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> Drop-add begins today for those willing to brave typical long
lines In freezing cold and runs through Tuesday Information: 542-
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National & World Headlines
Lott to announce parameters of trial
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott said
today he hoped to announce a framework for President Clinton's
impeachment trial within 24 hours but cautioned the historic pro
ceeding could stretch three weeks or more. Democrats vowed
"universal, unanimous" opposition to calling witnesses.
After struggling for days to build a consensus, Lott told sena
tors his emerging plan would be one “that neither the House nor
the White House will Just necessarily think Is wonderful but will
give all parties a fair chance to make the case and get to a conclu
sion that's an equitable one.”
Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle said his party opposes
prolonging the case by calling witnesses as House prosecutors
want He urged the House members to stay out of the dispute over
the first trial of a president In 130 years. •
"We didn't Involve ourselves In their proceedings and It Is very
disturbing that they now seem to be Intent on Involving them
selves In ours," said Daschle, D-8.D.
106th Congress opens
with new House speaker
WASHINGTON (AP) — The
106th Congress opened
Wednesday Owith a new House
speaker promising a more bipar
tisan spirit and a Senate
Impeachment trial sure to make
that difficult.
At the stroke of noon the
House was called to order to
start a session in which the
Republican hold on power Is one
of the narrowest In history. The
Senate session officially began
minutes later.
The first order of House busi
ness was to elect Rep. Dennis
Hastert, R-Ill., a self-effacing for
mer high school teacher, to suc
ceed Newt Gingrich as speaker.
Hastert would then deliver the
oath of office to the other 221
Republicans, 211 Democrats and
one Democratic-leaning Inde
pendent.
Vice President A1 Gore, pre
siding over the opening of the
Senate, swore in the 34 senators
elected or re-elected in 1998.
There are eight new senators,
four from each party.
A different sort of swearing-in
ceremony will take place
Thursday in the Senate when
Chief Justice William Rehnquist
administers the oath to the 100
senators, who will serve as
jurors in the impeachment trial
of President Clinton.
NBA strike settled,
season to commence
NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA
and the players' union reached
an agreement Wednesday to end
the 6-month-old lockout and
save what's left of the season.
After a secret all-night bar
gaining session between
Commissioner David Stem and
union head Billy Hunter, the
deal was struck sometime
around 6 a m. — just 29 hours
before the league's Board of
Governors was set to vote on
canceling the remainder of the
season.
The owners' and players'
negotiating committees recom
mended approving the deal,
sources told The Associated
Press.
The players approved it 179-5
in a ratification vote at the
union’s law office this afternoon,
a union spokesman said.
A season of about 50 games
will begin the first week of
February. The six-year deal, with
an NBA option for a seventh
year, still must be put on paper
and ratified before the lockout
officially ends.
Virginity tests for women
banned in Turkey
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) —
Family members and authorities
will no longer be allowed to
force women and girls to under
go virginity tests, Turkey's
Justice Ministry said Wednesday.
In a country where female vir
ginity is highly valued, orphans,
prisoners and even foreign
tourists staying In hotel rooms
with male companions have
been subjected to gynecological
tests against their will.
Critics have denounced the
tests as a human rights viola
tion. although many conserva
tive Turkish families defend
them as a way of deterring girls
from damaging marriage
prospects.
Justice Minister Hasan
Denizkurdu banned the practice
last month, ordering an end to
"tests enforced to discipline
subjects and which hurt the dig
nity, modesty and feelings" of
young women.
Prince Edward to wed
public relations exec
LONDON (AP) — After three
divorces, a royal wedding. At
last.
Five years after he began dat
ing public relations executive
Sophie Rhys-Jones, Prince
Edward has proposed. Her reply,
“Yes, yes please,” delighted
Queen Elizabeth II's divorce-
prone family and launched
another national bout of royal
wedding fever.
As messages of congratula
tions poured In Wednesday, the
blonde, svelte Rhys-Jones posed
for press photographs with her
fiance, looking uncannily like the
late Princess Diana as she
flashed an engagement ring fea
turing a 2-carat diamond
flanked by two smaller, heart-
shaped ones.
But she is very different from
the shy, awkward 20-year-old
who gave up the sheltered life of
an earl's daughter to marry
Edward's elder brother Charles
in a lavish 1981 wedding
watched by 700 million people
worldwide. That marriage ended
in 1996.
At 33, Rhys-Jones runs her
own business and confidently
attends public functions on her
own. Rhys-Jones set up her own
company, R-JH Public
Relations, two years ago and will
continue working alter her mar
riage.
—The Associated Press
UGA Today
announcements
► State of the University
Address President Michael F Adams.
3:30 p m University Chapel.
► Drop-Add will continue today
through Jan 12.
► Women's Basketball vs.
Florida 7 30 p.m. Stegeman Coliseum.
► African American Cultural
Center is sponsoring a student art exhibit
by Janssen Robinson Ends today
► Recreational Sports is holding
registration lor spring semesler hydrobics at
Ramsey Student Center Classes begm Jan.
11 Information Stephanie Biugter at 542-
5060
► Georgia Museum of Art has
Rembrandt Treasures from the Rembrandt
House, Amsterdam and By or Alter
Rembrandt on exhibit through Jan 10.
Information 542-4662
► School of Environmental
Design is sponsoring the exhtxt
Reverence lor Decay: A Photographic Vmt
of Eltrs Island m its Present State through
Feb. 12.
> College of Education is spon-
sonng a seminar. “Qualitative Research in
Education,' lor teachers ol qualitative
research and data analysis, through Jan to
at the Georgia Center Information: Marcie
Simpson. 542-6645
> Spring Semester Library
Orientations are being held lor the Mam
Library and Science Library through the
months of January and February
Information: 542-3251 (Mam Library) 542-
0696 (Science Library).
> Counseling and Testing
Center s interviewing students interested
in partiapating m a variety of counseling and
support groups Information: Room 137,
Clark Howell Hall
— Items for UQA Today must
be submitted in writing two I
days before the date to run.
Items may run only one day
and are published by a first-
come, first-served basis accord
ing to space available.
Sorority moves back into house after fire
▲ Pi Beta Phi House Manager Emily Walker, a sophomore,
makes some final adjustments to welcome back members.
By AMANDA BRANNON
Tee Rid a Black
Members of PI Beta Phi soror
ity wore smiles on their faces as
they moved back into their
house on Milledge Avenue earlier
this week.
Fifty-five women were dis
placed from the house after it
caught fire during a rush party in
August.
The blaze began when candles
caught decorative sheets on fire
and caused extensive damage to
the first floor.
After four and a half months
of living out of their suitcases
from hotel rooms to apartments,
the sorority members moved
back Into their house Tuesday.
Pi Beta Phi President Erin
Wilson said she was glad the
work on the house was finished.
The fire is still close in her mem
ory. though.
"I don't think I've lit a candle
since (the fire)," Wilson, a junior
from Huntsville. Ala., said.
During restoration, Pt Beta
Phi added a sprinkler system —
something few fraternity and
sorority houses have. Each room
and hallway now has at least one
celling sprinkler.
Candles will no longer be used
during parties or ceremonies
Inside the house. Wilson said.
"What we think caught the
house on fire was a wire-frame
candle that was left unattend
ed," said Jenny Lowery, the
sorority's house corporation
president.
Lowery also said the fire
might have triggered others in
the Greek community to rethink
their party decorations.
"It was a huge accident. It was
a tragic accident, but I think
everyone is more aware of the
fire hazards now," Lowery said
“The fire could have happened in
any house. We all use the same
stuff to decorate during rush. We
all cover the walls with sheets
and paper to create a different
sort of atmosphere. Now we
know it's a big fire hazard."
With safety now In mind, the
sorority has given House
Manager Emily Walker, a sopho
more from Macon, a new duty.
"We added it to the house
manager's responsibilities during
rush to check the house for fire
hazards," Wilson said.
The sorority members lived at
the Georgia Center for
Continuing Education and
University Commons while
repairs were made to the house.
Leigh Koehler, a sophomore
from Alpharetta, said living in
University Commons was nice for
a while, but she's glad to be mov
ing back Into the house.
“(University Commons) was
nice. We were all in the same
area, but It was hard not living in
the same house as everyone
else." Koehler said. "When you
don't all live In the same house
It’s hard to know everything
that's going on on campus."
Wilson said other Greek and
student organizations on cam
pus were very helpful while their
house was being repaired.
"Everyone has fed us and
offered us places to store stuff,”
Wilson said. “Everyone’s just
been wonderful."
House Director Mary Luna
said she was happy to finally be
moving back into the house.
"Happiness is getting our
house back." Luna said.
COLLEGE HEADLINES
Students finally moved out of
of hotel and into the dorms
MINNEAPOLIS - The University of
Minnesota recently moved the last of its stu
dents housed at the University Days Inn into
residence halls for the beginning of winter
quarter. According to the Minnesota Daily,
the hotel served as a home to approximately
200 students who were part of an overflow
from the dormitories.
Contributing to the overflow was the high
est freshman enrollment at the university in
10 years, which caused officials to look for
alternative housing. To accommodate the
increasing freshman classes at the university,
housing and residential life officials are look
ing to provide at least 600 additional beds
over the next two years.
Student president named 24th
Rhodes Scholar at Ole Miss
UNIVERSITY, Miss. - The University of
Mississippi’s 24th Rhodes Scholar was
named last month in Atlanta Calvin
Thigpen, former associated student body
president, is the first Ole Miss Rhodes
Scholar in 13 years. With the scholarship,
Thigpen will be granted the opportunity to
study for two years at Oxford University in
England starting later this year. Thigpen
plans on studying philosophy, psychology
and physiology at Oxford.
Jewish students travel country
learning more about religion
FORT COLLINS, Co. - A group of eight
Jewish Colorado State University students
participated In the Student Winter Mission
to the proclaimed homeland of their faith.
Israel. The winter mission is an annual event
organized by the United Jewish Appeal
This is the first time CSU students have
been involved The trip was scheduled to last
from Dec. 21 through 31, with the students
travelling through the country, celebrating
and learning more about their religion.
On Dec. 28, the students had the rare
opportunity to meet with Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Also, the
group was scheduled to meet with Ehud
Olmert, the mayor of Jerusalem.
University trustee donates two
million shares of stock to VU
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Vanderbilt
University received an early present for the
holidays last month when University trustee
Martha Ingram donated two million shares of
Ingram Micro, Inc. stock in the name of her
late husband, E. Bronson Ingram, to the
University.
The university will take take immediate
control of the stock, valued at approximately
$42.38 per share.
The school's chancellor, Joe B. Wyatt,
referred to the monumental stock gift as a
"landmark in the history of the university."
The Ingram family donated $340 million to
Vanderbilt, the largest gift ever given to a
university.
Students and NASA to design
an international space station
AUBURN, Ala. — A group of industrial
design students at Auburn University are
working in collaboration with NASA helping
to design components for the International
Space Station.
Twelve teams of three students are work
ing on solutions to present tomorrow in
Huntsville, Ala.
The students are working on a payload
equipment restraint system.
The system will keep instruments in place
in zero gravity
This is not the first time that Auburn stu
dents have been involved with the space pro
gram.
— Compiled by: Jonathan Roy
Contributing: V-Wire
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