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September 13, 1988 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Vol. 88 No. 11
Women’s center mission debated at forum
By Eve Nations
Staff Reporter
An open forum about the Women’s
Resource Center at the University of Ne
braska-Lincoln drew intense debate from
about 50 students and 10 community members
Monday.
The forum, which included sessions for
students, faculty and staff, alumni and commu
nity members, was held at the Nebraska Union
after numerous complaints were received ques
tioning the purpose of the WRC.
An eight-member review team, chosen by
James Griesen, vice chancellor for students
affairs, and Peg Johnson, director of special
projects in Griesen’s office, listened to several
hours of discussion.
The team consisted of Johnson, Peg Lon
quist, former director of the Women’s Re
source Center at Iowa State University in
Ames; David Brinkerhoff, an associate profes
sor of sociology; Fran Kaye, associate profes
sor of English; Wendy Whalen and Gayle
Boyd, undergraduate students; Mary Beth Rice
and Connie Neal, two UNL graduate students.
Those who attended, many of whom asked
not to be identified, said people on campus were
not aware of the center’s existence.
Students who once worked in the office said
the center needs to make an effort to inform
UNL students of their presence and available
programs.
“The WRC should be promoting itself to a
much larger degree,” said Nanci Hamilton, a
UNL student and WRC volunteer, “to let
people know that feminism is for everyone, not
just for radical lesbians.”
Several others suggested that the center
advertise their programs and facilities.
said that when the students raised concerns,
they were often ignored.
“When the students raised issues they were
concerned about, the response was very much
in the line of kill the messenger,” Franks said.
“I was treated like I was the problem.”
Franks also said that Campus Activities and
Programs office would not deal with the issues
raised.
“No issues were unsolvable,” Franks said.
“There was never a chance for a resolution to
‘There was never a chance for a resolution to
take place because their was never an acknowl
edgment that there were problems. ’
_ — Franks
The role that students should play at the
center was also discussed.
Several student volunteers said that they felt
they were powerless in the decision-making of
the center.
At least one former WRC volunteer said
most of the problems seemed to stem from the
change of a professional staff person from part
time to a full-time position.
Bridget Franks, a former WRC volunteer,
take place because their was never an acknowl
edgment that there were problems.”
The effectiveness of the current WRC coor
dinator, Katherine Araujo, was also raised
during the debate.
Franks stated that Araujo did not support the
programs that were being formed.
“The one person who was involved did not
support the projects,” Franks said. “She was the
sponsor of die programs and at no Ume did she
come to the committee and say the programs
were not good.”
Some of WRC’s programs were frequently
considered by some to be of no use on campus,
Franks said, and many were discontinued.
“People who were trashing them were quite
willing to admit they had never even attended
them,” Franks said.
Johnson said that Araujo was asked not to
attend a majority of Monday’s forums so dis
cussions would not be inhibited.
The center’s operational aspects was yet
another issue raised by former volunteers who
asked not to be identified.
Many said they were asked not to stand in
certain areas of the center or were told they
were smoking in the wrong area or were criti
cized for slouching on desks when using the
phone.
Others said they fell like they were “totally
inhibited or threatened by the collective
group.”
Sheila Bollish, 27, a UNL student and WRC
volunteer, said that the center is running in a
positive way.
“We have between 15 and 25 new volunteers
at the center,” Bollish said. “We are touching
those not usually involved in feminist issues.”
I
* - ‘ • — ■ - . ... *** » ■
Doug Carrot 1/DaMy Nabraakms
Adrian Pountney, a sophomore music/education major from Bellevue takes part in Monday night’s MTV Remote Control
contestant search at the Nebraska Union. The contest was limited to the first 100 people In line, with winners to be flown
to New York City later this year to participate on the actual show.
‘Election Week’
may increase
voting numbers
By Kari Mott
Staff Reporter
National Election Week, Sept 9
16, has been designated to call
attention to the importance of
registering to vote, according to Joan
Peterson, election commissioner for
Lancaster County.
Promotional efforts arc being util
ized to urge people to register to vote
before Oct. 28, Peterson said.
“It is important for people to regis
ter and it is so easy,” Peterson said.
Students requesting information
need to call or write to their county
clerk and request a mail-in form, she
said
According to Bryan Hill, chair
man of the University of Nebraska
Lincoln’s Government Liaison Com
mittee, 18 to 20-ycar-old voters have
the lowest voting percentage nation
ally.
In the 1986 election, a non-presi
dential election year, only 18.6 per
cent of the 18 to 20-ycar-old popula
tion voted nationally.
Students who can’t get to their
county to vote on election day arc
eligible to apply for ~n absentee bal
lot.
A student can send for an absentee
ballot by requesting one from their
county clerk. The ballots need to be
returned to their county, postmarked
by the Nov. 8 election day.
GLC will hold a voter registration
drive Oct. 4 and 5.
The League of Women voters will
See VOTE: on 3
Minority faculty members say problems still exist
By Jamie Pitts
Stiff Reporter
Despite recent efforts to increase
recruitment of minority faculty
at the University of Nebraska
Lincoln, some minority faculty
members say the situation hasn’t
changed.
Minority faculty recruitment be
came a major concern of some UNL
officials last year. The issue was re
vived at the Sept. 7 meeting of the
Association of Students of the Uni
versity of Nebraska.
At that meeting, ASUN voted to
rewrite a bill urging UNL officials to
make further efforts to attract minor
ity faculty to UNL.
Maurice Tate, instructor in multi
cultural education, taught at UNL
from 1975 to 1978. He relumed last
May, he said, because he likes Ne
braska and the university. But he still
hears the same complaints he heard in
the 1970’s.
“I think things are more covert
now,” he said.
“People don’t really care about
those people who have left,” Tate
said.
UNL’s Bureau of Sociological
Research is currently conducting a
survey of minority faculty members
who have stayed at UNL over the last
five years, said Robert Furgason, vice
chancellor for academic affairs.
The survey should be completed in
October and will help determine areas
at UNL that may be causing problems
in minority faculty recruitment and
retainment, he said.
Tate said minority faculty recruit
ment is important but retaining mi
nority instructors is a larger problem.
“We cannot retain our faculty,”
Tate said.
“Salary is not the main issue,” he
said. “The minority community is
null, almost nothing.”
A balance of faculty is crucial to
students’ educations because, Tate
said, “we can learn from other cul
tures and other views, the students are
being deprived of some experiences.”
James Griesen, vice chancellor of
student affairs, said hiring minority
faculty members is important be
cause they “expose the white majority
to the minority.”
Minority faculty members let
UNL students see that the world is not
all “white and Christian,” Griesen
said.
Colin Ramsay, assistant professor
of actuarial science, returned to UNL
this fall after resigning last spring.
Ramsay resigned last spring be
cause faculty and student attitudes
weren't conducive to minorities.
Another factor, Ramsay said, was
UNL students' lack of intellectual
stimulation.
Ramsay said after his resignation
he talked to faculty members, stu
dents. and Sam Cox, professor and
director of the actuarial science de
partment.
Ramsay said he also spoke with
State Sen. Ernie Chambers. “He was
advising me to Slav, and I took that
into consideration/’ Ramsay said.
“The arts and sciences department
made a lot of effort to keep me here,"
Ramsay said. “There were a lot of
negotiations."
“They made my slay here more
attractive by giving me research fa
See MINORITIES on 3