Wednesday, January 21, 1998
Community Briefs
Memorial to highlight racial relations
A memorial planned today will commemorate two great leaders in
two separate communities: Martin L. King Jr., and Abraham Joshua
Heschel.
The memorial, to be held in Meyerhoof Park in front of Kerckhoff
Hall at noon, will commemorate Dr. King’s birthday as well as the
25th anniversary of Heschel’s death.
Titled "Remembering Two Great Leaders: Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr., and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel," the service will remember
these two leaders and theologians, as well as discuss how to heal
rifts in Black-Jewish relations.
Rabbi Heschel walked alongside Dr. King in his 1965 march from
Selma to Montgomery.
For more information, please call UCLA Hillel at 310-208-3081.
The event is free and open to the public.
College students still literate, Berkeley study finds
College students have not entirely succumbed to television and
computers for extracurricular amusement, suggests an informal
survey about the reading practices of UC Berkeley freshmen.
According to the survey conducted last semester, 470 UC Berkeley
freshmen maintain a strong interest in extracurricular reading,
choosing anything from classic literature to contemporary pop
fiction to fill their spare time.
Steve Tollefson, a lecturer in the College Writing Program and
staff member in the Student Life Educational Development Office,
said he asked students in all of last semester’s English 1A classes
both what books they read in their spare time and which authors
they preferred.
According to his findings, Amy Tan was the most popular author
and Ayn Rand’s "The Fountainhead" the most widely read book. John
Grisham and Michael Crichton rounded out the top three authors, and
J.D. Salinger’s "Catcher in the Rye" was the second most popular
book.
Despite the prevalence of such contemporary popular authors as
Grisham and Crichton, Tollefson said classic literature made up a
large part of students’ recreational reading lists.
"There are definitely more of what you would call classics,
meaning not just older books, but new classics as well, than you
might expect," he said.
Foreign service exam coming up
Those students interested in a career in diplomacy should begin
hitting the books.
The exam for the Foreign Service will be coming up Feb. 28, but
the registration date is Jan. 30. The exam consists of an essay and
multiple choice tests in three areas.
"This is an usually auspicious time to take the exam," said
Bruce Beardsley in a press release. "The number of diplomatic
service appointments to be offered successful candidates will
nearly double those made in recent years."
Students or graduates in any major are encouraged to take the
exam, which is generally regarded as the first step in a career
with the U.S. Foreign Service.
Women and minority candidates are encouraged to apply.
There is no fee to take the exam. For more information, contact
the UCLA Career Center or Beardsley at (310) 825-2455 or via e-mail
at beardsle@sppsr.ucla.edu.
Beardsley is a career Foreign Service Officer, now serving as
UCLA’s Diplomat in Residence at the School of Public Policy and
Social Research.
Compiled from Daily Bruin staff and wire reports