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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 29, 1996)
Lied Center candidates to visit UNL By Erin Schulte Senior Reporter The two candidates for the director position of the Lied Center for Per forming Arts will bring vastly differ ent backgrounds and experiences when they arrive on their campus visits in early September. Susan Sheppard, the president of the Grand Opera House in Wilmington, Del., will visit the University of Ne braska-Lincoln on Sept. 5. Charles Bethea, associate executive director of the Arizona State Univer sity Department of Public Events, will arrive <m Sept. 9. Forthe past 10 years, the two can didates have been in the same profes sion, but prior to their current work their lives took different routes. Bethea, a native of Arizona, has worked in fine arts professions since college. In 1973, after receiving his bachelor of education in choral music , ementary school music teacher. Since 1980,tie has been at Arizona State University in various positions at the Department of Public Events and School of Music. He is not married. Although he said Arizona provided him with great professional opportu nities, he was willing to leave his home state. “It’s just sort of a base level curi osity about new places and new op portunities,” he said. Another reason to leave Arizona is the Lied Center itself. “The Lied Center has become one of the new shining stars of the perfor mance industry,” Bethea said. The performance schedule at the Lied in die last few years is “remark ably similar” to programming at ASU, he said. He said balance was impor tant in programming for performing arts centers. “I like to take a chance on new art ists,” Bethea said. “Also, you have to pay a lot of attention to traditional arts and performances, to recognize and honor traditions.” Bethea said arts and music were not only his business but also his hobby. ‘I’ve been involved in the perform ing arts all of my life — it’s hard to say what other kinds of interests I have.” Please see SEARCH on 10 Band in a can :;i ^ Moleh/DN CHIUS BAUER, a UNL employee; Evan Brown, a junior psychology major, and Peter DeMarco, a sophomore music major, jam at the Greenpoint sculpture between Andrews and Burnett Halls Wednesday afternoon. - Garcia anxious to promote multiculturalisiii By Matthew Waite Senior Reporter Ricardo Garcia wasn’t even going to apply for the director of affirmative action and diversity job at the Univer sity of Nebraska-Uncoln. Garcia had never had an affirma tive action job — didn’t really want one either. He had spent his 30-year career in education focusing on diver sity. But he got the job using ideas that most affirmative action officers don’t use. Ideas like shifting the focus from compliance to affirmative action laws to promoting diversity and decentral izing affirmative action. Garcia is now just days away from assuming his duties as assistant to the chancellor and director of affirmative action and diversity. He is coming to Nebraska from the University of Wis u What I would like to do is get people started looking differently at diversity. I see my job as a catalyst.” Ricardo Garcia Director of affirmative action and diversity consin-Stevens Point, where he was assistant chancellor for multicultural affairs. He said he would be on cam pus Sept. 3. The words “and diversity” in the job title initially struck his curiosity. He called UNL and found that diver sity was as important in the job as af firmative action. After applying and interviewing, Garcia was selected for the job. Neva: having been in an affirma tive action role hasn’t daunted Garcia or his ideas. “It’s exciting,” he said Wednesday. “I am nervous in that I want to do a good job, and I will. “And I am nervous in that it is a big job. But I am not nervous about taking affirmative action to the next step.” The next step fa* affirmative action, uarcia said, is not simply compliance with existing laws. It is using affirma tive action to promote diversity. "A diverse faculty and 'a* diverse curriculum is in the best interests of all students,” he said. All students must be prepared for a global work-world now, Garcia said, and the university should prepare stu dents to succeed in such a world. “That’s a skill that you are not just bom with,” he said. “The university should be taking the lead in preparing students for diversity.” And, Garcia said, a component of promoting diversity is decentralizing affirmative action. Decentralizing the program meant every department on campus needed to have an affirmative action plan. “The whole idea is to create own ership in the idea that diversity is in everyone’s best interests,” Garcia said. Please see GARCIA on 10 around the corner By Doug Peters Senior Editor If you say them just right, “NASCAR” and “Husker” almost thyme. _ Soon, they might be synonyms — at least that’s what UNL officials hope. NU Athletic Director Bill Byrne, Chancellor James Moeser and former Nebraska football All-America Ttev Alberts announced plans Wednesday for the first-ever university-sponsored race cars in the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. Alberts approached the Athletic Department this summer with the idea of sponsoring a race car in the university’s name, saying it would pro vide both revenue and exposure for the university. Byrne was intrigued. Moeser, on the other hand, wasn’t so sure. “IthoughtBill (Byrne) was crazy,” he said. The cars —- one red, one Mack (for home and away races, Byrne joked)— will carry the Nebraska “N” with a Husker insignia. They also have two national championship decals, one for football and one for volleyball. Alberts hopes to add another for stock-car racing. But the sponsorship isn’t just about winning races, of course, it’s about money—money from the hats, shirts, radio-controlled cars and other mer chandise that will carry the new cars’ Please see NASCAR on £