UNLV Magazine UNLV Publications Spring 2003 UNLV Magazine Syl Cheney-Coker University of Nevada, Las Vegas Barbara Cloud University of Nevada, Las Vegas Jennifer Vaughan University of Nevada, Las Vegas Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/unlv_magazine Part of the Architecture Commons, Arts and Humanities Commons, Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons, and the Other Education Commons Repository Citation Cheney-Coker, S., Cloud, B., Vaughan, J. (2003). UNLV Magazine. In C. Weeks (Ed.), UNLV Magazine, 11(1), 1-21. Available at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/unlv_magazine/21 This Magazine is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Magazine in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/or on the work itself. This Magazine has been accepted for inclusion in UNLV Magazine by an authorized administrator of Digital Scholarship@UNLV. For more information, please contact [email protected]. YoU I No. I I Spring 2003 On the cover: Wole Soyinka, Elias Ghanem Chair of Creative Writing and director of literary arts for the FEATURES International Institute of Modern Letters. Editor: Cate Weeks SPECIAL FOCUS Associate Editor: Diane Russell Assistant Editor: Gian Galassi The International Institute Art Director: John Hobbes of Modern Letters Photographer: Geri Kodey Contributing Writers: Syl Chency-Coker, Barbara Cloud, 1 0 Literary Ambitions Jen nifer Vaughan The International Institute ofModern Letters has set Mailing List Coordinator: its goal to become the world's top literary activism Odalys Carmona, Lynn McGue organization. Why? It's all in the name of progress. Cate Weeks Vice President for University and By Community Relations: Fred Albrecht Director, UNLV News and Public 12 The Founder Information: Tom Flagg Asst. Director, UNLV News and Public Casino executive Glenn Schaeffer, founder of the institute, Information: Suza n DiBella explains why corporations should be concerned about Director, University Publications and Reprographics: Les Raschko protecting literary works. Publications Manager: Donna McAleer 14 The Critic UNLV Alumni Association Art criticism professor Dave Hickey is known for his ability to turn a phrase. He shares his Officers President: Kevi n Page brand of genius with UNLV Magazine. lsi Vice Pres.: Jim Kirkwood By Diane Russell 2nd Vice Pres.: Tina Kunzer-Murphy Treasurer: Kirk Hartle Secretary: Rich Isreal 16 The Dramatist Member-at-Large: Dianne Weeks Nobel/aureate Wale Soyinka weaves teaching and directing into his global travels. Past President: Jim Ratigan By Cate Weeks UNLV Alumni Association Board Members Nancy Flagg 18 The Exiled Sharlene Flush man Bruce Ford In an essay, Las Vegas' first writer-in-asylum, Syl Cheney-Coker, reflects on his Karen Hare two-year stay in this "atmospheric strange land." Kirk Hendrick Cristina Hinds Rich Israel Chip Johnson Jeff Knight Sam Lieberman Donya Monroe DEPARTMENTS Christine Parris-Washington !larry Shinehouse '}. Message from the President 24 Calendar of Events UNLV Mngnzine is published in 3 Campus News 26 Class Notes March and September by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas 9 University People 26 Alumni Profiles 4505 Maryland Pkwy, Box 45101 2 Las Vegas, NV 89154- 10 12. 20 Books 32 Timeline http://www.unlv.edu/ UNLV is an AAIEEO institutio n. SPRING 2003 I 1 A MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT CAROL C. HARTER CAMPUS NEWS Fall Enrollment Jumps to Nearly Expansive Thinking and High Ideals 25,000 Students UNLV's enrollment figures everal years ago when Las have thought of the seeming incongruity of serious intellectual­ increased dramatical ly last f all, Vegas was named Ameri­ ism residing in a city so widely known for - and so decidedly jumping 5.7 percent in t he t otal ca's first City of Asylum, I dedicated to -providing many forms of and opportunities for S number of students and increasing was delighted by the develop- leisure. I have been told that at one time UNLV suffered from a an unprecedented 9.5 percent over ment but not surprised by the bit of an inferiority complex about its scholarly reputation, which the previous year in the important rest of the world's apparent skepticism about locating the refuge some attributed to the dissonance felt about creating a respected full-time equivalent (FTE) f igure. for dissident writers here in Las Vegas. As president of a dynamic academic institution in, of all places, Las Vegas. university that seeks a world-class reputation for its teaching, We have come so far since those days. We have grown dramat­ FTE, a f igure that uses a f ormula to research, scholarship, and creative activity, I am keenly aware of the ically in size and in sophistication in recent years, as has our city. calculat e t he equivalent number of world's perception of Las Vegas; it seems many people refuse to We are a nationally recognized doctoral-degree granting institu­ full-time students based on t he abandon the stereotypical image of our city, despite knowing that tion now, acknowledged as such by objective, external standards, number of cred its t aken by all stu­ it is a thriving metropolitan area with more than a million people such as those of Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of dents, det ermines t he amount of pursuing diverse interests, includ- Teaching and our accrediting body, per-student f unding UNLV receives Academic Enrichment Center ing many serious intellectual ones. the Northwest Association of As president of a dynamic university f rom the Nevada Legislat ure. Yes, I was quite aware of the think­ Schools and Colleges. Serious intel­ Receives $32 Million from Grants ing that produced headlines bela­ that seeks a world-class reputation for lectualism not only dwells, but In f al l 2002, FTE increased to boring the unlikely pairing of Las flourishes, on our campus. 17,777 and the total count of stu­ With the help of $32 million in federal their parents reach their own educational Vegas with the distinction of being its teaching, research, scholarship, and Respected faculty members dis­ dents rose to 24,965. grants, UNLV's Center for Academic and career goals, which in turn puts them the nation's first City of Asylum. creative activity, I am keenly aware of seminate knowledge to their stu­ "We have been posting spectacu­ Enrichment and Outreach will serve more in a better position to support their chil­ On two levels - both as an dents in the classrooms and labo­ la r growth over t he past several than 25,000 low-income children and adults dren's education." American literature scholar and as the world's perception of Las Vegas; it ratories but also to the world yea rs, but the f all 's f igures sur­ in Clark County over the next five years. The new grants will enable the center to president ofUNLV- I was heart­ seems many people refuse to abandon through scholarly publications. passed any we have seen in recent The center received two grants through serve more than 25,000 people in low­ ened to see our town entrusted And they study not only the tradi­ years," UN LV President Ca rol C. the U.S. Department of Education's Gain­ income areas. The grants bring the total with this important role and felt the stereotypical image of our city. tional academic subjects, but Harter sa id. ing Early Awareness and Readiness for amount of the center's federal support to intuitively that it would bring a emerging ones as well - many of Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP), more than $8 million a year. whole host of other positive con- which grow out of, ironically, the " UNLV is doing everything possible which provides services to students begin­ The center's dramatic growth- in 1997 nections to the campus and the community. I had no idea just unique culture of Las Vegas. Recent years have brought to light to accommodat e the large number ning in the sixth grade. The center also it served 965 individuals on a budget of how much good it would bring. A great deal of credit is deserved more and more examples of broad-ranging research and pro­ of new students. Despite base received two grants from the Economic $800,000 - was only possible by leveraging by those forward-looking individuals who brought us this pro­ grams that were designed to support Southern Nevada, and budget cuts and additional Opportunity Center program, which assists community resources, Cotton said. The gram and made possible the ensuing creation of the International those efforts continue to be encouraged. unfunded cost s, we have f illed the displaced or underemployed workers. center has partnered with city and county Institute of Modern Letters -not the least of which is our gener­ So how, you may ask, did a modest college, created just under classrooms and provided the serv­ Center initiatives, such as study skills government agencies, the Clark County ous benefactor and friend Glenn Schaeffer of the Mandalay Resort a half century ago in a dusty patch of desert off Maryland Park­ ices students require," Ha rter sa id. workshops, tutoring, and mentoring pro­ School District, other not-for-profit organ­ Group. Glenn, who founded the institute, and English/creative way, achieve this? I believe we can thank many individuals who " It is, of course, exciting to w itness grams, ate already having a tremendous izations, and corporate sponsors including writing professor Richard Wiley can be largely credited with hav­ have gone before us, as well as those still here continuing the the remarkable growth of our impact on student retention, said William Wells Fargo Bank, Howard Hughes Corp., ing the foresight and commitment necessary to bring these presti­ charge.