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Editorial
So, Watta Ya Gonna Do?
The Capitolist lately has come
into some minor criticism about
the content of the weekly paper.
Not really so much criticism as,
“Why don’t you have....” Well,
the truth is that we want to
have....
Before you stop reading this,
think about it. We want to
include many items of interest
for the students here. And we
could do it if we had the staff.
But the same old story is that we
don’t. So, why not you?
We want to print an eight
page paper every week. And the
only reason that we can’t is that
we haven’t got enough people
who are interested in writing
their ideas. Printing four pages
each week is no small task. But
it is not so much work that our
staff is going to flunk out of
school. But if we try to print
eight pages with the staff we
now have, we will all flunk out.
The Capitolist always has and
always will be willing to accept
any items from anyone. This is a
help to us and usually of interest
to the students as well. After all,
if you, as a student or faculty
member, have something to say,
chances are that there will be
people interested in reading it.
We are all different-true. But we
are all exposed to much the
same environment here, and we
are all part of the same
community. So, most people
will be interested in hearing your
interpretation of this experience.
As I said, this is fine and we
appreciate it. But to really make
this paper go, we need regular
staff members. The same
reasoning applies. Most people
on campus are reading this paper
Okay folks, let’s hear those
two great words that get us off
our lame asses: “Get involved!”
What?
Of course there are legitimate
excuses for avoiding excessive
contact with other students in
extracurricular activities. Most
of those excuses are about as
valid as saying you can’t use the
bathroom because there isn’t
any toiletpaper. Then go out
and get some! If you don’t do it,
you can’t expect anyone elso to
do it either. We would have an
awful lot of constipated people
arould here. Come to think of it,
there are quite a few who are
full of it.
It’s amazing how often one
hears that a person delays
joining any student activity
because it is very important to
get acclamated to the new
surroundings. This allows a
student to remain a seventh
Staff of the
Capitolist:
CONTRIBUTORS:
COPY EDITOR:
T „_ U . nn Gregg Crescenzo
MAWAriiurPnimß. Russ Matthews
MANAGING EDITOR: Jane McDonald
PHOTOGRAPHERS: SSXZ
Steve Calhoun Don Lewis
Ray Nearhood
Jim Kuzio
Lee Fisher
Steve Rosenzweig
your articles would not be
written in vain. And we don’t
expect that you’ll have to work
your cookies off to write two or
three pages of copy a week.
Some of the things we’re
doing may not please you. Fine.
Come to us with an idea and the
desire to carry it out. We are not
a closed society. And we will not
be. The only thing we ask is that
you are interested in
communicating with your fellow
students in large numbers. Think
of it. You can actually talk (so
to speak) with 1000 people at
once. WOW!
Some of our staff are now
doing things in which they are
not particularly interested. We
hope to rectify that soon. But
until then, we can only be
grateful to them for their
patience. And it may happen to
you, too. But our main objective
is to provide a forum here where
each student can address himself
to those aspects of campus life
which do interest him. And if we
have a bit larger staff, we can do
that.
The nice thing about the
Capitolist is that we are small
enough so that every one of the
staff can make a real
contribution. And so can you. In
addition, the newspaper can give
you a different perspective on
events on campus. You can learn
about this place while you tell
others about it.
So why not come see us? It
will take some work, sure. But
we have found it to be rewarding
in many ways. We meet Tuesday
nights at 7 in the gallery lounge.
Be a little proud of yourself,
your campus and your
newspaper. See you Tuesday.
YAWN!
semester student for two years.
And how about those parties
in Mead Heights that go on all
night? It sure does take long to
get used to Captiol Campus,
doesn’t it? Sure, it’s a great way
to get relief from those course
hassles for awhile. But did
anyone ever think that this
might be just as much as a rut?
Vary your outlook. There are
enough students and
organizations to satisfy
everyone’s interests. Of course,
you do have to look around.
This pep talk is long enough.
We have heard before, and will
hear it again. So why keep
saying it?
Because sometimes people
listen. Even better, a few will
decide to do something (on rare
occasions).
Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera
Please?
THE CAPITOLIST
Interviews :
(con’t. from p. 1)
active in the Montgomery
County Drug Commission.
Jane McDonald, Humanities
1. I feel that our S.G.A. can
be a positive influence for
Capitol Campus. I would like to
be part of that organization.
2. After only 3 weeks of the
term, I am not qualified to
discuss main issues. However, I
am aware that much could be
done to bring about better
relations within the general
student body.
3. None. I feel that going into
this election politically
inexperienced gives me a
definate advantage. Not having
had any previous appointments,
my confidence in Capitol
Campus’s future is, indeed,
strong.
Eugene Bryan, Social Science:
I feel that these three
questions can be answered as
one. You can’t get things done
in government without having
people who are truly
experienced in what they are
doing. And I feel that I have had
the necessary experience to get
things done in a school.
My qualifications come from
Pierce Junior College. After an
unsuccessful attempt at
President of the Freshman Class,
I felt it my duty to make sure
things were properly done for
the members of my class.
Unfortunately, due to no voting
power in that party, I felt that
the only way was to get involved
in Student Govt, at P.J.C. As
Treasurer and Executive Officer
of the organization, I saw the
workings of how to procure
better government for the
students and how to accomplish
our means through the
Administration.
Bernie Sheineld, Business:
1. I like to be involved in
school functions.
2. Being here only three
weeks, I have not had time to
find out what main issues are
involved.
3.1 was S.G.A. representative
at Bucks County Community
College. Also, Co-chairman of
the Election Committee and the
Student Activities Committee.
GOOD LUCK ALL.
Ladies and
Ladies
At the opening meeting of the
Mrs. Club on Tuesday, October
sth, the officers for the coming
year were elected. They are:
Betsy Zeiters, President; Marie
Greider, Vice President; Connie
Williams, Secretary; Carol
Lambert, Treasurer. Jackie
Burrie was appointed Chairman
of the Club’s Social Committee.
The most important topic
discussed was the possibility of
changing the Club’s name to the
P.S.U. Women’s Club, opening
the organization to single
women as well.
An open house or get
acquainted hour will be held by
the Club today and tomorrow,
from one to three o’clock, in the
gallery lounge. During these
times, representatives from the
Club will be available to accept
new memberships.
The Club is planning various
social functions, including a
Bingo Night, scheduled for
Tuesday, November 30th, at
8:00 P.M.
Any woman interested in
joining the Club, can contact
Betsy Zeiters through the
Student Affairs Office, or by
phoning 652-1408.
ZAP!!
YOU'RE DISENTEGRATED!
Copywright 1971
by Robert Barkan and Leonard
Siegal
(Mr. Barkan received a
Masters in Electrical Engineering
at Stanford University. He is a
member of the Pacific Studies
Center and is currently
researching the use of technology
by the police and the military.
Mr. Siegel, who studied
physics at Stanford, is also a
member of the Pacific Studies
Center. He is currently writing an
article on the Electronic
Battlefield in Vietnam.)
If Pentagon plans are
successful, Buck Rogers’ “Death
Ray” will be operational by 1980.
The laser, a beam of high-energy
light popularly acclaimed for its
potential applications in
communications and medicine, is
nevertheless making its greatest
contributions to the military.
After spending $lOO million
dollars over the past ten years the
Pentagon will soon add laser ray
guns to its arsenal of weapons.
Presently government engineers,
working under secrecy
comparable to that surrounding
the World War II Manhattan
Project (atomic bomb), are
creating a warfare in which
supersonic planes and missiles
will color the sky with deadly
beams of high energy light.
To the weapons engineer, the
laser is appealing because it can
rapidly and accurately focus vast
amounts of energy, heating
targets to the point where they
melt, burn, or explode.
Recognizing this, the Defense
Department’s Advances Research
Project Agency (ARPA) launched
its initial laser lethal weapons
program in 1961, only two years
after the first operating laser was
demonstrated. In February of
that year, the Pentagon
conducted a special briefing for
over seventy aerospace
companies anxious to divide up
the initial funding of $2.5
million. At that time, the military
foresaw using the laser primarily
for ballistic missile defense, but in
1962, the Army’s Frankford
Arsenal in Philadelphia issued
requests to industry for a
hand-held anti-personal laser gun
as well.
During the mid-sixties, the
development of laser weaponry
was impeded by high costs,
limited efficiency, and a
technological problem-scientists
were not able to create lasers with
high enough power to be used as
weapons. But a classified
breakthrough rekindled the
Pentagon’s interest. In 1968,
POET’S CORNER
wouldn’t it be in-light-ning
to be sucked right into a sunset
to float within it naked and free
and feel that glow inside of me!
to watch my arms take on pink and purple orange hues
and my hair golden and shimmering surrounded by a body of blues
and to feel my feet dancing along soft billowy clouds
my heart would explode if it happened now!
i’d spread my self all over the sky
and not just lazily lie along the horizon
like most sunsets ordinary do
so they can make their exit fast
and not miss any cues
(and v.’hai do you suppose would happen if they did)
would we have an eternal sunset in the sky
would life be always golden yellows and screaming
brillingfilled reds
streaked with oran-ges
oh, sunset, come on
let me sneak inside of you
and we’ll give the whole world one splendrous view
that will be lasting forever for them to see
and the colors will always be inside of me.
Thursday, October 14,1971
Pacific News Service
United Aircraft developed the
first efficient high-power laser,
and ARPA set up a top secret
project, code named “Eighth
Card” to oversee further
development. Under a subsidiary
research project, “Black Eye”,
engineers studied the feasibility
of equipping satellites with laser
guns to disable sensors aboard
“hostile” satellites.
Since that time, development
of laser weaponry has continued
at high funding levels-$3O
million a year-and the research is
paying off. Already the Army has
used a laser to penetrate armor
plating at a range of several
hundred yards. At the center for
laser weapons research, the Air
Force’s Special Weapons
Laboratory near Albuquerque,
New Mexico, a prototype laser
gun was used to shoot down an
unmanned aircraft.
The application of lasers
exemplifies the domination of
science and technology by the
military. According to a survey
reported in “Electronic News”,
about $7O million will be spent
for military laser devices. Yet
only $9 million will be spent for
laser development for medicine
and $2O million for non-military
communication.
The Pentagon is not spending
its laser money just to prepare for
a hypothetical future war. For
the past few years, laser devices
have been used in Vietnam for
searching out and spying on
enemy troops. Laser-guided
bombs, used daily in Indochina,
are credited with a tenfold
increase in the accuracy of
weapons delivry.
In the near future, laser ray
guns appear to be feasible for
defense against low-flying targets
at forward air bases, for on-board
ship defense against guided
missiles and for disabling the
enemy’s spying devices. The Air
Force is considering equipping its
forthcoming F-15 fighter and B-l
bomber with laser weapons
capable of destroying aircraft and
missiles.
Recently, ARPA requested
$5.8 million to study the
feasibility of supplementing the
costly Safeguard ABM system
with laser weaponry. Pentagon
hopes to expand the use of lasers
to destroy incoming ICBM’s.
The government’s attitude
toward lasers may best be
expressed by a management
consultant who recently stated
that the laser “will be the most
revolutionary tool for mankind
since the atom bomb.”