University of Texas Austin - Cactus Yearbook (Austin, TX)

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ements the public 71 FineArts ARTS Winners Earn Scholarships up the id, We can Five-six-seven-eight-up and down and very low strrretch feel that stretch underneath. Cassandra Jackson obligingly bounced lower and lower in time to the piano. This was just warm-up. Before the class was over, instructor Yacov Sharir led Jackson and her classmates through a rigorous series of plies, jetes and leaps that would have humbled the non-dancer. The class ended as the last chords from the piano faded. For Jackson and a number of her classmates, this 9 a.m. class was the first in a day of several dance workouts that could well have stretched into the late evening hours. However, Jackson was used to the hard work and sacrifice her chosen field demanded. Along with nine ARTS winners, Betsy McCracken and Cassandra Jackson, warm up with graceful stretches. ARTS winner, Hollis Jones perfects her positioning under the eye of instructor Yacov Sharir. other UT students in the C ollege of Fine Arts, Jackson was identified as being among the most promising young artists in the country. The 10 achieved that distinction as seniors in high school after competing in the Achievement, Recognition and Talent Search, a program designed to identify 17 and 18-year-olds for their excellence in the fine arts. I ' m very supportive and ap- preciative of the ARTS program and the scholarship offered through the President ' s Office, said Coleman Jennings, chairman of the Depart- ment of Drama. It ' s an excellent program and is going to help us in at- tracting superior instate and out-of- state students. According to Michelle Kohoutek, the scholarship made attending The University of Texas an opportunity that was just too good to pass up. I had been to the art department and was really impressed by all the things available to me there, she said. And, I didn ' t think I could find those things anywhere else. Kohoutek added that the scholarship money made it possible for her to have top equipment and art supplies. The fine reputation of the fine arts faculty at The University and the scholarship lured Cassandra Jackson to The University. UT was my first choice, she said, and, after I got the scholarship, it seemed to be the best choice. For Ramona Jackson, whose talent and national recognition as a top young dancer brought her offers from schools all over the country, coming to Texas posed a personal challenge for her. I had heard a lot of good things about The University dance program, she said, and when I at- tended a master class taught by Sharon Vasquez, I found the class difficult and challenging for me, so I decided to come to some place where I wouldn ' t feel comfortable, instead of a place where I would feel comfor- table and be able to do all the dance techniques. Lisa Gaumnitz Fine Arts 115

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ZL .-J... FineArts Dean Wills Stresses Improvements For many, the word dean con- jures up an image of a stuffy old bureaucrat hidden behind a desk stacked with papers. While one may have found J. Robert Wills, dean of the College of Fine Arts, behind his desk, one might as well have found him lecturing on acting techniques or directing a dramatic adaptation of Edgar Lee Master ' s Spoon River Anthology. While Wills called his school strong both academically and artistically, he stressed the need for continual im- provement. Wills and his staff were developing a five-year plan that would identify strengths and weaknesses in each department and then suggest programs and ideas to correct problem areas. Proposals to help meet the changing needs of the students included a music industry program, a jazz studies program and plans to offer an MFA in acting. One idea that came to fulfillment was an interdisciplinary class, which was offered this year after a two-year absence. The undergraduate class gave students the chance to combine and learn skills in all areas of the arts: art, music, drama and dance. Helping prepare and launch aspir- ing artists was the main intent of the school. However, Wills also stressed developing an appreciative audience as another aim. We have a respon- sibility to create and nourish an au- dience that has a real understanding of the artistic world, he said. Developing that understanding meant educating those who were not familiar with art. Wills proudly noted that 1983 fall enrollment figures showed that non-majors accounted for 44 percent of the school ' s total enrollment. The school ' s influence was not limited to The University communi- ty, either. It ran various art and art appreciation programs in cooperation with the Austin Independent School District and offered a number of pro- grams in dance, opera and theater for young people. Cooperation could also be seen in the reciprocating relationships bet- ween The University and Austin fine arts groups. The Austin Symphony Orchestra performed in the Perform- ing Arts Center, and conductor, Sung Kwak, also directed the UT Sym- phony Orchestra. In addition, many faculty and students played in the symphony. The University also reached the community through over 700 public performances the department spon- sored this year. Wills summed up the college ' s attitude when he said, We see ourselves as not only a university arts group, but also as one that can serve all of central Texas. Lisa Gaumnitz . . Fine Arts Dean, J. Robert Wills, promotes involvement in university and Austin arts organizations. 114 FineArts

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. I K IjiaQUalcolUaicS , 1 ' M Z 1 Programs Seek Minority Students I D As the vice president and dean of graduate studies, William Livingston cradled a philosophy shared by other motivators of The University ' s Centennial year. Not content to rest on the laurels of the past, he sought to help build The University into a truly motivated, academic institution. Since The University is a research enterprise, we need resources and support, and we have had it, Liv- ingston said. What he was referring to was the support The University found in Texas. We ' ve had great support from the constituency of Texas, Liv- ingston said. That includes the peo- Recently, we have set up a staff that manages a far- ranging set of activities designed to recruit minority students with strong poten- tials for advanced study in the graduate program and the professional school. pie of Texas and the Board of Regents. One way the Graduate Studies Division reached Texas residents was through recruitment of minority students. In 1983, over 500 black, Mexican American, Puerto Rican and native American students from throughout the United States were enrolled in various graduate and professional programs at The University. Recently, we have set up a staff that manages a far-ranging set of ac- tivities designed to recruit minority students with strong potentials for advanced study in the graduate pro- gram and the professional school, Livingston added. Programs for qualified minority graduate students included the Graduate Opportunity Fellowship, which provided $5,000 for qualified incoming students. The Danforth Compton Fellowship was designed particularly for Ph.D. candidates. These scholarships aim to attract and assist minority students, Liv- ingston said. April 15-17, 1984, The University served as host for the first national Dorothy Danforth Compton Con- ference, drawing nearly 100 graduates from 10 universities across the country who held Danforth Compton Fellowships. It was through such concentration on minority educational oppor- tunities that Livingston had earned the respect for the Graduate Studies Division statewide. Lotte Chow Dean William S. Livingston pursues his long time interest in the history of British government. 116 Graduate Studies