COMPRESSION: Short takes on big subjects

FSU and sports agents

Florida State University's highroad response to the infamous Foot Locker incident may be paying off. Gov. Lawton Chiles is expected to sign legislation that will toughen the laws governing the actions of sports agents and student athletes.

The university had responded with an independent investigation by an outside firm and game suspensions of student athletes who violated rules. It also urged and cooperated with the investigation, arrest and conviction of five agents, testified in Congress and sponsored the National Forum on Sports Agents and Intercollegiate Athletics, which was funded by the Freedom Forum and the McIntosh Foundation.

The legislation strengthens requirements for sports-agent licensing, making agents pay a $15,000 bond and pass an NCAA rules exam. Agents who fail to register with the state will face stronger penalties: a third degree felony charge, five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Student athletes who fail to notify university officials that they have entered into contracts with sports agents will face the same penalties.

Agents also are prohibited from signing a student athlete to a contract that purports to take effect after the student's intercollegiate eligibility, a problem that was further highlighted in the university-sponsored forum on the subject.

Two Florida State alums, Rep. Jim King, Jacksonville, and Sen. Ken Jenne, Fort Lauderdale, sponsored the legislation.

904/853-NOLE

Dial that number and you'll hear a daily capsule of news, academic and sporting events from the Florida State campus. The telephone service, sponsored by the university's Alumni Association, repeats "FSU Headlines," a radio program patterned after CNN Headline News and carried on WFSU-FM, 88.9, and WFSQ-FM, 91.5, as well as on the student station, WFSV-89. The Alumni Association also cosponsors "Seminole Jobline," 904/644-6188, with the Career Center. The service tells students and alumni of job opportunities nationwide. But call 904/644-3459 first to receive a password. Employers call 904/644- 9773 to receive an ID number and list a job.

People

Computer science Professor Stephen P. Leach recently received FSU's Distinguished Teaching Award. In all, 25 professors received University Teaching Awards at a recent ceremony. Developing Scholar Awards went to physics Associate Professor Elbio Dagotto, biological science Associate Professor Stuart Dryer, chemical engineering Associate Professor Bruce Locke, chemistry Associate Professor Joseph Schlenoff, social work Associate Professor Linda Vinton and geography Associate Professor Robert Walker. Distinguished Research Professor Awards went to mathematics Professor John Bryant, biological science Professor Marc Freeman and physics Professor Joseph Owens III.

John Dailey and Jenny Cambre have been installed in the top two leadership positions of the student body.

Good news for Gulf fish

FSU and the National Marine Fisheries Service are getting together to create an Institute for Fishery Resource Ecology. FSU graduate students and federal researchers will train marine scientists and study the life-history stages of important species found along the west coast of Florida, where 85 percent of all the sea-grass beds in the Gulf of Mexico are located.

The sea grass is a habitat for red grouper, gag grouper, gray snapper, hog fish and black sea bass.

The research will help scientists identify species with a high potential to be reared in aquaculture or captivity. Preliminary studies suggest that gag grouper may be a good candidate for aquaculture. The institute will also study the ecology and behavior of sharks, which have been overfished in some species because of a global demand for shark meat.

Sharks may also have a medicinal value, since they appear to be immune to cancer.

Great jazz

The FSU Jazz Ensemble won two major national awards this spring -- the Mobile Jazz Festival and the Notre Dame Jazz Festival.

Michael McKenzie, a trumpeter, was named outstanding collegiate soloist at the Mobile festival and distinguished performer at Notre Dame.

4our, a jazz quintet, received the student music award from Downbeat Magazine. Members of the quintet are McKenzie; Martin Bejerano, piano; Al Sergel, drums, Ricky Ravelo, bass; and John Ricci, tenor saxophone.

The 18-member FSU Jazz Ensemble is directed by Bill Kennedy.

Avis tries scholarships

Avis is "trying even harder" to please its FSU alumni customers. Under the Avis-Florida State partnership, which features cost-reducing car- rental rates for alumni, a percentage of future rentals will go to the Avis-FSU Alumni Association Scholarship Fund.

In addition to receiving competitive discount rates, alumni will receive special discounts on Avis SuperValue and Promotional Rates. The savings apply to leisure or vacation rentals. But by using the program to rent a car from Avis, alumni will indirectly guarantee that future contributions will be made to the scholarship fund. Alumni who need to rent a car can call the Avis Alumni Association Service Desk: 1-800-422-3810.

Osceola teams with Times

Jerry Kutz and John Oeschger, publishers of the Osceola newspaper, have executed an agreement with the FSU Communications Group to provide a turnkey operation for Florida State Times advertising sales. The agreement is part of the university's new Corporate Partnership Program (See Communications Director's Column on page 3 for more information on the program). Kutz also will provide some Seminole sports coverage for the Times.

-- "Compression" was prepared by Frank Murphy, Helen Buzyna and Larry Keough