ASUN joins Big Ten, plans to renovate campus rec centers

Nebraska athletics may be gearing up for its last year in the Big 12 Conference, but the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's student government already went Big Ten.

Nebraska was added to the Association of Big Ten Students' bylaws at its summer conference.

The Association of Students of the University of Nebraska's outlook for this school year includes a student vote on renovations for the recreation centers, student tailgates and a meeting of all registered student organizations, in addition to involvement with other Big Ten schools.

"We were welcomed with open arms," said ASUN President Justin Solomon, a senior family sciences major.

Solomon said political tensions with Big 12 schools were a factor in the early switch.

"There were strongly worded e-mails from the Baylor administration. … Iowa senators said they would sue the university and threatened all of these legal actions," Solomon said. "Unfortunately, those were the terms laid out for us."

ASUN was slated to coordinate the next Big 12 on the Hill, a congressional lobbying effort of Big 12 student governments in Washington, D.C. Finding a common agenda might have been difficult with the political conflicts present, Solomon said.

Instead, the University of Kansas will organize Big 12 efforts, and Nebraska will coordinate the first-ever Big Ten on the Hill this spring.

This fall, ASUN will introduce a student vote on renovating the City and East Campus Recreation Centers. The East Campus Recreation Center would be demolished and a new facility built in its place. City Campus would gain an additional recreation building.

"I'm absolutely embarrassed that that's what we expect students to call their rec center on East Campus," Solomon said.

The East Campus Activities Building, which was built in 1926, has had problems with plumbing, asbestos, mold, wheelchair access and its foundation.

On City Campus, the Campus Recreation Center's outdoor adventure area, including the rock-climbing wall, would be moved to a new building in what is now a parking lot behind Mabel Lee Hall. Stan Campbell, director of Campus Recreation, said the new building would be about 12,000 square feet but could be larger if the crew boathouse moved there as well, increasing the whole building's size to between 17,000 and 20,000 square feet.

The building could potentially expand to 60,000 square feet to meet future demand, Solomon said.

Another goal for fall is to fulfill an ASUN administration campaign promise by creating a council of all registered student organizations, said Jamie Dick, ASUN external vice president and a senior business administration major.

The aim of the Student Organizations Representative Council is for groups to bounce ideas off each other and to start projects together, Solomon said.

It's also a way for ASUN to learn more about the needs of the estimated 30 percent of students who are involved in RSOs, said Matthew Boring, ASUN communications committee chairman and a senior music major. ASUN plans for two pilot meetings of SORC, potentially in October and November.

Other ASUN events this fall include a Constitution Day celebration, a debate between Nebraska Legislature candidates and student tailgates.

The Constitution Day observance on Sept. 17 at the College of Law will feature the opportunity to sit in on a constitutional law class and a presentation by an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer on its lawsuit against the city of Fremont for its immigration law.

Chad Wright and Danielle Conrad, opposing candidates to represent North Lincoln in the Nebraska Legislature, accepted invitations to an on-campus debate in October.

ASUN has not pinned down a location for student tailgates, but the events are scheduled before football games against the University of Idaho on Sept. 11, the University of Texas on Oct. 16 and the University of Missouri on Oct. 30.

rachelalbin@dailynebraskan.com