Editorials
Black History Month: past, present and future nee •
By Tony Perry
Another February has arrived
and with it a myriad of activities
honoring Black History Month.
Admittedly, the question of
whether or not we should even
have a month dedicated to the
celebration of one section of the
population is a sensitive one.
There are many who would say
that such a celebration only serves
to exclude white society from the
concerns of black America. They
say that every February blacks
start acting like they are going to
take over. They start using the
term "reverse racism."
On the other side of the fence,
there are those who say it is
about time America admitted to
the fact that blacks have played
an important role in our history.
They say blacks should have a
day to celebrate their heritage and
a reasonable excuse to educate
this nation's youth on the history
of blacks in America. Some
would even go so far as to say
blacks have suffered enough over
the years and they deserve to have
a month of their own, even if it
is the shortest month of the year.
Capitol
Imes
Linda A. McCarty Executive Editor
James E. Fitzroy •••• Managing Editor
Tony G. Perry Managing Editor
Jeffrey G. Shatzer Production Manager
Photography Editor
Neil A. Myers Composition Editor
Angelo Vecchio Sports Editor
Michele S. Haley Events Editor
Kimberly C. Bush Business Manager
Dennis Caldwell
Sharon L. DePalma
Advising and consulting
The Capitol Times welcomes letters from readers. Letters intended for publication must indicate the writer's affiliation, if
any. All letters MUST be signed by the writer. Unsigned letters will not be printed. Capitol Times reserves the right to reject
or edit letters to the editor for any material that may be libelous. does not conform to publication standards, or is too lengthy
for space limitations
Friday, February 17, 1984
Vol. 18, No. 4
Editorial Board
Contributing Staff
Sean Ferry
Kathleen E. Heraghty
Don Strausburger
Either way, anyone who really
looks closely at the situation in
this country would say that the
existence of Black History Month
signifies an attempt to "make
things right" with America's
blacks after years of slavery and
prejudice. I'm sure the people
who first thought of it believed it
would be a good way to prove
that America has come a long
way since the days of slaves and
cotton. Whether or not they suc
ceeded in convincing themselves is
irrelevant; racism is alive and well
in America.
During the 19605, it was not at
all uncommon to speak out
against the kinds of injustices that
racism creates. However,
something happened during the
late '7os that changed all of that.
Those seekers of the American
Dream (remember Life, Liberty
and the Pursuit of Hapiness?)
discovered why the ostrich hides
its head in the sand. Instead of
getting rid of the evidence, ignore
it entirely. See no evil, feel no
guilt. If we don't look at it,
maybe it will simply go away.
That brings us to 1984. The
President tells us we are headed
in the right direction and that we
John Patterson, Bern Sharfman
are better off than we were a few
years ago. Yet over a bathroom
door in a diner in a small town in
North Carolina is a sign that says
"Coloreds." •
Perhaps we have overlooked
the actual problem for so long
that we don't even recognize it .
anymore. Just over a year ago,
Bob Jones Univeisity claimed it
wasn't racist to forbid, as a mat
ter of policy, students to "cross
racial lines in dating."
The fact is this: Racism is more
than just white or black or brown
supremacy. Racism is more than
saying one race is "better" than
Capitol Campus proud
By Linda McCarty
Capitol Campus--a mere one
room schoolhouse compared to
the huge educational metropolis
of University Park--may be suf
fering from what could be termed
a "Penn State identity crisis."
This unusual phenomenon
creates confusion among
Capitolites.
"Am I or am I not a true-blue,
Nittany Lion Penn Stater?" they
ask.
University Park answers yes
and no. Yes, you can pay Penn
State tuition, use Penn State
notebooks and even wear Penn
State sweatshirts. We are even
allowed the Penn State insignia
on our diploma as long as the
words "Capitol Campus" are
written boldly underneath.
But no, we are not granted the
priviledge of earning University
Park degree titles.
The distinction is fairly clear.
For whatever reason, it appears
we are "sub-Penn Staters" in the
eyes of many at University Park
But if we take a good hard
look at ourselves, look past our
far from picturesque college set
ting to our fellow students, our
faculty and our educational pro
grams, we can solve our own
identity crisis.
We see students, many of them
returning after years "away from
the books," working full-time,
raising families and commuting
many miles.
While much of Capitol's stu
dent body works against what
another learning institution may
view as poor academic odds, we
see fuel-efficient cars and robots
(Editor's Note: Capitol Times plans a series of articles in upcoming
issues analyzing degree programs at Capitol and their standing among
potential employers.)
' Page 6
another. If we recognize the ex
istence of racial "lines," we are,
in fact, being racist. If we feel
differently about someone because
of his or her race--whether it is in
that person's favor or not-- we
are being racist. Racism occurs
when we allow differences in race
to become an issue. Moreover,
racism will never be eliminated as
long as a person's race matters. A
person's race will matter as long
Please see "HISTORY,"
pg. 10
constructed with a smaller budget
than AMP and GM allow for
their nuts and bolts.
Few universities can take credit
for a student body as dedicated
and hard-working as that which
exists within the Olmsted
Building.
Our faculty? According to Peg
O'Hara, Career Placement
Counselor, 75 percent of the
teachers at Capitol have doctorate
degrees. They must meet the same ; i
requirements as those employed at:
University Park.
$
Capitol students need not "take
a ticket" in order to receive in
dividual attention from an in
structor. Our faculty have both
the time and the opportunity to
care about the individual student
and very seldom neglect this
responsibility.
We are told that Capitol Cam
pus was designed to meet the
needs of both students and in
dustry requiring practical educa
tion. Practical programs created
to educate practical students for
the real world does not produce
below-par graduates.
Yet larger institutions, said Peg
O'Hara, "think we're second
class citizens, a hybrid institution.
I've heard all of those things."
The stigma still stands and it's
up to Capitol to erase it.
We don't have to rely solely on
the name recognition of a Univer
sity whose football team may
receive more applause than its
academic undertakings. We must
first be Capitol Campus Proud
and let University Park fly its
own "Be Penn State Proud"
banners.
Then maybe we'll solve our
identity crisis.