The Michigan Daily - Saturday, June 11, 1983 - Page 3 Youths meet Job Corps deadline By DAN GRANTHAM with wire reports A flurry of activity marked the last da3 plications for the Michigan Youth Corps jobs i yesterday, as young people rushed to off: register before the 7:00 p.m. final deadline. "They're really pouring in today," said Ka Robinson, director of the program in Ann Arb THE YOUTH CORPS program was be Governor James Blanchard this May to he than 60,000 youths find jobs this summer. Officials at the Michigan Employment S Commission offices, which accept the appli said there was a notable increase in the nu Ann-Arbor and Ypsilanti applicants as the d approached. Robinson attributed at least part of the inc the many high school students who started si vacation this week. VIRGINIA RICHIE, director of the Y program, said the MESC office in Ypsilanti als "flurry of people" apply yesterday. As of yesterday afternoon, the Ypsilanti of: received 689 applicants since registration Invention convention explores marketing techniques By DAN GRANTHAM and JAYNE HENDEL More than 300 inventors from around the midwest gathered at the University yesterday to learn how to get their ideas from the drawing board to the commercial market. The two-day conference, entitled "Making Invention Work," offers in- ventors fifteen workshops on how to fund, market, and license their products. THE CONVENTION is part of a chain of programs the federal government is holding around the country to en- courage the development of energy- related products, according to George Lewett, chief of the federal Office of Energy-Related Inventions. While some workshops dealt with how to get new ideas off the ground, others told inventors how to make money once they were ready to sell their creations. Inventors must remember that customers are the most important aspect of selling a product, said Ann Arbor marketing consultant Carter Good in the session called, "Marketing Your Product. WITH SOME products, however, this can be very difficult. For example, Caroline Roi, whose Ann Arbor com- pany, The Soya Plant markets tofu, (pressed soybean curd), said that her company must appeal to a diverse group of customers to be successful. Tofu is a 2,000-year-old traditional staple of Oriental cuisine, but many American health-food lovers have recently started to eat tofu, she said, which makes marketing very difficult. Roe says she is now targeting the"Brie and Perrier crowd," because tofu has become an "in" food. Fifteen organizations, including the University, are joining the government in sponsoring the conference, which en- ds today._ June 1, Richie said. In Ann Arbor 475 people had ap- plied for the program, Robinson said. Patterned after New Deal programs of the 1930s, the Youth Corps jobs program is an effort by state leaders to relieve high unemployment among 18 to 21 year olds, especially in Detroit and Flint. STATE AGENCIES will use the lists of applicants to hire 60,000 youths to do road repairs, work in state parks, and participate in conservation programs. State officials are hoping to hire nearly all of the people who apply. Before the applications are passed on to state agencies, however, they are ranked to give youths who are the head of their household the top priority in hiring. The rest of the screening is done by the agen- cies. Kelly Rossman, a spokesperson for the Youth Cor- ps Program state-wide, said it has been very suc- cessful. Over 55,000 people had applied by Thursday, and well over 5,000 more were expected to register yesterday, Rossman said. "WE'RE VERY pleased with the applications," she said. "The kids have responded superbly." The response in Ann Arbor was smaller than the JML state's larger cities like Detroit, Flint, and Lansing, which together accounted for one-third of the ap- plicants statewide, Rossman said. She attributed the low Ann Arbor turnout to the number of University students in the area. WE FEEL that because of summer, the majority of the kids staying in the area are enrolled in school and don't have time for a job, or have already found a part-time job,"she said. Some state legislators, however, expressed some dissatisfaction yesterday at the amount of money to be spent on promotion and advertising for the program. State officials plan to use about $60,000 of the budget to purchase caps, buttons, reflective vests, and hard hats for workers. Each of the items will bear a green and white emblem with a "Michigan Youth Corps" logo in the middle, and Governor Blan- chard's name at the bottom. "It seems to me we're really heading off here in a rather silly direction," said Senate Republican leader John Engler. Engler said the money could have been used to provide 50 or 60 additional jobs. Michigan Futurity competitor Philip Laren is deep in thought contemplating the consequences of his next move. The chess tournament was held in the basement of the Union yesterday. Topcehess players compete for prizes and international ratings By HALLE CZECHOWSKI Entangled in silence, heavier than any found in Univer- sity libraries, 10 of the top chess players in America have been fighting it out in the basement of the Michigan Union since last Saturday. The Second Annual Michigan Futurity conference draws chess players from across the nation competing for more than $524 in prizes and a chance to be internationally ranked. PLAYERS AT this week's conference have already been rated among the top 1 percent in the nation by the United States Chess Federation, said Jim Kulbacki tour- nament director. "It's a relatively major tournament," said Jonathan Schroer, a semi-pro from Stoneybrook, New York. It's not an international tournament, but it's- the next best thing," said Shroer, one of the four internationally ranked players who received $100 plus expenses to attend the tournament.. If a player wins enough games to be ranked inter- nationally he can compete at international tournaments and receive reduced entry fees, said Kulbacki. "ONCE YOU get one of those ratings it's like free money," said Albert Chow, Illinois state chess champion. "The chance to get an international rating is almost im- possible," added Chuck Schulien, competitor from Ohio State University. The tournament at the Union is especially important for chess players from the Midwest because so few inter- national competitions are held in this area. THE ALL-male competitors ranged in age from 13 to 52, but most players were between 18 and 21. Most of the competitors have full-time jobs, but a few quit jobs or college to become professional chess players. "Most of (the players) are drop outs from life," said Andy Beider, chess player and insurance salesman from Farmington Hills.