JSP trouble

What I'm trying to do: I want to define an object in my jsp script and, perhaps later, run some methods on it. For now I'm keeping it as simple as possible. When I compile the following class, incorporate it into the package and call it from the jsp, I get the errors shown below.
Here's my super short JSP script:

<%@ page import="my.package.*" %>
<%! Wheedle a = new Wheedle(request, session); %>


Here's my Java Class that I'm calling from my script (The ['s aren't really there):

[ package my.package;
[ import javax.servlet.http.*;
[ class Wheedle {
[ public Wheedle(HttpServletRequest r, HttpSession s) {
[ System.out.println("Hi Earth");
[ }
[ }

Here are the JSP error messages that I receive on the browser:

[org.apache.jasper.JasperException: JASPER: Unable to compile class for JSPC:\WINNT\TEMP\JettyContext21934.tmp\_0002fexport_0002fwhy_0002ejspwhy_jsp_0.java:21: Can't access class my.package.Wheedle. Class or interface must be public, in same package, or an accessible member class.
[ Wheedle a = new Wheedle(request, session);
[ ^
[C:\WINNT\TEMP\JettyContext21934.tmp\_0002fexport_0002fwhy_0002ejspwhy_jsp_0.java:21: Can't access class my.package.Wheedle. Class or interface must be public, in same package, or an accessible member class.
[ Wheedle a = new Wheedle(request, session);
[ ^
[C:\WINNT\TEMP\JettyContext21934.tmp\_0002fexport_0002fwhy_0002ejspwhy_jsp_0.java:21: Undefined variable: request
[ Wheedle a = new Wheedle(request, session);
[ ^
[C:\WINNT\TEMP\JettyContext21934.tmp\_0002fexport_0002fwhy_0002ejspwhy_jsp_0.java:21: Undefined variable: session
[ Wheedle a = new Wheedle(request, session);
[ ^
[4 errors

Any ideas why this isn't working?

For the first two try changing the class declaration to public class Wheedle and make sure you're really compiling it (stupid mistakes are the most common).

Thanks filburt1, that helped. I figured out the other problem as well. I removed the '!' from the declaration in the jsp and that solved the problem of the other two error messages. I guess that items defined in the <%! areas don't know anything about the session and request objects, whereas if the declaration is declared as a scriptlet, i.e. the <% tag, you can declare object a that is global AND you get access to request and session.

cudabean