—The Daily Collegian Wednesday, April 18, 1973 Zappa, Mothers to zap campus Alright, all you Mother lovers, here's your chance to ex perience the "Grand Wazoo" of the music industry, Frank Zappa. Zappa and the Mothers are scheduled to appear 8 p.m. April 29 in Rec Hall. Zappa and the original Mothers of Invention were the leaders in the 60's of a free-form style of music which featured a combination of vocal instrumental sounds. Their bizarre costumes and performances widened the barriers of ac ceptability in music styles. Zappa's current group composed of musicians from former bands, include George Duke on keyboards, Jean-Luc Ponty on violin. lan Underwood on woodwinds. Ruth Underwood on percussion, Bruce Fowler on trombone, Tom Fowler on bass, Ralph Humphrey on drums and Rick Lancelotti on vocals. Several of these musicians are featured on his latest album, "The Grand Wazoo.," Tickets go on sale 9 a.m. tomorrow at the HUB Main Desk and are $3.50 each. Sales are limited to two tickets per person with a matric card, a reserved seat basis. "We hope the reserved seat system will elimate the con fusion we've been having the night of the concert," a University Concert Committee official said. "People will have to wait on a line only once, when they buy their tickets, and will then be guaranteed a seat when they get to Rec Hall." Plant hobby How much work is needed to keep the plants around campus buildings healthy and attractive? Plenty, according to Tig Burnett, who takes care of most of them while operating a very productive greenhouse called Hillside Gardens, located on Pud dintown Road. What started as a hobby for Burnett and her husband has become a successful retail business. The Burnetts began raising annual flowers on a small plot while attending the University of Massachusetts after World War 11. When they moved to the State College area, they built a small greenhouse. Among their first customers was HRB Singer Co., for whose buildings they rejuvenated neglected plants. In 1965, when the dean of the College of Arts and Ar chitecture decided to decorate the lobbies of the Arts Building with plants, he called on Burnett, who fur nished and maintained several large plants. She also supplied plants for the triangular plots surrounding the adjacent fountains. Before long she was bringing in plants for display in Pattee, Kern and Pollock Un dergraduate Library. Many plants that flourish in Hillside Gardens' ideal en vironment would have trouble staying healthy and at tractive in a public place, according to Burnett. She said locating plants in lobbies and corridors often is un desirable because of poor lighting and ventilation. Being in a public place, she said, they also are subject to theft and vandalism. Sometimes a plant must be taken out of circulation and put into the greenhouse, where it is replanted in propagating areas— containers filled with peat, full-time job soil and substances that help maintain the best soil con sistency for the plant's recovery. The areas are lined with screening to permit the best drainage possible. When the plant shows signs of good growth, it is replanted in its original container and returned to the University. Burnett said maintaining plants is very time consuming. Although they require much less watering in the fall, she said it is not uncommon for her to spend a full working day caring 'for them between March and September. She said the Hillside Gardens operation can not be neglected for even the shortest time. According to Burnett, "What do you feed it?" is one of the questions asked most often about cultivating plants. She said that contrary to common belief, using too much fertilizer is un desirable. "Its value to Zappa houseplants is quite overemphasized," she said. She said the rate of drainage is an important aspect of keeping plants in controlled environments. Because some plants require more water than others, she said, their soil mixtures should vary. Burnett said a granular substance, pearlite, is used to increase circulation by keeping the mixtures from clumping together. Another substance, vermiculite, retains water in the soil for thirsty plants. Temperature is another important consideration, she said, recalling a time when her greenhouse temperature dropped unexpectedly to about 29 degrees and remained there undiscovered for several hours. Plant damage was =not readily apparent, but it showed over a six-month period. The Burnetts lost only about three plants, but it took about a year for the rest to recuperate. The more sen sitive orchids required almost three years. —3T Survey finds Study examines A recent study of student religious attitudes at the University reveals the campus is a melting pot of beliefs that include meditation, satanism and witchcraft. The study was conducted by Pat Smith, a senior psychology major. She was assisted by Luther H. Harshbarger, head of the Department of Religious Studies. Smith mailed questionaires to a random five per cent of the un dergraduate population. Students of diverse backgrounds were questioned so that the sampling would be representative of campus-wide religious opinions, she said. According to the survey, the largest group of students say they have "per sonal, unconventional beliefs" but still belong to some type of conventional religious organization. Results of the research show students to be open-minded and flexible in their interpretations of religion. According to the survey, students are concerned with religious issues but place little value on the dogma and ceremony of formalized religion. One student said, "Religion has very little meaning to me. I see organized religion as a means_ of making money." Another quoted Karl Marx's Mid-East, West Europe courses 2 area study options introduced By JOHN TONTI Collegian Staff Writer Responding to a need for thorough study of different regions of the world, the College of the Liberal Arts last term in troduced two new area study options. The Middle East and Western European options were added to existing Russian, Far East and African options for students wishing to combine regional specialization with majors such as economics, political science and geography. Previously the University did not recognize non-major specialization related to area cultures. Now successful completion of an option's prescribed courses leads to a proficiency certificate. Passed by the University Faculty Senate last year, the Western European option was approved by the Board of Trustees at the end of Fall Term, Elton Atwater, professor of political science in charge of the option, said students can focus on European economics, political thought or literature. The Middle East Studies Subcommittee began planning its option in 1968. The option was approved by the Board of Trustees. All students in the Middle East option must take a nine credit core program and 18 additional credits from selected courses in anthropology, history, religious studies, economics and sociology. Others courses applicable to the option may be taken with the subcommittee's approval. Atwater said the study of relevant languages is "an in 'melting pot' statement that "Religion is the opium of the people," something to turn to when everything else goes wrong. Still others said they view religion as "a fellowship of believers who have the same goal in mind." According to the survey, there are no widespread religious movements at Penn State. This does not include organizations such as Campus Crusade for Christ, which is not a recent movement but an organization which has existed for years. Students indicated dissatisfaction with institutionalized religion and tended to look toward a more personal means of religious expression. One said, "I think people are looking for a replacement for institutional religion." Another said he favored a personal religion, saying every man should be -his own Moses, Solomon, Messiah." Students surveyed said they felt formal worship services are outmoded. They said they lean more toward "living in harmony with nature" and "sharing thoughts and feelings with friends" as expressions of religious purpose. Those interviewed saw a variety of religious changes in the future: "Religious attitudes are coming down to earth." religion "Awareness of the spiritual potential of life." "More maniacal religions." "The apathy on religious issues is lessening and reawakening interest for a meaningful religion." Harshbarger said the most popular Religious Studies courses are those dealing with Eastern religions and comparative study courses. He said Religious Studies I is a popular course because it gives students the opportunity to orient themselves with religious study. Harshbarger said interest in religious courses has increased in the last three years. "It used to be that the only people in Religious Studies were people who wanted to go into it as a profession. I think now there is an interest generated by students' personal need to know about themselves," he said. Dale B. Harris, professor of psychology, who supervised the study, said, "Religious attitudes of students today are different from their parents', different even from the opinions of college students in the 50's. The largest group is clearly those who are looking for an alternative to conventional religion." dispensable tool for anything more than a superficial study of the areas." He said newspaper reaaings ana conversation are used to make students more aware of regional cultures. The language requirement for the Middle East option may be fulfilled with courses in Arabic, modern Hebrew or Turkish. These languages now are taught by tape systems and lack the advantages of an instructor's help. "One of the first things we'd do for this program if more money were allocated would be to get instructors in Arabic and Turkish," Subcommittee Chairman Frederick Matson said. Arthur Goldschmidt, professor of history and subcommittee member, agreed, saying, "Only a highly motivated student can successfully complete three terms of language study using tapes." Atwater said graduate work or work experience in option areas probably would be necessary to qualify a student for a job. "This is a pre-professional program that gives a person a start in specialization of an area," Atwater said. "Although it is not enough to prepare a student for professional positions, it provides the concentration necessary for further study." The options provide foundations for jobs in the departments of State, Defense or Commerce; foreign service, European trade, research with private companies and teaching. The College recommends students decide early if they want to study area options.
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