Editorial opinion
'Smart' move
It’s Saturday night or Sunday
morning, depending on how you
look at things at 2 a.m. You’re sit
ting on the ‘Wall’ in front of Old
Main. You’re a little too high, or a
little too drunk from the last party
you were at.
You’ve met some friends, BS’d
a little, passed around a brown bag
and got a little drunker. And a little
“braver.”
• That’s when you decide to act.
That’s when you decided to exer
cise your rights and get even with
cruel University officials who
spend their lives devising ways to
restrict students.
That's when you decided to
display your courage, took out a
pair of wirecutters, and daringly
slit the temporary fence around
McCarthy's low-key campaign
may mean poet as President
By DAVID SKIDMORE
Collegian Staff Writer
Eugene McCarthy is running for
President ... again. This time, with a
difference he has forsaken ‘the
Democratic Party and is running as an
independent. He’s been running full time
for over a year and a half. Yet, no one
takes him seriously. What little coverage
he's gotten in the press has been smugly
condescending.
On the presidency, McCarthy says,
"One of my first acts would be to take
out the White House Rose Garden. I’d
replace it with humble vegetables like
cabbage and squash." According to
McCarthy, "You’d have trouble an
nouncing war in a cabbage patch.”
It would seem difficult to take
seriously a man who wants to plow
under the White House Rose Garden. Or
would it?
McCarthy is waging a campaign of
philosophies more so than of issues.
McCarthy's stands on most issues are
not really unusual. He appeals to
Democrat and liberal Republican alike.
However, his ideas about the two party
system and the role of the president are
unusual.
The two party system is obsolete
Letters to the Editor
The butler did it
TO THE EDITOR: I disapprove of making a practice of
criticizing too harshly the Collegian writers, as the paper
provides good experience for young journalists. However, the
careless handling of reportage by one writer has interfered one
too many times with my enjoyment of a film.
How did Richard Heidorn Jr. ever get the idea he was
capable of writing movie reviews and who at the Collegian
perpetuated this mis-conception by hiring him? Mr. Heidorn
might do well writing for Cliff Notes as he has an amazing
capability for summarizing plots; however, he also has an
outstanding ability for ruining the climax of a suspenseful
movie by plastering the denouement all over the pages of the
Collegian. (“The butler did it." ‘Thank you, Mr. Heidorn.')
His most recent review of Roman Polanski’s "The Tenant”
was overwhelmingly incompetent. When he wasn't telling us
the plot, scene by scene, he was making inane comments such
as: "... we were never sure whether Trelkovsky suffers from
paranoia or the director from LSD flashbacks'." I contend, Mr.
Heidorn, that YOU were never sure. If your own perceptual
faculties lack some understanding, don’t blame the director for
your own shortcomings. Outside of a few vague judgements of
this sort,, there is nothing in this “review" that even constitutes
any kind of a critique.
It would seem this reviewer considers things like the acting
or cinematography to be unimportant details for he has chosen
to circumvent them completely. Maybe Mr. Heidorn should try
his hand at sports reportage, under which circumstances his
Old Main lawn
We salute you. For your
stupidity.
Contrary to your opinion, the
fence was not erected as a
punitive measure against students.
It was not meant to be construed
as a “royal job" on the part of Cam
pus Security.
In reality Campus Patrol had
nothing to do with the barrier. It
was constructed by the Office of
the Physical Plant to allow tram
pled grass to grow back in the
area.
The fencing was to be removed
at the beginning of Fall Term. That
was, of course, until you took it
upon <yourself to save the Depart
ment of Maintenance and
Operations the trouble.
»)/
r
according-to McCarthy. He is bitterly
critical of the recent Federal Campaign
Financing Law which makes it difficult if
not impossible for an independent
candidate to get elected President.
Unlike the major candidates, he is not
eligible for federal funds. In an unlikely
combination, he teamed up with con
servative James Buckley In an un
successful court challenge of the law.
McCarthy rails at the waste in the
military and auto industry. According to
him, If Karl Marx were alive he’d say that
"Capitalism needs either war or the
automobile.”
Collegian forum
It would seem strange then that multi
millionaire Ford Company stockholder,
William Clay Ford is McCarthy’s major
financial backer. Ford gave the McCarthy
campaign $30,000 before the spending
law limiting contributions to $l,OOO went
into effect. Denied federal, funds,
McCarthy has little choice but to obtain
inancial support through private
Packers.
To get elected, McCarthy is counting
on the millions of people who didn't
vote. People who are fed up with the two
readers would be pleased to be informed as to the outcome of
the subject matter. But as for film reviews, Mr. Heidorn, you’d
do better to read them than to write them. Perhaps another
facet of journalism would better suit your talents. Something
that' demands a lot of vagueness and little artistic
discrimination.
Correction!
TO THE EDITOR: Just to be sure there are no misun
derstandings, I’d like to correct a few fact errors which ap
peared on July 29 on the "Collegian Living” page.
First off, I blushingly admit to being 23 rather than 22 years
old. I realize this article was intended to be an overview, a
feature piece, but I feel a few inaccuracies should stand
corrected.
1. The Daily Collegian IS produced in "photo-offset"
fashion. Unhappily that gives readers the idea that we print our
paper. We do not. The Collegian production shop's job is
merely one of photo-typesetting and pasting up the ads and
news.
2. Nowhere are there any "mats.” A mat is found at “hot
metal" shops and strictly speaking a cold-type operation
doesn't have any.
3. The paper tapes we run through our'phototypesetters
aren’t “computer tapes,” but coded tapes punched with setting
information and characters. That’s picky.
Somehow, we do not ap
preciate your efforts. In fact, we’re
very grateful that there are not
more "conscientious” students
like you. Talents such as yours are
better off left at home. Try cutting
out paper dolls.
Perhaps poet Robert Frost was
right when he wrote: "Something
there is in a man that doesn’t like a
wall.” Whether it is constructed of
stone or of wire, a barrier implies
restriction, imprisonment or
seclusion.
But the fence along Old Main
lawn was meant to imply im
provement the eventual beauty
that would result when the grass
had grown in and the fence was
taken down.
Something there is in a man that
doesn’t like a vandal.
PSU
When I entered this University, I had no idea that I
would be forced to take an unnamed, unscheduled
course every term from beginning to end of my college
career something I call Bureaucracy 101.
Bureaucracy 101 Is a course In red tape, ad-'
ministrative foul-ups, and scheduling snafus which
would take an Einstein to master completely. I doubt If
even the bureaucrats understand it.
According to Max Weber, noted sociologist,
bureaucracy consists of a set of appointed officials with
certain set duties; these officials have authority to give
commands required to discharge their duties; the
result, supposedly, is an organized, efficient,
technically superior means of running things.
Notice the “supposedly” In the above statement. It is
my "supposedly,” not Max Weber’s. I doubt if good old
Weber ever knew about the Penn State administration.
Quite frankly, I must admit that administration is a
hard job. It is probably almost as hard as trying to learn
about science and writing and horticulture and all those
other things the students at this campus learn. But just
because it is a hard job doesn’t mean that it has to be
confusing and frustrating to the average student.
If pushed, I could come up with some interesting
examples of bureaucratic indifference:
"Due to the early date of arrival for orientation and for
first-day registration, it is possible that a few students
' will not be-able to move Into their off-campus housing
because their leases begin on Sept. 1. Therefore,
major parties and with Carter and Ford.
However, his low-key, low budget
almost non-campaign can’t hope to
rouse more than meager support without
an emotional issue like the Vietnam war
of the ’6B and 72 campaigns.
While Reagan, Ford and Carter all
wage high impact campaigns carefully
calculated to bring in votes, McCarthy’s
campaign has consisted - largely of
speaking to small groups of college
students, sometimes giving a reading of
his poetry. One student commented that
McCarthy -makes a better poet than
politician. His tone Is professorial, not
political. His campaign speeches read
like lectures in political science.
When it became apparent early in the
72 campaign that McCarthy would lose
the Democratic nomination, "McCarthy
in 76” pamphlets were distributed.
Soon, it will be time to print up the
“McCarthy in ’80" pamphlets.
The two previous presidents led us
into Vietnam and Watergate and the
three major candidates run slick media
blitz campaigns. McCarthy won’t win,
but there have been philosopher kings,
why not a philosopher president? It
might not be so bad having a poet as a
president.
Amy K. Lamb
11th term • Film, television
Hello. -rtK president
tD V MAN DftDft
itbetEN ft Good while
SINCE RE'nCOED
THE PdbTft&Et) FPOM
ENTEBBE, AMD MANY
ARE asking? why iaje
ftPME Ncr femuftTED
fVb Vd£ PROMISED.
it's bureaucracy in action:
DKKSCHWEIKER. DKK.SCMWEIKER
THEDKVUXK THEWETHEAD
4. "Film plates" means negatives and Is as good a visual
impression of the end result as any other term.
I've just realized that my complaint boils down to a semantic
quibble, but for those sticklers who are up bn their production
jargon, we: phototypeset copy (which is generally run through
our Computape I, not the ACM 9000 unit), pasteup ads, layout
pages (mechanicals), shoot negatives, opaque them and
scuttle our butts out to the printer and let him “offset" it.
I only wish to Heaven we had spelled "proofreading”
correctly.
Conserve
TO THE EDITOR: It has been with growing amusement"that I
have been watching the University's latest attempt at getting
students to cut back on energy use. This time it is a contest! A
letter to the residents of Shunk and Shulze halls announced an
“Electricity Conservation Contest-Raffle”. The object was to
cut back the use of electricity, each building scoring one point
for every one percent reduction of electricity consumption. The
bait is a $3O prize offered to each house In the winning
building, which will be raffled to a lucky house member.
The contest began on July 9th, and since that time the men
of Shunk Hall have piled up a tremendous “lead” over the
women of Shulze. If you lived on my floor, you would not be
surprised by the result. My corridor on the first.fioor of Shunk
Is often dark and gloomy without lights on. Often the hall is
temporary accomodations will be made available in
White Building and Recreation Building. Beds will not
be provided. Bring your own sleeping bags. No visitors
in the sleeping areas after midnight.
“Jesus, I gotta spend the night in a smoke-filled gym
with a hundred other kids what’re we gonna do for
music and food and drinks and bathrooms? What are
they doing this for?”
"The University scheduling office is responsible for
the schedule of classes.
"The early beginning of Fall Term was necessitated
by the new rule requiring a finals week of six days.
Or:
"May I speak to the Dean, please?”
“I’m sorry, the Dean is in a conference at the
moment."
"I called three hours ago, and he was in a conference
then."
“I’m sorry, he is still in conference."
"Can he call me back? I’m afraid I'm not going to
graduate from this place."
"I’ll give him your message."
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publication. Letters cannot be returned.
Laura
Shemick
Margaret Irish
Production Manager
Collegian, Inc.
"Put it in writing. Ask your questions, type them ou£
and we’ll respond to them in writing. That way you'll
get real answers and they'll be accurate.” «•
"But sir, if the man who answers questions Is orf
vacation,who will answer them?" %
“Mr. Smith will be back in two weeks. Walt untif
then." 1
I find the particular type of bureaucracy this place
espouses as efficiency rather distasteful. Weber
and I agree, that:
"Bureaucratization offers above all, the optimum
possibilities for carrying through the many specified
administrative functions according to purely objective
consideration...(this) means a discharge of business'
according to calculable rules and 'without regard toF
persons.’ ’’ if
And further:
“The more perfectly bureaucracy is ’dehumanized,’,
the more completely is its success in eliminating fromf
all business love, hatred, and' all purely personal,’
irrational and emotional elements ... this is the specific!"
nature of bureaucracy and It is appraised as its special!,
virtue." , $■
The Penn State bureaucracy, while it still has a fewl
misfits inside it who actually care about the students,:
professors, and public good, is well on-its way to;
becoming that perfect bureaucracy of Weber's writings, f
God save the students.
just plain black! There is no possible way that any woman, in
view of safety factors, could cut back as far as the men have.
Talk about a mismatch!
Fate also dealt the women a setback by using the calender.
Coming back from the HUB Friday night I was struck by the
difference in room lighting. The women’s buildings were fairly
well lit, while the men’s dorms were dark. As I stepped in the
lobby I found out why. A good many of my building’s residents
were packed wall-to-wall into the T.V. room, eyes glued on the
Olympic Gamesl This only happens every four years, and yet it
came at a time to help the men bury the women in an avalanche
of “Energy Conservation Points”.
It may be too late but the best thing the residents of Shulze'
could do would be to bring their laundry over to Shunk, since;
washers and dryers use large amounts of energy. But even
victory has been spoiled for the men. The word had gone out!
that the winners would be asked to buy beer kegs for victory ;
parties. Now all that Is out the window, the same place this
contest belongs.
JANICE SELINGER
Summer Editor
Bernle Campbell ,
U.S.G. Senator ■
NADINE KINSEY
Business Manager