Faculty refocuses on
King holiday question
KING from page 1
Other faculty members suggest
ed UNL should incorporate a year
long effort to commemorate King's
message of equality and diversity.
The proposal, which passed
unanimously at Friday’s meeting, is
addressed to the Academic Senate,
the NU Board of Regents and top
administrators. It urges those offi
cials to designate the third Monday
of January as an official holiday “to
honor the life, work and message of
the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.”
It also asks that the chancellor
set aside money for activities,
appoint a diversity committee to
plan them and set aside the Lied
Center for Performing Arts as a
venue for some activities.
Regardless of the Academic
Senate’s final vote, many faculty
members agreed to cancel their
classes on the King holiday with
the support of their, students.
Representing" the Academic
Senate executive committee, Leo
Sartori, professor of physics and
astronomy, said his committee also
had endorsed a different resolution
to cancel class for the holiday.
He said the plan calls for uni
versitywide programming to com
memorate King and his ideas, but
to use Saturday as a makeup day for
classes affected by the holiday.
The reason for a makeup day is
some instructors, especially those
with classes or labs meeting only
once a week, are worried about los
ing an academic day and falling
behind.
Sartori’s plan also urges admin
istrators to make time available to
staff who want to participate in the
day's events; normally they would
have to report to work.
Sartori said the resolution will
go to the Tterof atthe grodp^s
December meeting. However,
Provost and Executive Vice
President Lee Jones, who was out
of town Friday and unavailable for
comment, will be the one who
makes the ultimate decision.
The second half of the town hall
meeting established a “diversity
watch,” a group of faculty members
to respond to discrimination or
harassment against racial and eth
nic minorities, or gays and les
bians.
Miguel Carranza, associate pro
fessor of sociology and ethnic stud
ii
It is
an academic
issue. It also is a
teaching issue ”
Gargi Roysircar Sodowsky
associate professor of educational
psychology
ies, said there is no set university
plan to deal with issues like those
that have drawn attention this year,
including a cross burning during an
fraternity initiation ceremony, anti
homosexual chalkings on the side
walk during National Coming Out
Week and a controversial advertise
ment in the Daily Nebraskan that
disputed the Holocaust. 1
“Our university has not done a
good job at self-reflection with
issues of diversity,” he said. “We
don’t have a plan to take action. ...
We need the university to respond.
“It’s time the university took a
step forward in delivering a univer
sity plan.”
Robert Benford, associate pro
fessor of sociology, said he agreed
with Carranza and cited results
from a 1992 study by UNL’s Bureau
of Sociological Research. He said
the racial climate survey found
there are really two campuses at
UNL: a minority and a nonminori
ty. The survey also stated that
minorities felt there was racism on
campus while the nonminorities
disagreed.
“When this happens, the stu
dents then perceive this is not a
friendly environment for minori
ties,” he said.
Nickoletti said he also support
ed the Diversity Watch because the
university needed a group separate
from the administrators.
“There’s this assumption that
people are taking care of this, but
that’s not necessarily true,” he said.
“There has to be a better coordinat
ed system. You cannot rely just on a
small number of minorities of fac
ulty, staff and students. We also
need more support from the white
mainstream population. That’s
where the power is.”
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RHA pledges donation to Salvation Army
From Staff Reports
The University of Nebraska
Lincoln Residence Hall
Association showed its holiday
spirit Sunday night.
RHA passed a bill to give
$100 to the Salvation Army
Angel Tree Program, and then
Husker Hall Senator Larry Willis
f
gave another $100 out of his own
pocket toward the organization.
J “I think it’s a great program,
and I can’t imagine being a child
and not getting any gifts on the
holidays,” Willis said.
Smith Hall President Amber
Bourek said with the $200, RHA
would be able to provide 10 chil
dren with gifts and 10 families
with holiday meals.
RHA also allocated money to
the Smith Hall Floor Three
mocktail party. They also dis
cussed options for their new
logo.
RHA’s next meeting will be
held on Dec. 7.
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