The Stetson Reporter

The Stetson Reporter Tfhridn/s Oddest Coddfunate. ftfeutsmver JL ssaitMsmiixiiaiisxissiiCESs: j-wTimi'sOd(kstCodkgiaU9{ewspaptr JL ForYobr Informmion Cahnmr of Events Tuesday, Nov. 21 BSU Lunch, Allen Hall Noon Symphony Orchestra concert (EHA) 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 22 Commons closes 1:30 p.m. Residence Halls/Hat Rack close 6:00 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 23 - Saturday, Nov. 25 Thanksgiving Holiday Sunday, Nov. 26 Residence Halls open Noon Hat Rack opens 5:00 p.m. Wesley House Celebrates Life 7:00 p.m. CCM Mass (Night Lites) 8:45 p.m. Tueday, Nov. 28 Construction Kickoff (Stetson Room) 7:45 a.m. If you or your organization has information for this column, send it to the Reporter at Campus Box 8409y attention Hews Department. Or contact the Reporter via e-mail. On the VAX, our address is REPORTER. Via the Internet: [email protected] The deadline for submissions is the Thursday before the release is to appear. 3X32 Stetson stfafl: Il spotlight on the issues Favorite places Percent of US. travelers surveyed who said . they would travel to tese places, 1994: - - Friends', relatives'houses Christmas activities planned 4i The Christmas tree lighting will be on Nov. 21. 4 A Christmas Candlelight Concert conducted by Duncan Couch will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 1,8 p.m. on Dec. 2, and 4 p.m. on Dec. 3. The concert will be presented in the Elizabeth Hall Auditorium, and is free to the Stetson community. 4 The Adopt-an-Angel program will be held Monday, Dec. 4. 4 The annual Yule Log Lighting will be held Tuesday, Dec. 5, starting at 5:30 p.m. Stetson to host regional tournament Top students from high schools in Volusia, Seminole, Orange and Marion counties will compete in the Stetson University Regional Academic Tournament on Saturday, Dec. 2, in Davis Hall. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the competition is expected to last all day. At least 11 teams of four will vie for honors at the events, according to Peter Hauck, tournament director and assistant professor of chemistry at Stetson. Students will compete in 20 minute matches under a Swiss pairing format, Hauck said, to allow teams the maximum opportunity to play. In addition to competition between the teams, the most successful of the high school players on each team will form new teams at the conclusion of the tournament and take turns competing against the Stetson University College Bowl team, which Hauck coaches. No Reporter'next week The Stetson ReportervriH not be published next Tuesday, Nov. 28, in observation of Thanksgiving. raKECHEESJEEKKSE Separation from Baptists finalized Davina Yetter The Stetson Reporter- After years of dispute about campus policies, the Florida Baptist Convention made its final decision to sever all formal ties with Stetson University at last week's convention meeting in Tampa. Prompted by Stetson's lift of the 110 year-old ban on alcohol, FBC voted to break ties as recommended by the Board of Missions in September at its meeting held Nov. 13-15 at the Tampa Convention Center. The severance, which Stetson's Board of Trustees approved in September, will require Stetson to return the Horida Baptist Endowment Fund, worth over $500,000. "...A change in our Baptist relationship was inevitable, and we have cooperated fully with the Convention in making the change a cooperative and mutually supportive process," President Douglas Lee said in a recent statement. Lee cited the Institute for Christian Ethics, Multicultural Education Institute, Howard Thurman Program, Hollis Leadership Program, and changes in the core curriculum as examples of Stetson's commitment to values and social responsibility. Lee also announced that Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel had accepted an invitation to speak on campus next spring for the Institute for Christian Ethics. Florida Baptists have disagreed on other campus policies, including the distribution of condoms on campus, pregnancy counseling and textbook content. Annual funding through the Convention has decreased from $1.3 million in 1990 to less than $20,000 in 1995. "There came a time where both we and the Convention had to go our separate ways," said Dr. John Pelham, advisor for church relations, who attended the Tampa meeting. "There is always some sadness when you let go of something familiar, but there also is excitement in exploring new opportunities, particularly for a university," said Lee. Rev. Charles Granger, Baptist Student Union director and former director of church relations, said he had "mixed emotions" about the breakup. Granger, an employee of the FBC, stated that while the severance was a better route for Stetson to take and that he admired President Lee's decision, he questioned "who will call the administration and the University into account for maintaining its commitment to Christian values?" Granger, a Stetson alumnus, added that while he trusts that Lee and the current Board of Trustees / Florida Baptists disagree with certain campus policies, including the distribution of condoms on campus, pregnancy counseling, and . textbook content will stand by its commitment to promoting Christian ethics, he was concerned if future administrative leaders would as well, as there will be no outside power to monitor this commitment. The BSU director said that as a Florida Baptist, he thought that the Convention did "not have a proper appreciation for education." He speculated that in the future, Stetson's BSU may also suffer funding cutbacks. Tv fo rL-^ $. MMBSSSB Secrecy surrounds new Stetson mascot; will be revealed at pep rally David Gould The Stetson Reporter- Photo by Delene Beeland The DeLand Fall Festival of the Arts was held last weekend. The event brought over 50,000 visitors to downtown DeLand to browse through the works of 198 national artists. Federal government shuts down The new Hatter mascot will be revealed at the Stetson pep rally to be held Nov. 30 in the Edmunds Center, officials announced last week.. . . The mascot, whose identity has been kept under tight security, will be unveiled during the rally. The rally will also feature the Pep Band, cheerleaders and Synchronicity. The event will be held next Thursday, November 30 at 8 p.m., and the events should last one hour. The Mad Hatter mascot has been kept away from students, faculty and press representatives in order to maintain secrecy. The selection process for students interested in portraying the mascot recently concluded, but the names of those has also been carefully guarded. After the pep rally, the mascot will become a regular fixture at Hat- The new mascot, whose identity has been kept under tight security, will be unveiled on Nov. 30. It has been kepi away from students, faculty, and the press. ter home basketball games. In addition, spe- ' cial appearances in the DeLand community have also been scheduled. The pep rally will also include a student organization spirit competition. Andrew Dehnart The Stetson Reporter- UNITED STATES • GOUEHNHENT •. SOURCS; Trawt Industry research try SftT CASsfil. Conflict and disagreement between the White House and Republican con- gressional leaders has lead to the shutdown of the federal government. Around 800,000 nonessential federal workers were furloughed, monuments were closed, and many federal agencies operated with skeleton crews. The problem: the federal government ran out of money, and Congress will not let the President borrow "any more" until heagrees to balance the federal budget. Clinton vowed to veto the measure recently passed by both the House and Senate. It would have allowed short-term spending, with some provisions attached. An increasing number of Democrats are supporting the GOP resolutions, sending the message to the White House that Clinton's veto could possibly be overridden. Early polls showed that most blamed congressional Republicans for the shutdown. The news was welcomed by the Clinton camp, which is facing reelection in 1996. GOP leaders have complained that Clinton was unwilling to discuss the issues. Among the effects of the shutdown: the Grand Canyon is closed for the first time ever; Washington, D.C. monuments are also closed. In the past, following similar situations, Congress has voted to provide back pay to furloughed workers. Essential services — such as the U.S. Postal Service, the military, and air traffic controllers — have been unaffected. Clinton has taken steps to have some federal workers (such as those who work for Social Security and the Veteran's Administration) sent back to work. As of press time, 52,000 federal workers were to return Monday. Brown speaks out about domestic abuse "fe Shannon MacLaughlan The Stetson Reporter Denise Brown, sister of the late Nicole Brown- Simpson, spoke to a sellout crowd of 450 at the Adam's Mark Daytona Beach Resort. Brown, chairperson of the recently founded Nicole Brown- Simpson Charitable Foundation, spoke out against domestic abuse at the Nov. 1 luncheon. Brown spoke beneath a banner that read, "Remember Nicole and other domestic abuse victims." After the death of her sister, Brown and her family learned that Nicole had been a battered woman. According to Brown, the family felt guilty for not recognizing the abuse, and Brown's mission since her sister's death has been to ensure that no other victim goes unnoticed. "It is our voices that must be raised [so] they can be hear above the screams and the cries," Brown said. Brown, who has been criticized for dealing with a "male bashing issue," explained that her purpose is to educate women, men and children about domestic abuse. However, 95% of domestic abuse victims are women. Brown urged the men in the audience to take a stand and make it known that "domestic abuse is not acceptable." An unknown number of black women from Daytona Beach planned on picketing the event with signs saying "The message is fine; the messenger is wrong." However, no picketers showed up at the event. Brown said in her speech that domestic abuse was indiscriminate and not a racial issue. "Domestic abuse does not see black or white," she said. Discussion ofthe O.J. Simpson double murder trial was absent from Brown's speech. Instead, she encouraged audience members to unite against domestic abuse to prevent violence, and tried to give victims hope and strength. The event was sponsored by the Domestic Abuse Council of Volusia County. gpwssgwsaa^^