This cover of a football program dated Oct., 20, 1928, is one of the items in the Libraries' special collection. The artist is J. Alan Klein.

Exhibit tells tales of football history

By Joan Barnes, UNL Libraries

Cornhusker football history is the stuff of legends. Some of those legendary moments are replayed in the exhibit "Tales of the Cornhuskers" on display in the UNL Archives and Special Collections, Love Library, now through Dec. 31.

Sponsored by the University Libraries and the Friends of the Libraries, this exhibit features programs, photographs, mementos, posters and other materials held by the University Archives. The name of the exhibit is taken from the official flag of Nebraska football programs printed from 1927-1942.

Library officials hope that displaying materials from the football collection will increase its visibility.

Mary Ellen Ducey, UNL archivist and special collections librarian, had been asked to find information about African-American college football players for a researcher interested in the topic. Ducey gathered significant archival materials that illustrate football history, particularly information about George Flippin, the first African-American player on the NU football team.

"It was great to discover Flippin's story and find materials that highlight the historical significance the Cornhuskers play in national collegiate football and in Nebraska's cultural history," Ducey said. "An exhibit of these materials seemed a natural step."

The exhibit also showcases photographs and memorabilia donated to the archives by former players, alumni and fans over the years. A recent donation of a sweater and other items owned by Walter Chauner, a player on the 1909 team, is part of the exhibit. Many materials in the football collection came from the Athletic Department.

Flippin is prominently featured in the exhibit. He was a "plunging" halfback on the gridiron from 1891 to 1894. Lincoln Star sports editor Cy Sherman described him as a "charged bull, into which was bred the tenacity of the bulldog, the ferocity of the tiger and the gameness of the man who knows no fear." In 1892, an opposing team refused to play Nebraska unless Flippin was benched. Nebraska refused to bench Flippin, and the opposing team chose to forfeit the game.

Flippin's success wasn't confined to the football field. He earned a medical degree from the University of Illinois and returned to Nebraska in 1907 to practice medicine. With the help of his father, he established the first hospital in Stromsburg. In 1974 Flippin was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame.

Other players are featured as well. Transcripts of interviews done in the 1970s with former players Herbert Potter and former All-American Ed Weir also are on display. Potter recalls his days on the 1911-12, 1914 teams playing with teammates Vic Halligan and Guy Hamilton, Nebraska's first All-Americans, and playing for Coach Jumbo Stiehm. Weir recalls Notre Dame games and competing against Knute Rockne's fighting Irish and Red Grange. Weir also was inducted into the National Football Hall of Fame.

Coaches also play prominently in the exhibit. Tom Osborne, Bob Devaney and, from the early years, Dana X. Bible and Major Biff Jones are a few of the coaches spotlighted in the exhibit.

Bible, known as the "Little Colonel," was one of the football team's most successful coaches. He arrived in 1929 and spent seven years helping the Cornhuskers achieve "victory totals unmatched before or again until the advent of the Bob Devaney era." The record for Bible's teams is 50 wins, 15 defeats and seven ties with six Big Six title wins.

In his book Centennial History of the University of Nebraska, Volume II, R. McLaran Sawyer describes Bible as "soft-spoken, persuasive, inspiring" with "spell-binding charm." He used his charm to recruit players and to become his own public relations team with remarkable success considering the obstacles of the Depression.

"He toured dustblown Nebraska, visiting towns large and small, in search of promising football players for his Cornhusker teams," according to Sawyer.

The exhibit also tells the story of how Memorial Stadium came to be. In 1923, the University of Nebraska opened the new stadium with a 30,000-seat capacity. Tickets for games sold out quickly. Harold Holtz, a NU alumnus, led the campaign to raise $300,000 to build War Memorial Stadium. The stadium was meant to be a "living memorial for Nebraska's heroic dead" of World War I. The "Tales of the Cornhuskers" exhibit includes selected photographs of the construction and the dedication of Memorial Stadium and the changes and growth it has experienced through the years.

To view the exhibit "Tales of the Cornhuskers" is in Archives and Special Collections, Room 29, in the basement of Love Library. The exhibit is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call 472-2531. Some materials also will be displayed on the second floor Love Library South and are available for viewing during Love Library's regular hours: 8 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to midnight Sunday.

APC sets schedule for budget hearings

The UNL Academic Planning Committee has scheduled a series of public hearings to gather input on proposed budget reductions at the university.

UNL must cut $7.5 million from its budget as a result of the recent special session of the Nebraska Legislature. Chancellor Harvey Perlman made recommendations Sept. 10, which are now before UNL's Academic Planning Committee for hearings and dialogue with the campus community. The committee will return recommendations to Perlman Oct. 28. Announcement of the chancellor's final decisions is tentatively set for Nov. 11.

The following sessions are open to the public. Speakers wanting to provide written material should bring 20 copies to the session for distribution to the committee. The schedule:

• 1-4 p.m. Sept. 23 in the Nebraska East Union: Hearing on elimination of Division of Continuing Studies. Invited presenters will speak 1-2 p.m. with an open hearing 2-4 p.m. Those wanting to testify should sign in at 12:30 p.m.
• 1-5 p.m. Oct. 7 in the Nebraska Union: Open hearing on any budget reduction item. Those wanting to testify should sign in at 12:30 p.m.
• 1-5 p.m. Oct. 8, video conference in L.W. Chase Hall room 116 and the Hall County Extension offices in Grand Island (Fonner Park Room, College Park): Hearing on removal of budget support for the Grand Island Learning Center. Those wanting to testify should sign in at 12:15 p.m.
• 2-5 p.m. Oct. 10, video conference in L.W. Chase Hall room 116 and South Central Research and Extension Center, west building: Hearing on closing of South Central Research and Extension Center. Those wanting to testify should sign in at 1:15 p.m.
• 1-4 p.m. Oct. 11, videoconference in L.W. Chase Hall room 116 and West Central Research and Extension Center in North Platte, Snyder Building Auditorium: Hearing on Veterinary Diagnostic Lab, family life specialist and learning center eliminations. Those wanting to testify should sign in at 12:15 p.m.

Three scheduled dates are reserved but may not all be needed: 1-5 p.m. Oct. 14 and 3-6 p.m. Oct. 15 at the Nebraska Union, and 1-5 p.m. Oct. 17 at the Nebraska East Union. These will be discussion sessions with invited presenters.

Documents related to the budget reduction process can be found at http://www.unl.edu/pr/c hancllr/index.shtml.

Questions about the hearing process may be e-mailed to Craig Eckhardt, chair of the Academic Planning Committee, at ceckhardt1@unl.edu.

Friedman launches Thompson Forum

The 2002-2003 season of the E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues begins Sept. 23 when Thomas Friedman lectures at 8 p.m. at the Lied Center for Performing Arts. This lecture is also the 7th annual Governor's Lecture in the Humanities and is co-sponsored by the Nebraska Humanities Council and the University of Nebraska.

Friedman has reported about world issues for more than 20 years and has been the foreign affairs columnist for the New York Times for eight years. He won the Pulitzer Prize for commentary in 2002 and has won two other Pulitzers for international reporting for his work with the Times.

He has written several books about world issues. His newest book, Longitudes and Attitudes: Exploring the World After September 11, is just out and features columns that Friedman published about the terrorist attacks. Friedman has also written The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization and From Beirut to Jerusalem.

All E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues lectures are free and open to the public. Major funding for the Thompson Forum is provided by the Cooper Foundation.

Blake leads communications in Sierra Leone after war, in elections

By Tom Hancock, Arts and Sciences

Communication Studies Professor Cecil Blake was surprised when he received a call from the Republic of Sierra Leone's President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah in late April 2001, asking him to take on a government cabinet post as Minister of Information and Broadcasting for the west African nation.

But his experience and familiarity with his native land prepared him to take on this important role without much difficulty, he said.

"My philosophical stance was consistent with what (President Kabbah) was trying to achieve in his government," Blake said.

Blake's task in his home country was daunting. He arrived in Sierra Leone in May 2001, and the war between the government and the Revolutionary United Front had not been declared ended. The 10-year war was declared over in January 2002, during Blake's tenure as Minister of Information and Broadcasting and Chief Government Spokesman. General and presidential elections were held in May 2002. President Kabbah and his party won.

Blake headed a ministry that had suffered greatly during the conflict and faced several challenges. The ministry dealt with the unique problems of communication within a state in conflict, especially having to deal with local and international media. Blake's office also dealt with a complete restructuring of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the creation of a national information strategy.

Upon arrival in Freetown, Sierra Leone, in May 2001, Blake conducted a comprehensive review of the status of the ministry. He prepared a paper that laid out its weaknesses and ways to address them. A lot of money was required to make the changes, and Blake was pleasantly surprised when the Cabinet approved his proposals, he said.

Improvements to physical infrastructure and the professional level of journalists were among the challenges to creating a functional, independent media. There had been a tradition of harassing journalists in Sierra Leone, Blake said.

The British government through its international development assistance program supported a training program for journalists. Blake made major revisions in the program to ensure professionalism and its use after the war. He said he hopes the partnership with the British can be maintained so that the Sierra Leoneans can continue to benefit from the partnership.

Blake also was successful in moving the Independent Media Commission out of the premises of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, so that it is not subject to government influence, thus creating a conflict of interest. The Independent Media Commission deals with all regulatory, ethical and professional issues regarding the print and electronic media.

"One of the things I am extremely happy about, serving in that capacity, was to democratize the media structure," he said. "I was able to expand the environment to allow all media to express themselves without being harassed."

During the general elections in May 2002, the international community watched Sierra Leone to make sure the voting was fair, free and democratic. One of the expectations was free access to the national media for candidates regardless of party affiliation. The state media in Sierra Leone are the only ones with access to the entire country; independent media are located primarily in the capital and have limited reach.

"It was important to open up the state media to opposition candidates so they could get their ideas out into the entire country," Blake said. "This was controversial because some thought the party in power should have majority time on the national media."

Blake was able to break the monopoly that the state had on media by successfully arguing that if citizens were to make informed decisions, they would need to hear the views of all political parties. Also, Blake saw to it that the media were brought into the electoral commission office so that there was no way for the state media to manipulate the results.

As a result of these efforts, for the first time both radio and television provided live coverage of the election. It will be important, Blake said, to maintain this forward movement both to keep the population informed and to show the international community that the country is serious about creating a more transparent system of government.

Blake's educational background prepared him well for his distinctive role with the Sierra Leonean government. He had held senior research and administrative positions spanning nine years in think tanks such as the United Nations University in Tokyo and the International Development Research Center in Nairobi, Kenya. He has taught at universities including SUNY/Buffalo, Southern Illinois University, Bayero University in Kano, Nigeria, and Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Blake is widely published in the areas of communications and national development. He has co-edited five books on communication and related areas.

Sierra Leone facts Population: 5 million Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia Area: Slightly smaller than South Carolina Natural resources: Diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromitev

Blake's seminar class addresses communication, terrorism

Cecil Blake's Current Issues in Communication and Culture seminar focuses on issues currently reflected in the headlines of newspapers across the United States. The issues in this case center on terrorism.

The goal of the seminar is for students to understand the context and processes involved in addressing the current posture of the United States and several members of the international community in the war on terrorism, Blake said.

"I feel it's extremely important for the communication department to get involved in this discourse," Blake said. Terrorism is the most extreme form of what Blake calls "non-discursive communication," which in this case means bypassing persuasive speech for violence.

"We need to look at . . . terrorism critically in order to help us understand what pushes people to take such extreme actions, and to promote discursive ways of solving problems with clear cultural ramifications," Blake said.

In the United States, Blake said, there is great need to expand knowledge of other cultures beyond the presumably rational-logical approach that is characteristic of Western civilization.

"There are also certain types of philosophical, ideological and religious differences that tend to muddy our understanding of what might be presumed to be rational behavior in other cultures," Blake said. "It's a civilizational problem."

UNL in 2nd tier of U.S. News' rankings

UNL remains in the second tier of the "National Universities-Doctoral" category in the 2003 edition of U.S. News and World Report's "America's Best Colleges" issue.

After alternating between the second and third tiers of the magazine's rankings the last several years, UNL solidified its position in the second tier by improving on its 2002 scores in five areas: peer assessment, graduation rate, freshman retention rate, acceptance rate and alumni giving rate.

In peer assessment, which accounts for the largest portion of the total score at 25 percent, UNL improved to 3.3 (of 5.0) from 3.2, putting Nebraska in the top third in that category among the 78 institutions in the second tier. (Universities in the second tier and below are listed alphabetically in the overall rankings; the magazine gives numerical ranks only to the 51 institutions in the first tier.)

University officials credited higher admission standards for improving UNL's scores in six-year graduation rate (16 percent of the total score) to 53 percent from 51 percent and freshman retention rate (4 percent) to 80 percent from 78 percent, while lowering the acceptance rate (2.25 percent) to 79 percent from 92 percent. In the magazine's methodology, a low acceptance rate is an indication of quality. For example, No. 1-ranked Princeton University has a 12 percent acceptance rate.

Loyal alumni also contributed to UNL's score as the alumni giving rate (5 percent of the total score) improved to 26 percent from 23 percent.

"I still do not think that prospective students should rely on the rankings; they tell only part of the story about the institutions and the ranking itself is considered flawed by even U.S. News' own consultants," said UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman. "But since some students and parents do rely on it, I'm very pleased that we are in tier two. We know this university is improving rapidly, and we didn't need U.S. News to confirm it for us."

Officials also said the university's graduation and retention rates continued to be helped by Learning Communities, in which groups of freshman students with similar academic interests study together with the guidance of mentors; honors programs, including the J.D. Edwards Honors Program in Computer Science and Management; undergraduate research programs such as the Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experience grants funded by the Pepsi Endowment; and peer review of teaching, in which professors assist each other with development and evaluation of innovative teaching techniques.

Marcela Raffaelli, associate professor of psychology and ethnic studies, is director of the Institute of Ethnic Studies, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this weekend.

Ethnic Studies honors 30 years of growth, change

By Kim Hachiya, University Communications

The Institute for Ethnic Studies is celebrating its 30th anniversary Sept. 20 and 21 with a variety of activities at the Nebraska Union.

Marcela Raffaelli, associate professor of psychology and ethnic studies, is the current director. She said the institute has changed in its 30 years as its vision has expanded. Originally established as a service unit where people could learn about diversity issues and where faculty of color could help student organizations, the institute's wider vision now addresses all three university missions of scholarship, research and outreach.

"The discipline of ethnic studies has matured," she said, noting that the National Association for Ethnic Studies celebrated its 30th anniversary this past summer. As new faculty of color have joined the university, she said, their research and service interests have helped broaden the institute's mission.

"Often, faculty of color are interested in scholarship within traditional disciplines that those disciplines have ignored, such as Latino literature within the discipline of literature or African American history within the discipline of history," she said. One indicator of growth, she said, is that when the university revamped its curriculum in the mid-1990s, it included a diversity component; many courses offered through Ethnic Studies help fulfill those requirements.

Ralph Vigil, professor emeritus of history, was the first director of the center. He was recruited from the University of Texas at El Paso in 1973 by then Arts & Sciences Dean Mel George and C. Peter Magrath, who was vice chancellor for academic affairs.

Vigil said he believed then, as he does now, that education allows minority students the opportunity to compete economically.

Vigil said the early years were hard for the institute because both George and Magrath left the university soon after his arrival and financial support for the institute was difficult to muster. And, he said, the nucleus of committed graduate students who spearheaded the founding of the program diminished once they had graduated. Still, he noted, the institute continues with expanded mission and direction.

"The university today is probably a bit more tolerant than it used to be," Vigil said. "And more willing to hire minorities."

Miguel Carranza, professor of sociology, has headed the institute twice. He notes progress in several ways. First, the growth of center from six faculty members in 1984 to 17 today indicates a broader base of support. That growth in numbers, he said, has helped developer a wider curriculum and more courses.

"For me, the most important change has been that faculty are now actively engaged in research and some have active ties to the community and strong links to the community," he said.

He and Raffaelli both cited Mark Awakuni-Swetland, anthropology, who has developed a unique curriculum in the Omaha language that uses Native speakers in the classroom and sends students to the Omaha Reservation to speak with and learn from elders.

The Latino Achievement Mentoring Project, which links UNL student mentors with Latino schoolchildren, is another example, they said.

"It means we are not doing our work in a vacuum. It's applied research with tremendous implications for the community. It gives faculty visibility off-campus and gets communities to see research as a way of changing quality of life," Carranza said.

Carranza said he believes the institute is different than it was in 1973 and in most ways, it's better.

"But it's harder to keep faculty together because there are more of us and the pulls of individual departments are strong," he said.

Carranza noted that ethnic studies is "not just for minorities," but important for majority populations because it provides a forum for conversation, education and understanding. "It's a two-way street and it's a way to get a good understanding of cultural differences."

Raffaelli said that among her goals for the institute is more recognition of its work and accomplishments. She also would like to add a major in ethnic studies. Many students who are interested in working with diverse communities minor in ethnic studies, she said, and a major would be significant.

The institute grew out of the social changes of the 1960s, according to a history developed for this weekend's events. "In 1969, members of the African American Collegiate Society presented administrators with a list of 12 demands, including the creation of a Black Studies Program," the document states.

The university already was taking baby steps. In 1968, a course titled "The Negro in American Society" was offered and jointly taught by faculty in history, sociology and English. In 1970, Ralph Grajeda taught the first Chicano literature class and in 1971-72, a class in Lakota Sioux culture was offered.

In 1971, UNL formed the Black Studies Program, which offered an undergraduate minor. Soon, talk focused on creating an institute with a broad cross-cultural focus. The institute, jointly established through the College of Arts & Sciences and Teachers College, was formally approved by the NU Regents on April 8, 1972. Vigil was hired and joined UNL in 1973.

The institute's goals at that time were to "authenticate" classes that taught a minority perspective across disciplines and to recruit minority faculty.

Three areas of emphasis - Indian Studies, Black Studies and Chicano Studies - were established. By 1976, minors in American Indian Studies, Black Studies, Chicano Studies and Ethnic Studies were listed.

The institute has been reorganized and has evolved to take advantage of the expertise of various faculty members who are associated with it.

In 1994, the African Studies and Latin American Studies programs, once housed under International Studies, were moved into the Institute for Ethnic Studies and merged into the Black Studies and Chicano Studies programs, respectively.

The institute is composed of three programs: African American and African Studies, Latino and Latin American Studies, and Native American Studies. Minors are offered in Ethnic Studies, Native American Studies, African Studies, African American Studies and Chicano Studies; both a major and minor are offered in Latin American Studies. Students may also major in Ethnic Studies, Native American Studies, African Studies, African American Studies, or Chicano Studies through the Individualized Program of Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Two lecturers and 17 faculty hold positions in Ethnic Studies. A typical appointment is 40 percent in Ethnic Studies and 60 percent in a department. Faculty in anthropology, communication studies, English, history, modern languages and literatures, psychology and sociology hold joint appointments in Ethnic Studies. About 50 faculty members in 20 departments are affiliated with one of the programs and participate in Institute activities.

Ethnic Studies celebration The deadline to register for the Sept. 20 banquet and Sept. 21 luncheon has passed, however, all other activities are free and open to the public. For more information, call Nancy Knapp at 472-1663. All events occur in the Nebraska Union. The schedule: Sept. 20, 1:30 p.m., opening ceremony; 2-3 p.m, history of the institute; 3:15-4:15 p.m., student panels; 4:45-6:15 p.m. reception; 6:30-9 p.m., banquet and recognition of past directors. Sept. 21, 9-10:30 a.m., keynote and panel discussion: The Role of Ethnic Studies in the 21st Century, Harriet Ottenheimer, professor of anthropology at Kansas State University, past director of KSU's American Ethnic Studies program and past president of the National Association for Ethnic Studies; 10:45 a.m.­noon, Ethnic Studies at UNL: Overview of faculty and student activities; 12:15 ­ 1:45 p.m., lunch and closing remarks by Ottenheimer.