A LOOK AT THE WEEK AHEADMay 11 - May 18, 2001OFFICE OF NEWS AND MEDIA RELATIONS(215) 204-7476 Fax: (215) 204-4403
TEMPLE COMMENCEMENT 2001 -- Amid pomp and circumstance, words of advice from 'The Cos,' smiles, tears and Kodak moments, 5,657 members of Temple University's class of 2001 will receive their degrees at Temple University's 114th Commencement ceremony this week. From those who struggled to be the first in their family to finish college, to honors students going on to graduate study at the world's most prestigious colleges and universities, Temple has it all. Among those graduating will be a blind and deaf computer engineering student who designed and created a device to make it possible for those with severe disabilities to read Braille for the first time; a broadcasting major who is currently one of two contestants left on a network reality TV show and may be sitting on a half million dollars; a graphic design major who worked his way through Temple's Tyler School of Art by driving the Zamboni machine at Flyers games; a 53-year-old Vietnam vet who came back to school after a 25-year battle with drug addiction to earn a physical therapy degree; and more. (Commencement will be held 10 a.m., Thursday, May 17, at the Liacouras Center, Broad St. and Montgomery Ave.)
A STAY FOR MCVEIGH -- The execution of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh has been delayed after the FBI said it had withheld evidence in his case.
"The chance that a federal court is going to overturn his conviction because of this disclosure is remote," says Temple criminal justice professor Daniel Silverman, a criminal lawyer who teaches a course about urban minorities and the criminal justice system. "One could argue that McVeigh's willingness to proceed with his execution signifies that he is not sane and it is unconstitutional to execute an individual that is not sane."
As for debates over the telecasting of his execution, Silverman says, there are two schools of thought.
"Some believe that by making the execution public, people will get to see what goes on and might change their opinion about the death penalty." Others, he says, maintain that by televising the execution, "we will make them seem routine and they will become just one more form of glorified violence on TV."
Reach Silverman in his office, 215-204 7530, or contact him through the Office of News and Media Relations 215-205-7476.
WE'VE GRADUATED, NOW WHAT? -- For those students not going on to graduate school or taking a year off to volunteer with the Peace Corps, it's time to get a job. And despite all the recent doom and gloom surrounding the economy, chances are good they'll get one, says Temple's Career Services Director Chet Rispoli. "According to the most recent data from the National Association of Colleges and Employers, college recruiting is up 18 percent," says Rispoli. "The down side to that for everyone else may be that companies are looking to replace more experienced, higher paid, employees with entry-level positions." One thing Rispoli warns against is deciding on a career based on what the "hot" jobs are. "This is a volatile economy and what's hot one day might not be the next. Students need to ask themselves what they enjoy doing and what their skills are and choose a career based on those strengths," he says. Reach Rispoli through the Office of News and Media Relations.
Cheryl AfonsoTemple UniversityOffice of News andMedia Relations215.204.7476[email protected]
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