■ Teach for America sets
its sights on those willing
to instruct in needy areas.
By Anne Heitz
Staff Reporter
America doesn’t want young
minds to be deprived of an excel
lent education just because their
school may fall short on teachers.
University students, including
some from UNt, are part of a plan
to guarantee that all children in
the United States get the educa
tion they deserve.
The goal of Teach For America
is to find outstanding college
graduates who are willing to teach
in America’s most underprivileged
urban and rural public schools.
Anyone who obtains a bache
lor’s degree by June is eligible to
apply. No previous courses in edu
cation are required, and all jobs
are full-time, paid positions.
This national program started
eight years ago and is open to all
colleges in the country. Because
of the vast number of colleges
nationwide, the organization has
selected 300 colleges across the
nation at which it will specifically
recruit for the program. Among
them is the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln.
Along with Creighton
University, UNL is one of the two
Nebraska colleges chosen to be a
part of the western region, which
includes a total of 41 schools.
Megan Matheny, recruitment
director for the western region,
said Teach For America is trying
to make the program much more
visible on campuses.
Matheny said that, when decid
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This is a very competitive program.
ing which: collegesgglsSAd
recrujtejsJo^edi^illaiprs Idok at
the nuh|hef? of applications
receiv^fiht&e past and the?les*lv.
of diffihuy^. oFfhe callage’s
courses, its adihissiohs^tandards,
and the difficulty of rej|uiretpent§
involved in getting a degr£§.
She said jhe program is a
response to the teachOr^Shortages
in some areas of the country.
Anyone can apply, but there
are three main groups that Teach
For America actively recruits.
“We focus on math and science
majors, bilingual Spanish speak
ers, and people of color,” Matheny
said. These are the areas in which
there is often a low number of
teachers available, she said.
The program targets inner-city
and rural public schools that tend
to have scarcity of teachers and a
lack of resources, ranging from
money to books and facilities.
Many overpopulated schools
sometimes have a ratio of one
teacher to every 60 students.
“This is a very competitive
program,” Matheny said. “Out of
3,000 applicants each year, only
about 500 are selected.”
During the past three years,
Teach For America has received a
total of 14 applications from UNL
students.
All candidates for admission
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undergo an intensive selection
process. The written application
Requirements include-a iSapSaf'
int£ii£ references and an essay in
which the applicants write about
the most challenging situations
they .have ever faced.
Finalists then go through a
daylong interview, which consists
of a sample teaching session,
group discussions and a personal
interview.
Each selected person must
attend a five-week training ses
sion in Houston before being
assigned to one of the 13 sites
across the country. Each teacher
will commit to the school for two
years.
The group was started eight
years ago by Wendy Kopp, a
senior at Princeton University in
Princeton, N.J. Kopp wrote her
thesis about an outstanding corps
whose purpose was to teach those
less fortunate, said Michele
Mallardi, staff member and con
tact person for the program. Since
1989, Teach For America has
attracted more than 20,000 appli
cants and has placed 4,000 of
them in teaching positions in 13
regions. Some regions include a
state or two; others cover only a
city.
Mallardi said, “She made her
thesis a reality.”
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Consumer advocates warn
shoppers of holiday scams
By Lindsay Young *
Staff Reporter
fjnnys
; "^But consumed advocates urge
them to beware. ^
Anyone; cah set up a site, claim to
- be selling a product, and collect hun
dreds4f credit cardnumbers with no
intention of delivering a product, said
Damon Warren, the ImageNet net
work system administrator in charge
of security in Loveland, Colo. *
“I don’t think the Internet will ever
be safe because it’s completely anony
mous,” Warren said.
However, Eric Fitzsimons, a
Connecting Point support technician
in Greeley, Colo., said people are tak
ing the same risk with online ordering
as they have been for several years
with catalogs. Consumers don’t know
who is on the other end of the line tak
ing their credit card numbers.
But he still advises shoppers to
check for an opportunity for external
billing when ordering online.
If a site doesn’t offer external
billing, it may not be worth ordering,
he said. This gives consumers a sense
of safety knowing they can cancel
their checks.
There are ways to determine if a
site is legitimate, but it is difficult,
Fitzsimons said. Some things to look
for include recognizable store names
and name brands, opportunities for
external billing, and the indication it
uses security socket layers.
Shopping services like eToys,
based in Santa Monica, Calif., exist
primarily on the Internet. Others, such
as ekathin&compapies J. Crew, Eddie
Bauer and EX. Bean ofFerpnline
shopping as well as a nationwide '
chain of stores.
. If a site says it uses security socket
layers, information given to the com
pany over the Internet will be encrypt
ed, or changed into a code, as it travels
to its destination server. When it
arrives it is changed back into its orig
inal content.
It would be hard for computer
buffs to get to the information protect
ed by security socket layers as it trav
els, Fitzsimons said.
But these precautions aren’t com
pletely foolproof in protecting credit
card numbers from hackers and scam
artists, Warren said. When the informa
tion arrives at the server, anyone who
knew how and wanted the information
badly enough could get to it, he said.
Some online services, such as
Wal-Mart’s online holiday shopping,
rid their servers of the information as
soon as it has been used.
Policies for returning items and
receiving refunds, and regarding war
ranties are placed on most Web pages
as well.
eToys has items “from Barbie to
BRIO” but will only accept returns in
their original packaging. It also states
in their disclaimer that there are no
warranties.
Wal-Mart, however, will produce
a refund on any gift regardless of rea
son if the product is returned within 45
days of receipt. There are some excep
tions for electronics.
If information is not provided on
returns, refunds, warranties, or securi
ty issues, Warren said, avoid the site
and head to the malls.
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^ ^ Lincoln's
* Christmas
Music
Station
www.gmcexi.eau/kgbi
y^ Listen for great Christian Rock music Saturday nights from 7-Midnight!
t #_' __
UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN!
Isaiah 6c9
Please join os for advent
services on,
Dec. 10 Jk 17 at 8e00 p.m.
Sunday Holiday Schedule
•Dec. 14s 9s00 & 11:00 aan.
•Dec. 21 & 28 and Jan. 4
at lhOO am.
•Jan 11:9rf>0 & 11:00 ajn.
Have a Joyous and Safe
Holiday Season/
UatmaKy Lutheran Chapel (LCMS)
1510‘Q’ 477-3997
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