The Michigan Daily -Wednesday, December 12, 1990 -age Higher oil prices hurt trade deficit Student outcry limits reduction of computing hours Wig WASHINGTON (AP) -The na- tion's foreign trade deficit, hurt by higher oil prices and increased mili- try spending from the Persion Gulf crisis, widened a sharp 13.9 percent in. the July-September quarter, the gpvernment said yesterday. The Commerce Department said e $25.6 billion third quarter deficit was up from a second quarter deficit Oof 22.5 billion. It was the largest WQuarterly imbalance since a $26.7 b'llion gap in the final three months of 1989. The new report covered the cur- i6nt account, which is considered the iost important yardstick of the country's international performance because it measures not only trade in merchandise but also trade in ser- vices and investment flows between jcuntries.- ' The higher deficit in the July- September quarter was viewed as especially ominous because an im- proving trade balance had been the only bright spot in a lackluster economy this year. A rising trade deficit would make the recession many economists be- freve has already started even steeper by removing the strength that export *rowth has provided to the manufac- turing sector over the past several years. Before Iraq's Aug. 2 invasion of Kuwait sent oil prices soaring, some analysts had forecast that the trade deficit for this year could drop as low as $90 billion, which would have been the smallest imbalance since 1983. For the third quarter, the primary weakness came from a 29 percent jump in the merchandise trade, which rose to 29.75 billion as im- ports hit an all-time high. More than half of the increase .in imports re- flected higher petroleum prices. Another factor contributing to the increase in the third quarter deficit was a rise in direct spending for U.S. military operations overseas, which climbed to 4.31 billion, a 17 percent increase reflected the troop buildup in the Middle East. That increase lowered the overall services balance to 5.8 billion in the third quarter. In one bright spot in the report, the balance on investment earnings shifted into a surplus of 2.46 bil- lion, reflecting improved earnings by Americans on their overseas invest- ments. That had been in deficit by $1 billion in the second quarter. by Melissa Peerless In response to a student outcry, Instructional Technology Systems has decided to modify its plans to re- duce the hours of operation of Cam- pus Computing Sites. Deborah Masten, associate direc- tor of Instructional Technology Sys- tems (ITS), announced the revised plans yesterday to faculty, staff, and' students over electronic mail. For the Winter 1991 semester, the adjustments in hours include: The three largest computing sites, Angell Hall, NUBS, and UNYN, will continue to operate seven days a week, 24 hours a day. During the Winter semester, some small sites will have reduced hours during the times when low utilization has been observed. During the last five weeks of the semester, some smaller comput- ing sites, such as the Chemistry Building, will have extended hours. If ITS determines through monitor- ing usage that additional hours are necessary earlier in the term, they will be added. The site at 611 Church Street will have the greatest reduction in hours for the first two-and-a-half months of the term, continuing to' operate 24 hours a day during the week but reducing weekend hours of operation to between noon and mid- night. "We are facing budget cuts this fiscal year and we were trying to make the cuts so that there was the least amount of user inconvenience," Masten said. ITS's original proposal for hour reductions during the period of Jan. 2 to Feb. 2 included operating Angell Hall from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mon- days through Thursdays, 7 a.m. to p.m. Fridays, and 10 a.m. to lb p.m. weekends. Until March 24, 61| Church St. was to be open from y a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and noop to 8 p.m. weekends. Small sites were to operate between 9 a.m. and 5 p..m. every day. UNYN and NUBS were to remain open 24 hours a day; When ITS proposed its original Winter semester schedule last weelp, many students expressed dissatisfaq- tion about the hours of operation v petitions and electronic mail mes sages to ITS and the administration. "We received, in various fashion; information from students that thq proposed changes would have a negat tive impact on them," Masten said. Tejal Patel, first-year-student it the school of Engineering said, "I' happy because I haven't had Englis yet and I was sorry the computing sites were going to close when I ha4 to write my papers. I really need th4 time after 12 to work on the coiA puters." All wired up Charlie King cleans out a line in order to install a new emergency phone as part of the University's effort to improve campus safety. Foreigners leave Iraq and Kuwait --- i I Associated Press Nearly 500 more foreigners flew out of Iraq and occupied Kuwait yes- terday, ending four months at the sword's point following the Iraqi in- vasion of the oil-rich emirate One freed British hostage said he saw bodies on the street outside his Kuwait hideout yesterday morning. Three chartered flights brought 243 foreigners from Kuwait to Baghdad to join hutdreds of other hostages on three chartered jetliners that left Iraq for Bangkok, London, and Frankfurt. Calllum Strachan, dressed in a traditional kilt from his native Scotland, saluted the other hostages by playing his bagpipes as the for- eigners cleared Iraqi passport control. "The people who deserve the greatest admiration are the Kuwaitis who sheltered us despite the fact that they could be executed on the spot if they were found helping us," said Briton Ken Emsden. He said there still was gunfire ev- ery night in Kuwait and that he saw the bodies of four civilians in the street yesterday morning. "We're just happy it's finally over," said Sid Hatcher of Knoxville, Tenn., who was held at an industrial site in Iraq. Diplomats said just 14 Americans were on the flights from Baghdad. There were no Americans on the flights from Kuwait to Baghdad. "We must have gotten them all," said one American consular official, referring to earlier evacuation flights from the Persian Gulf emirate. He spoke on the condition of anonymity. In Washington, the Bush admin- istration said a planned evacuation flight tomorrow is "likely to be the last" for Americans and will proba- bly also carry home the remaining staff of the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait. "We would anticipate that once all Americans who want out have been able to get out that we would" remove the entire staff of the em- bassy," said White House spokesper- son Marlin Fitzwater. The plane bound for Frankfop yesterday carried 16 freed hostageR The flight to London carried 310 people, nearly all of them Britons.', A Japanese-chartered jetline left Baghdad for Bangkok with 159 p6o4 ple aboard, including 14 JapanesO diplomats from Kuwait. Nearly aI the others were former Japanese hostages. Diplomats said about 40Q Americans were expected to rem in Iraq and Kuwait, mainly peo with dual U.S.-Iraqi citizenship American spouses of Iraqis. or charities was out on the Diag collecting ft their "Adopt-a-Family" campaign, which helps local families during the holidays. Her techniques to get cer- tributions aren't aggressive. "Just standing out there askin. for money to help feed and clothe needy families usually is enougki,' said Winston. "It's funny how peo. ple will sometimes ignore you witt a blank stare. But a lot of people ar getting into the holiday spirit," sh said, nodding at her bucket of coins and dollar bills. Crossword anyone? Graduate student Erik Lunden does his Daily crossword puzzle on the Diag while enjoying the unusually warm weather. Correction Eunice Royster Harper has been selected for the position of Associate Vice President for Student Services. The Daily apologizes for suggesting that Harper would take over Interim Vice President Mary Ann Swain's position. Students in holiday spirit collect f k, -THE LIST What's happening in Ann Arbor today Attention all groups that make submissions to the List or the Weekend List: Beginning in January, the List in .Weekend Magazine will include performances, movies and other entertainment ,events for the entire week, Friday through Thursday. For this reason, we ask that you submit such items at least one week before the issue of Weekend in which you want your item to run. by Megan Nortz 'Tis the season for fund raising. Whether they be medical'Otudents toting buckets for the Galen' Tag Day Drive or fraternity members chiming bells at Salvation Army kettles, students are out there collect- ing for the charities. In 1989, the Salvation Army raised $87,000 in Ann Arbor through kettle collections and letters of appeal. With this money, they provided holiday food baskets and certificates for 860 families in Ann Arbor and bought $1,781 worth of new toys for children. This year Delta Tau Delta and Tau Gamma Nu fraternities and Delta Delta Delta sorority rang bells on street corners for the charity. "Last year we had to do it (as com- munity service) because we had some noise violations but this year we chose to help collect because it was so much fun," said Scott Sten- man, president of Delta Tau Delta. By working one post for forty hours, Delta Tau Delta raised $900 for the Salvation Army, coming close to the $1,400 they raised last year at two posts. "We have over forty such groups and organizations throughout Ann Arbor helping us," said Col. Harold Crowell, Community Relations Of- ficer for the Ann Arbor Salvation Army. Yet, not all organizations can de- pend on bucket drive proceeds. Mary Moffet, Director of Public Support for the American Red Cross, said, "The donations are nice additions but we can't rely heavily on bucket drive donations because the money they bring in varies so much." Moffet mentioned Kappa Sigma fraternity's bucket drive to collect money for victims of Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. They collected on a rainy day and raised $451.50. "If the weather had been nicer, they might have brought in more money," Mof- fet said. Tom Cunningham from Kappa Sigma said the fraternity members socialize and have a lot of fun while doing bucket drives but "they're a one day shot" which makes it less time-consuming than other fundrais- ers. Organizations can raise a lot money in a few hours. "It's 100 percent non-profit (for the sorority). All the money goes to the organization," said Jennifer Bruder from Alpha Epsilon Phi. Her sorority raised $1,600 for the Ameri- can Cancer Society through one bucket drive. Anita Winston, President of the Labor of Love Campus Fellowship i -Health & Fitness 4 Meetings EQIRC Social Group for Les- bians, Bisexuals and Gay Men, weekly meeting. Call 763- 4186 (days) or 763-2788 (nights) for location. 9-11:00. La Parlotte (The French Con- versation Club), weekly meeting. .MLB 4th Floor Commons, 4-6:00. Latin American- Solidarity Committee, weekly meeting. Union, Rm. 1209, 8:00. PIRGIM, weekly meeting. Union, Rm. 4109, 8:00. Thursday U-M Snowboarding Club. Union MUG, 6:00. Learning Disability Society, lunch and meeting. Union, Rm. 4306, 12-2:00. ACT-UP Ann Arbor (not asso- ciated with the Workers' Revolu- tionary League), weekly meeting. 1017 Oakland, 7:30. Speakers Organic Seminar, topic unavail- able; Dr. John Eisch of SUNY Emission Spectroscopy," Dave Slinkman, speaker. Rm. 1650, 4:00. "Why People Can't Forgive," sponsored by Orthodox Christian Fellowship, Fr. George Shalhoub, speaker. Union, Rm. 2209, 7-8:00. Furthermore Safewalk and Northwalk will be back after the break. ECB Peer Writing Tutors avali- ble to help with your papers Sunday- Thursday, Angell/Haven Computing Center, 7-11:00. U of M Shorin-Ryu Karate-do Club, weekly practice. Call 994- 3620 for info. CCRB Martial Arts Rm., 8:30-9:30. U of M Cycling Club, weekly women's ride. For info call Robin Pena (764-1723). Leaves steps of Hill Aud. at 3:30. Central American Beans & Rice Dinner, weekly event. Guild House, 802 Monroe St.,6:00. "Life on a Curve," a show about education sponsored by The Resi- dence Hall Repertory Theatre Troupe. Helping is Learning By donating plasma, you are helping hemophiliacs as well as other patients to enjoy a healthy productive life. 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