May 19, 1997

College graduating class of 1997 is entering most auspicious job market in memory, product of soaring economy and large-scale layoffs of 1990's that cut swath through parents' generation; colleges, universities and professional schools report record numbers of recuiters on campus, often offering more jobs than they can fill; many experts believe corporations laid off too many employees in early 1990's and are recruiting many students now that business has boomed beyond expectations; photos (M)

Harvey Araton's Sports of The Times column says defeat of New York Knicks by Miami Heat in NBA playoffs, with 101-90 victory in seventh game, was especially painful for center Patrick Ewing, who felt that more than in any other season, he finally had a championship team behind him; says contrary to spirit of what seventh game of playoff series should be, Knicks never really left bench at Miami Arena; photos (M)

Triumph by Laurent Kabila's rebel forces in Zaire is a staggering accomplishment; rebels conquered territory as large as US east of Mississippi without mechanized divisions, heavy artillery or air force, and they lacked until late in war the engineering units to build bridges over raging rivers they had to cross; military analysts say Zairian Army of Pres Mobutu Sese Seko lost war as much as rebels won it since it was badly equipped, poorly trained and demoralized; photo; map (M)

Employees of three Morristown, NJ, companies who commute by train will have electric cars available to them to get to work from train station (S)

Camden High School decision to ban 40 seniors from prome backfires when alternate dance is established and prom has to be canceled because of lack of people (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)