Editorial opinion The students of Penn State owe some thank yous. It was announced last week that Pattee will resume its normal operating hours at the beginning of Winter Term, There was a lot that didn’t meet the eye behind that decision. Someone was re sponsible for making the ad ministration realize that a closed library is a useless library. Student motivation is not an everyday thing. It was the re sult of some student leaders taking the time to work through the problem the best An apple per day won't keep revolutions away The South African government was having its apple cart tipped over. Had the apples been good ones, say Mclntosh or Delicious, then the government would’ve been justified for tipping back. But .rotten apples aren’t exactly in high demand and the tendency is to try and get rid of them. When Mother Hubbard goes to her cupboard and discovers a bushel of rotten apples, they’re gone sonner than you can say “Cider.” Percy Qoboza, editor of the “World,” is a good apple. He’s also unemployed and imprisoned along with 49 other spokesmen for the aspirations of South African blacks. The government charged them with waging a “campaign of hate against whites.” However, the government fails to recognize the plight the good apples are in. Despite the fact that there are more good apples than, bad, more Qobozas than Krugers, the good are forced to ride in carts riddled’ with prejudice and in justice. Carts whose joints are plagued with governmental rust. Given the cart conditions. I’d say apples of the Qoboza variety had every right to some good old- - fashioned disdain. Not only is Qoboza’s rage justified, but' his journalistic expression ( of it warrants no questions either. Imagine Jeff Hawkes arrested by Milton Shapp for the Collegian’s stand on education funding. Diversity threatened Many of the things I encounter at PSU bring the funnies to mind. (As I read responses from persons who would tell me what I meant when I said . . . , I am grateful that I had much support in my pre-radical days.) Persons who claim that I do not understand their in terpretation of the Bible remind me of a sad cartoon wherein what was apparently one of the last two people in the world, reading from a list, said to the other, “I can learn to love you; here are my conditions.” I have serious doubts as to whether diversity will ever be tolerated. That diversity is a fact, and that it is found in every quarter, does not seem to make any difference. In fact, this is often incentive for those in power to attempt to legislate conformity. Opposition, however, will not deter me from being who I am. The choices that some persons have offered sound suspiciously like threats Family, not failure We enjoyed Ms. Annessi’s article on interest houses (Sept. 17), but take exception to Mr. Dellecker’s statement that ‘ ‘The interest house in North didn’t do a thing. It was a failure." Mr. Dellecker was speaking of Contemporary Cultures Interest House, otherwise known as fourth floor Leete. Having lived there while Mr. Dellecker was there, we noticed an amazing change come over the house after those who weren’t open to programming and intercommunication moved out. Jan Dailey, the RA during Mr. Dellecker’s stay, offered many social and educational programs, which were adequately attended. However, after the disinterested left the floor, it truly became not a failure but a success. Last year, for example, during Orientation Week, the house placed second in all-University competition for “Anything Goes.” Discussions and dinner colloquies were regularly held DR.. gPtfMRP. ID£N of FR3IA WfiWZl'o ? Hats off way they knew how. They examined both sides of the issue, refusing to overreact, and attacked the problem with proven sincerity to the cause. It was the Undergraduate Student Government Aca demic Assembly that moved the fight for the library ahead, keeping the issue in the lime light. Unlike other “emotion ally charged” student issues, the library issue did not sink into the back of students’ minds, and was kept before the public until action could be put off no longer. The students involved in the The idea’s absurd. But when you deal with a barrel of rotten apples, anything goes. Fortunately for Jeff, American justice won’t let Shapp rot that much. Unfortunately for Qoboza, South African justice is non-existent. James Kruger, the Justice Minister, accused "The World,” tjie Black Con scious Movement, and the Christian Institute of Southern Africa of devising new objectives, grievances, and processes “to insure that the unrest prevails ... in an attempt to cause the desired conflict between black and white.” He goes on to say that the blacks suffer the most from the unrest. “Their community institutions have been destroyed and their homes burnt down.” But Kruger doesn’t understand that Qoboza and his supporters have noble ends. They’d rather have shat tered institutions and flaming houses than social structures rotting with Jean C. Guertler president-Homophiles of Penn State Letters to the Editor with liberal arts professors and deans from various colleges. Among other activities, a presentation was given by mem bers of the cast of “Scapino,” and Dr. Daniel Peterman conducted a series of sessions on the psychological self ranging from meditation to building self-confidence. Socially, the floor soared, and believe it or not, all doors were open in friendship. This interest house ended the year by sweeping North Week competition, North Hall’s major annual event. 1 A failure? We think not. If anything, a family. One-third of all floor members journeyed from five different states to attend a weekend reunion last July. We’re sorry Mr. Dellecker didn’t give it enough of a chance; it was a hell of a place to live. Legal affairs On October 14 to 16, L attended the 4th Annual National Convention on Student Legal Rights in Kansas City, Missouri. I and 300 students and administrators from colleges across the country attended workshops and discussed what is happening on our various campuses. How does PSU stack up in comparison to other schools? Not real well in some areas but ahead in others. We do have 24- hour visitation rights in our dorms; other schools have noon to-nine hours. We do have organizations on campus to help with housing and legal hassles and a student legal advisor; at some other schools, students must go off campus to hire an attorney to deal with these complaints. However, the areas in which we are lacking are major ones. Students here can’t see the budget; at some other schools, students help prepare the budget. We usually have one student on the Board of Trustees, but only by the grace of Gov. Shapp; at some colleges, students hold a majority of the votes. At PSU, students have no direct input into the hiring, promotion, tenure, or termination of faculty; needless to say, some universities do. effort worked long and hard gathering opinions, facts and data in order to present their case to the administration. They organized the study-in, which , was perhaps the most effective weapon used in the fight. The students met the ad ministration with their case well prepared, but more im portantly, they approached them with a singleness of purpose. Hats off to those student leaders who have proven that students can have a say in determining their educational future. apartheid. Furthermore, what South Africa calls “devising,” the world calls “editorializing.” In America, editorializing has something to do with the Bill of Rights. Shapp can’t arrest Hawkes and ban the Collegian for criticizing his economic plan (or lack thereof). South Africa shouldn’t be allowed to either. The sad fact remains that they can and did. Jimmy Carter, in a fruitful display of good appleship, promptly opposed South Africa’s actions. A statement, released even before the full report of the incident had been received, indicated that the Carter Administration was “deeply disturbed at the attempt to stifle the freedom of expression by spokesmen for black aspirations in South Africa.” I couldn’t have said it better myself Jimmy. Finally, with the United States clearly in the forefront, the William Tells of the world should unite to shoot the rotten apple off of South Africa’s head. The threat to Qoboza and his followers represents a threat to all apples who harbor the seeds of freedom: OuFhation should lead the effort to liberate the South African black. After all, good apples of a feather flock together. Or something like that. David Misch is a, seventh term junior majoring in English writing option. Scot Guenter I lth-English writing option and history Dick Heyler 12th-English writing option INSTRUC TIONS M PAfeR. Concede FISA mm miw wus Californians' 'laid-back' brings Laid-back is one of those California words that we here in the East use occasionally, and almost always improperly. Eve Babbitz, a very funny writer who hails from the golden coast, once wrote a piece in which she said she had come up with the definitive definition for laid-back. (Californians tend to lean towards redundancy sometimes. It comes from all those afternoons spent just lazing around on surf boards.) Anyway, she said that the best way she knew to describe laid-back was when, after having lived in New York City for some time, she called up her friends back home. “What are you doing?” she asked. “Well,” they replied, “we tried to go to the store today but we couldn’t get it together.” “No,” Babbitz said, “I mean, what are you doing?” “Well, we may go to the store tomorrow.” That’s laid-back. Here on the East Coast we don’t really need words like laid-back because we’re not. When There is a possibility that our discipline system violates due process as ’ guaranteed by the 14th Amendment and the Buckley Amendment, concerning the release of student in formation; some universities don’t even have a discipline system. Why do these situations exist? Because we students allow our rights to be violated. If we don’t have the time, inclination or interest to defend our rights as students, then it is our fault that we have no freedoms. Defend your rights! One individual can make a difference; take a look at Allen Bakke. If you have a valid complaint, do something about it: Take your case to court, go through university channels, organize others to defend your cause TAKE ACTION. If you feel your student legal rights have been violated, then come see the USG Department of Legal Affairs at 213 HUB or call at 863-0295. We are here to help YOU. Help yourself and come see us. Left rights Minorities, minorities. Discrimination by race, by sex, by sexual preference. The blacks, the women, the gays are all organized and expressing their needs for equal rights, and justly so. Well, I feel there exists discrimination against a minority that has been ignored for too long now. I feel there is a need for “Left Rights.” I am referring to the minority of left-handers here at Penn State and elsewhere. My major concern is with the desks in the classrooms I have been in. Not a single desk for left-handers! Do you realize the hassle in writing a double-period essay exam on a desk made for the convenience of right-handed students? So left-handers unite! There are notebooks in the book store in the HUB, “Left Writes,” made especially for us. This is a beginning. With a united effort we should be able to convince this school that left-handed ■ desks are needed in our classrooms. We have been left-out long enough. Absurd situation While I wait to see how high my tuition skyrockets and what University services are cut, legislators in Harrisburg meekly continue their game of playing lamely with the'state budget. The legislators worry about raising taxes, they allocate money to the University that isn’t there and have turned the democratic system in Pennsylvania into a circus for paraplegics. Pennsylvanians should realize how absolutely absurd this situation with the legislature really is, but to date much has been said and little done to correct this absurdity. The students have been told to write their legislators. President Oswald and student leaders have been to Harrisburg to try to obtain PSU’s money. I only wonder why all of this is necessary? Should students and administrators have to beg for money for education? Pennsylvania legislators should already know that state- FIG. 5 out Eastern ire not fighting it out in the working world, we can always spend whatever energy is left battling the bad weather, especially snow.' We East Coasters develop strong characters while shoveling snow or cursing sleet. It makes us accept life’s realties. Out there in the west, where the sun shines all the time, their brains fry. Turns |em into mass murderers and movie stars. Out there, at least in Southern California, they drive everywhere, even just to the next door neighbors. Scientists have proven that the foot size of the average Californian is Linda S. Kaiser Executive Assistant USG Department of Legal Affairs Eric Siggins graduate-public administration FIG. 2 F16,6 r supported colleges and universities are in immediate financial trouble, regardless of how many letters students write or hsw many trips representatives from PSU have made Jto Harrisburg. * In my opinion, they don’t seem to care about the necessity<of funds for education, or anything for that matter but to retain their own fitness for the election next year. J Maryland, my home state, has had its share of non responsive, incapable and often corrupt leaders. It is copi forting to note, however, that they have been removed frqjm office either by the voters or the U.S. judicial system. = I can only hope all of you Pennsylvanians vote for a molta efficient and responsive state legislature next fall. Rememfcter this time of budgetary crisis and how services were cut and tuition rose. Remember how long the crisis dragged on iat PSU’s educational expense. And most of all, when incumbqpt legislators ask for a campaign contribution, remember to just smile and tell them you’ll appropriate a contribution, then wait three months and don’t give them a cent. J Curious I am exceedingly curious as to why The Daily Collegian feels it necessary to give so much space (so often) to these hell-stomping, Bible-thumping screachers. Is there nothing ®f importance or interest happening in the world or even <|n campus? Are there no burning issues or stories that need reporting or discussion? Or perhaps is the Collegian reaHy concerned about the state of our immortal souls? JJ Alan LaPayovgr lOth-religious studies Collegian Jeffrey Hawkes Editor BOARD OF MANAGERS: Sales Coordinator, Alex N. Barsi blitt; Office Coordinator, Judy Stimson; National Ad. M eager, Judi Rodrick; Layout Coordinators, Terry Dolinar, Hope Goldstein. , J BEAT COORDINATORS: Consumer-Business, Jay Schcjjj thaler; Faculty-Administration, Bob Frick; Local Govern ment, Paul Corbran; Minorities, John Martellaro; Politick, Pete Barnes; Student Government, Mary Ellen Wright. *j —— sr Letters policy jj 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 not longer than 30 Students’ letters should include the name, term and major of the writer. * The editorial editor reserves the right to reject letters if they arc** slanderous or do not conform to standards of good taste i jj '<* FIG. 3 shrinking with each generation through evolutional adaptation to the fact that they no longer walk. The same is true of their brains. Through disuse, . they are diminishing rapidly. Take a look the next time you watch a TV show j featuring California actors. Put your : hands on either side of your own head ; and then move them to the head of an j actor on the screen. Lots of extra • room between the span of your hands and the actor’s head, isn’t there? Californians accuse East Coasters » of being snotty and looking down on ■> them. That’s just typical of their 2 isolated, prejudiced view of the world ! as seen from their surf boards. i Now, I’m not deriding all i Californians. Some of my best friends ; are Californians. I was born there ? myself but had the good sense to ’ move East as a toddler. It’s just that, j as F. JScott Fitzgerajd once said of the» rich, they’re different from you and* me. « Leah Rozen is “close-to-graduating” and is majoring in history and journalism. Business Manager Michael J. Baker 7th-biology Scott Sesler
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