Carl Matthews is using his previous renovation experience and his design expertise in the project. Here, he's pictured in his living room/bedroom/dining room.

Design Prof Tranforms Store to Stage for Life

By Scott Franzen, Public Relations Intern

As it morphs from a butcher shop to a private residence, the brick building at Second and F streets is an engaging work in progress. Following the concept of creating a stage set for the continual plays of life, homeowner Carl Matthews views the house as his "own personal theater of life."

Cast as the production designer and actor-in-residence, the associate professor of interior design combines his construction skills and his design talent to renovate a long-time South Bottoms neighborhood grocery store into a personal residence.

The H.J. Amen grocery building was rebuilt in 1918 after the original store, built in 1890s, burned. The date 1902 carved on the front façade indicates the year the Amen grocery business was founded. The one-story, rectangular building was part of the retail district in the 200-500 blocks of F Street. An influential businessman in the neighborhood, H.J. Amen was more than a grocer ­ he helped many German-Russian immigrants establish themselves in the South Bottoms neighborhood.

Doug Kiser, a fourth-year interior design student, is helping Matthews with the renovation. Kiser is creating a three-bedroom apartment in the wood-frame building connected to Matthews' residence. After Matthews acquired the building in June, the pair spent a month on design plans and construction documents to submit to the Lincoln Planning Department for review and approval. While their plans are under final review with the Planning Department, Matthews and Kiser are involved in the pre-design and construction of walls and windows so when structural changes are approved, it will not take long before the changes are in place.

The building review and zoning process has dealt a couple of surprises along the way. When the area was originally zoned, the store was placed under the 2-family residence zoning, but it was given a non-conforming usage waiver so it could continue operating as a store. The building review will remove its waiver so it will correctly reflect its 2-family residence status. Once the waiver is removed and structural changes take place, the site will permanently lose its ability to revert to its commercial use.

Neighbors welcomed Matthews' new occupancy of the building. They wanted to see the place given a new life after sitting empty and serving as a target for vandalism for so long. Until recently, the west side of the building has been covered with graffiti as far as the arm and spray paint could reach. In the last week of August, boys in the Lincoln Action Program gave the west side a fresh coat of brick red paint to match the north brick façade.

"I hope that the new paint will deter any further acts of graffiti," Matthews said.

Coaxing new life into used hardware and buildings involves a lot of hard work, unexpected problems and expenses. Eight saw blades, and the saw itself, were ruined as Matthews cut several layers of wood flooring to reach the floor joists; his goal was to set upward-facing stage lights into the floor. There have been many trips to the store to purchase new equipment to complete the projects.

Along with the unexpected purchases are the budget restraints of doing a project with limited personal finances.

"I'm accustomed to making decisions very quickly when I'm doing client work, but it is a lot different when it's your own money," Matthews said.

With strict budget limitations, he has had to decide which ideas are worth the money. Many proposed design plans have been cut or adapted to keep within the budget for the project.

His primary motive is to re-use as much of the existing material as possible. The kitchen bears a strong connection to the historic use of the building. It features a deeply grooved chopping block set in the middle, along with a black iron lard pot in the corner, both original building fixtures that contrast with the clean white finishes of modern-day appliances.

He has adapted some other building fixtures as well, such as lopping off the legs of an steel table to create a credenza.

"A large part of the project is recycling actual materials and working with dimensions already in place," Matthews said. "Being in the space and creating the design is really different than starting with just an open floor plan and generic dimensions."

Most of his professional experiences have involved work in commercial spaces, which are mostly created with steel-frame construction. He has had to learn wood-frame construction and residential codes that go along with building and renovating spaces for residential use, he said.

He gained a lot of this knowledge from his previous renovation experience. In 1994, a year after he began teaching at the university, Matthews began renovating an Arts and Crafts-style house across from Cooper Park, at Seventh and D streets. The project continued till 1999 and his discovery of the grocery store. The house project fueled his passion for renovation and it has led him to believe it's not the finished product he's after, but the continuing process of change, whether it is construction or deconstruction.

One of the most challenging aspects of the current project has been finding the rhythm of work. He set out with a vision for the former commercial space and was consumed with working hard to make the vision happen quickly. But he has found out that it is a long and slow process and this has lead to physical and emotional exhaustion. The challenge has been to keep his original vision intact, but to also enjoy the process that captures the essence of the project, he said.

"I feel its important not to get married to your residence, though. So many people purchase a residence or space that consumes a majority of their time and resources that they don't have the time or money to travel or do other things, I don't believe in that," he said. And he is keeping his word: saws, drills and paintbrushes will be put aside in January, when he takes a group of fourth- and fifth-year architecture students to study in London for the spring semester.

He has incorporated his renovation experiences into his Interior Design Materials class for third-year interior design students. With interests in recycling, re-use and waste of materials in the construction industry, he has gained greater understanding of how turn-of-the-century buildings were constructed and how some of the materials can be used a century later for similar or different uses. He has also talked about his experiences with plaster-wall construction and their use in an existing space or a space undergoing renovation.

The renovation has taught Matthews the importance of being involved in the building process firsthand. This leads to a more in-depth knowledge of the comprehensive process of concept-to-design to construction. He also said that the knowledge of the construction process is essential for good design.

There is no final date for the completion of the project. The "shell" of the building will be completed within two to three years, but the interior will be in a state of constant evolution, Matthews said.

He's not looking to pack moving boxes again; moving 10 times in 10 years when he was living in Chicago and New York City has extinguished any desire to relocate again. He does look forward, however, to being part of the metamorphosis that surrounds him each day.

The former grocery in the South Russian Bottoms is being transformed into a residence.
Student Doug Kiser is assisting Matthews in renovating the building.
A work in progress shows some walls in rough shape and a view into the kitchen.
Lincoln Action Program teens painted over graffiti last summer in an attempt to stem vandalism at the site.

Pratt Nationally Recognized for Support of Academic Freedom

By Tom Hancock, College of Arts & Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences Interim Dean Linda Pratt continues to be a leading national figure in the struggle to maintain academic freedom.

Evidence to that fact was Pratt's recent invitation to the 10th anniversary of the University of Michigan Senate's "Davis, Markert, Nickerson Symposium on Academic and Intellectual Freedom." She also received an Emory University Distinguished Alumni Award in September.

The Michigan symposium is named after three faculty members who were punished by the University of Michigan in 1955 during the McCarthy era. The university suspended and then terminated Professors H. Chandler Davis and Mark Nickerson, the latter a tenured faculty member, and suspended, then reinstated, Professor Clement Markert, for their refusal to give testimony to a visiting group from the U.S. House Committee on Un-American Activities. Davis was sent to federal prison for contempt of Congress.

Each of these academics went on to distinguished careers. Davis is a pre-eminent mathematician who served as vice president of the American Mathematical Society from 1991 to 1994. Markert was a professor at Johns Hopkins University and chair of the Department of Biology at Yale University. Nickerson was arguably the most eminent pharmacologist of the 20th century. Davis is still alive; Markert died on Oct. 1, 1999, Nickerson on March 12, 1998.

When Pratt lectured at Michigan in 1995 she met all three of the professors. "They were fascinating," Pratt said. "It is inspiring to see what all these people were able to do after such a setback in the early years of their careers."

The American Association of University Professors , of which Pratt later would be president from 1992-1994, censured the university in 1957. "The university punished them for not testifying before the House Un-American Activities Committee," Pratt said. "But the judgment of history has been harsh on those who did 'name names.' These three lived to see themselves vindicated and honored by the very institution that had punished them."

The University of Michigan Senate in November 1990 sought to redress the wrongs done by adopting a resolution formally regretting the failure to protect the values of academic freedom in the case of the disciplined professors. As part of the resolution, the symposium on academic freedom was set up to provide a reminder of the value and vulnerability of "the rights of free inquiry, free expression and free dissent that are necessary for the life of the university."

Each year the University of Michigan invites a major figure in academia to give a lecture to the campus. Pratt was invited to give the 1995 lecture. She had just finished serving her two-year term as national president of the AAUP.

On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the symposium program, the University of Michigan held a special conference on Oct. 7 by inviting back all the previous lecturers. Speakers at the conference included Nadine Strossen, president of the American Civil Liberties Union, Lee Bollinger, president of the University of Michigan, Roger Wilkins of National Public Radio and Television, and Anthony Lewis, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for the New York Times.

As part of the 10th anniversary celebration, the book Unfettered Expression, Freedom in American Intellectual Life was published, containing the first 10 lectures.

Pratt's 1995 lecture, "Academic Freedom and the Merits of Uncertainty" draws the conclusion that in the contemporary academic setting, discourse doesn't rely on certainty-in fact intellectual freedom must prevail to make room for alternative truth and "the shattering question."

This approach is at odds with the dominant American culture, which seeks intellectual certainties that serve to stabilize the future for its culture and itself. Academic freedom is all the more important in a culture seeking after certainty because it allows for "the space in which to be uncertain," she said.

Pratt has been a UNL faculty member since 1968; she was named chair of the English Department in 1995. Pratt has served as interim dean in the College of Arts and Sciences since spring 2000, when Dean Brian Foster left to become provost/vice president for academic affairs at the University of New Mexico.

Pratt's specialties are in Victorian and Modern poetry and higher education. She has recently published a new book "Matthew Arnold Revised." In addition to her role at the AAUP she was elected to the Executive Committee of the Association of Departments of English in December 1999. Her other awards include the James A. Lake Academic Freedom Award from the UNL Academic Senate in 1994 for contributions to academic freedom.

Pratt was also chair of the Gender Equity Task force for the University of Nebraska system in 1996. This group, appointed by President Dennis Smith, studied the status of gender equity at NU. Many of the report's recommendations have been adopted as policy guidelines by the university.

After her role as interim dean is fulfilled on Feb. 1, 2001, when Richard Hoffmann takes over as college dean, Pratt will return to chair of and professor in the Department of English, where she will resume her scholarly activities and work with students.

"I've always loved graduate education. I'm looking forward to again being involved with work in my discipline," she said.

Combined Campaign Kicks Off Oct. 26

By Judy Nelson, Special to the Scarlet

The University of Nebraska United Way/CHAD/Community Services Combined Campaign kicks off Oct. 26 with the theme "feel good about giving."

Volunteers throughout the UNL campus and NU offices in Lincoln will distribute packets containing campaign information and pledge cards to all employees.

"We conduct a combined campaign that provides us all with a 'one-stop-shop' opportunity to contribute to a number of worthy organizations whose work makes our Lincoln/Lancaster County community a more humane place," said Darrell Nelson, dean of the Agricultural Research Division and chairman of this year's NU Combined Campaign. The NU Combined Campaign raises money for 39 United Way-supported agencies in Lincoln and Lancaster County; the Combined Health Agencies Drive (CHAD), a federation of 16 nationally based health service and education agencies; and the Community Service Fund, a coalition of 20 nonprofit organizations.

"Members of the university community have a reason to feel good about giving," Nelson said.

Fund drive participants can earmark their contributions for specific agencies, or they can choose to have their contributions distributed among all the programs covered by the combined campaign. They can make a one-time contribution, or contribute throughout the year through payroll deduction or quarterly or semi-annual direct billing.

Contributions are confidential, Nelson said. Each person contributing returns the sealed envelope to the volunteer who provided them with a packet, and those sealed envelopes aren't opened until they arrive at the combined campaign office, where they're recorded.

"Last year at the university we had our best combined campaign ever," Nelson said. "Our $260,180 was the most we've contributed in one year since we began a combined campaign in 1993. We'd like to increase that by 9.5 percent this year, to better help our community meet its needs."

Nelson said the average gift per employee last year was $110 per person, but he emphasized that all contributions are welcome.

An NU Combined Campaign Cabinet represents the various departments and offices of university personnel in Lincoln, and works with Nelson to coordinate volunteers and provide advice on the campaign. The NU Combined Campaign ends Nov. 20, providing university employees a month to contribute, and feel good about giving.

From left: Douglass Scott, Kimberly Erusha, Debra Powell, Brian Halla and Barbara Nagle.

Master's Week Alumni on Campus Nov. 1­4

By Michelle Oliver, Public Relations Intern

Graduates of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln can definitely go places.

And that is what NU's Master's Week recognizes.

Master's Week, scheduled this year for Nov. 1-4, is an annual event that honors successful NU graduates. In the spring semester, faculty nominate alumni for the upcoming school year's Master's Week. Masters are selected by a committee appointed by the chancellor.

The five NU graduates speak to classes, clubs and organizations and tour campus during their visit in the fall.

The NU 2000 Master's are Kimberly Erusha, Brian Halla, Barbara Nagle, Debra Powell and Douglass Scott.

Erusha is the director of education for the United States Golf Association's Green Section in Far Hills, N.J. She coordinates and oversees the Green Section's educational programs regarding results of the USGA's turfgrass, the Green Section's environmental research programs and other environmental activities. She is the associate editor of the Green Section Record, a bi-monthly magazine dealing with turfgrass science and golf course management.

Erusha completed her master's (1986) and doctoral (1990) degrees in horticulture, specializing in turfgrass management at UNL. She received her bachelor's of science degree from Iowa State University and is a native of Walford, Iowa.

Halla, who earned a bachelor's of science degree in electrical engineering from UNL in 1969, is the CEO, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer of National Semiconductor Corp., a computer company in Santa Clara, Calif.

Halla reshaped National Semiconductor Corp. into a company that primarily creates low-cost, easy-to-use information appliances that access the Internet.

Before joining National Semiconductor Corp. in 1986, Halla was executive vice president of the product group at LSI Logic Corp., the director of marketing for the microcomputer group at Intel Corp., and was a manager at Control Data Corp.

Halla serves on the boards of the Semiconductor Industry Association, the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group, Tech Net and Fairchild Semiconductor, and The New York Stock Exchange Advisory Committee.

Nagle is founder and president of Marketscape Research and Technology in San Diego. This company provides consumer research and marketing counseling to companies ranging from Fortune 100 corporations to emerging entrepreneurial firms. Nagle does trend analysis, consumer market research and business consulting for major businesses such as General Motors, Prudential and Braun.

Before founding Marketscape Research and Technology in 1988, Nagle was the senior vice president and the division manager of Stoorza, Ziegaus & Metzger, Inc., California's largest independent public relations firm. She also was the senior account supervisor for Phillips-Ramsey Inc., an advertising and public relations firm; the marketing director of Hoskins-Western-Sonderegger, Inc., a consulting engineering firm; the marketing director for the San Diego Opera and the director of programs for the University of Nebraska Alumni Association from 1977-1980. She earned a bachelor of science in 1976 with a major in English and minors in speech and music.

Powell was elected mayor of East St. Louis, Ill., in 1999. At age 35, Powell is the youngest mayor in U.S. history. Before being elected mayor, Powell was a city council member in East St. Louis and worked for several news agencies as a reporter, news director, public relations specialist and talk show host.

She earned a bachelor's of arts degree in speech communications in 1985 from UNL. She was an All-American in track and field and is the sixth all-time leading scorer in basketball for Husker athletics.

Scott is the design director, senior designer and design supervisor of WGBH Educational Foundation in Boston. WGBH produces and broadcasts public television and radio programs. He also is the consulting art director of Davis Publications, an art education publisher in Worcester, Mass.

In addition to his WGBH work, he has designed books for many publishers including Houghton Mifflin, Addison-Wesley, Beacon Press, Prentice-Hall and Harper & Row.

Scott teaches graphic design, typography and graphic design history at the Rhode Island School of Design and teaches graphic design at the Yale University School of Art. He has also taught at the Boston Architectural Center, Harvard University and Maine College of Art.

Scott has won awards from the American Institute of Graphic Arts, the Society of Typographic Arts, Boston Art Directors Club, and the Broadcast Designers Association and Bookbuilders of Boston.

Scott earned a bachelor's of architecture from UNL in 1971, a master's of fine arts from Yale University and studied the history of graphic design at Harvard University.

The first Master's Week occurred in 1964 after then-Chancellor Clifford Hardin visited his alma mater, Purdue University, for "Old Masters Program." Since 1964, more than 200 alumni have participated in the Master's Week program.

Master's week is sponsored by the Chancellor's Office, Student Alumni Association, Innocents Society and Black Masque Chapter of Mortar Board.