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ADVOCATE
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6, 1995
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Vol. 101. No. 1
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.October 6, 1995
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lency Program .. "We worked with kids who came and complextty which characterizes Lincoln High from migrant fainilies ... and that were high school . In fact. considering the difficulties which his 1 dropouts. The kids lived on the University cam- predecessor encountered, Wortman's current job . "My vision of education really goes back to pus and we prepared them to take their G.E.D. may be his most challenging endeavor yet . • the one room schoolhouse," said Mike Wortman, and tllen to be placed on a job," said Wortman .·principal of the largest school in the state. withWortman's work. \iVMllhe High School Equivaout a trace of irony or sarcasm in his voice. lency Progran\,. was ()ne of his first experiences "However big a group is, you need to break it · with minority students. "Many of the students down into some mana.geable kind of [units] so were minorities and growing up in Minden, Nethat people know each other." · braska I had very little exposure at that tlnle." Although breaking down 2100 inherently un\. Ironically. Wortman' s first opportunity to manageable students into <'manageable units" is teach minority students was in 1969, as Kadijah an extraordinarily difficult task, Wortman is a Abdullah's student teacher at Lincoln High.· man with a rigorous work ethic and years of exAfiter two years with the High School Equivaperience putting in long hours. "I'd say I'm ad- lency Program, including one year as the li)irec• dicted to activity, and I'm sure my family would tor, he accepted a job as principal of Valley High agiee with. me." Scho0>l near Omaha. Five years and a Doctorate His family's assessment would be correct. On . in Edlucational. Administration later, Wortman .. numerous qccasions WQrtmoo ..hit~JiQJJgbi.,..w.u::~~was ..w.orliliig -:asthe:prtncipafof a-Ffutclifson~~ · .··.. the types of daunting employment opportunities Kansas school of 1300 students. which most of the academic community tends to WCDrtmanwas attracted to Lincoln High in part avoid. becaruse if the school's strong sense of tradition/. For example, Wortman's first teaching job was . but allso because of the Lincoln community's poat a struggling parochial school in which he was tentia'I for being a co-facilitator in the educational the eighth grade class sponsor. assistant bas- proce1ss. "The Lincoln community has so many ketball coach, h~ad football coach. head track resou,rces. With the University here, the other . ' coach. and sole member of the ~ath department. high schools. with the businesses in the com' '' Undaunted by his multi-task work load, Wortman . munity, a lot of the learning that-you might do ·· 1 []'. attended UniverSity classes during the summer wouldn't even be in this building," said Wortman. . :'"' · until, after four years, he had received .his Mas. •The skills and educational philosophies which · •P-r-in_c_i_p_a_l_M....,..i_k_e....,Wi·o·r·t-m·a ..... n·.·ex ..... te_n_d....,s-a• · ters degree in Educational Administration. Wortman has acquired through his years of hard ..., warm welcome to the students of LinAfter acquiring his Masters. he accepted a job work might prove to be indispensable as he at. . as Assistant Director of the High School Equiva-. tempts to manage the institutional uniqueness · coln High. ··
by Hal Hansen
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in the construction and· right now . thought." he safd. There was also a it should not affect total completion .. of the project unless winter weather · Builders inc.,, tlhe company in problem with a supplier, according comes early." · The large, muddy, water-filled charge of the $5.2 million project, to Jim Beard, an employee ofBuildhole that has swallowed the priinary • ls ruruJ,ing a,bout a month behind. ers Inc. "We had a problem getting · ·As the project nears completion. t~roughfare between .Lt:n.coln more and more of the grounds surHlgh's main building and· ..Lincoln ' rounding Lincoln· Higll will appear ' ·.·...~ South is not.-as some may have ··to be consultlJed by the construction .. gqesse<i, the new poql. I,t 1$. actu- .. ·..· But this may µot, be entirely the ·.~' , · •ally the future base~tJ:li·~ a two-.. · · ·. , .. case. "Obvlously\Ve'te going to lose ~y."li\tik'' between the"~ and.· .··a little bit· of the pr¥tlce field that .· ~.t111~d1ngs wbich ~.contain ..··was ,south of the Johnson Gym area · twdve classrooms and a . beca,use that new gym facility Will •,., .-·..· '.uew ·_.: math _.' . :.:.r<.~:t:.?::~:' computer lab .· .·.· ,, .· · . ·,.be in· there."·. said Uhtinacher. "It · .··••· ·The futur~ pool will b~-situated won't as bad as it is this year · to.the.emit. of ·the classrooms and· because when the construction · wtl ha-veeight lanes and at least two ·· · people move out we'll have th~ rest dlvtng boards. The old pool is being . . . of that field where they have stuff filed with dirt and 'demolition de- •...• now." brts. and the entire former pool will . Will there be yet another addi- .. · be converted to a weight room on '- : , :,t ti.on. o t e new auuui ion, viewe...,.,Jrom t tion to Lincoln High? "My guess is that we're done," Uhrmacher· said, the first floor with an a~robics area .•.practii~eld. · Littcoln High South is on the left. alSove. Locker rooms will be added .· ,,, · .. .. · · · · "Tl;lere isn't going to be much build·and a hallway will cut through what · Part of.the problem.had to do with some steel joists that were supposed ing that takes place on the Lincoln High campus in the future." is now the _men's bathroo1n nearest the remodeling of the former pool to (be delivered) early September, to Johnson Gym. Also included in, area. .5a1t1 .Vice -PrinPtnal Arlyn but the delivery has been delayed . Barring any further delays. the to sched11Ji>d to be comthe addition will be a two-court prac- · .·Uhrmacher, "The work tn the old by me mar1uf'ct~lu,·cr u.:ntil oarly Oo~ addition tice gymnasium. · ·pool area is more tedious and tak- tober." Said Beard, "There is a de- pleted before the beginning of school next fall. There have been a few setbacks 111g a little more time than we lay of approxtmately one month, but
by Erik Germ••
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