Page 4 Letters to the Ed A Second Glance at Abortion Being associated with the Collegian, I had the opportunity to preview John Rossomando's opinion on abortion. After I finished reading, I felt compelled to write a response/rebutle. I will try to be more concise. First, I would like to address the statistics you presented. My problem with statistics is that they change from source to source. Everybody can find statistics to back up their opinions if they look hard enough. Your figures on back alley abortions alone prove your naivete. Fourty-five reported deaths from back alley abortions. Who is going to report a death from an illegal abortion. Secondly, your comparisons to Nazis astound me. Abortion isn't about creating an aryan race. It’s about not bringing a child into a world where it will not be wanted, nurtured, or attended to. Your information on what a baby feels is a theory. I'm reasonably sure your information comes from doctors who are anti-abortionists as well. Furthermore, your references to the Catholic church allow me to address The Church. If you would like to cut down on the number of abortions, then start lobbying the church to teach students about birth control. A friend of mine who is 19 at the University of Pittsburgh is going to be a father because he never used any birth control other than "natural" birth control, which doesn’t work. He and his girlfriend tried to get an abortion until I convinced them to talk to their parents before they do* anything. As for feminism, I feel you do not understand the purpose of feminism. Feminism is about equality. It's about getting more than $.60 on the dollar for doing the same job as a man. It's about the fact that my friend gets to stay in school while his girlfriend is thrown out of her school because she is a visible "embarrassment". Does that seem equal? Feminism is about women not being told by men what they can and can not do. I refuse to take away a person’s right to do with their own body what they choose. As a man, my choice comes when I choose to put on a condom or not. If I don't, it's totally up to her whether or not to have the baby. It's up to me whether I choose to support it For myself, I am pro life in my practices. For the rest of the world, I am pro-choice. I will take care of me and my own and leave others their choices and decisions based upon their beliefs, their values, and their god. Question of the Week If you could change one thing on campus , what would it be, and why? "I'd like to change the parking. We should have [parking] lots closer to the dorms." -Dana Hartman, sth semester, Management "Our access to money. There are no banks on campus. You can't get change, and you can't cash checks." -Emily Fontana, Ist semester, DUS "Parking, big time. Apartment people should have to park in the top lot because they always park behind Lawrence, and then people that live in Niagara and Perry have to walk all the way up to [s-lot]." -Jackie Bell, 3rd semester, Accounting "I would fix the volleyball courts, because they [are awful]. It wouldn't take that much work." -Mike Shaffer, sth semester, Chemistry "Quiet hours. Change them to later on the weekends." -Brett Kocijan, 3rd semester, History/Pre-law "Seniority. On campus students don't get seniority for the apartments. Transfer students can get in before they do. Quiet hours, too. And guys should be allowed on the floor by themselves." -Valerie Petro, 3rd semester, DUS Jeffrey J. Thomas Bryn Mawr, PA Opinion Thoughts on Littering Dear Editor As a member of the ECO-ACTION club here at Behrend, I wanted to share with you a copy of my “letter to the editor” of the Erie Daily Times which was just published in August. It is as follows: I recently helped friends, who started the Chartwell Penn- Erie office, with their litter control sponsorship cleanup of the I-79/Interchange Road area. What a personally enriching activity that was! After three and a half hours of picking up belongings and trash strewn by the roadside, there was a noticeable sense of pride in all those who participated. It is a wonderful sponsorship program! We also appreciate the reinforcement we received from passersby with their honking, waving and thumbs up signals! Littering has been a long standing problem, and what I have come to be quite confused about this week is why one would take such pride in the world they live in and try to keep it as beautiful as it was intended to be, and another would seemingly not think about their actions as being filthy and defacing. I am not writing to complain about the littering problem that is nationwide. I would just like to express my concern for a society that seems to have become increasingly fast paced, stressed, and less civilized as a result. Has it become too much of a task to think about what we’re doing as we throw personal articles from our vehicles? Is it okay with our consciences to throw numerous beer cans, dirty diapers, glass bottles and condom wrappers from our cars? Do cigarette butts and cigarette wrappers that are folded upon themselves four times not constitute as litter in some people’s minds because they are small? What are we teaching each other and our children about caring for our world in the future? I will continue to assist with Chartwell’s litter clean-up because of my sense of fulfillment. However, I ask that if just one person would stop and think before they throw refuse from their car or truck, and dispose of it properly instead, that they may share my sense of pride in the natural beauty that surrounds us. "The computer labs, they should be restructured. A lot of times there are people in the labs, and they are always having problems with the computer systems." -Justin Grimm, sth semester, Mechanical Engineering Technology "The size of the residence hail rooms. I think they're too small, and are not conductive to learning." -Conchita Dixon, sth semester, Accounting "Parking. There's just not enough, and it's so far from the dorms." -Meghan Naim, 3rd semester, Math "Parking, because we have to walk forever." -Allison McNutt, 3rd semester, DUS "Parking, because it's too far away, and there's not enough of it. It's a pain to walk from [s-lot] at three in the morning." -Rachel Capp, 3rd semester, English Answers compiled by: Doreen Foutz Collegian Staff itor: Gretchen M. Kline Vice President, ECO-ACTION ■OCMBKHWOWOSBK MBOSi Thursday, October 12,1995 The Behrend College Collegian Published weekly by the students of The Pennsylvania State University at Erie. The Behrend College Editor in Chief Jennifer V. Colvin Business Manager Jennifer Heilman Hews Editor Danielle Murphy Sports Editor Nick Zulovich Assistant Sports Editor Julie Stocker Entertainment Editor Joe Mottiifo Photography Editors Sheila Bickei Joe Stiller Opinion Editor R. Carl Campbell HI Advertising Manager Jeremiah Bull Copy Editor Michelle Gruendl Advisor Mrs. Cathy Mester Collegian Staff: Ryan Bogart, Chad Clouse, Mike Goursey, Priya Daugherty, Eddie Edwards, Doreen Foutz, Brian Gregory, Ericha Hagenbuch, Bryan Harkins, Adria Kovaly, Dereje Lakew, Steve Landon, Adam Levenstein, Matt Plizga, Colette Rethage, John Rossomando, Joe Ryan, Sean Siekktnen, Angie Yu. Photographers: Oave Boulos, Coleen Gritzen, Bob Misufich, Dan Murray, Chris Nelson, Dan Nowlcki, Demetrius Reeves. Poets! tofotmation: The Collegian * pubfished weekly by the students of The Pennsylvania State University at Brio, The Behrend College; First Floor, The J. Efmer Reed Union Betiding, Station Road, Erie, PA 814-898-648 a £y 814*898*6019 fax. ISSN 1071.3380 The Collegian reserves the right to edit letters ter length and to reject letters. Utters submitted to The Collegian become the property of the newspaper. The Collegian is published every Thursday during the academic year on recycled paper.
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