The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, April 25, 1984, Image 1
. ! W 1 i I V ( - ' l c V. ' v -j I ' i i j ' f ft Wednesday, April 25, 1034 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Vol. 83 No. 145 Racism workshop's effectiveness may be limited by poor attendance Ey Vcra 7. Trir :!c tt III Charles King's programs are designed to bring racism out in the open. But while King still is sche duled to start his workshop at 1 p.m. Friday, the people whom the organizers wanted most to attend probably will not be there. Kenneth Gilreath, program consultant with Cam pus Activities and Programs, said the University Program Council Tri-Cuiture Committee invited 46 people, a mix of administrators, faculty and stu dents, to serve as participants in King's workshop. King, director of the Urban Crisis Center in Atlanta, usually works with about 30 people in his workshops, Gilreath said. "We knew we were going to be cutting it close from the start ," Gilreath said. "But as of Tuesday, we've only received seven responses saying they were com ing, and four who said they were not. The others, we don't know where they're at." "What it tells me is that while we have an adminis tration that has to deal with other than white peo ple, they refuse to discuss the problems they might have with people of color." King i3 the founder and president of the crisis center and has presented his workshop for the Cen tral Intelligence Agency, Congress, several universi ties and private businesses. His programs attack racism and bigotry in America,- and the workshop participants are expected to respond -to his ques tions about views on racism. King has been giving his program for 15 years, and has appeared on Donahue, COlIinutes, and Night line. "I guarantee that he will intimidate some people. He's about 6-4, 2 10 pounds and has a real d: ?p, baritone voice, and he doesn't pull punches," Gil reath said. If you say something real stupid about race, hell tell you to your face you're a fooL" Workshop participants leave with an increased knowledge of minority viewpoints, Gilreath said. "He's not a savior by any means," he said. "What he is basically going to do is get people to admit blacks and whites do have a problem. They don't under stand each other because they come from different socio-economic backgrounds, and have different beliefs." . . Because of those differences, it is for example difficult to take a black student from a black neigh borhood and put him in the same room with a white student from a Nebraska farm background, Gilreath said. "Everybody has their own prejudices to begin with. Then, their personalities are going to conflict. But some university offices act like those things don't exist, or maybe they're not aware of them," Gilreath said. King would admit those problems are there and how they can be approached. But first, the adminis trators who have to handle the problems should admit theyre there. Attending King's workshop could be the start of that, Gilreath said. "The only excuse I can accept for these people not being there is if they can guarantee themselves a place in society where they will not have to ever come in contact with people of color," Gilreath said. Gilreath said it is possible for someone to gc through UNL and never speak to a non-white person. "If they can do that and go into the real world and do the same thing, then fine, they shouldn't come," he said. "But ofTlces like housing do have to deal with non-white people. Every single year there is some conflict that comes up because of a black-white situation." Kouring. director Doug Zatecha said he declined the invitation because he thought department's budget might come this weekend. "The timing is really unfortunate, because it's the kind of program people should attend," he said. ! A ) . y . r -' I : I . ! I f Ttd KsriDxZy Uzt Nebraska pitcher liar!: Ksrjssr is est to c'r Plains studies new UNL major V 4 L A Y Or.3cftha Citrine Circus cG" tl.3 i?2Z3 7TJ3 tO Cl2 CTZTi Or 3 EjJudiNrgren While many departments have had program cuts, UNL's Great Plains Stu dies department is expanding. s The NU Board of Regents voted to change Great Plains Studies from a minor to a 30-hour major earlier this month. The major will be offered next fall Frederick Luebke, director of the Center for Great Plains Studies, said the change was made because faculty and students expressed a want and need for the major. Great Plains courses always have had a high enrollment rate, Luebke said, but only a few of the students had minors in the subject. While he does not forsee a' drastic increase in the number of declared majors, he said he believes at least 1 2 students will major in the, program. Non-traditional students who re turn to UNL to complete their degrees show more interest in the program than any other group, Luebke said. Older people look at Nebraska as the place they will always live, he said, and they want to learn more about the great plains as a region. When the board changed the pro gram's status, they also moved the administrative responsibilities from Integrated Studies to the Center for Great Plains Studies. Fran Kaye,a member ofthe center's governing board and chairperson of the curriculum committee, said the administrative change came about be cause students would have had to meet both Great Plains Studies' and the Arts and 'Science's requirements. The studies department also did not want to -handle an uncfUcial major, she said. Since the center-was established in 1976, Kaye said, the board has wanted to cfTer a nrj-or in the area. Luebke said the center is adminis trative, but it will act like a depart ment. The center will not hire faculty members because the faculty and courses already exist, he said. The cen ter sets the requirements and helps students plan the major,, he said. Because the faculty and courses exist, Luebke said, the program will cost very little. Students will take courses in a var iety of departments, he said. Currently, 15 courses fall under the great plains major. The center plans to add fresh man and senior seminars to the pro gram, Luebke said. Because most UNL students come from Nebraska, Kaye said, the major provides a way to combine their life experiences with their education. - r- -rrrrrrrri - f.::::"v--.y ; :- -- : yrVv i . : . J Inside The Greeks fight back. See letters to the editor. .... Pegs 4 The UNL Rugby Club search es for the Holy Tournament . . . .. . ... Psgsn The Kimball Performance Series is making students an offer they can't refuse Pcg2 14 Index Arts and Entertainment..... 14 Classified ..- 14 Crossword 13 Editorial 4 Off The Wire 2 Sports 10 '