I'm standing in front of the Northeastern Women's Correctional Facility. This is

a high-security prison that houses 1500 women convicted of kidnapping,

robbery, and murder. I must say that it is an extremely uninviting place. When

I was given this assignment, I was somewhat apprehensive, and I can honestly

say that I am still quite frightened as I approach the main gate. My knees are a

little wobbly, and my stomach is full of butterflies.

Bell Sound

I am now walking down Cell Block A. Each cell is approximately ten feet by

eight and contains four small beds with thin blankets, no pillows or sheets, a

metal sink, and an open toilet. Each tiny cell is the home for four women. The

walls have numerous cracks and layers of paint chipping, and look as though

they have not been painted in decades. There seems to be little fresh air or

sunlight. The women all look sad and bored. Walking down the block, the

strong smell of disinfectant is almost overpowering. This is definitely not the

kind of place someone would want to be sent to.

Bell Sound

Now I am in the prison cafeteria. While I have been instructed not to speak

with any of the prisoners, I am allowed to observe them while they are eating.

The cafeteria has ten long tables with twenty women seated around each one

on low uncomfortable-looking wooden benches. The menu for lunch today

includes the following: a scoop of gray, lumpy mashed potatoes, a small piece

of overcooked chicken, and a hunk of stale-looking bread. Fresh fruit and

vegetables are nowhere to be seen. Needless to say, there is no salt, pepper, or

other condiments available to the women, and they are not permitted to use

knives or forks. Water is the only beverage available. It is safe to say that the

focal being served is not healthy, and I wonder how these women are able to

maintain their strength and health.

Vicky: The Multiple Organic Diner? Emily, do you really want to eat in this

hole in the wall?

- Larry: Now, Vicky, Emily is trying to help us get back into shape. Besides,

this place doesn't look so bad. It's a little dark maybe, but I'm sure

it's clean.

Emily: That's the spirit. Let's take that table over there.

Vicky: I suppose there's no smoking allowed in here.

Emily: Of course not, big sister. This is a health food restaurant. Besides, I

thought you said you were going to kick the habit.

Vicky: Well, Emily, I've tried. But, every time I stop smoking, I gain ten

pounds. I don't think I'll ever be able to give up smoking.

Emily: But you'll feel so much better when you do! I've been eating well

and exercising every day. I run two miles every other day and play

tennis every Sunday. I feel wonderful and everybody tells me I

a look great.

Larry: Yeah, Vicky, I think Emily is right. By the way, where's the waiter?

I'd like to order a drink before we eat.

Emily: Larry, it's only three o'clock in the afternoon. Besides, health food

restaurants don't serve alcohol.

Vicky: Wait a minute, Larry. I thought we agreed that you'd stop drinking

if I quit smoking.

Emily: I think you should both quit. Doesn't this restaurant make you

want to start living a healthy life? Why, just look at this menu.

Everything they serve here is natural and nutritious.

Larry: Never mind nutritious. What are the burgers like? I'm starving!

Emily: Oh, Larry. You must know that hamburgers have a lot of fat and

are high in calories.

Vicky: And the doctor told you that you have to lower your cholesterol

and lose at least 25 pounds. Smoking isn't the only way to have a

heart attack early in life, you know. I'm your wife and I'm too

young to dress all in black!

Larry: Don't worry, dear, I'm not going to die any time soon. Besides, I'm

going to start my new diet on Monday.

Emily: That's great, Larry, but I think the only real way to lose weight is to

eat less and exercise more.

Vicky: I agree with Emily. All you have to do is stop eating desserts and

fried foods and no more alcohol.

Larry: You know, maybe you're right. Emily can help me plan a diet.

Emily: And don't forget the exercise. Why don't you two come running

with me. I'd love to have the company and we could play tennis

together, too.

Vicky: No, running hurts my knees. I think swimming would be the best

exercise for me.

Larry: Well, I don't like swimming or running. But, I would like to get

back into playing handball. I was a really good player when I was

younger.

Emily: Well, the important thing is that you two make some serious

changes in your lifestyle. I'm really glad you're doing this. Now,

let's celebrate your decision by ordering a nice tall glass of carrot-

onion juice.

Vicky and

Larry: Carrot-onion juice? !?

Emily: Of course! It's chock full of vim and vitality! It's rich in vitamins

and minerals. There's vitamin C, B, and of course A for the eyes.

Larry: Wait a minute. Our diet doesn't start until Monday, If we're going

to do any celebrating, I say we should go over to the Burger Palace

and have a real celebration.

1.cottage cheese, sliced tomato, six spears of asparagus, and a cup of

fresh pineapple. black with no sugar2. salmon and a baked potato3. turkey

sandwich on whole wheat, mayonnaise, a glass of iced tea with two sugars,4.

some oatmeal and a banana, have a slice of apple pie for dessert,5. two

cookies and a glass of milk

Gary: Well, here we are in L.A. Where shall we go first? Let's look at the

. map.

Don: We've never been to the Grand Canyon in Arizona...

Gary: Okay. Let's go there.

Don: I hear it's the most beautiful place on earth. It's over 300 miles long,

and the Colorado River goes right through it.

Gary: I wonder if we can go down into the canyon.

Don: Sure. They have all sorts of trips and tours. We can even take a

small plane ride into the canyon.

Gary: That sounds great.

Don: All right then, the first stop is the Grand Canyon. Let's be sure to

call and make reservations at the campground. I'm sure the Arizona

Tourist Service will help us. How long should we stay?

Garya We want to do some hiking in the canyon and boating on the

Colorado River. How does three days sound?

Don: That sounds about right. Where do we go from there?

Gary: How about heading north? It starts to boil in the southwest in the

summer.

Don: Then let's head up to Wyoming and camp a few days in the

Yellowstone National Park.

Gary: Great. We can crash' for one night in Salt Lake City, Utah, on the

way.

Don: Salt Lake City, Utah?

Gary: Yeah, I heard it's an interesting city. And it's on the way to

Yellowstone.

Don: Okay. So, we'll go north through Salt Lake City up to Yellowstone.

I've always dreamed of camping under the stars in Wyoming. And,

of course, seeing Old Faithful in Yellowstone.

Gary: Old Faithful? Is that the place where hot water shoots into the air

every hour or so?

@

Don: Uh-huh, Old Faithful geyser. It's supposed to be really exciting to

watch.

Gary: What else is there to do?

Don: We can go horseback riding, hiking, and fishing on Lake

Yellowstone. Also, if we go all the way out to some of the remote

parts of the park, we can look for bears and other wild animals.

Gary: Ooh, that sounds a little scary.

Don: Yeah, but exciting. Let's plan to stay three days. Hey, it's not that far

east from Yellowstone to Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota.

Gary: Is that the place where that artist carved the whole side of the

mountain and made it into the shape of the heads of four

presidents?

Gary: Are you sure that's in South Dakota? I thought Mt. Rushmore is in

North Dakota.

Don: No, it's in South Dakota.

Gary: Can we camp near there, or do we have to spring for a hotel?

Don: No, we won't have to spend money on hotels until we hit a big city.

I'm sure we can camp somewhere'~hearby.

Gary: Should we plan to stay one night?

Don: That sounds about right.

Gary: Where to next?

Don: Let's go to Minnesota. Uncle Leo and Aunt Dora now live in

Minneapolis. They have a big house. I'm sure they'd put us

up. Minnesota is one of the most beautiful states in the country. It

has thousands of lakes, plus the Mississippi River.

Gary: Yeah, and it has great theater and dance, and the Minnesota

Orchestra is one of the best in the entire country.

Don: Maybe we should stay four days to make sure we see everything.

Gary: Good idea. And from Minnesota, we can go down through

Wisconsin into Illinois to Chicago. It'sounds like a really great city;

it's right on Lake Michigan.

Don: Chicago is known for its music; especially jazz. I want to go to a

jazz club every night.

Gary: I really want to walk around Chicago and look at the architecture.

My engineering teacher told me the buildings in the city are

incredibly beautiful to look at. Why don't we make hotel

reservations for three nights.

Don: That sounds about right. So, what's our itinerary?

Gary: Let's see. From L.A. we go to Arizona; then Utah, Wyoming, South

Dakota, Minnesota, and finally, Chicago, Illinois.

Don: Do you think we can do all of this in two and a half weeks? We've

got to get back in time for registration.

Gary: No problem. The way you burn rubber on the highway, we'll get

from Chicago to L.A. in half a day!

Don: Ha, ha, ha! I think we'll need to count on at least four days for the

return trip.

Gary: This sounds like the perfect vacation.

Don: Yeah, now all we have to do is figure out how to pay for it!

Reiko: Excuse me. I need to interview someone for my Communications

Skills class. Could I ask you questions? It will only be a few

minutes.

Reiko: do you have a lot of midterm tests that you are studying for?

Kitty: I sure do. I have two tests next Tuesday that I haven't had time to

begin studying for.

Kitty: Don't worry. I can talk to you for a few minutes. Please, ask me

your questions.

Reiko: Thank you. I will try to hurry. Please tell me first, are you a full-

time or part-time student?

Kitty: I'm just taking classes part time.

Reiko: You are part-time. So, you are working now?

Kitty: No, I'm a student. A part-time student.

Reiko: Yes. Sorry. I mean do you have a job?

Kitty: I'm a receptionist at a downtown law firm.

Reiko: What is your major? Are you studying law?

Kitty: Oh no. I don't want to be a lawyer. I'm working on a certificate in

retail floristry.

Reiko: Retail floristry?

Kitty: No, it's pronounced retail floristry.

Reiko: And, you are getting a certificate, not a degree. How long does it

take to get this certificate?

Kitty: The program takes about a year for most people, but at the rate

I'm going, it will probably take me three.

Reiko: What attracted you to this field?

Kitty: Well, I've always really enjoyed working with flowers and having

gardens, so I started taking some courses because someday I'd like

to open my own flower shop. UFS has a really good reputation for

its retail floristry department. That's why I decided to start taking

classes here. I'm sorry; was I speaking too quickly? Did my answer

make sense?

Kitty: No. I've just always had a green thumb and loved working with

plants and flowers.

Reiko: And, could you tell me what kinds of jobs are possible for

someone with a major in retail floristry?

Kitty: Well, in the beginning, you could work as a salesperson in a

flower shop or a designer depending on your skill level.

Reiko: I'm sorry; could you explain what you mean by designer?

Kitty: That's someone who designs and arranges flowers. Flower

arranging is practically an art form, especially in some Asian

countries like Japan. Do you know what I mean?

Reiko: I think you are talking abc~t Ikebana.

Reiko: Ikebana.

Kitty: Yes. You might also be able to get a job in a nursery, where you'd

grow large numbers of plants from seedlings, maybe develop new

and stronger species, and, of course, help gardeners with their

everyday needs and problems.

Reiko: That sounds very interesting. Do you like the program in retail

floristry here at UFS?

Kitty: . I'm just taking two classes this semester, and I'm

acing both of them. o

Reiko: You are lucky. My classes are difficult.

Kitty: Well, it's easier for me. You see, I already have a degree, so I'm

used to the amount of work. It's not like I'm starting college for

the first time.

Reiko: I understand. Please tell me, what do you think are some of the

most helpful courses in your program?

Kitty: Definitely the design classes because that's really what this major is

all about. Also, the identification courses, where you can learn the

names of the plants and flowers. That is really crucial if you are

going to work in a shop or work with flowers.

Reiko: Yes, it would be. For my next question, please tell me what kind of

related subjects would help somebody studying retail floristry?

@

Kitty: There are other courses in the horticulture department which

would be beneficial, such as landscape design or nursery

operation. Also, maybe courses in art, art history, or even

architectural design would help. If you're trying to create an

artistic floral arrangement to go in a particular room or with a

particular painting, it would probably be useful to have some

knowledge of art and architecture.

Reiko: That is very interesting. Now, what is the best part of the UFS

program in retail floristry?

Kitty: I think the practical experience you get working with the flowers

is the best part of the program. Part of the time is lecture, but you

also spend three hours designing arrangements and critiquing

them with your classmates. It's really important to have time to

work with the flowers and then critique your arrangement and get

feedback from the instructor and from everybody else in the class.

The practical experience is really wonderful.

Reiko: And, what about the worst part? What would you say is the worst

part of the program?

Kitty: I guess I'd have to say it's the memorization. A lot of the work

involved with plant and flower identification is just strict

memorization. You have to constantly practice the botanical

names, saying them and learning what they mean so that you'll

know them by the end of the course. There are really so many

difficult Latin names. It's not something you can just study right

before a test.

Reiko: Yes, but Latin is so difficult! I have one more question: Do you

think your major is one that a foreign student would be able to

handle?

Kitty: Yes, I think so. I do know, however, that some of the foreign

students in my classes have been having trouble following the

instructor because of the language difficulties. But, if they got

some help from English-speaking classmates, or, perhaps if the

instructor had some assistants available to help them, I think they

could do it. I'm not saying they would breeze through the class,

but, with hard work and help, I'm sure they'd be successful.

, Reporter: And now we'll switch to highlights of last night's debate

between the city's two candidates for mayor, Bella Porter

and Dan Shmankie. The debate lasted more than an hour

and was at times rather loud and contentious. The crowd

interrupted the speakers several times showing their strong

disagreement.

Here's what the candidates had to say on some of the issues.

The first point that was hotly debated was in response to a

question regarding the current homelessness problem in our

city. Bella Porter, who has been active in city politics for

over a decade and is currently serving as president of the

city council, answered the question first.

B. Porter: I feel that Mr. Shmankie's solution to the homeless problem

is to sweep it under the rug. Mr. Shmankie believes that

putting the homeless in jail will solve the problem. If we

don't see homeless people sleeping on our streets, the

problem doesn't exist, right? Wrong!

Mr. Shmankie appears to be more concerned with the

comfort of tourists and visitors to our city than with

actually helping some of our poorest and neediest citizens.

A night in jail will not help a homeless person get his or her

life back together. We need to provide real job training for

these people in addition to affordable housing and medical

services.

Reporter: Dan Shmankie, a local businessman for over twenty years,

then gave his response to the homeless question.

D. Shmankie: As usual, Councilwoman Porter's solution to any problem is

to throw money at it. The people we see on the streets are

for the most part lazy drunks or drug addicts who don't

want to get a job and contribute to society. We hear stories

every day from good hard-working citizens who are

constantly harassed by panhandlers who come up to them

and demand spare change. People have been attacked in

@

front of stores and waiting in their cars at stop lights. Store

owners are losing business because dirty, scary-looking

people are sitting with their shopping carts and sleeping

bags in front of their stores. We need to feel safe on our

streets again. These people don't need programs. They need

a kick in the pants!

Reporter: The two candidates also had very different opinions

concerning education:

Shmankie: Once again Ms. Porter seems to believe that money will fix

all problems. Our schools do not need more money. They

need teachers who can get the job done. In the last five

years we have seen student test scores plummet and I blame

the teachers.

Now hear me out. Some of my best friends are teachers. I

certainly know of many hard-working and dedicated

teachers who deserve our respect. But we need to think

about education more like a business. If you are the

president of a company that builds cars and half of these

cars have serious problems, would you give your workers

higher salaries and bettJ'benefits? Of course not. What we

need to do is to make sure that our teachers receive raises if

and only if their students get higher test scores. And for

those teachers who fail to get results, we need to replace

them with teachers who can get the job done.

Porter:Here's a news flash for you Mr. Shmankie. Education is not a

business. We are not cranking out cars on an assembly line;

five per hour, one blue, one re& one green--each one

exactly the same as the last. Education is a completely

different process. We are preparing our young people to

become productive citizens capable of making intelligent

choices in life. Each student we serve has different needs.

Our teachers are doing the best they can with overcrowded

classrooms, limited resources: and little community support.

Do you realize that most teachers cannot afford to live in

this city because their salaries are so low? I hear stories

every day about teachers who spend their own money on

supplies such as chalk and paper because the school district

does not have the funds to supply these basic needs. Our

biggest problem is that we lose many of our finest teachers

each year because of the poor working conditions and low

salaries. Mr. Shmankie, we don't need to fire more teachers.

We need to raise salaries so that we can find the best and

brightest people.

Reporter: The next topic covered was the issue of affordable housing.

Shmankie: Last time I checked we were living in a free country. In a

free country, buyers and sellers have choices. If a buyer does

not agree with the price, he or she can go to a different

store. Even if the price is ridiculously high, the government

does not step in and demand that the seller lower his or her

price. Why, then, do people such as Ms. Porter insist that

@

city government try to control how much landlords charge

for rents? Rent control is downright un-American!

If you don't want to pay what the landlord wants to charge,

you are free to took somewhere else.

Porter:Mr. Shmankie, with all due respect, have you lost your

mind? Are you saying that anyone who advocates rent

control or supports other laws that protect people is a bad

American? Give me a break! Are you aware that in the last

three years 56 percent of the poor and elderly in this city

have been forced to leave their apartments because they

couldn't afford to keep up with skyrocketing rent increases?

In many cases, this has contributed to the very serious

homeless problem we just discussed. We need rent control

in this town to protect everybody's right to affordable

housing. What's un-American about that, Mr. Shmankie?

My fellow Americans, the state of our union is the strongest it has ever been.

As always, the real credit belongs to the American people. My gratitude also

goes to those of you in Congress who have worked with me to help achieve this

great success. We have accomplished many things, but we still have a lot of

work to do to make our nation a better place for all its citizens.

Tonight I would I like to share with you some of my ideas, which I hope you

will support.

First and foremost, we need a revolution in education, guided by our faith that

every single child can learn. Because education is the key to our children's

@

future, we must make sure all our children have that key. That means quality

pre-school and after-school programs, the best trained teachers in the

classroom, and college opportunities for all our children.

We know that children learn best in smaller classes with good teachers. For two

years in a row, Congress has supported my plan to hire 100,000 new qualified

teachers to lower class size in the early grades. I thank you for that, and I ask

you to make it three years in a row. And to make sure all teachers know the

subjects they teach, tonight I propose a new teacher quality initiative--to

recruit more talented people into the classroom, reward good teachers for

staying there, and give all teachers the training they need.

Bell Sound

Secondly, we need a revolution to reward work and strengthen families, by

giving every parent the tools to succeed at work and at the most important

work of all--raising "children. That means making sure every family has

healthcare and the support to care for aging parents, the tools to bring their

children up right, and that no child grows up in poverty.

There are still more than 40 million of our fellow Americans without health

insurance. Tonight I propose that we make low-income parents eligible for the

insurance that covers their children. Together with our children's initiative, this

action would enable us to cover nearly a quarter of all the uninsured people in

America.

Bell Sound

Third, we cannot enjoy a just and fair society until men and women get equal

pay for equal work. Today, the female unemployment rate is the lowest it has

been in 46 years. Yet, women still only earn about 75 cents for every dollar men

earn. We must do better, by providing the resources to enforce present equal

pay laws; training more women for high-paying, high-tech jobs; and passing the

Paych~k Fairness Act.

Bell Sound

In a related issue, many working parents spend up to a quarter of their income

on childcare. Last year, we helped parents provide childcare for about 2 million

children. My childcare initiative, before you now, along with funds already

secured in welfare reform, would make child care better, safer, and more

affordable for another 400,000 children. I ask you to pass that. We should also

expand the childcare tax credit. And I believe strongly we should take the next

big step and make that tax credit refundable for low-income families. For

people making under $30,000 a year, that could mean up to $2,400 for

childcare costs. You know, we all say we're pro-work and pro-family. Passing

this proposal would prove it!

Bell Sound

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Finally, I'd like to discuss an issue that is very important to all Americans. t

you know, crime in America has dropped for the past seven years--that's t)

longest decline on record--thanks to stronger community police, sensible gm

safety laws, and effective prevention. But nobody--nobody here, nobody i

America--believes we're safe enough. So again, I ask you to set a higher goa

Let's make this country the safest big country in the world.

We must strengthen our gun laws and enforce those already on the book,,

Every state in this country already requires hunters and automobile drivers t

have a license. I think they ought to do the same thing for handgun purchase,,

Now, specifically, I propose a plan to ensure that all new handgun buyers mus

first have a photo license from their state showing they passed a backgrounq

check and a gun-safety course before they get the gun. I hope you'll help m,

pass that in this Congress.

In conclusion, this is a great nation. We are young and strong and have man)

great ideas. And as long as our dreams are strong and we continue to wort

together, America will be forever young. That is our destiny. And this is ou~

moment.

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