-Editorial opinion
This past week's protest at
Kent State University may
have been a fluke a rem
nant of the 60s. But it might be
a sign of the times; a sign that
the student activism, so prev
alent, during the 60s may be
on the upswing.
The Kent State protest this
week brought attention to the
university's plan to build a
gymnasium on the' ground
where four students were
killed by National Guards
men May 4, 1970.
Like the new wave of activ
ism which seems to be devel
oping, this week's protest was
rational and nonviolent.
Even here at Penn State the
first signs of campus activism
may possibly be brewing. The
Repressive
Farah Pahlovi, the wife of the Shah of Iran, has 'come to the
U.S. for an "unofficial" visit. She is on a public relations tour,
and she -has received a "humanitarian. award'•' and an
"honorary doctorate." Her trip takes place ,at 4:time when
there is a newly elected administration in Washington. It is
the policy of new administrations to "consult" and to
"discuss" the world affairs with the "close allies" of the U.S.
The Shah of Iran was brought back to power by a CIA coup
in 1953. Under the rule of the Shah and the influence of the
U.S., Iran has become one of the most fruitful sources of in
vestment for multinational corporations, especially oil
companies. On the other hand, the living conditions of the
Iranian people are steadily deteriorating. Poverty, hunger,
lack of education programs and health care are a stark reality
for a majority of Iranians.
k fig under these repressive conditions and oppressive
policies that Iranian people are rising to resist foreign
domination and the dictatorial regime of the Shah of Iran and
to build a democratic and independent Iran.
On the other hand repression is the only means by which the
Shah can plunder Iranian people. The more than 100,000
political prisoners are subjected to systematic denial of their
rights. The use of torture is the only means to make the
prisoners succumb to the government's demands. Torture in
front of family members, rape of women prisoners by the
Shah's Gestapos are commonplace in the Shah's torture
chamber.
It is under this condition that the propaganda machinery of
the Iranian regime tries to portray the Shah and Farah as a
benevolent king and queen. And this is the "Shah's money"
which buys the American institutions to give an "honorary
doctorate" to the member of his family to cover the true face
of his regime. The fact, of course, remains that the Shah's
blood bath cannot be concealed by an "honorary doctorate."
Sexist
I can think of a few labels for Mr. Stauffer, but sexist isn't
one of them. I admit, I do have a few pimples, but letting
women in free has never been my way of getting women
around, believe me. And they say chivalry is dead.
Consider this: after all our summer patties (someone even
suggested erecting a statue of our social chairman in the East
Halls quad in tribute) we have yet to "make money" to speak
of. If we charged for a beer (a no-no) instead of the en
tertainment, then surely IFC, the PLCB and the local gestapo
would limit our parties to those 21 and over (again
House Speaker has lots of fun
j iy WILLIAM WILLIAMS
Associated Press Writer
HARRISBURG (AP ) House
Speaker K. Leroy Irvis has lots of fun
using the formal language of his position
in bawling out legislators.
IrVis spotted one of them pushing his
own voting switch and then leaning over
to push the switch of an absent neighbor.
The Speaker asked what was going on
and the legislator told Irvis where his
neighbor had gone.
"The chair did not ask about the
whereabouts of Mr. (blank). The chair's
query was based on the fact that the
chair observed Mr. (blank) voting with
both his left hand and'his right. Does the
gentleman wish to answer that query?"
A short pause . . . "The chair con
cludes from the motion of his head that
he does not wish to answer that query."
Legislator embarrassed. Matter
dropped.
Protocol would dictate that the
New wave
Committee to Rehire Jo-Ann
Farr, though small, is a group
of dedicated and persistant
student protestors.
A recent flurry of letters
about radicalism and protest
sent to The Daily Collegian
showed a growing movement
for protest from left and right
wing activists.
The letters showed that the
new radiCal has perhaps
learned the lessons taught by
the violence in the 60s.
Combined with political par
ticipation such as voting and
lobbying, non-violent protest
is a, good method to bring rec
ognition to an issue and to
show the public the urgency of
an issue.
6GI QU6Etse....
I.IG Or *C.
Name withheld
governor should play a larger role in all
aspects of state government, right? Gov.
Shapp usually does, but in one small
matter he appears overshadowed.
On all proclamations from his office,
the governor's signature appears at the
bottom right. The letters are about a half
inch high.
Below his signature and in the center
of the page is the verifying signature of
Commonwealth Secretary C. DeLores
Tucker. The letters in her name stand
almost an inch high.
May not sound like much but on paper
it looks peculiar.
When Auditor Gen. Al Benedict says
"keep in touch," he means it.
Benedict's department has installed a
toll-free hotline for taxpayers and the
boss himself says he'll personally
receive calls on a regular basis.
The hotline is for the Taxpayers
Information Program. Notice the initials
are TIP.
Letters to the Editor
discrimination). That would force everyone to remain in East
halls (heaven forbid) to meet all the future Penn State
beauties.
Then certain sexist individuals would never meet them at
all. And not once this summer has a female been caught
breaking doors, climbing in windows, stealing personal
• property and generally abusing the facility, as males have
been.
Furthermore, I personally invite you to spend a night and
join us the next morning for our clean-up party. That sir, will
be absolutely free.
Workers Unite!
Last Friday Stephan C. Dailey wrote a letter to the editor
making it very clear that as a student he will not give support
to the Teamsters Local 8 strike and advised his fellow students
to do likewise saying, "when it comes to money, it's the
students against everybody else." He advocated that as
students we are somehow exempt from the society we are a
part of and should ignore its problems and only be concerned
with our own unique problem of increasing tuition costs. He
suggests that we concentrate on the education we came here
for and not crusade for "causes" whether they are justified
causes or not justified causes.
The bankruptcy of this very shallow and snide logic is most
evident when he attempts to dismiss the fight of a population
to maintain its standard of living as a cause. By using this
label he denies the effect of Teamster Local B's struggle for a
decent standard of living on his standard of living as a student.
How he can hope to pursue -his plans for earning a decent
living while others are having the standard of living they
earned taken away from them is a riddle he should look at
seriously. It should be obvious to any student that if the
teamsters are pushed into the muck of subsistance living and
unemployment, we will be faced with similar dangers. The
teamsters' fight for wage increases is our fight for a more
secure future.
Even Stephan Dailey with his "students against everyone
else" battle cry sees the need for students to protect their
interests. The only problem with his solution is that it is devoid
of any original thought., In the face of hardships for us as
students and for the workers as well he would have us scatter
like so many rats and may the fastest, the meanest and the
luckiest survive.
There is a very real need for us as students to take a hard
and serious look at what we are facing when we get out of
college. As students we are in a position to take the initiative
The apathy which has typi
fied the first part of this dec
ade finally may be coming to a
close, and a new breed of ac
tivists may begin enlighten
ing the public to changes that
would improve society.
Issues such as corruption in
government, environmental
degradation, excessive mili
tary spending, and human
rights never were solved in the
60s.
Perhaps a trend toward new
activism and political aware
ness by all citizens, not just
students, will prompt needed
changes.
It is a trend The Daily
Collegian endorses'.
Author predicts American doom
Doomsday statistics don't seem to
have impact these days.
In the 60s, even news that California's
great golden awk population was on the
decline would spawn an entire "save our
awk" cult.
Today, in the 70s, the same an
nouncement would evoke spirited cries
of "good riddance."
Certainly one of the greatest har
bingers of doom is Barry Commoner, the
noted ecologist and author.
In his book, "The Closing Circle,"
Commoner forecasts the cataclysmic
results of poisoning the environment.
"The Closing Circle" was first printed in
1971, and at that time was hailed by one
critic as "The Paul Revere of ecology."
In Commoner's recent book, "The
Poverty of Power," he neatly outlines
what's wrong with America's economy,
its environment, and chiefly its energy
problem.
Commoner predicts another 50 years
of oil for America, and explains how big
business has developed the U.S. energy
Scott E. Bleggi
11th-agricultuiral business management
Name withheld
Benedict is looking for tips on
suspected cases of misuse of public
funds, such as welfare fraud. But he says
taxpayers can also call in for in
formation on how tax money is used. `
Philadelphia Inquirer tells about how
one of its Harrisburg reporters got a
phone call from a woman who had read
one of his articles.
She was upset about the provisions of a
bill sponsored by Rep. Charles Caputo,
D-Allegheny. She said she called Caputo
' at home.
"You mean you called Caputo in
Pittsburgh?" the reporter asked.
"No, I called him in Philadelphia,"
she replied. "His address was in the
paper. He lives at D Street and
Allegheny Avenue." .
The reporter explained that D-
Allegheny meant Caputo is a Democrat
from Allegheny County.
market for profit, instead of efficiency—
thereby causing incredible waste.
He tells convincingly of the en
vironmental drawbacks of coal and the
danger of nuclear power.
133646
~ , ,, , .,t.
Commoner scares ' the reader in
dramatic ways.Re doesn't cite studies of
Canadian rats who have been fed,
bathed, and given shots intravenously,
intramuscularly or intradermally of
some substance and develop tumors.
Instead, he reports that 75 to 80 per
cent of cancer in the United States is
caused from substances in the en
vironment, like plastics.
and assume responsible leadership in the struggle for better
living conditions for everyone. This it not some stupid cause or
character building exercise for freshmen, this is a struggle to
insure the future we now work so hard to prepare for. It is only
in solidarity with workers and unions that we will achieve this.
Workeis and students unite! Support the Teamster Local 8
strike!
No more
Energy ( or the lack of it) "seems to be in the news every day,
with rising OPEC prices and the Alaskan pipeline completion
being the major items as of late. What I cannot understand is
why there is so much emphasis on where and at what cost our
next drop of oil is coming from, when in the near future the
price of oil will be zero since there won't be any oil left to buy.
As unpopular as conservation of energy in America is, I feel
that America must make a united effort now to conserve our
major non-renewable energy source, so that we have more
time for technology to find an efficient and practical source of
energy for the future.
Many people are under the assumption that technology is
like a miracle, and will eventually take care of us. This may or
may not happen, but whit) wants to take such a daring chance?
The United States, as we know it, depends on this very
assumption
A recent Gallup poll revealed that only one-half of all
Americans realize that the United States must import oil to
satisfy its energy needs. And of these, only one-third have any
idea of the extent to which we depend on foreign sources. I
think it's high time the American people were informed of the
seriousness of the situation. If we are to have any chance to
fight the impending disasterous consequences of running out
of oil before a practical alternative is found, our legislators in
Washington must have the whole-hearted support of their
voting public who will eventually be responsible for carrying
out any energy policies decided upon.
Quality work
In response to the sidewalk sale articles . . . bovine feces!
As a local artist and craftsman, I am completely fed up with
the Arts Festival entrepreneurs talking about "quality,
professionalism, and commercialism." By using these terms
the Arts Festival officials have finally made it impossible for a
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Some of these problems are given
solutions by Commoner that the average
American capitalist can appreciate.
For the energy problem, for instance,
Commoner suggests huge platforms are
built in the Gulf of Mexico where solar
power can be utilized.
The sun's energy can be collected and
used to split the Gulf's water into
hydrogen and oxygen that can easily be
stored and shipped to the mainland.
Commoner also suggests placing a
premium on energy efficiency, and
combating the plastics problem by using
natural materials.
In "The Closing Circle," Commoner
suggests people solve the problems he
describes by "learning the realities of
environmental problems and carrying
an awareness of the environmental
imperative into all of our activities."
In "The Poverty of Power," Com
moner's solution is socialism.
Commoner says, "Now all this has
culminated in the ignominious con
fession of thos who hold the power: That
Herbert L. Thal 111
7th-mining
(former Teamster member)
Jim Furry
10th-accounting
craftsman, or artist to display his or her work unless they are
full , time professionals. As a person who already has a full
time profession, arts and crafts are my avocation. However,
this does not mean that I cannot produce "quality work." It
does mean that I do not have the time to display my wares to a
judge and do not wish to take the risk of paying $43 for a booth
( $2O four years ago) that I might get rained out of. A
professional can write it off in taxes, I take it somewhere else.
I have been in the sidewalk sale for 4 years and enjoyed
having people purchase my works and the works of friends
who shared my booth. I also enjoyed giving my customers a
price that they could live with, NOT a price that I had to live
by. I know that my prices also irritate the professionals, but I
truly enjoy making the Festival a festival and not an ex
pensive "professional quality sale."
I regret that my child, friends and relatives will no longer
visit the sale and be allowed to buy plants, cheap bhcelets and
rings, or a belt buckle with a beer can on it. I personally dislike
these items but the general public wants them. The majority
do not want a $lOOO painting or a $2O bowl! They simply cannot
afford them.
I apologize to the people who asked me earlier this year if I
would be at the sale. They can purchase their pottery and
serigraphs from me directly as I refuse to take part in this
"Festival."
d t al Collegian
JEFFREY HAWKES
EDITOR
Editorial policy is determined by the Editor.
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1
___-4-
the capitalist economic system which
has loudly proclaimed itself the best
means of assuring a rising standard of
living . . . can now survive, if at all; by
reducing that standard.
"No one can escape the momentous
consequences of this confession."
All of Commoner's doomsday
predictions and statistics are supported,
and all are made relevant to the average
American, yet most Americans are
managing to escape the "momentous
consequences."
Most Americans will continue to trust
their health to the impotent Food and
Drug administration and the country's
energy resources to big business.
In the 60s, Commoner's "The Poverty
of Power" might have aided any of a
number of radical or even conservative
groups in need of facts to fuel their
respective fires.
Now the fires have died, and Corn
moner sees no hope in individuals, and
no hope in the present system.
David J. Shetlar
instructor in entomology
SCOTT R. SESLER
BUSINESS MANAGER