Page 4 — LION’'SEYE — March, 1990 OPINION Choosing Your Future What does Student Government mean to you as a student? Well, for many of you it may just be an organization that is here on cempus to serve you by following your wishes or needs. But the real purpose of the Student Government Association (SGA) is to have the voice of the students be heard. This means more than just the tradi- tional student; it includes part-time students, along with the adult students, not that any of these students should be separated because of their status on campus. However, most students are unaware of the real importance they play in the deci- sions of the SGA. Not only do students dictate the problems the SGA will handle, but the people who will handle them. Within two weeks the students of this campus will decide the SGA leaders for next year. But the goal of this article is not to tell students what their roles are, but to inform you how to get the best from next year. First of all, know who all the SGA candidates are and take the time to compare them. You could even discuss this with yourself (not out loud) while going from class to class. Secondly, talk with your friends; see what they may know about the candidates. They may have heard something you haven’t. Take time to see why they are really running. Don’t be afraid to ask the candidates what they stand for, and why they feel that way about the subject. And finally, get out and vote. Have your voice heard; let the people at the top know that you really care and want to have a say. This is an important time coming up, not only for the school, but for all who have . anything to do with Penn State. By choosing your leaders, you are choosing your future. Chuck McCarthy Editor-in-Chief Letters to the Editor To the Editor: Does anyone read our school newspaper? Probably not. And why is that? It’s not that The Lion’s Eye does not deal with real controversial issues; no one in this school is interested in issues. Many of the students don’t care. Let’s face it, most students pick up the paper, look at the front page, leaf through, looking for pictures and car- toons, and then finally read the ads and classifieds that some editions may feature. Hey, I don’t read it either, and I admit that I may be part of the problem, but don’t you think that the average student deserves a little humor after a boring and tedious day of classes? I'm sure there would be more readers if the material “hit home” more often. A little humor wouldn’t hurt. The funniest thing in February's edition was “The Lion's Den’ and the only thing that was en- joyable about that article was that the students could relate to it. I understand that the Student of the Month articles, The Forum, and those eveready UPS ads are all important features of the paper, but I think that it would gain more support if the writers would strive for entertaining the stu- dent instead of teaching him/her (as I've stated before, students hardly want to you. listen to lectures; do you really think they want to read them???). I'm sure Dr. Adam J. Sorkin’s article on “Romania Before the Revolution’ was interesting as well as informative, but it wasn’t entertaining. To sum it all up, I just think that a school newspaper should be something that every student looks forward to reading instead of something that piles up in the cafeteria only to be tended to by the lunch ladies. Maybe there is some rule that forbids creativity in state col- lege newspapers a rule that I don’t know about. Unless there is such a guideline, I think The Lion’s Eye staff should look more to the enjoyable side of reading than to the controversial side. Thank Don Forcey To the Editor: I have just finished reading most of the latest edition of The Lion’s Eye, and I think it is a fine job. I hope you will give my congratula- tions to the staff who must have worked very hard to put out this fine edition. Dr. Nancy Wyatt Assistant Professor, Speech Communication THE LION’S EYE Vol. XXI, No. 6 The Pennsylvania State University March, 1990 Delaware County Campus EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Chuck McCarthy ART EDITOR Jill Rhodes STAFF REPORTERS Judith R. Belson Fran Stedeford Gary Jones John Palka Carmen Simmens Kelly Hess Jennifer Darr Steve Reiff PHOTOGRAPHERS Adam Hoffman Patrick Kim John Palka 4 ADVISORS : Barbara Daniel Susan Ware John Terrell The LION’S EYE is published Monthly during the academic year by the students of the Delaware County Campus. Submissions are welcome from all students, faculty and staff. Material must be typed, double spaced, and submitted in the LION'S EYE mailbox located in room 115 main building. Letters, articles and cartoons represent only the views of their authors. Advertisements do not necessarily reflect editorial opinion. THE LION’S EYE regrets it cannot guarantee the return of any material submitted. All submissions are subject to editing. PICKS and PANS Spring break. Is it really a time for the students and the teachers to get away from the college atmosphere, or is it just an excuse for us to take a full week and do those projects that are due March 5? Another question that arises is why in the world do they call it “SPRING BREAK” when it takes place at the end of February? The people that named it that must be the same ones who call this the “Spring Semester.” Also, did you ever wonder about those big craters in the front of the school when you first pull in? Are they part of a course studied on campus, maybe Obstacle 101, and then the advanced class is the Speed-Bumps? Congratulations to the Men’s Basketball Team for making it to the play-offs! You guys didn’t lose; it’s just that the foul line for the Berks team was moved closer to the net. Congratulations also to the Cheerleaders for always giving the sports teams on campus that extra push and for standing up to the so-called cheerleaders from Berks. I would also like to salute the BSL for a fantastic job done in the last few ocksi in celebration of Black History Month. Not only did they bring numerous speakers to campus to touch on all aspects of life, but they were able to bring a living legend to campus, Dr. J. I was also impressed with Tim Mark, the young artist whose works of art hang in . the library, and who is a graduate of Penn State. He has given us the chance to see our community through his talented eyes. Thanks to Dr. Jane Cooper for bringing him to our attention. And my hat is off to the students who use the gym during Common Hour. It is really inspiring to see you putting the facilities to use. Finally, the student Government Association elections are coming up. SGA plays a major role in the workings of the Penn State environment. Use your vote to make sure that this ‘caring institution’ stays that way. THE FRONT DESK by Ed Tomezsko Campus Executive Officer Julius Irving, or as Dave Zinkoff would say Irrrrvvvvvinnnggggggg, in our gym- nasium, what a treat! Dr. J floating toward the basket, twists slowly in the air and drops it in the basket. Unfortunately, he didn’t shoot baskets on this particular visit. Fortunately, he came to talk. A couple of personal observations first. He’s about four inches taller than I am and much thinner than I expected him to be. He chats easily with whomever is around him. He is electric in a room of people. As he was being in- troduced, there was a little perspiration on his forehead and as he started speaking, his hands were shaking slightly and he shifted his weight from foot to foot - all pret- ty normal nervous reactions for mere mortals like the Doctor. “Is life a matter of chance or a matter of choice?’’ was one of his first questions to the audience. You may have read in the newspaper that it took him eighteen years to graduate from college. He is very proud of his choice to complete college. He talked about the ‘impatient expectations of the public - not right, but real - what-have-you-done-for-me-lately? attitudes.”” Miss a few baskets and you're gonna get booed, right? We pay for the right to boo when we buy a ticket. There were no boo-birds in this audience. “We (as a country) export values without having an adequate supply.” Is this a jock talking or what? ‘‘Develop and manage our skills.” “Put away self-doubt and ° decide to be the best.” That's a lot harder than it sounds because quality is not a decision but a lot of hard work. “Courage and determination” and ‘‘the big picture must harmonize for the academics, athletics, social and spiritual components of our lives.” The Doctor makes sense; he talks about the work involved in life. Dr. J flew through the air all right, but thoughts, not basketballs, were thrown. People’s brains were being twisted and encouraged and elevated above the crowd. I'll save for the next column his four laws of human behavior. They are just too good to scrunch into the end of this page. I am the first one to complain when I read the superlatives attached to athletes. Just exactly how many ‘‘best, greatest, most exciting, fabulous” are there anyway? My sarcasm says just about every athlete. Last week, PSU-DE was privileged to have this visitor. Allow me three more per- sonal observations. The Doctor is genuine. The Doctor is truly humble - in the philosophical sense, not in the way the word is used today. The sports world short changed the Doctor; he’s worth every penny and more. Now the business world has his talents and we all know the business world needs the best, greatest, fabulous. . Fred Clayton said it best when he introduced him, “He’s a nice guy.” He sure is.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers