Short takes on big subjects
Florida judges find Ito more correct than not
The O. J. Simpson trial found its way into the Florida circuit judges' conference, held in Palm Beach in July.
A frequent speaker at the conferences is FSU College of Law Professor John Yetter, whose topic this year was evidence.
"We discussed recent Florida decisions involving jury instructions, Yetter said.
As an icebreaker, Yetter put together a little exam on evidence that he assembled from transcripts of the Simpson trial.
"I told the judges to mark whether they thought Judge Ito's rulings were correct or incorrect."
And how did they answer?
"They thought Judge Ito was mostly correct." -- Browning Brooks
Lecturers run the gamut
William Safire - Nixon speechwriter, Pulitzer Prize winner, political commentator and grammar columnist - was to be the kickoff speaker on Sept.14 of the FSU Distinguished Lecture Series.
Safire, a conservative, will be followed by Berkeley Breathed, creator of the comic strip Bloom County on Nov. 1; P.J. O'Rourke, political satirist, on Feb. 8; and Dr. Joycelyn Elders, retired U.S. surgeon general, on March 5 .
For tickets, call 904-222-0400. For more information, call 904-644-7545.
Seminole Productions gets Avid
Seminole Productions and the Athletic Department have taken a leap into the fast-paced future of college communication by purchasing three Avid editing systems at a cost of $300,000. The Avid systems speed up the editing in making movies and videos.
"It's like going from a typewriter to a word processor," said Seminole Productions General Manager Mark Rodin.
The Media Composer 1000 gives users incredible flexibility in editing. It was named "Product of the Year" in Post Magazine , a trade magazine for TV production. -- Hollie Corbitt
Poverty makes victims
Poor neighborhoods often are seen as having the most violent criminals, but they also have the most victims -- especially when it comes to personal crimes between "intimates" -- says a new Florida State University study on violence.
"I found that poor, socially isolated communities have much higher rates of police-reported domestic violence, including aggravated assaults, rapes and homicides, than other neighborhoods," said Assistant Professor Rebecca Miles-Doan, a research associate at the FSU Center for the Study of Population.
Miles-Doan examined 1992 police data for Duval County, which had 18.1 homicides per 100,000 residents -- in the top 10 percent of all U.S. counties. -- Browning Brooks
FSU on Television and Radio
If you live in Florida, it's easy to keep up with FSU news between issues of the Florida State Times.
On television, watch Seminole Videogram, a 30-minute news magazine, on the Sunshine Network at 9 a.m. Sept. 16, 9 a.m. Sept. 17, 5 p.m. Sept. 20 and 5 p.m. Sept. 28. The football kickoff luncheon, with Bobby Bowden's State of the Seminoles address, will be shown on the Sunshine Network at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 23.
On the radio, in the Tallahassee area, listen to FSU Headlines four times a day: 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 12:06 p.m. on 88.9 FM; and 8 a.m. on 91.5 FM.
On the telephone, dial for a daily update: 904-653-NOLE
Job line brings alums together
The FSU Career Center and the Alumni Association have started a 24-hour job service that allows alumni employers to get together with alumni job-seekers by phone.
The fee for job listings is $15, and there is no charge to student or alumni job candidates.
For more information, call (904) 644-3459. -- Jeff Garis, director, Career Center
History of FSCW wasn't easy to write
Why were the girls of Florida State College for Women quarantined in the spring of 1944?
How did academic freedom at the college survive political and religious demagoguery during the Scopes Trial era of the 1920s?
Why was FSCW chosen to have the first Florida chapter of Phi Beta Kappa?
You'll find the answers in a new book by Dr. Robin Sellers that is packed with juicy insights into FSU's past.
Femina Perfecta: The Genesis of Florida State University ("femina perfecta" means "completed woman" in Latin) is being published by the Class of 1947, the transition class as the college became Florida State University.
"When we realized she had done this, we felt it would be the right thing to publish it," said Class President Sarah Lewis Marxsen.
By negotiating dusty archives and interviewing 150 to 200 women, Sellers built an incisive and entertaining history of more than 300 pages and about 80 photographs.
"There were no official records before 1930," she said, "so that certainly posed a challenge."
Yet, no effort was made to hide the female college's position as the "stepchild" to the University of Florida, she said.
"In the political archives, there were no bones made about it," Sellers said. "It was very obvious that most of the money was going to the men's school.
Pre-publication orders for the book are being taken at a price of $19.95, and that includes shipping and handling.
The price goes up Oct. 1. Any profits will go to the Heritage Tower fund to build a new landmark across from the University Center.
Make check payable and mail to: FSU Foundation, 1947 Book Fund, The Hecht House, 634 W. Call St., Tallahassee, Fl. 32306-4013 -- Browning Brooks