Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down

Tuesday, March 10, 1998

Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down

THUMBS:

Tour shows off university opportunities

Thumbs up to the Mortar Board, which held "L.A. Teen Mentoring,"
in which 60 students from Charles Drew Middle School in Watts were
given a tour of the UCLA campus and counseled about attending
college and the benefits of attending university.

The members of the national college honor society showed the
young students about the various activities and opportunities
available in universities.

Mortar Board members are also active in helping out students of
the school, with their after school program "Teamworks." During the
school year, members volunteer for the 15-week leadership
program.

The program engages the middle school students in community
service activities and focuses on team-building and leadership.

While the adults help guide and manage the program, the students
do the majority of the work, which has included raising money for a
battered women’s shelter and a recycling program.

Student loans get interest rate reduction

Thumbs up to President Clinton for proposing to reduce interest
rates on college student loans.

Clinton says he will work to cut the interest rate on student
loans from 7.8 to 7 percent, which can save students who take out
loans up to $650 a year.

This would come as a very welcome relief to many students across
the nation, who take out loans to pay for college. This would ease
the financial burden for millions of students each year.

But the proposal is not without its critics. Thomas Butts,
associate vice president for government relations, said some
lenders are concerned about the losses in profits that would result
in the interest rate reductions.

Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down represents a majority opinion of the Daily
Bruin Editorial Board. Send comments or suggestions to
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