Americorps Director Deborah Jospin S P E K to Tufts Students David

THETUF DAILY [Where You Read It First Fridav, Novembers 20,1998 Volume XXXVII, Number 50 I AmeriCorps director Deborah Jospin spek to Tufts students by BROKEMENSCHEL “It was the idea that everyone Daily Staff Writer should have the opportunity to go Tufts students looking to com- to college. But it doesn’t stopjust mit themselves to community ser- with the opportunity to go to col- vice had the opportunity to speak lege; you also have a responsibil- to a prominent person in this field ity to give back something to the on Wednesday, as the director of community that provided you with AmeriCorps, Deborah Jospin, that opportunity,” Jospin said. spoke on campus at an lecture Jospin, who has been the entitled “Volunteerism in the AmeriCorpsdirectorforthelastyear- Clinton Era,” sponsored by the and-a-half, graduated from Tufts in ExperimentalCollege. 1980 with a degree in history. She As director of AmeriCorps, told students about her own post- Jospin oversees the three divi- college journey and how she ended sions of the organization - up with a‘career in service. AmeriCorps*VISTA, the Despite her current success, AmeriCorps Staternational grants she made it clear that she was not programs, and the always so certain that her career AmeriCorps*NCCC, as well as the would turn out as it has. recruitment, selection, and “We had aparty our senior year placement unit of AmeriCorps. because we were all so conflicted,” She discussed the importance she said. “The theme of the party of AmeriCorps to the Clinton ad- was ‘don’t ask, I don’t know what I ministration. “When Clinton was am goingtodonextyear,”’she said. in schools in Boston, Washing- campaigning in 1992, everywhere After graduatingfrom college, ton DC, New York City, Los he went, hedid talkabout national Jospin worked in a Public Policy Angela, and San Francisco. service,” Jospin said. research firm, and went on to at- Today, students from 1 8 col- AmeriCorps, according to tend the London School of Eco- leges in Boston each give a Jospin, has become known as “the nomics and Political Science. total of 900 hours of service Photo by Pete Sanbom President’skey pet legacy program. Bythemid-1 980s, Jospin moved over a 20-month period to this The gravity stone, located near the library roof, stands as a “The Corps’s values are com- to Washington. cause.ProgramcentersinCam- monument to the future scientist who discovers how to munity, opportunity, and respon- “The worldwas averydifferent bridge, Brighton, Jamaica Plain, harness gravity to reduce airplane accidents; sibility,” she added. place in 1984-thingswerediffer- and the South End allow ent, peopleweredifferent, people’s Jumpstart membersto integmte focuses were different, laws were themselves into the surround- David Marnet keeps audience different,” she said. ingcommuuitiesasweUasinto She went on to discuss the the life of a child. election of Bill Clinton in 1993. See full story page 3 delighted and signs autographs “For Democrats, itwasmorning in byJEREMY WANGIVERSON “He was a dog, but he was a the cornerstone.” America,” Jospin said. “This re- legislation was passed. The man- Senior Staff Writer happy dog. There was no other The question and answer ses- ally interesting thing called na- date said that within 12 months, With only standing room re- way to describe it, at least not in sion further demonstrated tional service had begun to circu- there would be20,OOO AmeriCorps maining in the conference room of Billy’s mind, for that was the grin Mamet’s wit as he responded to late,” she added. workers. Jospin worked on creat- Hillel for Wednesday’slecture fiom onchipper’sfacethat began Billy’s nearly 20 questions ranging from After a bill was passed and an ing regulations for these workers. Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright day - the wet sloppy kisses, the the things that make him laugh to organization was created, Jospin, She told the audience how far David Mamet, those in attendance excited wagging of the tail, the his methods for capturing realism who was looking to go back to AmeriCorps has come since then. were able to hear the speaker si- expression which said better than in his dialogue. work, became involved. “A month ago, we celebratedthe multaneously read some fiction, words, ‘let’s go’,” he said. In answering this question, he “The ideaofnational servicewas 100,OOOth member being enrolled, tell a few jokes, and impart some After a somewhat prolonged said, “I tape record people on buses fascinating to me,” she said. “And I which is an amazingfeat in fiveyears.” advice. search for his next reading, Mamet and I have everything they say to started tobecomeaservice warrior.” “We have a moment in time Mamet, considered one of the finally came up with acharade, an inscribe, but the hard part is figur- “We are striving to figure out a here, we have an opportunity,” most important artists at work in 18th century Victorian riddle poem. ing out how to fit it into the play ... way to make this part of the fabric Jospin said. “Somebody has let America today, has writtenthe plays The audience was kept guessing I make it up.” of American life,” Jospin said. [us] do this thing where we have Glengary Glen Ross, American for the answer however, as when When asked how he wanted to “People who go through these the opportunity to spread the gos- Bufalo, and Oleannu. In addition, asked in the question and answer be remembered after death, he said, kinds of experiences [volunteer- pel, for lack of a better word, the his film credits include scripting session, he responded only by “I want them to say I can’t believe ing with AmeriCorps], they’re opportunity to give people like The Untouchables and Wag the saying “think about it.” he lived that long.” changed forever.” you through programs like Cam- Dog. Most recently he wrote and After concluding the fic- One student asked him about Jospin began to work in the pus Compact, and all the other directed the independent success tional segment of his talk, he Corporation of National Service The Spanish Prisoner. went on to read an essay con- see MAMET. Dage 14 during the month in which the see AMERICORPS,page 13 Professor Jonathan Wilson, cerning themes such as educa- chair ofthe English department, in tion, becoming an artist, and introducing Mamet, told a story of observations on life. The essay how he first met the playwright combined personal anecdotes crossing the street. with beliefs and allusions to il- “I said ‘hi’. He stole the line,” lustrate his points. Wilson said, spurring the first of He followed by stating his many laughs of the night. thoughts on higher education, When Mamet reached the po- which in Oleannu is termed a dium, he pulled out a stack of ‘?joke.” crinkled loose leaf paper bound “A cousin of mine completed together by one staple. four years at a party school and I “I think one reason it’sdifficult asked, what did you learn? And he to publish is that it’s so hard to said, ‘I learned how to get along duplicate napkins,” Mamet said. with my peers.’ Ah ha, butthat’s no He also read an excerpt from an great accomplishment, for in the upcoming science fiction novel world outside of college you’re called, Wilson. gonna have to learn how to get The novel is about the coloni- along with your superiors.” zation of Mars seen through the Mamet also gave words of en- eyes of a 300 year old woman. couragement to the budding art- “It is not enough, I fear, to refer ists in the room. to these investigations as tales of “Some people are cut out for [a the old wrangler ... to fit that one writer’s life] and some people might with as much justification aren’t. Who are those people? I condense the whole ofhuman his- don’t know, and your instructors tory to anecdotes of the famous don’t know, and probably you and nostalgic.” don’t know, but do rememberthat President DiBiaggio read to local children in Tisch Library on Monday in celebration of Mamet read another excerpt it says in Proverbs that the stone National Children’s Book Week which concludes today. from the novel. which at first is rejected became 2 THETUFTS DAILY November 20,1998 - Chess city king goes unchecked 3 ELISTA, Russia- Witha burst political crises, Ilyumzhinov and tries last year by his own count. of flags and gleaming glass, a other leaders of Russia’s 89 re- He spent at least $30 million to hodgepodge ofturrets and candy- gions and republics are largely build the magical mystery com- colored eaves rises from the bar- free to run their domains as they plex known as Chess City. It was ren hillside like apostmodern ver- see fit. here that he hosted a chess Olym- sion ofDorothy’s Emerald City. In some cases, regional leaders piad this fall, drawing more than Outside, the compound’s gates have used their de facto autonomy 1,500 internationallyrankedplay- Lobbyists, groups are guarded by police in camou- to leap ahead of Moscow in pursu- ers from 120 countries -includ- flage. Inside, a five-story yurt ing reform and attracting foreign ing the United States -and lav- linked to Gingrich face coated in mirrors is ringed by pas- investment. More often,they have ishing them with caviar, vodka, tel townhouses and new lawns built private fiefdoms that operate and prizes. studded with sculptures. Some largely out of Moscow’s control. He says all the money comes uncertain fate depict Mongolian-looking shep- Ilyumzhinovisanextremeexample from his private funds. And he herds and warriors.

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