Editorial opinion Money's worth Economists Know that “what will be produced” is determined by dollar votes from individuals. If people aren’t willing to pay for an item at its current price, the price is lowered until it will be bought or the producers go out of business. At Penn State this basic economic law may someday put the University out of a job as the tuition bill continues to rise at a faster rate than the cost of living. Recently, the University Board of Trustees approved a tuition hike for University Park students of 9.9 per cent, or a total of $1,263 per academic year. Students who are forced to take such enriching courses such *«H6N A REPUBLICAN peesw&tf CPBHS lie RaMWKjWITH A COMMMIST COUWRV. 11$ A GCEAT PIPIOMAItt ACH6MEMEWr..'THATfe WH* * Letters to the Tenure troubles TO THE EDITOR: In a letter published in the Collegian, the Issue of faculty selection standards was addressed. Unfor tunately, due to necessary limitations on space, an adequate distinction between the cases of Jo-Ann Farr and Jack Wikse was not preserved in our final draft of that letter. We feel the need to express that distinction. The point is simply this: the decision in the case of Jo-Ann Farr was one to not renew a one year contract, but in the case of Jack Wikse, the decision was to not grant tenure after a flva year period of association with the department. The distinction is an important one because of the different processes in volved in the two separate decisions. At University Park it is the tenure process that predominates as the method by which faculty members are given permanent appointments. This is why we' felt that the case of Jack Wikse needed to be publicized. , The tenure process, as it exists in most departments of this University, is closed to student participation. Moreover, as the case of Jack Wikse demonstrates, it can be closed to public scrutiny as well. These issues transcend individual cases. What is needed is a re-evaluation of the entire processes used in this University to determine how people will be tenured in their specific fields of wdrk. Cops and students TO THE EDITOR: While walking back from classes, my roommate and I stopped to admire a-new Pontiac Sunblrd parked in lot 80. When we started to walk away from the car. a police cruiser descended upon us, and we were questioned as to whether we owned the auto. Drastic action needed against violence Item: An eight year old boy was killed when he was thrown from the roof of an apartment building in Brooklyn. Item: An unemployed construction worker shot himself after stabbing his four children to death In their beds. Item: A 15-year-old Long Island girl was charged with beating her mother to death. Item: A woman and a male friend apparently committed suicide after stabbing the women’s two children, ages seven and eight. No, these items are not plot summaries of recent television shows. Yes, they are frightening. Yes, they shock the senses. Yes, they provoke nausea. But, these tragic cases are real and they represent only excerpts of a week of violence in the New York Metropolitan area. The situation is not that much different in other major cities throughout the nation. Crimes perpetrated against children and by children are Increasing dramatically. The fact that nothing is being done about such crimes makes them all the more frightening. Why is it that crimes Involving children are so prominent today? Are we just Imagining that times are changing, or was It always like this? Or has something so grotesque happened to society that events like this occur. Something must be responsible for the problem. Some people will blame the media for manufacturing as Speech 200 or Bi Sci 3 can legitimately question the benefit of paying $1,200 for a year. Perhaps, a more equitable way to pay for an education would be not by the term or even by the course, but by the class. At the current tuition rate, it costs $3.20 per class for a 12 credit term at University Park. If the instructor were to stand at the door of his class and collect the $3.20 fee (his salary) before each period, the number of no shows might convince him to either change his course material or to find employment elsewhere. In this way, uninteresting or very easy courses could be skip- Tom Dumm Students to Unveil Normative Criteria ped by the student with a great saving of money, and the student could have a direct control over the cash he pays for the knowledge he receives. Professors might start running ads reading something like: "Take Nuclear Agriculture 109 at just $2.95 a class (That’s a 15 per cent saving!!!!), if not satisfied, your money back!" With the new tuition rate, the average student will pay about $3.50 per class period. Think about that the next time your head begins to nod asleep in class. The thought should help keep you awake. Motionless, the dorm room curtain separated the dark, silent cubicle from the chaos of nocturnal noise outside the window. Inside, two bodies In somniousiy tossed and turned on top of University sheets now wet with sweat. The dead air weighed oppressively on them like the steam from a football team’s locker room. Through the wide open window, strident stereo,reverberations shook the tiny first floor dorm room although the music's source was six floors up. The thundering song appropriately enough Emerson, Lake and Palmer’s "Welcome Back, My Friends, To The Show That Never Ends” taunted the dorm complex, not once, but over and over and over: either the result of a malfunctioning eight-track system or conceivably of a first termer’s limited musical taste. After we told the officer that neither of us owned the car, he advised us that charges could be pressed against us for leaning against the aforesaid vehicle. I almost started to laugh until I realized that the CP hiding behind his dark shades was serious. The merciful officer decided to cut us a break and just give us a warning. He told us that In the future we should consider the consequences of our deviant actions. As the officer zoomed away (probably in pursuit of someone he had just seen spitting on the sidewalk), my roommate and I stood stunned in disbelief. How is one to have any respect for the Campus Police if they pull asinine stunts such as this one? Maybe instead of hassling innocent students between classes, Kojak driving car number nine should be at home watching the Gong Show! Kiss me Kate TO THE EDITOR: Since the end of Fall Term, I’ve been taking a survey of randomly selected males to see who is really the most popular of Charlie’s Angels. Farrah? Guess again! Here’s how the seventy males responded when asked which of the three is their favorite: Kate Jackson 28 40 per cent Jaclyn Smith 24 34 per cent Farrah Fawcett 18 25 per cent 100 Percent 70 100 per cent Seventy males may not make an official survey, but you can clearly see that more people watch the show because of Kate than you may think. And once you’re hooked on Kate . . . it’s for life! sensational news. They will argue that newspapers report these crimes only to sell more newspapers. Others will blame television networks for scheduling violent programs when children are watching. Yet, others will suggest that our society has become too permissive and that children, today, are being victimized by a generation of parents who are sparing the rod and practicing amateur psychology, instead. However, violent crime involving all age groups Is on the upswing. Murder and rape threaten to turn America’s major cities Into battle zones. Crime and violence in America has become more and more of a problem for society since the late 60s. Psychologists blamed America’s involvement In the Vietnam College Still able to penetrate the stereo’s auricular onslaught were the superhuman yelps from the men of fifth floor Packer echoed by the women of second floor Bigler. "Hey Bigler!” hoarse male throats hollered. “Wha’ dya want?” replied a chorus of voluptuous voices. Mark Schade 6th-mechanlcal engineering Mike Reinert 9th-broadcast Journalism 7Z~ life: more than survival “We’re horny,” was the rejoinder and the vociferous conversation between the two dorms further esculated beyond the point of absurdity. This is East Halls in the summertime Welcome. Of course, these are only my im pressions of a one night visit to Packer Hall two summers ago. The" happenings of that particular evening remain fresh in my memory because it was my first stay in. a college dorm and I was not to enroll for my first term until the upcoming September. I marvelled at how quickly my former high school buddy I was visiting had adjusted to the insanity of college life. I grew apprehensive about whether I could ever survive at Penn State living among strangers in an unexplored world. UCC cares, but... TO THE EDITOR: Everybody here at the Pennsylvania State University experiences some dissatisfaction. Recently, I had the opportunity to investigate one area of this discontent: concerts. As a member of a Speech Communications 200 task force, I found out some of the issues involved. Firstly, we are victims of top name artists who demand a lot of money to perform. The University Concert Committee must contract only those artists that fit their budget. Secondly, the University has inadequate seating facilities for concerts. Rec Hall only houses one sixth of the University population. Thirdly, there are scheduling problems for getting Rec Hall. The Average White Band was supposed to perform here Fall Term, but they cancelled at the last minute due to illness. UCC had to get another date a Rec Hall. This was a problem due to the fact that scheduling for Rec Hall is completed during March for the following academic year. What can we, as concert-goers, do about this problem? My task force is submitting some recommendations to UCC and to the Rec Hall Scheduling office in an effort to alleviate some of the immediate obstacles. More action and less talk is what we need to be effective perhaps we could be less critical of a system that truly cares about the quality of performers it contracts. It is time to increase our awareness and ask our selves, “Do we care enough to do something about it?" Sheila Marie Wenzel 10th-health planning arid administration Dave Boas 6th-psychology Save mediocrity TO THE.EDITOR: Presenting Itself to the student body of Penn State University is the newly formed Committee to "Dump Jo- Ann Farr.” After careful scrutiny of the pro-Farr committee, we War for the increase. The theory was that a nation which condoned and supported violence abroad legitimized violence at home. Sociologists maintained that the increase in crime was due to the frustration of racial minorities, who learned that a statute guaranteeing equality did not necessarily result in Instant equal opportunity. Today the courts are being blamed for the upsurge In violent crime. Critics contend that judges are too lenient. Short sentences, early paroles, and prison furloughs encourage criminals to become second and third time offenders, ac cording to some critics. Judges, however, point to the number of cases they must hear In one day. One California judge recently complained that, he heard more than a hundred cases In an eight hour working day. No one single cause can be Isolated and blamed for the increase in crime. However, the roots of the problem must be determined, so that government can take action to make American streets safe again. The late 60s saw the public relations offensive against crime by the Nixon Part of that effort was aimed at giving local governments more leeway In fighting crime. This interpreted Into more federal dollars for local governments. Last week one local government was denied federal crime fighting funds by the Carter administration. The local officials -OteDWl-Y. COUJS&H* Tr , jeff hawkes 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 right 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, 1,26 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. ' "AaoMKnc- (J HOUJTO SET itaoo F©(\ A $ €OO , I suspect East Halls this summer Is again overflowing with freshmen as apprehensive as I was. I survived. Most of you will too. But I think it unfortunate that many students merely survive. They never realize that a university atmosphere is one of the best places in which to live. Despite the midterms that must be studied for and the papers that must be written, the opportunities for students to enjoy their stay at this University, the little day to day events that can make these years the best of your life, are so numerous and varied that often I wish I could remain 20 years old forever to have time to experience all of them. After six terms here, I have two pieces of advice for those of you just embarking on your college career. First, experiment. Experiment with Just about everything. Try different courses, even though they may be unrelated with your major. Try a new sport. No where in the state do I know where the athletic facilities are more varied, numerous and inexpensive as at the University. Drop in on any of the countless speakers who lecture on campus throughout the year. Attend as many jalays and concerts as you can afford. Get out to different types of parties and dances. Meet new people. The possibilities of things to do which most people have never tried are practically endless. Dive in. Second, get involved. Most important, get involved with your studies. In your major courses, do the best you can do. Time permitting, do additional reading beyond what a course requires. Get to know the professors in your field jso that they know you personally. Drop in their offices often. Let them know you are as serious about the subject you are learning as they are in teaching it. And almost as important, get involved '* in some sort of extracurricular activity. Teach a Free University course, join the choir, go camping, play an in tercollegiate or intramural sport, play an instrument in a group, join a fraternity or sorority, broadcast at a campus radio • station, work with student government, or do volunteer work at a help center. have found it necessary to explain our viewpoint of the con troversy. it will never be confused for Harvard or Princeton. Another fact is that Jo-Ann Farr is an excellent instructor. This is a disturbing situation that cannot continue. We consider Jo-Ann Farr to be a threat to the mediocrity of this University. People * like her are the kind that give this school a good reputation. To maintain this lackluster image, Jo-Ann Farr must go! This committee is disbanding at the end of the term due to a heavy overload of graduation. Without any prospects of em ployment in sight, we believe next year’s graduating class has no right to be in a better position. Collegian JEFFREY HAWKES Editor BOARD OF EDITORS: EDITORIAL EDITOR, Bob Frick; NEWS EDITOR, Dave Skidmore; COPY EDITORS, Ivy Gold berg, David Colborn; SPORTS EDITOR, Joyce Tomana; ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR, Don Hopey; OFFICE , MANAGER, Anita McKelvey; PHOTO EDITOR, Randy £ Woodbury; FEATURES EDITOR, Diana Younken; GRAPHICS EDITOR, MarkC. Van Dine BOARD OF MANAGERS: Sales Coordinator, Alex N. Barenblitt; Office Coordinator, Judy Stimson, National Ad Manager, Judi Rodrick; Layout Coordinator, Terry Dolinar The Daily Collegian is published by Collegian, Inc., a V 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. wanted to buy a blimp to patrol the community at night. It is a novel idea, but it would accomplish no more than if the funds were allocated to hire more police. However, the point is that many other local communities have been wasting federal dollars on questionable methods of fighting crime. Some small communities with little crime annually restock their motor pool. Some money has been sent to redecorate offices. Some money has even wound up in officials pockets. The crime problem is so serious at this point; and of such consequence to society that the federal government must take more initiative in devising methods to control and curtail crime * on American streets. < It is not enough to preach the immorality of crime. The Carter administration must take some immediate and drastic ac tion The President needs to put some energy into a crime fighting package that would deal with overcrowded and antiquated * prisons, overworked judges, and police forces that have to battle municipal budget crunches as well as crimina s. No crime fighting package would be complete w ut some measure controlling the flow of dangerous 1 Although politically inexpedient, the Carter aidministratlon has to deal with America’s incestuous love affair wltn gu . Otherwise, the country will not have 1° ab ° u * an energy shortage In the 21 st century. By that-time we may have all become items in a police crime report. I believe you should attack life like it j owes you something. Your college years are the best time to get started. And when other people have little else to do W but scream out the window late at night, t you’ll be too exhausted and too sound ] asleep to be bothered by it. , SCOTT R. SESLER V Business Manager 1 in USA ' Robert Wolff 12th-accounting
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