Jan. 14

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dailynebraskan.com

monday, january 14, 2013 volume 112, issue 080

Inside Coverage

Changing of the seasons Returning, debuting winter TV looks strong

5 Paying it forward Education Dept. starts new loan repayment plan

2 Husker track and field off to fast start NU wins its first meet of the season

9 Pluck and cover HearNebraska event aims for music scene unity

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Nebraska loses another close one

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`The Huskers battled with No. 22 Nichigan State the entire game, but the Spartans proved superior in 66-56 win. NU trailed MSU by just two points with two minutes left, but Michigan State finished the game on a 8-0 run.

like a boss University names tim alvarez “Boss of the Year”

story by cristina woodworth | photo by morgan spiehs

T

im Alvarez has a small red jar sitting on a table in his office with a short phrase written across the side: “Ashes of Problem Employees.” Most of his employees probably don’t cause too many problems, though, considering the University of Nebraska Office Professionals Association (UNOPA) recently named Alvarez the Boss of the Year. “I was very humbled,” said Alvarez, who has been assistant vice chancellor for Student Affairs at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln since 2007. “I don’t like to be in the limelight to be honest, but it truly is an honor to be recognized for something like that.” The Boss of the Year award is annual recognition given to a University of Nebraska employee who demonstrates exceptional skills in personnel management, employee supervision and interpersonal relations. Mary Guest, an administrative technician in the student affairs office, nominated Alvarez for the award by submitting a letter she wrote highlighting his strengths as a supervisor. “I just felt that he needed to be recognized for the type of boss that he is,” Guest said. “I’ve spent a lot of years in the workforce, and he’s probably been the best one I’ve ever worked for.” Guest said Alvarez makes his coworkers feel valued and tries to help them grow both as workers and as people. “He empowers the support staff to really take ownership of their job,” she said. “He challenges us to go out of our comfort zone. I just feel very fortunate to work for him. I’ve been able to grow and learn new things.” Four NU employees were nomi-

Tim Alvarez sits in his office in the Canfield Administration building on Thursday. The University of Nebraska Office Professionals Association named Alvarez the Boss of the Year. nated for the Boss of the Year award this year, and a panel of judges chose Alvarez for the recognition. Alvarez came from humble beginnings as a first-generation college student, obtaining his associate’s de-

gree from Western Nebraska Community College. Alvarez went on to be a manager for a grocery store chain for about 12 years before returning to school to get his bachelor ’s degree. “I probably have a very atypical

career path as to how I got where I am today,” Alvarez said, who worked at Nash Finch Company. “I worked retail for 12 years and, because of that, I

alvarez: see page 3

Lincoln sees 6th warmest year Law grad rises from homelessness

kelli rollin dn

@dailyneb facebook.com/ dailynebraskan

The past year brought the heat; 2012 was the nation’s warmest year ever, as well as Lincoln’s sixth warmest year, according to the National Weather Service. In 2012, the average temperature was 54.7 degrees Fahrenheit, up a couple degrees from the normal 51.5, according to the 2012 Yearly Climate Summary for Lincoln. Dave Fobert, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Valley, said even though the average temperatures only differ by about three degrees, there is a significant difference because the temperatures are averaged for the whole year. He also added that 2012 was the 11th driest year for Lincoln. Kelly Smith, a drought resources specialist at the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of NebraskaLincoln, said conditions seem to keep getting worse. “It’s dry and getting even dryer,” she said. Smith said 2012 began with full moisture due to flooding in 2011, but the transition from 2012 to 2013 doesn’t look

To settle roughly $100,000 student debt, Young creates sports kiosk business Elias Youngquist DN

CHRIS RHODES | dn as promising. With a dry and warm week ahead, she said 2013 isn’t off to a great start. “We are going into very dry conditions without any restored water,” she said.

Ellie Dynek, a freshman English and Spanish major, and Kayla Hoechner, a freshman

HEAT: see page 3

Just a year after graduating from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Law, Jacque Young was homeless and shouldering nearly $100,000 of debt. Graduating during the peak of the recession, few career prospects existed for Young. Even fewer businesses would hire Young because she was a law student and overqualified for many jobs. It wasn’t until 2011 while baby-sitting that Young found the inspiration to start her own business, beginning to lift her out of the hole law school had put her in. Young graduated from UNL in 2005 with a bachelor’s in accounting and a masters in business administration with no student loan debt. She quickly nabbed a well-paying sales marketing job with infoUSA, now infoGroup.

“I was doing sales, making about $50,000 a year,” Young said. “But I thought that was where I was going to be forever, never really finding any room for advancement. I didn’t see a future in that.”

Making a change

While Young was considering her career’s future, infoUSA was undergoing a legal dispute with its CEO Vinod Gupta. That legal dispute caught Young’s eye. “I thought it would be fun to be a part of the legal side of that,” Young said. Despite knowing what she knows now about the job market and student debt, Young said she wouldn’t change her decision to start law school in 2007. “I’ve met some really great friends in law school,” Young said. “I’ve met people who have given me some great advice. I think if I would not have gone, I would have wondered what could have happened. And even there, it’s one of those things you can’t quit. Where I was then and what I knew then, I think

young: see page 3


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