Saturday, April 28
Promising High School Football Player Shot to Death
Authorities say a popular high school football player who coaches said was on track to play for the University of Miami was fatally shot outside his home.

Seventeen-year-old Cedric Mills was shot twice by an unidentified gunman in a car at 6:24 Wednesday afternoon. Tampa police said the Jefferson High School linebacker known as "CJ" was shot by an unidentified gunman in a car. Doctors officially declared him dead a little more than an hour later.

Jefferson High coach Mike Fenton said University of Miami recruiters were following the sophomore's high school career. Even competing coaches were pointing Mills out to recruiters.

Plant High football coach Robert Weiner told The Tampa Tribune that he felt like by the time Mills was a senior he could play anywhere in the country one day.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:39 PM   0 comments
Friday, April 27
Congressional probe of student loans widens
Congressional investigators probing the $85 billion student loan market pushed into new areas on Thursday by raising concerns about collection tactics and seeking an inquiry into possible conflicts of interest inside the U.S. Education Department.

Edward Kennedy, chairman of the Senate education committee, wrote to the heads of two major student loan firms expressing concerns about allegedly abusive loan collection tactics.

"I am concerned that several private lenders may be engaging in harsh and inappropriate tactics with regard to borrowers whose payments are overdue ... tactics that are prohibited by federal law and regulations," Kennedy wrote in a letter to Tim Fitzpatrick, chief executive officer of Sallie Mae, the nation's largest student lender.


Senate investigators have obtained information indicating lenders may have told a borrower's spouse that the borrower would go to jail if he did not pay, which is "a blatantly false assertion," said Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat.

Investigators are also looking into whether lenders have refused to negotiate with borrowers on payment deferment, called borrowers on the job after being told to stop, harassed borrowers' neighbors, family and co-workers and used profane language to intimidate borrowers.

Kennedy asked Fitzpatrick to provide information about Sallie Mae's collection practices under the federally guaranteed student loan system.

Sallie Mae spokesman Tom Joyce said, "It is a shame that Senator Kennedy's staff is continuing to investigate through press releases ... The media received this letter before we did."


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posted by ^%&^ @ 11:00 PM   0 comments
Who's 'gaming' with student loans?
Like many other readers of The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Triangle, I have been puzzled and distressed by reports of the relationship between Drexel and a company making student loans, especially the recent revelation that the Attorney General of New York intends to sue Drexel on behalf of Drexel students from New York State. The assumption behind any such lawsuit is that the relationship must be against the interest of Drexel students in general, including those residing in New York State. But is this so? The reported fact that Drexel has devoted the payments from the loan company to scholarships would at least mitigate any such negative impact on students as a group. But, of course, that is not the whole story.

I asked myself, as an economist and game theorist, is there any possibility that the designation of a preferred lender for Drexel students could actually be in the interest of the students? I think it could be, if there are economies of scale on the transactions between Drexel students and the loan company. "Economies of scale" means that when the economic activity gets bigger, the costs associated with it increase less than in proportion. Volume discounts and "affinity group" credit cards are other arrangements that are consistent with economies of scale.

Economies of scale are tricky as a concept, but a numerical example should help. Suppose that the (fictitious) Thoughtmoney Loan Company lends to 1,000 (fictitious) Pixel University students with an overhead cost of $250,000. This overhead cost represents the cost of maintaining an office to deal with Pixel students, communication, organization, and administrative coordination with Pixel University and its students - administrative costs, in short. The overhead cost is $250 per student, which must be covered by fees or higher interest rates if Thoughtmoney is not to lose money. Now, in a change of Pixel policy, Thoughtmoney becomes the sole recommended lender to Pixel students, paying Pixel $100,000 for the privilege. Due to the designation, Thoughtmoney now loans to 5,000 Pixel students instead of 1,000. This increases their administrative costs, but only by $100,000. (This increase is less than in proportion to the increase in loans and so is an example of increasing returns to scale). Thoughtmoney now has an overhead cost of $450,000 for its dealings with Pixel -- $250,000 as before plus $100,000 of new administrative costs plus the $100,000 payment to Pixel. But this sum, $450,000, is only $90 per student, $160 less than before! From this $160 decrease, Thoughtmoney can reduce student fees by $100 and increase their own profits by $60 per student - or allocate the reduction in infinitely many other ways, depending on their agreement with Pixel University.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 11:00 PM   0 comments
Academy Award Winner Forest Whitaker Teams With AT&T to Promote Wireless Courtesy at the Movies

After giving one of the most moving acceptance speeches of the 2007 Academy Awards, Forest Whitaker is asking moviegoers to "take a moment and listen." For the first time ever, Whitaker has lent his writing, acting and directing skills to a single production, creating a 30-second public service announcement for AT&T's Be Sensible wireless courtesy program. Whitaker's spot will begin appearing in movie theaters nationwide beginning Friday, April 27, at AMC Entertainment, Cinemark USA, Loews and Regal Entertainment Group theaters.

For six years, AT&T's wireless unit, formerly Cingular Wireless, has sponsored a theater campaign that asks moviegoers to silence their wireless devices during movies. The company's most recent spot was created by Academy Award-winning film director Sydney Pollack.

The public service announcement features Whitaker and another male actor quietly requesting that a large crowd, gathered around a stage in a park, listen to the silence that exists within themselves.

"Just take this moment and listen," he says softly into the microphone. "Escucha" (which means listen), says another man in Spanish. A woman hurries to the front of the crowd to hear better, and as she steps forward and heeds their advice, she closes her eyes and smiles, seemingly relaxing in the solitude and tranquility of the moment. The entire crowd appears to take a collective breath, relishing the silence.

"If you find the voice inside of you, you can change the world," Whitaker whispers in the spot, echoing his statement from his Academy Award acceptance speech that "through our combined belief, we can create a new reality."

"I wanted to take part in this endeavor because of my strong belief in the light that exists in all of us," Whitaker said. "If we take the time to connect first to ourselves by being silent, then we can connect to others -- whether through entertainment or through personal interactions," he added. "Acting, writing and directing is my way of connecting to everyone. Films can create a deep connection; they can get people talking and listening. So it's important to be silent for those short few hours in the dark of the cinema."

"I decided to do this because AT&T's program reaches 550 million moviegoers annually, and if we can reach some of those 550 million people with this message, we will all enjoy the movies more. We can leave the theater and accomplish a little more or feel a little more connected than we did when we arrived," Whitaker said.

"One of the most well-respected actors in Hollywood has embraced our campaign to remind people to silence their cell phones in theaters," said Tim Klein, AT&T vice president of the wireless unit. "Going to the movies is one of the few respites from our busy world today, and we are proud to continue to help create a more enjoyable experience for all moviegoers through our Be Sensible wireless courtesy program."

"We are pleased to work so closely with AT&T to remind American moviegoers of cell phone courtesy," said Cliff Marks, president of sales and chief marketing officer of National CineMedia, the cinema advertising and marketing company that brings AT&T's wireless courtesy program to theaters nationwide. "These efforts, based on research showing that people will silence their phones when reminded, clearly make a difference. To have someone of Whitaker's stature lend his talents to our program is a testament to the power of this program and to the medium of film."

National CineMedia brings AT&T's wireless courtesy campaign to 14,000 screens in more than 1,000 theaters in 46 states and the District of Columbia.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:58 PM   0 comments
Grass Valley played key role in live Oscars broadcast in HD
iThe pristine HD images of the recent 79th Academy Awards was broadcast live around the world with a host of Grass Valley equipment from Thomson, just as they have been for the past five years. This year’s HDTV telecast of the Oscars was from Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, USA, via ABC in 720p HD format.

Mobile production facilities were pro-vided by NEP Supershooters, which operated two of its all-digital HD mobile units, Silver and Gold, on-site for the main awards-pre-sen---tation transmission. The company’s SS25 production truck was also employed to cover celebrities’ arriv-al as part of ABC’s pre-show Red Carpet segment. All three trucks used were equipped with Grass Valley multi-format HD produc-tion equipment and sys-tems, including HD cameras, switchers, servers, routers and conversion modules.

More than 20 Grass Valley LDK 6000 mk II WorldCam HD cameras, deployed throughout Kodak Theatre, were connected to the Silver and Gold mobile units, along with two Grass Valley Kalypso video-production centre switchers — one handling the 16:9 HD broadcast and the other the 4:3 SD show for analogue-broadcast viewers.

The two trucks also employed several Grass Valley PVS 2000 HD Profile XP Media Platform servers, Grass Valley SMS7000 and Concerto Series routers, as well as a full complement of Grass Valley Kameleon signal processing-and-conversion modules.

Aboard the NEP Supershooters’ SS25 were a dozen LDK 6000 WorldCam cameras, and a Kalypso HD switcher. This truck was also equipped with the new GeckoFlex HD signal-processing system for the Oscars broadcast.

For the live stage show inside Kodak Theatre, video-server company ProQue operated four Grass Valley PVS 2000 HD Profile servers and a mix of five PDR 200 and PDR 300 MPEG SD servers. All servers were controlled by ProQue’s Prodisk proprietary system. The servers provided random-access playback for the show’s pre-taped segments, commercials and billboard packages, as well as the dozens of film clips that were shown on-screen during the telecast.

ProQue has been using the Profile server to support both the Academy Awards and Grammy telecasts (initially in SD and more recently in HD) every year for the past 11 years.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:51 PM   0 comments
Reggae Academy, Awards formally launched

Addressing a sizeable and visibly eager gathering at the Caribbean Business Club in Kingston, Prime Minister, Portia Simpson Miller, delivered the keynote address at the official launch of the Recording Industry Association of Jamaica (RIAJam) Reggae Academy and the Reggae Academy Awards on Monday evening.

Preceding as they did a special consultation called by the prime minister with members of the industry the following evening, her presence signals a much keener interest on the part of the political directorate in the Jamaican music industry.

Lloyd Stanbury, Chairman of the Reggae Academy, described the Reggae Academy and Awards as a Jamaica based project with global reach. "It is an international Reggae recording industry project that will recognise and celebrate the artistic achievements of talented musicians and singers. It will also recognise important, behind-the-scenes contributors such as producers, songwriters, engineers and music video directors."

A long awaited organisation, RIAJam was established in 2003 with a view to providing a vehicle to promote and facilitate music business practitioners to upgrade recorded music and music video products. The mission of RIAJam is to raise the level of professionalism in the recording industry and return financial and other benefits to the Jamaican economy from music products released by locally based artistes and music professionals in the global market.

Several leading music production companies, music studios, record manufacturers and music distributors in Jamaica have already become members of the Association. One such member is Jeremy Harding, Producer, Artiste Manager and member of the Reggae Academy Steering Committee.

Harding welcomed the RIAJam and noted that, "Other organisations have come and gone, and we continue the search for a model that works for us. The RIAJam is a step in the right direction. Since no one entity can effectively steer the entire music business, it is, therefore, important to have several bodies that can express the views of industry professionals. And, while RIAJam may not meet the needs of every single member, it is a great start."

The Reggae Academy was formed with funding assistance from the EU, supported by the Private Sector Development Programme (PSDP), which is administered by Jamaica Trade and Invest (JAMPRO). It is being developed on the basis of a structure similar to the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, which is the body responsible for the Annual Grammy Awards. The Reggae Academy Award will be the first awards project to be based on the nominations and voting, without regard to popularity, music sales or chart position. Voting will be made by members of an industry body, comprised of persons involved in the making and promotion of sound recordings. Membership to the Academy is open to Reggae music industry practitioners around the world and attracts an annual membership fee.

According to Stanbury, RIAJam will design and develop the Reggae Academy, to provide the infrastructure for staging the first Annual Reggae Academy Awards, planned for February 2008. "The Awards categories will include just over 30 awards to be voted on by Reggae Academy members, as well as, two 'People's Choice' awards, which will have public participation by way of email and text message voting. The programme will also include inductions of outstanding personalities to the Reggae Hall of Fame." The show will be the final event in a three-day series of activities that will include seminars and business networking.

A nationwide competition will be initiated in the coming weeks to determine the design for the award itself.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:47 PM   0 comments
MOHELA to forgive $4.65M in student loans

The Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority (MOHELA) said Thursday that it was forgiving $500 for each of 9,300 freshmen Pell Grant recipients.

"We are dedicated to helping make education affordable for students because we want them to succeed," John Smith, chair of the MOHELA board, said in a statement. "We hope that this loan forgiveness will encourage and support students with limited resources in continuing beyond their freshman year and completing their college education."

The total $4.65 million in loan forgiveness comes a day after the Missouri Senate passed Senate Bill 389, the higher education bill that includes Gov. Matt Blunt's controversial Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative. The bill, which received initial Senate approval April 19, is now up for consideration in the Missouri House.

The initiative would use $350 million from the sale of some of the assets of the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority (MOHELA) for the construction of buildings on college and university campuses across the state as well as various other economic development projects.

MOHELA is one of the largest nonprofit student-loan secondary markets in the country with about $6.5 billion in assets.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:47 PM   0 comments
America's oldest public high school faces new hurdles
One wall at English High School holds old black-and-white photographs of young white men in high, starched collars. Another wall is covered with a mural spray-painted in graffiti art.

English was founded in 1821 as the United States' first public high school, and its distinguished graduates include financier J.P. Morgan, Korean War Maj. Gen. Matthew Ridgway, Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan and Leonard Nimoy, who played Spock on "Star Trek."

Today, its student body is one of the most diverse in the city.

"I often find myself telling alumni, 'This school was always a home for immigrants,'" Headmaster Jose Duarte said while striding through the halls, turning off students' cell phones and yanking headphones from their ears. "In the past, they were the sons of Italians and Irish. The only thing that has changed is the tone of the skin. We have always served the non-affluent population of Boston."

But now, the school is struggling. Educators say English's troubles are similar to those of other urban public schools with similarly large numbers of poor youngsters and immigrants.


Most schools that scored as poorly on standardized tests as English High School would have been closed by now, Boston Superintendent Michael Contompasis said.

"I would have closed English, if it wasn't English," he said.

Instead, the state has moved to save it. The school will be placed under state supervision next year, enrollment will be reduced from about 1,200 to 800 students, and longer school days may be allowed.

It is not the school's first transformation.

English High began as a one-room schoolhouse where students gathered around a fireplace. Over the years, the school admitted women and dropped military drills.

In all, English has held classes in seven locations. But Duarte said the school always has served a similar student body — newcomers shut out of Boston's elite schools. In fact, it was the first school in the U.S. that did not require Latin, setting it apart from New England's famous prep schools.

Today, English is about 48 percent Hispanic, 45 percent black and 5 percent white. Almost 20 percent are recent immigrants in an English immersion program.

The school has failed year after year to meet federal standards. Last year, 74 percent of 10th-graders failed to show proficiency on the language arts section of the state exam required for a diploma, and 73 percent fell short in math.

But many students and teachers have pride in their school simply because of its distinguished history. About 100 students staged a walkout last month, many complaining that their younger brothers and sisters might not be able to go to English if the school is reduced in size.

Charles Glenn, dean of the school of education at Boston University, said the problem for English and other large city schools is that Boston's more elite public institutions take away the best and brightest students.

"The challenge for English is catch up to that," he said.


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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:41 PM   0 comments
Full Scholarship to Julliard Will Become the Second Recent Tri-C Graduate to Attend Julliard
n the midst of the 28th Annual Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland, a Cuyahoga Community College Jazz Studies student has learned that his musical dream has come true: he has received a full scholarship to the prestigious Julliard School. Aaron Kleinstub plays the trumpet. A Post Secondary Enrollment Options Program (PSEOP) student, Kleinstub will graduate from Tri-C’s Jazz Studies program as well as receive his high school diploma next month.

Kleinstub’s scholarship is worth more than $30,000 a year for four years. He follows in the footsteps of Tri-C Jazz Studies graduate Dominick Farinacci, also a trumpet player, who graduated from Julliard in 2005 and is now a professional musician. Farinacci met with Kleinstub at a JazzFest event earlier in the week.

“Aaron’s scholarship is just another indication of the unbelievable opportunities our students have access to here,” said Steve Enos, Director of Tri-C’s Jazz Studies program. “Most people are not aware that we are one of only two programs in the entire country to have a full transfer agreement with the esteemed Berklee College of Music in Boston,” he added.

A third local musician with Tri-C ties will graduate from Julliard this spring. Jerome Jennings, a drummer, spent two years with the Tri-C JazzFest High School All-Stars ensemble before heading off to New York City for college.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:38 PM   0 comments
Dead Man's Chest nominated for Best Movie and Film and the Best Use of Moving Image and Video for the 11th Annual Webby Awards
The Webby Awards, the leading international honor for the Web, yesterday nominated Industrial Light & Magic's The Show microsite featuring Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest for the Best Movie and Film and the Best Use of Moving Image and Video of 2007.

The site was created by DHAP Digital Inc., winner of the 2006 People's Voice Award for the Build Your Scion vehicle configurator.

Showcasing the Academy Award winning visual effects created by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), The Show is a rich interactive application that offers a behind-the-scenes look at the artistry and technology used to bring Director Gore Verbinski's Pirates of the Caribbean characters and environments to life.

"It was important to us to create a site that truly complemented the magic and technical expertise of the ILM visual effects team," said David Nakabayashi Creative Director of ILM's art department.

"DHAP Digital created an immersive experience that was both exciting and educational for site visitors."

Winners will be announced on May 1, 2007 and honored at The 11th Annual Webby Awards Gala in New York City on June 5th.

The ceremony will be hosted by comedian and actor Rob Corddry, star of Fox's new sitcom The Winner and a former correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Hailed as the "Oscars of the Internet" by the New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet, including Websites, Interactive Advertising, Online Film & Video, and Mobile Websites.

The awards are judged by the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences, a global organization that includes David Bowie, Harvey Weinstein, Arianna Huffington, Matt Groening, Jamie Oliver, Internet inventor Vinton Cerf, and RealNetworks CEO Rob Glaser.

"The Webby Awards honors the outstanding work that is setting the standards for the Internet," said David-Michel Davies, executive director of The Webby Awards.

"The Show's Nominee selection is a testament to the skill, ingenuity, and vision of its creators."

Philip Dzilvelis, President of DHAP Digital, said "ILM encouraged us to be creative in our presentation, allowing us to go beyond the typical 'film clip' movie site to create more interactive features, such as our periscope viewer that lets site visitors see original shots underneath the layered visual effects and our 'Real or ILM' game that showcases the wizardry of the ILM computer graphics."

As a nominee for a Webby Award, The Show is also eligible to win two People's Voice Awards.

Voting is open to the public from April 10th to April 27th at peopleschoice.webbyawards.com.

The 11th Annual Webby Awards received a record 8,000 entries from over 60 countries and all 50 states.

Founded in 1996, The Webby Awards is known worldwide for its famous five-word speeches.

DHAP Digital's 2006 acceptance speech? "Now hiring in San Francisco!"

About DHAP Digital, Inc.

DHAP Digital, Inc. develops, implements, maintains and supports custom Internet-based software solutions and back-end technologies that help clients to achieve their business goals.

DHAP Digital's project managers, architects and developers assist with the strategic evaluation, selection and deployment of technology; designing, building and deployment of custom application software; and integrating with off-the-shelf and legacy proprietary systems.

The company has an impressive record of delivering solutions to Fortune 500 and other corporate customers across a wide spectrum of industries.

DHAP Digital serves as a partner amongst their clients' trusted advisors and vendors in the areas of strategic technology consulting, application and systems architecture, software and system development, quality assurance testing, systems deployment, and internet application infrastructure support. DHAP Digital is a profitable, privately-held company in business since 1998.

About Industrial Light & Magic

Industrial Light & Magic is a Lucasfilm Ltd. company serving the digital needs of the entertainment industry for visual effects.

ILM has been awarded 15 Academy Awards® for Best Visual Effects and received 19 Scientific and Technical Achievement Awards.

About The Webby Awards

Hailed as the "Oscars of the Internet" by the New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet, including Websites, Interactive Advertising, Online Film & Video, and Mobile Websites.

Established in 1996, the 11th Annual Webby Awards received a record 8,000 entries from all 50 states and over 60 countries worldwide.

The Webby Awards is presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include: Adobe; The Creative Group; Verizon; AOL Video; dotMobi; Level3; Adweek; Fortune; Reuters; Variety; Wired; IDG: Brightcove; PricewaterhouseCoopers; 2advanced.Net; KobeMail and Museum of the Moving Image.

About the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences

The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences is dedicated to the creative, technical, and professional progress of the Internet and interactive media.

The Academy is an intellectually diverse organization that includes over 500 members consisting of leading experts in a diverse range of fields, such as musician David Bowie, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, Internet inventor and Google Chief Internet Evangelist Vinton Cerf, Simpsons creator Matt Groening, Real Networks CEO Rob Glaser, and fashion designer Max Azria.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:34 PM   0 comments
Butler Community College receives new scholarship

A new scholarship has been established at Butler Community College by Dale Corson, a Kansas native and the former president of Cornell University.

Corson established the Margaret and Burt Bowles Scholarship to honor his younger sister and her husband, a former student at Butler who later became one of the school's trustees. This week the Bowles decided to match Corson's funds for the scholarship, which is for or math and science majors.


"We're interested in the academic side of the college and believe there should be a greater push in science and math," Burt Bowlus said in a release.

Before starting a teaching career at Cornell, a Ivy League school located in Ithaca, N.Y., Corson helped a group of scientists at MIT develop air-to-ground radar during World War II. He retired as Cornell's president in 1977.

Corson is a graduate of the University of Kansas, as are both the Bowles.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:23 PM   0 comments
Scholarship, academic changes passed

College baseball will change radically in 2008 from tightened restrictions passed Thursday by the NCAA's board of directors.

Starting Aug. 1, 2008, baseball players will be certified academically in the fall semester as opposed to the spring - a measure that could impact popular summer leagues. Currently, players use the fall semester to get well academically.

Baseball's one-time transfer rule for immediate eligibility was eliminated. Players will have to sit out a year after transferring - as in football, men's and women's basketball and ice hockey.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:18 PM   0 comments
U. first to require study abroad for nursing Ph.D.
Drexel University became the first doctoral nursing program in the country to require a study abroad experience April 14.

Students will travel to London for two weeks with Dr. Heyward Michael Dreher, director of the program. While abroad, students will be taking courses such as Clinical and Applied Ethics in Nursing Practice and Legal Issues Confronting Nursing Faculty and Administrators.

These classes will deal with issues in consent and capacity, as well as legal issues related to their roles in the field.

They will also have guest speakers, to get an international perspective. Guest speakers include Donna Dickenson, the first woman recipient of the Nobel Prize for Ethics.

Students will visit hospitals across London and will interact with staff in their daily setting of caring for patients. It is expected that they will also benefit greatly in a personal aspect as well.

"Studying abroad prepares a student differently, especially a student in this field, because it makes you well rounded and diverse," said Michael Thomas, a junior nutrition/pre-med

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:18 PM   0 comments
Expanish’s Unique Summer Program Meets Growing Study Abroad Demand in South America
Buenos Aires-based Expanish is launching a unique summer program this year that steps out of the typical study abroad mould with hands-on learning and the opportunity to actually “experience Spanish,” filling a significant gap in the city’s educational program options that has existed for years.

Study abroad rates among U.S. university students are steadily increasing, and Argentina (a non-traditional destination) is on the rise as one of the 20 most popular country, as reported by IIE in Open Doors 2006. Out of these students, IIE reports, “…the majority (56%) of U.S. students elected summer, January term, and other programs of less than one semester. These short-term programs have played an important role in increasing the popularity of study abroad, offering flexible international study opportunities to students who might otherwise be unable to participate in traditional programs.” Argentina’s exchange rate, its people and its cosmopolitan capital, Buenos Aires, are only a few of the many factors that account for the significant increase in the amount of university students studying throughout the country.

In response to this popularity surge of Argentina as a study abroad destination, program providers must create unique and innovative programs to fulfill the needs of a new generation of university students looking to immerse themselves linguistically and culturally in another country while simultaneously honing their job skills.

Unlike any summer study program currently offered in Buenos Aires, the Expanish Summer Program is open to students from all over the world, allowing them to experience life in Argentina while taking a variety of Latin American studies classes at a local university. The program works in conjunction with the Universidad Argentina de la Empresa (UADE), which offers Spanish classes, as well as courses taught in Spanish related to South American culture, allowing students to contextualize their daily experiences in the country.

Expanish students are immersed in the Argentine culture and language with relevant field trips; practical topics are incorporated into all courses in such subjects as political science, economics, culture and society, literature, art history, and marketing and communications. The Expanish Summer Program gives students the opportunity learn Spanish while living and breathing South American culture.

To complement the classroom experience, students can go on excursions, attend cultural activities, stay with local students or a family and meet with a conversation partner (intercambio). They also receive a variety of support services including a free cell phone, on-site orientation, comprehensive health and safety information and airport pick up.

All Expanish programs offer resume-building volunteer and internship placements for students who want to improve their Spanish, give back to the community and enhance their vocational skills.

Expanish’s knowledgeable university staff works closely with each participant to ensure individual attention and personal development, tailoring our flexible programs to his or her needs. Students truly learn by doing, ensuring that they get more out of their study abroad than if they were just in another classroom.

Since a diverse student body among study abroad program participants can be difficult to attain, Expanish has taken one more step forward among program providers by initiating Diversity Abroad scholarships that encourage and support students in promoting diversity though cross-cultural exchange overseas.

The scholarship and program application deadline for the Expanish Summer Program is May 11 (late applications accepted upon review), and the program runs from June 7-August 4.

Expanish offers Semester, Short-Term Study, Gap Year programs, and Intensive Spanish programs in five South American cities (Buenos Aires, Bariloche and Ushuaia in Argentina, Quito in Ecuador and Santiago in Chile), excursions, workshops, local accommodations and volunteer and internship placements. Additional information is available on our website, by email, or by calling at USA +1 800 595 3379.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:18 PM   0 comments
Thursday, April 26
Youth Receives Pope Eagle Scholarship
Casey Johnson, an Eagle Scout and Triton High School senior, has been selected to receive the John William Pope Eagle Scout Scholarship. The scholarship provides a maximum of $20,000 and pays up to $4,000 per year for four years of college. It also provides the recipient with a stipend to spend one summer interning in a study of the American Free Enterprise System.

Casey is the son of Brent and Janet Johnson of Dunn. He plans to attend North Carolina State University in the fall.

Casey was one of six Eagle Scouts chosen for the scholarship this year. Recipients are selected from applicants who receive their Eagle award within the program of the Occoneechee Council, BSA, headquartered in Raleigh.

William Pope Sr. and his family created the Eagle Scout Scholarship to recognize and encourage Eagle Scouts who have a strong sense of duty to God and country and who wish to follow a course of study that will place them in a leadership role in business and the free enterprise system.

Casey has been active in Scouting since a young boy. He is a part of Boy Scout Troop 711, sponsored by the First Presbyterian Church of Dunn.

With Troop 711, he attended many summer camps, a National Jamboree, and contributed in community service projects.

Casey has been active at Triton High as a member of the Beta Club, has attended Boys State and was a marshal his junior year. He has played football and baseball on both junior varsity and varsity teams at Triton.

Casey is an avid hunter, and takes an active role in the local chapter of Ducks Unlimited.

He is the third Scout from Harnett County, the Cape Fear District, to receive the Pope Eagle Scholarship.

Tyler Barefoot, also from Troop 711, and Mark Quakenbush, from Troop 719 in Buies Creek, were prior recipients.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:49 PM   0 comments
SAS Group launches online education for IP telephony
he SAS Group, an international provider of IP-based network and communication infrastructure services, is launching a series of educational webcasts designed to help IT and telecoms managers understand and address some of the challenges involved in implementing IP telephony (IPT). The webcasts, which will be broadcast live and then made available on-demand, are available free-of-charge to registered users at www.sas.co.uk/webevents/webcasts. They will address a wide range of subjects from how to assess whether IPT is right for your business and how to scope the project, to ensuring class of service (CoS) and achieving a return on investment (ROI).

The first webcast, entitled 'VoIP, IP telephony, IPC - what's the difference?' will take place at 11.00 am on Tuesday 24th April. In this, Simon Cranford, chief information officer for the SAS Group, will talk participants through the various communications technologies available and explain how each is suited to different types of businesses and networking infrastructures. Specifically, this webcast will cover hybrid and pure IPT solutions, as well as unified communications, describing the benefits and potential pitfalls of each, and looking at the technical and functional differences between them. An overview of the market and where it is heading is also included, to help businesses ensure they choose solutions that will scale to meet their future needs.


"Many businesses are under the impression that there's no choice but to upgrade to IP telephony," explained Charles Davis, CEO of the SAS Group. "In reality, there are lots of options available and a one-size-fits-all approach just won't work. Taking the decision to upgrade your communications network shouldn't be taken lightly as it can be an expensive and time-consuming undertaking. However, there's an alarming lack of information out there to help businesses decide on what really is their best option. Through these webcasts, we hope to fill this gap and provide convenient access to key advice as and when it is needed."


A survey of IT decision makers from top 100 enterprises, conducted by the SAS Group last November, found that 95 percent of companies wanted their ICT supplier to be a resource for technical advice, product knowledge and system recommendations.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:49 PM   0 comments
Wednesday, April 25
Comcast Scholarship Program Awards More Than $1.7 Million in Grants to High School Seniors
Over 1,700 high school seniors across the nation are receiving a helping hand for college in the form of $1,000 scholarships from the Comcast Foundation. The 2007 Comcast Leaders and Achievers(R) Scholarship Program, one of the Comcast Foundation's signature community investment programs, recognizes students who have demonstrated leadership skills, academic achievement, and a commitment to community service.

"Comcast is proud to acknowledge the success and potential of such outstanding student leaders, all of whom are preparing for the next step in their educational careers," said David L. Cohen, executive vice president and co-chairman of The Comcast Foundation. "The willingness of these students to play a leadership role in their local communities, coupled with their academic achievement, will put them on the path to success."

A commitment to community service is an essential component in the selection of winners of Comcast Leaders and Achievers(R) Scholarships. This year's winners have participated in a wide variety of community service activities such as mentoring and tutoring younger students, volunteering at hospitals and participating in local blood, food, and clothing drives. Each year, Comcast works with high school principals, guidance counselors, and school administrators to select the scholarship recipients.

"I continue to be impressed with the huge level of response to the Leaders and Achievers(R) Scholarship Program," said Joseph W. Waz, Jr., President, The Comcast Foundation. "These students truly embody Comcast's belief in the importance of giving back to the communities where we live and work. They deserve our recognition and support, and we are confident they will always remain active members of their communities."

This year's scholarship winners will be attending universities and colleges throughout the country, such as Georgetown University, Harvard University, Brown University, Howard University, Cornell University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In the seven years since the Leaders and Achievers(R) Scholarship Program began, it has awarded more than $7.5 million in college aid to more than 7,500 students. The program is managed by Scholarship Program Administrators - an independent, not-for-profit organization that manages corporate and corporate foundation scholarship programs.

About Comcast Corporation

Comcast's content networks and investments include E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, The Golf Channel, VERSUS, G4, AZN Television, PBS KIDS Sprout, TV One, four regional Comcast SportsNets and Comcast Interactive Media, which develops and operates Comcast's Internet business. Comcast also has a majority ownership in Comcast-Spectacor, whose major holdings include the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team and two large multipurpose arenas in Philadelphia.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 11:08 PM   0 comments
An A for Your Aid Award Letter
As if financial aid directors don’t have enough to worry about these days, now they need fear a failing grade on a new Web site, FinancialAidLetter.com, that dissects aid award letters for clarity and transparency.

"Over the years, people have been giving me letters and saying, ‘I don’t understand these,’” says Kim Clark, a senior writer at U.S. News & World Report who launched the Web site last week while on a six-month Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism fellowship at Ohio State University. “And I would look at them and say, ‘Wow, I don’t really understand them either.’”

“There’s so much jargon; there are so many buzzwords. The letters that students receive from colleges are often unintelligible to 17-year-olds or especially a parent who hasn’t been to college,” Clark says. “It makes it very difficult for families who are trying to compare offers.”

FinancialAidLetter.com offers a glossary defining the jargon and answers to frequently asked questions on student aid issues for high school students and parents. But on top of all that, it “decodes” aid letters from five institutions – Hendrix College, American and Monmouth Universities, and the Universities of Arizona and Pittsburgh – indicating in red any potentially misleading or unclear information. (Clark says that she asked high school counselors to recruit students to share their letters, and so the universities were chosen based on which students were willing).

A group of experts assigns each letter a grade based on clarity and completeness of information. Among the common transgressions cited by the evaluators: Unexplained acronyms and abbreviations, unsubsidized loans packaged as aid without any explanation (running the risk, evaluators say, of students, particularly first-generation students, thinking they’re “free money”), and incomplete information about cost of attendance.

For instance, the University of Pittsburgh, which receives a B-, is faulted for failing to include any explanation of what’s listed on the letter simply as the PHEEA (a grant from the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency). The University of Arizona gets a B but also gets demerits for listing federal PLUS parent loans toward the total award (and since parents eligible for PLUS can borrow up to the balance of tuition after grant aid, institutions that do this can end up sending the message that the total aid award equals the total cost, Clark says).

Meanwhile, Monmouth University gets a D, in part for imposing tight deadlines on students and also for including “alternative financing” — described by graders as “a fancy name for a loan, which shouldn’t be counted as ‘aid’” — in its award letter.

“I was looking for something simple so that families can sit down and say, ‘Aha, this is how much it will cost to send Junior to college.’ None of these letters do so,” says David Hawkins, director of public policy at the National Association for College Admission Counseling and one of the site’s six volunteer graders.

“It wasn’t clear what the students and families were in for when it came to total cost, when it comes to how much aid they were getting versus loans.”

Yet, some of the financial aid directors whose letters were dissected describe a different philosophy about whether loans should be packaged as aid, and point out that while they were docked for including few details about various aid options in their letters, the explanatory information accompanying the letters was not considered or evaluated on the Web site.

“Needless to say, I’m not happy about the site,” says Claire Alasio, associate vice president for enrollment management at Monmouth. “The rating, I think, was very arbitrary, very unfair.”

“For example, one of the things that we were critiqued on was not offering the complete cost of attendance. When we publish our award letter, we very carefully specify that the costs we provide are for tuition and fees, in the case of a commuting student, or tuition, fees, room and board in the case of a resident student,” Alasio says. Additionally, administrators make the conscious decision to address the balance between gift aid and cost by including the “alternative financing” line in the award letter – and providing students in accompanying paperwork with various options for paying that balance via “alternative financing,” be it through taking out a PLUS or private loans, or enrolling in the university monthly payment plan. “From our point of view, by putting that on the award letter, we’re showing students and parents that there is a way to pay that gap,” says Alasio.

“There’s a difference in philosophy between our philosophy at the University of Arizona and the people who run that site,” adds John Nametz, the financial aid director there. “We believe in absolute full disclosure of all options on the award letter,” he says – adding that the university’s letter has a “back page” that wasn’t evaluated on the Web site.

The question of how to clarify award letters isn’t a new one within the financial aid world. In 2000, a National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators committee on college access developed the Award Letter Evaluation Tool to offer colleges “a framework in which to provide ‘what families want to know’ in a language understood by all.”

Yet, the field has generally resisted standardization, Clark says.

“Simplicity and ease of comparability are really important,” she says, criticizing colleges that bury important information in “six inches” of material and underestimate the true costs students will face in their award letters by only including tuition, room and board, and fees (minus books, travel and other expenses).

“At a cost now of sometimes over $50,000, it’s not clear to me why consumers should not be given the same basic consumer rights that they receive in other, less important financial transactions. My God, when they buy a box of Jell-O for 69 cents, they’re given more consumer information than when they spend $50,000,” says Clark (who says that she’s unsure at this point how the site, which belongs to US News & World Report, will grow, and whether more critiques of letters will be added).

Don Hossler, a professor of educational leadership and policy studies at Indiana University and one of the evaluators for the site, says that as a former vice chancellor for enrollment services, he can understand the issue from both the student and administrative perspective.

“The first time I saw our letters [as vice chancellor], I thought, ‘Oh, my God,” he says, laughing (and quickly adding that the letters have since been updated). But, at the time, he and other administrators were unable to alter the award letters, he remembers, because the software they were using didn’t enable them to make the changes they desired.

“It can be complex on the back-end sometimes to write good letters,” Hossler says. “But I don’t think that absolves us of our responsibility."

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:55 PM   0 comments
Awards pinch those who have tapped out their aid

Although eager to fill their pockets with scholarship and award money at Honors Day, some students might have to ready themselves for a change in the way rewards are dispersed.

According to Director of Financial Aid Lynette Wahl, law dictates that in some cases, awards from Honors Day would be used to help pay off student loans.

“If there was no room in your budget to reduce work study or loan eligibility, then we would replace the money from a loan with the award money,” she said. “Students who borrow all they are eligible for and use all of it may feel a little bit of an impact.”

Wahl said that students have a set dollar amount in their potential financial aid budget that includes tuition, room and board, and other expenses. The U.S. Department of Education requires that all awards and scholarships count toward that budget. Therefore, if a student receives an award on Honors Day, that must replace something else in the cost of attendance because the budget cannot exceed the previously-determined amount.

She said that this would be a rare occurrence. Hamline followed this policy last year after learning about it at a federal financial aid rules conference. No students were affected. Sophomore Taylor Seeman didn’t notice the change when she received her award last year.

“I just got a check,” she said. “I think I had to pick it up later, at the cashier’s office.”

Only when students are without room in their budgets because they have borrowed and used all they are eligible for based upon the cost of attendance, do things start to get technical.

Wahl said that Hamline tries to replace the aid in a way that would be most beneficial to studentsčusually through re-adjusting work study or loan eligibility left unused. She added that this amounts to “making the numbers fit,” and that most students would be able to pick up their checks and not notice a difference. Wahl said that removing money from work study granted by financial aid wouldn’t affect students’ pay because the university will continue to pay their salaries by picking up the tab through university payroll.

Wahl said that even though those students wouldn’t be receiving their awards in checks, the awards would still be beneficial because they replace loaned dollars that would have accrued interest.

Honors Day is an annual celebration of students’ scholastic accomplishments, and many students win small amounts of money through awards or scholarships. Wahl said that most of the awards are in the $100 range. Honors Day will be held on May 3. Students with questions about the policy may contact the department of financial aid at x3000.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:50 PM   0 comments
Online education offers opportunities, relieves hassles
Distance learning allows many people the chance to get a college education when circumstances like work, family, disabilities or the price of gas make it difficult to physically attend classes on a college campus.

For 43-year-old Janel Cotter of Bakersfield, Mo., the fact that Arkansas State University offers online education means that her school load is a little less stressful this semester.
Enrollment numbers for the spring semester show that Cotter is one of 1,823 undergraduate students enrolled in web and web-assisted courses on the Jonesboro campus. That is a 662-person increase compared to the 2006 spring semester when 1,161 were enrolled.

"It is a combination of more students and more course offerings," said Susan D. Allen, the former vice chancellor of Research and Academic Affairs. "Online education is here to stay, and it's going to become more and more interactive," she said.

The College Board, a non-profit association that connects students with college opportunity, along with the Sloan Consortium, an association of the nation's institutions and organizations that study the quality of online education, surveyed 2,200 U.S. colleges and universities last year. They found that almost 3.2 million students took at least one online course during the fall. This is up from 2.3 million in 2005.

Online courses are convenient for Cotter, a junior criminology and sociology major, who works 32 hours a week and takes care of her mother and two farms, which include cattle.

Cotter is taking an online social deviance class this semester, plus 13 hours on the Jonesboro campus, but last spring she took a biology course from ASU-Mountain Home. Because her father was sick, she said she would have had to drop it if there had only been a classroom option.

"It was very hard to finish my classes that semester. I was under a lot of pressure," Cotter said. "My father wanted me to finish school, so I lied to him and said it was my last semester." Cotter said she picked up her father from the hospital after she finished her final exam for the class. "I wanted to quit classes because I felt so much pressure and responsibility on a personal level," she said.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:45 PM   0 comments
Free Online Teaching Platform For Those Who Want To Teach
The PBG systems permits each instructor, regardless of where they are in the world, to easily create their very own virtual classroom. Also, the teacher can then schedule sessions online at their convenience utilizing the latest technology to provide chat, video, audio, live presentations, and many other technical innovations that offer close interaction between teacher and student.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:39 PM   0 comments
CM announces Rs 1.8 million for FM radio station at KC
Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has announced Rs 2 million for the Kinnaird College (KC) – Rs 1.8 million for a radio station and Rs 200,000 for the welfare of the college’s lower staff.

He made this announcement, while speaking at the convocation of the KC on Tuesday.

Association of KC chairman Dr Alexandar John Malik and the principal of the college, Mira Phailbus, were also present on the occasion. The CM said that the government was attaching top priority to education because it was necessary for prosperity. “The government is struggling for the uplift of the education sector. The educational budget has been increased during the last four years,” he added.

He said that the government was supporting the public-private partnerships and a number of educational programmes had been launched with the collaboration of the private sector.

He said that in addition to primary education, the government had taken measures to promote higher education. He said that free education was being provided to students at the government schools up to the matric level besides providing free textbooks. “In 15 districts of the province, Rs 200 is being given to girl students showing more than 80 percent attendance every month,” the CM added. He said that the dropout rate of girl students in schools had declined due to this policy. “The World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the UN and other international organisations had praised the education programmes of the Punjab government,” he added.

He said that due to the policies of the government, the enrolment at the government schools had been increased by 21 percent.

The CM said that the policy of nationalising education institutions caused a serious setback to the education sector. The CM said that the Kinnaird College was also playing an exemplary role for the character building and polishing the talent of girl students. “The college has produced a large number of scientists, business executives and decision-makers,” he added. Talking to reporters after the convocation, he said that the government had not made a deal with the Pakistan People’s party. “There is complete freedom of expression in the country,” he added.

KC principal Mira Phailbus said that the college had produced excellent results. She said that the passing-out students were serving various national and multinational organisations in various capacities. She said that from the next academic session, the KC would introduce MPhil in various subjects including statistics, mass communication and English literature. She said the college had recently received an FM radio licence by the PEMRA. Mira Phailbus also praised the role of the Old Association of Kinnaird Society (OAKS).

Degrees were awarded to the successful students of the BCS, MA applied linguistics, English language and literature, French, and masters in science and statistics. The students showing outstanding performances were also awarded with gold medals. The recipients of the gold medals included Tayyabba Batool (2005) and Huma Mughal (2006) in the bachelors in computer science and business programme, Masooma Masroor (2005) for MA applied linguistics, Aafia Qureshi for MA English language teaching. Leena Sehr Ali and Zainab Siraj shared a gold medal for MA English literature. Saima Saleem was awarded with a special medal in the same subject for her seriousness and commitment towards her studies despite her handicap. Nida Masood (2004) and Sadia Falak Sher (2005) were awarded gold medals for MA environmental sciences. Amina Sarfaraz (2005) and Shahida Naheed (2005) were awarded gold medals for MS Statistics and MS Science Education respectively. A large number of KC faculty members, graduating students and their parents were also present on the occasion. staff report

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:38 PM   0 comments
On the job training
Journalism has been one of my many interests ever since I started taking classes at Liberty High School. Now that the chance had finally come, I could experience what it was like to be a reporter in the real world.

The days passed after I completed and turned in my form, and I grew anxious to find out all the details about who I would shadow.

Just a few weeks before the big day, I found out that I would be shadowing an education reporter, Ms. Alice Felts, at the Fauquier Times-Democrat. As an avid reader of the paper, I was very excited to be granted such an opportunity.

The official career shadowing day crept closer and closer. The night before, I prepared myself by getting plenty of rest, instead of staying up and talking on my cell phone like most other normal teenage nights.

That morning, I wanted to ensure I had plenty of time to arrive at my job site. I walked into the building with five minutes to spare.

First off, I got a tour of the office. I was also introduced to some of the staff, each having their own individual personality and job, but all working together to produce one product.

I then learned that I would be going on two interviews. The first with two Fauquier High School students, and the second with two ladies from the Fauquier County School Board Office. I would then be writing a short piece about one of the students that I interviewed.

We arrived at Fauquier High School around 10 a.m. and were ushered back to a small room where we would interview the students. Alice started the interviews with a senior who had been nominated for a Fauquier Future Leader scholarship. Next I got a chance to interview someone: a second nominee for the award.

Although I was nervous at first, as the interview progressed I got more comfortable asking questions.

After our interviews were through, we headed back to the Times-Democrat offices. There I

received the chance to work side-by-side with some of the staff of the paper.

The day definitely reinforced my interest in journalism, and, in fact, it opened my

eyes to see that you can do a lot with a journalism major, not only writing for a paper, but also using those skills to work in other fields as well.

I like to know that by writing a news story, the readers are getting informed on something they may or may have not know. And by experiencing Career Shadowing Day, I got to put that interest into action.

I am truly thankful to those who helped make my Career Shadowing Day such a success.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:36 PM   0 comments
career experience teaching prisoners to train dogs

Purdue students are gaining leadership skills and future career training by volunteering in prisons and teaching the prisoners how to train dogs for adoption programs in their community.

Megan Estes, a sophomore in the College of Agriculture, matches dogs with behavior issues with offenders from the New Castle Correctional facility, which is located south of Muncie, Ind.

"They taught us about shanks (weapons the offenders make), and how to defend ourselves if someone gets violent. But when we actually go into the prisons, the offenders are very respectful," said Estes.

Estes is seeking entrance into the vet tech program, which she said deals with the behavior of the animals and how they deal with people.

"So through doing this I am not only learning about animal behavior and training, but also how to work well with people," said Estes.

Estes said the 12 week program is designed to conduct training classes with the offenders and the dogs for six weeks, and then allow the offenders to work mostly by themselves with the dogs during the second six weeks.

"We instruct the offenders to teach their dogs tricks like roll over, shake, sit, and stay," said Estes.

Estes said at the end of the 12 weeks, the dogs have a graduation ceremony where the public is invited to see what the dogs have learned and start the adoption process.

Although hands-on work with the animals is what most people think of when volunteering with animal adoption services and humane societies, students from all majors are finding real-life experience outside the classroom.

Shauna Cari, volunteer coordinator at the Tippecanoe County Humane Society, leads a training orientation session for volunteers at the Humane Society that teaches basic animal care, whereas Estes' preparation dealt mostly with training on how to deal with the prisoners.

"Students from business and marketing classes do projects for us. They design pamphlets and make brochures," said Cari.

These programs appreciate students who are able to volunteer regularly.

Cari said they also have a lot of opportunities for students who may not be able to volunteer regularly at the Humane Society, and that helping organize and run animal adoption fundraisers at off site locations with local businesses is an option many students prefer to participate in.

"I would say that if you are patient and have an interest in helping people and animals at the same time, then get involved in a program like this," said Estes.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:36 PM   0 comments
All Financial Need With Grants
Every year a new generation of students experiences the thrill of admission to college. For many, particularly traditional-age students, going to college brings independence and represents an important rite of passage. It is also, for more and more young Americans, their first encounter with the stark reality of making economic ends meet. Increasingly students are having to help shoulder what their parents cannot carry alonenamely, the cost of tuition, room, and board

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:34 PM   0 comments
Adequate Training to Create World-Class Professionals
at the Arab Media Forum 2007 urged the setting up of institutions to adequately train journalists as professionals of international standards.

The session entitled "Ranking Training and Education in the Rung of Priorities" was moderated by Itidal Mujbary, Media Specialist from Tunisia on the concluding day of the forum.

Mohammad Yousef, Chairman of UAE Journalists' Association, said: "The training centres and programmes in the region do not focus on media personnel. While technology and information sectors are fast developing, journalists hardly have any recourse to training on the use of technology.

"When a petroleum company provides training to its inductees, why can't media institutions offer similar training to their staff before assigning them field reporting tasks?" Yousef asked.

He pointed out that education itself is not enough to produce a professional journalist. "This part of the world poses a unique problem. Although journalism is taught in English, the graduate gets to work in an Arab media institution, leading to complex communication barriers."

Shishir Joshi, Executive Director of India's TV Today Group, raised the issue of ethics and mid-term training, and said competition is driving media ethics down.

"In India, there are 60,000 registered newspapers. In the past one year alone, 2,000 more have been registered. There are 35 24-hour News TV channels and more are coming on line as we speak," said Joshi, while providing examples of unethical practices that have crept into journalism.

"Most large institutions in India have set up their own training institutes for entry level journalists. What we need is mid-career training. But owners are not willing to share the cost," he added, while offering placement training opportunities in India for journalists from the Gulf.

Elaborating on ethics, Jim Laurie, Media Consultant to the University of Hong Kong, said the problem of ethics was not limited to India. “Sensational celebrity-oriented TV is forced on journalists by managements in the 500-odd channel network in the US too.

"Qualification alone does not make a good journalist. It is essential for journalists to be as accountable as managers and owners of media organisation. Ethics and standards need to be part of the training. Apart from journalists, mid-career training should also be provided to media managers and owners.”

Abdallah Schleifer, founder of Adham Center for Television, American University of Cairo, agreed ethics are essential in journalism and should form part of the practical training.

"Conflict is not always apparent in global and regional or cultural reporting. A journalist anywhere has to be accurate and descriptive, without making anyone look good or bad. It is not expected of journalists to be experts in every field. However, it is critical for them to possess one area of specialty," Schleifer added.

The Arab Media Forum 2007 was attended by over 600 regional and international delegates, including editors-in-chief of major print and the broadcast media, as well as leading journalists, columnists, academics, analysts, commentators and senior government officials.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:33 PM   0 comments
College student to study abroad
"I'd like to get my feet wet in the real-world public health and international medicine field," the 22-year-old from Castleton said Monday.

Thornblade graduates in May with a degree in biology from Hamilton College and departs for Vietnam in August as a Fulbright scholar. The Fulbright program funds, among other activities, advanced research abroad. Thornblade will spend 10 months studying the establishment of family medicine practice in rural Vietnam.

"Right now, there is a big need," he said. "Vietnam, economically, is developing quite well. Their medical infrastructure is developing top-heavy. They have a lot of great medical schools with a lot of students who are going to make good doctors. They don't have a lot of training in primary care, general medicine."

Thornblade also said the graduates of Vietnam's medical schools primarily go to work in its city hospitals, a problem in a country where 80 percent of the population lives in rural areas. Though a network of clinics serve every village in the country, Thornblade said, it is seriously understaffed.

"Only one in two of those clinics has a physician," he said.

In the course of his research, Thornblade will work with the faculty at the medical school in Hue, Vietnam, as well as the staff at communal health center in Khanh Hoa province.

Thornblade said he began thinking about the project after a semester in Vietnam through the Brattleboro-based School for International Training. He said the selection of Vietnam to spend a semester in was almost accidental — it was one of the programs he found that did not have a language requirement.

"I also wanted to study development and ecology and culture," he said. "Those were a part of that program."

Thornblade said he saw what was happening in Vietnam's medical infrastructure then and was inspired to study it more with the goal of figuring out how to get more of the country's doctors into its countryside.

The study will include surveys of and interviews with Vietnamese physicians who have gone through retraining in family medicine, which Thornblade said he believes provides the most efficient model for health care in the rural areas of Vietnam because of its long-term focus.

"You work with patients throughout their lifetime," he said. "You work with their entire family, so you can understand hereditary condition better."

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:31 PM   0 comments
Long-distance party celebrates VU study abroad
The video images from Germany were reminiscent of those from the first moon walk in quality. But the image from England was unmistakable: a frosted cake topped with a "4" candle and a "0" candle.

Valparaiso University on Monday celebrated the 40th anniversary of its study abroad centers in those countries and the 25th of its center in Mexico with a four-way teleconference. Participants at each site cut cakes and raised toasts to the university's international programs.

"Cheers! Prost! Salud!" Director of International Studies Hugh McGuigan said to about 70 attendees at the student union and to students and faculty at the three study centers.

Since the study centers opened, VU has sent almost 1,500 students to Cambridge, England, 1,400 to Reutlingen, Germany, and 260 to Puebla, Mexico, McGuigan said.

University President Alan Harre noted that international education has been a two-way street for the university. Students from more than 40 countries on campus have brought richness and diversity to the university, he said.

Valparaiso will be one of six institutions of higher education profiled in an article later this year by NAFSA: Association of International Educators, Harre said.

From Germany, program director Eric Johnson said study abroad allows students to grow.

"They take back a global perspective that stays with them for the rest of their lives," he said.

Sally Ochoa, director in Mexico, said students come to a better understanding of both Mexico and themselves.

Waiting for the video link, Leslie Otis, a junior from Valparaiso, called her studies at the VU center in Cambridge last fall a great learning experience.

"I had the best time of my life over there," she said.

Otis gained a different perspective on her own country while abroad, even noticing "an arrogant side to us," she said.

After the toasts, senior Bryant Rosenwinkel said the importance of international study is getting out of your comfort zone and seeing what the rest of the world is like.

"It's really beautiful," said Rosenwinkel, who studied in England a year ago.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:31 PM   0 comments
Study abroad? Try scrimping abroad.
Giving shoulder rubs to strangers in London. Sleeping on the steps of a Spanish cathedral rather than the hostel. Waiting until 1 a.m. to eat spaghetti at home in Rome because dinner out breaks the bank.

American students are getting creative as they cope with the weakening dollar.
Forget how the beleaguered greenback affects investors and tourists. For college students, undoubtedly some of the poorest Americans doing business in Europe, the bad exchange rate comes down to altered lifestyles and an obstacle to fully experiencing foreign cultures.

Europe continues to be the top destination for American students, but what used to be excited chatter about local cafes has been replaced with sarcastic jokes about the “Euro diet.” Some Americans who studied in Britain, where the pound this week reached a 26-year high against the dollar, have reported returning home noticeably slimmer.

For students based in pricey cities, it means living in the suburbs, away from many of the cultural happenings that shape an international experience. Students now overlook Eurorail passes, a staple among past decades of study-abroad participants, in favor of discount airline Web sites.

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CREATIVE LODGING

The exchange rate has forced some to get creative. YiRan Liu, 21, who studied at Goldsmith's College in London during her junior year, joined a company where women in tank tops visited exclusive nightclubs to approach strangers with offers of seven-minute shoulder rubs. On a good night, she could earn up to 200 pounds, or about $400. But the midnight to 3 a.m. shifts were brutal, and Liu quit after six weeks.

“It's definitely a different experience,” said Liu, now a senior at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. “It was a pretty nitty-gritty experience of London.”

Liu, an art student, saved money by buying glossy paint at hardware stores rather than expensive oil paints. Dinners consisted of canned tuna mixed with sweet corn.

“A lot of people had Sunday dinners and English breakfasts and did stuff that was traditionally English, but I never really had bangers and mash,” she said, referring to the English dish of sausages and mashed potatoes.

Students who want to travel around Europe often have to trim their budgets elsewhere. Kathryn Martires, who is studying in Madrid, and her friends booked a three-day trip to Cadiz in southern Spain -- but didn't reserve a hotel room.

“We just stayed out all night,” said Martires, 20, a junior at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. “We were trying to sleep on the beach and were homeless. We took a nap on the big steps of a cathedral. When we got there, we were full of energy, but at the end, it was like 'I hurt, let's go home.”'

In the U.S., a night in a hostel can cost around $30 -- even in the most expensive cities. In London a similar hostel room can easily top $50.

Joshua Rood-Ojalvo, who is studying in Florence, Italy, has spent long nights in some of Europe's prettiest cities, such as Brussels, on uncomfortable airport benches to wait for morning flights.

When he went to Madrid, he slept on the floor of the hotel room that his friends' study-abroad program had booked rather than splurging for a hostel.

“I was constantly sneaking across the front desk,” said Rood-Ojalvo, 21, a junior at Oberlin College in Ohio. “I kept on getting all these looks, and having my friends open side doors for me to get in.”

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ALTERED EATING HABITS

Perhaps most noticeable is how the exchange rate can sucker punch American students in the stomach.

Mike Vainisi, 21, a junior at the University of Illinois, is taking food and culture classes in Rome. But most of the Italian dishes he learns about, such as saltimbocca alla romana, a veal and Parma ham dish, he could never taste in a restaurant.

The way to live cheaply in Rome is to “avoid eating out at all costs,” said Vainisi, who skips lunch several times a week and eats spaghetti at 1 a.m.

“We've all lost weight,” he said. “I saw one of my buddies in Verona, and he was like, 'Your face looks thinner!' and I was like, 'God, you've lost weight.”'

Despite the high cost of living, students still flock to Europe. Britain, Italy, Spain and France continued their years-long stranglehold as the top four study abroad destinations for American college students in the 2004-2005 school year, according to figures from the Institute for International Education, a New York-based nonprofit that tracks international study.

About 45 percent of the 205,983 American study-abroad trips during that period were to those four countries. Allan Goodman, president of the institute, said the availability of courses taught in English attracts American students to Europe. But no matter how bad the exchange rate gets, Goodman said students -- and future employers -- can't put a price tag on internationalism.

“It's about relating to other societies and other people who perhaps think differently than we do,” he said. “The most important fact is getting there, and yes, it's more expensive, but the educational value of understanding that there is a difference is invaluable.”

It might not be as morbid as it all sounds. Students -- some for the first time -- are learning the basics of budgeting. Often that means skipping a few crepes is worth it if the trade-off is the chance to see a friend in Berlin.

Julianna Tobak, 20, a junior from Syracuse University who is studying in Florence, Italy, is on a weekly budget of about $27 for eating out, drinking and shopping. But her most enriching cultural interactions had nothing to do with money.

“Experiencing culture is about the people you meet,” she said, “not the amount of museums or statues you visit.”

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:28 PM   0 comments
NYU pushes study abroad as sites grow
Students checking their mailboxes - both physical and electronic - have been subjected to plenty of enthusiastic messages urging them to study abroad. It's all part of the university's ambition to one day have 50 percent of students study in a foreign site by the time they graduate, according to university officials.

As of last week, 1,637 students applied to study abroad for next semester, and of those, 969 placed their deposit to reserve their spot in the program.

There are indications of the successful execution of this initiative, said Scott Hughes, manager of Global Administration. He added, however, that it is too early to celebrate.

"It is too early for a final head count," he said. "At this point we can only anticipate how many students will be attending by the number of accepted students who have made a deposit toward the program."

Figures provided by the study abroad office indicate that Florence is the most popular site, with 281 students having already placed their deposit. The second most popular site is London, with 173 deposits already filed.

"Florence is popular for its broad curriculum that attracts students from a range of disciplines, and for its spectacular location and cultural amenities," he said, adding that London is not far behind for the same reasons.

The two sites with the fewest number of applicants are Ghana and Shanghai. Although each site has only about 50 deposits filed, Hughes said this was because of the age of the sites, not their quality.

"One should not mistake smaller numbers in some sites for the site not being as worthy of an option, " Hughes said. "The smaller sites tend to be the newer programs and will continue to grow over the next few years."

And in the event that the popularity of the sites shifts, the university could easily accommodate the problem by "renting additional residence halls or classroom space as needed," Hughes said.

Although the university could not provide exact figures for how many students apply from each school, Hughes said that the College of Arts and Science has the largest number, followed by the Stern School of Business and then the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:22 PM   0 comments
Study Abroad Office celebrates scholarship recipients
Students and administrative officials gathered Tuesday at the Talley Student Center for an award ceremony to honor scholarship recipients who have or will be studying abroad all over the world.

The Study Abroad Office hosted the event in an effort to not only honor students' accomplishments, but also to stress the importance of worldly knowledge in today's society, according to Vice Provost of the Office of International Affairs Bailian Li.

Li said he hopes to expand the study abroad opportunities for students and make international awareness a priority for the University.

"The purpose is to bring international globalization to the University's agenda," he said.

Assistant Director for the Study Abroad Office Kelly Kirkwood said studying outside the country can be an important resume builder.

"Studying abroad helps students to learn about the world outside North Carolina, so that in their future careers, they have the skills to work with people of diverse backgrounds," Kirkwood said.

Li expressed similar sentiments, commenting that without global knowledge, students will be lost in an expanding technologically based economy.

"The world has become a global economy," Li said. "Without understanding the political systems, languages, cultures and religions of other countries, our students cannot compete in the world market."

Director for the Study Abroad Office Ingrid Schmidt said the knowledge students gain studying in different cultures can change their perspectives on life.

"It encourages students to step outside their comfort zone and experience personal growth from exposing themselves to something very different," Schmidt said. "It can be a scary thing to find someone with a complete different perspective than you."

Budget Manager for the Study Abroad Office Alane Basco-Yu said there are plans to expand the opportunities offered to students to study in different countries by supplying more scholarship opportunities.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:11 PM   0 comments
Team Nigeria Baits Athletes With Scholarship

Better days awaits any Nigerian athletes to the 9th All Africa Games in Algiers that wins gold medal in any event as Team Nigeria Trust Fund Limited has lined up scholarships as part of the incentives for the country to win the Games back to back.

Speaking after its board meeting in Lagos yesterday, Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas, deputy chairman of Team Nigeria said that the need to encourage Nigerian athletes to combine sports with education informed the choice of scholarship.



"Any athlete who wins gold at the Games in Algiers will enjoy scholarship from Team Nigeria Trust Fund while other incentives also await those already out of school," said the Lagos high chief who stood in for Dr. Peter Odili, who was unavoidably absent from the board meeting.

Chief Okoya-Thomas revealed that the N5 million the former National Sports Trust Fund invested in two banks over the years has yielded a profit of N44 million which has already been handed over to the present board.

"It was to avoid duplication that the fund had to be transferred to the Team Nigeria Trust Fund Limited when it was created," stressed Chief Okoya.

Suleiman Baba Ali, managing director of Team Nigeria in his assessment of the nine months existence of the body insisted that the trust fund has done well in the task of alleviating government the burden of solely financing sports.


"Within this short period, we have been able to help our athletes like the case of Olusoji Fasuba who Skye Bank bankrolled his training programme in Europe to the tune of $10,000. Also, we assisted in the hosting of the SCSA Zone 3 Games in Abuja as well as went on tour of all the camps of the athletes to know their problems and try to solve them were possible ahead of the Games in Algiers," he stressed.

The Team Nigeria Managing Director assured Nigerians that the country would perform creditably in Algiers because the training and preparation have been excellent.

"We are going to do well in Algiers. There is no reason to be worried and above all, as soon as we conclude discussions, we are going to announce the insurance package for the athletes in addition to other incentives to further motivate them," concluded the former Kogi State health commissioner.


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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:11 PM   0 comments
Senior BFA Student Earns Prator Scholarship
Jen Walters, a senior BFA student in art education, received the Agatha Prator Scholarship of $2,500 to cover educational expenses during her required semester of student teaching. The scholarship is given to one outstanding student from the state of Arkansas who is enrolled in a nationally accredited institution of higher education and has been approved for student teaching.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:09 PM   0 comments
First ARRL Goldfarb Scholarship Recipient Wins Research Fellowship
ARRL member Ben Schupack, NW7DX, the first-ever recipient of the prestigious ARRL William R. Goldfarb Memorial Scholarship, has won a $120,000 graduate research fellowship from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The stipend will enable Schupack, a senior at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, to undertake three years' of research in Iceland and Greenland. Schupack says that he's planning to take Amateur Radio gear along when he heads into the field.

"My graduate studies will not involve radio directly, but I will continue my involvement on the air, and I anticipate bringing along radio equipment to my proposed field sites in Iceland and Greenland," he told ARRL.

A geology and environmental studies major, Schupack, 22, plans to attend the University of Colorado -- Boulder in the fall, where he will be working within the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR). His research will focus on the interaction between volcanic eruptions and Arctic climate variability, and he expects to undertake ice-core and lake-core field work in Iceland and Greenland.

Schupack says he believes Amateur Radio played a role in his getting the NSF award, which typically goes to graduate students. In one application essay, Schupack mentioned his interest in Amateur Radio and the infinite questions that stem from studying Earth sciences. "The atmosphere, geomagnetic variations and solar conditions are among just a few of the many threads that help unravel Earth's history and predict future dynamics," he explained.

He also says his background in electronics and ham radio has come in handy on countless occasions, from installing remote solar panels to measuring battery discharge cycles and interpreting ground-penetrating radar surveys.

Thousands of undergraduate and graduate students across the US apply for the NSF fellowship each year. Whitman College Geology Professor Bob Carson lauded Schupack's talents and academic success.

"As an undergraduate researcher, he's presented at four professional meetings, three of which were national, and they've been on four different subjects," Carson said. In addition to his scholarly endeavors, Schupack is lead trombonist in Whitman's jazz band, and he's a member of the school's award-winning cycling team.

Last year Schupack took part in a semester abroad program in tropical marine ecology with the School for Field Studies in the Turks & Caicos Islands. Schupack and research colleague Elizabeth Stoner of Skidmore College analyzed the impact of fish-processing plant effluents on the surrounding waters and mangrove forests. As a result of their research, the processing plant owner's decided to use an ultra-violet filter to eliminate dumping of bleach into the ocean.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:03 PM   0 comments
AFP creates scholarship for journalism students

The Agence France-Presse will this year launch a competition for journalism school students called the “AFP Scholarship”.

The first prize will be a temporary contract for six months at AFP’s headquarters in Paris or at the agency’s bureaus in France or abroad. Two other students will win three-month contracts.

The competition is open to journalism students in their final year of study who speak two foreign languages, including English, who have been pre-selected and presented by their schools.

The 2007 AFP Scholarship will only be open to French journalism schools, which will each have the opportunity to present five students. Starting in 2008, the scholarship will also be open to foreign journalism school students.

After the candidates’ names have been submitted, between April 23 and May 6, 2007, AFP will pick 35 students to compete for the final prizes.

The tests will take place at AFP headquarters between May 24 and 31.

A jury presided over by AFP’s information chief and comprised of the editor in chief and three journalists, will pick three winners based on a number of criteria including dedication, speed, writing quality, and understanding of the information hierarchy. The candidate’s background and motivation will also be taken into consideration.

The competition results will be announced by June 4, 2007 at the latest. -Source: http://www.afp.fr

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:02 PM   0 comments
Brantley endows scholarship at UNF

The widow of a former Florida Senate President has endowed a scholarship at the University of North Florida to fund need-based and merit scholarships.

Catherine Brantley's gift of $250,000 to UNF established the Catherine and Lewis Brantley Endowed Scholarship Fund. The donation is eligible for matching funds from the state and will bring the total to $375,000.


Lew Brantley, who died in 2004, was elected to the Florida House of Representatives, where he served for four years, and then to the Florida Senate in 1970. He served as president of the Senate from 1976 to 1978. He also served on the UNF Foundation Board from 1975 to 1978.

Catherine Brantley said she wanted to fund the scholarship now so that she could meet some of the students who will benefit from it.

"I wanted to see the scholarship fund established in my lifetime and I'm just thrilled to be able to do this," she said.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:02 PM   0 comments

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