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Show The Thunderbird Monday April 1, 1985 Page 3 Apodaca: Learning lasts lifetime People should always continue education process, speaker says by Debi Former New Mexico Governor Jerry Apodaca told students that once they stop learning, theyre as good as dead. He said he hopes to always gain new knowledge. gain new insights and broaden his horizons daily. Through the course of my experiences, I have come to realize that the one strength we have as a country, that we have as individuals, is the ability to gain knowledge, the ability to learn, Apodaca said. It is possible to gain wealth and property, only to lose them on a stroke of misfortune, he said. However, the one thing we can never lose is that which we have learned. According to Apodaca, information about the world around us is the key to the future, and the opportunity to learn is the greatest opportunity we possess. Education is the one thing that once possessed cannot be lost or taken away, he said. Reviewing his time as governor, Apodaca said he felt the fact he set an example was as or more important than the job he did in office. Apodaca has achieved more than a little in his life, from finishing the Boston Marathon to serving on the Presidents Council on Education, to becoming governor at age 40. He now writes a political column and lectures throughout the country, thus continuing to serve as an example for minorities or any person with a goal. He said that anything is possible, through work, perseverance, and, above all, education. He urged students to take advantage of the educational opportunities provided for them, and to continue' the learning process throughout their lives. RobinsonSmith If you dont plan to teach to the best of your ability, dont teach at all; find another profession, former New Mexico Gov. Jerry Apodaca said in a Convocation address advocating quality education in America. Apodaca, the first hispanic governor in U.S. history, said Thursday that formal education is not the only way to fulfill our obligation to learn. Once described as not a typical Mexican, he , and spoke about personal pride and rejected the concept of typical as meaningless. When growing up, he never considered the possibility that he could be elected governor of his state. However, thanks to a good education, he was able to make that one of his goals, and to achieve it. He also cautioned against being so caught up in political divisions and issues that the individual responsibility is lost. He feels that the things that make each person different, the things that make us tick, are more important than any political questions. Apodaca warned students not to become so complacent that they stop learning which he said is the equivalent of being dead. He said he has tried to making learning a lifelong pursuit. His goal, he said, has been to SUSCs Cotts returns from Russia Book exchange opens and Soviet culture hed return anytime to return After touring educational cash, books system by Kris Johnson Id go back in the twinkle of an eye, said Jim Cotts, an associate professor of mathematics who recently ventured into the Soviet Union. Cotts arid 23 other mathematics educators from all over the United States, representing all levels of education, left March 6 and returned from their expedition March 24. The purpose of the trip was to visit and observe Soviet schools on all educational levels, as well as to meet their Soviet counterparts and exchange ideas with them. They also attended various cultural events during their stay. According to Cotts, all foreign travelers in the USSR stay under the auspices of Intourist, a government company that does all of the arrangements for foreign travelers in the USSR. The group stayed in Intourist hotels, where When Chernenko died, the Russian people seemed more curious than distraught, said SUSC professor Jim Cotts. only foreign nationals can stay; Soviet citizens arent allowed in unless theyre employed by the hotel. The group toured four Soviet cities: Moscow, Yalta, Leningrad, and Simferopol. We were only allowed to go to those four cities, but we did spend a lot of time in the cities on the streets. While in the city youre free to move as you wish, and we did so a good deal, said Cotts. According to Cotts, the groups only restrictions were that they werent supposed to go to military installations and they werent allowed to photograph airports or military personnel. While observing at the various schools, Cotts took a real liking to the Soviet children. The children are beautiful, emaculate, and very well behaved. They were charming and delightful, , ne said with much enchantment. Cotts said that the Soviets accelerate their math programs much mpre quickly than the United States does. As far as mathematics training goes, they get things done a lot faster than we do, said Cotts." Cotts was in the Soviet Union when President Chernenko died. When the announcement was made, we were three blocks from Red Square. So several of us immediately walked up to the Red Square and it had been cleared, it was barricaded. They wouldnt let anybody in. The Soviet people seemed more curious than sad, he said. The group also got a little taste of Russian culture while they were there. Cotts said that the Russian food was heavy, greasy, fatty, and good. He added that you dont see too many thin Russians. While in Yalta they caught glimpses of some Ukranian folkdancing. They attended operas in Moscow and Leningrad. They visited the acclaimed Red Square and the Kremlin in Moscow. They also partook of the festivities of the Moscow Circus, which features world renowned dancing bears. Cotts recounted an experience in which he and three of the other group members got lost one night in Moscow on the Metro (a subway). They spoke virtually no Russian whatsoever, so they were in a real bind, he said. Thanks to the assistance of a little old Russian lady, they found their way back to the right sop. Cotts talked about the Soviets concern to obtain peace with the United States. I am convinced the Soviets want peace as much as we do, he said. A variety of Soviet people often asked us the same question a great number of times, and that was, We want peace, do you want peace? It is my perception thac they re a lot more afraid of us than we are of them, said Cotts. The impressions that I have were formed from a short stay in the Soviet Union. I have to constantly remind myself not to generalize on those limited observations that I happen to have the chance to make, he said. - After closing the student book exchange last week, ASSUSC officials will use this week to give back any unsold books or uncollected money. After April 4, they warn, anything left goes to ASSUSC. ' Although the exchange was selling about 15 books a day when'" it first opened this quarter as an official ASSUSC program, the Executive Council voted last week to close it because sales gradually dwindled. Although ASSUSC did not operate the book exchange at the end of winter quarter, it will probably run it at the end of spring quarter, said Kirk Bowden, public relations director. Students who used the exchange can pick up their money or unsold books April from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The council is still considering a proposal to Jink the book exchange with a student service center, which would provide information, referral and other services to students, although Bowden said that program will likely take more time to set up. What theyre trying to do is set up a total center for students, and the book exchange would be incorporated in there somewhere, Bowden said. V Accounting program set to start this fall Applications are available for admission to a master of accountancy program scheduled to start October 1 at SUSC. The Utah State Board of Regents approved the newly established fifth-yea- r program in July, 1984. It is the first graduate level program to be offered independently at SUSC, although the college has offered a masters in education for several years in cooperation with Utah State University. SUSCs fifth-yeaprofessional master of accountancy program will start this fall and is expected to graduate its first class in 1986, said SUSC Provost Terry Alger, adding that the selection of two added faculty members will be made in the near future, both with PhDs in accounting. The 500 and 600 level courses will be applicable not only to the n. asters degree candidates but for those students seeking CPE (Continuing Professional Education) Credit. Admission into the program will be based on the students undergraduate grade point averages and on their GMAT (Graduate Management Admissions Test) scores. Applications can be obtained by contacting the SUSC School of Business, or by calling r, 586-540- |