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Show Local News , Senate Candidate Bennett Strives To Better Education being vacated by Sen. Jake Gams coming retirement, Bennett, who seeks to return to national politics after an leave, said he is motivated to change a public education system he sees as stunted As an example of this, he referred to an exam Motorola gives to all applicants. The test is set on a ninth grade level, yet still 60 percent of the applicants fail. Education is a serious national crisis, Bennett said, and the federal government is where the real financial changes can be made. For example, when the federal government matches funds, it doesnt mean that it puts up an amount equal to that fronted by the state. Sometimes, the federal government only fronts 0 percent, he said. We are the only industrialized nation in the world without a national educational policy, he said Yet, if there is to be a nationsl policy, it should focus on the needs of the student, not the structure of the system. He said the real educational power in the U.S. is in the Federal Department of Education, which actually disperses the funding to states in increments appropriated by Congress. The U.S. needs senators who will increase educational funding and know how to handle money in the government bureaucracy, he said. While in Washington, D.C., he worked 18-ye- ar 15-3- -- 7' - - - Senate candidate Bob Bennett (R) Flle Pho, by Bill Kilpack Forum editor The usual route taken by politicians who want to improve education is to strive for the gubernatorial seat. But Bob Bennett, Republican, said the way to make real improvements is in Washington, D.C., where the federal government drives the real agenda in education through matching state educational funding with federal monies. Seeking to claim the U.S. Senate seat -- . as a Congressional staffer in both the House and Senate, and worked on a policy-makin- g level in the Executive Branch. He said, I learned the system ... enabling me to put that knowledge to work for Utah. As head of Congress relations for the Department of Transportation, he was responsible for pushing through legislation under PresidentNixon that had failed under President Johnson. The general assumption, according to Bennett, was that Nixon wouldnt Johnson, but virtually out-d- o everything passed. I did it well enough to demonstrate that I understand the system, Bennett said. I know where the 'levers of power are. Bennett said that to improve public education, there must be free market aspects injected into the present system to reward people who are willing to take risks. Currently, students are being treated like products and the teachers like the workers, he said. In the future, he said he wants to see the student treated as the worker and the teacher as a coach. Presently, students have the least power in education, he said, but students should be the ones responsible and begin exercising that power as early as grade school. S tudents ought to be free to say , I need more work in math, and receive it without being pushed onto the next stop in the educational assembly line, he said. Festival Filled With Contests, Entertainment And Education by Ruth Catron Forum staff writer Earth Day Utahs earth day festival, will be packed with events April 24-2ranging from rap contests and Tongan dances to bird shows and live entertainment As Earth Day Utah holds its third festival, a new theme, Ecology Begins in the Home, takes form. Last years theme, I Make a Difference, led into this years theme, said Colleen Winters, festival exhibit coordinator. The organizers took 1991s theme a step further and asked how one can make a difference. This years theme is one of the many places to start making a difference. You can think of your home as where you live, as your state, country or even your home planet, Winters said. The festival aims to present numerous ways to encourage people to be aware of what is happening in the environment It is a middle-of-the-roapproach, said Winwhere ters, people who want to help can do whatever feels comfortable to them. " You can take a step in the green direction without being overwhelmed. There are so many different choices. Choose one, Winters said. Many people think their two cents worth does not mean much, but everybodys efforts have an enormous effect. Exhibitors will be at the fair to answer any questions people may have regarding how to go about taking a step. This is a chance for the exhibitors to provide visitors with the latest updates on local and global environmental issues. The Recycling Corporation of America 6, ad Paga orum-Tuesd- ay, av it . 14,1992,. April t t it; U! and Planned Parenthood Association of Utah are among the exhibitors. Others attending are Utahns for Choice, Four Seasons Heating and the United States Bureau of Mines. The festival is free to the public. It is funded entirely by private and public corporations. The primary sponsors are Huntsman Chemical Corp., Valley Fair Mall, and KBZN The Breeze. Exhibitors pay a fee to participate in the festival and revenue from Earth Day Utahs will also help funding. Sounds of folk and bluegrass music will fill the air as artists Rex Loker, Gary Campbell and Bluegrass Conspiracy perform. A Bolivian music group called Los Hermanos will also sing on Saturday, April 25. A Touch of Polynesia, a Tongan Ken-neco- tt. dance ensemble, will perform live throughout the weekend. Friday is designated as Childrens Day, where shows focused on childrens involvement will take place. The Tracy Aviary will present a bird show, along with ecology-oriente- d mimes, a theater arts shows, puppet performing group and other events. Two contests scheduled for the weekend have extended their deadlines for entries. The first is an Earth Day theme rap contest, for which entries must be turned in byApril24at3p.m. The second, an art and poetry contest, has stretched its deadline to . April 17. ,, Foranyadditional information, call T-shi- rts Wfe? . Wum UUMi lfnr UilhianhlfiUii Stumped by a term paper? Need help or ideas in doing your research? The Library has many resources available to you including two computerized databases that will help you with your research. Stop by the library any time or make an appointment to see the Reference Librarian. Library hours are: Monday-Thursda- Friday - 7:30 y 7:30 a.m.-- 5 p.m. a.m.-1- 0 p.m. Saturday Sunday . . 10 a.m.-- 4 p.m. 1 p.m.-- 5 p.m. ' As it is, education is a command-close- d system, he said. This is the same form of Soviet government used by the Union and thats why it went under. Command-close- d systems are stuck in a hierarchical relationship, he said. Information can travel only in one direction down. Command systems simply dont work unless tomorrow will be exactly like today. In the Soviet Union, the fault in this type of system was apparent with the shooting of the Korean airliner when it wandered into Soviet air space, he said. The pilot was trained, could see that it was a passenger (not a military) plane, but wasnt trusted enough to make the decision not to shoot it down. Bennett said a demand system is much more and This allows for more flexibility e. inAn example of this command-close- d flexibility in U.S. education is the ACT, Bennett said. It is not an adequate gauge of achievement, yet it is still in use. When we have a more adequate tool, we can implement it and publish the results. Through publishing the test results of a revised program, the people could be empowered to control their childrens education by its stimulating effect on market forces. This empowerment, he said, is absolutely imperative. If Im a parent and I find out my childs school is asix on a scale ofone to 10, Ill get concerned about holding someone accountable, he said. A valid nationwide assessment tool to say what kind of education a school provides would allow for this. The tool would have to be something like the J JX Power ratings of automobiles, Bennett said. Something that school ad- Continued on Pago. 10 now-defun- ct self-perpetuati- ng self-controll- ed. on-sit- FORUM Forum Editorial Staff: Editor, Bill Kilpack; Copy Editor, Liz Peterson; Editorial Assistant, Jennifer Thompson; Production Manager, Kirsten Heaton; Photo Editor, Heather Bush; Business Manager, Donald Nunn Staff Writers: Michael Andre', William A they, Heather Bradley, Linda M. Bums, Katy Byrom, Ruth Catron, Judy Conner, Temmie K. Fleming, Calvin L Harrington, Matt Thurm" Kellogg, Mary Lang, Donald Nunn, Blessing Ream, Lynette Rundell, Carrie Stults, Christopher Thomas, Tiffanie Vina, Donald Wagstaff, Benjamin Williams Photo Staff: Michael Andre, Katy Byrom, Linda M. Bums, Ruth Catron, Temmie K. Fleming, Amanda Johnsen, Matt Thurm" Kellogg, Liz Peterson, Blessing Ream, Lynette Rundell, Benjamin Williams Cartoonists: Hollie Madson, Jennifer Rich-ers- on Faculty Advisor: Dr. Fred Fogo The Forum is published every Tuesday. The address of the Forum is 1840 South 1300 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84105. The Forum editorial staff encourage letters from students (include major), faculty and all other readers. Submissions must be sent to Converse Hall, room 205, no later than 3 p.m., the week prior to publication. Due to limited space availability, Forum editors reserve the right to edit all copy submitted. 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