Editorial Opinion
All for the best
Although a subsequent letter has done much to clarify the
issues raised by the complaints of the officers of Interlandia
("Dance dissent," Dec. 131, some erroneous impressions
remain to be dispelled. ,
Although there was no "panic," a great deal of last-munite
decision making was necessitated by two factors: 1) a
notification that Interlandia would be performing in the HUB
Ballroom during the Dec. 10 International Fair which was
received five days before the event, and 2) the discovery, less
than three days before the event, that Interlandia planned to
deviate from their written program and perform Israeli
dances
Since Lhe primary purpose of the International Fair was to
bring together as many diverse cultures as possible, the•
University-wide organi'zing committee, International Council;
and lie`-Thtern tiOnal 'students `otganizing ,the event agreed
that the' Organization of Arab Students, and others who might
agree with their position, should not be placed in a position
which obliged them to withdraw.
I might add that it would have been blatantly unfair to let the
preparatory efforts of these students go to waste because of
changes initiated by others.
The "behavior" of all international students involved in the
International Fair (including that of the Organization of Arab
Carter shooting craps with future
By RICIIMID E. NIEYER
Associated Press Write)
WASHINGTON President Carter is
taking what his top aide calls "con
siderable risks" with his political future.
Hamilton Jordan, presidential
assistant and the person Carter values
as his best political brain, argues that
two of those risks will pay dividends. But
the third looks like a crap shoot.
First is the budget. Carter is cutting
back some traditional Democratic
programs and holding others at current
levels of spending. The programs are
designed to help the poor and disad
vantaged.
When Carter unveils his budget later
this month, blacks, big-city mayors,
consumer advocates and labor leaders
are not likely to be very happy. It might
prompt some to withhold active support
if Carter decides, as most expect he will,
to seek a second term. •
Carter has one more budget to prepare
a year from now before the 1980
election, He can give back half a loaf.
And if disaffected Democrats have no
one else to turn to, he might be able to
persuade some of them to work for him
after all.
But then again, he might not.
"I'd argue that, although it's upsetting
to some people to cut the budget, the
option is for the government not to do its
part in the fight against inflation,"
Jordan says. "And that's the single most
pervasive problem the people face."
The second risk is Carter's effort to
make the government responsive
politically and administratively.
To that end, the White House per
sonnel office, under Jordan's super
vision, began a review several months
ago of second and third-ranking officials
in the departments. It sent evaluation
reports in mid-December to Labor,
Commerce, Justice and Energy.
The move resulted in public em
barrassment. Word leaked that the
White House didn't like the way Under
Secretary of Labor Robert Brown and
HUMAN
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Letters to the Editor
Students) was responsible in every respect. Contrary to the
impression left by the original letter, these students did not
levy an ultimatum, threaten to disrupt the fair, or anything of
the sort.
They simply made their feelings known and left the decision
to the responsible administrators. We, in turn, requested that
Interlandia consider the sensitivities of the participating
groups before deviating from the program. When our requests
were refused, the groups were separated. (Interlandia ended
up in the HUB Main Lounge, which, with the carpet rolled up,
had been their first choice of location, anyway.)
In retrospect, the decision provided for the best
arrangements physically, respected the sensitivities of all
concerned, and forced no censorship on anyone that I can
discern.
Concerned
I .am a law student and I recently became aware of
University Provost Edward D. Eddy's decision to arm the
campus police. I believe this to be an unfortunate decision.
There are enough problems with the improper use olfirearms
( ~- A*ic.li, p ;7-•
James F. Lynch Jr.
, assistant director,
.
International Student Affairs
4e/ Dec: 18
Assistant Secretary Francis X.
Burkhardt were performing.
Secretary Ray Marshall asked
Burkhardt to resign. Burkhardt once
worked for the AFL-CIO. The labor
federation called the effort to oust him
"a damn outrage."
Jordan considers such em
barrassment an acceptable risk. The
review will go on.
The crap shoot has to do with the
image Carter will portray as an in
cumbent. Can a president, who is the
biggest Washington insider of all, run
again as a Washington outsider?
Can he still tell people he's not like all
those politicians in Washington?
"I think he can really have the best of
both worlds," Jordan says. "On the one
hand, he's reached an accommodation of
sorts with the power brokers of this city,
and on the other hand he has retained the
boldness and the new approaches that he'
brought to the presidency."
The question is whether any man, even
a president, can have it both ways.
Penn State's towering inferno?
(The following is a dramatization that could happen.)
Jeez, second period in Willard and I only got four
hours sleep studying for that stupid test. Why does a
teacher have to give a test right after break?
Now I've got to fight my way up to the third floor and
then try to find a seat. Scheduling a class with 200
people in it in this classroom. These desks are so small
and there's always someone humping my elbow when
I'm taking notes.
Ah, there's a seat over on the far side of the room.
Let's see, this looks like a good location. Maybe I'll be
able to catch up on some of my sleep. This class is such
a drag.
Oh no, here he conies. The professor. When they in
vented the word drone, they must have had this guy in
mind.
0.K., notebook out, pen in hand, other hand sup
porting head; time to ZZZZZzzzzzzzz.
"Fire! Fire! Everybody get out! Get out! Get out!
There's a fire in Willard! Fire! Fire!"
Huh, what? Why's everybody leaving? They really
look like they're in a hurry. Maybe there's a fire or
something.
"Fire! Fire! Everybody out! Fire! Fire!"
Jeez, there is a fire. How am I going to get out through
this mess? Look at this, people climbing over the desks,
pulling people away from the door to get out.
I've got to get out of here!
by highly trained police, let alone errors committed by less
qualified campus police.
Personally, I am worried about the campus policemen's
being allowed to carry firearms. I have little faith in the
campus police due to a previous experience with them.
During my Bth term at Penn State, I was called down to the
Findlay Union Building by the campus police concerning the
theft of money from my roommate. I was read my rights and
informed of the evidence against me. I was told that I was the
prime suspect in the investigation and was asked to confess. I
then realized an obvious area that the officer did not in
vestigate, and I informed him of this and of•my innocence. •
Sure enough, a day later I was "cleared." It was an uneasy
time for me, but what really bothers me is that I had to tell a
campus police officer how to do his job.
That incident concerned me then just as Provost Eddy's
decision to arm the campus police concerns me now.
Ray J. Ltumen 111
Class of 1978
Lakewood, Ohio
Dec. 27
Great debate
Do fellow students there share our concern at Oregon State
University that actions affecting freedom for centuries are
taken in Washington, DC, and even applauded on some
campuses without any review or analysis by independent
experts?
Sponsored "free" trips to -mainland China paid by the
present regime have seduced students and faculty to return
with glowing accounts of life under the communist People's
Republic of China. Such propaganda seldom if ever gets
countered with facts about the more prosperous life in freedom
for Chinese people in Taiwan under the nationalist Republic of
China.
Numerous older students selected after indoctrination by the
mainland regime of Mao and successors will arrive soon on
our campuses. Will we take their stories at face value, or will
we know the issues and facts so that worthwhile dialogue can
ensue for freedom?
Has your campus lecture series included even one in
dependent expert on China policy? You could select from a
number of American professors having real expertise on the
Far East and quite able to discuss the consequences for us
college students of President Carter's unilateral abrogation of
the U.S. treaty with the Republic of China.
Dr. David N. Rowe of Yale is just now at Sun City, Ariz.,
releasing his new book based on lifetime study of China en
titled "U.S. China Policy Today" with a 1979 analysis of
Carter's act.
Drs. Ivan and Miriam London, psychologists of Brooklyn
College, have interviewed many Chinese arriving at Hong
Kong for insight on the China not seen in the communist
conducted tours.
Dr. Anthony Kubek of Troy State University, Ala. has many
publications on modern Chinese history, background to
Carter's act.
This is impossible to try and get through this crowd.
I'm going to burn to death if I don't get out of here.
Finally, I made it to the hall. It's worse out here than
it was in the classroom. Look at the number of people on
the floor. Come on, get up. You're going to burn to
death. What's the matter with them? Don't they want to
save themselves?
Ah, the stairwell. I'm going to make it out. I'm going
to make it.
Oh no, how am I going to get through that crush of
people? This is twice as bad as trying to get out of
Willard when the class ends normally.
I feel terrible, but I've got to get out somehow. I can
hardly see 10 feet in front of me now. This smoke is too
thick.
I've got to get back into one of the classrooms and
take my chances by jumping. This is impossible. I don't
even know where a classroom is.
Here's a door. Thank God the room is empty. I'll just
go over to, to, now stay calm, it's only 20 or 30 feet to the
I
"7‘
YOU REALIZE at NOT AN EXACT SCIENCE II i
Professor R. L. Schuettinger of Washington, D.C., has' in
sight on the intrigues in the Carter abrogation of the 1.1.5..
treaty with the Republic of China. 41
Dr. Anthony Bouscaren of LeMoyne College has written 40
lectured nationally on international policies and the con=
sequences for us of such moves as Carter's treaty abrogatioi.
Will fellow students demand an appearance on their cam
puses by an independent American expert on China, or will the
campus lectures ignore the issues of the controversy over Ihe,
proposed treaty-breaking by Carter, the-"great debate; of
1979"?
.
Shaky ground
The relations established between your government and he
Chinese Communists deeply shook us.
We, by all means, have been closely connected with yOur
country for more than half a century, not simply in diplomatic
and commercial but in cultural aspects as well. By the fact
that. President Carter's policy is very damaging to oft'
position, we think that we must let all your students know what
we think and how we feel. By the fact that Mr. Carter's
decision was unwise, we believe that he cannot, and will 1)ot,
set human rights on its firm foundation.
=Collegian
Dave Skidmore
Editor
BOARD OF EDITORS: Editorial Editor, Bob Frick; Assi4ant
Editorial Editors, Patty Rhule, Jim Zarroli; News Editor, Mike
Mentrek; Assistant News Editors, Pete Barnes, Jerry Micco, (opy
Editors, Matt Benson, Harry Glenn, Pat Kiger, Mary Anne MulliganQ
Mary Ellen Wright, Diana Younken; Photo Editor, Lynn Dudiniky;
Assistant Photo Editors, Chip Connelly, Joe Tori; Sports Editor, Joyce
Tomana; Assistant Sports Editors, Gary Silvers, "Rick Weber;
Features Editor, Gina Carroll; Arts Editor, Joyce Gannon, Graphics
Editor, Della Hoke; Office Manager, Vicki Mentrek.
BEAT COORDINATORS: Consumer-Business, Lynn Osgood; Facility-
Administration, Colleen Gallagher; Local Government, Allen Reeder',
Minorities, Vanessa Opolicky; Student Government, Bruce Becker!
LAYOUT COORDINATORS: Cindy Bond, Ina Kliger, Cathy Noiris;
Radio, Dan Mushalko.
ground. O.K. you can do it, you found a window, no.k
open it and look for a soft place to land.
What the hell is this? These windows don't have ark}
handles or any other way to open them. What kind ;or
construction went into this place? The stairs are tk
small, the windows don't open and there aren't any lire
escapes.
Well, if the school gets on my case for breaking , a
window, I'll just have to get it through their heads Ilia I
my life was at stake. 0.K., get a desk and smash one In
the windows. Oh no, the desks are bolted down. I can*l
get out. I can't get out, The smoke is too thick. I can't
see. I can't breathe. I . .
According to John D. Miller, assistant director id
physical plant, the possibility of this situation occurring
is nil. Ile , said the new section of Willard Building is
built from incombustible materials. In plain language,
the building is fire-proof.
However, there is no sprinkler system in the building
that would activate in the event of a fire.
Miller said Willard was built in compliance with the
fire and panic codes of Pennsylvania.
Unfortunately, during each second, third, fourth anil
fifth period on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, there
'
are 2,500 students h the building.
Even though the of f lei als say the above
dramatization could not happen, there is always Unit
remote possibility.
John Hewitt is an I lth-term journalism major.
t
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J:
Daniel S. Mohler
senior-mechanical engineering
Oregon,State University'
Students of the Department i of PhilosUphy
National Taiwan University
Taipei, Taiwan, Cqinp. ,
Dee:. 2b
Judy Stim6n
Business Manager
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• Dec: 20