CoNVER1lNG CREDrr ... WHY DID WIDENER SWITCH CREDrr UNIONS WITH THE SWITCH IN CAMPUS CREDIT UNIONS WHAT CAN WIDENER STUDENTS EXPECT TO SEE Ben Myers The from Atlantic Credit, the Dome Relations Manager cur r en t could not find one with knowl­ Credit edge of the branch U nio n removal/replacement. Atlantic Federal will be departing In the conversation with Baker, •••• Widener University on the 25th of he made it clear that Widener had February. Moving in on March a very strong position on having a 6th, will be the Franklin Mint credit union office on campus. Federal Credit Union. In a con­ With that Widener has made an versation with Joe Baker, Vice agreement · with Franklin Mint President of Administration & Federal to open a branch office on Finance here at Widener the campus. They offer much like WTO CONFERENCE: Dome was informed that the there predecessor Atlantic will stratigic direction of the Atlanfic offer the Widener campus with a Federal Credit Union was leading full range of services. Services Dan Pfeiffer towards a stronger focus on elec­ will include checking, home bank­ Staff Writer tronic banking. In adition to that ing, ATM card & access. the Dome was informed that Joe Baker also made it clear In the spirit of inter­ another reason for Atlantic that for those students and facul­ national week, a panel Frederal leaving was that the ty currently holding accounts debate on the WTO Widener Community was not pro­ with the Atlantic Federal Credit (World Trade viding enough service for them to Union, those accounts will not Organization) and the sustain a branch office here. just stop. AFCU accounts will recent disturbances in Ironicly however in all coversa­ still be avalible at other branch Seattle was arranged tions held with representitives locations. in Kapelski lecture hall 1. The panel co n­ sisted of John H. Serembus, a philoso­ pher and the associate dean of humanities, Cy nthia J.SaJtzman, the economics depart­ ment head, Bruce W was set aside as a political issue, they believe in the protesters Grant, and Martin Collo , a pro­ not an economic one. John cause, generally hold the belief fessor of political economy. Each Serembus and Bruce Grant that eco nomic growth through individual spoke on their area of spoke on the ethical implications free trade, for now at least, expertise with relation to the of the efforts made by the world supersedes the environmental conference. Saltzman spoke on trade organization, citing exam­ and labor implications. The the underlying principles of free ples of recent world trade dis­ economist of the bunch, Cynthia trade, the concept that the WTO putes having environmental Saltzman, made the point that is clearly in existence to pro­ effects. Martin Collo then pro­ the WTO' s goal is purely to mote, and it ' s effects on world vided a detailed analysis harshly promote free trade, and the rul­ production. She was careful to critical of the American media ' s ings on environmental issues point out that economists do not portrayal of the events in are viewed purely as an issue of make value .judgments on free Seattle, the American delega­ a hidden trade barrier, not as an trade' and it's effects, simply tion 's behavior and actions, and environmental hazard. Overall, that it allows for an increase in the protesters motives in looking the debate proved to be a stimu­ aggregate production, which to ask the World Trade lating experience at the very theoretically allows for an Organization to consider envi­ least. increase in aggregate consump­ ronmental" and labor factors for tion, and hopefully a higher the benefit of third wo rld standard of living for someone. nations. His contention was that The distribution of this wealth third world nations, as much as World View Entertainment Sports 22 Dead in Georgia fol­ WWF & WCW Basketball lowing Reviews stays on top tornadoes Page B1 Page B8 Page A4 Ii , ... - t" .... t .. t 'rI:V.#''X;',y~vAv,;.. Page 2 Widener University: The Dome February 18, 2000 CULTURAL RELATIVISM AND INTERNATIONAL f) JPJlINI'ON WEEK ~. ~: . ,I" Brian O'Rourke International Week took Editor in Chief Widener University by storm this week, and it boasted various interesting activities"and films for the stu­ dents to learn from and enjoy. Don 't get me wrong--I think other cultures are extremely interesting, but I do not believe in cultural relativism. Relativism is the philosophy that states all things are relative (to their situation), and that there are no absolutes in ethics or anything. Cultural relativism is an ethical standpoint that claims no culture is right or wrong in what it does--there are no standards for measuring a soci­ ety; each society is equally valid; .there is no right and wrong. In other words, we have our way, they have their way, and neither one of us is right or wrong. TI1ere are two slants to cultural relativism: there are no absolute standards (underlying principles that are right or wrong); or there are absolute standards each society believes in , but they express these standards differently. Are you following any of this? Relativism is a philosophical system that starts with the premise "there are no absolutes." This statement is a co nundrum. Relativism claims there are no absolutes, by making an absolute statement. So how do they reconcile " . ~\¥J'fi ~ ~ ~\N.. ONO\Om 'fi~S m 00 Glom WN<Ml~GJ this oxymoron? They don 't. Cultural relativism extends from this premise. Every > . ~1'~J. SHQW ···'to!) AOOt>\~1t VI\\0'5 GOT tA~ ~OTh! H}' culture is equally valid, extending from different stan­ dards or expressing the same absolute standard differ­ ently. In other words, nothing is right. ARE OUR NEEDS MET? I THINK NOT If nothing is right, then everything becomes right. If nothing is right, I am justified in going to a McDonald 's Michael Roakes If you are on you look at the label, your stomach begins to There are actually students who use the and killing ten people, because--there are no absolutes. Staff Writer a diet or if you turn. 1be salad bar is a great idea, but cafeteria 4 or 5 times a week. If you caIcu- Allow me to give you a few examples of historical atroc­ only like to eat don't use any of the dressings because they late it, they are paying around 20 dollars or ities that cultural relativists must embrace. Hitler ' s con­ healthy foods, Widener's Cafeteria is not aren't KRAFT'S FAT FREE brands. I more a meal. If Widener does not consider centration camps. Slavery in pre-Civil War America. the place to be. Widener attempts to fulfill can't tell you how much fat they contain that an enormous profit, I don't know what Cu ba 's plan of no milk for people over the age of 6. The everyone's eating needs, but the food that because there are no labels. But I bet they is. samurai code of ancient, feudal Japan, where samurai Aramark provides is simply not healthy. are full of fat because everything else in I know that the school is working on pro- could lob off anybody' s head without justification. 1bere is the salad bar and the lunch meat there is. viding different meal plans for next year, but China's hideous one child per family plan, enforced with station, but if you can eat the same foods Because many students do not wish to eat things should have been changed this infanticide and abortion. everyday for lunch and dinner, then in the cafeteria, they opt for the on-campus semester. It is a shame for those students Not even a relativist could justify these things. Widener has somehow met your needs. It apartments with kitchens that Widener pro­ who have trouble affording tuition (a lot of There are absolutes, such as the right to life, liberty, just seems odd that the AHredo Sauce con­ vides. However, unless you live in Dixon, students at Widener). They don't even and the pursuit of happiness. I ' m not saying that I agree tains 45 grams of fat. The fast food line (line you are forced to purchase the meal plan. have the freedom to choose their own meal with everything the United States has ever done. But I 1) contains foods with the most fat that I 1bere is only one meal plan for the students plan even if a kitchen is provided. For now, do believe in the foundations of our society, as laid out by have ever seen. Granted, the menu changes whether you eat at the cafeteria three times it seems that all we can do is wait. Nothing the Constitution. It's no accident that our society, the daily, but it doesn't seem that the fat con­ a day or three times a week. That is not fair is being done presently, but hopefully there "freest" society in the whole world, has prospered eco­ tent changes at all. It it just too high. It is and just at all. will be a change in the near future. As for nomically. In fact, we still have the highest standard of understood that Widener has to provide for If you live in Widener Courts and Andorn, the food, the only thing to do would be to living today. several hundreds of students, and that it is you should have the same rights as those make suggestions about the types of foods The rights of the individual (which all societies have not impossible to meet everyone's needs, but who live in Dixon.