Page 4- The Behrend College Collegian Thursday, October 31 , 1996
Computer problems
by Anthony Kerlin
Guest Columnist
Every semester the University
requires that a student pay a
computer fee. Last year the fee was
$5O. They raised it this year.
Okay, so nothing can be done about
that, right?
Although students have already
paid exorbitant tuition, and some
might argue that should include the
access to University computer labs
as part of the tuition cost, an
additional fee is charged. Why is
that so?
Let us look at it from the
University leader's point of view.
First, 1 am sure that they would
look at the word exorbitant, which I
used to describe tuition costs. Then,
sidestepping the issue of computer
fees, the University leadership
would quickly point out that the
tuition is not exorbitant, which is
defined as "exceeding what is usual
or proper.”
Many schools charge much more
for tuition, and stale subsidies
notwithstanding, the funds are
barely keeping the university
system going. All right, so the
tuition is comparatively decent.
Next I suppose that they could
argue that the computer age is at
hand, and the state of obsolescence
that computer systems arc quickly
and frequently reaching requires a
separate, and now increased, fee
solely for computer system
maintenance and enhancement.
Most everyone would agree with
that.
School vouchers
by Joneatra Henry
Collegian Staff
The idea of the school-voucher
plan has reentered the minds of
legislators. There isn’t a need for a
national school-voucher plan.
Money for public schools should
not 1 , be taken away and given to
private schools. Having a national
school-voucher will lead to many
more problems such as re
segregation and inequality of public
education.
A school-voucher is using funds
from public schools to pay for
private education. By using a state
voucher, people can send their
children to private schools. School
vouchers give parents the power to
choose their child’s school.
Even if there were a national
voucher plan, most parents could
not even use it. A lot of states are
offering school choice programs
that offer poor and working class
parents the power to choose their
children’s school. But these
programs only offer partial funds.
Where is a poor family supposed to
gel the rest of the money. 1 believe
school choice will even put a strain
on the working class income the
same way college docs.
If poor families can’t afford the
other half of the cost, then their
children won’t be able to use the
program. This will lead to only
upper middle class and rich white
people being able to use the
program. The voucher is a way for
people with money to avoid
sending their children to school
with other poor children. It is not
only a way to separate social class
but also race.
Editor’s Corner
In the spirit of the upcoming
election the editors of the paper are
making their choice for President
know to encourage the student body
to vote.
Sheila- undecided. She's undecided
because she believes neither of the
candidates has said anything
important enough to deserve her
vote. She’ll have a hard time
making up her mind in the end.
Danielle is undecided also. She
has been following the campaigns
for a research project, but that
seems to have made the decision
more difficult. She feels that both
Clinton and Dole have neglected
college students, while Perot is not
even a factor in the race.
Colleen, Jen, Chad, and Doreen
arc voting for Clinton for the same
So MAINTAIN THEM!
Enhance them! Wc understand and
agree with the fee; it cannot be
helped, so DO IT, please. That is
what the fee and its increase are for,
is it not? If I have missed a point
for the leadership side, please let me
know.
Now let us look at the problem
from a student's point of view.
Rarely is there enough room for all
of the students who wish access to
a computer in either of the Behrend
labs. This is not only because they
lack enough computer sites in areas
not being used by classes, but also,
and more importantly, because
many computers arc OUT OF
SERVICE.
Sorry! Even when one does find
that rare opportunity to plop down
in front of a vacant and functioning
terminal, they may just see a sign
that says, “CAN'T PRINT OUT
FROM THIS SIDE OF ROOM,"
written on a chalkboard that may be
there solely for listing the day's
malfunctions.
They may find that one or more
of the printers are: gone, not
functioning, not available from that
site, out of ink, starting documents
half way through the page, backed
and stacked up until next Friday,
will not receive the command to
print 2 copiesfand only prints one,
causing one to have to re-access
Word Perfect and wait for an
additional millennium), blah-blah,
blah-blah, blah-blah.
Oh, have I mentioned that a 386
is a dinosaur? Personalasaurus
Frustrationus. Throw it in with the
Upper class families will be able
to avoid the public schools, while
public education suffers because
money is taken away. For each
student that attends a choice school,
money will be deducted from the
public school budget.
Most schools are private for
religious reasons. A voucher plan
would compel taxpayers to support
sectarian private schools, although
they have a right not to be taxed for
the support of religious
institutions. The plan tries to give
the impression that tax money is
aid to children though their parent
and not to the schools.
The voucher would allow
dismissal of any student who is
deriving no substantial academic
benefits.
Coming from an inner city
public school, where the education
may have been less equal, how
would one expect a child to excel in
a private school.
Because money is taken away
from the public system, some
schools may be encouraged to form
private schools. In the long run,
the plan would transfer money from
the needy to the wealthy.
Parents feel there is a need for a
voucher plan to help their children
receive a good education. But a
voucher is not the answer. Taking
money and children out of public
schools is not solving the problem.
What about the children who can’t
attend a choice school? Are they to
suffer with inadequate education?
More money should be spent on
public education to provide better
facilities and teachers. Public
schools deserve to have the best
reasons. Dole’s age is a dividing
factor. He's too old to understand
the generation X'ers. Clinton
because he is closer in age seems to
be more in tune with the youth of
America.
Matt is voting for Ross Perot
because "Dole is really old." Also
Matt would like to see third party
politics become important.
We all believe that voting is
important. You know the reasons.
In the paper recently, all sides of
the political race have been covered
from Clintonomics to the
Communist party. We have tried to
give you a diverse reading to make
the choice easier. We hope you
took the time to read the columns.
If you didn't, and you didn't watch
the debates, and you don't ever
watch the news you are in trouble.
186 and 286 and there is a chapter
for a "history of science" book,
specifically ancient history.
However, I have eliminated all the
aforementioned problems by getting
my own computer at home.
Wouldn't you know it? Now I have
a new set of problems.
When I use the old "PSU Dandy
Dialer" and try to log onto PSU,
can you guess what happens? Yes,
you know; we all know! BUSY.
Sorry! Sometimes I can try for
hours and it is still the same:
BUSY. This tells me that there is
not enough capacity on the system
for everyone that wants to be on it.
Why is that?
Since I do not use the Behrend
computers any longer except to
print out documents (and there is a
fee for laser printed pages), and I
cannot access the system by phone,
or log-on to the POP server when
trying desperately to send E-mail,
can the U waive the computer fee?
NO? Well how about if I Pay-Per-
View? That would leave some of
my refund check for America On
Line. I suppose that would bring in
very little revenue for the U, since I
can never log on.
What about the "student advisers"
who are there to answer our
questions. They are often, but in
their defense not always, about as
helpful as a sack full of rattlesnakes
at a Halloween grab-bag party.
So what about that fee? May we
have our money's worth, please?
Otherwise, the computer fee is little
more than a stealth taxation
disguised as unavoidable.
textbooks and acquire a good
reputation. I attended public
schools all my life, although I had
the chance to attend a private as a
token black.
The answer is not to take a child
out of the public school, but to
become more involved in the public
education system. If parents take
the initiative and make sure their
children are being well educated
daily then the failure rate of
students would decrease.
If parents want to push for any
type of school legislation, they
should push for equal education in
private and public schools. Public
school is different for everyone.
Admission to a public can’t be
denied because of economic status,
race, or religion.
Private schools aren’t for
everyone. Just like any other
private institution they have the
right to discriminate. Because a
parent lacks the money for a private
school their child should not be
denied equal education. Just
because public education is free, the
quality of education should not be
less than the quality of private
education.
Voucher programs will abandon
the “bad” public school, giving
white children the leeway to
abandon the public school system.
All parents face the challenge of
securing a decent education for their
child. Parents place too much
responsibility on the school as the
primary source of education.
Education should first come at
home. And when failure occurs,
the parent should first look at the
child not the public school.
This year is probably the closest
race we've had in a while. The
choice may come down to the
arbitrary. For instance, pointing out
Dole’s age as a reason not to vote
for him is a little bit trite.
However, it is what has made our
choice definitive.
Can Dole understand our
generation? Will he introduce or
sign legislature that is in our
benefit?
No. We don't feel that he will
represent us when other older voters
are against us. He doesn't earn our
vote. Don't misunderstand. We like
Dole. His war record is impressive,
and we sympathize with him, but
he is fifty years older then most of
the students on this campus. He's
your great grandfather.
Vote your conscience, and hope
for a good four years.
Letter to the Editor:
Phones in Academic
Phones. Do you realize how
much we depend on them? As
students we use them mainly for
pleasure. Occasionally a crisis
arises and we need to make an
important phone call. Now, you
may be thinking so what's the
point to all this?
The library, I'm sure more than a
few of you have noticed, does not
have a campus based phone. As a
matter of fact, you can't make a
campus based call from a free phone
in the whole Academic building.
Ah, 1 said 'free' that is true. You
can make a call from the pay phone
EIGN
POLICY
Math for Biology
By Jason Simmons
Collegian Staff
I can only think of one thing to
complain about this week-Math
(evil music in the background). I
am a third semester biology major
who is forced to learn the under
appreciated washer and disc
methods.
Veterinary medicine is my
perceived goal, so why must I be
forced to endure the evil doings of
calculus? Fd much rather learn the
enzymatic steps of glycolysis
which holds importance to my
career, than those silly letters with
those evil numbers written above
them. To paraphrase a friend's
question, why must you learn
The election
By Jeremy Sloan
Guest Columnist
Well folks, it’s election time
again. Those of us who voted in the
1992 election might feel a vague
sense of deja-vu, and with good
reason. The Democrats are still
calling the GOP a bunch miserly
old coots, and the Republicans are
still calling the Democrats a bunch
of bleeding-heart liberals.
The “family values” debate has
returned as “Judeo-Christian
principles,” and “character”, still
means bedroom behavior.
Clinton’s military record has again
come under fire, and questions
concerning Dole’s age and health
mirror similar concerns about Bush
in the “92” race.
Beyond the hype and mud
slinging, where dio the candidates
stand? Here’s what I’ve gathered by
weeding through the Presidential
and Vice-Presidential debate
transcripts,
Abortion: Despite the
traditional party standing, Dole has
shied away from strict opposition
to all abortions and has instead
focused upon “partial -birth (late
second and third trimester)
abortions.”
Clinton holds to the Democratic
Party line, and would sign
legislation against partial-birth
abortions if rape and incest victims
were excluded from the ban.
Drugs: Clinton has come under
heavy fire for the increase in
juvenile drug use during his term,
and has pledged to devote more
resources to combating drug use.
He has not, however, outlined a
specific plan beyond “putting
100,000 more police on the
streets.”
Dole has denied sympathy toward
tobacco manufacturers, and
repeatedly aimed replies on the
matter toward Clinton’s dreg
policies.
Education: Dole has been
criticized for his past vote against
located by the snack machines down
the hall from the library; however,
if you wanted change to make that
call you would have to walk to the
Reed Union Building desk...adjacent
to a campus phone.
Ah, there's the rub!
Why not install a campus based
phone outside the library and limit
it to local calls only. I know there
may be apprehension on the behalf
of the university due to certain
irresponsible individuals who feel
they need to rip phones off walls.
However, 1 submit to you that
individuals who frequent the library
derivatives in order to stick a
thermometer up a dog's rear end? If
there is a reason why, then our
universe is in deep trouble.
Calculus 140 was the inhibitor of
dean's list last semester and could
do a great job of torture this
semester. There are others like
myself, who despise calculus
because it lowers their GPA despite
the fact that it holds no career
importance to them. Am I going
into research? Nah, no money in
that. 1 guess I'll have to blow up
the world because I must take
calculus anyway.
In theory, we could end this
injustice to biology majors and
others who have the same problem.
I could become the merry pied piper
the formation of the Department of
Education, and keeps to the
Republican Party’s traditional
laissez-faire attitude toward
educational funding.
Clinton promises additional
moneys for education, though his
earlier measures have failed to pass
Congress.
Economics: Both candidates
have avoided the topics of Medicare
and Social Security reform, aid
each has accused the other of
policies which would compromise
The Behrend College Collegian
published weekly by the students of Penn State Erie, The Behrend College
Editors in Chief Photography Editors
Jennifer V. Colvin Colleen Gritzen
Danielle Murphy Joe Stiller
Business Manager
Carley Gwin
News Editor
Doreen Foutz
Sports Editors
Brian Gregory
Matt Plizga
Entertainment Editor
Sheila Bickel
Postal Information: The Collegian is published weekly by the students of Penn state
rErie, The Behrend College; First Floor. The J. Elmer Reed Union Building Mon IM
Erie, PA 16563. The Collegian can be reached by calling (BI4).BBMMU £5l m
-6019 (fax). ISSN 1071-9288 \ “ V
letter Policy: The Collegian encourages letters to the editor on news coveraoe. editorial
content and University affairs, letters should be typewritten, double and sianed
letters should be no longer than 400 words. Letters should include thesemester standino
and major of the writer. All letters should provide the address and phone number of the
writer for verification of the letter. The Collegian reserves the right to edit 'letters for lanoth
and tp reject letters, letters submitted to The Collegian become the property of the
newspaper. The. Collegian Is published every Thursday during the academic yearon recycled
arc already responsible in that they
choose to take their studies
seriously. Why not. take the
student body seriously when we say
we have a valid need for a campus
based phone in the academic
building.
If you are reading this and feel
that I am representing your interests
for a belter quality of life, show
your support at the next Coffee
with the Provost meeting in
November. Together we can make
a difference.
by Peter Lcmajic
with pointed ears and stupid shoes
who could lead us to victory against
the evil kingdom of calculus located
in (surprise) Erie.
We could march out of the woods
singing and dancing la la la la la la
la as merry elves in an enchanted
forest filled with fairies and fauns,
centaurs and lots of women (OK,
men for the ladies). We would
declare our rebellion against the
great castle on the mountain shaped
like those damn parabolas. We
would lay siege to the castle. We
would throw x's and y's, and
exponentiate them to make them
ever so more large and deadly.
Calculus won’t help the besieged
now, so the battle would be ours.
these programs.
Both candidates agree on the need
for a balanced budget, but the
preferred method for achieving one
differs. Dole proposes a straight
15% over the board tax cut.
Clinton advocates a heavy tax
deduction for families with college
students, and tax breaks for those
buying homes.
In conclusion, for the candidates
have stayed fairly close to the
traditional party lines, straying only
in the face of overwhelming voter
consensus. For that majority
willing to consider only major
party candidates, traditional party
politics will likely determine this
November’s choice.
Advertising Manger
Academic Advisor
Dr. Ursula Davis
Activities Advisor
Dr. RobSpeel
Opinion Editor
Chad Clouse
Tom Keefe
Office Manager
Crystal Dehart
Copy Editors
Kevin Schoolcraft
Rachel Franco
Joy Papesch