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University Relations Tip Sheet - April 20, 2004

Five years from Columbine: Reflections on changing scope of school violence
When two students at Columbine High School opened fire on their classmates and teachers five years ago, society's view of school-based violence and troubled kids changed, says a counseling professor at Georgia State University. "Because the Columbine shooting occurred in a suburban setting, involving white students, it contradicted the stereotypes we had about violence in the schools," says Joel Meyers, director of Center for Research on School Safety, School Climate and Classroom Management. "We have all collectively learned that violence occurs everywhere, in all levels of society. And violence is a problem that builds up; there are all kinds of kids that internalize real anger and then explode. Columbine has forced society and school systems to not just focus on the problem kids who are acting out, but to focus on the quiet kid, the one who's not saying anything and carrying around a lot of hurt." Meyers works with Atlanta-area school systems on implementing violence-prevention strategies. Contact him at 404/651-1803 or jpmeyers@gsu.edu.

Businesses could face IT worker shortfall
Over the past three years, enrollment in university information-systems programs has plummeted as much as 50 percent nationwide due to the national economic downturn, experts say. The situation, combined with recent worries over offshore outsourcing, could lead to a "work skills" shortage for businesses as early as this fall, says Richard Baskerville, professor of computer information systems at Georgia State University. "As the economy comes back and demand for IT workers resumes, businesses will find a significant shortfall in skilled workers. This could ultimately impact this country's ability to compete globally." Contact Baskerville at 404/651-0934 or baskerville@gsu.edu.

Professor: Affirmative-action policies should also give preference to poor
As universities are increasingly pressured to revisit admissions policies that give preference to minority students, a new effort is under way to include low-income applicants as a way to increase diversity on college campuses. The recent call by higher-education researcher William Bowen, president of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, for selective institutions to level the playing field for economically disadvantaged students is part of the trend, says Benjamin Baez, an associate professor of educational policy studies at Georgia State University. "Affirmative-action policies help middle-class minorities, but they don't help the poor, and poor whites especially are completely shut out of the process," says Baez, who feels that affirmative-action policies should be rewritten to ensure all types of students are granted access to higher education. "We have to come up with new ways of classifying individuals, of rewarding those who have overcome adversity, including poverty," he says. Contact him at 404/651-1191 or bbaez@gsu.edu.

Identity thieves may send 'spoof' e-mails
Computer users should be wary of legitimate-looking e-mails from banks or other businesses asking for personal information because many of these e-mails are fraudulent, says Perry Binder, assistant professor of legal studies at Georgia State University. Known as "spoofs," the fake correspondence has become so realistic that many people are falling for them, giving criminals access to their bank accounts and credit cards. "People either need to ignore these e-mails, or call the companies to see if they actually sent them," Binder says. Some businesses are concerned that these scams could dissuade people from conducting online transactions, but Binder says, "I think e-commerce is here to stay. Internet users just need to be doubly savvy when conducting business online." Legal efforts to catch senders of "spoofs" have been hampered by the fact that many of these e-mails originate overseas, outside the jurisdiction of American law enforcement, Binder notes. Contact him at 404/463-9898 or pbinder@gsu.edu.

Man vs. machine: Virtual orchestras can't replace the real thing
Though they sound like human musicians, "virtual orchestra" machines will never fool audiences into giving up the spontaneity and excitement of live performance, says a Georgia State University music professor and performer. "People go to shows to see real, live human beings perform -- everyone from the singers/dancers/actors, to the musicians, to the ushers and ticket-takers, is part of the experience," says Geoffrey Haydon. "Machines only enhance what we do, particularly when it comes to art. No one has ever been fascinated for very long by a machine's behavior or achievement -- otherwise, we would be watching machines compete in the Super Bowl." There is a time and place for synthesizers, says Haydon, but their abuse could be destructive to the art, driving away potential audiences who feel that a mechanized show lacks excitement. Ultimately though, says Haydon, it's probably not cause for serious concern. "Humans have proven themselves to be far more adaptable than machines." For more, contact Haydon at 404/651-1639 or musgjh@langate.gsu.edu.

Access to different cultures now at Atlantans' fingertips
Four Georgia State University geographers -- Deborah Duchon, Elaine Hallisley Hendrix, Susan Walcott and Jeremy Kart -- have compiled an updated directory of Atlanta designed to help immigrants. The volume, Globalizing Georgia -- Atlanta Ethnicity Atlas and Multicultural Directory of Georgia 2003-2004, lists organizations, consulates, publications, refugee support services and community-service programs, and features maps showing concentrations of various immigrant populations in the city. Initiated by Duchon, it was first compiled in the 1990s and has been updated several times. For more information, contact Duchon at 404/651-2542 or dduchon@gsu.edu.

Professor: Foreign outsourcing not a serious threat to American economy
American politicians shouldn't cave in to pressure from constituents to stem the flow of job overseas, says Michael Rushton, associate professor of public administration and urban studies at Georgia State University. Rushton doesn't believe the outsourcing of jobs to other countries, such as India, is a threat to the American standard of living. "The labor market is constantly in flux and finding new things for people to do," says Rushton, who feels confident that better jobs will appear to replace those sent overseas. "Americans will be using their skills to do more valuable things, while taking advantage of other countries providing us services at a low cost," he says. Contact Rushton at 404/651-0333 or michaelrushton@gsu.edu.

Happening at Georgia State University:

Cinderella goes to the opera
The Georgia State University School of Music presents "Cendrillon," an operatic retelling of the Cinderella story by Jules Massenet, at 7:30 p.m. April 23 and 3 p.m. April 25 at the Rialto Center for the Performing Arts (corner of Forsyth and Luckie streets). Tickets are $10 and may be purchased at www.rialtocenter.org or by calling 404/651-4727.

Kopleff Recital Hall dedication
Georgia State University will celebrate the contributions of renowned contralto and Professor Emerita Florence Kopleff on her 80th birthday by naming the School of Music's Recital Hall in her honor next month. Some of Georgia State's most illustrious friends and former students will perform at ceremonies to be held at 7:30 p.m. May 2 in the Recital Hall (corner of Peachtree Center Avenue and Gilmer Street), including tenor Richard Clement, soprano Arietha Lockhart, pianist John Wustman, and faculty members Peter Marshall, piano, and Dwight Coleman, baritone. The Georgia State University Singers, conducted by Alan Raines, also will perform. For more information, contact Helene Erenberg at 404/651-1326 or herenberg@gsu.edu.

Michael Buble' to perform at Rialto
Canadian crooner Michael Buble' (pronounced Boo-blay) brings his swinging vocals to the Rialto Center for the Performing Arts at 8 p.m. May 5. Tickets are $40 and may be purchased at www.rialtocenter.org or by calling 404/651-4727. For more information, contact Amy Moudy Comeau at 404/651-2981 or acomeau@gsu.edu.

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