EDITORIAL
hie The Afkrinath
Well, the rally's over, and it came off like a
professional job. In fact, people from the legislators
on down have been telling us how well organized it
was.
And the organization seems to have paid off. Not
an hour after the Capitol steps were cleared, the
Senate Democrats introduced a compromise tax bill,
more palatable to the Republicans. And Senator
Hager, one of the main Senate opponents to the tax
bill, said that he may even be able to support the
compromise.
We did it. The legislators have a healthy respect
for us, measly students though we are. And the
possibility exists that the university appropriations
may pass in the foreseeable future, now, instead of
the unforeseeable future.
One thing .this points out is that rallies are not
useless [something that we heard often enough
before Tuesday]. If organized properly, they can and
do scare the pants off the people In power. That's why
Governor Shapp and Representatives Manderino and
Butera made it a point to speak to us. We didn't invite
them. But they saw our political power, and decided it
was better for them, politically, to try to be our friends
than to be our enemies.
Now we are into Stage 2 of our plan. We don't Just
stop here. For all the gains we made in lust a. few
Hours on Tuesday, the problem remains. The budget
still is not passed. And next year's budget goes to the
Appropriations Committee in February. There's a lot
more work to do.
The four rally coordinators are meeting again,
soon, with the student leaders of Pitt, Temple and
University Park, to plan our next moves. Intensive
lobbying with those legislators who oppose us will
continue. The possibility of setting up a 24-hour a day
vigil in the Capitol, to continue until the budget is
finally passed, will be discussed. And plans will be
put into effect to start a permanent, state-wide
organization of students from the state-related
universities.
I'd like to personally thank everyone who helped
out on this action, and also say please, don't go
away.
The work isn't over, it's only just beginning
dives Page
Student Government Notebook
By Dave NUloff
SGA Senator
Those of us who went to the
State Capitol on Tuesday left
Harrisburg with mixed feelings .
I felt that our student
demonstration was a success
and that the planners, organ
isms and staff can be proud of
what they did. However our
success was limited since the
Legislature and Governor gave
us the same old lines and
promises that we have heard
since last August.
Does that mean we failed?
No, you would have to be
uninformed or an idiot to
believe that. In fact the
Democratic and Republican
leaders were forced to acknow
ledge our problem and answer
questions ; the Governor had to
make a rambling speech that
was received like a loaf of stale
bread; and House and Senate
aides had to get out of their
political cocoons and explain
how their employers could
allow the Commonwealth to get
into this fix in the first place.
TASK
Notice: To all JUNIORS
who took the Stanford Task
Test, Fall Term, 1977.
The Stanford Task test of
Reading, English and Math
skills was administered to
juniors at the beginning of the
Fall Term, 1977. The test
results are being analyzed as
part of the Committee on
Remediation's study of the
need for a remediation program
at The Capitol Campus.
Individual test scores have
been kept and will remain
confidential.
Having obtained the
Faculty Council's approval, the
Committee will inform inter
ested students of their scores.
Students who obtain their
scores will be asked if they
desire remedial help. The
number of students who desire
such help will be reported to
the Faculty Council.
Scores may be obtained
from Mr. John Joseph in Room
W-205 between 10:00 a.m. and
12:00 noon, Monday - Friday.
Mr. Joseph will discuss the
results with students who wish
to do so. The student
identification card must be
presented to obtain the scores.
It should now be clear to them
that the slogans and phrases
that they have been using to
support their positions are
wearing thin. We let them
know that we feel the time for
playing games has passed and
that they should do their job
and find a solution to the mess
they have caused.
I want to congratulate those
of you who attended the rally.
Your effort should be an
example to our fellow students
who sit on their backsides,
complain and criticize, without
paying their dues.
Pm sure that all of us who
attended the rally would like to
thank the leaders of the student
effort, Ed Perrone, Carol
Andress, Gary Reneker, Linda
Weaver, Randy Goshert, Pat
NOW Bulletin
By Anniken Howell
"Equality of rights under
the law shall not be denied or
abridged by the United States
or by any state on account of
sex."
The heart of the Equal
Rights Amendment is a simple
statement of equal standing for
all, regardless of sex. But as
simple as the above statement
of human rights may seem, it
has yet to become part of the
Constitution of the United
States. Equality for both sexes
has yet to become a
Constitutional guarantee.
Rather, it is left to the whims of
the state and national legisla
tures. True, Federal law states
that no rights are to be denied
on account of race, religion,
national origin or sex, but what
Congress hath giveth, Congress
can taketh away.. (Students in
Pennsylvania know a lot about
that through the current
budget crisis.) A nation which
clamors for human rights
abroad should surely accord
half of their own population
those same rights.
The ERA was first intro-
Thank You
The State Rally
Coordinators would like to
thank the immense number of
people who helped make our
rally on Tuesday the success it
was. It's impossible to name
everybody, but thanks and
appreciation go to all of the
students who collected peti
tions and letters, who ran with
all our paperwork, who sat on
the phone for hours on end, and
who in whatever way gave
their 'time and classwork to
attend to each phase of the
rally. We'd also like to thank
those faculty, staff and admini
strators who gave us advice
and encouragement and, some-
Clifford, Larry Ranieri, Peggy
Hartzell, and Joy Edmondson.
Those of us who watched them
work can admire the great
deal of preparation, planning
and time they put into this
event. There were many others
who gave this effort their time
and labor, I would like to thank
them, too. Please forgive me for
not listing your names. Without
the petition volunteers, letter
writers, rally marshalls, and
resident student coordinators,
the demon titration would not
have been successful.
Finally, those of you who
bought raffle tickets, made
donations, and attended the
rally keggar help to supply the
funds needed to pay the
expenses from demonstration.
THANK YOU for your contri
butions.
duced as a possible addition to
the Constitution in 1923. Not
until 1972 did it pass in
Congress and go to the states
for ratification. Much furor has
arisen over the simple wording
of the Amendment. Anti-ERA
forces are protesting that the
ERA will legalize homosexual
marriages, end protective
legislation for women, end
alimony and child support
payments, and force men and
women to share the same public
restrooms. Such statements,
while colorful and emotional,
have little to do with reality. In
truth, all the ERA will do is
provide a Constitutional state
ment of equal rights for all, to
which legislators drafting laws
and judges writing decisions
may turn, for guidance.
Traditionally, it has been up to
the court system to interpret
the scope of Constitutional
rights. It is they, along with
legislators, who will determine
exactly what the ERA will not
suddenly turn American socie
ty upside down; but it will give
women a Constitutional state
ment of equality to lean on
when those rights are denied.
thing especially needed, dona
tions.
In addition, thanks to Fox's
Market and McDonald's for
helping out, and to any other
groups or individuals in the
community who donated any
thing at all.
And finally, to all you people
who helped fill the Capitol
steps, and especially anyone
else we may have forgotten to
name, we extend our sincerest
thanks.
Thank you all.
Ed Perrone
Carol Andress
Linda Weaver
Gary Reneker