Source FRIDAY, MARCH 28, 2003 By ELIZABETH DONALD

As part of a resolution to participate in community outreach at least once a month, the Student Assembly (S.A.) dined with Intensive English students in place of their usual weekly meeting.

The Intensive English Program (IEP) is "a program that helps [students] learn our customs and how 'normal' Cornell students talk," said Katie Howell '04, vice president of communication for IEP.

During the dinner, S.A. members and IEP students had a chance to discuss a wide range of topics, from the national health care system in South Korea to housing problems to the current political situation in Venezuela.

"The best experience [as a student in IEP] is seeing how different people look at the world -- maybe things that are right and normal for you are taboo for others," said Chriss Ruiz, a student from Venezuela. "Being a foreign student is hard, but it is very fun at the same time."

The IEP is made up of 49 students who speak a total of nine different native languages and have 39 fields of study. The students are non-matriculated, though many are applying to Cornell now or are considering doing so in the future.

"It's like a study-abroad experience [and] the majority of them have come here with the intention of going into some higher education institution in America," said Richard L. Feldman '69, director of the Language Learning Center.

Feldman gave a short speech during the dinner, expanding further on the goals and methods of the IEP.

"One of the things we do as teachers is encourage [the students] to find their places in the community. ... The program tries to provide a kind of transitional community for the students," Feldman said.

He also commented on the new complexities involved in obtaining international student visas.

"It's become much more difficult to come here -- a lot more paperwork," he said.

Though IEP students stay at Cornell for a relatively short time, "they're bringing to the Cornell community their experiences, backgrounds and perspectives," Feldman added.

Howell was pleased with the turnout of both S.A. members and IEP students, and S.A. president Noah Doyle '03 expressed his satisfaction with the way the S.A. has carried out its community involvement resolution.

"I'm really proud of the work [Howell] has done in reaching out to the community. Service is an intricate part of leadership; I'm proud the S.A. has taken part in a service event every month this year," Doyle said.

The S.A. hoped that the resolution would have a broader effect as well.

"We really wanted this to have a domino effect on our campus leaders to reach out and benefit Cornell and the surrounding community," he said.

Language lessons big hit at Texas Rangers camp Maggie Galehouse The Arizona Republic Mar. 25, 2003 12:00 AM

Baseball is a breeze for minor-league player Freiddy Dominguez, but buying groceries in English really makes him sweat. Dominguez is one of 38 Spanish-speaking players in the Texas Rangers farm system. Many arrived from Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic with just a few English words. But the team, which is training in Surprise, has developed several programs to speed their transition into a new culture. One is a computer program that pumps the Spanish speakers with words and phrases they need to know. Can I have some toilet paper, please? says a voice from the laptop that Dominguez is using. Dominguez, 22, a catcher from Venezuela, repeats the sentence slowly, then listens to his own voice played back. The Spanish translation, Me pueda dar papel de baño, materializes at the bottom of the computer screen. "This is not a traditional way of learning English," said Carlos Subero, Latin American liaison and field manager for the Class A Clinton Lumberkings, a minor-league Rangers team in Iowa. Dubbed "personal language trainer," the software familiarizes players with words and sentences surrounding everyday activities, including going to the doctor, banking and shopping. Lessons take place in a makeshift classroom off to one side of the Surprise Stadium. The narrow space is jammed with desks, four laptops and headsets. Many of the younger players, some of whom arrive when they're 16, have only a fourth-, fifth- or sixth-grade education, Subero explained. "They're not used to being in school, and their English ranges from none to very good," he said. The lessons don't stop there. The team also runs cultural programs in the players' home countries that teach them how to order food at a restaurant and open a bank account. "By law, the guys have to make $850 a month starting out," said John Lombardo, director of minor-league operations for the Rangers, "but a lot of them have signing bonuses that range from $5,000 to $1 million." Many send part of their paychecks home, so money management is crucial, he said. In the evenings, the players give their English lessons a workout by going out to a restaurant or watching a movie. That way, they're forced to use their skills in a public setting. Many of the seasoned players take the new recruits under their wing. "Guys that are more advanced in the system are remembering what was done for them and are happily volunteering to take the younger guys out at night," Lombardo said. "It's becoming a mentoring program." Not surprising, the longer a player stays with the team, the better his English becomes. Luis Rodriguez, 21, a pitcher from Venezuela, is in his fifth year with the Rangers. His English is solid. "I was scared at first, going to the mall or the grocery store, but you have to break your fear," said Rodriguez, punching his right fist into his left hand. Rodriguez watches sports or The Cosby Show with closed captions in English, so he can see the words as he hears them. Like most things, though, language acquisition is a step-by-step process. "Every day, I try to learn one word," said Juan Carlos Senreiso, 21, from the Dominican Republic. What's the latest addition to his lexicon? "Dishwasher," the outfielder said.

Reach the reporter at maggie.galehouse@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-6919.

Taking pride in training Leader Dogs

By:Linda May, Columnist March 22, 2003

Puppies, wearing their Leader Dog School for the Blind identification tags and bandannas, must be exposed to places they may have to accompany a blind person.

Jewel, a golden retriever puppy, came to our house last week for a "playdate" with Andy, our Pembroke Welsh corgi puppy. The afternoon was both fun and work. Jewel and Andy romped and wrestled, and Jewel saw her first power wheelchair and climbed open stairways.

Jewel is a Leader Dog-in-training. Her puppy-raiser, Shirley Koebbe of Warren, takes puppies to meetings, Sweet Adelines chorus rehearsals, shopping, shows, church - virtually anywhere the family goes. Koebbe has raised five dogs, giving them basic behavior training and socialization.

Puppies, wearing their Leader Dog School for the Blind identification tags and bandannas, must be exposed to places they may have to accompany a blind person.

There are 22 puppy-raisers in Macomb County.

Dixie, a yellow Labrador retriever trained by Koebbe, now lives with a young woman in Venezuela. In an e-mail message, she wrote that she and her dog recently came in near the top of a walk/race. Another puppy of Koebbe's went to Spain, and served its blind master for 17 years.

"We keep in mind that our puppy belongs to the school," Koebbe said. "I'm proud and happy my puppy is going to a person who will love her. The dogs are doing what they were bred to do."

Leader Dogs, based in Rochester, has about a dozen breeding stock host homes in Macomb County and is looking for more families to keep male dogs, or pregnant dogs and their puppies until the puppies are ready to go to puppy-raisers.

Angel Biggert, 16, of Harrison Township, wanted to participate in Leader Dogs breeding project to get a Girl Scouts Gold Award. Her mother, Mary-Anne Polan, applied to the training school. The family got Maggie, a 3-year-old yellow Lab who, because of her exceptionally sweet temperament and good health, was chosen by the school to produce several litters.

Biggert, her mother and brother, assist in the births of the puppies, share feeding and care-giving, then work to socialize them.

"It's exciting to know you are part of the start of the Leader Dog process," Polan said. "We give the puppies a lot of love. We know they are going to great foster homes and have a great life ahead of them."

For information about puppies, call Sam Ziegenmeyer at Leader Dogs at (888) 777-5332.

It costs about $17,000 to train a Leader Dog. There is no charge to the blind person who lives at the school for 25 days to train with a dog that gives them more freedom, independence, protection from travel hazards, and companionship.

Leader Dogs is supported by Lions clubs. It is one of many charities that benefit from upcoming Lions clubs' events.

* * * The Shelby Township Lions Club Kronk boxing fight night is March 25 at the Sterling Inn in Sterling Heights. A steak dinner and open bar begin at 6 p.m. and dinner is at 7:30 p.m., followed by boxing. There are eight boxing matches and two kick-boxing matches. VIP seating is $100 per ticket and general seating is $75. For ticket information and reservations, call (586) 784-8725.

The Center Line Lions Club holds its 47th annual pancake and sausage breakfast 8 a.m.-noon Sunday at the St. Clement High School cafeteria, 8155 Ritter, near 10 Mile Road and Van Dyke Avenue. Donation is $3 general and $1.50 children.

* * * The Richmond Rotary Club holds a "Richmond Swings" swing dance at 7 p.m. March 29 at Maniaci's Banquet Center, 69227 Main St. in Richmond. Tickets are $25 for dance lessons and music of the 1930s and '40s by the Westside Big Band and DJ Cochese. For information, call Jim Berg at (586) 727-3729.

Send news of your service club to: Linda May c/o The Macomb Daily, P.O. Box 929, Mount Clemens, MI 48046 or lindamay@ameritech.net. Phone/fax (586) 791-8116.

Get Smart’ will help you do just that

www.communitynewspapers.com By Adam Shaffer

Carole Bernstein went out shopping for a few toys, but came back with an entire store instead.

“I was looking for a place to purchase educational toys for my own child and I couldn’t find very much,” said Bernstein. “I decided to open my own store because I have a PhD in elementary education and I knew what I wanted.”

That was back in 1979. The first store was one block away from the current West Kendall location at 8700 SW 137 Ct. and was only 2,000 square feet, only one-seventh the size of the current store in that area. Another Get Smart is located in Miami-Dade at 11751 S. Dixie Hwy. in Pinecrest. The operation has two other locations, one in Pembroke Pines and another in Palm Beach Gardens.

“We supply teachers with the materials that they need for the classroom from chalkboards to chairs, to the bulletin boards to decorations and all of the reading materials to help them with their lesson plans,” said Bernstein. “We have practically all of the supplementary educational materials that a teacher could need.”

According to Bernstein, most teachers spend on average $250 a year out of their own pocket on school supplies. Students can find books to help with math skills and reading comprehension, along with FCAT test prep materials. A wide range of school supplies is available for any type of school project.

A 500-page catalog is mailed to all area schools with their needs in mind, but it is just not teachers that buy at Get Smart. Bernstein lists cruise ship playrooms, hotels and jail libraries among her customers. She adds that employee award certificates and stickers are popular with local businesses. The store has a special Christian section that caters to churches and vacation Bible schools.

Bernstein wants people to know that there are a lot of fun things in stock, something they might not expect from a store specializing in educational items.

“Now, since Sept. 11, people are staying home more with their kids and bonding with them,” she said. “As far as activities that are great for the whole family to do, besides puzzles, we have games for adults like Tantrix, priced at only $5.95. It’s a set of tiles and you have to keep making a line, and as you add more tiles it keeps changing and making closed curves.”

The age range for the games available at Get Smart begins at the infant/toddler stage. For example, a game called Mr. Mighty Mind prepares three-year-olds for an IQ test. The learning of foreign languages is promoted through a selection of CDs, videos and talking dolls.

Although Bernstein is proud of the store’s toys and games, she is quick to make the distinction between her store and a toy store.

“A toy store will have everything,” she said. “We, on the other hand, select things based on how they will enhance a child’s development. There has to be a very good reason for something to go on our shelves.”

Customer service is important to Bernstein, from her trained staff, many of who are tutors, education majors or retired teachers, to ensuring satisfaction with items before they are purchased.

“We will open any package for you so that you can see what you are getting,” said Bernstein. “We will play any video or if you want to try out a computer program you can put it in and look at it before you buy it.”

If a customer can’t find the item they are looking for at Get Smart, either in-store or online, Bernstein and her staff will search for it.

We really try to get anything the person needs if it’s educationally related,” she said. “We will call all around the country to find your specific item. There is no request that we don’t try to fulfill.”

Get Smart can export products to Central and South America and distributors sell the store’s merchandise in Panama, Nicaragua, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. Camp care packages can be put together as well as get-well baskets. And although there are thousands of items at Get Smart, there are some things you won’t  find.

“I’m pretty good at picking educationally sound products,” said Bernstein. “You won’t find violence here, we promote peace. We screen everything before we stock it; we try it and check it out. We are very careful as far as safety is concerned.”

One way Get Smart gives back to the community is by keeping track of the purchases made by everyone on their mailing list and then two percent of each total is donated to a school, church or other non-profit organization at the discretion of the customer.

Bernstein and her buyer reach out to students by making career day presentations on how a store works. A free lamination service is offered to reinforce positive effort in local schools.

“If there’s something in the newspaper about your child that is good news, you can bring it in and we will laminate your article for free,” said Bernstein. “We are committed to congratulating children on their success.”

For more information, please call 305-378-0834 or log on to www.getsmart.biz

www.theaustralian.news.com.au By Dennis Shanahan, Political editor March 20, 2003

MANY years ago I can remember flying across the Indian Ocean on the way to Zimbabwe in the Prime Minister's VIP 707. Like the rest of the travelling press I was down the back of the plane in economy-style seats with a colleague's sleeping head upon my shoulder.

It was expensive – the media paid business class fare equivalents to travel on the VIP jet – and uncomfortable: the head of the colleague was male and there was drool involved.

But we were with the Prime Minister (then Bob Hawke) and arrived when and where he arrived and were generally given some in-flight personal briefings from him.

At times this close travelling relationship led to some testiness, some inside information and some camaraderie.

With the acquisition of the new prime ministerial BAJ 737 all of those things appear to have come to an end. Last month John Howard made his first around-the-world trip sans media, and it is unlikely any prime minister will break the precedent he has established of travelling without the press corps.

Malcolm Fraser ensured the PM could enter the new Parliament House without running a press gauntlet, Paul Keating introduced velvet ropes and now Howard has ensured the PM can travel with more privacy than the US President. After all, even on September 11, George W. Bush had media travelling on his plane – even if they couldn't disclose his whereabouts.

The transition from the ailing and embarrassing old VIP fleet, which was barred from landing in a number of countries because of environmental concerns, to a shiny new 737 minus the media has been smoothly achieved.

There has been a period of adjustment when Howard travelled commercially, mixing it with public and media and generally having a chat even with those travelling press who didn't fly business or first class.

On his long trip to Europe last year the PM chartered a jet – used by football teams and pop stars to ferry around their entourage – for part of the trip. The media travelled in that jet, although on some legs went in a German air force C30 transport or on commercial flights.

But the weaning period is now over – and it would seem that the opportunity for the press to mix with travelling officials and prime ministers has ended. Howard's recent seven-day trip around the world is a worst-case scenario but proves the point.

Given only four days to plan, the media intending to travel with the Prime Minister on his most important international trip yet, had to arrange commercial travel between Canberra, Sydney, Washington, New York, London and Jakarta while keeping to a schedule set by the PM's VIP jet.

Five overnight trips were needed to ensure the media were in place to question Howard after he met the Bush Administration and the President himself, plus British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Indonesia's President Megawati.

Part of the justification for keeping the media off the plane – and remember they have been the only paying customers on these flights – is that it is not comfortable enough for the entire media contingent.

Consider this:

Canberra to Washington is a long trip made more tedious and lengthy by security measures at Los Angeles, which mean standing in at least four queues for more than two hours and the strong prospect of a body search. Anything less than a two-hour gap between arrival and a link with domestic flights virtually means you will miss the flight.

The media had to set out before Howard, who stopped en route in Hawaii and conducted Commonwealth business over bans on Zimbabwe without any pesky press interference. Indeed, it was Howard who had to raise the issue himself at a press conference in Washington because the media was oblivious as to what had happened in transit.

To be in New York in time for Howard's meetings with Hans Blix and Kofi Annan it was necessary for most of the press – as opposed to the television crews – to travel by train to New York, arriving after 2am and then filing stories written on the red-eye express.

The TV people had the luxury of sleeping in until 4am and catching a plane the next morning. The PM's team did find room on the plane for some media to record his departure and arrival and to do a pre-recorded radio interview.

New York was a blur, bleary journalists blitzing Blix in the winter wind, a quick press conference and then a four-hour preparation for an overnight trans-Atlantic flight to London.

Arrival in London was to a Heathrow tarmac surrounded by military in tanks and high-level security warnings. Arrival at 6am meant working straight through the day and night as Howard met British ministers prior to his early morning meeting with Blair at No 10 Downing Street. Standing in sub-zero temperatures after being frisked for the 20th time in four days, the travelling media knew they faced a rush to the airport for various flights to Singapore, Bangkok or Hong Kong to make on-flights to Jakarta in time for Howard's arrival.

Because someone from Venezuela had brought a hand grenade to Gatwick in his luggage, the security checks at Heathrow were doubled. It took more than two hours at the economy check-in to lodge luggage and get seat allocation. Security queues took another hour.

Some of the media had begun to flake off the tour de force, giving up on the Indonesia leg and heading straight to Australia.

After more searches in Singapore it was a late-night arrival in steamy Jakarta after having been in freezing ice and snow for six days.

Once again, the travelling media saw the Prime Minister at a press conference and a couple of meetings. Unfortunately for the ABC's Jim Middleton, the only informal contact with the PM was a dressing down in the hotel foyer after the ABC newsroom had wrongly rewritten one of his stories.

The Prime Minister was on the way to his plane and the flight to Australia. The media were left like a flight of broken geese to straggle back commercially, deprived of Howard's company and end-of-trip insights. A pattern for the future.