NU Links with Alcorn State

An Agreement for Partnership

During the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration Jan. 18 at the Lied Center, James Moeser, (seated, rear) chancellor of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Clinton Bristow Jr., (foreground) president of Alcorn State University, signed a partnership agreement linking the two institutions. Keith Parker, associate professor of sociology and director of the UNL African American and African Studies program, facilitated the exchange of signatures.

Alcorn State was created in 1871 in Lorman, Miss., as the nation's first historically black land-grant institution and state-supported institution for the higher education of African Americans in the United States. It has grown from a small center of liberal arts preparation to an agricultural and mechanical college of wide recognition and has emerged as a multifaceted state university.

Dr. Bertice Berry gestures while speaking during the Martin Luther King Jr. ceremony Monday in the Lied Center.

King Day Celebrated with Song, Spiritual Renewal

By Gabi Volgyes, Public Relations

Editor's Note: On Monday, Jan. 18, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln community celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday with the total shutdown of classes and offices for the first time. The theme for the day was "More than just a Day: Remembering, Reflecting, and Renewing." Diversity Features Writer Gabi Volgyes attended activities. These are her impressions.

After Chancellor James Moeser's welcome Monday morning, an amazing thing happened at the Lied Center: Martin Luther King's dream came true. They might not have been little children, but about 600 audience members certainly did clasp hands and lift their voices to overcome together.

It's what the day was all about. From the first moments of the morning, when the chancellor dedicated the day to remembering, reflecting and renewing King's dream, to the afternoon highlight from the Chicago group "Synergy from Others: Diversity on Campus," all the way to Bertice Berry's challenge that the dream must evolve, King's legacy was celebrated on this campus. And for a day, the UNL community overcame its differences.

The morning part of the program was celebrated in the Lied Center, and included the offering up of two songs filled with meaning to the Civil Rights movement, "The Negro National Anthem (Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing)" and "We Shall Overcome."

The chancellor's exemplary service awards went to Leola Bullock, community activist, and Miguel Carranza, associate professor of sociology. Each have spent much of their lives fighting for Martin Luther King's dream. Carranza also offered encouragement for the future, saying that it is "not enough just to keep the dream alive. We have to make it reality by waking up to injustices." Without editorial comment, he offered three names: Francisco Renteria, Candace Harms and Randy Reeves, and offered everyone the following challenge: "Wake up, speak up, and act up."

Moeser signed an agreement with Clinton Bristow Jr., president of Alcorn State University in Mississippi, that sets up an exchange partnership with the historically black college.

Junebug Productions and Roadside Theatre performed "Junebug/Jack." The two companies have collaborated to produce s show about black and white experiences in the south. The performance began and ended with the cast and audience chanting "Blessed are those who have struggled; oppression is worse than the grave. It's better to die for a noble cause than to live and die a slave." The four-person group went on to perform folk songs, stories, legends and anecdotes in a gospel and folk style that had the audience singing and clapping where they sat.

The morning program concluded with the performance of the Lincoln Community Gospel Choir and the seven-member, all-male group "First Instrument," made up of international students attending Union College.

The overall turnout was lower than some had hoped. But those in attendance spoke out with their hearts, decorating speeches with "Amen" and singing along to favorite spirituals and songs. If nothing else, the auditorium was full of enthusiasm.

And certainly there were full moments. By the beginning of the afternoon program at 12:45, the north entrance lobby of the Nebraska Union was packed with people moving and swaying to the sound of Lincoln High's Voices of Destiny. And while some may have disappeared, about 125 listened to the cultural diversity program presented by "Synergy From Others." The four-person group spent over an hour drawing out and gently poking fun at prejudices and stereotypes, and talking over ways that students, faculty and staff alike can embrace differences to develop a diverse, pluralistic vision that is not based on a dominant culture's viewpoint, but is based on the concept of "We."

The keynote speaker of the day came onto the Lied Center stage at 5, and was greeted enthusiastically. Dr. Bertice Berry, lecturer and comedian, brought her experience and sense of humor to the audience and spoke for two hours, not only about the importance of Martin Luther King Day, but about the work that has been done and still needs to be done to truly make the dream a reality.

Berry said that the dream has to evolve, and she challenged everyone, especially college students, to make a difference by working together and fighting for change.

She made several poignant observations. First, while barriers have technically been broken down, they are still observed in practice. Technically, no law prohibits marriage between races, but prejudices still limit this practice. And while African-Americans have won the rights they fought long and hard for, such as the right to read and the right to vote, they may not practice these rights.

Berry finds this hard to understand. She is also troubled by that fact that college students, once leading the movement for more rights, are now uncaring about it. She challenged all college students to use their education to make a difference, and came down hard on those who were wasting their time.

"You have to be in purpose (a phrase she uses to mean full of focus and direction) if you want to make a difference. You've got to work hard to deserve the chance."

Berry's presentation sent a clear message to her audience: Work together to make a change. Live the dream by making a difference-not just once a year, but all year long, by remembering, reflecting and renewing Martin Luther King's extraordinary dream.

CBA Launches Program in Business, Ethics and Society

By Tom Simons, Public Relations

Although most students come to college with their value systems in place, few have a good understanding of those systems that will serve them in today's increasingly complex business world.

To give students a head start in gaining such an understanding, the College of Business Administration has instituted the Program in Business, Ethics and Society, an interdisciplinary program designed to stimulate discussion and the study of applied ethical issues in business.

Sang Lee, chair of the department of management, and Tom Balke, director of the School of Accountancy, are co-executive directors for the program.

The faculty who are charged with implementing the program's activities include Janice Lawrence, associate professor of accounting, and Douglas May, associate professor of management.

"The purpose is not to change students' value systems," Lawrence said. "What we're trying to do is prepare students to face the ethical dilemmas they are going to face in the real world.

"If they analyze these in their college environment and understand the impact of ethical decisions, that might help them have a step up on the ladder of success in the business world. It's one thing to have a value system in the abstract. It's another thing to actually apply it."

The pilot program, made possible by the support of James Stuart Sr. of Lincoln, will be implemented over a three-year period. Components will include curriculum development at the undergraduate level (both in stand-alone ethics courses and modules to incorporate into existing courses); ethics projects conducted by students and faculty; community outreach programs; an ethics resource center; and a speaker and colloquium series.

"We're doing a lot of curriculum development right up front," May said. "We started this year (1998) with a universitywide honors course and a module in a required introductory accounting course for all CBA students. Next year, we'll implement discipline-specific modules in the different departments in CBA. The year after that is when we're going to start supporting ethics-related research within a business context. "

May added that a goal for the spring sememster is to "get together the faculty at UNL who are interested in ethics to discuss the research and teaching of ethical issues. Our domain is in the area of business, but we also want to open a dialogue on ethics with faculty and students from the other colleges."

The program will reach out to the business community through its speaker series, research projects, outreach programs, and the materials available in its resource center and on its World Wide Web site http://www.cba.unl.ed u/additional/BusEthSoc/. Kevin Pauli and Loy Watley, graduate students in the department of management, have been instrumental in developing the web site and resource center, respectively.

Lawrence and May said, though, that they hope the biggest beneficiaries of the program will be the university's students-and in the long run the Nebraska business community.

"Teaching ethics in the classroom is all well and good, but when the rubber hits the road, when the students are out in the business world, that's when we're going to see the impact of the program," Lawrence said. "Hopefully, the students we're working with now will become the future leaders of Nebraska."

Child Care Forum to Explore University Needs, Options

By Andy Washburn, Public Relations

In response to research compiled by the University of Nebraska Bureau of Sociological Research, the university is hosting a Child Care Forum from 8:30-10 a.m. Jan. 28 in the Nebraska East Union.

The forum, which will feature four panelists from the Lincoln and university communities, will offer expertise and insight to open up the topic of child care for future discussion at the University of Nebraska­Lincoln. Panelists are Julie Torquati, UNL Child Development Lab; Tish Roland, University Child Care Project; Mary Rickmeyer, Gallup Organization; and Deanna Turner, Trinity Child Care.

Each panelist will make a brief presentation in response to the recent survey and discuss currently availble services. Innovative child care ideas which could benefit the university will also be presented.

After presentations, panelists and those who attend the forum will break-up into small groups to voice their concerns, ideas and responses to the presentations.

Ultimately, university officials hope the forum will help lead to the possibility of additional child care resources and facilities at the university as another benefit for employees, faculty and students.

The Chancellor's Commission on the Status of Women, event sponsors, is encouraging as much participation as possible from students, faculty and staff, as the views expressed will help shape the future of child care at UNL.

The CCSW is asking faculty to mention the forum to students in class to reach best reach students who have children. A strong voice from students and faculty will weigh heavily on the forum's possible success.

For more information on the Child Care Forum, contact Cindy Cammack at (402) 472-2541.

Salt Creek Tiger Beetle to be Protected

Virginia Biologist to Speak on Saving Rare Insects

BY Molly Klocksin, IANR News

Barry Knisley's passion is saving bugs' lives.

The Virginia biologist will present two public seminars here this month, one about conservation biology in Virginia and the other about his insight into gaining federal protection for a species found only in southeastern Nebraska.

"Conservation biology of the Northeastern Beach Tiger Beetle" will be Knisley's topic at 7 p.m. Jan. 28 in the Morrill Hall auditorium at the Nebraska State Museum. The beetle is the first insect ever re-introduced into its natural habitat.

At 1:30 p.m. Jan. 29 in the Nebraska East Union, Knisley will discuss "Insect Conservation: Case Histories of Three Rare Tiger Beetles." These histories relate to the Salt Creek Tiger Beetle, a species unique to salt marsh areas in southeastern Nebraska. It is a candidate for federal protection as an endangered species.

David Stanley, UNL professor of entomology, said Salt Creek Tiger Beetles are the top insect predators in their communities. The American Burying Beetle, also found in Nebraska, already is listed as a federal endangered species, he said.

Knisley is a professor of biology at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia. He is working on environmentally challenged species in Florida, Maryland and Nevada. Knisley, whose visit is sponsored by the UNL Research Council, will be hosted by the entomology department, part of NU's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.