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14 U. THE NATIONAL COLLEGE NEWSPAPER

Dollars And Sense SEPTEMBER 1988

SEPTEMBER 1988 Life And Art

U. THE NATIONAL COLLEGE NEWSPA


AF


Morals over money
Job-seeking students
pledge to weigh morals over
money.
Page 15

Computer baseball
Marc Weinberg rates two
of the latest computer
baseball games.
Page 16



i

Insure yourself
Many students don't
think about insurance -
until it's too late.
Page 17

Fighting traffic men
Michelle Di Simone shows
how to fight traffic tickets
in court.
Page 17

Campus just says yes to a
wing for drug-free students

Citibank changes credit card policy
after discriminated students protest
MCunNO

Humanities majors say
'field of study' stopped

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them from getting cards
By Irene Chang
The Daily Californian
U. of California, Berkeley
Citibank officials announced they
will "phase out" the company's policy for
awarding credit cards based on a stu-
dent's "field of study" after U. of Califor-
nia, Berkeley, students protested.
Prior to Citibank's concession, sever-
al students were denied MasterCards
because of their majors.
When Erica Ginsburg, a rhetoric ma-
jor, applied for a Citibank student Mas-
terCard last year, she was sure she
would get it. She already had four major
department store credit cards, a Bank of
America check guarantee and a steady
part-time job.
But a few weeks later, Ginsburg re-
ceived a letter from Citibank stating it
was unable to grant her a MasterCard
because of her "field of study."
Several English, history, rhetoric and
art history majors also received the
same letter after applying for a student
MasterCard through the Citibank cam-
pus representative.
Citibank representatives originally
refused to comment on the policy: "We
don't divulge information on how our
system works, on how we actually score
students," said Barbara, operator No.
5026 at Citibank's Hagerstown, Md.,
office. Barbara refused to state her last
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When Ideals and capitalism meet
For years we have read pundits saying social conscience among young people died somewhere on the
road home from Woodstock, but in Berkeley there appears to be an intriguing new model that combines the
social ideals of the '60s with the consumer capitalism of the '80s.
This seemingly oxymoronic mix epitomizes the growing movement toward socially responsible invest-
ments. Leading the charge is a group called Working Assets, whose leaders take pride in their ability to make
money for their customers while siphoning some resources into socially constructive endeavors.
Working Assets announced this past spring semester it will offer all Berkeley students a VISA credit card
that sets aside five cents on every transaction for student lobbying groups and non-profit organizations. The
money, which Working Assets officials say may amount to as much as $200,000 this year, will be channeled
into four major issue areas-- peace, human rights, world hunger and the environment. uBy Editorial
Staff, The Daily Californian, U. of California, Berkeley
Credit card hooks students, helps school
A fund-raising effort at Boston U. (BU) challenges the notion that credit cards have no aesthetic value.
Last May, the Office of Alumni Relations gave seniors a chance to apply for a BU Exclusive Edition Master-
Card with the hope that students will be hooked by the glossy photograph of the Charles River campus super-
imposed on the card.
The university receives .5 percent of any purchase made with the card, or 1 cent for every $2 transacted.
Since the program emerged two years ago, more than 4,000 people have received the card, and the university
has raised more than $100,000 through the program, said Amy Pollard, BU assistant director of Alumni
Relations.
The card - which costs $25 annually - has drawn opposition, since many students don't want to give any
more money to the college than tuition. ButJanet Oppenheimer, BU director of alumni programs, stressed stu-
dent card-holders incur no additional costs from the donation. Jason Isralowitz, The Daily Free
Press, Boston U., MA

By Peter Lucht
The Massachusetts Daily Collegian
U. of Massachusetts, Amherst
Eleven students who don't drink or
use drugs will have their own floor in
Baker House dorm next semester, said
Julie Beth Elkins, Baker residence
director and creator of the program.
"The floor is specifically for students
who choose not to drink or use drugs for
whatever reason," she said. "We are en-
couraging students who are recovering
from alcohol or drug addiction to apply."
Elkins pointed out that the floor is not
a crusade for abstinence. "It is more of
Guys and gals as
roommates? All
platonic. m. really
By Dana Roberts
The Auburn Plainsman
Auburn U., AL
Shacking up without sex seems to be
working.
College men and women who live
together but don't date each other may
have found a common ground where the
roommate wars can finally cease.
"It's much better than living with just
girls," said Pam Despinakis, an Auburn
student who lives with both male and
female roommates. "Best of all, he
doesn't wear my clothes. He's neat and
more laid back.
"For our generation it's no big deal,"
she said. "It doesn't mean you have no
morals; it means you need a roommate.
You would have to be pretty close-
minded to not understand."
The arrangement "is novel in this en-
vironment since it's not allowed on cam-
pus," said Rupert Nacoste, associate
professor of psychology. "It's healthy be-
cause it suggests that people don't see
themselves as only sexual beings."
Two years ago, student Scott Young
lived with two men and a woman. He
told her from the beginning - no pan-
tyhose over the shower curtain rod.
From then on things were fine.
The catch is to remain friends, he
said. "It's only fun when you're just
friends. I wouldn't recommend a physic-
al relationship. Everybody shacks up
sometiies, but it makes things compli-
cated and takes away from your rela-
tionships with other people."
Laundry
Continued From Page 8
Laundry Club offers a cool atmosphere
in which to do it. There are three televi-
sion sets to watch your favorite soaps in
the afternoon. The Club also features a
complete appetizer menu of nachos,
buffalo wings, mozzarella sticks, fried
zucchini, soft drinks and frozen yogurt.
To add to the conveniences, The Laun-
dry Club takes cash or credit cards.
The highly-sophisticated computer
system that will run The Laundry Club
is called "System Alpha." When you pay
the cashier, he or she can turn on your
machine and tell you when it will be
done. It's kind of like a self-service gas
station, except it smells better.


an acknowledgment that students have
made a lot of choices about their lives."
English major Eric Ojerholm has
been chosen to be the hall's Residential
Assistant next semester. He expressed
concern about how hard it is to find che-
mical-free activities.
"I don't drink very much and I've had
trouble finding things to do. I don't feel
comfortable around people when
they're drinking. It limits possibilities
for socialization," Ojerholm said.
"The goal is to create a supportive
environment, the rest is up to them,"
Elkins said.

Leases, landlords and the law can be a troublesome triad for off-cam
students who are unaware of the precautions necessary when renting
apartment.
The best way to avoid problems is to put everything in writing, accordin
Marcel Katz, a Lafayette, Ind., attorney. "Don't assume the discussion
tween landlord and tenant is part of the lease," he said.
These are other trouble spots students should be aware of:
The date when the landlord returns the tenant's deposit should be in
lease. "Students who have to leave campus sometimes wind up saying
heck with it' and never get their money back," Katz said.
Find out whether the lease runs for nine or 12 months.
Go through the apartment before you sign the lease and look for
damage. Have the landlord sign a sheet recording it, Katz said.
0 The notice for termination should be checked if the place is going to
rented again by the same tenant. "Some landlords require you to ren
advance, and may go ahead and lease to someone else," Katz said. He a
said to find out "what the provision is for raising rent if you're interested
(re-renting) the same apartment."
Find out which utilities are furnished.
Know that tenants are often responsible for the rent of roommates V
leave when they are on a joint lease.
. Lesa Petersen, The Purdue Exponent, Purdue U., IN

Robotic hand 'Dexter' helping
deaf-blind one letter at a time

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By Eric Ly
The Stanford Daily
Stanford U., CA
For the estimated 15,000 people in
this country who are both blind and
deaf, communication is a daily struggle
that often leaves them in isolation from
others.
However, blind and deaf people may
be able to overcome this confinement
because of a robotic hand being de-
veloped by Stanford U. students and re-
searchers.

Deaf-blind people can now only com-
municate by spelling words letter by let-
ter while touching another person's
hand, a technique called finger-
spelling.
The robotic hand, Dexter, may give
those without sight and hearing a
powerful communications link to the
world.
Dexter began as a mechanical en-
gineering course project three years ago
and was initially designed by students
See DEXTER, Page 17

Car-exporting business drives entrepreneur to profits

r.

does it at the same time.
Finally, would somebody please
have a sale on an everyday item?
It's discouraging to spend $10 for a
couple of notebooks, only to find
"We Got Killed By Miami In The
Orange Bowl Again" sweatshirts
on sale for four bucks.

By David Gallianetti
Daily Egyptian
Southern Illinois U., Carbondale
Dho Hyong Cho, a marketing major
at Southern Illinois U., Carbondale, has
started a car-exporting business, with
the company headquarters in his dorm
room.
After advertising his company, Trans
Auto of North America, in a West Ger-
man newspaper, Cho received about 10
responses. One of his most lucrative re-

Dho Hyong Cho isn't the
only student entrepreneur
around. See Page 16.
quests is an order for 100 Pontiac Fieros
and 50 Chevrolet Corvettes. If the sale
goes through, Cho said he would make
$250,000.
"In Germany, there are only about a
dozen car dealers and they don't have

vehicles on the lots," Cho said. "If some-
one wants to buy over there, it takes six
months to a year to get the car and deal-
ers to go down in price. You either pay
the sticker (price) or take a hike."
The system of making a sale is rather
complex, Cho said. A brochure describ-
ing the vehicle with available options is
mailed to the customer after he or she
contacts Cho. After writing the custom-
er, Cho mails out a price list that must
See EXPORTER, Page 18

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