The Stetson Reporter

son fbrida's Oldest Colkgiaie. flgzvspttper JL ];,'!■■- yy ^'V-.v. Yl'v'tSi-ii VJKVJ! ''■'. .ri, v'"t. •! > 1!.*"yy'ty.r y'-i..;y;ii; % Jyy;, iKn,;-^ js,c- v -yy ,'_-. si .lyv. -h! *i;.'il vs.; y, |ijt i'yy yiii, >>;. ||^9)' •» S{!(cuytyiH; IS 'yicyyyyy h\ Hiyfbwbt VWte iffllc K0\T, timrdky! )\ ii U.S. trade imbalance widens WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Growing trade imbalances with Japan and China contributed to a sharp widening in the overall U.S. trade deficit during 1994, the Commerce Department said Friday, despite some improvement in December. The total trade gap measures business with other countries in hard goods like cars and steel, as well as services like travel and tourism. The U.S. typically runs a surplus on services trade with the rest of the world, but on goods it has huge deficits because imports are so high. December's monthly deficit of $7.34 billion was the lowest since $6.9 billion in March. It included a $12.66 billion deficit on goods trade that was offset by a $5.32 billion surplus on services. The full-year trade deficit was the highest in six years since a $114.8 billion shortfall in 1988. The goods deficit alone last year was a record $166.3 billion — surpassing the previous record, $159.7 billion, in 1987 — while the surplus on services trade went up modestly to $58.18 billion from $56.85 billion in 1993. Japan accounts for more than half of the U.S. goods trade deficit. While the December gap with Japan fell to $5.55 billion from $6.19 billion in November, the 1994 deficit climbed to $65.67 billion from $59.34 billion in 1993 and was the highest on record with any country. Clinton hails Fulbright at service WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Clinton eulogized former Senator J. William Fulbright as a latter-day Thomas Jefferson who changed America and the world for the better. . "In the work he did, the words he spoke, the life he lived, Bill Fulbright stood against the 20th century's most destructive forces and fought to advance its brightest hopes," Clinton said of his political mentor who died last week at 89. Speaking at a memorial service at National Cathedral, Clinton said the man known for his fiery opposition to the Vietnam War and the scholarship program that bears his name was "the heir of Jefferson in our time." "He believed in the American idea, but he respected others who saw the world differently. He lived with passion, tempered with reason. He loved politics, but cautioned against the arrogance of power. He cherished education as the answer to our common problems, but he knew there would always be more to learn," said Clinton. Fulbright, a southern Democrat who served in the Senate from Arkansas from 1944 to 1974, gained international prominence as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He became the leading congressional antiwar voice through a series of Senate hearings from 1966 to 1970. Clinton, who worked on Fulbright's staff when he was a college student, said that "we owe a lot.to Bill Fulbright, some of us more than others." U.S. offers weapons to Poland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has offered to sell advanced weapons such as F-16 fighter jets to Poland, but no final agreement has been made on the transfer of specific arms, U.S. and Polish defense leaders said Friday. Defense Secretary William Perry told reporters that Washington's offer of such high-tech weaponry was also open to "a number of Central European countries," but he did not specify which nations. Perry and acting Polish Defense Minister Jerzy Milewski signed an agreement on expanded defense cooperation at the Pentagon which did not cover arms sales but opened the way for sharing military information and expanded joint military manoeuvres. The U.S. has not sold any advanced arms to former Soviet Bloc states, although it has signed defense cooperation agreements with a number of European countries, including Hungary and the Czech Republic. "There is a general agreement on the availability of selling lethal equipment to Poland," said Perry. "We have not made yet agreements on specific systems. One of the things the minister will do while he is here is get a detailed briefing on the F-16." ' . Jury to deliberate shooter case MINEOLA, N.Y. (Reuters) - Jury deliberations were to begin Friday in the case,of a man charged with killing six people and wounding 19 others in a shooting spree aboard a commuter train in December 1993. Colin Ferguson, acting as his own attorney, said in his closing argument Thursday that he was a victim of the Long Island Rail Road shooting. He also said the witnesses and victims who appeared at his trial were a part of a conspiracy against him. Using sweeping gestures and a loud booming voice, Ferguson would also speak in hushed tones as he described a conspiracy against him to the jury of 11 men and one woman in which prosecutors were hiding evidence that would exonerate him. . The families of the victims stormed out of the courtroom when Ferguson accused Robert Giugliano, one of the shoot- ■ ing victims, of being the shooter. Ferguson's legal adviser, Alton Rose, claimed Ferguson misspoke and did not mean to accuse Giugliano of the shootings. Giugliano later called the charge "nonsense." Mew bill increases danger for student aid Davina Yetter The Stetson Reporter.. The "Save Your Aid" campaign is underway with county- wide events aimed to influence congressional opinions regarding cuts to college funding. However, another pending federal bill has threatened to make the situation eyen more critical. A rescission bill, which would implement $2 billion in cuts in education for the 1995- 96 academic year, may be acted on as early as today by the House appropriations subcommittee, according to David Warren of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. The cuts in education may include any education program, including campus-based aid, grants, and graduate programs. Warren made a call for action, urging college presidents to encourage students, parents and alumni to contact members of Congress to explain their concerns about cutting the financial aid budgets. The NAICU member cited several reasons for continued funding for college programs. • According to NAICU statistics, over 90 percent of Americans believe that by providing financial aid, the federal government is investing in America's future. ■ 87 percent believe that without a college-educated work force, America will not be able to compete in a global economy. • Around 90 percent of Americans believe it is important for government to maintain the current level of funding for college financial aid, second only to Social Security with 92 percent. . • Over two-thirds of the population believe that funding for student aid should be maintained, even if the defense budget must be trimmed to reduce the deficit. President Douglas Lee and these changes "could make the dif- T.K. Wetherell informed mem- ference" in whether students enroll bers of the Independent Colleges or remain at private colleges in a and Universities of Florida that memorandum last week. Photo by Chris Carlson Rachel Ward, Meghan Konczewski and Marianne Arellano call their Congressmen at the phone, bank on Friday. Lines restored to normal again Mike Demko The Stetson Reporter. The lines have now receded at the Commons, and the aftermath is taking place. The Food Service and Purchasing Departments are excited that the prob- ' lems which had once existed are now gone. These past couple of weeks, the registers in the Commons have been configured and reconfigured. The general assessment was that a separate card-reader must be ** , " <&-X y.: "?. Y V- •-'= . , yy \u \ , 'lUM''1 y> "■ * - y ' >'/ *' . \ ' Photo by Steve Nicks Two HeadStart kids participate in Valentines Day activities with a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority. placed next to the registers. The card-readers are in now, and have been placed in the Commons, the library and the bookstore. The lines have been much shorter' than they were at the beginning of the semester. The card- readers access student accounts for meal plans at the Commons. Students can still get receipts if they ask, but other than that and people who pay with cash, the receipts have been totally eliminated. Director of Food Services Elliot Palmer was satisfied with the outcome of the solution. He says "there are still a few people waiting in line at around 12 o'clock, but isn't that like it always was?" Wayne Hanks, director of the Purchasing Department, was also pleased with the results that the new card-readers brought. He states that the "card-readers were, the answer to the long lines." He goes on to say that "once we got through this problem, we could have things that you might never think of." According to Hanks, the Purchasing Department is trying to renegotiate their contract with Coca- Cola to perhaps get the vending machines on campus equipped with card-readers as well. Other possibilities named were: using the I.D. cards - as ATM cards, dorm access, and recording attendance in.computer labs. • Another thing that Hanks stressed was the price of a replacement for the I.D. cards. Popular belief is that there is a $10 charge to replace the new card, as compared to $5 for the old cards. Hanks says this is absolutely not true. The replacement price is $5, as it always was. In fact, Hanks mentions that the price to replace the new I.D. cards may become even less expensive, because of the reduced cost as compared to the old cards. Hanks is very optimistic about the new I.D. cards and all of their possibilities. So look to the future, and hope for the best, and maybe someday you can get rid of that loose change in your pocket, and get a can of Coke with your ID. card. Foreign students give Stetson new LIFE Mike Demko The Stetson Reporter. A new program will be taking effect on the Stetson University campus this May. Stetson is becoming one of a select network of colleges and universities which will be hosting international students from Europe, Asia and South America as part of an intensive language study program. The new program is called L.I.F.E. (Language Institute For English). The students will come to the U.S. knowing little or no English, and will study at Stetson year-round, exploring the English language in each of 12 different levels. The students are slated to come on May 25, says Associate Dean of Campus Life Dave 3ergen. He goes on to explain Jiat campus life recognized the need for space for the international students. Many locations were discussed, but the decision agreed upon was Nemec Hall..Space will be made in one of the pods in Nemec for the students, 10 upstairs and 10 downstairs. The students in those rooms will be given the option to stay in their rooms, or to move to other rooms and halls. Bergen says that the other ten spots in the pod will be offered to Stetson students who want to indulge themselves in foreign culture and language, other international students who happen to be living on. campus, or even possibly non- traditional students. . When addressed with the worry of Stetson students possibly being displaced, he replied, "Stetson students come first." The option to stay will be offered to all of the displaced students, but only five upstairs and five downstairs will be permitted to stay. If there are more, Bergen said there may be a lottery, and the students who must move will get an advantage in room choice later on. He believes that this will be a good solution to making the students move. The L.I.F.E. program is also exists at eight other locations, in six different cities across the U.S. These, locations include: Farleigh Dickinson University, New York; Adelphi University, NY; The Juilliard School, NY; Simmons College, Boston; Rosary College, Chicago; Barry University, Miami; City Center, San Diego; and Dominican College, San Francisco. The program is based solely on the desire of the international students to learn the English language. The students will be placed in one of 12 language lev els and will progress slowly to the top while being involved in the American community they have been placed in. Campus Life is excited about the program, and they are hoping for success. Foreign students interact during a classroom discussion at one of the eight LIFE universities.