Editorial opinion
Letters to the Editor
Best to ignore
TO THE EDITOR: In Tom Smith's•editorial, Apr. 6, he noted
that a Moonie believed that he was guaranteed the right to
practice whatever religion appealed to him. The key word is
practice, which is not protected. However, belief is.
Mormons faced this problem with their practice of polygamy
in the last century. In Reynolds vs. the United States (1879),
the deciding case against polygamy, the Jeffersonian in
terpretation of freedom of religion was upheld. This states that
belief is inviolate, but actions resulting from such belief may
be regulated if they destroy the peace and good order of
society. OtherVvise each man is a law unto himself.
The best way to make "troublesome" sects disappear is to
ignore and not persecute them. Persecution only -terids to
attract more followers and to harden those who withstand it.
Such groups must however be made to obey the law so that
they do not subvert the society against its will.
As for those who wish to join such groups, unless forced to
join against their free will, they should be free.to•associate
with whomever they please. Their ability to resist such groups
was never hardened by proper parental teaching and their own
reason, so that it is doubtful if muctrcan be done with them
now.
To each his own
TO THE EDITOR: This letter is In response to two articles on
the front page of the Apr. 5 Collegian and Tom Smith's
.editorial in the Apr. 6 Collegian. All of which present the
Unification Church in a negative light.
The crux of the arguments that were presented are that the
Moonies annoy others by soliciting and that they have been
brainwashed. I feel that these arguments are all irrational and
based on provincialism, i.e. the Moonies are objected to
because they are different from the established order. Many
well-recognized charitable organizations and religious orders
solicit funds door-t o o-door and at busy areas. However, this is
fine because they are established and we admire their work to
help save humanity. The Unification Church is different.
Its members act and think differently. When its members
solicit funds to do Its work of saving men's souls it is con
demned. The early Christians were different. They also acted
and thought differently. Because of this, both they then and
the Moonies now, are persecuted. Fortunately we have ad
vanced from lions to cease and desist orders. The accepted
organizations solicit but Mr. Smith has the Moonies, "beg and
grovel." This is an obvious inconsistency and a prime example
of sensationalistic journalism.
Councilman Dean R.. Phillips, Tom Smith and Judge S. Lee
all give quotes to the effect that the Moonies are wrong and
unnatural for breaking up some families. Yet in the Bible, Matt.
10:37, it is said by Jesus, "He who loves father or mother more
than Me is not worthy of Me." It should be obvious that the
Christian church advocates what the Unification Church is
condemned for doing. Because one is established it is right.
Because one is new and different it is wrong.
Tom Smith claims that, "Their minds have stopped func
tioning." Perhaps he is the pot calling the kettle black. He
hopes that men like Moon who are corrupt will someday get
their due. Yet he also writes, "Congress has been investigating
This is vulgar
John Sciortino
graduate-physics
the financial dealings of the Rev. Moon for some time now with
no conclusive results." He suggests wrongdoings then offers
evidence to refute his charges. _
Space limits me from pointing out more junk in these ar
ticles. I hope that all can see what is wrong with the authors'
opinions. My opinion is that they are guilty of writing some of
the most irrational and bigoted trash that I have ever read. -
Larry Holt
9th-chemical engineering
Back page
TO THE EDITOR: It's a shame that at a university the size and
scope of ' Penn State, its daily newspaper' refuses to
acknowledge the existence of its'College of ,Agriculture. After
all, you'll remember Penn State, is a land-grant college; in
other words, if it wasn't for agriculture, Penn State wouldn't
even exist.
Oh wait, yes, I did seem to remember an article on nym
phomaniac cows, and of course the one on rubber tomatoes in
"little plastic coffins." Yes, just Monday there was an article
on one of the back pages, down in the corner, about Penn
State hosting a 4-H conference. This is the' center of my
complaint.
This past weekend Penn State was the site of the National
Collegiate 4-H Conference. Attended by some 250 college
students from all over the United States, the conference
brought together some of the most dedicated young people in
America. Many educational activities were held, including
workshops led by some of the University's finest personnel.
I also should mention that the conference was a result of
many long hours of work by Penn State students, who are
members, of Campus 4-H here at Penn State. The National
Collegiate 4-H club officers, all of whom are Penn State
students, and the staff of the State , 4-H Office are also to be
congratulated on a job well done.
Yes, it is too bad the Daily Collegian failed to give ample
coverage to this event. A well written article and a photograph
in a better logation in the newspaper would have been a proper
acknowledgement of the work involved in putting together a
conference of this type. But, no, a tiny article on some obscure
back page was all this event received.
Maybe if one of the delegates had posed for Genesis we
would have received some decent coverage? Who knows?
Cosmic vibes
TO THE EDITOR: Regarding Tom Butch's interesting story on
the possibility that the rock group Klaatu might be the Beatles
in disguise (Apr. 6):
Butch makes one small error. True, Klaatu was a character in
Robert Wise's science-fictiOn film "The Day the Earth Stood
Still." But the character Klaatu (Michael Rennie) never said he
was from "Venus and Mars," just "another planet." He said he
had traveled 250 million miles, and another character in the
film said it might be one planet or the other. (How could it be
both?)
I've got a better theory as to Klaatu's origin: the rock group
was formed by aliens from another world trying to contact us
through the medium of commercial radio. True, it squnds far
fetched, but consider:
Their appearance might be very different from ours, so
Susan E. Woods
Bth-agricultural education
Housing
By DEAN R. PHILLIPS
State College Borough Council
A few weeks ago, I met with a group of
low income senior citizens to discuss
their housing needs and problems. The
results of , the meeting convinced me that
the housing project proposed for Bellaire
Avenue will fill a real need, for State
College's low income elderly. The 18-
unit, controlled cost housing project
provides ' a high quality living en
vironment at rents with in the senior
citizens' ability to pay.
The project, however, is not without its
critics. On one hand, the council is
charged with "fiscal responsibility,." We
are using federal revenue sharing money
in order to keep the rental charges down,
One councilman suggests that Centre
Homes should build the units 'without
borough financial assistance. Unfor
tunately, Centre Homes would be
required to borrow $200,000 at a nine per
cent interest rate in order to complete .
the project without council help. This
would force Centre Homes to rent the
units at a rate beyond the means of the
This is not
they'd be afraid to show their faces (if any) for fear of turning
us off. Or they might simply carry bacteria deadly to us.
Perhaps the Legionairre's disease was an unhappy attempt to
make contact. -
If they could get airplay, they wouldn't have to buy TV
They wouldn't have to go through the State Dept., the
United Nations, the Immigration Service or any other terrestrial
red tape, but would rather take their message directly to the
people of earth rather than funnel it through government and
censorship.
Klaatu is the best image they could have picked. Michael
Rennie's portrayal is memorable because he was warm and
human while at the same time strong and respectable. Nobody
can take pointed ears seriously or identify with a singing black
flab that teaches apes how to, kill t each, other with warthog
b'ones (at least"; r don't). David Bowie was too neurotic in "The
Man Who Fell to Earth," and there's still a large anti
homosexual element in our society something that would
be obvious to aliens monitoring our radio broadcasts. (And
they all do that, how else do they speak our language so well?)
The Beatles' sound is universally popular. (Especially
now.) Everybody likes them, so they are the best choice of a
sound to imitate. (Since the LP wasn't getting any airplay, the
rumor ,being spread now is Capitol's or the ,aliens' way of
getting the message across.
Klaatu should be given a warm welcome by the U.N., Pres.
Carter, and all of us. They sound friendly enough, if "Calling
Occupants of Interplanetary Craft," the opening cut, is any
clue.
We've all been waiting for something bigger than the
Beatles. Is this it?
Attention, children !
TO THE EDITOR: Attention! Mes chers, mes tres chers en
fants. _
Let's continue in English, shall we? I so wanted to get your
attention, but don't want to trouble the French Department for
assistance with the proper Gallic idiom.
Students in Earthkeeping 365: First I shall review, for those
of you who may have tuned in late, a few facts about this
course.
a) It is designed for anyone and everyone who loves ,
springtime, abut partiCularly for all students, secretaries,
administrators and educators on this campus of the Penn
sylvania State University. b) Prerequisite: The ability to
recognize a blade of grass or other vegetation (even a nodding
violet?) that might-thrive were it not for hindrance from the foot
of man, woman or child. c) Assignments: A daily effort to walk
only on strips of material (examples: macadam, concrete) put
down to prevent erosion. (Yes, honestly! A footpath worn
down to mud causes topsoil run-off in a rainstorm or hadn't
you thought about that?) d) Goal: To make this small fraction
of the Pennsylvania population more conscious and proud of
the fact that we are all not "just housekeepers" (or housewives,
breadwinners, whatever) but first and foremost
EARTHKEEPERS. e) Guest lecturers: Gardeners, con
servationists, housekeepers and other maintenance workers. f)
Suggested reading: "Pleasant Valley," Bromfield, Louis (N.Y.,
Harper and Row, 1943).
I shan't keep you much longer on this enchanting day, but I
compromise-for the best
low Income elderly
Council participation
,in the project
will allow us to rent one-bedroom
apartments to low income senior
citizens at 25 per cent of income. For
example, a senior citizen receiving $3OO
a ' month in social security benefits
would pay•about $75 a month including
utilities.
On the other hand, council is charged
with not doing enough for senior
citizens. ,One council candidate is
"disgusted" by both the location and the
extent of the project. While the Bellaire
site poses some problems due to its
distance from the center of town and its
proximity to a sewage treatment plant, I
feel that recent criticism is exaggerated.
Odors from the sewage plant are oc
casionally a problem for the entire east
side of State College.
The residents of the Vallamont
subdivision built their $150,000 homes at
the crest of the hill off University Drive
knowing' full well that the treatment
plant is about 250 yards away. In ad-,
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. The editors reserve the'rlght not to print letters if they do not conform to
standards of good taste, or If they present an opinion which may be irresponsible or libelous.
Letters should be brought to the Collegian- office, 126 Carnegie, in person so proper Iden
tification of the writer can be made, although names will be withheld on request. If letters are
received by mail, the Collegian will contact the signer for verification before publication.
Letters•cannot be returned. _ . ,
J. Cleary
12th-political science
Yesterday, f The Daily Collegian ran a controversial
photograph of a bare-chested .woman. The phone calls
started early.
Readers were upset at the depravity of such a display.
What is happening to this society? What has happened to
us? Sick, sick, sick. ,
Think again. Where is the Vulgarity in this photograph?
Tear yourself away from the right half of the picture and
look at the left. Ah ... it is clearer now. The charges are
much more valid. . , ‘
the
Bail .:
Collegianl
..„_
dition the University is working to reduce
odors from the plant.
Cost factors were considered when
choosing the site for the project.
Building on municipally owned land a
half mile from town rather than down
town saves between $160,000 and
$200,000. This savings will tie passed on
to the tenants. If State College were
eligibile for federal support, a downtown
site might be within financial reach.
However, such aid is not available to
State College. Meanwhile, I will take my
cues on site location from eligible senior
citizens. Their'most serious objection to
the location is its distance from
downtown. Through bus and van service,
we hope to minimize the transportation
problem. Alternative sites on Waupelani
Drive were seen as a far • worse
proposition.
I wish, the project's critics would look
carefully at the housing available to low
income senior citizens. Students living
in, older downtown apartments and •
conversion units realize that their neigh
bors are frequently low income elderly
Vulgarity
hope you will indulge me in a bit of reminiscence. Once about
a hundred years ago, at a southern university, a professor read
to his English 1 class the lines in which ,Oberon describes
Titania's bower. He must have invited comment, the first of
which was "What's so wonderful about that?" ' ,
The teacher's reply: "I'd like to see you do
e h!" And,
speaking orthat bank of wild thyme, I'd like to see any one of
us invent such a wonder by next week, that is.
Class dismissed
Same boat
TO THE EDITOR: M.U.S. Ramanth's letter In support Ofx ,
Kathleen Pavelko and her style of journalism does, nottlinV
more than put him in the same boat with her. IA
ar
Criticism is useful but the restaurant and entertainment
reviews which Ms. Pavelko presents are not criticism; they arr.,
haughty attempts to embarrass Others. , VISIL
MAI
Criticism can be made without all the excess •cierogatort„
adjectives and adverbs which Ms. Pavelko uses. In her recerktal
review of the Nittany Lion Inn, the message could have beer:
conveyed without the sort of language bordering on libel user
in the opening paragraphs. The same is true of her appraisal of
the musical "Shenandoah." Tasteful appraisals are the mark or,;
a true critic and connoiseur.
WLICI4
Ms. Pavelko's columns show arrogance and a lack of truesz ,
good taste and your letter shows the same with your extremes
of chocolate chip cookies, french fries and Farrah Fawcett;
There's a pleasant, real world between those extremes and the
clouds where you and Ms. Pavelko reside. /ot,
JEFFREY HAWKES
Editor
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Office Cooidinator, Judy Stimson; National Ad Manager, Ju
Rodrick; Layout Coordinators, Hope Goldstein, John Zurche=
BOARD OF EDITORS: EDITORIAL EDITOR, Marty Smith
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT, Sally Heffentreyer; OP-ED EDITOFM
Joanne McLaughlin; NEWS EDITOR, Mike Mentrekrz
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR, 'Dave Skidmore; CAMPU.S;
EDITOR, John Martellaro; COMMUNITY EDITOR, Jay Boob,"
man; COPY EDITORS, Carl Brown Jr., Tom Erdner,
Goldberg; WIRE EDITOR, Karen Egoif; FEATURES EDITOR
Patty Rhule; SPORTS EDITOR, Pete Dougherty; ASSISTANT`;,
SPORTS EDITORS, Tom McNichol, Jerry Lucci; PHOTO ,
EDITOR, Randy Woodbury; ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITORC;
Ken Kasper, Tim Woodbury; GRAPHICS EDITOR, Lynnr,
Maimed; OFFICE MANAGER, Anita McKelvey -G2l,
' Opinions expressed by the Daily Collegian are notes:
necessarily those of the University administration=
faculty or students. Eg.r.
Ann Kennedy?
State College residenl;-'
L.S. Lank,:
graduate-microbiologr
ow:
sm ,
. .... MC
SCOTT SESLEI
Business Manager
persons. One 72-year-old friend of min?:
must walk up 50 stairs sans fire escape.
to reach her one bedroom apartment;',,
She pays almost half her inCome for theu,
privilege. In another building, elgl
senior citizens face a 10 per cent IC
crease in rent this month. , .ar
.%
The Bellaire project offers a realistic),
alternative for some of these people. Thy„
project is a first step towards meetin
the needs of State ' College's elderly*
population. While the plan is not perfectl
it represents a real chance to turn It,
years of dreams and failures into realitity
Contrary to the opinion of candidate,
Addison, Borish and Stiles, this projeC
represents a sincere interest by the
council in helping senior citizens rig
need. • 0)11
nits
Finally, ,senior citizens housintp
projects rarely involve local government::
This is one of the first projects in Olt
state sponsored by a local governments;
Individuals Interested in examining tlig
site and floor plans for the 'Propose=
project may contact Ron Short, Centre' ,
regional planning director.