What's New

UC Berkeley breaks fundraising record

The University of California at Berkeley announced that the results of its nine-year fundraising campaign not only surpassed its $1.1 billion target, but also set a new record for fundraising by a public university.

The campaign, which ended in December, garnered $1.44 billion. This will help create hundreds of scholarships and fellowships and dozens of faculty chairs and distinguished professorships, according to Berkeley officials. The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, which raised $1.41 billion in a campaign that ended in 1997, held the previous record, Berkeley reported.

EPA concerned about campus chemicals

College campuses are replacing factories as the main culprits of pollution, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA has charged dozens of schools in the past three years with improperly storing hazardous chemicals and polluting the air, ground, and water.

To the EPA, campuses are warehouses for hazardous chemicals, from supplies at university hospitals to darkroom materials. School administrators criticize the EPA for enforcing different standards in different regions of the US.

Last December, the EPA issued its largest fine on a university when it charged the University of Hawaii $1.7 million for hazardous-waste violations at campuses on three islands.

Reading gets good ratings from kids

Young people recognize that reading books - and not just websites - is important to their future success, according to a new National Education Association survey. Of the 509 young people polled, 56 percent said they read more than 10 books a year; 41 percent reported reading more than 15 a year. And all of the 12- to 18-year olds rated reading, math, and writing as the first-, second-, and third-most important aids to success. They also described reading as "relaxing" (87 percent), "rewarding and satisfying" (85 percent), and "stimulating and interesting" (79 percent).

Attention college students

Interested in writing for us?

We are always looking for college students to write for our "On Campus" column. To contribute a column, e-mail Stacy Teicher at: teichers@csps.com Or, write to The Christian Science Monitor, One Norway Street, Boston, MA, 02115.

(c) Copyright 2001. The Christian Science Monitor