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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 14, 2000)
Lincoln man holds King’s goals close to heart MYLES from page 1 Church, 4601 NW 48th St. Even though Myles said he knows the Lincoln community needs to be more aware of race problems, he thinks the goal is attainable. “There is a lot of work that needs to be done in this area with race rela tions,” Myles said. “I believe that it can be done; if I didn’t I wouldn’t be involved.” As the director of multicultural education, Myles helps fulfill a Nebraska mandate for schools to incorporate multicultural education in the classroom. Sometimes Myles travels to schools in other communities to speak to students about race relations. Myles recalled an instance when a student approached him and said he was tired of hearing about racism and King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Myles was not angered by the stu dent’s comments because he realized the student did not understand the message of King’s speech. To Myles, the speech was more than just words; it was an effort by King to make all members of society equal, how it was supposed to be according to the Constitution. “What Dr. King was attempting to do was to move us towards what we said we were doing,” Myles said. “Which was a society that embraced freedom and justice for all.” Myles said he wants people to absorb King’s message, not just acknowledge that it was said. “I think that by honoring Dr. King on his day and not understanding his ” He reminds us that hatred of any shape or form is bad for all of us.” Keith Parker member of NAACP philosophy,” Myles said, “or not understanding the motive behind what he did is in fact dishonoring him.” Myles said he hopes UNL stu dents who take part in Martin Luther King Jr. Day activities will become lifelong activists. He also suggested that institutions such as the university stop ignoring race issues, Myles said. An example Myles used was when Sigma Chi Fraternity burned a cross in a field as part of an initiation ritual in January 1997. The administration dismissed the cross-burning by saying it was a prank, not a race-related act, Myles said. The university needs to make policies that ensure respect for all stu dents and not ignore race-related inci dents, Myles said. “You can’t treat people as if they’re invisible,” Myles said. “Those in power need to make policies that take in all the people, from the stu dents to the staff.” Myles has taught several race relations courses at UNL and said he thinks that requiring students to take the courses to graduate is a good idea. “Sometimes students may not realize how valuable multicultural classes are until they leave the univer sity,” Myles said. Many people feel uncomfortable discussing race issues because they feel as though they are being blamed, Myles said. Many times people aren’t point ing fingers of blame, but they are just stating the facts about what really happened, Myles said. Discussions about race relations need to occur, so problems can be acknowledged and solutions can be worked on, Myles said. People of all races, genders and religions need to work to bring about change without expecting other groups to do it, Myles said. “All of us need to find out what we can do and do it,” Myles said. “To think that it is another group’s respon sibility to affect change means we’re missing the point.” Myles is good at not blaming any one for race-relations problems, Parker said. “He reminds us that hatred of any shape or form is bad for all of us,” Parker said. Many problems linked to racism are institutionalized in our society, Myles said. “Those who structured this soci ety did so in a way that would benefit them,” Myles said. “And that’s not to say that it would Charles Simmons is a graduating senior in Business Administration and has chosen a career at Archer Daniels Midland Company in commodities trading. ADM is one of the largest grain and food processing companies in the world. Based in Decatur, Illinois, ADM is continually expanding throughout the United States as well as in China, Europe, Mexico, and South America. Charles found out about ADM’s career opportunities from career k services on campus and scheduled an interview with ADM. After ^ 0 r '0 completing a two-stage interview process, Charles was offered a * * ^ position as a commodities trader. In January,2000, he will begin JL * a 4-6 months hands-on training program that will expose him to # ® all aspects of ADM and commodities trading. 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For more information, contact East Union Lanes N’ Games, 472-1751 Martin Luther King Jr. Day Events ' •• THgxecfrcY ......:.— ; Friday and Monday are full of activities, planned by the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Planning Committee and the UNL African >.: . .; American, and African and African Studies Program.The events ' '< are open to the public. IPIPI •Friday m 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. “Eyes of the Prize' video, Nebraska Union Lounge jUffflii 1:15 p.m.-2 p.m.-Lefler Middle School panel,students and teachers j %L talk about CD Rom civil rights project 2:15-3 p.m. - Community Leaders Panel 3 - 3:15 p.m. - Punch and Birthday Cake 3:15-4 p.m. - “Race, Ethnicity and Discrimination: the Case for ISlilll Reparations,' Faculty Panel, Nebraska Union 4:15-5 p.m. - Poetry readings by members of Afrikan People’s Union M •Monday 9 a m -Welcome and Opening Ceremonies, Nebraska Union 10 a.m. -Youth March fix>m Culture Center to State Capitol WiMSm 10:30 a.m. - Youth Rally, State Capitol Noon - Complimentary Lunch, Nebraska Union 2 p.m. - Voices of Destiny, Lincoln High School choir, Nebraska Union I TViuirl Tnna/nW have been any different if the forefa thers would have been black or Native American.” Leaders of institutions need to start working toward a change, Myles said. “To have effective change, it has to start at the top and work down to the grassroots,” Myles said. Althbugh Myles has many roles in life besides being a pastor, when it comes to race relations or family he always lets his spiritualism guide him. “I don’t separate what I do from ministry,” Myles said. “I do all of it out of a love for God’s people.” Because Myles does not separate his jobs, he brings much of what he learns about race relations tahis church. “My life goal is to take all the information that I have as far as diver sity and bring that to the church,” Myles said. Even though Myles has worked hard for many years on race relations he said he was not finished. “I’m not satisfied with me,” Myles said. “There is just so much work to be done that I don’t have time to be con tent.” — REGENTS — Parking garage vote to be taken Saturday ■ Regents must approve plans for the 1,200-space garage. By Kimberly Sweet Staff writer The reality of a new multilevel parking garage at UNL will be one step closer this weekend if the NU Board of Regents give its stamp of approval. At the regents’ Saturday meeting in Varner Hall, the regents will vote on whether university officials will be able to move forward and accept bids for the construction of a parking garage at 17th and R streets. If the regents approve the garage, officials will begin finalizing how to pay for the project, which will cost between $ 17 million and $ 18 million. They will also begin collecting bids, said James Main, assistant vice chan cellor for business and finance. The minimum amount of spaces officials expect to gain with the new garage is 1,200, Main said. But when bidding is underway, the company that can build the most spaces for the least amount of money will win the contractile said; t o or! f rii® iart Tnjg"garage:wi ll'a^d spaces to what currently exists but ultimately replaces stalls lost because of other construction projects. If the regents approve the project and the bid, construction will begin in 2001. But parking relief won’t come until 2002, when the garage is com pleted. “That’s a very optimistic time frame,” Main said. Officials have been waiting to get the regents’ approval for two years, Main said. But unexpected delays and an effort to listen to and discuss con cerns by parking lot users has slowed the project. The Parking Advisory Committee, headed by UNL Agronomy Professor James Specht, has been listening to faculty and stu dent concerns over funding for the garage. Originally, the garage was set to be funded completely by a raise in parking permit fees. But after complaints by users, the committee has been looking for other sources of funding. “I think the chancellor is making a good-faith effort to help us find other sources of funding,” Specht said. UNL’s campus master plan calls for the construction of two additional parking garages in the next six years, Main said. Plans call for them to be built at 14th and Avery streets and 19th and Vine streets. In other business, the regents will discuss the financed dimate ^f the state-of Nebraska/The"presentafiftn will direct future' discussions o^bud get requests from the Nebraska Legislature. The meeting begins at 8:30 a.m. at Varner Hall, 3835 Holdrege St. It is open to the public. You wouldn’t want to live there, but it’s a nice place to visit. dailyneb.com