The Bush administration may be convinced of the need for an invasion of Iraq, but before they take any action overseas, they may have to work on preparing the American people for its possible effects, say Richard Immerman, chair of Temple's history department and director of the Center for the Study of Force and Diplomacy. "Chances are that greater sacrifices, whether in terms of lives, treasure, or non-war-related programs, will be required in the future than have already been made during the 'war on terrorism,'" he says. "Thus far, the administration has asked the public to contribute to the war effort by resuming normal lives--taking vacations, consuming, etc. But victory in wars has historically required tradeoffs, guns v. butter, and the responsibility of the government is to extract from the private sphere the necessary resources. The administration could thus end up hoisted on its own petard, especially if the domestic economy doesn't improve--perhaps in time for the 2002 election."
SCHOOL REFORM CONFERENCE BRINGS NATIONAL EXPERTS TO CITY -- A four-day conference, dubbed the Organizing for Educational Excellence Institute, brings together some of the nation's most prominent education experts and community group leaders from several cities and states to talk about how members of the community can promote quality educational reform. Among the notable speakers at the conference, which is being held Tuesday, Aug. 6-Saturday, Aug. 10 at the Sugar Loaf Conference Center, 9230 Germantown Ave., will be Charles Payne, a Duke University professor and principal investigator on a project examining school reform in Chicago, where newly appointed Philadelphia School District CEO Paul G. Vallas served before accepting his current position. Diane Piche, executive director of the Citizens Commission on Civil Rights in Washington D.C. and a leading expert on President Bush's new "Leave No Child Behind" education laws, will also speak.
Community groups attending the forum are traveling from Austin, Boston, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York, the Mississippi Delta and other cities and states.
BACK TO SCHOOL WITH AN APPLE..A DELL..OR A GATEWAY-- Along with the "standard" school supplies, you might be looking at buying your student a new computer--or upgrading your old one--for their use in school or college this fall. Temple computer and information science professor Peter Cook offers some tips to assist you in buying a computer that will meet your student's academic needs. "First, see what type of computer your child's school or university might have," advises Cook. "If they have Macintosh, which is especially prevalent in education, then that's what you want to consider getting. If not, then I would recommend a standard PC." Cook suggests reading reviews of computers on web sites or in computer magazines, and, once you are ready to venture to a computer store, he recommends making a minimum of two trips and visit more than one store to see what each one offers. "Don't intend to buy the first time you go," he advises. "The first trip, just go and try out the computers the store has set up on display. Let the salesperson know you're just there to try the different machines and you're not interested in buying." Take notes on the various computers you try, says Cook, so the second time you go back to the store, you'll have an informed idea of what you're going to buy. For more of Cook's buying tips, visit http://www.temple.edu/news_media/pm14.html. Reach Cook through The Office of News and Media Relations.
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