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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 19, 1993)
I ' ~. I Committee report outlines plan for diversity By Chuck Green nSenior Reporter erv ing on a com m iuec dcsigned to improve life for minorities at the University of Nebraska has excited and incited one of the group’s co-chairmen. NU Regent Don Blank, co-chair man of the Regents’ Committee on Minority Affairs, said he had person ally benefited from working with the committee, and was optimistic about its report, which makes recommenda tions on how issues and problems Conducive climate, attitude change top list faced by minorities at NU can be addressttl and solved. “I’ve learned a tremendous amount, and I’m still learning,” Blank said. “I must I have a certain amount of ignorance just be cause of my lack of experience with m inorities. I grew up in a town with no minorilies, there were few minorities in my college and now 1 live in a small town with few minorities. “Until you walk in someone clse’s shoes—and really, I can’t—you just never know what it’s like to face the problems minorities in our society do.’’ The 16-member committee, which was formed in November 1991, re leased its report last Saturday at a meeting of the NU Board of Regents. The report, which took more than a year to complete, called for admin istrators, faculty and sludenis on all four campuses in the NU system to recognize the value of diversity. The report said: “Not only people of color, but members of the majority culture as well, should demand that their state institution of higher educa tion provide a quality education that is reflective, respectful and support ive of many cultures.” The committee was comprised of faculty, staff, regents and students from the four NU campuses, and will remain on call for possible future use. It was formed to “address issues of concern to the university, particularly affecting minority faculty, students and staff on the university’s cam puses,” according to the report. Blank, who co-chaired the com mittee with attorney Gene Crump, said he thought attitude remained the biggest obstacle to overcome when See REGENTS on 6 50 people attend candlelight vigil for King holiday Speakers say university should honor slain leader By Michelle Leary Senior Reporter UTV Rev. Martin Luther King was a w great civil rights leader,” said UNL student Elcasc Dobyne at a program commemorating the life and dreams of King on Monday night. Dobyne, a first-year law student, spoke to about 50 people at a candlelight vigil sponsored by the University of Nebraska College of Law Multi-Cultural Student Society. The law college teaches students about sev eral rights, Dobyne said, including civil rights, natural rights and inalienable rights. “But me university docs not observe this holiday,” she said. “If our king is to be recognized we must do it ourselves." i ne people wno attended tnc commemora tion marched from Broyhill Fountain to the Culture Center for the program singing “We Shall Overcome.” Dobyne said the program was an expression of how Dr. King’s struggles continued to live today in everyone’s hearts. When Anthony Williams, presidentof UNL’s Afrikan People’s Union, addressed the audi ence, he said, “We must remember and com memorate the Malcolm X’s and the Martin Luther Kings.” “It is so important for us as individuals to make the world around us a more peaceful place where African Americans, European Americans, Asian Americans and Native Ameri cans can someday look each other in the face and sec nothing but love and peace instead of color and difference,” said Williams, a junior mechanical engineering major. “Dr. King had a dream, and even though the man was complex, his dream wasn’t,” Wil liams said. “He wanted equal rights for all. His dream continues today.” LaShawn Sayers, a member of the multi See VIGIL on 6 Jeff Haller/DN Stacey Nerud, a sophomore psychology major, travels down a rough and icy sidewalk north of Andrews Hall Monday. According to Nerud, most sidewalks are OK. Snow stalls campus wheelchair users By Karen Okamoto Staff Reporter Interviews with five students in wheel chairs brought mixed reviews about last week’s snow removal. Doug Slulhcit, a senior finance major, said the snow removal crew did a good job. “Compared to past years, this has been the best year since I’ve been here,” said Slutheil, who is in his fifth year at the university. “I know there’s only been one bad snow, but it seems they got out there a lot quicker than they normally do." In past years, crews had taken a long time to clear curb cuts, Slulheil said, but this year they were cleared on the first day. Slulheil also said handicap ramps had not been a big problem, because generally they were more protected by buildings than side walks. However, earlier in the week he did have trouble and needed assistance in gelling up the City Union ramp, he said. Water drip ping from the roof had made the ramp slick. Sidewalks were rough, though, and he had to allow an extra 10 minutes to get to class in his manual wheelchair, he said. Slutheit said he would have liked the sidewalks cleared sooner so that footprints would not have made the walks so uneven. Another student, Stacey Ncrud, said last week’s effort wasn’t bad, but he (lad trouble with several ramps. See SNOW on 3 Plans for a part daVincis Restaurant Source: Paul Cartoon, UNL Interim buelnoee manager Scott Maurer/DI i Lack of funds delays Lied park plans Downtown da Vinci’s leasing from UNL on monthly basis By Jan Calinger Staff Reporter --—-— Plans to demolish daVinci’s res taurant, 13th and Q streets, in order to build the proposed Lied Center Park have been delayed, UNL officials said. John Benson, director of institu tional research and planning, said the pizzeria, which is on university prop erly, would remain open indefinitely and was leasing from the university on a monthly basis. “An agreement was set up to allow us to proceed until there is time to make changes,” he said. “To my knowledge, there is no deadline set at this point.” Paul Carlson, director of opera tions analysis and interim business manager, said the University of Ne braska-Lincoln signed a contract to purchase the daVinci’s property in the mid-1980s. UNL planned to use the land to build a park adjacent to the Lied Center for Performing Arts. The University of Nebraska Foun dation, which is responsible for solic iting funds for the park, has been paying for the land since then, and made the final payment in December, Carlson said. The properly was trans ferred to UNL Dee. 30. Carlson said UNL had hoped to be ready to begin converting the prop erty when it acquired the land, but it encountered obstacles. ‘‘When we first did the contract for deed, we were hoping to have all contracts in place, Carlson said. As . Dec. 30 approached, we didn’t have funds. “We’re trying to decide where the money will come from, what to do.” Carlson said no university money would be used for the demolition of the restaurant and building of the park. “This is not state funds,” he said. “This fund is part of the Lied Center, which means it has to be donated funds.” Jennifer Brown, a manager at daVinci’s, said business there had been busy since students returned from semester break, but not all of the restaurant’s clientele knew it was still open. “We’re still trying to let people know we are still open,” she said. “We have been advertising the closing all this lime.”
