have basically been a lock to have at least one courtcharge-inducing victory over a superior opponent, one that makes the water cooler discussions center around their NCAA Tournament chances.

But then they will come out and lose games against teams they have no business losing to, deflating the fan base and keeping the Devaney Center from being jam-packed every night.

Take last year’s example. The Huskers fended off a furious rally by No. 3 Texas to improve its record to 18-8 with a 6-6 mark in a strong Big 12 Conference. Each of its four remaining games (Kansas State, at Iowa State, Missouri and Colorado) seemed quite winnable, and ESPN experts declared if NU could win three of those games and maybe one in the Big 12 Tournament, they would be dancing in March.

The Huskers dropped three of those four and quietly bowed out in the first round of the conference tournament.

Goodbye, NCAA. Hello, NIT. The Huskers have something going under Sadler. The moments of brilliance draw casual fans in like flies drawn to a bug zapper.

But then they get fried.

The Big Ten offers a chance for a fresh start.

The Big 12 was never a good match for the defensive-minded Sadler.

The Big Ten is filled with teams who walk the ball up the court and consistently run the shot clock under five seconds. Defense, not offense, is king (see Penn State’s 36-33 win over Wisconsin last year).

But just like in football, NU’s Big Ten foes aren’t going to welcome the Huskers with open arms.

They’re going to want to show NU whose turf this is.

If the Huskers are going to be able to fight back effectively, they’ll have to answer these three questions.

1. Can they score?

No, they won’t have to outgun any teams like they had to do at times in the Big 12. But Big Ten teams typically play better defense, and offense isn’t NU’s forte. The Huskers averaged just more than 63 points in conference and postseason play, including 52.7 in their final three games, all losses.

2. How do they replace Lance Jeter?

Compounding the issue posed in the last question, Jeter, last year’s leading in scoring and assists, graduated. Jeter was the indispensable piece to the Husker offense, rarely coming off the floor. His leadership and penchant for clutch plays make him a very tough loss.

In steps Bo Spencer, a transfer from LSU who averaged 14.5 points in his final season as a Tiger. If Spencer can provide some scoring punch, it will significantly lessen the blow that comes with losing Jeter.

3. Can Jorge Brian Diaz take the next step?

At 6-foot-11 and 244 pounds, Diaz will never be mistaken for Shaquille O’Neal. But his moves inside are good enough to call to mind some great post players. Diaz is comfortable shooting his silky hook shot with either hand and has the range to step out and hit the midrange jumper.

But his lack of bulk costs him on the other end of the floor, where he is sometimes bullied by bigger players and struggles on the boards.

Despite being second on the team in minutes played, Diaz only mustered 4.4 rebounds per game.

With the health issues of fellow bigs Andre Almeida and Christopher Niemann, Diaz will have to shoulder more of the load on both ends of the floor.

Of course, there are many more issues facing a team still searching for the first NCAA tournament win in school history. But if the Huskers are able to combine Sadler’s brand of defense with a little scoring punch, don’t be surprised if NU is in a similar position as it was after the Texas game last year.

The Huskers just have to figure those last four games out.

Dan Hoppen is a Senior News-Editorial Major.

Reach him at danhoppen@ dailynebraskan.com

PRACTICE NOTES FOOTBALL Huskers want to keep focus on game The situation at Penn State has much of the nation’s attention now, but the Husker coaching staff is doing its best to keep its players’ thoughts on the field.

“We’re just concentrating on football,” running backs coach Ron Brown said. “There’s always something going on in life. If your scope is small enough, you’ll have great focus. This game and what we’re going to do in three hours of this football game is our focus right now. That should be

an easy assignment.”

Brown, like Penn State coach Joe Paterno, is an alum of Brown University. But even one of the Huskers’ more outspoken coaches didn’t want to broach the topic of the allegations surrounding the Nittany Lion program.

“I really don’t have a whole lot to comment about it right now,” Brown said. “I hear what you guys hear. I’m just going to let it unfold. I’ve been thinking about the game, to be honest to you.”

Husker offensive line knows psu won’t take it easy Midway through the third quarter with the Husker offense stuck in first gear, the coaching staff decided to make a change on the left side of the line. Jeremiah Sirles and Seung Hoon Choi replaced Yoshi Hardrick and Andrew Rodriguez at tackle and guard, respectively.

Hardrick revealed after the game that he was playing hurt and probably should’ve informed the coaching staff that he wasn’t 100 percent.

Offensive line coach Barney Cotton didn’t want to discuss Hardrick’s situation,

but did comment on the thinking that went behind the move.

“We weren’t very productive that first half,” he said. “In the second half, we had to dig from behind in a hole, so we went with a change. Those two guys went in and played well for us.”

Cotton said this has been both a week of competition and getting players healthy, not dropping any hints on who would be in the starting lineup in Happy Valley.

Whoever starts will have to play well if the Husker running game is going to be more successful than it was

last week.

The Nittany Lions are third in the Big Ten in rushing defense and allow just 3.1 yards per carry. The defensive line has also been able to generate a strong pass rush. That pressure has had a hand in Penn State’s pass defense, which has allowed just six touchdowns compared to 14 interceptions.

“They’re an awful lot like what you see with Michigan State and Ohio State,” Cotton said. “They’re physical, athletic guys and we’ve got to be very physical up front to block those guys.”

David earns recognition down the home stretch Linebacker Lavonte David was named a Lott Trophy semifinalist Wednesday.

The Lott Trophy is presented annually to college football’s impact defensive player of the year. David is one of eight semifinalists, five of which are linebackers.

Ohio State’s John Simon was the only other Big Ten player on the list.

David has 88 tackles this season, including seven for loss.

He also has two interceptions, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

-Compiled by dan hoppen

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TIME (CT) 7 p.m.

9:30 p.m.

1 p.m.

8p.m.

1 p.m.

8:15 p.m.

4:05 p.m.

7 p.m.

7 p.m.

7 p.m.

7 p.m.

MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE OPPONENT South Dakota USC Rhode Island Oregon South Dakota State Wake Forest Creighton Florida Gulf Coast TCU Alcorn State Central Michigan

for more men’s basketball see page 9

nu men’s basketball coach

Doc Sadler

Maybe an inch here or a half-court shot there or maybe a missed free throw from making the NCAATournament.”

Home games in bold.

BIG TEN CONFERENCE OPPONENT PLAY TIME (CT) 12/27 Wisconsin 8 p.m.

12/31 Michigan State 2 p.m.

1/3 Ohio State 5:30 p.m.

1/7 Illinois Noon 1/11 Penn State 7:30 p.m.

1/15 Wisconsin 5 p.m.

1/18 Indiana 6 p.m.

1/21 Ohio State 7 p.m.

1/26 Iowa 6 p.m.

2/2 Northwestern 6 p.m.

2/5 Minnesota Noon 2/8 Michigan 7:30 p.m.

2/11 Penn State Noon 2/18 Illinois 4 p.m.

2/22 Perdue 5:30 p.m.

2/25 Michigan State 7 p.m.

2/29 Iowa 8 p.m.

3/3 Minnesota 11:30 a.m.

3/8 - 3/11 Big Ten Tournament (Indianapolis)

DATE 11/11 11/14 11/20 11/23 11/26 11/30 12/4 12/7 12/10 12/17 12/20

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

DATE OPPONENT TIME (CT) 11/12 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 3:05 p.m.

11/15 Mississippi Valley St. 7:05 p.m.

11/18 USC 7:05 p.m.

11/21 Savannah State 7:05 p.m.

11/25 Florida A&M 2 p.m.

11/27 Florida State 1 p.m.

11/30 Georgia Tech 6 p.m.

12/4 Texas-Pan American 2:05 p.m.

12/8 Creighton 7:05 p.m.

12/10 Northern Arizona 3:30 p.m.

12/18 Vermont 2:05 p.m.

12/21 South Dakota St. 7:05 p.m.

BIG TEN CONFERENCE OPPONENT PLAY TIME (CT) 12/30 Penn State 6 p.m.

1/5 Indiana 7:05 p.m.

1/8 Iowa 3 p.m.

1/12 Wisconsin 6 p.m.

1/15 Penn State 2:05 p.m.

1/19 Ohio State 5 p.m.

1/22 Minnesota 5 p.m.

1/26 Iowa 7:05 p.m.

1/29 Illinois Noon 2/2 Purdue 7 p.m.

2/9 Michigan 7:05 p.m.

2/13 Minnesota 6:30 p.m.

2/16 Northwestern 7:05 p.m.

2/19 Wisconsin 1 p.m.

2/23 Michigan State 5 or 7 p.m.

2/26 Ohio State 11 a.m. or 1 p.m.

3/1 - 3/4 Big Ten Tournament (Indianapolis)

Home games in bold.

There’s a really good chance we can get closer to the team we were two years ago.”

nu junior guard

Lindsey Moore

for more women’s basketball see page 8

Jordan Hooper loves to score. She has done plenty of it throughout her basketball career.

All four years at Alliance High School, Hooper averaged no lower than 16 points and 10 rebounds a game, including 26.1 points and 15.2 rebounds her senior year in 2010. She finished her high school career fifth all-time on the Nebraska scoring list with 2,078 and second all-time in rebounds at 1,337.

As a freshman at Nebraska, the forward led the team in scoring at 14.6 points a game and was second on the team with 6.6 rebounds a game earning Big 12 AllFreshman honors. Hooper will be relied on once again this season to carry the offensive load, but this is something that does not faze her, she said.

“I like to score,” Hooper said. “I like having that responsibility to score; it’s just like high school and I feel no pressure from it.”

Despite all of the scoring for the former two-time Gatorade Nebraska Player of the Year (2008, 2010), Hooper worked to expand her game in the offseason. The sophomore woke up early at home during her time off and improved her offense for hours.

Hooper said the focus of the workouts

hooper: see page 8

was adding more elements to her scoring attack besides shooting. She shot 36.4 percent from behind the arc in 2010, the second best percentage by a Nebraska freshman. However, teams began to focus on Hooper’s jumper as a freshman, according to Hooper.

“All I could do was shoot,” Hooper said.

“Other teams did a great job scouting me and they guarded me well.”

Hooper has now developed the dribble-drive into her offense as well as a post game.

Though she prefers to play on the perimeter because she is smaller than most post players, Hooper is getting more comfortable in the

story by andrew ward | photo by andrew dickinson

Summer work leaves Hooper more versatile

2011-12 Nebraska basketball preview McCray wants better health, defense now s t o r y b y d a n h o p p e n | p h o t o b y pat r i c k b r e e n His Husker teammates didn’t believe Toney McCray’s toe could have hurt that badly. Missing a week of practice for a bad toenail? Really?

But then he showed it to them. No one questioned it further.

McCray had the toenail removed last week but missed the Monday’s exhibition against Doane, just another setback in a list of physical ailments that have kept McCray from the court.

“Toney’s biggest issue since he’s been here is his injuries,” coach Doc Sadler said. “He’s not able to put a consistent amount of time day in and day out on the practice court. He’s just got to get healthy.

Now, he’s missed a week’s worth of practice. It’s hard to get caught up.”

McCray has always had the talent to be a scorer for the Huskers. His body just hasn’t cooperated. He missed nearly his entire sophomore season after he had surgery

on his left elbow. He played all last year, but had surgery on both feet in the offseason and missed 10 weeks this summer while recovering.

But McCray doesn’t think this latest setback will sideline him for long. He was dressed to practice Wednesday, though Sadler said he was still unsure of his playing status.

McCray’s presence is pivotal for a Husker team that isn’t long on experienced scorers. NU’s top returning scorer is Jorge Brian Diaz, who averaged 10.5 points per game last year.

While some scoring punch could come from newcomers Bo Spencer and Dylan Talley, some of the offensive responsibility will be passed on to McCray, who averaged 8.7 points last season but bumped that average up to 11.5 in Big 12 play.

“I think I’ve always been able to score,” McCray said. “But there are a lot of things I need to focus on more other than scoring, because we’ve got a lot of guys on the team that can do that.”

The main culprit that’s kept McCray from more playing time? He says it’s his defense, which has been his struggle.

“My technique was bad when I got here,” he said. “I don’t think it’s been anything effort or abilitywise. I think it’s technique and staying focused on my defensive assignment.”

Sadler is a coach who preaches defense first and foremost, sometimes running practice for more than an hour before a shot is taken. He thinks the 6-foot-6 senior has a great chance to become an effective defensive player. The better defense he plays, the more floor time he’ll get to

mccray: see page 9