April 15, 1997

Graduating? Get a job already!
Jeff Simms
Reporter

With graduation an especially timely issue, being only weeks away, many students are wondering what to expect from the post-graduate job market.

What majors produce the most employed graduates? What types of skills are employers looking for in 1997?

Dr. David Ball of the Career Development Center says that employers approaching ASU graduates tend not to be "major specific" in what they're looking for, but with today's job market, they have become more "skill specific."

In other words, according to Dr. Ball, there are "certain things all students can do to enhance their employability, regardless of (their) major."

In his opinion, the job market is stronger now than it has been in years, and he reiterated that, "People hire people. They don't hire diplomas or majors."

He went on to say that college majors shouldn't limit a student's horizons, but should actually broaden them.

Communication and technology skills were among those Ball cited as vital in today's job market. He also mentioned that employers today look for analytical and problem solving skills, as well as the ability to work well in teams.

Academic accolades such as GPAs and other honors, along with co-curricular activities, are looked at by employers, though he again stressed that the multi-dimensional student leaves school with a distinct advantage. Internship experience and foreign language ability also definitely work to a student's advantage.

"With the globalization of the marketplace, there is a developing need for bilingual graduates," said Ball.

Students preparing themselves for post-graduate work can also get a head start with the Career Development Center's on-line resume service, located on the third floor of the new John Thomas administrative building. Implemented just this semester, it allows students to post their resumes on the Internet while still in school.

The resumes created on-line are distributed to employers nationwide within the ASU database. This same database is also constantly updated with available jobs, to be potentially matched up with ASU student resumes.

Stephen Clemente, who works with the computer systems in the Career Development Center, said that 715 students have already had their resumes registered in the system.

He said also that the service doesn't require special computer proficiency, and with on-line service soon to be extended to all residence halls, "the system will be geared toward remote computing and convenience."

Students can register resumes themselves using only a social security number to enter the system, or orientation workshops which are held in the Thomas building for those foreign to computers.

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Fly fishing in the High Country
Jeff Sprouse
Reporter

I got the last $19.96 fly rod and reel Wal-Mart had, having broken my last rod in a maniacal rage after losing the same 8 inch Brookie that had eluded me many times that day.

I pulled up my $14.56 hip waders, also from Wal-Mart, and pulled on my vest, loaded with cheap flies and a recently purchased North Carolina Comprehensive Fishing License.

Which is important, because it's the law to have one. The man is out there looking for the poachers. I know, I've waited in a courtroom while the judge overslept to be sentenced for fishing without a license.

Years ago, two fully armed game wardens ambushed me while I was urinating in some bushes. Twenty miles from the nearest house, three miles from the nearest dirt road, they had successfully tracked the most vile criminal, a poacher, red handed.

Ah, the law, but I digress. For my first day of the year, I chose the Watauga River, with its wide open bed, perfect for the short cast and the rusty angler.

I was below the Appalachian Angler, right off 105. With a modified noose, which I tied with the skill of an old Eagle Scout, I attached a number 12 Bead Head and a couple weights.

Casting above a pool, into the ripples, the fly submerged and dragged along the bottom, perfectly imitating a nymph, common food for the little bastards this time of year.

But no luck. No hits. Up stream and try again. Must be the fly.

Sun comes out and the little bastards are hitting the surface. Bottom fishing is fine but I prefer the dry fly. I tie on a number 14 Quill Gordon, and with short true casts, probe the stream where I last saw the bugger strike.

Then things fall apart. My line gets caught in a tree across the stream. While wading over to free it, I fall, filling my rubber waders with water. On my face, rod downstream, death by drowning eminent, I come to the revelation that I really do need professional advice on how to do this sport.

Under the guise of a reporter for the school newspaper, I wander up to the Appalachian Angler for free information.

I am a sad sight, dripping wet and begging for tips from Haden Copeland, who along with his identical twin brother Theo, owns the Appalachian Angler. Haden, smoking a Camel, entertains me. Professional hunters are by nature a very serious breed. They usually have no time for hacks like myself. But a vague promise of free publicity keeps him talking.

"The fishing's real good. The fish are happy. The water temperature's rising and they're hungry," Haden says, eyeing me with macho suspicion. Since, I presume, his shop sells flies, he does tell me what the fish are biting. He recommends smaller Quill Gordons and Hendricksons, number 14 Olive and Black, and Royal Coachman for top fishing. For the bottom, he says try Bead Heads and Hare Nymphs with some weight.

I ask him where the hot spots are, but by now he has grown tired of my uninformed questions and definitely does not want to see me at his favorite holes. So he vaguely refers to the North Carolina back country and its small streams.

He gives me some promotional literature and we say a weak good-bye. I leave feeling small, and with no new information.

So if you want to do some fishing and are just starting out, go down to the Watauga and park where all the other anglers do or in Haden's lot. He doesn't mind.

He also doesn't mind that I mention the free fly casting clinic he gives every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 11a.m.

If you really want to experience the best fishing North Carolina has to offer and have one hell of an adventure getting there, buy a map and find a little stream in the middle of nowhere. Maybe you'll come up with a spot that you'll want to keep to yourself like Haden.

And remember, if you are lucky enough to catch one of the little bastards, be a real man and let him go.

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Students' work on display
Suzanne Carter
Reproter

"The Technical Photography Program is pleased to be able to present a campus-wide exhibition which highlights the best photography being created from students currently enrolled in classes at the university," said Michael H. Siede, coordinator of the Technical Photography Program.

The Third Annual Creative Photography Contest is an exhibition sponsored by the Technical Photography Program, the Department of Technology and BB&T.

The entries in the contest are kept anonymous through a blind judging. No names or departments are visible during the judging and the judges are chosen from outside the university community.

"The exhibition is exciting because it is not limited to any one department or discipline," said Siede.

"No names or departments are allowed to be visible during judging . . . no member of the Technical Photography Program is even allowed in the room while judging is taking place."

This year's judges, Charles Johnson, owner of Charles Johnson Custom Color Inc. and Jim McGuire, professional photographer, have been chosen from Charlotte.

Johnson is the owner of a well known and respected color lab in Charlotte. He works directly with professional photographers on a daily basis and limits the numbers of his client base so that he can provide the greatest possible professional service.

McGuire is a freelance professional photographer who operates his own studio in Charlotte. He is primarily known for his unique lighting, point of view and leading edge portraiture.

Entries in the contest will be judged on both technical and creative achievements. Prizes in the contest include a $100 purchase prize, a $200 grand prize and additional awards and prizes.

Last year's winners were, ASU graduate Molly Baldwin for first place, senior Krysti Adams for second place and junior Troy Tuttle for third place.

Work chosen for the exhibition will be on display at the Looking Glass Gallery from April 28 through May 9. Only photographs selected by the jury will be displayed in the exhibition.

Winners of the Third Annual Creative Photography Contest will be notified during the Looking Glass Gallery Exhibition. Opening reception will be held on May 2.

"I believe this is a great opportunity for students to see the creative and professional photography taking place on this campus," said Siede. "The main objective of this exhibition is to highlight the professional level of work accomplished by our students and to celebrate it through this exhibit."

The Technology Department would like to thank BB&T for providing the first ever cash grand prize in the Creative Photography Contest and for providing a fund to help frame some of the winning entries.

"We would like to again thank the Looking Glass Gallery committee for providing a time slot for the exhibition, and David Robertson and the Plemmons Student Union for providing the perfect venue for the exhibition," said Siede.

Applications and regulations for the contest may be picked up in the main office of the Department of Technology.

The entry deadline is Friday, April 18 at 5 p.m. The contest is open to all ASU students currently enrolled in the university, and a maximum of four photographs may be submitted per photographer. University faculty and staff are not permitted to enter.

For more information about the Third Annual Creative Photography Contest, please contact the main office of the Department of Technology or call Michael Siede, coordinator of technical photography at 262-3110.

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New minor comes to IDS & Appalachian
Jeff Sprouse - Staff Writer
Albert Hughes - Professor

Since August of 1985, the United States has steadily lost its influence in the world economy. We are the number one debtor nation in the world. We are no longer able to control the value of our dollar.

The Japanese have surpassed us in economic and foreign aid to developing nations. We cannot control the flow of drugs into our nation nor can we influence the drug policies of the nations from which the drugs flow.

President Clinton is pursuing a policy of expanding NATO in a time when we face no major enemies and America is encouraging investment in the former Soviet Union.

With all of the confusion in world politics and international economics, there is now a course of study, here at Appalachian, that helps the student understand and participate in the changing social economies of Eastern Europe and Russia.

Through the Interdisciplinary Studies program, students can enroll in the Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia minor. Regardless of their academic major, the minor, with its collection of scholars teaching a wide variety of courses, offers the student a chance to get on the ground floor to develop a fascinating future for themselves.

A student makes a commitment to the study of the Russian language and a curriculum of subject matter courses. The courses come from the departments of history, political science, criminal justice, sociology, economics, geography and anthropology.

And what would any course of study be without hands-on experience? There are openings in the student exchange programs Appalachian has with a number of institutions in Russia and Poland.

Most of the faculty have traveled to these countries numerous times and are well known in the field, having published books and articles relevant to the study of the region.

In these uncertain times for the college graduate and the domestic job market, graduates from this course of study are almost guaranteed a place in the emerging capitalistic feeding frenzy occurring in these countries.

If you are interested in participating, see Dr. Peter Petschauer in the History Department for advising information. Or see Dr. Albert Hughes in the Sociology Department and Dr. Frank Aycock in the Communications Department for more information.

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