Educationmajorsadjustto new policy

by Shannon King assistant features editor

Last semester, senior education majors were in an uproar over the new policy that concluded that student teaching was not an option until all of the National Teachers Examinations were passed. These students who did not pass the, required tests would be forced to become educational studies majors. The students fought the administration, but because of new regulations and a poor placement on the National Report Card issued by the federal government, Cabrini did not have much of a choice.

Gabrielle· Beltran, senior secondary education major, said, "I did finally get placed at St. Andrew's in Drexel Hill, Pa., which is a kindergarten through eighth grade school. It took me three trips to the academic dean to establish this placement for the 'internship program.' We started a week and half behind all of the other student teachers, so now we have to teach a week later than they do." She also noted that although she is·a secondary education major, this is her fifth position in a middle school, not a high school.

ment for those students who did not pass the tests until the next test results are in, which are scheduled to be mailed on Feb. 26. We are only at our first placements until March 20." Beltran also said, "According to Middleton, it takes the education division up to three months to place an education major at a school for field experience or student teaching. So why are they only allotting two weeks for this second placement to be arranged?"

by Kelly Finlan staff writer

Thousands of miles from home, Elena Glavatskaia teaches Russian History 408, a history she knows well. At home in Russia, she teaches the same curriculum to a generation of students who can hardly remember communism and the problems that accompanied it.

Elana Glavatskaia is a Russian history teacher both at Cabrini and abroad. She teaches history and anthropology at the same state university in the Ural Mountains she attended, the same university at which she defended her doctoral dissertation. At the time, it was an industrialized area, prohibited to outsiders. No one was permitted to travel; she lives in the same building in which she grew up. Everyone who lived in the area attended the same university. It was a natural progression from high school to college.

During the period of communist rule, curriculurns were stifled. "There were serious limitations," she said, remembering growing up and studying in the Soviet era. The study of religions was restricted to scientific atheism, based on the notion that people should not be religiously affiliated. In reality, it was the criticism of world religions from the Soviet perspective. She continues to be amazed by the religiousness of the American people. Glavatskaia developed the first course at"Ural State University teaching religious studies and world religions, after the fall of communism. She teaches religion, history and anthropology, specializing in the indigenous people of Siberia, at the Ural State University in Russia and will continue to do so when she returns at the end of the spring semei,ter.

Students and faculty at universities experience new challenges now. Some institutions do not have the financial resources to rent their buildings. Glavatskaia remembers a winter in the not-too distant past in which there was no heat. But daily freezing temperatures ranging from .0 to -50 degrees (Fahrenheit) could not deter students and faculty alike from attending classes.

Curiosity, and an invitation from Dr. Jolyon Girard, a history professor here, brought Professor Glavatskaia to America. She leaves her husband and two daughters, ages 15 and 17, but it is not the first time they have been separated. •Glavatskaia participated in a program four years ago at Rosemont College in which students were taught by teachers of varying ethnic backgrounds, depending on course content.

"I love American generosity," she said, "and the feeling that tomorrow will be a better day."

The •pandemonium, the arguments and the tears have, for the most part, subsided this semester. "Everyone is placed in a student teaching position or in an internship in a school in such cases where student teaching was not permitted. Everyone seems to be understanding the timeline and how complex the situation is," Dr. Dawn Middleton, chair of the education department, said. Senior, secondary education major, Anthony Contipodero said, "For those students who had problems getting their GPA up, they have all increased. It's still the tests that are giving people a bard time." The problems of last semester have quieted down, but new problems were looming on the horizon for some students.

by LucyTruglio staffwriter

A Berlin man who laughed too much and too loudly was evicted from his home after the neighbors complained. a newspaper reported. Juergen Oslchewski, 59, was forced to leave his home because he "violated the rules" by laughing too loudly. Officials said there were too many complaint_Sfrom neighbors.

A Texas jury found a man guilty of aggravated assault for shooting his girlfriend, because be thoughtshe was aboutto say the words"New Jersey". His attorneyunsuccessfullyfoughtto freethis manon thegroundsthat

Beltran is not the• only student having problems. Senior Kara Hawksley, early childhood and elementary education major, did her field experience at Arrowhead Elementary and was expected to be back this semester. She received the approval form for student teaching and at the last minute was told that she could not student teach there. She was placed in St. Theresa's school and Cabrini never notified Arrowhead that she would not be back. "My teacher called me at home and asked why I never showed up for school that day. Cabrini didn't notify them that I wasn't corning until two days after I was supposed to start," Hawksley said.

Beltran envisions other problems to come within the next month. "The school is not going to start looking for another placecertain words set off an uncontrollable rage in him; combined with his history of mental illness. Other. words that can bring out the same rage in this individual are ''Wisconsin;' "Snickers," and "Mars".

Eleven American couples exchanged vows on Valentine's Day in Jamaica in 'a mass nude wedding. It is the second year in a row the Hedonism Ill resort staged a nude wedding. Unlike during the previous years event, when there were many protests, there was not even a whisper from Church leaders or members of religious groups. Toe event went very smoothly, said a hotel worker. Ten of the couples mar-

Many students, including Beltran and Contipodero, will have to return to Cabrini, postbaccalaureate, for six more student teaching credits at $350 per credit. Many of the students believe that they were just not notified soon enough of the changes that were being made to the program to complete it successfully unhindered.

"Our class got screwed in the long run," Hawksley said. "We should have been grand-fathered in or notified about what was going to happen." Most students understand what happened and even though n()thing they can do will help their situation now, they are taking everything that happens now with a grain of salt.

Contipodero said, "It's kind of calmed down this semester. Nexf year should be ok: This was just a transition year so as long as juniors know what is going on, they should be fine." pages ried were fully nude, with the males wearing just a simple bow tie. Only one couple decided to tie the.knot wearing underwear.

That lipstick you're dabbing on may have a bit more to it than meetS the eye. A Norwegian biotech company said that it sees a boomingbusiness in providing cod sperm for use in cosmetics. But don't worry jf your loved one will think there is something fishy about your kisses. Supposedly the cosmetics smell nor taste of anything relating to the cod or its sperm.

Courtesy of Reuters.com (www.reuters.com)