VOL. IV, NO. 17 FEBRUARY 28, 1975 PENN STATE UNIVERSITY C.C. READER
John Dean Speaks
by Doug Gibboney
Last Friday, the day four
former White House aides
were sentenced to prison for
their roles in the Watergate
cover-up, the man who
started them tumbling, John
Dean, appeared at
Millersville State College.
Dean, wearing a vested
blue suit and flashing his
Cheshire Cat smile,
mounted the stage at
exactly 8:00 p.m. and, after
an apology that "he cannot
come out and speak for
free", launched into his
analysis of Judge John
Sirica's sentencing of H.R.
Haldeman, John Ehrlich
man, John Mitchell and
Robert Mardian.
Dean admitted to mixed
feelings about the men in
volved and said he feared
the "good they did would be
forgotten... and I feel they
did do some good".
The four, according to
Dean, played a "gambler's
game in trying to beat the
system on legal
technicalities".
For Haldeman, Dean said,
prison will be "extremely
hard for he is a man used to
giving orders". Dean feels
Haldeman "has convinced
himself he is innocent of any
wrong doing".
Former Attorney General
John Mitchell, Dean said,
"may have received a death
sentence. Many men I met
in prison said the reason
they were there was
because of him and they'd
wait for him".
John Ehrlichman and
Robert Mardian will have a
problem of "arrogance that
just won't wash in prison
society".
Dean added that "Judge
Sirica is a man in pursuit of
the truth" and "it may not
be too late for these men to
tell the truth and have their
sentences reduced".
President's Council Meets
by Jim Bollinger
The formation of a
national student-advocate
lobbying organization was
the primary topic of interest
at the last President's
Council meeting held
Thursday, Feb. 20.
Russ Hogg, SGA Vice-
President and chairman of
President's Council, in
troduced the existence of the
Pennsylvania Public In
terest Group (Penn PIRG)
and its attempted
establishment at
Penn State to the leaders of
the various groups who were
represented at the meeting.
Hoggs distributed in
formative pamphlets about
Penn P 1 RG and explained its
function and why it was
established.
Hogg described PennP
PIRG as being a "Nader
like" organization run by
and for students. He said
that the attempts to involve
Penn State were initiated at
University Park. He gave it
his complete endorsement.
Hogg further explained
that acceptance of PennP
PIRG at Penn State had to
be by petition, with at least
50 percent of all Penn State
John Dean speaking at Millersville State College where he admitted that he
was "an ambitious young man" during the Nixon Presidency.
"There is no better op
portunity than tomorrow for
Richard Nixon to come
forward and tell the truth of
Watergate. It would be a
great service to his friends
and to the nation. It might
hurt a little bit to tell the
truth but certainly in the
long run it's the only route".
Dean expressed doubt
that the four Watergate
figures would ever enter
prison. He cited the two year
appeals process and offered
a scenario where Gerald
Ford would pardon the men
just before leaving office, if
he should be defeated or
decide not to run in the 1976
election.
Mitchell, Haldeman and
Ehrlichman are "still
students (including branch
campuses) signing.
Membership in PennPIRG
includes a mandatory $2-
per-student membership
fee, which, Hogg pointed
out, is fully refundable to
each student on demand.
Hogg entertained
questions on the necessity of
Penn PIRG and its ef
fectiveness from the
Council. Hogg suggested
that involvement by each
individual student could be
used gain academic credit
by independent study. The
suggestion was attacked by
the Engineering students
representing their
organizations on the
grounds that they would
never have time for such
involvement and since, they
said, Engineering students
make up such a large part of
the student population,
Penn P I RGwas unnecessary
to Capitol Campus. For
further information on
Penn PIRG, see related
article.
In other developments,
Dave DeLong of Head Shop
reported on the final
preparations being made for
Casino Night Feb. 25. And
representatives of the C.C.
powerful men with powerful
friends", Dean said and he
mentioned Mitchell's ties
with Nelson Rockefeller.
During the hour and 15
minute question and answer
session, Dean Skillfully
fielded all queries with the
expertise of one who has
been there. After 16 months
of interogation by the
government's best in
vestigators, there are few
questions that stump him.
Commenting on the four
months he spent behind
bars, Dean said "the
country club and the tennis
courts just weren't there".
Later, in his most heavily
applauded remark of the
evening, Dean said, "The
American Criminal Justice
Reader revealed their new
letters policy. For further
information, see the "Note
from the Editor" on page 2.
The Council then listened
to a report from Scott
Deardorff about the
University's Council of
Branch Campuses, and his
own personal involvement
in this and other University
wide organizations. In the
course of discussion
following his presentation, a
motion was passed to have
Housing and Food Services
investigated. This motion
arose from numerous
complaints against Housing
and Food Services.
In the final piece of
business, the procedure for
numinations for the James
Jordan Award (presented to
a popularly-elected Faculty
Member of the Year) was
discussed. Due to a lack of
time, the subject was tabled
until the next meeting.
President's Council is
scheduled to meet again
Thursday, March 6 at 7:30
P.M. The location of the
meeting will be published
later. All Presidents of
organizations, or their
representatives are urged to
attend.
system is full of inequities.
A young person can be
arrested with an ounce of
marijuanna and get 10 years
while I only get 10 months".
Dean denied the
allegation the Nixon Ad
ministration was "paranoid
of the press. At times, Nixon
thought he had the press on
his side".
Investigative reporting, of
the Watergate Affair, Dean
admitted, "caused the
problems. No sooner would
they get wind of something
than we'd be sweeping it
under the rug again. We
tried to look down into other
presidencies and say 'look,
Watergate isn't so bad now,
is it?' but we could never
find any laundry that dirty".
Asked about the report
Nixon would like to be
Ambassador to China, Dean
said, "I doubt if he comes to
me for counsel on that".
About 1500 people at
tended the two hour
program for which Dean
was paid $3,000. Outside the
hall, a handful of demon
strators protested Dean's
appearance on campus.
U. N. Model
Begins
Delegations from 37
central Pennsylvania high
schools are participating in
a Model United Nations at
Penn State-Capitol Campus
on February 27, 28, and
March 1.
H. E. Amb. Nico G.
Dimitriou from the Em
bassy of Cyprus in
Washington, D.C. addressed
the opening assembly of the
Model UN at 6:30 p.m. on
Thursday, February 27 in
the auditorium.
Clemmie Gilpin, in
structor in Afro-American
Studies at Penn State-
Capitol Campus, is coor
dinating the three day
assembly. He indicated the
purpose of the Model UN is
for student delegates to
learn about the theories and
pract ices of the organization
by taking the roles of
various UN nations.
Gilpin also stated that the
Model UN is a simulation of
the actual organization
based in New York. The
student delegates are
meeting in three councils
(economic, social and
security) and the General
Assembly. Each par
ticipating school comes to
the Model UN versed in the
position and policies of a
particular country.
lll************************
* *
* *
*
* NEXT FRIDAY -
* direct from University Park It
41. JOHN W. OSWALD -
* President of PSU *
* *
* will answer your Questions . *
11 in the auditorium of the *
..._
Main Building
at 2:15 p.m. *
*
*
aig***********************l
BE THEBErrityttwor
PAGE 1
PIRG
OR EGON—PI RG
Students uncovered the fact
that a major bank required
women to produce a cer
tificate of sterility or an
affidavit swearing she was
using birth control
measures in order to get a
loan.
VERMONT—PIRG
Students discovered that
whether males & females
have the exact same
qualifications that the
female will be turned down 9
times out of 9 thru em
ployment agencies.
MICHIGAN—PIRG
Students have belabored a
doctor's "conspiracy" for
refusing to help the state
with poor patients. They
have proved that some of
the states most
distinguished bankers are
law breakers finding that
they hid interest charge
information from client.
Michigan PIRG students
also turned up hazardous &
lethal toys in 40 per cent of
the stores. Quick reforms
were instituted in the banks
& toy stores.
SOUTH CAROLINA—
PIRG Students exposed a
private blood collector who
had faked records, was
willing to take blood from
donors on pills & alcohol, &
had no doctor on hand.
NEW YORK—PIRG
Students excoriated un
dertakers for refusing to tell
the bereaved how much
funerals would cost
INDIANA—PIRG
Students embarrassed a
citizens group fighting a
phosphate ban by un
masking it as a laundry
industry front.
And so the list goes on and
on until we get to Penn
sylvania - NOTHING.
This is no socialistic or
communist inspired group
but is as American as
Patrick Henry. Remember
his life story? Penn Pirg will
take you beyond school &
into the real world of:
Consumer Fraud;
Government Unrespon
siveness; Housing 8 Health
Care; Unfair Taxation;
Discrim inat inn
Penn Pirg is being
organized at University
Park & on most com
monwealth campuses. It
was brought up before our
SGA at the February 13
meeting & was indorsed
almost unanimously. Do you
back the concept? Come to
W-110 & sign a petition.