Students

Our Nebraska celebrates inclusion

Our Nebraska, a series of events held March 6-10, gave students from all backgrounds the opportunity to discuss what it means to be diverse and how to create an inclusive campus and community.

Previously known as the Empowerment Forum, Our Nebraska offered events throughout an entire week rather than in a concentrated day-long seminar. Activities were sponsored by Student Affairs and the Office of Academic Support and Intercultural Services (OASIS) with co-sponsorship from the Diversity Council.

UNL Adds Four to List of Wasson Winners

Four University of Nebraska-Lincoln students received the William N. Wasson Student Leadership and Academic Award presented by NIRSA, the national association for campus recreation leadership. UNL now leads the nation with 74 recipients since the award’s inception in 1993 and is the only higher education institution in the nation to have at least one Wasson Award winner every year the award has been given.

Hispanic Culture Celebrated with Fiesta on the Green

On Thurs., Sept. 22, hundreds of students, faculty and community members of all ages gathered for Fiesta on the Green, an annual event sponsored by the Office of Academic Success and Intercultural Services to celebrate Latino culture during National Hispanic Heritage Month.

Dare to Care Encourages Students to Collect Food for the Lincoln Community

This November, the Center for Civic Engagement hosted its 12th Dare to Care food drive. Donations to Dare to Care benefit not only the Food Bank of Lincoln, but also OpeN Shelf the current resource for Nebraska students who do not have money to purchase food and other goods. 

Union Take Over draws 450 students

On Thurs., Feb. 2, Campus NightLife hosted Union Take Over on the second floor of the Nebraska Union. An estimated 450 students enjoyed laser tag, glow-in-the-dark miniature golf, cupcake and tile decorating, a photo booth, and games of Family Feud led by The Daily Nebraskan. All activities were free for Nebraska students.

RSO workshops provide student groups with tools for success

Student Involvement hosted recognized student organization (RSO) workshops on risk management, motivation and inspiration, civil discourse and navigating the Student Organization Financial Services (SOFS).

Director of Risk Management and Insured Benefits Gayle Schanou, Outdoor Adventure Center Coordinator Todd Grier and Coordinator of Fraternity Life Jon Gayer led the risk management workshop on Feb. 14. The presenters discussed perceived risk and how to be prepared for unexpected situations.

Student Spotlight: Middle of Nowhere to Middle of Everything

I grew up in a small town in the Panhandle of Nebraska called Alliance. We are commonly known for Carhenge, UNL alumnus and basketball star Jordan Hooper, and the BNSF Railway. We are a town with a population of approximately 8,500 people, but that number is always fluctuating. According to the 2010 Census, statistics showed Alliance as a predominately white community with 87.49% of residents (7,429 out of 8,491 people) identifying themselves with the “white alone” option on the survey concerning their race. Also only 12.34% (1,048 out of 8,491 people) of the population in Alliance was made of “persons of Hispanic or Latino origin.” I mention the above because when I arrived on the UNL campus in the fall of 2014, I had one of the most eye opening, impactful experiences of my life. I had culture shock.

Weather Doesn't Stop Husker Watch Party

Students and parents gathered to watch the Huskers defeat Northwestern on Sat., Sept. 24 for the Husker Watch Party. The event, which was first scheduled to take place at Memorial Stadium, was moved to the Nebraska Union due to rain. A highly anticipated Campus NightLife event, this year's watch party was co-sponsored by the UNL Parents Association as part of Family Weekend.

Students Celebrate Thanksgiving in the Dining Halls

Traditionally, Thanksgiving is a time when families gather together. To give students the opportunity to enjoy the holiday with their friends on campus, University Dining Services annually serves the traditional feast before the Thanksgiving break.

Intercultural Spotlight celebrates unity with a talent competition

More than 400 students, faculty and staff members gathered in the Nebraska Union on Feb. 4 to watch twelve student groups compete in the Intercultural Spotlight Competition. The evening highlighted unity and cultural appreciation through entertaining performances.

“We organized the event because we believe in the value of cultural diversity and [wanted] to showcase a variety of cultures from different countries, not only one country,” said Luyao Yan, residential international student coordinator.

Healthy Husker giveaways promote wellness

As Daylight Saving Time neared, the University Health Center’s Healthy Huskers educated students at the Nebraska Union Tuesday, March 7, about the importance of developing healthy sleep habits.

Over the lunch hour, students had one-on-one conversations with peers about ways to get a better night’s sleep and gave away about 100 free sleep kits, which included light-blocking sleep masks, herbal tea, earplugs, a sleep survey and more.

Lavender Graduation

Held April 21, the Lavender Graduation and Chancellor’s Awards for Outstanding Contributions to the GLBT Community honored achievements by members of the LGBTQA+ community at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The ceremony honored six undergraduates, four master’s degree graduate students and two doctoral graduate students. All are graduating members of the LGBTQA+ community who received certificates and commemorative rainbow tassels. A complete participant list is provided below.

Homecoming Gets a Running Start with a 5K

A sunny sky and gentle breeze made for perfect race conditions as more than 300 runners gathered north of Harper Hall at 4 p.m. on Sat., Sept. 26. Sponsored by Campus Recreation and the Residence Hall Association, the Homecoming 5K race loop followed the Billy Wolff Trail and returned to Harper Hall for the finish.

We Asked Students: How Do You De-Stress?

On Thursday, Nov. 10, Campus NightLife host Relax and Re-Energize, an event to help students take a break in the midst of the busy semester. At the event, students enjoyed aqua massages, a smoothie bar, and oxygen bar and more. With the relaxation on the mind, we asked students who attended the event how they de-stress.

Students give tips on how they de-stress..

Silhasek awarded as outstanding leader by National Collegiate Water Ski Association

Margaret Silhasek, a member of the Nebraska Water Ski Club and senior broadcasting and economics double-major from Byron, Minn., received the National Collegiate Water Ski Association (NCWSA)’s female Outstanding Leadership Award at the USA Water Ski awards banquet in Lakeland, FL.

30 Students of Integrity Named to Franco's List

Thirty University of Nebraska-Lincoln students were recognized for being persons of integrity by being named to Franco’s List.

Named for Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Juan Franco, the list is the equivalent to a Dean’s List for students who represent the six building blocks of character: caring, citizenship, commitment, dependability, open-mindedness, and respect.

Drag Workshop Teaches Performance Art to Students

More than 100 students gathered in the Unity Room at the Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center on Thurs., Sept. 29, for the How to Do Drag Workshop. The LGBTQA+ Resource Center and the UNL Spectrum student organization hosted the event in place of a regular UNL Spectrum meeting. At the event, Michael Johnson and Trent Battershaw, experienced drag performers, taught attendees different types of drag and gave tips for on stage performance and how to choose the right name, music, makeup and clothes.

Student-Athletes from 10 States Visit Nebraska for Regional Flag Football Tournament

From Nov. 4-6, 36 teams from 18 colleges across 10 states visited the Nebraska campus to compete in the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association’s (NIRSA) regional flag football tournament. Competitors included four teams from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Students vied for the chance to travel to the University of West Florida to compete in NIRSA’s National Flag Football Championships in January 2017.

Tyler Riewer of charity:water kicks off Big Red Talks

On Tuesday, March 28, Tyler Riewer, Brand Content Lead at charity:water, spoke to Nebraska students and campus community members about the influence that activities outside classroom played in his professional experiences.

A 2004 graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Riewer worked in the advertising field for eight years. While working in Portland, charity:water, a nonprofit dedicated to providing clean water to people in need, reached out to ask him to join their team.

Celebrating 100 Years of Brotherhood

Smiles, hearty laughter and stories of the good old days flowed freely when members of Kappa Alpha Psi gathered to celebrate the 100th birthday of the Eta Chapter at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

“It’s like a second homecoming – though UNL has their homecoming in the fall, it’s like that second homecoming for the individuals and they just made a big weekend out of it,” said Alfonzo Cooper, a graduate advisor to the Kappa Alpha Psi chapter at UNL.