March 29, 1999 Volume 21, No. 13

Newsreel A periodic compilation of references to Ithaca College in the nation’s media. Over the past two years, the release of data from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study has focused national attention on the need for a thoughtful and informed reshaping of both what and how mathematics is taught at all levels of American schooling. Mathematics curricula based on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics standards are not in themselves panaceas, but they hold great potential for creating positive change and for helping teachers and administrators provide a richer, more challenging experience to students. — from an article coauthored by associate professor of mathematics and computer science Eric Robinson in Phi Delta Kappa magazine, Feb. 1999 In 1986, when Todd Taskey graduated from Ithaca College in New York with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. He moved to Washington, D.C., and landed a job as an independent insurance agent — paid strictly on commission from his sales. Taskey quit after a year and tried other types of sales positions, but nothing felt right. He still wanted a job that would improve the quality of people’s lives while providing him with a great salary — insurance was the answer. He returned as an agent and has worked ever since for Solutions Planning Group in Bethesda. — Careers & Colleges, March 1999 You can point out to Wilmington’s Sharon Baker that making movies is often a cutthroat, hard-hearted business. In fact, that’s one of the themes of her latest documentary, Central Casting, which will air on cable’s Bravo Tuesday night. The film uses interviews, plus film clips and Ed Asner’s narration, to examine the precarious life of Hollywood extras in the early days of film. . . . Baker first contacted movie historian Patty Zimmermann at Ithaca College in New York; she had worked with Zimmermann on the documentary Cartoons Go to War, which ran on A&E in 1995. Zimmermann recommended other film historians for Baker to interview. — Wilmington, Delaware, Sunday News Journal, March 7, 1999