Editorial opinion
The Supreme Court recognizes
a right to privacy among married
couples on sexual matters. But un
married people in 38 states can be
criminally prosecuted for per
forming "deviant". sexual acts in
their own homes. In fact, under
Pennsylvania's sodomy law, un
married people can be imprisoned
for up to two years for having oral
or anal intercourse even if the
acts are voluntary and even if they
are performed in the privacy of the
couples' homes.
The people who suffer . most
from this law are homosexuals.
The sodomy law is rarely enforced
against heterosexuals (except in
the case of prostitution), but
homosexuals are often
prosecuted.
On Monday the United States
Supreme Court reaffirmed the con
stitutionality of this invasion of
privacy. The Court ruled that adults
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No more pot this term
I just told Charlie no more pot this
term. He didn't like it much, but since
I'm the supplier, he didn't really have any
choice. Last night was the second time
in three months, anyway, and he has to
learn there are others that .have needs
just as great as his.
Charlie creeps. Along windowsills,
over beds, across bookshelves. I lost my
desk - for a couple weeks last term,
having made the mistake of feeding him.
After he quadrupled in size we threw
together a macrame holder out of left
over yarn and quickly banished him to
hanging in the window. There he now
sways gently in the draft, smiling to
himself, averaging six new leaves a
week. The ones below on the windowsill
cringe in awe of him.
If they're selling something in special
stands in drugstores and bookstores, it
must be a fad. The only place lately I
haven't seen plants for sale is
McDonald's. This is fascinating. I don't
know whether everyone is growing them
"because everyone else is" or if it's a
residual effect of the ecology movement
of six years ago. Either way, I'm glad
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Private lives
can be criminally prosecuted for
homosexual acts performed in
their own homes. The decision is
as unfair as one which would
prohibit people from eating ham
burgers in their own homes simply
because a majority of those in
power were vegetarians.
This hypothetical decision
would be even more outrageous if
the lawmakers did not have to
prove that eating hamburger was
harmful. But the states can get
away with punishing homosexual
acts without showing that moral
delinquency actually results from
homosexuality.
States that choose to
prosecute homosexuals have
dismissed statements by the
American Psychiatric Association
and the American Psychological
Association. These groups said
that homosexuality is not a devi
ance or mental disorder.
people are finding out how nice plants
can be. They don't really ask that
classical music be played for them four
hours a day or demand to be talked to
incessantly in order to thrive. All they
need is careful and observant care and
they will grow. To me, that is the most
satisfying part of all watching a two
leaf midget slowly unfurl new leaves one
by one.
Sarah
#47, Martens
When I first came to this university I
shyly brought with me a shoebox
containing only a vining artillery and a
christmas cactus, because my childhood
"thing" about greenery had been more of
a stigma. Have you ever tried asking a
fellow eight-year-old where's the best
place to buy potting soil? Twelve years
ago my mother gave me 50 cents to
spend on anything I wanted in the
supermarket. I came back to her clut-
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Obviously, if freedom of choice
in sexual matters is to be guaran
teed, changes must occur at the
state level. Gay lobbyists and the
Governor's Council for Sexual
Minorities are conducting
statewide efforts to establish con
stitutional rights to equal treatment
for gays.
But they are faced with a for
midable roadblock_ of public
prejudice and ignorance. Society
has ingrained in many people an
attitude of disgust or fear towards
others who are ?different."
Until these attitudes are
eliminated and people accept the
fact that everyone does not have
similar values and preferences,
outrageous rulings allowing in
vasion of privacy ' and
discrimination, like Monday's
Supreme Court decision, will con
tinue.
Buses invade squatter's rights
Go stag
It's the State College-bound bus from
Philadelphia, and I'm comfortably
stretched across two seats, writing this
column and trying not to be distracted
by the six-year -old reading Dr. Seuss's
"Green Eggs and Ham" out loud to her
doting grandmother.
The couple across from me are
strangers to each other. The girl is
reading the classifieds section of the
Philadelphia Bulletin and the man is
staring out the window at the traffic
crawling like an army of ants to the city.
I like having the whole seat to myself. I
wish I could say it's because I'm a
claustrophobic who immediately breaks
out in hives whenever I'm in a crowd; but
that's not the reason at all. Anyone who
has ever taken a bus ride knows that it's
a lot easier to go stag.
It's not that we're afraid of sitting next
to a criminal psychopath who will quietly
knife us in our seat. It's just that
sometimes we just don't know what we
should say or how we should act. Here
we are, touching someone's shoulder
but afraid to get to know him, to touch
his mind.
So the typical passenger boards the
bus and immediately looks for an empty
seat. His next job is - to defend his
territory so he puts his Samsonite
ching a tiny, sad, fuzzy-leaved thing
which dripped dismally on the floor. My
first find:
"What is it?" asked my mother;
backing off a step.
"Can't you see It's an African violet?"
"It's dead. Put it back. Why don't you
go get a toy?"
In the end she had to adhere to her
principle of "the child's freedom of
spending to teach responsibility," but
not without grumbling. The violet
survived, grew and bloomed. It's a foot
across now, a splendid old grandmother
plant.
After six terms my roommate has
gotten over her initial dislike of plants
(the artillary used to shed leaves all over
her bed and frequently she threatened
to throw it out a fifth floor window) and
the original two have multiplied to 27.
We're not sure - just where they're all
coming from, but as long as there is
room, they're welcome. I just hope the
florist was wrong when he said the cute
little six-inch schefflera will eventually
hit 30 feet.
Coming, Charlie.
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- AftWihr
leave touching
tote bag on the seat and stares out the
window, hoping that others will think
someone else is sitting there.
Travelling with a friend could have
helped this situation, but friends can
have It rough too. Sometimes
. there are
no empty seats and a pair of friends
must sit across from each other and
carry on a conversation across the aisle.
A threesome creates more problems
especially if they have to decide who sits
together and who gets marooned with a
stranger..
Cathy
Cipolla
4 „,
Sometimes choosing a seat partner is
as unsettling as asking• someone to
dance at the - Soph Hop. You climb on
Letters to the Editor
Classical praise
TO THE EDITOR: The Board of the Centre Citizens Council
would like to publicly commend the management and staff of
radio station WDFM for the recent innovation in programming
classical music.
This has been an area of interest for members of our
organization for the past several years and several attempts
were made to encourage local stations to Include classical
music. We are pleased that WDFM has chosen to fill this large
gap In radio programming and hope that the "temporary"
status will change to "permanent." We would also like to
encourage an increase in the - hours per day of classical
selections.
We would also like to commend the excellent commentary
and information which accompanies the selections. Thank
you!
Animal bites
TO THE EDITOR: Eat your column, Mr. Schwartz. Whether you
do or do not believe the comments concerning the PIAA
wrestlers is of no importance. I advise that you, apologize or
write an equally abusive piece about high school football
players, basketball players, gymnasts, etc. •
I did not hear any grunts. I did not find a spare ear. I did not
see any hairy beasts. I did see and read an unfounded item in
The Daily Collegian.
If "The Animal" Is a composite of all high school wrestlers
we were at different tourneys. You ignored the lighter weight
classes, or do you feel that a 98 pound sophomore could in
timidate a school board? The boys' early curfew necessitated
they retire before State College's night life comes alive. You
must frequent the pinball halls at early hours if you saw them
there. Many fans were out but they were indistinguishable,
except for some varsity jackets, from the usual crowd.
Obviously you did not make the team which accounts for the
dusty shelf of your memories. One tends to suppress failings
so it is understandable. Writing a senseless column is not
understandable even for a past editor of the Collegian. It's
circulation is good.
. _
State College resident
Editor's note: Schwartz, weighing in at 5 foot 10 inches and
142 pounds, never tried out for the wrestling team in high
school. In fact, he was once pinned in gym class in five
seconds, a record that still stands at Upper Moreland Senior
High School.
Tired out
TO THE EDITOR: I am a mystical agnostic. I am mystical most
probably due to my rather extensive background and training in
the ways of Christianity.
I really must admit I always enjoyed reading the Bible. It was
so very nice, although somewhat of a surprise, to learn that
Mary was a virgin. It was so nice to read about Jesus, and his
disciples, and about all their adventures together. It always
brought a smile to my face when he would raise the dead and
heal the sick. It was all such great fun. I used to root for him
when the bureaucrats got down on him, and I simply loved all
the tricks he used to pull. Unfortunately, in the past few years,
my conscience has led me down the path to agnosticism. I
have simply. seen and heard far too much to allow myself to
turn away. There are one hell of a lot of questions, one hell of a
lot of problems, and whether the Campus Crusade for Christ,
or anyone else likes it, there are one hell of a lot of answers.
board and scan the seats for an empty
one, but all you can see are the
isolationists. Some are slumped across
the whole seat pretending to be asleep,
and others are staring out the window
with their tote bags beside them.
So you approach one of them and
awkwardly ask if he's sitting alone. He
smiles sheepishly and puts the tote bag
on the overhead rack s -and you sit down
and take off your coat, hoping you don't
accidently bump him in the face. So
much for squatters' rights.
So what do you say after you say hello
(or grunt, or whatever?) If he's wearing a
Penn State jacket you could ask him
"What's your major?", "Where do you
live?", etc., but this type of conversation
is often stilted. Besides, he may not
want to be bothered. So usually the
easiest thing to do is take out a book and
read. Or you could close your eyes and
pretend to be asleep (subtly exercising
an iron grip on your pocketbook or other
valuables). Or you could gaze out the
window and watch for deer or read road
signs. Then suddenly_the bus will swerve
or turn and hurl you against your partner,
Susan F. Smith
Centre Citizens Board
Patricia Frantz
who thinks he has to tell you his whole
--life story. He'll bend you ear telling you
about his parents' divorce and the time
he was in the hospital for hem
morrhoids, and you just don't know how
to deal with it. Sometimes it's hard to
strike the happy medium between stony
silence and telling all, and it seems
most of us miss the bull's eye because
we're afraid.
It doesn't have to be this un
comfortable, and I really wish it wasn't.
We don't resent our seat buddies at all.
It's just that we've always been told not
to talk to strangers and we're afraid
they'll think we're too friendly, God
forbid.
But maybe next 'time we should try to
do something besides looking out the
window. You don't have to start a
"relationship" with your partner , or tell
him your deepest secrets. But you could
make it a little easier for yourself and
him. Even if It makes you forget about
that shoulder, it's worth it.
While I dare say I'm not nearly so pompous as to claim jo have
the answers, I am bound and determined to look.
I am tired of would-be fascists parading in the guise of world
saviors and moral giants. I am tired of organizations of self
righteous moralists who insist upon setting themselves up as
interpretors, judges and juries. I am mostly tired of people who
refuse to listen, whether it be because they won't, or because
they can't
l' - m
afraid that Mr. John D. Stephenson is all too correct in
saying "The powerful usually win . . . " Tragically, I've seen
the old adage "might makes right" borne out all too many
times. While I have neither the inclination nor even, the
remotest desire to convert anyone, I can no longer sit back and
watch while the Campus Crusade for Christ continues to trap
and exploit those they are able to catch off guard. 'l
What I would hope to see, and soon, is a body of people
dedicated to tolerance, dedicated to listening and to learning. I
would like to see a place where people could come and share
their thoughts and ideas openly without threat of judgment. In
a sense it is again time for a reformation. It Is essential that we
find an effective and workable alternative to the Campus
Crusade. It is essential that we do so now!
Power failure
TO THE EDITOR: What powers can the USG ever-•hope to
obtain when The Daily Collegian tells its readers that it is
"staying home" when it comes time to vote? USG desperately
needs the support - of the students which can be shown through
the votel
God's creature
TO THE EDITOR: The structure on the corner of Beaver and
Garner is not a dinosaur. it does not eat litter. It is not a ship
and the surrounding grassy plot does not swallow up litter as
the ocean does. It is a church and a house of God.
=Collegian
SHEILA McCAULEY
Editor
BOARD OF EDITORS: MANAGING EDITOR, Janice Selinger;
EDITORIAL EDITOR, Brenda Turner; EDITORIAL ASSISTANT,
Sherrie Spangler; NEWS EDITOR, Bill Hannegan; ASSISTANT NEWS
EDITOR, PaMela Reasner; STATE NATIONAL NEWS EDITOR, Laurie
Peacher; CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, Jerry Schwartz; COPY EDITORS,
Deanna Finley, Miko Joseph, Phil Storey; FEATURES EDITOR, Janie
Musala; SPORTS EDITOR, Brian Miller; ASSISTANT SPORTS
EDITORS, Dave Morris, Barb Parmer; PHOTO EDITOR, Julie Cipolla;
ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITORS, Eric Felack, Tom Peters; GRAPHICS
EDITOR, Lynne Maimed; WEATHERMAN, Tom Ross.
BOARD OF MANAGERS: LOCAL ADVERTISING MANAGER, Joan
Kirschner; ASSISTANT ADVERTISING' MANAGER; Peter Sichel;
NATIONAL ADVERTISING MANAGER, Kim Batey; OFFICE PER
SONNEL MANAGER, Andi Krantz.
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to us
forcing you to feel his shoulder, arm and
leg.
Equally uncomfortable Is someone
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David Olson
6th-theater-film
Kevin Wilson
6th-meteorology
Mary Lou Pratt
12th-English