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creating a stronger soybean
friday, september 6, 2013 volume 113, issue 010
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Student athletes enjoy relaxed Internet policy page. Jameson said every time he checks his Facebook, he has Facebook, Twitter nearly 25 Facebook friend requests, but he tries not to add fans use not monitored so he can keep his Facebook more closely by Nebraska private. Even so, his Facebook boasts more than 1,000 Athletic Department profile friends. “I’m usually pretty levelheaded about what I put on (Facebook),” he said. “Most of paige Osborne my friends, we’re pretty old, so DN we see a lot of the young guys that’ll post something and we’re When senior mechanical engineering and mathematics major like, ‘Whoa,’ but for the most part Seth Jameson came to the Univer- people know what to put pretty sity of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2008 well.” Jameson added that the footas a redshirt safety, he didn’t have to fill out any forms regarding the ball team isn’t allowed to post content of his personal Facebook anything football related, but he account. UNL’s policy for student said players do get in trouble evathletes on social media covers ery so often for what they post on just a page in the student athlete social media. “Usually it’ll get taken away code of conduct handbook. for a little while — I want to “They just told us to be caresay that we had Twitter for four ful,” said Jason Ankrah, a senior defensive end for the football weeks last season before it got team who has 695 Facebook taken away,” he said with a laugh. But a few athletes agreed that friends and nearly 5,000 Twitter the policy was important. followers. “I’ve tweeted things or postToday, more college athletic departments are cracking down ed things to social media sites, and using it as a disadvantage on what athletes and coaches post to the brand, you as an athlete in on social media sites. Fellow Big the NCAA or to you as a HuskTen conference team Ohio State shelled out $360,500 to have Chi- er could be detrimental to our cago sports relationship manage- sport,” junior gymnast Desiré Stement firm JumpForward monitor phens said. “Just because being a what student athletes and coach- Husker to me means a lot more than just being a college athlete.” es post to social media. But the Jameson agreed that limiting University of Nebraska Athletic social media “protects the team,” Department but he said he hasn’t adopted wouldn’t want the It’s kind of any social meuniversity to take dia contract like how it any further. for its student “The Univerathletes. your mom is on sity of Nebraska “We don’t Athletics Departhave any one Facebook. She’s ment Compliance person moni- not monitoring Office does not toring athletes’ require studentsocial media; everything you athletes to ‘friend’ we just go over do. But she does a Compliance trends of what Facebook account we’re seeing notice if you post or ‘follow’ the with coaches, something.” Compliance Twitand some tips ter account,” an ofon what’s goKelly Mosier fice representative ing on,” said digital communications wrote in a stateKelly Mosier, director ment. “Our office director of digdoes not require ital communistudent-athletes cations for the Athletic Department. “It’s kind of like how your to permit our Twitter account to mom is on Facebook with you. ‘follow’ their Twitter account. We do encourage student-athletes She’s not monitoring everything you do. But she does notice if you to ‘follow’ our Twitter account in order to receive institutional post something.” updates and NCAA rules educaOhio State University’s Senior Director of Media Relations tion.” Mosier said he doubts that Gary Lewis said the hire wasn’t in response to any incident at Ohio the university would go to the State but that it was a proactive extent of Ohio State. Instead, the department focuses on having step. “Having that third party who student athletes become better specializes in this type of service prepared for after college by havprovides that immediate over- ing athletes understand the ramifications of social media through sight,” Lewis said. “Any time you’re looking at the number of education. “We encourage our coaches student athletes, providing that and staff to engage with their insight is a benefit for all.” teams on social media,” Mosier Some student athletes boast high Twitter followers or Face- said. “Again, we focus on edubook page likes. Senior quar- cation of positive social media terback Taylor Martinez has usage as away to promote stualmost 26,000 Twitter followers dent-athletes’ personal brands.” news@ and 38,000 likes on his Facebook dailynebraskan.com
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Agronomy and horticulture professor George Graef stands in the East Campus soybean field Thursday. Graef is part of a non-exclusive research agreement between Bayer CropScience to create weather- and insect-resistant soybean varieties.
Unl, bayer cropscience to research weather, insect resistant kinds story by melissa allen photos by andrew dickinson Graef uses his hands frequently as he walks around different rows of soybeans to check on the varying breeds in the East Campus soybean field Thursday.
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he University of Nebraska-Lincoln is once again collaborating with Bayer CropScience to create stronger crop varieties. Bayer CropScience is one of the world’s leading crop science companies in crop protection and seed technology. This year, a non-exclusive agreement between UNL and Bayer will help George Graef, professor of agronomy and horticulture, create new soybean varieties that are weather and insect resistant. UNL has an ongoing soybean breeding program supported by the university and the Nebraska Soybean Board. This agreement allows Bayer to have non-exclusive access to the soybean genetics developed for use in its soybean research efforts. The United States is the largest producer of soybeans in the world, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, and soybeans are Nebraska’s second most abundant crop after corn. “Our goal with the Nebraska Soybean Board funded programs is to understand factors that limit soybean production potential and to develop a new soybean with desirable characteristics that allow producers to be
more profitable,” Graef said. Soybeans are an important source of a high-quality vegetable protein, which is a main ingredient for livestock feed, tofu and vegetable oil. “Right now, with Bayer CropScience, we have one of the leading programs in researching ways to better the crop,” said Ronnie Green, vice chancellor for the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. “Bayer CropScience has continued to be interested in our research and our work with the university. This research will benefit our state directly by commercializing those new, stronger strains of soybean to producers right here in Nebraska.” The research will create soybean varieties resistant to Nebraska’s heat, insects and drought. “Resources, including land and water, are becoming more scarce,” Graef said. “So it is important that we continue to improve strength and quality of the crop.” This research will also help to develop and practice good management and conservation of soil and water resources and consider all aspects of
soybeans: see page 3
Students express parking woes cent. Resident surface and garage permit sales have both increased UNL says that with 8 percent, according to Carpenter. But he said there’s adequate parka 20 percent vacancy ing available for students and staff rate, there are plenty on campus. “The University of Nebraskaof spaces on campus Lincoln has the parking capacity to accommodate current parking demand,” Carpenter said. As of Aug. 30, the university cristina woodworth sold 13,069 permits to students, dn faculty and staff to park in its four garages, 10 commuter lots, three Charlie Hinds drives in circles a resident-only lots, various faculty lot. lots and six perimeter lots — last Usually, it’s because the senior year, that made up 15,976 spots, biological systems engineering mabut campus has lost at least 145 jor is searching for an elusive park- because of construction. Carpenter ing spot in one of the University said there continues to be a nearly of Nebraska-Lincoln’s city campus 20 percent vacancy rate within the lots. university’s parking garages and “The parking situperimeter lots, sevation on campus is in eral of which are (UNL) has bad shape,” Hinds about a mile away said. “I have to show the parking from the center of up to classes about a campus. half hour early and capacity to General comthere are usually al- accommodate muter parking ready people circling permits sold out the lots looking for current parking.” just before the start spots.” of the school year, Dan Carpenter Several UNL stuwhich Carpenter director of parking and dents said they share said isn’t out of transit services similar feelings. Dan the ordinary. CarCarpenter, director of penter said there parking and transit is still plenty of parking available services, said sales of commuter in the 14th and Avery and 19th and surface lot permits declined about Vine garages for commuter stu3 percent this year compared with dents. last year while commuter garage On a recent weekday afternoon, permit sales have increased 4 perseveral cars with student commut-
PERIMETER PARKING (P) FACULTY/STAFF PARKING (A) RESIDENT STUDENT PARKING (R) COMMUTER STUDENT PARKING (C) VISITOR/METERED PARKING RESERVED FACULTY/ STAFF PARKING (F#) GARAGE PARKING Harper/ Schramm/ Smith
Osborne Athletic Complex
Selleck Quad CBA
The importance of female representation in the media
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Working out the kinks Football team prepares for Southern Mississippi
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Knoll
gabriel sanchez | dn er passes could be seen searching for parking spots in the already crammed lot next to Knoll and University Suites. Other commuter surface lots looked similar, with
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nearly every spot occupied. Housing contracts increased to 6,400 this year — about 400 more than last
parking: see page 3