The Stetson Reporter

r jSte "Florida's Oldest Collegiate Newspaper" Stetson University DeLand, Florida Volume 104, Issue 19 March 10, 1992 Michaelangelo causes furor r By Robert Bullock Reporter Editor Friday March 6 came and went, and all the hype about the Michelangelo computer virus ended on a somewhat anti-climactic note. No one seemed to be affected at all. And though no Stetson hard- drives were lost, an important lesson should be learned, according to a variety of computer experts. This lesson involves what computer science professor Roger Priebe calls "safe computing." Priebe compares interaction between computers via modem or even floppy disk-swapping to sexual intercourse. "When you stick a disk in your computer, you're putting in information from every computer that disk has ever been in and every disk that's been in each of those computers,™ Priebe said. In this light, it's easy to see how a virus like Michelangelo can spread so easily, the professor noted. So what should we do about this? Deanna Pickens of Academic Computing Services recommends obtaining a virus-scan program. There are two available for purchase in the bookstore. Pick- Inside... ATO Viking food fight was not "Hip'L.page 2 Stetson goes for Bush in primary...page 4 Contests offer cash prizes for poetry..spage 6 Sneaky snacker makes another ca)L.page 8 Crew hosts and wins its first regatta...page 12 jsfafr*^' ■J&\ »r,S,:* £&«£££! )nt. -»»• . i ..«** t"tM-itv< ■■i.U\- ens recommends obtaining a share-ware program from a computer bulletin board lor students with access to a modem, though, because these are significantly cheaper. Most virus-scan programs will check the files on a computer's hard drive for known viruses. Viruses usually hide in software COM, OVL and EXE files. While some programs will try to "cure" the virus, most will jusi list any contaminated files, allowing the computer's owner to replace them from the original disks in the software package. Pickens and ?Priebe agree that the best way to avoid virus infection is to avoid bootleg software. Michelangelo may have come and gone, but the danger of computer viruses is far from gone. The Jerusalem virus is expected to go off at the end of this week, on Friday the 13th. March honors women By Karen J. Beckett News Editor March, 1992 is International Women's Month. Last July, Congress passed a joint resolution designating March 1991 and March 1992 as "Women's History Month." The Stetson campus is more aware of women since the Women and Gender Studies (WGS) department began this year. "[This is] particularly significant since this is the first year wc have a Women and Gender Studies program on campus as well as an Advisor to the Provost," said Ann Morris, who is the Advisor to the Provost on Women and Gender Studies. This semester ihe WGS depart- mem has over 200 students in its program due to cross-listed courses throughout the other departments. This past Sunday, March 8, the Faculty Women's Caucus held a potluck dinner at Dr. Elizabeth Shumaker's house in support of International Women's Day. International Women's Day actually began in Eastern Europe as a holiday similar to our customary Mother's Day; where the official greetings were red and white banners hung from various public buildings, and announce ments on radio, television and in the press. In 1972, the United Nations declared 1975 the official International Women's Year, but women took the announcement as a superficial gesture, which it turned out to be. They believed that it couid actually harm the women's movement instead of helping it, but a conference was held in Mexico City in 1975. It was attended by government appointed delegates, of which only 20% were men. They adopted a World Plan of Action which said that women needed to participate in government and to increase their equality in literacy, employment, civic and social matters, and political equality. Seven thousand women who did not support the World Plan of Action took part in an unoffi-1 cial meeting to promote connections and communication between women to share mutual problems. The women's movement has continued to fight for such movements as the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), and formed such groups as the National Organ ization for Women (NOW). In support of these efforts the See WGS-page 4 Stetson's drug fight parallels. nation's problem By Kevin Kerr Staff Writer Stetson University is not alone in its fight against drug and alcohol abuse, according to the 1991 ACE/UCLA Survey of American Freshmen. John Schorr, Director of the Division of Institutional Research, explained several different results from this academic year's freshmen poll. In the questionnaire, there were six specific questions relating to attitudes toward substance abuse. Of Stetson's incoming 1991 freshmen, 56% drank beer frequently or occasionally, 59% drank wine or liquor frequently or occasionally and 20% wanted marijuana to be legalized. The national average for all public and private, junior and senior colleges were extremely close to Stetson's: 57% drank beer frequently or occasionally, 59% drank wine occasionally or frequently, and 21% wanted marijuana to be legalized. However,does meeting the national average mean that there is not a problem at Stetson? No, it does not. Hadie Kenner, R.N., Director of Health Services, said that alcohol is ihe number one drug on campus. Kemper Smith, Associate Dean of Student Affairs, confirmed this and explained that there has been "a phenomenal increase in alcohol use, but not in drug use" over the past years. Many of the students arrive at Stetson with a weli developed drug or alcohol pattern, as the freshmen survey indicated. Smith attributed part of this problem to the changes presently occurring in society; people arc experimenting with drugs and alcohol at younger ages. Once these patterns of use and abuse are established, they are extremely hard to break. However, he does believe the Stetson community has a much less serious problem with drugs than De?Land or the nation as a whole. When asked about the drug and alcohol problems at Stetson, students had differing views. Most acknowledged the presence of drugs on campus but stated that they do not dominate the school. On the other hand,when discussing alcohol they recognized, for the most part, a major drinking problem. Students also agree that the best way to help those with drug or alcohol problems was to give them love and support and show them Christian love and support, See Drags-page4