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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 15, 1996)
MONDAY WEATHER: Today - Mostly Cloudy. Northeast wind 10 to 15 mph. Tonight - Partly cloudy. Low near 20. COVERING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA SINCE 1901 VOL. 95 NO. 83 - — . ... — _January 15, 1996_ Travis Heying/DN Kimberly Ross performs the one-person act “The Negro Mother” Saturday night at the Nebraska Union at a reception to honor Martin Luther King Jr. Fit for a King Reception recognizes King By Christine Hollister Staff Reporter Nearly 250 people gathered in the Ne braska Union on Saturday night to honor the vision of Martin Luther King Jr. “In the Spirit of Freedom,” the fourth annual reception sponsored by the Afrikan Peoples Union ofthe University ofNebraska Lincoln, featured an evening of food, music and drama in conjunction with Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which is celebrated today. After welcome messages, the singing of the Black National Anthem, and a proclama tion of the holiday, dramatic presentations highlighted the reception. Kimberly Ross, a UNL graduate student in communication studies, presented “The Negro Mother,” the portrayal of a slave woman. Keynote speaker A1 Eaton, an acclaimed Boston actor, followed with an inspirational performance. Throughout his hour-long production, Eaton portrayed several African-American characters, including an older “adventurer,” an “Uncle Tom” tobacco field hand, a Princeton graduate, a Black Panther mili tant, and Dr. King himself. After several musical interludesand short excerpts from King’s speeches, Eaton re turned to his characters and showed how the civil rights movement had changed their lives. At the end of his presentation, Eaton — apologizing because he was beginning to lose his voice — recited King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech and was given a standing ovation. NU Regents approve new parking project By Julie Sobczyk Senior Reporter The NU Board of Regents approved a pro gram statement and a budget for a new parking garage west of Memorial Stadium at its monthly meet ing Saturday. The 600-space parking structure, which will house offices for the Athletic De partment, ticket office and Parking Services, will cost $7.66 million. The proposal passed with six votes in favor and one opposed to the construction oi me garage. Kegeni urew Miner oi rapuuon voted in favor, but was participating via tele phone from Stuttgart, Germany. Under Nebraska open meetings laws, Miller’s vote was not official, but university officials said a record of his votes would be kept. Regent Rosemary Skrupa of Omaha was the only regent to vote against the proposal. Regent Charles Wflson of Lincoln ques t ioned whether the new garage was a reasonable solution to UNL’s parking problem. “Is this really a rational, long-term ap proach?” Wilson asked. “We may have to face hard facts that we may have to address the question of restricting parking spaces.” In the future, Wilson said, freshmen may have to be restricted from bringing their cars to campus to help reduce congestion. The structure also may add to problems in the future, he said. “The easier it is to park, the more cars will come,” Wilson said. “There will be some folks now who arc not taking their cars to campus who will be bringing their cars.” The structure would be designed so that 300 to 600 stalls could be added i f necessary. Under the current proposal, the university would gain 450 new parking stalls because the structure would be built over an existing lot. The board did not approve an amendment to the proposal offered by Miller via telephone to build a larger garage now. “To me, it is more conservative to build a more efficient structure now and save on con struction and operating costs,” Miller said. If the amendment had passed, a proposal for a larger garage would not have had to come before the board. See REGENTS on 3 Affirmative action finalists voice concerns Issue understanding to precede action By Julie Sobczyk Senior Reporter Uniting all parts of campus is the key to making diversity programs work at UNL, said one finalist for director of affirmative action and diversity. “Everyone here needs to go back to the drawing board to determine what it is that most people would like to see in the area of diversity,” Alan Comedy said. “We need to see how we can do this together. “It can’t be my idea; it has to be our idea.” Comedy has been at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley since 1988, as an assistant to the vice president, executive director of minority affairs and special assistant to the university legal counsel. For Comedy, his biggest achievement at UNC was developing new programs at the office of affirmative action and diversity. “I brought respect to the affirmative action office by developing a program that impacted our hiring and our sexual harassment policy,” Comedy said. “I worked with students, resolved complaints See COMEDY on 6 .:i____; I f The Finalists Incoming Chancellor James Moeser last week interviewed Alan Comedy and Hermenia Gardner, Finalists to be UNL's next director of affirmative action and diversity. Moeser said he wanted to chose the new director before he takes over as chancellor Feb. 5. Alan Comedy • Comedy is the special assistant to the vice president for university affairs at theUniversity of Northern Colorado in Greeley. • He received a bachelor's degree in ■*" sociology and psychology in 1970 from Wilberforce University. He earned a master's in education and social sciences form Antioch College in 1972 and a juris doctorate in 1981 from Catholic University. • Comedy developed new programs at UNC and impacted hiring and sexual harassment policies. He said one general area of improvement at UNL would be moving away from giving people labels. Hermenia Gardner • Gardner is the affirmative action officer and assistant to the president for community relations at Amherst College in Amherst, Mass. w one i clcivcu a bachelor's degree in secondary education from West Chester University. She earned a master's degree in religious education from Boston University and a master's degree in social work from Columbia University. • Gardner established the affirmative action and diversity office at Amherst College and said she wants to involve more students in diversity issues. Student involvement important in plan By Julie Sobczyk Senior Reporter For Hermenia Gardner, involving UNL stu dents in affirmative action and diversity issues could make such programs more successful. And that would be one of her plans as the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s next director of affirmative action and diversity. “I have a concern to make the affirmative action office more visible on campus, especially with students,” said Gardner, one of two finalists for the position at UNL. “We also need to have a stronger connection with the city and state.” Gardner now serves as an affirmative action officer and assistant to the presidents for commu nity relations at Amherst College in Amherst, Mass. Among her accomplishments at Amherst was the creation of the college’s first office of affirma tive action and diversity in 1993. “It was an exciting challenge to open the affir See GARDNER on 6