Editorial opinion This is - a - test. For a few hours, you are asked to participate in a test of the emergency non smoking system. Do not be alarmed. This is only a test. If this were an actual emergency, confiscation of your cigarettes and joints would be seriously considered. The pally Collegian, irk voluntary cooperation with] the University Concert Committee and other student and administrat:. er agen cies, has developed , a non smoking system to keep the residents of the Penn State com munity happy at their concerts. Letters to the Editor of the Collegian Which calendar? TO THE EDITOR: Unknown to most students, the University Calendar Commission is considering changing from.. the present trimester calendar to the semester calendar. This Issue has been coming up for the past few years, but this is the first !ime th.it it has reached any serious proportions, thus demanding a verdict one way or the other. Some years back, the University adopted the trimester year in favor of the semester year. It took three to four years to fully implement the plan, and it cost in the neighborhood of two million dollars. All of the courses, requirements, etc. had•to be revamped The big questiop is do we want to go through this , ~gain Ai present. the faculty is split: half in favor and half opposed ,o implementing a semester calendar. Therefore, it is the students who could and probably will cast the deciding vote. Here's your chance to make yourself heard. You students have now been informed of the situation, so let's hear what you have to say i Write to the Collegian in care of this column, and alk to your representatives on the Academic Assembly. Trivial education TO THE EDITOR: Regarding 'Wednesday's letter of concern towards PSU's "education" process: Miss leßlanc, I salute you. I am heartened that a fellow discouraged student has been moved to speak out. This is my final year of college, and I rather dread what awaits me beyond the Penn State gates, once my hands clutch that diploma, for I am not sufficiently prepared to do much of anything but spout trivialities and bits and fragments from various topics. I transferred here from a small community college, one ,vhere the professors were not well-known, nor_had strings of degrees and books attributed them. Few were published. But I can honestly say I received an education far superior to that ~.Mich has been thrust at me here. There, the teachers inspired their students with an enthusiasm to seek something more than what they received from the texts. f enjoyed doing outside work. and my classes always interested me because the teachers cared bout our learning and thinking, not our ob . taming facts. Here, unfortuantely at the beginning of each term, regard- 4 WERE Rmott CREW...II4E ctomwtrEE. lb REEZAMIA6 111 E Miettir. PSU's policy on abortion By BEVERLY KANIECKI New Kensington Campus I feel compelled to write this letter of complaint and protest regarding a particular course I am presently taking at the New Kensington campus of Penn State. The course is tndividuarand Family Studies 329, "Infancy and Early Childhood Development." The bulletin description is as follows. :Developmental patterns during infancy and pre school yeart. including physical, psychological and social change Directed observation of young children." Collegian forum One would assume, as I did, that the course would start with and be concerned with life. HoweVer, thus far, the first sup plementary reading assignment was on techniques of birth control, and parts of two class seesions have dealt not only .ith birth control but with methods of abortion. Regardless of the Supreme Court decision making abOrtion legal. there are still some of us who are pro-life and feel abortion is wrong. even though it is legal. Our instructor herself said that abortion is an issue which goes beyond the laws and into the deep morals of the individual. I think it is very unfair. then. to present abortion simply as a matter of fact by an irrstructor who is openly pro-abortion without going into the deeper issiles involved. To me. an instructor is looked 'up to and believed to be knowledgeable and right. particularly by 18- and 19-year-olds who have not yet decided how tt!ey feel about abortion. I strenuously object to the influence a pro-abortion instructor This is .a test Everyone attending the Bonnie Raite-Jackson Browne concert tonight is asked to participate -in the non-smoking test. If the test is successful, an emergency will not develop. The tests consist of refraining losing $20,000, since two acts from accentuating the new Univer- already are booked to perform sity auditorium carpet with bu there. UCC may be unable to burns and from decorating it with- 3 ; reserve the other University empty bottles andlother litter. facilities • large enough to ac- concertgoers are asked to test their willpower to see just how long they can refrain from lighting up, to see if they possess enough mind-over-matter ability to deny themselves nicotine or pot for the Brad Harris Ist term-accounting and pre-law entire concert. An emergency situation could develop if the non-smokiPg test is unsuccessful. UCC will lose ' its right to book concerts a the new auditorium, which could result in its commodate the audiences these performers draw. This will be a test an important test because failing this one could mean the first UCC concert in the new auditorium would be the last. less of whatever enthusiasm I have initially for a new course, the — OVersized package of required information which is ram med down my throat with a take-it-or-leave-it you're-only-one of-600-other-students attitude never fails to smother any spark of excitement I h - ad. Alas for poor Learning; he must step aside for "quickie" Knowledge, which leads a relatively short life. Perhaps the semester idea is a good one; with five added weeks, teachers can slow down a bit, and students have time to grasp and learn new things before they are rushed on to something else. Students do care 'about learning; it's the teachers who sadly lack the caring! For myself, personal communication with an interested prof is meaningful. People are more interesting out-of-print. Inept projectionist TO THE EDITOR: I find it most, inexcusable that•the people responsible for running the filmstfor the Artists Series have not yet learned how to properly run the projector. Last week at the Bergman movie and again this week at the Chaplin program the film had to be stopped repeatedly because it kept going haywire. First the trouble was blamed on "new sophisticated equipment," which is the mosC6surd thing I've ever heard. Sophisticated or not, the time to learn how to run the machine is before the film is run, not during the shOw.iitext, rwas blamed on the University Power Plant overloading the circuits. We were' assured that it would not happen again, but it did, proving that it was not the power plant but the ineptness of the projectionist. There is nothing more distracting , than having your concentration broken every few minutes by flipping film and distorted sound. So please, whoever is trying to run the films, no more excuses. Learn how to work the projector. It can't be that difficult. No tickets by third TO THE EDITOR: One needs 2nly to took at any recent issue of the Collegian to see that the University Concert Committee has been picked on, falsely accused, and in general spat upon by an unappreciative student body. UCC is uhderstandably upset Side orders The Golden Shovel Awards A few nights ago I went to visit my friend Harris. As I knocked on the door, I heard the sound of typing behind it. That wasn't unusual, but what I saw after he called "Come in!" was. Harris was sitting at his desk, typing furiously wearing a pair of snowshoes and a winter coat." Being a keen4itted investigative reporter. I asked, "Why are you wearing snowshoes and a coat?" "I'm working on a paper," he replied in a matter-of-fact tone. He handed me a mimeographed sheet headed MID-TERM QUESTIONS and said, "Number Three." Question Three read: "Compare the history of Mesopotamia with mid- Victorian theater." "Oh." I said, "One of those papers." "You got it," Harris replied, "By the lime I'm finished, the snow's going to be a toot thick in here." teaching abortion can have on receptive young minds. It is as if to say, "If you have an unwanted pregnancy, this is what you can do - without presenting the other alternatives. It presents abortion as legal and therefore right, and, implies that it would be foolish not to take advantage of this "relatively simple, legal out" of an unwanted pregnancy. Perhaps it p just coincidence, Milt last fall the instructor of my biological science class also condoned abortion as a legal last resort of birth . control. Is this the policy that Penn State as a whole is encouraging that abortion is legal and therefore Are instructors permitted to teach whatever and however they desire, or are there guidelines to be followed for particular courses? I am particularly interested, since part of 'my tax dollar is being used to support Penn State, and I cannot condone the use of any tax money to further the cause of abortion. I understand that abortion is legal, althotigh not moral, and is a fact of life, whether right or wrong. Must it be injected randomly into courses in which it has no bearing? When registering for IFS 329, I thought it refreshing to talk about and study life for a .change. It seems ironic that a class on young life would begin_with the obstruction and destruction of the very beginnings of life. I simply cannot understand how I can be forced to study birth control and abortion in a course with the above description. I would appreciate it if administrators and instructors took some action to re-evaluate teaching policy on such /con troversial issues as aborti6n and birth.-control. Only when such issues are presented fairly by both sides, not only matter-of-factly but with the serious in-depth,study of the moral responsibilities they incur, can or should they be taught. L.K. Hughes 10th-English literature Marji Trachtman 2nd-psychology By BILL SPANGLER of the Collegian Staff `:,„-50i 3 FIXR A Ratii%qe/ZeMEArrs THE RRETTY WOW FAME AND 77/9 Nowasw- comsßesSiMv or 6P M ASSIST HER Wait ,1,;,," and defensive about erroneous accusations such as: You never get any good groups; you are lackeys of the ad ministration, and tide on the student body; you lack organization; and you have taste from herring. Well, UCC„ this letter is different. It contains a legitimate honest-to-goOdness gripe. It is now third period on October 18. All of the tickets are sold to your Bonnie Raitt-Jackson Browne concert, and I don't have one. It is not because I was unwilling to wait in line for hours, nor was it due to lack of funds. Neither did I have other plans for the night of the concert. It was because of two minor details, namely first and second periods. Yes, UCC some people just can't miss a class sometimes (I'm not a heretic, but a projectionist). If you refuse to make reliable estimates of the drawing power of your artists, and therefore neglect to schedule a large enough facility, why can't you be fair to students who must make classes by holding a third or so of the tickets for sale in the evening. It's no skin off your teeth, I ,know, but some of us are disappointed in you. By the way, if anyone who did get a couple of tickets, finds that they can't go, I'd appreciate a phone call. No scalpers please. Movies wracked TO - THE EDITOR: I think the Artists Series owes an apology to all frustrated viewers of their recent movies shown in their Film Series. Three enjoyable Charlie Chaplin movies were pretty well wrecked by interruptions caused by projectionist's dif ficulties (or whatever). This can be expected at a more casual and amatuerish production, but I am disappointed to find that the Artists Series' incompetence was so thorough! The abortion act TO THE EDITOR: Your Wednesday article, that is to say, editorial on the Abortion Control Act was decidedly ob noxious. I have just finished reading the act itself and was amazed how mild the provisions actually are. if the health or life of the mother is not affected, the bill requires the consent of the husband or approval of a parent in the case of a minor I catch cold easily, so I turned to leave. But before I left, Harris said, "Give me a word." "What kind of word?" "Anything. Something that sounds intellectual." "Input?" I offered. "Too short." "Interdisciplinary?" He thought a second, then said, "No, not quite ..." "Parameter?" I suggested. "Great! That's fine." He started to type again, and I slipped out. Shortly afterwards, though, I realized how often I ran into things that read like Harris's paper and how often these statements come from people con sidered authorities. For example, here is how Aristotle describes a "whole" plot in his "Poetics": "Whole" means having beginning, a middle and an end. The beinning, while LeyCollegian DIANE M. NOTTLE Edltdr Editorial policy is determined by the Editor Opinions expressed by the editors and staff of The Daily Collegian are not necessarily those of the University administration, faculty or students. Editorial Staff: 865-1828 Sports Staff: 865-1820 Business Staff: 865-2531 BOARD OF EDITORSi MANAGING EDITOR, Steve Ostrosky; EDITORIAL EDITOR, Barb White; NEWS EDITOR, Glenda Gephart; COPY EDITORS, Jean LaPenna, , Robyn Moses, Jerry Schwartz; LAYOUT EDITORS, Cathy Cipolla, Paula Ruth; SPORTS EDITOR, Rick Starr; ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITORS, Tim Panaccio, Jeff Young; PHOTO EDITOR, Ed Golomb, ASSISTANT PHOTO' EDITOR, Ed Palsa; EDITORIAL CARTOONISTS,;Tom Gibb, Mike Sannir WEATHER REPORTER, Thad Chupalio. BOARD OF MANAGERS: ADVERTISING MANAGER, David Lang; ASSISTANT ADVER TISING MANAGERS, Susan Voytovich, Kim Batey; NATIONAL ADVERTISING MANAGER, Bob Rosner; ASSISTANT BOOKKEEPER, Heather Walden; BILLING, Sandy Pollock, Michele Reilly; DELIVERY, Steve Straley, Jorene Proper; ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES; Rai Monet, Jeff Berney, Tom Tull, Ellen Clair, Steve Wallach. Bth-Economy and Spanish Jeff Patton 4th-general agriculture not necessarily following something else, is, by definition, followed by something glse. The end, on the con trary, 'follows something else by definition, either always or in most cases, but nothing else comes after I could go on, but I think everyone has run into statements like this one. •, Still. people who know how to say nothing well I have spent a long time polishing their skills, and they should be honored. Therefore, I would like to establish the polden Shovel Awards, for the best snow job in 10 specific categories: Liberal arts papers, eight pages or less. Engineering projects. Scientific projects (the Erich von Daniken Memorial Award). Successor to the Free Lance, est. 1887 Member of the Associated Press Charter member of the Pennsylvania Collegiate Media Association before an abortion can be committed. This is clearly within the bounds set by the Supreme Court. If pressed on the point, I would have to say, though, that no, t father and the parents do not have the right (moral right) to d4cide on the life or death of another human being any more than does the mother. Notwithstanding the comments of some oflthe outraged ninnies your article quoted, the act is a step in the right direction if its net effect is to limit abortions and thus sale human lives. . - The calendar T THE EDITOR: Is the Calendar Commission seriously contemplating a change from our present term system? Before the commission makes its recommendation, I hope they i t co suit the peobie who would be affected most, the students. realize. there are pros and cons relating to each of the six calendar systems under consideration. However, I wonder whether the commission comprehends the far-reaching effects of their decision. For instance, I am an engineering co-op student who alternates between work and school every two 1 terms. Thus, a switch to another calendar system could put my scheduled program to a sudden halt. David Stabb Although Academic Assembly • has placed a calendar suggestion box in the HUB, this is not an accurate guideline of student opinion. Please let the students have a voice in the calendar system by subjecting the issue to a formal student ballot. Larry Rybar • 3rd-electrical engineering An apology TO THE EDITOR: I wish to apologize, for the rather rash statement and profanity concerning the math department that I was quoted in Monday's Daily Collegian as having said. The comment was out of order and I did not expect to have it printed. I have received input froni many people who convey problems in communication in classes and "flak" encountered when trying to change sections. The math department is not as inept as my previous statement may imply, but I do believe that the department can_do much to improve their courses. Liberal arts papers, eight to 20 Liberal arts papers, 20 or more CYNTHIA A. ASHEAR Business Manager Business Office Hours: Monday through Friday 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. John J. Rock Graduate-German Jon Fortuna Academic Assembly Tutoring Committee Artistic efforts Current events. wtiich includes anything that has been published in the last six months. - Lecttires in class. Contemporary textbooks (books written by people who are not con sidered undisputed authorities). Classical textbooks (books by people who are considered undisputed authorities, such as Aristotle). If anyone has examples of snow jobs in these areas, send or bring them to the Collegian office. 126 Carnegie. If there is enough response. there will be a special awards column before the end of the term. All entries will be considered• by an impartial panel of judges (whoever I can round up at th'e time), and the deadline for entries is November 6. In case of ties, duplicate shovels will be awarded. One other thing: the first person who sends in this column should beware of packages that tick. Letter policy The Daily Collegian encourages comments on news coverage, editorial policy and campus and off-campus affairs. Letters - should be typewritten, double spaced, signed by no more than two persons and no longer than 30 lines. Students' letters should include the name, term and major of the writer. Publisher's statement The Daily Collegian is published by Collegian, Inc., a private, non-profit corporation which bears legal and financial responsibility for the newspaper. The Board of Directors of Collegian, Inc., is the controlling body of the corporation. The Board is composed of three undergraduate students, one graduate student, three faculty members, two professional members, the editor and the business manager. The paper's. adviser also serves as executive secretary to the Board, a non-voting position. Memoers of the University community who wish to file .ormal grievances over any content of The Daily Collegian should address correspondence to the Collegian's Committee on Accuracy and Fair Play in care of the executive secretary of Collegian, Inc., ptiblisher of The Daily Collegian. Chairman
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