Wednesday, February 21, 1996• Vol. XXVII No. 94 THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING NOTRE DAME AND SAINT MARY'S Government to visit ND fair coming from 30 agencies to the agency representatives are Career Day share different opportunities for not available often. careers and how to go about "It's hard to get them here. hosts federal, getting jobs. They are agreeing Bceause the government is in a to act as resource people for the downsizing mode, the agrmeies students." said Judy Goebel, ca­ do not always have the budget state agencies reer counselor for Career and to eome," Goebel said. By JAMIE HEISLER Placement Services. Students from all levels can Assistant News Editor Although the event offers op­ also benefit beeause many of portunities in government ca­ the agencies are also offering ·Have you ever wanted to reers alone, it is open to stu­ summer internships and speeial work for the FBI? The U.S. dents at all levels and in all programs in addition to the House of Representatives? The majors. career opportunities. U.S. Secret Service? "Agencies are looking for peo­ Many of the deadlines for Representatives from these ple with a variety of back­ these have already passed, ac­ and 27 other grounds, not just for gov­ cording to Goebel, so it is too federal, state, ernment and liberal arts ma­ late for seniors to take advan­ and local gov­ jors. Agencies also need people tage of them. However, other ernment with technical, business. and students ean benefit by applying agencies will science backgrounds," Goebel for the internships next year. be present at said. "Bilingual skills are con­ The Government Career Day a Government sidered a plus by some agen­ is just one of the many events Career Day on cies. Others may stress strong that Career and Placement Thursday at skills in investigative, written! Services offers for students. the Center for Goebel verbal communication, or quan­ Other events have inclutled Sei­ Continuing titative areas." ence Plaeement Night, Arts and Education from 12-4 p.m. According to Goebel. it is im­ Letters Placement Night and The Career Day, held only ev­ portant that students from all Engineering Plaeement Night. ery other year, is sponsored by levels participate in the Career According to Goebel, while the Career and Placement Services Day because it does not take University offers these op­ place every year; this opportu­ portunities, it is up to the stu­ The Observer/Katie Kroener and brings representatives to Pump it up! campus to offer career, intern­ nity will not be available next dent to take advantage of them. ship and special program in­ year. "We don't track students who Kevin Sanger takes a study break to do some reps at the formation. Although the University would come to the fair. It's up to the Rock. "We have 60 representatives like it to, the Career Day does student how they approach not take place annually because this," she said. SMC: What's in a grade? Obenga defines harmony with respect to grades. By DEREK BETCHER Students, faculty "Focusing only on grades can affect News Writer aehievement. Students need to put discuss importance things in perspective," said Susan As part of an ongoing celebration of Vanek, freshman academic counselor. Black History Month, Dr. Theophile of college GPA "Grades are the means to an end, not Obenga. a native of Brazzaville. Congo the end. They shouldn't interfere with spoke yesterday about African philoso­ By MAUREEN HURLEY your education." phy. A professor in the Department of S.tint M.try\ News Editor Career counselors stress a growing African-American studies at Temple trend in leadership skills being the University, Obenga offered insight on Tlw Pnd of Dncember was a tense prime quality for which employers the fundamental idea of Maat, a con­ tirno filr many students, as they waited seareh. cept lying at the root of African thought by the mailbox for that confidential "Grades are an important part of it, and culture. nnvelope with the Saint Mary's return but the main thing they [potential "Every eivilization has a key word address. employers) are looking for is leader­ and concept. For Eastern cultures, it is Semnster gradfl mports. ship skills," said Christine Derwent. yin and yang, for the Greeks it was Last night, students and faculty dis­ coordinator of career services. logos, and for Africans, it is Maat," russed the irnportancfl attached to Along with concern about transcripts Obenga began. grados in a forum ontitled "Grade being viewed by employers, students "If you don't know Maat. you don't Expectations," sponsored hy the lead­ also cite finaneial aid as a prime worry know ancient civilizations," Obenga orship devdopment commiltne. with grade standards, according to later said. The relationship between success Financial Aid Director Mary "Maat is an ancient Egyptian word and gradns. the importance of the GPA Nucciarone. meaning harmony. balance, order, jus­ after graduation and balancing extra­ "There's a misconception that stu­ tice and much more. It is symbolized by eurrieular activities with academies dents think that all financial aid is con­ a feather, or by the icon of a woman, a were the three major topics discussed. tingent upon grades." Nucciarone said. goddess," Obenga said. Linda Timm, vice president of "The majority of assistance is based on Using comparisons to its Western The Observer/Katie Kroener Student Affairs. summed up the discus­ financial aid. Higher CPA's are counterpart. Obenga illustrated the sion best as she stated students must Dr. Theophila Obenga delivered a dis­ maintain "balance and perspective" course on Maat and African Philosophy see GRADES I page 4 see OBENGA I page 6 yesterday in Montgomery Theatre. ND students boast youth program in nation's capital By J.P. COONEY to speak about their experi­ rector of Community Relations, while living on the campus of their way into high school, giv­ News Writer enees in the NCAA's National who oversees NYSP at Notre Notre Dame. the only univer­ ing me a picture of what they Youth Sports Program. Dame. "If it weren't for this sity which incorporates the res­ were dealing with before they Not often does a Notre Dame Sponsored by the NCAA, program these kids would be idential and course eredit got there." student get to address a room NYSP is a five-week program out on the street during the hot aspects into the program. Zimmerman, who is planning packed with 500 people from educating and encouraging month of July being exposed to "To my knowledge, this is a a career in mathematics eduea­ 171 colleges community children between several bad temptations with­ unique partnership," said Ed­ tion, agreed with Duncan. "It aeross the the ages of ten and 16. Approx­ out any supervision. That is ward Thiebe the director of was really valuable job training eountry, imately 300 children from the where all the problems with NCAA youth programs and but it was also a rewarding ex­ including two South Bend and Mishawaka drugs and violence originate." head of NYSP throughout the perience," she said. "Earlier U.S. senators area participated in the camp This past summer, 17 Notre nation. "Notre Dame has de­ this year I was in a car over on and four U.S. which utilized University ath­ Dame students, including Dun­ voted considerable resources the northeast side of town. and c:ongrnssman. letic and classroom facilities, can and Zimmerman. partici­ toward this component of the a little girl from eamp carne up But that is eomputers and other eduea­ pated in the program as camp program." and knoeked on my window. exactly what tional technology. Notre Dame coordinators. They received "It was a valuable experi­ Experiences like that made me St. l·:dward's Roemer has participated in the 28- year $1200 in college tuition credit ence," said Duncan, who is realize how rewarding NYSP llall senior old program for the past five and free room and board for planning a career in secondary is." Isaac Duncan and Farley llall years. the duration of the program. education. "I was responsible Duncan and Zimmerman of­ junior Krista Zimmerman did "This is a great opportunity They participated in directed for 20 kids this summer, and it fered presentations on the this past wnekend when they for the kids in this community," readings and wrote a research forced me to take charge. Most traveled to thn nation's capital said Jim Hoerner, University di- paper to receive college credit, of the kids I dealt with were on see NYSP I page 4 page 2 The Observer· INSIDE Wednesday, February 21, 1996 • INSIDE COUJMW • Wtmw AT A GLANCE Random South Korea, Japan declare economic zones, duck dispute SEOUL, South Korea Japan and South Korea staked competing py·· RUSSIA claims to waters around their shores \Island in diSpUt(!r' MONGOLIA: acts of Tuesday, but avoided- at least for now­ ,, ........ further friction over disputed islets that fall Tenslb~'~ween South Korea ruitf)~p<m has within those waters. risen sha!plyin the past week after Japan renewed violence Acting hours apart, the two governments its claim tda volcanic islet calleQ Tok-do in declared exclusive rights to the natural Korean and Takeshima in Japanese. which has CHINA Walking the streets of resources in the sea that lies between been iqdispute for nearly a century. ' central London ... alone ... them, without mentioning the practically at night... If this sounds uninhabited islets, called Tok-do by the r--- like a scene from a horror Koreans and Takeshima by the Japanese. movie, that could not be Their actions appeared to be a coordinat­ further from the truth.