The mood of yesterday’s Gentle Thursday festivities brought frisbees, music and a
, chance for tramp'olining on a picnic blanket. See more photos page 7.
Gentle
By TOM BUTCH
Collegian Staff Writer
The tnood for the day was set at
daybreak. The weather had done its
part, painting State College skies blue
and pouring streams of sunlight from
above.' Spring had returned to greet
Gentle Thursday.
The HUB lawn soon became a mass of
people, gathered to relax in the sun and
forget about pressures for at least a day.
The diverse crowd included young and
old, and dress' went from jeans and T
shirts to double-knit suits to costume and
bizarre facial makeup.
x The afternoon music seemed ap
propriately thematic, as gentle folk
sounds flowed cleanly through the wall
of speakers and reverberated off the
bricks of .the HUB. The sounds were of
consistently high quality, as all per
formers delivered polished sets of
music. Yet somehow the music seemed
less than an integral part of Gentle
Thursday.
Throughout the day and night, few
listened closely to the music. The music
. seemed more a background, blending
with the' weather to help create at
mosphere. Most of those on the HUB
lawn yesterday were content to sit with
friends in the warm afternoon sun and
sip a bottle of their favorite beverage.
Alcohol was in great supply, and there
, was hardly a. cluster of people who
; weren’t stocked with quarts of Schlitz or
: pints of Johnny. Walker to keep them
company throught the afternoon. Pot
. seemed . slightly less prevalent than
alcohol, :yet drifting .wisps of leaden
• tinted smoke were common. v
. The Campus Police were lenient, as
drinking was openly permitted, yet there
were, “reports of some arrests for the
possession of marijuana.
Although violations were overlooked
What's inside
PennPIRG may sue P-3
;. Play, movie, record reviews.p.6
' Gentle Thursday p. 7
‘Head’gear p.lO
. Underwater Monopoly p.lO
Collegian living p.ll
' Flyers win p. 15
Phyrst rugby tournament p. 17
Measles inoculation set
t Ritenour. Health Center has announced measles patients now numbers 18,
an immunization program for students Hargleroad said Ritenour would have
who have never had measles. an immunization sign-up table set up
Dr. John Hargleroad, director of Monday and Tuesday next week on the
Ritenour Health Services, said he HUB ground floor. He said students
decided on the program yesterday after should find out over the weekend
nine more measles patients were ad- whether they have ever had measles or
mitted to the dispensary. The number of have ever been immunized.
Thursday
a success
for the most part, a handful of arrests
were made. In- the afternoon, three
juveniles were arrested for setting off
firecrackers and one student was
arrested for unlawful possission of
alcohol. The student, a. minor, was
issued a non-traffic citation and
released.
Later, in the evening, Donald J. Kitko,
Beccaria, Pa., was arrested for the
possession of marijuana. He was
arraigned and released on $4O bail.
■ Shortly afterward, Eric L. Nelson and
Mark Shaffer, both University students,
were issued non-traffic citations for
fighting on the HUB lawn. Both of these
arrests took place aboutB:3o p.m.
Large crowds always seem to bring
out the unusual, and Gentle Thursday
proved no exception. Making guest
appearances were a leash-drawn cow
and several students who had painted
their faces for the occasion. One student,
who looked like a refugee from “Kiss”,
stood perfectly still, posing for pictures
and yelling at anyone who crossed
, between himself and the camera lenses.
Getting people’s reactions about
Gentle Thursday proved just as bizarre:
an enterprise.
“Molecular gas has maide this a truly
genuine experience,” one man said,
grasping his whippit cannister firmly.
“They should move the event up a day
next year and call it whippit Wed
nesday," said David Douglas (12th-
English education).
It seemed that State College had
corned the nitrous oxide market, as
whippits, small tubes of nitrous oxide
that are inhaled to produce laugh gas
like effects, were in almost as great a
supply as alcohol.
Free food and merchandise were,
distributed throughout the day, as
students mobbed distributors, groping
madly for yo-yos, frisbees, oranges,
apples or slices of watermelon.
Toward evening, the crowd began to
disperse, and the piles of garbage that
had accumulated throughout the- day
became visible.
The' balmy spring weather, the fine
music, and the carefree atmosphere all
combined to make Gentle Thursday a
success. The most important thing about
the day was that it provided an oasis of
respite from academic pressures, a
chance for everyone to unwind and enjoy
the_ company of friends before again
confronting the chores of college.
the
daily
HHH refuses
WASHINGTON (UPI) Hubert phrey’s decision was “that it'is very
Humphrey announced yesterday he will unlikely he would get the nomination.’’
not launch a stretch-drive campaign for The veteran Minnesota senator con
the Democratic presidential nomination , ceded, in a prepared statement at a news
but would accept a draft at the national 1 conference, that the chances were
convention. “highly unlikely” he would be drafted as
His eyes brimming with tears, the 65- the party’s standard-bearer,
year-old “Happy Warrior” of the Humphrey, who agonized over the
Democratic party ended speculation he decision and did not finally'reach it until
would enter the New Jersey primary as near noon, said that with 11 weeks to go
a possible springboard to winning the until the convention, he could not raise
nomination. the money or put together the
Humphrey’s decision to forego the
New Jersey primary left a virtually
clear field for Jimmy Carter’s
presidential campaign until convention
time in July. The candidacies _of I his
active challengers are badly crippled.
Sen. Walter F. Mondale, D-Minn.,
Humphrey's close friend and political
protege, said the significance of Hum
House marijuana hearing held
Experts call Pa/s pot
EDITOR'S NOTE: see related story page 10. around with marijuana,” said Richard Wood, the at-
HARRISBURG (AP) A parade of expert witnesses torney for Pitcairn County in Colorado.
SSSSSIf Pennsylvania’s Wood was asked to testify because Colorado recently
P The raw and n final hearing reformed its marijuana possession laws in ways similar
}”,;is„ i,rOTided id “»
TreS He said the government should stop short of legalizing
Mon^)meryCounty S Pittsburgh and marijuana) but should treat it m £ re ,i ke alc K ohol 0 r
Possession is now a misdemeanor and carriers a , , ~ ,
penalty of 30 days in jail or a $5OO fine. The proposed law .. 1 think the government s function should be to
would list possession of 30 grams or less as a summary discourage, not to use a shotgun to kill a fly,” he said,
offense and impose a $lOO fine but no jail sentence.' Some of the strongest criticism of,;the proposed
A person charged with possessing 30 grams of . legislation came from Allen Ertel, Lycoming County’s
marijuana would be treated somewhat like a traffic district attorney. But even Ertel did not strictly oppose
violator. A summary offense can be handled by a lessening the penalties/
district magistrate instead of in criminal court. , He attacked the bill as poorly drafted and said it
“House Bill 1699 (the proposed legislation) takes the fa,led to contain one important provision now used by
state out of the business of ruining 'people’s lives for cour ts.
their own good,” said Dennis Duncan, for ; Ertel said courts can now impose “probation without
the Association 6f^§tudip|^.a verdict," meaning, for example, that a person
The Rev. Will\3rh Dearie Jr.i an®pisobparpriest who charged with possession can plead no contest and be put
has worked on a variety of juvenile pyogtams in Penn- on probation for 30 days. At the end of probation, the
sylvania and elsewhere, said about half-of the young i individual’s criminal record can be cleared,
people in the nation have used marijuana. - 1 He said the proposal will mean every possession case
“It would appear that current marijuana laws are will requireijudicial disposition and “will increase the
used as a club against young people, ” he said. work of law enforcement people...
“The psychological oppression created by the current “At the summary level, you will still need an expert to
marijuana laws is that many young people who use testify that the substance is marijuana,” he said,
marijuana end up viewing the police as their enemy,” Ertel also said juveniles accused of possessing
Deane said. marijuana can be handled in juvenile court, where the
- “The government has enough to do without fiddling 1 law permits almost wide discretion. Under summary
House agrees on $415 billion budget
WASHINGTON (UPI) After three education, energy and other domestic
days of often bitter debate over defense, programs. Democrats said it would
jobs and the economy, the House provide a million more jobs than Ford’s
yesterday approved a $415.4 billion budget.
target budget for next year, nearly $2O It calls for $363 billion in revenues and
billion more than President Ford a $52.4 billion deficit, $8 billion more
requested. than Ford proposed.
The vote was 221 to 155. It rejects $ll billion in new tax cuts
The measure now goes to conference proposed by Ford and also rejects in
for differences to be ironed out between creases he proposed in payroll taxes for
it and a recently passed Senate version Social Security and unemployment,
about $3 billion smaller. Ford’s budget director, James T.
The House budget gives the President Lynn, reacted quickly and sharply,
nearly all he requested for defense, and “A majority in the House of
more than he asked for health, welfare, Representatives proved today that,
/om gh atop
One of the best places to survey yesterday’s Gentle Thursday activities was 30
feet above in a convenient HUB lawn tree.
Collegian
Vol. 78, No. IN 20pig«
nntan 1
organization needed for an effective
campaign.
And, he added, “one thing I don't need
at this late stage in my life is to be ridicu
lous.”
With his wife, Muriel, and Sen.
Walter Mondale, D-Minn., at his side, the
veteran Minnesotan and former' vice
president said he reached the decision
to campaign
not to run after 36 hours of political
strategy sessions, consultation with his
family and intense pressure from friends
and party regulars around the country
to make one more campaign.
“I shall not enter the. New Jersey
primary nor shall I authorize any
committee or committees to solicit
funds, organize or work on my behalf,”
Humphrey said. “I intend to run for re
election to the Senate from Minnesota.”
He said he will continue to speak out on
issues “as a citizen, a senator and a non
candidate” and expects to “actively
participate” in the Democrats’
nominating convention in New York
City.
“If my party should need me or per
chance although I think it highly
when push comes to shove, they are figure proposed by Ford, and the deficit
much more inclined to break the back to $4B billion.
American taxpayer than they are to give It rejected 272 to 105 a proposal by
the American taxpayer a break,” he Rep. John H. 1100856101, R-Calif., to cut
said in a statement. spending enough to reduce the deficit to
He said the House decision to reject zero
- tax cuts while increasing spend- It voted down 317 to fes a proposal by
ing amounted to a “gamble with post- Rep. Elizabeth Holtzman, D-N.Y., to
election double-digit inflation.” shift $2.5 billion from defense to jobs,
The House rejected 230 to 145 a lth * education and law
Republican effort to generally restore enc '
Ford’s proposed tax cuts and to cut $13.7 On Wednesday the House rejected 255
billion in spending in order to roll the to 145 a proposal to cut defense $3OO
budget back close to the $395.8 billion million.
Document turns up;
may be Hughes' will
LAS VEGAS, Nev. (UPI) A
smudged, yellowing hand-written
document purporting to be the will of
billionaire Howard R. Hughes turned up
mysteriously yesterday and was
presented in court by officials of the
Mormon Church.
A handwriting expert said the will
“has a good chance” of being authentic,
but a top Hughes official said un
characteristic references in the will
make him think it is a hoax.
Noah Dietrich, a former Hughes
executive named as executor in the
document, as first was skeptical but then
expressed belief with some reservations
that it appeared to be in Hughes’ hand
writing.
After seeing a photocopy of the
document, given him by a UPI
photographer, Dietrich said:
“I would have to testify that that’s
Hughes’ handwriting and his signature. I
don’t believe anybody could have forged
it.”
He added, however, “That bothers
me,” when asked about misspellings in
the document and a reference to Hughes’
flying boat as the “Spruce Goose," a
term the recluse never used.
The document, bearing “the yellowing
stains of time,’.’ showed Tuesday no
one knows how at the Salt Lake City
headquarters of the Mormon church. It
was brought to Nevada where Hughes
had large holdings and filed yesterday in
Clark County court.
The purported will, not yet admitted to
probate, left one fourth of the nearly $2-
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laws strict
offenses, juveniles are normally handled as adults,
Tow other experts took a harder line.
State Police Capt. Russell Anderson said illegal drug
traffic is a major problem for law enforcement people,
and would increase with' less severe marijudna
possession penalties. ' '
“The punishment is still a major, deterrent to crime.
This deterrent factor is very significant and beneficial
to law enforcement in restricting the demand for
marijuana and other illegal drugs,” he said. >
“If the criminal penalties were removed from the
simple possession clause, the demand for the drug
would undbubtedly increase,” Anderson said.
Frank Bergman, speaking for the Pennsylvania
Association of, Secondary School Principals, said
marijuana use is a detriment to education.
“The development of attitudes is difficult enough for
schools to accomplish .without adding marijuana to the
legal-but-not-good-for-you list,” he said.
Get out and enjoy today’s weather because rain and
cooler temperatures will move in tomorrow and hang
around on Sunday. Mainly sunny and a bit milder today.
High 71. Partly cloudy and not as cold tonight. Low 42.
Increasing cloudiness tomorrow with showers develop
ing. High 58. Rain continuing tomorrow night and
Sunday.
unlikely should nominate me, I would
be fully ready to serve,” he said.
During a question and answer session,
he told reporters, “I shall not seek it (the
nomination), search for it, scramble for
it, but I’m around.”
The crowd of supporters and
onlookers, estimated by Capitol Police
as about 1,200 strong, broke into laughter
and applause.
The decision was one of political
reality, said Humphrey who had sought
the Democratic nomination in 1960,1968
and 1972. He won the nomination in 1968
only to lose to Richard M. Nixon.
“I’ve been down this road before and I
know what it takes,” he said. “It takes
time, it takes organization, it takes
planning, it takes public relations ... and
frankly we do not have the mint.”
Weather
billion Hughes estate to a Florida
medical research institute and the
remainder to universitites, his two
former wives and various associates.
An executive of the Summa Cor
poration, the holding company for
Hughes' personal interests, strongly
doubted the purported will was valid. He
pointed to numerous misspelled words
Such as “devided” for “divided” and
“cildren” for “children.”
“Mr. Hughes was not that poor of a
speller,” said the spokesman.
However, the author of the strange
document obviously knew much about
Hughes’ interest and relatives, even
though he misspelled the name of one.
And there was even a bequest—worth
millions if the will is eventually ruled
authentic to a service station
operator, Melvin Dummar, who once
gave a lift on a desert highway to a man
who said he was Hughes. Dummar
thought the man “was a bum” but loaned
him money anyway.
Probate Judge Russell Waite said he
could not. schedule a hearing on - the
authenticity of the handwriting for at
least 10 days because of pressing other
matters.
Mormon officials who presented the
document to the court, however, said,
“Whether or not the will is the actual will
of Mr. Hughes or is a hoax, we do not
know.”
Hughes died April 5 while on an
emergency medical flight to Houston,
Tex., from Acapulco, Mexico, where he
had been living for several months.
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