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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 11, 2000)
Rally promotes education I ■ School is Cool Jam draws more than 13,000 students to UNL. Lesley Owusu Staff writer Fun, action, music, motivation and plenty of jamming took place on Monday morning at the ninth annual School is Cool Jam. Regarded as the nation’s biggest pep rally for education, mote than 13,000 students gathered at the Bob Devaney Sports Center to listen to role model Husker student athletes give motivational speeches. Keith Zimmer, coordinator of the event, was pleased about its success. “I was very impressed by the great attendance, which illustrates the quality of the program,” he said. Young people are motivated through inspirational messages, Zimmer said. “The main goal of the School is Cool Jam is to motivate elementary and middle level students toward academic excellence and responsible decision making,” Zimmer said. Athletic Director Bill Bryne opened the Jam with a important mes sage on education. “Education will help you stay on the right path and pursue a successful career,” he said. Featured performers included Rope Warrior David Fisher and LiT Red. Fisher performed impressive tricks with a rope similar to a jump rope. The keynote speakers included Soccer Coach John Walker and student leader Eddie Brown. Student athletes including All American soccer player Sharolta Nonen, former NU linebacker Brian Shaw and current Husker quarterback Eric Crouch also spoke at the event. All speakers had a special message to deliver. Walker spoke to the youth about dealing with adversity. ‘True champions are those who can respond to disappointment,” Walker said. Eddie Brown encouraged all stu dents to get involved. “Be committed to student involve Heather Glenboski/DN FOURTH-GRADERS CHRIS Jones and Scott Nelson, of Kenwood Elementary School in Kearney, do “The Wave” as part of the pre-event at the 2000 School is Cool Jam on Monday morning at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The event was held to motivate elementary and middle school students toward academic excellence and responsible deci sions. ment as they provide plenty of opportu nities,” Brown said. Crouch focused on the importance of building good character. “We all have character, but develop ing a good character is what defines a person,” he said. The 2000 Jam used educational messages combined with enthusiasm and entertainment to demonstrate how important education is and that school redly is cool, Zimmer said. Heather Glenboski/DN UNL GRADUATE AND FORMER Husker linebacker Drlan Shaw speaks to students about the importance of grades and test taking as part of the School is Cool Jam. Shaw was one of many athletes who participated in the event. % Ethnic labels often cause confusion LABELS from page 1 sociology and ethnic studies. “It was a convenient way for them to clump people of Spanish ancestry together.” Cameya Ramirez, a senior crimi nal justice major, said Hispanic is used for political correctness. “It’s pretty much a made-up word,” she said. “There’s not really a definition.” < Marty Ramirez, a counselor for the University Health Center Counseling and Psychological Services, said Chicano is usually used for those who have Mexican parents but were bom in the United States. Cameya Ramirez said she consid ers herself Chicano even though she is not a first-generation Mexican American. “I consider myself Chicano, and I’m third-generation,” she said. “So it’s just a matter of preference, but most people use Latino.” In the early 1900s, the term Chicano was associated with Mexican Americans because it meant “low class,” Marty Ramirez said. The word was used in a more pos itive fashion by activists in the Chicano movement in the late 1960s and 1970s, he said. Mexican Americans used it to show they were proud of who they were, he said. “We’re proud to be Mexican, and we’re equally proud to be American,” he said. “In our heart and soul we’re Chicano.” The movement was mostly made up of college students and older Mexican Americans, he said. It started because some Mexican Americans wanted to choose their identification, Marty Ramirez said. “The heart of the Chicano move ment is that you’re not going to label us,” he said. “You’re not going to tell us who we are.” The word Chicano is not popular with Mexican Americans, so usually Latino is used, Marty Ramirez said. “We thought that Mexican Americans would incorporate the word Chicano with open arms,” he said. “But it failed.” I n/m What’s Happening? Monday, April 10: ♦Avery Awards Display Check out the Avery Award winners located in Avery Hall a Tuesday, April 11: ♦Sho’Yo’ J-Pride: it’s Wear Your J-School T-shirt Day Wear your way-cool, J-school styles! Wednesday, April 12: ♦Sho’Yo’ J-Pride II: Wear Your J-School T-shirt Day ♦Meet and Eat: BW-3, 5:30pm p»11pJ-students, J-professors, J-wings? p ® Thursday, April 13: Ol *NewsCapade opens (East Memorial Stadium) o 1 i ctTl Take a look, you might learn somethin’— J O U d h Journalism history & stuff (Open to All) *A Slice of Professionalism with a Slice of Pizza Union Centennial Ballroom, 1 lam-lpm uyr _ Meet alumni, talk about the biz, eat free lunch! (Journalism Students Only) Communications Friday, April 14: ♦Honors Convocation, Union Ballroom, 10am Everyone’s invited, come brag &/or cheer ♦Freedom Forum Panel, Union Ballroom, 11:30am 1st Amendment Rights, hosted by Charles Overby with A1 Neuharth, founder of USA TODAY (Open to Everyone) i Monday, Aprils Opening Ceremony 11:30 a.m. Nebraska Union 11 Tuesday, Aprfl 11 Rim Festival 6:30 p.m. Culture Center iiWodnosday, April 12 Children^ Carnival 6 p.m. Nebraska Union 11 Thursday, April 13 Forum: Media, Mascots & Multicutturalism 3:30 p.m., Nebraska Union Talent Show/Dance Lessons 7 p.m. Culture Center 11 Friday, April 14 Recognition Banquet 6:30 p.m. Nebraska Union Keynote Speaker Dr. Omero Suarez, Chancellor, Grossmont Cuymaca Community College Special Performance by Grupo FoUdorico Sabor Latino Dance Group ■ Saturday, April 15 Community Dance 8 p.m. -1 a.m. 1st Avenue Dance Hall Featuring Los Marinos Art and Graphic by Melanie Falk/DN People did not like the image of Chicanos, Marty Ramirez said. “They saw the brown berets on the television, and they said ‘Oh no, we can’t have that,”’ he said. “They saw us as being like the Black Panthers.” Although the movement wasn’t popular, it still exists, Marty Ramirez said. Carranza said that even though Latino is the most inclusive term, peo ple still have their own preferences. “My generation would be known as Chicano, my parents would have been Mexican-American and my grandparents were Mexicans,” he said. “So I tell my students in my classes that the best way to know which term to use is to ask them.”