HIGHACRES COLLEGIAN, JUNE 7, 1971 -- PAGE TWO Eclitorial comment:' The (r)evolution of the "Guerilla" During the past few months the decor of our campus has been adorned by two editions of our official underground newspaper, "The Guerilla." "The Guerilla" is a self-proclaimed "political and literary journal published for the academic community at the Hazleton Campus of the Pennsylvania State University" which professes to reflect the conscience of Highacres. Since "The Guerilla" welcomes criticism, I feel certain that this editorial will be appreciated. In Volume I, No. 1 of "The Guerilla" (dated February 22, 1971) it was stated that "MI material (sent to "The Guerilla") will be published, UNCENSORED." The statement was also made that "The Guerilla" is "...the only real voice you have on this campus." As I am a writer for a newspaper I can readily appreciate the excitment involved in producing a vehicle for meaningful communication, especially if it is produced for a worthwhile purpose by one or many concerned persons. I believe "The Guerilla" IS such a communications medium and that much time, trouble, and concern must have been involved in creating it: a worthwhile accomplishment! The first edition of "The Guerilla" was released at a time when it seemed that "The Highacres Collegian" might have to close down its presses due to financial difficulties which have since been overcome. Perhaps this was a factor in the conception of "The Guerilla." Certainly ONE factor was the fact that those who have contributed to "The Guerilla"believe that their opinions will not be printed in "The Highacres Collegian." The desire to improve the Highacres campus is readily apparent in articles such as "Right Off, Faculty Members," by D. J. and the creative "About A Pathy" by K. K. in the first issue. There was a noticeable lack of campus criticism in the May 25, 1971 issue (Volume 1, Number 2) except for an interesting article concerning the SGA by Kris Karchner which expounded upon some vital points including the parking lot situation. It seems that "The Guerilla's" criticism of the Hazleton Campus has been limited to a tirade against "The Highacres Collegian," the apathetic student body, and (mainly) the SGA. Articles dealing with political and moral issues have been more abundant including "Reality No. 1" by D.J., "UP in Smoke" by T.K.; and "Coffeeville Kansas Blues" by M. Cblasurdo in issue No. 2. The latter article was well-written and worth reading despite Mr. Colasurdo's ambivalence between spelling the word "Americans" with a "c" or a "k." Meaningful quotes, poetry, and humorous cartoons are also scattered throughout "The Guerilla." More care could have been taken in proofreading both editions for mistakes, however. Besides typographical and grammatical errors, which I suppose might be taken as "scars in fine leather, proof of the origin and authenticity of the material in which they are found," there are also errors which should have been avoided. These mistakes are in the realm of "misquotes," such as attributing a Kris Kristopherson quote to Janis Joplin and misquoting a verse from the Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit." Trivial as these errors might seem, quoting correctly is one of the major responsibilities of those dealing in any of the media. Also, as "The Guerilla" is an "underground" paper, little care has been taken in obtaining permission to print quoted material, although care usually HAS been taken in giving the correct source or reprinted material ( except, of course, for the aforementioned error.) Tip Eigilarrts Trillpgian The Collegian office is located in the Memorial Building Office hours are Monday thru Friday, 1-4 p.m. BOARD OF DIRECTORS John Roslevich, Jr Paul Pianovich Kris Karchner E. J. Pietroski T. W. Heppe Richard Campbell Assistant to the Editor: Gloria Smitrovich. NEWS: Alice Bright, Arnine Cumsky, Margie Grega,SusanKisthart, Anne McKinstry, Celine Student, Jean Yeselski. SPORTS: Tom Caccese, editor; Mark Braskie, Jack McCutcheon. CREDIT: Susan Kis thart. CIRCULATION: Gloria Smitrovich. TYPING: Susan Kisthart, Kathy Motyl, Mary Polasick. ADVERTISING: Ed Pietroski, manager; Bob Allison, Barb Fahringer. COMPOSITION: Joan Mente, Alice Bright. EDITORIAL WRITERS: John Hancock, Mel Mundie, Richard Rockman. PHOTOGRAPHY and ART: Paul Pianovich. MEMBER: The Press Association of Commonwealth Campuses, Association Press Services Newspaper Council of the Press Association, Intercollegiate Press. Letter Policy Opinions expressed in The' HIGHACRES COLLEGIAN are those of individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of The COLLEGIAN. Unsigned editorials represent the official opinions of The COLLEGIAN. Responsible comment to material published in The COLLEGIAN Is invited. AU letters must be type-written and signed. Faculty members are students are invited to submit articles to be published in a special section of The COLLEGIAN entitled 'lmpact.' Articles and other material (poems included) should be no longer than 400 words and must be typed. ....Editor-in-chief Executive Editor Managing Editor Business Manager Production Manager Faculty Advisor STAFF Although some of the articles in "The Guerilla" are signed by the author's name, many are only signed by the author's (presumably) initials. Although I respect and understand an author's wish to remain anonymous, sometimes the guessing game frustrates me. The article I enjoyed the most was one I wish I knew the author of. It is an editorial entitled "yes, We Have No Narcotics," a humorous little story about a threat to our Freedom of Speech due to implied censorship of music played on •the radio by the Federal Communications Commission. I was very disappointed to see this written in "The Guerilla," however, primarily because I had already formulated the concept for a similar editorial which was to be in this very space. They beat me to it. All in all, "The Guerilla" has proved to be an informative addition to our campus. However, I saw nothing printed in "The Guerilla" which could not have been printed in "The Highacres Collegian." "The Highacres Collegian" welcomes anyone writing for "The Guerilla" (or anyone at all, for that matter) who feels he has something meaningful to say, to submit his material to us to be printed in "The Highacres Collegian:" We will not turn you away if you have something to say. If you do not want to write for "The Highacres Collegian" on a regular basis, we invite you to submit "guest editorials" whenever you feel you have opinions or information to share with your fellow members of the Highacres area. "The Highacres Collegian" does NOT censor material (unless, of course, there is a lack of space in which to print everything, in which case it is up to our editor to joggle a few words around, without changing the author's meaning, in order to fit everything in: this is, after all, what editors are for (among other things.) Remember, also, that "The Highacres Collegian" has a "Letters to the Editor" column which has been gathering dust lately. I disagree, therefore, with the claim that "The Guerilla" is "...the only real voice you have on campus." The reproduction in "The Guerilla" is not as clear as that of "The Highacres Collegian" nor is it as widely read: more reasons why it might prove profitable for those writing for "The Guerilla" to write for "The Highacres Collegian." Certainly, it would add more life to our own paper. It should also be noted that those producing "The Guerilla" would be saving their money if they used "The Highacres Collegian" as their medium. • This should in no way be taken as an affront to "The Guerilla" or the people who produce it, but should instead be taken as an attempt to open the lines communication at Highacres wider that they are. Certainly the material in "The Guerilla" is worth reading wherever it is printed. Have a safe, enjoyable, and worthwhile summer! The preceding editorial was submitted by regular COLLEGIAN editorialist, Richard Rockman. We felt it expressed our own views concerning the relationship between "The Guerilla" and THE COLLEGIAN—ed. There's a lot more to law and order than just shouting the need for more of it. Two recent events illustrate once again that the louder the-shouts for law and order the quiter becomes the concern for constitutional rights and basic civil liberties. But there is something about that concern for basic civil liberties, quietly resting indelibly in the human conscience, which speaks more loudly to decent-thinking folks than all the escalating shouts for law and order. The history-making 7,200 in-a-single-day mass arrests of the May Day demonstators in Washington D.C. brought that quiet concern into the- open on a national level. The law and order public officials, from the White House to the Justice Department to the local Washington police department, saw as their primary duty to the ;national electorate the guarantee of a free flow of traffic in the-nation's capital and the assurance that government employees would make it to their offices for a full day's work. Such thinking had the familiar ring of Mayor Daley's demand for an undisturbed 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The open threat to halt the processes of-government was unthinkable, you see, even though filibustering in Senate chamber is part ofS standard procedure. President Nixon encouraged Washington Police Chief Jerry Wilson to short-circuit established * arrest procedures to keep the streets and building entrances clear. Massive roundups and detentions occurred, even though adequate detention facilities had not been prearranged. And as always happens in such short-circuited, short-sighted and arbitrary procedures, those rounded up included both persons of dubious guilt as well as the totally innocent. It happended in Chicago in 1968. Visitors to Chicago found that it was unsafe to be ;standing in the ;street outside their hotels. They just might be grabbed or clubbed by cops on the rampage. And it happened again in Washington during May Day Demonstration. Of course, whatever disruption was caused by the demonstrators in the streets ofsWashington wPs soon dwarfed by the chaos in the Washington courts when such arbitrary detention tactics were • submitted to the due process of court procedure. Once again the mockery of justice which the loudest shouts for law and order always portray brought to the surface the concern for basic individual rights. The motorists of Washington are appeased and satisfied, perhaps, by the tactics of mass arrest and illegal detention. But the rest of America evaluates and judges such tactics. The jurors all said, after the trial was over, that the discrepancies in the testimonies ofspolice undercover agents were responsible for the -esy acquittal. Decent- thinking folks had their say, over and above the "system". The verdict was not a triumph ofs the legal system, as so many newspaper editorials like to contend. It was then triumphant expression of decent-thinking peoplesabout that system. The legal system, after all, took two years out ofsthesiives ofcthirteen innocent people, nine of the thirteen being behind bars for twenty-five months because they weresunablesto post the required bail. That sad history is hardly a triumph ofslegal justice. So in two instances at least the contemporary charade of law and order has been exposed for what it is. Dick Gregory the light side /the dark side Letter to the editor June 2, 1971 To: SGA Teacher Evaluation Survey. Committe It has come to my attention that the Teacher Evaluation Survey, proposed and organized by the Student Government Association early in the academic year, is now Along with two other being conducted. Your records members of the faculty I will show that I have chosen discussed this with a member not to participate. I feel some of your committee explanation may be approximately bur weeks ago worthwhile. and received some assurance My actions from the the matter would be cleared up inception of this project before the new permission slips throught the late stages of were collected. Apparently development have indicated, I there was a change in thinking 11Se , „ fu ghtEgS s iZteitim Gmts" .-fx4teS . PM/#~l jACW3 i,,firi • r if • Ada' -up StAtelli'cgs ':#0,•40 et•npiep fleumee Salo" " 411- flisifie 1/1410 10 bED /EA ri fi r A v g " if. Roy Qviafril believe, my firm support. Indeed, immediately following the presentation of the idea by the SGA to the faculty, I willingly signed the permission slip and returned it to your committee. Unfortunately, I find the 'final' form of the survey unsatisfactory. As a teacher it would give me little more than no information at all, but, of more concern is the apparent ambiguity I find in the phrasing of a few of the question. a • S4aipois i/ o idCoV73 for that was the last contact I had with your committee. In the five years I have been at the Hazleton Campus I have used my own student opinion survey in my classes nearly every •term. Therefore, • the idea of a student survey is not new to me. In choosing not to participate in the SGA survey this term ; I am not indicating an opposition to the project. On the contrary, I supported it throughout its development and I still support the general concept now. Although I will participate in any future survey if the ambiguity is removed, I must add that I would still find it necessary to use my own survey in addition to yours. I firmly believe there is a value in student opinion as it applies to course and teacher '561/M agSSE.S" fte-rtfrKS I ;mM/is " e /IRIS eg f • friePly rue Pos evaluations and your survey, by itself, would not supply me with anywhere near the amount of criticism I seek. My own survey is also being conducted this week in my classes. If the committee feels it would be of any value, I will be most willing to turn over the entire set of completed surveys for your examination. Our goal, I think, is a mutual one--continuation of the project with increasing faculty participation. I offer you my time and efforts--I will be pleased to assist you in any way possible. M. L. Shaevd cc: Mr. Kostos, and Editor, Collegian Ves6 s Ii SuEDES
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers