AGE 4
OPINION
Editorial Opinion Reader Opinion
Poster policy
A Failure
I learned earlier this month that the Office
of Student Affairs had decided to implement
a poster policy that would put restrictions
and limits on club advertising. There seems to
be several reasons for this new policy, but the
most obvious intention is to reduce the
amount of clutter throughout the halls and
walls of the Reed Union Building.
I state this as the most obvious intention
because over half the rules deal with what is
actually placed on the walls. Let's take a look
at some of these rules. The first rule clearly
states that club posters "must not be in ex
cess of 40 (forty) in number." This regulates
the quantity of posters. The second rule
declares that "Penn State-Behrend organiza
tions must carry the 'approved poster'
stamp." This procedure governs the quality
of what is posted. The third rule in mind im
poses a time limit on posters: "All posters
must be removed within three school days
after the event."
What does all this bureaucracy mean? AB
SOLUTELY NOTHING. The Reed Building is
still the same eyesore it was last year. Posters
are once again accumulating on the floor and
balls of masking tape continue to cling an
noyingly to my feet.
I'm not questioning whether or not the
poster policy is a legitimate attempt to berid
us of this mess, but is it necessary? I don't
think so. It's just not working as was planned.
The system we are now using is an entirely
disorganized, unprofessional, free-for-all.
So what can be done about this repulsive in
convenience? How about abolishing the use
of promotional posters altogether?
A more feasible alternative may be to set
up a bulletin board system for the exclusive
use of promoting club activities. That sounds
like an inexpensive way to get out of this slop.
How's this for an offer? If the Office of Stu
dent Affairs agrees to abolish the use of wall
posters for the publicizing of campus related
activities, I will personally see to it that the
Penn State-Behrend Collegian sets up a sec
tion in each issue entitled "Club News."
What's your opinion? We'd like to know ...
Rod Luery
Collegian Editor
BEHREND COLLEGIAN
Downward Deal at Dobbins
To the person(s) responsible:
I am writing to express my per
sonal, if not the campus' feeling
towards Dobbins. First, I would
like to comment on the food. For
anyone playing a varsity sport,
one finds that practice is usually
from 4-6 p.m., leaving the par
ticipants one-half hour to eat.
However, the athletes are met by
very little, if any, food, and a
half-baked salad bar filled only
Hello,
Dear Risa and Rod,
I am writing to resign from my
position of distribution manager
of the Behrend Collegian, effec
tive immediately.
When I accepted the position
several weeks ago (that of oversee
ing the expansion of printed
newspapers from 2,000 to 5,000,
and distributing them to other
area campuses, as well as to key
points within the city) I was under
the impression that the Collegian
would no longer be soliciting
advertisements from abortion
clinics. I was wrong in this
assumption.
Last year, I protested the inclu
sion of these ads, without result,
while remaining on the staff as a
reporter. This year, as distribu
tion manager, I would be forced
to promote the Collegian, and to
allocate copies to various areas.
If, in one of these areas, someone
Commentary
Smoking: Beneath the Levels
by Michael Wimms
Collegian Staff Writer
Smoking on campus appears to
be a growing fad these days.
Whether it be in the dorms, the
halls, outside or in Dobbins, it
seems to be increasing in its
presence.
For the most part, I believe that
smoking is the most disgusting,
horrid, putrid, filthy, and in
tolerable of any habit I can think
of. It seems that smokers have but
one motivator on their minds,
self-gratification. They have little
regard, if any, for those of us who
are human beings and were born
and bred to breathe in oxygen. I
guess they believe that we non
smokers do not enjoy breathing
anything but vile smoke. I for one
can't understand this logic.
Food for thought: Have you
with empty crocks. On many oc
casions this fall alone, after going
up at 6 p.m., hoping to eat, they
simply reply, "Sorry, no more.
We ran out." I'm the one that is
sorry. Sorry to be paying $750 for
food that is below average, at
best, and even more sorry for pay
ing to look at an empty plate.
Can't they think to order more
food? Second, I would love to
know why they spend such a large
I Must Be Goi
utilized the advertisements in
question, I would be unable to
justify my actions or maintain an
honest relationship with my
values.
I still believe that abortion is the
taking of innocent life, a life
unable to defend itself; that it is a
moral outrage. And I am still of
fended that in a pluralistic society
those who hold this view - that of
the sanctity of human life - are
belittled, and are shunted off as
being religious zealots, incapable
or undeserving of intellectual
scrutiny; that somehow, these
people are attempting to impOse
their personal ethics upon a
helpless society.
This is exemplified in the grow
ing number of persons who hold
to the pro-choice syndrome of
"I'm personally opposed, but I
wouldn't want to force my beliefs
ever been to Dobbins when they
finally served something good for
once? You're enjoying your meal
and suddenly out of an oxygen
filled room comes this ominous
white cloud of nicotine, seeking to
invade your lungs. You begin to
cough and wheeze and your
stomach begins to turn up and
down. What started out to be a
good meal ends M a nightmare.
I realize that my case in point is
a bit melodramatic, but it is true
to life. It seems that non-smokers
have no respect whatsoever. I
know that some are thinking
about those non-smoking seating
sections. These sections are really
a big joke because the cigarette
smoke hasn't been told that it is
not allowed there, so, it just
comes uninvited.
Smokers don't seem to unders
tand that they are not the only
SEPTEMBER 27, 1984
amount of money buying Pudding
Pops and Scooter Crunches, when
they could be improving on their
entrees, which I might add, need a
lot of improvement. Finally, just
out of curiosity, how do they get
away calling lunch's hamburgers,
which are far from real beef, ham
burgers? And breaded veal at din
ner? I thought that was false
advertising?
Tim Dean
Third Semester, Engineering
upon others. After all, you can't
legislate morality." Examination
of this mentality horrifies me.
One must have a reason for being
`personally opposed,' usually a
belief that a fetus is indeed
human, so to refuse to attempt to
protect this life, by rationalizing
behind individual freedom quo
tients, seems quite barbaric. It
seems to me that if someone
believes an action is wrong, such
as murder, the someone should
fight to stop that wrong. Not to
do so is an incredible inconsisten
cy, and an unconscionable act.
For me to stay on the staff of
the Collegian would also
demonstrate incredible incon
sistency, and an unconscionable
act.
Proudly Regretful,
Michael Kitchen
Seventh Semester,
General Arts and Sciences
of Contempt
people in this world. Let's say the
tables are turned, and smokers are
given a bit of their own medicine.
Let's also say there's this guy who
likes to burn his trash six times a
day. The smoke from this trash
goes into the house of every
smoker on the block: Now, do the
smokers have a right to complain?
Do they have any idea how they
make non-smokers feel? I very
much doubt it.
The bottom line is who is right.
The majority? Who are the ma
jority? It's really up to those of
you who are reading this. Will we
non-smokers continue to let
ourselves be subjected to second
hand smoke, or will we take a
stand and fight this menace? To
breathe fresh air should not be
taken for granted, as many
asthma sufferers will tell you.