The Reporter

Wednesday, November 26, 1997 > FORUM: Thanksgiving is a dull holiday. Commentary, 5a Volume 110, Issue 12 | Ne\ysVV.'-S\f JA %\ Forum !044:ErICeterar"" ij,\ 1 Sports'-'-. :\y: http://the-reporter.home.ml.org R.;!ife.^|ife--':^] st Afc^ equestrian club educates, entertains. Life, page 1b Stetson University, DeLand, Florida fcavtfX* i (C3 on o. If passed, a new bill would require private schools like Stetson to disclose all financial transactions. "TT^he National Commission on the si Cost of Higher Education wants JU. colleges and universities across the country to make public their financial records regarding the way they spend tuition dollars. More disclosure, the commission argues, would make it'clearer why colleges charge what they do. The commission, which was convened by the U.S. House of Representatives last August, will forward its recommendations to Congress on Dec. 11. Congress could opt to enact such legislative changes. Peter Zetterberg, the director ofthe University of Minnesota's Office of Planning and Analysis, said the recommendations most likely would not affect the University of Minnesota. Like most public institutions, he said, the university's financial information is already public. "I can'tthink of any information we don't report," he said, adding that most ofthe records are available on the World Wide Web. "It might be a significant problem for private schools," he said, however. . Indeed, Tom Etten, the U. of Minnesota's director of federal relations, said the commission's recommendations might be aimed more at private schools. "It began partly as a response to the staggering rates of tuition escalation at some of the private schools nationally," he said. The commission has cited public suspicions about overcharging as a reason for the recommendations. Zetterberg said, however, " that in most cases this is not true. "Private colleges are not profit-making businesses," he said. "They've got no reason to overcharge their customers." Any leftover tuition money, he said, generally, goes to financial aid. In that sense, the recommendations might be effective, since revealing financial information would show where extra tuition money goes. "It's not as if they're using additional tuition revenue for some weird reason," Zetterberg said. "It's tunneled back to students with financial need." But whether private schools should be forced to disclose such information is open to debate. "They each have their own reasons to decide what they do and don't divulge," he said. "I'm in no position to decide whether they are good reasons or not." After the decisions are forwarded in December, Congress will decide whether to accept them. Even if it doesn't, the commission's work has been very valuable, said Chris Simmons, a policy analyst for the commission. Simmons said the committee's research can be helpful to students and parents in examining the cost of higher education. "It's a great resource," he said. "It's pretty wide-reaching." Etten agreed that the committee's recommendations will probably carry weight regardless of whether Congress reinforces them with legislation.' "Any time Congress creates a committee to form recommendations it's something you have to take note cf," he said. However, he added that the committee's decisions are not yet definite. "I don't think anyone knows for sure what their final recommendations will be," he said. Tuition Increases At Stetson University, 1939-1997 25000 20000 15000 10000 -• 5000 Year Cost of Education Increases at Stetson University, 1939-1897 30000 t~- = 20000 a IH'l'tT] UttMlttli lttlHHHHHUI1t1Ht1HW»"1fHt'HHtWH CO 04 1^ t- o n s ^ in Ol Ol CD O) Cft Year By TOM LOPEZ Minnesota Daily Minnesota (U-Wire) INCREASES: The above graphs are based on information from various editions of The Stetson Bulletin. All dollar figures have been adjusted for inflation based on information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some annual information was unavailable, and the cost breakdowns from the years 1946-48 were also unavailable. Projections are based on geometric increases from 1988-97. Graphs by Jeff Hamrick ssas SBE rnt'rtiBii^-1*"*3^"^^ Crime u The intruder gained access to the residence hall because students left the entrance propped open. By JEFF HAMRICK News Editor AS#, ZTA, Conrad, AK¥ are Greenfeather victors By ANDY DEHNART Editor-in-Chief Delta Sigma Phi, Zeta Tau Alpha, Conrad Hall, and Alpha Kappa Psi are the winners of Greenfeather this year. Because of rain and other delays, one ofthe larger events, the yard sale, was cancelled this year.. Faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to come to the Night Lites annex (above the bookstore) on Monday, Dec. 1, from 12:00-1:15 to purchase items donated for the yard sale. Items not sold on Monday will be donated to a local charity. Greenfeather will officially end with the presentation of the funds to several charities, which will take place in two weeks. Fourteen local charities were chosen to be the recipients of the money raised during the week-long event. The charities are the Humane Society, Duvall Home, First United Methodist Children's Home, Neighborhood Center, Chisholm Center, Hospice, Parent Craft, Rape Crisis Center, Domestic Abuse Council, Sugar-N-Spice Daycare, Habitat for Humanity, Headstart, The House Next Door, and the Alliance for International Reforestation (AIR). Greenfeather, in its 43 year, is Stetson's annual campus- wide philanthropy event. Organizations participate in a variety of fundraising events and earn points for participation. A committee of students—the largest committee on campus—organizes the events. The committee was chaired this year by Jeff Hirter. Last Tuesday, Nov. 18, public safety apprehended an individual who trespassed, entered Smith Hall through a propped door, and attempted to sell marijuana to a resident. According to information from public safety, the resident approached the intruder in the hall of Smith upper eight and asked "Are you looking for someone?" The intruder allegedly replied, saying "Do you have a blunt?" According to public safety, he also held up "a small clear packet of what appeared to be marijuana" and asked the student if he wanted to go outside. The student reportedly responded by asking the intruder if he "belonged here." The intruder then left and walked in the general direction of Nemec Hall. The student then notified his resident adviser, who notified the head resident on duty, Vince Citro. Public safety was notified as well, and Officers Svolto and Jacobs requested backup from the DeLand Police Department. When the subject was questioned by Officers Svolto and Jacobs about his presence, the subject stated that he was looking for his friend Brian and that he had entered Smith Hail through a propped door. The trespasser had no I.D. on him and his friend "Brian" could not be located. Police searching the subject were unable to find marijuana. A police dog, along with Officer Jacobs, later found a small packet of a substance which public safety said was "possible marijuana." The DeLand police did not, arrest the individual. Officers Svolto and Jacobs requested that the subject be given a trespass warning. Public safety also initiated a series of extra patrols in the area. The subject was given a "trespass warning" which informed him that the university is private property and that if he is found on university property again, he will be arrested. Fall festival The subject was described by the reporting officers as being a black male, 5'6", approximately 175 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes, and a mustache. The individual is 26 years old. Students seeing this individual should notify public safety immediately at ext. 7300. When Lynn Gentile, director of student judicial affairs, was asked about drug problems in the DeLand area, she said that "the high school is affected by it a lot, but it will only come up as a problem on campus once in awhile." Gentile pointed out that the entire situation could have been prevented if students had not propped open the entrance to Smith Hall. "Students should be more responsible," Gentile said. "We're looking out for the safety of their property and their well-being." Gentile said that the door had been examined by the resident adviser on duty and public safety at approximately the same time and that less than 45 minutes later the door had been propped open. "If students see someone in their hall that doesn't belong, they should call the RA or public safety," Gentile added. "How do you know that somebody isn't watching and waiting for something to happen?" said Gentile. "Sometimes students...get too comfortable...they've been here a semester and let their guard down." Vince Citro, the head resident on duty during the incident, agreed with Gentile, saving "By all means, do not prop doors open. That individual could have had any kind of agenda." "I know it's [door-propping] done by a lot of residents for convenience...but we were lucky that it wasn't a violent offender," Citro added. "I am very satisfied with the way Residential Life handled the situation. Because the RA followed protocal, we were able to apprehend the individual and escort him off campus." CRAFTS: Stetson was represented at last weekend's DeLand Fall Festival of the Arts by the digital arts program. Standing at the booth are Angie Furnari, left, and Adrienne Harvey. Photo by Paul Davis ^^^^^^^^^n^^^gg 11111? li^.i^lSfSlffiSS,^^^^^^^^ Fraternities Residence halls Delta Sigma Phi 3701 Conrad 745 Sigma Nu 3466. Smith 693 Alpha Tau Omega 2482 Chaudoin. 532 Sigma Phi Epsilon 973 Stetson/FLH/FH 507 Lambda Chi Alpha 425 Carson/Hollis 489 Phi Sigma Kappa 412 - Nemec 461 Pi Kappa Phi 239 Emily 457 ■ Gordis 456 Sororities Organizations Zeta Tau Alpha 4009 Alpha Kappa Psi 2470 Alpha Xi Delta 1770 Sigma Alpha lota 1773 Alpha Chi Omega 1543 Phi Alpha Delta 1091 Pi Beta Phi 1428 Stetson Acct. Assoc. 631 Delta Delta Delta 1371 BSU 320 Former ABC affiliate anchor named marketing director By REPORTER STAFF and PUBLIC RELATIONS' Brian G. Miller, manager of corporate brand planning for Lexmark International of Lexington, Ky., has been named executive director of marketing and communications. "Working under Vice President for University Relations Mark Whittaker, Brian Miller will develop an integrated marketing strategy for the university, and direct the Office of Public Relations," President H. Douglas Lee said. In addition to working for Lexmark, a $2.5 billion developer, manufacturer, and marketer of computer supplies, Miller has experience in public relations, marketing communications, and journalism. "The university conducted a national search, and Brian was the number one candidate because he has the right mixture of education and marketing experience," said Whittaker. Miller has worked as a television news producer for NBC and CBS affiliates in Tulsa and a news reporter and anchor for the ABC affiliate and the National Public Radio affiliates in Columbia, Mo. Miller's experience includes serving as manager for public relations at Dollar Rent A Car, manager for external communications at the Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and manager for marketing and public relations for Memorial Medical Center in Tulsa, Okla. "The opportunity to help tell the Stetson University story is a tremendous one," Miller said. A 1981.graduate of Centre College in Danville, Ky., Miller earned a master's degree in journalism in 1983 from the University of Missouri, Columbia. He and his wife Judy, a writer, have two school-aged daughters, Cortney and Paige. inside !NEWS: Final exam schedule in Stetson News Digest, 3a | LIFE: Comedian Craig Anton just not funny, 1b I SPORTS: Men's basketball loses to U. of Florida 79-69, 4b