A LOOK AT THE WEEK AHEAD September 7 - September 14, 2001 OFFICE OF NEWS AND MEDIA RELATIONS (215) 204-7476 Fax: (215) 204-4403
TAKING BORDER POLITICS TO TOLEDO -- President Bush may be putting his "compassionate conservatism" to the test in trying to navigate the channels to an agreement on Mexican immigrants, notes Temple history professor Arthur Schmidt. "Up to this point, Bush hasn't been taken seriously as a world leader in foreign affairs. Because of his close relationship with Mexican President (Vicente) Fox and the Texas-Mexico proximity, Bush has credentials that make this an opportunity for him to gain some respect," says Schmidt, whose work focuses on Mexico and Central America. By taking the Mexican President to Ohio, Bush underscores that the issue is no longer regional but national. "Rapidly growing Mexican communities are up and down the East Coast and not just in California, Texas and the southwest." Politically, Bush is facing a split in the Republican ranks, with conservatives in strong opposition to any relaxation of immigration laws that would alter the status of migrant workers. The sluggish U.S. economy will make it even more difficult for Bush to sell Congress on any deal he may want to strike with Fox, Schmidt predicts.
Reach Professor Schmidt through the Office of News & Media Relations, 215-204-7476.
MARKING 25 YEARS OF SERVICE TO STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES -- The passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act a decade ago brought national attention to the needs--and rights--of people with disabilities. Temple, however, was--and continues to be--ahead of the curve in serving disabled students. "Temple was probably the first university in the Philadelphia area to formalize services for students with disabilities," says Dorothy Cebula, director of Disability Resources and Services (DRS), which marks its 25th anniversary this fall. "Twenty-five years ago, students with disabilities were basically on their own to get through their classes any way they could." Today, DRS serves 750 students with a number of physical, speech, cognitive and learning disabilities, providing services ranging from interpreters for the deaf to readers for the blind to adaptive computer equipment for students with multiple disabilities. To mark its silver anniversary, DRS is hosting a campus-wide awareness celebration on Thursday, Sept. 13, from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Activities will include wheelchair sports, guide/service dog sessions, disability awareness trivia games, poetry readings, and technology demonstrations.
For information on DRS or to contact Cebula, call the Office of News & Media Relations.
BEHAVE, BILL! -- As long as Microsoft leaves room for competitors in the computer software marketplace, there is no reason for the federal government to involve itself, observes Frank Friedman, chair of Temple's department of computer and information sciences, following the U.S. Dept. of Justice's decision not to pursue a break-up of the corporate giant. "Microsoft's argument that their products need to be bundled and sold together simply is wholly inconsistent with modern approaches to software development," says Friedman. "The company has a right to create their products and sell them, but without engaging in practices designed to freeze out the competition. Bill Gates needs an attitude adjustment."
Reach Dr Friedman through the Office of News and Media Relations.
FIGHTING THE FRESHMAN 15 -- For most college freshmen the school year is at least a week old, and for some of them that means they're at least a pound heavier. But there are ways to fight the weight gain seen by so many students that it's given rise to the term "the freshman 15," says Laura Angelone, marketing director of Temple's dining services. "By the time people reach college they know what kind of food they should and shouldn't eat. It's just that they are now totally responsible for making those choices for themselves," she says. "Every day at the dining center there will be ice cream, cookies, cake, and french fries, but there's also a salad bar offering all types of fresh vegetables and beans and proteins, a pasta bar, and fresh and canned fruit." Many freshmen also tend not to consider the weight-gaining effect of alcohol, says Angelone. "Let's say a student has two beers on Thursday and Saturday night. That's an additional 500 calories a week. Add to that 500 calories from snacks while you're at these parties, and, in a typical semester, that's enough extra calories to gain four and-a-half pounds."
Reach Angelone through the Office of News and Media Relations.
Cheryl Afonso Temple University Office of News and Media Relations 215.204.7476 [email protected]
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