FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK . . . Letters to the Editor: From Is PSU higher eduation or a place to pratice punting? the best academic colleges in the country have the worst sports teams, and that the best teams typically belong to the worst schools. I studied this proposition for three days, halting only for prayer and sleep, and have concluded that it is sound. Dear Editor, Every time I pick up a newspaper and read that Penn State has won yet another football game, I run out of the house and emit a defiant yell. And every time I see a Penn State game on the television, I tura it off and hide in the cellar. What ails me, at bottom, is fear; fear not that Penn State will lose, but fear that Penn State will win. It is my belief, perhaps in error, that there is a disturbing correlation between ath letic success and academic failure - in brief, that every time some oaf of a halfback scores a touchdown, my beloved Penn State drops another notch in the realm of academic merit. And every time a scrawny place kicker punts the ball through the uprights the same high end is achieved. Treasonous? To be sure. Blasphe mous? Even so. But it is surely no secret that SOMETHING TO SAY? IF SO, SAY IT IN THE WE NEED COLUMNISTS, • , STOP IN ROOM W-347 OR CALL DO YOU HAVE CAPITAL TIMES!! WRITERS, COPY PHOTOGRAPHERS, ARTISTS.. . 944-4970.. . Is there a college or university to be found that is both academically and athleti cally superior? I rather doubt it. What about Dartmouth, Amherst, or Swarthmore? Hardly. Columbia, Johns Hopkins, or Princeton? An unequivocal no. Stanford, Yale, or Harvard? The quest becomes ridiculous. Of course, this theory is not new, but it has been (more often than not) shoved under the table, especially on game day, and hence there is little record of it. Even the teachers at Penn State cherish it - at least privately - and rather hope that the quarterback stubs his toe. They long to be part of a school that EDITORS, EDITORIAL the Mailbag holds academic achievement in the highest regard. As it is, they have to settle for watch ing some chump parade around in a lion cos tume. And they must watch him, not only courteously, but even reverently, and with their mouths open. Kelly Thomas Teaching & Curriculum This year was no different than any other, even though my family and I were hundreds of miles away from home. We all gathered around the television to watch the annual Miss America Pageant, with Regis and Kathie Lee hosting. Like past years, my mother and I were critical of all the ladies competing for the crown, wondering how many ladies had a little "help" from "doctors." And, yes, like all other years, we both, urn, were turned off by our own state's choice of women. (Is it me, or will Pennsylvania ever have a good "competing" contestant for the top ten finalists?) One thing changed the pageant for me this year, though. Previously, I read about a host of excitement concerning Miss Alabama, Heather Whitestone. She is a truly lovely lady, overflowing with talent and grace. Why the big fuss over Miss Alabama? Miss Whitestone is legally deaf, having lost complete hearing in one ear when she was an infant, and has only about five percent hearing in the other one. She is also the first in the history of Miss America contestants to have a physical disability She is also the first in the history of Miss America's to have a physical disability. Do you notice a trend? My mom and I sure did. When looking at all the contestants introducing themselves to the television camera, I couldn't help thinking that Miss Alabama would win. It's awful to say, yes, but sadly true. Why? I have two words for anyone arguing with me. Affirmative action. Don't get me wrong, in my opinion Miss Alabama deserved to win. She has all the grace, talent and beauty that every Miss America should have. But did the judges see what I saw, or did they just see a young woman with a disability? Did they at all feel that if they didn't give her high marks that they would be discriminating against her? I know, I know, I'm horrible for thinking this, but affirmative action has not only made me a cynic, but many of my friends and co-workers as well. If I had a penny for everytime I heard the phrase, "The only reason they got the job is because of their . . .(sex, nationality, religion)" I'd be able to go to school free. As a full-blooded Korean female, I can honestly say that I think affirmative action stinks. Too many times rve seen perfectly qualified people passed over for something because quotas needed to be filled. What's my point I'm getting at? Heather Whitestone won the pageant because, in my opinion, she was the perfect example of who Miss America should be. Her only obstacle to overcome as Miss America is affirmative action. Because she does have a physical disability, she can't enjoy being crowned without skeptics, such as me, wondering whether or not she got the crown just because she is handicapped, and not because she was the most qualified contestant there. ................... .. . ........ . . „„:„.....,...............„.....„„:„.........„„:„ .. OUT ... .„. . . DAY . . ... ... .. , NATIONALVOMING,: r~;Sf߀eyiL'rt~il:ti hts:ta~v;that;t~snsd~;s~runri~tuaii~~n;e~ :. ~s: : ::: fan.<; i i gpubli4 ac odationnd cducaaon ;:......:<::::<::: 'Banning ........:..:xi~gcnaunnnatlmn:u;;ail:: . h . ao1~::::>::::>::::>:::«:<::::<:<:>:>:::<:>:::>::::>::»:::>:::>>:::>:::>:::::::>::>:::>:::>::::>::: •Re*vidnig die Owemurs Sexual Mwnty A4v sler:y iintttee and t h ere ",ause Atnow fo anon boo, sonallY hetow ixkme nu.loken. 2 *sow JIM can vw env y place . , . exactly hid,nit,.. hos* wnv .",tvanf a as no, (gone, ref.4l', central And yotr . g„, iik• been ine:r there ($ are. A ----- oth6rs, 4,4"!* uht, 4,tyferam CAPITAL TIMES EDITOR-IN-CHIEF E. MIKAEL HEIN ASSISTANT EDITOR/ PROD. MANAGER ANNE-MARIE MILLER LAYOUTiASSIGNMENTS MANAGER MICHAEL RETENELLER VOLUNTEER ADVISER PROF. BETH HALLER WRITERS COPY EDITORS AND COLUMNISTS CATHERINE CLEMENTS YVETTE MARTIN DAWN DANNEKER CHRIS McCORKEL LOU DIRIENZO SCOTT MCINTYRE MATT FISHER CATHY NOLAN TINA MARIE FIELDS TRUNG NGUYEN AMY FLEAGLE STACEY RODIN RENEE JACKSON TISH WHITMAN 808 RUDY JEFF WITTMAIER he Capital Times would like to express their gratitude towards The Fourth Estate, the arrisburg Area Community College student newspaper. Thanks for your assistance. The Capital Times is published by the students of Penn State Harrisburg. You may each The Capital Times at Penn State Harrisburg, Olmstead Building, W-341, 777 W. arrisburg Pike, Middletown, PA 17057 or by calling (717) 944-4970, or by fax at (717) !48-6008. All materials -- articles, photos and artwork -- are property of The Capital Times. o parts of this paper may be reprinted without permission. Concerns regarding the content of any issue should be directed to the editor. •pinions expressed are those of the author and are not representative of the college dministration, faculty or student body. The Capital Times welcomes signed letters from readers. No unsigned submissions ill be printed; however, a writer's name may be withheld upon request. The Capital Times does not endorse its advertisers. On Octlimber. Ist - Aima firkAA. SPOtteding • $ 1"772$ Dl.Gusr tan..„, a Pew me_ Bat is —,ran. A t the and , ''11P110:4 Rotuma rauY Keroto Speaketßkluffd LieL fmler aid to Zvrr'e~t'ss+~t~s Anne-Marie Miller Assistant Editor/Production Manager
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