USG ruled By KERRY GILDEA Collegian Staff Writer The Undergraduate Student Gov ernment Supreme Court decided yes terday that the USG endorsement committee violates the organization’s constitution. The decision was made after a debate Sunday night between Town Senator Ken Houk and Senate Presi dent Ron Marlow. “The senate does not have the authority to delegate law-making to a committee. (The endorsement com mittee) takes all the senate’s power away,” Houk said yesterday. Houk filed a complaint with the court against the seven-member commit tee, which was designed to endorse candidates in November’s local elec tions. Homeward bound From left, Eric Foster (junior-English writing), Mytrice Robinson (senior- the carpool lists in the HUB in search of a lift home for the Thanksaivina communications) and Dave Hager (freshman-communications) take a look at holiday. a a USG pres, to trustee: Speak out By MAUREEN QUINN Collegian Staff Writer Undergraduate Student Govern ment President Todd Sloan yesterday said the role of the student member on the Board of Trustees should in clude speaking out about issues af fecting University students, but the student trustee said her job is to improve communication between the trustees and students. “(Christine Henke) has just as much power as any of the rest of the trustees, and it’s a power I think she should be making use of," said Sloan of the student trustee. Sloan is a non voting student representative on the board, which met last week at the University. Sloan said Henke, the student trust ee, should have publicly condemned the posting of racially-offensive swas tika stickers on campus four weeks ago. The USG president said he wrote letters condemning the act to The Daily Collegian and the University weather Today, a mix of cloudiness and sunshine, mild, high 53. Tonight, more clouds, low 39. Tomorrow, cloudy, with an increasing chance for rain, high 49. endorsements unconstitutional Marlow said at Sunday’s debate an endorsement is not a law but a show of support that serves as a recom mendation to the public. The committee, which endorsed four candidates for State College Bo rough Council on Nov. 1, consists of the USG president and vice president, co-directors of USG’s Department of Political and International Affairs, Senate president and vice president, and chairman of the Senate Appoint ment Review Board. The committee falls under the category of a joint committee because it is comprised members from both executive and legislative USG branches and was approved by two-third majorities in the Senate and Academic Assembly. The court agreed with Houk’s claim that the committee’s function vio lated USG bylaws which state: “A Christine Henke administration soon after the inci dent. “The student trustee has to be known to all students,” Sloan said. “It’s a dangerous precedent to set just having the trustee go to meet ings.” But Henke, whose trustee seat was confirmed by Gov. Robert Casey on Oct. 6, said condemning the stickers was a more appropriate role for stu dent leaders, such as Sloan. “By speaking (publicly), I would be usurping the role of student leaders, and I didn’t want to do that." Please see TRUSTEE, Page 5. the daily Collegian Photo / Chris Hiester Collegian joint committee may not establish USG law.” Chief Justice Mike Sosnowski said the key issue involved in the decision was whether or not the committee’s endorsements constitute USG law. Houk proved that the committee makes law by comparing how past USG legislation has affected stu dents, he said. Houk said, and court justices af firmed that past USG legislation sup porting a Student Credit Union, promoting Alcohol Awarness Week, and urging the University’s Board of Trustees to divest its holdings in South Africa constituted law. These actions are similar to candi date endorsement because they give students guidelines to follow, Houk said. “The committee’s endorsements Fire breaks out at Sheraton By TERRY MUTCHLER Collegian Staff Writer A fire broke out at the Sheraton Penn State at 240 S. Pugh St. about 1 a.m. today, causing guests to evac uate the building. No one was injured and damages were unknown. At press time. Alpha Fire Chief Marvin Robinson said the ANC delegate decries S. African govt. By TERRY MUTCHLER Collegian Staff Writer Comparing the political unrest and daily massacres in South Africa to those of the Jewish Holocaust, a rep resentative of the African National Congress of South Africa last night denounced his country's white re gime. “Now we in South Africa are facing that same monster that is trying to rise up from the ashes of the last World War, crying to the world and saying we are dying daily.” Dumi Matabane said. “(Yet) the world continues to say: can that be true? Can that really be happening? ’ “Yes. This is not a Ram bo film," he continued. “This is true and we’d better do something.” Founded in 1912, the African Na tional Congress is the oldest political movement in South Africa. It cam paigned openly and non-violently against the South African govern ment’s racist policies. In 1960. the ANC was outlawed in South Africa and the group went underground. Matabane said because of the white regime now in power, black South Africans have lost their identity. He Collegian Photo / Pal Christmas Ron Marlow are basically similar to the examples Houk gave, and if they can be termed law, the committee is unconstitution al because a joint committee may not establish USG law according to by laws,” Sosnowski said. Please see USG, Page 5. Collegian Photo / Pat Christmas cause of the fire was unknown. “At this point the fire is out,” he said. In the rear of the building, firefight ers kicked out window panes as about 50 people looked on. Couches and mattresses were thrown out the win dow and hosed with water. Night receptionist Scott Reitz said the fire started in room 111. Collegian Photo I Jody Stachar Dumi Matabane said their rights have been stripped away, citing the lack of the right to speak: of individuals to go where they choose: the right to fall in love with whom they choose: and the right to send children to the schools of their choice. “They say to us: ‘You can’t even swim in the same part of the ocean,' " he said. “How do you under stand such a system that says, ‘Be cause you are not my color you can’t swim in this part of the ocean?' What Tuesday, Nov. 24,1987 Vol. 88, No. 95 14 pages University Park, Pa. 16802 Published by students of The Pennsylvania State University 5.1987 Collegian Inc. Proposal to change USG structure gets mixed responses By PAMELA WEIERS Collegian Staff Writer Members of the Undergraduate Student Government have something to think about during Thanksgiving break the future direction of their organization. A nine-member research team, created by USG executives in Sep tember to pinpoint and eliminate bureaucracy in USG, released its findings Sunday and USG members are faced with the choice of imple menting the committee’s sugges tions. Recommendations by the commit tee, called the Strategic Analysis Research Team, include eliminating the Senate and Academic Assembly and creating one new legislative as sembly in their place. Yesterday, some USG members voiced concern over the controversial plan. Senate President Ron Marlow said he does not agree with some of START’s recommendations, partic ularly changes in the legislative branch, but said the Senate has two options at this point. “We have the option of either tak ing the START recommendations and making changes within the existing system or taking the recommenda tions at face and creating the assem bly to make a new system,” Marlow said. “Whichever course the Senate de cides to take ... as senate president I will be 100 percent behind either decision and work towards that goal,” he added. USG Executive Assistant Ken Hong Pat Paul resigns; successor named By MARYANN LIDOY Collegian Staff Writer Ending a 23-month term in office, North Halls President Patrick Paul resigned last night at the Association of Residence Hall Students meeting. “This is the end of the Pat Paul era,” he said, “and for those of you that have been my friends, I want to thank you and let you know that I am never going to change.” Effective last night, former North Halls Vice President Kirsten Martz was sworn in as Paul’s replacement by ARHS president Bobbi Mel chiorre. “I realize that Patrick is a hard act to follow but I am confident in myself and my council,” Martz said after the meeting, “We can work together to make North Halls the best it can be.” Martz, who has served as North Halls vice president since April, said although she is a new leader, she has worked closely with Paul and they share many of the same aspirations. Martz said Paul’s decision to resign before the end of the semester is advantageous to council because he will be available to answer any ques tions she has about her position. “He is an excellent resource and person to deal with,” she said. Paul said, “If the transition of the guard is to be effective, I have to have mentality of human being (are they). What happened to their minds? " He said thousands of persecuted black people are languishing in pris on, including “12-year-olds in soli dary confinement who come out mentally destroyed . . . and young girls who want to die, saying I don’t know why I should live.' ” Matabane said the current govern ment claims to be civilizing the Afri can people, but he has a different idea. “I think we are much more civi lized than those who claim to have brought civilization into our coun try,” he said. “They said we must close our eyes when we pray, and we did because we are trusting. But by the time we said Amen,' they had everything of ours in their hands." President Ronald Reagan contends that if the white regime loses power. South Africa will be lost. Matabane said. “We in South Africa are not about to surrender to a racist regime," he added. “Enough is enough. Come what may, we are going to fight and be free. ” Following Matabane’s hour-long speech, most members of the audi said the organization’s problem may lie in the current check and balance system. “I think it is the START commit tee’s belief that maybe checks and balances (in the current system) are the reason we re not getting anything done,” Hong, a member of the com mittee, said. USG has become “an unending bureaucratic loop,” he added. START was part of USG President Todd Sloan and Vice President Bon nie Miller's campaign platform last spring. Hong said the START committee has a pretty good idea of what stu dents want in their student govern ment because the committee’s recommendations were based on in put it received in preliminary inter views which included 50-75 students. START Committee Chairman John McManus said the committee hopes that as many changes as possible can be implemented before USG elections in March. If USG officials believe it is nec essary, they will set up a student referendum to get students’ opinions on the proposed changes to the 25- year-old USG structure, Hong said. “Right now we are interested in what USG feels about START,” Hong said. “The referendum issue is some thing we will have to discuss later.” Town Senator Betsie Polo said she disagrees with the plan. “I don't care for the recommenda tions they made for the legislative branch. They are moving away from their purpose . . . and I really don’t Please see START, Page 5. complete trust and faith in the wom an taking my place.” At last week’s council meeting, the North Halls Association of Students approved Martz’s choice for vice president, Leigh Mclntosh, president 2nd floor Leete Hall. “I think if people think they are going to get off easy because Pat Paul is gone, they’re wrong because al though Kirsten may be quieter and softer in her speech, she puts up with nothing," he said. Paul, who is resigning from his second term of office to graduate in January, ran unopposed for his first term as North Halls president and has handled affairs like the Beam Hall conversion to University office space, his ontroversial self-appoint ment as North Halls senator and his candidacy in this month’s borough council election. Paul said he is proud that he has never had to apologize for his words or actions, adding that “whether this offends you all, it doesn’t matter.” Melchiorre said, “I know he’s of fended a lot of people, but I do believe he's given a lot of valuable input to this council.” West Halls President Pete Allen, who has served during Paul’s entire term in ARHS, said, “I have never seen anyone so motivated and opin ionated.” ence praised its message while a few expressed criticism. Larry Young, director of the Paul Robeson Cultural Center praised Matabane’s speech. “(Many say) it will infect the minds of our young people to hear the ANC, but that is just an infection of ignorance.” Young said. “Knowing more is better than knowing less, and you can’t if you stifle any one voice.” Chris Woronchuk, (senior-political science) said the speech was infor mative but one-sided. Woronchuk questioned Matabane’s credibility to speak on South Africa, adding that further documentation should have been presented. “If we had a US. Congressman here saying how terrible things are (in South African jails), it would have helped win me over,” he said. Donald Rallis, a white South Afri can who teaches a University course entitled “South Africa Today” said, when he grew up in South Africa he was taught by the white regime that the ANC was a subversive organiza tion. “I don’t fear the future of South Africa under the ANC (now),” he said. “I very much look foward to it.”
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