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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 24, 2000)
Diversity banquet to highlight cultures ■ International Student Organization to celebrate varied student population. By Lesley Owusu Staff writer The International Student Organization is out to prove that diver sity has an important place at UNL. On Sunday night, the organization will hold a banquet aimed at celebrat ing diversity at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Among the countries represented are Japan, Malaysia, India and Indonesia. The celebration will feature an array of events including singing, dancing and a fashion show. Augustina Wati, vice president of programming for the International Student Organization, said the banquet is meant to put UNEs diversity on dis play. “The aim of this event is to pro mote the wealth of different cultures at UNL and international organizations,” she said. UNL has more than 90 different countries and 200 international stu dents represented at die university. Karen Cagley, International Affairs student adviser, said the ban quet will be an educational experience. “We hope to show and educate all students about other cultures from dif ferent perspectives and increase awareness about diversity,” Cagley said. Students can take a journey around the world in one night as they are enter tained by performances and enjoy gourmet cuisine from different coun tries, Cagley said. “We welcome everyone to attend this opportunity to really experience diversity from every culture and enjoy a great banquet,” Wati said. Lama Bashir, who is working with the entertainment committee, said she hopes students take advantage of the banquet “Students can learn the tradition and dancing of other countries, and we hope to especially teach Americans about different cultures,” she said. Uniting all people is what the event hopes to achieve, Wati said. The show kicks off at 5:30 p.m. Sunday in the Nebraska Union’s Centennial Ballroom. Tickets - $ 10 for students and $ 12 for non-students - are quickly selling out but are still available in the union, Cagley said. The International Student Organization strongly encourages all students to attend the celebration for a memorable night of diversity and a wonderful night for fun, excitement and entertainment, Wati said. UNL language fair allows students to practice skills FAIR from page 1 > i ! • r' • • . Hofpar participated in was the poster competition. For the competition the students focused on the theme of the day, “Linking Language and Culture,” and made a poster around that theme.Some students were veterans to the modem language fair. This was the third year for junior Jason Seiple from Brownell-Talbot High School. “I am more comfortable coming here this year knowing what to expect,” Seiple said. “This is some thing we’ve done in years past - to come here and compete with a poem.” Seiple was awarded a red ribbon in the Spanish level two poetry competi tion. His teacher, Dan Formo, said the language fair was positive for the stu dents. “It gives them a chance to com pare themselves to other schools and compete,” Formo said. “It is academ ic.” Formo said Brownell-Talbot brought 33 students from its Spanish and French departments. Jeremy Gray, a Millard South sen ior, also said the language fair is a good opportunity for students. “This is my third year, and I have always enjoyed this,” Gray said. “We don’t get a chance at bur high school to explore our enrichment activities, and the fact that UNL holds this for us is a good way for us to enjoy things like poetry.” Joy Jordan, in her first year as coordinator of the fair, said she was happy with the turnout. “I think it went rather smoothly,” said Jordan, who works in the Modem Languages department. “The kids enjoyed themselves and a good time was had by all.” Mmi mm® mm i Information fable Monday, March 27,10 am - 2 pm, Student Union Film Show Monday, March 27,2 pm, Student Union, Room TBA ? UNL textiles department gets top university honor By Margaret Behm Staff writer A top university award was given to a University of Nebraska-Lincoln department, recognizing the efforts of its working for the benefit of the stu dents. The UNL department of textiles, clothing and design will receive the University-Wide Departmental Teaching Award on April 20. “You can’t just have one or two good teachers to win this award,” said Helen Moore, chairwoman of the selection committee. “It has to be a critical mass of people working together to create a really energized environment.” The award will help the depart ment recruit new students, said Patricia Crews, chairwoman of the College of Human Resources and Family Sciences. “The visibility and recognition gives prestige to the department,” Crews said. “That increases our attrac tiveness to potential students.” The department also will receive $25,000, which it will use to buy com puter-aided design software and com puter equipment, Crews said “The software will benefit our stu dents because they will have software that is widely used in the industry,” Crews said. Moore said the award also gives the faculty a much-needed pat on the back. “When you’re putting in 50 or 60 hours a week, it’s hard to sustain that without support,” Moore said. “Given the small pay wages the university is able to muster over the years, the award serves a symbolic purpose.” The department of textiles, cloth ing and design was not just computing against departments at this campus but at all four of the NU campuses. At least one representative from each college served on the selection committee. Even though committee members lobbied on behalf of their own campus departments, they still are willing to nominate other colleges’ departments, Moore said. “We do advocate on behalf of those departments on our own campus that are high quality,” she said. “We also recognize the high quality of other campuses.” The committee also acknowl edged that each college has different program missions, Moore said. Crews said she was thrilled that the department of textiles, clothing and design won the award because of the quality of competing departments. 1 Shirley Niemeyer, a professor of textiles, clothing and design, said even though she wasn’t expecting the award, the department deserved it because of its faculty. “It was an exciting surprise,” Niemeyer said. “But I know that my co-workers do excellent work.” After the department nominated itself, documents that showed what the department was doing were submitted to the selection committee. The competing departments “were judged for many things, including the strength of its programs, diversity and faculty achievements. Moore said one of the reasons the department won was because students have the opportunity to apply their knowledge in many subjects. “The department demonstrated; very well that their students have) learned a body of scholarship, and] how to apply it,” she said. “They had many projects, and that’s what stood out for many of us.” Brandon Raddatz is a graduating senior in Agricultural Business and has chosen a career at Archer Daniels Midland Company in commodities trading. ADM is one of the largest grain and food processing companies in the world. Based in Decatur, Illinois, ADM is continually expanding throughout the United States as well as in China, Europe, Mexico and South America. Brandon found out about ADM’s career opportunities from career services on campus and scheduled an interview with ADM. After completing a two-stage interview 0 process, Brandon was offered a position as a commodities trader. In May, 0 < ** ie will begin a 4-6 month hands-on training program that will expose him :o all aspects of ADM and commodities trading. ADM is looking forward to having Brandon join our team. r k »t ADM 3 « O Nebraska UNIVIE8ITT OF N1BKA8KA - LINCOLN Feed Your Brain at the University of Nebraska Research Fair Saturday, March 25, 2000 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Nebraska Union Centennial Room 1400 R Street No Admission Chaise Fill your head with ideas at the University Research Fair. Booths and poster displays from every College show off our depth and breadth of Research and Creative Activity. From the Dead Sea Scrolls to Biotechnology, Astronomy to Quilts, Global Positioning Systems to Adolescent Alcohol use. Nebraska researchers create new knowledge to inform the world. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Faculty Displays and Posters 1 - 2:30 p.m. Graduate Student Poster Viewing and Judging 2:30 - 3HM) p.m. Graduate Student Poster Awards Ceremony / / / w m/M . y ^ > The University of Nebraska-Lincoin An equal opportunity educator and employer with a > comprehensive plan for diversity ' ✓ /A * rjy&yr/lis i, TO