What's New
Freshmen becoming more liberal
College freshmen are more liberal than at any time in the past two decades, according to the annual survey of college freshmen by UCLA's Higher Education Research Institute. The survey found that about 30 percent of freshmen said their political views were "liberal" or "far left," compared with 21 percent in 1981. About 21 percent considered themselves "conservative" or "far right." The largest segment of freshmen - 49.5 percent - labeled itself "middle of the road," down from 51.9 percent in 2000.
Meanwhile, an all-time high of 47 percent of freshmen said they participated in demonstrations in the past year, compared with 15.8 percent when the national survey was started in 1966. The latest survey included more than 411,000 freshmen, most of whom responded before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
New Orleans - The NFL has established scholarship funds in the hometowns of two Americans killed recently while serving in Operation Enduring Freedom. The permanent endowment of several hundred thousand dollars was established in the names of CIA Intelligence Officer Johnny "Mike" Spann and US Marine Sgt. Jeannette Winters. A $10,000 scholarship in Spann's name will be given annually to a high school football player in Marion County, Ala. Spann played football at Winfield (Ala.) High School. Another $10,000 scholarship, in the name of Winters, will be awarded annually to a female student athlete in Gary, Ind. Winters was a member of her high school track team. The scholarship recipients must also demonstrate leadership and community service.
Boston, Mass. - Nearly one-third of hate crimes in Massachusetts high schools go unreported, according to a new survey by Northeastern University and a state task force. The Governor's Task Force on Hate Crimes found that only 3.5 percent of hate crimes were reported to police. About 60 percent of victims told friends, but 30 percent told no one, the report found. The study surveyed 4,059 students from 30 Massachusetts high schools between April and June 2000.
