Editorial opinion
Revolt tonight
Today is the day the student
revolution at Penn State officially
begins. The first consititutional
convention meeting convenes
, 7:30 tonight in the HUB Assembly
Room.
You are invited to be a
delegate at the convention and
assemble tonight with - Penn
State's other leading
revolutionaries.
Don't worry. It is not going to be
a bloody revolution. As a delegate
you will ndt have to fear for your
life. 'Police Services officers will
not tail you and compile reports on
you'and your subversive activities.
University President John W.
Oswald will not stick you on his
enemies list, although Un
dergraduate Student Government
President George Cemusca may.
=Collegian
DIANE M. NOTTLE
Editor
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.
Letters to the Editor of the Collegiqn
Students or people?
TO THE EDITOR: "Students of the world unite! We don't want
to be treated like people!" That seems to be the gist of the
letters complaining of Mr Woskob's proposal for mAdatory
12-month leases.
Let's get some facts straight: First, students want to be
ireated like people. so. now, they can vote in State College.
:,econd. they want to be treated like students, notice the
uproar over paying taxes. Third, they want to be treated like
people. so. now. they live in apartments, living by their own
rules. Fourth, they want to be treated like students—notice thef
uproar over the 12 month lease.
Besides a vague reference that a 12-month tease is somehow
unfair and thus screwing the student." (Whoever heard of a 9-
inotith lease anyway? Most people haven't heard of them, let
alorie do they have them. Only students do.) The main ob
jection seems to be monetary, "we virtually stretch ourselves
:0 she limits of our means."
Will. if the ,students-people would be a little bit, more
,onsiderate of others and the property of others, and siop
vandalizing (the Beaver Avenue 'riot), or. if they had a little
more sense, and would use their cents for more worthwhile
hings than pot. booze, the latest Rolling Stones album, or the
newest speaker system, they just might have the extra cash
needed to be a person. rather than a student.
Grow Up! You came to PSU to learn a little bit about the
outside world. Well, Mr. Woskob and his 12-month lease is the
outside world. Welcome to it!
Tickets galore
T'O THE EDITOR: If you are a student who operates a car on
campus. you will most probably be awarded with a traffic
violation. These slips of paper are issued by the countless
number of policemen strolling in the parking lots, loitering by
ihe stop signs . or cruising about in - -their paddywagons. The
only;escape-from paying these ridiculous fines is to memorize
not only Pennsylvania's driving laws but also Penn State's
driving laws which include an indecipherable" parking map.
Since mos) of you_are not Einsteins, you must pay for parking
or driving in the Wrong place at the wrong time. The $lO you
pay to drivp and park_your car on campus buys you a parking
space in a filled lot. - According to the map, students in West
P 1166 Fn 'ms v.c. SITIVIOR
Why should you risk c being on
Cemusca's enemies list to help
study and write a new consitution
for the presently ineffective
student government? For' quite a
few good reasons.
The group of little league
political hacks representing you
must be eliminated. And the best
way to do that is to improve the
system of student representation
so much that a return of hacks is
impossible.
You probably will never againibe
able to decide that you viciiki
prefer a benevolent dictptorship or
a coalition of student organizations
or some other form of government,
and then be able to draw up a plan
for its operation. Or to study
weaknesses and strengths of gov
ernmental plans as a committee
Successor to the Free Lance,est. 1887
Member of the Assoiateress
Charter member of the' Pennsylvania
Collegiate Media Association
Mark Hoffman
Bth-journalism
CYNTHIA A. ASHEAR
Business Manager
Halls must park near East Halls. Well, $lO isn't too much to
pay for inconvenience, is it?
Naturally these valorous men who are entrusted with the
responsibility of upholding justice in University Park are out
morning, noon and night writing violation tickets. The public is
expected to allow .for their absence in open empty buildings
(the perfect place for rapes, assaults and the like) because they
are performing the menial task of distributing parking tickets.
This display causes you to wonder if the cops get com
mission on each ticket they write. The best procedure to take to
get the protection the police force should provide, especially
for women. is to walk through the parking lots restricted for
student'use, Don't drive a car for added security; you will have
to walk several blocks from ^a student parking lot to your
destination. or you will have to,pay the fine:
Don't change the leases
TO THE EDITOR: This is a reply to the proposed changes for
all downtown apartment dwellers concerning the 1975-76 lease
by I and A corporation. The. following changes in the contract
will result in a mass exodus, if not a total boycott of the
buildings, by the current residents: 12 month lease (for 9.
month residents). rent charged for a balcony (when it's damn
hard to get an apartment without one), parents required as
cosigners.
If these changes are .allowed to continue, who knows when
they will stop? Will we be required to pay extra for such
luxuries' as carpeting, walls, floors?
We sincerely hope I and A corporation reconsiders the
proposed- changes in next year's lease.
Join the union
TO THE EDITOR: If the ,Wascob decision to convert to a,
mandatory 12-mOnth lease (without significant decrease in
rent) is an indication of future trends in housing, fhe student .
tenant Is in trouble. Spiralling rents, combined with overall
COICROIirr 1100 K ..
" --7 - 7 5-- - ''
member•and attempt to improve
them.
This is an opportunity to create a
form_ of government. Or to
strengthen or reject governmental
plans. This is your chance to make
sure Penn State's Watergate could
never recur.
This is a chance to combine all
your idealism and pragmatism into
a governmental plan, which might
be approved by the convention
delegates and the students and
put into practice. You could watch
a government that you invented or
worked on grow and operate - .
This is your chance to mold a
strong student voice which would
have more influence in resolving
such controversies as the Univer
sity calendar, and the annual tuition
increase.
Join the revolution. Tonight
Publisher's
statement
The Daily Collegian is published try
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 tacut* 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.
Joseph Selnekovic
7th-environmental resource management
David Kraus
7th-earth sciences
ike
By MARGIE TENNYSON
Graduate-counselor education
In
,ecent months there has been much pressure by some of
the local population for bike paths and lanes. I realize that the
intentions are good and that most of the pressure arises out of
a re. concern for the safely of the cyclist.
Collegian forum
- )ctr"
It is e emely important to me, however, to express the
vi o n the other side of the same coin. There ate many, in
and and State College, who are ardent and experienced
bicylists. We have been riding for several years, often .as
maq,, or more than, 100 miles per week as a method of trans
portation, exercise 'and training for amateur competition.
Those of us who take the bicycle very seriously are also
familiar with those trying to protect us.
In other areas where bike lanes and paths have been
established there has actually been an increase In problems. In
Milviaukee, Wis. glass covers the pavement and debris col
lects due to the lack of sweeping air from the cars. People find
that the bike paths are excellent for walking dogs and strolling.
Chikiren and elderly people are frequently injured by those
whose fitness enables them to ride at 10-25 miles per hour.
Consequently very few use the paths for bicycling. In Alexan
dria, Virginia, the bike path is a runners paradise and the path
becomes dangerous when two,try to pass. There is too much
variation in speed and ability among bicyclists for any degree
of safety on such paths.
As for the bike lane on South Allen Street I suggest that, if
used, we will see an increase in serious accidents. We will now
hav,i a situation
, where it is necessary for conflict whenever a
car iturns right, necessitating either a stop in the moving traffic
lane to allow any oncoming bicycles to the right to pass, or
worse yet, to cross in front of moving bicycles possibly without
I'm not
If there were such a thing as a typical Penn
State student, I imagine that one could typically
find a number of them lounging around the
HUB.
So, in search of a typical Penn State student
conversation, I went to the HUB and pretended
to fall asleep near a pair of likely subjects who
were reading The Daily Collegian. I never saw
their faces, but they both wore jeans.
They spoke to each other in slow, low-keyed
monotones, like two florescent lights.
The conversation went like this
"Hey, look,ihe Collegian wants to dissolve
USG."
Yeah, I know
It sounds like a good idett to me.'
"Yeah, well, I'm not Idly into that too
much."
"I guess they never really had their shit
together."
inflation, make it difficult for low and middle income students
to remain in school. Unfortunately the options are limited.
Substandard housing is overpriced, and stuffing five or six
people into one or two bedroom apartments is uncomfortable,
unsafe, and, in some cases, illegal.
Unfortunately there are no knights in shining armor to rescue
the student tenant. Rent control on a state or local level is
unlikely. Although OTIS has been effective in some areas, they
have had little influence on the high rent situation. Landlords
are committed to the philosophy of charging "what the market
will bear."
Recently a tenant's union was formed at Penn State.
Although there has been a favorable response from tenants,
only a fraction have actuallyjoined. A successful tenant's
union requires the active participation and support of the
tenants.
Lorraine Matey
1 st-pre-med
Robert Pigkel
7th-pre raw
If you're seriously concerned about high rents, at least try
joining the tenant's union. Collective bargaining with landlords
is a realistic alternative. One thing is clear; complaints are not
enough. If there is hope for change, it depends on com
mitment from_ the tenants.
Rotten• review
TO THE EDITOR: I would seriously like to know how one
claims the job of concert reviewer for this paper? If you use a
journalism major, you should at, least get one who has a
minimal knowledge of music. I'm referring to all of your
reviews in general, and the Souther, Hillman, and Furay
concert specifically.
First off, there is a distinction between what this reviewer
has called "backporch country music" and country rock, which
is what these guys play. Country rock is more progressive,
sophisticated, and electric Than "backperch country music."
But the main beef of this article is the 'inaccuracies in iden
tifying the bark: members. John David Souther was not the one
who "leaped daringly into the air" to end the songs. That was
Chris Hillman. Souther was the one who sang many of the
softer numbers. There was even a point in the set where Richie
lanes
By ED MONTINI
of the Collegian Stet
Graduate Sociology
State College Borough Council
unnecessary, unsafe
allowing them time to stop. Is all of this realty necessary?
I agree that a bicycle should stay to the right when safely
possible, but what if he wants to turn left? On S. Allen Street he
will have to cross into the car lane to safely do so unless he
wishes to dismqunt and walk across thelbrosswalk. In other
cities it has been demonstrated that when bicycles are restric
ted to the bike lanes motorists become very protective of their
convenience and often refuse to extend the courtesy of some
measure of consideration for the rights (Motor Vehicle
Code) of the cyclist.
There have been many bicyclists who feel that bikes should
be exempt from the laws of the road. For them I can say only
one thing. The bicycle is not a toy and some measure of
responsibility must be exhibited by the operator. A bicyclist
may reach speeds well abovq a leisurely pace and in town can
maintain speeds capable of hurting pedestrians severely. •
One other consideration to be kept in mind is that justice
comes quickly if a bicyclist oversteps his legal rights. He must
"drive defensively" expecting to be idhored, assaulted, and
over looked. He may want to run stop signs anclignore stop
lights but one false move and he may pay his fine with his
body. A cyclist can be "dead right."
Bicycling is a form of sport, a national, sport in many
European countries, and sportsmen must learn their odds. If
one wants to ride
. a bike, he must learn the rules of the road
and know that the possibility exists that he will be injured. It is
not the government's k.b to protect people from themselves.
Otherwise we would have no Sports because the possibility of
injury does exist. There are those, I'm sure, who have refrained
from skiing because they fear a broken leg. If anyone fears
injury from riding a bike, then it is his legal right not to ride.
It is not his legal right to demand a special place to ride
at the public expense. That need should be met by those
who feel that the roads are too dangerous for them; with their
own funds. If parents are concerned about their children, they
must remember that for most people the use of the road
requires a license which must be earned by showing an abifity
to drive and a knowledge of the law. Should bicycles be any
different? 15
I have ridden - several thousand miles by bicycle irimand
The art critic
really into that'
'Who?"
*USG you know, Cernusca and them
'Oh, yeah, what a farce "
Do you understand that insurance stuff?'
'Nobody does.'
"Hey look, there's a consitiutional con
vention tonight in the HUB. Sounds pretty
radical."
"They'll probably get a turnout like they do
for elections."
"Yea #, what a joke. I heard that only a third
of the students voted last year." .
"Nobody really cares about those elec-
"Yeatt, I know. Did you vote?"
"No, I think I had a test or something.",
"Me too.'
'I guess everyone's sort of apathetic
"liguess so."
"I mean, why not? What did they ever do for
me?" '
Furay introduced Souther as so. Anyone who was listening
coul have picked that up. Richie Furay is "the eternal youth —)
r c i
The also should have been something said about the ex
celle t backup work' by Al Perkins, Jim Gordon, and Paul
Harris. These guys are far from your standard backup studio
musicians. So let's give credit where credit is due
One last point :I'd like to commend the UCC for bringing this
concert to the University. They've been criticized unjustly of
late. It's good to see some bands that are not big on the "pop
scene" for a change.
TO THE EDITOR: As a cultural anthropologist, Margret Mead
has conducted many fascinating studies of unusual peoples °
with peculiar life styles, such as the Samoan Islanders in "The
Coming of Age in Samoa." Yet there exists a most unusual
breed of people in her own country, in this very state, who
beggar description and cry for investigation and assessment.',.
Dean Phillips
_Some of these unusual people live here at University Park:
This is where I first encountered them. Among many of their'
oddities is their speech. They "wersh" their clothes. -wear
'.enners" and hold up their socks with "gumbands." Playing
'tab" football is the main recreational outlet for these people
Some of their words such as "jaggoff" and "liens" have no
English equivalent and thus cannot be readily deciphered.
These are a religious people. They descend•from their hill
homes on crude mechanical devines called "inclines." to
worship the local deities at the Temple of the Three Rivers. Iron
City and pop are the preferred beverages of these misplaced
people.
You can see by my brief description, that these people
warrant intensive study and research. The geographicar
location of these people is at the Junction of the Allegheny. the ,
Monongahela and the Ohio rivers. They call their village
'Pittsburgh."
I humbly urge you to add to your list of achievements by
going to "Pittsburgh" and investigating these people and share
with the civilized world their peculiar culture.
"USG."
"Oh, I don't know I told you I'm not really into
that."
"Well, I think that it should be dissolved, too
I mean, I think we should vote on it Of
something "
"Yeah, maybe "
"Somebody should suggest that
referendum or something at that con
vention.
"Why don't you'?"
"Me? No. I don't get into politics much
either."
"Actually. I think this editorial is kind of
hokey. I mean calling it a 'revolution' and all "
"Is that what they called if?"
"Yeah. I'm half tempted to go tonight. lust for
a laugh, but it is a bad night for me I utUally
study or something "
There was along pause in the conversation
and I fell asleep. 'N.,
Strange cblture
around State College this year alone as well as on bike paths in
several states. I have seen that these paths and lanes are not
used for their intended purpose. If the government wants to
build paths for recreational use, that is fine but they cannot ex
pect them to be used by those who wish to get somewhere or
to train for physical fitness or racing. Yes, bicycling is an Olym
pic sport aid, unknown to many Americans, the highest paid
athlete in the world is a professional cyclist, Eddy Merckx of
Belgium. State College could be proud of the fact that one of
its citizens is a national class racer and that several others are
members of the Amateur Bicycle League. It is interesting to
note that none of us in our combined milages of training have
ever been seriously injured. We have been hit, run off the road,
Spit upon, cursed at, accosted and had people try to grab us
from moving cars. Those of us injured in these ways have been
able to use the legal system for aid in many cases. All of us are
willing to obey the rules of the road as outlined in the motor
vehicle code.
I personally believe that co-existance and consideration of
each other's legal rights is the answer to the problem. If the
bicyclist goes wrong he will be injured. If a car intentionally
harms a bicyclist, then he can take legal action. After all, as
sault with a motor vehicle is a ffilony, and we've gone to court
before. We are already legally equal to motorists; whether or
cof to take the physical danger is a personal choice. All
itizens should be allowed to base their decision on the odds
and best of all with no expense to the government.
I would be more than willing to meet with anyone interested
in this problem at any time. Hopefully before any money is
spent on a service likely to be ignored by most, dangerous to
some and inconvenient to many. Motorists are citizens too, and
even I will admit that they are a large majority of the citizens
who use the roads.
Let those who need a "safe" place to cycle off the road torn
a group and buy their own land, make their own rules and
police it themselves. Isn't that what a democracy is for? I doubt
that too many people realty care that much in terms of absolute
percentages of the population. Let's work on real problems
that really can help those who need it. Bicyclists are probably
the healthiest around:''
Laurence J. Carlin
9th-sociology
Bob Putro
10th-law enforcement and corrections