Page 2
Lennon's
Dead-ication
What can be said, that hasn't been, since the death of our friend and fellow
"misunderstood" being, brother?, John, died.
The financial aspects of recording companies, publishers and manufacturers of
miscellaneous items have been taken into full account and attended to. The
instrument of his death, the handgun, has been thoroughly debated once more,
and dealt with. Assorted citizens of London, and various other shady characters,
have gone so far as to slur our homeland, our society, by stating that it "could only
happen in America!" We all know better than to pay homage to a tired cliche of
this sort. We tend to believe ourselves above such small thought processes.
Through this cacophony of chaotic elements shines the message of this man
himself -- Peace, a word that cannot be spoken often enough, an idea, a desire that
may not be felt often enough in our hearts. Respect for our fellow beings and
peace go hand in hand. We cannot have one without the other.
The frenzied reaction of the world to the death of John Lennon created a circus
atmosphere. Only Yoko Ono, his wife and lover, and a few others truly remember
and honor John with the respect due him as a fellow humanist.
The humanists appear to be only a minority in the sea of world population.
John was a member of this minority and we must all acknowledge the fact that he
created much in the course of delivering his message to us all. We owe respect to
this man, his music, his creation, his medium for his most important message to
the world. We are all experiencing a sense of loss because we lost a humanist who
delivered his counsel for peace far and wide. With the loss of John, all of us,
including the humanist minority, have an increased burden to make world peace a
reality.
We should all take note of John and his message and remember to build and
create in the present -- with an eye on the future and a respect for the lessons of
our past.
Volume 13, No. 1 c.c. reader January 15, 1981
Published bi-weekly by the students of The Pennsylvania State University,
The Capitol Campus in Middletown, Pennsylvania.
The C.C. Reader has the following four-fold purpose: [l] to keep students
informed about their campus community; [2] to provide editorial comment on
issues facing the campus community; [3] to serve as a forum for student poetry,
photographs, short stories, graphics, and other creative endeavors; [4] to serve as
a learning mechanism for all students interested in the journalistic process. This
includes reporting, editing, layout, typesetting, and paste-up.
Sports Editor - Kenneth Aducci Copy Editor - Alice M. Coon
Activities Editor - Keith N. Gantz Photography Editor - Mark W. Clauser
Staff Editors - William J. Neil Cartoonist - Joe Horvath
Dave Caruso
Staff Gary Pellett
Faculty Advisors
The opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author and are not
necessarily the opinions of the students, faculty, staff, or administration of The
Pennsylvania State University.
The C.C. Reader welcomes letters from readers. Letters intended for
publication should indicate the writer's college affiliation, if any. All letters must
be signed by the writer. Unsigned letters cannot be printed. However, a writer's
name may be withheld upon request. Letters should be legible (preferably
typewritten, double spaced); and any material that is libelous or does not conform
to the standards of good taste will be edited and/or rejected.
The Assistant Editor shall serve as Editorial Editor for the remainder of the
academic year.
Pennsylvania State University
Capitol Campus
Middletown, PA 17057
Office W-129
Phone (717) 9444970
Editor-hi-Chief
Harry H. Moyer
Assistant Editor
Susan M. Snell
Dr. Donald Alexander, Monica O'Reilly
Circulation 2,500
Editorial Editor
Thursday, January 15,1981
Editorial/Opinion
-- Keith N. Gantz
Constructive
Criticism
A library--any library--should be a "quiet place of study that is conducive to a
good academic environment." However,because of the construction that is
currently under way,the library at Capitol Campus is anything but quiet. The
existing noise level may be suitable for a bowling alley or acceptable for a
' discotheque;for a library it is absolutely deplorable.
While a certain amount of noise produced by the construction process LA
understandable,the general chaos that is being created certainly is a nuisance,and
measures should be taken to control it. The majority of this chaos is produced by
the workmen's paraphernalia and, admittedly, cannot be avoided. The pounding
of hammers, the grating drone of the electric drills, the monotonous buzzing of an
assortment of saws and several other "tools of the trade" all contribute to the
sonorous din, but the most blatant of the assaults on the students' right to study
in peace is the workmen themselves. These workmen make no apparent effort to
keep the noise to a minimum; their constant clattering of tools and other metal
objects is bad enough, but their insistence on talking out loud and actually
shouting commands from one end of the corridor to the other is uncalled-for.
Under these noisy conditions, it is no surprise to observe students studying--or at
least trying to study--while wearing ear plugs. It is that bad. What's next, fellas,
trinitrotoluene?
Even if one is able to withstand the racket, he is still susceptible to the shower
of debris that is usually falling in the hallways. This barrage of large chunks of
plaster, bits of ceiling tile, and undistinguishable other matter is precipitated by
these same construction workers who manage to deftly disperse it at precisely the
same instant that innocent passersby happen to be in a most unenviable position.
Of course, the blame for this situation should not be placed on the construction
workers. Granted, they make most of the noise, but the conditions under which
they must work are certainly not the most desirable for them. We must
remember that, as the workmen are a nuisance to the students, the students are
similarly viewed as so many nuisances by them; they are professionals, and they
seldom--if ever--must perform their jobs in silence. Indeed, the task of tearing
down walls and the like is not meant to be done in such a manner as to require
tranquility. If this is a job that entails noise--as obviously it is--we would be wrong
to chastise the workmen for simply doing their jobs. If they must make noise, let
them. They don't tell me how to write editorials, so I won't tell them how to
demolish libraries. A simple solution to this problem is to arrange for the work to
be done when the library is closed—conceivably during the night—and then the
noise that accompanies the work will not be an annoyance to anyone.
The main problem in the library, however, is not the noise. The noise will be
extant only while the construction is; it is not permanent. What is permanent,
rather, is the damage which will remain long after the final hammer has been
swung. For all intents and purposes, the work being done is unnecessary. While
terrific amounts of money are being wasted to knock out walls and actually create
a less pedantic atmosphere, the days of solitude are apparently gone forever.
Does the so-called intelligentsia know that walls do more than hold up the ceiling?
No longer can a student study in the main section without being disturbed by the
incessant shuffling of feet as others pass to and fro. No longer will a quiet
conversation among friends go unnoticed by anybody else in the surrounding
vicinity. No longer will the telephone ring without reverberating its staccato
tones throughout the entire library. Remember when silence was golden?
Remember when noise in the library was only a word in the dictionary?
Ah...those were the days, my friends.
It now seems impossible to rectify this horrid situation;the damage has been
done, the barn door has been left open. Since the noise level will never be as
adequately controlled as it was in its stages B.C. (Before Construction), measures
must be taken to effectively limit it. The installation of carpeting in the corridors
would serve to quell the riotous thunder of footsteps. The placement of acoustic
tiles would help absorb some of the extraneous sounds. By attaining telephones
which did not sound like fire alarms, that distraction could be offset.
In conclusion, these suggestions or others of a similar nature must be effected
immediately, dammit, or pandemonium will continue to reign.
13144 "tr LooKs Lt /T . 'S ci,osE TO
SoPERISowI.. Savaly!
C.C. Reader
-- William J. Neil