European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 27, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday february 27, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 9 Black students seek to establish network among their colleges Cambridge mass. Not Mich Elle Davis a Black Sophomore at har Vard University said some White Stu dents believed that academic standards had been lowered to allow Blacks into prestigious schools. Robert Alexander a Black student at Brown University said he Felt he con stantly had to prove himself in school. But his admission to Brown was not a gift he said defiantly. I worked  the two students were among More than 400 Black students from Ivy league and Boston area colleges at a recent three Day conference at Harvard. The conference titled Why we can t wait the future of Blacks in America was conceived and organized mainly by two Harvard students David r. Adams and Michael Gaouette. Gaouette said he Adams and other friends had started talking about How there seemed to be a Lack of focus for the Black collegiate Community. There was a lot of activity and a lot of Energy he said but there was t an intr Campus cohesion among  the conference Gaouette said was in tended to establish a network among col Leges to work to improve the future of All Black americans. Students heard from such prominent Black americans As rep. William h. Gray a a. Richard g. Hatcher for Mer mayor of Gary ind. Sylvester Mon Roe an author and a correspondent for time Magazine and Donald m. Stewart president of the College Board. The students also shared thoughts and strategies about How to overcome the sometimes Subtle sometimes overt barriers to Success for Blacks. Malcolm Augustine a Sophomore at Harvard led a discussion about the mis perceptions that Whites have of Blacks on Campus. He said one major misconception was that Blacks were in school because of affirmative action. I personally feel that we Are Here because we have something unique about us he said. Our Black Ness is something unique but i Don find that to be the most important Factor. We Are smart individuals in and of  Davis the Harvard Sophomore said the Only thing people hear is that affirmative action helped get us Here and that s not the Complete Story. It s not that affirmative action is bringing in in adequate people to better schools. It s that Pepple who have equal ability Are now being considered for Entrance into the better  Anthony Sykes a Junior at the Massachusetts Institute of technology said Whites tended to think Blacks were uneducated if they used Black  when australian people say g Day or whatever that s called a dialect he said. When Black people speak in our dialect it s called bad  Alexander said Many of his White classmates at Brown University had Little Contact with Blacks before College. In a sense As minorities we have double jobs he said. We not Only have to go to College to get an education but we re coming and saying hey this is Black culture and you need to be aware of it " at another session Allen counter director of the Harvard foundation for intercultural relations led a discussion on the Lack of representation of Blacks among professors. Citing statistics from the National re search Council he said the number of Blacks receiving doctoral degrees dropped 27 percent in the last decade. Classic concentrations a Lynda w. Sparks it s not the cutting Edge of technology but 17-year-old Gary Robbins finds that a Plain old fashioned table saw is just what he needs to slice a piece of Poplar in Orlan Ecks woodworking class at Hanau High school. The Sophomore is the son of sgt. 1st class Gary and Diane Robbins stationed at Aschaffenbur with the 9th engr in cod. National service plan draws warning by Barbara Vobejda Washington Post Washington a National service proposal gaining Praise on Capitol Hill is prompting College educators to warn that the measure if approved could erase two decades of improved educational Opportunity for minority students and Stu dents from Low income families. Supporters of the proposal offered by sen. Sam Nunn d-ga., and rep. Dave Mccurdy d-okla., dismiss that assess ment arguing that the Bill would help Young people from Low and Middle in come families earn their Way into col lege. The Bil would make National service in which Young people join the Mili tary work in a Hospital or perform other Community work a prerequisite to receive Federal financial Aid for College. The measure in effect would replace the current student Aid program a move supporters of the proposal say would improve a system that is not working Well. And it is Only fair they say to ask Stu dents to contribute something to their country in Exchange for what has amounted to an entitlement. But critics worry that High school graduates from Low income families will be less Likely to attend College if they Are first forced to join the National service As a requirement for Federal student Aid. I would be very concerned if this be came a time to dismantle one of the most enlightened Public policy Steps we have taken in recent years said Ernest l. Boyer president of the Carnegie foun Dation for the advancement of teaching and a former . Commissioner of Edu cation. It could diminish Opportunity add confusion and make it even less Clear to the least advantaged that College Access would be  National service an idea that has been proposed frequently in the past is get Ting a warm reception in Congress this session. There is vocal support for a growing number of legislative proposals the Bush administration is preparing to offer its plan and congressional leaders have indicated their support for some version of a service program. While the Nunn Mccurdy proposal is drawing much of the support it is also triggering most of the controversy. The debate focuses on several issues is the proposal fair could it accommodate the millions of students who now receive some form of financial assist Ance and would it act As an incentive or a disincentive for Young people to attend College in answer there is Strong opinion As Well As some speculation but no studies to gauge How Many Young people would participate or if the proposal would at tract More Young people into College. The Bill introduced in the House and Senate recently would establish a pro Gram of National service for 18 to 25 year Olds allowing them to earn vouch ers from $10,000 to $24,000 for service in the military or a civilian service corps that would place them in jobs in social service agencies nursing Homes schools or other Community work. The vouchers could be used to pay for College technical training or the Down payment on a Home. The Bill Calls for the program which would be administered by a quasi Public body similar to the corporation for pub Lic broadcasting to be phased in Over five years with the financial Aid pro Grams dismantled at the end of that period. Participants would earn a Low wage and a voucher with vouchers issued at four Levels $10,000 for a year of civilian duty or $20,000 for two years $12,000 for eight years of military Reserve based on the current Reserve requirements of regular weekend duty and a longer stint each year and $24,000 for two years of Active military duty with six years of re serve status. It is difficult to compare the generosity of the proposal and the current pro Gram. While Pell Grants for the neediest students Are limited to $2,200 a year these Grants can be supplemented by federally subsidized Loans and work study programs. Under the Bill students who need More than they earned under the voucher program could still apply for Federal student Loans according to cur rent eligibility regulations. The Nunn Mccurdy Bill grew out of and closely resembles a proposal by the democratic leadership Council a mod Erate democratic party organization of which Nunn is chairman. The Council proposal figures the Price tag for the pro Gram at about $13 billion annually which includes $8 billion that now goes into Federal student Aid programs and an additional $5 billion a year. There Are currently 3.9 million under graduates receiving some form of Federal financial Aid while Nunn and Mccurdy estimate that their program could draw about 800,000 participants. Critics argue that thei change leaves millions of Stu dents without any option for student Aid. Samuel Halperin study director for the William t. Grant foundation raised another question whether Community service programs around the country could handle an influx of hundreds of thousands of new workers. These Agen cies Don t have the resources to provide training especially supervision he said. Without supervision and training youth service in t Worth a  but the Bill s sponsors said students who cannot be placed in a Community service Job would be exempted and could apply for student Aid without serving. The Bill also would exempt Young parents