Newspaper Page Text
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■ More than 12,000 take summer classes - 2
The Red & Black
An independent student newspaper serving the University of Georgia community
INSIDE
‘Heart of Darkness,’ a
film about ‘Apocalypse
Now,’ is a film lover’s
delight.
6
Weather Barometer is 29.83
and falling, with high humidity.
(Translation: Stormy.)
WEDNESDAY, MAY 13,1992 • ATHENS, GEORGIA • VOLUME 99, ISSUE 136
Job study: Hiring outlook promising
By PAUL COX
Staff Writer
Graduates looking for work this June may have
something to smile about, according to a recent
University job study.
The study, released Monday by Jeffrey Humphreys,
director of economic forecasting, predicts a somewhat
brighter future for the Georgia job market struggling
to pull itself out of a recession.
Humphreys said the Georgia economy began to
rebound last January, leaving this year’s crop of grad
uates a better future than those of the previous three
years.
“I think that if you look back at the last three grad
uating classes, they walked into a brick wall,"
Humphreys said. “In contrast, the class of’92 is walk
ing into a recovery."
Since 1989, the job creation rate
in Georgia has experienced a grad
ual recession, slowing to 2.2 per
cent that year. In 1990, it dropped
even further to 1.7 percent and in
1991 the job market experienced
no growth.
Humphreys, however, said the
job market throughout Georgia, as
well as in Atlanta, will experience
a slight revitalization over the next
two years.
This year, Humphreys projects
an increase of .5 percent and a 1.6
percent increase in 1993.
He cautioned that the process will be slow.
“So far, the Atlanta labor market is improving, but
it is nothing to brag about," he said. “We are walking
into a recovery; we are not run
ning."
Humphreys said the slow
progress is partly due to the devas
tation Georgia experienced during
the late ’80s relative to other
states. Recovery for other states
began as soon as last fall, he said.
“We got hit harder in Georgia
than the rest of the country," he
said. “We are expected to come out
at about the same rate.”
Donna Crouch, associate direc
tor for the University’s Career
Planning and Placement Center, said while the mar
ket outlook still looks bleak, graduates who are will
ing to relocate and settle for a position different from
the one they originally visioned will be in a better posi
tion.
“The numbers show that you don’t necessarily have
to settle for anything, but you might have to increase
your flexibility with the types of things you are inter
ested in," she said. “The main thing is that there are
jobs to be had.”
Humphreys said occupations that will remain
strong in the next few years are health and repair ser
vices, as well as positions in local and municipal gov
ernments.
Humphreys added that not all companies are hir
ing at the same rate, some choosing to hire temporary
employees rather than filling permanent positions.
Competition for jobs will still remain intense, he said.
Crouch said because of the recession, many employ
ers have been forced to re-evaluate their positions and
found they can operate more efficiently with smaller
staffs.
Job Creation Rate
(As Compared to Existing Jobs)
led and Black
An Endeavour finally pays off
Student had hand in naming shuttle
By ROBERT HAAQ
Staff Writer
Though the Space Shuttle Endeavour cir
cles the earth 226 miles above the planet’s sur
face, one University student feels especially
close to the orbiter.
Junior May Chan, from Tullulah Falls,
named the new shuttle that left on its maiden
flight Thursday. Chan was at Cape Canaveral,
Fla., to see the lift-off.
“It was beautiful," Chan recalled. "It means
a lot because we named it."
Chan, along with eight other students from
Tullulah Falls School, won a nationwide con
test to name the orbiter in 1989.
“We waited years for this to happen and it
was over in a couple of minutes," Chan said.
The contest, sponsored by NASA, asked for
middle and high school students from around
the country to propose a name for a space shut
tle to replace the Challenger, which exploded
shortly after its launch in January 1986.
Students were to name the new shuttle
after former exploration ships and develop an
instructional project including the history of
the suggested name.
Chan suggested the Endeavour, a ship cap
tained by James Cook.
With the original Endeavour, Cook mapped
New Zealand, explored the Hawaiian Islands
and a crew member discovered the cure for
scurvy.
Chan’s team project won the state and then
the national competition.
‘We waited years for this to
happen and It was over In a
couple of minutes.’
- May Chan
“We never expected to win state," Chan
said.
Chan’s project, which included a play com
paring a ship’s voyage to that of a space shut
tle, was one of several that went before
President Bush for final approval and was
selected along with another team of middle
school children to name the new shuttle.
“It’s probably the most exciting thing that’s
ever happened to me," Chan said.
NASA invited the two teams, which both
chose the name Endeavour, to Washington,
D.C., to meet with the president.
“I was quite nervous because I was stand
ing next to him," Chan said.
Chan said Bush asked her to say something
to the audience during a nationally televised
news conference. But she said she can’t
remember what she said.
“I guess it was OK," Chan said. “Everyone
started clapping afterwards.”
May returned to school Monday from her
trip to Cape Canaveral, where she saw the
Endeavour’s lift-off and met the mission’s
astronauts. She said she missed a week of
school and returned to several test and quizzes
that she has to make up.
“I have a lot of catching up, but it’s worth
it," Chan said.
The Endeavour is currently in orbit
attempting to snag the Intelsat-6, a $157 mil
lion communications satellite, and reposition it
at an altitude of 22,300 miles. NASA is plan
ning to have the Endeavour return to Earth
Friday.
The Associated. Press contributed to this
article.
Tan 7 n 7 cram
Liz Genest, a senior from Fort Mill, S.C., studies in the sun on the south side of the Journalism
Building during the recent warm spell. Looks like a popular thing to do.
Free tuition idea remains undecided
By LORI W1ECHMAN
Staff Writer
A proposed policy granting University System
employees free tuition remained undecided Tuesday, as
various committees of the Board of Regents discussed
specifics of the plan.
The Board of Regents Committee on Finance and
Business debated the proposal which will allow full
time University System employees to register without
fees for two credit courses per term on a space-available
basis.
“With the current pressure on enrollment,” said
Chancellor Dean Propst, “there is going to be limited
space available.”
Regents Treasurer James Cofer said a majority of
institution presidents were in favor of the policy, and
they indicated it would not have a large financial
impact on any of the schools besides the University.
The University has the largest portion of employees
who attend classes.
The policy also allows an employee to take the class
es at an institution other than where they work.
•They tried to structure the policy so that a person
at a two-year college wouldn’t ds limited to that col
lege," said Cofer. Committee members placed little
emphasis on the policy, except for questions about
employee’s children receiving the benefit and how the
policy didn’t grant tuition to state employees.
“My research shows it’s split the way states do it,"
said Cofer. “Many (university) systems are beginning to
grant tuition for children, but it’s not universal vet.
Tuition remission was discussed at length by the
Board several years ago, but no policy was ever
approved.
The points brought up in discussion will be present
ed to the Administrative Committee on Fiscal Affairs
for further development.
The committee also approved an allotment of
$120,000 to the University for Regents’ Opportunity
Grants, which are given to full-time graduate and pro
fessional program students yearly at $2,500 or $5,000.
Ninety percent of the grants are awarded to black
students, and the rest are usually given to women and
Hispanic*.
The University was also allocated the most Recent
Scholarship money of all University system institutions
- $26,000. The scholarship program began in 1961 and
acts as a loan. Students agree to work in Georgia a cer
tain amount of time for every $1,000 granted. If not,
then they pay the money back at 3 percent interest.
The Committee on Education also approved the
major in Japanese Language and Literature and the
termination of two majors - Rehabilitation Counseling
and Student Personnel Services - in the College of
Education.
The entire Board will vote on the proposals
Thursday.
Some classes
canceled for
Honors Day
By JENNIFER PETERSON
Staff Writer
Undergraduate students get a
break from some of their classes
today, whether or not they’re hon
ors material.
Third, fourth and fifth period
classes (10 a.m. to 12:10 p.m.) have
been canceled today for an Honors
Day ceremony on North Campus.
“This is the one day we set aside
to recognize scholarship among our
students," said Betty Whitten,
associate vice president for
Academic Affairs. “We would like
all students to pause to recognize
them."
The program begins at 10:30
a.m. on the North Campus quad
rangle by the president’s gardien.
Students in the top 5 percent of
all undergraduate classes will be
recognized at the program, as well
as 55 faculty members, said Carol
Winthrop, assistant to the vice
president of Academic Affairs.
Hugh Kenner, a renowned
expert on 20th century British lit
erature and professor in the
English department, will speak on
the topic “Visiting the Great."
“We would encourage people to
attend the program,” she said.
Undergraduate classes are can
celed, as in years past, at the
request of William Prokasy, vice
president for Academic Affairs, she
said.
But classes in the School of
Pharmacy will continue as normal,
said George Francisco, associate
dean of the school.
“We are never given anything
about Honors Day, so we never
know when it is," he said. “Only the
days sanctioned by the University
are the days we don't hold classes.”
They schedule these days
according to the official calendar
the University puts out at the
beginning of each year, Francisco
said.
He said the school works with
students who are in the honors pro
gram to allow them to miss classes,
just as they would with students
whose religions have holidays that
aren’t on the calendar.
Muslim group wants
to break stereotypes
By MELANIE THOMAS
Staff Writer
A group of Muslims gathers at dawn for the first of five prayers offered
each day in the Al-huda Islamic Center on South Milledge Avenue.
Students stand barefoot along lines on the carpet and perform small,
peaceful movements in synchronization with prayers recited aloud.
“Some people say, Do yoga or think pleasant thoughts,” said Sqjid
LeKhany, president of the Muslim Student Association. “But in Islam,
we already have that. Praying keeps us from getting stressed "
The University’s Muslim Student Association focuses on educating
the community and University campus about Islamic culture. The orga
nization wants to break stereotypes about Muslim culture and introduce
another side of Islam that is often overlooked, LeKhany said.
“The media has made an idea of Muslims,’ LeKhany said. “Every time
Islam is mentioned in the news, the next thing they show is a picture of
a Muslim terrorist shooting at people. That’s where a lot of people get
their idea about what a Muslim is.
Azam Nizamuddin, a graduate student in religion, agrees that stu
dents aren’t properly informed about Islam.
“I don't think there’s any awareness at all about Muslim culture on
campus," Nizamuddin said. “In more contemporary society, understand
ing of Islam comes from the Iranian revolution."
He suid media emphasis has “always been on the politics rather than
the religion or the spiritual aspect of Islam."
MSA is working with several campus organizations to help correct
skewed impressions of Islam and to emphasize the religious aspects of
Islamic culture.
“We believe in one reality over all others, the absolute reality - that
we surrender to Allah, the Arabic word for God," Nizamuddin said.
“Islam means surrender and peace. When you surrender your bouI to
God, you get peace." , , .
One major misconception about Islam is Muslim women s submis-
siveness to men, Nizamuddin said. Women pray in a separate room and
follow the men’s prayers through a speaker that connects the two rooms.
The separation doesn’t mean discrimination, Nizamuddin said.
“Men in general have always discriminated against women,"
Nizamuddin said. “Islam has been very good about combating that. More
respect is given to women in Islam than anywhere else."
Although many people usually associate Muslims with women
wrapped in veils, the head covering isn’t required, Nizamuddin said.
Muslims dress conservatively to make sure their focus isn’t on any part
of the material world, but on their religion. Many women find the veils
appropriate for their worship, he said.
The group goes to several Athens schools every quarter to educate stu
dents about Islam. MSA members say their intention isn’t to convert stu
dents to Islam, but to spread more understanding of their culture.
“Although, in Islam, there’s very open access. Everyone is invited,"
LeKhany said. That's why Islam is so easily accepted in the African-
American community. There’s no idea of racism. There’s no clergy either.
No one’s better than anyone else."
LeKhany emphasizes the differences between Islam and Christianity.
“We don't associate any partners with God," LeKhany said. “Like in
Christianity, there's a son of God. We consider Jesus an honorable and
respectable prophet."
Muslims do nave one similarity with Christianity, though. Muslims
believe they can reach God via Mohammed, the last prophet.
The association has about 65 active members, although the group is
in touch with many of the more than 400 Muslims at the University.
Muslims attest their religion helps relisve the stress of student Ufa.
“In the hustle and bustle of student life or in more cosmopolitan cities,
you don’t have time to reflect on what you’re doing or who you are,"
Nizamuddin said. “(Islam) makes you j^riritually aware there’s a higher
being. It puts you in a bigger perspective."
Dengku Shehron, a doctoral student from Pakistan,
calls all worshippers to prayer.