TEMPLE TIPSHEET A LOOK AT THE WEEK AHEAD
June 30 - July 7, 2000
GASOLINE PRICE RELIEF IN SIGHT? MAYBE NOT -- Despite a pledge by OPEC to increase oil production by three-quarters of a million barrels per day, gasoline prices could stay high for quite a while, says Dr. Frederic H. Murphy, a professor in Temple's Fox School of Business and Management.
He says OPEC traditionally cheats on their daily quotas at a rate of about 400,000 barrels a day by claiming to have produced lesser amounts. "With all this cheating, the question becomes, are they going to cheat at the same rate with their newly announced higher ceiling,'" says Murphy. "If they just go up to their new quota levels and don't cheat, then 750,000 barrels only really equates to 350,000 barrels a day, and with this small an increase, the higher gasoline prices are going to hang around for a long time." He adds that higher gas prices will have some ripple effect on the price of consumer products, but it won't be as extreme as it was in the 1970s; energy is a much smaller percentage of the economy today as compared to 25 years ago.
Reach Dr. Murphy through the Office of News and Media Relations, 215-204-7476.
A SUMMER OF SCIENCE FOR CITY GIRLS -- About 50 fourth grade girls from six city schools will eschew bike riding, splashing in the pool and other summertime activities for a Temple science classroom during the Sisters in Science (SIS) Summer Camp, which runs Monday, July 10 Friday, July 21, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. each day. "We're competing with a lot of other summer programs, but our numbers are increasing each year," says Temple education professor Penny Hammrich, founder and director of Sisters in Science.
During the camp, which focuses on Philadelphia's waterways, girls will work cooperatively on a host of hands-on activities as they study habitats, do water quality testing and stream studies, and design their own model rivers using water and diatomaceous earth. Field trips to the Riverbend Environmental Education Center in Gladwyne, the Philadelphia Wastewater Treatment Plant, the Philadelphia Zoo, and even the water park at Dorney Park are included in the camp.
"Girls learn science in a more cooperative manner than boys," says Hammrich. "They tend to be more conversationalist in their approach to learning." The summer camp is part of the year-long, NSF-funded SIS program, which is designed to develop--and maintain--young girls' interest in science and mathematics.
Reach Dr. Hammrich through the Office of News & Media Relations.
TEACHERS HELPING TEACHERS -- Temple faculty members are teaching Philadelphia schoolteachers new approaches to educating their students about the American Revolution and American history. In "Struggles for Freedom," a two-week teacher's workshop, area teachers are learning how to use the resources of Independence National Historical Park for their classroom lessons. The teachers will spend time at Independence Park learning about the country's cultural history, the achievements and ideas of past leaders and 18th century Philadelphia.
The workshop is designed as a refresher course for teachers who might not have visited Independence National Park recently or experienced a walking tour of Philadelphia's historical sites.
Contact the Office of News and Media Relations, or Temple history professor William Cutler, workshop coordinator, at 215/204-7755.
ASKING QUESTIONS IS KEY FOR A SUCCESSFUL COLLEGE TOUR -- Summer's here and colleges across the country are hosting soon-to-be-high school seniors and their parents as they start the long process of choosing a college or university. Mary Beth Kurilko, coordinator of Temple's Campus Visit Program, advises prospective students to ask lots of questions.
"Of course the most important part of college is academics, so you need to ask yourself, 'What kind of student am I?'" says Kurilko. "Some like small intimate classes, while others feel more comfortable in a lecture-style setting." To really get a feel for a particular program, Kurilko suggests students ask to speak with professors, either in person or by phone, to ask them about their teaching styles and courses. And find out about career opportunities during a tour. "Ask how the university will help you find employment after you graduate and whether internships are readily available," suggests Kurilko.
Students will also want to know what there is to do when they're not hitting the books. "Ask what type of university-sponsored activities are available, consider what you like doing, then look for a school that meets your needs. Just remember the best school for you is the one that you like, the one where you feel comfortable, and where you can see yourself as a student."
Reach Kurilko through the Office of News and Media Relations.
VISIT THE NEWS AND MEDIA RELATIONS WEBSITE: http://www.temple.edu/news_media
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Cheryl Afonso
Temple University
Office of News and Media Relations
On-line Coordinator
215-204-7476
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